When you heard about the latest “foiled terror plot!!1!” was your first reaction disbelief? Did you think to yourself, “Great. They’re going to use this as an excuse to ban everything but Skymall from being carried on an airplane.” I sure did, and apparently, I was not alone.
Category Archives: You have got to be kidding
The Curse of Rocamadour?
I have no idea what this is, but I went ahead and ordered it. Should be entertaining, I think.
[Editor's note: Deana did fieldwork in Rocamadour, a small town in France known as a pilgrimage destination.]
further signs of empire
Faced with human rights scandals, trillion-dollar deficits, rampant corruption, and a rising death toll, our Senate finally decided to do something:
They declared English the national language of the United States. Or maybe the common language. Something like that.
Sigh. What exactly does this get anyone? Nothing. Then again, what harm could it do? Plenty, actually. From the amendment:
Unless otherwise offered or provided by law, no person has a right, entitlement, or claim to have the Government of the United States or any of its officials or representatives act, communicate, perform or provide services, or provide materials in any language other than English.
Which is all well and good until you realize that this opens the door to effectively deny non-English-speakers who are legitimately in the country any assistance when, say, facing the charge of, say, Driving While Brown. Perhaps I’m just being oversensitive, but I’ve learned that it’s never too early to oppose stupid policy.
what color would non-proselytizing Gaian rational physical theorists wear?
UPDATE: Apparently this whole story was false, a hoax. I’m definitely relieved. I’ll leave the rest here because, well, I’m lazy like that.
I haven’t followed internal affairs in Iran lately, but a recent story has chilling history-repeating-itself overtones. Apparently Jews and other non-Muslims will be required to wear color-coded insignia to differentiate them from Muslims.
Iranian expatriates living in Canada yesterday confirmed reports that the Iranian parliament, called the Islamic Majlis, passed a law this week setting a dress code for all Iranians, requiring them to wear almost identical “standard Islamic garments.”The law, which must still be approved by Iran’s “Supreme Guide” Ali Khamenehi before being put into effect, also establishes special insignia to be worn by non-Muslims.
If true, this would be the scariest development yet from Iran. This is the kind of development that starts to justify UN sanctions and (maybe just the barest beginnings of) thoughts of regime change. I just hope it doesn’t get drowned out by the incessant saber-rattling we’ve seen to date.
As an aside, I’m proud that I got through this whole post without using the terms “Nazi” or “Hitler”. Until the end, of course. Bah, nevermind.
protecting us from (play) assassins
ATF agents at University of Georgia chased down and detained a sophomore because… he was dressed like a ninja for a “pirate v. ninja” party.
“Seeing someone with something across the face, from a federal standpoint — that’s not right,” [ATF special agent in charge] McLemore said, explaining why agents believed something to be amiss.
I’d hate to see what they would do if they saw pirates coming to the rescue.