Many errands done, and then my last estimated taxes for 2014. But that pushed everything else back, so now I’m too tired for more than links.
There’s an old argument on the left that the Republicans don’t really want to ban abortion because then they couldn’t use it as a rallying cry to get out the vote. I’ve always found that daft–”Dems are going to change the law and kill babies!” would probably work just as well as “Liberals are going to change the law and take your guns!” In any case, while it’s not completely banning abortion, a new bill in the House would make it illegal after 20 weeks.
•A devil’s bargain? AT&T allows users to access certain apps without using their plan data. The catch, as Consumerist points out, is that it makes it easier for big companies to squeeze out little ones that can’t pay for the same privilege.
•A Democratic senator is shocked that Obama would do anything as undemocratic as threaten to veto a bill. Surely that’s not how our democracy works?
•Rand Paul shows his commitment to civil liberties by discussing how the terrorist attacks in Paris show we should restrict Islamic immigration to keep out the terrorists. Because Christians and Jews don’t do murderous stuff like Muslims do. And of course he’s right, the only time a non-Muslim commits terrorism in America is if it’s a legitimate target like a Martin Luther King Day parade. Or a government building. Or plant bombs at the Olympics to protest abortion. So if we just keep out Muslims, we’ll be fine. Here’s a related post from Slacktivist apologizing for all terrorist acts committed by his fellow Southern Baptists.
•John C. Wright is horrified that The Legend of Korra ended with what appears to be a gay relationship.
•Higher gas taxes just to pay for infrastrucutre? Better to let it crumble, John Boehner says!
•Conservatives who protest when someone’s fired for anti-gay statements like to present it as an issue of free speech rather than well, anti-gay. Somehow I don’t think they’ll be championing this case: a Miami archbishop has said that any employee who tweets or posts online in support of gay marriage will get the axe.
For the record I don’t think employees, in general, should be fired for anti-gay posts on Facebook (or wherever) either.
•Another cardinal complains that feminism has destroyed the Catholic Church because of their tremendous power and influence in the all-male hierarchy. At one point Cardinal Burke talks about the “manly discipline” involved in becoming an altar boy serving at the side of a priest—rather creepy from a guy who participated in the priestly pedophile cover-up (he has, by the way, been stripped of official duties by Pope Francis).
•Doctor Science points out that police work isn’t as dangerous as several other jobs, such as fishing for a living or driving a taxi.
