Jim Denison

Latest

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  Dec 20, 2013

  Duck Dynasty: Two Things Phil Robertson Did Right

  Phil Robertson is one of America's pop icons. It's an amazing story: college quarterback to barroom brawler to "Bible-thumping Christian" (as he calls himself) to duck call inventor to founder of a Dynasty. His television program is the highest-rated cable reality show in history. He and his family made Barbara Walters' "most fascinating people of 2013" list; you can't check out of a grocery store without passing their calendars and other paraphernalia.

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  Oct 18, 2013

  Special Needs Teenager Bullied by Anonymous Texts

  "Shea should just have one of her seizures and die." Shea Shawhan, an 18-year-old high school student, recently received this anonymous text. She has the mental capacity of an eight-year-old, as the result of a brain injury she suffered at birth. Nonetheless, she plays softball and is a cheerleader.

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  Oct 9, 2013

  Believers Consume Fewer Drugs Than Atheists

  This headline caught my eye: "Believers consume fewer drugs than atheists." A Swiss National Science Foundation research team found that young Swiss men who say they believe in God are less likely to smoke cigarettes or pot or take ecstasy pills than young Swiss men who say they are atheists. Their findings were reported this week in the journal Substance Use & Misuse.

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  Oct 4, 2013

  What the Capitol Shooting Says About Us

  Yesterday afternoon, "government shutdown" took on a more ominous meaning as shots were fired at the Capitol. For half an hour, we watched as government employees were sequestered inside their offices. We eventually learned that a woman struck a barrier near the White House, refused to pull her car over, and was chased by police to the Capitol. She was shot and taken to a hospital; a young child was found in her car.

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  Sep 30, 2013

  'Sugar Baby' Campaign Sweeping the Nation

  A billboard on Interstate 30 in East Texas pictures a young blond woman and the words, "Get out of Prostitution. Be a SUGAR BABY!" I didn't know what a "sugar baby" was. It turns out, this is a woman who is paid by a man to have an ongoing sexual relationship with him. Advocates say it's not prostitution, since it's not a one-time encounter. Critics call it "an online pimping service on a billboard."

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  Sep 26, 2013

  Pope Excommunicates Pro-Gay Marriage Priest

  Consider this: last May, Pope Francis excommunicated a pro-gay marriage priest. Greg Reynolds of Melbourne, Australia had been advocating views on women clergy and gay marriage that clearly contradict Catholic doctrine. However, the pope's action is only now making news. Why? Perhaps because, as one commentator notes, "he's not the liberal the media wants."

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  Sep 24, 2013

  How Long Will the World Last?

  At least another 1.75 billion years, according to scientists. However, be warned that between 1.75 and 3.25 billion years from now, Earth will no longer be habitable—our planet will move so close to the sun that our oceans evaporate. At that time we should probably move to Mars, since it will remain habitable until the end of the sun's lifetime, six billion years from now.

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  Sep 9, 2013

  What the Press Isn't Telling You About Syria

  David Brooks, my favorite New York Times columnist, identifies "the biggest threat to world peace right now" as "the possibility of a wave of sectarian strife building across the Middle East." Others go even further. One British politician is warning that the conflict in Syria raises "the spectre of a third world war." Another news outlet headlines: "Could Syria ignite World War 3?"

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  Sep 2, 2013

  9 Interesting Office Facts for Labor Day

  In honor of today's Labor Day holiday, here are nine "interesting office facts": 1. Americans spend at least 1,896 hours a year at work. 2. One percent of U.S. employers allow employees to take naps during working hours. 3. Women business owners employ 35 percent more people than all the Fortune 500 companies combined.

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  Aug 21, 2013

  Angelina Jolie Advocates Teenage Cohabitation

  When Angelina Jolie was 14, her boyfriend was allowed to live with her. The actress plans to raise her children the same way. This fact introduces USA Today's column titled, "Let teenagers have their romantic sleepovers." The subtitle explains: "As youthful cohabitation rises, parents should see it as an opportunity to teach." The writer cites research indicating that by age 18, nine percent of women have cohabited. By age 20, the number rises to 26 percent.