The Real Villains of Climate Change

For a while there I thought my addiction to that wonderful brew, coffee, was the real felon in global warming. After all, my coffee maker uses about 10 amps of electricity, and the more power I use the greater my carbon footprint. (And if you like those weird, cream puff millennial drinks, like the mushy green stuff in a plastic cup with a plastic straw, you may end up killing a colony of ants or something. Ants are people too.)

Thanks to the New York Times I now understand who the real enemies are. Thank God it is not me. Or at least it won’t be for another 7 years. And you younger folk, well, you’re off the hook too.

In an article by Paula Span, NYT, the title reads -- Older People Are Contributing to Climate Change, and Suffering From It.  The point is Older People use more energy thereby causing tornadoes, hurricanes, and early Spring. Why? Because some old cranks have to take certain medications which in turn reduces the body’s ability to regulate its temperature? The consequences? They turn up the heat or air conditioner and so warping the universe of its natural, self-regulating state. It’s a vicious circle. So what to do? 

One suggestion in the article is to get those cantankerous, old farts in line. Have them join clubs like “Rise”, Retirees in Service to the Environment. That way we can kill them off faster by convincing them to turn off their air conditioners and so die from heat stroke. And not only that, we can make them feel good about contributing to a safe, clean planet for future generations of Younger People.

So remember -- check your Palm Life Clock, and Watch out for the Sandman!

The Socialist Pope

Francis said the poor were weeping “while the wealthy few feast on what, in justice, belongs to all. Injustice is the perverse root of poverty.”. The Socialist Pope 

I can imagine Pope Francis is a huge disappointment to conservative Catholics. The above statement by Francis is absurd. While the Bible does exhort the rich in this world to be charitable with a greater responsibility with their wealth, it also says in so many words, what God gives to an individual is his, it's a gift. It belongs to him and no one else. If, as the Pope says, "what in justice belongs to all" why the commandment, "You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor"?

The Naricissitic Vanity of Our Time

Video Show the Terrifying Drive to Escape Massive Fire in Paradise, California

Geese Honey! Let's film our family's death defying escape from this inferno and post it to fb! That'll be sure to get us some "likes"!

Damned fools. Idiots.   

Happiness is Overrated

I'm sure you've heard the old nauseating cliche, life is too short so be happy, along with other variations on this theme. Unfortunately, the thoughtless people quoting this most likely can not explain what happiness is or even how to achieve it. 

Philosophers from the ancient Greeks to the moderns have all chimed in on what constitutes the happy life. It's the age old question. 

Aristotle believed you must have a plan in place, along with living a life of virtue and moderation in all things. Plato emphasized not only virtue but the acquisition of knowledge as the highest good. And the Declaration of Independence says, 

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights: that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed...

So when I read the headline, "Why the Finns Don't Want To Be Happy", it caught my attention. It would appear they don't put much stock in the idea of happiness. Rather, they see contentment as something far better. With them it is not "are you happy", but how's your quality of life?

I'm not sure if they have quite figured it out. I know they like their alcohol and maybe this has something to do with it. Here's the link if you want to see what the Finns have to say about happiness: Why the Finns don't want to be happy

"America, the radicalized" -- by Jim Vandehei

I'm so glad I deactivated my fb account. It's been maybe 6 months since I last logged on, possibly longer. I can only imagine the arguments going on between some of  people I had listed as friends, especially since the latest spectacle with Brett Kavanaugh hearing. I don't miss it -- at all!

The political wrangling is the worst. It is mentally and physically draining. If there is one thing I learned, it is that most people are not interested in honest and reasonable debate. In his brief article, Jim Vandehei lists some of the reasons why Americans are radicalized.

As always, I blame social media without apology. It is truly the "cancer of our time". Click on the link to read "America, the radicalized". America, the radicalized 

Social Media -- The Cancer of our Time

I suppose a former doctor would know better than most how to identify symptoms of a disease.  Billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong, sees social media as "the cancer of our time."

Social Media -- Cancer of our Time

Boccherini - Cello concert Bb-dur, Xavier Phillips

Social Outcasts: Teens Logging Off

Most news is bad news, but today I found something encouraging. At least some young men and women are seeing social media for what it is. Logged off: meet the teens who refuse to use social media

Here's some quotes from the article:

It is widely believed that young people are hopelessly devoted to social media. Teenagers, according to this stereotype, tweet, gram, Snap and scroll. But for every young person hunched over a screen, there are others for whom social media no longer holds such an allure. These teens are turning their backs on the technology – and there are more of them than you might think.

“You start doing things that are dishonest,” says Amanuel, who quit social media aged 16. “Like Instagram: I was presenting this dishonest version of myself, on a platform where most people were presenting dishonest versions of themselves.”

Like Amanuel, Jeremiah Johnson, 18, from Luton, grew weary of the pressures of sustaining an online persona. “It’s a competition for who can appear the happiest,” he says. “And if you’re not happy and want to vent about it on social media, you’re attention-seeking.”

Great Road Trip Song

The Liberal War Against Coffee

Recently I posted a brief commentary on Arwa Mahdawi's article, "Iced coffee is ruining the environment and your body".  As it turns out the Brits conducted a study on a half million people, and can you guess the result?  It's good for you! That's right!  Fresh grounds for coffee: Study show it may boost longevity.  

Of course, Mahdawi's article was posted to The Guardian, so what can you expect from a lopsided, liberal publication? They are not concerned about facts, or even care what other studies have to say. It's one thing to have an opinion or to write an editorial, but it's quite another to make argument seem like fact with nothing to back it up. It's just mere opinion and nothing more.

So big deal, right? Why waste time talking about it? People will enjoy their coffee no matter what. My problem is the "save the planet people" have inculcated their doctrine in almost everything we read. For example, instead of reporting about our wonderful planet and its crazy little critters, the National Geographic in nearly every article has to throw in about how "climate change" is destroying everything.

It's same the everywhere whether it's Popular Mechanics, Time Magazine, Better Homes, People, or Reader's Digest. The News outlets are even worse. The problem is you might think because so many publications seem to be on board that most people around the world believe this garbage. I'm waiting for the day when they try to convince us how global warming is warping outer space, or creating a black hole which will eventually suck our entire planet into oblivion.

So here's the moral of the story. Don't worry about the planet, the planet will take care of itself. You have enough problems for the day -- so eat, drink your coffee, and be happy. 

Charles Hodge: the forgotten theologian

Charles Hodge may not be forgotten by some, but it's been a long time since I have dabbled in his Systematic Theology. Sometimes I think I am more sure of the divine origin of the Bible than I am of my own salvation. No one who gives Scripture an honest read can say it's just another book or just stories and fairy tales. It has a power of its own precisely because it is from God.

Here's a quote from Hodge's Systematic Theology:

First, All truth must be consistent. God cannot contradict himself. He cannot force us by the constitution of the nature which He has given us to believe one thing, and in his Word command us to believe the opposite. And, second, All the truths taught by the constitution of our nature or by religious experience, are recognized and authenticated in the Scriptures. This is a safeguard and a limit. We cannot assume this or that principle to be intuitively true, or this or that conclusion to be demonstrably certain, and make them a standard to which the Bible must conform. What is self-evidently true, must be proved to be so, and is always recognized in the Bible as true. Whole systems of theologies are founded upon intuitions, so called, and if every man is at liberty to exalt his own intuitions, as men are accustomed to call their strong convictions, we should have as many theologies in the world as there are thinkers.

Hodge, C. (1997). Systematic theology (Vol. 1, p. 15). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

Artificial Intelligence - the new prophet

This creepy AI can predict your next move minutes in advance. Creepy AI

2001: A Space Odessey - Ending Explained

The first time I saw 2001: A Space Odyssey I was in my teens. I had no idea what the heck was going on except it had something to do with a mysterious "black rectangle", and a couple guys in space with a super computer named Hal that malfunctioned. Now that I'm older I still don't know what it's about. This short video does give us a little insight, but I think for most of us it still doesn't quite fit our idea of how a story should end.

Ireland's "yes" Voters Celebrate a "Leap Forward?

Sanctioned Homicide 

Abortion is murder plain and simple. I want you to take a look at these pathetic, ignorant fools celebrating death. 

 Photos: CNN

Boccherinin String Quintet

Patrick O'Brian and Adagio Concerto Crosso Op. 6 No. 8 in G Minor

Music soundtrack from one of my favorite movies -- Master and Commander. Inspired by Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey -- Maturin series

I strongly recommend listening to the audio version of these novels narrated by one the best voice actors in the business -- Simon Vance. You can listen for free by downloading the OverDrive App and adding titles via Download Destination, or you can go to Amazon Audio: Aubrey-- Maturin Series and purchase the audio books. 

Adagio from Concerto Grosso Op. 6 No. 8 in G Minor:

The Epitome of Narcissism --even unto death

Recently a Southwest flight made an emergency landing after one of its engines partially exploded. One woman, according to news reports, was killed and several others were injured.

What is almost equally tragic is when a certain man on the Southwest flight live streamed the unfolding terror to his Facebook account. In the photo below you can see the man at the front of the picture shooting the video. If you look to the upper right you will notice someone else doing the same thing, or maybe he or she is taking a selfie. I wonder how many other passengers were posting to their twitter or FB accounts?

This is, to me, is the apotheosis of narcissism. No one on that flight knew if they were going to survive and yet some people had to make a production out of it. And for what? More "likes", more attention? This is more than shameful self-promotion -- this is a mentally deranged people. 

How to Use an Interlinear Bible

Latest post from Mathaytes: Using Interlinear Bibles 

Have you ever wondered what those little numbers are next to the words in an interlinear Bible?  Click on the link above to find out. Another informative post by Pastor K.G. And while you're there, check out some of his posts on apologetics and Bible study...

Dispicable

Mother Says `Fight Club` at Middle School is Responsible for Brutal Attack on Daughter Fight Club at Middle School

Thoughts

The Fool

The foolishness of man ruins his way,
And his heart rages against the LORD.
(Proverbs 19:3 (NASB95)

This is the way of it, isn’t it? A man ruins his life by his words and deeds and blames everyone else apart from himself. If he’s not so completely foolish (Psa 14:1) and happens to believe in a “higher power”, he would dare look upwards and blame God as well. I hate to break the news, but mankind is not evolving. His condition isn’t improving with time despite advances in technology and medicine. His fundamental nature has remained the same from the beginning. Man will always miss the mark, every time. He can’t even live up to his own moral standards let alone the Divine Imperatives.

Tech and Safety

As a truck driver, I must stay constantly on alert. For 12 to 14 hours a day, every day, I have to be aware of what’s going on around me in and out of the truck, for the safety of others and myself. I have a better view than most. I sit either parallel or just above the top of most vehicles. I can see directly into your car without even paying attention. Just a quick glance and I know what you're doing. This may sound kind creepy to some but it’s really an advantage in terms of safety. I know whether a driver is distracted, what his possible intentions are, and just what kind of driver he is. And the kind of driver I see is disturbing. Most people have their phones in hand or resting on their knee. What’s most alarming is many are texting and driving while traveling up to or exceeding speeds of 70 mph on the interstate! Offhand, I don’t know the statistics, but this seems to be a greater problem than driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol. I don’t care what your business is or what's going on in your life, there is nothing more important than paying attention to what you’re doing behind the wheel.

“Abject Culture” and the Dehumanization of Man

A certain friend, in one of his more contemplative moods, seriously considered how tech and social media is affecting our culture. He even bought a domain and toyed with the idea of creating a website addressing these issues. It was a good plan and I hope he does something with it. When he approached me as a possible contributor I had already been collecting articles on the negative effects of social media, and at last count, I had acquired some 40 essays or so over the last 5 years. One of the first articles I bookmarked concluded that the jury was still out. Though in most court cases the jury must reach a unanimous decision to convict, but not all cases do. So far, the consensus is social media and tech is harmful to individuals and dehumanizing society as a whole. The list of negative effects is too long for this thought, so to give you an idea of the problem I’ll leave you with this quote:

“Tech companies are conducting a massive, real-time experiment on our kids, and, at present, no one is really holding them accountable,” said Common Sense’s CEO, James Steyer, warning that tech companies’ attention-grabbing business models may hurt “the social, emotional and cognitive development of kids”.

“When parents learn how these companies can take advantage of our kids, they will join us in demanding the industry change its ways and improve certain practices.” --

(Center for Humane Technology, led by former Google design ethicist Tristan Harris and former Facebook investor and adviser Roger McNamee.) --The quote is taken from the article, “Former Facebook and Google workers launch campaign to fight tech addiction”. The Guardian.