'lil Web Smokies - Links Found on Wednesday, 1/18/2012 January 18, 2012

Psychology Today – Intelligent Lust: The Modern Family:

The notion that the traditional two-parent family is not only the best, but the only, way to raise healthy children is a notion perpetuated by those fearful of losing their privileged status upheld by their virulent defense of so-called family values. The simple truth is, children who are generously loved, esteemed, and respected do better in life than those who are not. It's not the family structure that matters, but how we treat our children.   Do two wonderful parental figures provide a child with more of this than one?  Sure.  Do three provide more than two?  Yes.  And how about four?  Why not? In most of the world, childrearing happens within the context of a large extended family with many members influencing a child's development and helping out in different ways.

Note: This is another column from my friend Alyssa Siegel, and her father Stanley Siegel. They’re doing some really excellent writing over at Psychology Today, and it’s really exciting to see intelligent discussion about sex, sexuality, and family dynamics under such a mainstream banner. If you’re so inclined, I know that it would make them both pleased to see these articles shared around. 

 

GizModo – You’re About to Start Yelling at Your TV for a Good Reason:

For all the excitement about what Kinect brings to Mass Effect 3 gameplay-wise, what's potentially more exciting is the very real possibility that in the next year or two, we might look back at Mass Effect 3 as a watershed moment—the game that brought Kinect to gamers, that broke it out of the motion-control-gimmick ghetto. That made a Kinect-powered Halo suddenly seem like a real possibility, and for all the right reasons. I hope so, because it feels like something that's just the beginning.

Note: Because he cites Halo, it should be pointed out that the voice-control bolted on was… not good. I’d shout “GRENADE!” and have it lob 2 out of 3 times, but often a crucial second or three afterwards (while also wondering if I’m driving my neighbor apeshit). I remain highly skeptical, and look forward to anecdotes about people being evicted for yelling at their television after marathon gaming sessions.

 

PurrVersatility - Why the Stop Online Piracy Act is Bad for Sexuality:

It's interesting to point out that porn companies, meanwhile, are AGAINST SOPA. Their content can be stolen too, of course, but porn understands what SOPA could lead to- private companies being given rein to censor the internet as they see fit.

 

The Ron Paul Linkbomb: Because He Sucks and Here's Why:

Ron Paul wants to define life as starting at conception, build a fence along the US-Mexico border, prevent the Supreme Court from hearing cases on the Establishment Clause or the right to privacy, permitting the return of sodomy laws and the like (a bill which he has repeatedly re-introduced), pull out of the UN, disband NATO, end birthright citizenship, deny federal funding to any organisation which "which presents male or female homosexuality as an acceptable alternative life style or which suggest that it can be an acceptable life style" along with destroying public education and social security,, and abolish the Federal Reserve in order to put America back on the gold standard. He was also the sole vote against divesting US federal government investments in corporations doing business with the genocidal government of the Sudan. Oh, and he believes that the Left is waging a war on religion and Christmas, he's against gay marriage, is against the popular vote, opposes the Civil Rights Act of 1964, wants the estate tax repealed, is STILL making racist remarks, believes that the Panama Canal should be the property of the United States, and believes in New World Order conspiracy theories, not to mention his belief that the International Baccalaureate program is UN mind control..