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   October 21, 2008

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   Numbers of Early Voters

 

   

Record numbers of early voters packed polling locations from Houston to El Paso on Monday in what officials said could likely be the start of an unprecedented election turnout in Texas. Anxious voters, many with the nation's crumbling economy on their minds, smashed first-day early voting records before lunchtime around big cities like Houston and San Antonio. Then more kept coming. Harris County finished Monday with a record 39,201 early voters, an 88 percent increase from the first-day turnout in 2004. Dallas County hit a record of 34,421 voters upstaging the last record in 1996 of 21,960 early voters. Many still can't return to Galveston County because Hurricane Ike wiped out their homes. But more than 4,000 people voted Monday, a record despite some parts of the county remaining so devastated, early voting reminders were made at shelters. "It's been busy all day long," county clerk Mary Ann Daigle said. Travis County's first-day total of 24,207 easily surpassed the previous first-day high of 16,139 set in 2004. "It is a stupendous, overwhelming voter turnout," said County Clerk Dana DeBeavoir. It wasn't a flawless first day. The unexpected crush of early voters around Corpus Christi caused Nueces County's overwhelmed computer mainframe to briefly freeze up, but officials said it was fixed in 15 minutes.. Read On

 
         
         
   

The Hookup Now that the school year is in full swing, many parents are probably wondering how their children are adapting to their new educational environment.  For those parents with children in college, it can often be hard to get an accurate assessment of campus life.  After all, campus life is a lot different from when they went to school, and students are so busy that calling home isn’t always their first priority.  Unfortunately, parents have reason to be concerned with the campus culture surrounding sex and relationships.  Dating is an institution of the past.  It has been replaced by a culture of hookups, or physical encounters without an expectation of a relationship.  The hookup culture dominates campus life and many students struggle to find their place in this social structure.  Fortunately for parents, a new book may help shed light on the campus social scene, and therefore provide a better understanding of the challenges that their children face at school.  In Hooking Up: Sex, Dating, and Relationships on Campus, sociologist Kathleen Bogle delves right to the heart of campus culture by interviewing students and telling their stories.  Unlike other recent books on the hookup culture, Bogle leaves judgment aside in favor of painting a sociological picture of the modern campus climate.   Read On

 
       
   
Steve Siler, producer of the recently released " Somebody's Daughter: A Journey to Freedom from Pornography" DVD-CD compilation, and Christian recording artist John Mandeville, once addicted to pornography and featured in the multimedia project, are available for interviews during "Pornography Awareness Week" Oct. 26 - Nov. 2, as designated by The National Coalition for Protection of Children and Families. According to recent surveys, nearly 60 percent of Christian men and 37 percent of pastors admit to struggling with pornography. Thirty-five percent of women also admit to the addiction."Somebody's Daughter" was produced to shed light on how the $13.3 billion pornography industry is plaguing those who profess Christianity, and to promote healing and deliverance from the growing epidemic. Michael Leahy, president of Bravehearts and author of "Porn Nation," said, "I've seen everything that's out there on the issue of sexual addiction, and nothing comes close to this. A real gem. Ideally suited for church.""Somebody's Daughter" features a television documentary detailing the lives of three men and one couple active in Christian ministry who struggle with and overcome addiction to pornography. Produced by Music for the Soul, a not-for-profit Christian ministry committed to providing life-changing healing through music and song, the release also includes compelling and therapeutic songs, illustrative music videos and personal vignettes. Study guide curriculum for individuals, counselors and churches also is available. The concept for "Somebody's Daughter" was born from a song of the same name written by Mandeville and Siler, founder and director of Music for the Soul, after Mandeville revealed to Siler his struggles with pornography. After attending a meeting for sex addicts, the two men wrote the song to illustrate that women should be viewed as a creation of a Holy God, and as a starting point for Mandeville's healing. "Somebody's Daughter" recently won a "Redemptive Storyteller Award "at the 2008 Redemptive Film Festival. "Somebody's Daughter" is scheduled to air Nov. 30 and Dec. 7 on the ION Television Network (formerly PAX TV). The documentary also is slated to air on INSP, Faith TV and "It's Time for Herman & Sharron."  Siler has had more than 400 of his songs recorded in the Christian market and won the 2000 Dove Award for Inspirational Song of the Year with "I Will Follow Christ." His best known songs are "Circle of Friends" and "Not Too Far From Here."
 
 

The wife of a Florida congressman embroiled in an adultery scandal filed for divorce Monday.  U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney admitted last week to having at least two affairs, including with an aide he paid off to keep her quiet about their relationship. His wife, Terry Mahoney, did not comment on seeking the divorce, and her attorney, Karen Steger, said "the petition speaks for itself."  The petition filed in a Palm Beach Gardens court asks for a dissolution of the marriage and for dividing assets, but does not give a reason. Florida is a no-fault divorce state.  Mahoney's campaign had no comment, calling it "a personal matter" and the congressman did not return a telephone call seeking comment. At a news conference last week, Mahoney apologized to his wife, his grown daughter and his constituents for his actions.  However, the first-term Democrat, in a tight bid for re-election, insists he broke no laws and will not resign. Voters chose him on a family values platform to replace Mark Foley, a Republican who resigned amid revelations that he sent lurid Internet messages to teenage male pages who worked on Capitol Hill.  Sex Scandal Rep. Hit With Divorce

 
 
It may seem hardly worthwhile going to the polls to vote this election year, since ACORN and the media have already decided that Barack Obama is to be the next President of the United States. Still, it may take more than voter fraud and media spin to put Senator Obama in the White House. Most public opinion polls show Obama ahead, but not usually by decisive margins, and sometimes by a difference within the margin of error. There has been a history of various polls over the years projecting bigger votes for the Democrats' presidential candidate in October than that candidate actually gets in November. Some of these polls seem like they are not trying to report facts but to create an impression. One poll has been reported as using a sample consisting of 280 Republicans and 420 Democrats. No wonder Obama leads in a poll like that. Pollsters have to protect their reputations but they can do that by playing it straight on their last poll before election day, after having created an impression earlier that a landslide for the Democratic candidate was all but a done deal. The general media bias is more blatant than usual this year. Read On
 

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