Here’s the lede from Politico.com: A slight majority of Americans do not want assault weapons banned in the aftermath of the Newtown, Conn., elementary school shooting, though a clear majority said they support stricter gun laws in general, according to a USA Today/Gallup poll out Wednesday. Specifically on an assault weapons ban, 51 percent of respondents were against the measure, while 44 percent said they support it, the poll said. That remains largely unchanged from an October 2011 poll that had 43 percent for and 51 percent against a ban. Read the rest here. Read USA Today‘s coverage of the poll here.
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When Queen Victoria worked as a mailman
Okay, you tell me what’s wrong with the following sentence. It’s the first line from a story in the London Telegraph: Jiroemon Kimura, who was born on April 19, 1897 when Queen Victoria was still on the throne and worked as a postal employee, is “particularly fond of red bean cake and rice”. Either the author is really mixed-up about what Queen Victoria’s vocation was, or he made a grammatical mistake. At very least, it’s an intolerable—but humorous—ambiguity. If we were to disambiguate the author’s intent, all we would need to do is insert a “who” as follows: Jiroemon Kimura, who was born on April 19, 1897 when Queen Victoria…
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How much will your taxes go up after fiscal cliff?
Reports say that most Americans will see their taxes increase after we go over the fiscal cliff next week (see impact here). As Congress continues to slog this one out with the President, the question most people are asking is how much their own taxes will go up after January 1. I’ve come across several websites that have calculators to help you figure the impact on your own bottom line. If you are interested, The Washington Times recommends the one at TaxFoundation.org. After plugging in your numbers, you may find yourself hoping for a last-minute deal to avert the cliff.
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Top 10 Media Stories of 2012
Dylan Byers gives us the “Top Ten Media stories of 2012” over at Politico. Byers says that the men and women who are tasked to report the news are increasingly making themselves a part of the news. In Byers’ own words: “The biggest political media stories of 2012 portray a fourth estate whose members are stepping off the sidelines to become players in the game.” What struck me about Byers’ list is how many of them end up cutting against conservatives in one way or another. I’ll include the list below, but you’ll have to read Byers’ article for the full commentary on each one.
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Top 10 YouTubes of 2012
It’s time for my annual posting of the Top 10 YouTube Videos of the Year (see last year’s list here). This ranking is totally unscientific. Only one person was polled to compile this list—yours truly. This year’s crop contains items relating to sports, theology, news, Christianity, and more. Some of the videos are humorous, and others are poignant. They’re not all actual YouTubes. They’re just internet videos. If you think I’ve left something out, let me know. I’ll think about adding it to the “Honorable Mention” category at the bottom. If you’re interested, here are links to lists from previous years: 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008
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Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room
How could there possibly be anything more mysterious and wonderful than the incarnation of Jesus Christ? God became a man. God took on mortal human flesh and became subject to all the things that every other mortal is subject to. He sneezed. He coughed. He got headaches and an upset stomach. Every morning he got up, shook the dust out of His hair, and put his hand to the plow in his Father’s field. Jesus Christ was not only subject to sickness, but also to death. The eternal Son of God was die-able. In fact, he did die. And three days later, what was mortal became swallowed up by immortality…
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Does God hate Westboro Baptist Church?
Pastor Josh Buice says that God hates Westboro Baptist Church. He bases his argument on Proverbs 6:16-19, which reads: 16 There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: 17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, 19 A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers. He shows that Westboro meets every one of these characteristics. Read the rest here. (HT: Tim Challies)
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Hollywood stars demand a plan to end gun violence
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Gingrich reverses his stance on gay marriage
What a difference 11 months makes. In January when Newt Gingrich was running for the Republican nomination, he compared gay marriage to “paganism” and said that it was a “fundamental violation of our civilization.” Now at the close of 2012, he’s saying that it is “inevitable” and that Republicans must recognize reality and accept it. In his own words: I think that this will be much more difficult than immigration for conservatism to come to grips with. It is in every family. It is in every community. The momentum is clearly now in the direction in finding some way to … accommodate and deal with reality. And the reality is…
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The Pope on gender and the end of western civilization
Every year in December, the Pope delivers an address to the Roman Curia. The annual speech has been dubbed “The State of the Union” for the Roman Catholic Church. The Pope gave this year’s address earlier today, and it is already making waves—for all the right reasons. News reports and punditry have focused most of their attention on the speech’s implications for gay marriage—namely that the Pope opposes same-sex unions of any kind. Nevertheless, the focus on the legal question of gay marriage is a rather shallow analysis of the speech. Make no mistake. The Pope’s words are nothing less than a broadside against any notion of same-sex marriage. But…