Linketies

Neil deGrasse Tyson gives the Fall 2010 Commencement Address at UAH. (with bonus rocket-opening)

Comic Book Legal Defense Fund's Kickstarter project to make a Transmetropolitan art book

Wikileaks: Cables show India accused of widespread, systematic torture in Kashmir

If you read Wikileaks you are a felon

Human rights organizations around the world condemn Wikileaks censorship

How Many Dwarf Planets Are There?

British oral histories document rural life in late 19th/early 20th century

7 Ridiculously Advanced Weapons History Somehow Forgot About

10 Mind-Blowing Easter Eggs Hidden in Famous Albums -- This one's fascinating.

11 Modern Technologies That Are Way Older Than You Think

The art of disease

Data mining the intellectual history of the human race with Google Book Search

The Peacemaker, Ice-T produced TV series on gang mediation, debuts tonight

Pro-Tibet protests in New Delhi (photo)

Cuba launches Wikipedia clone "EcuRed," but needs a little help

Rumors of an FBI backdoor into OpenBSD spread online

WaPo: America hates leaks

Feministing Links

Happy Birthday Baby Beluga!

Cleveland Clinic part of national collaborative to improve health care and lower costs

Government sues BP, 8 other companies in Gulf oil spill

Harry Belafonte's post-apocalyptic screen debut: "The World, the Flesh and the Devil"

Dataviz: 200 years' worth of economic and health data from 200 countries

Extremist Group Urges Boycott Of Thor Over Casting Of Idris Elba

OK Go! and Universal Subtitles launch Translation Party!

UK demonstrator challenges legality of "kettling" protestors

DanKam: mobile app to correct color blindness

The incredible art of R.S. Connett

GOOGLE SAYS GOOD-BYE TO CAPS LOCK BUTTON ON NEW LAPTOP

Meet a Somali Wild Ass Foal

The Business of Malware

Extinct Japanese fish found alive

NASA's Cassini spacecraft has spotted what could be an ice volcano on Saturn's moon Titan, scientists said Tuesday.

Ancient artefacts, from a prehistorical culture dating back 4,000 – 7,000 years; have been discovered in a cave in the northern province of Ha Giang’s Bac Me District.

Israel's antiquities authority says a storm that raked over part of an archaeological dig this week has exposed a 1,700-year-old statue.

It may be one of the most recognizable paintings in the world, but art experts have uncovered new clues hidden in Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa.

Report: Wikileaks leaker Bradley Manning subjected to "cruel and inhumane treatment" at Quantico brig

Typewriter art from Keira Rathbone

Who is the specimen that describes Homo sapiens?

Peer review gets catty

RTA says no service cuts or fare increases for 2011

A Meteor Moment

Dear Dieters; A Letter to People at Work

Thrilling Wonder Link Latte

Links from RM
Also: what partners of sex-workers should know
And yet more good links

Let me, a Muslim feminist, confuse you

Before you do anything else with your day you need to check out the Amazon reviews for the Playmobil Security Checkpoint toy.

In Italy today, politicians have become the lead architects of a low-cost human-warehousing system designed to contain the minority Roma, or Gypsy, community.

Ten NatGeo News Stories You Might Have Missed in 2010

Pictures: Seven Supergreen U.S. Government Buildings

X-Ray Visions
Photographs of the inner world by Nick Veasey

Life

We have new (to us) couches! A really nice loveseat/couch combo we inherited from my boss in exchange for petsitting Ellie a few weeks ago. Pleasantly enough, exactly the sort of style and color I'd buy for myself, given the opportunity. Grafton and Caleb borrowed the truck from the Catholic Workers' House down the street (a really cool vehicle-sharing deal; we're getting a membership with them), and went to pick them up this morning. Everyone is happy, especially Caleb and X, since we tossed out the loveseat a few days ago after an unfortunate incident with Tarma (she was spectacularly ill all over it; we took one look and decided trash-time had just been moved up). Since that was Caleb's couch, and X is his cuddle-buddy, there's been a good deal of cat-bafflement over its sudden absence.

I also talked to the landlord of the neighboring property, and was able to work out an arrangement with him that gets us off-street parking until he has a tenant there again. Yay! And while waiting for my carpool this afternoon I spent about 20 minutes on the porch with Very Shy Gorgeous Giant Tabby, who climbed into my lap and curled up for petting and bodyheat. She's generally a lot more skittish than our most regular stray, Bob, but a warm lap is worth a lot on a cold day. Speaking of which, it is indeed cold, but it's sunny and clear, and the wind's finally died down, so it's feeling a lot nicer out there than it was the last week or so. I don't know how long the break will last, but I'm enjoying it. We need to re-tarp the back fence before the next windstorm, though; the sand pit is trying to climb up Becca's stairs. We took the tarps down because they were pretty battered, and during the winter we don't care as much about privacy in the back, but it turns out they were preventing sand and snow-devils from tearing up and down the side walkway. Oops. Long-term, we're talking about planting some evergreen shrubs along that fence to deal with both wind and privacy. In the meantime, more tarps it is.

Household meeting on Thursday went well, and we're continuing to make progress on sorting everything out. Next up on my to do list is to look into various banks in the area to see what makes the most sense for setting up a household bank account. My main account is with Key, but their fees are through the roof, so we're not staying with them for this. US Bank is one option, although I'd also like to check into supporting one of the local credit unions. Suggestions and recommendations from locals welcome.

I have yet to make any calls in regards to my "call for phone numbers" post, in case you're one of those people and are wondering about it. Hopefully soon.

Still watching through Max Headroom; I'm about halfway through the series, and really pretty happy with how it's held up. Obviously dated in a lot of ways, but still a lot of fun to watch. Sadly, the special features don't include Matt Frewer, but they are fun and worth watching; they got quite a number of the original actors and writers together for them. Gratifying but not at all surprising to hear them say that both Brazil and Bladerunner influenced the dystopia they created. Sadly, no commentary tracks, but that's not exactly surprising.

Also, I'm behind on email and comment replies, as usual.

Linketies

Senate Passes DADT Repeal, Sending Bill to Obama For His Signature
Obama to sign law ending military gay ban
SLDN on what this does and doesn't mean for GLBT servicemen and women right now
Admiral Mike Mullen: We Will Be a Better Military Without "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

And ONTD_P is celebrating, for those who want company
RM on the DADT repeal

And the bad news: U.S. Senate Blocks Vote On DREAM Act
As DREAM Act Fails, Graham Tells Undocumented Youth They Wasted Their Time *rage*
9/11 Responder & Clean Up Heroes Snubbed By GOP
Sen. Thune Admits Bush Tax Cut Extensions Are More Of A Priority Than 9/11 Workers’ Health

Fox's 'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter' confirmed for New Orleans shoot

The Good Guys Cancelled: No Season Two -- *boo* *hiss* I really liked this one.

"Rare Exports" is the most disturbingly awesome Christmas movie ever -- Holy crap, I need to see this! *goes to troll Netflix*

And for those looking for something a bit more family-friendly, may I heartily recommend Hogfather? It's quickly become my all-time favorite holiday movie.

Mad and Bad: 60 Years of Science of TV Doctor Who
Related: Three youtube videos embedded under cut - two from the Christmas Special Confidential, and one that's just pure adorableness.

Totally Radical: A Microhistory of 1980s Science Fiction -- *chuckle* I'm so totally a child of the 80s. My love of SFF isn't just from the movies and shows of the time (also from my uncle and my folks, at least the high fantasy side), but my childhood was absolutely colored by Robotech, Thundercats, Voltron, Galaxy Rangers, E.T., Nausicaa, Wargames, Mad Max, Aliens, Transformers, Alien Nation, Max Headroom, Space Camp, Star Trek, etc. It really quite baffled me when the rest of the world seemed to mostly lose interest in SFF (especially the kids' cartoons).

Rebuilding the Labor Movement

Why the "Lazy Jobless" Myth Persists

Central Banking 101: What the Fed Can Do as "Lender of Last Resort" -- James, I'd be interested in your thoughts on this one. It's relatively over-my-head.

Magnetic Yellow Card - cyclist-intervention

Vatican Shielded Dublin Priest Until He Raped Boy in Pub, Inquiry Says

The World's Cutest Religious Cops

Ani DiFranco, Then and Now

What Killed Aiyana Stanley-Jones?

The tourists wandering through their home don’t bother them so much. And they’re used to the shrill buzz of the saws scrappers bring. Even the snarling bobcat they just ran into in the basement wasn’t so scary.
But the people firing guns into the walls have become a bit of a nuisance.

Nigeria drops Cheney graft charges -- As appalling as it is, I don't think we get to say much given that we've never prosecuted him for shit here, despite everything he's done.

ACLU Warns Catholic Hospitals They Must Provide Life-Saving Abortions

U of Nebraska is Dangerously Wrong about Feral Cats

Southeast US in as Much Water Trouble as Desert Southwest

New York Times' Census Maps Reveal the Truth About US Wealth Disparity

FDA Says 29 Million Pounds of Antibiotics Used in Food Animals Last Year

Electric Eel Powers Aquarium Christmas Tree (Video)

Benefits Helped me Turn my Life Around

Roadmaps to New Power: WMMT Radio Unites Coal Miners and Greens on the Airways

Deadly Spin: An Insurance Company Insider Speaks Out on How Corporate PR Is Killing Health Care and Deceiving Americans

Urban Forager | Earthy, Crunchy Burdock

Officials: CIA gave waterboarders $5M legal shield

This Day in History 1912: PILTDOWN MAN DISCOVERED

Amazing Automatons: Ancient Robots & Victorian Androids

Why Shouldn’t Freedom of the Press Apply to WikiLeaks?

Cheers and Jeers: UN to Shame Rapists; US Military Sex Assaults Rise

Wikipedia's first 10,000 edits

Why you shouldn't deep-fry a gnocchi

Car immobilizers cracked due to crappy proprietary crypto

‘Unprecedented’ Drone Assault: 58 Strikes in 102 Days

George Monbiot: Astroturfers who are paid for trolling disrupt intelligent conversation

The Republican who will head the House committee that oversees domestic security is planning to open a Congressional inquiry into what he calls “the radicalization” of the Muslim community when his party takes over the House next year.

World's biggest marijuana convention in Colorado

Poland swears in Nigerian Godson as first black MP

All the black actors with speaking roles on 'Friends'

Keith Olbermann quit Twitter because of me
I'm apparently responsible for the biggest celebrity Twitter meltdown since Matt Lauer ticked off Kanye West

Panel charged with suggesting Ohio budget solutions concludes in disagreement

Cleveland State University expects to lose $17 million in state support, could trigger layoffs and other cuts

Congress approves tax cuts, extension of unemployment benefits -- As pissed as I am about the tax cut "compromise", the unemployment extension directly helps our household and plenty of other folks I know, so yay for that!

Senate Democrats give up bid to pass $1.1 trillion spending bill

In France, Civil Unions Gain Favor over Marriage -- I would strongly prefer that 'marriage' be exclusively religious/personal for everyone, and that only civil unions count for government purposes.

Toy donations and money are desperately needed by the McClain County Operation Christmas after a skunk sprayed all the toys set to be delivered Friday.

Google's Zeitgeist 2010

Investigation Starting into Mormon Church and Mormon Congressmen Over Personal Use of US Diplomats

A Kitchen-for-Rent Is a Lifeline for the Laid-Off -- I might've posted this a few days ago, but I can't recall.

Cuba plans to legalize same sex marriage next year.

FEEL GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY: Secret Santa hands out $100 bills in Kansas City

TX GOPer urges colleagues to recruit Latinos to party to ally against Muslims

Unemployment Orientation

Fox News on climate: skip the science, report the "controversy"

The government has confirmed it is to push ahead with big structural changes to the NHS in England.

Raped Cheerleader's Suit Misses Title IX Complaint

Ruling Has Some Mulling the Necessity of Mandating Insurance

U.S. Called Vulnerable to Rare Earth Shortages

Tokyo Anime & Manga Ban Passes
Related: Japan to crack down on violence, fanservice, fun in anime/manga

Italy: Silvio Berlusconi vote win sparks Rome clashes

Slavish devotion to the US a foreign policy folly for Australia

My sweeties live in B'more, and my housemate Grafton is from MD, so I've been following the "Hon" battle more than might otherwise be expected:
A trademark too far
Our view: Denise Whiting's effort to legally control commercial use of a word all Baltimoreans own betrays the civic trust
A Statement from our GM about the Trademarking of the word Hon

I Hate Math! (Not After This, You Won't)

Butches with cute animals

Star Wars/Doctor Who Mashup

Nobody Here