264 The Transfiguration of Our Lord: Linguistic Decay
“The Lord reigns; Let the peoples tremble! He dwells between the cherubim; Let the earth be moved!” ~ Psalm 99
Linguistic Decay
Today’s monologue was taken from a recent episode of Starfall2029. Listen to the full show here
We are not a society of readers; we are a society of reactors. We are not a people of discernment; we are a people of distraction. And damningly, we take sensitivity as sophistication.
Think it through. Write it down. Modern man, drowning in a flood of language, is practically illiterate—not because he can't read, but because he can't think about what he's read. Consider the average debate, whether online or in person. Words are no longer used to uncover truth; they are deployed as emotional grenades to win the spirit in the room. The goal is not clarity but control, not understanding but submission.
Take profanity. We think certain words are bad, so they’re avoided—until they aren’t. Blasphemy is taboo for some, yet available for others whenever it suits them. Offense is selectively granted. Some things are "unimaginable" to say, yet those same voices can say whatever they want about you. This isn’t literacy; it’s emotional conditioning. It’s the devolution of language, the regression of meaning. Babel is inevitable when you detach from the Bible, when you unhinge from the lexicon of God. What follows? Chaos.
Empathy, properly understood, should be a bridge to understanding. Instead, it has become a shackle to fragility. "Can’t you see how you’re making her feel?" So now, any discomfort is harm. Any strength is abuse. Any disagreement is violence. Welcome to the voice of the Accuser. Welcome to misanthropy. Welcome to the illiteracy of modern man.
This is not just emotional immaturity—though it is that, on the individual level. It is cultural infantilization. We are raising babies in full-grown bodies, and they will riot. We’ve been conditioned to believe that feeling hurt is the same as being harmed, leaving us defenseless. The feminization of public discourse, supposedly in honor of women's virtues, has now brought us to the point where men are using women's bathrooms.
So tell me—who really hates women?
It’s time to get reasonable and stop the nonsense. Let’s bring truth to the forefront. Let’s refuse to let reality be negotiable, even when it’s uncomfortable.
Hey men, let’s be men. And let’s stop being shamed out of being glad that we are.
Till angel cry and trumpet sound,
R.J.M.F
Section shortcuts: Health, Immigration, Politics, Media, Finance, Culture, War, World
On the Radar
Lots on the radar this week! I will be writing up the Oval Office kerfuffle separately, today or tomorrow, God-willing, as this edition is already lengthy. So keep an eye out for that - Frisby
One Nation Returning to God?
A new survey by Pew has found that Christian religious observance is “stabilizing after years of steady decline,” while the growth of the religiously unaffiliated is “leveling off.” Several high-profile conversions to Christianity in recent years may have contributed to the church’s renewed visibility, even as political divisions drive Americans to seek something more stable. Wikipedia co-founder, Larry Sanger who was raised an LCMS Lutheran recently announced his return to Jesus. RFK jr’s former running mate, Nicole Shanahan also wrote on X that tragedy and a sense of demonic oppression had made her search for spiritual clarity: “For over a decade, I identified as Jewish. But now, with the New Testament in my hands, I see the world’s spiritual pain in a way I never could before. It’s like a veil has been lifted, revealing a deeper understanding of the struggle between light and darkness.”
A large number of Ohio State students have been baptized after meetings were held on the campus. The “Buckeye Revival” began around six months ago when some collegiate football players began preaching.
Reports say someone is leaving Jesus figurines around the Capitol building.
Last year, Disney nixed a transgender character from one of its movies. Now, a new series reportedly portrays a little girl praying to her Heavenly Father.
A thought: We confessional Lutherans may feel uneasy about parachurch “moves of God” and with good reason. It is also wise to remain aware that corporations will say whatever they must to turn a profit. However, we should be praying for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord—that they may be exposed to the whole counsel of God and granted a deep, persevering faith. These reports may amount to nothing, but this is a time for boldness. To paraphrase Gamaliel’s wisdom: If this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it. So, “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving… that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ.”
LGBT ESG DEI NSA – The Sexual State
Over 100 people have been fired from the National Security Agency for participating in “obscene, pornographic, and sexually explicit chatrooms” on the Agency’s servers during work time. A social media post from NSA says internal chat channels are “collaboration platforms..intended to drive mission outcomes” but Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said it has been a long time since anyone was held accountable for such unprofessional behavior. The vile and, at times, anti-Trump discussions represent “an egregious violation” of public trust, she said. According to a whistleblower, “the sex chats were legitimized as part of the NSA’s commitment to ‘diversity, equity and inclusion.’”
Over 100 employees have been fired from the National Security Agency for participating in “obscene, pornographic, and sexually explicit chatrooms” on the agency’s servers during work hours. In a social media post, the NSA stated that its internal chat channels are “collaboration platforms... intended to drive mission outcomes.” However, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard noted that it has been a long time since anyone was held accountable for such unprofessional behavior. She called the discussions—some of which were reportedly anti-Trump—“an egregious violation” of public trust. According to a whistleblower, “the sex chats were legitimized as part of the NSA’s commitment to ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion.’”
Maine Governor Janet Mills recently had a terse exchange with President Trump at a governors' event over her refusal to comply with an executive order banning males from girls’ sports and spaces. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has updated its policies to align with the administration’s order, stating that no exceptions will be made—even for men with amended birth certificates, but World notes there are loopholes remain: “While the NCAA says it will not accept amended birth certificates, it leaves the process of certifying athletes up to the schools.” Meanwhile, a number of Maine school districts have also been exposed for hiding gender dysphoria from parents, despite orders explicitly banning the policy.
After much anticipation, files on Jeffrey Epstein released by the Department of Justice have disappointed watchers and advocates for survivors of sexual trafficking. Though Attorney General Pam Bondi had hinted at “thousands” of pages discovered about the late pedophile’s activities and his potential associates, the heavily redacted files released last week revealed very little new information.
Wisconsin’s governor, Tony Evers has garnered backlash after a budget recommendation also advised changes to gendered language in state documents. The recommendation to replace the term “mother” for “inseminated person” or parent who gave birth to the child”, were among some of the suggestions which met with the most outrage.
The Blitz
Health
Medicine and Food
A child in Texas has reportedly died from measles, with an outbreak of the virus in the west of the state responsible for the hospitalization of dozens. Internet accounts claim that there may be more to this story, with a number of people saying the child was unwell with multiple infections and may have been vaccinated for measles while compromised. We’ll endeavor to follow up as more information is available. (USA Today, Dr Henry Ealy via X)
Pharmaceuticals manufacturer Eli Lilly says it will spend upwards of $27 billion to build four more plants in the US, as demand for diabetes and weight loss drugs soar. (CNBC)
A new study has found that pregnant women are rarely included in drug trials. (Futurity)
New research out of Northwestern University demonstrated that heavy metals stick to tea leaves in the process of brewing tea. (Northwestern)
The science behind “dessert stomach”: “The same nerve cells that make us feel full after a meal are also responsible for our craving for sweets afterwards.” (MPG)
Tribes and Tongues
Immigration and Race
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says her the US will enforce the 1952 immigration law which requires illegal immigrants to be registered and fingerprinted. Secretary Noem urged those illegally in the US to “self deport” before border agents take action. (Just the News)
A group of illegal Mexican immigrants is thought to be behind a string of thefts from trains. Thieves target slow-moving trains and use sabotage to cause an emergency stop. The most recent haul was of almost $2 million of Nike shoes. (Daily Mail)
Metropolis
Politics and the State
The headquarters of USAID has been shuttered with workers instructed to pack up their stuff. Reports say that roughly 90% of the agency’s work abroad has been canceled, with advocates concerned that ending food and medical programs suddenly is leaving people vulnerable. Dissolving USAID requires the approval of Congress, but some analysis suggests its work could be legally given over to the State Department. (USA Today, ABC News)
Musk: DOGE has made mistakes but will fix them quickly. (Epoch Times)
Straight Outta J-School
Media
The Washington Post has reportedly lost tens of thousands of subscribers after owner, Jeff Bezos said that the opinion pages of the paper would only focus on “free markets and personal liberties”. (The Hill)
Legacy media outlets are upset after the White House announced it will choose which news outlets are included in the press pool. The pool is a small group of journalists that travel closely with the President and is usually chosen by the guild known as the White House Correspondents’ Association. Advocates of the change argue that this will not affect media coverage as President Trump is very accessible to journalists. (The Blaze, The Blaze)
“The most important thing to understand is not how the media deploy info ops but simply that they do it. (The Federalist)
Treasure
Money, Markets and Jobs
The US House of Representatives has approved a resolution framework for constructing a budget. The proposed budget would cut $1.5 trillion of discretionary funding over the next decade as well as up to $2 trillion in non-discretionary spending. But it also allocates $4.5 trillion in new spending and would raise the debt ceiling by $4 trillion. The US Senate is working on its own budget proposal in keeping with President Trump’s desire to pass a mega MAGA “big beautiful bill” to fund his agenda. (WNG)
President Trump has said his planned 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada will start tomorrow as those countries have not done enough to stop fentanyl entering the US. An additional 10% tariff will be added to Chinese goods also. (AP)
Uncertainty over US tariffs and a $1.5 billion heist – which the FBI says was orchestrated by North Korea – sent jitters through cryptocurrency markets, with BitCoin dropping to its lowest value since November. (The Guardian, Reuters)
Heritage
Arts, History and Sport
note: the authors of this piece must have felt compelled to include mention of a trans activist and the plight of black musicians, so navigate as you will!
How the synth took over American music: “The fear of machines taking over for humans is one of the great constants in the history of technology, and it is equally easy to inflate or dismiss.” (LitHub)
AI is presenting challenges for creative folks, including hairdressers. Clients with AI-generated inspiration have to be told, “This is not a real person. This is not real hair.” (Yahoo)
The history of the QWERTY keyboard. (Smithsonian)
War and Rumors of War
Conflict and Weaponry
A Pentagon policy memo has instructed Defense department to remove transgender service members from military within 60 days. (The Hill)
A UN watchdog says Iran’s nuclear stockpile of weapons-grade uranium continues to grow. Experts have warned that a window to prevent Iran building nuclear weapons is closing. Iran maintains it is only intending to use nuclear capability for energy production. (NBC)
British PM Keir Starmer says the UK will raise its defense spending from 2.3% to 2.5% of its GDP. (Politico)
Stories From Far Away
World News
🇩🇪 Germany’s Christian Democratic Union has won a majority in recent elections. The Alternative for Deutschland, which has been portrayed in western media as the best and worst thing, did not win a majority but gained ground, securing 20% of the vote. Author Katja Hoyer says that, despite its popularity (especially in the former West Germany), no parties will form alliances with the AfD. The assertion that there “must never again be far right politics in Germany” means dysfunctional coalitions of left and right are left to form government, she said. (WNG, UnHerd)
🇷🇴 Romania’s populist conservative candidate Călin Georgescu has been arrested on his way to register for elections in May. Georgescu won last December’s race but the election was overturned after intelligence claims that Russia had meddled with the campaign. USAID may have helped fund a campaign against Georgescu’s presidential bid, according to independent media. (BBC, Hot Air)
🇰🇷 South Korea has seen the first rise in its brith rate since 2014. (The Guardian)
Quickhits For The Eyebuds
🗣️ How different European languages say the name “John”
🇺🇸 US states arranged according to population size
😛 The hardest tongue twister?
0️⃣ The pitfalls of having the last name Null
🔫 'Treat your rifle like a lady'
👀 Yosemite’s beautiful “firefall”
Good Word: Starfall 2029
Gremlins and glitches! Rev Fisk had a great show for this week’s Starfall2029, but most of it was lost! You can hear what was recorded on YouTube or Rumble, or listen here.
Sweetness YouMay Have Missed:
This Week Preached:
Podcast Release:
Let us pray. O God, in the glorious transfiguration of Your beloved Son You confirmed the mysteries of the faith by the testimony of Moses and Elijah. In the voice that came from the bright cloud You wonderfully foreshowed our adoption by grace. Mercifully make us co-heirs with the King in His glory and bring us to the fullness of our inheritance in heaven; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
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