Coverage of Climategate and Climategate 2, Respectively

From a liberal perspective: “Climategate: What Really Happened?”, Mother Jones, April 21st, 2011.

From a conservative perspective: “Scientists Behaving Badly”, National Review Online, November 28th, 2011.

Bonus: “Nothing Has Changed Post-Climategate”, the Corner, National Review Online, October 28th, 2010.

Hat tip to the Reformed Pastor.

Guns Mainstream?

I heard an ad for a gun Web site on the radio this morning.  (They’re having their “cyber-Monday” sale.)  I’ve never heard an ad for a gun Web site on the radio before.  I wonder whether it’s a sign of a changing culture.

Certainly the different states’ laws have become much more congenial to concealed carry over the course of the last twenty-five years, as shown dramatically in this animated-GIF map from the Wikipedia article on the subject.  Ohio’s own concealed-carry law was passed so recently that I remember when it happened.  

Correlation ≠ Causation

In light of past conversations in the comments section of this blog, I have to share this:  Via the Swiss Economist, I give you Web comic XKCD’s meta-humor about the limits of human knowledge.

What’s Wrong with the Welfare State

Eternity Matters discusses (with illustrations) why the welfare state is bad, not just in any particular execution of the idea, but intrinsically.  It’s short; read it—if not to believe and understand the world better, then at least to understand conservatives’ point of view a little bit better.

Oops: Perry Gets It

Governor Rick Perry had a bad moment in one of the two debates last week.  He promised that if he becomes president, three federal agencies will be entirely eliminated: the Department of Commerce, the Department of Education, and the Department of Energy.

Except he couldn’t name the Department of Energy.

Here’s the moment (with some context):  

About the Occupy Movement

Funny quote of the day, about cleaning up the mess from Occupy Wall Street:

I pick up garbage [for a living], and these were some of the worst smells I’ve ever experienced.

Not so funny, from a “teach-in” at Occupy D. C. (scroll down for video, quote is c. 1:51-1:59):

The other thing we stress is building a base in the military, because if we’re talking about revolution, it means we have to win over some section of the military to be on our side . . . .

2011 Election Results

Ohio Issue 2 went down this week, by a three-to-two margin, 61% to 39%.  It was outspent roughly three to one.  The total “We Are Ohio” campaign was “more than $30 million”, most of which apparently came from out of state (source: first article again):

Labor went all in. National unions are estimated to have spent some $25 million on a methodical and unified campaign against the initiative . . . .  

2011 Cincinnati Election Endorsement Compendium

For City Council

All nine seats on City Council are up for election every two years.  This year there are 22 candidates (vote for up to 9); the top 9 vote getters will be seated.  There’s no reason you have to use all of your votes; so vote for the ones you want, but don’t vote for ones you don’t want.

Jacqueline Allen

Mike Allen L

Kathy Atkinson 

Issue 2 Needs You

It’s not too late to make a difference.  Get-out-the-vote efforts will continue through this weekend.  If you’re in Ohio, you can find a volunteer center near you—including address, contact information, and hours—on this map.

I know, I know—you’re busy.  So am I.  So is everyone.  I’m doing this in addition to my full-time job, church, campus-ministry volunteering, and everything else.