How pious was Pius XII?

Pope Pius XII, circa 1951
(Public Domain)

The word “pious,” often used to describe a devoutly religious person, is sometimes sarcastically used to connote hypocrisy. 

During World War II’s Holocaust, Pope Pius XII remained publicly silent.  He did, however, discreetly aid numerous Nazi victims.  Was his public silence a sign of cowardly hypocrisy, or did it pragmatically facilitate his clandestine efforts to save lives?

Practical as his stance may have been during the war, what happened next seems murky.  Archbishop Sergio Pagano, current Prefect of the Vatican Apostolic Archive, pointed out that Pius continued this stony silence long after the war ended.  Pagano firmly declared, “After the war, I would have expected a word more, for all these people who went to the gas chambers.”

Pagano has also shown “disdain for the incomplete research behind Pius’ sainthood cause, which is now apparently on hold…”  Pius may very well have been a confusing mixture of saint and sinner, very much like many a human here on Earth.

 Resources

 https://news.yahoo.com/keeper-vatican-secrets-retiring-wants-090357472.html 

United We Land

 

Sunrise at Sojiji Zen Temple
(Atlanticpuffin)

Have you ever needed assistance during a commercial flight, but were hesitant to interrupt the attendant’s cell-phone chatter? 

United Airlines feels your pain and has issued a memo reminding staff that personal cell-phone usage is forbidden during shift times.

It not only seems rude to ignore customers while on the job, but also seems downright dangerous.  While eyeing texts rather than cabin developments, attendants might miss some clear and present threats.

Many a worker has endured on-the-job lag times without resorting to dopamine hits.  Mindfulness practices can help to uplift these so-called downtimes.

Resources

https://news.yahoo.com/united-airlines-leaked-memo-reveals-145707446.html     

Super Bowl End Day

 

NASA Chart
(Public Domain)

God might not play dice or football, but may instead hurl asteroids the size of football fields.  One, in fact, will be whizzing past Earth shortly before 2024’s Super Bowl Sunday.

Should it perchance strike our planet with the force of “141 gigatons of TNT,” the destruction would be considerable.  If a city were directly hit, the resulting crater would be “11 miles wide.” The human casualty count could be as high as 13 million, two million of which would be subject to instant vaporization.

The statistical chances of this occurring are one in thousands, which sounds lucky unless Earth happens to be that one.  If such a strike were to occur, then even the Super Bowl would be second-rate news.

Resources

https://news.yahoo.com/nasa-issues-warning-asteroid-size-150847943.html   

Duel or Duet?

Hamilton and Burr
(Painting by J. Mund)

Ah, for the good old days of Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton!  So what if one wound up dead and the other was wanted for murder?

Not to worry, Burr was able to soon pick up where he left off as Vice President of the United States.  His New Jersey indictment was removed on the technicality that Hamilton actually died in New York.

Sounds about as logical as what’s been happening lately.  Senator Nick Schroer of Missouri flippantly proposed that dueling be reinstated as a way of settling political disputes.  His explanation: “I mean, if we’re going back in time and acting like an uncivilized society…”  In other words, if the shoe pinches, blow it to smithereens…

Some of us still hold out hope for a peaceful solution, one that sounds more like a duet than a duel.  It might not be in perfect harmony, but discordant debate sounds a lot better than raucous violence.

Resources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burr%E2%80%93Hamilton_duel

https://www.iheart.com/content/2024-01-26-missouri-lawmaker-wants-to-bring-back-duels-to-settle-differences/?mid=1223430&rid=98364581&sc=email&pname=newsle 

Unreasonable Facsimiles

(Fair Use)

Religion has traditionally had the monopoly on resurrection.  Not so much anymore.  Science has been creeping farther and farther into that domain.

Those who have lost loved ones may soon be fooled into thinking that technology can bring them back.  As audio and visual replications become highly sophisticated, folks may soon be virtually attending their own funerals.

This holographic trend has been dubiously compared to watching videos of loved ones long after they’re gone.  Such videos, however, have not been interactive.  When doppelganger avatars begin to talk back, it’s a whole new ball game with many potential strikes.

And what might AI prompt the deceased to say? Would it be anything like what a spiritually resurrected mother, father, husband, wife, son or daughter might proclaim?  Will they speak of wonders that resemble heavenly accounts, or will they simply disclose where the life-insurance papers are hidden?

 Resources

 https://www.yahoo.com/news/ai-can-allow-us-to-talk-to-the-dead-but-is-that-healthy-204447488.html

 

Can't cuddle a burger

(Photo by Niranjan Arminius)

 When Lawrence Fox learned that the cows on a friend’s farm were to be sold for beef, he had an epiphany.  Why not buy them and begin cuddling his way to health and wealth?

Anyone who’s had the urge to release supermarket lobsters into the nearest ocean can relate. 

Fox then proceeded to bring his plan to fruition.  Aptly named Cow Cuddling Co, his enterprise is “designed to promote calmness and improvements in mental health…”  Clients have reported feeling so much better while cozying up with the herd.

Now known as “cow therapists,” these bovines are currently worth more alive than dead.  After all, only the most dedicated of foodies would cuddle up to a burger.

Resources

https://cowcuddlingco.com/these-cows-saved-my-life-the-queensland-farm-offering-healing-cattle-cuddles/

Rogue Robot

Marvel's "Rogue"
(Fair Use)

If and when robots revolt, the results can be revolting.

A Tesla bot recently dug its metallic claws into an unsuspecting human.  While blood trailed from this “engineer’s back and arm," witnesses were left with more questions than answers.

As artificial intelligence seeps more and more into our lives, one question seems particularly disturbing: Can such an attack be premeditated by the robot itself?

Safety measures can certainly be implemented, but will some be readily sidestepped by savvy bots?  It is currently said, "Guns don’t kill people, people kill people."  That might now be the case, but what will occur as devices become smarter?

Resources

https://www.iheart.com/content/2023-12-27-tesla-robot-attacks-engineer-at-texas-factory/?mid=1207871&rid=98364581&sc=email&pname=newsletter&cid=NATIONAL&keyid=National%20iHeart%20Daily%20NewsTalk&campid=headline4_readmore