I’m feeling better today than yesterday, but that isn’t saying a lot. There are things that I’d like to get out and do, but it’s cold enough to freeze the Obamaballs off a brass Nevada Leg Hound!!
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:01 (average 4:37). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Upworthy: A Whole New Way To Think About Stress That Changes Everything We’ve Been Taught
Before I learned to manage stress, I used to suffer from severe GERD. Because I learned to treat stress as something to energize me to take pro-social action to changer the things I can help change, to defer the things I can help change later, and to give the things I cannot help change into God’s care, I developed a cast iron gut. I can now eat super-spicy foods, even my own infamous, triple-burn chili, without heartburn, let alone acid reflux.
From YouTube: Bill Nye’s Debate Victory Lap on The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell
I have no trouble at all reconciling my own Christian faith with scientific fact. Ken Hamm and other Republican Supply-side pseudo-Christians misinterpret teaching through myth as historical fact, when it is not. For those who wish to watch the entire debate (2:45:33), here it is:
From Alternet: State Sen. Lee Bright: Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in South Carolina
In South Carolina, state Sen. Lee Bright is challenging veteran Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) for his senate seat. It’s difficult to find someone further on the loony fringe than this Club for Growth-endorsed candidate.
A member of the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary’s Board of Visitors, Bright has been a sponsor of the “Life Begins at Conception Act” for the past three years. In April 2013, Bright introduced a bill that would end all abortions in South Carolina. He has also sponsored bills that would criminalize the Affordable Care Act and bills that would exempt South Carolina from federal gun laws.
Bright has also called FEMA a "scam,” and has promised “to get rid of the IRS.” After seeing a video of IRS agents training with AR-15 rifles, Bright said, “They’re doing assault-weapon training, the Brown Shirts are next because that’s the enforcement for Obamacare. If you don’t have an IRS, you don’t have Obamacare. That’s the mechanism that’s controlling our lives for far too long.”
It gets worse. Bright believes federal income tax is something “designed by Nazi Germany,” and in a series of speeches to pro-faithful gatherings has promoted the idea of reigniting the Civil War. “If at first you don’t secede, try again” is one of his favorite applause lines. “If the 10th Amendment won’t protect the Second, we might have to use the Second to protect the 10th,” is another.
This is just one of five new Republican Supply-side pseudo-Christian nut-job candidates for the US Senate. Beware!! Click through for the other four.
Cartoon:
12 Responses to “Open Thread–2/6/2014”
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Good site but too much American , it lacks a global perspective
Wolf (c2)
Welcome, Wolf. 🙂
I spend several hours a day in research, just to remain a credible student of US politics. I'd be happy to take on Europe as well, if you will be kind enough to provide me a few extra hours. each day. In any case, examining the map of where our readers come from makes a strong case that many Europeans like it here.
2:52 The cows remind me of the farm when I was growing up. Downright beautiful creatures; gentle too.
3:10 And that's no bull.
3:06 And THAT'S no bull either!
Upworthy ~ You have to make stress work for you because otherwise that's a lot of energy working against you.
YouTube ~ Love Bill Nye, the Science Guy! Mr. Ham could learn a few things from him if he opened his mind. Bill Nye came to the debate armed for a scientific discussion and all he got from Ken Ham was a thinly veiled moral sermon.
Alternet ~ It's hard to imagine someone challenging Lindsey (I have the vapors) Graham for his seat. FEMA is a scam, Mr. Bright? I would say you are not the brightest bulb in the chandelier. Who has helped S.C, after it was hit by hurricanes all these past years if not FEMA? Maybe all these "Christian" challengers to their Republican counterparts will have an influence on the Republican mindset about "corporations are people". They have an awful lot of tax-free money to donate to the lunatic right fringe of the party. That would totally destroy our country.
Cartoon ~ It was -9F when I woke this AM and I had to go out to have blood drawn while it was still only -3F at 8:30 AM. That's right! We're talking below zero. I'm keeping warm in the house now.
5:19 The cows are nicer then the mowse was. I wanted to strangle it. I don't know whether it needs a new battery or I just had too much else running. Sometimes it's tough to tell.
Upworthy – well, one needs some stress! Or one dies of boredom. After all, what is exercise but stress on the body for the purpose of strengthening it?
Other two short takes and cartoon – yes, it's been colder than a Republican's heart. I see on Alternet some southern teabaggers are thinking the government faked the snow? Sorry, I only saw the headline so I don't know how the government is supposed to have done that, let alone why.
I see AIPAC is slipping some, good news for those of us who want peace.
Upworthy: Thanks, this gives me a lot to think about, sent it to my sister who is under chronic stress.
Youtube: I was taught that true religion and true science go hand in hand. I would rather believe Nye than Hamm. A literal translation of the Bible causes too many contradictions. The supply side Christians pick out a few verses and base their beliefs on those that they agree with.
Alternet" I had not read that Bevins was ahead of Grimes. I have been hoping he would give McConnell a hard time in the primary. Grimes is currently ahead of McDonnell in the polls here.
Cartoon: Looks like my backyard. Ky and Oregon are both zone 6, neither of us are supposed to be having this weather. The kids here have only had school about five days since their Christmas vacation.
I hope you are feeling better.
Puzzle — 3:06 And THAT'S no bull either!
Upworthy — I used to give a seminar on stress after I recovered from a very negative experience of stress. In the research that I did at the time, I found there was stress, and then there was eustress. Eustress is what might be called a "positive" stress, a stress that pushes us on etc. I have not mastered it fully by any stretch of the imagination, but understanding stress better sure does help.
Youtube — Like you TC, I have no trouble reconciling my Christian faith with science. I was taught, and still believe, that the Creator gave each of us gifts . . . the gift of teaching, or the gift of healing, or the gift of innovation, etc . . . Additionally, in very early times, people learned lessons by stories, or as parables because we were less sophisticated, less educated. But just thinnk about it, why did man develop the wheel? Because there was a perceived need. It wasn't regious faith, but rather a perceived need that needed to be filled through the gift of innovation. Faith can come in when we choose to give thanks for the innovation.
Alternet — If any of these idiots gets into the Congress, indeed if there are a majority of them, the US will go down in flames BIG time! Heaven help the world!
Cartoon — Cold here too! Cold enough (by our standards) to freeze the whiskers off a puddy tat!!
Thanks everyone.
I've got to look into this new perception of Stress idea…. 😆
4:44 –
Bill Nye should challenge veteran Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) for his senate seat… 🙄