The Hollywood Liberal

Larry’s List: Irish Atheist Edition
Ireland’s atheists are battling a blasphemy law while it’s turning into the year of gay China. And you won’t believe what you’ve been eating. These stories and more on today’s list. On a regular basis, Truthdig brings you the news items and odds and ends that found their way to Larry Gross, director of the USC Annenberg School for Communication. A specialist in media and culture, art and communication, visual communication and media portrayals of minorities, Gross helped found the field of gay and lesbian studies. Newer links are on top. Annals of Irish jurisprudence, Blasphemy division, cont. The Minister for Justice is proposing to amend his new blasphemy law by providing, as a defence, that a person accused of blasphemy can “prove that a reasonable person would find genuine literary, artistic, political, scientific, or academic value” in the blasphemous matter. The joy of dirt GRUB, filth, grime, muck, gunk, slag, grit, grunge, smut, dross, dust, sludge, squalor. Insulted, hounded and despised, dirt these days has nowhere to hide. OBAMA DOUBLE CROSSED PROGRESSIVES ON HEALTHCARE Are you feeling like a chump yet? If you’re a good progressive, and you wanted single-payer health care for all, or, second best, Medicare for All Who Want It, or third best, a robust public option, or fourth best, a paltry public option, now you’ve got nothing, nada, zippo. BERNANKE: REWARDING A CATASTROPHE The Senate Banking Committee overwhelmingly voted to approve Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke for another 4-year term. 15 Horrifying Reasons to Never Let Anyone You Love Near a McDonald’s One of AlterNet’s most popular articles of the year: Erectile dysfunction, the truth behind the “special sauce,” and a burger from 1996. Keep reading if you dare. Irish atheists challenge blasphemy law An atheist group in the Irish Republic has defied a new blasphemy law by publishing a series of anti-religious quotations on its website. Yummy! Ammonia-Treated Pink Slime Now in Most U.S. Ground Beef You’re not going to believe what millions of Americans have been eating the last few years (Thanks, Bush! Thanks meat industry lobbyists!). Year of Gay China As the year 2009 comes to a close, it does so having been a monumental year for China’s LGBT community.

Ireland’s atheists are battling a blasphemy law while it’s turning into the year of gay China. And you won’t believe what you’ve been eating. These stories and more on today’s list.

Newer links are on top.

Annals of Irish jurisprudence, Blasphemy division, cont.
The Minister for Justice is proposing to amend his new blasphemy law by providing, as a defence, that a person accused of blasphemy can “prove that a reasonable person would find genuine literary, artistic, political, scientific, or academic value” in the blasphemous matter.

The joy of dirt
GRUB, filth, grime, muck, gunk, slag, grit, grunge, smut, dross, dust, sludge, squalor. Insulted, hounded and despised, dirt these days has nowhere to hide.

OBAMA DOUBLE CROSSED PROGRESSIVES ON HEALTHCARE
Are you feeling like a chump yet? If you’re a good progressive, and you wanted single-payer health care for all, or, second best, Medicare for All Who Want It, or third best, a robust public option, or fourth best, a paltry public option, now you’ve got nothing, nada, zippo.

BERNANKE: REWARDING A CATASTROPHE
The Senate Banking Committee overwhelmingly voted to approve Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke for another 4-year term.

15 Horrifying Reasons to Never Let Anyone You Love Near a McDonald’s
One of AlterNet’s most popular articles of the year: Erectile dysfunction, the truth behind the “special sauce,” and a burger from 1996. Keep reading if you dare.

Irish atheists challenge blasphemy law
An atheist group in the Irish Republic has defied a new blasphemy law by publishing a series of anti-religious quotations on its website.

Yummy! Ammonia-Treated Pink Slime Now in Most U.S. Ground Beef
You’re not going to believe what millions of Americans have been eating the last few years (Thanks, Bush! Thanks meat industry lobbyists!).

Year of Gay China
As the year 2009 comes to a close, it does so having been a monumental year for China’s LGBT community.

Related Entries

• January 4, 2010 Larry’s List: Irish Atheist Edition
• January 3, 2010 U.S. Ends AIDS Immigration Discrimination

The Pictures of War You Aren’t Supposed to See
The state and the press work hard to keep the reality of war hidden. We rarely see images that capture the evil of war, what it does to young minds and bodies.

By Chris Hedges

The state and the press work hard to keep the reality of war hidden. We rarely see images that capture the evil of war, what it does to young minds and bodies.

Related Entries

• January 4, 2010 Larry’s List: Irish Atheist Edition
• January 3, 2010 U.S. Ends AIDS Immigration Discrimination

Tom Engelhardt: An American World of War: What to Watch for in 2010
Let’s pause a moment as the New Year begins and take stock of ourselves as what we truly are: the preeminent war-making machine on planet Earth. Let’s consider just what the American way of war might have in store for us in 2010.

Robert Kuttner: New Year’s Resolution: Clean House
Thus far at the Obama White House, it’s only progressives who get thrown under the proverbial bus. If Obama is truly to signal a change of course and mean it, one constructive sign would be replacements for Summers and Geithner.

Susan Madrak: You Still Want To Gut Social Security? Bring. It. On.
You find the darndest things on Craigslist, don’t you? Looks like the The Peter G. Peterson Foundation is putting together another scare piece (remember “I.O.U.S.A.”?)…

Plan To Transfer Guantanamo Detainees To Yemen Faces Criticism
WASHINGTON — Some Democratic lawmakers who support closing Guantanamo Bay say the U.S. should reconsider whether to repatriate suspected terrorists from Yemen, given the al-Qaida…

Fox closes out decade by pushing debunked falsehoods

Fox News and its website The Fox Nation closed out 2009 by advancing debunked attacks on President Obama. Specifically, Fox News hosted Ann Coulter, who repeatedly made the false claim that Obama attended “madrassas” as a child, while The Fox Nation continued to promote Andrew Breitbart’s story that “ACORN CEO Visited Obama White House Week Before Scandal Broke” days after it was reported that the “Bertha Lewis” who visited the White House was not, in fact, the Bertha Lewis who is the CEO of ACORN.

Coulter brings back 3-year-old madrassa lie on Fox News

Coulter: Obama “attended madrassas.” On the December 28 edition of The O’Reilly Factor and the December 30 edition of Glenn Beck, Coulter

GOP AGs Escalate Constitutional Battle Against Health Bill
The group of Republican attorneys general threatening a constitutional challenge of the so-called “Cornhusker Kickback” in the Senate health bill yesterday wrote a letter to Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi outlining their complaints. 13 AGs, several of whom are running for governor, signed the letter.

Cashing In: Ex-Officers Double As Paid Military ‘Mentors’ And Contractor Consultants
Under a newly revealed arrangement that makes the famous “revolving door” seem quaint, retired military officers are simultaneously drawing paychecks both from the government and from private sector businesses gunning for Pentagon contracts, according to a USA Today investigation.

Oh, Yes It Can…

Brown Will Not Seek Re-Election
Rep. Henry Brown (R-SC) has told associates he will his announce his retirement Monday, Politico reports.

“Brown survived a closer-than-expected re-election in 2008 and was already facing a primary challenge from Carroll Campbell III, the son of the former GOP governor and congressman.”

“In addition to Campbell, another renowned South Carolina political name may enter the race. Paul Thurmond, son of the iconic former senator and a Charleston attorney and county council member, was urged to challenge Brown in the primary.”

US Is Increasing Its Hegemony As the "Global War Gladiator" Under Obama
What to watch for in 2010 from the country that spends more on war than the next 25 combined.

What to watch for in 2010 from the country that spends more on war than the next 25 combined.

CA Politicians Are Relying on County Parties to Funnel Money, Avoid Campaign Limits
By using county parties as middlemen both Democrat and Republican donors can contribute far more money than the law typically allows.

By using county parties as middlemen both Democrat and Republican donors can contribute far more money than the law typically allows.

Reclaiming Legal Abortion as a Fundamental Right
It’s time to demand that the promise of Roe becomes a reality for women whose choices are already limited by poverty, joblessness and marginalization.

It's time to demand that the promise of Roe becomes a reality for women whose choices are already limited by poverty, joblessness and marginalization.

US More Vulnerable on Afghanistan as It Leans Harder on NATO Allies for Support
Democracy and domestic priorities will be the casualties in the US, Canada and Europe if the US-NATO military expansion into Afghanistan holds sway.

Democracy and domestic priorities will be the casualties in the US, Canada and Europe if the US-NATO military expansion into Afghanistan holds sway.

Did Obama Blow It On Northwest Terror Attack?
“The fact of the matter right now is that 100% of the Islamic terrorists who are coming against us are Muslims.” — American genius, Rep. Peter King (R-NY) It seems like there is lots of criticism of the President over…



Detroit - President of the United States - Terrorism - Warfare and Conflict - Al Qaeda

Neos Krauthammer, Kristol Start Year With Anti-Obama Screeds
Always remember, when you find the stomach to read Charles Krauthammer, that he views every issue through the lens of “is it good to help Israel withstand American pressure?” He’s a Canadian who came down here because some ambitious Canadians…



Charles Krauthammer - United States - Iran - Warfare and Conflict - Israel