Politics

So what would a conservative Mennonite care about mere earthly politics? And why?

Am I Guilty?

Last fall (is that when it was?) when Congress rushed some multi-billion “package” through and President Bush signed it, I wondered how they could put their signatures and votes to something they had not read carefully and studied thoroughly.

I marveled at such reckless irresponsibility.

Now I see that such an approach must be the norm.

Yet voters continue to send them back to keep doing such things.

Amazing.

I guess.

But do I do the same type thing as the politicians do? Perhaps more than I realize.

But before further introspection, the “news”: Read it all

Freer Again?

This sounds like good news from Kazakhstan:

According to the Constitutional Council (CC), the amendments to the religion law, passed by the Kazakhstan Parliament in late 2008, are in conflict with the country’s Constitution, CC chairman Igor Rogov said.

[…]

The bill passed by the parliament involved, in particular, changes and amendments to the section of the Code of Administrative Offenses, which imposed liability for violating the law on the freedom of religion and religious associations.

It also suggested detailed regulation of religious groups.

Warning: Google Warming

Disclaimer: Despite the title above, I don’t know of any relationship between these two stories.

California farms, vineyards in peril from warming, US energy secretary warns

California’s farms and vineyards could vanish by the end of the century, and its major cities could be in jeopardy, if Americans do not act to slow the advance of global warming, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu said Tuesday.

In his first interview since taking office last month, the Nobel-prize-winning physicist offered some of the starkest comments yet on how seriously President Obama’s cabinet views the threat of climate change, along with a detailed assessment of the administration’s plans to combat it.

Whoa! And woe! This is coming from a physicist. And one that won a Nobel Prize at that. Pretty impressive.

Five paragraphs later, though, this: “Chu is not a climate scientist. He won his Nobel for work trapping atoms with laser light.”

Oh.

So what about Google? Well, this:

Google Offers “Latitude” to Track People

Google is releasing free software Wednesday that enables people to keep track of each other using their cell phones.

CNET got a sneak peek at it, and CNET-TV Senior Editor and The Early ShowNatali Del Conte explained how it works on the show Tuesday.

She says “Latitude” uses GPS systems and what’s called cell tower triangulation to do the job. The software seeks the closest three cell towers and, with GPS, combines the data to show where someone is.

It is designed to work on any phone with Internet capabilities, except the iPhone.

“Latitude” is being marketed as a tool that could help parents keep tabs on their children’s locations, but it can be used for anyone to find anyone else, assuming permission is given.

What’s the history and rationale behind their name choice for this new “tool”?

Quiz With a Point

OK, here are portions of two paragraphs from the story:

…the ___ ambassador to ___, says his country wants the ___ government to fully enforce ___ laws, crack down on….

“If Mexico and the United States are going to be successful, we are going to have to tango together,” ___ said.

What’s the subject: drugs, guns, immigration?

Read it all

A Different Mumbai Story

The Times of India reports: Four hurt as mob disrupts baptism

MUMBAI: At least four persons were injured in an attack on the Christian community at Gangapur dam near Nashik on Monday.

The incident occurred when members of Navjivan Fellowship Church were conducting a baptism ceremony at the dam. A group of 10 to 12 unidentified men, armed with sticks and cricket stumps, disrupted the ceremony and roughed up those present at the event. “They did not even spare women and children as the rampage continued for over one hour. The attack was so meticulously planned that the group did not leave behind a single clue, which could help ascertain their identity,’’ said Winston Daniel, who was injured in the head during the assault.

An hour?

Did these Christians not defend themselves?

Promises

I was acquainting myself with some of what’s new at the White House. Virtually, that is. On their Web site. And I came across this gem:

Well, that seemed kinda tacky and tactless and hardly in keeping with any kind of reconciliation and civility and statesmanship and bipartisanship and postpartisanship and blah, blah, blah. 🙄

So I got curious about what other promises (current or broken) I might turn up there using their search feature. Well, a search for the term promises turned up this:

What’s with that?! That’s not a very helpful search feature. Well, I decided to see if Google could do better:

Maybe the techno gurus who run whitehouse.gov need to use the powered by Google option, if nothing else. 😀

Then I remembered seeing a headline that might explain the faulty search feature on the White House site:

Oh, “it’s all Bush’s fault.”

Well, that’s just how the game is played I guess. Nothing seems to have changed in that regard. 🙂

I know, I know. There are weightier things going on there. But a little low-key levity seems in order. 😆

And if the BDS2-afflicted conspiracy cooks want to use my discovery as proof of less-than-the-promised-transparency…too bad I helped. :mrgreen:

Seriously, though, an appeal to President Obama: More magnanimity, please. Sow it, reap it — sounds like a good deal to me, sir.

Above all, love God!