JS Tissainayagam was found guilty of ‘causing communal disharmony.’… Read the rest
Welcome to our archive of news stories relevant to the project of fighting fashionable nonsense. The stories are drawn from the electronic pages of the world’s media. On this page, you’ll find links to those stories that have been featured on Butterflies and Wheels during the current year. At the bottom of the page, you’ll find links to separate archives of stories from previous years.
We’re always pleased to hear about news stories that you think should be featured on Butterflies and Wheels. Just send an email here, if you want to point one out to us.
A note about links
Inevitably links go out of date. We suggest, therefore, that you make hard-copies of the stories that particularly interest you.
Sri Lanka Rejects Criticism of Journalist’s Jailing 
Sep 3rd, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The Committee to Protect Journalists will award Tissainayagam the 2009 International Press Freedom Award.… Read the rest
CPJ Award Goes to Tissainayagam
Sep 3rd, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘We are announcing this award today to highlight the depth of outrage at this unjust sentence.’… Read the rest
Helen Ukpabio Threatens State Governor
Sep 3rd, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Ukpabio is upset because Akpabio intervened to protect the Child Rights and Rehabilitation Network.… Read the rest
Award Goes to Gujarat, not Narendra Modi
Sep 3rd, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The choice of Modi would have been a tad controversial…… Read the rest
Vijay Prashad on the FT Group and Modi
Sep 3rd, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
As part of the press release culture, FDI picked Narendra Modi as the Asian Personality of 2009.… Read the rest
Beena Sarwar on the FDI Award
Sep 3rd, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Includes the letter Mira Kamdar and Vijay Prashad wrote to Marjorie Scardino of the FT group.… Read the rest
Italy Approves RU-486 Despite Church Opposition
Sep 2nd, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Vatican promises ‘excommunication for the doctor, the woman and anyone who encourages its use.’… Read the rest
Johann Hari on Euphemisms
Sep 2nd, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
If they are dead babies, call them dead babies. … Read the rest
Controversy as Motoons Are Edited Out
Sep 2nd, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Author thinks ‘it’s very serious to suppress illustrations when not a single Muslim has protested the book.’… Read the rest
World Have Your Say on Motoons
Sep 2nd, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Yale U Press decided to remove cartoons and all pictures of Mohammed from book on the subject.… Read the rest
Mona Eltahawy on Yale’s Misguided Retreat
Sep 2nd, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘What occurred across many Muslim-majority countries in 2006 was a clear exercise in manufacturing outrage.’… Read the rest
Real Scientists Abandoning Bloggingheads.tv
Sep 1st, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Sympathy for religion is one thing, sympathy for creationism is another.… Read the rest
Sean Carroll Says Bye to Bloggingheads
Sep 1st, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
If I’m going to spend an hour listening to two people discuss, I want some confidence that they’re both serious.… Read the rest
Carl Zimmer Says Bye to Bloggingheads
Sep 1st, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Zimmer does not write about just anything. He writes about research and ideas that have held up under scrutiny.… Read the rest
Turkey and Armenia to Establish Diplomatic Ties
Sep 1st, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The central dispute is the genocide, about which there is little dispute among historians.… Read the rest
Paul Kurtz on the Humanism of Ted Kennedy
Sep 1st, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Although the Kennedys are officially Roman Catholic, they nevertheless supported a liberal social agenda.… Read the rest
Paul Krugman v Niall Ferguson
Aug 31st, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Started as an argument about bond prices, became a row about racism and the fate of the global economy.… Read the rest
Saudi Lawyer Demands Danish Apology
Aug 31st, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Wants a public apology from several newspapers that published a Motoon in 2008.… Read the rest
Dawkins Caused the Sedalia T-shirt Problem!
Aug 31st, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
He is an atheist. He defends evolution. Ergo we must freak out over a T-shirt to fight this atheist assault on our schools.… Read the rest
