Fake Products and Companies Certified by Energy Star - Popular Mechanics

Just so you know exactly what "Energy Star Certified" really means:

Fake Products and Companies Certified by Energy Star - Popular Mechanics

Other great moments in rapid confirmation occurred for submissions of a nonexistent water cooler (approved in four days), a make-believe commercial HVAC unit (approved in one week), a bogus boiler qualified within one business day of submission and a dishwasher that also made the cut in a single day. But the record-setting Usain Bolt of fake Energy Star products has to be an imaginary computer monitor—the EPA requested expedited info so the machine could make a deadline for a Qualified Products list designed to guide shoppers during the 2009 holiday season. The GAO rapidly fired off some falsified test data, and the made-up monitor was approved and online within 30 minutes of submission.

And it spread like Memefire

Best example ever. Give that Professor a medal.

Anatomy of a Rumor: The Story Behind Chief Justice John Roberts's 'Retirement' - Above the Law - A Legal Tabloid - News, Gossip, and Colorful
Commentary on Law Firms and the Legal Profession: "Today’s class was partially on the validity of informants not explaining their sources. [Professor Tague] started off class at around 9 am EST by telling us not to tell anyone, but that we might find it interesting that tomorrow, Roberts would be announcing his retirement for health concerns. He refused to tell anyone how he knew. Then, at around 9:30, he let everyone in on the joke.
Note the timestamps on the Radar posts. The first one came out at 6:10 a.m., i.e., the Pacific Time equivalent of 9:10 a.m. Eastern time. The retraction came out at 6:36 a.m., i.e., the
Pacific Time equivalent of 9:36 a.m. Eastern — shortly after Professor Tague let his class in on the joke."

Ridiculous Rhetoric

This is getting stupid:

Lawmakers to discuss move to halt digital billboards | freep.com | Detroit Free Press

"Digital billboards are really weapons of mass distraction," Abby Dart, executive director of Scenic Michigan, a statewide nonprofit group that's pushing for the moratorium, said Wednesday.

And condoms in a retirement home are like anthrax. Come on, how can you make that statement when you admit you don't have any statistics?

Agnostics and Atheists Set up the Fan

As in, the shit's gonna hit:

Atheists, agnostics to put ads on buses | freep.com | Detroit Free Press

"Don't believe in God? You're not alone," reads the ads that are to be placed on a dozen buses across the region. They were paid for by the Detroit Area Coalition of Reason, which spent $5,250 on the ads with the help of their national group, the United Coalition of Reason. It's part of a nationwide effort that has targeted more than 20 cities across the U.S. by placing such ads on buses, subways and billboards, organizers said.

I'm a little surprised tho. I've considered myself an Agnostic for some time, but I certainly don't disbelieve in God. At least, some sort of higher power. Oh well, there I go again, defying convention.

I think that it's important particularly for an atheist to examine where their moral framework comes from. Some will adopt the title just to be "counterculture" and have no clue what it actually means.