In the News

Here is some stuff in the news today...

[Content Note: Islamophobia; victim-blaming; video autoplays at link] Bill Maher continues to be an Islamophobic shitlord, using a segment of his show Friday night to discuss Ahmed Mohamed and his clock and engaging in more rank Islamophobia. And his guests Mark Cuban, George Pataki, and Chris Matthews happily joined in, with only journalist Jorge Ramos pushing back. For fuck's sake.

[CN: Islamophobia] And you knew Richard Dawkins had to get in the act, because he is the worst.

[CN: Islamophobia] In other news, Dr. Ben Carson said that a Muslim should never be president: "I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation. I absolutely would not agree with that." Senator Bernie Sanders pushed back, saying: "You know, this is the year 2015. You judge candidates for president not on their religion, not on the color of their skin, but on their ideas on what they stand for. … I was very disappointed in Dr. Carson's statement." Which is definitely more politic than saying, "Dr. Ben Carson, shut the fuck up, you asshole."

[CN: Islamophobia] And meanwhile, Donald Trump implies that President Obama is a Muslim, but begrudgingly offers that he's "willing to take [Obama] at his word" about being a Christian. This fucking guy.

[CN: Sexual violence; child abuse; child neglect; rape culture] This is utterly horrifying and rage-making: "Rampant sexual abuse of children has long been a problem in Afghanistan, particularly among armed commanders who dominate much of the rural landscape and can bully the population. The practice is called bacha bazi, literally 'boy play,' and American soldiers and Marines have been instructed not to intervene—in some cases, not even when their Afghan allies have abused boys on military bases, according to interviews and court records. ...'The reason we were here is because we heard the terrible things the Taliban were doing to people, how they were taking away human rights,' said Dan Quinn, a former Special Forces captain who beat up an American-backed militia commander for keeping a boy chained to his bed as a sex slave. 'But we were putting people into power who would do things that were worse than the Taliban did—that was something village elders voiced to me.'The policy of instructing soldiers to ignore child sexual abuse by their Afghan allies is coming under new scrutiny, particularly as it emerges that service members like Captain Quinn have faced discipline, even career ruin, for disobeying it." What the fuck are we even doing. Goddammit.

[CN: Refugee crisis] Good: "In response to the current crisis in the Middle East and Europe, Secretary of State John Kerry announced that the United States will significantly increase the number of refugees it will accept over the next two years. Currently, the U.S. accept 70,000 refugees from all over the world per year. In fiscal year 2016, that number will increase to 85,000. And in 2017, the total will be 100,000... That number, of course, will include a lot more refugees from Syria than the U.S. has taken in this year: just 1,500 since that country's internal conflict began four years ago. ...The Obama administration had previously said it would accept 10,000 Syrian refugees over the next year, which will be possible within this new cap. 'This step is in keeping with America's best tradition as a land of second chances and a beacon of hope,' Kerry said, adding that the U.S. would also continue to supply financial aid to the humanitarian effort to solve this crisis."

Fuck you, Volkswagon: "Volkswagen's chief executive has said sorry after US regulators found some of its cars disguised pollution levels. 'I personally am deeply sorry that we have broken the trust of our customers and the public,' Martin Winterkorn said. He has launched an investigation into the device that allowed VW cars to emit less during tests than they would while driving normally. ...The German carmaker was ordered to recall half a million cars on Friday. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found the 'defeat device' in diesel cars including the Audi A3, VW Jetta, Beetle, Golf, and Passat models. In addition to paying for the recall, VW faces fines that could add up to billions of dollars. There may also be criminal charges for VW executives." As well there should be.

RIP Jackie Collins. "She lived a wonderfully full life and was adored by her family, friends, and the millions of readers who she has been entertaining for over 4 decades. She was a true inspiration, a trail blazer for women in fiction, and a creative force. She will live on through her characters but we already miss her beyond words."

This is brilliant: "The Truth Behind Instagram Photos."

Do you need more Tom Hardy with dogs in your day? Then you are in luck!

And finally! This husky is DEEPLY AGGRIEVED about not getting a bite of hamburger. LOL oh dogs! Never change.