Articles Of Interest

This Old Geezer writing for Vanity Fair decided to test the notion of torture, and give waterboarding a try for himself.

This is torture.

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World Youth Day (or World Catholics Invade Sydney and Spend Oodles of Taxpayers cash In The Process Week) is only a few weeks away and the Australian Government has decided to introduce a whole bunch of laws that forbid ‘annoying’ pilgrims who have invaded the city. Protesters, even those who are victims of abuse from the Catholic Church will need to have their placards ‘okayed’ by police, so as not to offend any Catholics with their messages of years of pain and suffering. This, as you may see, is a particular sore point with me, a passionate atheist and advocate of free speech. I am fine with my city being blocked off, my already over-run public transport being bombarded with godly types, and my tax money being spent on something that I’m not particularly fond of, all I want in return is the right to wear a t-shirt that says ‘Black-hearted Atheist’, ‘Jesus is coming, everyone look busy!’ or “I’m sure Jesus died for someone’s sins, just not mine’ without the fear of being arrested and fined $5500. Is that too much to ask? Probably. Heres a look into the matter from the Sydney Morning Herald.

WYD, please trample all over my rights of free speech.

From the Sydney Morning Herald, an article about the bizarre declining male birthrate.

Did you know that males are actually the weaker sex?.

I found this one linked from my newest guilty secret Jezebel, about the alarmingly low incidences of convictions in rape cases in the UK

Only 5.7 per cent of cases result in a conviction.

This one is a little opinion-piece gem I found in the Sydney Morning Herald about a baby-booming nanna type who just wants to toke up her fatty j for pain relief in peace.

Despite the fact that Australia has one of the highest instances of marijuana use in the entire world, it is still illegal, even for medicinal purposes.

I found this one in the LA Times. It is a look at some of the continuing medical issues that face survivors of childhood cancers.

Some times the cure isn’t so kind…

From the New York times, a tale of a new…or is it old? sub-culture.

I had never heard of the Steampunk movement, but it seems to be gaining momemtum.

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This week legislators are moving to age-limit body piercing in New South Wales, Australia, but this topic has created some interesting responses on the matter of teenagers and all forms of body modification. This one is an opinion-piece from the Sydney Morning Herald.

Teenagers, tit-jobs and the body-image thing.

The UK’s Independent asks the question: should scientists cease the search for an AIDS vaccine?

And focus on other areas? Like prevention and research into drug resistance?

An article about the massive number of American citizens incarcerated from the New York Times.

1 in 100 Adults Behind Bars.

From the New Yorker, an article about suicides and those who survived the fall from from San Fransisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.

The bridge, the jumpers and the fight for a barricade.

From The Independent (UK), a story about a strech of ocean between Japan and Hawaii that has developed into the largest rubbish dump in the world.

Platic soup vortex.

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Found in the LA Times, this short article looks at the serious side effects of some medications and their possible links to suicide..

To take the drug, to not take the drug…

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A piece from the Times Online, about the rise and slow spread of Santo Daime, a religion that combines aspects of Christianity, Amazonian and African shamanism and healthy doses of DMT.

Santo Daime, DMT and religious freedom.

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From Reason Magazine, a look into the financials of the ‘War on Terror’ that may leave you feeling queasy.

Imagine the amazing things they could for their country and their people with that kinda cash…

From the New York Times, a piece about Transmales, gender queers and American College life.

Gender is a fluid state.

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From the Sydney Morning Herald, an expose on Mercy Ministries, a fundamentalist, evangelical-run refuge for troubled women.

So the bible can cure serious psychological problems, hey?.

A nice little piece from The Smart Set, about the origins of the distasteful stigma surrounding masturbation.

Oh, Georgie, how could you!?!

From Walrus Magazine, this article talks about the complex issue of medicinal marijuana in the states.

Its for my backpain, I swear.

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I have always thought that home schooling was for isolated rural kids, evangelicals and kids with mega-dedicated, no life mums, but maybe I am wrong. This one is from Time Magazine.

Home school is slang for TV, right?.

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A song I heard once said: “If you’re bored, you’re boring.” Maybe this isnt true? Go ask USA today.

Ho-hum.

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From the Moscow Times, this is about a Canadian Artist who photographs ex-prisioners from Russia and their tattoos.

Dont mess with Russian ex-cons.

A disturbing article from the USA today website about the increasing instance of pharmaceuticals found in US drinking water.

Just close your eyes and drink up.

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Found in The Guardian, this piece details the rising of an African ‘Narco’ state, an impoverished nation taken over by South American drug lords.

The rise and rise of Guinea-Bissau.

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From the Sydney Morning Herald, this describes the racial segregation developing in Australian Schools.

Racial segregation is alive and kicking in Oz.

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From the New Yorker, a piece about the re-build of New Orleans, race, class, poverty, neglect and the other usual suspects.

And we are still asking how this could have happened…

An interesting piece from the London Times on the personal and historical idea of cleanliness, and how the notion of it alters according to the context.

It all depends on how you look at it.

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Something from Swindle Magazine on the drug problem gripping the people of Afghanistan and the lack of facilities to cope with the growing number of addicts.

I mean, ninety-two percent of the worlds opium starts out here.

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Usually I would rather grind off my own face with an electric sander than recommend anything from the so-called ‘newspaper’ The Daily Telegraph. However, I did think that this opinion piece about Australian Dental care was pretty informative and appealing.

The shocking state of public Dental Care.

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Here’s a little piece by Kay S. Hymowitz from New York’s City Journal on the way that girlies tend to be today. I personally don’t know any girls like this, but I know I have seen them…

Crazed, materialistic and ambitious.

And an accompanying piece by the same author on the fella’s.

He’s like a thirty year old boy.

My first set of links is really a group of my favourites from the past week.

I found this in the Sydney Morning Herald and it was close to my heart. I prefer the radical notion of self-discipline and hard work to heavy psychiatric drugs, but who am I to judge?

Stoners aided by lithium.

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I came across this yesterday in the LA Times (linked from my favorite site: Arts and Letters Daily), and it made me mad. I hate people who write fake memoirs. It detracts from those who truly have had remarkable lives and choose to write about them. Get your own life experiences, bitch.

White girl pretends to be from da hood.

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An oldie, but goodie, from the Sydney Morning Herald earlier this week, about the evils of evangelicals. More proof that, to certain people in the religious sphere, dollars speak louder than deeds.

Benny Hinn is full of shit…and a theif.

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From the New York Times, this article discusses the rising phenomenon of middle age and over drug addicts who present for rehabilitation services.

Old timers beat their demons.

This is a place for to me bring the articles I find online to the attention of people. They may be important, trivial, or just funny, but they are all something that have caught my interest and that I want to share with people.