So yeah, I’m a global warming skeptic. Why? Well, this sort of thing:

…and when you exhale, you’ll see the steam.

Maybe for the same reason we believed, 30 years ago, that global cooling was the biggest threat: a matter of faith. “It is a cold fact: the Global Cooling presents humankind with the most important social, political, and adaptive challenge we have had to deal with for ten thousand years. Your stake in the decisions we make concerning it is of ultimate importance; the survival of ourselves, our children, our species,” wrote Lowell Ponte in 1976.

Read more on Global Warming: Step Back, Take a Deep Breath……

A favorable review of Will Smith’s The Pursuit of Happyness in Liberty: “The Importance of ‘Happyness’.”

And just in case you thought that libertarians have no appreciation for social bonds whatsoever, here’s the conclusion of the piece: “Underlying this free-market philosophy, however, is a film that is unabashedly moving, demonstrating that true happiness does not lie in the accumulation of property alone, but in having someone to share the joy of good fortune. Without someone to tell, someone to care, good fortune is just a pile of paper.”

Read more on Happyness a Hit with Libertarians…

Speaking of the ubiquity of pornography in our culture, last week ABC News’ Nightline highlighted the work of XXXChurch, a ministry aimed at evangelizing porn stars and pornographers, as well as addressing the spiritual problems associated with consuming pornography. Check out the story, “The Porn Pastors: XXXChurch.com.”

Read more on Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin…

Following up on my musings about the potential for the PlayStation 3 to position itself as the “family friendly” next-gen gaming system because of its on-board Blu-ray drive, it looks like Blu-ray is closing the gap on HD-DVD (HT: Slashdot):

Read more on Blu-ray Closing the Gap; Thanks PS3!…

“We noticed that they took the umbrellas and the pens, but threw away the policy leaflets before they walked out of the door.”

You don’t say?

It’s the weekend; I can get away with a post like this on the weekend.

Read more on European Union Releases Comic Book; EU Unintentional Comedy Production Skyrockets…

It looks like Julianne Malveaux is going to have to expand her complaint against the labeling of milk to a whole new spate of products, including yogurt. It may be that the whole scope of items coming from the dairy industry is going to be affected.

Read more on The Labeling Conspiracy is Expanding…

Follow up thought, Kevin:

Church indulgences had their roots in cheerful giving. Lots of cheerful "carbon giving" going on right now too; in fact, I’d call it downright prideful (which is why giving to God always had this condition on it).

Read more on re: Environmental Indulgences…

Sen. Dave Schultheis of Colorado has “proposed a ‘Public Schools Religious Bill of Rights’ to combat what he calls mounting, nationwide violations of students’ and school staffs’ constitutionally protected religious freedom.”

Read more on The Right to a Religious Education…

Prof. Bainbridge on the hijinks of the Boston duo responsible for the now infamous ad campaign for Adult Swim: “These guys validate my life’s work: They confirm that corporations rule the world and are therefore a worthy subject of study.”

Read more on Bainbridge on the Boston Scare: ‘Triumph of Capitalism’…

Among the immediate causes of the sixteenth-century split in Western Christianity was the sale of indulgences. The theological crudity of this abuse was encapsulated in the venality of Dominican friar Johannes Tetzel, whose activities in Wittenberg riled Martin Luther. Tetzel allegedly preached “Sobald das Geld in Kasten klingt, die Seele aus dem Fegefeuer springt.” (“As soon as the coin in the box clinks, the soul out of purgatory springs.”)

Read more on Environmental Indulgences…