BBC: Herding Sheep

The British Broadcasting System has a cool tool to test your reflexes.

Our Generation supports the Social Security Preservation Act

The 171,838 Senior Citizens who responded to Our Generation's most recent survey of Senior Citizens overwhelmingly support the Social Security Preservation Act (HR 219). Sponsored by Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) and co-sponsored by 15 Members of Congress, the Social Security Preservation Act ends the abusive practice of "borrowing" from the Social Security Trust Fund to fond current government programs. 95.3% of the Senior Citizens surveyed by Our Generation support the Social Security Preservation Act.

Our Generation Votes

91.2% of the responders to a survey of members of Our Generation report that they regularly vote. Of those, 22% said they Usually vote and 67% said they Always vote.

Not from Paul Harvey

My good friend Bette Grove sent me this...

Jesus was wandering around Jerusalem when he decided that he really needed a new robe.

After looking around for a while, he saw a sign for Finkelstein, the Tailor..

So, he went in and made the necessary arrangements to have Finkelstein prepare a new robe for him. A few days later, when the robe was finished, Jesus tried it on -- and it was a perfect fit!

He asked how much he owed.

Finkelstein brushed him off: "No, no, no, for the Son of God there's no charge!

However, may I ask for a small favor. Whenever you give a sermon, perhaps you could just mention that your nice new robe was made by Finkelstein, the Tailor?"

Jesus readily agreed and as promised, extolled the virtues of his Finkelstein robe whenever he spoke to the masses.

A few months later, while Jesus was again walking through Jerusalem , he happened to walk past Finkelstein's shop and noted a huge line of people waiting for Finkelstein's robes.

He pushed his way through the crowd to speak to him and as soon as Finkelstein spotted him he said: "Jesus, Jesus, look what you've done for my business!

Would you consider a partnership?"

"Certainly," replied Jesus. "Jesus & Finkelstein it is."

"Oh, no, no," said Finkelstein. "Finkelstein & Jesus. After all, I am the craftsman."

The two of them debated this for some time.

Their discussion was long and spirited, but ultimately fruitful -- and they finally came up with a mutually acceptable compromise.. A few days later, the new sign went up over Finkelstein's shop:

Our Generation to Obama: Use Your Veto

Even though only 27.8% of the respondents to our Survey of Senior Citizens identify themselves as Democrats, a whopping 82.7% pledge to support the President in the use of his Veto to cut spending.

171,838 Senior Citizens Participated in Our Generation Survey

Between April 13, 2009 and November 16, 2009, 171,838 Senior Citizens made their opinions known through written ballots submitted to Our Generation. The surveys which were mailed to Seniors in 48 states, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, asked Seniors to participate in a confidential survey to gauge their opinions on major public policy issues.

41.7% of the respondents were male and 57.1% were female. The balance declined to answer.

81.4% of the respondents reported that they were retired. 5.9% work outside the home and 6.8% define themselves as homemakers.

46.2% are widows or widowers. 34.2% are currently married. Single respondents outnumbered divorcees 7.7% to 6.7%.

42.3% identified themselves as Republicans; 27.8% Democrats.

Chronicle of Higher Education: Has the environment become our new religion?

I definitely buy this theory. My seven-year-old son worries about the future of the earth in the same way I once worried about going to Hell. Clearly, my neighbors, my friends, and I are sending that message. As are his teachers. Frankly, I believe that society needs religion. So for secular families (like mine), the religion of Green is filling the role that my Catholicism did in my youth:

Instead of religious sins plaguing our conscience, we now have the transgressions of leaving the water running, leaving the lights on, failing to recycle, and using plastic grocery bags instead of paper. In addition, the righteous pleasures of being more orthodox than your neighbor (in this case being more green) can still be had—the new heresies include failure to compost, or refusal to go organic. Vitriol that used to be reserved for Satan can now be discharged against evil corporate chief executives and drivers of gas-guzzling vehicles. Apocalyptic fear-mongering previously took the shape of repent or burn in hell, but now it is recycle or burn in the ozone hole.

Hat Tip: Andrew Sullivan

True/Slant: Google knows what you want

Both men and women want love from their spouses. Beyond that? Men want their wives to shave more. Women? They want sex and romance.

Hat tip: Andrew Sullivan

NASA: Trees on Mars

NASA tells us these "trees" are actually streaks from melting ice on sand dunes. Amazing.

Hat tip: The Telegraph

You Tube: Just Plain Funny

I brought back these guys because I needed a laugh:

CATO: Bush Was the Biggest Spender Since LBJ

CATO used Congressional Budget Office figures to analyze the 83% increase in government spending under the second President Bush:

...[George W. Bush] was the biggest domestic spender since Nixon. He set the stage for the explosive spending growth we are seeing under President Obama. Big spending was a key cause of Bush’s failure as president both economically and politically, and it is proving just as damaging and unpopular under President Obama.

ABC News: Fat Thighs and Butts Bring Longer Life

I carry my extra energy around my waste so I'm finding Oxford's new study very disappointing. You may not agree:

A new review published by researchers at the University of Oxford and Churchill Hospital in the United Kingdom suggests that people who carry their body fat in their thighs and backside aren't just carrying extra weight, but also some extra protection against diabetes, heart disease and other conditions associated with obesity.

CNN: There's Poop in Your Pop

I think maybe I'll bring my own food and drinks next time:

...48 percent of beverages obtained from soda fountains contained coliform bacteria, 11 percent contained E. coli (which are mostly harmless, but some can cause diarrhea, urinary tract infections, respiratory illness and pneumonia), and 17 percent had Chryseobacterium meningosepticum (which could sicken newborns or adults with weakened immune systems).