179 Pentecost 3: Ahead of the Curve
"Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations." ~Psalm 100
Ahead of the Curve
“He might as well also say of his eight-day clock, ‘It’s mine! And I shall wind it when I please!” - E.W. Bullinger, “Number in Scripture: It’s Supernatural Design and Spiritual Significance”
Eight things I have learned fighting the “modern,” industrial, “deep” state psyop/religion:
1. Complexity is an exacerbation of pain built of the overreaching attempt to squeeze reality into a box it does not fit in.
2. Pain does not have to make you stupider.
3. Owned space is humanizing. Get some.
4. Ask God for better works. Like this: “Dear Jesus, give me better works. I don’t even know what that means. That is why I am asking. Even my darkness is light to you! Amen!”
5. Don’t waste your breath trying to hold onto the fire. That which is burning is burning. That which is purified is what godliness is seeking.
6. For a moment, when it gets really hard, close your eyes and pretend like Jesus is totally in charge of this very craziness, and is actually right here using it for your good. Then, remember it is not pretending.
7. Seven is like six: Jesus owns the pain. All of it.
8. In order to repent, you will have to take a deep breath. There’s just no way around it. If you want to turn around, you will have to focus long enough to breathe. Try it out, sprinting or walking. Oxygen is just essential to changing directions. So… the next time you’re stuck, guess what it's a great idea to do? Repent, even if you don’t know what to repent of. Take a deep breath, and whatever way is upright, go that way next.
Till angel cry and trumpet sound,
The Mad Christian
If everybody had a notion
Clickbait Paradise
In this edition of Mad Mondays:
Apple's new vision
Left-wing tyranny
Debauchery flies high at the White House
Media changes, the Bible's poetry and headlines to bring you up to speed..
Mixed up reality
Apple's new "mixed reality" Vision Pro headset, launched earlier this month has simultaneously impressed and horrified. While hi-tech, internet connected goggles have been around for years, the tech giant seems to be aiming at an "everything" device, which can move seamlessly from work to play, from business to home and from private settings to social. For better or worse, carrying a phone has become part of normal life, even wearing a smart watch is fairly common these days. But encouraging users to wear a computer on their face throughout the day (and night) may be a hard-sell.
Apple insists they designed the goggles to be used in the company of other humans – the glass lightens to reveal the user's face if someone is nearby. But journalist John Daniel Davidson writes that the Vision Pro is an "incredibly powerful isolation device." Separating people from one another while connecting them to the internet, he argues, is a recipe for control. And certainly the accompanying advertisements are a little unnerving if you think about it a bit – people sitting alone in a darkened living room, watching clips of their children who are elsewhere. Even if be-goggled users share the same space, one professor wondered what damage will be wrought on human friendship when we can no longer look each other in the eye.
The Atlantic's Charlie Warzel raised concerns about the immersive allure of the goggles. While previous groundbreaking Apple products were designed as utilities for humans to use when creating things, the Vision Pro "is not a tool meant to help navigate the physical world: It is a way to tune it out." Warzel worries that in the face of upheaval in so many realms of life, a device like Apple's encourages people to check out, when more than ever, humans need to be together, clear-sighted about the future. He makes a good point.
Reading about Apple's new baby brought to mind a third concern: the pitfalls of "telepresence". Writing during the pandemic, artist Livia Foldes published a thought-provoking article, reflecting on what is gained and what is lost when we "extend the reach of our bodies using technology". While Zoom meetings were all the rage during lockdowns, people became painfully aware that digital presence is a poor substitute for being near living, breathing humans. If you've been awake through these pandemic years, you will know that not being "present" where you are presently has a cost.
We will quote Foldes at length as she writes it well: "The paradox of remote presence at once constructs and blurs boundaries: between near and far, us and them, valued and expendable, human body and machine. Every promise of telepresence is a narrative of rupture and suture, a simultaneous making-more-than and less-than human. These technologies strike a bargain, imperfectly extending some of our senses while flattening the rest, connecting us to distant places and people while fracturing our bodies from their sensations, their labor, and the situated networks that physically sustain them."
Vision's capability is well beyond rudimentary video calls, so Foldes' assessment of telepresence seems even more relevant. Though digital devices promise to augment life with safety, convenience and efficiency, we know that the joy of embodied-ness often comes with risk, exploration, perspiration and trial-and-error. With digital technology, there is as Rev Fisk calls it, an inequivalent exchange, like Foldes' simultaneous "making-more-than and less-than human". Ease at the expense of satisfaction, convenience at the expense of innovation, speed at the expense of durability. To harness the proffered benefit, you must sacrifice something which quickly overshadows what you thought you gained.
The strange idea that we've reached a kind of "peak humanity" by never having to leave our desk, couch or house is not one that would make sense in much of human history. How is that a life worth living? As we've written before, the most satisfying things are usually what we do in a specific place, present with people we know. That is not always flashy, fast or easy, but it makes us more than machines.
Economist Thomas Sowell famously quipped that there are no solutions, only trade-offs. In many ways, he is spot on. That doesn't mean we need to shun all new technology, but engaging it with prudence and thoughtfulness calls for wisdom and time. As St Paul confessed: "All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any."
A different flavor or tyranny
An interesting new study investigating authoritarianism has no doubt left some folks scratching their heads – Who knew there was such a thing as left-wing extremism?Everyone is familiar with the dangers of fascism, since we hear about it endlessly in corporate media and from our political class. Everyone knows that calling someone a Nazi is the easiest way to shut down debate. But the researchers said they were interested in studying the other end of the spectrum (or horseshoe, if you prefer) since "the notion of left-wing authoritarianism (LWA) is even being met with skepticism."
The study's authors said left-wing authoritarianism is categorised by top-down censorship, endorsing the use of violence for its ends and "anti-conventionalism", which manifests in dedication to smashing hierarchies of every kind. They found that left-wing ideologies attract activists with psychopathic tendencies and narcissism. "We had expected that LWA would be correlated to prosocial motives (e.g., altruism and social justice commitment)", but in fact found that many attached to left-wing activism are using it as a means to unleash their own nasty tendencies.
We're not entirely sure why the researchers for this study assumed that people with true philanthropic intention would be drawn to socialism when that worldview makes no secret of its desire to crush the family and the church and if necessary violently. But it's good to see a study like this, which recognizes that sinful human nature can be tempted in many directions. Any godless ideology that panders to the rebellious and selfish hearts of men will only increase its appetite for destruction, unless it is killed by the regenerating power of God's truth.
Speaking of left-wing tyranny... The founding director of a new museum, Elizabeth Spalding joined the Federalist podcast last week to talk about the need to remember the destruction that Communism inflicts wherever it goes. The Victims of Communism museum opened last year in Washington D.C.
Spalding points out that America needs to do a better job of educating its citizens about the inevitable outcomes of Marx's theories. Internet elites will argue that "true Communism has never been tried" and anyway, socialism is merely an economic system. But fail to consider what Spalding points out: Karl Marx was clear about his desire to abolish the family, religion and property. Also, he was happy to condone violence to achieve his ends. With a number of Western leaders expressing admiration for the Chinese government's tight control over its population, Spalding notes that many Americans are primed to accept soft versions of Communism.
The Sin Parade Brought to you by Sin
President Biden has faced criticism for hanging a "pride" flag on the White House rotunda. Journalist Elle Purnell summarized the jarring contrast between the garish rainbow flag and the American flag – one celebrates self-indulgence, the other represents self-governance. As she says, there can be no peaceful coexistence between such contradictory values.
Yet it's clear that the President really does believe it when he says that LGBT Americans are the "soul of our nation" and the "bravest" people he's met. The White House hosted a debauched "pride" event and only apologized later when people got upset. The Press Secretary said the "unacceptable" behavior had not occurred before, yet anyone who knows anything about pride parades knows that debauchery is a given.
The sin is out in the open, but it makes it easier to pray against it! We see sinners for whom Christ died and can pray for their repentance. Real love "does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails."
A gap year Bible school for men in Rockford, IL.
Broadcast news
There's been a whole lotta shakin' up going on in corporate media. Chris Licht, who was charged with steering CNN somewhere back towards the political centre, was fired after a short stint as CEO. It would seem his "platforming" of Donald Trump was a bit too much, too soon for normie CNN viewers.
Ratings for the Fox network have taken a hammering since the firing of Tucker Carlson. But that is only the beginning of Fox's woes, with what appears to be an internal struggle between those who want Fox to stay as it is and those who want to embrace every progressive cause. One producer was fired for labelling President Biden a "wannabe dictator". But Matt Walsh also claims to have evidence from Fox employees that the network is on the LGBT bandwagon, encouraging staff to "expand their perspective" on transgenderism.
Meanwhile, the network has issued a "cease-and-desist" order for Tucker Carlson to stop his new Twitter "show", which has been very popular. The order springs from a "no-compete" clause binding on Carlson, however, as Jazz Shaw pointed out at Hot Air, does tweeting videos count as competition for a Fox broadcast? You be the judge.
Poetry in motion
We stumbled on an interesting article about poetry in the Bible. Written by a French poet and translated by an American Catholic professor, the piece argues that reading the Bible without appreciating the poems is to "not read the Bible as it is meant to be read." A strong statement for certain, but as the poet points out, from Revelation all the way back to Adam's first recorded speech:
Here at last the bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh.
This one shall be called woman, for she was drawn forth from man;
canticles, elegies, songs, psalms, proverbs, parables and verse fill the Word of God.
"Certain scholars of the Bible have long known that the poetry is not there simply to add a dash of nobility, or sublimity, or emotive force to what the author could have said in prose...poetry is in itself a way of thinking and of imagining the world; it discovers with precision what it had to say only by saying it."
For what it's worth, give it a read. More importantly, keep your eye out for poetry in the Word!
Odds and Ends
Politics/2024
Former president Donald Trump has entered not guilty plea to felony charges relating to classified documents in his possession. His presidential campaign raised $7M since his indictment. (WNG, AP)
Clip from 2022 resurfaces of President Biden saying he will do what he can to stop Trump from ever taking the White House again, but corporate media cries, "Fake news!" (AP)
President Biden has held his first rally since announcing bid for 2024 (The Hill)
Indictment of Subway good Samaritan, Daniel Penny deserves same "level of outrage" as Trump lawsuits. (The Federalist)
Presidential hopeful, Ron DeSantis has unveiled a plan to drain Washington's intelligence swamp. (Real Clear)
Marriage, sex and family
Dads: make sure you are a threat to groomers (Twitter)
Death by transgenderism: California mother bravely speaks against Bill AB 957 which would punish parents who don't "affirm" their child's gender confusion. (Not the Bee)
Some people seem determined to anger their Creator. A top doctor at a women's hospital in Sydney, Australia has floated the idea of uterine transplants for people "assigned male at birth". Pray for it to fail. (Daily Telegraph)
A new study shows that most youth who identify as LGBT switch to heterosexual within a few years. (Not the Bee)
Britain's harried Tavistock clinic has ruled that puberty blockers will onlybe given to children in a clinical research situation. (BBC)
In a small uplifting note, the event planned by the Dodgers to honor a sacriligious gay charity group who pose as nuns was a rather muted affair, with more protestors gathering outside the stadium than fans inside. (PJ Media)
And the pushback is real.. Fiery pastor John K. Amanchukwu is gaining a reputation for making school board's squirm over their support of gross, pornographic books. During his latest lambasting, he scolded members of the panel telling them they are "holding to the wrong rainbow." Preach! (Western Journal)
Markets, banks and economy
The US Securities and Exchange Commission has launched lawsuits against two separate cryptocurrency exchanges. The regulatory beef that the SEC has with Binance and also Coinbase seems to be rooted in the idea that crypto tokens are "simply securities" and therefore fall under SEC jurisdiction. One expert said that if the crackdown continues, crypto could be "basically banned" in the U.S. (Wired)
Treasury Secretary Yellen has told the U.S. to expect a dip in the greenback as the global reserve currency. (Business Insider)
Investigation finds that over $400BN in covid program funding was stolen or wasted. (The Federalist)
Inflation shows signs of easing. (WNG)
Health and medicine
New reporting claims that Chinese military intended to engineer covid-19 as a bioweapon, while developing a vaccine for their own people. (PJ Media, The Blaze)
"A ketogenic diet high in fat and protein but very low in carbohydrates also lowers blood glucose and hinders cancer in mice." (Big Think)
Crime and police
An Illinois man shot himself while dreaming. He's also been charged with illegal firearm possession. That's a rough night! (CBS News)
A Harvard morgue manager has been accused of stealing body parts to sell on Facebook markets. (Daily Mail)
True crime podcasts dominate the charts. (Pew)
Religion and the church
The SBC decided they no longer wanted to "agree to disagree" with Rick Warren, voting to disfellowship Saddleback Church. The Convention has begun action to clarify its constitution that only men can be pastors. (Not the Bee, RNS)
Archeologists think they've discovered the balm in Gilead. (Biblical Archeology)
A Holbein painting has connected a 1527 Book of Hours to Thomas Cromwell. (BBC)
Sports and the arts
Marvel killed off The Punisher because his logo was adopted by all the wrong people. (Not the Bee)
Spiderman filmmakers were so impressed by 14 year-old's Lego remake, they hired him. (Upworthy)
Paul McCartney has announced that a "final Beatles song" made using A.I. will be released later this year. (BBC)
Little league umpire decided to take on the problem of sideline critics – if you think you can do it better, be my guest! (AP)
Monday: yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away...
Jobs and vocation
Lutherans should consider becoming lawyers. (Luther Classical)
28 year-old immigrant posed as teenager and attended Louisiana school in order to learn English. (The Blaze)
Technology
Man claims he was locked out of his smart home after being accused of racism. (Reclaim the Net, Medium)
Texas bans minors from accessing social media without parental permission. (Gizmodo)
Headlines from far away
U.S. Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken has met with Chinese officials in Beijing over the weekend. Scheduled talks will broach U.S.-China relations, trade and the war in Ukraine. (BBC)
Lebanon has failed to appointment a president after 12 attempts. A Hezbollah bloc walked out of negiotiations. (Al Jazeera)
ISIS-linked rebel group attack school in Uganda, killing dozens. (CNN)
Australian lawmakers took less than five minutes to agree to block a proposed new Russian embassy in Canberra. (BBC)
Migrant vessel sinks off Greece, killing at least 79. (AP)
Soldiers were fainting away while rehearsing for Britain's "trooping the colour" ceremony during hot weather. King Charles and his son William rode during the celebration. (ET Online)
John Michael Jones Gets a Life is produced for Mad ⳩ Mondays by E. Darwin Hartshorn. Episodes can also be found on Tuesday, along with previous episodes, on Bunny Trail Junction at bunny-trail.com.
Quick Hits for the Eyebuds
😍 A picture of Christ the Redeemer three years in the making
✉️ IKEA wants to get flatter flatpacks, aiming for a couch in an envelope
🇲🇬 3-D printed schools in Madagascar
⚓ One English family photographed shipwrecks for more than a century
🌳 The Studebaker tree sign
☠️ Can fewer staircases improve a building's safety?
🍅 Collectable ketchup packets?
🐬 Rare white dolphin appears in Monterey Bay
🥩 Guide to steak grilling times
🏴 Brightly painted houses cheer a somber street
📷 Camera uses location data (not a lens) to "visualise" a photo
🇩🇪 Well-preserved Bronze Age sword discovered in Germany
A Good Word: Links from the Show Notes
Jonathan and Meridith reminded us to get into our Bibles again last Saturday:
Some Bible words to ponder...
Exodus 14 to show the comfort from God that Moses gives the Israelites when they are pinned between the Egyptians and the Red Sea and;Psalm 55 for praying when loved ones throw away their faith
Plus, we picked up some other helpful recs during the conversation:
The Problems of Physics by Anthony Leggett
Noah: A Wordless Picture Book by Mark Ludy
Our Heritage of God’s Gifts, a lecture by Dr. Adam Koontz
You heard him, folks! Rev Fisk doubled down on his praise for two Michael W Smith songs. As we said last week, these songs are Not Safe For Worship so, don't drag them into your sanctuary! Note that when it comes to recalling the promises of God and beating back fear, repetition can be your friend:
"Surrounded" - It may look like I'm surrounded but I'm surrounded by You
"Light to You" - Even the darkness is light to You
Sweetness You May Have Missed
Three Weeks to Build an Ark C
BHoP#147 The Myth of America Part 4 - New Amsterdam Turned New
Let us pray: Almighty, eternal God, in the Word of Your apostles and prophets You have proclaimed to us Your saving will. Grant us faith to believe Your promises that we may receive eternal salvation; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.