Recent Charlie Hebdo Cover Reactions

Before saying anything I want to make it clear that I am not anti Islam or anti Muslim, nor am I trying to lump everyone together in terms of their behavior. That being said, two main issues here:
1 - No idea, religious or otherwise, is off limits from satirical ridicule and depictions or any other forms of rigorous skeptical questioning.
2 - If terrorism and violence are not a part of Islam, then why is there more violence causing injuries and deaths because of the latest Charlie Hebdo issue?

You fight ridicule with ridicule, satire with satire, not a joke you are "insulted" by with weapons. It's like bringing a grenade to a fist fight. I'm sick of all religions crying about being "insulted" ;too bad!

Charlie Hebdo Cover Reaction
It is not your right to free speech to ridicule religion

In the West African nation of Niger, President Mahamadou Issoufou said at least 10 people have been killed after violent protests broke out against the latest cartoon depicting Mohammed in the French publication. Issoufou said that five deaths were reported after demonstrations in the capital of Niamey on Saturday. The victims were inside churches and bars that were set ablaze, he said. On Friday, at least five people were killed in the town of Zinder after prayer services there.

Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi reiterated his condemnation of the attacks on innocent victims in Paris, saying that terrorism, "has nothing to do with Islam in any way."

In Gaza City, the capital of the Gaza Strip, unknown vandals scrawled graffiti on the walls of the French Cultural Center praising the Prophet Mohammed and declaring him off-limits for ridicule or satire, the vandals also wrote: "To hell, to a miserable destiny, French journalists."

Happy New Year - Once More Around the Sun

So at around 29 and a half years old I've travelled approximately 27,965,000,000 kilometers (1.737 × 10^10 miles) around the Sun! Pretty impressive. I cannot help but think during every New Year celebration that our species is (consciously or not) celebrating that our planet made it around another orbit without falling into our parent star again! 

Earth's Orbit

Anyway, resolutions smezoslutions. People's New Year resolutions are usually set to fail. I feel that we all know what things we would like to change in our lives and putting the title of "resolutions" to them doesn't really help anything.

So as we rest off last night's debauchery let's all hope to make it around the sun one more time at least!

Mastodon - Once More 'Round the Sun

Great Album

Colleges Reinvent Classes to Keep More Students in Science

“Higher education has this assumption that if you know your subject, you can teach it, and it’s not true,” Dr. Uvarov said.

“We have not done a good job of teaching the intro courses or gateway courses in science and math,” said Hunter R. Rawlings III, president of the Association of American Universities and a former president of Cornell University and the University of Iowa.

“What drives advancement at universities is publishing research and winning grants,” said Marc T. Facciotti, an associate professor who will teach a revamped biology course here in the winter quarter. “Teaching isn't a very high priority.”

Colleges Reinvent Classes to Keep More Students in Science

Interesting how teachers at the elementary and secondary level get ripped apart if they are missing any inkling of a fully engaged classroom environment, but even as an education major, I thought to myself "....so I have to get a Master's degree in Education to teach, but the people teaching me have no education background...."  
Don't get me wrong though; all levels of education need to make the students who are learning the material, and not the material itself, the priority. I feel that I am an engaging teacher and if I wore a GoPro camera to work, I bet most people wouldn't believe the amount of energy high school teachers expend during even one science lesson! More colleges and universities definitely need to change their game up. If it wasn't for one particular chemistry professor at my university (Adelphi) I would not have ever realized (DUH) that I should have been a chemistry major from the get-go!