50 billion trillion

I don’t even know how to write that number, but it is the estimated number of stars in the observable universe, according to Hugh Ross, an astrophysicist and founder of the think tank Reasons to Believe.  And just think what’s out there that isn’t observable!

“One reason the universe must be so massive is that life requires it. The density of protons and neutrons determines how much of the universe's hydrogen fuses into heavier elements. With a slightly lower density (producing fewer than about 50 billion trillion observable stars), nuclear fusion would be less productive and at no time in cosmic history (either in the big bang or in stars) would elements heavier than helium be produced. Or, if the density were slightly higher (producing more than about 50 billion trillion observable stars), nuclear fusion would be so productive that only heavier-than-iron elements would exist. Either way, life-essential elements such as carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and phosphorous would be too scarce or nonexistent.

Another life-related reason the universe must be so massive is that the cosmic mass critically influences the universe's expansion rate. If the mass density were smaller, the influence of gravity would be too weak for stars like the Sun and planets like Earth to form. On the other hand, if the mass density were greater, only stars much larger than the Sun would form. Either way, the universe would contain no stars like the Sun or planets like Earth, and life would have no possible home. The required fine-tuning is so extreme (one part in a quadrillion quadrillion quadrillion quadrillion) that if one were to remove or add a single dime's worth of mass to this vast cosmos, the balance of the observable universe would be thrown off and physical life would not be possible. Such amazing fine-tuning suggests the involvement of a supernatural, superintelligent Creator.”

God went to a lot of trouble to make our home, the Earth, just right, a place we can live and thrive and worship Him.

And so it is with all Christian institutions and businesses and non-profits

The presidency of Barack Obama has energized this debate.  And that’s a good thing.  Too many so-called Christian institutions and even churches have traded their mission on earth for a few government dollars—or more than a few—in order to carry out the commands of Matthew 25. A Faustian bargain.

“The debate about the Catholic identity of Catholic institutions of higher education has been underway for decades, and may well take some interesting turns in the years ahead. At the moment, however, the hottest of hot buttons on this front involve health-care institutions that call themselves “Catholic” but which have acquiesced to practices approved by an increasingly aggressive secular culture—and to the lure of government dollars.”

http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/2011/01/reaffirming-catholic-identity

Little risk of death

unless you are the baby, according to this Orlando, Florida, abortion clinic, which encourages its customers to combine the trip to their clinic with a nice vacation so they can enjoy the city.

“The risk of death associated with abortion increases with the length of pregnancy, from one death for every one million abortions at or before eight weeks to one per 29,000 at 16-20 weeks, and one per 11,000 at 21 or more weeks. The latter numbers have decreased significantly over the past 10 years due to advancement in abortion surgical procedure techniques and the new medications used to terminate pregnancy.”

This abortion website also notes:

Over 50% of the women who have abortions had been using a contraceptive during the month they become pregnant. 

Fifty percent of U.S. women obtaining abortion are younger than 25: Women aged 20-24 obtain 33% of all abortions, and teenagers obtain 17%.

37% of abortions occur with black women, 34% with non-Hispanic white women, 22% to Hispanic women and 8% to women of other races.

Despite the killing rate of the Democrat party approved abortion programs,  50.4% of children younger than 1 were minorities as of July 1, 2011, up from 49.5% from the 2010 Census taken in April 2010.  But they are working as hard as they can at reducing the poor and minority population.

So dear reader, is it racist to point out the number of black babies being killed, or the number of clinics in their neighborhoods?  Is it hateful to point out that over 54 million babies have been killed in the 40 years of Roe v. Wade? 

America doesn't need 2 leftist parties

The United States of America does not need two left-wing parties, and in my opinion those who believe that they can make the Republican Party more palatable to left-wing voters are fooling themselves. No Republican will ever be able to move as far left as the Leftists - the Democrats simply won't let you.

Want to talk about a path to citizenship? They'll talk about blanket amnesty. Want to shift all the way over to amnesty? They'll talk about open borders. Want to talk about taxing the rich? They'll re-define rich. Want to extend unemployment benefits to two years? Three? How about forever?

You get the picture. We will never out-left the Left. Trying to do so is not reasonableness - it is capitulation. If you are a Republican, you will always be positioned to the right of what has become the Democratic Party, and hence you will forever be painted a racist, homophobic, xenophobic cretin who, shockingly, probably still believes in God.

Read more: http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2012/11/the_gop_cant_out-left_the_left.html#ixzz2DAXDeva7

Tonight’s meal will be. . . . leftovers!

Quicherbichin

If Susan Rice is planning to go into countries and negotiate with 7th century men who think women should wear dark bags over their bodies lest they create lust in their hearts, she'd better toughen up and not be so defensive of perfectly understandable questions about her misleading the American public about Benghazi. And if the President is planning to appoint her, does he really want someone who never questions a response that looked phony to everyone else?

    

Worshipping the same gods of old

New Meaning for Black Friday

Planned Parenthood of South Florida and the Treasure Coast offered the special, saying, “Visit our West Palm Beach or Kendall Health Center for special after Thanksgiving savings on Friday, November 23rd.”

Still no budget—Democrats fail again

Friday Family Photo—Bruces and Stringers

Lost in the fifties.  I don’t know the date.

George is holding Julie; Rick; Rosalie in the sun glasses, Jean, Deb and Susie. Looks like it might be Easter, and Bob Sr. probably took the photo since he isn’t in it.

NEVER!

I have friends and family who participate in this madness, but unless I run out of milk, I ‘ve never shopped on Black Friday.

Happy Thanksgiving

                    

Thursday Thirteen—My Prayer Job Jar

Thirteen Things about NORMA'S Prayer Job Jar—a rerun from a TT seven years ago

1.  The jar is real, physical, clear glass and has a lid.

2.  Originally the jar held bubble bath, had a pink ribbon around the lid, and was most likely a birthday gift when I was a teen.

3.  When my children were small, this jar was our cookie jar.

4.  It sits on the kitchen table, catching the sun’s rays (or the Son’s).

5.  We pray one or two items from the jar each evening before dinner. I need to add the President’s name—that he will be guided by God’s spirit.

6.  Most often the prayer request is actually someone looking for a job, i.e., employment or career, so it really is a “prayer job jar.” Sometimes the prayer is about God’s job--to bring someone to saving faith.

8.  Sometimes the prayer is general, sometimes specific--it’s every Christian’s job to pray even if we don’t understand how or why. In fact, I think it is a command.

9.  Although I haven’t kept a record, most job (career) prayers have been answered to the satisfaction of the job seeker.

10. Marriage solutions are another kettle of fish and loaves. A personality transplant?  A memory freeze? Get that other woman a job transfer to Alaska?  Maybe we should just cut to the chase and ask God for a miracle instead of a reconciliation or resolution?

11. Because of our age and the ages of our friends and family, health issues are frequently in the prayer job jar.  This usually has to be a partnership between God and the unhealthy--it’s asking a lot of God to heal if a cancer or COPD patient won’t give up smoking or an arthritic or diabetic won’t lose weight.  I mean, God does allow some free will here, and bad habits he may leave up to the person while he attends to someone a bit more willing to change.

12.  The prayer job jar has made our prayer time much more interesting and meaningful for us, and probably for God, who I imagine gets a little bored with the rote stuff. . . "We thank you Lord for Jesus Christ/ and for the blood he shed/ we thank you for his risen life/ and for our daily bread."

13.  Here’s a photo of the jar, cropped from another picture.  Looks like just one or two pieces of paper, but I think it is a list. 

                                       

Join Thursday Thirteen meme

Thanksgiving blessing. . .

MAY YOUR STUFFING BE TASTY,
MAY YOUR TURKEY BE PLUMP.
MAY YOUR POTATOES 'N GRAVY HAVE NARY A LUMP.
MAY YOUR YAMS BE DELICIOUS.
MAY YOUR PIES TAKE THE PRIZE,
MAY YOUR THANKSGIVING DINNER STAY OFF OF YOUR THIGHS!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!

The expensive War on Poverty

When the War on Poverty was launched in the early 60s, the goal was to make people self-sufficient, not government dependent. Now we've spent $19 trillion and what do we have to show for it? A very well paid bureaucracy with fat pensions and excellent health benefits that keep people poor and dependent.

"The federal government runs over 80 means-tested programs providing cash, food, housing, medical care and social services to around 100 million Americans.  That’s a third of the U.S. population.  Combined federal and state expenditures on these programs come to roughly $9,000 per recipient per year." 

http://www.heritage.org/research/commentary/2012/10/welfare-is-at-an-all-time-high

Anna Gristina, Scottish pimptress

Ms. Gristina says they are picking on her because she wouldn’t give up the names of her well connected clients.

“A spokeswoman for the district attorney said Gristina had no one to blame but herself for the criminal prosecution.

“There is nothing glamorous about prostitution,” Erin Duggan said. “Anna Gristina rented women’s bodies for profit, which makes her a pimp. That also makes her a felon, and the court has now issued that judgment. She has no one to blame but herself for her decisions.””

http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2012/11/20/accused-madam-sentenced-to-time-served-in-prison/?mod=google_news_blog

USDA is now a social service agency

Only 11% of funding in the farm bill goes to farm policies.  More than 84% of farm bill-related spending goes to food and nutrition programs like food stamps, not to farmers. Current bill ended Sept. 30, and we're into the lame duck session of Congress to work out the next 5 year bill. Agriculture employs 14% of the U.S. workforce, or about 21 million people.

Campus censorship

Since the 1960s, academic freedom has been decreasing and censorship increasing on our college campuses. 

Read this account of what happened to a tenured Twain scholar almost 25 years ago when he questioned the politicization of an upper level English course at the University of Texas at Austin.

Heterodoxy article on Alan Gribben

How bad is too bad to not get your paycheck?

                          

Clayton Luckie, Democrat, Montgomery County, Dist. 39, Ohio,  “was indicted last month on 49 criminal counts accusing him of raiding $130,000 from his campaign account and spending it at places such as casinos, and furniture, jewelry and clothing stores.

Luckie, who declined to comment for this story when reached by phone, has been a no-show at state functions since July 9, when he last attended a bi-monthly meeting of the state controlling board. Since then, Luckie has been paid just over $21,000. He is slated to receive another $11,000 in salary before he leaves office at the end of the year, when his term will expire.

Luckie agreed after July 9 to stop attending controlling board meetings while his attorney negotiated with FBI agents and prosecutors, who unsucessfully sought Luckie’s resignation.”

Luckie’s trial is December 20.  So who is representing the people who elected him?

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/indictedstate-repstill-onpayroll/nS6mj/

What’s for Thanksgiving and how much will it cost?

Sunlight Foundation reports

Food stamps. Hit hard by the 2008 financial collapse, more Americans are using food stamps to help buy the basics this Thanksgiving than ever before. Average participation has increased 70 percent since 2007, with costs reaching $72 billion, according the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and is a major stalling point in the farm bill legislation. The Senate version, which passed last summer, cuts the program by $4 billion over 10 years, while the House version, which has not yet seen a floor vote, cuts $16 billion over the same time period, with some GOP members complaining that amount is still too low. With powerful lobbies like the defense industry rallying against the automatic budget cuts that will take effect if Congress doesn't agree on other spending reductions, food stamps are a juicy target.

Turkey. The National Turkey Federation, as a member of the newly formed Coalition to Promote U.S. Agricultural Exports, urged Congressional leaders earlier this month to pass the farm bill with strong export programs. "With the expiration of the 2008 Farm Bill on September 30, FAS [Foreign Agricultural Service] currently has no authority to run market promotion and development programs..." reads the letter, which was signed by dozens of powerful agriculture trade groups. The Federation also is part of another coalition pushing Congress to quickly normalize trade relations with Russia, pointing to $300 million in annual poultry exports to that country.

Stuffing. Whether you put bread or cornmeal in your stuffing, you can bet there's a faction of farmers behind that ingredient lobbying hard, and that the federal crop insurance program is a big issue. Both the House and the Senate reform but also expand this program. Its cost is expected to rise to $15 billion this year for taxpayers in the face of this year's drought. "Federal crop insurance provides an effective risk management tool to farmers and ranchers when they are facing losses beyond their control," wrote a group of growers trade associations last spring, including the American Farm Bureau, the American Soybean Association, and the National Corn Growers Association. Meanwhile, the Environmental Working Group, along with conservative group such as the Heritage Foundation and the budget watchdog Taxpayers for Common Sense criticize the program a subsidy that benefits wealthy growers at taxpayer expense. Also decried is the secrecy built into the program: Congress in 2000 prohibited the release of information of who benefits from crop insurance, writes the Heritage Foundation. Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., has introduced legislation to require release of crop insurance beneficiaries.

Cranberry sauce. Like many an agricultural group, cranberries have their own caucus. This one, however, is new, formed in June by Massachussetts Sens. John Kerry, a Democrat, and Scott Brown, Kerry's soon-to-be former Republican colleague. "Senator Kerry has been a long-time supporter of the Massachusetts cranberry industry," notes the press release from Kerry's office. "Over the last 12 years, he has worked to secure millions of dollars in funding for important cranberry projects and research in an effort to keep Massachusetts on top as an industry leader." Cranberry growers such as Ocean Spray are on the defensive as the U.S. Department of Agriculture considers standards for sugary drinks in public schools; executives say adding sugar to the juice is necessary because of the fruit is naturally tart. The company also lobbies on issues ranging from sugar taxes to pesticides.

Pumpkin pie. Dairy price support programs expired along with the farm bill in September, leaving dairy farmers in a bind. The Dairy Famers of America has called on Congress to pass the Farm bill quickly and bring "some relief to farmers suffering through weather-related disasters and unfavorable market conditions." Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., spoke for his state's dairy industry on the Senate floor on November 14, calling for passage of the bill. Meanwhile, a coalition of sugar users--the candy and beverage industries among them--pushes yet again for reform of the sugar industry, which has beat back such attacks on sugar support programs for years. Most recently, the Senate voted during the farm bill debate to table an amendment by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., to eliminate the program.