217 Palm Sunday: What Can You Do?
“Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You, in the presence of the sons of men!“ ~ Psalm 31
What Can You Do?
It’s never too late to do the right thing.
In America, we are not yet dealing with what real world hardship, famine and dirty water can do to a people. We are not prepared for what people that live in such conditions, as a matter of course, as a matter of childhood, are willing to do. There are no memories of what it’s like when your unprepared neighbors from four doors down are now at the front door and asking for food while you shelter in place.
Did you only buy enough for yourself?
Being ready for general natural disaster means having enough reserves on hand to eat, sleep and get water without power or aid for three to four days. The standard FEMA recommended supplies are are a decent dose of common sense. But it is making key decisions, like whether or not you will buy a hand-crank radio, that matter most right now.
Your goal is to keep your options open and to avoid moral dilemmas. That means doing the things that can be done easily right now, before they become things you wish you had thought of doing too late.
One excellent way to do this is to adopt the SonsofSolomon international prayer discipline today. Our simple pathway to unifying the Church recently garnered the attention of maverick Lutheran author, pocaster and more, Rev. Tyrel Bramwell:
It’s a lot easier to start praying when you see the storm on the horizon than to expect your flesh to magically discover discipline after the tidal wave hits. Rather than spend this year’s get-rich-quick money on a bunch of mostly soy and corn packets that will expire before the day that matters comes, learn to understand the situation and the game that is being played. This is no place for cosplaygay mockingjays. This is the pit, where the bull either lives or dies.
The collapse of a fiat currency or the overrunning of a state’s borders is not a fantasy fiction. It has happened before and it will happen again. Wisdom is the insight to hear the echo of the past and step lively to the tune. From where I’m sitting, if I can see the wave coming, even if its the big one, the one that’s going to kill me, I’m going to smile and ride it for all it’s worth.
Till angel cry and trumpet sound,
The Mad Christian
Last week’s edition was a little bit of a marathon effort and in the wash up, I realized that I had left random links and mumbly notes from drafts. So, it wasn’t that it was written by a Chatbot, just good old human error! Thanks for reading, I really appreciate it. Frisby
Coming to America
Legal “whiplash”: A Texas law which would allow state troopers to arrest suspected illegal immigrants has been back and forth like a ping pong ball. After the Biden administration contested it, the matter has made its way to the Supreme Court of the US. SCOTUS said it would allow Texas border laws to stand but within hours it was once again blocked by a federal appeals court. Critics say there can not be two different laws for dealing with illegal immigrants, but Texas is clearly fed up with the White House’s way of doing things. (Reuters, Texas Tribune)
Florida governor Ron DeSantis has deployed extra soldiers to protect the coastline after a boat of illegal Haitian immigrants was discovered during a routine patrol: “They had firearms, they had guns, they had night vision gear and were boating very recklessly, which would potentially endanger other folks.” (The Blaze)
An interesting moment on Twitter: The account Western Lensman made everyone mad when he proposed how Democrats could use illegal immigrants to secure the ability to govern the United States into perpetuity. But if you listen to left-wing media (of any stipe), you will hear the same things said about how Donald Trump or the Supreme Court or Moms for Liberty are a “threat to democracy” and are just looking to install “one-party rule” for the Republicans. It is clear that, at least at a rhetorical level, both sides consider the other an existential danger and it is worth offering prayer for wisdom for ourselves and our leaders, to take the temperature down a bit. (Western Lensman)
Meat processing giant, Tyson Foods, has denied it is replacing American workers at a plant in Perry, Iowa. The company, which is facing calls for boycotts from online critics, said it is closing the Perry site for undisclosed reasons and was encouraging workers to seek other positions within the company. After investors threatened to pull out, Tyson publicly stated that it strongly opposes illegal immigration and that all its workers are “legally allowed” to work in the US. (New York Post, KGW)
Cuckoo: A TikTok influencer has used his account to encourage illegal aliens to take properties and invoke squatter’s rights. Property rights are in the news again after a woman was arrested for trying to oust interlopers from her family’s New York house. Some strangers tried to help her out but were also arrested. However, self-styled “squatter hunters” in California have been able to return a few properties to their rightful owners, waiting ‘til the squatters were out and quickly moving in. It is a loophole that is likely to be closed up some time, but we should cry out to Jesus Christ against unjust magistrates and work to unseat them. (New York Post, The Blaze, Not the Bee)
Crime and Punishment
The Supreme Court has heard oral arguments in Murthy v. Missouri, regarding internet censorship and it is shaping up to be a landmark free speech case. Federal agencies have argued that they are “persuading” not “coercing” when they enlist social media platforms to push or suppress information. They also argued that the government has a right to free speech and to privacy. Left-wing Justice Ketanji Brown-Jackson went viral for saying that her “biggest concern is that your [the plaintiffs’] view has the First Amendment hamstringing the government in significant ways in the most important time periods.” By “important time periods,” Justice Jackson was referring to public health emergencies like the pandemic, but also elections. Joy Pullman, writing at The Federalist, pointed out that the government does not have constitutional rights, only citizens. There are already plenty of laws against speech which endangers or incites, so as Pullman says, we need a clear ruling on this issue to avoid gutting the First Amendment. So pray for the Justices as they deliberate. (The Federalist, Reclaim the Net, The Federalist)
Births, Deaths and Marriages
A Minnesota appeals court has ruled against a Christian pharmacist who refused to dispense a “morning after” abortifacient drug to a customer. The customer was given the option of having another staff member fill the prescription the following day, but chose to drive 50 miles to the nearest Wallgreen’s. The customer is suing for breaching Minnesota’s human rights act. (WNG)
Planet Fitness has seen its stock value take a hit after outrage at its transgender favoritism. A woman who found a man who shaving in the ladies’ bathroom told him that he should not be there. She had her membership cancelled and a complaint about her was made to the police. Planet Fitness is doubling down, saying it will provide escorts for transgender customers so they can feel safe. (Daily Mail, Libs of TikTok via X)
A Long Island drone photographer has helped track a stranded kayaker until the Coast Guard could arrive. (Petapixel)
Younger people are discovering the joy of dinner parties. And we’re here for it! (Axios)
Deaths:
Scientist, author, polymath, Vernor Vinge, (1944-2024 ), who was the first to pose the idea of an artificial intelligence “singularity” has died. (ArsTechnica)
And some good news..
Religion and the Church
“You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.” Amazing church fortresses throughout history. (Culture Critic)
A group of government-backed astrologers has failed to agree on a date for new year celebrations in Sri Lanka. “Astrologers are hugely influential figures consulted by the island’s Buddhist and Hindu communities, and their advice for auspicious dates guides everything from marriages to business deals – and even national elections.” (The Guardian)
Catholics in Barcelona held a small procession recently to celebrate rain during a severe drought. (SunStar)
Mourning for Saul: Archeology of Beth-Shean. (Biblical Archaeology)
The Digital Age
Elon Musk is suing OpenAI, saying the launch of their “for profit” arm violates a promise that artificial intelligence would be developed transparently and not for commercial gain, maximizing benefit to the world. OpenAI has said it made no such promise. For his part, Musk has made the “weights and architecture” of his Grok bot open source on GitHub. (CNBC, The Verge)
Neuralink has released a video of a quadriplegic man playing chess using a brain implant and his thoughts. (The Verge)
The US Department of Justice, 16 states, and the District of Columbia are suing Apple for “using a variety of unfair tactics to entrench its market position and restrict innovation” in the smartphone market. One self-confessed “Appleholic” tech writer said he cannot see any merit in the lawsuit, saying that Apple’s integration of hardware and apps is what makes it great and the reason why customers stay. (The Verge, Computer World)
“Postgres is eating the database world.” (Pigsty)
God’s Green Earth
The Environmental Protection Agency has announced a ban on asbestos, a known carcinogen, which is still used in some US products. Chemical lobbying groups say they will need 15 years to transition away from asbestos use without disrupting supply lines, however the EPA wants the phase out completed in 6 months. (AP)
A British art gallery has warned that landscape paintings can evoke gloomy and dark “nationalist feelings.” Apparently, looking at the countryside can make non-white people feel like they don’t belong, because: blood and soil or something. Auron McIntyre spent a podcast pondering why the natural world (or even depictions of it) is seen as dangerous by progressive elites. “Beautiful depictions of [a] place can speak powerfully to [a people’s] sense of identity and belonging...The left now feels compelled to warn us about the dangers of beauty [because] our Progressive ruling Elites have created a small ugly and artificial world and they’re right to fear the power that natural beauty holds to shatter that illusion.” (The Telegraph, Auron McIntyre Show)
Here’s a wild story: An elderly Montana farmer has plead guilty to breeding giant sheep. He imported tissue samples of an endangered breed of central Asian sheep and had embryos made from the cells. He had intended the sheep to be great trophies for hunting. (Futurism)
The accuracy of weather forecasts has improved greatly over the last 30 years. (Our World In Data)
Forget eating ‘ze bugs, the new climate-friendly, superfood is snakesss. (Lighthouse)
Damaged reefs benefit from hearing sounds of healthy reefs. (ABC News)
Arts, History and Sport
The game of chess is bringing reality to the our androgenizing culture. Transgender ideologues must face the truth: men and women are not the same. “Chess is a mixture of sport, psychological warfare, science, and art. When you look at all these components, man dominates. Every single component of chess belongs to the areas of male domination.” (Quillette)
In praise of slow writers: “Know when to let go, keep faith in the process, be flexible, fail better, and whenever possible, stay astonished. Though perhaps most importantly, recognize the value that comes with the passing of time itself.” (The Millions)
A new record for amount of cannon rolls, one of Hollywood’s craziest stunts. (Fall Guy on YouTube)
Shakespeare’s sister? A religious tract thought to be written by Shakespeare senior may actually have been penned by the Bard’s sibling. (University of Bristol)
This week in history:
1992: Vote to end apartheid in South Africa. (Britannica)
2006 Twitter founded. (Britannica)
From the Mad☧Tank
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Coming up this week:
Recent stuff from our archive:
Thunderdome 2024
Donald Trump says he has cobbled together almost $500m to stay judgement while he appeals his New York fraud case. He needs to pay a $454m bond today. New York’s DA has made initial moves to begin seizing Trump’s assets. (ZeroHedge, Just the News)
Vice President Kamala Harris has become the first VP to visit an abortion clinic and we’re sure her parents must be proud. We’re not sure if she saw any babies being killed but Democrats are convinced that death is a winning issue for November. VP Harris labelled anyone who wants to ban abortion as an “extremist.” (CNN)
Former aide to President Trump, Peter Navarro has begun a four month stint in federal prison for refusing to comply with a subpoena from the now dissolved January 6th committee. (Just the News)
Politics
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has followed Florida’s lead, banning diversity, equity and inclusion programs in schools, public colleges and state agencies. (NPR)
Starlink is building a network of spy satellites for US intelligence services. (Reuters)
Money, Markets and Jobs
Another day, another spending bill.. Congressional leaders passed a “sprawling $1.2 trillion legislative package” in the wee hours Thursday morning, averting a shutdown and funding the government until September. There was money for border agents and defense, election security, education and childcare. There is also money for Jordan and Egypt, foreign AIDs programs and the UN’s embattled Palestine agency UNRWA. And even more swampy things such as a “DEI zoo”, a “gay retirement home” and underwear for trans youth. One of the disadvantages of trying to read a huge document before the deadline is that you miss somethings. A Republican caucus sneaked in a rider which would ban anything besides the American flag being flown at embassies. (The Hill, Washington Times, ZeroHedge, Washington Examiner)
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders thinks we should have a four-day working week, introducing a bill that would see people work less but be paid the same. In a press release, Senator Sanders seemed to indicate that automation and AI would make up the slack. “The financial gains from the major advancements in artificial intelligence, automation, and new technology must benefit the working class, not just corporate CEOs and wealthy stockholders on Wall Street.” (Hot Air)
The National Association of Realtors has agreed to pay $418 million in damages to settle a lawsuit alleging it conspired to inflate agents’ commissions. If the settlement is approved by federal court, it should bring fees down for customers. (Axios)
Unilever is spinning off its food brands to focus on its more lucrative personal care products. The move will end a “tumultuous” relationship with ice cream company Ben and Jerry’s due it B&J’s stance against Israel. (CBS, AP)
The recent and very lavish wedding celebration of Indian billionaire heir Anant Ambani was all about rare and pricey watches for the groom but eye-popping jewels for the bride. The gorgeousness and extravagance of it makes our mind wander to the grandest wedding feast of all, where gold will pave the streets and the gates are made of single pearls and the Groom’s throne of emerald. Won’t that be something? (Robb Report, Town and Country)
The mysterious Bitcoin city being built in Honduras. (Insider)
America’s all-steel Lustron house that failed to launch. (The Hustle)
Cars
President Biden has changed his tune slightly in his push for electric vehicles. Relaxing EV sales targets, the EPA instead announced strict tailpipe emissions rules to be implemented by auto manufacturers by 2030. In the end, the change in tack amounts to the same thing so far as the goal of reducing carbon dioxide and pushing gas cars to the kerb. The President is hoping to win over auto manufacturers as well as climate partisans while adhering to SCOTUS 2022 ruling which allows him to police pollutants but not climate emissions. (Reuters, NPR, The Federalist)
It may be difficult to get your hands on an affordable EV, even if you want to. The Biden administration has expressed concern over the capacity for surveillance inherent in Chinese-made EVs and former President Donald Trump doesn’t seem keen on them either. During his administration, Trump wanted to tax all imported vehicles but at a campaign speech last week, he promised to put a “100% tariff” on Chinese-made EVs if he retakes the Oval Office. Chinese brands currently take the lion’s share of the market and are amongst the most economical vehicles, leaving consumers with less ways to join the green revolution. (Politico)
We’ve known for a while that modern cars are responsible for some of the most egregious data harvesting around, but a new report reveals one of the beneficiaries: insurance companies. Car manufacturers are sharing driver data with insurers, with clueless drivers “seeing their coverage increased or even terminated due to the practice”. (Fox Business)
Monday: off to a great start
Health, Medicine and Food
The New York Times has reported that the school closures during the pandemic did little to reduce the spread of covid. Also, Zoom teaching contributed to learning loss: The “more time students spent in remote instruction, the further they fell behind.” Maddening as usual is the fact that they had all the information they needed to conclude that years ago, as Washington Examiner’s Drew Holden showed in a thread on X. (New York Times, Drew Holden)
Lord, have mercy: How the pandemic affected each generation of society. (Although, we feel the need to point out what this article does not: mandates, lockdowns and school closures did as much damage as the virus itself.) (The Guardian)
Researchers say what is called “Long Covid” is not really any different than any other post-viral condition. Dr John Gerrard said, “We believe it is time to stop using terms like ‘long Covid’. They wrongly imply there is something unique and exceptional about longer-term symptoms associated with this virus. This terminology can cause unnecessary fear, and in some cases, hypervigilance to longer symptoms that can impede recovery.” (The Guardian)
Research has revealed a new way that ebola replicates itself in the body, which scientists hope may help to find treatment for the deadly virus. (University Montreal)
The USDA will implement new “country-of-origin” food rules to close up “made in USA” loopholes. (Daily Yonder)
The Competency Crisis
The Mayo Clinic looks to be going all-in on wokeness at the risk of endangering patients. An advertisement run for the clinic by a recruitment agency said it would prioritize applicants who identified as “Refugee, Neurodivergent, Single Parent, Blind or Low Vision, Deaf or Hard of Hearing, Black, Hispanic, Asian, Military Veterans, the Elderly, the LGBTQ, and Justice Impacted individuals.” (The last one means “felons”, apparently). (Libs of TikTok on X)
Advisory bodies on organ transplants have stripped out important markers for triaging kidney diseases cases, instead focusing on race. People from different ethnic backgrounds process creatinine at different rates, meaning advanced kidney disease looks different in a white person than in a black. (Not the Bee)
Speaking of not being able to hold two thoughts in your head.. Don Lemon has interviewed Elon Musk and didn’t seem to understand how prioritizing attributes besides skill could lead to substandard surgeons, pilots, doctors etc. Lemon’s fans labelled Musk a “mediocre white male” and Lemon concluded that Musk’s dissatisfaction with the interview must be because he’s gay and black. (Libs of TikTok on X)
Guns
Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker has promoted fatherhood when asked how he would “curb gun violence”. Butker said that America needs fathers in their homes “that are teaching the young men in our society that violence is not the way to handle our disputes.” It seems that was the wrong answer for some with commenters saying good fathers don’t guarantee well-adjusted sons and it’s just easier to take guns away. Those who stand for fathers AND the second amendment clearly have some work to do but pity those who think there are easy solutions to complex problems. More than that, pity those whose only hope is the power of the State. (Danny de Urbina via X)
A New York judge says Reddit, YouTube and Facebook must face lawsuits that claim they radicalized shooter Payton Gendron who killed 10 people in Buffalo. (CNN)
A US District judge has ruled that stopping illegal immigrants from carrying guns is unconstitutional. Explain that to us as you would to a child… (The Federalist)
Hearts and Minds
Writer Stella Morabito has launched a bookclub project to combat loneliness. “Every tyrant knows that isolation is the first key to controlling people…Without building sane spaces to talk through the weaponization of loneliness, we end up feeding the illusion that everyone is on board with gagging our speech.” (The Federalist)
Was it a case of “success through perseverance” or “failure through obstinance”? This article concludes you can’t really know which path you’re on, so lay some rules for yourself and get on with it. Or for you, Christian, get into the Word of God knowing his plans cannot fail! (A Smart Bear)
War
President Biden is still trying to dissuade Israel from launching a ground offensive in Rafah which President Benjamin Netanyahu believes is Hamas’ last hiding place. It is also where more than a million Palestinians are sheltering. Biden has asked Israel to send a delegation to Washington to hear alternative courses of action, but it might be that the only idea DC has is for Israel to “target key Hamas elements in Rafah” and then secure its border with Gaza. (The Guardian, ABC News, Hot Air)
The US drafted a new UN security council resolution which called for immediate ceasefire in Gaza on condition of release of all hostages by Hamas. However, China and Russia vetoed the motion. The terrible two have also reached an agreement with Houthi rebels for safe passage of their ships through the Red Sea in return for “political support.” (Hot Air, Bloomberg)
Telecommunication companies are rerouting internet traffic away from Red Sea cables. Cables have been damaged after a Houthi missile attack sunk a cargo ship. (Financial Times)
A motion passed in Canada’s parliament would ban any more sales of arms to Israel. The motion is non-binding but calls for Canada to work “towards the establishment of the state of Palestine”. (The Guardian)
Stories from Far Away
🇷🇺 Islamic terrorist organisation ISIS is claiming responsibility for a vile attack in a Moscow theater. Russian authorities say that over 100 people were killed as gunmen opened fire in the building before setting off explosives. (Just the News)
🇭🇰 A new bill passed unanimously by Hong Kong lawmakers has given power to mainland China to further quash dissent under the banner of national security. (AP)
🇳🇪 Niger has renounced a deal it had with America to host American troops. US soldiers have been helping fight militias but are not welcome any more. (The Guardian)
🇬🇲 Lawmakers in Gambia are considering whether to overturn the country’s ban on female genital mutilation (FGM). Muslim leaders say it’s not mutilation but rather circumcision, and is “one of the virtues of Islam.” About three quarters of Gambian women under 50 have experienced FGM, mostly before the age of five. (CNN)
🇭🇹 Florida Congressman Cory Mills has personally airlifted a number of Americans out of Haiti. One missionary family told their story to World Radio. (Not the Bee, WNG)
🇧🇷 Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsanaro has been found guilty of falsifying his own vax record to enable him to travel to the USA. He could face 12 years in prison. (The Guardian)
🇮🇪 Ireland’s Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar has stepped down unexpectedly citing “personal and political” reasons. (CNBC)
🇬🇧 Great Britain’s Princess Kate Middleton has announced that she has cancer, ending wild speculation about her public absence since abdominal surgery some weeks ago. (Hans Fiene via X)
🇮🇳 India will allow refugees to apply for citizenship as long as they’re not Muslims. (BBC)
🇮🇸 A small town in Iceland evacuated for second time in two months after fresh volcano eruption threatens. (BBC)
🇰🇭 Cambodia has banned musical car horns. Prime Minister Hun Manet has said melodic and techno horns are a danger to children and promotes disorder after videos of spontaneous dancing in the road were posted to social media. Some drivers said the prime minister should stay in his lane..pun intended. (Al Jazeera)
🇪🇹 Bank error in your favor: A glitch at the Bank of Ethiopia allowed people to withdraw more than they had in their accounts. Authorities say those who voluntarily return the money will not be prosecuted. (Business Insider)
🥤Dirty soda is a thing?
🎶 Agnus Dei: Byrd’s beautiful Mass for Four Voices
🫐 The world’s biggest blueberry
🚀 How different countries name their spaceships
🌊 Deep calls to deep: The world’s “five deeps”
🇦🇺 An Australian billionaire wants to build a second Titanic
💰 A cool site for calculating what historical things are worth in today’s dollars
🤷🏼♂️ Chick-fil-A is testing out a range of pizzas
❤️ Puppy stampede!
🏁 Men and machine: Wildwood’s crazy The Race of Gentlemen
💧 Dew Point, an oddly satisfying sculpture
🪂 A rookie pilot has saved the lives of himself and his family, deploying their Cirrus SR22’s Kevlar parachute, which slowed the plane to 0mph in just 8 seconds
⚭ “What God has Joined Together - A Lutheran Conference on Marriage” May 3-5, 2024, Ontario, Canada. Featuring keynote speaker, Dr Adam Koontz. Details here.
✝️ Join us on Memorial Day in Rockford IL to learn how you can start your local men's group and nurture Christian brotherhood. Come check out the Hebron Collegium, share your experience with praying the scriptures, and participate in the mutual consolation of the brothers. Bring a tent or bedroll if you'd like to camp out, or else reach out for more info on lodging opportunities. Wives and children are welcome to attend, but lodging options are more limited. To RSVP or for more info, send an email to sos.113.487@gmail.com or reach out via the SoS contact page.
Jonathan and Meridith wandered through a bunch of topics on last week’s Stop the White Noise. Mess and hoarding, prepping and trusting Jesus Christ. Listener questions were about how to encourage mothers who are overwhelmed and men to lead. You can catch it on YouTube or Rumble.
If you missed it, Meridith put out a call for anyone who would like to make a quilt for men who stay at the Hebron Collegium. If that is something you would be interested in helping out with, please reply to this email or send a message through madpxm.com/contact.
This Week Preached:
Podcast Release:
Let us pray. You sent Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to take upon Himself our flesh and to suffer death upon the cross. Mercifully grant that we may follow the example of His great humility and patience and be made partakers of His resurrection; 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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