The Atlanta Journal Constitution is reporting that current Governor Nathan Deal has increased the payroll in his office by thirty percent over the benchmark set by the previous administration of Sonny Perdue. The additional salary expense is attributed to ten more employees working for the new governor. With our economy struggling and already a bloated government budget running a deficit, the last thing we need are more government workers. The size of government should be reduced, not expanded. Curiously, the AJC article lists the governor of Georgia's salary. Nathan Deal earns $139,339 per year to run the entire state. Why the added emphasis? The Savannah Morning News website SavannahNow.com has reported that interim city manager Rochelle Small-Toney is making a whopping $190, 575 to manage a city a fraction the size of metropolitan Atlanta. How and why does the interim city manager of Georgia's 4th largest city make over $50,000 a year more than the governor? Why are we paying anybody in government this kind of money when states are going bankrupt? … [Read more...]
Internet Anonymity
The Internet is a wonderful resource. It offers a worldwide database of instantaneous information, available at the click of a mouse. Of course, there are drawbacks to using the Internet as a primary source of information. Anyone can post virtually anything they wish with impunity. As hard as some people work to research a subject and publish useful and pertinent information into this ethereal database of knowledge, it can be deliberately polluted by false information by a few insidious individuals acting with malicious intent. For example, my writing as the Atlanta Creationism Examiner has inspired comments by brave readers who call themselves names like "Pastafarian" and "Blackout". Using the cloak of an alias, these self-professed intellectuals regularly call me a liar or idiot for daring to write material expressing an opinion critical of evolution have no effect on my self-esteem. Their remarks might be intended to hurt my feelings, but I've become immune because I've learned to ignore them. Their mode of critical analysis seems a bit cowardly, but so what? The comments appear to reflect more on the source than their subject. The best way to deal with a childish insult is to simply ignore it. I've stopped responding to the large majority of the comments from people who routinely insult me, unless someone says something clever.... I've learned to stop simply reading after the first insult and skip ahead. Why waste my time and energy? I have books to write. Any human being on the planet may pose as a reliable source of information (or, as it … [Read more...]
Journalism malpractice
The New York Times once ruled the world as the premier source of news and information. Publisher Arthur "Pinch" Sulzberger, Jr. continues to drive the formerly great paper into the ground. A caricature of what his father built, the Grey Lady is now a sad joke. Most recently a "news analysis" article credited comedian Jon Stewart with passage of the 9/11 responders bill to overturn Republican filibusters that represented "“an outrageous abdication of our responsibility to those who were most heroic on 9/11.” Did the Democrat party actually write the article published under the names of Bill Carter and Brian Stelter? It could not have been more slanted toward their point of view if Nancy Pelosi had penned it herself! Senator Tom Coburn (a Republican) did delay this legislation (already a decade after the incident) a few days more....in order to eliminate billions of dollars in federal pork. In case the New York Times reporters are oblivious to this information, the U.S. government is currently drowning in debt. We cannot afford to squander the inheritance of our children any longer. Taking care of those who served nobly on September 11th is certainly the right thing to do. Eliminating billions of dollars in payments to attorneys by capping legal fees associated with those payments is prudent, responsible and it was also the right thing to do. Senator Tom Coburn is a hero for standing up for the American taxpayers in face of harsh (and misguided) public criticism like that coming from the New York Times. Our federal government must stop spending tax … [Read more...]
The War on Christmas trees
Researcher Michael Schmitt of Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada recently conducted an experiment in social psychology. The findings were published November in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. The study concluded that reminders of Christmas can make "religious minorities" uncomfortable, even if they remain unaware of the fact. Stephanie Pappas reported in LiveScience that "When people who did not celebrate Christmas or who did not identify as Christian filled out surveys about their moods while in the same room as a small Christmas tree, they reported less self-assurance and fewer positive feelings than if they hadn't been reminded of the holiday, according to a new study." How small? The tree used in the study was only twelve inches -- a mere one foot tall. How bad or intimidated can one become by a miniature Christmas tree? Now, the infamous Abu Dhabi $11 million dollar Christmas tree is another story entirely. Schmitt defended the study by saying, "I don't think it's really going to undermine anyone's experience of Christmas to tone it down," he said. "We're not suggesting 'no Christmas' or 'no Christmas displays at all,' but in contexts where we really do value respecting and including diversity in terms of religion, the safest option is not to have these kinds of displays." The first several comments left by readers of the article indicate they understand better than the author of the study that Christmas trees are not specifically Christian but trace their roots to pagan customs. A Christmas tree isn't that much more … [Read more...]
Christmas shopping at the mall
Everybody hates going to the mall to do their Christmas shopping, don't they? Well, not everyone. No, I'm not thinking about the shoplifters, taking their five finger discounts. I'm thinking about some people simply enjoying their lunch in the mall food court. Recently such a gathering was blessed at lunch to hear a "flash mob" give a short performance virtually guaranteed to uplift one's spirits this year during the holidays. If the video embedded below doesn't elevate your soul after watching this "impromptu" concert, you may wish to make an attitude adjustment. Maybe you need to check and see if you still have one. The performers in the video aren't the only people smiling; just look at the faces of their "audience." Especially in these troubled economic times, always remember "the reason for the season." Merry Christmas, everyone. … [Read more...]
