Thursday, August 02, 2012

Russian Flash Mob for Wedding Party - Puttin' on the Ritz!


Obviously staged flash mob, but really fun just the same. Might have been for a wedding reception? My Russian is rusty. Thanks to Nina Hartley for posting this on Twitter! Made me smile.

Prophecy or Dumb Luck?


Handcuffed Suspect Commits Suicide? Why I Don't Buy It!

This one goes in the WTF file for sure.  Jonesboro, Arkansas Police had a suspect in custody and they claim he committed suicide while in custody.

Now take this into consideration.  His hands were handcuffed behind his back and he was in the back seat of a police car.  He was arrested for possession of $10 worth of marijuana.  The arresting officers say the apparently missed a gun he had on him in two searches before being shut in the back of the police car.

Even the police chief has trouble answering how a suspect with hands cuffed behind himself in the backseat of a police car managed to shoot himself in the temple.  This is either an example of a contortionist at work or it's a coverup.  I would apply Occam's Razor to this one and suggest that the arresting officers shot him then concocted the incredulous story of the suicide.


Wednesday, August 01, 2012

How a Bill Becomes Law - ALEC Style

Lower IQ Related To Racism

To anyone growing up in the south this should come as no surprise.  We have all had run-ins with our fellow Southerner's whose racism is only eclipsed by their "kicked in the head" stupidity.  Still, it's nice to get validation of my experience.

A new study published in Psychological Science shows people who score lower on IQ tests in childhood are more likely to become bigoted as adults.  The same holds true for conservative beliefs.

Why?  Well, I had postulated that it was because conservative ideologies tend to see the world in simple. black and white terms.  That rigid structure appeals to the intellectually incuroious, and the study bears that out as well.

Dr. Brian Nosek, a University of Virginia psychologist said in an interview, "Reality is complicated and messy. Ideologies get rid of the messiness and impose a simpler solution. So, it may not be surprising that people with less cognitive capacity will be attracted to simplifying ideologies."

So next time you are arguing with a conservative, be sure to use small words and simple sentences, otherwise they will just look at you with a blank expression.