Passwords and security

Passwords in the digital age are starting to concern me. Worse than passwords are fingerprint, voice and or facial recognition security measures. These measures seem almost like stuff written in the book of Revelation in the Bible and Orwell's 1984.

We might have balked at these measures a few years ago now we are gradually becoming more accepting of them. Gradually is the keyword here. Like the boiling a frog in water, if you turn up the heat to fast, it jumps out, but if you do it slowly, the frog doesn't notice until its cooked.

I know for my implanted technology is where I draw the line. But will it be too late then? Will I be forced to accept these measures?

Retina scans with implants in the hand sound too much like what is described in Revelation, chapter 13.

When and where do we draw the line? I welcome your comments.

Love in the Time of the Corona

Back when I sold school books, I once sold a book called, " Love in the Time of the Cholera," by Gabrial Gracia Marquez. It won the Noble Prize and was a major movie. 

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Time-Cholera-

 I never could get into reading it, although the plot intrigued me. It seemed pretty dark to me. 

I now want to write a book about "Love in the Time of the Corona." It seems like a good plot. How about older retired boomer couple rediscover their passion again during this time they were self-isolated. After years of working and raising children, they are forced during this quarantine to rekindle the passion that brought them together many years ago. 

You ask why I am writing this on my business page. Well, I think that to be successful in any endeavor, one must explore things outside the boundary of the usual. Writing a romance novel is an excellent way to stretch your communication skills. 

I have taken this time to learn to code. I also took up learning N. T. Greek and practicing my keyboarding skills. 

I am reading books on Leonardo Da Vinci and Benjamin Frankin. I am reading to learn about men of many talents. I always described myself as a "jack-of-all-trades," but everyone said this was very negative because it follows master of none. However, the original quote is "jack-of-all-trades: master of but not one." It refers to men of the Renaissance and America's Jefferson and Franklin. 

I wonder too how they would have kept up in this age of rapidly increasing technology and ever-expanding learning curve. Compound that with all the distractions and sensory bombardment; its a wonder anyone can think anymore.

I try to take a few hours each week and unplug everything and just sit and think and observe: a lost art to be sure. 

Are we social?

I am becoming aware that I am a social animal. This social distancing and quarantine have made me miss being around folks and interacting with them on a personal level.

I do about 3-5 virtual video conferences a week. It is just not the same. I can't explain why, either.

I did meet some of my neighbors. I think the problem with next-door neighbors getting together is that we are afraid of becoming bothersome. I feel we want to keep close neighbors at arm's length for fear of intrusion. Unless we have a compelling mutual interest like kids in school, sports, or church groups, we don't seem to want to connect. The adults, if there are no kids involved, seem to like their distance. Relatives are a whole other topic, some with business acquaintances.

I also believe that the reason we shop is to get out and interact; otherwise, we would buy online. I think the same can be said as to why we eat out and go to coffee shops.

Now comes the next big question, will this pandemic change us forever?
Only time will tell. We may like our distance. We can control if when how much and how often we interact.

 I used to like malls at Christmas when they were packed. The malls may be gone. I don't do live sports or the bar scene, so those venues have been a thing of the past with me.

Social animal or social hermit? Let me know your thoughts.

Who do you trust?

During this pandemic, people are looking for answers. At the same time, the distrust almost all the experts giving advice, assurance, and guidance.  Well, it seems like we are reaping what we sow.

The media is polarized and biased; they lost all credibility. The pharma industry has corrupted the practice of medicine. Academic laziness and bias have skewed science into a revolving door of contradictory malaise.

Religion is a potpourri of contradicting assertions, claims, and revelations. Public consensus and conventional wisdom have evaporated (if ever there was such as thing).

Countries and governments operate in their own political and selfish interests. The global organizations are more corrupt and disingenuous that the smallest local body of folks.

All this being said, I see a particular fear and anxiety under the veneer of most people. Yes, on the surface, they are calm and somewhat assured by underlining is a panic attack waiting to manifest itself. Drug and alcohol sales are skyrocketing. I am sure the escape routes for most people are already congested.

Are there real absolute true answers? I believe there are. I would like you to comment with yours first.

People who need people

The current social distancing and quarantine stay-at-home guidelines are creating a unique situation. We are, at least most of us,  are social creatures.  We are designed to be in community and interacting with one another. As technology has encroached on us, we seemed to get a little distant from each other. Downtown shopping was replaced by the mall, and the mall was replaced by home shopping.  A few brick and mortar places still are going, ie. Sam's, Walmart, etc. But they are usually not conducive to social interactions other than a brief greeting.

Local pubs, coffee houses, sports venues, and eateries pretty much were the only touchpoints we had.  The church was our only place for some of us. Now they are on hiatus. 

As much as video teleconferencing and the like can bridge the gap, it will never replace the human face-to-face interface.

We may come out of this needing to return to the meeting places and gathering spots even more than before. But we may find out we never liked people that close anyway. We'll see.

Uncharted waters

This Coronavirus pandemic has us entering into worldwide uncharted waters. Sure there have been catastrophes, wars, and famine during the history if the world. Our older generations lived through Two World Wars with a Great Depression in between. But this latest worldwide pandemic has plunged us into a very new and untested period of history.

The interconnected planet we now inhabit is as flat as ever. No, I'm am not being literal about a flat earth, I am being figurative. We traverse the globe and are interconnected by technology faster and more rapidly than ever before.

All this to say that with all the advancements, we are still people who are as flawed human beings as we have been since, "The Fall." I know that evil has been restrained as far as we haven't annihilated ourselves yet. But if shortages and scarcities abound, the dark side of humanity will rear its ugly head.

Let's pray for God's intervention and do our part to be part of the cure rather than the disease in the metaphorical sense.

What, me worry?

As a kid, I adored Mad Magazine. The cover was adorned by the freckle face gappy toothed Alfred E. Newman. Most issues had the tag line underneath his picture, saying, "What, me worry?" I think this was popular because in the 60's we had a lot to worry about. There was the Cold War with the Soviet Union. Racial tensions were mounting, and political assignations were right here at home in the U.S.A.

I am reminded of those times as I look at today's headlines. We are panicking over a potential health pandemic. I don't know, nor does anyone else, how bad it could get.

We need discernment and prudence during this time. It is not unprecedented, but we have a current group of folks that never lived through tough times and real disasters. The younger people have no perspective on genuine hardship, in my opinion. Not that we "boomers" had it that bad either.

I pray we don't see the worst in each other. Already hoarders, looters, and price gougers are showing the fallen side of humankind. If we are getting insane over toilet paper, we are on the slippery slope to anarchy and chaos.

The upside of this is that we are getting our perspective on sports corrected, (they are not that important) in the grand scheme of things.

I have no reason to be flippant. I am pushing that age where iI should have more concern about the adverse effects on my health. I am not worried. I believe that whatever is transpiring is totally under God's control. He has got this. He says so many times in his Word that we are NOT to worry. It doesn't mean we are immune from all life's problems, but HE will see us through.  I know the skeptics' think I am nieve, but I have lived long enough and seen enough to know that the God of this Universe has his plans. We have prayer and a good God. What more do we want?