Sharing the Ascension Experience
Public Divided on “Pro-Choice” vs. “Pro-Life” Abortion LabelsWhen it comes to Americans’ specific attitudes about the legality of abortion, public opinion is somewhat more conservative than its attachment to these labels would suggest. Nearly 6 in 10 Americans (58%) think abortion should either be limited to only a few circumstances or illegal in all circumstances. … Read more
Structures of social oppression, actual or perceived, are argued by many to be among the causes of war and other violent conflict. Such conflict also has obvious effects on social structure and on the possibility of attaining justice. Conversely, one cannot attempt to evaluate the ethical implications of violence, whether it be war, revolution, or … Read more
Well, when Jesus said, “Love your enemies (Matt. 5:44),” I really think he meant, “Don’t kill ’em!” And when he said, “Blessed are those who work for peace (Matt. 5:9),” that sounds to me like “Study war no more (Isaiah 2:4).” I’d say everything Jesus taught, and how “God in flesh” lived is 180 degrees … Read more
Peace is about having ‘social conversation’ – engaging with others in a way that affirms the mutuality in relationships and asks “How can we best live in relation to one another?”. Whether we ask the question in the context of relations between individuals, communities or nation states is irrelevant; what matters is that we ask … Read more
Phenolics or Polyphenols are the structural ‘backbone’ for most of the antioxidants found in plants. Plants construct complex phenolic compounds that serve a variety of functions as defense mechanisms and through interactions with other organisms. They may function to protect the plant from insects, diseases, and environmental stress. Phenolics also determine certain desirable plant properties … Read more
Acrylic is a clear plastic that resembles glass. It also has properties that make it superior to glass in some applications. Common brands of high-grade acrylic include Polycast, Lucite and Plexiglass.There are two basic types of acrylic: extruded and cell cast. Extruded or “continuous cast” acrylic is softer, more easily scratched and the cheaper castings … Read more
A Bustling Hate-Crime IndustryPolitical entrepreneurship involves devising benefits to excite or mollify niche constituencies. Hence HR 1592, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007, which has passed the House, trailing clouds of sanctimony — lots of members announced their hatred of hate.Hate-crime laws — 45 states already have them; Congress does not … Read more
Senators throw support behind internet radioLegislation has been introduced in the Senate that would overturn a decision putting Internet radio on a death watch. The “Internet Radio Equality Act” would vacate the recent ruling by the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) that hiked payment rates for performances 300 to 1200 percent, and would reinstate the … Read more
Leaving the Pack!EMI Music announced in April that it is making all of its digital repertoire available at a much higher sound quality than existing downloads and free of digital rights management (DRM) restrictions on a global basis.EMI’s retailers have been offered downloads of tracks and albums in the DRM-free audio format of their choice … Read more
Thoughts on Music by Steve JobsWhy would the big four music companies agree to let Apple and others distribute their music without using DRM systems to protect it? The simplest answer is because DRMs haven’t worked, and may never work, to halt music piracy. Though the big four music companies require that all their music … Read more