Soul and Spirit | Ain't Complicated

FLDS Update: Media Silence

Here’s a story I saw in the Salt Lake Tribune:

Arrest warrant issued for woman whose bogus tip allegedly triggered FLDS raid

The Colorado woman alleged to have sparked the raid on the polygamous FLDS ranch in Texas with bogus tips may be on the run.

On Monday, an arrest warrant was issued for Rozita Swinton after she failed to show up for a court hearing on charges of violating her probation for one of two other false-reporting cases against her, court administrator Lori McKager told Salt Lake City’s 2News.

Swinton is accused of violating her probation stemming from her 2007 guilty plea for telling police she was a 16-year-old girl who was suicidal after giving birth.

Authorities have linked her to a phone number used to call a Texas crisis center thought to have triggered an April raid where more than 460 children were removed from the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints’ Yearning for Zion ranch in Eldorado, Texas.

Folks, that’s a two-day old story, posted on their site almost 48 hours ago early on the morning of July 15.

Look, I keep up on the news. So why haven’t I heard or read about this until this morning…and then only because I saw it about it over at WizBangBlog?

This story appears to me to be as significant as the original raid and all the media piling-on of the FLDS.

In my personal relationships, let me be as even-handed, balanced, and just as I want the media to be.

Oh. 😯

In that case, maybe I should just let the media be the media.

Men Only

I know. That sounds kinda femaleophobic.

When you see the photo clip, you may also think it’s ageophobic.

And the fact is, what you’re about to see is specifically for men of a certain age.

I saw it an hour ago or so in Woodburn, Oregon.

Can you tell me where in Woodburn?

There’s a lot of good the needs doing out there. All kinds of good deeds are still going undone.

No wonder Dr. Laura likes to say, “Now go do the right thing.”

Well, doing the right thing isn’t just for men in a certain age bracket.

You know that!

Yes, of course you do.

So then, let’s do it, folks!

(And if it takes 18-25-year-old men leading the way, then lead on, guys!)

We need to get a domino effect going out there.

Sunscreen Alert

Generally, I do not apply sunscreen to me, so this doesn’t apply to me directly. 🙄

But I still find this interesting (thought I didn’t read much more than what you see here):

Four Out of Five Sunscreens May Be Hazardous to Your Health

A consumer advocacy group has a warning for parents who think they’re protecting their family with sunscreen: You may be getting burned.

The Environmental Working Group, a Washington-based nonprofit, has released an investigation of nearly 1,000 brand-name sunscreens that says four out of five don’t adequately protect consumers and may contain harmful chemicals.

The group says that some of the products of the nation’s leading brands — including Coppertone, Neutrogena and Banana Boat — are the poorest performers.

[…]

Few health recommendations have had as damaging an effect as the advice that you should never leave your house without sunscreen. Wearing sunscreen effectively blocks your body’s production of vitamin D, which happens naturally when your skin is exposed to sunlight. In fact, sunscreens reduce vitamin D production by as much as 97.5 to 99.9 percent.

“So there you are,” as Hank the Cowdog would say.

Reading: Choose the Best!

Earlier today I called attention to the sacrifice of right reading.

Now I get this in my email: Choose the Best (alas, I didn’t/haven’t):

The printing press puts into the hands of parents a means of good, which they may use to the greatest advantage in the culture of their home-life, and in the shaping of the lives of their household. But they must keep a most diligent watch over the pages which they introduce. They should know the character of every book and magazine which comes within their doors, and should resolutely exclude everything which would defile. Then, while they exclude everything whose influence would be for evil, if they are wise they will bring into their home as much as possible of pure, elevating, and refining literature. Every beautiful thought which enters a child’s mind, adds to the strength and loveliness of the character in after days. The educating influence of the best books and magazines is incalculable, and no parent can afford to lose it in the training of his family.

That was written in 1882!

I’m grateful for what J. R. Miller wrote way back then. Just as I’m grateful to The Berean Call for calling my attention to it.

But what will I do about…

…my own personal reading matter?

…the other reading matter I allow in my home?

…any teaching opportunities I might take (or make)?

Knowing me, probably nothing. 😥

What Would You Read?

Uzbekistan: Fifteen year sentence for reading “prohibited” Christian literature? Well, time will tell what his sentence is. According to the story, the issue isn’t Bible reading. It’s reading other Christian literature. So look at your book shelves. Which Christian book would you still read even if it meant your arrest. And possible torture. And possible long-term imprisonment?

In other news at the same site:

Young Evangelist Beaten Unconscious in India

Yemen: Christian arrests may herald new era of persecution.

Oh. OK.

Lennon big fan of Jesus?

Maybe so.

John Lennon, famous for singing, “Imagine theres no heaven,” is now said to have been “on the side of Christ,” according to his own words recently unearthed from a long-lost radio interview.

“Im one of Christs biggest fans,” the Beatles songwriter is heard to say in a 1969 interview with Ken Seymour of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. “And if I can turn the focus on the Beatles on to Christs message, then thats what were here to do.”

If he was one of Christ’s biggest fans . . . .

As you might guess, my willing suspension of disbelief isn’t kicking in very well.

Whatever the case, it appears they didn’t succeed in turning the focus on the Beatles into a focus on Christ’s message.

New: Palm Top

Gadget aims to put 3D person ‘in your palm’

Researchers in Japan are developing a gadget that could enable people to hold a three-dimensional image of someone in the palm of their hand.

They hope the gCubik, which is still at the prototype stage, will later be developed to move in real time and appear to speak.

“The ultimate image we have in mind is having a small person in your palm,” said Shunsuke Yoshida, one of the researchers involved in the study at Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology.

“Suppose you have a picture of your girlfriend smiling on your desk. She could be smiling as a 3D image in a cube,” he told AFP at a recent gathering of imaging researchers here.

Grandparents could use the device — which comes in a 10 centimetre (3.9 inches) cube — to see a 3D image of their grandchild living far away, while business people could view a prototype product from afar and school teachers could use it in science classes, he said.

As usual, much potential for good. And evil.

I’d say the pornography kings are gleeful at the prospects of putting this technology to work for them.

Maybe they’re even funding it! 😯

But how would you envision using it for good?

As one who’s extremely interested in teaching and encouraging and discipling pastors in Mexico through pastors’ conferences and seminars, I could dream of doing multiple simultaneous such seminars with one of these things.

Oh, wait! This can already be done with video.

Besides, I’d rather be there in the flesh.

Anyway, what are your ideas?

Oh, here’s another one: Instead of having them sing to me from my CD player, I could have A Cappella Harmony Quar tet sitting between my keyboard and my monitor!