- Would you use a privacy service founded by former NSA guys? Well, they would know something about the subject, after all.
- Challenging qualified immunity for abusive prison officials.
- Borepatch on Roseanne Barr and the Roman poet Ovid.
- I missed this bit of good news from a couple of weeks ago: Fourth circuit rules that suspicionless searches of electronic devices at border checkpoints are unconstitutional. (H/T MJ)
- How abuse (and the stress and depression it spawns) echoes down the generations. It gets into our genes.
- Savage, via Codrea, on contradictions and dangers of the proposed bump-stock ban.
- Mormon Funeral Potatoes: Now (thanks to Augason Farms) for the end of the world, not just the end of life. (Ultimate comfort food; try it.)
- The Northwest’s premiere meteorologist, Cliff Mass (who we are blessed to have), urges readers to quit calling people “climate deniers.” Some readers object to his reasonableness. Others are relieved to have the discussion back on an adult level.
- Cristobal Balenciaga, creator of post-war elegance, is spinning in his grave.
- Zurcaroh: Incredible if you love innovative dance or even just remarkable feats of acrobatics and strength.
Lessee… A company — founded by a former NSA type, heavily funded by Zuckerberg, and using a dot.gov protocol — makes a privacy product for Gmail and Microsoft Office users.
OK, these guys win. They’ve taken performance art to the penultimate level.
The NSA guys have a pretty high burn rate. This is a Series B round; they raised $29M 2 years ago.
I’d love to see commonly used email encryption, but I’m not sure that this is high on most company’s priority list. It’s not at all clear that sniffing plaintext on the Internet is a bigger threat than all the hacking/data breaches, anyway.
While those who worship at the altar of anthopogenic climate change call me a “climate denier”, I consider myself a “climate realist”!
Would you use a privacy service founded by former NSA guys? An interesting question and my answer is no. There are several reasons for this, but the main one is trust.
I don’t trust mercenaries and make no mistake, that is exactly what this group is. There is no difference between these guys and military mercenaries who sell their services except that instead of selling physical protection, these guys are selling encryption. Like military mercenaries, they are willing to sell their services to anyone who will pay their price. This is fine until someone (NSA?) comes along with a higher price and buys a back door into the encryption program they are selling.
I’m starting a gofundme for a new product; jeans sewn into your underwear!
The sins of the father are passed down three generations. Seems to be a reoccurring theme.
https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Deuteronomy%205%3A9
Yes, except the idea that this is the work of a vengeful deity and is solely designed to punish us pathetic little humans just because somebody at some generation “hated” said deity is primitive, cruel, and totally unscientific.
“… for I, the Lord thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me.”
Ugh. Seriously ugh. However, the notion that abused children deserve to be cursed by God even more than they’re already cursed by their earthly abusers is very consistent with Old Jehovah of my childhood. He was that kind of guy, for sure.
Would I trust “former” NSA goons for privacy? Nope. Wouldn’t trust “former” rapists to walk my daughter through a dark alley, either. Maybe they have reformed; maybe not. That someone once upon a time did such evil acts makes me demand a lot of proof that they have changed their ways before I’ll trust them with anything which matters.
The Mormon Funeral Potatoes made my mouth water so much I just whipped up a loaf of sourdough bread as a poor substitute.
I’ve been called a climate “denier”, even though I have no doubt humans are having some effects on the world and its climate. I’m just not sure how much, I’m not sure it is all going to be negative, and I don’t support trying to “fix it” with “laws” imposed by the worst environmental destroyers the world has ever seen (governments).
I enjoyed the Mad Max Dancers. Very impressive group!
This: http://abcstlouis.com/news/nation-world/oregon-bakery-fires-employees-for-denying-black-woman-service-after-closing
Just… Wow.
“… for I, the Lord thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me.”
Old written testament.
Rooted I offer in observations. From God they called it.
Nature, Universe, Earth, Home.
It is objectively the place we live. Call it whatever suit, but the universe is disposed to visit wrath upon us. Sometimes for no evident reason and without evident justice. I’ve been visited by such wrath. Sometimes or even often, things or events way beyond our control.
Some within it.
We can do some effects herein. And some of those things done now, will likely be visited on generations to come.
Isn’t that maybe the message, of those who made record in the past? And have been translated over languages and time?
I won’t make a judgement on the Trusted Data Format. It is an open format, and therefore it can be audited. Perhaps some of the high-up security boffins will be weighing in once it gets more visibility. I’m a bit surprised this is the first I’ve heard of it, but then it could’ve come up somewhere I read, and I’ve just forgotten.
The Virtru service is a different matter. From Wikipedia:
My first question would be whether individuals and companies can implement their own private server. Surely, the Virtru company wants to make money selling this as a service, but they could also sell it as a product.
Perhaps we haven’t seen this in FOSS, because the overhead of setting up and administering a server makes it a non-starter. Or there are no developers interested enough to investigate.
“…However, the notion that abused children deserve to be cursed by God even more than they’re already cursed by their earthly abusers is very consistent with Old Jehovah of my childhood. He was that kind of guy, for sure…”
“… Call it whatever suit, but the universe is disposed to visit wrath upon us. Sometimes for no evident reason and without evident justice…”
Here’s a better rendering of the original, much closer to the Hebrew, and in the correct context, having to do specifically with “false elohim” or “mighty ones”:
“do not bow down and serve ‘false elohim’…for I, the YHVH Eloheka, am WITHOUT RIVAL, visiting the torah-less-ness of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me.”
…the word “qanah,” translated somewhat poorly as “jealous” is used ONLY in reference to YHVH alone, and only in the context of false “elohim” (which, BTW, pretty well describes Big Brothers throughout history, IMHO).
And the word ‘avon’ really means “failure to heed instruction” more than smokin’ or dancin’.
Which leads (as noted above) to the larger point…some of “torah” (the Hebrew word for ‘instruction’ or ‘teaching’; “law” is a poor translation as well, because lawyers don’t understand what physicists DO!) — and it has to do simply with the way the universe is made. No “law” can make pi equal three. But there are “laws” — like the Law of Gravity, F=MA, Kirchoff’s Voltage Law, and the “Second Law of Thermodynamics” — which carry an inherent curse for careless violation. Like it or not, it’s helpful to know how things work.
Arguably, there are “laws” — about which we have instruction — that say some acts result in “curses” than propagate for about 3 or 4 generations. Interestingly, other scientific studies have suggested that alcoholism falls into that same category.
“Arguably, there are “laws” — about which we have instruction — that say some acts result in “curses” than propagate for about 3 or 4 generations. Interestingly, other scientific studies have suggested that alcoholism falls into that same category.”
Anybody can observe that certain problems run through certain families, in some cases very publicly. Alcoholism for the Barrymores; suicides for the Gettys and Hemingways. Criminality, drug abuse, murder, vile tempers. On and on. Even the tribespeople who wrote the Hebrew bible could see that by observation (just as they could, over time, figure out things like “pork and shellfish can make you sick” without having the smallest understanding of WHY).
Science ultimately gives us the missing why even if it takes many wrong turns along the way. It’s science precisely because it can be questioned and tested and challenged and re-tested — unlike claims and threats from priests.
Attributing various natural phenomenon to an angry YHVH was no doubt useful to priests and to ignorant herdsmen lost in a reality of which they had no conception. As John notes, nature can be a bitch and anybody who pretends to control fate will find a following. But there’s no magic in any such observations.
And the point isn’t whether they’re translated accurately; the reality is that nobody ever heard God say he was a jealous god; nobody ever heard God say “don’t eat pork.” If the actual creator of the universe had been talking to anybody back then he, she, or it would have given more accurate information. Priests made up that and a whole lot else to explain natural phenomena and perfectly ordinary observation. And to control people by turning fear of nature into fear of them and their own alleged power.
Bad translations are just one excuse. But I will suggest that many of us have heard Him tell us things, in ways that may or may not make sense to those who will not allow such.
And I speak as a hard-core cynical, former agnostic who learned to admit I was wrong, and then just learned.
“Science ultimately gives us the missing why even if it takes many wrong turns along the way. It’s science precisely because it can be questioned and tested and challenged and re-tested — unlike claims and threats from priests.”
Of course, what passes for “science” any more is no more guided by the scientific method than most fake news is by honest journalism. Plenty of fake priests, shamans, and shysters that like to play god have twisted more than just what is called ‘religion’.
Many of us have rejected the ‘god[s]’ we heard about as kids (as Jeremiah 16:19-20 even admits!) in ‘sunday skool’ — just as we later realized that anthropogenic global warming may be a religion, but it sure ain’t ‘science’.
[Aside: “pork and shellfish can make you sick.” But you won’t hear that from most priests, preachers, and pretenders who will tell you they know better. And, for the most part, “science” that’s bought and paid for won’t tell you WHY, any more than they’ll admit WHY the flu vaccine is a sham.]
My point is simple. There’s more value in Scripture than many give it credit for, but a BIG part of that understanding involves the realization that what men say He should’ve said is often not even remotely what is Written.
“many of us have heard Him tell us things, in ways that may or may not make sense to those who will not allow such.”
I don’t doubt that many people have had mystical experiences. But as long as “he” tells one guy to love everybody while telling another to kill the infidel, as long as “he” tells one guy to give all his possessions to the poor while telling another the poor should pay for his fourth jet plane, then “he” doesn’t speak with much credibility.
And thanks for the “will not allow such.” That’s such a familiar line. I’ve heard it from many unconvincing proselytizers: “If God doesn’t speak to you, it’s all your own fault. You’re just stubborn. You want to go to hell.” Etc.
“And I speak as a hard-core cynical, former agnostic who learned to admit I was wrong”
I’ve heard the story of what converted you. You were nowhere near as hardcore a skeptic as you think you were.
“Of course, what passes for “science” any more is no more guided by the scientific method than most fake news is by honest journalism.”
Much science has indeed been corrupted. Not all. And the scientific method still exists and is still valid. It’s probably also the most valuable intellectual tool that mankind ever developed. We foresake it at our own peril.
““pork and shellfish can make you sick.” But you won’t hear that from most priests, preachers, and pretenders who will tell you they know better.”
Also true, somewhat. Most priests and preachers, as well as most religious believers, ignore many parts of the bible. But they won’t tell you they know better; they just ignore what doesn’t suit their model (e.g. Jesus’ words about divorce; very inconvenient to modern sensibilities).
But as to pork and shellfish, while the writers of the bible knew only what they’d observed over time, science has now told us what the specific dangers are — and how we can safely eat those most useful and delicious foods.
Whether you choose to eat them is your business. I’ll gladly take your helping of bacon. But the idea that the creator of the universe — who knew all about red tides and demoic acid and trichinosis because he invented them — had no better advice than that which could have been given by any tribal elder or shaman — “never eat xy and z” — is ludicrous.
“I’ve heard the story of what converted you. You were nowhere near as hardcore a skeptic as you think you were.”
You’ve no more heard my full story than I have yours. But I do understand the vitriol, just not the targets.
However, if you DID, you wouldn’t have claimed this:
“But as to pork and shellfish, while the writers of the bible knew only what they’d observed over time [sic – says who?], science has now told us what the specific dangers are — and how we can safely eat those most useful and delicious foods.” Much less the part about “Jesus’ words” and divorce, for similar reasons.
And I have no problem with the scientific method. I made a career out of it. A bit like the Constitution, there are still a few places where parts of it sometimes still apply.
But as long as it’s made into a false god that tells some people to enslave others and take their stuff, or Be Very Afraid of man-made warmth, but not man-made dead oceans, and keeps finding MORE ‘specific dangers’ from eating animals and shellfish made to scavenge dead things.
(Refrigeration is all you need…oops…there’s Hg and other heavy metals…oops…what’re ‘enzymes’ like cadaverene and putrescene for>? And then DNA? Oh, yeah, pork DNA is STILL so close to human that viruses can “jump the species barrier.” Maybe THAT’s why every pandemic in history once came through pork, well, until science enabled gene-spliced bioweapons based on that design…)
Somehow, all of that helps to clarify the “pearls before swine” metaphor.
But I’ve heard twisted ‘bible debunking’ from many unconvincing proselytizers, too. It is without doubt the most valuable instruction manual that mankind was ever given. We forsake it at our own peril.
Some of us might even say that the “Adversarial” state of the world is support for the hypothesis.
“You’ve no more heard my full story than I have yours. But I do understand the vitriol, just not the targets.”
I never claimed to know your whole story. But your account of what finally converted you is not the account of a hardcore skeptic.
As to vitriol, you apparently have no idea how much like other proselytizers you are: you’ve found the one-and-only truth that everybody else has missed; you blame people for not seeing whatever you see; religion is virtually your only topic of conversation (other than flying your airplane); you are fanatical in your effort to push your version of religion, while also condemning everybody else’s version. Same-old same-old, Mark.
As to bans on pork and shellfish (as well as the “cursed for generations” bit that started this exchange), my point still stands: Mere human observation accounts for these. Turning them into commands or pronouncements from a deity is a mere priestly power play. Whatever we know of the specific dangers of those foods and the specific reasons families suffer generational problems comes to us from observation + the scientific method. And modern methods don’t “confirm God” (as proselytizers and apologists try to claim) because no all-powerful, all-knowing deity was needed to make the original observations
Give it up, Claire. It’s not worth it.
Here at least is a beautiful day. Hope it is there, too. Enjoy it!
I’m going to end this conversation with Mark Call now. I fear I’m getting a reputation for being anti-Christian. Which I’m not. (Dana, who like Mark writes almost entirely about religion, can tell you that, and this blog and I are both supported by believers and non-believers alike.)
I’m against insistent proselytizing and endless, unprovable argument. I’m against familiar biblical tropes being badly, often cruelly, used to make pointless points — though I know that commenter Why (who inadvertantly sparked this discussion) didn’t mean it that way. So I should cease my part in said argument.
I let myself get triggered. I’ll shut up now.
You’re right, Pat. Thanks. I was giving it up as you wrote that. And yes, it’s a gorgeous, sunny day and Ava is waiting for me to go out and enjoy it with her.