New story: Not As I Do by Flashpoint

New story: Not As I Do by Flashpoint

Abortion

• Obama restates his commitment to abortion rights
• Obama Reverses Bush Abortion-Funds Policy --For which the Vatican accuses him of "arrogance".
• Woman Says Anti-Abortion Nurse Removed IUD Without Permission, Then Lectured Her

Creationism

• Win Ben Stein's mind--Robert Ebert lays the smackdown.
• Conservatives lose first evolution vote--"The drama over the potential inclusion of creationism or intelligent design in Texas biology curriculum is over for now as a coalition of six Democrats and two Republicans defeated an amendment that would have maintained discussion of evolution's 'weaknesses.'"
• Evolution Disclaimer Proposed for Miss. Textbooks--It's a theory still being scientifically studied and evaluated to this day, which is more than can be said for creationism, which can only be accepted on faith.
• Smoke and Mirrors, Whales and Lampreys: A Guest Post by Ken Miller: 1 | 2
• God and Evolution Can Co-exist, Scientist Says--Tell that to the fundies.

New story: His Cup of Tea by Londonboy

New story: His Cup of Tea by Londonboy

Surveillance

• Whistleblower: NSA spied on everyone, targeted journalists--Used credit card info.
• In Final Legal Act, Bush Appeals Spy Ruling--Which Obama is supporting.
• Report: U.S. Surveillance Society Running Rampant

Bye-Bye Bush IV

• Bush's legacy is America's shame--"Although Americans would be wary of admitting it to others, we know the wreckage left behind by the outgoing administration." Wary? These guys apparently didn't get the memo.
• Bush loyalists seethe over Obama's address--Did someone get told?
• Harper's Index: A retrospective of the Bush era
• Judge to Bush Admin: "You Rolled the Dice...and You Lost"--Missing White House emails case to continue
• Why Two Bush Appointees Are Refusing to Leave
• The Legacy Of George W. Bush The Onion
• GTFO!

New story: No Strings Attached 2 by muscl4life

New story: No Strings Attached 2 by muscl4life

Sex scandal divides Portland and its gay community--Due to the confession of first openly gay mayor Sam Adams confession that he lied about having sex with a teenager.

Gay Marriage

• Please don't divorce...
• Prop. 8 proponents say Brown 'profoundly wrong'
• Prop 8 and blaming the blacks
• Could Gus Van Sant's Harvey Milk movie have killed off proposition 8?
• Polygamists' defense cites gay marriage

Gay People Exist...

Homophobia

• FBI report: Anti-gay crimes up
• Homophobic killer jailed for life
• KKK Chapter Calls Hallmark Greeting Cards "Sickening Beyond Belief"
• Sony struggles with creation of its virtual world--Virtualized discrimination
• "Men Kissing" on Google Trends--Guess where the most queries are coming from.

Pierce Brosnan Pranked--Methinks he doth protest too much... ;)

New story: Fred's Odyssey 4 by RdyRoger

New story: Fred's Odyssey 4 by RdyRoger

Reviews

• Eidos UK PR firm: We are "not in the position of telling reviewers what they can and cannot say"--But that didn't stop them from trying to suppress Tomb Raider reviews with scores lower than 7.
• Belkin's Development Rep is Hiring People to Write Fake Positive Amazon Reviews--Here's Belkin's response.
• The Secret saved my life!--A fake review I can get behind. [c/o World O' Crap]

SMS

• A Text Arrives. Oh, It’s Just an 'Idol' Ad.--This could be the start of something annoying.
• ACMA takes alleged SMS spammers to court
• What Carriers Aren’t Eager to Tell You About Texting

Customer-oriented

• The story behind It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's disappearance on Hulu.com--Open communications like this will win them more fans.
• Southwest Airlines comes clean, out of on top
• I Heart Zappos

New story: Mr. Muscle Daddy's Prize by Londonboy

New story: Mr. Muscle Daddy's Prize by Londonboy

Injustice for all

• 14 Years Later, Judge Drops Charges Against Retarded Man
• Court 'closed at five', inmate executed--Justice delayed; justice denied, forever.
• Innocent and Detained

Arrested development

• Man rushing for medical help arrested and jailed
• Man arrested as home burns
• Man arrested for DUI in wheelchair
• Man arrested for farting--Can it be considered assault?
• Hunter charged after shooting self

WTF

• Jailed for waving at my daughter
• Feeding the Hungry is a Crime
• Lingerie man not guilty of intentional exposure

Congratulations President Obama!

President Obama's Inaugural Address

Obama's Moment Arrives--Historians Say He Could Redefine the Presidency

How Obama Really Won the Election

Poll Finds Faith in Obama, Mixed With Patience

Surviving the Obama Comedy Crisis: A Report From the Front Lines

A Night To Remember: Barack Obama Elected 44th US President

This Land Is Your Land

Yes We Can

New story: Always Try the House Blend 5 by Flashpoint

New story: Always Try the House Blend 5 by Flashpoint

War on Terror

• 'War on terror' was a mistake, says Miliband
• Former guard on Guantanamo 'torture'
• Neoconservatism dies in Gaza Salon
• NYPD Wants to Jam Cell Phones During Terror Attack
• More Groups Than Thought Monitored in Police Spying--They simply can't be trusted NOT to be abuse their authority.
• Judge: 'Sufficient Facts' Exist That U.S. Spied on Islamic Charity Lawyers
• Student Sentenced to 15 Years for YouTube Terror Video

Military

• Barack Obama to end US army's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy towards gays
• Deployed Iowans find jobs at risk
• Pentagon exonerates itself in Iraq war TV spin investigation
• Army sorry for 7000 'Dear John Doe' letters to families of war dead
• U.S. Army recruiting at the mall with video games
• U.S. Marine Corps an Orgy Palace of Stoned, Drunk, Horny Teens
• Army of ONE: Hetero version | Homo version

New story: Teacher's Pet 11 by Redkage

New story: Teacher's Pet 11 by Redkage

Bye Bye Bush III

• Bush's Final Approval Rating: 22 Percent
• 8 Years Of Bush in 8 Minutes
• Hecukava Job, Bushie
• Memories
• Say Goodbye to Mr. Bush [c/o Dungeon Diary]

Surveillance

• Obama to Defend Telco Spy Immunity--What's good for the goose...
• Intelligence Court Rules Wiretapping Power Legal
• Today's FISA ruling: a case study in 8 years of lying and ignorance Salon

New story: Gym Watching by xythan_shadow

New story: Gym Watching by xythan_shadow

Bye Bye Bush II

• Poll Finds Disapproval of Bush Unwavering
• Assessing the Bush Years: The frat boy ships out
• History May -- or May Not -- Judge Bush More Kindly--Watch out for the right-wing pundits' stomach-churning revisionist takes to the Bush Legacy.
• The Bush Years: Jon's Dubya Impression
• Great Moments In Presidential Speeches
• 487 Days At Camp David For Bush
• George W. Bush's Top 10 Dumbest Moments

International

• British expat becomes 'accidental' mayor of Costa Blanca--After everyone above him have been arrested for corruption.
• Sarkozy loses 'voodoo doll' case
• Canadian arrested for being Canadian
• Borat boosts tourism in Kazakhstan--Is good for them.
• The comic fanatic now running Japan

New story: No Strings Attached by muscl4life

New story: No Strings Attached by muscl4life

Bye Bye Bush

• In Farewell Address, Bush Says He Kept America Safe
• Bush defends presidency in final news conference--You could even say, "Mission Accomplished".
• Bush Presidency Closes With 34% Approval, 61% Disapproval
• The bill for the Bush administration Salon
• 'Boiling anger' over Bush legacy
• Californians to Bush: the feeling's mutual
• Bush Tours America To Survey Damage Caused By His Disastrous Presidency

Republicans

• Moderate Republican Williams upsets House Speaker race--What a coup!
• The Way Back
• Bigger Than Bush
• GOP sees Franken as top public enemy--Osama gets off the hook.
• Rice, Eager to Depart, Heartily Defends Record

New story: Fred's Odyssey 3 by RdyRoger

New story: Fred's Odyssey 3 by RdyRoger

'Shopped

• U.S. Army Releases Doctored Photographs--It's kinda sad these soldiers never had the proper pictures taken.
• Photo Manipulations by Platinum FMD
• Photographs by Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison--Old school.
• Photoshopped Subway Ads Get Exposed in Berlin--Literally.
• Cover Model--Yikes.

Not 'shopped

• 15 Images You Won't Believe Aren't Photoshopped
• 15 MORE Images You Won't Believe Aren't Photoshopped
• The mirror has two faces

New story: Robby's Imaginary Muscleman 7 by Londonboy

New story: Robby's Imaginary Muscleman 7 by Londonboy

Parenting

• MPs oppose moves to ban smacking
• Child Named Hitler Has Problem Getting Birthday Cake
• Dad kept 'sickest' girl from treatment
• Cameron attacks 'madness' of parents getting more benefits if they decide to split
• Nut allergies -- a Yuppie invention

How American motherhood ruined my life

All in the Family

• Couple tries to swap sex with five-year-old for used car
• Port St. Lucie mom charged with neglect after leaving her kids with baby sitter for days--That's "days".
• Syracuse woman is accused of having sex with 3 teen boys--With her daughter and friend watching.
• Man accused of selling daughter for cash, beer
• Parents sue school over girls' nude photo

New morph: Fat2Fit 9

New morph: Fat2Fit 9

Fat Tuesday

• Genes linked to overeating and obesity in children
• Obesity 'controlled by the brain'
• Obesity Changes Seating Choices At Buffet--Something for wedding planners to consider?
• Obesity surgery reverses diabetes in teens
• In The Know: Should We Be Shaming Obese Children More? The Onion

Mind and Body

• Pro-Anorexia Groups Spread to Facebook
• Happiness is having a size 14 figure
• Depression linked to fat in seniors

New story: Always Try the House Blend 4 by Flashpoint

New story: Always Try the House Blend 4 by Flashpoint

Economy

• The End of Wall Street's Boom--A long but worthwhile read.
• AIG Executives Won't Get $3 Million Windfall
• Porn Kings to D.C. - Help Us Through Hard Times--Looking to have their packages stimulated... er, stimulus package.
• Bad Economy May Fuel Hate Groups, Experts Warn
• Losing job for first time a painful experience
• Interactive unemployment rate

WashingtonPost.com

• The Beautiful Machine
• A Crack in the System
• Downgrades and Downfall

New story: Legacy 4 by Redkage

New story: Legacy 4 by Redkage

Government and Religion

• Forging a New Relationship: Controversial Issues Pose a Challenge for Obama and Pope
• Atheists Sue to Get Prayer, God Out of Obama's Swearing-In
• Soldier alleges military pattern of Christian bias

Vatican

• Vatican criticized for opposing UN decriminaliztion of homosexuality
• Pope likens saving gays to saving the rainforest
• Vatican Newspaper Claims Birth Control Pill Harming Environment

Atheists

• Atheist Headstone
• Atheist Sign Disappears From Capitol and Turns Up at Seattle Radio Station
• Attention: Lunatic Atheists & Their Lawyers--Even though the attributed reverend died in 2006, his message of hate lives on.

New story: Ursa Major 13 by xythan_shadow

New story: Ursa Major 13 by xythan_shadow

Print Error

• How the newspaper industry tried to invent the Web but failed
• End Times
• News You Can Lose
• Read all about it: newspapers are done for--Print media are in dire trouble – but blogs are no substitute
• The Newspaper Industry and the Arrival of the Glaciers
• The News Innovator’s Dilemma
• "There is nothing anyone can do about it."
• The Decline and Fall of the Newspaper
• Are clowns running the show at the Free Press and News?

New story: The Island of Dr. Mortimer by baboonfan

New story: The Island of Dr. Mortimer by baboonfan

Preggers

• Teen Pregnancies Blamed on TV Shows
• Why do so many evangelical teen-agers become pregnant?
• Study: Teenage 'virginity pledges' are ineffective
• Abstinence-only sex education has totally failed the nation's teens
• Teen birth rates up in 26 states--With red states like Mississippi leading the pack.

Rape

• Rape victim upset by her ordeal? Well, she's smiling on Facebook said lawyer
• Court Cuts Rape Victim's Compensation by 25 Percent Because 'She Was Drunk'
• Dayton man loses bid to change name to 'Count of Monte Cristo'--For his rape trial vindication
• Cleared rape accused denied claim--Because of her "reluctance to report", but he was also "refused permission to appeal against the decision."
• Girl, 13, stoned to death in Somalia as 1,000 watch; charged with adultery after rape--Shouldn't the man who raped her be found guilty and punished for adultery as well?
• Cape Girardeau woman kills man who returned to rape her second time
• Judge cites boy's 'raging hormones,' reduces woman's sentence for sex with teen

New story: Fred's Odyssey 2 by RdyRoger

New story: Fred's Odyssey 2 by RdyRoger

At the Movies

• The best films of 2008... and there were a lot of them
• Can you guess the movie from just one letter?
• The Art of the Title
• The Stories Behind Hollywood Studio Logos
• The End

Entertainment

• Television's foreign affair Salon
• Glut of Films Hits Hollywood
• Fifty Years of Popular Songs Condensed Into Single Sentences
• Rom-coms 'spoil your love life'
• The eleventh Doctor Who is hell is Matt Smith?--Just kidding. I'm looking forward to seeing how this all comes about.

New story: Robby's Imaginary Muscleman 6 by Londonboy

New story: Robby's Imaginary Muscleman 6 by Londonboy

Dumbest Moments in Business 2008

American Voices

• Novak Hits Pedestrian With Corvette--"Who was the pedestrian? Or will we have to wait for Robert Novak to publicly reveal his identity?"
• Teens Ignore Mobile-Phone Laws--"Not my child. My child is perfect."
• Iowa Boobs-For-Grades Scandal--"I knew my busty, suggestible daughter wasn't that smart."
• Bigfoot Corpse A Fraud--"So that means...the real Sasquatch is still on the loose! Oh no!"
• Moisturizers Cause Cancer In Mice--"At least it made those tumors 41 percent more radiant."
• 'Bard' Captivates Potter Fans--"Who cares about dumb wizards now? Twilight! Twilight! Twilight! Vampires! Vampires! Vampires!"
• Illinois Governor Arrested--"How much are Senate seats going for these days? I only paid $75,000 for mine back in ’98."

Sports: The Best Year Ever 2008

New story: The Good Soldier by in2other

New story: The Good Soldier by in2other

Top 10 objectively biggest tech stories of 2008

Tech Trouble

• Twitter Hack: How It Happened and What's Being Done
• Death-threat in e-mail scam tries to scare people out of their money
• Hackers Hijacked Large E-Bill Payment Site
• Bogus text messages warn of U.S. Bank accounts being closed
• FTC kills scareware operation that duped over a million users
• MD5 collision creates rogue Certificate Authority

Astronomy

• Top Ten Astronomy Pictures of 2008
• Astronomers Find Enormous Hole in the Universe
• Ancient Supernova Explosion Glimpsed Anew
• Has an alien comet infiltrated the solar system?
• Black hole found in Milky Way
• Milky Way faster and heavier than thought

New story: Always Try the House Blend 3 by Flashpoint

New story: Always Try the House Blend 3 by Flashpoint

Economy

• The economy crumbled Salon
• Printing money – and its price
• Anatomy of a Breakdown--Another point of view
• GM, GMAC ease lending rules to entice car buyers--Why don't they just make cars people actually want to buy in the first place?
• Calvin and Hobbes: 15 years ago...--Sounds like a we're caught in a vicious cycle that spans decades.
• George Bailey, Subprime Lender
• FDR and the New Deal: Did it prolong the Great Depression?--Conservatives' newest talking point -- designed to stop Congress from passing an economic stimulus package -- is breathtaking. Salon

Britain Pain

• Repossession threat to couple who never missed a mortgage payment
• UK house prices 'to fall by 30%'
• Pound slips below euro on Britain's high streets
• Hit the banks where it hurts--Brown imposes huge fines on lenders who overcharge their customers
• We won't let you pocket the rate cut, banks told

New story: Legacy 3 by Redkage

New story: Legacy 3 by Redkage

To Your Health

• Is illness staring you in the face? Symptoms you can spot in the mirror
• Fake Stroke Effect Linked to Full Moon
• Hands-Only CPR OK; Skip Mouth-To-Mouth
• City smokers seek help to quit after pack hits $10
• A Doctor, a Mutation and a Potential Cure for AIDS

Bad Medicine

• Rule Shields Health Workers Who Withhold Care Based on Beliefs--If Obama doesn't repeal this, these "health" workers should be fired for causing harm by not doing their jobs.
• Bogus Stem Cell Therapies Sold on Internet
• Staff at hospital which ignored dying man for six hours posed as Hollywood stars for calendar shoot
• Sick babies denied treatment in DNA row
• Nearly All Kids' Meals Miss Nutrition Marks

New story: Ursa Major 12 by xythan_shadow

New story: Ursa Major 12 by xythan_shadow

The Unfriendly Skies

• AirTran apologizes for denying flight to Muslims--Probably right after they realized their PR was headed for shit.
• Why Can't I Get Off This List?
• Holiday flight cancellations rise 70%
• TSA job rating: Americans approve of agency's performance--Bludgeoned in submission, IMO, despite the dumb things it does.
• Up, Up and Go Away
• What goes up doesn't necessarily come down
• How an airplane toilet can ruin your life

New story: The Massage by F_R_Eaky

New story: The Massage by F_R_Eaky

Bungler-ies

• Robber Shoots Self, Gets Stabbed in Back During Botched Holdup
• Bandit bungles cafe holdup, leaves a tip
• Benton City burglar dies in fire he set

Crime doesn't pay

• Why You Should Never Try to Steal a Law Student's Laptop
• Money Stolen, D.C. Priest Hot on Heels Of Suspect
• Granddad KO'd repo man, then asked for cuppa

911eleventyone!!

• Man arrested for misuse of 911
• Boneheads Call Cops on Selves
• Abbeville man stabbed, faces charges of breaking into Donalds’ home--Calls 911 for help

Happy New Year! New stories: Fred's Odyssey by RdyRoger, I Wanna Get Huge by Jaypat and Robby's Imaginary Muscleman 5 by Londonboy

Happy New Year!

New stories:

• Fred's Odyssey by RdyRoger
• I Wanna Get Huge by Jaypat
• Robby's Imaginary Muscleman 5 by Londonboy

Bush

• Americans Take Parting Shots at Bush
• Poll: 75% glad Bush is done
• Iraq, Katrina were Bush's downfall: former aides
• Thanks for the material, George W. Now get lost! Salon
• Letterman's Top 10 George Bush moments

Another brutal year for liberty Salon

Cheney

• Cheney: 'I Don't Have Any Idea' Why People Don't Like Me
• Cheney's delusions
• Cheney’s admissions to the CIA leak prosecutor and FBI

The Buzzwords of 2008

The Fun of Politics

• I Probably Shouldn't Have Said That - Top 10 Unfortunate Political One-Liners
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights, animated
• Diagramming the Preamble to the US Constitution
• 50 Most Beautiful People on Capitol Hill
• Obama logo ideas that weren’t chosen