Coroner: Andrew Breitbart Died of Heart Failure

Conservative media activist Andrew Breitbart died March 1 of "heart failure and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with focal coronary atherosclerosis," the Los Angeles Coroner's Office announced Friday afternoon. "No prescription or illicit drugs were detected," the office announced in a press release.

Villains & Vigilantes Creators Sue Game's Publisher

An epic battle is underway over one of the oldest super-hero roleplaying games, but sadly it won't be settled by muscle-bound men in tights. The creators of the game Villains & Vigilantes, Jeff Dee and Jack Herman, have filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Scott Bizar, the longtime publisher of the game. The suit, filed July 27 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, claims that Bizar has no right to publish the game or any related products and illegally profits from their sale.

Mike Huckabee's Distortions of U.S. History

Mike Huckabee went on The Daily Show last night and said some remarkably ignorant things about the history of the Constitution and what he refers to as the views of secularists. In a discussion on the well-worn debate about whether or not the founders intended America to be a "Christian Country," Huckabee claims all conservatives like him want is a recognition that most of the founders were Christian. I don't know of a single atheist who would deny that the majority of the founders were professed Christians.

SFO Welcomes Virgin’s New Look, Virgin America Welcomes Travelers with Sale

Virgin America, the only California-based US airline, opened up its new terminal in San Francisco Wednesday to all of the hoopla we've grown accustomed to with the hippest fliers in the country. Terminal 2, known as T2, will host Virgin as the anchor airline and the terminal's new look (it's actually been around for more than 60 years) is strictly got Virgin in mind throughout. The 640,000 square foot terminal is also the first LEED platinum certified terminal in the country — giving it some eco-goodness that no other terminal can currently enjoy. "As a new airline we've been able to use the latest in technology, design and sustainable practices to enhance the traveler experience, and we hope elevate the journey beyond just getting from Point A to Point B," said David Cush, President and Chief Executive Officer of Virgin America. "We're proud to unveil a new home that similarly reinvents the travel experience for the modern flyer -- and that also reflects the innovative,

History, Culture, and the Brain

I recently watched the debate between apologist William Lane Craig and historian Bart Ehrman on the historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus. As a historian in training, I naturally take special interest in this particular issue. My overall impression after watching the debate is that Craig lacks an understanding (willful or not) of the quality of his sources, the complexity of human psychology, and the power of culture, particularly when it comes to theological impulses.

Rolf Potts is a Travel God

Until this morning, we have never heard of Rolf Potts -- but after reading a short CNN story about him, we have promoted him to Travel God. Potts, 40, according to the CNN story is not a person who talks about traveling, he talks about traveling while he's traveling. The CNN piece discusses Potts theory about time-wealth — a commodity we have all heard about but Potts understands.

What Professional Orchestras Should Learn from YouTube

These days, when symphony orchestras make national news, the topic is usually not a happy one. Yet one group has received a very different kind of coverage: the YouTube Symphony Orchestra (YTSO). Culminating in a performance at Australia's Sidney Opera House on March 20, 2011, this experiment has generated unprecedented buzz and excitement.

Unwelcome: The Muslims Next Door

Unwelcome: The Muslims Next Door aired last night at 8pm on CNN. The CNN Belief blog has an additional perspective to highlight the segment. Ivy, an American, converted to Islam and began to wear the hijab. She had the following to say about the experience: "I feel like I have more respect. Before, I could be pumping gas in my car and some guy would whistle or make some type of catcall. It was an uncomfortable situation," she said... When you put on a scarf ... [you] know that people can't look at you as a sexual object."

Zunes Critiques War on Libya

As always, Stephen Zunes' writings on US policy toward the Middle East and nonviolent action are some of the most thorough and informative out there, and his articles on the situation in Libya are no exception. At the end of February, he wrote this in-depth piece on the history of US-Libyan relations, which I found very helpful, and more recently he had a great critique of the concepts of Responsibility to Protect (R2P) and humanitarian intervention.

Disarm Now Plowshares Receive Sentencing

The five Disarm Now Plowshares activists who infiltrated Kitsap-Bangor Naval Base in Washington to symbolically disarm the nuclear weapons stored there received sentences yesterday ranging from six to 15 months confinement. With the action having taken place in November 2009, this decision has been a long time coming.