On Critical Thinking: My Mind Is Made Up! Don't confuse by asking me to think ...

Five Infuriating Examples of Facts Making People Dumber - Chris Mooney, Mother Jones

On Monday, I reported on the latest study to take a bite out of the idea of human rationality. In a paper just published in Pediatrics, Brendan Nyhan of Dartmouth University and his colleagues showed that presenting people with information confirming the safety of vaccines triggered a "backfire effect," in which people who already distrusted vaccines actually became less likely to say they would vaccinate their kids.

In that regard, here's Barbara Ehrenreich

“When our children are old enough, and if we can afford to, we send them to college, where despite the recent proliferation of courses on 'happiness' and 'positive psychology,' the point is to acquire the skills not of positive thinking but of *critical* thinking, and critical thinking is inherently skeptical. The best students -- and in good colleges, also the most successful -- are the ones who raise sharp questions, even at the risk of making a professor momentarily uncomfortable. Whether the subject is literature or engineering, graduates should be capable of challenging authority figures, going against the views of their classmates, and defending novel points of view.”  

In the absence of doing your homework, you let someone else give you talking points and acting points ... things you can say or do that at first glance seem to work for you.

You don't question, search, ponder or pray ... you just start talking and acting according to someone else's coaching.

Like so many who appear in the sensational stories of broadcast media ... you don't fully know or understand what you are talking about.

By merely mouthing someone else's opinion (which honesty requires you acknowledge rather than pretend that you thought of it yourself) you remove all doubt as to whether or not you know what you are talking about. Anyone with even a passing practice of critical thinking will see that - even in the tavern where BS flows at the same rate as the beer.

Take it from someone who has by experience learned that fact the hard way.

Do your homework before you open your mouth or write your piece.

Study things out in your mind, take time to learn and understand what you want to speak to ... and own up to it when you have mis-spoken or written something that is not true.

Then compose your own expressions of how you feel. No matter how well or poorly you speak and write, the more you write and speak, the better you'll get at it.

Let real honesty govern what you say ... your honesty.

Not the grandstand honesty coached by someone telling you how.

Ponder this quote from a sitting American President in 1958.

"It is difficult indeed to maintain a reasoned and accurately informed understanding of our defense situation on the part of our citizenry when many prominent officials, possessing no standing or expertness as they themselves claim it, attempt to further their own ideas or interests by resorting to statements more distinguished by stridency than by accuracy."- *Dwight Eisenhower 

If She's so Powerful and Interested in what happens in Washington State how come ...

And while we're talking about suing presidents and speaking of Cathy McMorris-Rodgers, show me any non-Reflublican candidate in any non-Reflublican party who promises to sue Reflublicans

for gross negligence in doing right by their country,

for wasting public funds on nonsense

and for deliberate opposition to any meaningful socially-redeeming legislation

... and you'll know who gets my vote.

KOWARDS OF THE KOUNTIES

Kowards of the Kounty ... The toughest shoot-happy American patriots in the country. 

Why ... I'll bet George Washington, John Adams, Tom Paine, Sam Houston and Davy Crockett wouldn't THINK of rolling over in their graves at the sight of these straight-shooting Bull Shippers ... 

Tea Party, KKK and Bundy-Style Militia Message: Shoot Immigrant Children

Sitting in the Dallas Morning News editorial meeting earlier this year, Texas Tea Party candidate Chris Mapp said that,
Ranchers should be allowed to shoot on sight anyone illegally crossing the border on to their land and referred to such people as “wetbacks.”

P'raps them over-stuffed-cowboy hats could ask Ted Nugent to write them a new bigoted national anthem, after all, he recenty lost a job ...

Coeur d'Alene Tribe cancels Ted Nugent concert over 'racist" remarks

My Niece Has Gone Missing

#Missing - Jennifer Huston, age 38, of #Dundee, Oregon, was last seen at a Circle K gas station in #Newberg, #Oregon around 6 p.m. July 24th, 2014. Since then, she hasn’t contacted her family and no credit card activity was recorded. Huston's cell phone has been off since Thursday night, and detectives have tried to ping her phone hourly with no response. 

Huston, a mother of two, was wearing black yoga pants, black-and-pink Nike shoes and driving a dark-green 1999 Lexus LX-470 with the license plate number WXH-011. She is 5’7” tall, average build, with blond shoulder-length hair and blue eyes.


Anyone with information about Huston’s whereabouts, please contact Detective Ryan Simmons with the Newberg-Dundee Police (503) 538-8321 or 911.

To assist with missing persons and wanted fugitive cases joinMissingcases.com on Facebook at:http://www.facebook.com/missingcases and follow on Twitter at:https://twitter.com/MissingCases

Source(s): http://www.kgw.com/news/local/Dundee-mom-missing-for-2-days-family-searching-for-clues--268733721.html

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2014/07/dundee_mom_goes_missing_after.html

#FindJenniferHuston https://www.facebook.com/FindJenniferHuston Find Jennifer Huston

The Weekend Silly section Golden Doofus winner: Ken Ham

Ken Ham wants to end the U.S. space program because the aliens are all going to hell - Salon.com

Ham does concede that the Bible does not specifically mention whether or not there is alien life. However, he is skeptical.

“And I do believe there can’t be other intelligent beings in outer space because of the meaning of the gospel,” Ham wrote. “You see, the Bible makes it clear that Adam’s sin affected the whole universe. This means that any aliens would also be affected by Adam’s sin, but because they are not Adam’s descendants, they can’t have salvation. One day, the whole universe will be judged by fire, and there will be a new heavens and earth. God’s Son stepped into history to be Jesus Christ, the “Godman,” to be our relative, and to be the perfect sacrifice for sin — the Savior of mankind.”

Ham's Blog Post 

 Well, I'll tell ya ...

I better check in on what them folks want our kids ta learn when they're sitting is school being confused cause they couldn't say a prayer before takin a test.

If our textbooks have got ta have stickers on them sayin such and such is only a theory, then by gum we need to apply the rule across the board startin with the 3 R's and includin the Bible.

Readin: Warning youngster - the words you're about to read are only the product of a theory and can only be proven by "faith". That means that you have to trust what you read is tellin you somethin useful. If you read a word you don't understand, look it up in the dictionary. But remember, what a dictionary says is only a theory too and it might not be true.

Writin: Warning youngster - writin is the way you make your own readin show up in words. That means that what you want to say will only be a theory and them who read what ya write are not supposed to believe your words. Instead they have to prove to themselves about what you say by "faith." Now faith is also only a theory that must be proven. So ya see, everything you read and write and say and do and think and feel are only theories which you must prove by faith - which is also a theory.

Gettin complicated for ya?

Well that's what yer smart parents think is the best for you to grow up and be as smart as they think they are. By the way, that ain't the way they grew up to be as smart as they are.

Rithmatic: This is where it gets good. Any number you see is only a theory. So if I have two apples in my hand, that means that I'm holding two theoretical things that might or might not be apples. And an "apple" is a theory about a certain kind of "fruit" which - theoretically- is something that grew once before gettin killed by harvestin, but still tastes sweet - even if it is dead - and is good for ya ta eat. But then eatin only fer pleasure might be sinful which again is only a theory.

Anyway, I have two theoretical apples in my two hands which are theoretical products of evolution which is ... (you guessed it - a theory). Or them apples may be the product "intelligent design" - what some of yer parents says ain't a theory cause they read it in their not-a-theory Bible.

I don't know why the Bible isn't considered a theory but for many grown-ups it ain't. But fair is fair and if yer folks learned that the Bible isn't theory by exercisin their own faith then by gum what was good enough fer them'll be good enough fer you.

So New Rule: The Bible contains theories that must be proven by faith.

Now back to rithmatic: I have two (which may or may not be an accurate count) apples (which may or may not be apples.) And you ask me to give you one - theoretically. Now if I ain't theoretically selfish and you look theoretically needy or deservin, I might theoretically decide to "share" (a theoretical virtue) and give you one half of how many apples I'm holdin in my theoretical hands.

What's that you say?

How do you know a half is really a half? You just have to take it on faith you uppity little whippersnapper.

See what I mean?

In order to make schoolin consistent and the same way all across the board, were gonna have to post a sticker on the Bible that says "Contains theories that can only be proven by faith."

Well, it's a start but I'd hate to be teachin a Sunday School class for kids or adults using these here criterias.

And what hell there'd be to pay tryin to teach kids about theoretical birds and bees whose lusty behavior has to be taken on faith.

particularly if they claim this is for the greater good of the Imperial States of America.

Moral Courage is more patriotic than Jack Bauer's heroic pretense

"In the first known instance of U.S. military conscience objection at Guantánamo, a male Navy nurse has refused to continue participating in the forced and often brutal tube feedings of hunger striking Gitmo detainees, who consider the practice torture.
... I have come to the decision that I refuse to participate in this criminal act." - the nurse reportedly announcing his refusal."

Seems to me that all government officials involved - from the highest echelon to each and every Gitmo staff member should have this experience ... particularly if they claim this is for the greater good of the Imperial States of America.

Rapper Mos Def decided to undergo it to see for himself. 

watch the video if you can bear it.

The argument we have about abortion is not about abortion.

• The argument we have about abortion is not about abortion. It's about when life begins. And we argue it, and we argue, and we argue! And I say we take all the people who think they know and yell and scream and they're sure when life begins and they're sure when life ends, and we lock them in a room. And we tell them to figure it out. And they don't come out until they do. And if they can't, then we kill them. - Lewis Black

I accept the sincerity of literal-minded belief. I also insist that such sincerity include an honest appraisal of the consequences of the literality of that belief; of one's own projections on the reality of everyone else and how a belief make become an unnecessary overriding factor in interaction with us non-literals. 

We non-literals are not anxious to be offended for God who doesn't seem to be saying or doing much about his own sense of offendedness on these important self-righteous value judgments.

This couple says the same thing in short and sweet signs.

This couple's response to Pro-Life Protesters

While pro-life protesters hold signs that read, "Babies are murdered here" and "Pregnant mothers need support not abortion," the Raleigh, N.C. couple stands beside them holding signs with irreverent messages like, "I like turtles" and "Honk if you're horny."
The "pro-choice husband/wife team" documents their adventures on their Tumblr,Saturday Chores. On their site, Tina wrote that the couple's first counter-protest "happened on a bit of a whim" in March when they were driving through Cary and passed the clinic.

"When we arrived, the “Babies Are Murdered Here” people put away all their signs, stopped yelling at the people going into the clinic, and prayed for “Grayson’s wife.” Victory. "

Mr No-Credibility Still Lying Through His Snarl

On Dick Cheney

The old warmongering-horse hiding behind dunghills

We seem to be cursed with a has-been who remains confused about his role ... a used-to-be Vice President who would rather lie than preserve and protect.

I remember that which must have been lost around the turn of the century: an extremely powerful - almost sacred - abstraction; the notion that a majority voice from the voting populace will reflect majority wisdom when ballot decisions are finally tallied.

Sadly, that majority seems to continue a lack of awareness that uninformed voters mostly likely wind up foolish, misguided or ignorant of howtheir vote will harm rather than help the country.

Win or lose, when the decisions are made, the victorious candidates receive a leadership mantle which consists of expectations, respect, regard and trust reflective of American faith in a democratic process.

In that regard let's spend a little time looking at the long-term influence of political has-beens and their significance or not-significant reflections after a time out of the driver's seat. Back in 2003, when that shy electoral trust and hopeful respect proffered the new guys in town really came to an end, Bush/Cheney and company ruined their at-bat.When it became imperative that the assumption of the leadership mantle be justified and validated by demonstrated leadership integrity, they should have walked, rather than swing for the fences and foul out.

Americans who vote ultimately cast their ballots based on an ideal that blends perceptions of agreement with a political philosophy and assumptions that the leadership integrity of their candidate and political party ultimately retains the highest good of the country - regardless of party affiliation.

Elected officials are thus obligated to demonstrate such integrity.

Back then and today, continuing like the drum-beating bunny, Dick Cheney offers only public utterances that demonstrate how we could not find that political and patriotic integrity that reflects a passion for the highest good of the country. What we're seeing reflects a self-serving passion for the survival of the party and denigration of political opponents at all costs - treating the intelligence and consciousness of the electorate with contempt.

The lack of presidential intellect in George Bush should have been offset by his so-called intellectual neocon mentor, the Vice President of the United States of America. While we were led down the path that says we can have a folksy guy who without self-conscious reluctance will talk the god-talk, talk the cowboy, beer and race-care talk and mock intellectuals. We could accept his Howdy Doodie charm and still be safe.

Why?

Because presumably President Doodie had at his side one of the ultimate intellectual experts who knew the stuff and had the power and will to reflect the best and brightest lights shining from that legacy of intellectual arrogance and postured wisdom, the American neocon.

We were in fact led down the primrose path by the greater disappointment of these two politicians, Mr. never-a-soldier- other-priorities-in-the-60's Cheney.

The brush-cutting dingbat openly revealed that what we saw was all that there was to see. But ... Mr. Doodie was supplanted by the imperial-presidency advocate who openly revealed that what we saw was what he wanted us to see rather than what represented honest advocacy of the highest good.

Yet today should we not hope that he keeps singing his song to a diminishing choir?

Are we not  long-wearied of lies, manipulation and disinformation?

Are we not long-wearied of repetitive cynical reminders of how stupid we are assumed to be and how those reminders are repeatedly presented.

What ought to come from genuine American leaders, past and present?

If Dick wants to address "cynical and pernicious falsehoods" over the war in Iraq to gain political advantage, then the electorate deserves open and simple denials of the charges; not disingenuous counterattacks.

We ought to hear indignant denial:

"We did NOT lie. We did not manipulate the facts or cook the books."

Nothing More, nothing less.

Rather than hearing,

"The president and I cannot prevent certain politicians from losing their memory, or their backbone - but we're not going to sit by and let them rewrite history,"

 we should hear Mr. Cheney again refute any rewriting of history by the honest and open declaration:

"We did NOT lie. We did not manipulate the facts or cook the books."

Rather than hearing Dick talk about the most dishonest and reprehensible charges ever aired in this city," let us hear these republicans openly and simply refute the allegations:

Once again,

"We did NOT lie. We did not manipulate the facts or cook the books."

Dishonest and reprehensible is what happens when those who serve under the mantle of leadership attack rather than admit or deny the truth of the issues.

What we are seeing - in its natural and inevitable form - is the continuing of original and on-going failure in  credibility; ...

of relying too frequently on political attacks and the continuing assumption that political attacks will always overrule common sense and critical thinking.

The notion that I'm right and you are wrong and nothing good will happen until you admit you're wrong and I am right is a winning tactic for debates ... I suppose ... where a referee says,

 "Yup, that guy with that argument is the smartest." 

 But if you come to my house and break all my dishes including the ones I had that contained poisonous snakes, the plague and an assortment of vipers that are dangerous to my house, my neighbor's house and your house, I hardly think your presence will help solve our mutual problem.

I may ask you to stay the hell out of my house but I certainly will not tell you to ignore the neighborhood and avoid your responsibility to see that the plague you set loose goes no further.

Stay behind the dunghills, Dick, and you'll forever smell the way you do right now.

Nothing's changed ... God is still probably a Republican.

Sure would be a bummer to find out God is Kindergarten Konservative

 A few years ago I remember reading the following.

The Dallas Morning News: Texas Republicans have a new party chairmanAt Saturday morning's prayer meeting, party leader Tina Benkiser assured them that God was watching over the two-day confab.
"He is the chairman of this party," she said against a backdrop of flags and a GOP seal with its red, white and blue logo.
The party platform, adopted Saturday, declares "America is a Christian nation" and affirms that "God is undeniable in our history and is vital to our freedom."
"We pledge to exert our influence toward a return to the original intent of the First Amendment and dispel the myth of the separation of church and state," 

Looks like some things when God and Politicians get together never seem to change.

I thought that at the least, God hung around in churches worldwide and made guest appearances to both liberal and conservative believers in Sunday meetings all over the place.

Smilin down on congregations from them big TV screens in the mega church meetings

or seen behind the curtain making stage whispers to Patrick Robertson, Official Mouthpiece of the Almighty.

But actually running the Republican Party?

Texas: The cradle that spewed GW over the side and onto the whole country?

God lives down there and rides on a float in the Stockyard parade every year in San Antone?

Mebbe we as voters need to immediately start the repentence process before it's too late. We need to do more to bring our own state in alignment with God's Texas.

A comittee should immediately form to consider the stigmatas and miracles of this Eyman guy and them Mega-Church popper-offers so an accomodating sainthood could be granted .... that we ignorant and non-literalist citizens can get off the radar before the caravan to Dante's Woodshed starts loading.

I'd heard God was a Republican. Well ... somebody better tell The Mormons. They'll be loving the confirmation that their elected doofus Mike Whoozis is god-annointed.

I've got family in Utah and I've got to give them the bad news that the Jazz ain't the Lord's team after all and not to bet against the Spurs.

A 2004 Restrospective on Rush Limbaugh, "stampeder extraordinaire."

Rush Limbaugh and the Jock Straps

12/12/04

One of the big stories just out is the NBA reaction to Rush Limbaugh's call to disbandon the league or change its name to the "Thug Basketball Association." Seems that Rush thinks the fans go the games to see "The Crips versus the Bloods."

Rumor has it that the NBA owners were quite scared that John McCain and Zell Miller were going to introduce anti-trust legislation against the NBA and force it down to the old AAU status. That however proved to be a false rumor after ex pro-athletes Jim Bunning, Jack Kemp and former NFL all star-coach's son, George Allen assured David Stern that there was no such plan.

However, when asked about the racist implications of Limbaugh's remarks, Senator Allen (R-Va) told them they ought not to be stampeded just because Rush got heated up and said something nasty. After all, folks with true moral values aren't barred from righteously indignant name-calling.

Mr. Stern then asked Senator Allen if - in the spirit of the NBA sanctions against Artest and Co. - the FCC could suspend Limbaugh's radio show for the rest of the NBA season. Senator Allen was quick to respond that Limbaugh didn't do anything Karl Rove hadn't approved of and that people in high places were too appreciative of Rush's contributions to the recent election to take a stand contrary to the powers that be.

Jerry Sloan of the Utah Jazz then suggested that at least Rush ought to be challenged to a wrestling match either with Donovan McNabb, Karl Malone or Michael Moore.

Phil Jackson suggested that Limbaugh needed to get into Zen study which might even have an effect on his back pain.

Latrell Sprewell thought there might be in impossible physical act Rush could be ordered to perform before the FCC decided to not take action.

Larry Bird offered to arm-wrestle Limbaugh with both hands tied behind him, but nobody took him up on it because if white men can't jump what makes anyone think they can arm wrestle?

Rush also said, "Call 'em gangs. You have the Laker Gang, you have the Heat Gang, you have a Timberwolf Gang [distortions of official team names], and let 'em strap up out there, and let 'em market their CDs. Instead of selling concessions, sell CDs out there at the concession stand."

Now that makes a lot of sense, Rush. Do you think Artest would have gotten up off the scorer's table and into the stands if a CD had landed on his chest?

And can you hear Rush trying to do Hip Hop?

"If a fight breaks out - hey it's what happens. The beer gets tossed and the players doin slappins. If a cop gets bloodied its a bonus for the gang cause it's the Thug-B-A for your money get the bang!"

I heard that a certain outspoken retired NBA coach cornered Rush and asked him why he spilled so much bile about basketbrawl and had little to say about Humvee armor?

Rush told him somethng to the effect that "The thing you gotta understand about these liberal elite NBA athletes is that they will say and do anything for fame and fortune. It doesn't matter who gets hurt with these guys so long as they can sell their stuff and people keep tuning them and the NBA in."

© Arthur Ruger 2004

On the recently re-elected Charlie Rangel ... perhaps his greatest moment of truth.

Jake Turnrose on Monkey'in around with textbooks Saturday, January 10, 2009 1:09 PM 06/01/2006 Well, the little woman says that if I swear when I read somethin, I probably am dyin to say somethin too. So I better check in on what them folks want our kids ta learn when they're sitting is school being confused cause they couldn't say a prayer before takin a test. If our textbooks have got ta have stickers on them sayin such and such is only a theory, then by gum we need to apply the rule across the board startin with the 3 R's and includin the Bible. Readin: Warning youngster - the words you're about to read are only the product of a theory and can only be proven by "faith". That means that you have to trust what you read is tellin you somethin useful. If you read a word you don't understand, look it up in the dictionary. But remember, what a dictionary says is only a theory too and it might not be true. Writin: Warning youngster - writin is the way you make your own readin show up in words. That means that what you want to say will only be a theory and them who read what ya write are not supposed to believe your words. Instead they have to prove to themselves about what you say by "faith." Now faith is also only a theory that must be proven. So ya see, everything you read and write and say and do and think and feel are only theories which you must prove by faith - which is also a theory. Gettin complicated for ya? Well that's what yer smart parents think is the best for you to grow up and be as smart as they think they are. By the way, that ain't the way they grew up to be as smart as they are. Rithmatic: This is where it gets good. Any number you see is only a theory. So if I have two apples in my hand, that means that I'm holding two theoretical things that might or might not be apples. And an "apple" is a theory about a certain kind of "fruit" which - theoretically- is something that grew once before gettin killed by harvetin, but still tastes sweet - even if it is dead - and is good for ya ta eat. But then eatin only fer pleasure might be sinful which again is only a theory. Anyway, I have two theoretical apples in my two hands which are theoretical products of evolution which is ... (you guessed it - a theory). Or them apples may be the procudct "intelligent design" - what some of yer parents says ain't a theory cause they read it in their not-a-theory Bible. I don't know why the Bible isn't considered a theory but for many grown-ups it ain't. But fair is fair and if yer folks learned that the Bible isn't theory by exercisin their own faith then by gum what was good enough fer them'll be good enough fer you. So New Rule: The Bible contains theories that must be proven by faith. Now back to rithmatic: I have two (which may or may not be an accurate count) apples (which may or may not be apples.) And you ask me to give you one - theoretically. Now if I ain't theoretically selfish and you look theoretically needy or deservin, I might theoretically decide to "share" (a theoretical virtue) and give you one half of how many apples I'm holdin in my theoretical hands. What's that you say? How do you know a half is really a half? You just have to take it on faith you uppity little whippersnapper. See what I mean? In order to make schoolin consistent and the same way all across the board, were gonna have to post a sticker on the Bible that says "Contains theories that can only be proven by faith." Well, it's a start but I'd hate to be teachin a Sunday School class for kids or adults using these here criterias. And what hell there'd be to pay tryin to teach kids about theoretical birds and bees whose lusty behavior has to be taken on faith. © Arthur Ruger 2006 Pasted from

Well, the little woman says that if I swear when I read somethin, I probably am dyin to say somethin too. So I better check in on what them folks want our kids ta learn when they're sitting is school being confused cause they couldn't say a prayer before takin a test. If our textbooks have got ta have stickers on them sayin such and such is only a theory, then by gum we need to apply the rule across the board startin with the 3 R's and includin the Bible. Readin: Warning youngster - the words you're about to read are only the product of a theory and can only be proven by "faith". That means that you have to trust what you read is tellin you somethin useful. If you read a word you don't understand, look it up in the dictionary. But remember, what a dictionary says is only a theory too and it might not be true. Writin: Warning youngster - writin is the way you make your own readin show up in words. That means that what you want to say will only be a theory and them who read what ya write are not supposed to believe your words. Instead they have to prove to themselves about what you say by "faith." Now faith is also only a theory that must be proven. So ya see, everything you read and write and say and do and think and feel are only theories which you must prove by faith - which is also a theory. Gettin complicated for ya? Well that's what yer smart parents think is the best for you to grow up and be as smart as they think they are. By the way, that ain't the way they grew up to be as smart as they are. Rithmatic: This is where it gets good. Any number you see is only a theory. So if I have two apples in my hand, that means that I'm holding two theoretical things that might or might not be apples. And an "apple" is a theory about a certain kind of "fruit" which - theoretically- is something that grew once before gettin killed by harvetin, but still tastes sweet - even if it is dead - and is good for ya ta eat. But then eatin only fer pleasure might be sinful which again is only a theory. Anyway, I have two theoretical apples in my two hands which are theoretical products of evolution which is ... (you guessed it - a theory). Or them apples may be the procudct "intelligent design" - what some of yer parents says ain't a theory cause they read it in their not-a-theory Bible. I don't know why the Bible isn't considered a theory but for many grown-ups it ain't. But fair is fair and if yer folks learned that the Bible isn't theory by exercisin their own faith then by gum what was good enough fer them'll be good enough fer you. So New Rule: The Bible contains theories that must be proven by faith. Now back to rithmatic: I have two (which may or may not be an accurate count) apples (which may or may not be apples.) And you ask me to give you one - theoretically. Now if I ain't theoretically selfish and you look theoretically needy or deservin, I might theoretically decide to "share" (a theoretical virtue) and give you one half of how many apples I'm holdin in my theoretical hands. What's that you say? How do you know a half is really a half? You just have to take it on faith you uppity little whippersnapper. See what I mean? In order to make schoolin consistent and the same way all across the board, were gonna have to post a sticker on the Bible that says "Contains theories that can only be proven by faith." Well, it's a start but I'd hate to be teachin a Sunday School class for kids or adults using these here criterias. And what hell there'd be to pay tryin to teach kids about theoretical birds and bees whose lusty behavior has to be taken on faith.

In the future: Adventures with the Prime Directive

The prime directive probably included tax cuts for all alien civilization members with income equal to 1000 times the average working alien's earnings, eh?

Of course what they didn't tell us was that the dilithium crystals originally were renewable but a company named Monsanto figured out how to change their internal structure into something more battery-like -- called them genetic dilithium crystals that could not be re-energized the old fashioned way …

and that for every prime directive violated, the Enterprise carried a contingency crew for easing the impact and cleaning up the mess:

 the Federation Enterprise Mop-up Authority:

 FEMA

many god-and-politics propagandists seem to be worried that God is not worried

 what hot button seems to be stuck in the "ON" position with all these righteous reporters of what hurts God's feelings.

Doubt ... who to trust ... defend the faith ... from what?

God doesn't seem to be worried 

... but many theologians are and they seem to be worried that God is not worried.

And Rand Paul if from Ole Kentuck ain't he?
Kentucky argues in court that gay marriage is bad for the economy why? Cause those gay couples would better serve the economy by giving up their heart's desire and marrying someone of the opposite sex for the higher good of the economy.

U.S. District Judge John G. Heyburn II had some choice words for those arguments in his decision Tuesday striking down the ban:

 These arguments are not those of serious people. Though it seems almost unnecessary to explain, here are the reasons why. Even assuming the state has a legitimate interest in promoting procreation, the Court fails to see, and Defendant never explains, how the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage has any effect whatsoever on procreation among heterosexual spouses. Excluding same-sex couples from marriage does not change the number of heterosexual couples who choose to get married, the number who choose to have children, or the number of children they have.

With the Big Iron on Their Hips

That's right folks ... can't tell the dumb ones frum the good ones. 

Sure be better to give them all miniature sling shots made out of old coat hangars and too small to shoot anything bigger than a BB.

Two Guys With Guns Have Showdown On First Day Of Georgia's New 'Guns Everywhere' Law

"“Essentially, it involved one customer with a gun on his hip when a second customer entered with a gun on his hip," Childress said."

The Big Iron on His Hip tells the story of an Arizona Ranger's duel with an outlaw named Texas Red in the "town of Agua Fria". The town predicts the death of the Ranger (Texas Red had already killed 20 men), but the Ranger kills Texas Red with the swiftness of the "big iron on his hip." This term refers to the gun the Ranger carries. Wikipedia

To all them who "carry" and consider themselves "heroic:"

The Big Iron On His Hip - Marty Robbins