Bot spotting

A blue sky littered with hazy cloud dimming early sunshine. I paid for going to bed a bit later than usual; last night. Although I woke up clear-headed, the meds made my head hazy too. Will I ever discipline myself to get to sleep early enough to ward off their ill effect? Clare's study group arrived after breakfast. A quick excursion to the Coop was necessary to buy coffee and plant milk, as we forgot to stock up. That helped to clear my head. 

As I was settling down to write after returning with supplies, I had a call labelled 'nuisance?' on the phone handset call display - a useful monitoring service provided by BT. "Good morning this is James calling you .." said  a southern British educated voice alleging to represent a green energy company with a forgettable name. "Who are you?" I asked. "Good morning this is James .." the voice repeated. "What do you want?" said I. "Good morning this is James ...". "No you're not, you're only a bot." I replied, and put the phone down. Not so smart AI technology, badly designed or malfunctioning, unable to respond to a couple of essential business communication questions. The digital era has saddled the world with a host of attempts to win trust and steal assets with lies and deceit. 

Fraudsters and confidence tricksters have been a part of the world for millennia. In the past, scamming people was a face to face activity. Reliance on all things digital has made this crime largely impersonal. In different ways, we're all exposed wide open to fakery, constantly needing to question the trustworthiness of others, as well as needing to prove who we are, and that we too are trustworthy. No wonder institutions of government, finance, medicine and science are scrutinized, often distrusted, due to a pervasive climate of fear, uncertainty and doubt, in which truth and lies are readily confused, and people are failing to care about the impact this has on our lives. The so-called 'post-truth' era in human relationships is a diabolical invention designed for the entrapment, manipulation and domination of others.

Trump continues to insult those who won't automatically do his bidding in mounting assaults against Iran, threatening the future of the NATO alliance. He's not only a bully but a fool, unreliable, untrustworthy. In spite of all the damage done to Iran and its military capability, retaliatory attacks persist, in alliance with Iran's Houthi insurgents, on Israel and the Gulf States. Some ships get through the Straight of Hormuz but attacks on others deter use of Persian Gulf. The Red Sea with its long Saudi Arabian coastline provides an alternative oil transport route, but at its south eastern coast is Yemen. Houthis control entrance through the Bab al Mandab Straight. It's a strategic choke point for traffic between India and Europe whose name translates as 'Gate of Tears'. Asia is being badly affected by lack of Middle Eastern oil and gas.

I was expecting a call from the Consultant Pharmacologist this afternoon and stayed in until late afternoon before taking walk in Llandaff Fields and enjoying the sunshine. No call, however. I must have been mistaken about the day. After supper I joined the congregation of fifteen at St Catherine's for a healing Eucharist, led by Mother Sue. It was held in the side chapel where the grand piano is kept. Music was provided by a 'cellist accompanying Mother Sue on the piano. The story of the anointing of Jesus at Bethany was read, then the oil of Holy Unction was passed from hand to hand so each member of the congregation could anoint their neighbour with the sign of the cross on the palm of the hand. A bit messy, but effective. I appreciated the calm reflective nature of the occasion.