The author of the post discussed below, Stephen D Foster Jr., has taken exception to my claim that his piece has been revised. In a comment below, signed 'sdf' and from an email address linked to him, Foster says

Also, you say the first paragraph was edited to omit the word 'facts' but this is not true at all. The word was not in the piece. It always ended with 'following'.

Unfortunately for Stephen, the internet says "No, that's just not true."

I found his article when a friend of mine linked to it on Facebook. Facebook, as most of us realize, automatically publishes an excerpt from the article along with the link. At the time my friend linked the article, it did indeed say what I said it did and in the interests of good will, transparency, and demonstrating what the facts truly are, I present the following image of my friend's Facebook post.


Why is it that some folks feel the need to lie in order to make themselves look better? And over such a trivial thing? He edited his article, or the folks at the website did, because the claim that he was presenting facts was ridiculous. That's no big deal, but by trying to hide it, he casts doubts on any claim to journalistic standards he may have had.

Conservatives are so easy to anger these days. Even the most insignificant statement can set off their tempers. If you want to enrage a conservative, I suggest you tell them one of these facts.

Conservatives are so easy to anger these days. Even the most insignificant statement can set off their tempers. If you want to enrage a conservative, I suggest saying the following:

2. Jesus healed the sick and helped the poor, for free. And he didn't need a government subsidy or a tax on the rich to do so.
6. The Founding Fathers were liberals. Given that they are considered conservative today, what does that say about the massive ideological shift this country has taken over the last two decades?
7. Fascism is a right-wing trait. Nope, it is an authoritarian trait evidenced by people who believe they know how you should live your life better than you do. Sound familiar?
12. Nixon created the Environmental Protection Agency. Really, you want to claim Nixon? OK, you can have him!
14. Global warming is real. Have you been reading the papers over the last couple of years? It's Anthropogenic Climate Change, and it is getting less credence all the time as faked data, distorted models, and failed prediction continue to pile up.
20. The Republican Party began as a liberal party. See Item 6. What is to the left of liberal? Is it Communist?
23. President Obama saved the American auto industry, while Republicans wanted to destroy it. Yep, those Chevy Volts are just flying out of the showrooms. Back to Detroit for yet another recall.
24. Hate is not a Christian virtue. Neither is arrogance, pride or smug contempt.
25. Jesus was a liberal. So you now support faith based ministries? Good to know.
26. Republicans spend MORE money than Democrats. Math is not your strong suit is it? The current Democratic Administration has spent more in three years than any administration in history.
28. Public schools educate all children; private schools are for indoctrinating children. MMM MMM MMM Barack Hussein Obama. Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm.
29. The Constitution is the law, NOT the Bible. So now you support the Constitution. Cool. Tell me, have you ever actually read it? Or are the words unimportant?
36. Women control their own bodies. If only they would.
41. Health care is a right, not a product. And doctors, nurses, health care workers manufacturers of medical devices, drugs, and treatments are all slaves working for the benefit of others, and given wages determined not by the value of their work, but by government decree. And I thought you guys liked Lincoln!
42. Roe v. Wade was a bipartisan ruling made by a conservative leaning Supreme Court. Try reading the actual decision sometimes. Just about all of the original, conservative language has been stripped from the law by liberal, activist judges.
48. Republicans invaded Iraq for oil, so Iraq should be allowed to invade Texas to get it back. My money is on Texas.
49. Separation of church and state is in the Constitution, it’s called the First Amendment. The freedom to exercise religion is also part of the First Amendment. Funny how you keep leaving that part out.
53. America is a nation of immigrants, therefore we are all anchor babies. Immigration is not the problem; illegal immigration is. Learn the difference.
55. God is a particle. Say that to His face. Don't worry; you will get the chance.
58. The Founding Fathers did not free the slaves. Neither did Abraham Lincoln.
61. Federal law trumps state law. Not according to the 10th Amendment. Remember, that Constitution thing you were talking about earlier?
63. Corporations care more about profits than they do about people. And they give those profits to people called shareholders, so what you are actually saying is that people do not care about people. So how is your 401k?
72. Labor unions built this country. And they did it for free, with no investment capital needed, no bankers, and no professional services or management either. Just by the sweat of their brow and determination.
76. Inside every Republican is a Klansman or a Nazi waiting to bloom.
78. Republicans are hypocrites, they’re just too stupid to know it.
80. I think therefore I am NOT a Republican.
81. Republicans that oppose gay marriage are most likely in the closet themselves.
82. Churches should stay out of politics, or be taxed. Politicians should stay out of churches, or be damned.
85. Republicans hate education because they couldn’t hack it in school.
86. Greed is one of the seven deadly sins and Republicans wallow in it.
87. A little socialism on the Left is better than a little fascism on the Right.
94. Democrats will be working hard to bring jobs to Americans, while the Republicans tea bag each other in the middle of the aisles.
95. Voter disenfranchisement is immoral and un-American, that’s why Republicans do it. Voter fraud is the best way to win elections (It's the Chicago way) and that's why Democrats do it.
96. Republicans would let your house burn down unless you pay them to put it out. Nope; that's libertarians. Please try to keep your insults straight.
100. Republicans are idiots and arguing with them is a waste of time!

As with a lot of commentary on alleged over-regulation and government overreach into the realm of private business, we suspected there might be more to Alexander’s and many others’ concerns that do not involve wheelbarrows full of alfalfa or showing Bessie off at the county fair. Might the pushback be related to migrant child labor employed by big agribusiness concerns?

In the beginning was nothing. And then, for no reason and without cause, there was everything.

In the beginning, there was nothing.

No light and no dark.
No hot or cold.
No materials to use for creation; no energy to drive it.
No space and no void, because a void is empty, and with no space, there is nothing to be empty.

No time.
Time is space; space is time.
No space, no time, and no way to change.
Because change occurs over time.
No was. No is.
And certainly no will be.

No here because there was no there.

And then, change.
Occurring where change was impossible.
Nothing became something in a fraction of a fraction of a blink of an eye,
In a segment of time so small as to be unfathomable,
Particularly since there was no time at all.
The endless now became before and after.

No reason. No cause.
Cause and effect cannot exist without time passing.
And there was no time.

But in that one miniscule moment
The moment that did not, could not exist
(Except it must exist)
Nothing became void and void became chaos.
Everything that ever would be came to be,
Including 'ever would be.'

And from the chaos sprang order
Because everything includes order as well as chaos.
Because if you have everything,
You have to have a place to put it.
And time to put it there.