092 Trinity 18: Less Imagination
"Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all." ~ Psalm 34
Less Imagination
The state of politics is only as valuable to us common-sense folk as the clarity of our politician’s words. But it’s hard to notice Vesuvius coming down on you while the latest don’t-miss rage-tweet has you fuming.
The nature of human politics is obscurity. The words of the world-power priesthood are not straightforward, but twisted. This is a spell of modern information-tyranny, exercised as a matter of universal misinformation presided over by increasingly physiologically weak people who consistently overestimate the capacities of reality, with a special overemphasis on their own expertise.
If you can’t be on your own side, then don’t expect to win. The only way to fight the scapegoating of the revolutionaries is with the acknowledgment that “being theoretically right” doesn’t win wars or write histories. If your virtue is not girded enough in reality to topple mere boogie men, then how deep is the darkness you walk in?
Less imagination. More illumination.
Commitments are better than dreams.
Till angel cry and trumpet sound,
The Mad Christian
Clickbait Paradise
There's no such thing as a free lunch
While economics is not the most glamorous subject to broach, there are some important moves afoot in Washington, D.C. The USA is set to default on its debt unless Congress approves more government borrowing. Pieces of stop gap funding have avoided government shut downs so far, but there is internal wrangling over two massive buckets of money.
Democrats now refer to the contentious $3.5TR bill as "human infrastructure" spending, which is twisty language but at least shows where their priorities lie. Many politicians would welcome spending on the proverbial roads and bridges but this is not that. Sen. Mitt Romney says the bill penalizes marriage and Sen. Joe Manchin says he won't support the bill if it scraps the Hyde amendment. The bill includes a lot of goals espoused in the infamous "Green New Deal"— spending on climate change, free universal health care, and education.
It is not clear whether the zeal to spend so much money is a product of magical thinking or bad math. President Biden left many scratching their heads last week, saying his $3.5TR bill will cost "zero dollars." Rep. John Yarmouth even pronounced that the federal government can afford to do anything it wants. The logic seems to be that taxing the very wealthy and businesses will be enough to foot the bill, without adding to the nation's debt. While a long-sighted politician is a rare bird, pray for wisdom for our leaders, that they will consider how their actions will affect future generations, and not just push for what they want now.
Old school is still cool
The Verge has written an interesting piece about how search capability in our digital age is forming a generational divide. While older folks still imagine stored information as a "nested" system of files and directories, younger people are visualizing data more like a "laundry basket"— you search for what you want when you need it. The idea that digital media is changing our habits and culture is well-documented, but we at Mad Mondays were contemplating what this might mean for the study of God's Word. While the canon of Scripture is indeed a collection of works, containing everything we need for life and godliness, it is also a systematic proclamation of God's works and his plan of salvation, with themes, patterns and echoes.
Teaching our kids to read for understanding, storing the Word of God in their hearts, goes against the grain of our therapeutic culture, which conflates whatever panders to your felt needs for truth and wisdom. Church leaders often take the "laundry basket" approach to Scripture, cherry picking things they can twist to their own preferred narrative. But this is to deny the whole counsel of God. While we may not always have chapter and verse to hand, being in the Word is the only way to know what's in the laundry basket! Pray that the Lord would magnify our desire for His Holy Word in our own hearts and those of our children.
...
The New Yorker has published a story about the boom in demand for e-books during the pandemic. The article covers the tension between libraries and publishers over who owns electronic media. While e-books may have salvaged interest in libraries, the fix may end up being their undoing. If pricing of e-books and regulation around them continues on the current course, electronic books may soon be beyond the reach of libraries. Mad Christians certainly won't mind if the demand for physical books endures— home libraries are a treasure for generations, not subject to file corruption or lost when the grid fails.
Many may have forgotten that however, with Pew Research reporting that 23% of Americans haven’t read book in last year.
The unwashed masses
The cult of COVID continued purging the unclean this week, with a North Carolina hospital system firing unvaccinated workers and United Airlines also laying off staff. New York governor, Kathy Hochul insists that healthcare workers need to be vaccinated against COVID by the end of September, saying she may deploy National Guard officers who have medical training to meet staffing shortfalls. Hochul also wants educators vaccinated, despite protests. Governor Hochul appeared at a large church in New York City, urging the congregation to be "apostles" for the vaccine. California Governor Gavin Newsom now wants school students 16 and over to be vaxxed.
A fresh study out of UC Davis continues to confirm there is no difference in viral loadbetween vaccinated and unvaccinated people. Though findings have shown that vaccinations reduce the chance of hospitalization, vaccinated people can still contract and spread COVID-19. Strangely, basketball players seem to understand this better than a lot of journalists. (See here and here). Warriors' player, Draymond Green asked the presswhat we all want to know: "Why are you pushing this so hard?"
The non-profit organization, US Right To Know, has reported that Wuhan virologist, Zhengli-Shi edited documents to downplay accusations that the laboratory engaged in gain-of-function research.
And in other pandemic news...
The CEO of Pfizer has said that annual booster shots will likely be necessary.
After re-opening to fully vaccinated casts, crews, and audiences, Broadway has shut down its production of Aladdin, with breakthrough cases found amongst staff.
A health official in Canada says that absences from school will be assumed to be COVID-positive, unless they get tested.
YouTube has joined the "misinformation" bandwagon, taking down videos that cast doubt on vaccines generally, and COVID-19 inoculations specifically.
Fools and horses
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has called for President Biden to apologize to border patrol agents, for falsely accusing them of "strapping" illegal immigrants. The kicker is that agents may lose their jobs for not being vaxxed while immigrants are not being vaccinated, tested, or quarantined. Rev. Fisk said it: "The world is upside down." The propaganda arm of the government, AKA Twitter, has slapped a "sensitive content" warning on a 2017 video about the importance of horses in securing the southern border. Though it contains nothing offensive, this seems to be a move to reduce the likelihood of the video being shared.
It's life, but not as they know it
Protests over Texas' efforts to protect unborn humans were held last week, with Senator Susan Collins calling the restrictions on abortion "inhumane." The white noise is so full of this kind of language that people are inoculated against the stomach-turning idea that it is. Yet, this is where we are— killing babies is seen as humane. But while convenience is the order of the day, exploiting our smallest neighbors will continue. Judicial Watch has released FDA documents that record sickening research that uses fetal body parts to create "humanized mice." H/T to Jedi Knight.
If abortion devotees were not so blinded by their rage, they might consider a lesson from China. UnHerd published a piece last week, contemplating whether the Chinese government would introduce "forced fertilization" in a bid to stave off population decline. The notorious "one child policy" led to forced abortions and sterilizations, so it would not be surprising if the Chinese Communist party imposed a real life "handmaid's tale." It is clear that a society that does not value all human life can become numb and capable of all sorts of evil.
On a brighter note, The Federalist has calculated that Texas' "heartbeat" law is saving the lives of 100 babies daily. God be praised!
Switzerland got on the "right side of history" last week, approving same-sex marriage and adoption. A UK study has found that some women's sports are "unsafe and unfair" when transgendered athletes compete. You don't say?
The monkey's uncle
A new poll has shown that almost half of Americans accept the theory of evolution. The change is attributed to the rise in university education and the decrease in religious beliefs. When journals, media, and experts speak as if it is perfectly normal to think that the magnificence of God's creation is explained by random forces, it is no wonder that people lose their ability to resist it. In a recent study, evolutionary biologists at Harvard say they think they know how humans lost their tails, as we evolved from primates to people. It sounds a little like what St. Peter records of the scoffers in his day— they wilfully overlook that the earth was made by the Word of God. It appears we have lost our minds, not our tails!
Scientists have found an ancient city, levelled by a "cosmic airburst." Could this be Sodom? Jerusalem Post almost said it, but concluded the event must be "inspiration for the story" of Sodom and Gomorrah. 🤦
The white noise can do it to ya...
But you know what to do..
Sorry, not sorry
Facebook has responded to reports that they knew Instagram hurt teenage girls, saying that most kids do just fine with it. While it is hard to say how valuable a tech giant's research about its own products is, the bottom line is: know what your kids are up to and teach them who they are— a baptized child of God. All the same, Facebook has shelved plans for a Instagram for kids which is no doubt a good thing.
Why looky here! Amazon has made a cute and creepy home robot but it tracks everythingyou do.
Netflix has bought the rights to Roald Dahl's works saying it intends to make a "universe" of content for its streaming service.
One cable to rule them all: The EU wants all phones to use USB-C.
Headlines far away
Britain has a shortage, not of fuel, but of truck drivers. Some blame Brexit, but others blame lockdowns and the pandemic. Military personnel may be used to transport gas around the country.
Ecuador's prisons are dangerous places
Quick Hits for the Eyebuds
🏆 Outsider wins marathon after race leaders go the wrong way
🐿️ A squirrel used a man's parked truck to store nuts
💥 Shaman may have started Cali fire, trying to purify bear urine
🌲 Amazing trees for your enjoyment
🔦 Drunk man joined his own search party
🎵 Beethoven's unfinished 10th symphony has been completed by A.I.
👨🚀 In case you've been wondering: how many people are in space right now
🐭 Scientists have 3-D printed living mice brain cells
⌚ The shortage no one is talking about: Rolex watches
💰 Semi conductor shortage will cost the auto industry billions
💵 Dollars don't grow on Dollar Trees
🍸 Do you expect me to talk? People had fun with the title of the new James Bond film
📝 Surreal landscapes made on a photocopier
🔌 A Tedium history of braided nylon
🧠 Visual Capitalist reckon they've documented every cognitive bias
🔥 Jet powered trucks can clock 350mph
Only Illuminati Need Apply
Highlights from Us, the Chill
News travels fast when you're on the Us, the Chill Discord. Check out these two videos made by Ryan Turnipseed on Generation Z and their (lack of) education. Here's his first, The Zoomers, which is followed by The Failure to Educate.
A Good Word: Rec's from the Fisks
Is your reading list looking slim? We doubt it, but in case you missed a rec this week...
Death Comes- a BHoP conversation
Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss
Tribe of Mentors by Tim Ferriss
The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss
Good to Great by Jim Collins
Good to Great and the Social Sectors by Jim Collins
Without Flesh by Jonathan Fisk
Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving by Pete Walker
Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus by Dr. John Gray
Joining Sons of Solomon or Daughters of Wisdom
Psalms (esp. 38-40) and Proverbs
Sweetness You May Have Missed
How to Read the Bible: Matthew
Speak about God like He hears you
Let us pray: Merciful Father, Your patience and loving-kindness toward us have no end. Grant that by Your Holy Spirit we may always think and do those things that are pleasing in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.