Sunspots 581

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

Christianity: Cal Thomas, a Christian, and a politically conservative columnist, who interviewed Mr. Trump a few weeks before Dobson's statement, is skeptical of his reported conversion.

A columnist in Relevant argues that when Jesus said that the poor will always be with you, He didn't mean that we shouldn't do something about them, or, really, that poverty was a necessary condition.

Health: National Public Radio reports on the use of virtual reality (VR) in seriously incapacitated patients, who seem to be responding well to VR.

NPR also reports on various kinds of gifts to doctors by drug companies and device makers, which, unfortunately, may influence those doctors to prescribe treatments that aren't in the patient's best interest. Hospitals in Southern states are most likely to have such influences.

Wired tells us that it's OK, healthwise, anyway, to eat boogers.

Politics: Wired on how the Benghazi report is presented, and interpreted, in accord with our pre-existing biases. 

Sports: FiveThirty Eight (and other sources) argues that Pat Summitt, recently deceased Tennessee women's basketball coach, was the greatest college women's basketball coach of all time. Others have gone further, and said that she was the greatest college basketball coach, period.


Image source (public domain)  

Sunspots 572

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



Christianity: Christianity Today reports that only about one-third of Protestant pastors in the US believe in a literal rapture before a literal tribulation.

Cal Thomas, conservative, Christian, and syndicated columnist, on why Christians should not depend on politics to fix our problems.

Computing: Gizmo's Freeware reports, briefly, on a free substitute for Office.

The Environment: From Wired: “Trying to solve congestion by making roadways wider is like trying to solve obesity by buying bigger pants.” But, in a special case, widening highways seems to have helped traffic flow.

Food: Relevant reports that someone has invented a pizza box made out of pizza.

Health: National Public Radio and other sources report that you can get the same surgery for considerably different prices in different places in the US.

History: A viking longship, powered by sail and oars, has set sail from Norway to North America, according to the History Blog.

An airconditioning system has been found in a tower in Kuwait, dating to about the 7th century, according to the History Blog.

Listverse discusses 10 cases where Muslims, Jews, and Christians protected each other.

Science: Listverse describes 10 bizarre insect predators. The post includes videos of some of these creatures.

 
Image source (public domain)

Sunspots 530

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


Christianity: Relevant asks whether God really has a special relationship with the USA. Answer: No, and to think that He does is dangerous.
 
Relevant also asks if our bodies make a difference to our spiritual lives.
 
An article in something called Western Journalism, which says that considerably less than 50% of marriages end in divorce, and that the failure rate among churchgoers is significantly less. I can't verify this, but I hope it's true.
 
Ken Schenck believes that the New Testament does not establish any one form of church government, but that there are some features that good church government should have.
 
Computing: The Google URL shortener will shorten URLs for you. (The URL for this is 5 letters and 1 period in length!)
 
Humor: Information on the Clerihew, a humorous poem, named after the first known user of the form, Edmund Clerihew Bentley, where, usually, the first line is someone's name. For example:
    George the Third
    Ought never to have occurred.
    One can only wonder
    At so grotesque a blunder
There are a number of web sites with other examples. I like this one, dedicated to philosophy. Even I know why some of them are funny.

Politics: Cal Thomas, right-wing evangelical, syndicated columnist, and occasional Fox News commentator, argues that evangelical Christians shouldn't have been trying to change the world through politics. It's never worked, and it wasn't the way of Christ or the early church.

Science: Charles Krauthammer, usually a staunchly right-wing commentator, uses his column to explain why the mission to Pluto is important, and inspiring, in some fine writing.

In a 2 minute, 50 second video, a close-up look at some corals.

Some interesting ocean facts. Lots of them.


Image source (public domain)

Sunspots 393

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

Science:  The Register reports on the discovery of a planet that's not orbiting a star.

Sports: Wired has an interview with the author of a book on luck and skill. In the interview, the author says that, of team sports, basketball is most influenced by the skill of the players, as opposed to luck, and he tells us why that is so. (The interview is about other interesting things, too.)

The Arts: I haven't seen Lincoln yet, but Wired has what I take to be a solid review of the film, including statements on who should, and should not, see it.

Politics:  Conservative Christian, and columnist, Cal Thomas has some advice for his conservative Christian colleagues, in the wake of the recent election. Good advice.

Image source (public domain)

Sunspots 355

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

Science: (sort of) a photo of a museum display of  Robert Wadlow, the tallest person who ever lived, considering only certified measurements, with a brief description of his short life.* The display includes a lifelike statue of Wadlow.

Politics: Cal Thomas, conservative commentator (and Christian) had to apologize. He also said this: "Why do so many of us only watch programs that reinforce what we already believe? Where is the growth in that?" Where, indeed?

Christianity: Weekend Fisher is running an anti-virus program on her soul.

*I know. "Short," in this context, is a pun. I mean no disrespect to Wadlow. I just couldn't think of a better word.

Image source (public domain)

Obituary for the Religious Right

Cal Thomas, himself a committed evangelical Christian, has written an obituary for the Religious Right. His point, which he makes very well, is that, for thirty years or more, many evangelical Christians, some with national TV or radio pulpits, have been trying to change the US through the ballot box.

It hasn't worked. It won't work. It shouldn't work.

Thomas suggests another way. He's not the first.

The way to change the US is through -- radical thought! -- being like Christ, to those around us.

Amen.