Tuesday Miscellany - 9/10/2023
Mostly Current Events
I saw this from Ed Driscoll at Instapundit, and had to link. The content at the link neatly distills WHY the constant uproar and activism. It is a replacement for the presence of God in their lives.
The replacement of God with quasi-spiritual activities is, like junk food, an unsatisfactory answer to the problems/questions of life.
Years ago, I had a switch (temporary, but intense) from refined and processed foods to whole foods. As part of that, I experimented with baking my own whole grain products. One was Whole Wheat English muffins.
It was not a quick process. It took most of an afternoon, and part of an evening to complete. The normal baking process is made shorter by use of refined grains. Whole wheat and other non-processed grains have a much longer rising time.
It is NOT an activity for the impatient.
But, when I finished the lengthy process, and split and toasted my first muffin, I found it to be worth the time spent. The flavor and texture were incredible. The ‘whole wheat’ muffins available in the stores didn’t even come close.
What was the greatest surprise to me was my inability to finish a whole muffin at one sitting. I only managed to eat 1/2 a muffin, and was completely full. The muffin contained such a surfeit of nutrition, that my need for more had been satisfied.
It’s as though your body cravings are not for FOOD, but for NUTRITION. Once you take in sufficient nutrients, you lose that mindless eating that packs on the pounds.
Does that mean that switching to whole grains is the answer to overweight?
No.
It MIGHT be one portion of it, for some. But simply adding on a layer of healthy substances to a nutrition poor diet won’t solve the problem. Other factors, including the dubious nutritional value of many so-called healthy snacks, will likely not change weight struggles. Nor will some find their weight changing until they address their use of food as an emotional soother - there is a reason that the phrase “eating your heart out” resonates with us.
To bring it all back to the first part of this entry, quasi-religious activities, like environmentalism, antifa, militant feminism (as opposed to a fair look at how women might adapt to modern life’s lessening of their domestic responsibilities), and actual racism (individually experienced actions that can be addressed in micro, rather than macro changes), will, by themselves, never replace that hole left in your life by the absence of God.
For those who will not accept God’s help, He is absent. It’s a voluntary relationship, not an imposed one. Until you invite Him into your daily existence, He will not intrude. He may send his messengers to sprinkle signs or hints in your way, but He will not manifest himself until you ask for Him, consciously or unconsciously.
Prayerful meditation is one way to both still the jangled nerves of those wholly engaged in modern secular life, and to open yourself to the potential presence of God.
If you call Him, He will come.
Please Share this - I’m trying to reduce social media posts that ‘trigger’ Leftists and their acolytes, but it does make its point nicely, in the words of one of their own. Again, from X, via Instapundit.
I hope this link from The Babylon Bee does not offend - I just couldn’t resist. It lightened my day.
I’m a big fan of modern technology. The benefits are HUGE:
The components upon which modern society is based are smaller, cheaper, and more powerful. That’s made access to modern circuitry pretty much ubiquitous - even the homeless and those in rural locations can, generally, benefit from access to information, access to medical care, education online, and many services.
Medical devices - hearing aids, insulin pumps, Bluetooth sensors, such as FreeStyle Libre, heart monitors, implanted CPAP devices, and many more - have reached the level at which many insurance plans will cover them (at this point, generally only if all other means of control of the condition have proven inadequate).
Access for the disabled - people with mobility issues, sight problems, and hearing loss, as well as those who are experiencing limitations due to the aging process. I find tech to be a big help, both with making products lighter weight, and therefore easier to manage, and with making independence possible, as with use of power tools to replace brute strength. When I am unable to venture out, I can have meals and meds brought in, be entertained with online access to movies and shows (I just joined Angel Studios, and am looking forward to quality entertainment that has more substance than talk shows, game shows, and other vulgar and vapid shows). My radio equipment takes up MUCH less space than previous models, and is very lightweight.
Education - online access has been a game changer. Nothing ramped up the home schooling/unschooled advocates as much as the Covid restrictions that forced families to look at alternatives. In pushing for schools to close, the educational establishment may have cut their own throat. Attendance figures are down, and a LOT of it is due to the fact that parents have discovered alternatives.
Higher education - although still much too costly, the alternative online versions provide price breaks, in the form of not having to pay for transportation and housing. Many students have been able to condense their education with year-round attendance and/or heavier course loads. Expect this trend to continue.
Work education - Covid clampdowns also changed the way many look at blue-collar workers. The need to replace aging workers is skyrocketing, and many students had the opportunity to see, firsthand, how the field operated, due to many workers switching from commercial/public work to home renovation projects. Once someone has experienced the expertise of a skilled worker on the job, they can never refer to them as “dumb”. The guys who worked on my house over the last few years impressed me, from the semiskilled roofers tearing down my metal roof, and putting up another, from lining to weather protection to final shingles and finishing touches, to the supervisor who kept them busy with a variety of tasks, maximizing their efficiency on the job. And the waterproofing project was fun to see in progress - jackhammering the concrete, digging into the ground around the foundation, laying gravel for proper drainage, filling in the holes, and banking the dirt and the rock layer to allow for water runoff away from the foundation. That business also rebuilt a bulging retaining wall leading to basement access, and rebuilt the brickwork supporting our porch. When you see all that over the course of days, it really makes you aware of just how much knowledge there is in blue collar jobs. To see that is a powerful lesson for young people, and might very well influence them to consider a job in those fields.
Alternative perspectives on news and current events/issues. Everything from blogs to videos to podcasts, and much of it free or subscription-based. I can CHOOSE which channels to spend my money on, and select the level of support, if needed.