The Sky Is Falling...

California is concerned that potato chips and fries may contain acrylamide—a possible cancer agent. So, since the government is always looking out for slow-witted and uninformed citizenry, California is asking the courts to compel the fast-food and chips industry to warn the average 7th-grade-reading-level American, who always strives to study such small font, of such a feasible existence of such an impending danger.

Of course, I would certainly like to know if my food will cause cancer, or if my snacks carry dangers that threaten my immediate existence.

On the other hand, I’m not in favor of Chicken Little. As the issue now stands, the government of California—in its humanistic desire to be as God, protecting the sparrow that falls to the ground—is trying hard to head off a possible agent that may or may not lead to cancer.

In other words, it does not necessarily cause cancer, even if the agent exists in the first place.

But, then one can never be too sure when it comes to preserving life from any conceivable danger…no matter how remote the possibility.

Don’t worry, Chicken Little will be there, making sure the sparrow’s house is moved to a safer neighborhood.

SDG

1's or 0's?

Binary, that is. On or off. up or down. yes or no. Binary is certainly a useful tool. However, when it comes to surveys, it is a most wretched and deceitful approach.

Granted, some survey questions can fit into two neat bins; yet, the typical questions—“Is the president doing a great job?” “Do you like Walmart”—do not fit nicely. Especially more complex and interesting questions such as: “Do you think the Congress is working hard enough on the economy?” (which is called a ‘loaded’ or ‘complex’ question—a logical fallacy, but that’s another blog…)

For example, I recently received an evening phone call.
The first question was, “How would you rate the president’s performance?—Good or bad?”
“Oh, no,” I thought.
“Mixed,” I replied.
“Ok, I’ll put you down as undecided,” she cheerfully answered.
“No, I am sorry; I said, ‘mixed’—that does not mean undecided,” I calmly replied.
“Well, we have ‘good,’ ‘bad,’ or ‘undecided,’” she gleefully replied.
“I am sorry—if this is how the questions will be pigeon-holed, then I will not answer anymore. Good night,” I calmly replied while reining my tongue in.

See? That is what I mean by deceitful. Just take those answers that are either yes or no and throw them into the ‘neutral’ bin and they fall off the radar screen.

As you can observe, I do not like binary questionnaires.

But as an engineer I like 1s and 0s. And you should too—that’s what makes your computer function. And it helps telephones as well; you know, so that they can call you with those binary questionnaires.

Enjoy your binary life.

SDG

Bad Bovines

"A California air-quality agency is blaming cows for the San Joaquin Valley's terrible smog problem. The flatulence and burping of the valley's 2.5 million cows produce 50 million pounds of organic compunds annually, officials say, far more pollution than is produced by cars. Diary farmers will now be required to install pollution-control technology, and may even have to alter the cows' diets to minimize their production of gas. "We are talking about about a public health crisis, " said an attorney for a local advocacy group..."It's not funny to joke about cow burps...."

This is serious business, not only is mankind destroying the environment...so are the cows!
(The Week, Aug. 12, 2005, p. 6).

Cleanliness is Next To Godliness...

Do you enjoy dining on the floor? Or perhaps eating your steak with the dirt and trash? Well, that is how I feel when I sit down at a restaurant and hear the CRUNCH! of leftover food underneath my rear!

I used to work at fast food restaurants years ago; and the manager would not put up with such sloppiness. We were to clean the table and the seat.

But today, in restaurants such as Bennigan's, Ruby Tuesday's or the like, my wife and I are lead by the host to a deceptively clean booth--but it is only the table that is clean, not the seat. We even wipe off the seat in front of the host, who stares at us with little comprehension.

Fortunately, this does not happen all the time--just enough to annoy me. It's enough to make me think that this could all be an analogy of the "little crumbs of sin" in our nation....nah, too cheesy.

SDG

Sow the Wind; Reap the Whirlwind

"Can't we all just get along?" This is the catch-phrase of postmodern thought as summarized by the infamous Californian, Rodney King. It says that toleration is the god of this age; since, there are no ultimate truths, so all is relative; thus, there should be little debate on issues because everyone is right.

This is all very interesting, but so what? The what is found in the how of its implementation. Western Civilization extols toleration to such an extent, that all kinds of heresies, grotesque ideas and violent, treasonous thoughts permeate the airwaves. It is not a simple relative toleration, but a toleration based upon absolutists rhetoric that cries out: "All should be accepted; none should be quieted!"

And ideas, especially voiced, have consequences. One cannot speak without affecting someone or something. Christians have known that for centuries--that's why God gave us preachers.

So, it should come as no surprise that one of the leading countries in toleration are killing themselves. England has allowed militant, angry, vocal Muslims by the millions into their country. Their leaders voiced physical jihad on TV and the Brits are surprised that such "freedom of speech" lead to violence!

Now, they are killing the very country that pays their welfare checks.

That's gratitude for you....but, hey, if there is no truth, then gratitude is a meaningless feeling with no moral force. If society should be tolerant of all views, then violence is a valid alternative.

And if we reap the wind of full-blown toleration, then we will reap the whirlwind of hate and destruction.

May God bring a merciful revival and reformation.

SDG

Medical Bias

My mother-in-law took hormone pills which worked well for years. She felt normal; she slept normal--everything was great. Suddenly, they took them away from her. She wishes she had them back...

The Today Show interviewed a doctor this morning. She stated that hormone replacement for women and birth control pills have serious effects upon a small percentage of these women.
"BUT," and this was clearl articulated, "we don't discourage taking birth control."
Oh, of course not....can't have that now with such a disciplined society!

Yet, nary a word about making sure women take the hormone pills!
Oh, of course not...can't have women taking such great risks...like 1 in 10,000.

No medical bias here. Oh, of course not....

SDG