Sunspots 727

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:

The Arts: Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca in the Star Wars films, has died. He was over seven feet tall. 

The History Blog reports that Maurice Sendak, of Where the Wild Things Are fame, also worked on stage design, for operas.

Christianity: National Public Radio reports on a fairly rare couple -- they were both virgins when they were married.


Computing: Gizmodo tells us how to delete voice recordings from Google Home.

Finance: Catherine Rampell on why Stephen Moore should not be nominated to the Federal Reserve Board by President Trump. The Hill says that Lindsay Graham and other Republican senators also are doubtful about Moore. Eventually, his name was withdrawn.

Health: Gizmodo reports on the variety of things men will try, in order (they hope) to grow taller.

NPR on why it's so hard to lose weight.

(and politics) Catherine Rampell reports that Attorney General Barr has joined legal challenges to the Affordable Care Act. If these challenges succeed, millions of people will lose health insurance, and other popular provisions of the ACA will be null and void.

Politics: Michael Gerson complains about Attorney General Barr's belief in the expansion of the power of the President.

Science: Gizmodo asks if there will ever be new colors that humans can see.

Gizmodo reports that Chinese scientists, and others, claim that the recent gene-changing procedure, using the CRISPR system to alter the genes of two girls, was unnecessary, and that the whole procedure was flawed.

The graphic used in these posts is from NASA, hence, I believe, it is public domain. 

Thanks for looking!

Sunspots 676

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:

Christianity: Paige Patterson, President of a Southern Baptist seminary, is getting heat from some Southern Baptist women over remarks related to sexual roles. Michael Gerson weighs in on this story, and points out how women were highlighted in the New Testament, although it was written in a far more male-dominated society than ours is.

Health: Gizmodo reports on the removal of a 132-pound tumor from a woman.

(and politics) Gizmodo reports that President Trump has appointed Dr. Mehmet Oz to a health advisory council. Gizmodo is not happy with this, and tells why.

Humor: (or something) Speeded-up construction of a big Star Wars Lego object.


Politics: Last week, the chaplain of the US House was asked to resign, by Speaker Paul Ryan. The chaplain has been restored to office, says Relevant.

Science: Earther reports that the highest-ever recorded temperature in April occurred in Pakistan last month.

Gizmodo reports on the longest straight path on earth, without coming on to land, and the longest straight line path on land.

Gizmodo reports on research indicating that plants can communicate to other plants that they are too close together, or have been touched.

Scientific American discusses the decline of the ability to learn new languages as we get older.

New Scientist, and other outlets, discuss findings that indicate that tourism is a serious contributor to global climate change.

Sports: Becky Hammon is being considered for a head coaching job in the NBA. (She is not the only candidate -- the rest are male.)

Thanks for looking!

Image source (public domain)

Sunspots 663

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else: 

Computing: (And sports, and politics) Hackers are targeting the Winter Olympics, according to Wired.

National Public Radio, and other outlets, on the question of whether or not there is such a thing as screen addiction, and, if so, how important is it?

Health: (and food) NPR reports that eating leafy foods has significant positive health benefits.

History: There is a Presidential Culinary Museum, in Grover (apparently named after a President) North Carolina. Why not? Among other things, the institution has china from a number of first ladies.

Humor: (or something) Anyone can edit most Wikipedia pages. (I've done that myself) Listverse discusses 10 cases of feuding edits.

Literature: The Wired Guide to Star Wars.

Politics: FiveThirtyEight analyzes resignation by members of Congress, where there has been an unprecedented number of such, for various reasons.

Listverse discusses 10 examples of how Donald Trump has (they say) manipulated the news media, to his advantage.

NBC News reports that Christians have been arrested for providing water to immigrants crossing the border in the Southeast, and that federal agents have destroyed water caches left for immigrants crossing on foot.

David Brooks compares the US to a divided Germany, on the question of immigration access, or not, in the New York Times.

Science: Wired doesn't think the moon should be called blue, blood, or super.

Long Beach, California, is taking steps to cool down its temperature, in some interesting ways, says Wired.

Thanks for looking!

Image source (public domain)

Sunspots 362

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:

Humor: (or advertisement, or something) A company in Germany built a barrel organ that plays Star Wars music, out of Legos, as part of a promotion for the latest Star Wars movie release.

Science: How human activity is causing earthquakes in the US, reported by National Public Radio.

The Arts: 60 Minutes, the CBS News program, gives an uplifting video report on the world's only all-black orchestra. (Warning -- some commercials are included.)

Computing: Gizmo's freeware has some tips for searching for files on your Windows 7 or Vista computer.

Image source (public domain)

Star Wars: Christian or not?

A Christian doesn't have to see only movies, or read only books, that have a Christian world-view. Christians should be careful what they put in their minds. Being careful may mean that we don't intentionally watch, listen to, or read, some material with a Christian world-view which is of poor quality. We should also avoid material with a Christian world-view which is false. (Is that an oxymoron? Lying for Christ . . .) I may have done myself, or the series, a disservice, but I have not read any of the Left Behind books. I understand that the material is of poor quality, and pushes a particular view of eschatology as if it were certain. (I also understand that some people I love and admire have read and enjoyed the series, and I am not qualified to make a first-hand evaluation of them. I'm just trying to illustrate a point.) I try to watch what I watch on TV.

Here's what Paul said about this subject:
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (Philippians 4:8, ASV)

He didn't say, but implied, that things which are dishonorable, unjust, impure, unlovely and bad report are to be avoided.

I have not yet seen Revenge of the Sith. We may or may not see it. I did see episodes 1 and 2, and wished that I had spent my time and money in other ways--they were not well done. Episodes 4, 5, and 6 of Star Wars were, in my opinion, worth seeing, and I may see them again.

Clearly, there are some differences of opinion about the world view of the series. (See here and here for articles on the concept of world view--both written from a Christian world view!)

Marla Swoffer has lived near George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, and has thoughts on him and his company based on that experience. Steven J. Rosen, apparently a Hindu himself, finds themes from Hindu literature in the Star Wars movies. Christianity Today Online just published a four part series which finds Christian themes there. (This is the fourth) Peter Chattaway and Jeffrey Overstreet, Christian film critics, speculate that the current crop of such were inspired by George Lucas. Here's one of (probably many) posts claiming that Lucas just wanted to raise questions about spirituality. Who is right?

I'm guessing that there are also Buddhist and Taoist themes in Star Wars. If there are, it wouldn't have surprised C. S. Lewis:

If you are a Christian you do not have to believe that all the other religions are simply wrong all through. If you are an atheist you do have to believe that the main point in all the religions of the whole world is simply one huge mistake. If you are a Christian, you are free to think that all these religions, even the queerest ones, contain at least some hint of the truth. When I was an atheist I had to persuade myself that most of the human race have always been wrong about the question that mattered to them most; when I became a Christian I was able to take a more liberal view. But, of course, being a Christian does mean thinking that where Christianity differs from other religions, Christianity is right and they are wrong. As in arithmetic--there is only one right answer to a sum, and all other answers are wrong: but some of the wrong answers are much nearer being right than others. C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity: What One Must Believe to Be a Christian. New York: Macmillan, 1952. p. 43.

I suppose that the Star Wars movies do contain some part of the truth. There are honorable acts and noble sacrifices portrayed. There is beauty in the scenery. There is good music in the score. Are they "Christian"? I'm not sure.

Thanks for reading.