Violent Times Day, Politics, Corruption, Censorship, UK not OK, Scottish Independence, Japanese Revisionism, Israel and Palestine, Racism, Surveillance and Privacy; Valentine's Day, Disputes, Marriage, Mariticide, Till Death

Violent Times Day

• Furious Bosnians Shut Down Central Sarajevo—"Protests against politicians viewed as self-serving and corrupt spread to other cities as demonstrators urged those in authority to 'resign today.'" NYT
• Venezuela anti-government rally turns deadly—"At least four killed, including a police officer, as thousands gather in capital to demand president's resignation."
• Thailand's highest court rules opposition protests that have paralysed capital for months are legal

Politics

• Canada's new citizenship bill a Trojan horse—"Bill C-24 would give the Conservative government unprecedented authority to strip Canadians of their citizenship. It's not just Omar Khadr who'll be hit."
• Indian Parliament erupts in chaos after MP uses pepper spray
• Golden Dawn photos shock Greece—"Thousands of pictures and video clips allegedly show party members posing with weapons and giving Nazi salutes." Correlated to the country's unprecedented joblessness?

Corruption

• Corruption across EU 'breathtaking' - EU Commission—"The extent of corruption in Europe is "breathtaking" and it costs the EU economy at least 120bn euros (£99bn) annually, the European Commission says."
• So Many Bribes, a Greek Official Can't Recall Them All NYT
• Silvio Berlusconi goes on trial over £2.5m 'bribe' to opposition defector

Censorship

• Turkish PM acknowledges phone call to media executive—"Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo?an has acknowledged that he called a media executive at the height of the Gezi protests to order the removal of news content, days after an alleged phone transcript of the exchanged was leaked online, sparking anger over political pressure on the media."
• Why South Korea is really an internet dinosaur—"Every week portions of the Korean web are taken down by government censors."
• Bing censoring Chinese language search results for users in the US—"English and Chinese language queries for terms such as 'Dalai Lama' return radically different results on Microsoft search engine."

UK not OK

• Immigration minister resigns for employing illegal immigrant—"Prime minister accepts resignation of Mark Harper, who launched government's 'go home' campaign last year."
• Election reform bill an affront to democracy, Marc Mayrand says—"The Fair Elections Act says it 'limits the chief electoral officer's power to provide information to the public.'"
• 'Power of recall' of MPs ditched by coalition—"The coalition is to drop plans to give voters the ability to dismiss MPs for 'serious wrongdoing.'"

Scottish Independence

• Britain warns Scotland: Forget the pound if you break away
• It's the economy stupid: how Scotland's voters approach the independence vote—"Sir Tom Hunter and the BBC have dug deeper than the headline polls, and mined some intriguing nuggets about what will motivates Scotland's 4m voters on 18 September."
• Foreign Office caught asking Spanish press to undermine Scottish independence

Japanese Revisionism

• Japanese Broadcast Official: We Didn't Commit War Crimes, the U.S. Just Made That Up—"Japan's top TV figures are making increasingly outrageous statements about World War II."
• How Japan’s 'BBC' is rewriting its role in the Second World War—"Naoki Hyakuta says Japan was lured into the Second World War by America while liberating Asia from white colonialism."
• China criticises Japan over comments doubting Nanjing massacre.

Israel and Palestine

• How the US is Bankrolling Israel—"Israel has been the top recipient of American foreign aid for the last three decades, despite instability in the area."
• Bill to block federal funding to universities that boycott Israel—"It may well be constitutional, because of a recent Supreme Court decision widely viewed as 'liberal.'" WaPo
• What's Really Going On With The 'Israel Boycott' Debate In Academia
• Stone Cold Justice—"The Israeli army is both respected and feared as a fighting force. But now the country's military is facing a backlash at home and abroad for its treatment of children in the West Bank, occupied territory."
• Israel blocks hospital transfers over use of 'State of Palestine'

Racism

• Russian Figure Skater Apologizes For Racist Obama Tweet, Now Blames Hackers
• Nigerian Pop Star Stirs Controversy Over Her Popular 'Whitenicious' Bleaching Cream
• Gay Russian Artist Responds To Garage Magazine's Racist 'Black Woman' Chair With NSFW Image

Surveillance and Privacy

• Snowden 'left in the lurch' by EU Parliament—"An EU parliament's committee has issued a damning report about the scale and the impact of mass surveillance. But there is no consensus on an amendment to give asylum to intelligence leaker Edward Snowden."
• NSA civilian employee stripped of clearance due to ties with Snowden
• Reforms won't hamper NSA's efforts, official says WaPo
• E-mails back claim that Sen. Rand Paul 'stole' NSA lawsuit WaPo

Valentine's Day

• How a Math Genius Hacked OkCupid to Find True Love
• Science: Men Who Use Smiley Faces Online Get Hit On Less
• All by my selfie! Blogger shows how to take travel photos with an imaginary girlfriend
• Netizens react to marriage proposal via dolphin
• 'Give me five minutes': Oklahoma man arrested while proposing to his girlfriend
• Man arranges fake arrest for surprise marriage proposal
• Community Valentines

Disputes

• Woman charged with battery after boyfriend refuses to 'cuddle' with her
• Man Choked, Stabbed After Crock-Pot Dispute
• Teen throws boiling water into girl's face after she unfriended him on Facebook

Marriage

• 5 Romances That Changed History
• Will your marriage be a happy one? Only your subconscious will tell—"Our deepest, darkest feelings affect how we interact with our spouses."
• Happy Wife, Happy Life?—"What we found is that the happiest marriages were the ones in which wives were able to calm quickly during conflict."
• Divorce Rate Cut in Half for Couples Who Discussed Relationship Movies
• Video: Seeing her for the first time again
• Meet the man left with amnesia after thug attack who fell in love all over again
• Other brides will be green with envy: Couple dress as Shrek and Fiona for charity wedding

Mariticide

• Jordan Graham pleads guilty to pushing husband off cliff
• Man Tried to Throw Wife Off San Mateo-Hayward Bridge, Prosecutors Say
• Minister's wife suffered 'unnatural sudden death' in India days after exposing husband's alleged affair on Twitter

Till Death

• Couple die of carbon monoxide poisoning while having sex in car: police
• Harassed boyfriend jumped to his death after his girlfriend insisted on going into another clothes shop
• Denied sex, man kills girlfriend with vacuum cleaner
• Groom killed while helping motorist in snow on way back from wedding
• New Jersey Couple Each Die Hours Apart, After Lifetime Together

Pope Francis, Sex Abuse Scandals, Islamists, Women, Church and State; Marriage Equality, Teh Gay, Sochi, Politics, Transgender

Pope Francis

• Pope asks Catholic Church not to alienate kids of gay or divorced parents—"'We must be careful not to administer a vaccine against faith to them,' said the pontiff." Salon
• Francis sacks four cardinals on Vatican Bank commission – 11 months into their five-year term
• Pope Francis Restricts 'Monsignor' Title To Encourage Humility In Priests
• Pope Francis looks past Europe, U.S., for new cardinals
• Pope Francis encourages breastfeeding in Sistine Chapel
• Pope Francis Is Auctioning His Harley for Charity

Sex Abuse Scandals

• For the first time ever, Vatican answers questions about priest sex abuse in public at length
• Pope Benedict defrocked nearly 400 priests for molesting kids
• Oklahoma pastor arrested in Philippines on child molestation charges

Islamists

• Lebanon Loses 78000 Books To Terrorism: Tripoli’s "Al Sa'eh" Library Burned
• Islamists kill young Catholic who complained about anti-Christian violence
• Afghan atheist granted UK asylum—"Home Office's acceptance of atheism as grounds for protection could set significant precedent."
• Mali arrests Islamist judge who ordered amputations and stonings

Women

• Saudi religious cops tell women not to use swings
• York University professor who refused student's request to be separated from female classmates broke 'obligation to accommodate': officials
• Teen felt 'degraded' after teacher backed aikido student's request to avoid touching females on religious grounds
• How people in Muslim countries prefer women to dress in public

Church and State

• Woman claims lawyers should have told her divorce would end her marriage
• The religious alternative to Obamacare
• Texas Public Schools Are Teaching Creationism—"An investigation into charter schools' dishonest and unconstitutional science, history, and 'values' lessons."
• Elder Pastitsios satire: Greek blogger sentenced to 10-month prison for insulting religion

Marriage Equality

• Utah's gay marriages are valid, feds say—And, according to the state, married couples can file joint taxes.
• U.S. District Judge Rules Oklahoma Ban on Marriage Equality Unconstitutional—"His ruling is stayed pending appeal, meaning marriages will not occur immediately in the Sooner State."
• Yes, Being Against Marriage Equality Means You're Against Gays
• The case for gay marriage is made in the freedom of religion
• Sean P. Means: At Sundance, 'Case Against 8' points the way for Utah's same-sex couples—"When filmmakers Ben Cotner and Ryan White were making 'The Case Against 8,' and when the Sundance Film Festival programmers picked it for the U.S. Documentary competition, neither group could have known that the film would become so timely — especially for its Utah audiences."

Teh Gay

• Eighty percent of congregation quits after Indiana church forces out gay choir director
• Ratings Plummet For 'Duck Dynasty' Season Premiere After Star's Gay-Bashing Interview
• Juan Pablo Galavis Says There Shouldn't Be a Gay Bachelor—"Can you really say 'I don't think it's a good example for kids' and still 'respect' gay people?" He's not ducking around.

Sochi

• Italian IOC official accuses US of 'absurdly' politicizing Olympics by sending gay athletes
• Putin: Gay people will be safe at Olympics if they 'leave kids alone'
• Russia's 'anti-gay' law pushes gay community into shadows

Politics

• McAuliffe signs executive order prohibiting discrimination against LGBT state workers
• Republican gay rights campaigner announces he's quitting the GOP—"Co-founder of political campaign group GOProud says he's fed up with the 'tolerance of bigotry' in Republican party."
• Okla. Rep. Sally Kern: 'Homosexuality is not a civil right, it's a human wrong'
• Dave Agema: Russian anti-gay propaganda law is 'common sense'
• New law in Nigeria bans gay meetings
• Uganda Among World's Top Gay Porn Consumers—So far the president isn't signing the bill.
• Australia: Victoria to expunge criminal records of men convicted over gay sex

Transgender

• Transgender teenager faces criminal charges after defending herself against bullies Salon
• Laverne Cox flawlessly shuts down Katie Couric's invasive questions about transgender people Salon
• Trans Woman Dares Bible-Quoting Councilman to Stone Her to Death—"A Shreveport, La., City Council member Tuesday withdrew a bill that would repeal the city's recently passed antidiscrimination ordinance following backlash from residents, including one woman willing to call his bluff."

World AIDS Day; Pope Francis, Mormonic, Sex Abuse Scandals; Islamists; Church and State; Marriage Equality; Religion, Bad for Your Health; RIP Paul Walker

World AIDS Day

Pope Francis

• Pope Francis calls for decentralisation of Church powers—"Pope Francis has called for power in the Catholic Church to be devolved away from the Vatican, in the first major work he has written in the role."
• Pope Francis Calls Unfettered Capitalism 'A New Tyranny'
• Pope ramps up charity office to be near poor, sick—"Pope Francis has ramped up the Vatican's charity work, sending his chief alms-giver and a contingent of Swiss guards onto the streets of Rome at night to do what he usually can't do: comfort the poor and the homeless." WaPo
• Vatican Hires International Accounting Firm To Get Books in Order
• The PR Guru Behind the Pope Who Is Charming the World—"Every modern-day media darling needs a PR machine, and Pope Francis is no exception. Enter Greg Burke: the 53-year-old Fox News correspondent turned Holy See handler."

Mormonic

• Mormon Church in UT State Supreme Court CHALLENGING Reporting about Sex Abuse Victims
• Mormon church denies lawsuit's claims of sex abuse coverup
• Ex-Mormon bishop admits sex crimes with teen church members—"Ex-bishop Todd M. Edwards, 49, admits committing felony acts on two teenage girls who attended his Menifee church."

Sex Abuse Scandals

• "Rape the gay away" pastor won't serve time—"Iowa pastor and youth counselor Brent Girouex, who claimed with a straight face that he was trying to 'cure' teenage boys of their 'homosexual urges' by having sex with them, has had his sentence reduced from 17 years in prison to sex offender treatment and probation." Salon
• Australia: Pedophile priest guilty on new charges
• Disciplined Priest accused of abuse stripped of title
• Owner of alleged Satanic sex abuse daycare released as case against her falls apart—Kids' outrageous lies.
• Blast from the Past: Ex-priest convicted of trying to hire hit man to kill abuse accuser

Islamists

• Central African Republic 'descending into chaos'
• Jihadists cut down 150-year-old oak in Syria
• German writer Abdel-Samad missing in Egypt—"A German writer threatened with death after criticizing Islamists has gone missing in Egypt. Police suspect that Hamed Abdel-Samad was abducted by religious extremists, but the investigation is still ongoing."

Church and State

• Supreme Court will take up new health law dispute—"The Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to referee another dispute over President Barack Obama's health care law: whether businesses may use religious objections to escape a requirement to cover birth control for employees."
• SC school cancels Christmas toy drive under legal pressure—American Humanist Association not acting humane.
• OH Supreme Court rules firing justified for teacher accused of advancing religion in classroom
• Science Education Advocates Thwart Late-Night Hijacking of Texas Science Textbook Adoption
• Atheists Take On The IRS—"IRS policies on church tax exemptions aren’t just potentially making America poorer – they also illegally discriminate against atheists, a lawsuit alleges."
• FFRF, Gaylor, Barker overturn 'parsonage exemption' clergy privilege—"The Freedom From Religion Foundation and its co-presidents Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan Barker have won a significant ruling with far-reaching ramifications declaring unconstitutional the 1954 'parish exemption' uniquely benefiting 'ministers of the gospel.'"
• Gay snub Cornish B&B owners lose Supreme Court appeal—"The Christian owners of a guesthouse who were ordered to pay damages for turning away a gay couple have lost their UK Supreme Court fight."
• Moscow mayor: No more mosques in my city—"The mayor says that the move is meant to discourage illegal immigration, but critics say it is corruption that is fueling migration, not mosques."

Marriage Equality

• Jury Sends A Message On Marriage Equality And Fines Gay Couple One Cent
• Texas National Guard To Let Same-Sex Couples Sign For Benefits—State law was preventing it [WaPo], but using federal personnel overcomes that roadblock.
• Oklahama Gov. Fallin halts all spouse benefit applications at state-owned National Guard facilities
• Chattanooga: Domestic partner benefits passes on final council vote
• Mary Cheney Joins Fight Against Indiana Gay Marriage Ban
• Houston Mayor: Benefits will be offered to same-sex spouses of city employees
• Judge Allows Terminally Ill Chicago Woman To Marry Her Partner Before Gay Marriage Law Takes Effect
• Croatia holds referendum on same-sex marriage ban

Religion

• Right-wing "family expert": Treating husbands and wives as equals is unchristian—"Russell Moore called egalitarian marriages 'false gospel' that defy the Bible." Salon
• Head teacher apologises over 'racial discrimination' letter—"A head teacher has apologised for sending parents a letter saying a "racial discrimination" note would be added to their child's education record if they did not go on a religious trip."
• Christian leaders rage at naming of gay US ambassador to Dominican Republic—"The arrival of a new envoy and his husband in Santo Domingo has incensed prominent Catholics and evangelicals."
• Harvard Journal Essay Argues Jews Suffer Because They 'Killed Jesus'
• Costco Apologizes for Labeling Bibles as Fiction

Bad for Your Health

• Ohio Amish Girl, Family Flee to Avoid Forced Chemo
• Parents of Injured Baby Choose Emergency Baptism Over Hospital Visit, With Fatal Consequences
• The vaccination problem can't simply be prayed away—"Political correctness has meant practices that endanger children aren't publicly condemned."

RIP Paul Walker—Had a major crush on him over a decade ago. He'll always be a Walker to Remember.

Family, Feud; Relationships, Sex; Parenthood; Exes; Missing

Family

• The Changing American Family—"Same-sex parents. Cohabiting couples. Voluntary kin. Children with parents in prison. Immigrant-Americans. What we thought of as the typical American family is being rapidly redefined. It is more diverse than it was even half a year ago." NYT
• Brazilian Mother Names All 15 of Her Children 'Walter'
• McDonald brothers team up with Pats—"[W]hat makes the McDonald brothers' story special is that they are now reunited after being adopted by separate families as teenagers."
• Glenview couple reflects on 15 years as foster parents to teens
• Mike Rowe narrates a family gathering

Feud

• Ohio man, 92, allowed to buy back his home after his own daughter tried to evict him —Scumbag daughter.
• Judge allows Colorado soldier's defense of citing twin as potential suspect
• Mo' Money, Mo' Problems—"My husband is young, rich, and retired—and it's driving me nuts."
• Man Successfully Sues Wife Over Ugly Children and Judge Orders Wife to Pay $120,000
• The Secret of La Chancla

Relationships

• Can't Buy Me Love: How Romance Wrecked Traditional Marriage
• Millions shop for a spouse...and much more: Bare branches
• Online dating users more open to interracial relationships, study finds

Sex

• How Disney Ruined Sex For Everyone
• Modern life 'turning people off sex'
• What is the average number of sexual partners for men and women in the UK?
• Why have young people in Japan stopped having sex?—"What happens to a country when its young people stop having sex?" Or have they?
• Women less likely to achieve orgasm during casual sex

Parenthood

• Make fatherhood a man's choice!—"The burden of pregnancy will never be fair. Child support can be -- but men need to have a chance to opt out." Salon
• Custody Battle Raises Questions About the Rights of Women—"After a brief affair with the skier Bode Miller left her pregnant, a former firefighter moved across the country, prompting a battle over parental rights and legal jurisdiction." NYT
• Kansas judge hears arguments in case of sperm donor sued for child support
• Mother can have dead son's sperm harvested, Texas judge rules
• Sperm-donor children: Finding your biological father

Exes

• Man throws away $500K in gold to spite ex-wife—"A Colorado man was so angry at his ex-wife for divorcing him that he had the couple's life savings of $500,000 converted to gold — then tossed it in a dumpster so she couldn't have any of it...."
• Man buys house next to ex-wife, erects giant middle finger statue
• Tiny House Divorced Woman Built for 'Spite' Turns Massive Profit

Missing

• For 40 Years, This Russian Family Was Cut Off From All Human Contact, Unaware of World War II
• Father and son missing for 40 years after Vietnam War found in forest
• Missing woman found 52 years later living with new family 1,000 miles away

Shutdown aftermath, Obamacare; Online, Relationships, Engaged, Marriage, Equality, Husbands and Wives, Alimony, Till Death

Shutdown aftermath

• Obama Calls Government Shutdown 'Manufactured Crises'
• John Boehner And House Republicans Took A Huge Reputation Hit From The Shutdown
• Cruz: Senate won't make same mistake in next fight—And he wants to hold GOPers 'accountable' for opposing defunding.
• FreedomWorks CEO: Shutdown, Debt Crisis Were 'Brilliant Republican Strategy'
• The G.O.P.'s Phantom Schism—"There's not a dime's worth of ideological difference between the Republican establishment and the Tea Party extremists."
• GOP congressman apologizes for scolding Park Service ranger
• Conspiracy theories explain the right—"The conservative mindset is in decline. Stories of cabals and secret plots provide comfort as its power wanes." Salon

Obamacare

• States Are Focus of Effort to Foil Health Care Law—"Conservative groups are increasingly taking the fight against President Obama's health care law to states like Virginia in an effort to block Medicaid expansion." NYT
• Obamacare figures leave a lot unsaid—"About a half million people have taken the first step toward enrolling in Obamacare health coverage, creating applications on the exchanges, administration officials said late Saturday." Politico
• Three days in a US hospital convinced me that America needs ObamaCare—"The bare-faced callousness of the American healthcare system is obvious. This isn't a hospital; it’s the Wild West."

Online

• Searching for a Mate—It's trending for same-sex couples.
• Online Dating Really Can Lead to Love
• A Freudian analysis of sexting Salon
• How Grindr has transformed users' experience of intimacy
• 2 Men Robbed In Mountain View Online Dating Scam

Relationships

• 2 Studies Offer Different Theories on How Monogamy Developed
• Speed dating
• Video: Brain Divided

Engaged

• Surprise marriage proposal at Salt Lake City Home Depot
• Florida man tasered after naked marriage proposal at wrong house
• Math wiz who said he had 1 in 285,000 chance of love -- now engaged—"Peter Backus, who once published a research paper called 'Why I Don't Have A Girlfriend,' finds his one true love. How? With an algorithm?"
• Woman makes 300 sandwiches to get engagement ring from boyfriend
• Blind couple to marry after guide dogs fall in love

Marriage

• Wedding bells for couple sixty years after meeting
• Jon Bon Jovi Surprises Fan, Branka Delic, By Walking Her Down The Aisle
• Royal wedding: Nigerian prince marries in Loughgall village
• Pastor Refuses to Marry Couple an Hour Before Ceremony Because Bride's Dress is Too Sexy
• Best Men Brothers' final plea

Equality

• NJ Supreme Court rules same-sex couples can marry beginning Monday—Christie relents (was that his plan all along?) and NJ senator-elect Booker will officiate some of them.
• Portland Trailblazers Come Out in Support of Gay Marriage—Making headway in Oregon. [Politico]
• France rules mayors cannot refuse to marry gay couples
• California: 95-year-old war veteran marries boyfriend of 20 years
• In The Fight For Marriage Equality, A Battle To See Who Will Make It Happen—"Virginia has become a battleground for lawyers from multiple legal organizations and major law firms aiming to take a marriage equality case back to the Supreme Court."

Husbands and Wives

• Meloney Selleneit Guilty Of Getting Husband To Shoot Neighbor For 'Telepathically Raping' Her
• U.S. Accuses 2 Rabbis of Kidnapping Husbands for a Fee—"A service offered by two rabbis used cattle prods and other methods to motivate recalcitrant husbands, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation." NYT
• Senior couple charged in decades old cold cases

Alimony

• Jail Becomes Home for Husband Stuck With Lifetime Alimony—"Ari Schochet has grown so accustomed to being sent to jail for missing alimony payments that he goes into a routine."
• Alimony Reform Laws Focus on the Exception to the Rule and to the Detriment of the American Family
• The Young Turks: Should Alimony Be Banned?

Till Death

• Miami man claims self-defense; photo of wife's body was posted on Facebook
• Police: Intruder strangled by nurse was hit man—"Man was allegedly hired by woman's husband to kill her, not a burglar."
• Court orders retrial in Google Maps-related murder case—"Evidence planting alleged by ex-Cisco employee convicted of killing wife."
• Newlywed wife accused of pushing husband off Montana cliff
• Victims found holding hands in wreckage were married 68 years

Happy Father's Day, Male Factor, Fashion Sense, Sexism, Child Support, Alimony, Men's Health

Happy Father's Day

• Why Fatherhood Matters
• What My Father Taught Me: Mike Rowe
• Man With Brain Cancer Wins Marathon—"Iram Leon, a 32-year-old Austin, Texas, resident with a tumor in his left temporal lobe, won the Gusher Marathon while pushing his daughter in a stroller. [...] 'This is supposed to eat away at my memory in the end. But I hope this memory is one of the last things to go and one she never loses.'"
• Father graduates after 30 years, alongside his kids
• Dad hacks Donkey Kong for his daughter; Pauline now saves Mario
• My daughter wanted to be a wolf for Halloween, I decided to play along.
• Dad jamming "Don't Let Me Down" with his almost two-year-old son
• Prom Pic

Male Factor

• Dad Desperately Seeks Friends to Share Midlife—"Writer and journalist Karl Taro Greenfeld found himself in his mid-thirties happily married with two daughters but no real friends. Why do men have such a harder time making friends? What could he do?"
• The Male Bond—"A woman may represent a man's better half, but his friends are his other self. Whether they involve arguing, competing or doing nothing much at all, male friendships are elemental – and a salve to the soul." NYT
• The Rise and Fall of Charm in American Men—"Few possess it, and few want to. Explaining men's ambivalent relationship with an amoral virtue."
• The Yanomamö and the Origins of Male Honor
• What Being a Handyman Has Taught Me About Male Insecurity—"Some guys feel really bad about the fact that they don't know how to hang crown molding."
• Enduring bromance of tennis' 'marathon men'
• China's biggest problem? Too many men
• Why do men pretend to be women online?—"How the anonymity of cyberspace allows men to express their 'feminine' side, which they might otherwise hide." Salon

Fashion Sense

• Sweden male train drivers wear skirts after shorts row—Comfort comes first.
• Kurdish men dress in women's clothing after a man is forced to wear women's clothing as a form of public humiliation
• 'Thong Cape Scooter Man' is a sight, but he's not breaking any laws
• Shirt You Don't Have to Wash - Wool and Prince Dress Shirt
• Blast from the Past: The Year of Dressing Formally

Sexism

• Lulu: An App No One Should Accept—"Post sexist gossip about men you know, anonymously, without their permission. It's great!"
• British man sues gym over "sexist women-only hours"
• Men's Rights Movement Sees Resurgence Among Millennial Males
• I was a kept man—"It sounds like a male fantasy: Free rent, great sex and lots of drugs. But I was wracked by guilt and inadequacy." Salon
• I'll Make a (Wo)Man Out of You

Child Support

• Is Forced Fatherhood Fair?—"In cases of accidental pregnancy, men now arguably have less reproductive autonomy than women." NYT
• Kansas pursues child support from sperm donor—"A Kansas man who signed away any parental rights when he donated sperm to a Topeka couple is now being pursued by the state for child support after the mother received financial assistance for the baby."
• Dad must pay child support for 3 kids that aren't his: Court rules
• Father loses custody fight for child he never knew he had—"A 'cruelly deceived' father whose son was put up for adoption without him even knowing of his existence has had his hopes of gaining custody dashed following a court ruling."
• Judge orders $1 a month in child support for the next 1000+ years—"Unfortunately the law is the law, my message to everybody is if you're unsure, about you being the father of the child, do not sign that birth certificate - that's a well lesson learned."
• Woman to reimburse man for stealing and using husband's sperm for IVF
• Steve Nash Child Support: Lakers Star Allegedly Doesn't Want To Pay Because Ex Might Spoil Kids

Alimony

• Man sits in jail while unable to pay alimony that exceeds his income
• Alimony Till Death Do Us Part? Nay, Say Some Ex-Spouses
• Florida's alimony laws gone amuck—"Lee Kallett of St. Pete Beach, FL - pays $4K in permanent alimony to lesbian ex-wife." And Gov. Scott not so long ago vetoed the bill that would have stopped that.

Men's Health

• Semen: Nature's Superfood
• Circumcision Changes Penis Bacteria Ecosystem, May Explain Lower HIV Risk
• Eight-month erection leads to malpractice lawsuit by trucker

Why gay marriage matters, Marriage Equality, Conservatives, International; Sports; Politics and Media; Intolerance

Why gay marriage matters

• Missouri man arrested at hospital for refusing to leave gay partner
• Hospital: Man OK to visit sick husband—Right after the shitstorm that ensued.
• First hand account: Arrested at Hospital: Just for wanting to hold his partner's hand
• Exclusive interview with daughter of gay man handcuffed, dragged from husband's hospital bed
• Missouri hospital ex-employee on gay beating case: 'It makes news because of the f*gs'

Marriage Equality

• 53 percent of Americans now support gay marriage, poll finds
• Second GOP senator backs marriage equality—"'Same-sex couples should have the right to civil marriage,' said Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk." Salon
• Just Three Senate Dems Oppose Gay Marriage—The holdouts are from West Virginia, Louisana, Arkansas
• John Roberts' High Stakes Gamble To Uphold DOMA
• University Times threatened with legal action over Iona Institute articles—"Institute sends letter claiming defamation after articles challenging conservative think-tank and anti-gay marriage video."
• Detroit archbishop wants gay marriage supporters to self-excommunicate (practically)
• Poll: Gay television characters a boon for marriage equality—"Researchers found that support for equal rights was positively influenced by fictional gay characters." Salon

Conservatives

• RNC Passes Unanimous Resolution Affirming GOP Is Still Against Gay Marriage—Log Cabin Republicans ain't happy.
• Hate Groups Threaten To Leave GOP If Gay Marriage Opposition Is Ended
• Rick Santorum: 'Suicidal' to change GOP
• Hell Freezes Over As Glenn Beck Endorses Marriage Equality
• Stephen Colbert on GOP listing "in the closet" as a sexual orientation

International

• Uruguay legalises same-sex marriage—"Vote in lower house of Congress makes Uruguay the third country in Americas and 12th in world to allow gay marriage."
• French Senate backs same-sex marriage bill—And the homophobes lash out.
• Gay Men in China Just Need to Get Themselves a Lesbian Wife

Sports

• Chris Kluwe: An openly gay player in the NFL is not a distraction
• Major Sports Leagues Prepare For the 'I'm Gay' Disclosure—"The N.H.L. has formed a partnership with a gay advocacy group to plan training and counseling on gay issues, and the National Football League is looking to smooth the way for acceptance." NYT
• Gay sports blogger Kurt Wirth on coming out in an Alabama town of 81—"Wirth found more open minds than expected, eventually working as an SID at an SEC school."

Politics and Media

• Montana House endorses measure to decriminalize gay sex
• Ben Carson Goes On The Offensive, Lashes Out At "Racist" Critics—"Dr. Ben Carson has pivoted from apologizing 'if anybody was offended' by his anti-gay comments to attacking his critics, some of whom he says are 'racist[s]' who are trying to smear him as a bigot in order to silence him."
• Michigan Republican Refuses To Resign, Stands By Anti-Gay Facebook Post
• You can't talk traditional marriage without shaming divorce
• Under the Gaydar—"How gays won the right to raise children without conservatives even noticing."

Intolerance

• Look How Many States Still Allow Housing Discrimination Against Gays
• Putin Says Russia Does Not Discriminate Against Gays NYT
• Megyn Kelly Asks Anti-Gay Hate Group Leader Why Pro-Gay Activists Are So Intolerant —How dare we be intolerant of their god-given right to be intolerant!
• Applebee's employee gay-bashed by husband of co-worker says he was told not to return to work due to bad publicity
• Anti-Gay Activist Lawyer Convicted Of Child Pornography

Plying Politics; Republicans; Racism, Immigration, Aryan Brotherhood; Conservatives; Fucks News

Plying Politics

• 'We Have Met the Enemy, and It is Us:' Why We Don't Have Better Candidates
• Why Is American Politics So Religious and Divisive?
• Apparently Voters Don't Know Much About the People They Vote For
• Conspiracy Theory Poll Results
• Blast from the Past: People Aren't Smart Enough for Democracy to Flourish, Scientists Say

Republicans

• AZ state senator tied to school confrontation—"An Arizona school is considering hiring armed guards after an influential state senator barged into a classroom and verbally threatened a teacher over a dispute involving his teenage grandson."
• 'Rude' lawmaker Louie Gohmert pulls rank on cops over parking ticket
• Todd Akin, Allen West Lavished Government Money On Staff After Losing Reelection

Racism

• Alaska Rep. Don Young rebuked over slur—"My father had a ranch; we used to have 50-60 wetbacks to pick tomatoes."
• Texas Sheriff Threw Latino Men in Jail for 39 Days -- No Charges, No Hearing, No Probable Cause
• Conservative Media Watchdog Questions Whether African-American Host Is Dark Enough

Immigration

• "Illegal Immigrant" Is Now Out, But AP Doesn't Tell Us What's In
• Border security quandary could kill immigration bill
• Missing Dallas teen accidentally deported to Colombia

Aryan Brotherhood

• Suspicion in DA Murder Shifts to Aryan Brotherhood
• Why I Fear the Aryan Brotherhood—and You Should, Too
• Prison gangs a growing problem in Texas and nation—"Why would a violent white supremacist from Colorado escape to Texas?"

Conservatives

• Pastor to rabbi, imam: U.S. is a 'Christian nation' but we 'let' you worship
• Proposal would allow state religion in North Carolina—"A bill filed by Republican lawmakers would allow North Carolina to declare an official religion, in violation of the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Bill of Rights, and seeks to nullify any federal ruling against Christian prayer by public bodies statewide."
• GOP Lawmakers In North Carolina Want To Make It Harder To Get A Divorce
• Dr, Deandre Poole: 'I Was Doing My Job'—His fault apparently was underestimating how close-mindedly stupid Christianists have gotten.
• Conservatives freak out after Google honors Cesar Chavez on Easter—Case in point.

Fucks News

• Jim Carrey Slams 'Fux News' Over Gun Fight: It's a 'Media Colostomy Bag'
• The Union Protester Who Punched Fox News Comedian Steven Crowder Was Acting in Self-Defense, Will Not Be Prosecuted
• Fox News Ratings: Hannity, Van Susteren Plunge To New Lows In Demo

Gender Issues, Pycon, Sexism; Culture Clash; India; Abortion and Birth Control

Gender Issues

• 'Lean In': Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg Explains What's Holding Women Back—"That means that as a man gets more successful, he is better liked by men and women, and as a woman gets more successful, she is less liked by men and women."
• Do Masculine Names Help Female Lawyers Become Judges? Evidence from South Carolina
• The Decline of Marriage and the Rise of Unwed Mothers: An Economic Mystery—"The real question here isn't 'Why so many babies?' It's 'Why so few marriages?' And we have an answer."

Pycon

• "Donglegate" is classic overreaction—and everyone pays—"Or, how not to deal with difficult social issues."
• Adria Richards, PyCon, and How We All Lost
• The Biggest Problem in Technology—"[T]he technology industry, and the culture around it, has a serious, persistent problem with women."

Sexism

• Ford India Needs to Fire Its Advertising Execs
• Samsung: Sorry about that sexist show
• This strange neo-Victorian desire to save prostitutes and porn actresses—"Sex work isn’t stigmatised because it is dangerous. Sex work is dangerous because it is stigmatised."

Culture Clash

• 'Quarantine her!' Top Tunisian Islamist says topless girl needs stoning
• How Egypt's radical rulers crush the lives and hopes of women—"Women stood shoulder to shoulder with men in Tahrir Square in 2011. Now they are back on the streets, opposing a new constitution that sweeps away their rights and opens the way for girls of 13 to be married. And in Cairo's slums, life grows harder as the gulf between the sexes widens."
• Online protest over Maldives' rape sentence—"Campaigners target islands' tourist economy after teenage victim is ordered to be flogged."
• Hamas law promotes gender segregation in Gaza schools
• Flipside: Pakistani women 'break political barriers'—"Badam Zari and Nusrat Begum make history by becoming first women to contest parliamentary seats from tribunal region."

India

• 'If girls look sexy, boys will rape.' Is this what Indian men really believe?
• India tourist visits down 25% following fatal Delhi gang rape
• Lingerie to 'help' women fight sexual offences in India—"Three automobile engineers from Chennai have come out with what they claim can check sexual offences in India -- a lingerie laced with modules of GPS and capable of sending alerts to the girl's parents and police."

Abortion and Birth Control

• Teen Pregnancy Ads: Shame Campaign?
• New York Cops Will Arrest You for Carrying Condoms
• France expands access to abortion—"As of April 1 the French state will reimburse 100 percent of the cost of abortions while teenage girls will be offered free and anonymous contraception."
• USD$100,000 Grants Available for Developing the Next Generation Condom
• Philippines Supreme Court: Order vs RH law stays

Prop 8 and DOMA, Marriage Equality; Religion; BSA; Intolerance; Politics and Media

Prop 8 and DOMA

• The last, worst argument against gay marriage—"When you lose arguments based on bigotry, you're left with one based on an idea of marriage we rejected already." Salon
• Argument recap: DOMA is in trouble
• 'Regular' couples at core of historic gay marriage case

Marriage Equality

• Sen. Rob Portman comes out in favor of gay marriage after son comes out as gay
• American Indian tribe OKs same-sex marriage, lets gay couple wed
• N. Carolina church stops performing straight weddings until gay marriage becomes legal Salon
• Poll: 58 percent back gay marriage
• Schultz defends Starbucks' support of same-sex marriage
• Marriage equality opponent's testimony about "ejaculation inside of a colon" is LOL-worthy
• New Zealand gay marriage bill passes critical test

Religion

• Cardinal Keith O'Brien Had Physical Relationship With Accuser, Report Claims
• Anti-gay Islamic preacher Khalid Yasin prevented from attending University of East London event
• Erdogan: Gays 'contrary to Islam'—"Speaking in the Netherlands, Turkish PM fiercely objected to Dutch lesbian couple adopting a nine-year-old Turkish boy."

BSA

• Chipotle pulls sponsorship of Utah Boy Scout event—"The restaurant chain's anti-discrimination policy prohibits it from supporting discriminatory organizations." Salon
• Internal Survey Shows Many Boy Scouts And Parents Believe Discriminatory Policy Harms Organization
• Gays and the Boy Scouts of America

Intolerance

• Steven Simpson, Gay British Teen, Dies After Being Set On Fire At Birthday Party
• Transgender primary school teacher who 'took own life' had sought protection from media hounding before her death
• Students seek to repeal Alabama law forcing teachers to say homosexuality is criminal
• O'Reilly Admits Homosexuality Has "Nothing To Do" With Pedophilia After Widespread Criticism
• Hair salon owner accused of only hiring "overweight, gay hairdressers"—"A bias suit against the owner of the Funky Divas salon alleges he berated employees and is a "sexist bully.'" Salon

Politics and Media

• How Ellen DeGeneres Helped Change The Conversation About Gays
• Chick-fil-A Foundation's Anti-LGBT Giving Nearly Doubled
• Ban on a 'gay conversion' therapy advances in N.J.—"A committee voted to make illegal treatment aimed at turning gay minors heterosexual."
• 'Ex-gay' London bus advert ban ruled lawful
• Do Conservatives or Liberals Have Better Gaydar?
• Are homophobes repressed homosexuals?—"Some provocative studies are cited as the debate heats up in France over a law to legalize gay marriage."
• NoHomophobes.com

Dorner; Happy Valentine's Day, Mawwiage, Proposals, Dating, Science of the Sexes, Girls Behaving Badly

Dorner

• Christopher Dorner: LA police end hunt after body found—Identified by a driver's license that wasn't burned?
• Christopher Dorner fire was not intentional, say police—"Sheriff's office confirms pyrotechnic teargas canisters were launched into cabin but 'we didn't intend to burn it down'." Recordings say otherwise.
• Ex-LAPD cop gains sympathizers on social media
• Joe Jones Manifesto: Former LAPD Cop Says He Had Similar Experiences As Alleged Cop Killer, Chris Dorner
• "I’m no more scared of Dorner than I am of every cop with a gun in the United States of America."

Happy Valentine's Day

• An Invincible Valentine's—Links to a set of cards by Skybound.
• Comic Crossover Couplings: 10 Hook-Ups on Infinite Earths
• The worst of Valentine's Day—The 10 weirdest attempts at capitalizing on Cupid's holiday -- from juicing to pizza-scented perfume." Salon
• Nine Things Women Actually Want for Valentine’s Day
• Girlfriend Just Wants To Have Low-Key, Laid-Back Valentine's Day Fight This Year The Onion

Mawwiage

• Couple marry after wrong number phone call
• Trish Palmer and David Palmer: 'Words With Friends' Couple Marries
• Russian couple reunited after 60 years apart

Proposals

• So I proposed to my girlfriend a few months ago with a rather unique jewellery box...
• Proposal Infographic
• Happy Independence Day

Dating

• E-Disharmony? Online Dating Isn’t Threatening Monogamy—What's the draw?
• Online dating boosts economies worldwide—Or is it struggling?
• The New Rules of Online Dating
• The End of Courtship? NYT
• The lost art of offline dating

Sciences of the Sexes

• Report: Sex addiction is BS—"Researchers blame the diagnosis on 'social conservatism' and 'therapeutic self-interest.'" Salon
• Battle of the Sexes: How Women and Men See Things Differently
• Promiscuous Males And Choosy Females? Challenging A Classic Experiment
• Changes in women's feelings about their romantic relationships across the ovulatory cycle
• Darwin Was Wrong About Dating—"When men and women considered offers of casual sex from famous people, or offers from close friends whom they were told were good in bed, the gender differences in acceptance of casual-sex proposals evaporated nearly to zero." NYT

Girls Behaving Badly

• Woman arrested for stalking herself
• Woman attacks judge in court during divorce proceedings–She was there for domestic abuse.
• Policewoman demoted over sexually explicit video, photos
• Woman fined for bedazzling her court-ordered ankle monitor
• Florida teen jailed for insulting Miami-Dade judge tearfully apologizes

Science Under Siege, Saving Science, Fake Science; Culture War; Islamists; Sex Abuse Scandals; LGBT

Science Under Siege

• Meet The House GOP's Anti-Science Committee--"All that stuff I was taught about evolution and embryology and the Big Bang Theory, all that is lies straight from the pit of Hell."
• Fox News Does Its Part In War On Science, Demands 'Recount' Of Weather Temperatures
• Systematic Corruption Alleged Within Italian Research Ministry
• UK: Science spending falls even faster than feared despite government pledge
• Italy disaster head Luciano Maiani quits over L'Aquila
• Teacher tried to dissuade Nobel winner from science

Saving Science

• Nikola Tesla museum campaign earns $500,000 online in two days--TheOatmeal's latest fundraiser hit its $850k goal in one week and has gone past a million.
• Library of Congress Acquires Carl Sagan Papers--Thanks much in part to Seth McFarlane.
• A plan to open up science journals--"Cambridge’s Labtiva applies the iTunes sales approach to often costly research."
• Physicist Elected to Congress Calls for More Scientists-Statesmen

Fake Science

• False positives: fraud and misconduct are threatening scientific research
• Fake Science
• Fake Science 101: 11 Brilliantly Inaccurate Scientific Explanations

Culture War

• GOP looks for ways to stop the rape comments
• Rick Perry’s War On Women Could Cost Texas Nearly Half A Billion Dollars
• Pat Robertson: "Awful-looking" women are ruining marriages Salon
• Saudi court ruling divorces teenager from 90-year-old man
• Lawyer for one of the rapist blames the victim in India

Islamists

• Pakistan mob mutilate and kills man for 'burning Quran'
• Preacher alarms many Egyptians with calls for Islamist vice police
• France confirms Mali military intervention

Sex Abuse Scandals

• Catholic Church in Germany drops sex abuse inquiry
• Jimmy Savile scandal: Report reveals decades of abuse
• Anti-gay activist lawyer guilty of child pornography after videotaping daughter Salon

LGBT

• Vatican: Children should have mom, dad after Italy high court upholds custody for gay mother
• Protest against gay marriage: Huge crowds expected in Paris--"Strongly backed by the Catholic hierarchy, lay activists have mobilized a hybrid coalition of church-going families, political conservatives, Muslims, evangelicals and even homosexuals opposed to gay marriage for the show of force."
• Lesbian couple: Restaurant owner hands them letter condemning homosexuality
• Alabama's Sex-Ed Curriculum Teaches Kids Being Gay Is 'Criminal'
• Anti-gay pastor withdraws--"The Rev. Louis Giglio, who called homosexuality a 'sin,' has backed out of Obama's inauguration ceremonies." Salon