Reflections on Tech, Faith, and Justice

Long post this week. You’re getting your money’s worth.

We’ve Got Water! (Part 2)

We got the second pool set up just in time for the grandkids’ visit this week.

We were able to level it by hand, fortunately, because the location would have made it a real pain to get any kind of heavy equipment in there. I returned the stump grinder Monday and picked up a plate compactor to tamp things down. The counter guy who waited on me was the same one who’d loaded the grinder (when the trailer fell apart). He smiled and asked if I’d made it home OK. “Yep. Made it home, dropped the trailer, and went to Lowe’s for lumber.” We both chuckled.

When I returned the compactor a little early, the counter guy (different one) gave me a refund because I was early and waited for him to take care of a customer on the phone. So, I got a discount for being polite, which is nice, but why isn’t that the norm? Being polite, I mean. Sure, getting the discount was nice, but why is politeness so unusual that it merits a discount?

More Good News

My desktop is up and running!

Recall that I was having a problem with resetting my PIN. I posted to the PCMasterRace and CyberPowerPC subreddits with no luck, and CyberPowerPC support said my problem was with Microsoft, not them. It looked like I might have to reset Windows, but I went to the Microsoft subreddit weekly support thread for one last try. I was hopeful because I saw a couple of other posters with similar issues.

The support crew suggested I download the Microsoft Authenticator app, turn on 2-factor authentication, and see if I could reset my PIN that way.

I didn’t even know there was a Microsoft Authenticator app, though it makes perfect sense.

So I downloaded it, went to connect my MS account, and started to run into the same issue of not receiving emails at my registered Hotmail account. Turns out that while I have a Hotmail address associated with my MS account, the login email is my Ravensbeak address. Once I used that, everything snapped into place.

I got reminded during a spate of heavy thunderstorms Saturday though that my desktop doesn’t have the same power supply my laptop does. When the power goes out, the desktop shuts down. Looks like I need a UPS. Feel free to help me out if you’re so inclined.

Reading

Lots of interesting reading this week.

Did you ever watch Wizards of Waverly Place? What about Lemonade Mouth? Good Luck, Charlie? Bridgit Mendler starred in all of those, part of the same Disney class as Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, and Ariana Grande. She’s recorded two albums and appeared in a couple of dozen films and TV shows.

And she’s built a satellite communication network almost from scratch.

Why’s that important? Because while we’ve got almost 12,000 satellites in orbit these days, and not nearly enough ground communication stations to talk to them all. It is, she said, one of the most “unsexy and boring problems” in aerospace.

Read She was a Disney star with platinum records, but Bridgit Mendler gave it up to change the world.

Life Without a Computer

I’ve wondered more than once about the idea of getting rid of my smartphone, living with just a “dumb” flip phone. I even researched a few of them a while back, but ultimately decided I was too tethered to the electronic slab I carry. Sometimes I wish I were strong enough to put it down, but I always find a reason to hold on to it. Aside from anything else, my phone is a huge help in working with my insulin pump and keeping an eye on my blood sugar. The pump shows me some long-term data, but the screen on my Samsung phone shows me so much more data.

Living without a computer is even more impossible in my mind. I’m subscribed to too many email lists. I’m a writer and a blogger, for crying out loud! How could I possibly do all of that without a computer?

August Lamm has put down both her smartphone and her Macbook. More power to her.

Could You Live Without a Computer? I Can.

Michael Tait

If you listen to Contemporary Christian Music (CCM), then you know who Michael Tait is. First becoming popular as part of DC Talk, he went on to a decent solo career before joining Newsboys. I vaguely recall that he was a Christian radio host for a time in the late 90s as well.

I was probably as surprised as anyone else when he abruptly stepped down from Newsboys in January this year. His announcement essentially side, “it’s time for me to step away,” without even hinting at any underlying reason.

Turns out there was a very serious underlying reason. He checked himself into rehab to deal with cocaine and alcohol abuse.

He’s also been accused of sexual assault. At least half a dozen men have spoken about Tait supplying alcohol or offering drugs and being groped—sexually assaulted—by Tait, sometimes while barely conscious. The Roys Report investigated the story over two and a half years and has articles here, here, and here. Crosswalk has a piece here. The Guardian did their own investigation.

I don’t care that he was attracted to men. I care that while he was attracted to men, he was being critical of other men who were attracted to men.

I care that Adam Agee said “We have obviously heard rumors over the years” and claimed they could never find out any information about what’s been called the “worst-kept secret in CCM.”

It’s good that radio stations have pulled Tait’s solo music as well as that of DC Talk and Newsboys out of respect for sexual assault victims. A California station said in part, “We have already heard from listeners who believe that hearing the Newsboys on the radio would trigger negative emotions.”

As the story broke at The Roys Report, Tait issued a statement saying, among other things, that while he disagreed with certain aspects of the story, he did not dispute the substance.

Completely absent from Tait’s statement is any information about how he’s repenting to the victims of his sexual assaults and any other offenses he committed while under the influence. But that’s the norm in cases like this. The statements are always vague about what was done, long on Christian jargon and buzzwords, and miles short on any details about how exactly they’re trying to fix the damage they’ve caused.

Par for the course for the Christian Famous.

Andrew Welch, formerly of Disciple, called the nudity, beer, and skinny dipping “horse play,” and said it was a way of bonding.

Seriously?

These bands are all singing about how pure people are supposed to be, and how they’re supposed to obey God, save themselves for marriage, and do the things Jesus told them to do. I don’t think Jesus gave naked massages in hot tubs.

The wife of one of the accusers, talking about the things that happened on tours, said, “The Christian industry kind of shocked both of us a little bit (with) the double standard, but we kind of got over that kind of quickly.”

Crap like this is a huge part of why I started deconstructing my faith and deconverting. If the people who claim to be speaking for God are living a double standard like this and God’s not doing anything about it, what’s the point in listening to him or them?

Where’s the Line?

What a painful case out of Lansing, Michigan.

Joshua and Rachel Piland were recently found guilty of second-degree murder and first-degree child abuse for the death of their newborn daughter, Abigail. They’re to serve 20 to 45 years on the murder charge and 18 to 45 years on the child abuse charge, with their sentences running concurrently.

Abigail died of Rh-induced hemolytic disease of the newborn just 61 hours after she was born. The condition is caused by a conflict between the baby’s blood type and the mother’s blood type. It can usually be treated with a prenatal injection to the mother and a postnatal injection to the infant. Severe cases might require a transfusion for the baby.

According to Newser the parents believe in faith healing as put forward by Faith Tech Ministries. Rachel didn’t get any prenatal care, and they refused any medical care even when it became obvious that Abigail was in distress. They testified during the trial that they wouldn’t have called 911 even in case of trauma.

Where’s the line between strongly-held religious beliefs and child abuse?

 My thoughts are all over the place here.

I don’t like getting The State involved in childcare decisions. I’ve heard too many stories of overreach by state agencies. They seem to get it wrong as often as they get it right.

And what of First Amendment protections?

By the same token though, The State is supposed to protect those most vulnerable, especially when those charged with their care won’t. The Piland’s two previous and next two children were both seized by CPS shortly after birth when they showed signs of HDN and the parents refused to treat them medically.

And quite frankly, I trust doctors far more than I trust God. Do people still die under medical care? Of course they do. Do healthcare providers screw up? Yup. All the time.

Do healthcare providers ever kill a baby to punish the baby’s murderous rapist father? Almost certainly not. But God has, and God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, right?

Who are you supposed to trust here? Who’s got the better track record?

I think The State got this one right. I’m curious what would have happened if the midwife had called 911 or CPS though, and I wonder if she was investigated at all.

No easy answers, really. Nobody won.

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