Paul Thurrot Test Drives Windows 7 Paul Thurrot: "Well, let me ruin the surprise up front. Windows 7 is Windows Vista done right. If you're already a fan of Windows Vista, you'll love Windows 7 because it's a better rendition of that earlier OS. If you're a Vista hater, take heart: The makers of Windows 7 have reevaluated virtually everything about Vista and made changes small and large across the board. The result is a better Windows, no matter how you slice it."

Redistributionist in Chief Obama on Wealth Redistribution

Presidential Election 2008 The Comprehensive Argument Against Barack Obama

I'm not excited about either candidate. The details in this argument are why I do not understand the Cult of Obama. However, these things do not prove that he cannot be a good President. The proof is in the pudding, as they say.

Gallup: 6-Point Race It's still a contest, according to today's Gallup poll. Obama leads by six, but that is far from a slam dunk, at two weeks out.

Presidential Race McCain held his own, but didn't gain any ground in last night's debate. Obama will sail to an Electoral College landslide victory unless something big happens before Election Day. (NOTE: The popular vote will be close.) The only "big" thing that could put McCain back on top is a National Security incident, in my opinion. I recall the OBL tape that was released before the 2004 election, giving W an edge over Kerry.

Will there be another October surprise?

"Information Control" Continuing on the theme of How Cults Work, today let's examine what is known as Information Control.

"Those who control the information control the person. In a mind control cult any information from outside the cult is considered evil, especially if it is opposing the cult. Members are told not to read it or believe it. Only information supplied by the cult is true. One cult labels any information against it as "persecution" or "spiritual pornography", another cult calls it "apostate literature" and will expel you from the group if you are caught with it. Cults train their members to instantly destroy any critical information given to them, and to not even entertain the thought that the information could be true."

Here is an example. This is a pro-Mormon site, speaking of how to deal with anti-Mormon literature.

"First of all, anti-Mormon literature, Internet sites, conversations, ideas, etc. are like spiritual pornography. Once they are in the mind, they are very difficult to get rid of. As you try to reach out to your husband, I would advise you to avoid any material, even if you think it might help you understand him better. You don't want those seeds of doubt planted in your own mind, because no one is immune to them."

"Secondly, be aware that not all anti-Mormon "stuff" out there comes from non- or ex-Mormons. My friend has found material that is written in a spirit of so-called "enlightenment" on Church history or other topics by church members -- but at the core, it is anti-Mormon and anything but enlightening or faith-promoting. There are some wolves in sheep's clothing out there, right in our midst. And you can detect them -- because they stray from foundational principles."

Dow Bush is speaking on TV, and the Dow continues to drop.

Obama Leads in Polls Obama is up five points in national polls, and he is lleading in every single battleground state. The McCain campaign is in serious trouble.

Obama/Ayers Story CNN calls out Obama on his relationship with Bill Ayers.

How Cults Work From the site, How Cults Work, we have this explanation of what is known as Exclusivism, something found in many religious cults:

"A normal religious organization would not have any trouble with you moving to another similar organization as long as you stayed in that same religion. Because it is the belief system that matters, not membership in an organization. For example if you were a Christian then you could move from one church to another and still be a Christian."

"However cult leaders will tell you can only be "saved" (or can only be successful) in their organization alone. No other organization has the truth, all others miss the mark. So it is not the belief system that decides your future, but it the belief system AND your membership with that particular group."