What’s interesting in the news today?
Lots of stuff to choose from today. By the time you’re finished, your eyes will have rolled out of your head too. 😉
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Let’s start with the 10 shocking items from Texas school books.
From TheDailyCaller
“CSCOPE is the acronym-sounding name — that is not actually an acronym — for the oft-criticized, all-embracing K-12 educational curriculum that is used in 80 percent of the school districts in Texas.
“CSCOPE’s high quality curriculum, assessment, and instructional components assist schools in meeting the high standard of rigor and relevance” ostensibly required by various assessments administered by the Lone Star State, touts the nonprofit entity’s website.
Most — though not all — of the critics of CSCOPE are politically conservative. They charge that the controversial curriculum is a radical, backdoor way for progressives to circumvent both the Texas legislative process and the desires of local school boards and communities. They also charge that the creators of the curriculum operate secretly and do not make it easy for parents or even school board members to see the material.”
Just to give you an idea of what they mean…..
1. Islam is awesome
2. Christianity is a cult
Yeah. 🙄
Don’t worry though, there’s useful stuff too. Even I learned something. The Boston Tea Party was a terrorist attack. Who knew? And who doesn’t want the chance to make their own communist flag?
Again, 🙄
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This one? Sure, why not. What could possibly go wrong?
From LasVegas/CBSLocal
“Researchers have developed mammalian “zombie” cells that can actually function more effectively after dying.
By replicating a near-perfect version of a living mammalian cell, University of New Mexico researchers have created cells that not only look identical, but are also more apt to survive adverse conditions than the living organisms they were modeled after.”
You do realize that every zombie movie ever made starts with scientists doing stuff like this right? 😦
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And again, what could possibly go wrong? And we better get our 22 billion back quick, before these clowns crash and burn, again. 🙄
From TheWFB
“Bailout recipient General Motors leads the world in car sales thanks in part to subprime auto lending that may cause a fiscal calamity, financial and auto industry observers fear.
“You have the government trying to sell the bailout and this recovery and they’ve allowed, encouraged GM to revive itself off the back of subprime lending,” said Ed Niedermeyer, auto industry consultant.”
“Delinquent contracts at GM now represent 8.5 percent of all auto loans—higher than delinquencies at Ford, Toyota, and Honda combined.”
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Next up, the gift that keeps on giving.
From USNews
“Vice President Joe Biden might want to have a talk with his son, Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, before he makes another public statement about guns.
In a Facebook “chat” Tuesday, the vice president said that he had advised his wife, Jill, to fire a shotgun in the air from their Delaware home’s porch if she was concerned for her safety.”
“However, Delaware law would likely make his suggestion illegal—unless the shots were fired in self-defense in a truly life-threatening situation.”
I like the first comment. “Good thing this guy isn’t in charge of any task force on gun control laws or anything like that. Now THAT would be just irresponsible.”
🙂 and a 🙄
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The more I see, the more I like. This one at least will make you smile. 🙂
From TheDailyCaller
“Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul says he will send a $600,000 check to the U.S. Treasury, returning the part of his operating budget as a senator that was not spent.
Paul made the announcement at press conference in Kentucky on Wednesday. According to a press release from Paul’s office, the sum is over 20 percent of the total operating budget.
Last year, he returned $500,000 worth of unspent funds to the Treasury.”
Gee, maybe he can show Senate Dems how math is done. Maybe show Reid how to do a budget and not waste so much too. That’d be good.
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And finally, a couple videos. The first, your tax dollars at work. More of that sensitivity training from the USDA. We have to re-educate all these racist govt. workers, for the good of all, of course.
Yes, again, 🙄
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And a rare truthful comment from a Democrat on the impending sequester. I’m sure the White House has already scolded him.
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Wandering Views 
I’ve been seeing a number of pieces like this one http://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/the-fadingconservative-brand/ authored by Rod Dreher. Dreher is pro-life, anti same sex marriage, moderate on center-right on fiscal policy. In similar vein there have been pieces from Michael Gerson, Kathleen Parker, Peter Wehner, Daniel Larison and others. I find myself wondering what you all would make of these bits of rumination.
The key quote from Dreher is actually from another author speaking to the issue of religious orthodoxy:
“To change the atmosphere of Orthodoxy, one has to learn to look at oneself in perspective, to repent, and if needed, to accept change, conversion. In historic Orthodoxy, there is a total absence of criteria for self-criticism. Orthodoxy defined itself: against heresies, against the West, the East, the Turks, etc. Orthodoxy became woven with complexes of self-affirmation, an exaggerated triumphalism: To acknowledge errors is to destroy the foundations of true faith.”
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CB,
I’m thinking it has more to do with who’s running things than anything else. When Reagan was in charge, libs wandered around in exile so to speak. Now it’s our turn since Obama is in charge.
Also, alot of these perceptions are foisted on us by the media. Let’s face it, they shape public perception by what they report. They mostly lean liberal, and so does the news. The perception that conservatives are uncaring @#$%^&%$ is the meme the media pushes. So currently, that’s the way we are percieved. Liberals are happy to play along with this misrepresentation, since they benefit. But the reality of who conservatives are does not match the meme they push. Self-examination is fine, in fact necessary. But to try and squeeze yourself into a newer, gentler, watered down version of a conservative just to fit in is a waste. It doesn’t matter. The media will still treat us like rigid meanies either way, so I’m sticking with what I know.
And sorry, some of those names you mentioned, like Kathleen Parker, aren’t what I’d call conservative. RINO seems more accurate. So when it’s folks like these pushing this idea, color me skeptical. No thanks, I’m good.
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CB, Gerson and Wehner are the type of Rockefeller/Bush Republicans that some of us fought for 50 years. How are they different from Democrats? How were the Bushes different from Clinton? How was Nixon different from LBJ?
Reagan was different. He was conservative, not pro-business. He built the military. He did not misuse it. He appointed conservative judges.
Either the Tea Party will take over the Republican Party or the Republican Party will die. If it dies, it will be replaced by a Ron Paul/Libertarian type of party that will be largely isolationist.
You know I believe the US is probably not going to rebound. My friends all see a coming apocalypse. I think what is more likely is continuing, steady decline. In 20 years, the US, Brazil and South Africa are going to look very similar.
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I was thinking about this the other day. At 82.5, I have lived 35% of the life of this nation. I was born in a deep depression, lived to see it become the unchallenged greatest nation on earth, the freest and most prosperous nation on earth. If I live just a few more years, I will see it’s demise.
Wellll, demise may not be the correct word, but it won’t be the America I knew.
Sad.
I’m ordering a book called, The Cross in the Shadow of the Crescent
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Chas, On the other hand, Christianity is exploding in Asia, Africa and South America. When I think of myself as an American, the present and the future look bleak. When I think of myself just as a Christian, these are wonderful, though challenging, times.
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Well, yay for term limits at least.
It’s but a sliver, probably won’t change the big picture much, but it’s *something* to hang onto in the wilderness. 🙂
And I agree with Ricky, how exciting to see the faith blossoming (though under fierce persecution) around the world in some of the most unlikely places. That’s the much more important story, of course. 😉
Nations come and go. But God’s word flourishes, amen?
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Amen.
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Please remember Pastor Saeed in the Iranian prison:
http://aclj.org/iran/pastor-saeed-writes-psychological-warfare-physical-violence-death-threats-iranian-prison
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Mathew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
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Here, there seems to be no more neutral ground according to Al Mohler:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2013/february-web-only/tebows-big-fumble.html?paging=off
“Evangelical Christians are now called upon to think strategically about what it means to speak truthfully and lovingly to a society that increasingly sees us as the moral outlaws. Clearly, we must watch our speech carefully, measuring every word for truth and tone and avoiding incendiary sound bites. We must also guard our hearts toward the persistent temptation towards self-righteousness.
“But, … ”
Read the rest at the link.
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donna J, it is coming
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Thanks for the article, Donna. I have always liked Tebow and I hate to see him wimp out.
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