And guess what?! The edition comes with deleted chapters, Creationist preaching and a very special 50 page introduction that illuminates “Adolf Hitler’s undeniable connection” to Darwin’s theory of evolution!

As college students, we are amongst the most vulnerable to be “brainwashed by Atheistic evolution” and our Atheist professors with their evil ways and deep-seated desire to destroy American moral fiber. But it’s not too late to save ourselves! Just pick up a copy of Darwin’s totally butchered book today.

Unfortunately, we swung by to grab one and marvel at the ridiculousness only to find that we’d missed our opportunity for salvation. If you managed to get your hands on a copy, leave your favorite quotes in the comments.

Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman, no stranger to a fear-mongering, again showed his disrespect for the lives of American soldiers on Fox News Sunday, labeling the Fort Hood shooting “the most destructive terrorist act to be committed on American soil since 9/11.”

Note that an investigation is ongoing and second the tentative conclusion of investigators is that the shooter, Nidal Malik Hassan, was not part of a terrorist plot, but that’s apparently not good enough for Connecticut’s own Jack Bauer. He appeared on Fox News Sunday to announce his support for a separate Senate investigation into the shooting.

Lieberman’s brazen and unsubstantiated assertions came on the same day that General George Casey, the Army Chief of Staff, expressed concerns that Muslim soldiers may be targeted for retribution in the wake of the rampage. Not only does Lieberman not think the US Military is up to task of investigating the incident, which in itself takes a special kind of arrogance, but he doesn’t seem to care about the safety of Muslims who have actively chosen to serve in the military.
But what does that George Casey guy know about the military? I bet his 39 years of service don’t even compare to Lieberman’s… oh wait, Lieberman never served in the military. Ironic for a Senator on the Armed Services Committee, which is supposed to be constantly working to improve, not threaten, the lives of our soldiers.

Not only are Lieberman’s actions are both dangerous and offensive, but he continues to publicly circulate the unproven assertion that this was a deliberate terrorist attack to the detriment of loyal Muslim soldiers. His latest petulant action makes a mockery of the duties of both members of the Armed Services committee and the Senate in general. It’s time he be taken just as seriously as a private citizen whining in the background. Few will be listening.

Absurdity and humor aside, hopefully they can figure out a way to wrangle the aircraft safely back down to earth without hurting the little guy. I blame Disney for teaching us that kids can fly (if only their imaginations allow it!).

Updates after the jump.

UPDATE: This Mediaite article makes an interesting point. Should the balloon crash, will the networks show it? I’m hoping no, but knowing cable news these days, the answer is probably yes.

And now they’re reporting he may have fallen out. Ugh.

UPDATE (3:42 pm): The balloon landed and Fox News is reporting that no one was inside. Either the boy was never in the balloon or he fell out somewhere along the way.

And as if this story couldn’t get any stranger, it is now being reported that the boy’s family was on Wife Swap twice.

UPDATE (4:11pm): Gawker is reporting that “Local police say that they now think that he did not fall out of the balloon, and that he never got into it, that he is on the ground near his home. The basket has not been breached. They really have no clue where the boy is.”

UPDATE (6:09pm): According to Denver’s KUSA and NYTimes reporter Brian Stelter’s Twitter feed, the boy has been found alive.

UPDATE (6:14pm): Yeah. He was hiding in the attic the whole fucking time.

So basically CNN falls for a fake story, acts like it’s God for breaking it, then gets scooped by MSNBC when the kid is actually found. This is a bigger #CNNfail than #iranelection, but I’m obviously glad he’s alive. Plus now this can become a meme! It already kind of has.

As comedienne Sarah Benincasa said, “Balloon boy is SO GROUNDED.”

All I have to say is: what the fuck.

(Image via CNN)

When I called to ask about returning a book I had bought that same day (after finding out a friend would happily give me her old copy), what should have been a fairly routine process took an unexpectedly bureaucratic turn. Apparently returns aren’t possible unless you actually drop the course and provide proof in the form of a mysterious “drop slip”.

Yes, it is definitely a worthy cause to support a local, independent bookstore with unoppressive, educational ideals. And yes, this policy might make sense for an independent bookstore that, like any other business, needs to make and retain a profit. But isn’t this commercial concern the very purpose of store credit refunds? Aren’t independent bookstores inherently supposed to have a more trusting and flexible relationship with their patrons (especially when many of their supporters are college students on a budget) than their corporate counterparts?

Take the NYU Bookstore. It is by no means without flaws, but it does carry used books and allow for partial cash-back returns at the end of the semester. There’s even a full refund policy for books that were purchased within the first two weeks of the semester. There’s no way to get money back on textbooks purchased from Bluestockings unless another NYU course registered them at the campus bookstore. And given that most of the books are on the obscure side and used only by the same Gallatin professors who send their students to Bluestockings year after year, that’s unlikely.

Considering Bluestockings’ raison d’être is to “actively support movements that challenge hierarchy and all systems of oppression,” this policy smacks of hypocrisy.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

As the rapist you essentially stalk the women– on the subway, in parks– until they become physically turned on (because of course, deep down all women want it, right?) and yet still (NSFW!) cry and scream as you rape them. (NSFW!) One of the girls appears to be about 10 years old.

Perhaps this is not very different from some Hentai porn, which often depicts violent rape scenes. Because it is animated, the images are somehow meant to be taken in less offensive terms, and the animation factor is then used to hide behind the fact that what Hentai rape porn often promotes is the degradation and sexualization of a crime that is inherently violent. I’m not sure how long it will take for people to realize that rape is not a sexual crime; just because it involves sexual organs does not make the rapist or the victim in any way tied to sexual behavior. It is a violent crime, committed by an aggressor, that renders the victim physically and emotionally wounded in a way that disallows for sexuality to even materialize. But the difference between the Rapelay game and Hentai porn is that, while watching porn is a passive act that renders you a third party observing both the aggressor and the victim, Rapelay allows for you to actually become the rapist. Not only does it glorify and strip away the violent aspects of rape in an attempt to make it sexual and gratifying for the player, Rapelay also seems to communicate the idea that “rape is easy.” And not only is it easy and okay, but it is also in some ways natural: that women want it, even if they cry, even if they run, even if they say no, they still want you to hold them down and force them to submit to you.

While those into S&M may say that they do want that (indeed there is nothing wrong with pinning someone’s hands to the bed), there is absolutely nothing sexual about a violent crime like rape. And to confuse those two, to inject even a modicum of pleasure gaining into a video game, a 3-d lifelike cartoon that kids anywhere can access (as if age limits will really do anything) should be considered a serious blight on the work of all anti-rape activists and on the victims of such a horrendously violent crime.

Some gaming outlets have taken to banning the distribution of the game. But to me, the fact that someone 1) Came up with the idea, 2) Created the game and then 3) Marketed it to an audience assumedly willing to consume it, demonstrates that the attitudes on rape continue to be both uneducated and inappropriate.

Thanks to Selena at Pitter Patter for giving us the heads-up.
Parts of this piece originally published on Jess and Josh Talk About Stuff.

Photo c/o Deviant Art.

A Million Little Pieces author and all-around liar James Frey is helping the recently fired Sheila at Gawker today with “menial tasks” because he wanted to meet the people that “hate” him. He brought doughnuts.

I wish I had a larger narrative arc for what it means when a famous, best-selling, Oprah-approved author shows up to intern at a media gossip blog, but really it’s just odd, though still worth noting.

I, too, am interning, but it’s not such a quirky, novel event. Are you working for less than you deserve (or nothing) to hopefully someday secure a job where you can work for less than you deserve? How’s it going?

Spielberg’s Oldboy? Old news, you might say. Maybe I hoped this was all a bad dream. Maybe I was waiting for a statement from Smith refuting these dirty, ugly rumors. “Shit no,” he might say. “I may have starred in Hitch, but I know an untouchable classic when I see one.” We could all benefit from a little humility.

The original film, a beacon of modern South Korean cinema, is a truly unsettling and unforgettable affair. It is not for the faint of heart and frankly, it is not for America. The taboos are many, the violence is gruesome and the wrath of vengeance is necessary. To neuter this work in Hollywood would be a crime against art.

Will, Stevie—wake up.