Sinfest

Major Tom · Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 7562

House Panel Inquiry on Global Warming Research

By ANDREW C. REVKIN
Published: July 21, 2006

A House committee will examine accusations that political appointees in the Bush administration edited government reports on global warming to raise the level of uncertainty about research that points to a human cause. The Republican and Democratic leaders on the Government Reform Committee sent a letter to the White House Council on Environmental Quality requesting documents by Aug. 11 on the activities of Philip A. Cooney, a former lobbyist for the petroleum industry with no science background who edited climate reports while chief of staff of the environmental council. Mr. Cooney resigned last year shortly after the revisions were described in The New York Times.

E-boy · Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 4:40 pm Post subject:

What's to enquire about? This made the news, the guy resigned, and details were published. It's no great leap to figure out the guy was forwarding a political agenda.

This stuff pisses me off. It's a perfect example of throwing anything you don't want to deal with to a "committee". We all know how long committee's take to do anything.
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Major Tom · Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 7562

it takes them just a little longer to do nothing at all, which is often the point of committee

Bodhisattva · Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 4:53 pm Post subject:

timmccloud · Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 5:28 pm Post subject:

One of my favorite quotes:

"God so loved man, he sent his only son, and not a committee"

To which I've added

"But Jesus was human, and the first thing he did was convene a committee of 12".
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Major Tom · Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 7562

13...

...he was there

timmccloud · Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 5:35 pm Post subject:

Oooh, snap!

Very true. But I use the 12, because most people associate 12 with the number of apostles, and I'm surrounded by mundanes who wouldn't get 13 without explanation. So for the sake of brevity I use 12, when 13 is in fact the correct number.

I love this place. Intelligent people abound. Very Happy

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Natashabi · Joined: 09 Jul 2006 Posts: 390 Location: Tejas

For some reason I remember learning in my Catholic School days that there theoretically could have been as many as 14 apostles.

BoySetsFire · Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 6:22 pm Post subject:

don't forget Rufus, the black apostle ...

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mouse · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 15446 Location: under the bed

well, there is discussion now that mary magdelene was one of the apostles - although i understand the catholic church doesn't buy into that one.

and while the committee may ultimately be inconsequential, i find it interesting that one was convened at all - a few years ago, i don't think congress would have bothered to ask about this. now they are asking...which may mean that they are aware that their constituents are aware of what's been going on, and may be starting to expect some accountability.

one can but hope.
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Lemontree · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 3297

mouse · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 15446 Location: under the bed

well, it depends on who you talk to. what determines what makes an apostle? that they followed him, or learned from him, or were charged with spreading the word? she did at least the first 2 - and i don't know that all of the others are documented as doing the last.
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E-boy · Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 6:47 pm Post subject:

The gospels in the apocrypha (IE the gnostic gospels, and some others) Aren't recognized as "Gospels" per say by the modern church. So for purposes of apostle counting... Well you get the picture. Revisionist history beyotches!!!

A really good book about the strangeness that was the early church is "Misquoting Jesus".

I mean hell, I'm an atheist and I loved this book.
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"Life is tough, but it's tougher when you're stupid" ~ SGT John Stryker from "Sands of Iwo Jima".

timmccloud · Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 6:48 pm Post subject:

Speaking of Gospels, this one is fascinating. It's recently been revealed and has been missing for about 1700 years, with the earliest reference being in the year 180 ad by St. Irenaeus who declared it a heresy. It describes Judas of Iscariot as the only apostle who really understood Jesus, and that he was actually instructed by Jesus to betray him to Herod and the roman authorities.

The lost gospel of Judas of Iscariot

Being that this is the bulletin board where you can find posted an image of the t-shirt that says "Mary was a virgin, only if you don't include anal", I figure this is some good fodder for discussion.

Smile

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BoySetsFire · Posted: Sat Jul 22, 2006 12:58 am Post subject:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2565436963450479963&sourceid=igoogle

speech that became An Inconvenient Truth. interesting stuff. i'm definitely interested in seeing the actual film.
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