Can you leave Islam? In Malaysia, not so much.
Lina Joy, 42, had fought the decisions of Malaysia’s lower courts in an effort to have the word “Islam” removed from her identity card, arguing that the constitution guaranteed her religious freedom.
But the panel of three judges decided, in a majority verdict, that it had no power […]

It’s my birthday! I give everyone the day off!
Jeez, I’m a couple years shy of a quarter-century. Sounds old.
More seriously, today is Memorial Day, so thanks to all those who have fought and died for our country and those who put their lives on the line today.

So I’m in Jackson, WY this weekend visiting my parents. It’s a strange town. Very much set up for tourists and rich people.
The weirdest thing is nearly all the stores look the same; they all have this damn wood paneling. It’s very strange to see a Staples and a tire shop in a wood paneled […]

There was a shooting in Idaho and it turns out that the gunman has ties to the Aryan Nations. Jay comments and Craig responds.
Let’s start with Jay’s post. He quotes Dave Neiwert to claim that the this was “certain[ly]” a political statement:
What’s clear is that Hamilton fully intended to take as many people with him […]

This is one of the most stunning things I’ve read in quite a while. I’ve been meaning to post about the recent PEW poll, but I wasn’t aware of those particular statistics.

Hey people in the Bozeman area reading this (all three of you). The software company I work for is hiring. A lot. Specifically, Quality Assurance (my department) and Systems Administration. Linux geeks especially for SA. So check it out.
I feel kinda weird saying that. Still, we need people.

I came across this quote in the book I’m reading that I like quite a bit. It’s from Berthold Brecht on the occasion of the 1953 East German workers demonstration:
Following the June Seventeenth uprising
the secretary of the Writers’ League
had leaflets distributed on Stalin Allee
where one could read that the people
had forfeited the confidence of the […]

The ACLU has filed suit against a Texas school district for offering a certain Bible elective in its schools. The Religious Right is having none of it:
The American Civil Liberties Union is being accused of filing a baseless lawsuit against a Texas public school district that allows Bible elective courses to be taught in two […]

CNN Headline News:
“There’s more sex and violence on primetime TV that ever before. Why has TV become so tawdry? Our investigation tomorrow.”
…
“Shocking new details from Anna Nicole Smith’s diary coming up next.”
Somehow, I think the answers to the first question and the why to the coverage of Smith are similar.

What’s the proper way to comment on Jerry Falwell’s death? I don’t typically wish death upon anyone and Falwell isn’t an exception. Do you say, I feel sorry for his family, but the man was an asshole? Seems weird. He was a negative influence on this country, so should I say we’re better off without […]