Here is an article about electronic surveillance and you. I have always liked Montana.
Montana the first state to pass spy law
Montana made history this spring after passing the first state law to prevent the government from spying on anyone in the state by tracking personal information stored in their electronic devices.
The new law made Montana a pioneer in the age of electronic privacy rights by requiring state and local government entities to obtain a probable-cause warrant before remotely engaging personal electronic devices.
Have you ever been out running or walking and had a close encounter with someone’s untethered mutt? What if the canine was lupine?
Idaho cyclist survives scary wolf chase
Yet another reason to pack heat.
SPOKANE, Wash. — An Idaho man cycling to Alaska suffered a scare after being chased by a gray wolf.
Thirty-five-year-old William “Mac” Hollan of Sandpoint says he also needed the help of friends to thwart a wolf that chased him last week — half-way through his 2,750-mile trip to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska.
Hollan told the Spokesman-Review the wolf charged out of the forest about 60 miles west of Watson Lake in the Yukon Territory.
Hollan — along with his cycling partners and other witnesses — says the wolf made an initial chomp at his pedal. As he peddled faster, the wolf kept pace and nipped several times at his bike packs.
He was finally rescued by a passing motorist and watched inside the vehicle as the wolf ripped his tent bag.
Apart from stories like these, I am all for the fostering of the return of wolves, especially where I am. The deer population is too large, which causes all sorts of problems. I suspect that the increase of Lyme’s Disease might be connected to the deer population. Dunno.
If Montana is being responsible, I am not so sure about Idaho. At Cato Institute, there is piece about…
Idaho Cooperates with Homeland Security on National ID
By JIM HARPER
In June 2011, I noted here how a new cardless national ID system was forming up using state driver license data. It hasn’t gone very far. Passage of an immigration reform bill containing a national E-Verify requirement would slam down the gas pedal.
But a few days ago, Idaho became the third state in the union to sign up for the Department of Homeland Security’s RIDE (Records and Information from DMVs for E-Verify) program, which is administered by the ID-friendly American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators. Idaho joins Mississippi and Florida in volunteering state driver information to the DHS.
As the full name of the program suggests, RIDE is an “add-on” to E-Verify, the government’s highly problematic system for “internal enforcement” of immigration law via government background checks. RIDE is intended to let the E-Verify system check the authenticity of driver licenses that are typically provided as one of the forms of ID during the broader verification process. E-Verify’s problems are legion—I documented them in my 2008 paper, “Franz Kafka’s Solution to Illegal Immigration“—and we highlighted them again on Capitol Hill in March.
[…]
Read the rest there.
Pilot’s ring lost in WWII POW camp returned to son
Atlantic Monthly has a silly article about Pope Francis. Can you spot the errors? You might start with the suggestion that he is something of a hipster and go on to his offering indulgences on Twitter. HERE.
From the great Benedictines in Norcia:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVukpTGsW7M&feature=player_embedded
How many steps are we away from What we read in Revelation 13?
Then I saw another beast which rose out of the earth; it had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. It works great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in the sight of men; and by the signs which it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast, it deceives those who dwell on earth, bidding them make an image for the beast which was wounded by the sword and yet lived; and it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast so that the image of the beast should even speak, and to cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.
At Vultus Christi Dom Mark posted something that must be shared:
In a Holy Fear
Holy Mass celebrated worthily, reverently, and carefully is itself the most convincing of sermons. The priest who stands before the altar in a holy fear, and who serves the Lord in reverence and with love, will touch more hearts than the most eloquent of preachers.
Not to Be Seen but to See
At the altar a priest preaches with his whole being. He enters into the sanctuary not to be seen, but to see, and in seeing the radiance of the glory of the Lord concealed in the Mysteries of His Body and Blood, he becomes to all a sign of His real presence and a witness of His glory, and this more perfectly than Moses when he descended from the holy mountain transfigured by the divine brightness.
You have probably heard of “malware”, which nefarious ne’erdowells slither into your computer. Have you ever heard of “Ransom-ware”? The NY Post had an article that was troubling.
Cyber gangs catch Internet porn watchers ‘in their underwear’, demand ransom for return of PC control
A pornography consumer who called the police in tears is among hundreds of Australians whose computers have been hacked by cyber criminals while viewing adult websites.
According to Fairfax, foreign gangs have been holding porn consumers ransom after infecting their PCs with viruses known as “ransomware”, which includes the “ukash”, “reveton” and “trojan.ransomlock” viruses.
The cyber criminals, who falsely claim to be members of the Australian Federal Police, “kidnap” a computer user’s data and demand a ransom for its return,
In this case, they have reportedly been activating the webcams on the users’ computers.
The viruses lock the desktop and post an incriminating image of the person on their screen before warning they have breached federal laws relating to child pornography, copyright or privacy, Fairfax reports.
The hackers then demand the victims pay a fine of $100 or $199 using a credit card or money transfer service.
They are threatened that if they don’t pay the fine within 72 hours, data files on the computer can be encrypted or wiped.
But even if a consumer pays a ransom for this kind of attack, it’s no guarantee they will regain control of their computer.
[…]
Not that you are sitting around looking at porn, mind you. However, if the ability to do this is out there, then there is no telling how and when the viler blackmailers will apply it to less unsavory sites, to capture the innocent. Be careful about where you surf, and what you click to open. I also recommend both my old Internet Prayer and the Litany. And keep your anti-virus software up to date.
Have you ever read the so-called “Intervention” by Cardinals Ottaviani and Bacci? You should: HERE
In Ol’ Blighty some folks are putting together a Liberal Arts school along the lines of TAC or WCC. Good luck to them! Benedictus College HERE
Finally, a single mother of 11 children is trying to make it through nursing school. I’ll bet you can help. HERE
Really finally, from the Hounds of God:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3SSCuSMLK4&feature=player_embedded
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Agree about the deer. They’re a big problem here in NY. I have never seen so many deer ticks in my life! I had lyme as a kid, so they really give me the creeps. We do have quite a few coyotes, but they seem to go for the smaller animals. After this story about the bicyclist, I’m not sure if I’m keen to welcome back wolves with open arms, but maybe the plentiful supply of deer would deter them from people. Hunting restrictions are another reason the deer (and tick) population is out of control here.
The article about Pope Francis wasn’t just silly , it was disgusting !
First off, did he actually take a picture of himself? Or was that embroidered like the comments abut LGBT (didn’t they leave out some letters?), women and indulgences?
And as far as the-word-that-I-only-recently-found-out-the-meaning-of…let’s not even go there.
Re the webcam issue—everyone doesn’t keep their webcam covered when it’s not in use?
Father,
Wolves are spreading like a virus in Wisconsin, encroaching on farmers’ land and livestock. I guess if it is always open season on wolves, I would be more willing to accept their presence. There should be better ways of controlling the deer population…which, according to my family, is not as large as it used to be (in Wisconsin, at least).
I agree that deer have become a real problem in many parts of the country. However, wolves would be a much more serious problem were their numbers to increase substantially around human populations. If you don’t think that it is a good idea to have big domestic canidae running around loose, then you certainly don’t want canis lupus roaming your neighborhood. I could spend all day writing on this topic, as I have looked into it extensively, but will spare you and say only a few things. Aside from the physical damage that wolves can do to humans, livestock, and pets, they are being used by progressives of various stripes to control and “manage” human populations by limiting the use of public and, in some cases, private lands, roads, etc. That is why the listing/delisting of wolves by the Endangered Species Act has long been so contentious. Furthermore, wolves are interbreeding in places with coyotes, creating coyotes that are particularly bad actors. I certainly don’t agree with historical practices that eradicated wolves and other large predators, but there were good reasons in the past that humans did not want these creatures living nearby. If healthy wolf populations were to re-emerge in areas beset with deer problems, the deer would soon disappear and we’d be left with hungry wolves looking for other sources of food. No, wolves to solve the deer problem is definitely not a good idea.
The bible talks about the need to keep the wild beasts in check, as for example here:
Therefore, do not be terrified by them, for the Lord, your God, who is in your midst, is a great and awesome God. He will dislodge these nations before you little by little. You cannot exterminate them all at once, lest the wild beasts become too numerous for you. (Deut. 7:21-22)
I wonder if we will see a gradual increase of deadly wild beasts all around as the contracepting population drops drastically in the coming decades. Not only neighborhoods but entire communities will be abandoned (Detroit?) and taken over by snakes, wolves, bears, buffalos. And while I am at it: governments will gradually collapse and humanity will be ruled by local rulers defending their tribal boundaries. And gasoline will be rare, the infrastructure will collapse, electrical grids will be spotty, air travel will be extremely risky, and new languages will be spoken using words such as “askipa” (housekeeper).
I hope the Benedictines of Norcia do not have ‘critical’ brothers who get the Vatican to take the Extraordinary Form away from them.
Fr Z – Judging by the nature of this post it might be impossible to open a rabbit hole,so I’ll add this to the soup.
The soft-identity writers at Patheos (I hadn’t even heard of most the writers in that jambalya) are finally catching up to you and what you have been saying to and about traditionalists. They are also starting to show their true colors.
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/standingonmyhead/2013/08/do-we-need-michael-voris.html
Talk about “self-appointed”!
When they say they don’t hate traddies, they hate traddies.
Maybe you should have a poll about when they will accelerate their attacks on you!
Regarding the deer, I read recently that a town in Westchester County, New York is proceeding to arrange for birth control for the deer. Strange but true…
Really love that Black Friars’ video!
Wolves…they will probably always be the subject of “to be or not to be.”
On same site that Father linked to, is the story of over a hundred sheep that died as a result of a wolf attack.
http://www.ktvb.com/home/176-sheep-killed-by-wolves-in-freak-incident-220572351.html
A lot depends on whether or not you’re a rancher.
The Blackfriars music was really moving. Thanks Fr. Z. Amazing music that resonates with the ear and the soul. That was superb.
Oh, and we can always bring in panthers to control the wolves.
Andrew,
‘askipa’ is not a word in a new language…it’s just a Boston accent. : )
A suggestion for those so inclined…I just made a donation to the mother and family that Fr. Z linked to, and she has a “perk” available for a certain tier of donation…a Saint doll made by 2 of her children. I requested the doll be St. Jeanne Jugan, having made the donation for the intention of a friend who just died (named Jean). I’m sending the doll, along with a bio story of this great Saint to Jean’s daughter and family to introduce them to a Patron Saint of their mother (they’re protestant so this will be new to them), but it’s a win-win-win for everybody all the way around…a departed soul is prayed for and alms offered for her repose; a needy family is helped; and the uninstructed are introduced to the Communion of Saints. This could be tailored to other occasions: wedding, birthday, etc. :)
Wow! What a mixed bag of topics in one post. Regarding the reintroduction of wolves be careful what you ask for. The reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone has had negative impacts far from the boundaries of that natural park. I live in NE Oregon and wolves have migrated from Montana and Wyoming through Idaho and into our area. Livestock kills confirmed to be by wolves are increasing weekly at a tremendous cost to producers. Native deer and elk populations in some areas of our region have been decimated–not just reduced to a desirable number, but practically eliminated by wolves.
Speaking of Idaho’s participation in the DHS ID program I would be very suspicious. I still deal with federal law enforcement and today I find very few members of any federal law enforcement agency that I would trust. Most have forgotten their purpose and oath of office and are now mere puppets for his majesty Obama. They have prostituted themselves at the altar of political correctness and have bought into the new world order agenda of “the wun”. Honesty, integrity, and professionalism which were once the hall marks of law enforcement at all levels are fading rapidly at the federal, state and in some cases even the local level. The exception are Sheriffs and rural area police agencies most of which hate to deal with DHS on any matter.
One of those TNCs says:
Wolves…they will probably always be the subject of “to be or not to be.”
On same site that Father linked to, is the story of over a hundred sheep that died as a result of a wolf attack.
This sounds like an allegory for The Spirit of Vatican II.
“This sounds like an allegory for The Spirit of Vatican II.”
…ooooo, that was good.
Just donated to the mom of 11. I am an RN and it was a serious financial (and time) burden to go to school full time, work part time, attend RCIA and send my children to Catholic school. I can’t even imagine how I would have homeschooled them during that time.
The Australian malware you mention is quite common here. At least I have had to clean several company PCs the last week or two. I do want to mention that you don’t need to visit “adult websites” to be infected. We have traced them to popular family-friendly websites that carry ad links to other sites. The server hosting the advertisement is infected and spreads its malware unknown to the original site or its advertisers.
The cartoon is right out of Koestler’s “Darkness at Noon” or Milosz’ “The Captive Mind”
Oh please do everyone, try and help Kristin, the single mom of 11. Now her cray cray ex is stalking the blog to try and help her! Lawd lawd.
Thanks, Fr Z for recommending a reading of the “Ottaviani Intervention.”
It says it all. Viva the Extraordinary Form!