two or three . net

Why Us?: How Science Rediscovered the Mystery of Ourselves

ID the Future has a nice two part interview with Dr. James Le Fanu, author of Why Us?: How Science Rediscovered the Mystery of Ourselves. Le Fanu, a scientist and science writer, discusses the inability of evolution to even come close to explaining the complexity of humanity.  He doesn't reject evolution, he only explains that its explanatory power is vastly inferior to the problems presented.

This book appears as much science as philosophy of science, but another thoughtful book considering the limitations, perhaps even the fallibility of evolutionary origins. 

Two wrong reactions to Mark Sanford

Since the bizarre story of Gov. Mark Sanford has unfolded in the news, individuals from both sides of the political spectrum have reacted wrongly. At some point we moved away from seeing people in the spotlight as actual people, but merely pawns to play for political gain.

Who performs the majority of abortions in the US?

I had a (somewhat heated) discussion with a liberal friend of mine who, when I retorted that Planned Parenthood was bad because they were the leading abortion provider in the us, told me that I did not know what I was talking about, that Planned Parenthood does not do abortions, and that I should 'get my facts straight!'

Needless to say, her confidence in what she was saying made me go check it out.  Turns out, she was partially right, but mostly wrong.  Here's what I was surprised to find out.

Germans not getting onboard with 'the Debt President'

Der Spiegel had an article on the five fallacies of the Obama economic debacle plan.  You can read the English version of Chancellor Merkel Visits the Debt President for the details, but here are the five fallacies:

1. It's not as bad as it seems. The US amassed much more debt during World War II, it is often said. That, though, is not true. According to conservative forecasts, Obama's policies could end up being three times as expensive as US expenditures during World War II.
2. The money is part of an effort to resuscitate the crisis-plagued economy and is thus serving a good purpose. The truth of the matter is that the bulk of the borrowed money will be used to finance the normal US budget.
3. When the crisis ends, borrowing will automatically fall. The truth is that it could climb afterwards. The graying of American society creates a new fiscal policy challenge for the country that so far hasn't been reflected in any budget plan. According to calculations by the International Monetary Fund, Washington would need to spend several times more than it is now just to service current pension entitlements.
4. The world believes that the US is borrowing money from capital markets. It is often said that the Chinese and the Japanese will buy government bonds. But the truth of the matter is that trust in the gravitas and reliability of the United States has suffered to such a great degree that fewer and fewer foreigners are purchasing its government bonds.
5. The additional money is harmless because the economy is starting to pull together again and there is no threat of inflation. The truth is that the quiet on the inflation front is deceptive. The hot money is accumulating in people's savings accounts and in the balance sheets of banks that aren't keen to lend money at the moment. The supply of money has increased by 45 percent in the last three years and there has not been a corresponding rise in hard assets or production. That imbalance will eventually make itself felt in the form of inflation.

In my opinion, if Obama succeeds in all of his spending (which it looks like he has), we will spend the next 40 years trying to get out from under it.  As my mom, who is a lifelong Kennedy Democrat said to me this week "I don't think I'll live to see the economy recover from what Obama is doing, but I can damn well vote Republican in the coming elections."  Now that is saying something.

Some conservative bumper stickers I got in a viral email

I haven't had time for blogging lately, but did get this humorous email I wanted to share.  I deleted the less intelligent bumper stickers, but these made me laugh, sometimes cynically.  Here are some choice stickers, with commentary.

This one to the right is my favorite, and speaks for itself.  Clever, though obvious.

Sick of the idiots

Twice in the past few weeks I've had to write something along these lines on twitter: "You can't SAY you support traditional marriage politically and not LIVE support for traditional marriage personally." Yes, you Sen. Ensign. Yes, you Gov. Sanford.

Liberals, have at it. Supports of gay marriage, have at it. There is nothing I can or will say to defend such men, who lied at every turn and treated supporters, votes, their staffs and most importantly their families with such disdain and disregard.

There is personal grace and forgiveness, but there should be none politically for these two cowards and liars. Michelle Malkin said it best: Bastard.

It’s the only fitting word for a man who abandons his wife and four sons on Father’s Day weekend to indulge his “overdrive” on an Argentinian fling.

Mark Sanford: Bastard.

My only request is that you do not assume that every conservative is cheating on their wife, but at this point I can't blame you if you did.

UPDATE: Here's Gov. Sanford wife's eloquent and classy statement. She deserved and deserves better.

Celebrating freedom with murdering thugs

We can all disagree on whether Obama should be more vocal in his support for the Iranian opposition or not, but is there any doubt that this is beyond tragic and an extremely regrettable decision.

How can President Obama still have Iranian diplomats to US embassies for 4th of July celebrations after all their regime has done these past few weeks? Will all of the blood even be washed from the streets before they get together and laugh over hot dogs and hamburgers?

It is one thing to remain virtually silent, voicing a fear that the dictators would use it to undermine the protests. It is another thing entirely to continue with plans to have them over for a cook-out! If this is their reward for the violence or our reward for the election, I don't like either. This is the most upset and disappointed I have been yet in the new administration.

Now is it okay to say we won't meet with dictators?

One of the most infamous portions of the Democratic primary was then Sen. Obama's answering a YouTube debate question that as President he would meet separately without precondition with the dictatorial leaders of Cuba, Syria, Venezuela, North Korea and Iran in Washington D.C. or anywhere else during the first year of his administration.

With the USS John McCain (irony?) poised to intercept a North Korean ship suspected of carrying weapons materials, Kim Jong Il threatening to launch a missile toward Obama's birth state and, of course, the Iranian regime slaughtering their own citizens in the streets, can we now all agree that this was an uniformed statement that should now be discarded to the scrap heap of campaign promises. This is one that I sincerely hope President Obama will break. I believe that as he is currently seeing things and learning things that only a President can, he will change his mind on this as he has on other issues of foreign policy and national security.

Tough words or patience?

When George W. Bush won a disputed and controversial election in 2000, many on the left were quick to throw around words like "stolen," "rigged," and "illegitimate." Despite the fact that a media recount showed Bush widening his vote lead in Florida, to this day liberals feel no qualms about claiming that Bush stole the election and shredded the Constitution.

Contrast that with the hesitance of many of those same individuals to refer to the election in Iran with the same terminology. They caution that we should not jump to conclusions or make hasty statements. We should refrain from rhetoric that would make the situation worse. Why does this situation call for patience and understanding, while the other demanded the toughest of words?

How can you refuse to accept an election in one of the freest nations in the history of civilization, yet be somewhat trusting a murderous, racist, terror-supporting, theocratic dictator would participate in a fair election. It strikes me as odd, and a bit troubling, that so many in our country are more accepting of votes in states with dictators (Iran, Venezuela, Saddam's Iraq, etc.) than they are of America's elections.

How to measure the success of the stimulus

Judging the success or failure of the stimulus spending has always been a difficult task. To evaluate it, you have to determine what would or could have happened had it not been implemented. That uncertainty allows both sides to play up the issue. The administration can say things would have been worse. The GOP can say things would have been better. It would seem a generous way to judge the stimulus' impact would be to evaluate it in terms of Obama's own projections.

Tennessee GOP needs to learn Letterman's lesson

David Letterman finally offered a real apology for his tasteless "joke" about Sarah Palin's daughters. It took him a week and one faux-pology before he finally took responsibility for his actions and apologized (which Palin accepted).

One can only hope that it takes less than week for the Tennessee GOP and staffer Sherri Goforth to correct their horrendous mistake and issue an actual apology, preferably while firing Goforth.

Iran revolts against "hipster style" having dictator

With all media being restricted in Iran, the best place to get news now is Twitter using the tag #iranelection. You can find up to the minute updates from Change_for_Iran, an Iranian student, StopAhmadi, a supporter of the opposition, OxfordGirl, Iran09, Tehran Bureau and Alirezasha.

It is worth noting that this democratic revolution has vocal supporters on every side of the aisle. It seems to be an issue that everyone can join together in supporting the Iranian protesters. But the divide becomes what should our country do.

Comparing gay marriage to incest and pedophilia

Recently the staff of an elected official defended DOMA by citing Catalano v. Catalano, a marriage in Italy between an uncle and niece, and Wilkins v. Zelichowski, a marriage of a 16-year-old girl that was held as invalid in NJ. John Aravosis, a liberal blogger was obviously angered and shocked by the comparison: "Holy cow, [they] invoked incest and people marrying children.”

The politician was of course the right-wing extremist ... Barack Obama?

Book Review: Dred Scott's Revenge by Judge Andrew Napolitano

America has had a difficult history when it comes to racial issues and often the government has done more harm than good according to an excellent new book by Judge Andrew Napolitano entitled Dred Scott's Revenge. Click here to read my review of the book.

Dred Scott's Revenge: A Legal History of Race and Freedom in America By Andrew Napolitano / Thomas Nelson

Another tragic murder, another political football

Yesterday, a right-wing veteran and white supremacist who hated President Obama, pushed the conspiracy theory that his birth certificate was forged, criticized the media for their attacks on George W. Bush and Sarah Palin, was influenced by Fox News and conservative talk radio, had ties to anti-government groups like all those at the tea parties and had a screed republished at right-wing message board Free Republic murdered an African American union security guard, which should cause us all to accept the recent DHS memo warning of an uptick in domestic terrorism from anti-government veterans as well as encourage us to support tighter gun laws and union legislation.

Which is strange because on Wednesday an anti-semitic, Christian-hating, supporter of 9/11 conspiracy theories, registered Democrat, who has written about the evils of "neo-cons" like Bill O'Reilly, Rupert Murdoch, George W. Bush and John McCain, while blaming Christianity for the demise of the Roman Empire and Western Civilization also killed a guard at the Holocaust Museum and may have had plans for other targets including offices for the conservative magazine Weekly Standard and a Fox News studio.

Tragic murders

Two acts of terror were committed. Two people were murdered in separate assassinations. One has been the subject of non-stop media coverage and blame assigning. The other has been almost ignored. Doubt that? How many times have you heard the name George Tiller, the partial-birth abortion doctor murdered by an anti-abortion extremist? How about William Long, the Army private murdered by a Muslim terrorist?

Keep repeating: "There's no liberal media. There's no liberal media..."

During the Bush administration, Newsweek's Evan Thomas reminded everyone the job of the news media and particularly his magazine: "Well, our job is to bash the president, that’s what we do..."

Somehow with the election of President Obama, the job requirements have shifted ever so slightly. Now for Thomas it seems bashing has become worshipping: "I mean in a way Obama’s standing above the country, above — above the world, he’s sort of God."

Care to imagine what would have happened if a Fox News reporter had made such a statement during Bush's presidency?

It becomes harder and harder for conservatives to not play up the whole "Messiah" bit when liberals, even those in the "non-partisan" press, keep speaking as if the joke is true.

The Rise of Homeschooling

A new report from the U. S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics shows a dramatic rise in the number of students that are being educated at home. Dr. Albert Mohler provides some details from the report:

Homeschooling was the choice of families for 2.9 percent of all school-age children in the United States in 2007, involving 1.5 million students. By comparison, in 1999 only 850,000 children were homeschooled. By 2003, that number was up to 1.1 million. This report indicates significant jumps in homeschooling as compared to other educational options. In fact, the report reveals that the actual number of American children whose parents choose homeschooling for at least part of their education exceeds 3 million. According to the report, 1.5 million children are exclusively homeschooled while another 1.5 million are homeschooled for at least part of the school week.

At this point, the picture grows even more interesting. When parents were asked why they chose to homeschool their children, 36 percent cited a desire to provide children specifically religious or moral instruction. After that, 21 percent of parents pointed to concerns about the environment of schools, 17 percent cited dissatisfaction with educational quality in the schools, and 14 percent cited "other reasons." Among those "other reasons" was a concern for more family time together.

Higher numbers of parents with college educations and greater family incomes are now homeschooling. This trend points to the fact that homeschooling is increasingly the option of first choice for many parents. This pattern is also revealed in increasing numbers of college students, primarily young women, who indicate that they desire a college education so that they will be better equipped in years ahead to be homeschooling parents.

It's no great surprise to me that there has been such a tremendous rise in the number of families choosing to homeschool. In the nine years we've been homeschooling we've seen exponential growth among our homeschool community.

But the most crucial points in Dr. Mohler's essay come at the end of the post:

Homeschooling is now a major force in American education, and Christian parents have been in the vanguard of this movement.  For many Christian parents, homeschooling represents the fulfillment of the biblical mandate for parents to teach their children.  These parents deserve our respect, our support, our advocacy, and our prayers.  This movement is a sign of hope on our educational horizon, and a phenomenon that can no longer be dismissed as a fringe movement.

As president of a seminary and college, I can attest to the fact that questions about the educational aptitude of homeschooled students are now settled.  These students can hold their own as compared to students from all other educational backgrounds.  One other fact speaks loudly to me concerning their education.  Most of the homeschooled students I meet at the college and graduate levels indicate an eager determination to homeschool their own children when that time comes.

Education cannot be reduced to statistics, but the trends revealed in this new report from the Department of Education deserve close attention.  In our day, education represents a clash of worldviews.  Increasingly toxic approaches to education (or what is called education) drive many schools and many school systems.  In that light, the fact that so many Christian parents are taking education into their own hands is a sign of hope.  As this new report makes clear, we should expect homeschooling to be a growth industry in years ahead.

It's encouraging as a homeschool parent and as a Christian to see a prominent pastor and seminary president embrace the choice that thousands of families make. Homeschooling is not easy and families who make this choice often face derision and ridicule from both friends and families. Those who make the choice to educate their children at home (either full-time or part-time) should be applauded and respected for making this choice. While not everyone will agree that it is the best choice for their own family it's important that those who don't homeschool respect those who do and vice versa.

Senator won't vote for qualified Court nominee

A ideologically driven senator has vowed that he will not vote for Judge Sonia Sotomayor even though he had "no doubt" that she "is qualified to sit on the highest court in the land" and has "the comportment and the temperament that makes a good judge."

He went on to explain: "There are some who believe that the President, having won the election, should have complete authority to appoint his nominee and the Senate should only examine whether or not he or she is intellectually capable and an all around good guy. That once you get past intellect and character there should be no further questions as to whether to the judge should be confirmed. I disagree with this view."

He said, the Senate should examine a judges' "philosophy, ideology and record." Even though Sotomayor has "the training and intelligence to sit on the Supreme Court," the highest rating from the ABA and is "an accomplished jurist," he vowed to not vote for Sotomayor.

Underwear gnomes run WH policy decision?

It's not often you find South Park mentioned in the Wall Street Journal. One would think it would be an impossibility to find WSJ referencing an episode that centered around underwear stealing gnomes. However, not only did a Bret Stephens column reference them, the gnomes provided the central analogy for the piece.

Despite the odd, non-WSJ type reference, the comparison between the Obama administration's various policy proposals and the underwear gnomes proposals to make a profit from their heists does illustrate the need for the President to do more than declare his wishes. He must also tell us how he hopes to achieve his grand plans.