Atheist iPhone Apps

From the NYTimes:

"For religious skeptics, the “BibleThumper” iPhone app boasts that it “allows the atheist to keep the most funny and irrational Bible verses right in their pocket” to be “always ready to confront fundamentalist Christians or have a little fun among friends.”

"In a dozen new phone applications, whether faith-based or faith-bashing, the prospective debater is given a primer on the basic rules of engagement — how to parry the circular argument, the false dichotomy, the ad hominem attack, the straw man — and then coached on all the likely flashpoints of contention. Why Darwinism is scientifically sound, or not. The differences between intelligent design and creationism, and whether either theory has any merit. The proof that America was, or was not, founded on Christian principles."

Republicans Protect BP From Subpoenas

If there is one, just one, good reason for the Senate Republicans to refuse to allow congressional investigators to have subpoena powers as they probe the potential crimes associated with the massive - and ongoing - oil spill in the Gulf by BP, then wouldn't they tell us what that reason was? Senator Jim DeMint refuses to even say out loud the names of the Republicans who want to protect BP.

Steve Benen at Washington Monthly says it best:

"Given the 420 to 1 vote [as it passed in the House] , Senate Democrats sought unanimous consent yesterday to resolve the issue and let the commission do its job. It's an easy one, right? Wrong. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) refused, objecting on behalf of others in the Republican conference that he would not name.

"I have to conclude by the objections that there are colleagues on the other side that either don't want to get to the bottom of this -- or are standing on the side of the oil companies and not of the victims and their families," Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) told reporters.

I've long since run out of adjectives to describe these folks. The commission can't get answers without subpoena power, and Congress has routinely extended subpoena power to related commissions -- including panels investigating the JFK assassination, the Three Mile Island disaster, and the 9/11 attacks. And yet, Senate Republicans yesterday blocked the authority for the BP commission, and wouldn't say why."

The 'Crazed Sex Poodle' Roundup

Things I never expected anyone to say -- "Al Gore is a 'crazed sex poodle'.

It does not help the accuser's case that she bowed out of police interviews several times, and now four years later, attempted to sell the story for $1 million to the National Enquirer.

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A flying car (or is it a plane that folds up?) that runs on unleaded gas will be on the market next year.

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Now you can have your cheese tessellated on a Subway sammich.

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Tennessee will soon be home to the world's first bass pyramid.

Crunk to the Country Music!

So is there some new thang where the boot scootin' dancers decide to go all crunk to a Brad Paisley hit?? I did not know that. I was hoping for maybe a Bus Driver or a Sprinkler move at least.

WARNING: Eye-damaging video ahead!

(courtesy the ever elusive NoSilenceHere)