Sunspots 914

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to others*:

The Arts: NPR has posted on the wildlife comedy photo awards. Worth seeing!

Christianity: A Christianity Today article examines the effect of  reading the Bible on a device, rather than from a book.

Reader's Digest tells us why red and green colors are symbolic of Christmas. (They mention some other colors, too.)

Computing: Gizmodo reports that Elon Musk now wants employees to sleep at the office.

Politics: NPR reports that nearly a million people became US citizens in the past year.

Science: NPR reports on a 190-year-old tortoise.

2.4 million year-old DNA has been used to determine what organisms lived in the locale where it was deposited, according to an article in The Scientist.

NPR reports on a new type of treatment for cancer, using gene editing.

When I was in college, over 5 decades ago, there was discussion of using atomic fusion (the sun, and Hydrogen bombs, use this) for power generation, but a drawback was that it took more energy than it released. That has been licked, apparently, according to NPR, but we are still a long way from using fusion as a power source.

*I try not to include items that require a password or fee to view.

Thanks for reading.

Sunspots 881

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to others*:

The Arts: Relevant shows us lots of strange church buildings. Some of them are spectacular, if strangely so.

Christianity: Christianity Today reports that over 20 million people stopped reading the Bible during COVID.

Computing: NPR discusses the state of Twitter. It turns out that it's not among the 10 most widely used social platforms, worldwide.

Health: Gizmodo reports that it is becoming more difficult, perhaps impossible in a few cases, to stop a gonorrhea infection.

Humor: (or something) WSPA-TV, and other outlets, have posted a video of a good-sized bear crossing a street on a pedestrian walk, in broad daylight, in  Asheville, NC.

The graphic used in these posts is from NASA, hence, it is free to use like this.

*I try not to include items that require a password or fee to view.

Thanks for reading. 

Sunspots 786

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

Christianity: A Sojourners writer is not happy with Franklin Graham's actions on racial justice. The same writer commends the record of Franklin's father, Billy Graham.

A Christianity Today writer says that the recent LBGT Supreme Court ruling was not a death knell for church and state relations.

Christianity Today also has a good article on simple things you can do to enhance your Bible-reading.

Ken Schenck offers thoughts on the Prodigal Parent, on Father's Day.

Computing: An article that says that the real bias of social media platforms isn't against conservatives, but is for extreme views of all stripes.

ListVerse suggests 10 alternatives to commonly used web applications and web sites. The claim is that these alternatives do a better job of protecting your privacy.
 
Environment: Another report, from Gizmodo/Earther, that honeybees are threatened.


Finance: FiveThirtyEight on how the stock market has stayed pretty healthy, while the economy, by most measures, has been hit pretty hard by the COVID pandemic.

NPR reports that banks, and other businesses, are running low on coins -- like pennies, dimes, nickels and quarters.

Health: Gizmodo tells us that Anthony Fauci downplayed the effect of COVID-19 early on, and says that he actually lied about the effectiveness of masks, so that they would be available for health workers.

Gizmodo also tells us that we should shut the toilet lid before flushing.


Politics: A writer for Sojourners is not impressed by the Trump administration's record on religious freedom.

The fourth of a series of posts by Joel Edmund Anderson, taking an in-depth look at the racial situation in the US.

FiveThirtyEight says that the firing of the head attorney for the Southern District of New York was wrong, for four important reasons.

So far, President Trump's poll numbers show that white evangelicals are not nearly as solidly for him as they have been, according to a Fox News poll, reported by Relevant.

Science: Gizmodo reports that astronomers may have discovered a new category of object, larger than our sun, but not much larger.


The graphic used in these posts is from NASA, hence, it is free to use like this.

Thanks for looking!

Sunspots 776

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

The Arts: A fantasy picture about conquering the Corona virus. 

Speculative Faith lists and describes the most original fantastic stories of all time.

Christianity: Christianity Today reports that Easter Sunday set a record for YouVersion (A Bible application) use. Over 40 million used it that day.

Environment: Gizmodo reports that the Trump administration continues to try to remove restrictions on the release of Mercury into the environment, based on a flawed analysis.

Health: FiveThirtyEight realizes that Dr. Anthony Fauci actually predicted the situation we are in now, over a year ago.

(And Etiquette) A Gizmodo writer suggests that the curtsy be brought back, as a form of mutual acknowledgement.

A FiveThirtyEight writer tells us why we have reacted more strongly, as a world, to COVID-19 than to Ebola, Swine Flu, or SARS.

NPR says that we don't need to disinfect our groceries after we bring them in.

Humor: (or something) NPR, and other outlets, report that jigsaw puzzle sales are way up.


Politics: FiveThirtyEight on why Bernie Sanders lost to Joe Biden.

On March 13th, President Trump announced a number of steps toward fighting the COVID-9 virus. NPR reports on how these initiatives are going, a month later. Basically, the government is doing the things it can do itself, but the joint private-public initiatives that were promised haven't materialized, mostly because the White House, apparently, made them up.

Science: To quote the Gizmodo article's title: "Birds are judging you by your outfit."

The graphic used in these posts is from NASA, hence, it is free to use like this.

Thanks for looking!

Sunspots 748

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

The Arts: The History blog reports that a painting by Cimabue was found in a kitchen in France. It will probably sell for millions.

Christianity: Christianity Today reports on another significant annual cut in the number of refugees that the US will receive, and points out that this announcement came almost at the same time that President Trump was extolling the value of religious freedom ad the UN. Many people, possibly including the President's (and my) ancestors, came to the US seeking religious freedom.
Christianity Today also has published another article on the effect of the cut mentioned above. It says that the results would be significant.


Computing: Relevant, and other media, report that men and women are not equal in how much they retain when reading the Bible digitally versus from a physical copy.

Gizmodo asks several experts what it would take to shut down the internet, if it could be accomplished.

Health: Gizmodo discusses the ins and outs of acne, and concludes that we aren't really sure how it works.

NPR reports that eating nuts every day helps prevent weight gain, and has other benefits.

Politics: Catherine Rampell reminds us of some of the ways that President Trump's actions, before and during his Presidency, have been driven by greed.

The graphic used in these posts is from NASA, hence, it is free to use like this.
 
Thanks for looking!

Sunspots 743

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to

someone else:

Christianity: A Relevant writer asks if Christians should participate in partisan politics.
(and Computing) A Christianity Today writer believes that reading the Bible digitally is not as good for us as reading a physical Bible.


Computing: (and Christianity) E. Stephen Burnett warns that reading a pirated e-book is stealing.

Education: Grammarphobia tells us how to punctuate a question, or a series of questions within a sentence. (Example: Do you think it will rain? snow? be windy? today? -- that example needs fixing.)

Finance: FiveThirtyEight says that economists are bad at predicting recessions.

History: NPR examines President Truman's attempt to purchase Greenland.

Politics: (And Christianity) A Relevant writer tries to explain recent tweets by President Trump, in which he probably didn't (but who knows) call himself the chosen king, and imply that he is related to the Second Coming, or something.

FiveThirtyEight finds that red flag laws might actually cut down on mass shootings.

Science: The Scientist reports that bacteria have been found, living over 2 kilometers below the surface.

The graphic used in these posts is from NASA, hence, it is free to use like this.

Thanks for looking!

The 12 most important Bible passages

Here's a list of the 12 most important Bible passages. You can probably suggest others!

Matthew 5-7: The Sermon on the Mount

Beatitudes, 5:2-12 (“blessed are . . .)

The importance of unselfish love, and of proper motives, 5:21-48 (Not just doing something wrong, but our desire to do it is sinful.)

On prayer and fasting, 6:4-18 (Includes the Lord’s prayer)

Golden Rule, 7:12 (“do unto others . . .”)

We will be known by our fruit, 7:15-29

Matthew 22:36-40: The two greatest commandments.

Matt 28:18-20, Acts 1:7-8: Christ says that the gospel must be spread. (I cheated -- this is two passages.)

John 1: Christ is God, and He was the chief instrument in creation (“In the beginning was the Word . . .”)

John 3: Jesus and Nicodemus (“For God so loved the world …”)

John 13:34-14:41: Love one another, the Holy Spirit promised. Includes “I am the way . . .”, “I will send the Comforter,” and “whatever you ask in my name.”

John 17: Christ’s prayer for believers

Acts 2: Pentecost – the coming of the Holy Spirit

1 Corinthians 13: True, unselfish, Christ-like love (“the greatest of these is love”)

1 Corinthians 15: The importance of the resurrection

Galatians 5:19-26: The fruits of the Spirit contrasted with the fruits of the flesh

Philippians 2: Christ, humble servant

Hebrews 11: Faith (Now faith is …”)

Thanks for reading. Know these passages.

Scripture on scripture -- how scripture was important in Bible times

Scripture on scripture

Luke 24:27 Beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he explained to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. (All scripture quotes are from the World English Bible, public domain.)

24:44 He said to them, “This is what I told you, while I was still with you, that all things which are written in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms, concerning me must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds, that they might understand the Scriptures. 46 He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

John 5:38 You don’t have his word living in you; because you don’t believe him whom he sent. 39 “You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and these are they which testify about me.

Acts 8:35 Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, preached to him Jesus. 36 As they went on the way, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Behold, here is water. What is keeping me from being baptized?”

Acts 17:10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroea. When they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of the mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.

Romans 4:2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not toward God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” [Genesis 15:6]

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

2 Peter 1:19a We have the more sure word of prophecy; and you do well that you heed it … 20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of private interpretation. 21 For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke, being moved by the Holy Spirit.

2 Peter 3:15b Paul also … wrote to you; 16 as also in all of his letters, speaking in them of these things. In those, there are some things that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unsettled twist, as they also do to the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

The longest chapter in the Bible is Psalm 119, which is about God’s word.

The New Testament depended on the Old Testament. For example, Hebrews 1 and 2 have at least 10 quotations from the OT scripture. Jesus quoted scripture many times.

Thanks for reading. Read the Bible.