Author: Papa Giorgio
Author and rational optimist Matt Ridley spoke at The Centre for Independent Studies about the overwhelming evidence that shows life is getting better-despite an abundance of pessimistic counterclaims (Serious Saturday)
From the video description:
Author and rational optimist Matt Ridley spoke at The Centre for Independent Studies about the overwhelming evidence that shows life is getting better – despite an abundance of pessimistic counterclaims.
Today there are more than 6 billion people on the planet, 99 per cent of whom are better fed, better sheltered, better entertained and better protected against disease than their Stone Age ancestors. The availability of almost everything a person could want or need has been going erratically upwards for 10,000 years and has rapidly accelerated over the last 200 years…
Yet, bizarrely, however much things improve from the way they were before, people still cling to the belief that the future will be nothing but disastrous. In this original, optimistic book, Matt Ridley puts forward his surprisingly simple answer to how humans progress, arguing that we progress when we trade and we only really trade productively when we trust each other. The Rational Optimist will do for economics what Genome did for genomics and will show that the answer to our problems, imagined or real, is to keep on doing what we’ve been doing for 10,000 years — to keep on changing.
Matt’s books have sold over 850,000 copies, been translated into 30 languages, short-listed for six literary prizes and won two awards. His work has appeared in The Economist, Sunday Telegraph, The Daily Telegraph, The Times, Guardian, New Scientist, Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, amongst other publications. Matt is Co-founder and President of the International Centre for Life.
Matt’s book, The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves, provides compelling and positive evidence that life has improved dramatically and continues to do so.
A Great `Rudy` Story ~ Jeremy Lin
Who Gives $$$ to Media Matters?
Internal Memos from Media Matters ~ Enemies List (Should They Continue To Be Tax Exempt?)
From the DAILY CALLER:
An internal Media Matters For America memo obtained by The Daily Caller reveals that the left-wing media watchdog group employs an “opposition research team” to target its political enemies. Included in the list of targets are right-leaning websites, conservative think tanks, prominent financiers and donors, and more than a dozen specific Fox News Channel and News Corporation employees.
“We will conduct extensive public records searches and compile opposition books on individuals,” declares the memo, likely written in late 2009. Investigations, it says, “will focus on the backgrounds, connections, operations and political and financial activities of the individuals.” (RELATED: Media Matters sources, memos reveal erratic behavior, close coordination with White House and news organizations)
One of those singled out for scrutiny in the memo is PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, a self-described libertarian. Thiel “directly funded, through a small government group, prior racist attack videos by James O’Keefe, the right-wing operative who staged the recent ACORN video sting,” states the memo. “Thiel’s role in funding such attacks has gone completely unremarked and largely uninvestigated.”
“An opposition research team will serve to hold Thiel and others like him accountable.”
In addition to Thiel, the memo contains this list of “preliminary targets”:
News Corp
- Fox News Channel
- Fox Business Network
- Fox News’ websites
Conservative news sites
- WorldNetDaily
- BigHollywood.com
- NewsMax
- BigGovernment.com
Conservative think thanks
- The Heritage Foundation
- American Enterprise Institute
- Cato Institute
News Corp executives
- Rupert Murdoch
- Chase Carey
- David DeVoe
- Lawrence Jacobs
- James Murdoch
Conservative donors
- Peter Thiel
- Richard Mellon Scaife
- Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation
- John M. Olin Foundation
- Koch Family Foundations
Fox News executives
- CEO Roger Ailes
- Senior vice president Michael Clemente
- Vice president of news Sean Smith
- Vice president of new editorial product Jay Wallace
- Fox Business Network executive vice president Kevin Magee
Fox personalities
- Glenn Beck
- Sean Hannity
- Bill O’Reilly
Fox senior production and corporation staff
- Hannity executive producer John Finley
- On the Record executive producer Meade Cooper
- O’Reilly Factor senior executive producer David Tabacoff
- Fox & Friends executive producer Lauren Petterson
Political figures
- Carly Fiorina
- David Vitter
- Eric Cantor
- John Boehner
- Mitch McConnell
- Michele Bachmann
- Steve King
“In all likelihood,” the memo concludes, “we will produce volumes of useful data week after week.”
Democratic Drama Queens! Stopping the Leftist Narrative from Taking Hold in the American Psyche
Gateway Pundit astutely mentioned the truth in the matter, as, you can see the narrative immediately above and below set by liberals:
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee held a hearing today on Barack Obama’s unprecedented attack on religious freedom. Democrats invited the notorious Christian-hater Barry Lynn to represent them. Then they withdrew his invitation. And, then they stormed out of the committee hearing hoping to deflect all of the media’s attention away from Barack Obama’s assault on religious organizations.
Think Progress predictably reported that the Republicans would not allow any females on the panel. Not true. Rep. Darrell Issa (R_CA) the committee’s chairman explained to Greta Van Susteren On The Record tonight that the minority party historically is allowed one panelist at a typical hearing. The democrats picked Christian-hater Barry Lynn. Then they switched and chose a young woman to come in and talk about birth control. That was not the topic of the hearing so Issa told democrats they could not bring her in to represent them. Then they walked out. It was all planned.
Of course, the state-run media will never report these important facts.
After the hearing started democrats still tried to disrupt the proceedings and turn it into a sideshow. They were determined to hide from the American people their disdain for religious freedom.
Just a few years ago this narrative may have been embedded in the psyche of the general public, but the new media (sites like these) and Fox News, can correct the leftist media in their attempt to create a story:
Col. Allen West on Modern Slavery
Supporting of the Arab Spring Will Put in Power Islamo-Fascists Who Will Reinstitute This Horrible Practice ((Graphic))
Feminists do not care about women, lets be honest:
Liz Cheney Brilliantly Discusses Obama`s HUGE Mistakes: Military Cuts and Cutting Nuclear Weapons by 80%
An Egregious Example of `smarm•i•ness` ~ Bankrupt Word Faith Preacher Markus Bishop`s Arrogance
Via The Word on the Word of Faith
From the video description:
This is perhaps one of the lowest examples of Word of Faith arrogance, legalism and judgmentalism you’ll ever see.
In one breath, “Pastor” Markus Bishop ferociously mocks and dismisses generations of Christians who use simple storytelling tools to win people to Christ for the sake and tries to smarmily tell them to instead invest untold millions of dollars into extravaganzas that will dazzle “the new generation” because “God ain’t broke.”
Perhaps Markus ought to practice what he preaches about prosperity and get his church’s bills paid on time:
PANAMA CITY BEACH — Faith Christian Family Church is in foreclosure and the disputed parsonage for Pastor Markus Bishop is still mired in litigation, The News Herald learned this week.
Faith Christian Family Church will be sold May 26 in a foreclosure auction unless church officials pay SunTrust Bank $2,924,126.71, court records show.
Suntrust loaned the church $2.8 million in August 2008, taking the deed on the church at 13300 Back Beach Road as collateral, court records show.
The church’s pastor, Markus Bishop, signed off on the deal and gave his title as “President of Faith Christian Family Church of Panama City Beach, Inc., a Florida Non-Profit Corporation.”
According to Suntrust, Faith Christian has not made a payment on the loan since October 2010. In February, the company started foreclosure proceedings.
“Client relationships are confidential. We’ll decline to comment on them,” SunTrust spokesman Mike McCoy said Thursday. “We do make every effort to avoid foreclosure and view it as an action of last resort.”
Faith Christian’s attorney, Mitch Dever, declined to comment on the situation. Attempts to contact Bishop were unsuccessful Thursday.
Here is more ugliness in regards to this “man of god”
The `High Pope of Darwinism` (Richard Dawkins) Is Caught in Tactic He Himself Uses Against Christians (UPDATED)
What a great point! from the video description:
Richard Dawkins and Giles Fraser discuss religious life in Britain, on the Today programme on BBC Radio (14/02/12).
Whilst declaring his incredulity that Christians do not know what the first book of the New Testament is, Fraser deftly counters by asking Dawkins what the full title of The Origin of Species is…
Here is the comments from The Blaze:
The epic clash between the two men, which was carried live on BBC Radio 4 in England, was centered upon a recent poll that purportedly measured Christianity in Britain. The controversial study was commissioned by the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science, which is run by the well-known non-believer. Among the findings, the study alleges that Christianity has lost its standing in the European nation. The study apparently found that nearly two-thirds of individuals couldn’t name the first book of the New Testament (Matthew).
Fraser, though, took issue with this indicator, claiming that it was improper for Dawkins to assume that a failure to name this book means that these individuals aren’t Christians. It was at this point that the priest asked the atheist to name Darwin’s well-known evolutionary book.
“Richard, if I said to you what is the full title of ‘The Origin Of Species’, I’m sure you could tell me that,” Fraser said.
“Yes, I could,” Dawkins responded, clearly indicating that he was ready for the challenge.
“Go on then,” Fraser poked.
And this is where the situation turned awkward, as Dawkins simply couldn’t make his way through the book’s elongated title.
“‘On The Origin Of Species’ … Uh. With, Oh God,” Dawkins stumbled. “On The Origin Of Species.’ There is a subtitle with respect to the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life.”
Fraser, of course, seized upon the opportunity to make his point that not being able to name a book doesn‘t necessarily have anything to do with one’s deeply-held beliefs and convictions.
“You’re the high pope of Darwinism,” he said. “If you asked people who believed in evolution that question and you came back and said two percent got it right, it would be terribly easy for me to go ‘they don’t believe it after all.‘ It’s just not fair to ask people these questions. They self-identify as Christians and I think you should respect that.”
There is a lesson in this, however, pointed out to me via a cyber friend who has a wonderful apologetics site, he says this as an instruction both to me and to others:
Seems that the recent fracas with Dawkins and Fraser is good reason to lay down some brother rebuking of UK “Christians” more than an occasion to focus on Dawkins.
Shudder to think but I tend to agree with him more than Fraser. Since when is a Christian a person who self identifies as one? Can I call myself a tennis player if I have no tennis equipment, reject tennis rules and never get out on the court and play?
UK Christians have only themselves to blame for the fact that a personage such as Dawkins can call them out on their lack of possessing anything to do with Christianity except for an empty label. Fraser’ view comes very close to affirming that Dawkins himself is a Christian as Dawkins refers to himself as a “cultural Christian” meaning he rejects the same things that UK Christians do, he accepts that which they do (abortion, gay marriage, etc.) but sees cultural benefits, etc.
Great points!
`Demons` ~ Maxine Waters
One reason Maxine Waters may be talking like this is she may be feeling the heat, why? Because she is still under investigation for ethics violation, which is when many of her crazy comments have been made — during this time.
Lubbock Online Journal has this:
Maxine Waters has given us insight into the Liberal mind, as she tried to energize her supporters in San Diego this past weekend. According to Representative Waters, Republicans are “demons” who are “destroying this country.” Fox News reported,
The California Democrat’s comments, which surfaced Wednesday, were made last weekend at a state party convention in San Diego. Video of her speech shows her rallying Democrats to win back control of the House in November.
“I saw pictures of Boehner and Cantor on our screens (at the convention). Don’t ever let me see again, in life, those Republicans in our hall, on our screens, talking about anything. These are demons,” she told the crowd. “They are bringing down this country, destroying this country, because they’d rather do whatever they can do destroy this president rather than for the good of this country.”
Needless to say, those comments didn’t win her any friends on the other side of the aisle.
“That is a sad and unfortunate speech from a senior House Democrat, particularly at a time when we should be trying to find common ground on ways to get Americans back to work,” Cantor spokesman Brad Dayspring said Wednesday.
Waters, in her speech, also boasted that banks will be “shaking in their boots” if Democrats take back the house and she becomes the House Financial Services Committee chairwoman. She currently is the second-ranking Democrat on the committee behind Rep. Barney Frank, who isn’t running for re-election this year.
Whether Democrats would let her chair the committee is another matter, given that Waters continues to face an ethics investigation into her potential role in securing federal money for a bank with ties to her husband.
This is from the woman who last August in Los Angeles told the TEA Party to “go straight to hell.” The Daily Caller reported,
“I’m not afraid of anybody,” the California congresswoman told constituents in footage that appeared on ABC affiliate KABC in Los Angeles, not backing down from comments made about President Obama earlier in the week. “This is a tough game. You can’t be intimidated. You can’t be frightened. And as far as I’m concerned — the tea party can go straight to hell.”
Maxine Waters, back in early 2009, threatened to socialize the oil companies and have the Federal government run all of the oil companies.
Maxine Waters is still small potatoes compared to Barack Obama, who wants to bankrupt the coal industry, keep us dependent on overseas oil, unilaterally disarm us, force us to drive electric cars with explosive batteries, and pretend Radical Islam is peaceful and Terrorism does not exist. Obama is allowing Iran to build nuclear bombs, is chastising Israel, and is on a perpetual rampage against anything that is not unionized, still making a profit, or is making more than $200,000 per year….
Just some other crazy quotes from the socialist:
1. Tea Party hell: In remarks earlier this month in Inglewood, Calif., Waters went after the Tea Party, telling a group of her constituents (many wearing purple SEIU T-shirts): “I am not afraid of anybody. This is a tough game. You can’t be intimidated. You can’t be frightened. And as far as I’m concerned, the Tea Party can go straight to hell.”
2. Walk the plank: During her August 2011, “We’re getting tired” tirade, Waters also went after the opposition in the debt-ceiling debate: “We were basically held up in raising the debt ceiling until they got all of those budget cuts they demanded. We didn’t raise any revenue, and they didn’t close any tax loopholes. I believe the Democratic Party and the President of the United States should not have backed down. We should have made them walk the plank.”
3. Socializing oil companies: Back in 2008, Waters was lecturing oil company executives at a congressional hearing when she plainly stated her true intentions: “Guess what this liberal would be all about? This liberal would be about socializing … uh, umm. … Would be about, basically, taking over, and the government running all of your companies.”
4. Outrageous flag-waving: After the health care bill was signed in April 2010, Waters denounced flag-waving at a Tea Party rally. “I was amazed. I really was. I didn’t say anything to anybody. I just watched—the Republicans were out there—they were having a great time. They were laughing, they were waving the American flag, they were egging them on, and I thought that was outrageous behavior. I really did.”
5. No crisis at Fannie Mae: As a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee, Waters played a key role in allowing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s reckless actions that led to the housing meltdown. Here is Waters, at a 2004 congressional hearing, (and yes, that is the same “Frank” Raines that vastly overstated Fannie Mae’s earnings in order to receive $90 million in bonuses). “We do not have a crisis at Freddie Mac, and particularly Fannie Mae, under the outstanding leadership of Frank Raines.”
6. Right to anger: Way back in 1989, Waters was quoted saying how angry she was, and she has been angry ever since. Here are those 1989 remarks: “I have a right to my anger, and I don’t want anybody telling me I shouldn’t be, that it’s not nice to be, and that something’s wrong with me because I get angry.”
7. White power: Racial politics are always front and center for Waters, as evidenced by this quotation from a 1993 interview with the Los Angeles Times: “Policy, for the most part, has been made by white people in America, not by people of color. And they have tended to take care of those things that they think are important. Whether it’s their agricultural subsidies, or other kinds of expenditures that are certainly not expenditures for poor people or for people of color. And so we have to band together and keep fighting back.”
8. Rodney King rebellion: During the “Why can’t we all just get along” riots in her congressional district, Waters excused the wonton violence, as her constituents were intent on burning down the city. The Los Angeles Times quoted her saying: “If you call it a riot, it sounds like it was just a bunch of crazy people who went out and did bad things for no reason. I maintain it was somewhat understandable, if not acceptable. So I call it a rebellion.”
9. Schedule a meeting: With the financial crisis looming, Waters was mostly worried about a bank that her husband had a financial stake in. Here, she admits that she contacted the Treasury Department on behalf of OneUnited Bank officials, actions which prompted a congressional ethics probe: “I followed up on the association’s request by asking Treasury Secretary Paulson to schedule such a meeting.”
10. Liar, thief: For those liberals who decry harsh conservative attacks on President Obama, let’s hearken back to 2005 and listen to Waters’ comments on President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney: “The President is a liar. Dick Cheney, the chief architect of the Big Lie, is not only a liar, he is a thief.”