Neven Mrgan pokes fun at Mike Daisey:

The first thing I see are the guards. And they are carrying guns. All around the vast, sprawling compound, a twelve-foot fence keeps the workers inside. You see, there has been a shooting not too long ago. Strolling in the park one night, President Garfield was shot by a disgruntled coworker.

I suppose that’s what passes for a more perfect union in Washington.

American Library Association:

Book banning efforts were alive and well in 2011.  The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) received 326 reports regarding attempts to remove or restrict materials from school curricula and library bookshelves.  The Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2011 include the following titles; each title is followed by the reasons given for challenging the book

Notable books on the list include The Hunger Games trilogy and To Kill a Mockingbird. Read the full list and be amazed. It is sad that the United States is still an Ostrich Nation - burying our heads in the sand instead of discussing socially-relevant topics. Shame on us.

The BBC details Heidi Hankins, a very smart young girl:

A four-year-old girl from Hampshire has been accepted into Mensa with an IQ just one point below Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking.

In related news, Fox is now considering a new show - “Are you smarter than a four-year-old?”.

This Week offers an interesting look at the rise of people claiming no religious affiliation in the United States and the social stigma that accompanies their position:

Why are so many people leaving religion?

It’s primarily a backlash against the religious Right, say political scientists Robert Putnam and David Campbell. In their book, American Grace, they argue that the religious Right’s politicization of faith in the 1990s turned younger, socially liberal Christians away from churches, even as conservatives became more zealous.

The Telegraph reports on the heart-warming story of blind author, Trish Vickers:

She lost her sight seven years ago through diabetes and decided to write a novel to pass the time and keep her mind active.

She quickly penned the opening chapters while using a system of elastic bands to keep the lines separated on the pages of paper she was using.

She waited for her son Simon to visit so he could read it back to her. But when he arrived he had to tell her that the pages were blank.

Incredibly, however, the manuscript was recovered after the family took it to their local police HQ and asked for help.

As we in the central plains battle tornadoes today, it’s clear that such phenomena is often taken for granted. Phil McGrew posts a reminder of mother nature’s beauty and power. Check out his awesome photo of lightning striking the Golden Gate Bridge.

Natalie Kerris, Apple PR, in a statement to AllThingsD:

The DOJ’s accusation of collusion against Apple is simply not true.

I think the Department of Justice is going to have a hard time convincing people that Apple was anti-competitive by allowing content providers to set prices. That policy seemed to spur innovation via the iOS app store.

Anil Dash:

Arguing online is like wearing a sharkskin vest. You look like a jerk. Try responding in 140 characters without over-simplifying your point and turning into a parody of yourself. Twitter doesn’t have to be a playground of mutual affirmation, but its constraints make it hard to find common ground when you don’t agree. Abandon Twitter as a form of social validation.

I’ve tried very hard to stop arguing online this political season. When struck with the urge to post a snarky (yet admittedly brilliant) retort to someone, I simply ask myself why I am so angry. That brief moment of introspection is enough to soften my disposition. The result is either no post at all or a more thoughtful and empathetic response that generates real discussion.

The article from Dash is from Bloomberg BusinessWeek’s 2nd Annual How-To Issue. You should check out some of the other advice, including how to fail, how to save Greece, and how to make coffee at home.

Alyssa Newcomb, ABC News:

Mayor Cory Booker said today he’s no hero and was just doing “what most neighbors would do” when he ran into a burning house to save a woman.

Booker recounted his “come to Jesus” moment today, just hours after he was released from the hospital, where he was treated for second-degree burns and smoke inhalation.

Whether the Newark, New Jersey mayor seeks a third term or opts instead for a gubernatorial run, I’d say he didn’t hurt his chances. The only thing that could have improved the story is if the rescued woman was a nun.

Kim Zetter, Wired:

Former Goldman Sachs programmer Sergey Aleynikov, who downloaded source code for the investment firm’s high-speed trading system from the company’s computers, was wrongly charged with theft of property because the code did not qualify as a physical object under a federal theft statute, according to a court opinion published Wednesday.

This seems like a slippery slope. Do all digital files fail to qualify as physical property? You can read the full decision of the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals here.

(via: Kiel Ortega)