Khan Academy

This sounds like a good resource:

Khan Academy: "The Khan Academy is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) with the mission of providing a world-class education to anyone, anywhere. Despite being the work of one man, Salman Khan, this 1600+ video library is the most-used educational video resource as measured by YouTube video views per day and unique users per month. We are complementing this ever-growing library with user-paced exercises--developed as an open source project--allowing the Khan Academy to become the free classroom for the World."

Guest Post: Hyperinflation, Part II: What It Will Look Like

I'm not convinced, but this is food for thought:

Guest Post: Hyperinflation, Part II: What It Will Look Like | zero hedge: "People are worried—they’re worried about the current state of affairs: Massive quantitative easing, toxic assets replaced by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government in the shape of Treasuries, fiscal debt which cannot possibly be repaid, a second leg down in the Global Depression that seems endless and only getting worse—people are scared. Many readers gave me quite a bit of useful feedback, critiques, suggestions and comments on the piece—clearly, what I was discussing touched on a deeply felt concern.

However, there were two issues that many readers had a hard time wrapping their minds around, with regards to a hyperinflationary event:"

'Ground Zero Mosque' Cleric Says Parts of His Book Were Woven into Obama’s Cairo Speech

If this is true... HT: Ken

CNSNews.com - 'Ground Zero Mosque' Cleric Says Parts of His Book Were Woven into Obama’s Cairo Speech: "The cleric who wants to build a mosque and Islamic center near Ground Zero claims that ideas from his book were incorporated into President Obama’s landmark Cairo address to the Muslim world last year by one of the drafters of the speech."

Obesity: Drink till you drop

Very interesting:

Obesity: Drink till you drop | The Economist: "CONSUME more water and you will become much healthier, goes an old wives’ tale. Drink a glass of water before meals and you will eat less, goes another. Such prescriptions seem sensible, but they have little rigorous science to back them up.

Until now, that is. A team led by Brenda Davy of Virginia Tech has run the first randomised controlled trial studying the link between water consumption and weight loss. A report on the 12-week trial, published earlier this year, suggested that drinking water before meals does lead to weight loss. At a meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston this week, Dr Davy unveiled the results of a year-long follow-up study that confirms and expands that finding."

EPA Denies Ammo Ban Petition

There backing off this quickly:

NRA-ILA :: EPA Denies Ammo Ban Petition: "Responding to a grassroots outcry from gun owners, the Environmental Protection Agency today announced that it has denied a petition by the Center for Biological Diversity and other radical groups that had sought to ban the use of lead in ammunition.

Agreeing with the position of the NRA and the firearms industry, the agency explained in a news release that it “does not have the legal authority to regulate this type of product under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).” Further crushing the hopes of anti-gun and anti-hunting activists, the release added: “nor is the agency seeking such authority.”

“It’s outrageous that this petition even went this far,” said Chris W. Cox, NRA-ILA Executive Director. “We applaud the EPA for its understanding of the law and its common sense in this situation -- both of which were totally missing in the petition filed by these extreme anti-gun and anti-hunting groups.”"

Charles Krauthammer - The last refuge of a liberal

Good read:

Charles Krauthammer - The last refuge of a liberal: "Liberalism under siege is an ugly sight indeed. Just yesterday it was all hope and change and returning power to the people. But the people have proved so disappointing. Their recalcitrance has, in only 19 months, turned the predicted 40-year liberal ascendancy (James Carville) into a full retreat. Ah, the people, the little people, the small-town people, the 'bitter' people, as Barack Obama in an unguarded moment once memorably called them, clinging 'to guns or religion or' -- this part is less remembered -- 'antipathy toward people who aren't like them.'"

Ramirez on Recovery Summer

Hot Air » Ramirez on Recovery Summer

Intel CEO: U.S. faces looming tech decline | Politics and Law

This is depressing:

Intel CEO: U.S. faces looming tech decline | Politics and Law - CNET News: "The U.S. legal environment has become so hostile to business, Otellini said, that there is likely to be 'an inevitable erosion and shift of wealth, much like we're seeing today in Europe--this is the bitter truth.'

Not long ago, Otellini said, 'our research centers were without peer. No country was more attractive for start-up capital... We seemed a generation ahead of the rest of the world in information technology. That simply is no longer the case.'"

"With Used-Car Prices Up 10 Percent Over 2009, Buyers Need Shopping Discipline" Edmunds Daily

Interesting:

"With Used-Car Prices Up 10 Percent Over 2009, Buyers Need Shopping Discipline" Edmunds Daily: "Car buyers on average paid $1,800 more for a used vehicle in July than they paid a year ago at this time, according to Edmunds.com data. That's a 10.3 percent increase, bringing the average cost of a 3-year-old vehicle to $19,248. The price of a Cadillac Escalade spiked nearly 36 percent. 'A lack of confidence in the economy is driving more people to used cars, putting upward pricing pressure on a limited supply of vehicles,' said Joe Spina, a senior analyst for Edmunds.

There's a tricky aspect to this analysis, because last summer was marked by a used-car buying frenzy spawned by the Cash for Clunkers program. Spina said the effects of that program are hard to isolate precisely. 'So many economic factors affect automobile sales and prices. It's believed that the program delayed purchases prior to the program and also pulled sales forward while in place,' he said. 'The program also eliminated inventory of older vehicles that were traded and then scrapped.' After the jump, take a look at the vehicles whose prices moved the most this July. The model years have been averaged. You can also get some advice on how to proceed in a (relatively) pricey used-car market."

As ELCA swells ranks of gay pastors, critics prepare to launch new Lutheran denomination

Expect to see more of this from mainline denominations:

FOXNews.com - As ELCA swells ranks of gay pastors, critics prepare to launch new Lutheran denomination: "A year to the week after the country's largest Lutheran denomination opened its ranks to non-celibate gay pastors, critics of the new policy are preparing to launch a brand new denomination.

Former members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America are holding a convention this week in Columbus, Ohio.

On Friday, the Lutheran CORE group plans to formally launch the North American Lutheran Church. Its 18 charter members are Lutheran churches from around the country whose congregations voted to split from the ELCA over what pastors and members say is a clear break from scriptural teaching."

Opinion: Washington's Endangered Species -- Business Leaders

There is a complete disconnect:

Opinion: Washington's Endangered Species -- Business Leaders: "If Washington seems out of ideas on how to get the private-sector jobs machine running again, there's a pretty straightforward reason -- the people in government have virtually no experience in business.

In a major departure from prior administrations, you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone in the current administration with any real business experience. Even offices such as treasury and commerce secretary, which have traditionally been occupied by successful business people, are occupied by a career central banker (with his own tax-compliance problems) and a lawyer/politician.

The situation is little different in Congress, where the 'barons' -- Pelosi, Frank, Dodd, Waxman, Reid, Rangel -- are all career 'public servants.'"

Does Sleeping Around Make People Happier? | Dollars and Sex | Big Think

Nope:

Does Sleeping Around Make People Happier? "Sex makes us happy (do I need to cite my source for that?), but how about 1970’s style love-the-one-you’re-with sex? You know the kind of sex that is preceded by fishing around in a bowl at a party for a set of car keys? Research suggests that promiscuity is not associated with increased happiness and, in fact, that the number of sexual partners needed to maximize happiness is exactly one."

Election 2010: Gubernatorial Scorecard - Rasmussen Reports™

HT: Ken

Election 2010: Gubernatorial Scorecard - Rasmussen Reports™: "Current Projected Result

Current Projected Result
Democrats	15
Independents	0
Republicans	28
Toss-Up	7
Election 2010 To Date
Solid Democratic	6
Lean Democratic	2
Solid Independent	0
Lean Independent	0
Lean Republican	8
Solid Republican	14
Toss-Up	7
No Gubernatorial Race In 2010
Democrats	7
Independents	0
Republicans	6

“What’s good for the GOP goose…”

Good point. HT: Blake.

“What’s good for the GOP goose…” - Rasmussen Reports™: "There’s a disturbing hypocrisy emerging from within the “establishment” wing of the Republican Party lately – a belief that it’s okay to work against fiscal conservatives who garner the support of the vast majority of GOP voters, just not fiscal liberals.

On the one hand it is clearly permissible for establishment Republicans to endorse Democratic opponents – even work on their campaigns – in the event the GOP nominee is not to their liking. Yet on the other hand fiscally conservative, pro-liberty Republicans who offer anything less than their full-throated support of liberal GOP candidates are routinely accused of “destroying the party.” Also many of these fiscal conservatives – who happen to be advancing the very limited government ideals the GOP is supposed to stand for – are mocked by establishment Republican politicians and told that their movement will “die out.”"

George F. Will - Skip the lecture on Israel's 'risks for peace'

Interesting:

George F. Will - Skip the lecture on Israel's 'risks for peace': "In the intifada that began in 2000, Palestinian terrorism killed more than 1,000 Israelis. As a portion of U.S. population, that would be 42,000, approaching the toll of America's eight years in Vietnam. During the onslaught, which began 10 Septembers ago, Israeli parents sending two children to a school would put them on separate buses to decrease the chance that neither would return for dinner. Surely most Americans can imagine, even if their tone-deaf leaders cannot, how grating it is when those leaders lecture Israel on the need to take 'risks for peace.'"

Tea party movement shows ‘wisdom of crowds’

Read the whole thing:

Mark Tapscott: Tea party movement shows ‘wisdom of crowds’ | Washington Examiner: ..."the tea party movement has blossomed into a powerful social phenomenon because it is leaderless — not directed by any one mind, political party or parochial agenda,” resulting in the creation of “a virtual marketplace for new ideas, effective innovations and creative tactics.”

This “beautiful chaos” is analogous to the “spontaneous order” Nobel Prize-winning economist F.A. Hayek said results from the proper operation of free markets, according to Armey and Kibbe.

The clincher here was their noting that the tea party movement reminds Americans that “decentralization, not top-down hierarchy, is the best way to maximize the contributions of people and their personal knowledge.”"

How To Lose A Guy In 75 Days

Not surprising:

How To Lose A Guy In 75 Days - Hotline On Call: "Two years after his coattails helped sweep two dozen Democrats into office, President Obama is proving more a boon to Republicans than to Democrats during the midterm elections. His poll numbers are so morose that Democrats are planning ways to avoid his shadow, while Republicans plot strategies aimed at tying Obama to every incumbent member of Congress they can.

The advice from Democratic consultants and strategists is almost unanimous: Run away from the president, and fast. A prominent Democratic pollster is circulating a survey that shows George W. Bush is 6 points more popular than President Obama in 'Frontline' districts -- seats held by Democrats that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sees as most vulnerable to Republican takeover. That Bush is more popular than Obama in Democratic-held seats is cause for outright fear."

Traffic: It's unanimous, president's visit leaves L.A. boiling

Out of tune:

Traffic: It's unanimous, president's visit leaves L.A. boiling - latimes.com: "We have one word for you, Mr. President, the next time you want to sweep into Los Angeles late on a weekday afternoon: Helicopter. That way, you can avoid the streets the rest of us mere residents must use to get around.

President Obama's fundraising mission in Los Angeles on Monday evening may have been a whirlwind trip for him, but it was a tedious slog for the thousands who found themselves in gridlock from the Westside to downtown."

North Dakota Oil Has a New Production Record of 315282 Barrels of Oil Per Day in June

More please:

North Dakota Oil Has a New Production Record of 315282 Barrels of Oil Per Day in June: "North Dakota oil production has hit another record (5 monthly records out of six months) and is at 315282 barrels of oil per day in June 2010 North Dakota has added 70,000 barrels of oil pre day over its peak of 245000 barrels of oil per day in 2009."

SAF SUES CHICAGO OVER GUN RANGE PROHIBITION ON 1A, 2A GROUNDS

I hope they win:

SAF Press Release :: SAF SUES CHICAGO OVER GUN RANGE PROHIBITION ON 1A, 2A GROUNDS: "The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) today filed a lawsuit in federal court against the City of Chicago’s new gun ordinance, asserting that “by banning gun ranges open to the public…under color of law,” the city is depriving citizens of their right to keep and bear arms in violation of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution."

Mischief in Manhattan

Interesting. HT: Ken

Mischief in Manhattan: "The fact we Muslims know the idea behind the Ground Zero mosque is meant to be a deliberate provocation to thumb our noses at the infidel. The proposal has been made in bad faith and in Islamic parlance, such an act is referred to as 'Fitna,' meaning 'mischief-making' that is clearly forbidden in the Koran.

The Koran commands Muslims to, 'Be considerate when you debate with the People of the Book' -- i.e., Jews and Christians. Building an exclusive place of worship for Muslims at the place where Muslims killed thousands of New Yorkers is not being considerate or sensitive, it is undoubtedly an act of 'fitna'"

Brownells’ AR-15 .22 LR Conversion Kit

I like the author's last name:

Brownells’ AR-15 .22 LR Conversion Kit: "Ammo prices being what they are these days, I find myself looking into .22 LR conversion kits for guns I like to shoot regularly. Currently, my preferred load for AR-15s is running just over $0.40 per round, while .22 LR is running about $0.03 per round. So I was obviously interested in Brownells’ AR-15 .22 LR Conversion Kit. I reasoned that, after one 550-round milk carton of .22 LR, the $199 kit would pay for itself. The other option would be a dedicated .22 LR upper, which costs more and I’d have to purchase additional optics and other accessories to make it comparable to my other AR-15s. The kit seemed like a no-brainer, presuming it worked."

Medical treatment carries possible side effect of limiting homosexuality

I don't see the problem:

Medical treatment carries possible side effect of limiting homosexuality - Los Angeles Times: "A hormonal treatment to prevent ambiguous genitalia can now be offered to women who may be carrying such infants. It's not without health risks, but to its critics those are of small consequence compared with this notable side effect: The treatment might reduce the likelihood that a female with the condition will be homosexual. Further, it seems to increase the chances that she will have what are considered more feminine behavioral traits."

Many people fall short in consumption of vitamin D, studies show

Get your vitamin D:

Many people fall short in consumption of vitamin D, studies show - Sun Sentinel: "Dr. Michael F. Holick, a Vitamin D expert at the Boston University School of Medicine, has been quoted as saying that Vitamin D is the most common nutritional deficiency and probably the most common medical problem in the world.

Getting adequate Vitamin D would seem easy. We need to spend only a few minutes a day in the sun.

In general, 5 to 10 minutes a day between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. with minimal clothing is considered good. But cloud cover, sunscreen, skin pigmentation and even northern latitudes can reduce the penetration of ultraviolet-B rays.

And with sedentary lifestyles and concerns about skin cancer, many people never get enough sun to provide adequate amounts of Vitamin D."

On Dawkins’s Atheism: A Response

Very interesting:

On Dawkins’s Atheism: A Response - Opinionator Blog - NYTimes.com
My August 1 essay, “Philosophy and Faith,” was primarily addressed to religious believers. It argued that faith should go hand-in-hand with rational reflection, even though such reflection might well require serious questioning of their faith. I very much appreciated the many and diverse comments and the honesty and passion with which so many expressed their views. Interestingly, many of the most passionate responses came from non-believers who objected to my claim that popular atheistic arguments (like popular theistic arguments) do not establish their conclusions. There was particular dismay over my passing comment that the atheistic arguments of Richard Dawkins are “demonstrably faulty.” This follow-up provides support for my negative assessment. I will focus on Dawkins’ arguments in his 2006 book, “The God Delusion.”

48% Blame Obama for Bad Economy, 47% Blame Bush

This bodes ill for Obama and the election:

48% Blame Obama for Bad Economy, 47% Blame Bush - Rasmussen Reports™: "For the first time since President Obama took office, voters see his policies as equally to blame with those of President George W. Bush for the country’s current economic problems.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 48% of Likely U.S. Voters now think Obama’s policies are to blame for the continuing bad economy, up three points from last month. Forty-seven percent (47%) say the recession that began under Bush is at fault."

Schools Erase America From U.S. History

Read the whole thing:

Schools Erase America From U.S. History - IBD - Investors.com: "Arizona's new law that requires the police to ask people to show ID, which was just knocked out by a supremacist judge, may not be the most controversial Arizona law about illegal aliens. Gov. Jan Brewer signed another law this year that bans schools from teaching classes designed to promote solidarity among students of a particular ethnic group.

This law bans classes that 'promote the overthrow of the United States government' or 'promote resentment toward a race or class of people' because schools should treat all pupils as individual Americans. The issue arose because the Tucson School District offers courses in Mexican-American studies (known locally as Raza Studies) that focus on that particular group and its influence."

Pew: 8% of American births to illegals?

This subject is now going to get interesting:

Hot Air » Pew: 8% of American births to illegals?: "With some conservatives broaching the possibility of a Constitutional amendment to modify the 14th Amendment to clarify birthright citizenship as requiring at least one parent to be either a citizen or a legal immigrant, a chorus of voices has insisted that the problem of anchor babies doesn’t exist anyway, at least not significantly enough to make it a focus of political action. However, the nonpartisan Pew Research Center claim that births from illegals amounts to 8% of all American births does tend to put the question in a whole new context:

One in twelve babies born in the U.S. in 2008 were the offspring of illegal"

The Point of No Return

Very interesting:

The Atlantic :: Magazine :: The Point of No Return: "It is possible that at some point in the next 12 months, the imposition of devastating economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic of Iran will persuade its leaders to cease their pursuit of nuclear weapons. It is also possible that Iran’s reform-minded Green Movement will somehow replace the mullah-led regime, or at least discover the means to temper the regime’s ideological extremism. It is possible, as well, that “foiling operations” conducted by the intelligence agencies of Israel, the United States, Great Britain, and other Western powers—programs designed to subvert the Iranian nuclear effort through sabotage and, on occasion, the carefully engineered disappearances of nuclear scientists—will have hindered Iran’s progress in some significant way. It is also possible that President Obama, who has said on more than a few occasions that he finds the prospect of a nuclear Iran “unacceptable,” will order a military strike against the country’s main weapons and uranium-enrichment facilities."

More young adults going into ministry

Interesting:

More young adults going into ministry - USATODAY.com: "For years, churches across the USA have prayed that more young people would explore careers in ministry as a wave of Baby Boomer pastors prepares to retire. Now it seems their prayers are being answered.

For the past 10 years, the estimated median age of candidates for master of divinity degrees has fallen steadily, from 34.14 in 1999 to 32.19 in 2009, according to an analysis by the Center for the Study of Theological Education (CSTE) at Auburn Seminary. That marks a reversal: From 1989 to 1999, the estimated median age had climbed steadily from 31.4 to 34.14."

Lack of mates may cut short a man’s life - Wellness

Not a good time to be a male in China:

Lack of mates may cut short a man’s life - Wellness - TIME.com: "Maybe it's the stress of competing for every potential date, or the feeling that you've settled for second best. But new research this month suggests that coming of age in an environment where men outnumber women might be so stressful that it affects men's health even decades after puberty has run its course.

Writing in the August issue of the journal Demography, researchers from Hong Kong and the U.S. show that 1950s Wisconsin men who graduated in classes with a high ratio of male students to female students went on to face elevated death rates nearly 50 years later, relative to the men who graduated in classes with a less skewed sex ratio."

The Anne Rice defection: It's the tip of the religious iceberg

Unfortunately there is a lot if truth in this article. The gap of what many Christians say they believe and how they behave can be very wide:

The Anne Rice defection: It's the tip of the religious iceberg - latimes.com

How to explain the Grand Canyon-sized gap between principles outlined in the Gospels and the behavior of believers? Christians typically, and rather lamely, respond that shortcomings of the followers of Jesus are simply evidence of man's inherent sinfulness.

But if one adheres to the principle of Occam's razor — that the simplest explanation is the most likely — there is another, more unsettling conclusion: that many people who call themselves Christian don't really believe, deep down, in the tenets of their faith. In other words, their actions reveal their true beliefs.

That might explain why Roman Catholic bishops leave predator priests in ministry to prey on more unsuspecting children. Or why churches on Sunday mornings are said to be the most segregated places in America. It also would explain why most Catholic women use birth control even though the practice is considered a mortal sin.

Culturally, America is still a Christian nation. The majority of us still attend church at least occasionally, celebrate Christmas and Easter, and pepper our conversations with "God bless you" and "I'll be praying for you."

But judging by the behavior of most Christians, they've become secularists. And the sea of hypocrisy between Christian beliefs and actions is driving Americans away from the institutional church in record numbers.

Glenn Harlan Reynolds: Further thoughts on the higher education bubble

Interesting:

Glenn Harlan Reynolds: Further thoughts on the higher education bubble | Washington Examiner: "Back at the beginning of the summer, I had a column in this space in which I predicted that higher education is in a bubble, one soon to burst with considerable consequences for students, faculty, employers, and society at large.

My reasoning was simple enough: Something that can’t go on forever, won’t. And the past decades’ history of tuition growing much faster than the rate of inflation, with students and parents making up the difference via easy credit, is something that can’t go on forever. Thus my prediction that it won’t."

Good Point

HT:  Glenn

Rangel Scandal Reveals Extent of Capitol Corruption

The rot comes being revealed. HT: Ken

Rangel Scandal Reveals Extent of Capitol Corruption - Rasmussen Reports™: "Four years ago, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi promised to “drain the swamp” of corruption in Washington, D.C., but after failing miserably to do so it now appears she’s choosing to ignore it – while letting her colleagues sweep it under the rug.

In the latest example of this trend, a House ethics panel last week recommended that Rep. Charlie Rangel be “reprimanded” for a laundry list of corruption charges. Rangel, a Democrat who has been in the House for forty years, is facing a battery of serious allegations which, if proven, should cost the career lawmaker his job – if not land him in jail."

Michelle Antoinette

Thinking About God Calms Believers, Stresses Atheists

I'll bet it stresses our atheists:

Thinking About God Calms Believers, Stresses Atheists | LiveScience: "Researchers have determined that thinking about God can help relieve anxiety associated with making mistakes. However, the finding only holds for people who believe in a God.

The researchers measured brain waves for a particular kind of distress response while participants made mistakes on a test.

Those who had been prepared with religious thoughts had a less prominent response to mistakes than those who hadn’t."

LED Lights vs Incandescent - CFL vs LED Lights

When these get cheaper...

LED Lights vs Incandescent - CFL vs LED Lights - Popular Mechanics: "Solid-state lighting has long been touted as the next generation of efficient bulbs, but technical challenges have so far limited product offerings to 40-watt equivalents—and consumers haven't exactly rushed shelves to purchase bulbs to read by. Developing light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that generate full-spectrum color—white light—is particularly difficult. Another hurdle has been finding a way to efficiently manage LED temperature: If the bulb gets too hot, it fails. Now, the first LED bulbs to rival the 60-watt, screw-in incandescent are finally poised to hit the market."

Portland lemonade stand runs into health inspectors, needs $120 license to operate

Good grief:

Portland lemonade stand runs into health inspectors, needs $120 license to operate | OregonLive.com: "It's hardly unusual to hear small-business owners gripe about licensing requirements or complain that heavy-handed regulations are driving them into the red.

So when Multnomah County shut down an enterprise last week for operating without a license, you might just sigh and say, there they go again.

Except this entrepreneur was a 7-year-old named Julie Murphy. Her business was a lemonade stand at the Last Thursday monthly art fair in Northeast Portland. The government regulation she violated? Failing to get a $120 temporary restaurant license."

Henry Waxman looking forward to seeing some “difficult” Dems lose in November

Hot Air » Awesome: Henry Waxman looking forward to seeing some “difficult” Dems lose in November
The surest sign of a beaten party is when it starts retreating into fantasy about having a smaller caucus in Congress, when it’ll no longer have to woo those fickle, impure moderates in the interest of, you know, governing. Lord knows plenty of Republicans have been guilty of that too, especially last year when the midterms were still a question mark. But now they aren’t, and with the buzzards circling, Waxman’s trying to look on the bright side. Good news, Henry: Your troubles will soon be over.

An August Surprise from Obama?

Let's pay out for all the upside down home mortgages! Great, and where is that money coming from?

An August Surprise from Obama? | Analysis & Opinion |: "Main Street may be about to get its own gigantic bailout. Rumors are running wild from Washington to Wall Street that the Obama administration is about to order government-controlled lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to forgive a portion of the mortgage debt of millions of Americans who owe more than what their homes are worth. An estimated 15 million U.S. mortgages – one in five – are underwater with negative equity of some $800 billion. Recall that on Christmas Eve 2009, the Treasury Department waived a $400 billion limit on financial assistance to Fannie and Freddie, pledging unlimited help. The actual vehicle for the bailout could be the Bush-era Home Affordable Refinance Program, or HARP, a sister program to Obama’s loan modification effort. HARP was just extended through June 30, 2011."

Anne Rice Quits Christianity

There is more than a little truth here:

Anne Rice Quits Christianity - The Daily Beast: "American Christianity is suffering from a hangover from decades of indoctrination by Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, and a host of other religious leaders who falsely cloaked right-wing Republicanism in biblical principles. Worse, these leaders modeled the decidedly un-Christian behavior of treating certain groups with contempt. Even if Robertson et al. were actually justified in viewing liberals, gays, feminists, and Muslims as their enemy, their response is simply not rooted in Scripture. (See, for example, 'love your enemies' and 'bless those who persecute you.')"

A one-way dilemma, Part Two

Interesting:

Power Line - A one-way dilemma, Part Two: "Yesterday, I claimed that, while liberatarian candidates like Rand Paul are uncomfortable with 'fudging' their views, liberal candidates seem quite willing to fudge their beliefs in order to gain office. An email from one of my favorite Power Line correspondents, Scott Smith, prompts me to suggest the following explanation for the difference: liberals think their ideology makes them, above all, morally superior; libertarians think their ideology makes them, above all, intellectually superior.

Moral superiority, for many who feel it, is not compromised by deceptive statements made in the name of gaining the power to 'do good.' But intellectual superiority is compromised by any statement that is incorrect or intellectually lazy."