One More into the Pot

A new person has thrown their hat into the ring for the Republican nomination for the presidency. Reported by the LA Times on June 7, 2011, Rick Santorum has announced that he will run for the Republican nomination. Pretty much unknown even as a U.S. Senator, it is a wonder why he is even running. He says that he has the courage to lead America, but this reads like simple political rhetoric. From quotes in the article, it all reads as the same old same old political baloney meant to gain the votes of the gullible. They say nice things, but they say it only to get them elected and when it times for reelection they say it only to get reelected. Such a wonderful bunch politicians are.

This week's core biblical truth, Growth, seem very apt for this article. "God’s people are stewards of His blessings, and with those blessings come great responsibility to further God’s ministry of redemption." Here we have one of many possible stewards of America and we know nothing about him. This is a problem, if we are to vote him into office we should know all that he is capable of and what he has done. These things are critical if he or anyone else is to be a steward. 

LA Times: Link to the Article

Hypocrisy?

On May 27, 2011, the LA Times reported that Obama has approved an extension on the Patriot Act. Often used by Democrats as a weapon against the Democrats, it seems that once they are in power the Patriot Act doesn't sound so evil any more. Perhaps they viewed it as a necessary evil to play towards the conservative voters, so that reelection wouldn't as hard as it is appearing to be in 2012. Even deeper and perhaps even a bit of a long shot, but perhaps they figured out that the Patriot Act is rather useful and should be kept around for awhile longer to make sure major terrorist incidents don't happen again in the U.S..Crazy right? But I've learned that people do crazy things some times. This looks to be that at least the government can function at critical times even though it is mostly happening due to reelection year coming up. I'll take what I can get.

LA Times: Patriot Act

This week's core biblical truth is Sin. Mankind is totally depraved and his sinful nature is seen throughout history.  Law and government were established to restrain this depravity in the governors as well as the governed. What we have here is the extension of a law allowing the governors to restrain the depravity of the governed. Yes, this can be a little nerve-wracking, but it is all for the greater good. Scary words, right? Well that is often the case for the government, it is something that we have to live with every day. 

Somewhat Unexpected

On May 22, 2011 a major salvo by the Republican Party to garner votes for the 2012 presidential election has taken place. Republicans took the chance after President Obama's speech on Israel to portray the man as a fickle friend to Israel. This surprisingly enough wasn't aimed at the Jewish voters, but at the evangelical Christian voters. If it does detract Jewish support, who are largely Democratic, then all the better for the Republicans, but most political analysts agree that if it did happen it would be very minor. Due to this little ruckus, peace in the Middle East will once again become a major issue in the upcoming election, no doubt. Filling out the major issues to three: unemployment, gas prices, and now peace in the Middle East. Looks to be a good ol' fashion brawl being stoked up for 2012, I wonder who will fight the most dirty this time around.

LA Times: Obama and Israel

This week's core biblical truth is Creation Part Two, "In God's sovereignty, He controls the rise and fall of rulers and nations". A very core biblical truth for this week and it is very apt. Whether this particular salvo will do anything to President Obama's chances of being reelected is beyond me and is left up to God. Which is of course the whole point of this. We do not know what is going to happen, but to some people any little thing they can to try to change the course history is a chance they cannot pass up. This holds true especially for politics. All those charts, graphs, percentages, and polls. All used for one thing: to try to predict the future and therefore change it. I shall now have a private moment to chuckle.

Back in the Running

Representative Ron Paul, a Republican from Texas, has declared that he is running for president reported the LA Times May 13, 2011. This will be his third time running for president and he firmly believes that winning the Republican primary is a absolute possibility. Ron Paul has always had a small, but very passionate support group ever since he first ran for president on the Libertarian Party ticket in 1988. In other words it is a distinct possibility that we have a 75 year old man face against President Obama in the upcoming election. Furthermore, we could have a president who is 75 years old, depending on how well President Obama milks the Osama Bin Laden assassination. Personally, I have nothing against the elder generations, but what kind of image does it give America? We have always prided ourselves on always looking toward the future in government and as a people.  Electing someone of this age could lead to a sort of cultural or even a technological stagnation. The status quo must always be changing.

LA Times: Ron Paul running for President

Is this article journalism? Why yes it is. It is an article providing information on the fact that a certain person will be running for the Republican nomination for president. In gives us what we need to become more free and self-governing, so that when we vote we know who we are voting for and what they represent. If only there were more articles like this.

The core biblical truth for this week is Growth, “God’s people are stewards of His blessings, and with those blessings come great responsibility to further God’s ministry of redemption”. Here we are seeing the first of many future stewards of our nation and with the upcoming election it is important to see and understand what each of these stewards will offer to us and then hopefully vote in the best steward for this nation. Begin praying. Hard.
 

The Curse of Politics

We all know that Osama Bin Laden is dead, but what about that all important photograph of the body which makes it impossible to doubt? Well it was reported on May 4th by the LA Times that President Obama has sealed that photograph. One has to wonder at the political implications of this action. Is he simply waiting till he starts to campaign to release the photo and therefore create a wave of support for his reelection? Or is the President simply making sure that it is truly Osama Bin Laden? In either case the irony is not lost on me that Obama will be taking the credit for the decade long hunt which was started and continued by his predecessor who is so despised by the American public.

Link to Article: LA Times

And now to the question which everyone has been waiting for. Is this article journalism? Well yes, yes it is. It has a subject, it expounds upon that subject, and the author even throws in some conjecture. All these things are signs of journalism, for they allow the readers to gain information and even makes them think a little bit which is of course all important in becoming free and self-governing.

This weeks core biblical truth is Revelation, "In society, truth is not relative to the individual, but rather is absolute and its source is solely God." Though not the full quote it is the most important in relation to this article. President Obama is holding the one thing which would establish the truth of Osama Bin Laden's death. This photo will no doubt become a great part of his reelection campaign and it is that fact which drives me a little bit nuts. Truth should not be manipulated for political victories. Not only does that sully the truth, but it ruins the reputation of the one who thought to do the manipulating.

The Growing Conflict

On the April 28, 2011 edition of the LA Times, the newspaper shows the opening shots of the 2012 campaign. The RNC chairman, Reince Priebus, announces that he is unsatisfied with what Obama has been doing lately. No, this does not relate to the budget, but instead to the fact that Mr. Priebus declares that Obama cares more for celebrities, then he does for solving the national problems. In response, the president said that he would also rather like working on current issues then having to worry about birthers and Donald Trump. Snide remarks seem to always open the campaign season or should I say the hunting season? The one problem with that is that the prey shoot back.


 Link to Article: LA Times

Now is this article journalism? I would say no. It may be news, but it does not provide the populace information which will make them free and more self-governing. It is simply an article to fill space and has no useful information for the reader. It tells the reader that politics is a dirty business and that is nothing new under the sun.

This week's core biblical truth is Sin: "The words and actions of a man reveal the true nature of his heart". This core biblical truth is particularly fitting for this article. The words of both men presented in the article show us that it only matters how they are perceived by the people who vote. Since it is the main objective of a politician to become reelected this is no shocker. What is a shocker though is the fact that neither side seems able to figure out how to actually run the government. If the budget battle is any indication it might be better for us to simply go around electing independents and not Donald Trump so that things will actually get done in the government. Enough of this squabbling.

Glow in the Dark Water

Two workers at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant were exposed to 170 to 180 millisieverts of radiation while laying electrical cables in the basement house of the third reactor and then hospitalized. The water that was used to keep the reactor cool had seeped into their shoes. The average amount of radiation that we Americans are exposed to per year is 6.2 millisieverts. The severity of the case can clearly be seen in the comparison. Water tests in Tokyo also confirmed the existence of the radioactive isotope iodine-131.

Link to the Article: Japan Radiation Exposure

Is this article journalism? Yes it is. It has the who, what, when, where, and why that an article needs to be journalism. From that basic premise, we can declare that the article is indeed journalism and we can all go back to our happy lives. Praise the Lord.

This week's core biblical truth is Evangelism, "God has specific directions (absolute law) concerning man's relationship to both Himself and his fellow man". As followers of Christ we should be doing all that we can to help out in Japan after the earthquake and tsunami. With this unfortunate accident we have been given the chance to minister to the hurt people of Japan and even begin evangelic work there. A two prong attack which could achieve many things for our faith. In this way we follow God's specific directions for us from when Christ gave us the Great Commission.

The Importance of Light Bulbs

You may not know this, but light bulbs are a political issue with Republicans, though in this particular article it is toilets which get the limelight. Reported on March 10, 2011, the LA Times brings to the forefront Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky's battle with an Department of Energy official. "'Frankly, my toilets don't work in my house. And I blame you and people like you who want to tell me what I can install in my house, what I can do. You restrict my choices,' Paul said" (LA Times). That was the issue, I suppose it was more about the issue of choices about what one can install in one's home, but the humor is something that cannot be ignored. I propose an old fashion solution to this new age problem. A duel. Ten paces away from each other with flintlock pistols. If you manage to hit the other person, then that person gets what he or she wants. With that taken care of, you can go back to actually doing your job.


LA Times: Rand Paul and Toilets


Alright, for the sake of this post I will try not to dip to heavily into my deep well of sarcasm. Is this journalism? No. Not in any shape form or manner. I am actually rather embarrassed that someone wrote an article on this. It is about an argument between a Senator and an unnamed official in a massive department. There was nothing of any value in that piece except the humor. I refuse to go on about it.


This weeks core biblical truth is Salvation, "Faith in Jesus Christ is the purpose of life. Faith in Jesus Christ enables man to discern the Truth." Neither purpose or truth were served in this article. Nothing which pertains to anything, but the need to get any kind of press for an political animal's need.to be noticed by the public. If such articles become common place, may God help us all.

Blood on the High Seas

On February 23, 2011 the LA Times reported that four Americans were killed by Somali pirates on a yacht called the Quest in the Gulf of Aden in the Indian Ocean. The four Americans are: Jean and Scott Adam, Phyllis Macay, and Robert Riggle. Soon thereafter a team of 15 Navy Seals forcibly gained entrance on to the yacht and immediately began to retake the yacht from the pirates. Two of the pirates were killed during the short lived battle and two other pirates were killed before the Seal team boarded the yacht. Around 13 or so pirates who lived through it are now being taken into U.S. Custody and then to be prosecuted. May the justice be swift and sure. 

Link to Article: LA Times- Four Americans Killed by Pirates

A slight return to the question of the week: is this article journalism? Let us say that this is indeed journalism. For the following reasons the above statement is true: 1. It states where it takes place. 2. Who was in the event. 3. What happened in the event. 4. The aftermath of the event. 5. The how the event happened. These five reasons are why the article is journalism, simple enough.

Now on to this week core biblical truth which is Growth- "Courage is fallen man's response to God's imprinted truth. The true purpose of life is to know God and obey his commandments". The Adams were carrying Bibles to Somalia when they were boarded by pirates and subsequently killed. Their courage in taking the Word of God to a largely Islamic country is notable and should be a reminder that we too must spread the Gospel.

Forward Thinking

On February 17, 2011 it was reported by the LA Times that President Obama is due to meet a dozen industry leaders, including Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs, Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidtand Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. The meeting is, according to the White House, how to strengthen our economy in the Internet age. President Obama is, in my opinion, making the right moves. Not only is he going to the leading men who shape the virtue of technology and the internet as we know it, but from the article he seems to be going to them for advice on how to best use the technology we have today to boost the U.S. to the front of the pack and in doing so creating better quality of life for U.S. citizens. The subject of the meeting may be related to this, "Obama has been traveling throughout the country promoting investments in expanded broadband, education and renewable energy — initiatives announced in his State of the Union address in January under the slogan of 'Winning the Future'" (LA Times). Strident move for the president, something we all like to see. If the meeting holds true to what I am suggesting here then we may see a substantial increase in spending on research and technology which unfortunately means that something else is going to need to take the ax.

Link to Article: Obama in California

Now on to the question of the week. Is this article journalism? I would say, no. Surprisingly enough, the article lacks a few details which would make it journalism. Most of the details all deal with the subject of the meeting. What exactly is the President and the others going to be discussing? Of course that is no doubt intentional mostly due to national security reasons no doubt, but it is an essential detail which makes the article not journalism. 

This weeks core biblical truth is Evangelism, which states that "God has specific directions (absolute law) concerning man’s relationship to both Himself and his fellow man." President Obama has a specific direction which he wants to take the U.S. in. Whether he succeeds or not depends on what God's directions say. Which I suppose is the heart of every matter. Doesn't matter we try or do, if God doesn't have it in His plan, then we just have to suck it up and move on.

Political Maneuvers

Back to Egypt again we go. This time it is a little closer to home then we would have thought at first. After Egyptian president Mubarak made his speech which was not well received by the protesters, back in the states one can feel and hear political rumblings. The loudest rumbling, which was recorded by LA Times reporters Michael Memoli and Michael Muskal, was the announcement that President Obama was to meet with his national security team to discuss the "situation" when he returns to the White House. Robert Gibbs, a White House spokesman, told reporters that Obama might issue a statement on the situation, but he is only stalling for time for an official statement to be released as can be seen in a quotation, "I am watching much of what you're watching. We're watching, I think, a very fluid situation. What we're looking for and what the president spoke about many days ago remains our priority: an orderly transition to a free and fair election" (LA Times). One must think after reading this that if any action was to be taken by the administration it would be one of those cover their butts action and nothing resembling anything concrete that would defend the government's support of the protesters.


LA Times: Obama to meet his National Security Team

Question of the blog, is this article journalism? I would say yes. It not only states who, what, when, where, and even why, but it also gives us concrete information which we can check up on. Does Northern Michigan University exist? Did President Obama speak there? Is Robert Gibbs really a White House spokesman? Such questions can be answered and are easily verifiable. The event is also recent and relevant to the world at large. It is these aspects which make the article journalism.

This week's core biblical truth is Creation Part Two, "In God's sovereignty, He controls the rise and fall of rulers and nations". One can see that God has certainly decided that Mubarak's time is up as president of Egypt, but now the ball is in our government's court and what actions we take might decide a variety of things which cannot be supported by anything other then precedent. Whether we actively support the protesters or not it seems to me that some other form of government will replace President Mubarak. Now what kind of government it will be does depend on what we and other democratic nations decide to do about the crisis in Egypt.

Bathed in Fire and Blood

The video above shows a riot in Cairo, Egypt. The mass protest by anti-government Egyptians against President Hosni Mubarak and his regime has been plastered in the newspapers and constantly shown in the news. The article which I am writing about is describing a protest in Cairo, Egypt. No doubt as a way to show the human side of the event and therefore elicit sympathy for one side or another. "A few dozen army soldiers fired over the protestors' heads in an attempt to push them back. But pro- and anti-government protestors are well aware that the army has pledged not to use force, rendering the small number of soldiers on the ground ineffectual, reduced at times to trying to wave protesters away" (LaTimes). From that quote alone it looks to be that the article is about the government and specifically the military who are ineffectual only because one man refuses to step down. The article does not tell when the events that it records happened, but one must assumed that they happened within at least the past two days since February 3, 2011 when it was published. 


Link to Article: LA Times: Cairo Protest


Now to the important question of the day, is the above article journalism? I would say no. My reasoning is as follows: it is a good human interest story, but without any references to back the information it provides one cannot really know whether that it is a true story or something made up to get people to read the article. Secondly, you do not know who was interviewed to provide the meat of the story. Thirdly, we do not know whether the reporter was actually there, because the article does not describe any real land marks except the Tahir Square. In all the lack of such evidence lends itself in support of the theory that the article is not truly journalism.


The core biblical truth for the week is Revelation: "In society, truth is not relative to the individual, but rather is absolute and its source is solely God. Tolerance understands other's ideas, but does not require surrender of your world view." The article clearly shows that truth is often twisted to give whatever effect the author is after, whether it is to create sympathy or horror. The author tries to make truth relative, simply because he controls the outlet of truth from where he is stationed. In the end the truth always comes out, no matter how cliche that phrase becomes.

FBI: 1, Mob: 0

As seen from the video above, the largest mob bust in FBI history occurred early in the morning today, January 20, 2011. A total of 127 members of the leading Mafia groups have been charged with crimes, even crimes as far back as the 1980s. 110 of the 127 members have already been arrested in New York, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and Italy and the rest will soon follow. Despite the wide scope of the arrest some are not so sure that it will have any real effect on organized crime.

A former police reporter, Leonard Levitt, said in a recent article to the LA Times, "'the fact that none of the suspects is well-known outside of mob circles may be a sign 'the mob is not what it used to be. '

'The mob keeps coming back despite all these arrests. Yet at the same time nobody knows who these guys are,' he said, comparing them to past figures such as Carlo Gambino and John Gotti, whose names were known to the general public.

Levitt attributed that in part to competition from new crops of organized crime gangs from Asia, Mexico and elsewhere who have nudged the Italian families aside. 'They just don't have the same monopoly,' he said of the Italian mobster families who once dominated organized crime" (LA Times).

Link to the Article: LA Times: Mob Bust

Link to the Indictments: Indictments 

Now to decide whether this is journalism or not. One would think that since it made it into a major newspaper that it is in fact journalism, but that is not always the case. In this particular case, the article is journalism. The article provides not only specific details of an event, but also various views of the event. With those two things accomplished the article can be considered journalism. Those are not the only requisites to be considered journalism there is also cross referencing with other related events, either by nature or in direct relation with one of the people involved with the event.

This week's Core Biblical Truth is Creation, "In God's sovereignty, He controls the rise and fall of rulers and nations". In this particular article it deals with the fall of rulers. The arrests of the 110 members of the American organized crime scene show that justice does prevail and that the wicked are punished, even if it feels like that it is way too late to do any good for those who were affected by those mobsters. But one still cannot deny the fact that they finally got what was coming to them, or in Biblical terms, they reaped what they had sowed. I say give a round of applause to the FBI. The good guys have just scored a major victory.