Early in March, a Russian “transhumanist and life extensionist” named Alex Turchin published his plan for brining people back to life. He calls it a “technological resurrection.” We only need to build a Dyson sphere to make it happen. Then we can upload people’s memories onto computers for later “resurrection.”

We only need to build a sphere that is hundreds of millions of miles around. In the center of the sphere is the sun. With the energy of the sun, Turchin says, we would be able to generate enough “computing energy from the sun” to recreate a person based on their digital roadmap and recorded memories. Then they could live in a virtual simulator similar to the Matrix.

Absalom started a revolt against his father, King David. The prince schmoozed Israelite noblemen and soldiers until he had enough support to claim the kingship. David had to run for his life. An ugly civil war broke out. It ended with a woodland battle where Absalom got caught in a tree and one of David’s officers, Joab, killed him.

Imagine you are on a first date. It is a blind date because you swiped right on Tinder. You’ve never met this person before so dinner is a little awkward. You ask question and you tell stories as you get to know each other better. As dinner goes on, you realize this person is pretty decent and kind of fun. You’re connecting in all the right ways. And then they say, “I want you to praise me. Tell me how good I am.”

Amber Guyger was a Dallas police officer who was found guilty of murder in October of 2019. Ms. Guyger thought she was entering her apartment, which was actually one floor below. She encountered Botham Jean and mistook him for a burglar. She fired two shots and killed him in his own apartment.

When I teach about the power of forgiveness in my Catechism class, I show a video of Brandt Jean, the 18-year-old brother of Botham Jean. During the sentencing of former officer Guyger, while Brandt was on the witness stand, he said, “If you truly are sorry, I know … I can speak for myself, I forgive you. And I know if you go to God and ask him, he will forgive you. Again, I’m speaking for myself, not even on behalf of my family, but I love you, just like anyone else. I’m not going to say I hope you rot and die just like my brother did, but I, personally, want the best for you.”

You may have noticed that we received a little bit of snow this week. It probably took you a while to shovel 17 inches of snow out of your driveway and sidewalk. Or maybe you had a really nice neighbor who helped you with his snowblower. If he helps you, I’m guessing you’re going to be appreciative.

Not so with a reporter named Virginia.

Brood X cicadas are coming! These cicadas emerge from under the ground every 17 years. Honestly, wouldn’t they have fit better in 2020?

Millions of Brood X cicadas will emerge at the end of May through June when the ground temperatures reach 64 degrees. These cicadas look kind of freaky with their black bodies and red eyes. They will be coming to trees and cornfields in about 15 eastern, southern and midwestern states this spring.

The cicadas aren’t harmful. They may be a bit annoying, though. A single cicada isn’t very loud. But with hundreds or even millions in an area, they will create a noise that will reach 80 to 100 decibels. That’s roughly the same volume as a lawn mower.

In the book of Joel, the prophet paints a vivid picture of the coming judgment of God, the Day of the Lord. The imagery is bold and terrifying. God’s judgment on his people for their sin and impenitence will be a plague of locusts.

10-year-old Jadyn Carr received 10 shares of GameStop stock as a gift from his mother 2 years ago. As a result of the recent stock market war between online traders and hedge funds, Jaydn’s stock surged to more than 53 times what his mother had paid.

When Jadyn sold his shares a few weeks ago, he received $3200 on his mom’s $60 investment.

If you paid attention several weeks ago, you heard how wealthy hedge funds lost billions of dollars and everyday retail investors like you and me made thousands – or even - millions of dollars on GameStop stock.

Joseph DiMeo was involved in a horrific car accident when he was 19 years old. He fell asleep at the wheel and flipped his vehicle. Thankfully, someone pulled him from the burning car before it exploded. But Joseph still suffered severe burns over 80% of his body. He spent 3 months in a medically induced coma while physicians worked on him.

Even after countless skin grafts, Joseph was left disfigured and unable to use his hands. But the amazing doctors at the NYU Langone Health were able to do something that is just completely wild.

Maybe you remember the not-so-good days of sitting in the back of the family station wagon with your siblings. Three kids trapped without air conditioning in a hot back seat with only two roll-down windows. That meant one of the children was a human sacrifice – condemned to the hated, middle seat.

The misery was high and the tempers were short. Any type of jostling, bumping or touching began the backseat battle. “You hit me!” “Did not!” “Did so! You touched me!” “Not on purpose!” “You’d better get back to your side!” “I can’t go back to my side! I don’t have a side! I got a middle!”

“Then get back to the middle!” That last remark was emphasized was emphasized by the giving of a small, slight shove. That first shove led to a more forceful counter-shove.

You know how those backseat battles all ended. The same statements were made by every one of our fathers. It’s like when they became fathers, these phrases became embedded in their DNA.

It was around this time three years ago when I was sitting with my daughter, Miriam, at our island in the kitchen. We were looking back and forth from my laptop to her Chromebook. We had all kinds of tabs open as we researched different universities, their educational programs, if they offered ROTC on campus, and, if there was a WELS church or WELS campus ministry at that university.

My sister, Dawn, happened to be recruiting in our area. Dawn went to Michigan Tech in the U.P. on a basketball scholarship and received her teaching degree. But she hasn’t taught a single minute in a regular classroom. All of her teaching is on the basketball court. She is a Division 1 basketball coach at South Dakota University. When Dawn walked into the house and saw us working on college stuff, she said, “Miriam, it doesn’t matter what you get your degree in. You’re going to end up doing something completely different.”

I scolded her, “Dawn, she doesn’t need to hear that right now.”