As published in The American, this May 2007 Gallup Poll shows an increase in the percentage of people who believe in Hell. In 1997 only 56 percent were believers, but the number is now 69 percent.
Is this one of those things that we can attribute to Global Warming?
I'm smarter than at least ninety-two percent of the country!
The current issue of "The American"--it has a decent online version too--has some interesting numbers regarding the citizenry's opinion of global warming.
As a human-caused global warming denier, I am thrilled to be part of the eight percent of the populace who thinks concern about the make-believe disaster is unwarranted.
Unfortunately, it seems like the Chicken Littles of the world make up the rest of the populace. The NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found that sixty-four percent think some action should be taken to combat global warming. At least twenty-five percent think we should at least do a little more research before taking any more action.
The magazine also has some other interesting findings:
*In 1992 fifty-three percent felt they understood global warming well or fairly well; that number has steadily increased so that by 2007 fully seventy-six percent think they know the subject well.
*Only fourteen percent actively participate in the environmental movement. Forty-eight percent of the people are sympathetic, but not active. Twenty-nine percent are neutral and only seven percent are unsympathetic toward the movement.
*As far as top concerns as a nation, only three percent cite the environment. Thirty-five percent of respondents chose the war in Iraq as a top priority for policymakers, followed by heath care, job creation (both fifteen percent), and terrorism (thirteen).
This is just a small sample of some of thought-provoking discussion in the issue of this magazine. I am pleasantly surprised with the subscription I inherited when my all-time favorite magazine, "American Enterprise", ceased publishing when editor Karl Zinsmeister took a job with the Bush Administration. Check out the link above for a look at the online version.
Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?
"Can you raise your voice to the clouds
and cover yourself with a flood of water?
Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?
Do they report to you, 'Here we are'? ---
This is what the LORD says,
he who appoints the sun
to shine by day,
who decrees the moon and stars
to shine by night,
who stirs up the sea
so that its waves roar—
the LORD Almighty is his name.
Verses taken from the 38th chapter of Job and Jerimiah 31 (taken out of context).
After a record 75 percent voter turnout, conservative Nicolas Sarkozy has been elected president of France.
Although some solid conservative ideas seem to be on the horizon with his victory, he can't be all that smart because the article states that he urged the United States to do more to combat Global Warming.
Perhaps we can loosen the ban on the term French Fries for now, but still keep a sharp eye out for any funny business.
We are, after all, talking about the French here.
While watching 20/20's Earth Day Special, I found out just how horrible I am:
I use paper towels. 20/20 just told me about the obscene amount of paper towels I will use in my lifetime. It's a big number.
I am a bad, bad man.
Diane Sawyer also said I use too many of those plastic grocery bags. Well, I do have a whole cupboard full of them. They are just waiting there in a big clump for their turn to go walk the dog with me and be turned inside out to pick up poop. After I throw them away, the bags last thousands of years, but the poop doesn't. Poop is good.
I am a bad, bad man.
I like cheap stuff and that's bad. I should desire to spend much more money on my stuff, but since I am so darn cheap, I am forcing China to make my stuff. When China makes my stuff, they pollute the world. If only I didn't want cheap stuff.
I am a bad, bad man.
I occasionally take a shower. Diane says (I feel like she talks to us like we're kindergartners) that if I (and everyone else) lop one minute off my shower, than the state of Texas can have drinking water for a month. I sometimes just bask in the warmness of the shower for my own selfish satisfaction--it feels good.
I'm a bad, bad man.
Turns out I use electricity too. Now I thought Diane liked electricity better than gas, not enough for me to stop worrying about using it. I felt real bad when Diane took me on a tour around the world and showed me how they turned the lights out on all the landmarks. It's not as pretty with the lights out.
I am a bad, bad man.
In China they have a lot of bicycles. They are good people. I have a bicycle and I even considered riding it to work, but I found out it would take me a whole 20 minutes and I'd arrive all sweaty. I like cars.
I am a bad, bad man.
Sorry.
Kudo's to Laura's Miscellaneous Musings and guest blogger Gategirl for pointing out a new hysterical over-reaction to the completely natural and cyclical changes in worldwide climate, otherwise known as Y2K, er, Global Warming.
It turns out that a new bill is being introduced requiring the CIA and the Pentagon to assess national security issues that will elevate Global Warming to a national defense issue.
The Washington Post reports: "The measure also would order the Pentagon to undertake a series of war games to determine how global climate change could affect US security, including 'direct physical threats to the United States posed by extreme weather events such as hurricanes."'
That's right, folks: they want the military to be ready to fight the weather. And you thought finding Osama Bin Laden was tough.
There is no word yet on the type of weaponry that might be required in such a battle, but I would like to suggest we look into the "unliscensed nuclear accelerators" that Dan Akroyd and Bill Murray used in Ghostbusters.
As I recall, the Ghostbusters had a whole arsenal of weapons that were effective against make-believe menaces.
Let's see, there was an ectoplasmic trap which might prove useful for sucking hurricanes right out of the sky (or hot air from a room full of politicians), and the proton pack, which took pretty good care of the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man.
Hey, if the proton pack works on giant product spokes-cartoons, maybe we can make Global Warming take a hike just by using the weapon on Al Gore, AKA, The Pillsbury Doughboy!
