tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60798720265515402422024-03-12T19:20:14.834-07:00Asinine News StoriesNews stories that I find offensive, ridiculous, stupid, maybe even interesting. Asinine news collected from various sources in order to promote discussionNicole Parker says...http://www.blogger.com/profile/01806335808999323944noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079872026551540242.post-55028531771132407832012-09-18T17:58:00.001-07:002012-09-18T18:01:15.456-07:00School: Just What the Doctor Ordered<a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/09/18/161342548/dr-peppers-evolution-ad-strikes-a-nerve-with-some-christians?utm_source=NPR&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=20120903">Dr. Pepper ad</a> that uses evolution picture is causing "outrage" among creationists? I don't know which part of that is the dumbest--the fact that creationists exist, or the idea of a Dr. Pepper ad sparking controversy. I just can't believe how stupid so many people are. It's an excellent argument against states being in charge of their education. Also, against home-schooling in many cases. It's like global-warming: look, people, this is not a debate or a controversy or whatever. These are scientific facts. It's like that part of that one Will Farrell movie...Anchorman??...where he is on a date and he makes up something about what "San Diego" means. She tells him what it means, and he says, "Well, agree to disagree." Dumb asses.Nicole Parker says...http://www.blogger.com/profile/01806335808999323944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079872026551540242.post-43578730651298361242009-03-16T15:31:00.000-07:002009-03-16T15:33:17.539-07:00"Bonus Money at Troubled A.I.G. Draws Heavy Criticism" -- NY Times<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/16/business/16aig.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp">http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/16/business/16aig.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp</a>Nicole Parker says...http://www.blogger.com/profile/01806335808999323944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079872026551540242.post-60695032745097653372008-08-06T07:15:00.000-07:002008-08-06T07:17:00.844-07:00...Why I Sometimes Hate Artists...and People in General<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/06/arts/design/06wate.html?pagewanted=2&th&emc=th">http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/06/arts/design/06wate.html?pagewanted=2&th&emc=th</a>Nicole Parker says...http://www.blogger.com/profile/01806335808999323944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079872026551540242.post-28027304613169610962008-04-22T08:55:00.000-07:002008-04-22T08:59:25.635-07:00Our Government's Unconstitutional SecrecyHere's an editorial from the New York Times: let's hope the bill passes, but I'm a bit skeptical...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/18/opinion/18fri1.html?th&emc=th">http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/18/opinion/18fri1.html?th&emc=th</a>Nicole Parker says...http://www.blogger.com/profile/01806335808999323944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079872026551540242.post-24091226353418521922008-04-03T14:48:00.000-07:002008-04-03T20:28:21.713-07:00Randi Rhodes got Dismissed from Air America for THIS?!<a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=DfdhWi5MILo">http://youtube.com/watch?v=DfdhWi5MILo</a><br /><br />Why? This is what she does...she's done it for years, and it's why we enjoy her so much.Nicole Parker says...http://www.blogger.com/profile/01806335808999323944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079872026551540242.post-76334461970781268142008-03-28T21:52:00.000-07:002008-03-30T10:03:45.061-07:00...must have been written by a woman...typical<a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120674839234873285.html?mod=home_we_banner_left">http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120674839234873285.html?mod=home_we_banner_left</a><br />The article from the Wall Street Journal is called <span style="font-weight: bold;">"At the Barricades in the Gender Wars</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">, </span> and it is by Jonathan Kaufman and Carol Hymowitz, March 29, 2008, Page A1 ___________________________________________________<br /><br />There are a few issues at hand here. One, this story should not have been labeled as a political story about Hillary Clinton. This was a story about women's equality in the workforce. That would be a good story. Two, it is not a gender issue when people don't like a female candidate, or even when they call her derogatory names. People refer to every presidential candidate or famous person, in general, in derogatory terms. If you, we, want to be treated equally, we can't cry sexism every time someone hurts our feelings!<br /><br />This story in the Wall Street Journal mentions a Facebook page that's called, "Hillary Clinton Stop Running for President and Make Me a Sandwich." I wasn't offended; I thought that was funny. People need to lighten up: it's a joke.<br /><br />In another part of the story, Dr. Jill Fiore who teaches at a college in Pennsylvania is quoted as saying, "The sexism aimed at Hillary is astounding me. We want to let our daughters know that we can be anything. It's a lie. If even Hillary Clinton can't make it, what chance do we have?"<br /><br />Are you kidding? What kind of a defeatist attitude is that? I'm glad she's not my mom. When people say things like that (not just gender issues about Clinton, bus race issues about Obama, or maybe even age issues about McCain) they are enforcing the exact prejudices they're trying to fight against. If you think that ONE woman or ONE man is going to make or break your chances of achieving something, you're setting yourself up for failure. Why would one assume that Clinton was our only chance of a female president? I find it sexist to consider voting for someone just because of her gender, or racist to vote because of his race, or ageist to vote because he's been around since the dawn of time.Nicole Parker says...http://www.blogger.com/profile/01806335808999323944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079872026551540242.post-45516150471752425492008-03-18T20:29:00.000-07:002008-03-18T20:35:37.200-07:00Hillary Clinton's Foreign Policy Experience Put in Check<a href="http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/hillarys_adventures_abroad.html">http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/hillarys_adventures_abroad.html</a><br /><br />FactCheck.org looked into Hillary Clinton's commonly-made assertions that she has foreign policy experience that Barack Obama does not. It is true that she has more; however, her claims are exaggerated.<br /><br />(I should note that in an effort to be unbiased, I will also post information about Barack Obama and John McCain not living up to their claims. I would like to become more informed about each of the candidates' records. I will share the wealth.)Nicole Parker says...http://www.blogger.com/profile/01806335808999323944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079872026551540242.post-28445184369072601182008-03-01T14:57:00.000-08:002008-03-01T15:06:39.364-08:00Millions of White House Emails Suspiciously MissingThe National Archives has been warning the administration for about 4 years because these communications are protected by federal law, but this administration just has absolutely no respect for anything other than itself...constitutionality---pshaw. Federal law---yeah right, whatever.<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/01/opinion/01sat3.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin">http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/01/opinion/01sat3.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin</a>Nicole Parker says...http://www.blogger.com/profile/01806335808999323944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079872026551540242.post-43793006491278700782008-02-25T09:03:00.000-08:002008-02-25T15:04:28.933-08:00Are the people ready for a president who is intelligent?<a href="%22It%27s%20All%20About%20Him%22%20--%20New%20York%20Times">http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/25/opinion/25kristol.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin</a><br /><br />Never mind the people who say, 'is America ready for a black president?' or 'is America ready for a female president?'--I'm beginning to think that the people are not ready for a president who acts in an intelligent manner. People complained for about 6 years about Bush's lack of intelligence, inability to speak well, and condescending attitude. Now that we have the possibility to fix those things with the next president, people are changing their tunes. Deep down, maybe people want a president that they can insult, rather than one that actually expects something of us. Someone who challenges people's thinking can be threatening. Perhaps we'd feel safer with the same old story in politics--not much change, not much challenge, etc. That's what we would get with the other two candidates--some minor changes, but nothing major. That feels comfortable to many people. <br /><br />In this article, William Kristol complains about Barack not wearing a flag lapel pin (I'm so sick of people caring about others' fashion statements, which is really all that is anyway.) I agree with Barack that the important thing isn't what you wear, but what you do. Then, when he attempts to explain his decision, Kristol criticizes him for that. He then states that in nearly every empirical respect, we're doing better than we were 25 years ago, but he does not explain how we're doing better...I'm not so sure that that's the case. Kristol is being purposefully obtuse, and as a result, I think he sounds about as wise as President Bush.<br /><br />This op-ed piece is the type of thinking that worries me.Nicole Parker says...http://www.blogger.com/profile/01806335808999323944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079872026551540242.post-10086718780746458912008-02-18T14:30:00.000-08:002008-02-18T14:38:32.069-08:00Study about the Uninsured and Cancer<a href="http://www.blogger.com/Study%20Finds%20Cancer%20Diagnosis%20Linked%20to%20Insurance--New%20York%20Times">http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/18/health/18cancer.html?_r=1&th=&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&emc=th&adxnnlx=1203364134-HI54IczizzX7a8aSY3hF3Q</a>Nicole Parker says...http://www.blogger.com/profile/01806335808999323944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079872026551540242.post-60531502775171618022008-01-29T22:49:00.000-08:002008-01-29T22:53:45.420-08:00and here I thought high school was over..."Obama Says It Was a Turn, Not a Snub"<br />I thought I was the only one who obsessed over dumb stuff like this<br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/29/obama-says-it-was-a-turn-not-a-snub/index.html?nl=pol&emc=pol">http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/29/obama-says-it-was-a-turn-not-a-snub/index.html?nl=pol&emc=pol</a><br /><br /></span>Nicole Parker says...http://www.blogger.com/profile/01806335808999323944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079872026551540242.post-38925498915009723182008-01-14T08:02:00.000-08:002008-01-14T08:11:58.213-08:00WritersThe presidential speechwriters should go on strike. This is not because I know of any particular injustice they're suffering or anything, but although I feel bad that the writers for Conan and Leno and Letterman, etc are not getting what they deserve, it's making me actually want to watch the shows again. It was embarrassingly late that I realized these people even HAD writers; I was naive enough to think that they wrote it all themselves. Duh. But I find them much funnier when they are left to their own devices. The same is true for presidential candidates; it took me a long time to realize THEY didn't write their own speeches. I think they should; then we'd have a much better idea of what we were actually going to get. Also, IF anyone reads this, does anyone know a good resource for getting past all the dumbing-down and b.s. of the candidates' speeches and finding details of HOW the candidates are going to do all the stuff they're talking about doing? Is it naive to think there is such a place?Nicole Parker says...http://www.blogger.com/profile/01806335808999323944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079872026551540242.post-12140816502362148312008-01-03T08:33:00.000-08:002008-04-08T21:25:58.391-07:00E.P.A. denies waiver to California: why?This denial is asinine: why, if you were really an organization put in place to protect the environment, would you deny a state's efforts to protect the environment?! Their explanation is so typical of the government...'no, really, we have this great plan...you'll see...just as soon as we put it into effect...you just watch! Meanwhile, just don't make us look bad with your forward-thinking, common-sense approach.' At least California is fighting back...<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/03/us/03suit.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin">http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/03/us/03suit.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin</a>Nicole Parker says...http://www.blogger.com/profile/01806335808999323944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079872026551540242.post-30942655127710728712008-01-01T19:37:00.000-08:002008-01-01T19:40:54.444-08:00If they're trying to convince us that their food is NOT terrible...this is not helping"How to Make a Perfect Casserole: Just Add Badger" (from The Guardian)<br /><a href="http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/food/story/0,,2233976,00.html">http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/food/story/0,,2233976,00.html</a>Nicole Parker says...http://www.blogger.com/profile/01806335808999323944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079872026551540242.post-18362854530937879082007-12-28T12:25:00.000-08:002007-12-28T12:27:57.261-08:00Barack Obama--he's so smooth!<a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/27/obama-in-butter/index.html?nl=pol&emc=pol">http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/27/obama-in-butter/index.html?nl=pol&emc=pol</a>Nicole Parker says...http://www.blogger.com/profile/01806335808999323944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079872026551540242.post-56225204326605152222007-12-27T14:01:00.000-08:002008-04-08T21:26:42.703-07:00This is more interesting than asinine...except for the part about Quakers being rabble-rousers...that's just strange<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/27/opinion/27jackson.html?th&emc=th">http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/27/opinion/27jackson.html?th&emc=th</a>Nicole Parker says...http://www.blogger.com/profile/01806335808999323944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079872026551540242.post-76148527890931564682007-11-29T08:23:00.000-08:002007-11-29T08:26:14.400-08:00New Orleans denied as Location for Presidential DebateOh, but we might be slightly less comfortable than in another city!<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/29/opinion/29thu4.html?th&emc=th">http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/29/opinion/29thu4.html?th&emc=th</a>Nicole Parker says...http://www.blogger.com/profile/01806335808999323944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079872026551540242.post-84974067705308710342007-11-29T08:14:00.000-08:002007-11-29T08:16:48.516-08:00"For Toddlers, Toy of Choice is Tech Device"This is what we are creating with our technology obsession:<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/29/technology/29techtoys.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin">http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/29/technology/29techtoys.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin</a>Nicole Parker says...http://www.blogger.com/profile/01806335808999323944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079872026551540242.post-25744725866614458002007-10-19T13:23:00.000-07:002007-10-19T13:27:05.464-07:00To Quote Patrick Henry..."I Smell a Rat""Senators Clash with Nominee About Torture" from New York Times yesterday<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/19/washington/19mukasey.html">http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/19/washington/19mukasey.html</a>Nicole Parker says...http://www.blogger.com/profile/01806335808999323944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079872026551540242.post-47512548748206880572007-10-03T10:10:00.000-07:002007-10-03T10:11:33.576-07:00He Said She Said They All Said WHAT?<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/03/washington/03memo.html?hp">http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/03/washington/03memo.html?hp</a><br /><br />There are so many assanine aspects to this story; just figure them out for yourselves.Nicole Parker says...http://www.blogger.com/profile/01806335808999323944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079872026551540242.post-15825425825286191402007-10-03T08:42:00.000-07:002007-10-03T08:45:25.021-07:00"Bush Vetoes Child Health Plan"<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Bush-Childrens-Health.html?hp">http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Bush-Childrens-Health.html?hp</a><br /><br />What next...outlaw lollipops because they encourage happiness and that's a slippery slope towards chaos??Nicole Parker says...http://www.blogger.com/profile/01806335808999323944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079872026551540242.post-25875784675626865632007-08-29T13:58:00.000-07:002007-08-29T14:01:50.947-07:00Leona Helmsley vs. Mother Theresa: who's to say who the kinder person is??<a href="http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070829/helmsley_s_pooch.html?.v=1">http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070829/helmsley_s_pooch.html?.v=1</a>Nicole Parker says...http://www.blogger.com/profile/01806335808999323944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079872026551540242.post-20586908858745952432007-08-24T13:38:00.000-07:002007-08-24T13:40:19.955-07:00Assanine News<a href="http://technorati.com/claim/h8hxs4mfje" rel="me">Technorati Profile</a>Nicole Parker says...http://www.blogger.com/profile/01806335808999323944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079872026551540242.post-91467531425794682262007-08-21T09:47:00.000-07:002007-08-21T11:57:16.861-07:00What Atheists Can't Answer..by Michael Gerson<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/12/AR2007071201620.html">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/12/AR2007071201620.html</a><br /><br />Gerson asks, how would atheists answer how we decide between good and evil instincts? He says that although people have a quality that makes them want to be good, separate from religion, they also have an instinct to be cruel, selfish, full of rage, etc. He says that atheists can't reply to the question of how we choose between good and bad by saying, "follow your mental wiring", or "respect your brain chemistry" because it would also be rational for us to reply with, "To hell with my wiring and your socialization, I'm going to do whatever I please." This is where I feel that his argument begins to fail and gets a little lazy. Isn't there a strong possibility that anyone--atheist or theist--could say to hell with it, I'll do as I please? Of course! Most of the "bad" people that I've met have been pious. He says, "Atheists can be good people; they just have no objective way to judge the conduct of those who are not." I don't believe that good and evil are that black and white; they are subjective...even for people who are religious, each religion has its own ideas about what's good and bad. So religious people also have no objective way to truly judge others' conduct. (as opposed to atheists, they just THINK they can) Gerson's last 2 paragraphs make absolutely no sense to me; he must have been on a tight deadline or something...he comments that for theists, a desire for love and purpose and morality and harmony and all that is perfectly understandable because that's what God wanted for us. He then states that for an atheist, this desire is a cruel joke because it's destined for disappointment. It's not just atheists that are going to be disappointed about the cruelty of life; the most religious of the religious will be disappointed too because shit happens...to everyone.Nicole Parker says...http://www.blogger.com/profile/01806335808999323944noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079872026551540242.post-28842391170885438912007-08-10T10:02:00.000-07:002007-08-10T10:12:00.880-07:00http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/10/us/10stemcell.html?th&emc=thWhen are people going to get off their self-righteous high horses and THINK? People are getting more and more infuriating with this conservative vs. liberal, pro-life vs. pro-choice, Bushie vs. unemployed, etc. etc...everything does not need a label; things are not that simple! Most issues have gray area, and I believe that if you had a one-on-one conversation with most people, they wouldn't be classifed in such a black-and-white manner as we hear day in and day out. I don't understand why anyone, no matter what your religious beliefs, or PERSONAL beliefs are about birth, abortion, pro-choice, etc (since when did this become so public?) would not be PRO-research to find cures for terrible diseases.Nicole Parker says...http://www.blogger.com/profile/01806335808999323944noreply@blogger.com0