Friday fun. Some precious nuggets from elementary schoolkids.

[nairiporter.livejournal.com]

Q: In which battle did Napoleon die?
A: In his last battle.

Q: Where was the Declaration of Independence signed?
A: At the bottom of the page.

Q: Which is the reason for the majority of divorces?
A: Marriage.

Q: Which is the reason for the majority of failures?
A: Exams.

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Letter to Andrew Broad, Federal Member for Mallee

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Background: There is debate on Australia whether marriage equality should be determined by parliament (as all other alterations to the Marriage Act have been) or whether there should be a plebiscite. Some MPs have said that they will not be bound by a plebiscite regardless.

Recently a Federal member brought up a common meme; that marriage is an institution for procreation, drawing comparison between sheep. He knows a lot about sheep. I could not help but pen a response.

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OPEN THREAD: R.I.P. Antonin Scalia

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

Antonin Scalia, Supreme Court Justice, found dead:

Associate Justice Antonin Scalia was found dead of apparent natural causes Saturday on a luxury resort in West Texas, federal officials said.

Scalia was certainly one of the more polarizing figures on the Supreme Court. One of the most vocal defenders of originalist interpretation, the loss puts the ideological split on the court at a 4-4, and leaves an election year vacancy for Obama with a Republican Congress and two Senators running against each other in the primary.

Consider it an open thread, because there are just so many wrinkles to this breaking news.

Turkey calls Russia's bluff, if bluff it is:

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

In further proof that unlike the United States Turkey doesn't just randomly roll over with Russian attacks on its sovereignty expecting Russia to keep pushing with force indefinitely and not keep on pushing further, the Turkish government responded to Russian threats as to what they'd do if they went after Assad....by going directly after Assad. World War III could happen from this, but I'd expect a palace coup in Russia before that. Russia's done what it's done because EU definitions of giving a shit end with the Elbe as far as sovereignty goes. Turkey, unlike Ukraine and Georgia, has a functional army and has been attacked by Assad before with much less reaction than the Daesh seizure of Mosul produced.

Putin may mortgage Russia's future to China but I'd imagine the oligarchs aren't entirely happy with that or what it means.

http://news.yahoo.com/turkey-saudi-could-launch-anti-ground-operation-syria-101537595.html