13 March 2024

Fr Calvin Robinson: The Church and the West are in decline, are we in need of another Reformation?

Fr Calvin Robinson writes: In previous articles, I have argued that the Reformation was a failure. I have heard others argue that it never really ended, in that the Church of England never truly settled on a doctrine and has been wayward ever since for that very reason.

On the one hand, Roman Catholics would generally argue that the Reformation was a mistake, whilst on the other hand, Protestants would argue that it had a net positive result.

Wherever you fall on the outcome of the 16th century Reformation - failure/success, detrimental/positive - it is probably safe to say the Church is always in need of reform. The Church Militant is made up of broken parts - you and I - and, therefore, is always in need of adjustment to ensure we remain on track. That is not to say the truth should be changed, but the Church should be reformed in order to guard and preserve the Truths of Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture.

Professor Robert Tombs published an interesting article yesterday that suggested Western Society itself is in need of reform. Tombs is a fantastic historian - Professor Emeritus of French History at the University of Cambridge - and I tend to agree with his assessment. However, he has not outlined the reason why the West is on the brink of collapse and in need of reformation, and that is because the West - formerly called Christendom - abandoned its core values. A house without a foundation cannot stand, and Christ is/was the cornerstone of civilisation. Without him, we are lost, and society itself ceases to function in an orderly fashion. We grasp at abstract values and ideas to replace what has always been known to be true. The objective becomes subjective, and everything begins to fall apart as the structure of our way of life crumbles around fallen individuals instead of being held up by a divine person. This is not a political problem but a spiritual one.

When Christendom became ‘the West,’ it became secularised. The West has lost faith in Christ. If we, as Christians, believe Christianity to be true and Jesus Christ to be the only way to Salvation, surely, we have a duty to return Christ to Christendom. Read more...

www.calvinrobinson.substack.com


Riding season is approaching! Top tips for getting back to riding

 

Winter may have come and gone, the sun is shining and the roads are dry so it's about time for the less-hardy 'all-weather' riders to bring their motorcycles out of hibernation. Plenty have been washed but not ridden. Some have been bought or sold while others haven't had their insurance renewed, but before the keys are grabbed please do cast your eye over the below to ensure you and your machine are prepped for the road…

Pre-ride motorbike checklist: The best way to check your bike over is to thoroughly clean it as you’ll get up-close and be more likely to spot any problems. It’s also worth using a variation of the police pre-ride check-list – P.O.W.D.E.R.S. – ideally every time you go out…

Petrol - It’s a bonus if there’s some in the tank.

Oil - It should be at the correct level. For everything you need to know about oil, click below.

Water - Check the level, hoses and fasteners. Find out more about coolant below.

Drivetrain - If your bike has a chain, check its tension and also that it’s well lubricated. You don’t want to spray it then ride straight off, so do this the night before. Find out more about adjusting your chain below.

Electrics - Make sure all the lights and horn work, and that the instrument cluster operates correctly with all warning lights going off when the engine’s running.

Rubber - Make sure the tyres are in good condition with plenty of tread; the minimum is 1mm but you’ll want more than that really. Check the pressures too. For everything you need to know about tyres, click below.

Stopping - Check your brakes; that doesn’t just mean a quick squeeze of the lever – examine the discs and pads to make sure there’s plenty of wear left in them and also make certain there are no leaks in the brake pipes. Check the fork seals too, which could be dribbling oil onto the discs. If the bike was damp when it was laid up, it’s possible the pads could have bound onto the discs a little – they should free straight off but make sure the pistons in the calipers are returning and be extra-careful for the first few miles as the corrosion is scrubbed off the discs; the brakes could be a bit grabby for a while. For more about servicing brakes, click below. 

www.bennetts.co.uk


05 March 2024

Amazon lobbyists banned from European Parliament

The European Parliament has revoked the access badges of Amazon lobbyists, preventing easy access to its buildings, after the firm failed to attend multiple meetings about the labour conditions of warehouse workers.

The Parliament’s secretary general withdrew Amazon’s 14 entry badges following a formal request by members of the employment and social affairs (EPML) committee, who say the company has repeatedly refused to engage with them to address concerns about labour rights and working conditions.

As a result, no Amazon lobbyists will be issued with any new access badges until further notice. Amazon has confirmed that while its lobbyists will still be able to access European Parliament buildings, they will now have to be signed in like any other visitor.

www.computerweekly.com


04 March 2024

It's the law! Actually it isn't: just AI hallucinating!

The cases would have provided compelling precedent for a divorced dad to take his children to China — had they been real. But instead of savouring courtroom victory, the Vancouver lawyer for a millionaire embroiled in an acrimonious split has been told to personally compensate her client's ex-wife's lawyers for the time it took them to learn the cases she hoped to cite were conjured up by ChatGPT.

In a decision released Monday, a B.C. Supreme Court judge reprimanded lawyer Chong Ke for including two AI "hallucinations" in an application filed last December.

The cases never made it into Ke's arguments; they were withdrawn once she learned they were non-existent.

Justice David Masuhara said he didn't think the lawyer intended to deceive the court - but he was troubled all the same.

"As this case has unfortunately made clear, generative AI is still no substitute for the professional expertise that the justice system requires of lawyers," Masuhara wrote in a "final comment" appended to his ruling.

"Competence in the selection and use of any technology tools, including those powered by AI, is critical."

www.cbc.ca


Worshippers to tell Easter story on streets of Havant

A 30-strong cast will dramatise the story of Jesus’s final days on Earth, including his trial, death and resurrection, on a stage set up in the town centre. They’ve been drawn from churches of all denominations from around Havant and Leigh Park.

They’ll attract shoppers and passers-by to stop and watch their 30-minute performance, which will be staged three times on March 30 and once on Easter Sunday. It’s designed to help them understand more about why Jesus died and rose again and what difference it can make to their lives.

It’s the fourth such play that the Havant Passion Play group has staged, after previous performances in Havant Park in 2015, 2017 and 2019. It’s also the fourth play directed by James Burke-Dunsmore, who portrayed Jesus for years in The Life of Christ in Wintershall, near Guildford, and in Trafalgar Square each Good Friday. He has led rehearsals in which cast members are encouraged to think about the emotions felt by their characters as they react to Jesus's words and actions.

www.portsmouth.anglican.org


28 February 2024

Motorcyclists: no more chrome plating for you! Or anyone else for that matter!

 

Starting in 2024 the EU is pushing through a bill that will effectively ban the process of hexavalent chrome plating on any new vehicles.

And it’s not just the EU, because the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is also looking to prevent the process from 2027 onwards. The move, in both cases, is being driven by health and environmental concerns, with hexavalent plating thought to produce around 500 times more toxic pollutants than those from diesel engines.

Specifically, hexavalent chrome plating can be linked to lung and nose cancer, while also posing a risk to the liver and reproductive system of the operator performing the procedure. Of course, these risks can be mitigated by proper safety precautions, but they can’t be totally ignored. To the wider world, the byproducts of chrome plating can, if not treated and handled with care, be just as dangerous to the environment, with wastewater being hazardous to flora and fauna if not properly treated at the plating works. Read more...

www.visordown.com