Right To Repair

The Right to Repair has become an important issue in America. Companies have become so powerful that they are destroying our system of capitalism. When you buy many products today, you are basically renting them. When something you 100% own breaks, you have to upgrade or turn to the company for expensive repairs.

A few weeks ago I read that President Joe Biden had signed an executive order that supported people’s Right to Repair. The executive order targeted anti-competitive practices in tech, healthcare, banking, and other key parts of the economy. The order has 72 actions that would lower prices for families, increase wages for workers, promote innovation, and foster economic growth. New regulations that agencies may write to translate his policy into rules could trigger epic legal battles, however.

I thought that was strange for the president to be implementing a rule that should go through Congress. It turns out there is already a law that guarantees the people’s Right to Repair, but companies have decided to ignore the law. Apple and John Deere are two notorious firms for violating the Right to Repair law.

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak spoke out on the issue during a recent appearance on Cameo, a website. In a post to Louis Rossmann, a YouTube personality and a right-to-repair advocate, Wozniak said that he was “totally supportive” of the cause — which gives consumers the right and information to fix their own devices — and somewhat “emotionally” affected by it.

“I do a lot of Cameos, but this one has really gotten to me,” he said in the nine-minute video. “We wouldn’t have had an Apple had I not grown up in a very open technology world.

Wozniak, who co-founded Apple 45 years ago with Steve Jobs, said that enabling others to retool their devices also has commercial value. He pointed to the success of the Apple II computer, which he said was “modifiable and extendable to the maximum” and the “only source” of profit for Apple during its first years.

Apple has long faced criticism over policies that restrict where its customers can get their iPhones and other electronics fixed without jeopardizing their warranties. The firm is worth $2.5 trillion, and it is trying to squeeze this last dollar out of each customer.

The iPhone once cost $600, and the same smartphone is now $1,200. Apple will sign contracts with chip firms that bar them from selling replacement chips. It will also block other chips from working in their smartphone, even though it has the same functions.

I had a Samsung Note 2 for seven years that worked fine the whole time I owned it. In late 2019 I realized I needed to upgrade because Samsung had quit supporting my Note 2. What allowed me to have the smartphone for seven years is that I was able to replace the battery two times. Now the battery is tied to the internal parts of the smartphone, which makes it very hard to fix it once the battery dies.

To have John Deere playing this same game shows how bad things have gotten. Farmers need their equipment to work at crucial times during the planting and harvesting seasons. If their tractor is down and a corn crop needs to be harvested, they need to be able to get it fixed fast. John Deere is trying to require that their specialist needs to be on hand for a growing number of issues.

Farmers cannot do simple repairs because they are locked out of their equipment and need special software to unlock it. To get around this, some farmers had begun hacking their tractors with cracked software from Ukraine.

The FTC is moving toward writing new rules targeting the restrictions. A couple of weeks ago, the five FTC commissioners unanimously adopted a policy statement supporting the “Right to Repair” that pledges beefed-up enforcement efforts and could open the way to new regulations.

“These types of (repair) restrictions can significantly raise costs for consumers, stifle innovation, close off business opportunity for independent repair shops, create unnecessary electronic waste, delay timely repairs and undermine resiliency,” FTC Chair Lina Khan said. “The FTC has a range of tools it can use to root out unlawful repair restrictions, and today’s policy statement would commit us to move forward on this issue with new vigor.”

Manufacturers, on the other hand, maintain that repair restrictions are needed to safeguard intellectual property, protect consumers from injuries that could result from fixing a product or using one that was improperly repaired, and guard against cybersecurity risks. Manufacturers say they could face liability or harm to their reputation if independent repair shops make faulty equipment repairs.

I don’t have any faith in the Biden administration’s ability to fix the Right to Repair problem. Big tech companies have lobbyists who help write the laws that regulate their business. They will push for rules that allow them to continue restricting the rights of product owners.

If our nation had a greater moral foundation, we would not have such a problem with the Right to Repair. Because we have largely become a godless nation, I don’t have much hope for consumer’s rights.

“And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5, KJV).

–Todd

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Those Attacking Children

Some weeks ago in an article titled “Millstone Milestone,” I addressed the matter of children below the age of accountability going to be with the Lord in the Rapture when He calls believers to Himself. I won’t repeat the reasons ’m convinced God’s Word teaches this truth. Suffice it to say I’ve covered it in lengthy articles, probably to the irritation of some who would disagree with me.

This piece is to try to get our minds around why the tremendous assault on the most innocent among us is raging in culture and society today. By innocent, I mean those too young to be aware of their rebellion and to know they need a Savior to redeem them from the penalty of sin.

We’ve catalogued a number of stories about the debauched human minions who are intent on bringing to the minds of small children and teenagers the most salacious and degrading sensual presentations. I won’t go into detail, because such activity makes any parent or grandparent cringe at the thought of things going on today in this regard. No longer is such activity taking place only within cults or other auspices. Now the activity is right in the face of those of us who want to protect children from the pedophiles who are the perpetrators of this evil.

We recently reported the San Francisco GLBTQ organization that put out the song lauding their cause that has as its lyrics, “We are coming for your children…”. We reported on numerous occasions the transvestites who, with and without parent’s permission, hold readings in libraries and, in some public-school settings, offer presentations that graphically display and verbally describe every sort of perverted sexual activity of their wicked practitioners—some even doing so while dressed in costume that partially expose their nudity.

School boards, in some cases, have approved this assault on children. Thankfully, there are parents who are organizing against this sort of evil.

With regard to the transgender perversions going on, even die-hard feminists are beginning to see the insanity and detriment caused by the satanic attempts to blend the genders. I say “satanic,” because Satan places the ideas from which these perversions flow into activity that is meant to take children’s innocence—to take them from God and his prescription for righteous living.

The attack on children has taken on much more sinister movement toward satanic control. And, again, it is the strange, sudden interjection of the COVID-19 so-called pandemic that is at the heart of the assault.

The following news excerpt gives more about this movement.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently announced that kids over two years of age should be “masked up” for the upcoming school year. Under the new “guidance” children (including babies in nurseries) will be forced to wear masks until all children can collectively prove they are FULLY VACCINATED with experimental spike proteins. Many parents saw this coercion coming, which is why they appealed to local school officials over the past year to drop the mask mandate in their county.

Now it turns out, the AAP receives the bulk of its funding from Pfizer, a prominent covid-19 vaccine manufacturer. With financial control over the AAP, Pfizer is using medical organizations to gain parental trust, control families and force its products on children.

Pfizer is using the authority of regulatory agencies and medical organizations to enforce mass obedience to their VAX-all agenda. The AAP, bribed and brainwashed into compliance, is taking drug company money and doing as they are told – formalizing the abuse of children and bastardizing medical ethics, parental rights and informed consent. (“Terror and abuse: Pfizer is using the corrupt AAP to push mask mandates on children until they’re all vaccinated,” Lance B. Johnson, Rapture Ready News, July 22, 2021)

I will concede that the above excerpt is taken from a website (Natural News) that is in total opposition to vaccinations the way they have been produced and implemented without sufficient safety measures, in their view, before being injected in the whole population. However, I agree that to force vaccinations of any sort on any free people is counter to the US Constitution and is a thing what only a luciferian mindset would fully embrace. (I’m talking about the mindset of giving the injections to children without their parent’s permission or knowledge.) This is evil, because it takes children out of parental control, responsibility given by God.

When considering the millions of babies murdered in their mothers’ wombs each year, the assaults on the human race can’t be missed by the spiritually attuned mind. If the creature who hates humanity—Satan—wants to destroy humankind (and the Bible plainly says he wants to)—there is compiling evidence of his attempts to carry out that hellish mission.

Those who are wittingly compliant with this attack on children as this Age of Grace dispensation comes to a close are under a most terrifying condemnation. (I speak of those deliberately wanting to harm children, not women who fall for lies about right to choose, etc.)

The Lord Jesus, Himself, makes clear His love for the children He entrusts to the care of earthly parents. He also makes clear condemnation for harm perpetrated upon children if repentance is not forthcoming.

Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. (Matthew 18:3–6)

—Terry

Instagram: The Vanguard of Vanity

The first king of social media was Myspace, then came Twitter and Facebook, and now a new site is taking over the reins. Instagram is a site primarily used for posting pictures and short videos.

Originally launched for iOS in October 2010, Instagram rapidly gained popularity, with one million registered users in two months, 10 million in a year, and 1 billion as of June 2018.

Instagram is owned by Facebook, which bought the company for $1 billion in 2012. With the firm now said to be worth $100 billion, Mark Zuckerberg did quite well on his investment.

As of June 2021, the most followed person is Portuguese professional soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo, with over 300 million followers. The most followed woman is American singer Ariana Grande, with 251 followers. I found a list of the top 50 accounts on Instagram, and over 90% of the list is dominated by people who are known for their looks.

I’ve spent a couple of weeks trying to understand the platform. Because I normally work with PC, I quickly realized this domain is meant to be run on a smartphone. I also made the determination that Instagram sets a new low in self-worship. I would call the site the Vanguard of Vanity. If you are considered to be eye-candy, you can join the club. If you have no talent or looks, you can go somewhere else.

The primary goal on Instagram is to get the highest number of people to follow you. You post pictures and hope for a large number of likes. People can also post comments, and these can lead into the thousands. The average comment is not in any language. People mostly post symbols of hearts, fire, and an assortment of smiley faces.

On Kylie Jenner’s account, she has images that have been viewed millions of times, and there might be 30,000 comments to her post. There is almost zero chance that Jenner is going to see the posts. I looked on dozens of posts and couldn’t find any comment that Jenner gave any response.

I probably lost a few IQ points skimming through Instagram pages. On 4 January 2019, someone posted an image of a bird egg with the caption, “Let’s set a world record together and get the most liked post on Instagram.” Within days, the egg photo got 54 million likes.

For every Justin Bieber with 183 million followers, there are millions with hardly any followers. I found one guy who works as a model who had one million followers. I did some test inputs by responding to some of his posts. At first, I was amazed that he liked my comments, but I quickly learned that he likes everyone’s comments. He and millions of other people are wasting huge amounts of time on this site.

I read a few articles that said this model was having mental health issues. I posted my concern on his Instagram account about his mental well-being, and not a single person shared my concern. One woman said he was “thriving,” and I should check on my own mental health. He may be thriving at age 24, but where will he be at age 34? At some point, the phone is going to stop ringing because his looks have faded, and younger models have taken his place on the catwalks.

You don’t get to be a star on Instagram for very long. The singer Madonna only has 16 million Instagram followers. If this were 1985, she would likely have over 200 million followers. Instagram fame only lasts as long as you remain very attractive.

If social media had existed in the 1800s, the top accounts would be by authors, ministers, and politicians. Today, you can have an IQ of 70 and be a star on Instagram.

Social media sites like Instagram have driven people to levels of self-promotion that God never intended. Many people have become slaves to what the public thinks of them. It’s nice to be famous, but it doesn’t guarantee happiness. God’s word says that pride generally results in a negative outcome:

“Pride leads to destruction; a proud attitude brings ruin” (Proverbs 16:18).

Anyone who tries to promote their own greatness does not deserve any respect. Greatness can only come from the praise of other people. The only lasting praise is what God thinks of our lives.

“Don’t praise yourself. Let someone else do it. Let the praise come from a stranger and not your own mouth” (Proverbs 27:2).

–Todd

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God’s Weather Warnings

There is, at first glance, perhaps a paradox in our take on the matter of climate change. When I say “our,” I mean those of us in Bible prophecy circles who examine the climate-change matter, which is considered by the Biden administration people to be the greatest crisis faced by mankind today.

The seeming incongruity in our thought process comes by considering the following. While we believe that there is no climate change in terms of the definition given by those on the ideological left, we acknowledge that climate change indeed does exist. And it is becoming exponentially more manifest.

Those who are in the man is destroying the planet camp proclaim all who disagree with that premise to be climate-change deniers. They vehemently declare the same about anyone who disagrees with their dire assessments on any crisis as they delve, in full rage, into whatever problem they believe they must strive to control in their insatiable quest for ever-increasing power. For example, anyone who opposes their claims that COVID-19 is the deadliest virus in modern times is a pandemic denier, and, no doubt, an anti-vaxxer.

Not too many months ago, I have to admit, I was somewhat of a climate-change skeptic, to say the least. And I yet hold that, regarding those earlier times, I still can’t point back to them and see changes in the planet’s weather patterns as being extreme to the point of representing changes of the profound sort.

The evidence is now compounding, however. Reports from around the world of drastic weather events, especially involving flooding and at the same time droughts, continue to erase the skepticism.

Some of the reports just in recent days blazed across our Rapture Ready News headlines. I’ve put a few of these here to display the compiling evidence.

• Europe floods: Rescuers race to find survivors as hundreds remain missing

Rescue crews have been racing to find survivors of floods that have wreaked havoc across western Europe, killing more than 150 people. Hundreds are still missing after record rainfall triggered severe floods in Germany and Belgium. Heavy rains also hit Switzerland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands – where PM Mark Rutte has declared a national disaster in one southern province.

• Flagstaff declares state of emergency as Arizona hit by devastating floods

Parts of Arizona have been hit with devastating flooding, with the city of Flagstaff declaring a state of emergency after being inundated with torrents of water that turned streets into murky, fast-running streams.

• Amid a mega drought, federal water shortage limits loom for the Colorado River

The Colorado River is tapped out. Another dry year has left the watershed that supplies 40 million people in the Southwest parched. A prolonged 21-year warming and drying trend is pushing the nation’s two largest reservoirs to record lows.

• “Wither away and die”: U.S. Pacific Northwest heat wave bakes wheat, fruit crops

An unprecedented heat wave and ongoing drought in the U.S. Pacific Northwest is damaging white wheat coveted by Asian buyers and forcing fruit farm workers to harvest in the middle of the night to salvage crops and avoid deadly heat.

• Extreme flooding hits multiple provinces of China, capital Beijing brought to standstill

Prolonged heavy rainfall affecting parts of China over the past couple of days caused extreme flooding in several provinces, including Sichuan, Hebei, Shaanxi, Henan, and Shandong. Severe thunderstorms also affected the capital Beijing, bringing the entire city to a standstill. On July 12, authorities have issued an orange alert, the 2^nd highest in the country’s 4-tier weather warning system.

• Flash floods cause travel chaos in parts of London

Heavy rain has caused flash floods in various parts of London. Cars have been submerged as roads filled with water while train services have also been cancelled. Photos on social media showed parts of south-west London including Barnes, Raynes Park and Richmond had been affected, as had areas of north London including Golders Green and Highgate.

• Shandong hit by largest tornado outbreak in more than a decade, China

Eastern China’s Shandong Province was hit by its largest tornado outbreak in more than 10 years on July 11, 2021. At least 10 tornadoes were reported, with at least 3 of them [reported as] violent. The reports are still coming in and the number of reported tornadoes is rising.

• Extremely heavy rains hit Kyushu, JMA issues year’s first Level 5 torrential rain alert, Japan

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has issued its highest level rain alert for parts of Kyushu, southwestern Japan on Saturday, July 10, 2021, leading local authorities to instruct hundreds of thousands to take immediate safety measures. Reports of river flooding and landslides are coming in.

The floods and droughts are not merely seasonal occurrences. They are indeed phenomenal weather events, and they are in unprecedented, multiple numbers—occurring almost simultaneously in most every part of the planet.

So this prophecy watcher, at least, fully recognizes that something of last-days significance is taking place almost daily. The way I and others who are likewise watchers differ from the leftists who claim there is climate change is they see it as man-made, while we see it as God-induced.

It is a foreboding weather warning from on high. The storm that’s coming is the Tribulation. The Lord, we sense, is warning of things to come by way of His judgment and wrath.

He wants all to come to repentance. He wants no one to be caught in that final great, destructive storm.

The rebellious, progressive mindset declares that man alone can fix the climate. They are making a globalists-elite-engendered, Mother Earth worship system to do exactly that, they think. We know, on the other hand, that only God can either break or fix the planet He, alone, controls. 

The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? (Psalms 24: 1–3)

—Terry