House of Leoj

Fading into Facebook

2009-05-20T09:21:00.002-05:00

Since most of my posts are basically URLs, with a few pithy comments from me, I'm going to be switching to Facebook. It's a much easier platform to throw up a link (with a few pithy commets).

If I end up wanting to write a longer screed (which I never seem to get around to), I may come back.

But until then, you can friend me on facebook.

ttfn.

Lie to me

2009-04-30T07:46:00.003-05:00

Fox networks decided to show their regularly scheduled show Lie to Me rather than showing President Obama's news conference.

Insert your own joke here.

BTW, Lie to Me is a really interesting show. I'm enjoying it a lot.

Kings

2009-02-17T11:26:00.004-06:00

NBC has announced a pilot for a new television drama, Kings.

Crosswalk.com introduces it this way:

It’s a story perfect for Hollywood. A handsome farmer boy, youngest of seven sons, joins the army. An act of heroism catapults him onto a national stage. The leader of the country, fearing his popularity and yet wanting to exploit it, brings him to the capital.

Women love him, including the leader’s daughter. As a fresh new face of hope, the people see him as a successor to the leader’s increasingly erratic behavior, but the powerful are not going to let him take over without a fight.

If that sounds familiar, it should. It's the story of David brought into modern times.

The king is more CEO than warrior-king. The princess fights for health care reform. And Goliath is a military tank.

Of course, they've had to make some changes in the story, for instance:

...the character of Jack (Sebastian Stan), who represents the biblical Jonathan, is hinted to be gay. “I thought it made the best conflict, the best story,” explained Michael Green at a recent press event. Jack’s storyline is not the focus of the pilot, nor does it involve David, but for many who love and are inspired by the dear friendship between David and Jonathan in the Bible, this particular change may come as a shock.

Regardless, I'm going to be setting my Tivo to grab this when it airs March 15 @ 7:00 central.

As Crosswalk says:

It should give those who know the Bible a good conversation-starter with those who are being introduced for the first time.

Read the whole article.

Visit the official site.

Irish Politician Bans TV Ads About Global Warming

2009-02-09T11:37:00.003-06:00

Looks like "the deniers" are rising to higher positions.

Irish Politician Bans TV Ads About Global Warming

DUBLIN — Northern Ireland's environment minister announced Monday he has banned the local broadcast of British government ads on climate change and denounced their energy-saving message as "insidious propaganda."

Sammy Wilson has repeatedly raised eyebrows since winning the environment post in Northern Ireland's power-sharing government last year.

The hard-line Protestant, a leading light in the Democratic Unionist Party, argues that global weather patterns are naturally cooling, not warming — and humanity should invest in coping with God-driven climate change, not trying to slow down a man-made problem.

...

Wilson said the Act on CO2 ads were "giving people the impression that by turning off the standby light on their TV, they could save the world from melting glaciers and being submerged in 40 feet of water."

He said the ads, which have been running on British television stations including in Northern Ireland over the past year, represented "an insidious propaganda campaign" peddling "patent nonsense."

Read the whole thing at FoxNews.com

Ted Dekker

2009-01-28T10:43:00.001-06:00

Snow Blankets London for Global Warming debate

2008-11-11T11:25:00.003-06:00

Article from The Register.

Snow fell as the House of Commons debated Global Warming yesterday - the first October fall in the metropolis since 1922. The Mother of Parliaments was discussing the Mother of All Bills for the last time, in a marathon six hour session.

In order to combat a projected two degree centigrade rise in global temperature, the Climate Change Bill pledges the UK to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 80 per cent by 2050. The bill was receiving a third reading, which means both the last chance for both democratic scrutiny and consent.

Here's a very interesting bit.

Recently the American media has begun to notice the odd incongruity of saturation media coverage here which insists that global warming is both man-made and urgent, and a British public which increasingly doubts either to be true. 60 per cent of the British population now doubt the influence of humans on climate change, and more people than not think Global Warming won't be as bad "as people say".

Both figures are higher than a year ago - and the poll was taken before the non-summer of 2008, and the (latest) credit crisis.

Where did those numbers come from? I've certainly never heard them reported.

It was 90 minutes before anyone broke the liturgy of virtue. When Peter Lilley, in amazement, asked why there hadn't been a cost/benefit analysis made of such a major change in policy, he was told to shut up by the Deputy Speaker.

They can't argue with facts, so they just try to shut you up.

Read the whole thing.

Luke, I jam your father

2008-11-06T13:35:00.004-06:00

Yes, it's the Darth Vader breakfast toaster!

Preorder now!

Thanks to The Register for the heads up.

Prayer for our Government

2008-11-04T11:29:00.004-06:00

Michelle Malkin reminds us of a prayer from the Book of Common Prayer especially poignant today.

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us this good land for our heritage; We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favour and glad to do thy will.

Bless our land with honourable industry, sound learning, and pure manners.

Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogancy, and from every evil way.

Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues.

Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in thy Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to thy law, we may show forth thy praise among the nations of the earth.

In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in thee to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Amen, indeed.

'Gay' Pledge Cards Given to Kindergartners

2008-11-03T15:48:00.008-06:00

'Gay' Pledge Cards Given to Kindergartners from FoxNews.com

During a celebration of National Ally Week, Tara Miller, a teacher at the Faith Ringgold School of Arts and Science in Hayward, Calif., passed out cards produced by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network to her class of kindergartners.

The cards asked signers to be "an ally" and to pledge to "not use anti-LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) language or slurs; intervene, when I feel I can, in situations where others are using anti-LGBT language or harassing other students and actively support safer schools efforts."

And people wondered why we home schooled for so long.

Well at least...

The school has acknowledged that the exercise was not appropriate for kindergartners.
...
The district said the pledge cards were intended for middle school and high school students.

So much for good intentions. Does the typical Kindergartner even understand what the work "intervene" means, much less the sexual classifications on this card?

Read the whole thing.

Free outgoing fax

2008-10-30T17:03:00.005-05:00

A friend just told me about a free service to send a fax. faxZERO.com

It limits you to sending 2 faxes a day of 3 pages each. And it does send a cover page in front with the faxZERO information on it.

You can type in text, or upload a Word document or PDF file.

But for the occasional need to send the occasional fax, this could be just the ticket.

Just another fake scam e-mail, right?

2008-10-22T16:06:00.002-05:00

Dear American:

I need to ask you to support an urgent secret business relationship with a transfer of funds of great magnitude.

I am Ministry of the Treasury of the Republic of America. My country has had crisis that has caused the need for large transfer of funds of 800 billion dollars US. If you would assist me in this transfer, it would be most profitable to you.

I am working with Mr. Phil Gram, lobbyist for UBS, who will be my replacement as Ministry of the Treasury in January. As a Senator, you may know him as the leader of the American banking deregulation movement in the 1990s. This transaction is 100% safe.

This is a matter of great urgency. We need a blank check. We need the funds as quickly as possible. We cannot directly transfer these funds in the names of our close friends because we are constantly under surveillance. My family lawyer advised me that I should look for a reliable and trustworthy person who will act as a next of kin so the funds can be transferred.

Please reply with all of your bank account, IRA and college fund account numbers and those of your children and grandchildren to wallstreetbailout@treasury.gov so that we may transfer your commission for this transaction. After I receive that information, I will respond with detailed information about safeguards that will be used to protect the funds.

Yours Faithfully Minister of Treasury
Henry Paulson

Thanks to L.A. Land blog.

An Obama Endorsement I can endorse

2008-10-20T16:48:00.002-05:00

Scrappleface has endorsed Obama

Rarely has one man so captivated a nation with his readiness to prepare to serve.

That’s why the editorial board at ScrappleFace, on behalf of the vast editorial staff, today endorses Barack Obama for the office of junior senator from Illinois.

Satire folks. Satire.

Read the whole thing.

SNL Bailout Skit

2008-10-06T08:55:00.007-05:00

NOTE: SNL posts all it's skits on hulu. But for some reason, it has pulled this one that made fun of Pelosi, Frank and Bush, as well as some "beneficiaries" of the so called bail out. All the anti-Palin bits are still posted, however.

Kinda makes you go hmmmmmmmmmmm....

You can read the full transcripts and see screenshots at MichelleMalkin.com

Update: SNL rewriting bailout skit, “didn’t meet their standards“

Original Post ------------------------------------

This is actually pretty good.

Make sure and read the titles of the people on the bottle of the screen.

The Dems on Freddie and Fannie - 5 years ago

2008-10-06T14:28:00.002-05:00

The Wall Street Journal has put together a collection of quotes from Democrats from 2003 when they were blocking all attempts to try increase regulation of Freddie and Fannie. McCain and Bush were both trying to get more oversight in place.

Here's a precious example.

Rep. Frank: I do think I do not want the same kind of focus on safety and soundness that we have in OCC [Office of the Comptroller of the Currency] and OTS [Office of Thrift Supervision]. I want to roll the dice a little bit more in this situation towards subsidized housing. . . .

Read the whole thing.

Thanks to Betsy's Page for the pointer.

A Vote for Sarah Palin

2008-09-03T17:02:00.005-05:00

Here's a really good read about why a Democrat (at least, a former Democrat) will be voting for Sarah Palin and the guy that picked her for vice president.

A Vote for Sarah Palin by Suann Therese Maier

Here are some key paragraphs that I particularly like:

I will vote for Sarah Palin because she has guts. We’ve never met, but I suspect I know something about her life, and so do a great many other women. I know what it means to have a son with Down syndrome. I know what it means to talk a good line about religious faith and then be asked to prove it. I know what it means to have a daughter pregnant and unmarried.

...

I will vote for Sarah Palin because she is intelligent, tenacious and talented. Nobody made her rise easy, and no one is making it easy now. And—is it only moms who notice this?—unlike Senator Biden, she does seem to act consistently on her beliefs about the sanctity of life, at considerable personal cost.

I will vote for Sarah Palin because she doesn’t come from Washington or New York or Chicago or anywhere else the political and media aristoi like to hang out. In fact, I especially like the idea that the state she governs actually produces something—like some of the oil that powers the hair dryers and klieg lights at MSNBC.

Sounds like she might need to get over to the "I am Sarah Palin" store.

Thanks to Michelle Malkin for the link.

Sarah Palin as David (vs. Goliath)

2008-10-02T08:19:00.003-05:00

I'm sure many have thought of the Vice Presidential debate as a David vs. Goliath event. Particularly the 60% don't think that Gov. Palin has "the experience it takes to serve effectively as president."

Mark Joseph takes that analogy even further in a FoxNews opinion piece.

He starts by talking about King Saul's reaction to David's offer to fight the giant.

Saul is bemused by the teenager who has no chance against the giant, but he consents and immediately gives him the appropriate gear, a heavy protective outfit worn to battle, known as a "coat of mail," along with the king's sword.

David, Scriptures imply, was physically overwhelmed by the get-up and barely able to move. Telling the king thanks but no thanks, the young shepherd boy threw off the gear and proceeded to gather stones found by a brook in his slingshot, which he used to fell the giant.

Not unlike the young shepherd boy, the best thing Sarah Palin can do in the remaining hours before she faces her own Goliath in the form of a tough, smart senator with three decades of experience, and the best thing the McCain campaign can do for her, is to let her rid herself of her coat of mail — the overzealous handlers — and let Palin run wild and be the natural, untamed politician she is.

David spent his youth battling bears and lions, but he knew nothing about battle. His victory came when he was freed of the then-modern tools of battle and allowed to bring his native skills, cultivated in the wild, to a battle for which he was by all accounts not trained for.

Palin's political skills are the equivalent of David's battle skills, honed in the Alaskan wilderness where she operated as her nickname "Barracuda" suggests, ruthlessly defeating opponents who crossed her (including her own mother-in-law, who ran for mayor after Palin) and political mentors who she thought had become corrupt (Gov. Frank Murkowski).

If that Palin shows up at Thursday night's debate, it will because she dismisses the advisers, trusts her instincts, regains her confidence and remembers where her success came from.

Read the whole thing.

Why $700 Billion?

2008-09-29T14:20:00.004-05:00

According for Forbes.com:

In fact, some of the most basic details, including the $700 billion figure Treasury would use to buy up bad debt, are fuzzy.

"It's not based on any particular data point," a Treasury spokeswoman told Forbes.com Tuesday. "We just wanted to choose a really large number."

Read the entire article.

Thanks to Michelle Malkin, who linked to the LA Times Blog who dug this little nugget out.

Fox News analyzes:

But why $700 billion? Why not $500 billion? Or $1 trillion? And why hasn’t anyone explained that price tag?

No one seems to know.

The number is even more confusing given that one of the reasons the U.S. financial system needs bailing out is because no one knows the value of the securities that $700 billion is earmarked for purchasing.

One thing everyone (economists and market participants) agrees on, though: $1 trillion would have been too scary, frightening taxpayers and Congressman alike with the prospect of a bailout of that size. (It turns out $700 billion was too scary, as well. Congress rejected a first draft of the proposal on Monday, sending stock markets plunging.)

And $500 billion might not have been enough purchasing power at a given moment. (The language in the bill says $700 billion "outstanding at any one time.") Congress didn’t want to have to go back to the taxpayers and ask for more if $500 billion had turned out not to be enough.

So $700 billion was just right.

Bailout Fails, Mandatory Sunrise Bill Falters

2008-09-30T08:40:00.001-05:00

Gotta love Scrappleface!

“The sun will come out tomorrow,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, “but only if Congress takes action now to eliminate uncertainty.”

Conservatives in Congress immediately expressed reluctance to support the Mandatory Sunrise Act, noting that government intervention is unlikely to have the intended effect, and could produce many unintended, and unpredictable consequences.

Pandora Internet Radio

2008-08-26T08:41:00.003-05:00

I've recently started using and enjoying the Pandora internet radio service.

It allows you to pick an artist or group and it will create a radio station of similiar artists/groups. Then it allows you to give thumbs up or down for the additional groups to further sculpt the station to your tastes.

However, increased internet licensing fees are putting the station's fiscal viability into jeopardy. The widget below claims it can help us to help them.'

I honestly don't know what email is sent to where. But I used the other button to create this blog post. 8-{)>

Raed Tihs

2008-08-25T13:24:00.000-05:00

Aoccdrnig to rsceearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteers are in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. This is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by itslef but the wrod as a wlohe.

Thanks to Pihl Cokoe for the reminder.

My Five Factor Personality Profile

2008-08-21T15:57:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure why I am sharing this. I took the time to take the quiz, I guess I'd just as well post the results.

Your Five Factor Personality Profile

Extroversion:

You have low extroversion.
You are quiet and reserved in most social situations.
A low key, laid back lifestyle is important to you.
You tend to bond slowly, over time, with one or two people.

Conscientiousness:

You have medium conscientiousness.
You're generally good at balancing work and play.
When you need to buckle down, you can usually get tasks done.
But you've been known to goof off when you know you can get away with it.

Agreeableness:

You have medium agreeableness.
You're generally a friendly and trusting person.
But you also have a healthy dose of cynicism.
You get along well with others, as long as they play fair.

Neuroticism:

You have low neuroticism.
You are very emotionally stable and mentally together.
Only the greatest setbacks upset you, and you bounce back quickly.
Overall, you are typically calm and relaxed - making others feel secure.

Openness to experience:

Your openness to new experiences is low.
You're a pretty conservative person, and you favor what's socially acceptable.
You think that change for novelty's sake is a very bad idea.
While some may see this as boring, many see you as dependable and wise.

The Five Factor Personality Test

US judge says University can ignore Christian course credits

2008-08-14T14:14:00.006-05:00

I don't even know what to say.

US judge says University can ignore Christian course credits

According to the Reg:

A federal judge has told the University of California that when considering applicants, it has the constitutional right to ignore high school course work grounded in the notion that the Bible is infallible.

...

In a 20-page ruling (pdf) Judge Otero, of the Central District of California, says that UC could reject credits as long as it wasn't acting out of "animus" and it had "a rational basis" for those rejections. And he's quite sure the University met both criteria.

That's nice. He's "quite sure". How many rulings are based on this level of jurisprudence?

One high school course was rejected because its primary text, the Bob Jones University-published United States History for Christian Schools, "failed to adequately teach critical thinking and modern historical analytic methods."

That's also nice. Do they examine all classes from all high school transcripts that closely?

Also, I may have had a very mediocre history teacher in college, but High School U.S. History did not teach me anything about "critical thinking and modern historical analytic methods."

The plaintiffs have already appealed. "It appears the UC is attempting to secularize private religious schools," said their attorney, Jennifer Monk of Advocates for Faith and Freedom. ®

Let's hope they find some sanity up the court food chain. Of course, this is federal court in California. Next stop 9th Circuit Court of Appeals?

No sanity there. Just as well whistle by that stop and go to the final stop with the Supremes.

Read the entire article.

Obama World Tour T-shirts

2008-07-22T11:44:00.004-05:00

Michelle Malkin is having a contest to design t-shirts for the Obama World Tour 2008

Several pretty good choices.
Check them all out.

Great idea for energy prices

2008-07-14T17:27:00.002-05:00

The New Hampshire Union Leader has the best idea yet on getting a handle on energy prices.

MAYBE THE quickest way to lower oil and gas prices would be this: Immediately enroll every Democratic member of Congress in an entry-level economics class.
The lack of even a basic grasp of economic concepts has led Democrats to oppose sensible policies that would begin to lower oil and gas prices. Instead, they push hair-brained ideas that make no sense.

I'd include most of the Republican members of congress, too. But it's still the best use of our money in controlling energy prices that the government could participate in.

Read the whole thing.
Thanks to Betsy's Page for the link.

Obama: Iran Needs to Know We Mean Talk

2008-07-10T10:31:00.001-05:00

Scrappleface strikes again.

“Iran needs to know that our words mean something,” he [Obama] said. “During the Obama administration, our words will mean that we are saying things by combining those words into sentences to express ideas about how we feel, using dramatic phrases and dynamic cadences. Iran must never question our resolve to deliver…speeches.”

While the Bush administration has tried to get allies to unite in applying pressure on Iran to halt its nuclear program, Sen. Obama said he would bring change to American foreign policy by trying to get U.S. allies to unite in applying pressure on Iran to halt its nuclear program.

“It’s a lot different than the Bush approach,” he said, “because in my strategy, there is no Bush.”

Read the whole thing.