Has Technology Killed God?

This is the very interesting question that Andrew Klavan and Bill Whittle discussed on PJTV recently. Their conclusion was, of course, not so much but they raised the point that at least in the advanced Western world, it has greatly diminished the fear of God and that is a bad thing. 

Technology has created a false illusion of control, of insulation from life-rocking events, that makes the sudden death of someone close or the mass deaths like 9/11 or Newtown such a rude shock. It creates jaded attitudes and hubris in droves that we have nothing to fear from God. Indeed, we can flout his ordinances and commands with impunity because we are the masters of our lives, even the universe. This imperious attitude leads to the further conceit that we can ignore things like terrorists, rogue states, new super power wannabes and the like because we have C-O-N-T-R-O-L and nothing dares harm us! Wrong on all accounts.

Psalms reminds us that "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom..."  Psalm 111:10. True statement. The theologian Paul Tillich described God as "The Ground of Being" and that is the right starting point for wisdom - God underlies everything. At the individual level, man lives "... by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." Matt. 4:4. Sudden death does break the spell, but usually only temporarily, because we don't think it will happen to us. Ah - ignorance is such bliss! At the societal level, governments are instituted by God (Rom. 13:1) and if they ignore Him long enough, they will pass on to the dustbin of history. (See Babylon, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Soviets, etc., etc.) Finally, the entire world can end in the blink of an eye - one large asteroid, one giant solar flare at the wrong time, or who knows what else, could extinguish all life on earth tomorrow. In fact, Jesus Himself said:

"When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah's day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn't realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes." 

Matt. 24:37-39

Perhaps things haven't changed so much after all, they just happen faster and we have a wider view of what is happening. 

When tragedy hits - and it will - no doubt the refrain will be heard that God is unfair. Not true. He has warned us at every level that life is difficult and that actions have very real consequences. We can revel in our ignorance fostered by the illusion of control and ignore Him or we can fear Him and begin the road to wisdom. 

Don't R.I.P. - Just Go Away!

I hope your Christmas was a merry one. Now on to the New Year, so let's talk about health insurance again, as the President suggested: Obamacare is dead. Yes, the death throes will go on for quite a while but we need to vigorously begin planning for what next. 

This WSJ article has a number of foundational ideas about what ideas should come next. The key ideas are individual catastrophic health insurance coverage and getting the new Amazons, Apples, Googles, and WalMarts into the health care area to deliver both low-priced routine health care and affordable catastrophic insurance coverage. This is a golden opportunity to really overhaul this area if government will just get the barricades (e.g. - itself) out of the way and let people freely interact in the health marketplace to choose how they want to safeguard their healthcare and that of their family.

online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304866904579265932490593594

The Light Arrives; The World Changes Forever

Merry Christmas!

Advent - Fourth Sunday; The World is About to Change

For $300M This is What We Get

Robocalls went out to people who had tried to sign up with Cover Oregon that if they don't get a confirmation of coverage by tomorrow, December 22, then they had best look elsewhere for a policy. Well, the President wanted folks to talk about health insurance at Christmas, though I doubt this is what he had in mind. BTW, when is someone going to ring Gov. Kitzhaber's bell on this Oregon goat rodeo. I thought the buck stopped at the Big Guy's desk. Don't recall that I've heard too much from Big John about this. 

www.oregonlive.com/finance/index.ssf/2013/12/cover_oregon_if_you_dont_hear.html

Debate Tactics

Michelle Malkin discusses one of the key groups behind the hit on Phil Robertson from Duck Dynasty, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). Although they try to portray themselves as victims, it is clear from the group's activities that their true goal is much closer to what Malkin describes:

"GLAAD has worked tirelessly to marginalize and suppress the free speech of Christian leaders, Christian businesses and conservative talk-radio hosts dating back to their infamous Dr. Laura boycott 13 years ago. The group's mission is not about equality or defending against "defamation." It's about silencing critics, making open debate radioactive, demonizing people of faith and making even the slightest perceived slight a hate crime."

This is where our society is headed if people of good faith of all persuasions don't speak up. Germans failed to do so in the 1930s and look what happened. It can happen here too.

townhall.com/columnists/michellemalkin/2013/12/20/glaad-lethal-enforcers-of-the-lefts-tolerance-mob-n1766200

Ve Vill Not Tolerate Zis!

Phil Robertson, the patriarch of Duck Dynasty, gave an unexceptional if somewhat graphic explanation in an interview of his opinion regarding gay vs. straight sex and the Biblical view of homosexuality. He took pains to point out that he and his family don't judge others in that regard; that's over their pay grade. A spokesperson for  a coalition of gay groups (pictured left) has called for Robertson's execution by firing squad at dawn tomorrow to insure tolerance will be obeyed by everyone. Everyone! 

Let Me Know When He Walks on Water

A tidbit for the Christmas season - Barbara Walters said that in 2009 she and others in the media thought Obama was the Messiah. As Abraham Lincoln said, you can fool some of the people all of the time. 

www.wnd.com/2013/12/news-legend-we-thought-obama-was-messiah/

Airline Customer Service Isn't Always an Oxymoron

As hard as it may be to believe, airlines sometimes do things right for customers. I have personally been the recipient of random acts of kindness by airline employees and the 7 stories here demonstrate that the tradition continues. May it always be so.

www.thestreet.com/story/12159412/2/top-seven-airline-customer-service-moments-of-2013.html

A Romans 8:28 Story

James Costello was badly injured in the Boston Marathon bombing. While in rehab, though, he met a nurse, Krista D'Agostino, who will now be his wife. Nice story to end the week. Good coming from bad - one of God's specialties. 

www.wcvb.com/news/local/metro/boston-marathon-victim-engaged-to-spaulding-nurse/-/11971628/23503832/-/abc0v0/-/index.html

2013 Alfred E. Neuman Administrative Agency Award

John Beale, who was the EPA's lead on climate change and its highest paid employee, pleaded guilty in September to defrauding the U.S. government of $1M or so. Apparently he simply did not work for months and even years at a time and attempted to cover his tracks by saying that he was out on undercover assignments for the CIA. 

Two questions: When does he get prosecuted for defrauding the U.S. taxpayer of billions on global warming (nka "climate change")? Does an agency that is so credulous as to believe such an incredible line of bull from one of its key employees and continue to pay him $1M deserve to exist?

investigations.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/12/16/21911592-climate-change-experts-fraud-was-crime-of-massive-proportion-say-feds?lite

These Guys Can Play

I haven't watched a lot of Blazer basketball since the early 1990s teams with Clyde Drexler. Since then the Blazers have often been listless, undisciplined, and sometimes thuggish. Not the current team. These guys can play.

Led by Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge, these Blazers play unselfish basketball that gets the ball to the open guy and they don't quit on defense. Aldridge is huge in the rebound department and usually points scored as well. They are making Rip City fun again. Maybe even like 1977, but those are big shoes to fill.

Advent - Preparing to Leave Heaven on Assignment

The Annunciation

Advent

Global Warming

A satellite measured a new record cold reading for the entire planet in Antarctica in August 2010 of -135.8 degrees. And you think it's been cold here recently. Russian and Canadian scientists think we are gradually descending into a new Ice Age. Meanwhile, back in the U S of A global warming seems to be the mode du jour. BTW, temperatures still haven't gone up since 1998. We'll see. In the meantime, is there any more hot coffee?

www.kgw.com/community/blogs/weather/Coldest-on-earth-235448991.html

Christmas Presents

I am in a good mood because a friend's wife that we had been praying for during treatment of cervical cancer since last summer was just declared "cancer-free" by her doctors. She will be monitored, of course, but it is such a nice gift at Christmas to hear about such a victory. Thank you Lord!

Here's another one - as Breakpoint calls it, "blob of tissue to homecoming queen." A married woman was raped and became pregnant. Her husband demanded that it be him or the baby and the mother chose life. Two days after birth the little girl was adopted and lived a very happy and normal life with her adoptive parents. She went off to college at Auburn University and ran for homecoming queen. Her topic was pregnancy alternatives and she told her story, which she had been told now that she was an adult and it caught fire. She was interviewed multiple times on television and by other media and told her story - she was living proof that she was not just a "blob of tissue" way back when, but a beautiful and talented young lady who was just starting to live. And who, by the way, was elected Auburn's homecoming queen. 

Life is good. God is good. Merry Christmas!

www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/breakpoint-commentaries-archive/entry/13/24058?spMailingID=7561238&spUserID=MTMyMjUyNjY4OAS2&spJobID=104631027&spReportId=MTA0NjMxMDI3S0

Another P.T. Barnum Moment

Rouhani is the new head guy in Iran and is widely perceived in the West as a moderate. Certainly this is true in the Obama Administration which recently concluded an "interim" agreement with the Iranians that goes against about everything the U.S. and the U.N. have ever said about Iran and nukes. I mean this guy isn't like the bad old guys. But is he really such a moderate? What to make of this then:

"According to figures compiled from Iranian media reports, some 190 executions were carried out during the first half of 2013 when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was in power. However, the number of executions only since June when Rouhani replaced Ahmadinejad has reached more than 370."

www.upi.com/Top_News/Analysis/Outside-View/2013/12/09/EU-Parliament-to-visit-Iran-without-preconditions/UPI-82581386565380/#ixzz2n3IQnv9R

www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2013/12/10/Executions-In-Iran-Skyrocket-Under-Centrist-Rouhani

Ah yes, a sucker is born every minute. Or is it just our new cynical "cut-and-run" foreign policy hiding behind a fig leaf? You decide.  

Da Bear

Da Bear of da Bears, Mike Ditka, had his #89 retired at a halftime ceremony during last night's game against Dallas. I watched him play with Gale Sayers and other Bear notables when the Bears were still playing at Wrigley Field. He won a championship as a player in 1963 and again as head coach in 1985. 

Ditka came to our high school football team's end-of-season awards' night dinner and spoke. Each of us got to meet him. I can't remember anything he said, but I do remember he was a nice guy in person and how big and soft his hands were, which was unexpected because he was known as Iron Mike for playing with ferocity with injuries that would have landed anybody else in the hospital.

Ditka personifies Bears' grind-it-out, smash-mouth football and I am delighted that Chicago has given him this honor. Go Bears! Great job Iron Mike!

www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-Sports/2013/12/09/Bears-retire-Mike-Ditkas-number

They're Helping Us Again - Hold Your Wallet.

FUTA and SUTA - sounds vaguely obscene. These acronyms stand, however, for Federal unemployment tax and state unemployment tax. The Feds keep extending unemployment benefits, which causes a ripple effect with SUTA too. In fact, although my firm hasn't had an unemployment claim in years, our SUTA rates keep going up and up to pay for these extensions. We pay thousands per year in SUTA for other people - money that could go for raises for our current employees, maybe hiring a part timer or, heaven forbid, to ourselves. But N-O-O-O-O! Change is definitely needed.

Today's WSJ has an article with a creative suggestion that would help both workers and the economy:

"Economist Martin Feldstein long ago proposed a better plan to create a self-insurance component of unemployment insurance with tax dollars going into an employee trust fund for each worker that could be drawn during a bout of unemployment. Workers could keep whatever money was left over at retirement, which would encourage workers to become re-employed more quickly after losing a job."

Not a bad idea. The problem, though, is that the politicians wouldn't get credit for "doing something" about unemployment and hence Feldstein's proposal has languished. Our economy could be fixed, but only if the American people demand it and start tossing people out of office until it gets done. 

online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303670804579233913327613176

President Barack "Photobomb" Obama

"Photobombing is the act of inserting oneself into the field of view of a photograph, often in order to play a practical joke on the photographer or the subjects."   Wikipedia

They Tried To

Honeymooners' "thrill kill" Pennsylvania man. 
www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/12/07/Police--Pa-newlyweds-killed-man-for-thrills

45 Christians killed by Islamists in Syria.
www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?
id=53030

North Koreans execute 80 for having Bibles, watching movies.
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2499811/Series-public-executions-sees-80-people-killed-North-Korea-watching-South-Korean-movies-possessing-Bibles.html

Who else do we have to coexist with? I could go on, but I won't. This miserable little slogan is moral sloth at its worst. Evil does not coexist with anyone or anything but itself. 

The Wins Just Keep Piling Up

Maryland's Obamacare exchange director just resigned after spending $107M on the roll out in that state. Oregon's own Rocky King, Cover Oregon (aka "Obamacare Oregon"), is also on a 3-month medical leave which is widely expected to become permanent. He spent $300M trying to get the turkey off the ground. Last I heard Cover Oregon had "enrolled" 3,500 people, by paper. It is unclear whether this means actually insured. Heckuva start.

www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/12/07/Marylands-Director-Of-Obamacare-Exchanges-Resigns-Amid-Failiures-Controversy

www.kgw.com/news/Cover-Oregon-director-to-take-medical-leave-234145621.html

Turn of the Century America

I hope you are enjoying a pleasant winter day. It's 17 or so here and much of the rest of the country is the same or colder. If that doesn't make you feel a little chill, this will - home prices adjusted for inflation are back at the same level as 1894. That is not a typo - 1894. Thanks to the spectacular Obama economy we have wiped out over 100 years of economic gains. Thank you Mr. President and all his Democratic minions in Congress! That includes you Sen. Jeff Merkley, who is up for re-election in 2014. 

www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-02-13/home-prices-are-back-1894s-levels

Never Forget

Pearl Harbor, on its 72nd anniversary, has more to teach us than ever. First, of course, we remember the thousands of men who perished when the Japanese hit Hawaii by surprise at dawn on December 7. They perished because of a lack of vigilance up the chain of command, some would say all the way to the top. Which is exactly where we are now.

The quality and state of readiness of the American military does not happen by itself. When the U.S. entered WW II it was woefully unprepared. The Great Depression still had the country in its grip and we were primarily concerned with our domestic troubles. Besides, our politicians assured us, treaties had been signed in the 1920s and 1930s that supposedly severely restricted key arms in the militaries of key nations. Of course they did not because the other nations cheated. Hitler built Germany into a powerhouse and Japan did likewise. In the meantime, we slept blissfully with our heads on a pile of paper which was the shredded treaties which had long since ceased to be honored . 

Circa 2013 both China and Russia are rapidly building up their militaries, including strategic nuclear systems. North Korea has nukes. Iran is about to get them, triggering a counter response from Saudi Arabia. Pakistan already has them and is selling the technology to all comers. Japan is probably secretly prepping both nukes and strategic delivery systems as a counterweight to the pressure it is getting from China, since the U.S. has gone wobbly. It's a tough neighborhood and getting tougher all the time.

In the meantime, our Navy is down to its smallest number of ships since 1915, 10+ Air Force squadrons are sidelined due to lack of parts, flying time, etc. not to mention that the aircraft are wearing out, and the Army is being cut to 390,000 troops with similar cuts to the Marines.
Training has been slashed for all branches, which is critical to an effective force structure. 

The surest way to get into a massive war is to be weak and war today means mass civilian casualties because of nuclear (including EMP), and chemical and biological weapons. I am truly afraid that we are asleep in the same way as the 1930s. Pre-occupied with our own economic travails and otherwise just wanting to live the Good Life, we let our military dwindle, ignoring the growing peril in the world from bad actors that are becoming more bold every day because the cop on the block is gone. Ignorance is not bliss. The next Pearl Harbor will make 1941 look like a minor skirmish.

I Hear and Will Obey!

Jonah Goldberg is a funny guy, but he had a serious thought about this business about hiking the minimum wage:

"After you heard President Obama's call for a hike in the minimum wage, you probably wondered the same thing I did: Was Obama sent from the future by Skynet to prepare humanity for its ultimate dominion by robots?"

My thought exactly! Well, okay - that's not the serious part. 

He goes on to talk about technology replacing servers at restaurants, such as a computer tablet with the current meals du jour into which diners key their orders which are then cooked and brought to them. No smarmy or surly waiters, no "I'll have to check on that" or "You guys..." or a kid behind the counter with acne who is texting his/her significant other and not paying much attention to you. It works for $.42/hour vs. $15/hour or whatever hourly wage the President and his minions can dream up. 

Great idea! Bring on the robots! Even more entry-level and low-skill folks will be put out of jobs. Minimum wage jobs are not meant to be career positions! Is it any wonder that the economy stinks and will continue this way with these geniuses at the controls? 

townhall.com/columnists/jonahgoldberg/2013/12/06/coming-to-grips-with-rise-of-the-machines-n1758260

Observation Point

Speaking of the deterioration of religious freedom in the United States, Cardinal George of Chicago said, “I expect to die in bed, my successor will die in prison, and his successor will die a martyr in the public square.”

www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/24006

Abortion = Breast Cancer

A new study validates a 1996 study showing a vastly increased risk of breast cancer for women who have had an abortion. The new study specifically concludes that if a woman has even one abortion, her risk of breast cancer increases by 44%. Two will get you to 76% and three, well now it's now a near certainty at 89%. That is huge. 

I will leave the verification studies to the scientists, and break out the pink ribbons and all that, but this clearly should get the subject on the table for open discussion and research and out of the political fever swamps. Perhaps there will be a warning in the future on every Planned Parenthood abortion clinic: CAUTION! An abortion can be hazardous to your health! (Not to mention that of your baby.)

www.wnd.com/2013/12/stunningly-huge-cancer-threat-uncovered/

She Has Decided to Follow Jesus: Epilogue

I recently posted on journalist Kirsten Powers decision to become a Christ follower. Here is an interview with her about that experience and her comments on what the reaction has been to her "coming out." Nicely done. 

www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-TV/2013/12/02/Kirsten-Powers-Being-A-Democrat-Was-My-Religion

Go Garmin!

Some good economic news for Salem, finally. Garmin is expanding its Salem avionics operations with 65 new software and engineering positions in a new 66,000 sq. ft. facility at the airport. Excellent! Buy Garmin when you buy a new GPS.

www.kgw.com/news/Garmin-announces-expansion-plans-in-Salem-234161401.html

Family Thoughts

Coming off a nice Thanksgiving weekend I have been thinking about family in general and my family in particular. I read a commentary on family in Daily Guideposts 2013 for Friday November 29 that rang true and one line is especially worth repeating: "Family comes not just from blood but also from shared histories, the cherished memories that remind us we are forever partners in life." So true. It just takes time. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Definitely Not a Turkey

This is an awesome piece of work and definitely not a turkey, but Happy Thanksgiving anyhow!

Lawyers and Loggers

A heartwarming piece in Townhall this morning confirming what has already been reported in Oregon but has only elicited a yawn as far as I can tell - Oregon has spent over $305 million dollars on Obamacare/Cover Oregon and not enrolled a single person. Thank you Mr. President. Well done Gov. John. Quoting Margaret Thatcher: "The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money." We're there and it's only begun. Ho hum. What's on tv tonight?

townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2013/11/26/oregon-305-million-for-zero-obamacare-enrollees-n1753619

Obama Does Do Something Right

Growing up outside of Chicago, the Cubs were (and are) my favorite baseball team. Once a summer my dad would take us to a game at Wrigley Field and when we weren't there we would watch on WGN. I faithfully collected all their baseball cards too.

One of my two favorite players on the team in the 1960s was Ernie Banks. Not only was he a heckuva career player (Hall of Fame), but he was Mr. Baseball in Chicago. His famous phrase at the end of interviews, always delivered with a grin, was, "Hey, let's play two!" His attitude was infectious and the Cubs were actually contenders in those years although they never got to the brass ring. 

Last Wednesday at the White House, President Obama awarded Ernie and a number of others the Medal of Freedom, which is one of the country's highest civilian awards. It couldn't have happened to a nicer or more deserving guy. Thank you sir for showing us by your example what baseball is really all about.

www.wnd.com/2013/11/obama-does-something-right/

Wow!

Here's some good news - the unfunded PERS pension liabilities in Oregon are "only" $11 billion. What a steal! To give this a little perspective, the general and lottery funds portion of the 2011-2013 state budget was $14.8 billion. Definitely a steal.

www.kgw.com/news/PERS-unfunded-liability-drops-to-11-billion-233302781.html

Observation Point

“Joy is the serious business of Heaven.”  
 C.S. Lewis
 Letters to Malcolm, Chiefly on Prayer

Peace in Our Time!

Mark November 23, 2013 well because that is the date that the first nuclear exchange in the world since August 6, 1944 was set in motion like a ship sliding down the ways at launching. 

The picture is British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announcing on September 30, 1938 upon his return home from a meeting with Hitler that he had secured "peace in our time" by negotiating a treaty with Germany. On September 1, 1939 Germany invaded Poland in violation of the worthless piece of paper in Chamberlain's hand and WWII was detonated, killing 100 million people over the next 6 years. 

Last night President Obama announced a similar agreement with Iran that allows them to continue developing nuclear materials but they agree (wink, wink) that of course they will never, ever use them in nuclear weapons. No sir, not ever! This is an interim agreement but it allows the Iranians 6 more months essentially without Western interference to get nukes up and running, which may be all they need. Now the only question is whether Israel, Iran or some third party like Saudi Arabia (against Iran) strikes first. 

Incidentally, President Obama used the phrase "peace in our time" in his second inaugural address in the foreign policy portion. Coincidence? Perhaps, but as Santayana noted, history tends to repeat itself. 

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25074729

More "Good" News From Obamacare

"A number of the nation’s top hospitals — including the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, and children’s hospitals in Seattle, Houston and St. Louis — are cut out of most plans sold on the exchange."

townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2013/11/21/wapo-new-restrictions-on-doctors-and-hospitals-under-obamacare-n1750878

Renewable Story

Periodically I write about ethanol in gas for our cars and motor vehicles - a renewable story you might say. There has been some new activity on this front recently that is of interest for those of us who are tired of our cars catching and choking in the morning with water condensed in the fuel line overnight, schlepping across town to buy clear (non-ethanol) gas for our boats, etc., etc. And then there is the $40 billion in taxpayer subsidies to the ethanol industry since 1978, the raising of U.S. and world food prices, which in turn created food shortages in parts of the world, and other deleterious effects of this turkey of an idea.  

The EPA issued a proposed rule reducing the required levels of ethanol on November 15 by 3 billions gallons per year by not going from an E10 standard (10% ethanol) to an E15 standard (15% ethanol) in gasoline. This higher standard had been scheduled to go into effect that date and the EPA, bowing to sanity and away from wrecking our economy with more of a bad thing, relented. Finally. 

The move drew bi-partisan support, which is amazing itself any more. This is the second move toward junking this pork barrel sop to Midwest corn growers. The ethanol pirates raid of U.S. taxpayers ended in 2011 when a bipartisan coalition in Congress ended its $6 billion/year tax-credit subsidy. 

finance.townhall.com/columnists/maritanoon/2013/11/24/green-energy-the-rotary-dial-phone-of-the-future-n1752282/page/2

The Time of His Life

Normally we wish for someone who has died that they rest in peace. Thinking about C.S. Lewis, however, the phrase just doesn't fit. I rather imagine that he is having the time of his life. 

The giant of 20th century Christianity died 50 years ago yesterday, November 22, 1963. If that date has a familiar ring it is because America lost its young President JFK to an assassin's bullet the same day. 

Peter Kreeft from Boston College has written a wonderful little book that has Lewis, JFK, and Aldous Huxley, a somewhat famous British author who also died that day, in the waiting room outside God's office. Between Heaven and Hell focuses on their conversation while awaiting their appointments with Him. Lewis represents Christianity, Kennedy embodies pragmatism, and Huxley is Epicurean (Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die!). Just as he did in life, Lewis patiently and gently shows what is wrong with the other worldviews and why Christianity is the only one that fits the facts and provides answers to the meaning of life. Reading (or re-reading) Kreeft's book is a good way to remember Lewis and to understand why he is undoubtedly having the time of his life.

God's Vicar Looking Out for the Flock

I like this guy. The Church is a big place and although the Pope only oversees the Roman Catholic branch, his concern for the rest of Christendom is evident, most recently in his public comments about protecting Christians in the rapidly radicalizing and war-torn Middle East. Western governments have been pretty much no-shows on this subject even though murder and abuse of Christians is rampant and well documented in many Middle East countries. God bless him in his efforts to take care of the flock. 

townhall.com/tipsheet/leahbarkoukis/2013/11/22/pope-francis-we-wont-resign-ourselves-to-a-middle-east-without-christians-n1751744

Texas is Calling

Sriracha is a very popular hot sauce (Mark, are you listening?) causing a big stink in L.A. - so big a stink supposedly that neighbors in the surrounding neighborhood have taken the company to court to shut it down. The judge hasn't issued a decision yet, but it's pretty clear that its days are numbered. Besides, even if the neighbors don't get them, California's taxes and Nanny State regulations will. So who ya gonna call? I'd love to say Oregon, but naw - we're getting pretty Californicated too. I hear Texas is open for business. Glad someone is in the U.S.


townhall.com/news/us/2013/11/22/judge-considers-closing-sriracha-hot-sauce-factory-n1751862

Knockout Gamer Knocked Out

You may have heard about the "knockout game" which is apparently the thing for many young blacks around the country. Google the term and take a look at some of the videos that are posted. They are not very pleasant. Basically, the "game" involves walking toward or behind an unsuspecting victim and suddenly clocking them to see if you can knock them out with one punch. Sounds fun, doesn't it?  I just wrote about karma in another context, but here it makes an appearance in a different venue.

Young Mr. Marvell Weaver decided to play the knockout game on an unsuspecting father waiting at a bus stop for his daughter to arrive. Weaver thought a fun variation would be to use a Taser. Unfortunately for him, apparently the intended victim's clothing was apparently too thick for the Taser leads to penetrate and - doubly unfortunately - the victim was also possessed of a concealed carry permit and a .40 caliber handgun. Shortly thereafter Mr. Weaver got himself shot twice for his efforts. He survived and now says "Lesson learned." I hope so, but one wonders what lesson. It's getting to be a great world we live in. 

www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/11/21/Teen-Playing-Knockout-Game-Gets-Shot-Twice

On the One Hand and Then on the Other Hand...

I'm confused. OK, so what else is new? True, but hear me out. The headline on today's Statesman-Journal proclaims "State's economy is rebounding." Really? Because in The Oregonian today appears this story on Oregon's unemployment that goes the other way:

"Unemployment is falling in part because more adults are exiting the workforce, a trend that we write quite a bit about.

The so-called "labor force participation rate" is now 61.2 percent, falling by a full percentage point in just six months. The percentage of adults in the workforce falls to a new post-1976 low most months. The nationwide rate is similarly shallow." (Emphasis added)

Translated, are new jobs really being created? Many more people have now given up looking for a job and are out of the potential labor pool, so even without jobs growing, the relative percentage of unemployed goes down. This is the shell game that the Federal Labor Department has been playing with its unemployment statistics. 

The column goes on to say:

"The report says the root causes, and thus ways to reverse the decline, remain hidden: "How much is attributable to the severe nature of the business cycle, from which one could reasonably expect a rebound, and how much is a fundamental shift in Oregon’s economy is unknown at this time."

www.oregonlive.com/money/index.ssf/2013/11/about_the_labor_force_participation_rate_oregon_the_economy.html

It could be that temp and sub-30 hour/week jobs (Obamacare) are increasing a little bit for Christmas, but if this tumbles after January 1, the fundamentals of Oregon's employment picture would be more like that described in The Oregonian piece and we will have a "surprise" revenue shortfall at some point next year and the "clear need" for another tax hike to make it up. That doesn't even take into account that the trend on Obamacare/Cover Oregon signups, such as they are, which appear to be heavily weighted toward Medicaid and therefore necessitating a big bump in public subsidies. 

Karma - It Will Haunt You

Because President Obama and the Dems have been getting trashed over the Obamacare debacle, I have been concerned to see what they might do in terms of a response - go into a a fetal thumb-sucking position or come out snarling like a rabid dog. Rabid dog is the winner!

Harry Reid's Senate, the same Harry Reid who railroaded Obamacare through with a perversion off Senate rules, led Dems today in kicking over the ancient Senate filibuster rule on everything except Supreme Court appointments. It is an incredibly stupid move that will come back to bite them in the kabooty when Republicans regain the Senate, which they will at some point, and use this against the Dems to ram through their own agenda. The filibuster rule is designed to empower the minority and require at least some bipartisan consensus in governing the country. In the meantime, though, Harry and the Beasts look like they are going to try a reprise of the Obamacare caper to impose a Leftist flavor to everything before their hands are pried from power. Except this time the House is solidly in Republican and can block all of the shenanigans - if House leadership hangs tough. Hang tough. Help is coming in 2014. 

townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2013/11/21/reid-threatens-nuclear-option-in-senateagain-n1750877

If You're Not a Conservative at 40, etc., etc.

It's amazing what a collision with reality will do to a person instead of being cuddled up in the bosom of Uncle (Mama?) Sam. Stephen Green reports on the exploding cigar story of Jessica Sanford from our great neighbor to the north, Washington, which is illustrative:

After Obama mentioned her story, Sanford started having problems. Sanford said she received another letter informing her the Washington state health exchange had miscalculated her eligibility for a tax credit.
In other words, her monthly insurance bill had shot up from $198 a month (she had initially said $169 a month to the White House but she switched plans) to $280 a month for the same “gold” plan offered by the state exchange.
 
Sanford said she was frustrated with the state’s error. But she decided to purchase the new plan and thought everything was fine.

It wasn’t fine. Last week, Sanford received another letter from the Washington state exchange, stating there had been another problem, a “system error” that resulted in some “applicants to qualify for higher than allowed health insurance premium tax credits.”

The letter said the state exchange was “disappointed to have discovered this issue” and apologized.

The result was a higher quote, which Sanford said was for $390 per month for a “silver” plan with a higher deductible. Still too expensive

A cheaper “bronze” plan, Sanford said, came in at $324 per month, but also with a high deductible – also not in her budget.

Then another letter from the state exchange with even worse news.

“Your household has been determined eligible for a Federal Tax Credit of $0.00 to help cover the cost of your monthly health insurance premium payments,” the latest letter said.

“I had a good cry,” Sanford said about her reaction to the latest news from the state.

Ah - the sound of a conservative in the making. And Green's parting shot about the President is priceless - he still has the merde touch, doesn't he? I will let you look up the French translation.

pjmedia.com/vodkapundit/2013/11/19/your-obamacare-fail-of-the-day-9/

Who Turned the Lights Off?

Good question. It could be an EMP (electro magnetic pulse) attack, it could be the sun switching its poles which, by the way, it is expected to do sometime this month or next. A recent Federal drill that ran a computer simulation of the effect of events like these and others on the U.S. power grid showed that it would be lights out - and everything else - for tens of millions around the country for 1-4 days. One entire region of the country had no power for a much longer period and no food, water, etc. Conclusion: stock up on enough food and water to get through at least a week or more. Write your senators and representative to finally do something about this glaring weakness that is and has been a huge and visible Achilles heel for the U.S. I am pretty sure that the Irans and North Koreas of the world have noticed it.

www.wnd.com/2013/11/suns-flipping-poles-could-mean-lights-out-for-u-s/?cat_orig=world

Freefalling

Al Jazeera, backed by oil profits of the sheik who owns Qatar, is having a little trouble breaking into the American market. The latest ratings show it with an average of 13,000 viewers, which is half of the 31,000 average of the prior channel, Current TV. The current U.S. population is 313,900,000 and the average American watches 4-6 hours of television per day. It would appear that there is a lot of room for market penetration. Or not. Current was owned by yes, Al "That Great Patriot and Greenie" Gore and he unloaded the turkey for $500M, which I guess evens out the trade imbalance a little bit with the Gulf states - an illustration of the Invisible Hand doing its thing. 

www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2013/11/18/Al-jazeera-america-loses-more-than-50-percent-current-tv-audience

In Cahoots with the President

Is the Obamacare train wreck just the fault of President Obama? Well, naw. Senator Gillibrand, who replaced Hillary Clinton in NY, admitted on one of the talk shows Sunday that "we all knew" he was lying about keeping your current health policy. Which is precisely why in next year's Senate and House elections there should be a clean sweep of Democrats right out the door. This wasn't a little white lie but a big honkin' in-your-face whopper. In the private sector, civil  and criminal  fraud actions would have already been filed. 

townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2013/11/18/democrat-kristen-gillibrand-yeah-we-knew-obama-was-lying-about-people-keeping-their-plans-n1748547

Do You Feel Lucky Punk?

My daughter living in Seattle says that businesses around town are beginning to proudly display decals on their front windows saying that their establishment is a "gun-free" zone - leave your gun outside. I will let her comments speak for me: 

"I wonder how long it will be before decals say "Lots of Guns Protecting This Establishment" begin to pop up? I'm not a fan of guns but for goodness sake, at least let someone who is hell bent on doing something bad wonder if maybe someone is armed."

                                                                                    Couldn't have said it better myself.