A Handbook for Killing Non-Jews

Today on the list: The guide to killing goyim, more evidence of Glenn Beck’s self-obsession, and proof that bears do not make the safest pets.

On a regular basis, Truthdig brings you the news items and odds and ends that found their way to Larry Gross, director of the USC Annenberg School for Communication. A specialist in media and culture, art and communication, visual communication and media portrayals of minorities, Gross helped found the field of gay and lesbian studies.

The links below open in a new window. Newer ones are on top.

Plato’s Pop Culture Problem, and Ours This fall, the U.S. Supreme Court will rule on a case that may have the unusual result of establishing a philosophical link between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Plato.

How the brain sorts out what you see Can you tell a snake from a pretzel? Some can’t — and their experiences are revealing how the brain builds up a coherent picture of the world.

Why Killing ‘Criminals’ With Drones Is a War Crime Are the masters of “drone porn” committing war crimes by remote control? It’s a bit shocking that more people aren’t asking this question.

Who Said It First? Journalism is the ‘first rough draft of history’ Many journalists give former Washington Post President and Publisher Philip L. Graham credit for being the first to describe journalism as “the first rough draft of history.”

How to Kill Goyim and Influence People A rabbinical guidebook for killing non-Jews has sparked an uproar in Israel and exposed the power a bunch of genocidal theocrats wield over the government.

The #alt-ac Track: Negotiating Your ‘Alternative Academic’ Appointment By now, avid ProfHacker readers will have encountered the cipher “#alt-ac:” a neologism and Twitter hashtag that marks conversations about “alternate academic” careers for humanities scholars.

Glenn Beck and the Amazing Technicolor Ego Trip To supplement his burgeoning self-promotion empire, Glenn Beck has launched TheBlaze.com, a “news, information and opinion site” that, despite its stated goal to “post, report and analyze stories of interest on a wide range of topics” appears to have a disproportionate number of stories covering — you guessed it — Glenn Beck, as Gawker has noted.

THE SPEED-BUMP ON THE ROAD TO BECK’S RELIGIOUS AGENDA … The purpose of Saturday’s rally at the Lincoln Memorial wasn’t exactly clear, but it seemed to have something to do with religion. By one account, the event was “overtly religious, filled with gospel music and speeches that were more like sermons.”

Really? Survey Says Sarah Palin Not Ready for Presidency

Bear attack highlights lax Ohio exotic pet laws The bear that recently killed a caretaker in a Cleveland suburb was the latest example of animal violence in a state that has some of the nation’s weakest restrictions on exotic pets and among the highest number of injuries and deaths caused by them.

The iPad and the E-Book With another summer ending, the time has come to ask the perennial question: Could this be the year higher education finally embraces the e-book?

Yale University and Anti-Semitism Anti-Semitism is an age-old form of racism and it calls for ongoing academic study. The problem is that this particular conference approached the subject from the ideologically driven position of radical Zionism.