{"id":7343,"date":"2023-12-22T13:56:06","date_gmt":"2023-12-22T21:56:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/?p=7343"},"modified":"2023-12-22T13:56:06","modified_gmt":"2023-12-22T21:56:06","slug":"things-glen-found-interesting-volume-433","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/archives\/2023\/12\/22\/things-glen-found-interesting-volume-433","title":{"rendered":"Things Glen Found Interesting, Volume 433"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-4396\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?resize=300%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?resize=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?resize=1200%2C1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?w=2048&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?w=1680&amp;ssl=1 1680w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 85vw, 300px\"><\/a>     On Fridays I share articles\/resources about broad cultural, societal and theological issues. Be sure to see the explanation and disclaimers at the bottom. I welcome your suggestions. If you read something fascinating please pass it my&nbsp;way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is volume 433, a prime number.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A reminder as the year draws to a close: this weekly roundup of links is an overflow of the donor-funded ministry I do with Chi Alpha at Stanford University. If you\u2019re so inclined, <a href=\"http:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/giving\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"http:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/giving\">consider an end-of-year donation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Things Glen Found Interesting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"simple-list wp-block-list\">\n<li>Some Christmas content:&nbsp;<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/scotmcknight.substack.com\/p\/losing-our-grip-on-christmas-mike\" target=\"_blank\">Losing Our Grip on Christmas<\/a> (Mike Glenn, Substack): \u201cIn America, Christianity isn\u2019t attacked as much as it is usurped. When Christians say, \u2018We\u2019d like to celebrate Christmas,\u2019 the world says, \u2018That\u2019s a great idea. Would you like for us to stay open late so you can buy everyone you love a gift?\u2019 Suddenly, there\u2019s no time to worship. There\u2019s no time to pray. We\u2019re too busy shopping.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thegospelcoalition.org\/blogs\/justin-taylor\/a-harmony-of-the-birth-of-jesus-matthew-and-luke\/\" target=\"_blank\">A Harmony of the Birth of Jesus: Matthew and Luke <\/a>(Justin Taylor, The Gospel Coalition): \u201cHere is a simple chronology to show how the events of Matthew 1\u20132 and Luke 1\u20132 fit together and what each of the gospel authors emphasize. Matthew tells things more through the eyes of Joseph and Luke (who perhaps interviewed Mary) tells the events largely through her&nbsp;eyes.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/news\/2023\/december\/bethlehem-cancel-christmas-christian-pastors-church-nativit.html\" target=\"_blank\">Bethlehem Cancels Christmas, But Local Pastors Still Expect a Holy Night<\/a> (Sophia Lee, Christianity Today): \u201cThe words people once associated with Christmas were <em>Santa<\/em>, <em>tree<\/em>, <em>gifts<\/em>, <em>carols<\/em>\u2014all \u2018romanticized\u2019 traditions from the West, Isaac said. Today, he thinks of words from the Christmas story of the Bible: <em>Caesar<\/em>, <em>census<\/em>, <em>massacre<\/em>, and <em>refugee in Egypt<\/em>\u2014relevant to Palestinians who have to register to travel outside the West Bank and who seek safety in&nbsp;Egypt.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/12\/15\/dining\/christmas-lunch-korean-american-church.html\" target=\"_blank\">There\u2019s No Christmas Lunch Like a Korean American Church Lunch<\/a> (Eric Kim, New York Times): \u201c\u202659 percent of Korean Americans identify as Christian. But that number used to be even higher. For decades, church lunches have been pivotal spaces for Korean immigrants as they established themselves in the United States, and these meals continue to flourish as hubs of community bonding for many who are the first generation to arrive here. More than just a meal, they are a key opportunity for conversation, gossip and fellowship.\u201d&nbsp;<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>I liked a lot about this article, but I found it very New-York-Timesy to say that most Korean-Americans are Christian and then to tell stories about how those who have left the church nonetheless remember it and its food fondly.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.freyaindia.co.uk\/p\/the-problem-with-everything-being\" target=\"_blank\">The Problem With Everything Being Pornified<\/a> (Freya India, Substack): \u201c\u2026I find it so frustrating to see some progressives downplay the dangers of all this. Those that dismiss anyone concerned about <em>the pornification of everything<\/em> as a stuffy conservative. And somehow can\u2019t see how the continual loosening of sexual norms might actually empower predatory men, and put pressure on vulnerable girls? That seems delusional to me. Let\u2019s just say I have little patience for those on the left who loudly celebrate women sexualising themselves online, selling it as fun, feminist and risk-free, but are then horrified to hear about 12 year-olds doing the same thing. C\u2019mon. No wonder they want to. But I also find it frustrating to see some on the right approach this with what seems like a complete lack of compassion. I don\u2019t think it helps to relentlessly ridicule and blame young women for sexualising themselves online. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s fair either. We can\u2019t give girls Instagram at 12 and then be surprised when as young women they base their self-worth on the approval of strangers.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2023\/12\/19\/1219984002\/artificial-intelligence-can-find-your-location-in-photos-worrying-privacy-expert\" target=\"_blank\">Artificial intelligence can find your location in photos, worrying privacy experts<\/a> (Geoff Brumfiel, NPR): \u201cThe project, known as Predicting Image Geolocations (or PIGEON, for short) was designed by three Stanford graduate students in order to identify locations on Google Street View.\u2026 [ACLU\u2019s] Stanley worries that companies might soon use AI to track where you\u2019ve traveled, or that governments might check your photos to see if you\u2019ve visited a country on a watchlist. Stalking and abuse are also obvious threats, he says. In the past, Stanley says, people have been able to remove GPS location tagging from photos they post online. That may not work anymore.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/12\/17\/world\/middleeast\/hamas-tunnels-gaza-israel-war.html\" target=\"_blank\">In Gaza, Israelis Display Tunnel Wide Enough to Handle Cars<\/a> (Ronen Bergman, New York Times): \u201cTwo military officials interviewed after the tour say that recently gathered intelligence indicated that Israel has grossly underestimated the size of the underground network. The system, which the army previously estimated was about 60 miles long, is now believed to be closer to 250 miles long, they&nbsp;said.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/rlo.acton.org\/archives\/125165-william-wilberforce-abolitionist-reformer-evangelical.html\" target=\"_blank\">William Wilberforce: Abolitionist, Reformer, Evangelical<\/a> (Richard Turnbull, Religion &amp; Liberty Online): \u201cWhat unites these disparate individuals? Perhaps three things. First, a passion for a true and lively faith that transforms the heart. Secondly, a holistic view of God\u2019s love for the world that saw no contradiction between personal faith and a transformed society. Thirdly, a tenacity that drove these individuals never to give up, never to give up for Christ.\u201d&nbsp;<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A solid summary of a consequential Christian\u2019s impact. The author is the former principal of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/networkcontagion.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/A-Tik-Tok-ing-Timebomb_12.21.23.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">A Tik-Tok-ing Timebomb: How TikTok\u2019s Global Platform Anomalies Align with the Chinese Communist Party\u2019s Geostrategic Objectives<\/a> (National Contagion Research Institute): \u201cWe then expanded our research into topics relevant to the Chinese Government\u2019s geopolitical interests: 1) Ukraine-Russia War; 2) Kashmir Independence; 3) Israel-Hamas War. The conclusions of our research are clear: Whether content is promoted or muted on TikTok appears to depend on whether it is aligned or opposed to the interests of the Chinese Government. As the summary data graph below illustrates, the percentages of TikTok posts out of Instagram posts are consistently range-bound for general political and pop-culture topics, but completely out-of-bounds for topics sensitive to the Chinese Government.\u201d&nbsp;<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The link is to a 18 page PDF. The research was conducted in conjunction with Rutgers University. I, for one, am shocked. Who could have predicted such a thing from a country otherwise devoted to free speech and free markets?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.afterbabel.com\/p\/antisemitism-on-campus\" target=\"_blank\">Why Antisemitism Sprouted So Quickly on Campus<\/a> (Jonathan Haidt, Substack): \u201cCommon enemy identity politics is arguably the worst way of thinking one could possibly teach to young people in a multi-ethnic democracy such as the United States. It is, of course, the ideological drive behind most genocides. On a more mundane level, it can in theory be used to create group cohesion on teams and in organizations, and yet the current academic version of it plunges organizations into eternal conflict and dysfunction. As long as this way of thinking is taught anywhere on campus, identity-based hatred will find fertile ground.\u201d&nbsp;<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Haidt is a social psychologist at&nbsp;NYU.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Less Serious Things Which Also Interested\/Amused Glen<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"simple-list wp-block-list\">\n<li>Famous wrestler Hulk Hogan just got baptized: <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/HulkHogan\/status\/1737549921052405910\" target=\"_blank\">Total surrender and dedication to Jesus is the greatest day of my life. No worries, no hate, no judgment\u2026 only love!<\/a> (Twitter)\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Related: <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/babylonbee.com\/news\/pastor-baptizes-hulk-hogan-but-oh-no-hulks-pulled-off-the-reversal-and-body-slammed-him-into-the-pews\/\" target=\"_blank\">Pastor Baptizes Hulk Hogan But OH NO HULK\u2019S PULLED OFF THE REVERSAL AND BODY SLAMMED HIM INTO THE PEWS<\/a> (Babylon Bee)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Welcome to the family, brother!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Gardiner_Bros\/status\/1737898649248477410\" target=\"_blank\">Feliz Navidance<\/a> (Twitter): 40 second video<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=BMq-geS4QOE\" target=\"_blank\">Man Whose Life\u2019s a Mess Has Middle East Figured Out<\/a> (Ryan Long, YouTube): three minutes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/babylonbee.com\/news\/gingerbread-house-in-california-listed-on-zillow-for-19-million\/\" target=\"_blank\">Gingerbread House In California Listed On Zillow For $1.9 Million<\/a> (Babylon Bee)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/babylonbee.com\/news\/man-who-has-been-attending-same-church-for-21-years-figures-maybe-its-time-to-learn-some-peoples-names\/\" target=\"_blank\">Man Who Has Been Attending Same Church For 21 Years Figures Maybe It\u2019s Time To Learn Some People\u2019s Names<\/a> (Babylon Bee)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smbc-comics.com\/comic\/odd\" target=\"_blank\">Odd Numbers<\/a> (SMBC)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/bpoppenheimer\/status\/1737204782576656753\" target=\"_blank\">When you go to the studio, John Mayer was asked, what do you do to generate ideas? \u201cWell, I don\u2019t always do it,\u201d he admitted, \u201cbecause it requires a stupid bravery all the time.\u201d<\/a> (Twitter): two minute video, worth watching.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/technology-67663128\" target=\"_blank\">Lapsus$: GTA 6 hacker handed indefinite hospital order<\/a> (Joe Tidy, BBC): \u201cThe jury was told that while he was on bail for hacking Nvidia and BT\/EE and in police protection at a Travelodge hotel, he continued hacking and carried out his most infamous hack. <strong>Despite having his laptop confiscated, Kurtaj managed to breach Rockstar, the company behind GTA, using an Amazon Firestick, his hotel TV and a mobile phone.<\/strong>\u201d\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Emphasis added. This kid is straight out of a&nbsp;movie.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Why Do You Send This&nbsp;Email?<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In the time of King David, the tribe of Issachar produced shrewd warriors \u201cwho understood the times and knew what Israel should do\u201d (1 Chron 12:32). In a similar way, we need to become wise people whose faith interacts with the world. I pray this email gives you greater insight, so that you may continue the tradition of Issachar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Disclaimer<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Chi Alpha is not a partisan organization. To paraphrase another minister: we are not about the donkey\u2019s agenda and we are not about the elephant\u2019s agenda \u2014 we are about the Lamb\u2019s agenda. Having said that, I read widely (in part because I believe we should aspire to pass <a href=\"http:\/\/econlog.econlib.org\/archives\/2011\/06\/the_ideological.html\">the ideological Turing test<\/a> and in part because I do not believe I can fairly say \u201cI agree\u201d or \u201cI disagree\u201d until I can say \u201cI understand\u201d) and may at times share articles that have a strong partisan bias simply because I find the article stimulating. The upshot: you should not assume I agree with everything an author says in an article I mention, much less things the author has said in other articles (although if I strongly disagree with something in the article I\u2019ll usually mention it). And to the extent you can discern my opinions, please understand that they are my own and not necessarily those of Chi Alpha or any other organization I may be perceived to represent.\n\nAlso, remember that I\u2019m not reporting news \u2014 I\u2019m giving you a selection of things I found interesting. There\u2019s a lot happening in the world that\u2019s not making an appearance here because I haven\u2019t found stimulating articles written about it.\n\nIf this was forwarded to you and you want to receive future emails, sign up <a href=\"https:\/\/theglendavis.substack.com\/\">here<\/a>. You can also <a href=\"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/category\/links\">view the archives<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On Fridays I share articles\/resources about broad cultural, societal and theological issues. Be sure to see the explanation and disclaimers at the bottom. I welcome your suggestions. If you read something fascinating please pass it my&nbsp;way. This is volume 433, a prime number. A reminder as the year draws to a close: this weekly roundup \u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/archives\/2023\/12\/22\/things-glen-found-interesting-volume-433\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> \u201cThings Glen Found Interesting, Volume 433\u201d<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"Some rich Christmas content, plus more entertaining links than usual.","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[16],"tags":[219,125,287,120,228,148,136,260,330],"class_list":["post-7343","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-links","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-china","tag-christmas","tag-famous-christians","tag-identity","tag-israel","tag-pornography","tag-social-media","tag-south-korea"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6Ded-1Ur","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7343","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7343"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7343\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7346,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7343\/revisions\/7346"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7343"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7343"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}