How it really works

(image credit: Elkin)

Beijing 2008

A fine example of situational irony.

"Brain Study Calls Free Will Into Question" (quote from Slashdot)

Here is one for the Hyper Calvinists among you. A study showing that your brain apparently makes decisions before you know about it!.

Clock made from clocks

Nothing more than a very very cool clock by Dutch designer Christiaan Postma . Mr Postma has arranged 150 analog clocks so that their hands spell the current hour of the day. Click here for more pictures and an animation showing how it progresses thoughout the day.

Most efficient way to solve Rubik's Cube

Knitting 2.0

Alternative Universe

Here's an interesting April Fool joke from Wired. The discovery of an alternative universe that celebrates April Fools day on the 3rd (which is of course the date of the posting).

The alternative universe has lots of other characteristics which address issues such as "global warming" (taking it seriously) and "science vs religion" (focus on social justice instead) which presumably is the Wired world view. This takes the edge off the joke a little for me but caused me to wonder what an alternative universe based on the Bible's "Kingdom of God" would be.

Then I remembered the C.S Lewis novel Out of the Silent Planet.

The central character (Ransom) finds himself on a planet (Malacandra) that has not fallen and amongst creatures that are living as God intends them to. This allows Mr Lewis to explore the nature of the Kingdom of God via some very interesting debates between Ransom and some of the creatures about the clear differences between life on Malacandra and the Silent Planet (Earth of course). Must read it again.

The Believer

"The book was "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis. And within the first three pages, I realized that my arguments against faith were those of a schoolboy."

Francis Collins -- head of the Human Genome Project -- discusses his conversion to evangelical Christianity, why scientists do not need to be atheists, and what C.S. Lewis has to do with it.

http://www.salon.com/books/int/2006/08/07/collins/index.html

Nickel Creek - Doubting Thomas

What will be left when I've drawn my last breath
Besides the folks I've met and the folks who've known me?
Will I discover a soul-saving love
Or just the dirt above and below me?

I'm a doubting Thomas
I took a promise
But I do not feel safe
Oh, me of little faith.

Sometimes I pray for a slap in the face
Then I beg to be spared 'cause I'm a coward.
If there's a master of death
I bet he's holding his breath
As I show the blind and tell the deaf about his power.

I'm a doubting Thomas
I can't keep my promises
Cause I don't know what's safe
Oh, me of little faith.

Can I be used to help others find truth
When I'm scared I'll find proof that it's a lie?
Can I be led down a trail dropping bread crumbs
That prove I'm not ready to die?

Please give me time to decipher the signs.
Please forgive me for time that I've wasted.

I'm a doubting Thomas
I'll take your promise
Though I know nothin's safe
Oh, me of little faith

Listen here http://nickelcreek.com/music.htm

Inherit The Mirth

This postcard from Inherit the Mirth made me laugh out loud!

Go away and do some work and let me get on with mine

Just rediscovered this wonderfully acerbic response from Dorothy L. Sayers (mystery-suspense author and theological writer) to an agnostic scientist. The poor man was asking her to write a letter to his organization explaining the Christian faith. I don't know if he got what he deserved but her reply is just remarkable.

"Why do you want a letter from me? Why don't you take the trouble to find out for yourselves what Christianity is? You take time to learn technical terms about electricity. Why don't you do as much for theology? Why do you never read the great writings on the subject, but take your information from the secular 'experts' who have picked it up as inaccurately as you? Why don't you learn the facts in this field as honestly as your own field? Why do you accept mildewed old heresies as the language of the church, when any handbook on church history will tell you where they came from? Why do you balk at the doctrine of the Trinity - God the three in One - yet meekly acquiesce when Einstein tells you E=mc2? What makes you suppose that the expression "God ordains" is narrow and bigoted, while your own expression, "Science demands" is taken as an objective statement of fact?

You would be ashamed to know as little about internal combustion as you know about Christian beliefs. I admit, you can practice Christianity without knowing much theology, just as you can drive a car without knowing much about internal combustion. But when something breaks down in the car, you go humbly to the man who understands the works; whereas if something goes wrong with religion, you merely throw the works away and tell the theologian he is a liar.

Why do you want a letter from me telling you about God? You will never bother to check on it or find out whether I'm giving you personal opinions or Christian doctrines. Don't bother. Go away and do some work and let me get on with mine."

Are you a real man?

Wow. Did you know the KJV contains the word "pisseth"? Six times apparently.

The Ongoing Adventures of ASBO Jesus

Some really interesting stuff going on over at Asbo Jesus. The Ongoing Adventures of ASBO Jesus. 'Tis a cartoon site with an edge. Mr Birch (the cartoonist) creates rather cute looking cartoons (on a near daily basis) addressing issues that stir up great long discussion threads by his readers. Definitely worth a look.

CLSM - John Peel is Not Enough.

A little slice of madness from those people known as CLSM.

Level 5 Agnostic

There are some great cartoons over at ReverendFun. This is a particular favorite.

The David Crowder Band

Hey, have you seen this guys hair? Have you heard his songs?

The David Crowder Band hail from Waco Texas and produce quirky but sublime music. Crowder is the one with the hair and is possessed with the voice of an angel. The band produced "Collision" in Sept 2005 and it is a glorious mash of bluegrass, folk, alternative, electronic, ambient and worship, dusted with touches of genius.

Thanks to band member Jack Parker (how many bands of this quality do you know who reply to you in person!), here is a song from the album called Be Lifted or Hope Rising.

For more info on the band go to http://www.davidcrowderband.com/

The Beautiful Letdown

We are a beautiful let down, Painfully uncool, The church of the dropouts The losers, the sinners, the failures and the fools Oh what a beautiful let down Are we salt in the wound Let us sing one true tune | Jon Forman

The VR Hypothesis

Some scientist in New Zealand is saying that physicists should seriously explore the idea that the universe is a giant virtual reality simulation. Apparently this idea goes some way to explaining philosophical issues with the big bang and tensions between Newtonian and quantum physics.

Seems Gary Larson had the same idea...

http://www.newscientist.com/blog/technology/2008/01/vr-hypothesis.html

Verra Cruz

Formed in 2003 (previously Dust) by Mark James, Verra Cruz produce belting rock/blues. A howl of a voice that sounds like the owner is being run over and slide guitar to die for. What more could you want?

Thanks to VC, here is "Cold that you Feel" from their 2007 release "Emancipation".

For more info on the band and to hear more of their stuff visit their official site at www.verracruz.com.

Your Car by Dave

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

Trump Dawgs

Trump Dawgs produce some pretty funky stuff. Led by Kenny Carter, this crew of Kansas City musicians, on a mission from God, deliver a heady mix of pop, grunge, hip hop, funk and even jazz. The band are not doing much at the moment but their stuff to date is well worth a listen.

Here is 511 from The Art of Crushin', played direct from their website.

You can download a couple more free songs from www.trumpdawgs.com or preview songs from one of Kenny's side projects; KLT Presents...Butch at CD Baby.

[edit] Thanks to Kenny, here is Lamblast from KLT Presents...Butch