Month: July 2005

July 20, 2005

The revamped Acton News and Commentary

Today we unleashed a snazzy new version of our weekly newsletter (delivered to your mailbox every Wednesday afternoon), Acton News and Commentary. Today’s issue features a new commentary written by Anthony Bradley entitled “Ghetto cracker: The Hip Hop ‘Sell Out’,” links to the new Policy Forum on faith-based charities, a new CD release, and links to some of our blog posts. Continue Reading...
July 20, 2005

Junk (food) science

One of the reasons cited for various government programs promoting healthy eating, including the “fat” or “fast food tax,” is the obesity epidemic in America. This is especially true for America’s youth, as childhood obesity is often cited as one of the nation’s greatest health risks. Continue Reading...
July 20, 2005

Ghetto Cracker: The hip hop ‘sell out’

Acting “white” is a term of derision among those who view hip hop and rap culture as authentically black. In fact, writes Anthony Bradley, it’s the rappers who’ve sold out by adopting the low-life habits first displayed among poor Southern whites. Continue Reading...
July 20, 2005

Pentagon keeps close watch on China’s military build-up

In an annual report to Congress the Pentagon claims that China now has up to 730 short-range ballistic missiles on its coast opposite Taiwan. Last year’s report found only 500. The Pentagon said China could now be spending up to $90 billion a year on defense, and that its military build-up is putting the region at risk. Continue Reading...
July 19, 2005

For Associate Justice – John G. Roberts, Jr.

President Bush announced tonight that he has chosen federal appeals judge John Roberts to succeed Sandra Day O’Connor as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Roberts is not a well known figure, but has garnered respect from across the political spectrum throughout his career: John G. Continue Reading...
July 19, 2005

Morality at the movies

An article in today’s New York Times confirms the trend in Hollywood to make movies that are faith and family friendly. Sharon Waxman reports that producers, directors, studio executives and marketing specialists have been looking to either mollify or entice an audience that made its power felt with last year’s “Passion of the Christ.” Continue Reading...
July 19, 2005

Not in Uzbekistan

Remember what I said about the relationship between charity and evangelism? Here’s a tip: Be careful in Uzbekistan. Forum 18 relates the story of a woman who runs a charity in Uzbekistan, and has been the target of harassment by the secret police. Continue Reading...
July 18, 2005

Running out of stones

Who needs sustainable cities? It appears that China does. Slashdot reports that a leading architect of the sustainable city movement, William McDonough, has been commissioned by the Chinese government to create “a national prototype for the design of a sustainable village, an effort focused on creating a template for improving the quality of life for 800 million rural Chinese.” Continue Reading...
July 18, 2005

Up in smoke

Cigar Jack passes along this story (PDF Page2) about “faith leaders” soliciting the government to place tobacco regulation under the auspices of the FDA. The proposed legislation, which has twice been left languishing in the U.S. Continue Reading...
July 15, 2005

Faith makes a difference

“In the first nationwide study that specifically measures how faith relates to the organization and delivery of human service programs, initial results indicate that faith-based or religious charities do indeed conduct their operations in ways that markedly set them apart from secular organizations.” Continue Reading...