Christian faith: Calvinism is back

This is somewhat unexpected. I'm thinking that it may be a push back to the extreme relativism that permeates so much of our western ethic. I would like to find out if this is an over all cultural shift or if it's localized.

Christian faith: Calvinism is back / The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com: "What newcomers at Capitol Hill Baptist Church (CHBC) hear is hardly 'Christianity for Dummies.' Nor is it 'Extreme Makeover: Born-Again Edition.' Instead, a young woman named Kasey Gurley describes her disobedience and suffering in Old Testament terms.

'I worship my own comfort, my own opinion of myself,' she confesses. 'Like the idolatrous people of Judah, we deserve the full wrath of God.' She warns the women that 'we'll never be safe in good intentions,' but assures them that 'Christ died for us so we wouldn't have to.' Her closing prayer is both frank and transcendent: 'Our comfort in suffering is this: that through Christ you provide eternal life.'

It is so quiet you can hear an oatmeal cookie crumble.

Welcome to the austere – and increasingly embraced – message of Calvinism. Five centuries ago, John Calvin's teachings reconceived Christianity; midwifed Western ideas about capitalism, democracy, and religious liberty; and nursed the Puritan values that later cast the character of America."

And My Purpose Remains..

This is from a lovely young lady who is beginning a blog about her journey in the arts and her love for God. Good stuff.

And My Purpose Remains..: "My purpose remains, the art of losing myself in bringing You praise.

Those words alone shook my world when i actually sat down to think about them. When i thought about them, i thought about how the Arts are so unbelievably awesome. I then thought about how much more unbelievably awesome they are when you are doing them for the right reason: Bringing God Praise. This blog is going to be a journal that everyone can see and be a part of. This blog is going to be my journey to change the world (starting with Mississippi) by using the arts. That's all arts, Dance, Music, Theater, Visual Arts, Photography, Graphic Design, Creative Writing, and any other art that i haven't even been exposed to! I am going to write about my journey to create some sort of something, maybe an organization, arts community, church, school or anything, for the arts and for the artist who want to serve their God. I want this idea to grow into something so powerful that when people hear how it started (from a blog) they will laugh."

Cato Institute: Event Archives - 2009

Good video resource material from Cato.

Cato Institute: Event Archives - 2009

Dem congressman: If Guam gets too overpopulated, it might tip over

Nice to know the best are elected:

Hot Air Blog Archive Dem congressman: If Guam gets too overpopulated, it might tip over

Obama struggles to capitalize in polls

And he will continue to struggle:

Obama struggles to capitalize in polls - POLITICO.com Print View: "Democrats who held out hopes that President Barack Obama’s health reform win would mean a quick boost to the party’s political fortunes are getting a reality check— a reminder that it takes more than one good week to shake up a year of sliding polls.

Obama and his health reform plan did get a bump in several surveys immediately after the House vote eight days ago — but the numbers in some of those polls flattened out, showing how difficult it will be for Obama to capitalize on reform, even after his top legislative goal cleared Congress.

“It helped a little bit, but I think it’s within the margin of error,” said Peter Brown of the Quinnipiac poll, which recorded a slight drop in disapproval of Obama after the bill passed. “The Democrats said the American people will grow to love this. We’ll find out. At this point, they’re not exactly jumping up and down.”"

In Berkeley, Yoo feels at home as a stranger in a strange land

Having seen him interviews I can well imagine him chuckling at those liberals...

In Berkeley, Yoo feels at home as a stranger in a strange land - latimes.com: "The Bush administration lawyer who gave legal cover to enhanced interrogation methods says he's happy teaching at Boalt Hall School of Law, despite calls for his ouster and protests by liberal groups."

With health bill, Obama has sown the seeds of a budget crisis

This is another read the whole thing. If this truly precipitates a budget crisis the implications are staggering, just look at Greece.

Robert J. Samuelson - With health bill, Obama has sown the seeds of a budget crisis - washingtonpost.com: "So Obama is flirting with a future budget crisis. Moody's emphasizes two warning signs: rising debt and loss of confidence that government will deal with it. Obama fulfills both. The parallels with the recent financial crisis are striking. Bankers and rating agencies engaged in wishful thinking to rationalize self-interest. Obama does the same. No one can tell when or whether a crisis will come. There is no magic tipping point. But Obama is raising the chances."

Smart Diplomacy?

The Cubanization of Venezuela

Read the whole thing:

The Cubanization of Venezuela | The Weekly Standard: "The letter lamented that Ven-ezuelan institutions have been “distorted by the incursion of outside elements.” They meant the Communist apparatchiks sent from Cuba. According to the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia, about 30,000 Cubans hold posts in dozens of ministries, state bodies, and public enterprises. Cuban officials now occupy senior positions in the Venezuelan armed forces and secret police. The Economist reported that Cubans “are helping to run Ven-ezuela’s ports, telecommunications, police training, the issuing of identity documents and the business registry.” In January, Venezuelan vice president Ram�n Carrizales and his wife, Yubir�Ortega, the environmental minister, both resigned in protest at the increasing Cubanization of the military."

'Wingnuts': An Autobiography?

Or how to juice the results of a poll:

'Wingnuts': An Autobiography? - WSJ.com: "Suppose you're walking down the street and some wide-eyed guy comes up to you and says: 'Barack Obama is doing many of the things Hitler did. Do you agree?'

That's roughly what the Harris Interactive polling company, inspired by a book called 'Wingnuts: How the Lunatic Fringe Is Hijacking America,' has done. And they think they've proved you're crazy.

'Scary New GOP Poll,' reads the headline at The Daily Beast. In the article, 'Wingnuts' author John Avlon declares that 'Obama Derangement Syndrome--pathological hatred of the president posing as patriotism--has infected the Republican Party.' The poll, he claims, 'demonstrates the cost of the campaign of fear and hate that has been pumped up in the service of hyper-partisanship over the past 15 months. We are playing with dynamite by demonizing our president and dividing the United States in the process.'"

Nazi scandal engulfs Human Rights Watch

I'm not that interested in whether he collected Nazi regalia or not, what is interesting is what this embarrassment has brought to the surface. A strong anti Israel tendency:

Nazi scandal engulfs Human Rights Watch - Times Online: "At the headquarters of Human Rights Watch, more than 30 storeys above the noise and bustle of Manhattan, there is so much high-mindedness hanging in the air you can almost taste it. This is the epicentre of a certain type of socially smart, progressive activism — the kind that persuades Hollywood grandees, power lawyers and liberal financiers to dig deeply into their pockets.

When the story broke that one of the organisation’s most prominent and vocal members of staff might be a collector of Nazi-era military memorabilia it felt like some sort of sexual scandal had erupted in the Victorian church. For a lobbying group accustomed to adulatory coverage in the media, it was a public-relations catastrophe."

A Birthright? Maybe Not.

This would solve a lot of issues:

George Will : A Birthright? Maybe Not. - Townhall.com: "A simple reform would drain some scalding steam from immigration arguments that may soon again be at a roiling boil. It would bring the interpretation of the 14th Amendment into conformity with what the authors of its text intended, and with common sense, thereby removing an incentive for illegal immigration.

To end the practice of 'birthright citizenship,' all that is required is to correct the misinterpretation of that amendment's first sentence: 'All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.' From these words has flowed the practice of conferring citizenship on children born here to illegal immigrants."

Some States Find Burdens in Health Law

The bill that just keeps on costing:

Some States Find Burdens in Health Law - NYTimes.com: "Because of the new health care law, Arizona lawmakers must now find a way to maintain insurance coverage for 350,000 children and adults that they slashed just last week to help close a $2.6 billion budget deficit.

Louisiana officials say a reduction in federal money to hospitals that treat the uninsured under the bill could be a death knell for their state-run charity hospital system.

In California, policymakers estimate they will have to come up with an additional $500 million a year to make necessary increases in payments to Medicaid provider"

Nazi women exposed as every bit as bad as Hitler's deranged male followers

Fascinating and frightening:

Nazi women exposed as every bit as bad as Hitler's deranged male followers | Mail Online: "Until recently, the role of the Nazi woman in the construction of the brutal state machinery of the Reich has never been truly revealed.

Now a new book in Germany called Perpetrators: Women Under National Socialism explodes the myth behind the propaganda.

In the first German post-war analysis of the role of women in the crimes of the Nazis, historian Kathrin Kompisch documents the shameful truth about her sex in the war, which until now has been a taboo subject in her homeland.

‘The participation of women in the crimes of the Nazis has been blended out of the collective conscious of the Germans for a long time,’ she writes.

The fairer sex venerated by the propaganda machine of Josef Goebbels was, according to Kompisch, every bit as eager to turn the thumbscrews on the victims held in Gestapo cellars across Europe; every bit as fanatical as the male when it came to crushing resistance to the state."

Navy World War II plane found near Oregon coast

Interesting:

Navy World War II plane found near Oregon coast | The Daily Caller - Breaking News, Opinion, Research, and Entertainment: "Loggers working near the Oregon coast discovered the wreckage of a World War II-era warplane in woods not far from a naval air station decommissioned in 1948, military and police officials said Thursday.

Investigators said human remains may be in the aircraft.

The origins of the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver, a U.S. Navy dive bomber, are a mystery. The crash site is not far from two naval air stations that were active during World War II."

Alfred E. Neuman Turns on Obama

Alfred E. Neuman Turns on Obama | The Weekly Standard

Poll: Most Want GOP to Keep Fighting on Health Bill - Political Hotsheet - CBS News

Ouch.

Poll: Most Want GOP to Keep Fighting on Health Bill - Political Hotsheet - CBS News: "A CBS News poll released Wednesday finds that nearly two in three Americans want Republicans in Congress to continue to challenge parts of the health care reform bill."

Made in USA, Made in America

For those who would like to buy American made goods:

Made in USA, Made in America, US, American-Made: "The big chain stores have made it hard to find American-made products, but our goal is to make it fun and easy. From the practical to the premium, it's all cool. Every item is 100% guaranteed to be produced in the USA. Quality, style, and Made in the USA -- You have my promise. No compromise. We each can make a difference -- keep it Made in USA!!! Todd Lipscomb President & Founder"

Don't Buy It

Interesting:

Don't Buy It - Reason Magazine: "A few weeks before Congress passed a law that orders every American to buy health insurance, the Virginia legislature passed a law that says 'no resident of this Commonwealth…shall be required to obtain or maintain a policy of individual insurance coverage.' Two weeks later, Idaho’s governor signed a law that declares 'every person within the state of Idaho is and shall be free to choose or decline to choose any mode of securing health care services without penalty.'

Supporters of ObamaCare say such legislation, which more than 30 other states are considering, has no force, since the Constitution makes congressional enactments 'the supreme law of the land.' But that is true only when federal laws are authorized by the Constitution, and the individual health insurance mandate is not."

The Billboard ‘Miss Me Yet’- Jimmy Carter

Heh:

The Billboard ‘Miss Me Yet’- Jimmy Carter CriticalBias.org: "Yeah, the billboard is real. And you laughed when you saw it. You know exactly why you laughed. Lord knows we need a good laugh after the theft of our liberty today."

Will ObamaCare drive businesses out of providing health insurance?

I'll take a stab and say yes.

Hot Air Blog Archive Video: Will ObamaCare drive businesses out of providing health insurance?: "• Businesses with fewer than 25 employees that pay an average of no more than $40,000 will get a tax credit – up to 35 percent of the company’s share of their total health care premium.

• Companies with 26-49 workers are unaffected.

• Businesses with 50 or more workers must offer coverage or pay $750 per worker. That penalty applies for every employee if even one signs up for government-subsidized insurance.

But there are potential problems. Case in point: It would be much cheaper for Dick Bus to drop the generous coverage he now offers and take the hit at $750 a head for his 120 workers. The penalty would be $90,000 a year. He’s currently spending $480,000.

Bus would save $390,000, but canceling his plan would force his workers to the health plan exchange and could cost more than they’re paying now. The Senate is considering an increase in the $750 penalty to prevent that scenario."

The Real Cost of Health Care Legislation

Bottom line for this boondoggle called health care reform...expensive.

The Real Cost of Health Care Legislation | The Weekly Standard: "When White House chief of staff Rahm Emanual lobbied Democratic Representative Jason Altmire of Pennsylvania last week to vote for the health care bill, he argued it would cut the deficit. “You ran because you care about the deficit,” he told Altmire, according to the Washington Post. “This is north of $1 trillion in deficit reduction.”Shortly after the bill passed, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi offered the exact number, claiming the bill would save “the taxpayers $1.3 trillion.”

Are these folks disingenuous or just dreaming? It has to be one or the other. Why? Because the evidence of spending projections for health care legislation passes tell a simple and unchanging story. The projections never come close to capturing the magnitude of spending that actually occurs.They prove to be wildly off the mark compared to real-life expenditures."

USGS Release: 3 to 4.3 Billion Barrels of Technically Recoverable Oil

HT: Ken

USGS Release: 3 to 4.3 Billion Barrels of Technically Recoverable Oil Assessed in North Dakota and Montana’s Bakken Formation—25 Times More Than 1995 Estimate— (4/10/2008 2:25:36 PM): "North Dakota and Montana have an estimated 3.0 to 4.3 billion barrels of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil in an area known as the Bakken Formation.

A U.S. Geological Survey assessment, released April 10, shows a 25-fold increase in the amount of oil that can be recovered compared to the agency's 1995 estimate of 151 million barrels of oil.

Technically recoverable oil resources are those producible using currently available technology and industry practices. USGS is the only provider of publicly available estimates of undiscovered technically recoverable oil and gas resources.

New geologic models applied to the Bakken Formation, advances in drilling and production technologies, and recent oil discoveries have resulted in these substantially larger technically recoverable oil volumes. About 105 million barrels of oil were produced from the Bakken Formation by the end of 2007."

Fallout From Health Care Vote Already Plaguing House Dems

Yep, let it begin:

The Hangover: Fallout From Health Care Vote Already Plaguing House Dems | Republican Leader John Boehner: "House Democrats are already beginning to bear the fallout from President Obama and Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) reckless crusade to force a massive government takeover of health care through Congress without the support of the American people. As House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) stated yesterday on NBC’s Meet the Press, “Never in the history of our country have we made such a big, momentous decision on a purely party line vote.Now we know why. Instead of taking a victory lap, Democrats are already going into “damage control” mode for all their arm-twisting, sweetheart deals, and go-it-alone governing, and it’s already being compared to the trillion-dollar ‘stimulus.’ House Democrats who supported this job-killing bill must now ask themselves whether it was worth it to side with party leaders and liberal special interest groups at the expense of their taxpaying constituents. This is not what the American people wanted out of health care reform, and they will continue to say so loudly and clearly. That’s why Republicans will fight to repeal this massive government takeover of health care and start over with solutions that focus first on lowering costs.span

KABOOM:

Instapundit

Stupak

Silver Linings

Good points:

Power Line - Silver Linings: "With Stupak's collapse, passage of the Democrats' government medicine bill is assured. This is a dark day in American history; one of the darkest. But there are many reasons for optimism. Here are a few:

* The health care battle is just beginning. Next, the Senate will try to enact the House's 'fixes' to the original Senate bill. Some Senators say that won't happen. If not, then President Obama has the option of signing the original Senate bill--now passed by the House--Cornhusker Kickback and all. I assume he would do that, but the resulting blowback from House Democrats, not to mention the American people, would be something to behold."

ObamaCare: To Pass Or Not to Pass

Can't see the forest for the trees...

ObamaCare: To Pass Or Not to Pass - Big Government: "What they don’t realize is that today’s vote isn’t the end, but just a new beginning in the debate over health care. Buckle up, because if they manage to cobble together enough votes to pass the Senate Health Bill today, we’re set for weeks and perhaps months of a constitutional and political crisis the likes of which we haven’t seen in our lifetimes.
In a matter of hours after House passage of the Senate Bill, the state of Virginia will file suit in federal court. The Commonwealth will be joined in the suit by a dozen other states. I expect a flood of additional lawsuits. The suits will be based on the provision that requires every American to purchase health insurance. (This is how the Dems ‘crack down’ on the insurance industry; by requiring everyone to buy its product?) Because this is an individual mandate, virtually every American has standing to file suit against this provision. Also, it is in direct conflict with state law in at least two states, Idaho and Virginia."

EXCLUSIVE -- Democrats plan doc fix after reform - Live Pulse - POLITICO.com

Honesty, something that the Hill no longer has...

EXCLUSIVE -- Democrats plan doc fix after reform - Live Pulse - POLITICO.com: "Democrats are planning to introduce legislation later this spring that would permanently repeal annual Medicare cuts to doctors, but are warning lawmakers not to talk about it for fear that it will complicate their push to pass comprehensive health reform. The plans undercut the party's message that reform lowers the deficit, according to a memo obtained by POLITICO.

Democrats removed the so-called doc fix from the reform legislation last year because its $371-billion price tag would have made it impossible for Democrats to claim that their bill reduces the deficit. Republicans have argued for months that by stripping the doc fix from the bill, Democrats were playing a shell game."

The Health-Care Wars Are Only Beginning

Talk about polarization:

Fred Barnes: The Health-Care Wars Are Only Beginning - WSJ.com: "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi believes ObamaCare would have a more congenial fate—that it will become as popular as Social Security and Medicare with voters. She's kidding herself. Social Security and Medicare were popular from the start and passed with bipartisan support. ObamaCare is unpopular and partisan. It's extremely controversial. Its passage is far more likely to spark a political explosion than a wave of acceptance.

Democratic leaders believe the public doesn't focus on the process of how legislation is enacted. But in this case they're wrong. I've been amazed at how many people understand 'reconciliation'—a process that allows budget and spending bills to pass in the Senate with only 51 votes, instead of 60. Many voters are also now studying the details of the 'Slaughter solution,' which would allow the House to 'deem' the Senate health-care bill to have passed without actually voting on it and then to vote through changes to the Senate bill. These legislative shortcuts are already infuriating ObamaCare's opponents."

Republicans plot ways to block health reform in Senate

Apparently it won't be over even if the House passes the Senate's bill. Good.

Republicans plot ways to block health reform in Senate - Carrie Budoff Brown and Manu Raju - POLITICO.com: "Democrats might like to think that health care reform is all but a done deal if it clears the House, but the Senate is where Republicans have been plotting for months to sentence it to a painful procedural death.

Republican aides have been mining the Senate’s arcane parliamentary rules for an attack that aims at striking elements both broad and narrow from the bill, weakening the measure and ultimately defeating it. Their goal is to force changes that leave Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) without 51 votes to pass it, or at the very least, that drive it back to the House for a second vote that drags out the process and saps Democratic resolve."

Muslims Slaughter 12 More Christians in Nigeria

Again, this is incredibly sad. Have you noticed that the main stream news hasn't been reporting this heavily?

Gateway Pundit: "A group of Muslim raiders with machetes attacked another Christian village in Nigeria on Wednesday morning. The attackers killed 12 villagers and cut their tongues out."

3D / virtual roman apartment

Obamafeld

Hot Air

House Democrats feeling the heat over health care

The lovely Chicago political machine...in the White House:

House Democrats feeling the heat over health care - Patrick O'Connor and Jonathan Allen - POLITICO.com: "As health care lobbying heats up, some members are getting calls from President Barack Obama, like the three Rep. Jason Altmire (D-Pa.) got in the past two weeks.

“He believes that the economy will turn around, that people will be in a better position to judge the effects of this bill later on, that while it may not be a politically popular vote today, a year or two or three from now, it will be viewed as something the American people want,” said Altmire, who voted no last time on health reform but is undecided now.

Others in the House said the lobbying can be much less friendly. Aides to conservative Democratic lawmakers describe intense pressure tactics, including one who said his office has received calls from donors. Those calls are taken as a thinly veiled threat to withhold future financial support if the member doesn’t vote as the donor wishes."

China: the coming costs of a superbubble

Hmm...

China: the coming costs of a superbubble / The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com: "The world looks at China with envy. China’s economy grew 8.7 percent last year, while the world economy contracted by 2.2 percent. It seems that Chinese “Confucian capitalism” – a market economy powered by 1.3 billion people and guided by an authoritarian regime that can pull levers at will – is superior to our touchy-feely democracy and capitalism. But the grass on China’s side of the fence is not as green as it appears."

Specter Opens Door on White House Felonies

An amazing story, long but a must read:

The American Spectator : Specter Opens Door on White House Felonies: "Here we go again.
Even as the drama of health care carries the headlines, beneath the surface, visible now, the iceberg of scandal ripples.
First, the timeline on the blossoming scandal upon which we will now officially fix the dreaded 'gate' descriptive. Jobsgate."

Obama's illusions of cost-control

Read the whole thing:

Robert J. Samuelson - Obama's illusions of cost-control - washingtonpost.com: "You probably think that insuring the uninsured will dramatically improve the nation's health. The uninsured don't get care or don't get it soon enough. With insurance, they won't be shortchanged; they'll be healthier. Simple.

Think again. I've written before that expanding health insurance would result, at best, in modest health gains. Studies of insurance's effects on health are hard to perform. Some find benefits; others don't. Medicare's introduction in 1966 produced no reduction in mortality; some studies of extensions of Medicaid for children didn't find gains. In the Atlantic recently, economics writer Megan McArdle examined the literature and emerged skeptical. Claims that the uninsured suffer tens of thousands of premature deaths are 'open to question.' Conceivably, the 'lack of health insurance has no more impact on your health than lack of flood insurance,' she writes.

How could this be? No one knows, but possible explanations include: (a) many uninsured are fairly healthy -- about two-fifths are age 18 to 34; (b) some are too sick to be helped or have problems rooted in personal behaviors -- smoking, diet, drinking or drug abuse; and (c) the uninsured already receive 50 to 70 percent of the care of the insured from hospitals, clinics and doctors, estimates the Congressional Budget Office."

Carly Fiorina Slams Boxer in New, Outrageous Video - Big Government

Carly Fiorina Slams Boxer in New, Outrageous Video - Big Government

The Age of Faith

Fascinating:

Belmont Club The Age of Faith: "Philip Jenkins, a professor of history and religious studies at Pennsylvania State University says the remarkable thing about the recent clashes between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria is that they are not remarkable. In a process largely unnoticed in the West, billions of people in Asia and Africa have swapped out their indigenous faiths for either Christianity or Islam. And to an even greater astonishment of Western intellectuals most have chosen Christianity."

Toyota Hybrid Horror Hoax

Hmm. Apparently the guy was also heavily in debt:

Toyota Hybrid Horror Hoax - Forbes.com: "It got far more dramatic, though. The California Highway Patrol responded and 'To get the runaway car to stop, they actually had to put their patrol car in front of the Prius and step on the brakes.' During over 20 harrowing minutes, according to NBC's report, Sikes 'did everything he could to try to slow down that Prius.' Others said, 'Radio traffic indicated the driver was unable to turn off the engine or shift the car into neutral.'

In fact, almost none of this was true. Virtually every aspect of Sikes's story as told to reporters makes no sense. His claim that he'd tried to yank up the accelerator could be falsified, with his help, in half a minute. And now we even have an explanation for why he'd pull such a stunt, beyond the all-American desire to have 15 minutes of fame (recall the 'Balloon Boy Hoax' from October) and the aching need to be perceived as a victim."

Comedy gold: “Academy Award Winning Movie Trailer”

Hot Air Comedy gold: “Academy Award

Winning Movie Trailer”

Mean Street: ObamaCare–The Worst Deal of All Time - Deal Journal - WSJ

Interesting and scary:

Mean Street: ObamaCare–The Worst Deal of All Time - Deal Journal - WSJ: "ObamaCare is divisive. Its objectives aren’t clear. Its numbers don’t add up. And it has a good shot at wrecking both our health-care system and the public treasury by 2020.

But like the very best Wall Street machers who never let a deal die, our elected deal makers in Washington are still fighting to “get it done.” Even the president of the U.S. apparently needs his deal tombstones."

Left Coast Rebel: CNN Highlights Leftist Radical Stacey Hopkins of Atlanta in Pro-Coffee Party Praise Piece: Coffee Party Obama Astroturfers Update

Seeing what the grounds look like in the bottom of the coffee cup:

Left Coast Rebel: CNN Highlights Leftist Radical Stacey Hopkins of Atlanta in Pro-Coffee Party Praise Piece: Coffee Party Obama Astroturfers Update: "Right now at Memeorandum there are dueling headlines. One is a hit piece from Politico on the Christian right infighting over the 'libertarian streak' in the tea party movement. Jim Hoft at Gateway points out that the 'evangelist' that Politico references for it's tea party hit piece is actually an Obama supporter. Oops. Thanks for finding that gem, Jim.

The other Memeorandum thread is a glowing Coffee Party article (on the heels of Saturday's big Coffee Party event):"

Senator Inhofe: “Defeating Barbara Boxer Is Not a Victory, It’s a Contribution to Humankind”

Heh:

Gateway Pundit: "Senator Inhofe: The only problem with that election out there is she’s the beneficiary of three Republicans who are trying to beat up each other. I wish we had one Republican. Frankly, I don’t care who it is. I used to say, “Defeating Barbara Boxer is not a victory, it’s a contribution to humankind.” We need to get her defeated by anyone who’s out there. So I hope the strongest one who would wage the best campaign against her would go ahead and win."

Dems Are Stuck With a Mess of Their Own Making - Rasmussen Reports™

The mess will just get worse. HT: Ken

Dems Are Stuck With a Mess of Their Own Making - Rasmussen Reports™: "There's a lively debate going on in the blogosphere and the press about whether Democrats would be better off passing or not passing a health care bill.
Some liberals claim that Democrats would be better off passing a bill, any bill, even if it's unpopular with the general electorate. The idea is to energize the Democratic base, currently demoralized by the prospects of failure. Current polls show Democrats far less enthusiastic and far less likely to vote -- passing a law might change that."

Geert Wilders perplexes

Roger L. Simon � Beck, Krauthammer and the Geert Wilders perplex: "Geert Wilders – the sometimes-libertarian Dutch politician currently on trial for “hate speech” in his country – has become a kind of Rorschach test for right-of-center American pundits. He has recently been under attack by Glenn Beck, who seems to have called him a fascist, and by Charles Krauthammer, who, while more judicious, claims Wilders does not understand, or misconstrues, the difference between Islam and Islamism (and is therefore not worthy of our support)."

Why Don't Christians Care?

Interesting question:

Power Line

In a number of places around the world, it is open season on Christians. We read of Christians burned out of their homes and slaughtered in Pakistan. Most recently, at least 500 Christians were murdered in Nigeria. The attackers in all cases are Muslims, inspired by the warlike message of their Prophet. AFP reports on the Nigerian attacks:

Which Road?

Back in the days of Christ:

The crowds flocked to Jesus because He fed them, and they wanted to see signs and wonders. But when, He would not just give them what they "wanted" to see and hear they walked away.

He could have kept the crowds coming if he'd only given them excitement, entertainment, and intrigue but instead, He said, "take up the cross and follow me."

"It's a 'Cross' road we are asked to walk."

In Matthew 16:24, 25 "Jesus said to his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.'"

Pastor Larry Elder observed that a lot of people come to a "cross" in the road. The cross stands there in their path… and they know they have to make a choice.

But many people just stop right there.  They don't pick up the cross.
They don't walk down His path.

There's only one path that will lead to God, and Jesus said "I'm it!"  "I am the WAY the truth and the life"

And just as Jeremiah said - if Israel would only choose the right path and walk in it - they'd find rest, so also, Jesus says that if we're willing to follow Him - we'd have rest in our lives.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
However, to receive this rest, we have to choose the right path.

So, which path will we choose?

Vegans to get discrimination rights

Good grief:

Don’t mock my lentils: - Times Online

VEGANS and teetotallers are to be given the same protection against discrimination as religious groups, under legislation championed by Harriet Harman, the equalities minister.

Geert Wilders Speaks to the House of Lords

He's correct:

Power Line

Today I stand before you, in this extraordinary place. Indeed, this is a sacred place. This is, as Malcolm always says, the mother of all Parliaments, I am deeply humbled to have the opportunity to speak before you.

Thank you Lord Pearson and Lady Cox for your invitation and showing my film 'Fitna'. Thank you my friends for inviting me.

I first have great news. Last Wednesday city council elections were held in the Netherlands. And for the first time my party, the Freedom Party, took part in these local elections. We participated in two cities. In Almere, one of the largest Dutch cities. And in The Hague, the third largest city; home of the government, the parliament and the queen. And, we did great! In one fell swoop my party became the largest party in Almere and the second largest party in The Hague. Great news for the Freedom Party and even better news for the people of these two beautiful cities.

And I have more good news. Two weeks ago the Dutch government collapsed. In June we will have parliamentary elections. And the future for the Freedom Party looks great. According to some polls we will become the largest party in the Netherlands. I want to be modest, but who knows, I might even be Prime Minister in a few months time!

Ladies and gentlemen, not far from here stands a statue of the greatest Prime Minister your country ever had. And I would like to quote him here today: "Mohammedanism is a militant and proselytizing faith. No stronger retrograde force exists in the World. It has already spread throughout Central Africa, raising fearless warriors at every step (...) the civilization of modern Europe might fall, as fell the civilization of ancient Rome." These words are from none other than Winston Churchill wrote this in his book 'The River War' from 1899.

Churchill was right.

Massacre: Fulani herdsmen kill 500 in Plateau

Horrible, pray for Nigeria:

The Sun News On-line |

No fewer than 500 persons have been brutally murdered and many wounded in three villages in Jos South and Barakin Ladi local government areas of Plateau State by persons suspected to be Fulani herdsmen.

According to an eye-witness account, the men who arrived at Dogo Nahawa and Shen in Jos South local government area at about 3am massacred the villagers including women and children in their sleep in what was believed was a reprisal attack on villagers who were not part of the Jos crisis of January 17 this year. A similar attack took place in Fan, Barakin Ladi local government area.

The Auschwitz Album

Seriously worth a look:  The Auschwitz Album

Not the American Way

Very interesting read:

The American Spectator

There is something way off balance in the character of Barack Obama. Something in the realm of zealotry, with a touch of megalomania, and perhaps an authoritarian impulse too. He combines Alinskyite tactics and outlook with an air of self-assumed moral superiority in a way that fails to respect the usual, small 'r' republican limits on American presidents. All presidents, of course, think at some level that they know best about policy choices. But almost none of them (Woodrow Wilson perhaps excepted) were so willing to disdain, in pursuit of such radical policy upheavals, such intense and overwhelming public opinion as has been evident in the current health takeover attempt.

Supreme Court should overrule Chicago gun ban

Hopefully the Chicago ban will be overturned:

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Other Views

Chicago's gun ban ordinance was enacted in 1982 to stem the increasing use of firearms in crimes in the city. From the beginning, the ordinance has been an utter failure in accomplishing that goal.

The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments Tuesday in a case brought by Chicago residents who want guns for self-defense but are barred by the ordinance from possessing them. Judging by the justices' questioning, a majority appeared to be leaning toward ruling the gun ban -- and Oak Park's similar ordinance -- unconstitutional. That is the right thing to do.

Top 50 Evangelical Christian Blogs

These are worth a look:  Top 50 Evangelical Christian Blogs

‘Anti-Lobbyist’ Obama Administration Recruited Left-Wing Lobbyists to Sell Bogus ‘Green Jobs’

Hopefully this gains legs:

Pajamas Media » BREAKING: After two studies refuted President Barack Obama’s assertions regarding the success of Spain’s and Denmark’s wind energy programs, a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request reveals the Department of Energy turned to George Soros and to wind industry lobbyists to attack the studies.

Via the FOIA request, the Competitive Enterprise Institute has learned that the Department of Energy — specifically the office headed by Al Gore’s company’s former CEO, Cathy Zoi — turned to George Soros’ Center for American Progress and other wind industry lobbyists to help push Obama’s wind energy proposals.

Shades Of '06 For Shell-Shocked Dems

This is getting very interesting:

Hotline On Call

Embattled incumbents with ethics problems. Allegations of sexual harrassment leading to a competitive open seat. Dems have seen this movie before -- only last time, it happened to the other guys.

Now, a beleagured Dem majority has to hope their party can withstand a building wave that favors the GOP, and that effort isn't made any easier by countless, and mounting, self-inflicted errors.

4 years ago, it was GOPers who found themselves on the receiving end of jolt after jolt of bad news. This time around, Dem strategists are beginning to accept the inevitability of big losses, and a sort of morbid gallows humor has settled over Congressional and political aides.

Then, an unpopular war in Iraq and a failed attempt to privatize social security put the GOP on the mat, but behavior of several GOPers in Congress knocked them out cold. This year, an ongoing war in Afghanistan has some in the Dem base deflated, while efforts to reform health care have sent Dem approval ratings -- and those of Pres. Obama -- plummeting.

Coffee Party Parasites

Coffee anyone?

Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion

The New York Times and Washington Post are promoting a group called the "Coffee Party" organized by filmmaker Annabel Park.

The Coffee Party is a political parasite which presents itself as something it is not. As reported in the NY Times [see update below], Park presents herself as not hostile to the Tea Party movement, and in fact, hopes to bring some Tea Partiers into her group:

“We’re not the opposite of the Tea Party,” Ms. Park, 41, said. “We’re a different model of civic participation, but in the end we may want some of the same things.” ....

Ms. Park and chapter organizers said they would invite Tea Party members to join their Coffee counterparts in discussions. “We need to roll up our sleeves, put our heads together and work it out,” she said. “That’s, to me, an American way of doing this.”

In fact, a simple internet search (which the NY Times apparently is not capable of doing) reveals that Park organized the Coffee Party for the specific purpose of undermining the Tea Party movement.