The Audacity of a Broken Promise

I echo this columnist's critique of the way in which Barack Obama is telling the public about his decision to refuse public money. Politicians have to be straight with the public, though they rarely are. Obama is distorting things. I found this paragraph helpful in understanding how much individuals can give to presidential campaigns and political parties:

Donors can give $2,300 each to Obama's primary and general election
campaigns. So can their spouses. Each can also give $28,500 to the
party. So you and your spouse are welcome to write a check totaling
$66,200. So much for the campaign truly funded by "ordinary people."

Communal Christians

Here is a video to a fairly long-standing Christian community just north of Chicago called Reba Place Fellowship. Here's a 15 minute video from the public broadcasting channel in Chicago:
http://www.wttw.com/res/movies/chicagomatters/CM_RebaHQ.ram

Mugabe must go

It's been 28 years. Bob Marley played at the man's inauguration. Zimbabwe (Southern Rohdesia) was one of the last British colonies to gain independence. The nation has existed about as long as I have been alive.

I'm saddened to see how power has corrupted a man who says that nothing but God will remove him from power. He must have been a hero back in the day because the people loved him. Now 28 years later, Mugabe is a tyrant living in luxury while his people find themselves facing 2,000,000% (2M%) inflation. When Jen was there 5 years ago, it was more cost-effective to use paper currency for toilet paper than to buy toilet paper with the currency. Now it's 5 years later.

Humbly, I can start to see how Pat Robertson wanted to "take out" Hugo Chavez in Venezuela back in 2005. I'm disgusted that I'm even tempted by the thought that violence now will bring peace later.

Printer Ink - OEM or Generic?

PC World and the Rochester Institute of Technology recently published the results of their months-long study of ink jet printers to determine whose claims about ink cartridges are true.

Our tests show that all of the third-party inks in our test group
yielded more prints per cartridge--on top of costing less--but that,
with some notable exceptions, the printer manufacturers' ink we
evaluated usually produced better-quality prints and proved more
resistant to fading.

It seems that for basic, nothing-fancy printing, I'll be switching to generic ink and saving money in the meantime. This is especially true for black ink. If you're doing lots of color and especially photos; it's probably still worth getting the manufacturer's brand of ink.

Dobson's the Fruitcake

I just read this article in which James Dobson, founder and leader of Focus on the family, takes issue with what Barack Obama said in a 2006 speech to Christians gathered against poverty.

I hear Dobson as again boiling things down to abortion. He seems unable to hear Obama's need to "translate" Christian beliefs into arguments to shape policies for the common good. The common good is a new concept I've only rediscovered, having existed for ages among Christian thinkers and disciples.

I don't hear any lowering of morality from Obama. I hear a critique of the Religious Right and their own fruitcake theology that says abortion and gay marriage are the most important political issues to Christians. That is true fruitcake theology, voiced by Dobson himself.

biblically rooted argument for international cooperation

from Evangelicals for Social Action
article

Barack's independence from a broken system

from the candidate himself
video

Obama listens to religious leaders

Obama is the first of the two major presidential candidates to reach out to a broad spectrum of Christian leaders - and this post is 10 days late. On June 10 in Chicago, Obama spent a few hours with evangelical, mainline, Protestant and Catholic leaders. A few notables, in my opinion: Glenn Palmberg (president of the Evangelical Covenant Church) and Cameron Strang (president of the Relevant Media Group). This is a big sign for the Democratic party taking Christians seriously. And I'm so happy that it all began with listening. Obama reportedly asked the attendees what mattered most to them. I hope McCain follows suit. Even more than that, I hope that they both continue listening to religious leaders, as Obama promised if elected, with regularity in the White House.

Read more from the Chicago Tribune here.

Ethanol in Perspective

QUICK AGRO-FUEL FACTS

• Increasing fuel efficiency by just 3% would reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil more than all of the agrofuels combined.
• The amount of grain it takes to fill an average gas tank with ethanol would be enough to feed a person for a year (source: Foreign Affairs)
• If the United States stopped growing food and converted its entire grain harvest into ethanol, it would satisfy less than 16 percent of its automotive needs. (source: Earth Policy Institute)
• The majority of U.S. biofuels are produced from pesticide intensive genetically engineered crops (soy, corn).
• Monocultures of soy and sugar cane in Latin America and palm oil in Indonesia and Malaysia have led to massive deforestation and the loss of invaluable biodiversity.
• Current methods of industrial-scale biofuel production worsen global warming by increasing deforestation and degradation of peatlands and soils, while also creating more nitrous oxide emissions from fertilizer use.

SUSTAINABILITY NEWS OF THE WEEK:
NEW STUDIES TIE AGRO-FUELS TO GLOBAL WARMING
Two new studies published in the journal Science will hopefully Force Congress and the Bush Administration to think twice about the billions of federal tax dollars used to subsidize corn-based ethanol instead of other tried and tested programs such as energy conservation and solar or wind power. One study, conducted by Princeton University and Iowa State, concluded that over 30 years, use of traditional corn-based ethanol would produce twice as much greenhouse gas emissions as regular gasoline. A companion study found that the current process of converting rainforests, peatlands, savannas and grasslands in Southeast Asia and Latin America to produce biofuels from soybeans and palm oil will increase global warming pollution for decades, if not centuries. In the last issue of Organic Bytes, the OCA called on readers to sign its ago-fuels petition.

Ethanol Myth

Here it is – finally some truth and a chance to take action about the ethanol distraction that is taking our country by storm. This is from the Organic Consumers Association. Consumer Reports covered this as “The Ethanol Myth” – see the image below. “Government support for agrofuels in the U.S. costs taxpayers roughly $2 per gallon in subsidies at the gas pump.” Can you believe that!?!? Read and sign the petition. I did. If not that, then read the 3 lines in bold below. It will take less than 30 seconds.

SUSTAINABILITY ALERT:
THE DARK SIDE OF ETHANOL AND BIODIESEL SUBSIDIES
Americans now understand that climate-destabilizing greenhouse gases are a major threat to our survival. Unfortunately, large corporations have convinced Congress to ignore real solutions to the crisis (like significant advances in fuel-efficiency), while providing billions of dollars per year in subsidies to big-agribusiness for agrofuels.

More than a hundred U.S. based and international organizations, including the Organic Consumers Association, are calling for a moratorium on the more than $8 billion of annual government subsidies paid to large corporations producing agrofuels from industrial-scale genetically engineered crops. Family farmers currently receive only a small portion of annual funds allocated to agrofuels. While billions of dollars in subsidies for corn, soy and palm oil-based agrofuels, certainly result in higher profits for corporate giants such as Archer Daniels Midland, Cargill, and Monsanto, their overall contribution to reducing reliance on foreign oil and greenhouse gases is negligible (see facts below).

Government support for agrofuels in the U.S. costs taxpayers roughly $2 per gallon in subsidies at the gas pump. These misguided funding priorities have taken tens of billions of dollars of funding away from essential greenhouse gas reduction policies, such as energy conservation, solar and wind power, fuel-efficiency technologies, and mass transit. While the OCA supports the production of biofuels from recycled waste (such as used vegetable oil, manure or sewage) and biomass sustainably grown and harvested for the benefit of local communities, the current focus is a recipe for disaster. Learn more and sign the Agrofuel Moratorium Petition today: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_9980.cfm

Getting It

My concern is growing each time I hear the phrase "they don't get it." I hear it at school, at work, sometimes even on my own lips at home or out with friends. Not only is "getting it" incredibly ambiguous, it is even more divisive. It separates us from them. And it pretty much says that they are stupid. I don't hear people saying "we don't get it." We could say "they don't get it" with compassion, yet I almost exclusively hear it spoken in judgment and with arrogance. I don't get it.

Hip McCain Videos

The last 2 videos I have watched from McCain's campaign are surprisingly cool. The latest is on the Straight Talk Express - his motorcoach (bus). His strategy briefing from last week was also high-tech. While McCain is absent in both videos, they are attractive to the younger crowds. I wonder if Obama will produce anything comparable.

Which bill?

This just in an email from Obama's campaign:

Barack just co-sponsored a bill in the Senate that you should know about.

Under current law, Washington lobbyists can hide their dealings with foreign businesses and governments. This bill will close that loophole and establish a new standard for disclosure.

...

While Barack Obama is working to change the culture in Washington, John McCain has turned a blind eye to the lobbyist loophole.

He has to if he's going to look out for his friends.

A number of McCain's senior campaign staffers are Washington lobbyists who have exploited this loophole to avoid disclosing their activities. And McCain has built his fundraising strategy around huge checks from Washington lobbyists and special interest PACs. He literally cannot afford to lose their support.

This campaign is different. We have never accepted contributions from Washington lobbyists or special interest PACs, so Barack is only accountable to ordinary people like you.

John McCain is committed to perpetuating politics-as-usual in Washington -- but you can help stop him and bring about the change this country needs.

Take a stand right now, and invite your friends to stand with you on this important issue:

http://my.barackobama.com/closetheloophole

What bill is this referring to? My best guess in S.3077

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s110-3077

unChristian

Have you heard of the book unChristian by David Kinnaman? He’s part of the Barna Group.

http://www.amazon.com/unChristian-Generation-Really-Christianity-Matters/dp/0801013003/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213665116&sr=8-1

I finished reading it today. It focuses on 16-29 year olds and what their perceptions of Christianity are, both as insiders (Christians) and outsiders (non-Christians). The six main points from outsiders are:

1. Hypocritical
2. Salvation focused
3. Anti homosexual
4. Sheltered
5. Too political
6. Judgmental

Our pastors recently preached a six part sermon series matching these topics. You can listen to them here, if you’re interested:

http://www.thenewcom.com/podcast/

It was a humbling read. I imagine that the older you are, the harder this is to read. The younger you are, especially under 30, the more accurate you find the results of this research.

Burma

As Westerners we want Western solutions for Burma. We want planes to
fly in supplies to save people who we know could be saved. We live in a
world where we can replace bad hearts with good hearts, clone organs,
and do bone marrow transplants. We think putting men on the moon is old
school. Flying in a planeload of life-saving supplies should be child's
play.

In Burma making a phone call is difficult. Only seven percent of the
country's 52 million people have electricity. For Burma's excessively
paranoid generals we might just as well ask them if we can fly in a
planeload of anthrax as one of aid. To them, this act might save lives
but it would poison the culture, and while it may be a culture of fear
and defeat, they unfortunately see it as their culture to defend.

Read the rest of Eugene Cho's post on the God's Politics blog here.

What Labels Really Mean

This is the Eco-labels center from Consumer Reports: Greener Choices. You can search for marketing phrases on products and learn what they mean and don't mean.

Eco-labels center site

Swedish Company Will Vend Verified Sustainable Ethanol

Swedish biofuel company SEKAB says it will become the first company to
vend ethanol verified to be environmentally and socially sustainable.

Summary with links to the source.

New MPG Measurement Standard

Maybe you drive a car that's older than a 2008 model. From this Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) site, you can see what your car would rate under the new standards. Our 2006 Vue was rated 19/25 by the old 1970's standard and is now 17/23 by the new standard starting with the 2008 models. Check it out.

Political Action Committee (PAC) Money

McCain and the Republican National Convention (RNC) are different from Obama and the Democratic National Convention (DNC). When in doubt, follow the money. Wasn't McCain calling for campaign finance reform in the past?

They [the RNC] depend on donations from Washington lobbyists and special interest
PACs. And top officials in McCain's campaign have been asking these
donors to write checks and raise money from their clients to the tune
of $50,000 each.

Barack is doing things differently.

This [Obama's] campaign has never accepted donations from Washington
lobbyists or special interest PACs. And yesterday the Democratic
National Committee announced that they will follow the same
restriction.

For all his talk of reform, John McCain is willing to rely on huge
donations from Washington lobbyists and special interest PACs.

Here it is from Fox News:
At the end of May, the RNC had nearly $54 million in the bank to the DNC’s $4 million.

By banning federal lobbyist and PAC money from the DNC, Obama sought to
avoid an inconsistency with his own campaign’s fundraising policy. The
ban applies to future fundraising, meaning the party won’t have to
return money it has already raised from lobbyists and PACs.

“Today as the Democratic nominee for president, I am announcing that
going forward, the Democratic National Committee will uphold the same
standard — we will not take a dime from Washington lobbyists,” Obama
said at a town-hall meeting in Bristol, Va.

McCain’s senior advisers are former lobbyists, including campaign
manager Rick Davis. McCain was stung last month by the disclosure that
two advisers — now gone — had worked for a firm that had represented
the military junta in Myanmar, also known as Burma, which has
restricted foreign assistance for cyclone victims.

Frank Schaeffer about his dad, Francis Schaeffer

When Senator Obama's preacher thundered about racism and injustice
Obama suffered smear-by-association. But when my late father --
Religious Right leader Francis Schaeffer -- denounced America and even
called for the violent overthrow of the US government, he was invited
to lunch with presidents Ford, Reagan and Bush, Sr.

Dad and I were amongst the founders of the Religious right. In the
1970s and 1980s, while Dad and I crisscrossed America denouncing our
nation's sins instead of getting in trouble we became darlings of the
Republican Party. (This was while I was my father's sidekick before I
dropped out of the evangelical movement altogether.) We were rewarded
for our "stand" by people such as Congressman Jack Kemp, the Fords,
Reagan and the Bush family. The top Republican leadership depended on
preachers and agitators like us to energize their rank and file. No one
called us un-American.

The rest of the article from the Huffington Post.

Toxic Soup of Plastic Debris, Twice the Size of US, Forms in the Pacific Ocean

It is twice the size of the continental United States, yet you cannot
set foot on it. Scientists have named it "Plastic Soup", and
appropriately so. Floating in the Northern Pacific Ocean lays a huge
expanse of plastic refuse. This garbage patch is actually two attached
areas on either side of Hawaii, known as the Western and Eastern Pacific Garbage Patches.

Read the rest of the article.

The Hook in Hookahs

Furthermore, evidence suggests that an average 45-minute hookah session
raises levels of nicotine in the blood up to 250 percent. It also
delivers the equivalent of 100 times the smoke of a cigarette (with its
related toxic agents such as carbon monoxide), contributing to a
growing concern in the medical community that the practice may lead to
regular cravings and addiction to cigarettes.

From Consumer Reports Health Blog. Read the rest of the article.

Obama and Woods Food

This February 24, 2008 article has not attracted much media attention. When I search it on Google, I don't find anything from major news sources. I would like to hear if anyone knows about this claim that "Obama worked with terrorist: Senator helped fund organization that rejects 'racist' Israel's existence."

Read the article from WorldNetDaily.

Serving God by Going Green

This former ER doctor explains the link between taking a day of rest each week (Sabbath) and love for the created world. I had not thought of it like this before and like the premise.

Read the article.

Atonement Revisited

This article is by a North Park Theological Seminary professor. It's a 10 minute read and not too deep - anyone reading this post can read and understand the article. I hope it gives a fuller understanding of Christ's saving death on the cross and following resurrection.

"Waldenström considered the idea that God needed to be repaid or
appeased a heathen one because it not only painted the picture of God
as cruel, it also was articulated in terms of human legal systems. Most
importantly, Waldenström thought the view of penal substitution was
absent from the biblical account, so he took up a study of Scripture."

Read the rest of the article.

Let Wal-Mart Fix US Health Care

Wal-Mart has done more to expand coverage and lower costs in the past
year than any government program to come out of Washington in the past
10 years. And I'd bet the new programs that this company -- known for
stiffing its own part-time workers on health care benefits -- has
announced in the past year will do more to expand coverage and cut
costs than anything likely to come out of a McCain, Clinton or Obama
first term.

Read the rest of the story from MSN Money.

Nintendo Coffee Table Controller

http://www.electronichouse.com/article/diyer_builds_nes_coffee_table_controller/

Meet Your Meat

This video is not for the faint-hearted. I almost vomited watching the abuse of chickens, turkeys, cattle, dairy cows, pigs, etc. It may be time to pay for meat that's treated fairly or to give it up entirely. Saddest of all is that most of us eating hamburgers aren't aware of any of this.

www.meat.org

In Case of Rapture...

If millions of Christians suddenly disappear from the face of the Earth
as the opening act for Armageddon, Threat Level thinks most
nonbelievers will be too busy freaking the hell out to check their
e-mail. But if they do log in, now they can be treated to some
post-Rapture needling from their missing friends and loved ones,
courtesy of web startup YouveBeenLeftBehind.com.

For just $40 a year, believers can arrange for up to 62 people to get a
final message exactly six days after the Rapture, that day when --
according to Christian end times dogma -- Christians will be swept up
to heaven, while doubters are left behind to suffer seven years of
Tribulation under a global government headed by the Antichrist.

Read the rest of this blog post from Wired.com.

Statistically Speaking...

Abramowitz has tracked the effect of those variables on the last 15
presidential elections and found that they accurately predicted the
popular vote outcome in 14 and came close in the 15th.

The formula adds the incumbent president’s net approval rating
(approval minus disapproval), the second-quarter election-year GDP
growth rate multiplied by five (emphasizing the importance of the
economy) and then (factoring in time-for-a-change sentiment) subtracts
25 points if the in-party is finishing a second term.

Bush’s net approval now stands at minus 40. The first-quarter growth
rate was 0.6 percent and Bush is finishing eight years, meaning that
this year’s electoral barometer currently stands at minus 62.

If such a number holds, it “would predict a decisive defeat for the
Republican presidential candidate,” Abramowitz wrote. “The only
election since World War II with a score in this range was 1980,” when
“Jimmy Carter suffered the worst defeat for an incumbent president
since Herbert Hoover in 1932.”

The second worst occurred in 1952, when Democrat Adlai Stevenson
tried to succeed Harry S. Truman with a minus 50 score and lost the
popular vote by 11 points to Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Read the rest of the article.