This story, which we have been tracking here and here, has an update.

RICHMOND, Virginia (AP) — Virginia lawmakers dropped their droopy-pants bill Thursday after the whole thing became just too embarrassing.

The bill, which would have slapped a $50 fine on people who wear their pants so low that their underwear is visible in “a lewd or indecent manner,” passed the state House on Tuesday but was killed by a Senate committee in a unanimous vote.

Dangerous Dan asks, “What was wrong with the House?”

The full text of the bill here, from the Roanoke Times.

Another parenting story, from Reuters.

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch children can dial phone lines to listen to recordings of fairytales like Little Red Riding Hood, but busy parents must be willing to pay about $7 a call, enough to buy the printed version of the classic tales.

I never would have guessed this.

You might not expect to find the world’s largest buyer of beef and pork and the world’s second-largest buyer of chicken in an animal rights group’s stock portfolio, but PETA owns shares of McDonald’s stock for a reason—to help the millions of cows, pigs, and chickens who are slaughtered for the restaurant chain each year. McDonald’s has agreed to meet the terms of PETA’s shareholder proposal, which calls on the company to prepare a feasibility report for switching its chicken suppliers over to the least-cruel slaughter method ever developed, controlled-atmosphere killing (CAK).

Now that you know that, you can go have a couple of Big Macs.

I’m just doing a little experiment in search traffic. Debbie Gibson has a song titled “Naked” and here is a link to the audio of her singing that song. Hope that’s what you came her for. :-D

This idea totally and completely stolen from Wizbang.

UPDATE: Wizbang has added a picture to his post, so I’m removing the hyperlink to his site. If you want to go there you’ll have to find it yourself. The idea was still his, but at the time I posted this he hadn’t put up a picture which may be offensive to my readers.

UPDATE 2: (2/15/2005) Ok, I’ve learned my lesson from this little experiment. This certainly drives traffic, but what’s the point? People just view the page and then click back, adding bandwidth usage and not really clicking the ads. Well, it’s posted now and Google’s got it, so there’s nothing to be done beyond observing the amount of traffic that naked singers who were popular 20 years ago generates and realizing that this type of search engine honeypot is not really a value add to by blog.

Kevin has some interesting thoughts on trackback and whether spam will kill it. He’s definitely got one of the most generous trackback policies around.

There’s lots of interesting news on the “evolution in the classroom” and “evolution is just a theory” sticker debate. Here’s a quick roundup:

From The Post and Courier in Charleston, SC, we read:

A Senate subcommittee dropped language from the school book bill Wednesday that called for a committee to determine whether alternatives to evolution should be taught in schools.

“There is no alternative to evolution that is science,” Robert Dillon, a College of Charleston biology professor told a Senate education subcommittee.

Sen. John Matthews, D-Bowman said plans for that committee strayed from the bill’s focus on textbooks and classroom materials. He asked that it be dropped from the bill.

Via Jeff Quinton.

The dogmatism of the “no alternatives to evolution that are science” quote was interesting, considering that at least one definition of science is:

a method of learning about the physical universe by applying the principles of the scientific method, which includes making empirical observations, proposing hypotheses to explain those observations, and testing those hypotheses in valid and reliable ways; also refers to the organized body of knowledge that results from scientific study

If you haven’t seen these stickers, which were ordered removed by a federal judge in Atlanta, check ‘em out.

“This is a great day for Cobb County students,” said Michael Manely, an attorney for the parents who sued over the stickers. “They’re going to be permitted to learn science unadulterated by religious dogma.”

…

“The textbook stickers are a reasonable and evenhanded guide to science instruction and encouraging students to be critical thinkers,” the board said.

But the ACLU says, “it’s a theory.”

Six parents and the American Civil Liberties Union then sued, contending the disclaimers violated the separation of church and state and unfairly singled out evolution from thousands of other scientific theories as suspect.

And from an “unlikely place for a revolution,” South Pennsylvania, we read:

The local high school has just become the first in the country to discuss an alternative Darwin’s theory of evolution in class, called Intelligent Design.

The first in the country? Ever? Wow, they must be cutting edge out there in Pennsylvania.

Because Darwin’s Theory is a theory, it continues to be tested as new evidence is discovered. The Theory is not a fact. Gaps in the Theory exist for which there is no evidence. A theory is defined as a well-tested explanation that unifies a broad range of observations. Intelligent Design is an explanation of the origin of life that differs from Darwin’s view.”

And from Topeka, it looks like we’re full circle back to the sticker thing again.

Conservatives on Wednesday took aim at evolution, proposing to put disclaimer stickers on science textbooks and creating a new hearing process for evolution opponents to challenge its teaching in public schools.

The moves alarmed Leonard Krishtalka, director of Kansas University’s National History Museum & Biodiversity Research Center.

“This is what totalitarian governments do. They try to control what people think rather than allow people to think independently,” Krishtalka said.

So they want a disclaimer emphasizing that evolution is a theory, expressing that there are differing points of view, and this lady from the biodiversity research center is alarmed (!) because to offer other viewpoints would be controlling what people think…. Huh?

From Wired we read this story, which, if I used categories, would definitely be filed under “big brother.”

Parents of elementary and middle school students in a small California town are protesting a tracking program their school recently launched, which requires students to wear identification badges embedded with radio frequency, or RFID, chips

There’s a bit more to this story about the Canadian teem allegedly abused at Gitmo than meets the eye.

Michelle Malkin re-posts some of her previous commentary on this boy.

Before you cry buckets over the poor, abused tots at Gitmo, let’s make one thing clear: We are not talking about hordes of peace-loving, cherubic grade-schoolers (like the kind who were freed from Saddam’s prisons by American troops). We are talking about four male juveniles captured as active enemy combatants against U.S. forces – and suspected of having links to the al-Qaida terrorist network of Afghanistan’s ousted Taliban regime.

These “children” weren’t playing Nintendo or lolling around in a sandbox when they were taken into custody. They were at war, armed and dangerous, carrying out jihad.

One of the youths reportedly in custody at Gitmo is 16-year-old Omar Khadr, who, as I noted last week, is a suspected al-Qaida soldier accused of lobbing the hand grenade that killed Sergeant First Class Christopher Speer, a 28-year-old medic with the U.S. Special Forces. At least one eyewitness said Khadr was no confused little boy. He knew exactly what he was doing: trying to kill Americans.

From the Toronto Free Press:

“We have evidence that one of Canada’s children has been tortured by the United States, Ahmad said.

With his mother weeping in the background and Edney demanding that the federal government fight more vigorously to protect Khadr’s human rights, a fusillade of questions about the Khadr family’s checkered past all but dominated the news conference.

A roundup of the Khadr family (under the clever title “Welcome Back Khadr”) from The Forrest For The Trees.

Father Ahmed: Was a friend of Osama bin Laden and Ayman Al-Zawahari. He was killed in a shootout in Pakistan in 2003.

Eldest son Abdurahman: Was released from Guantanamo after flipping on al-Qaida and becoming a CIA plant. He later turned on his CIA overlords.

Middle son Omar: Is currently in Camp X-ray after being captured in Afghanistan fighting with the Taliban and al-Qaida terrorists.

Younger son Abdullah: Is in hiding but denies claims he blew himself up in a suicide bombing as al-Qaida had reported in 2003.

Mother Maha: Still lives in Canada where she cares for youngest son Karim, who was paralized after being wounded in the same shootout that killed his father.

In other torture news, there is a new British reality show about “torture” at the Guantanamo Bay detention center.

Over a period of 48 hours, US interrogation experts subjected them to a range of torture techniques known to be used at the notorious Cuba prison.

From KSTP:

After speculation that Al Franken would run for the Senate seat Mark Dayton is leaving open, the comedian says he is not going to be a candidate.

Tip from Deacon and Hindrocket over at Powerline…

Which raises the possibility that if Franken gets the nomination, Mark [Kennedy] may run against the only man in America who is NOT funnier than he is.

If you don’t remember, Mark Dayton is one who accused Condi Rice of lying about Iraq.

“I don’t like to impugn anyone’s integrity, but I really don’t like being lied to repeatedly, flagrantly, intentionally,” Mr. Dayton told her. “It’s wrong; it’s undemocratic; it’s un-American; and it’s very dangerous. It is very, very dangerous. And it is occurring far too frequently in this administration.”

He funded his own campaign and now doesn’t have enough money left, doesn’t want to do fundraising and his popularity is dropping fast in Minnesota.

Well, I finally got my site switched over to a three column format so you are more likely to see and click on the Google ads. ;-)

Without it, we wouldn’t have entrepreneurs thinking of things like this.

It’s every single person’s nightmare: You’re on a date, it’s a disaster but there’s no way out.
With Valentine’s Day looming, a mobile phone company in Australia has come to the rescue with a service offering an escape from the date from hell.

All you have to do is discreetly dial three numbers and then hang up without saying a word.

“Virgin Mobile will call them back a minute later with a perfect excuse to get them out of there. We’ll even talk them through what to say,” the company, a joint venture of the Virgin Group and Optus, said in a statement.

There are lots of bright ideas floating around out there about how to secure our homeland, but this one takes the cake.

That’s the advice of San Francisco-based sex worker advocate Carol Leigh, who says cities can cut down on crime and terrorism by having prostitutes patrol the streets.

UPDATE: On a somewhat related note, it appears that working as a prostitute does not automatically exclude one from admissability for K1 and K3 marriage or fiance visas from Thailand. The site lists grounds for inadmissability, and ends with the following quote:

However, individuals engaged in prostitution may be eligible for waivers (I.N.A. Sec. 212h)

So, if you’re married or engaged to a prostitute from Thailand, you might actually be able to get that person a Visa, if I read that right.

Ryan Cenk, a Cub Scout from the Pittsburgh area has soled 10 tons, yes, TONS, of popcorn in the Scouts’ annual popcorn sale.

Full story here.

Ryan Cenk, 10, of the Pittsburgh suburb of Richland Township, sold $25,006 worth of Trail’s End popcorn products, topping the old record in the Scouts’ annual popcorn sale by about $5,000.

Ryan more than doubled his sales with one call to ATM Corp., a company that provides mortgage lending services. The company’s vice president heard the scout’s spiel and decided the popcorn tins would make perfect gifts for employees. The company bought $13,500 worth of popcorn

Nice work Ryan!!

Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit.com (and a UoT law professor) has a piece today in the WSJ asking if Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen is a viable presidential candidate for the democrats in 2008. It’s a name we don’t hear much, and it’s fun to speculate about, so check out the article.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Democrats have noticed that senators and Northeasterners don’t do especially well in presidential elections. That has led to some talk of running a governor from the South in 2008, but Southern Democratic governors are in short supply.

Of those who remain, my governor, Phil Bredesen, is starting to get some attention. A while back, The Economist of London called him a governor with a CEO approach. And The New Republic recently made him the subject of a cover story focusing on his ability to win over the opposition. But should he decide to run for president in 2008, his biggest problems may come from his fellow Democrats.

Right now he’s well-liked, having replaced an unpopular Republican governor who made repeated efforts to pass a state income tax. Those efforts provoked near riots as anti-tax protestors mobbed the Capitol (one man brought a bucket of tar and a bag of feathers), and the income tax died a painful death. That, however, left Tennessee with serious financial problems. Education — especially higher education — was underfunded, and the TennCare health insurance program, a sort of HillaryCare-lite, was devouring the state budget.

Gov. Bredesen met the problems head-on, with 9% across-the-board spending cuts and a novel approach: He said what he was going to do, and then he did it. His first fiscal year ended with the state in surplus, and the “rainy day fund” is at its highest level in history.

The Llama Butchers says this sounds a lot like the same qualities Virginia Governor Mark Warner has.

Bill Hobbs says there are some things Glenn is not mentioning (HT: Whitehouse 2008).

Bredesen’s policy failures, broken promises, irresponsible spending and outbursts of condescension toward small-business and social conservatives are roundly ignored.

Jane Galt concedes that FDR’s plan does in fact look a lot like Bush’s, contrary to what Al Franken says, but she says, who cares?

I also think that the current practice of trying to marshal historical figures in support of very modern policy arguments is idiotic. The fact that Mark Twain wrote a damn fine novel does not mean that we should listen to his opinion on the Spanish-American war, the fact that JFK cut taxes does not mean that we should do so now, and Ike’s budget policies are not necessarily a good guide to our current fiscal policy.

Kevin Drum thinks conservative bloggers should tear themselves away from Eason Jordan and be outraged at Brit Hume’s quoting of FDR in this way.

I assume the excuse — assuming the conservative blogosphere can tear itself away from Eason Jordan, Bill Moyers, and Ward Churchill long enough to notice — will be the usual one: everyone knows Fox anchors are conservative shills. So it’s OK for them to do this kind of stuff.

Paul Musgrave postulates about what Blog readers want, and backs it up with some anecdotal information:

As a rule: Blog readers do not want insight; they prefer provocation. Blog readers do not want explanation; they crave exhortation. Blog readers do not want to learn about novel ideas; they seek to rehearse tired debates.

HT: In the Agora, who happens to have another interesting link in the same post, see my next entry.

While I’m on the topic of cool stuff in nature (see “ants” post previously), check out the new shots of Saturn from Cassini at NASA.gov. It happens to match the color theme of this site, so I’ll post a picture. :-D

This may seem like a totally random post, but there sure are some pretty cool little things out in the world. Check out these little boomerang ants that swoop back to their own tree when blown off by the wind (with video).

I should more correctly title this post “10 items” but that sure won’t help anyone find me via Google. :-)

Anyway, check out this story from FOX News.

The federal appeals court that ruled the Pledge of Allegiance (search) was an unconstitutional endorsement of religion is being sued for allegedly displaying the Ten Commandments on its seal and courthouses.

The case was brought by an attorney who was admitted to practice before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in June. In his lawsuit against the San Francisco-based court, Ryan Donlon (search) said the certificate admitting him contains the court’s seal which unlawfully contains what he believes is a tablet object representing the Ten Commandments.

Cathy Catterson, the court’s clerk, said the seal highlights a woman, known as “the Majesty of the Law” who is reading a large book. At her feet is a tablet with 10 unreadable lines on it — what Donlon believes is the Ten Commandments.

Catterson said the tablet has “the same shape” of the Ten Commandments but “you can’t read the text of it.”

This is the same court that sided with Michael Newdow in the Pledge of Allegiance case.

James Taranto at the WSJ says:

Just to keep us safe from religious influence, perhaps the court ought to ban from federal property any list of 10 items, including the Bill of Rights, Roger Ebert’s list of the Ten Greatest Films of All Time, and David Letterman’s Top Ten Ways to Make Religious History More Entertaining (No. 2: “Epic new film: ‘The Ten Commandments Broken by Darryl Strawberry’ “). This would apply to state and local property too, though some might argue that would violate the Nth Amendment.

And, I would add, definitely ban Ace of Spades from government property, as he loves top ten lists.

Got a surprise a couple of days ago. WOW!

Got any advice? I’ll take it in the comments section. :-D