hermione granger is our new feminist HBiC

watch this video of her earning a standing ovation at the UN while meekly and mildly introducing her new women's rights initiative #HeForShe

good news

japan has to stop murdering whales.

TOKYO — The decision to ban Japan’s annual whaling drive off Antarctica, handed down by the United Nations’ highest court on Monday, was a hard-won victory for conservationists who long argued that Tokyo’s whaling research was a cover for commercial whaling.

The ruling by the International Court of Justice in The Hague halts a Japanese program that has captured more than 10,000 minke and other whales in the Southern Ocean each year since 1988 in the name of biological research. (via)

NeRd aLeRt!!

usually i am a big fan of any design that comes from the netherlands, but this redesign of the delegates lounge at the united nation seems like a wasted opportunity. there are two beautiful hand crafted window treatments by Hella Jongerius on either end, then they just piled in an array of dutch furniture in between. all this for 3.5 million dollars. not good enough.

more pictures and a description of the design process here

the state of tennessee is emBEARassing, again

This time it is pretty weird. Apparently there was a UN resolution from 1992 called Agenda 21 that was written to encourage sustainable development, environmental regulation, and smart growth. Representative Glen Casada says, NOT IN MY BACKYARD!!!

  WHEREAS, this United Nations Agenda 21 plan of radical so-called “sustainable development” views the American way of life of private property ownership, single-family homes, private car ownership and individual travel choices, and privately owned farms all as destructive to the environment; and


 WHEREAS, according to the United Nations Agenda 21 policy, social justice is described as the right and opportunity of all people to benefit equally from the resources afforded us by society and the environment which would be accomplished by socialist/communist redistribution of wealth; and 


WHEREAS, according to the United Nations Agenda 21 policy, national sovereignty is deemed a social injustice; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, THE SENATE CONCURRING, that the General Assembly recognizes the destructive and insidious nature of United Nations Agenda 21 and hereby exposes to the public and public policymakers the dangerous intent of the plan.

the best idea.

this artist over in australia made a U.N. out of puppies!

pay attention, pakistan!

lookin' great, qatar. (via)

UPDATE: omg sCoOpEd by g.animalz.