The International House of Bacon

A quickie because I missed a few last night.

* If you’re voting in the Democratic primary today, think about it for a second: Barack Obama has a record he can theoretically be proud of, so why isn’t he running on it? Why doesn’t he want you to know what he’s been up to?

I found this picture in an LJ community posting, it’s fun:

* I’ve had this sitting open on my desktop for ages now, so I may as well link to it: Can Atheists Be Parents? Time asked the question in the context of a New Jersey adoption case where a set of prospective adoptive parents were denied due to the atheism angle. The case is from 1970, but the issue still remains: Volokh notes some very recent judicial precedents regarding this sort of craziness, and it’s a little chilling. It’s interesting - this may be one of the first times where both the majority (read: believers) and the fringe minority (read: nonbelievers) can lay claim to having their beliefs persecuted and not be blowing smoke. I’ve written at length about my atheism here, and I have more to come.

* Listen, I know it toes the line of a stereotype, and I still feel like it’s a low blow to highlight it, but I have to ask - is there a way to criticize Hillary Clinton’s crying without being accused of mysogyny? I’m all for real emotional output, but something appears to be off about this whole thing. I can’t tell if I’m bothered by her crying (which only seems to come up when she’s being complemented) or bothered by the knee-jerk reactions to it at this point.

* Of course, I know that Hillary’s not going to cry for those who’s wages she plans to garnish to cover her misguided health plan. Taking a page from the John Edwards “Say you’re helping the middle class while screwing them” playbook, it would (of course) only apply to those “workers who can afford health coverage but refuse to buy it,” thus removing the choice motive and screwing everyone in the process. This has little difference to it than the Massachusetts failure, which simply charges an absurd tax surcharge as opposed to wage garnishing (as if the victim recognizes the difference) , but hey, it’s one step closer to socialized medicine, so get on board or you hate the poor, or something.

* I like QandO’s insight into the possible general election race.

* Linked a few places, Jennifer Abel in Hartford went inside the 9/11 Truth movement a bit, and to really fascinating results. Truthers are crazy.

* Finally, a fun photoshop contest from Woot, inserting products they sell into Presidential campaigns. I, of course, love the Obama one, but they’re all worth seeing.