Martin World News

 

Let's see if I can milk humor from the udders of the news cow tonight.  Starting with:

CNN

Headline: First methane-powered sea spiders found crawling on the ocean floor

Honestly, there are a lot of ways to go with this one other than the true story- I myself have been accused of being "methane powered" at times.  And no, these spiders are neither gassy nor have little tanks strapped to their spinnerets. No, they live deep sea near thermal vents, eating the waste products (sugars and fats) of methane consuming microbes.  And while this might be just mildly funny, I got another chuckle from a sub-headline deep in the article:

The methane diet may be good for everyone

I'll have to remember that line the next time I am accused of being "methane powered"...

BBC

Headline: Czech fake dentist gave root canals after reading online instructions

Well, that's one tip of the iceberg, anyway.  This dentist's office was a family concern apparently; while 22 year old sonny boy did the dentistry.  50-year old Mama did the nursing, and 44-year old Daddio made the prosthetics- all using YouTube videos as a guide.  

All three were arrested earlier this month, before being charged this week with operating an illegal business, money laundering, attempted assault, drug dealing and theft. All have pleaded guilty, police said.

The family concern netted about $185 K American for their services, or about $7,000 each for each of the 8 years their sentences will max out at.  I'm surprised that BBC didn't put up a subheading of "Good work if you can get it", as officials say that Czechia averages about 10 "Fake dentist" cases PER YEAR.  Bright side, apparently none of the patients have complained, so they must have paid close attention to those videos.

The Moscow Times

Headline: We Are Now 'Undesirable' in Russia. Here's What You Need to Know.

I found this one almost by accident.  On the front page of my favorite Russian dissidents, in small and light toned words I could barely read, I saw:

Russia labeled The Moscow Times an "undesirable organization." If you are in Russia or plan to travel there, it's still safe to read us - but you cannot share our articles on social media, link to them or quote them. Here's what else you need to know.

The hyperlink then tells you: 1- Non-Russians are safe.  Good to know!  2- If you are Russian, sharing, reposting, or linking their articles can draw a fine of up to 15,000R ($175).  Reading, however, is still okay.  3- Donating (if you are a Russian) can get you 5 years in the slammer.

"Boris, quick! Call Moscow Times and cancel our recurring donation!"

"Better yet, I transfer it to Moose and Squirrel!"

Xinhua (China)

Now here, I have to say you wonder what is going on over there when you see these two headlines, one on top of the other:

China's desertification control efforts embrace high-tech solutions

China activates emergency response to flooding in 5 provinces

Um, maybe you went a little TOO hi-tech?  Maybe?

News.AU (Jo-Anne, you know I couldn't stay away from Australia)

Headline: Dad ‘makes’ 5 month old baby apologize to passengers after flight

An 8-hour journey from London to Atlanta was punctuated by this five month old cutie (and to a lesser extent, her twin sister) raising a ruckus that no one appreciated, but MOST (some peters in every group, I guess) forgave as she beamed a smile that suggested to one passenger, “She looked at everyone like ‘and I’ll do it again, watch this,’”.

Toronto Star

Well, sorry, but despite not having been on this site but once in six months, I've "reached my limit."  Now we'll never know why the newly constructed sidewalk had a wire sticking out of it...

Daily Sabah (Istanbul)

(You know I'm running out of places when I hit here...) 

Headline: Istanbul tops list of cities with worst traffic congestion 

Are you willing to sit in a car for about 142 hours a year? Ran the tagline to the article from February of 2022, which I guess was late to the printer due to traffic.  At this point, the former Constantinople had just pulled ahead of Moscow, Kiyev, Bogota, and Mumbai.  Of all places, Mecca was least congested- and hey, Laurie, your hockey team's home town of Katowice, Poland, was fourth lowest.  Mecca, the lowest?  I guess there's not much to do outside the mosque's open hours...

And finally- with a nod nod wink wink to the first story:

Daily Star

Headline: Man wears ‘World’s Best Farter’ t-shirt to court - gets absolutely rinsed by judge

"World's best farter- I mean father".  Sammy Morris wore this tee to a felony hearing- and Judge Raquel West didn't see the humor.  She asked him what made him think his methane powered shirt was appropriate to wear to a court hearing, and his answer was, "It was the only one I could find."  She then asked him why he didn't have a lawyer present, and his excuse was equally chaffing to her honor:  He claimed he had called three lawyers before appearing in court, but he hadn’t heard back from any of them in time.

Golly, I wonder why?  Judge West was "nice enough" to give Sammy a 30- day reset, and if he appeared without a lawyer ( or in a tee) that time, he could kiss his bail money bye bye.

Wednesday Bible Study- Questions of Grok finale

 

The last of the questions asked Grok about God is, "Why do people believe?", which it then divides into 'psychological', 'cultural', and 'sociological' reasonings.  And frankly, just like the last couple of questions, I was at a loss to figure out how to approach this.  But then, I heard in my head, "Why did Peter believe?  Why did John believe?" and I knew Jesus had already given the answers in the Gospel.

Why did Peter believe?

Luk 5:1  On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, 

Luk 5:2  and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 

Luk 5:3  Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 

Luk 5:4  And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 

Luk 5:5  And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” 

Luk 5:6  And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 

Luk 5:7  They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 

Luk 5:8  But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” 

Peter was called, but didn't know WHO called him until this moment- a moment much like (in his reaction) when Isaiah was called. Peter believed when he saw that Jesus could do what he had not been able to- and was willing to do so.

Why did John believe?

Joh 1:35  The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 

Joh 1:36  and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 

Joh 1:37  The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 

John (and Andrew) believed because they had heard the preaching of John the Baptist, which pointed Him out- they had heard the Gospel that they were to become Apostles of.

Why did Nathaniel believe?

Joh 1:46  Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 

Joh 1:47  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 

Joh 1:48  Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 

Joh 1:49  Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 

Nathaniel was a seeker- he was reading Psalm 32:2 under the tree:

Psa 32:2  Blessed is the man to whom Jehovah does not charge iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. 

And he might have passed off Jesus's greeting off as a coincidence, until Jesus applied the passage TO Nathaniel.  He believed when Jesus made it personal.

Why did Matthew believe?

Mat 9:9  And as Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax-office. And He said to him, Follow Me! And he arose and followed Him. 

Matthew was a tax collector- the lowest of the low, somewhere on the social scale between "shepherd" and "leper".  But Jesus did what no rabbi would, what no Jew would- He looked at him with love, and made the offer.  Matthew had no one to respect him, be his friend (except others of his kind), no one to love him.  And yet, Jesus loved him.  That's why he believed.

Why did Nicodemus believe?

Joh 3:7  Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born again. 

Joh 3:8  The Spirit breathes where He desires, and you hear His voice, but you do not know from where He comes, and where He goes; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit. 

Joh 3:9  Nicodemus answered and said to Him, How can these things be? 

Joh 3:10  Jesus answered and said to him, Are you the teacher of Israel and do not know these things? 

Nicodemus, unlike his fellow 'rulers of the Jews", took the Word of God to heart, but he had to make the connection between the Word and the God of the Word.  He needed the Holy Spirit;  the Holy Spirit, going where He will, chose him.

Why did the woman at the well believe?

Joh 4:28  The woman then left her waterpot and went into the city and said to the men, 

Joh 4:29  Come see a man who told me all things that I ever did. Is this One not the Christ? 

Joh 4:30  And they went out of the city and came to Him. 

................................

Joh 4:41  And many more believed because of His own word. 

Joh 4:42  And they said to the woman, Now we believe, not because of your saying, for we have heard Him ourselves and know that this is truly the Christ, the Savior of the world. 

More than once, John tells us how the Spirit converts us by CONVICTING us- showing us our sins, shaking us out of the complacency of our lives to see how pitiful we really are.  How much we need a savior.

Why did Paul believe?

Act 9:3  But in going, it happened as he drew near to Damascus, even suddenly a light from the heaven shone around him. 

Act 9:4  And he fell to the earth and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? 

Act 9:5  And he said, Who are you, lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom you persecute. It is hard for you to kick against the goads. 

Paul was very religious, very zealous.  He thought he knew all about God, but like Nicodemus, he hadn't made the connection.  But where Nicodemus came to Jesus seeking, Paul had to have Jesus come to him, and show him the blindness of his faith.  Without the connection, the Holy Spirit, your 'faith' is just kicking against the goads.

There are so many others I can cite- the Ethiopian eunuch, Simon Magus, the many blind and sick and even dead that Jesus healed- but these tell the greater story.  Each one is an element that touches the heart of every true believer.

Pictures and Blungels

 I have some pics from this week, along with a couple of stories, so enjoy!

Last Friday...

Wouldn't even know it's been raining at night for the last couple weeks...

Finally- wild strawberries

Big for them, and the usual in taste- water with a hint of flavor 

Some strange wildlife out there

Sometimes Mother Nature needs a hairpick, too

Doggie and daisies

Possible varmintage, unconfirmed

So story #1 comes from Thursday afternoon and a trip to IHOP.  Laurie ordered classic eggs benedict with hashbrowns.  Received avocado eggs benedict.  I ordered the Big Breakfast Burrito with hashbrowns.  Now, the BBB is essentially a kitchen-sink style omelet, only wrapped in a burrito shell, with scrambled eggs inside.  What I got was a kitchen-sink omelet- and three pancakes.  The waitress- who was delayed in taking our order by having to make change for an elderly gentleman, and could have wrote a novel with the typing she did on her pad to take our order- apologized, noting it was her first day. I have no problem with that.  I do have a problem with no evidence of a trainer within a thousand miles of the poor girl.

Laurie had them redo the order for her; I just said, screw it, it's essentially the same thing.  As I was stuffing the last bites of the omelet in me, I heard someone at the kitchen ask our girl, "Hey, did you have a Big Breakfast Burrito for someone?"  I just laughed.

On to Tuesday, pictures-wise...

A lonely dude at the landing was minding the PFW rent-a-kayak stand.  Despite a great day for it, didn't seem to be any takers.

Amazingly, Misty was content to sit...

Apparently the cutbacks at PFW included pond maintenance

Thanks to Canada wildfires, I present the strawberry moon...

Second story was from the way home from IHOP, when Laurie invented the new word, "blungled."  It came from her misreading of a license plate.  Form the car of a U of Michigan fan, it red BLUNGLD- "Blue and gold", which Laurie read as is.  I said, what a great new word...

Next up, a brief treatment of yesterday...

More rain threatened the whole day (as well as today), but we managed...

Misty after varmintage at the swamp...

...but it was just Mama duck and one baby

Raspberries almost ready to munch!

Misty with her Father's day gift, lol

Father and son night at Bob's Bar

Brian Wilson

 Brian Wilson passes from this earth, age 82...

I'll be honest here- I know there's a sin to hero worship, and a sin to knee-jerk reactions, but my first knee jerk thought was whether I wanted to be in a world without Brian Wilson...

I've tried so many ways to just say something about him, what he and the boys meant to me... and now, all the Wilson boys are gone...

In the end, I found a Quora thread that asked a question...

What songs by Brian Wilson are your favorites, and why? Do you have an absolute favorite or find it hard to choose just one particular song, like say, “Little Deuce Coupe”, or Good Vibrations”, or “Love and Mercy”?

56 different songs were named, most as parts of lists, and I thought I would count them up and letb the fans answer...

Tie-9th (3 votes):  Please Let Me Wander; Sail On Sailor; Lonely Sea; Help Me Rhonda

Tie 4th (4 votes):  The Warmth Of The Sun; Heroes And Villains; Till I Die; Surf's Up; Don't Worry Baby

#3 (6 votes): In My Room

#2 (17 votes): Good Vibrations

#1 (18 votes): God Only Knows

Plus another 14 with 2 votes each.  I have my favorites; maybe another time I'll share them (as most were on this list!).  But instead of them, I wanted to share just one, that I feel is the most appropriate for right now...

 

Wednesday Bible Study: The questions of Grok part 6

 

The second to last of the questions about God that Grok AI got the most is, 'Can God be proven yes or no, scientifically?'  And while I felt much of this has already been answered, God moves me to dig a little deeper- although I won't be doing it by Grok's divisions of "cosmology, evolution, quantum physics".  Instead, I found a very helpful article here that I am going to use as my work frame.

1- Science has found ample evidence that the universe had a beginning

Psa 119:89  Lamedh Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens. 

Psa 119:90  Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast. 

I've hit the Genesis 1:1 note several times here.  But also, logically, nothing cannot begin anything.  Anything that begins has a first cause.  Scientists say that cosmic background radiation "shows" us the universe as far back as 700,000 years after the Big Bang- this, by Genesis, is when God divided the light from the dark (Gen. 1:4).  Actual visible evidence (ie the most distant objects observed) they say pushes that envelope only to 700 million years after the Big Bang.  To see the beginning, you'd have to be able to use a device to SEE God:

Joh 1:17  For the Law came through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 

Joh 1:18  No one has seen God at any time; the Only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. 

Albert Einstein had tried to negate the need for a beginning at first- when his equations showed an expanding universe, he introduced a "cosmological constant" to eliminate it.  But soon, he was proven wrong; after reviewing Edward Hubble's evidence at Mt Wilson, he declared the CC the "biggest mathematical blunder" of his career.  The universe WAS expanding- it HAD to have a beginning.

2- Science has found the universe to be fine-tuned for life.

Jer 33:25  Thus says the LORD: If I have not established my covenant with day and night and the fixed order of heaven and earth, 

Jer 33:26  then I will reject the offspring of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his offspring to rule over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and will have mercy on them.” 

If there had been no designer, and something came from nothing, then how do we explain the preciseness of the laws of physics that govern all we observe?  How do we send rockets into space without Newton's laws?  How do we explain the interactions between matter and energy without E=MC2? And more- how do they happen to be just so as needed to sustain life? Deniers of God explain that "universes" have been created an infinite amount of times- usually just collapsing when the laws aren't amenable to their existence.  We just "got lucky" that at least 30 scientific parameters needed for life exist in this particular universe.  As someone once said, I don't have enough faith to believe THAT.

3-Scientists can’t explain the origin of life and its genetic code apart from an Originator.

Psa 139:15  My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 

Psa 139:16  Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. 

Life is simply too complex.  The article gives a great way to look at this:  

In addition, the origin of life puzzle has a “chicken-and-egg question”—which came first, the chicken or the egg? In this case, to get life to occur, you need both the complete genetic code and the proteins—the machine parts—that read the code and build new proteins. Without the code, you can’t build proteins. And without proteins, you can’t process the code. So how could both have arisen at the same time?

4- Science has proven that biological life runs by millions of exquisitely programmed “robotic machines.”

By this they mean the various proteins that are coded to go back and forth in the cells doing certain jobs to maintain the cell.  So, in evolution, these proteins would have to self-generate, assign each other tasks, stumble on how to re-produce themselves, etc, etc.  One thing the article noted- science has yet to find NON-ORGANIC materials having any such structures.

5. Science has found the earliest evidence of life to be of great variety, fully formed and without transitions.

Let's let Darwin explain it:

Darwin predicted that as more of the fossil record was uncovered, it would show types of species gradually appearing, beginning with one or a few, and then multiplying from simple to more complex life forms. He wrote, “If numerous species . . . have really started into life at once, the fact would be fatal to the theory of evolution through natural selection” (Origin of Species, 1859, p. 305). Yet that is precisely what has been found—major body types appearing at what’s considered the beginning of the fossil record rather than in deposits laid down later.

Even scientists know that at least 70% of body types were first seen in what they call the Cambrian Explosion.  The evidence is there for variety- but not for "intermediate steps."

6. Science has shown the earth to be a unique planet with so many “just right” conditions to sustain life.

Ah, yes, the Goldilocks zones.  There are more than 200 known parameters, the article quotes Eric Metaxas, that have to be PRECISELY met for life on earth to exist.

Isa 45:18  For so says Jehovah the Creator of the heavens, He is God, forming the earth and making it; He makes it stand, not creating it empty, but forming it to be inhabited. I am Jehovah, and there is no other. 

7. Science reveals the universe is precisely mathematically designed while allowing for free will.

Einstein liked inventing phrases such as "God does not play dice," "The Lord is subtle but not malicious." On one occasion Bohr answered, "Einstein, stop telling God what to do."

On the surface, we've already hit the first part of this; but check out this thought from the article:

Many scientists came to realize that not all is determined by matter and energy. Experiments show that an observer can alter a particle through means of observing it. The implications are that we can determine the outcome of our lives by the choices we make.

I would have to go into deep science to explain this.  But it's enough to say, for all of the mathematical precision we have found in the universe, that precision does NOT apply to the human mind and emotions.  Some things cannot be explained by mere theory.

Deu 29:29  “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. 

Round the world

 

So when the news is so overwhelmed with one thing, and it ain't funny, it's time to take a trip 'round the world with me...

Stop #1: Anguilla

When I saw the name of the place, I said to myself, "Unless you're in San Francisco, this is a very poor choice of names for a bar..." but it wasn't a bar...

“This is the main port of entry,” Connor tells Anguilla Focus. “This is where 80 percent of people come into – so whatever you do here, you have to do it right.”

And I am like, "This is a REALLY BAD name for a main port of entry..."  Headline, please...

Coming soon: Andy’s one-stop welcome hub at Blowing Point

"OMG- Chris told this joke during 'Pride Month"...

Stop #2- Germany

What this world needs, according to a pair of German academics, is a good leader.  And they chose to make their exhibition in Trier revolve around someone who apparently is a new social media sensation...

Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius.  His Meditations, which the academics admit no one in Rome ever heard of- in fact, it's first clear mention was some 900 years after him- have gained a popularity these days, and they have taken advantage of this fact to, among other things, speak for him:

(Archaeologist Marcus) Reuter added that Marcus Aurelius would most likely have considered Donald Trump "not a good leader, and certainly not a role model."

After which he has to admit, well, there was slavery... and few civil rights... and abuse of women...but, "He was a man of his times." Thus, that's okay.

Probably best not to ask him how that open borders thing worked out for Rome...

Stop #3- Cuba

The front page of the Havana Times had a supposedly humorous (depending on the side you're on) story told the reporter by a down on his luck enologist.  Enologist?  That's what the reporter was wondering as well, and it turns out to be a fancy term for a wine connoisseur. So the story goes that this enologist and his 'colleague' were at the end of a night of enologizing, the colleague had to hit the airport, and our sad Sam had but 30 pesos left.  All heart, his buddy gave him a 100 Euro note and split.  Problem: Nobody open had change for 100 Euros.  Finally, a 'good hearted' citizen, told him he'd help out.  Taking him to a local flop house, he said, "Give me the bill, I'll be right back."  After some protests, the enologist (who claims to not have been drunk, just tired- nod nod, wink wink) gave him the bill and his savior went in the door, out the window, and soon learned the meaning of a new word- comemierda.

Not surprisingly, this means, "idiot".

Stop #4- Malawi

Well, the Malawi news, but the story is from neighboring Zimbabwe- a story of "You think YOU have bad taxes..."  Zimbabwe's government has instituted a novel tax: If you have a car with a radio, you owe a $92 "radio license fee"- or you can't get vehicle insurance.  One cheesed-off motorist commented, "Next they'll be taxing us for the air we breathe in traffic."  Needless to say, the government has two challenges here- an electorate about to put a new definition to 'road rage', and the question of how the heck they intend to enforce it...

So they gave me 10 random nation names, and these were the only four that had stories funny enough to do.  As per usual when I get stumped, I asked Grok if it had one, and so...

Final stop: Thailand

An elephant never forgets - where the snacks are stored.

A large wild elephant caught shopkeepers off guard at a convenience store in Thailand on Monday, when it lumbered into the shop in search of food.

The hungry mammal can be seen on CCTV footage entering the store and helping itself to snacks.

"Business was a bit slow that day. Around 2 p.m., the elephant just walked right up. I came out and tried to shoo it away. I told it not to come closer," shop owner Khamploi Kakaew told CNN.

"I told it, 'Go away, go on,' but it didn't listen. It was like it came on purpose."

"It went straight to the snacks, picked through them with its trunk. It ate about 10 bags of sweets - they're 35 baht ($1) each. It also ate dried bananas and peanut snacks."

The culprit is 27-year old Plai Biang Lek- and he had an accomplice waiting outside.  I tried to figure out what his name means, but Google Translate couldn't handle it.  Grok says it roughly means "Little Swerving Bull"- I guess we MIGHT say, in this case, it means, "I turn in for candy"...

Pictures

 And we have a few, due to laziness on my part- but not as many as could be, also due to laziness (AKA not making sure camera batteries were charged, so you missed out on a rabbit, a deer, and Hindufest 2025 at the Plex*)- but you do get some...

*'Hindufest was my name for a gathering of what I believe was the Hindu faith at the Plex Friday morning.  What I can tell you: There were a LOT of them and they were still coming, and those inside were chanting something; what I can't tell you: What it officially WAS called, despite several attempts to find out online.

But anyway, Lazy #1 is not posting pics from the last day of May:

Misty and I decided to check out Praise Park, run by the local UMC

Honestly, there just wasn't much to it, and my feet were soaked from the heavy dew we had.  In order to avoid disappointment, we went back to Shoaff Park, which beats Praise Park in so many ways:

First: Trails

Next: Wildlife ponds instead of "pretty ponds"

Third: The views

Fourth: the trails you would have missed, but doggie didn't

Five: foolers available along the path

As well as leg wraps...

Six: Doggie bag stations- something Misty made Praise Park regret not having

Did I mention the views?

Seven: the boat landing

Eight: We ran into a raccoon, but by the time my camera stopped playing, "Focus? what's that?", we just got his butt

Eight: Squirrel hijinks

Nine: a woods to cut through

This log was so big, I had to sit on it to cross

I don't know what this is, but it isn't reason #10

Here's #10- absolutely exhausted doggie

So like I said, I forgot to charge the batteries for Friday's walk, but I did test the camera out Friday night...

Hmm... something wrong here...

Oh, yeah... that face

Looking through the screen, there were all these neat, pulsating lines- none of which showed up on the picture

Okay, enough of that, let's do this morning's walk...

Not quite so foggy as yesterday

I see Mr Humpty-Back taught the neighbors a lesson in not leaving trash bags on your doorstep

Same little bunny we saw here yesterday

Doggie finds something...

A good size snapper!  She wasn't happy I wouldn't let her sniff

Fishing at the landing

Which means doggie has to go upriver for her dip

Which, strangely enough, was all she did

Bunny at the benches- with a bird-bomb thrown in for free

Sorry about the remnants of Laurie's beef-n-cheese dip on the shirt, there

Cottonwoods hit hard here

All the times we've been through here, I never noticed this tree bulge that looks like a big monkey is hanging onto it

Arboreal Ocean has water again

Bunny!