Martin World News

 

I learned a valuable lesson today- If all else fails, start with the Communists:

1- RT (Russia): Penwasser's "This is silly" meme insert here

Headline: German left demands abolition of marriage

To be fair, the article (paraphrased) let's us know it's the Kiddie wing of the German SPD (which does not mean "silent putt deadly") who put for this bit of legislation...

The motion titled ‘Down with the patriarchy, even if it feels romantic’ was presented late last month ahead of a conference of the SPD’s Berlin branch scheduled for May 8 to May 9. According to the Berlin Young Socialists (Jusos), marriage is a key institution of patriarchy that secures the “oppression of women by cis-men” and “restricts freedom and self-determination through its claim to permanence.”

Well, you know, God DID intend it to be permanent.  And God DID intend the man to be in charge- though not as opressors.Something in that "even if it feels romantic" gets me, though.  Like, "Because it doesn't work for ME, let's ban it even if most people make it work."

2- Also RT- But why did it cross the road?

Headline: Taiwan’s leader a ‘rat’ – Beijing

You would think by this time big ol' China would have ceased giving a good whit about Taiwan.  KIinda like if Puerto Rico declared independance, the majority opinion in the US would be, "So? Good luck with that."  Oh, but not here- neither of these two can handle the other doing something on it's own.  A bit more subdued on the Taiwan end (for good reason), but on the Chinese end...

China has compared Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te to a “rat crossing the street” after he secretly boarded an Eswatini government aircraft and flew to the small southern African kingdom on an unannounced state visit.

To explain:  China has bullied about everyone into not recognizing an independant Taiwan.  Only 11 nations- and 7 of them combined would be a little bigger than Allen County, IN- recognize Taiwan as "the Republic of China", and Eswatini (if you are as old as me, you might remember it as Swaziland) is the only African one.  (For the record, the USA is listed as "ambiguous relationship with" Taiwan.  Which means, "We recogize them as independant but don't want either side to call us rats."

3- Xinhua- Only in China

Headline: China's robot police patrol cities during Labor Day holiday, signaling AI-powered urban governance

Yep, this past Labor Day (May1st) holiday, the city of Hangzhao deployed 15 "intelligent traffic management robots" at strategic intersections.  "Capable of working continuously for 8 to 9 hours a day, the robots handle routine, repetitive tasks, freeing police personnel to focus on more complex duties that require human judgment and intervention."  Good idea, but only in China or North Korea would this work.  Just try imagining it in New York, Chicago, or LA.  In Chicago they would probably call them 'target practice'.  Even here in Fort Wayne, I would wager they'd have gang tags on them by noon.

4- Khmer Times (Cambodia)- And doing a damn fine job

Headline: Cambodia and Thailand spotlight Buddhism’s role in peace

I found it funny that this was the fourth headline on their banner page, following, "Experts reject Thai claims of past aid to justify actions against Cambodia" and "Hun Sen warns Thai move to end maritime MoU may fuel row".  In fairness, the article does start with, "Despite the border standoff..."

Finale- Granma (believe it or not, "the official voice of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee)- Say what?

Headline: The “Old World” That Is Dying: The Metaphor of the Interregnum

And if the headline puzzles you, how about this teaser:

The crisis of neoliberalism is not merely cyclical, but organic in the Gramscian sense: capital cannot offer stability, decent employment, care, or an ecological future

Grok, can I get this translated?

Plain English version:"The free-market system isn't just going through a rough patch — it's fundamentally broken at its core. Big Business and capitalism can't deliver steady lives, good-paying jobs, proper healthcare, or a healthy planet for the future."

Grok goes on to add:

This is classic state media spin from Cuba's Granma: blame "neoliberalism" for everything while ignoring their own system's failures.

I have to ask though: Granma?

Grok explained it was from the name of a small yacht that Castro and Che Guevara used to sneak into Cuba to start their revolution.  The boat was named after the original owner's Granma ("Abuelita").  A front man for Castro and co. found it damaged after a hurricane in 1954, contacted owner Robert Erickson, the man that named it Granma after his grandmother Hazel and bought it, fixed it up, and passed it on to the revolutionaries- and them rest is history.

And a Sunday after Church walk

 

But first, here's a shot of Squirrel getting her Friday breakfast.  Back on crickets you can see without a magnifying glass, she shot up 2 whole grams, AND did her second shed Saturday night...

...which led to a light breakfast and heavy hijinx this morning, including 2 great escapes- one of which ended in Laurie grabbing her off my back!  Anyway, on to the walk...

Our one odd artifact of the day, right off the bat...

Our Muslim neighbors apparently doing a "how-to" detailing video...

Our first Jack of the year, being shy

A better shot of that creekbank erosion...

Pond yes, froggies no

a serious cricket practice going on- the Fort Wayne Warriors

Turtle brunch on south canal

Taking a break at the river

Caught between barks, lol

A Golden was getting a ride

Meanwhile, at the Swamp...

...Misty had no more froggy luck

Something I hadn't seen before- Kildeer babies!

A thursday after-work walk...

 Trying to avoid rain for a change...

Went from partly puffy to overcast real quick...

No surprise, we saw mushrooms...

Obviously, the water runs right to left

"hey, long time, no see!  Cheeeese..."

Typical two year olds- camera refuses my command to pull in, doggie right down the middle of the puddle

white violets out now

The erosion situation west of the bridge is getting serious...

more 'shrooms...

The stump of the formerly split tree.  I think it was a matter of time...

Looking in on the three little trees they planted last year behind the Alumni Center.  #1 is okay, though surrounded by thistles...

#2 is frankly on life support...

#3 doing great!

a little cricket practice

Batter was just knocking them down, I think they were trying to get the pitcher in shape

Rapidly descending to the river...

Ducks like the reborn Swamp

Misty spots her first froggy of the season

Ol' boy was quacking quietly to his hidden wife that we were watching....

If I were Jesus...

 

As I was getting out of the shower, I was pray-chatting and came up with the thought, "What would I have done different (actually, and more to the point, I said, what would I have messed up) if I were Jesus?"  Believe it or not, I did get some productive thoughts out of this...

I said, "Some".

First off, start at the start.  The whole diaper thing would have had to have gone through some adjustments.  Momma wouldn't have needed band-aids or (gakk) hydrogen peroxide in the bathroom.  Papa Joe coulda kept his power tools in the "medicine cabinet."

Speaking more reverently of Joseph, we know from the genealogies that he was rightful King of Israel by blood.  Do you suppose he and Mary knew that?  I mean, before the angel let it out of the bag?  "You know, dear, this whole "royal privalege" thing with the TV remote is getting old..."

I wonder, too, how that part about being left at the Temple talking to the leaders could have played out.  "Here, let me show you," the boy says, and opens a portal to 1300 BC.  "Hey, Moses? Let me borrow that tablet a sec.  Boy, I sure wish we'd taught you about papyrus back then!"

One thing that did hit me seriously was about when the Devil tempted him after His 40 day fast.  Somewhere in between, "Rocks into bread?  I'll just pop a Five Guys up here!" and "Worship you? Imma turn you into a soccer ball and kick you back to Babylon!", they went up on top of the Temple and Satan said, "Cast yourself down!  The angels will lift You, that you don't dash your foot on a stone!"  What we don't get taught is that there was a Jewish tradition that the Messiah would reveal himself BY standing on the Temple top.  But Jesus wasn't interested in fulfilling the Jewish made up traditions- only in fulfilling the Word of God through the prophets.

I had to think about all the times I would have wanted to whip out the ol' Thanos finger-snap on the Pharisees...

...which just goes to show the amazing mercy towards mankind that Jesus had... and I would have ended up purple and alone.

How many times would I have given Peter noogies for the dumb stuff he pulled?  How about the time he told the Jews Jesus paid the Temple Tax, and then went to Jesus and said, "We do pay the Temple Tax, right?"  Jesus told him to go catch a fish, and when he opened its mouth, he'd find a coin to pay for the two of them.  I'd have let him catch a fish with NO coin, snuck up behind him, and said, "Oh, look, it's in your ear..."  Or how about when Jesus went to wash his feet, and Peter made a big deal about not letting Him?  I would have said, holding my nose, "You know, you're right.  Let's just go down to the coin wash and spray you down proper..."

I would have had a hard time not being snarky right back at Pilate.  When he scoffed at Jesus, "What is truth?" I would have gave him the 'fastest 60 seconds in history", starting with 'let there be light' and ending with, 'and then we end up right here.'

"Hang on a sec, willya?  I think I hear Caesar calling..."

What about the Transfiguration?  Peter down there trying to get some pup tents up, and Jesus leans over to Elijah and says, "You think he's trippin' now, wait until he hears My Father's voice in the cloud..."

But you know what I really learned?  Another layer of how much He loves us, another few layers of the mercy I am constantly astounded by, And how little of both I've really learned to do.