] The public health burden related to unsafe sexual
] activity is three times higher in the U.S. than in other
] developed nations, according to researchers at the
] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Guess that combination of teaching abstinance but not actual birth control practices really does work wonders! To the tune of "20 million cases of adverse health conditions (7532 per 100,000 population) and 30,000 deaths"

Yep, quite the public health policy we've got going!

Unsafe Sex Burdens Health in U.S.

Everyone needs a good laugh now and then, this is a good one.

Scared of Santa photo gallery

flynn23 wrote:
] As an individual in this society, I do try my best to
] understand my common man. I may not agree with someone who
] feels abortion is evil, or that homosexuality is evil, or that
] prayer in schools should be required. But I'll die supporting
] their ability to speak about it, propose it, and even lobby
] for it. I'm willing to spend the time, energy, and attention
] to at least hear their perspective and contemplate it.
]
] What I'm offended by is that this is not reciprocated. I don't
] hear about groups aligned with these agendas willing to listen
] to alternatives, or even acknowledge their existance in most
] cases. I rarely engage with an individual who overtly sides
] with these issues and related issues who's willing to even
] listen to a rational alternative, much less engage in
] discussion. Hence, I don't ever get the feeling that there's
] mutual respect on the other side. I don't get the feeling that
] anything less than total conversion is acceptable. And that is
] extraordinarily upsetting.

[ That's because discussion and rational argument is a virtue for you, whereas moral certitude and faith are virtues for them. It is our very open-mindedness that makes us weak, at least in the framework that exists at present. We're easily painted as wishy-washy, unsure of ourselves, directionless and so on. It's because grey areas, and the very concept of being convinced by logical argument are completely foreign to the mindset of a fundamentalist.

In fact, once you start painting issues in the colors of religious doctrine, not only is dissent impossible, it's evil, by definition.

And I'm generalizing, of course... there are levels to which this mindset has been adopted, but at the core, openmindedness and fundamentalism are completely irreconcilable. They *can't* listen to your point of view, because doing so would undermine the rock of faith, on which they've based their entire lives.

] Why is it that by doing the right thing (being tolerant, even
] supportive) puts you in a position of being abused and
] vulnerable? Why can't we agree to disagree and leave it at
] that?

[ The "right thing" is a construction of your value system. Tolerance, much less support, of viewpoints which counter what they think of as the "right thing" are more than incorrect or fallacious... they're wrong... morally wrong. It's a framework we on the left have trouble with, not because we don't believe in morality or even religion, but because we don't discuss our ideological stands on the basis of morality. It's not impossible, though I don't argue that it's the best or only thing to do...

] I don't want to make the rest of the country in my own
] image. Why do they?

[ Well, in the sense that you want them to address all situations with an appeal to logic, reason, discussion, and anlysis, you do, and with the belief that doing so will yeild results similar to those you came to. The distinction being that if, through their analysis, they come to a different conclusion, one that can be articulated without vague assertions of what Jesus would do, or stubborn adherence to dogma, you'd be happy to accept that situation. -k]

Yep, God says I'm right, so you're going to Hell. Well My book says, "God isn't an asshole. He might not be fair, but he's got better things to do than go out of his way to screw with someone."

I'll be greatly entertained when I see every single televangelist on the planet getting roasted in Hell because God decided, "Guys, you went around and made people miserable and you did it under My name? Jesus may be willing to turn the other cheek, but He's only part of Me and the other parts say you can go burn in Hell."

RE: Moral values... (from atrios)

I don't know what to say about this other than to say, oh my god.

Shatner+Rocketman=ummm...

] This textbook contains material on gravity. Gravity is
] a theory, not a fact, regarding a force that cannot be
] directly seen. This material should be approached with an
] open mind, studied carefully, and critically considered.
]
] This book was anonymously donated to your school library to
] discreetly promote religious alternatives to the theory of
] evolution. When you are fvinished with it, please refile the
] book in the fiction section.

Wow, I never thought I'd say this, but right now I REALLY wish I was back in High School!

Right on!

Textbook disclaimer stickers

] In issuing its annual report card on video games, the
] National Institute on Media and the Family urged the
] industry to educate parents better about ratings and
] asked retailers not to sell such games to younger
] teenagers.
]...
]
] Among those listed as the worst games of the year was
] "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas," a game in which the hero
] vows to avenge his mother's murder and restore glory to
] his neighborhood gang. Players rack up points by gunning
] down police, committing carjackings, burglarizing homes
] and dealing in other underworld activities

Well gee, it's got a great big M on it and it's predecessor won Jenna Jameson an award for best voice work. For some reason I don't think "families" are it's target audience. Schmucks.

Yahoo! News - Group Cites Video Games for Violence, Sex

] Nine of the ten states that get the most federal fucking
] dollars and pay the least... can you guess? Go on, guess.
] That%u2019s right, motherfucker, they're red states. And
] eight of the ten states that receive the least and pay
] the most? It%u2019s too easy, asshole, they%u2019re blue
] states. It%u2019s not your money, assholes, it%u2019s
] fucking our money

Beautiful!

Fuck the South

] On Sunday, a US military commander said order was being
] restored in the city, after several days of clashes with
] groups of insurgents.
]
]
] The American military commander in Mosul, Brigadier
] General Carter Ham, said calm was being restored and
] denied the city was out of control.

Yep, we're kicking those rebels out of Fallujah. Except it seems they decided to leave Fallujah first and may have been setting up shop in Mosul...

BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | New attacks on Mosul police posts

] The 21-year-old man, who had chained himself to the
] railway near the city of Nancy, lost a leg after he was
] crushed by the train and died despite receiving emergency
] treatment at the scene.

It takes a long time for a train to stop. Chaining yourself to the tracks is a BAD idea.

Yahoo! News - Anti-nuclear protester killed by waste train

] Israel will permit Yasser Arafat to be
] laid to rest in the Gaza Strip when he
] dies, but will keep the Palestinian leader out of
] Jerusalem, a city "where Jewish kings are buried and not
] Arab terrorists," an Israeli Cabinet minister said
] Friday.

Well this is sure to make the Palestinians happy.

Yahoo! News - Gaza, Ramallah May Entomb Arafat