News

Florida Republicans ban automatic deduction of union dues

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From the Orlando Sentinel.

Excerpt:

After a largely party-line vote, the Florida House delivered a major blow to public employee unions, approving a bill that would ban automatic dues deduction and require members to sign off on the use of their dues for political purposes.

Democrats and Republicans fought over the legislation for just under two hours. Democrats and labor unions have accused conservatives of “union-busting” and for trying to weaken Democrats’ political power because unions are a major backer of Democratic candidates.

Rep. Chris Dorworth, R-Lake Mary, said this was simply the state’s movement to get out of the dues deduction business and let the unions take care of their own business.

“It’s a bill that empowers membership of labor unions,” Dorworth said.

The bill passed 73-40, with two Republicans siding with Democrats. Rep. Ed Hooper, R-Clearwater and Rep. Ana Rivas Logan, R-Miami broke ranks with Republicans and sided with Democrats for the vote.

This is the way to beat the Democrats. Cut off all of their funding. A federal right-to-work bill and a federal voucher program should be the top priorities of the Republicans in 2012.

Videos

Saturday morning funny: Co-workers disuss Libya vs. Iraq

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Is the war in Libya more justified than the war in Iraq? (H/T Neil Simpson’s latest round-up)

I wonder when someone is going to make one of these for Christian apologetics.

Neil’s latest round-up contains other interesting stories as well – an open letter to universalist pastor Rob Bell, an open letter to left-wing apostate Brian McLaren, an article about how General Electric is getting a tax break from Obama, and another universalist pastor who was fired by his United Methodist congregation.

Videos

Friday night movies: rescuing baby birds

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Here’s one with a hummingbird.

Here’s another one:

They’re so cute! I love birds! Making friends with wild birds is the best thing in the world!

The Color of Paradise

This is a movie from Iran. Here’s a review from Christian Answers.

Excerpt:

The story focuses on the life of an 8-year old blind boy, Mohammad (Mohsen Ramezani), who spends the school year in an institute for the blind in Tehran and the summers with his grandmother and sisters in the hills of Iran. His widowed father, Hashem (Hossein Mahjub), is late in picking up Mohammad for summer vacation and even wishes to leave him behind at the school. His aversion to his son is painful to watch. The reason for his attitude becomes apparent when they arrive at the grandmother’s house in the country and Hashem visits the home of the Islamic woman he wishes to marry. He hides the existence of his son from her family, hoping to find favor with them. He has already told his mother he wants to put Mohammad in apprenticeship with a local carpenter, who is also blind. Hashem’s antipathy toward his blind child is his fatal flaw and error, and precipitates the tragic sequence of events that follow.

It’s not overtly Islamic, it’s just really good.

Watch the first few clips and then I will comment. (If you only have time for one clip, watch clip 3)

Clip 1:

Clip 2:

Clip 3:

Clip 4:

You can watch the whole movie on Youtube.

Sometimes people are born with characteristics that they can’t help that cause other people not to care about them. But we should really be seeing other people like God sees them. He doesn’t care about accidental external things. He cares what people are like on the inside.