Assorted links, vol. 77

--Award for weirdest and dumbest Phoenix mayoral race campaign signs goes to... Stingray Sushi.
*--Excellent commentary from NPR on the NC-17 film rating.
--Words and paradoxes.
--My brother beat me to posting this (even though I found the link independently of him), but a giant Lego man washed up on the beach in Florida.
--What if the Supreme Court weren't the last word on constitutionality?
*--What would the happiest person in America be like?  (Also, follow the embedded NYTimes link.)
--Moderate Islamists win in Tunisia.
*--As the headline asks, "Why does God love beards?"
--A new Australian program is helping to change public perception of greyhounds, taking them from fearsome to friendly.

Assorted links, vol. 76

--The mayor of D.C. wants $15 million to help repair the National Cathedral.
--Mendeleev pwns the last airbender.
*--Have you heard about the game show that tries to convert you to a new religion?
--Just over a month to go until the new Catholic Missal comes out.
--Some American Islamic scholars have issued a fatwa declaring the compatibility of being American and being Muslim.
*--Rush Limbaugh is at it again, this time cheering the Lord's Resistance Army....
*--A new Herman Cain ad is... strange?
--What will the future of Libya hold?  Well, polygamy, for one.
--At least Harold Camping was half right this time around -- things were indeed quiet, but, once again, the world did not end on October 21, as he had re-predicted it would.

Assorted links, vol. 75

*--Winter is growing closer, which can only mean one thing: time to break out the beard hats.
--It looks like robots have once again bested humans, this time at solving Rubik's cubes.
*--A very important independent study on climate change has just been released, proving (unsurprisingly) that it is, in fact, real.  Check it out, and be sure to follow the resources links to the time lapse video and two-page summary, at least.
*--A $1,000,000 prize was awarded to the team who created an oil spill cleaner-upper that works three times as well as the industry's state-of-the-art machines.
--On Republicans and the judiciary.
--The winner of the "Dance Your Ph.D." contest was announced -- go watch "Microstructure-Property relationships in Ti2448 components produced by Selective Laser Melting: A Love Story".
--A comparison of how the various iPhone cameras.
--And AntiSec strikes again, taking down the police this time.

Assorted links, vol. 74

--Some researchers have claimed to find proof of the existence of a Yeti.  Soon you may be able to study Yetis at the local university, too.
*--Want to go to Japan for free?  Soon, you might be able to do so.
--Here's how the two stars of "The Princess Bride" look, 24 years later.
--A SWAT team raided the set of Brad Pitt's latest movie.
--Need a mask that is a creepily identical replica of your face?  It can be yours for a mere $3920.
*--Did Portugal's history contribute to its decision to legalize same-sex marriage?
--What does a Buddhist military chaplain do?
*--And the Occupy Wall Street protesters marched a symbolic golden calf around.

Assorted links, vol. 73

--A documentary about "Arrested Development" may be on the way.
*--Did you know that when the Apollo 11 astronauts returned to Earth, they had to first go through customs?
*--Shane Claiborne wonders if St. Francis might be occupying Wall Street if he were here today.
*--The Jewish Telegraphic Agency comments on the connection between the GOP and Israel.
--In an effort to combat stereotypes of Muslim women who wear the hijab as oppressed, voiceless, etc., the tumblr site "hijabisdoingthings" shows ordinary (hijab-wearing) women doing ordinary things.
--Looks like a (legislative) repeal of the repeal of same-sex marriage in California isn't in the cards for 2012.
--What happens when Amish theological divisions boil over?  Why, beard- and hair-cutting assaults, of course!

Assorted links, vol. 72

--You can read entire Dead Sea Scrolls online.  This has to be the coolest online biblical studies tools I've seen in awhile.
--The writers of "Toy Story" are apparently working on a new film about ... Farmville?
--A helpful YouTube channel called "minutephysics" helps to give brief introductions to complicated physics ideas.
*--A virus attacked the computer of the U.S. drone fleet.
--IGN recently updated its list of the best Wii games.  What do you think of its choices?
*--Very interesting article on the behind-the-scenes workings that led to the birth of the state of Israel.
*--This story also has been bothering me for awhile now (it isn't very new...).  Should guns legally be allowed in churches?  That question is actually far less important to me than the question of the theological rationale of why anyone would need to bring a gun to church.  Of what is he or she afraid that God can't fix but a gun can?

Assorted links, vol. 69 (awesome things edition)

*--Arrested Development is coming back!
*--Enoch and Metatron star in a video game!
--Will Shortz opened up a table tennis club!
--America (Magazine) reports from the Occupy Wall Street protest (which has received support from Cornel West, George Soros, Russell Simmons, Alec Baldwin, Joseph Stiglitz, and Michael Moore).
*--Rob Bell is leaving Mars Hill to team up with "Lost" co-creator Carlton Cuse to create a new TV show called "Stronger".
--If only Justice Scalia were true enough to his words that he would indeed resign....  (See, for instance, paragraph 56 of John Paul II's "Evangelium vitae" here.)
--And what better way to bid farewell to departed loved ones than by stuffing their cremains into rifle bullets with which to take one final hunting trip?

Assorted links, vol. 68

*--Quantum theory + Morgan Freeman + autotune = legit (and follow the embedded link for more).  Also, this TED talk by Garrett Lisi on his "exceptionally simple" (read: "you only need a master's degree in mathematics to understand it") theory of everything is complicated but quite interesting.
*--The once and future Russian president Vladimir Putin is a man of action.
--Here's a fun game based on your own drawings.
--Whoops, look like The Onion went too far the other day....
*--What are those mainstays of pop songs and where do they come from?
--Awesome website to both waste time and learn new things.  (For instance, Ivan [the tough 6'5" opponent in Rocky IV] is a real-life genius with an IQ of about 160 who speaks seven languages.)
--Another good website to check out, "for people who give a damn".

More to come.  Enjoy!

Assorted links, vol. 66 (video game edition)

--Even though it's not coming out soon, at least Persona 5 is eventually coming out.  Now if only I we knew more about Kingdom Hearts 3....  And on which system(s) will these be?
--Check out the evolution of video game graphics from 1991-2011.
--One person's thoughts on the 10 hardest Mario levels ever (though, to be fair, this was pre-Galaxy 2, which had some insane ones -- Grandmaster Galaxy, anyone?).
*--Have you heard of cosplay?  Some of the costumes are so insane -- check out Cloud, Sephiroth, Zelda, Rikku, Prince of Persia, Midna, Jessie (from Team Rocket), Sora, and a Persona 4 group.
*--NPR talks video game music.
*--And a paopu fruit drink, keychain, and crocheted pillow.

Assorted links, vol. 64 (fun edition)

--A breakdown of where people say "pop" vs. "soda" vs. "Coke".
*--The Kama Sutra is (perhaps unsurprisingly) the U.S.'s most downloaded book on Project Gutenberg.
--I remember reading some of these hard Encyclopedia Brown mysteries.
--What movies predict the future will be like.
--Championship breakdancing.
*--I want a glow-in-the-dark, AIDS-resistant cat...
*--...and also a palladium credit card.

Assorted links, vol. 60 (Miller-McCune edition)

*--Breastfeeding mothers may be more aggressive than non-mothers or those mothers who do not breastfeed.
--Women's "gaydar" effectiveness may depend on where their are in their menstrual cycle.
--This idea of "predictive policing" reminds me of "Minority Report".
--Babies prefer Picasso to Monet.
*--Demining sounds like amazing and heroic work.
*--What is the extent of cigarette companies' free speech rights?
--An article on the importance of documenting endangered languages.
--Could we be seeing eco-driving in the near future?

Assorted links, vol. 59

*--A very eye-opening article about the FBI's use of sting operations against Muslims who they fear might some day become terrorists.
--A nerdy but moderately funny web comic.
--The U.S. is apparently facing a "credible but unconfirmed" terror threat for the tenth anniversary of 9/11.
*--New polling data about beliefs in global warming by political affiliation.
--Here's how liberals, neocons, and libertarians are reflecting on the anniversary of 9/11, all in one place.
*--And a 3-dimensional printer, which is pretty awesome.

Assorted links, vol. 57

--Those Republican candidates know better than to buy into the ideas that humans might be causing global warming, or that such a thing even exists at all.  Rick Perry especially, whose native Texas is facing a terrible wildfire after a drought, ought to know better.
*--Listen to this whole story about the San Francisco Giants' biggest fan, Billy.
*--Also, listen to this story about the newest way to harvest marijuana: naked, on horseback.
*--A good introduction to recent successes and challenges in Turkey.
--The Long War Journal is the place to read everything about the struggles in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, etc. that you won't read anywhere else.
--The recession is hitting anti-gay groups, too.
--The campaign for Palestinian statehood began today.
--And a drunk moose in Sweden got stuck in a tree.  Yes, you read that right.

Assorted links, vol. 56

--What can the Postal Service do to prevent a default?
--Here's a good summary (with links) of the ties between Chick-Fil-A and anti-gay groups.
*--Interesting new polling data about the attitudes of Americans toward Muslims.
--Can the Afghani army prove itself to be just as Islamic as the Taliban claims to be?
--How will Rick Perry do in GOP primary debates?
*--What do you know about the "shadow war" of drone attacks?
*--Mars Hill pastor Mark Driscoll thinks Protestants are too wimpy and that pastors need to be tougher.  You know, like go-ahead-and-punch-me-in-the-face tough.
--A nice, quick poem from Slate.

Assorted links, vol. 55

--An article about Jon Huntsman's work with and knowledge of China.
--Seven and a half years ago, the fastest super computer could perform 35.9 trillion operations per second.  Today, the fastest supercomputer can perform 8162 trillion (that's 8.162 quadrillion) operations per second.  This interesting Wikipedia article gives some idea of how these staggering numbers are calculated.
--Another book to add to the ever-growing list of defenses of hell against the likes of Rob Bell.
*--A new novel frames some of the questions about Islam in the minds of Americans since 9/11.  Sounds like it's definitely worth a look.
--Relevant Magazine talks abstinence, and also Owl City.
*--Really good article on a display of 2nd/3rd century Buddhist art that is now on display in New York.
*--A Roman Catholic priest doubles as an official at the U.S. Open.

Assorted links, vol. 53

--The Maricopa County Republican party isn't happy that one of their own is about to go down in an ethics trial.  (Must be that left-wing Bar Association's fault -- right, because Thomas surely didn't play any part in any wrongdoing....)
--If only this parody about Jesus taking the GOP to task for misrepresentation were true.
--Tea Party darling and debt-bashing congressman Joe Walsh knows a little something about the horrors of big debts... mostly because he owes $117,000 in unpaid child support.
*--Check out al Jazeera's take on GOP dominionism.
*--Would Rick Perry be happier living with the Confederate Constitution than with the American one?
--Some last ditch meetings are underway to try to circumvent Palestine's bid for statehood at the U.N.
*--Great take on the intersection of social justice and evangelism.
--Nothing says heavy metal like... quilting?

Assorted links, vol. 51

*--US Catholic bishops are not at all happy with Health and Human Services' recent decision (which I noted earlier) to require insurance companies to provide contraception.
--A nice NY Times op-ed honoring teachers.
*--Thought-provoking article about the costs and benefits of enhancing security at federal buildings.
--Interesting essay about the the potential for spiritual renewal in the "New Normal".  I also am now interested to read the Richard Rohr book he mentioned.
--Cool article about the broad, but diminishing, diversity of fencing.
*--A good overview of the Andrew Thomas hearing from the local PBS affiliate.

Assorted links, vol. 44

--Are you ready to eat meat that didn't come from an animal?
*--An easy-to-understand FAQ about the question of standing in the never-ending Prop 8 trial.
--Mormon author Joanna Brooks wants to ask these LDS-specific questions to would-be presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman.
*--Rowan Williams wrote this introductory piece about homosexuality in 1988.  Ah, for some of that directness today....
*--Here is a very important modern interreligious document: A Common Word Between Us and You, offered by Muslim leaders to their Christian counterparts, to which many Christian leaders have responded.  The document is a good starting point, and I am in the process of making my way through Rowan's engagement with and responses to it.
--And a list of things that you never knew had names.  :-)

Assorted links, vol. 42

--An openly gay Mormon is now an LDS church leader.  Progress, or confusion?
--An expose on the key players in spreading Islamophobia in America.
--I must be ahead of the curve, because I bought Scott Kugle's book months before this interview came out.  Alas, it still remains in the long queue of yet-to-be-read books....
*--Read and learn just a few of these cheat sheets of smart things to drop into casual conversations (don't overlook the fact that there are four addition pages of them!) and you will basically feel like a genius.
*--If you've ever watched a reality show like Project Runway or America's Next Top Model, then you should definitely listen to this fictional story from the past week's This American Life on NPR.
--Have you heard of the Constitution Party?

Assorted links, vol. 33 (CSM edition)

[Introduction: It's been Christian Science Monitor day here.  Check out these five recent articles.]

--Maybe it really is soon to be over in Libya.  What comes next?
--Do you know about Fermat's Last Theorem?  Not only is it a very important result in number theory, but perhaps more importantly, it sets the stage for the awesome musical Fermat's Last Tango.
--Politically motivated firings in Bahrain.  Sad.
--Could Sarah Palin finally be getting into the race for the White House?  Karl Rove thinks so.
--Will former IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn be able to have his rape charges dropped?