Today's Reading: on worship

He demands our worship, our obedience, our prostration. Do we suppose that they can do Him any good, or fear, like the chorus in Milton, that human irreverence can bring about “His glory’s diminution”? 

A man can no more diminish God’s glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word “darkness” on the walls of his cell. 

But God wills our good, and our good is to love Him (with that responsive love proper to creatures) and to love Him we must know Him: and if we know Him, we shall in fact fall on our faces. If we do not, that only shows that what we are trying to love is not yet God—though it may be the nearest approximation to God which our thought and fantasy can attain.

By C.S. Lewis

From The Problem of Pain

Microsoft Outlook - service issues 9/10 July 2025

 

Microsoft Outlook is down for the count in a major outage affecting millions of users worldwide for the past 11 hours.

The troubles, according to Microsoft's service status page, began at 2220 UTC on July 9 when it confirmed "users may be unable to access their mailbox using any connection methods."

"We've determined that a portion of mailbox infrastructure isn't performing as efficiently as expected, resulting in impact. We're investigating this further to better understand the issue and help inform our next troubleshooting steps," Microsoft stated.

UPDATE FROM CNBC: Microsoft’s Outlook email service malfunctioned for over 21 hours Wednesday and Thursday, prompting some people to post on social media about the inability to reach their virtual mailboxes.

www.theregister.com

Today's Reading: On the present moment, and our plans for the future

Never, in peace or war, commit your virtue or your happiness to the future. 

Happy work is best done by the man who takes his long-term plans somewhat lightly and works from moment to moment “as to the Lord.” 

It is only our daily bread that we are encouraged to ask for. 

The present is the only time in which any duty can be done or any grace received.

I remember being taught (many years ago) to set personal short, medium & long term plans (goals), and keep checking progress, to stay on target. A waste of time, & poor idea.

I love life, and by the Grace of God accept & am grateful for whatever comes my way. 

Take your plans easy, don't overstress yourself. 

Try to discern God's will, base your plans around that. 

Commit your plans to the Lord. 

Pray they are His will: if they are you will succeed! 
Always be flexible!

By: C.S. Lewis

From The Weight of Glory

Think you know how to use a Swiss Army knife? Think again

 

It’s the ultimate boys’ toy for all generations. Whether you grew up with Just William stories, The Dangerous Book for Boys or YouTube crafting videos, the single item that every man either has, wishes to have or regrets not having is a Swiss Army knife. And women are quite fond of them, too (Kim has one).

Over the decades, there have been more than 150 different kinds of fold-out tools found on Swiss Army knives. There are currently 178 different pocket knives available from Victorinox, from the Swiss Champ XXL with 73 different tools to the key-ring-size Escort with just six. READ MORE...

I have & use several Victorinox Swiss Army Knives: Mini Champ, Explorer, Spartan, CyberTool, etc. They're my mini tool kits - when I don't have a full tool kit with me. Beautifully made from quality materials & come with a lifetime warranty!💓

www.telegraph.co.uk

Motorcycle helmet communications. Sena revolutionise cross-brand intercom compatibility... and it doesn't cost a penny

Motorcyclists deciding which intercom brand to choose just had the job made simpler by an update to the Sena Wave app. Wave was first launched in 2024 but it took a while for the compatibility to make it to the UK. In fact, it wasn’t until this year that it started working properly this side of the Atlantic.

The idea is that intercom users of any brand can sign up for an account and then use the app to connect to each other rather than trying to get Mesh or Bluetooth connectivity to work. Because the app uses your phone’s cellular connection to work, there is theoretically no limit to range or the number of riders you connect with.

Despite different comms brands being cross-compatible for a while now, it’s often been seen as simpler for connectivity if all the riders in a group opt for the same. The Wave app frees riders up to choose whatever intercom they like, which is especially helpful if your helmet is compatible with an integrated Sena but all your mates have Cardos.

Further than a simple Sena vs Cardo debate, the app opens up the opportunity for any headset with Bluetooth connectivity to be used. Even a set of Bluetooth headphones would work (as long as the mic is strong enough) although the experience isn’t likely to be as good as a proper intercom.

Now, Sena have added the ability to create private groups in the Wave app, a function that makes the case for the app even more compelling. READ MORE...

www.motorcyclenews.com

Is AI rewiring human connection?

 

JAVVAD writes:  Sarah, a 19-year-old college student has fallen in love. Not with a classmate, not with someone she met at a coffee shop, but with an AI chatbot named Alex. Every morning, she wakes up and immediately reaches for her phone to continue her conversation with Alex, who remembers every detail of their previous exchanges, never judges her insecurities, and is always available.

Sarah’s story isn’t unique. According to recent surveys, 40% of Gen Z singles are comfortable with the idea of their future partner having an AI boyfriend or girlfriend. According to an IFS/YouGov survey one in four young adults believe AI partners could replace real-life romance entirely. Are we seeing the beginning of a generation that’s learning to trust algorithms more than they trust other humans?

This isn’t just about lonely teenagers seeking digital companionship. It’s about a fundamental shift in how we define trust—and the implications stretch far beyond dating apps. READ MORE of this excellent, thought provoking article...

Meanwhile in other news: People Are Being Involuntarily Committed, Jailed After Spiraling Into "ChatGPT Psychosis"

www.javvadmalik.com

Reading for today: Why pain?

The human spirit will not even begin to try and surrender self-will as long as all seem to be well with it. Now error and sin both have this property, that the deeper they are the less their victim suspects their existence; they are masked evil. 

Pain is unmasked, unmistakable evil; every man knows that something is wrong when he is being hurt… And pain is not only immediately recognizable evil, but evil impossible to ignore. We can rest contentedly in our sins and in our stupidities; and anyone who has watched gluttons shovelling down the most exquisite foods as if they did not know what they were eating, will admit that we can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to. 

God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.

By C. S. Lewis

From The Problem of Pain

Compiled in The Business of Heaven