Techcordance

April 27

A Three Step Program for Blog Addiction

Getting your news from blogs can be a quick efficient way to broaden your knowledge base. I try to take the next step and check out the blogs, news sites and other sources that I don’t necessarily agree with, politically or philosophically. By taking in different viewpoints I hope to reinforce my own thinking and better articulate where I’m coming from on any particular issue. Of course you have be willing to change your opinion or at least think more critically on those issues that don’t compromise your core worldview beliefs, when that opposing argument makes so much sense you can’t ignore it.
On this blog I’ve chosen to employ a three category approach, faith, technology and politics, to satisfy the appetite of all my fellow news junkies, hopefully appealing to the more casual observer as well. I think the three fit together nicely, complimenting each other for a comprehensive view of current events. When I see a change in political attitudes, be it the well connected or the working class, I’m confident my seriously held faith views will somehow be affected. Likewise, insight into the world of technology is often a barometer for the way society debates important issues and also in what way those technologies will be used to influence the debate. Being somewhat new to the game I’m always searching for new ways to reach people with information I think is important. For me, its also important to keep it fun and civil. So far that’s been my experience.

Immigration

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs on Monday professed the administration’s admiration and affection for GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham and added: “I don’t know the degree to which that has complicated his life.”
Here’s a hint: Back home in South Carolina, Graham has been censured by multiple Republican county committees for his work on energy reform, immigration and other presidential priorities, and some detractors are pushing to have every GOP committee in the state issue similar rebukes. That helps explain why he reacted so sharply Friday to news that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and the White House wanted to move immigration reform — legislation that hasn’t even been written — onto the Senate calendar before a climate bill that Graham, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) were to unveil Monday. Graham had even tougher talking points late Monday: He emerged from a closed-door meeting with Kerry and Lieberman to say that immigration must be tabled altogether before he will agree to back any energy bill this year.

HaHa
Is laughter the new exercise? Quite possibly. While toning thighs and building muscle mass still require a trip to the gym, other benefits associated with exercise – improved cholesterol and blood pressure, decreased stress hormones, a strengthened immune system and a healthy appetite – can be attained with regular guffaws, studies now suggest.
The latest mirth study, which focuses on the appetite effects of a good laugh, is being presented this week at the 2010 Experimental Biology conference in Anaheim, Calif.
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22

Anti-Religious
Sixty-four percent of Americans believe that rulings by judges in recent years have been more anti-religious than the Founding Fathers intended, a new poll shows. Only 21 percent of adults think the judges’ rulings regarding religion in public life have correctly interpreted the U.S. Constitution, according to Rasmussen Reports.
Among evangelical Christians, 87 percent say the rulings have been too anti-religious. Those who practice other religions are evenly divided on the question.
Meanwhile, 51 percent of those who rarely or never attend a religious service believe the courts have correctly interpreted the Constitution.
“Legal scholars, religious leaders and politicians have argued for decades over whether the ’separation of church and state’ is actually enshrined in the Constitution,” the report, released Friday, states. “One side argues that the Constitution merely prohibits the establishment of a government-mandated official religion, but the other reads in the document the complete banishment of religion from anything touched by the government. The courts in recent years have leaned in the direction of the latter position.”