The Amazing Incredible Edible Banana

Recently a friend sent this information about Bananas.

Everyone loves a banana. 

Some like them almost green. 

Others the beautiful yellow appearance.

Some prefer them with the brown spots. 

And ‘grandmothers’, who also eat burnt toast, say they like them dark.

But, ever-how you like your Banana -- by itself in the array of colors just noted -- or in a Banana Split or pie or pudding or bread -- or whatever --

the Banana is even more wonderful than just its taste and handy easy opening zipper skin.

This email tells more about bananas than most folks ever imagined.

Likely, the next time you enjoy a banana, you will appreciate these amazing benefits.  HERE’S THE LINK

More about hailstones--an Update

As you recall, yesterday, at the conclusion of our Daily Interesting Thing, we ‘Stopped the Presses’ and told you about another big hail storm that had just occurred.

And, though the final information was not yet in, there was a possible candidate for a new record for Hailstone size and weight.

Well Now the hailstone has been weighed and measured.

The result?

1.9735 pounds....  17-18.5 inches

Well, yes, that is big (by today’s standards) and I would definitely not want to be standing (pun intended) in the path of this stone or its companions. 

But 1.973 pounds is a far cry from the 100 pound ones that are prophesied in the Book of revelation. You definitely do NOT want to be around when that hail storm takes place!

Anyway, back to the “stop the presses’ hailstone report,

According to an article today:

“Holes were punched through the top of buildings ....

“dents in the ground, some as large and deep as coffee cans ...

“They sounded like “A guy throwing bricks at the house ...”  

There are also pictures of some of the damage that was caused by ‘fellow’ hailstones during the storm.

And there is a short video that shows the award winning hailstone being measured and some of the damage done by its companions.

Knowing you would be interested in this update, HERE’S THE LINK

Realllly Big Hailstones !

Recently a friend and I were discussing the passage in Revelation which says that in the 7th Bowl Judgment Hailstones weighing 100 pounds will fall.

Wow!   100 pounds ! 

Where does the Bible teach that? you ask.

Well, specifically Revelation 16:21 (kjv) states:

“21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.”

The NASB, the NIV and several other versions translate the word ‘talent’ as ‘100 pounds’.

Now those are big hailstones!

Then she asked me what is the largest hailstone recorded to date.

I had no idea. 

She said “the largest recorded hailstone weighed about 2 pounds” and suggested I look this up and possibly post the findings as a “Daily Interesting Things”.

So, I did some research (summarized below).

And you know, she was very close to the correct answer. 

National Geographic reported several large hailstones. One was a 7 inch (17.8 centimeter) hailstone which fell in 2003 and was almost as wide as a soccer ball. Another in 1928 measured 7 inches in diameter and weighed 1.5 pounds.

NOAA reported in 2007 one measuring 5.25 inches in diameter and another in 2003 with a circumference of 18.75 inches and weighing 1.0 pound

In 2008 NOAA reported that an even larger hailstone had been found in 1970 with a circumference of 17.5 inches, a diameter of 5.7 inches, and weighing 1.67 pounds.

Guinness World Book of Records didn’t list a hailstone record on the web. There might be something in a hardcopy book.

Answers.com says the largest hailstone was the one found in 2003.

But Fun Trivia said the heaviest hailstone was (quoting from the site):
“HEAVIEST HAILSTONE; the heaviest hailstone ever documented from across the globe weighed 2.2 pounds. Multiple hailstones this size fell over a part of Bangladesh, India on April, 14th 1986. The hail storm reportedly killed over 90 people and 1600 cattle.
LARGEST: largest measured hail stone in America fell in Aurora on June 22, with a record 7-inch diameter and a circumference of 18.75 inches, and weighed about 1 pound.

Bottom line: If 2.2 pounds is the largest hailstone so far, then 100 pound hailstones are a sight NOT to behold or experience!!!

They would be like TV sets or Microwave ovens or whatever falling from the sky!  WOW. They would go right through roofs, buildings, cars, airplanes, whatever.  Just think of it!

And while you are thinking, if you would like to refresh your memory about Hailstones and how they form (though I doubt that the hailstones described in Rev. 16:21 will form in the ‘normal way’), HERE’S THE LINK.

BUT STOP THE PRESSES !!!! there may be a new candidate for the largest hail stone -- seems there was a big hail storm in South Dakota on July 23, 2010 with some massive hail stones (now being measured and weighed) but, though massive, they will still be nowhere close to the 100 pounds ones in Revelation.  HERE’S THE LINK

US Debt Clock

You have probably heard that most, if not all, countries are up to their eyeballs in debt.

And for some, their eyeballs are totally submerged.

Well the US Debt Clock will show you the situation in the US generally, in the states, and in many many countries.

And speaking of eyeballs.  This clock will give them a workout. In fact, it is just too much to take in or even to begin to try to comprehend.

Soooooo many figures and they are alllllll moving.

I don’t know who developed this or how ‘real’ it is but it sure looks convincing.

Ok, ready to check it out?  And don’t say I didn’t warn you. HERE’S THE LINK

Stonehenge’s wooden neighbor?

Probably some of you have visited the ‘real’ Stonehenge in England. 

Or perhaps you have only seen pictures of it. But, whether in person or viewed in pictures, the Stonehenge in England is quite an amazing place.

And no one knows for sure who built it or when or how.

But, guess what -- Archaeologists have now found what they think is / was a wooden henge located very close to the Stone Stonehenge.

They haven’t uncovered the ‘find’ yet so it might not be a timber henge.  It might be another stone henge or maybe even a burial site of some sort.

But for the present moment, the thought that this might have been a timber henge is high on the list of what they found.

To ‘read all about it’, HERE’S THE LINK

Robins can see magnetic fields with their right eye !

Yes, you read that correctly !

And who would have thought?

We have known for many years that birds migrate long distances.

And we have been told that this is somehow related to their ability to detect a compass heading (amazing that this just happened by evolutionary chance?  NOT !).

Now, scientists are adding to that information and are telling us that Robins use their Right Eye to see magnetic fields and to navigate using these visual magnetic clues.

Astounding.

Also, the goggles that the robins wore during these studies are ‘something else’.  I wonder how hard it is to put goggles on a robin?

Anyway, since I know you will want to read the details (and see a robin wearing goggles!), HERE’S THE LINK.

Why popcorn pops

How many out there love popcorn? 

Yes I see that forest of hands out there in cyberspace land!

And I have often wondered why only a certain kind of corn would pop -- and why it is not the soft and tasty corn that we boil in water and then eat with butter and salt. Yum. Yum.

Instead, it is that hard rough dry corn that by twisting your hands you rub it off the cob. 

What? You never did that? 

Well, I remember doing that years and years ago (when dinosaurs roamed the earth) at my grandparents house.  They would sit me down with a big basket full of corn still on the cob and a big container to collect the kernels as I wrung them off the cob. 

Yes, a vivid memory.

Today, it is so much simpler.  One just goes to the store and buys the corn already off the cob and ready to pop.

But that brings us to the next question. What makes popcorn pop?

If you don’t know and want to find out, HERE’S THE LINK.

Really Great Advice

Recently a friend sent an email (yes, another one of those “Forwarded things”).

This time the email has a list of very helpful ideas and thoughts.

Some of the advice is easy to follow and makes a lot of sense.

But, some (such as “get more rest”) is much more difficult to do but, we all agree, really should be done.

Anyway, to read this list of very helpful things which will help make your life more fulfilling, HERE’S THE LINK.

Storage solutions for under $10

Ok, you are ‘into’ tiny.

Or at least you might be considering ‘tiny’ after these past few days of seeing and thinking about tiny places to sleep and / or live.

But, perhaps tiny is not your thing but you are interested in getting organized so that your slightly larger than tiny space will be more functional.

So what to do about all the ‘stuff’ that you have that is still very important and needs to be kept?

For helpful storage suggestions, you will likely be able to use some of these ideas. HERE’S THE LINK.

And still another ‘Tiny’ thing -- Tiny Houses!

Wow, it looks like ‘Tiny is in’.

But just between you, me, and the gatepost, though some of these are really cute and would be fun for awhile,

the question remains

Where can a person keep all their stuff?

You know -- the stuff that seems sooo important --

Books, magazines, videos, DVDs, CDs, games for your WII or other consoles, things you just can’t throw out, old tax records, etc.

Many of the back yard sheds that folks buy to keep ‘stuff’ are bigger than these tiny houses.

Ditto re ‘long term storage units’ and those ‘pod’ things that are all the rage these days.

Anyway, if you would like to see the latest in Tiny Houses, HERE’S THE LINK.

And while we are into Tiny, How about a Tiny Apartment

Yesterday we looked at Tiny Hotel rooms.

Today let’s check out this Tiny Apartment that can change into 24 different rooms.

This particular Tiny Apartment is in Hong Kong.  But, I guess one could do this anywhere.

My favorite part is the wall of books.  I can live with tiny IF I can keep my books.

This 4 minute 4 second video tells it all.   HERE’S THE LINK

Tiny hotel rooms !!!

And, wow, they are reallllly tiny.  But they are cute and functional.

And hey, if all you want to do is rest or sleep, these would work. 

Many are in cities, some in the countryside (as you see in today's picture), and, of course, many are in airports where they are sorely needed.

And yes, some are in the famous Atlanta Hartsfield airport.

Check them out. HERE’S THE LINK.

Which came first? The Chicken or the Egg?

You have heard this asked repeatedly since you were ‘knee high to a grasshopper".

And usually the questioner smugly implies that it was the egg that came first and therefore the Bible is wrong or to be ignored when it teaches that the chicken came first.

Where does the Bible teach that? you ask.

Genesis 1:20-23 states:

20And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. 21And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 22And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. 23And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

So, the Bible clearly states that birds (fowls) were created on day 5 of Creation week. And the chicken is a bird (fowl). 

Therefore the Chicken came first.

Well, joy and happiness, ‘science’ has finally come to the (correct) conclusion that the Chicken came first.

But, the reports of this conclusion are still being written wearing ‘old earth’ glasses as they give the ‘glory’ to ‘nature’, not God.  Sigh.

To read this interesting article about why scientists now agree that the Chicken came first, HERE’S THE LINK

Amazing Golf shot

You may have already seen this short
(1 minute 5 second) video on the web.

But if not, you definitely want to check this out.  It is amazing.

Seems that during the British Open, Miguel Jimenez was up against the wall, literally.

Yet, he did an amazing ‘trick’ shot that....

Well, you just have to see this for yourself, HERE’S THE LINK

Just the Black Notes

Over the 4th of July weekend, while visiting family and attending their church, we had the pleasure of hearing Wintley Phipps sing as the special music for the service.

Then a few days ago I attended a funeral where they included a video of one of the favorite songs of the deceased.

And you guessed it, it was sung by Wintley Phipps.

But, singing is not all that he does.   He also plays the piano.

One of the hymns that he plays is Amazing Grace using only the Black Notes. 

You have probably heard this before.  But even if you have, it is definitely worth hearing again.

A friend send this link via email recently and I was reminded once again how good this brief (8 minute 54 second) video is.  HERE’S THE LINK

Goliath’s hometown found !

Archaeologists have been busy as you have no doubt noted from the several recent ‘finds’ that we have been noting.

This time, Archaeologists have unearthed Gat, the home town of the Biblical Giant, Goliath.

Everyone knows about Goliath, the Giant that David killed. 

Indeed, the picture today by Gustave Dore illustrates that event which is recorded in the Bible in I Samuel Chapter 17.

Of course that event did not occur in the city of Gat, but on the battlefield.  Still, the finding of what is thought to be Goliath’s home town is very interesting.

To read about the find, HERE’S THE LINK.

14th Century BC Clay Tablet found In Jerusalem

 A recent article tells of the archaeological find of a “tiny clay fragment -- dating from the 14th century BC”

And it is tiny, measuring 2 x 2.8 X 1 centimeters.

The writing on the tablet consists of “cuneiform symbols in ancient Akkadian”

But, even thought tiny, it is historically very significant because of its age.

The next ‘oldest’ such written record found in Jerusalem dates only to the 8th Century BC.

To read more about this discovery, HERE’S THE LINK

Talking with God

Saw this “Interesting Thing” on a FB page entry today. 

Do not know the source / author (probably the words of a song or a poem).

But whatever the source, these are certainly insightful thoughts:

Happy moments, praise God

Difficult moments, seek God

Quiet moments, worship God

Painful moments, trust God

Every moment, thank God.

Think on these things and put them into practice.

There was a total Solar Eclipse Sunday

Alas, unless you were in the Southern Hemisphere, you could not see it.

This eclipse lasted 4 minutes and 41 seconds, not the longest ever recorded but definitely long enough to be an amazing event.

There are often 2 or 3 partial solar eclipses each year but one or less Total Eclipses.

The next Total Solar eclipse is in, you guessed it, 2012.

To read about the Total Solar Eclipse that occurred Sunday and to view a brief video of the event (the safest way to see such things), HERE’S THE LINK.

King Arthur’s Roundtable

 Apparently, if this is true, things are not what we have thought for all these years.

To what am I referring? you ask.

Well, according to a recent ‘find’ by researchers, the roundtable of King arthur was not a table after all.

Instead it was a “wood and stone structure which would have allowed more than 1,000 of his followers to gather” ...

And Camelot was not a castle ...

Alas and alack.  Can these things be true?

Next they will be telling us that King Arthur was just a legend and never even existed.  Indeed, many have been saying that for years.

But, if there was a real King Arthur, does this mean that the historical site that many of us have visited is not the real Camelot and did not contain the round table?

Well, I don’t know.  But, to read the article with these new 'insights', HERE’S THE LINK.

And if you want to read more about King Arthur and the legends surrounding him, HERE’S A WIKIPEDIA LINK

Early humans farther north than previously thought

Some archaeologists say humans arrived in Britain 250,000 years earlier than previously thought.

Why do they think this?

Well, wearing their old earth glasses as they view these discoveries, it seems that flint artifacts have been found in sediments dated from 840,000 to 950,000 years ago. Hmmm.

But is this dating correct? 

As you know we have previously posted articles about how current dating methods make assumptions that are not necessarily valid. 

Also, the article mentions that the ice age was beginning.

Hmmm, seems that the ice age was also beginning at the time of the Babel Dispersion.

So, after considering these findings using ‘old earth glasses’,

Put on 'young earth glasses' as you read this article,

And consider the possibility that these early inhabitants of Britain were part of the dispersion from the Tower of Babel event and that the beginning of the ice age was also underway at that time.

Then ask yourself, “Which theory (old earth vs. young earth) seems most likely? 
HERE’S THE LINK

A great book to read for Free

Yesterday we referenced an article that should help you in presenting the Biblical answer to folks who believe the lie of evolution.

If you read that article carefully, among other things you probably saw a link to the book, The Lie, by Ken Ham.

That book can be purchased, but in these tight times anything you don’t have to purchase is reallllly great.

And guess what --

You can read this book online or download it to your computer. You can even print the the book, if you have a lot of paper and ink.

What does it cost to do this? you ask.

And the answer is... tah dah..... nothing!

It is FREE (except for the paper and ink should you choose to print it out.)

But whatever method you choose: reading on line, downloading for later reading, or printing it out so you can hold it in your ‘hot little hands’, is free.

What a deal!  Thank you Ken Ham and AIG.  HERE’S THE LINK

What to tell your friend who believes in evolution

Personally I know several folks who believe in evolution and likely you do also.

Some of these friends are Christians and some are not. 

Yet, regardless of their belief in (or lack thereof) of the Lord God Jesus Christ, they are adamant in their belief in evolution and its long long ages and reject the Biblical teaching of a young earth.

Nothing that I have said seems to have made a dent in their evolutionary worldview glasses.

That is why this article piqued my attention. 

You will likely also find it interesting and helpful.  HERE'S THE LINK

Dinosaurs in Antarctica?

This is turning out to be ‘fossil week’

because on Tuesday, we reported the whale fossil discovery in Peru.

Then, Weds we learned of a Trilophodon fossil recently found in Tennessee.

And now, believe it or not, and you need to believe it because it is true, Dinosaur fossils have been found in Antarctica!

Antarctica, as you know, is currently covered with ice, sometimes as much as 3 miles deep.  Temperatures are often recorded to be - 40 degrees F. And it is as dry as the driest deserts.

With such extreme weather in Antarctica now, of course, only fossils of the dinosaurs are now found there.

But why were dinosaurs in Antarctica? 

And how did they get there?

And was the weather in Antarctica always this extreme?

Good questions, and to find the answers to these questions and more, HERE’S THE LINK

Trilophodon fossil found in Tennessee

WOW!  Who would have thought?

This fossil was found in Brighton, Tennessee, which is east of Memphis and south of Nashville.

It was reported by CNN and in the Memphis Commercial Appeal (Newspaper).

It will be given to the Pink Palace Museum in Memphis. Yes, that is an unusual name for a museum and there is an interesting story behind this museum but that is for another time.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand, this fossil was found in the backyard during the installation of a swimming pool !

According to the article, it is a trilophodon, a relative of the modern elephant.

Want to read about it and see a brief video (with no commercials) about the find?  Then, HERE’S THE LINK

Whale Fossil discovered in Peru

Yes, another fossil has been found.

This time it is of a giant Whale with “huge fearsome teeth.”

Its name is Leviathan. 

No, this is not the Leviathan mentioned in the Biblical Book of Job though many now suspect that animal was likely a dinosaur.

The discoverers of this fossil named it Leviathan melville (for Herman Melville’s novel Moby Dick with the ferocious whale).

So tell us about this latest fossil find? you say.

Well apart from its estimated age, which was obviously determined using old ages world view glasses, it was found in Peru in sediments said to be 12 million years old.

But, if you look at the picture in the article, the sediment layers, in which this fossil was found, look strangely like the smooth flat layers of sediments seen in the Grand Canyon, Mt. St. Helen’s, and numerous other locations which are thought by those with the young ages world view glasses to be layers deposited during Noah’s flood.

Is it possible that this fossil might not be 12 million years old but perhaps younger?

And is it possible that it died during the flood?

Well, while you think on these things, you can read this interesting article about this reallllllly big whale fossil.   HERE’S THE LINK.

168 frugal tips

No kidding, there really are a lot of wonderful ideas in this list of 168 frugal tips.

Yes, you can tell, I was out surfing the net again and happened upon this site.

Some of the suggestions are brilliant.  Others are kinda dumb (like turning your car off at a stop light to save gas -- perhaps when a long train is going by, but at a stoplight?)

But, seriously, you will find a lot of good suggestions in this list.

So get out your old fashioned pencil and paper and take notes.  HERE’S THE LINK.

Today is the 4th of July. Is your flag flying?

 July 4 is a very important day in the History of the United States of America.

Also known as Independence Day, it is observed with fireworks, cookouts, concerts, parades, and many many more festivities.

But, why is this day so important?

Years ago we didn’t have to ask that question.

But in recent years many facts about this day and the surrounding days and years have become hazy, foggy, and even non-existent.

Bottom line answer as to why this day is important as described on Wikipedia is:

“During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the American colonies from Great Britain occurred on July 2, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia."

"After voting for independence, Congress turned its attention to the Declaration of Independence, a statement explaining this decision, which had been prepared by a Committee of Five, with Thomas Jefferson as its principal author. Congress debated and revised the Declaration, finally approving it on July 4.”

So, The Declaration of Independence was signed, the Revolutionary war ensued and many lives and fortunes were lost, but ultimately the signers and patriots prevailed and the United States of America was established.

Have you ever read it?

Today, as we celebrate the 4th of July, it would be good if we all took a few minutes and read what it was that they signed.  It explains why the United States of America ‘came to be’.  HERE’S THE LINK.

21 things you should never buy new

Surfing the net is so much fun because there is just no end to the interesting and helpful things one can find.

One such ‘find’ recently is information that can certainly be a money saver.

And for most of us that is a necessity these days.

What did you find this time? you ask. 

Well, as you can tell by the title of today’s Interesting Thing, it is helpful advice on how to save money by buying certain used items.  HERE’S THE LINK.

How to remove scratches from CDs and DVDs

Yes, it is true. I have NOT tried this. 

But, I do have scratches on several of my CDs and DVDs.

And likely you have, too.

So what to do?

Well, while surfing the other day, I came across this ‘how to’ article with suggestions and videos. Some of the suggestions seemed reasonable. Others are not likely to help and a few in the side bar are obviously jokes.

But it made me think that there might be hope for my otherwise unreadable and unplayable discs.

When I get my nerve up, I am going to try to fix a disc or two.  In the meantime, perhaps you would like to consider fixing yours with some of these methods.   HERE’S THE LINK.

Wow! I want one of these!

A flying car!

Yes, we have heard of such things off and on for years and every time I would see one it would be thrilling and I could just picture myself flying here and there in it.

But, then as now, the big and insurmountable problem is the cost.

What does it cost?  you ask.

Well, $130,00 British Pounds, which at today’s exchange rates is about $195,000.  Sigh.

Oh well, it was fun to think about even if only for a few minutes.  Who can afford $200,000.  Not I. Not now. But 70 folks have already ordered one.

Anyway, if you would like to read about it, HERE’S THE LINK.

And to read a tad more about it and see a short video of it flying in an initial test, HERE'S THE LINK