236 Pentecost 11: You Are Not A Robot
“All Your works shall praise You, O Lord, and Your saints shall bless You. They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom, and talk of Your power,” ~ Psalm 145
You Are Not A Robot
The chosen stupidity of the late modern mind is the assumption that getting crowds together to republish the opinions the elite have programmed them with will lead to equality and justice. Biblically, evil is simpler to define than sin. Unless sin means evil. Then, every sin is evil. Then, we are all evil, all the time. But few miss the mark of Torah all the way to all evil all the time, even among our elite. So thank God he forgives us, bids us pray “Deliver us from evil!” against pauper kings, and bears with all things heavily for the sake of the name of Jesus. "Christ for you" does not mean that your story does not matter. It is your story that is redeemed in Christ. Your story matters to Jesus, and the Good News is that he means his excitement about that to matter more and more to you, too. But no matter how masterfully you splice the hair, there is always a communist near at hand to quibble. Not opinionated. Not nuanced with enlightenment. Quibblers, bots and anarcho-oligarchists are everywhere. Beware! The Spirit of the Red Letters come to make fishers of men. There are good fish, and there are bad fish. What we want most is a good net. Do not confuse indecision with the need for space and time to think things through. There’s a lot going on out there. It’s only right to feel the way you do. That doesn’t mean you have to let it stop you.
Till angel cry and trumpet sound,
R.J.M.F
Births, Deaths and Marriages
Italian boxer Angela Carini has made headlines across the world, forfeiting her match less than a minute into the first round. Carini was up against Algerian Imane Khelif who was born with XY chromosomes but is registered as a woman. Controversy has surrounded two boxers this Olympics who had previously been disqualified from women’s events, but were allowed to compete in Paris. It seems Imane and Taiwan’s Lin Yu‑ting, both XY will be heading for the women’s gold medal round. How very 2024! Quillette offered a detailed explainer of “differences of sex development” (DSD) disorders and why sporting bodies “must craft evidence-based rules and then stick to them consistently” to protect women’s sports. That is if they can handle being called Nazis. While cultural elites play word games about definitions, women will be harmed and men will take advantage. (ZeroHedge, The Blaze, NBC)
A new report claims that more women are conducting “self-managed” abortions since the Dobbs decision resulted in abortion law returning to individual states. The study goes on to recommend that access to “safe and effective” chemical abortions is required to keep women from harm. It may be the case that women in desperate situations are attempting to end the lives of their babies at great risk to themselves, but as you may know, abortion reporting is unreliable and irregular. Mifepristone, the abortion drug, comes with complications and is far from safe but expect studies like this to crop up, designed to move lawmakers to grant more access to drugs, even over state lines through the mail. (WNG, Lozier Institute)
Transport Secretary, Pete Buttigieg has said during an online fundraiser for VP Kamala Harris that men are freer when women are entitled to abort their babies. (Not the Bee)
Nebraska’s Supreme Court has ruled that a law protecting children from transgender procedures and babies from abortion can stand. (WNG)
We rejoice! A California father has won a years-long battle for custody of his four year-old son against the child’s mother who had been raising him as a girl since infancy. (New York Post)
Not your usual prenatal routine: Egyptian fencer, Nada Hafez has won gold while seven months pregnant. “What appears to you as two players on the podium, they were actually three! It was me, my competitor, & my yet-to-come to our world, little baby!”, Hafez posted on social media. (Olympics)
Crime and Punishment
President Biden has proposed 18 year term limits for justices on the United States’ Supreme Court. Proponents believe it would be fairer if each president had “two court picks per term”, presumably expanding the Court to infinity and beyond. Critics of the changes say the angst which convulses the country with every appointment will only ramp up and be more destabilizing. Apart from that, the Court is supposed to be undemocratic, leaving it free to adjudicate matters outside the realm of politics. The President also proposed that Justices agree to a new code of ethics to do with perceived conflicts of interest, even as Democrats have attempted to discredit Justices Alito and Thomas for having wealthy friends. Finally, President Biden is determined to undo the recent SCOTUS ruling on presidential immunity, saying once again that “no president should be above the law.” (The Week, Washington Examiner)
Much to the dismay of many, reports circulated last week that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind of September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, had agreed to a plea deal which would see him avoid the death penalty. Outcry seems to have swayed Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin into nixing the deal. KSM and two others held at Guantanamo have never been tried for the attack which killed over 3000 people, even through successive administrations. The system for trying inmates at Guantanamo has been piecemeal with defense lawyers saying that secrecy around alleged torture by U.S. authorities means there may never be a trial. (Reuters, BBC, NBC)
No, you are not going crazy, Donald Trump really was almost killed three weeks ago! Although the media machine seems to have moved on. Acting head of the Secret Service, Ronald Rowe Jr, said none of his agents had knowledge of the shooter on the nearby building. Media reports, however, claim countersnipers were aware of the shooter for 90 minutes before he opened fire, with new video showing him crawling on the roof in clear sight of Donald Trump on stage. Deficiencies in Secret Services operations were flagged after January 6th but, it seems, never addressed. A Secret Service countersniper has warned that another attempt on Donald Trump’s life is likely to come. In an email since deleted, the agent said that unless changes are made, another assassination attempt might be successful. Donald Trump has agreed to have a standard victim debriefing interview with the F.B.I. (WSVN, Not the Bee, Just the News, ZeroHedge, Axios)
Democrats insist that violent crime has dropped during President Biden’s administration but Hillsdale professor Matthew Mehan points out that “arguments about crime levels are only arguments about crime statistics, that is, reported crimes.” But police departments do not report crimes in a standardized way and some do not report certain crimes at all. New York is one example of a city where crimes are downgraded, skewing statistics to make it appear as though serious felonies have dropped. (The Federalist, San Francisco Chronicle)
Coming to America
The Biden administration has been slow to answer questions about two Jordanians, who illegally entered the U.S and used a truck to ram their way onto Quantico Marine Corps Base in May. The men have been charged but “federal prosecutors were amenable to support their releases on a promise that they would appear for future hearings.” (Center for Immigration Studies)
Thunderdome 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris has said she has secured a majority of delegate votes for the Democrat presidential nomination, after the party held a virtual DNC roll call. She is expected to announce a running mate in the next couple of days. (USA Today)
Meanwhile, conservative media pundits have suggested VP Harris is deliberately staying away from reporters. It seems impossible that corporate media would leave off questioning her on policy matters in the lead up to the election, but you never know. (The Blaze)
Donald Trump says he will debate Vice President Kamala Harris if she will agree to let Fox host it. The former president was mocked for wavering on his scheduled debate appearances, but his team have pointed out that those debates were promised to be with President Biden and the conditions must be renegotiated. (Just the News)
The Committee on House Administration has given the Biden administration an ultimatum to explain documents related to funding of voter registration efforts, favoring Democrats and without Congressional approval. (The Federalist)
Politics
Supporters of Kamala Harris have been criticized for launching “affinity groups”, race-segregated fundraising events. Group video calls raised millions by gathering “white dudes for Kamala” while “white women for Kamala” pledged to use their privilege to advance her campaign. You know? Separate but equal. (Semafor, Not the Bee, Mary Katherine Ham via X)
Newly-released memos show that aides to Speaker Nancy Pelosi were warned the night before January 6th that groups were intending to breach the Capitol. (Just the News)
The White House’s executive chef, Cristeta Comerford is retiring after almost 30 years working for five presidents. (CNN)
The Digital Age
Two online safety bills cleared the Senate last week. The updated Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act would ban companies from collecting data of children under 17 and from targeting advertisements at them. The Kids Online Safety Act has been the more controversial of the two bills. KOSA places a duty of care on internet companies, meaning they can be liable for negatively impacting the mental health of children. While the main sponsors of the bills (senators Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, and Republican Marsha Blackburn) insist they will not curb speech nor mandate data collection, critics say the law will encourage platforms to censor and harvest data for age verification purposes. Digital rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation also notes that most of the speech which would be impacted by the bill is constitutionally protected. The EFF along with others say the argument that mental health issues in young people would be fixed with less internet is simplistic and unproven. (NBC, Reclaim the Net)
California’s DMV has uploaded the details of every car in the state to blockchain. Owners will soon be able to access their vehicle titles through an app. The head of the tech company in charge of the move said customers want more automation and “expect the ability to transact life online“. Having information on a block chain will “allow consumers to track and manage their titles digitally, cutting down on traffic to the DMV and the post office. It may also provide an early-warning system for fraud.” (Quartz)
Meta will pay $1.2 billion to Texas for scanning user faces and using biometric data without permission. Texas is also suing Alphabet in a similar case. (WNG)
Internet traffic is way less click-y. “Digital marketing in 2024 is a lot like marketing in 1964. It is getting the right message that appeals to the right people in the right places and at the right time to the right audience.” (SparkToro)
Money, Markets and Jobs
The latest jobs report from the Labor Department says employers added 35% less jobs than expected in July, with only 114,000 openings. Unemployment is also the highest since 2021 at 4.3%. (AP)
Donald Trump has promised to make the U.S. a crypto powerhouse if he is returned to the White House. Speaking at a Bitcoin conference, the former president said his administration would stockpile cryptocurrency to help reduce the nation’s debt. Economists are a bit puzzled whether that will work. (Wired)
A new paper has found that individual credit scores in states that legalized sports gambling dropped by 0.3%, associated with “indicators of excessive debt”. “We find a substantial increase in bankruptcy rates, debt collections, debt consolidation loans, and auto loan delinquencies.” “These results are stronger for states that allow sports gambling online compared to states that restrict access to in-person betting and larger for young men in low-income counties.(Social Science Research Network)
OpenAIs\ founder, Sam Altman has been conducting a Universal Basic Income experiment for the last three years. Researchers gave 3000 poor Americans unconditional cash each month for 3 years. One-third were given $1000 per month and the rest $50 per month. “The study found no major difference in employment levels between those who received larger payments and the control group. Recipients only increased their spending for basic needs.” (Quartz)
Opinion: America’s money woes are not insurmountable but austerity is needed i.e. some serious cuts to government spending. Pray for leaders who want to steward our nation’s financial future with wisdom and integrity. (Epoch Times)
Arts, History and Sport
How Tahiti’s geography makes it perfect location for Olympic surfing events. (Reuters)
Speaking of surfing, Brazil’s Gabriel Medina clinched one of the best memes out of these Olympics, after a winning ride. (Not the Bee)
A.I. continues to act as a back up judge in gymnastics. “Strategically placed hi-def cameras…capture the movement of the athletes, make 3D models, and identify whether the elements they are performing fall into the parameters established by the judging bodies inside the federation.” (The Verge)
Local women in a Spanish town have crocheted canopies to shade some of the busiest shopping streets. (NPR via Instagram)
A 6-acre island off the coast of England features two thousand years of human activity and reportedly…ghosts. (Sky)
Last week in history:
1981 MTV launches featuring “Video Killed the Radio Star”. (DJ MixTrix via YouTube)
Monday
Health, Medicine and Food
Cholesterol: it’s more complicated than previously thought and a one-size-fits-all policy is not helping. (Epoch Times)
An Australian hospital has began immunotherapy program for babies with peanut allergies, slowly exposing them to peanut powder. (CNN)
Why do people wake up at 3 or 4am? (IFL Science)
New findings show that noses contain immune cells which are a first line of defense against pathogens. (Nature)
The FDA has approved a blood screen test for colon cancer. (NBC)
From the Mad☧Tank
Mad☧Mondays is your reliable white noise filtration system. If you like reading news that matters with a Mad quirk, then please show your support! Get early access to Mad☧Tank articles and join the chat by signing up through Substack. Or support Frisby’s efforts with any amount here.
Great stuff from our archive:
Have you composed a poem? Do you have some local news that our readers would benefit from knowing? A book review? Parenting advice? Theological treatise? Then send it to us! If you would like to submit your writing to be published in our Tank, please reply to this email. We would love to hear from you.
Hearts and Minds
Co-rumination: Sometimes problems shared are not problems halved. (Psyche)
Is it okay for Christians to engage in cancel culture? (Matt Cochran)
Etiquette in this age of self-absorption and cancellation can show love of neighbor. (Intellectual Takeout)
Pronouns are rohypnol: “People severely underestimate the psychological impact to themselves, and to others, of compliance…[Pronouns] dull your defences. They change your inhibitions. They’re meant to.” (Fair Play)
God’s Green Earth
Authorities in west Texas’ Scurry County have declared a state of emergency after 103 earthquakes in a week. (USA Today)
Rushed policy, cheap manufacture and lack of community buy-in do nothing to instil confidence in wind energy. A New England offshore energy project has seen massive fiberglass shards and debris dropping from wind turbines during stormy weather. (The Federalist)
Science
A parasite found in cat feces may be used to deliver substances across the blood-brain barrier. It is hoped new research using Toxoplasma gondii may lead to remedies for difficult-to-treat neurological diseases. (Interesting Engineering)
LED light may help break down “forever chemicals”. (PopSci)
War and Rumors of War
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has confirmed the death of Hamas’ top political leader, Ismail Haniyeh. Israel is suspected to have carried out the assassination, but has not claimed responsibility. It seems that an explosive device was placed under Haniyeh’s bed in a high-security guest house in Tehran two months ago. The assassination comes after Hezbollah rockets hit a soccer field in the Golan Heights last week, killing 12 people including children. The IDF did confirm that it had killed Fuad Shukr, a Hezbollah leader. While U.S. authorities have called for de-escalation, Israel observers say letting it finish off Hamas’ military capabilities and create deterrence is the best way to stabilize the region. (ZeroHedge, PJ Media, Reuters)
A large prisoner swap between the U.S., Germany and Russia, a long time in the making, has drawn praise and criticism. A number of Americans, including journalist Evan Gershkovich were released to their families a few days ago from Russia. However, President Biden is accused of given states such as Russia perverse incentives to capture Americans for ransom. The Biden administration previously traded basketball player Brittney Griner for arms dealer Viktor Bout and also released billions in frozen Iranian money in return for five American hostages. Time has a list of everyone who was released. (Wikipedia, Heritage)
Stories from Far Away
🏴 Three young girls have been stabbed to death and several more injured in a frenzied knife attack in England. Speculation online that the killer was a Muslim immigrant promoted clashes between far right and Antifa mobs in various cities across Britain. While corporate media blamed “racists” it’s clear that mass immigration is on the minds of regular Brits. Many accounts online claimed police were arresting protestors, while Muslims armed with machetes and hammers were roaming freely. (BBC, BBC, Spiked, New York Post)
🇻🇪 Riots broke out in Venezuela after incumbent president Nicolas Maduro claimed victory in the nation’s elections. Videos of protestors being chased down by soldiers were spread online. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday said that the United States officially recognizes opposition candidate Edmundo González and has called for Maduro to release ballot tallies. (Just the News)
🇬🇧 A radical British Muslim cleric wants to buy an island off Scotland to set up a sharia-law Islamic state. Outspoken Anglican vicar, Calvin Robinson wants Christians to chip in and buy it instead. (Not the Bee)
🇪🇺 The European Union has begun to roll out rules for A.I. systems. The law requires that A.I. products be approved before becoming commercially available and will be scrutinized for risks to human safety and also dignity. (WNG)
🇫🇷 A French conservative news outlet has been fined for “airing unchallenged negative views about migration and climate change.” (The Critic)
🇮🇳 Landslides in India have claimed over 120 lives. (BBC)
🌪️ Photographer snaps bride and groom with tornado
🦜 Bird has really has his head on swivel
🪦 Why “late” also means “dead”
🪵 Sculptor turns chunks of wood he finds into beautiful vessels
🌲 The world’s oldest bonsai trees
🧵 This artist uses LOTS of lace
🌌 What color is the night sky?
Starfall2029 was an education in tinfoil hat history and how to deal with robots. As usual there was plenty of encouragement to trust your election in Jesus and have courage. Watch on YouTube or Rumble, or listen here. Show mentions:
Psalm 126: praying for captivity to the Word of God
Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations by Clay Shirky
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.
Our disclaimer: These are some resources the Fisks have found edifying, but when dealing with human-authored texts, apply discernment liberally!
This Week Preached:
Podcast Release:
Let us pray. Merciful Father, You gave Your Son Jesus as the heavenly bread of life. Grant us faith to feast on Him in Your Word and Sacraments that we may be nourished unto life everlasting; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
You can also make a one-off or recurring donation here. Thank you!