Israel, cyberattacks, shopping

For anyone who is a Bible End-Times Prophesy student, the events taking place in Israel now are further proof that the coming of our Lord is nearer than ever. As the United States at the governmental level has largely abandoned Israel to its enemies, Israel has begun on its own to fight back against the rocket attacks launched against it with the force necessary to overcome the threat. As a nation, it is perfectly capable of doing so without help from the outside. This response in self-defense will stir the world to pick a side in the conflict. If we choose Israel, we will do well. If we do not, we will not do well. It has always been so, because God has chosen to bless those who bless Israel; to curse those who curse Israel. Mama and I were talking about this as we drove to church yesterday evening. It is difficult to empathize with those who have had to run to bomb shelters during the onslaught of rocket fire while our lives seem so normal. Yet what is happening half the world away will have a profound impact on our future, quite possibly on our eternity. It makes me wonder if I am making enough of a difference where I can. Time will tell.

Meanwhile, life goes on – mostly uneventfully for us. Other than higher gas prices from the pipeline hacking incident recently, the world does not seem to be shaken much by the conflicts raging around us. Since my whole work life is attached to the oil and gas industry, and thereby the pipeline industry that transports oil and gas, I know that the hacking incident is a big deal. That computer hackers were able to penetrate the firewall of the operator of the pipeline and shut down the operation of the line, speaks volumes of our vulnerability to such cyberattacks. The fact that supply to seventeen states was impacted by the one hack is dangerous on a scale few people recognize. Thankfully, the hackers were not set on causing damage to the pipeline, only on shutting down operation of the line, which the operating company was able to safely accomplish in the middle of the cyberattack. Next time the intent might be more nefarious.

One reporter was gleefully questioning the Whitehouse person in charge of oversight of cybersecurity asking whether the recent successful attack would force the Whitehouse to look at focusing more strongly on alternative energy since the oil and gas industry was so obviously threatened – causing a panic related to gasoline availability. The answer was as silly as the question. Think about it. Hackers got into a company operating system and shut down a pipeline operation. They can just as easily get into the electrical grid and do the same. That type of shutdown would have a far broader impact on the lives of our citizens than causing a shortage of gasoline. The issue is that our computer systems are not safe. The question is, how do we make them safe and what is our response to this threat?

That question was not asked. If our government does not focus there, we are in for a panic the likes of which we have never seen before. Just a few days without power a few weeks ago caused so much damage here in North Texas that we are still repairing systems affected during the power outage. That power outage was due to our government required use of renewable energy sources. Had it not been for the oil and gas fired power plants taking up as much slack as they could, the outage would have been far worse. Thought that was an act of nature versus a cyberattack, it still exposes a vulnerability that should be adequately addressed to ensure we do not repeat the event.

Enough bad news for today. While I am at work today Mama will be on the road. We need feed at the farm so that is on the agenda but to make it a worthwhile day out, Mama is going to Whitesboro to spend some time with Kimberlyn. I think the two of them will spend some time shopping in Sherman, a nearby town that seems to have all the stores Mama needs to visit today clustered together in a small area. That makes things convenient for Mama. Having the company while she does all this shopping makes it a lot more fun for Mama, even though it makes is a bit ore expensive for me. Somehow, Mama tends to spend more when she has a shopping companion. She will pick up feed in Muenster – in the same general area – before she heads home. Were it not for the fact that the feed store closes at 5 pm, I am not sure when Mama would plan on leaving Kimberlyn’s?

She needs the interaction. After all, I am pretty boring to live with.