Links of the week

I'm not feeling particularly inspired to write anything at the moment. But here are some interesting links this week.

I came across this excellent parody video (with thanks to Sociological Images) of Miss USA contestants asked "Should Math be taught in schools?". Check out the original evolution video here if you can stomach a quarter of an hour of airheadedness.

Also on Sociological images Brady Potts compares modern and old responses to disasters after some moron Republican said the response to Hurricane Irene should have been more like 1900. This is the storm that another Republican (and presidential hopeful) Michelle Bachmann says is a 'message from God'.

In related news New York Times columnist Paul Krugman is terrified that the Republican party is becoming the 'anti-science' party.

Bernard Keane at Crickey ponders that the latest protest movement (typified by the Tea Party and its Australian analogues) of middle-aged, conservative, white, middle- or higher-income men (ie. the most advantaged group of people in the world) is because they're feeling slightly less advantaged than they used to.

Meanwhile Empirica Research has released a study commissioned by the ACTU on wealth inequality in Australia. Some key findings:

• The wealthiest 20% own 61% of the wealth; the poorest 20% just 1%
• Most people believe that the wealthiest 20% own 40%; the poorest 20% own 10%
• And the ideal distribution is for wealthiest 20% owning 24%; the poorest 20% owning 14%
• These views are remarkably stable across all wealth categories.
• People believe the minimum wage is $1.60 higher than reality and most support raising it.
• Most also agree that Government should adopt policies which improve wealth equality.

 And finally videos from ILHC are up - check out Patrick and Natasha's Youtube channel