Worthy causes of the day: “Support Encore Careers for America”, “Obama at the G20”, and “Tell Secretary Salazar to Put a Stop to Oil and Gas Activity in the Arctic”.
Relevant to Divine Misconceptions:
- More incidents of countries behaving badly (as if anyone really expected freedom of religion to catch on overnight): “Iraq’s most ancient sect in need of protection to escape extinction”, “Saudis awaiting change from religious police”, “China Prepares for Post-Dalai Lama Era”, “Hindu fights for pyre 'dignity'”, and “Suffocating the Baha'i”.
- “'Leader' of Italian religious group in court accused of helping Swiss gigolo”: This is a disaster caused by a severe lack of critical thinking skills. Thus is it written:
Investigators believe Ernani Barretta, 64, holds the key to where Swiss con man Helg Sgarbi hid the fortune he swindled out of a succession of ultra-rich society women and industrialists' wives.
Mr. Sgarbi’s claims are extraordinary, but they are testable. It is not too hard to ask someone to walk across a swimming pool to prove he can actually do it. I have no clue what his victims were thinking in trusting him.
The Italian businessman called himself the "Instrument of God", according to police, and told his 30 followers that he had special faith healing powers, could walk on water and was capable of being in two places at the same time.
He will face court in Pescara, on Italy's Adriatic coast, where the regional Flying Squad called its investigation "Operation Sect".
Mr Barretta, who carried business cards describing himself as a "medium", has been charged with fraud, criminal association and extortion.
- “Pirate Captain”
- “"War Crimes" and Shoddy Journalism”
- “Etymology of Exception Proves the Rule”
- “Involuntary Treatment – Civil Rights or Civil Wrongs?”
- “On Campus: The Pro-Palestinians' Real Agenda”: Being against something is not the same as being for something else.
- “Drilling the Arctic for Energy: Does tapping Alaskan oil to increase energy independence come at our peril?”
- “Marking Wall's fall by toppling giant "dominos"”
- “An "extinct" plant species is saved, just in time”
Enjoy and share the weirdness.
Aaron
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