090 Trinity 16: Trustless
090 Trinity 16: Trustless
"You have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent." ~ Ps. 30
Trustless
To the demons, I imagine the internet is like a magical wormhole of happiness. No longer bound to one proximity or another, their images can hop about as they like and even be in many places simultaneously.
The God of many faces is a trickster by definition.
Jesus is not a trickster God.
Judgment day will be good.
Till angel cry and trumpet sound,
The Mad Christian
Clickbait Paradise
It's a personal thing.. but not really
The 20th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon have caused many to reflect on the way surveillance has become a way of life. Photo ID, security cameras, and areas of the commons that are out-of-bounds are now accepted parts of life together, even if they sit uncomfortably with us. Measures to control the pandemic (and consequently, people) have raised fresh concerns about how much privacy we are willing to sacrifice for safety, perceived or otherwise. The Triggernometrypodcast hosted a noteworthy conversation last week, with Carissa Véliz, an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Oxford. While a lot of Mad Christians are acutely aware of the pitfalls of online life, Professor Véliz's insights into surveillance, data collection, and A.I. are well worth considering.
A lot of people assume that data privacy is a personal thing. But Professor Véliz appeals to listeners to take their privacy very seriously, as there is no guarantee where your data goes. She uses the example of Cambridge Analytica, a consultancy firm involved in the Russian Collusion scandal during the Presidency of Donald Trump. While 270,000 people gave consent for the firm to use their data, Cambridge Analytica was able to gain access through that data to 87 million others.
Professor Véliz is quick to point out that people who are collecting our data and recording aspects of our lives are rarely driven by malice. They generally just want to sell us things. But she says Big Tech and government are "creating an architecture of surveillance that is so good, if it were taken over [by bad actors], it would be impossible to resist." As an example, she points to the Netherlands and France in the 1940s. While the Dutch kept exhaustive records about its citizens, France kept minimal data. Professor Véliz believes this accounts for the death toll in the Netherlands, where Nazis were able to easily locate the majority of Dutch Jews.
Professor Véliz has a few interesting suggestions to improve this situation. How about a control group for data collection algorithms before they're released into the virtual wilds? (An algorithm used by the government of Michigan wrongly accused thousands of welfare fraud, ruining many lives.) On a personal level, Professor Véliz encourages people not to feed the machine by giving over your data unnecessarily. She suggests writing to political representatives and speaking to friends, making them aware that privacy helps us all.
This is not a time to worry, Mad Christian, but a time to be wise. There will be times to go with the flow and times to take a stand. Navigating the landscape of this decaying world, for ourselves and our families is wearisome. Yet this has always been the lot of anyone who would follow after Christ.
We can trust our Savior, who's eye is on the sparrow and who knew us before we were born. He keeps watch over us in ways that the world can never understand, he discerns our thoughts from afar, better than any algorithm. So we ask for wisdom, knowing God will give us power to stand in the day of evil. Just as Jesus' words to his disciples were a great comfort to them, we know that he has sent us a Helper, "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you."
Let's support each other, in our churches and communities, even more as we look forward to that glorious day. Maranatha!
Terror and rumors of terror
Although news out of Afghanistan was less last week, the subject of terrorism was still in news feeds, with media elites and politicians seemingly wanting to shift focus a little. President Biden's proclamation that domestic terror was the most "lethal threat" to the USA earlier this year, was echoed by former President Bush's statements at a 9/11 commemoration ceremony. But Twitter NPCs went one better, with a professor claiming that September 11 was actually an attack on the "heteropatriarchal capitalistic systems" that "many white people fight to protect." Really. So, we're not in Kansas any more. Or, at least our elites aren't.
Former President Trump said during an interview with Fox that he would not be surprised if China and Russia already have American Apache helicopters that were left behind in Afghanistan in their possession. He speculated that taking the machines apart would give them the opportunity to reverse engineer them, in order to copy the design.
Those following the Brief History of Power podcast will have heard Dr. Koontz speak of the importance of opium poppy production to Afghanistan and America's strange relationshipwith the trade. An insightful article from Unherd outlines the politics around the drug's production, noting "those who control Kabul do not control the periphery." While the Taliban have previously outlawed poppy farming, they must now win over regional tribes, who depend on the crop for their livelihood and resist anyone who tries to take it away.
Didn't think that one through
National Geographic, amongst other media outlets has pointed out that the current tally of COVID deaths means 1 in 500 Americans have died from the disease. A terrible milestone, for sure. Yet The Atlantic has published an article reinforcing what studies in other countries have found. The piece reports that almost half the recorded cases of COVID requiring hospitalization were for patients with mild cases or for those admitted for reasons other than COVID. One physician quoted says, "Those patients who are there with rather than from COVID don’t belong in the metric.”
A spokesman for a rural Texas hospital says that if vaccine mandates are enforced many smaller medical centers may be forced to close. Larry Gray, Seminole Hospital District CEO, said that he would potentially lose a third of his staff and noted that mandates are a bad look for vaccines. "If the vaccinations are working, why do you have to mandate people to get [them]? What happens to individual choice and medical decisions between the patient and their doctor, which... we’re trying to support,” he said. Meanwhile, a hospital in upstate New York said it would pause delivering babies after a spate of resignations amongst maternity staff.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says the HHS is making it difficult to acquire monoclonal medications, which are proving useful in treating patients with COVID. The Florida Governor also warned that any government agency mandating vaccines in his state will be fined. A judge in NY has also blocked the mandate for a group of health workers.
Despite all this, elites keep pushing their narratives and justifying their hypocrisy. Leana Wan (a former head of Planned Parenthood) says that interstate travel should be a privilege only for vaccinated Americans (H/T golgatha). At the same time, it would seem that thousands of people are pouring through the southern US border without being vaxxed. Such privilege!
The Guardian has reported that boys are at risk of heart inflammation due to the Pfizer vaccination.
In a small win for sanity, England has ditched plans for vaccine passports. Well, at least for now.
Going South
A federal judge has ruled that health orders instituted earlier in the pandemic can no longer be used to turn immigrants away from the border. While the U.S. Supreme Court recently ordered that the Trump administration's Remain in Mexico policy be reinstated, it is hard to deny that the situation at the border is out of hand. The current administration has lost contact with thousands of migrant children, and National Review says border agents encountered 200,000 attempting to enter the US in August.
General Confusion
It was been reported this week that General Mark Milley, who currently serves as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, went rogue earlier this year. In a soon-to-be-released book critical of the Trump administration, journalist Bob Woodward claims that General Milley made an unsanctioned call to Chinese military officials, assuring them that he would warn them if America decided to attack. It is alleged that General Milley was setting out to assure everyone that things were peachy in Washington during the "turbulent" final weeks of Trump's presidency.
However, we're a bit confused: If you think your Commander-in-chief is unhinged, why would you tell foreign allies about it, let alone your enemies? In addition, Woodward claims that General Milley assured Speaker Pelosi he would prevent then President Trump from retaining power using nuclear weapons following his election loss in 2020. General Milley maintains he did what was reasonable, but the gravity of the situation was not lost on others. Not the Bee went so far as to compare him to the Revolutionary War defector, Benedict Arnold.
With the military facing mandated vaccination, top brass stepping down in protest over the withdrawal from Afghanistan, and loss of confidence in leadership, it is a good time to pray for our servicemen and women.
Meat in the submarine sandwich
Last week, the USA entered a defense pact with Australia and Britain, which will involve boosting Australia's navy to counter China's aggression in the Pacific. The security agreement, known as AUKUS, would see Australia build nuclear submarines, helped by US tech. The move has angered France, who were contracted to supply Australia with diesel submarines. The contract, worth €31 billion was scrapped, with France recalling its ambassadors from Australia and the US in protest. AUKS, indeed.
The US Coast Guard has made contact with four Chinese naval vessels off the coast of Alaska. The vessels were deployed to the North Pacific Ocean for "military and surveillance operations."
Throwing things under the bus
Above and beyond: The National Guard have been deployed in Massachusetts to drive school buses in the face of a shortage of drivers. Yes, you read that right...
Amazon has said it will pay $18 hour for newly hired delivery drivers and warehouse workers. The tech giant said it will also pay tuition and text book costs for employees. That's if they have time and energy to study after working their long shifts...
Visual Capitalist reckons its got insight into the fastest growing jobs over next 20 years.
The Democrat's $3.5TR spending bill hit another snag this week, with Sen. Joe Manchin saying he would not support it. The government is also looking for ways to fund the spending bill, including a draft proposal for $2.9TR in tax hikes over the next ten years. Axios broke down where the money would come from.
Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez drew fire last week after attending the swanky Met Gala in a dress emblazoned with the message "Tax the rich." AOC used the attention to plug her Green New Deal policies, but many pointed out that the $30K+ a ticket gala is a tax deduction for the well-heeled attendees. If AOC wants to go to the ball with masked servants and all, that is fine. But, it is hard to reconcile her Socialist words with her extravagant actions. The Congresswoman insisted it is part of her political duties to attend, overseeing "cultural institutions that serve the public," but has been accused of receiving prohibited gifts by accepting free tickets.
Rules are made to be broken
Facebook has a fresh set of fires to put out, with news coming last week that the social media company has separate rules for several million VIPs. A leaked document says that many celebrities, politicians and "influencers" are on Facebook's special whitelist, XCheck, meaning their posts are not subjected to moderation. Digital content moderation is a booming industry but is notoriously damaging to the humans who protect us from the most vile of content.
In another big story last week, a report concluded that Facebook has been aware of Instagram's harmful affect on teenage girls, but has seemingly ignored it.
Bloomberg has reported about new details in a mysterious hack on Juniper, a company which develops and sells networking products. In 2015, suspected Chinese hackers gained access to data flowing through Juniper's network. In details uncovered by Bloomberg, the hackers gained access through an algorithm, installed as a "backdoor" by the NSA. The case is an interesting study in how government's desire to keep ahead of the bad guys often hurts the citizens they are trying to protect. In other news, IBM has found a booming "dark" market for cloud credentials
For those playing along at home, the legal tussle between Apple and gaming company Epic seems to be drawing to a conclusion, with Forbes breaking down the outcomes of the latest ruling.
Headlines from far away
North and South Korea have been testing missiles amid rising tensions.
Haiti's Prime Minister has been charged in relation to the recent assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.
China has imploded 15 skyscrapers which were vacant for almost a decade. The footage is here.
Mobile money is big business in Africa.
Quick Hits for the Eyebuds
☕ Pumpkin spice: it's a WV thing
💤 What's happening when your foot falls asleep
🚗 Michelin made airless, puncture-proof tires
💧 This material stays dry even underwater
🖱️ Why hyperlinks are blue
🦟 CRISPR gene editing renders male mosquitoes impotent and females flightless
🏆 Ontario bridge earns Guinness World Records
🐔 Charcoal chicken: The world's blackest chicken
🐻 "Spirit" bears' white fur gives them camouflage
😧 Singer Ed Sheeran compares US awards shows to UK ones
🍳 A company that prints community cookbooks
🤿 Amsterdam's underwater parking garage for bikes
🤐 Prince Philip's will won't be opened for 90 years
🏕️ RVs are selling through the roof
💰 But maybe not this motorhome. It has a $2.4m price tag with space for your hypercar
🚧 Zoning out: California bans single-family lots
🎓 Most expensive colleges in the States
🕹️ Text game adventures
✏️ Shadows bring this artist's work to life
🌀 Behold! The human pinball
A Good Word: Rec's from the Fisks
Clarity amid the white noise. Rev. Fisk recommends these resources.
The Book of Revelation study videos
Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus by John Gray
Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul by John Eldredge
Bringing Up Boys by Dr. James Dobson
Psalm and Proverbs
and joining Sons of Solomon
Sweetness You May Have Missed
The Wisdom of the Kind - Get You Some
The Left - Devoted to Destruction
Let us pray: O God, whose strength is made perfect in weakness, grant us humility and childlike faith that we may please You in both will and deed; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.