The work to elect Pope Benedict XVI's successor begins tomorrow morning. In the morning the cardinals will begin the secret election, in the Sistine Chapel, called the conclave. The only clue the outside world will have are the puffs of smoke coming out of the copper chimney.
Black smoke, no pope. White smoke, the new pope has been chosen.
The election process could take hours or it could be a matter of days before white smoke is seen. Tailors have made a new set of clothes for the new pope, for as soon as a decision has been made the new pope will dress and appear on the balcony of St. Peter's
To read more, click here.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
State of the Union
President Barack Obama gave his first State of the Union address in his second term. He began by quoting John F. Kennedy, saying, "The Constitution doesn't make us rivals for power, but partners for progress...it is my task to report the state of the union -to improve it is the task of us all."
Obama began by reporting that our men and women in uniform will be coming home (he said that by next year the war in Afghanistan would be over and 34 thousand troops would be home), that 6 million new jobs have been created since 2008, and that we are less dependent on foreign oil than we have been in 20 years. He said the reforms for our country are going to be asking more from the wealthy, changing the way we pay for medicare, and not taking the cuts to education and military that the Budget Control Act would have taken.
Obama said, "The government is not expected to fix everything or agree on everything, but the American people expect government to put their interests before it's own."
Obama wants to raise the minimum wage, which is 7.25 in North Carolina, to 9 dollars.
He also brought up gun violence, saying that it needs to be voted on. "The families deserve a vote." (In the audience were families from Newtown and Aurora)
Obama began by reporting that our men and women in uniform will be coming home (he said that by next year the war in Afghanistan would be over and 34 thousand troops would be home), that 6 million new jobs have been created since 2008, and that we are less dependent on foreign oil than we have been in 20 years. He said the reforms for our country are going to be asking more from the wealthy, changing the way we pay for medicare, and not taking the cuts to education and military that the Budget Control Act would have taken.
Obama said, "The government is not expected to fix everything or agree on everything, but the American people expect government to put their interests before it's own."
Obama wants to raise the minimum wage, which is 7.25 in North Carolina, to 9 dollars.
He also brought up gun violence, saying that it needs to be voted on. "The families deserve a vote." (In the audience were families from Newtown and Aurora)
The Pope's Resignation
"Strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me," said Benedict XVI, age 85.
The religious leader of 1.2 billion Roman Catholics, Pope Benedict XVI, announced on Monday that he will resign at the end of the month "because of advanced age". Benedict will become the first pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415. The news has shocked the Catholic world and led to speculation about who would replace him.
To read more click here.
The religious leader of 1.2 billion Roman Catholics, Pope Benedict XVI, announced on Monday that he will resign at the end of the month "because of advanced age". Benedict will become the first pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415. The news has shocked the Catholic world and led to speculation about who would replace him.
To read more click here.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
U.S. Postal Service Ending Saturday Deliveries
The United States Postal Service will no longer deliver mail on Saturdays beginning in August. Packages will be delivered six days a week and the post offices will continue to be open on Saturdays. Cutting Saturday mail deliveries will save approximately 2 billion annually. The USPS had a 15.9 billion loss in 2012. To close its budget gap and debts it needs to produce 20 billion in cost reduction.
Monday, January 21, 2013
2013 Presidential Inauguration
Today, January 21, 2013, marks the beginning of President Barack Obama's second term. Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama were sworn in and took their oaths in front of hundreds of thousands of people. President Obama, in his inaugural address, spoke of change and unapologetic progress.
"My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it -so long as we seize it together," the president declared.
The word "together" appeared seven times in the president's speech. He also used the phrase, "we, the people" five times.
He continued to say, "Progress does not compel us to settle centuries-long debates about the role of government for all time, but it does require us to act in our time."
To read more click here.
"My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it -so long as we seize it together," the president declared.
The word "together" appeared seven times in the president's speech. He also used the phrase, "we, the people" five times.
He continued to say, "Progress does not compel us to settle centuries-long debates about the role of government for all time, but it does require us to act in our time."
To read more click here.
Monday, December 10, 2012
We Can Learn To Ignore The Bulls**t In The Bible
Dan Savage, founder of the "It Gets Better" project, an anti-bullying campaign, was supposed to be delivering a speech about anti-bullying at the National High School Journalism Conference sponsored by the Journalism Education Association and the National Scholastic Press Association, but it turned into an anti-Christian speech.
"We can learn to ignore the bulls**t in the bible about gay people, the same way we have learned to ignore the bulls**t in the bible about shellfish, about slavery, about dinner, about farming...about virginity...we ignore bulls**t in the bible about all sorts of things," says Savage.
Savage's attack on the Christian faith caused many teenagers to walk out during his speech. As they walked out Savage insulted them by calling them "pansy-assed".
Savage accuses the bible as being a "radically pro-slavery document". He goes on to say, "We ignore what the bible says about slavery because the bible got slavery wrong." He uses this as evidence that the bible got homosexuality wrong. However, Savages accusation about the bible being "pro-slavery" is wrong. What we in Modern America think of as slavery is a system in which people are bought or sold as property. In the bible it is called chattel slavery and the bible does not condone it. Only the pagans had chattel slaves, as found in Leviticus 25.
To watch Savage's Speech, click here.
To read more on the conference, click here.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Fiscal Cliff
The "Fiscal Cliff" is a popular shorthand term used to describe the conundrum the U.S. government will face at the end of 2012, when the terms of the Budget Control Act of 2011 will go into effect.
The laws set to change at midnight on December 31, 2012 are the end of last year's temporary payroll tax cuts, the end of certain tax breaks for businesses, the end of the tax cuts from 2001-2003, and the beginning of taxes related to President Obama's health care reform. Also, the spending cuts agreed upon as part of the debt ceiling deal of 2011 will begin to go into effect. Over 1,000 government programs -including the defense budget and Medicare - are in for deep cuts.
The clock is ticking for Democrats and Republicans to come to an agreement. One major sticking point with both parties is taxes. In his weekly address, President Obama said there is still some wiggle room on what Democrats are willing to give in negotiations over how to avert the so-called "fiscal cliff" at year's end. But increasing taxes on the wealthiest Americans, he stressed, is "one principle I won't compromise on."
Delivering the Republican response, Senator Marco Rubio (Republican - Florida), tried to make a case that tax hikes, even on the wealthiest Americans, are not the answer to reining in the deficit. "Our goal should be to generate new revenue by creating new taxpayers, not new taxes," he said, arguing that closing loopholes in the tax code would free up revenue.
To read more click here.
The laws set to change at midnight on December 31, 2012 are the end of last year's temporary payroll tax cuts, the end of certain tax breaks for businesses, the end of the tax cuts from 2001-2003, and the beginning of taxes related to President Obama's health care reform. Also, the spending cuts agreed upon as part of the debt ceiling deal of 2011 will begin to go into effect. Over 1,000 government programs -including the defense budget and Medicare - are in for deep cuts.
The clock is ticking for Democrats and Republicans to come to an agreement. One major sticking point with both parties is taxes. In his weekly address, President Obama said there is still some wiggle room on what Democrats are willing to give in negotiations over how to avert the so-called "fiscal cliff" at year's end. But increasing taxes on the wealthiest Americans, he stressed, is "one principle I won't compromise on."
Delivering the Republican response, Senator Marco Rubio (Republican - Florida), tried to make a case that tax hikes, even on the wealthiest Americans, are not the answer to reining in the deficit. "Our goal should be to generate new revenue by creating new taxpayers, not new taxes," he said, arguing that closing loopholes in the tax code would free up revenue.
To read more click here.
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