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Let's take a moment today to salute a brave American hero. A man who saw through the amoral haze of today's society and who had the courage to stand up for what's right, even in the face of an unstoppable tide of modernity and vice. That man is Oklahoma legislator Ralph Shortey. And that fearless act of bravery was his introduction of a bill that would ban adding aborted human fetuses to food. Your babyeating ways will no longer be tolerated, Sooners. Be warned. More »
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Mississippi loves its fetuses, y'all. Mississippi loves them so much that this fall, the state is allowing its voters to decide whether to add a so-called "Personhood Amendment" to its state constitution. More »
]]> http://jezebel.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5847721&view=rss&microfeed=true "Governor Malloy said, "This is good public policy and specifically, good public health." He added: "Why would you want to eat food from a sick restaurant cook? Or have your children taken care of by a sick day care worker? The simple answer is - you wouldn't. And now, you won't have to." More »
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Republicans have regained legislative power across America, and they're doing everything they can to follow through on their very important campaign promises to rein in spending and shrink the government and really help our children's children's children live out the American dream in a country free of international debt. Just kidding! They're spending all of their energy and political capital trying to pass laws that treat 51% of the population as subhumans incapable of making decisions for themselves. Why, just the other day, they helpfully voted to defund Planned Parenthood! Thanks, guys! More »
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In a move that's sure to zap material from cheesy stand up comedians everywhere, the days of commercials that are much louder than the shows upon which they advertise are numbered. What's the deal with that? More »
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We love that The Guardian calls the town of Castellammare di Stabia's miniskirt ban "a small, incompetent step backwards." And he's not even talking about the Italian mayor's ban on blasphemy, sunbathing, or public soccer! More »
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1. In Germany, Matti is an unacceptable boy's name, but Legolas is cool. 2. 15-20% of new baby names are rejected each year in Denmark. 3. There is a kid somewhere in New Zealand named "Midnight Chardonnay." [Mental Floss] More »
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• In response to the death of 15-year-old student Phoebe Prince, the Massachusetts Legislature voted today to pass an anti-bullying law. "This is a day we can be proud we have done something positive," said Rep. John Scibak. More »
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Congress is poised to pass a bill that will mandate a 1-to-1 ratio for men's and women's toilets (including urinals) in new federal buildings. Now include movie theaters, and we'll really wet our pants (zing!). [ABC News via Broadsheet] More »
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Clare Waxman's life was ruined by a stalker - she was plagued by anxiety and fears for her family's safety for seven years . So why is sixteen weeks of jail time considered a just punishment? More »
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France, for years notoriously laissez-faire when it came to domestic abuse, is making up for lost time: with proposed "anti-psychological abuse" legislation: More »
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Caught cheating in New Hampshire? You could be facing a $1,200 fine. And some lawmakers would like to keep it that way, on the grounds that taking the 200-year-old law off the books would somehow "diminish" marriage. [AP] More »
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An Australian party-planning company, Pinkalicious, specializing in dances "for lesbian and bisexual women" has won the right to ban men from their 'dos - "because they might pester women for sex." More »
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The city of Yakima, Washington has imposed a fine of up to $750 on women showing "cleavage of the buttocks" via see-through frocks and G-strings. Plumber's crack is, apparently, not a finin' offense in those parts. [SunUK] More »
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With the urging of teen beauty queen Kayla Collier, Florida lawmakers are considering restricting teens from tanning salons. Collier, once an avid tanner, found her first melanoma scab whens he was only 16. More »
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Is breastfeeding in public becoming acceptable? A bill just passed in Washington State designed to protect breastfeeding mothers from discrimination charges and a new book on the emotional effects of nursing both point to yes. More »
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Nicole Williams is one of the first people to be accused of harassment after a new Missouri anti-cyberbullying law was created after the death of Megan Meier. But should cyberbullying be prosecuted this way? More »
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Today's Times takes on the Nectar of the Gods, aka Butter, and its evil nemesis, Margarine. More »
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• British schoolchildren got to send four teddy bears into space for two hours and nine minutes on Monday as part of a project with Cambridge University's spaceflight student club. • A 38-year-old man in Ohio claims to have accidently shot his estranged wife (whom he has previously assaulted) after the couple had sex. • Although unusual baby names are popular with celeb couples, a new survey reports that traditional baby names are still the top choices for American parents. • More »
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There's a piece in the Times today that I found kind of depressing: apparently calorie-counting, the hallmark of 80s weight loss, is back with a vengeance. Inspired by some states' initiatives to force restaurants to post calorie count of all their food, the pernicious practice has reentered the cultural consciousness. Just as we're recovering from the long national Atkins nightmare, we get this? I know Americans need to slim down but does this kind of thing even work for people fighting obesity? And could there be anything less healthy for the many people already obsessed with their weight? My gut (stuffed with 430 calories' worth of oatmeal) says no. More »
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Ellen Taylor, the mayor of Claremont, was dubbed "The Cookie Monster" when she shut down Girl Scouts selling cookies on a street corner (she said it was hurting her business) and then creating a new law that requires a permit for non-profit sellers. • An elderly woman was saved from a violent kangaroo attack in Australia when her son's dog heard her screaming and chased the 'roo away. • A new sex-change regulation in Thailand which has set the legal age of the operation at 18 has some activists worrying over damage still-growing bodies. • Under a new law in Nashville that gives county officers immigration enforcement powers, an arrested Mexican woman developed an infection when officers refused to let her breast feed, use a breast pump, or even see her newly-born child. More »
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Massachusetts, the first state to legalize same-sex marriage for its residents, is feeling a little jealous that California is getting all the attention (and money) for allowing out-of-state residents to marry in same-sex ceremonies. So, on Tuesday, the State Senate in Massachusetts repealed a 1913 law that prevented the state from marrying out-of-state couples. Part of the motivation? Money! Times are tough and B&B owners, caterers, and florists need the extra business from out-of-state gay couples. Of course, the human rights and equality stuff played a factor in the decision too. Either way, we suggest that permanently partnered East Coast Lezebels hoof it up to the Bay State pronto. [NYT] More »
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