Did Darwin have a deathbed conversion?

You have probably heard that Charles Darwin, the ‘founder’ of modern evolutionary thought had a deathbed conversion and accepted Christ as his Saviour.

If so, that would be truly astounding.

Having heard this ‘idea’ many many years ago, I have often wondered what happened and if this was really a true story.

Then, in recent years, I began to hear reports that this is not true and that he did not have a deathbed conversion.

Hmmmm.

So, what is the true story?

Did he have a deathbed conversion?  Or Not?

To read a good but short summary of what may have transpired and why this story originated in the first place, HERE’S THE LINK

What does SOS stand for?

This is another interesting factoid sent by a friend via email.  Thanks Friend.

On the surface, I guess the thought had not occurred to me about what the letters SOS meant, having always always just considered it to be a distress signal that was easy to remember even if one did not know morse code.

The dit dit dit DAH DAH DHA dit dit dit  sound is easy to remember, write (... ___ ...) , and to send even by a novice.

But what does it mean?  Hmmm.  Good question.

This is definitely a “curious minds want to know” question.

And two links will give us the answer.

The first link was sent by the friend in the email.  HERE’S THAT LINK

And, for those who want more details and to hear an audio of what the signal actually sounds like, HERE’S THE LINK

This past week in History - The Bible printed for the first time

It is Sunday and many are heading off to Church with Bible in hand.

But did you know that this past week was an historical week in that on Aug 24, 1456, the Bible was printed for the first time.

It was printed, as you recall, on the Gutenberg Press, a moveable type press, and the Bible was the first book to be printed on it.

Until that time Bibles were very rare because they had to copied by hand.

Hence only the very wealthy could afford copies or partial copies.

Today Bibles are very inexpensive and can be had by almost anyone who wants one, since price is no longer the object.

But, until August 24, 1456, that was not the case.

Yes, I know that today is not Aug 24, but it was during this past week that the big event occurred and I waited to share this historic event with you on a Sunday which seemed appropriate.

And, to tell you the truth, I didn’t discover this until a few days after Aug 24 had passed. Sigh.

Anyway, to read more about this historic date and the Gutenberg Bible, HERE’S THE LINK.

Confessions of a former Atheist

Recently while looking up another topic, I came across this very interesting article.

What is it this time?

Well, the title of today’s entry sums it up in a nutshell.

But basically it is about a guy whose father was a former pastor who didn’t believe the Book of Genesis was a literal history and, further, that his father said that Biblical interpretation was ‘fluid’.

Well, you can imagine what happened to his son when these beliefs became inculcated into his world view.

What happened years later when  ...

Well, I don’t want to ruin your joy of discovery about what happened in his life and why, so, to find out for yourself.   HERE’S THE LINK

Were Dinosaurs alive after Babel?

Ok, yesterday we learned ‘why’ the term Dinosaur is not in the Bible.

Summarizing:

Dinosaurs are not mentioned in the Bible because the name ‘Dinosaur’ was not coined until 1841. 

Richard Owen was the one who invented the name, Dinosaur.

Prior to that time they were probably called “dragons”

So, since Dragons are mentioned in the Bible and some were likely dinosaurs, then the next questions you likely have are

Were Dinosaurs on the ark? 

Did they survive the flood? 

And, last but not least, were Dinosaurs alive after Babel?

Well, for answers to these questions, HERE’S THE LINK.

Why isn’t the word Dinosaur in the Bible?

Doubtless you have wondered about this.

And many folks jump on the fact that since dinosaurs are not mentioned in the Bible then surely that is ‘proof’ of an ‘old earth’ of millions and millions of years.

But there is a simple reason why the term ‘dinosaur’ is not in the Bible.

Dinosaurs are not mentioned in the Bible because the name ‘Dinosaur’ was not coined until 1841.

Richard Owen was the one who originated this name.

Prior to that time they were probably called “dragons.”

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

So who was Noah Webster?

When most folks think of Noah Webster they likely correctly equate him with the Dictionary by his name, the one we referenced yesterday.

And, yes, that is a great thing to recall about him, but the dictionary he authored is only one of his many accomplishments.

According to Wikipedia: “Noah Webster (October 16, 1758 – May 28, 1843) was an American lexicographer, textbook pioneer, English spelling reformer, political writer, editor, and prolific author. He has been called the "Father of American Scholarship and Education." His "blue-backed Speller," his "Grammars," and "Reader," all contained Biblical and patriotic themes and Webster led the production of educational volumes emphasizing Christian Constitutional values for more than a century.

"In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government ought to be instructed...No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people." Webster considered "education useless without the Bible" but he cautioned against too extensive use of the Bible in schools as "tending to irreverence,"


“Webster learned twenty-six languages, including Old English (Anglo-Saxon), German, Greek, Latin, Italian, Spanish, French, Hebrew, Arabic, and Sanskrit.”

Wow! Amazing !!!

26 languages!

That reminds me of the famous joke:

What do you call a person who speaks 3 languages?     Answer = Trilingual

What do you call a person who speaks 2 languages?     Answer = Bilingual

What do you call a person who speaks 1 language?       Answer = American

But I digress --

To read more about Noah Webster, who spoke 26 languages, HERE’S THE LINK

Webster’s 1828 dictionary

Several years ago I began to notice that words have reallllly changed.

What? Explain! 

Well, while reading the definition of a word in a current Dictionary I became suspicious that this was not the definition that I had learned as a kid.

So, being suspicious that the definition had been watered down, and searching around the house for an older dictionary than the one I was using, I found one from 1938.

And, yes, the definition had been seriously watered down!

Checking several more words, I found that this was not a one-time happenstance but was actually very common.

This was an across the board watering down but most obviously with the definitions of such words as sin, evil, devil, angel, mercy, faith, and other ‘religious’ words.

You might want to check out those and other definitions in your dictionary and then compare the more complete definition in a much older dictionary.

So, for the past several years I have only used my old 1938 dictionary when I want to look something up.

But, guess what, there is an even better ‘old’ dictionary.

Recently while visiting family on a vacation, one of my nephews made the same amazing discovery about the changes of words.  He was also using a current dictionary and also became suspicious.

So he found an 1848 Webster’s Dictionary, looked up the same word in it, and was so amazed that he called me to his study area to show me what he had found.

Yikes!  Talk about watered down and changed!  

So we looked at other words.  Same thing.

Then we went on the internet to see if there is an online version of the 1848 Webster’s.  There wasn’t.

But, there was an even older and better online version, the 1828 edition, which can also be purchased in hardcopy form.  

To read several different definitions in the 1828 version vs. contemporary dictionaries at a site that also sells the 1828 version, HERE’S THE LINK

And, knowing you will want to add the Free On Line version to your bookmarks for your personal use and edification, HERE’S THE LINK

Another trip down nostalgia lane

American Cities before 1950. Some of these are wayyyyy before 1950.

For example, the first city pictured is, get ready for it -- Chattanooga in 1864. Wow. that is even before my time.

But it is Chattanooga.  You can see the unmistakeable Lookout Mountain in the background.

Lest you be confused, the picture above is of Chattanooga today.  The unmistakeable Lookout Mountain is unchanged but, wow, the city sure is different.

Anyway, for another great 'look back into history' series of pictures of Chattanooga and many other cities,  HERE'S THE LINK.

Would a pothole slow you down?

Recently, while on a trip, we saw many  orange cones, barrels, detours, potholes, shredded tires, wrecks, overturned tractor trailers, and other objects in or by the road.

And, yes, those things all slowed the traffic down somewhat.

But often there are no hindrances to zipping along on the interstates or city streets so people often go wayyyyy toooooo fast.

What to do?

Well, you have likely seen the famous email that has gone round and round showing one clever way to slow folks down.

I have not encountered the potholes depicted in this email but  we all have at one time or another seen some eerily like them.

And they definitely give one a fright.

Want to see for yourself?  Well, then, HERE’S THE LINK.


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Where the word ‘Wiki’ comes from

Everyone has heard of ‘Wiki’ as in Wikipedia.

But what an odd name. 

I have often wondered ‘what does it mean?’ and ‘where does it come from?”

Well, there seems to be an answer.   HERE’S THE LINK


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Have you ever seen a 100 foot put?

A hundred foot put !  

I kid you not.  It really happened.

Check this out.

HERE’S THE LINK  (pun intended)

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A pictorial journey back in time

Recently another email came with a link to these pictures.

Talk about nostalgia!

For someone who lived in this time (1939-1942) this will really evoke memories.

For others whose parents or grandparents lived during this era, you need to know what it was like in those days.

Wow!  So much has changed since the era of these pictures.

One can hardly believe that this was America only 70 or so years ago!

The way folks dressed -- women in dresses even when working in the fields, men wearing hats, etc.-- wow, how things have changed, not only economically but also in attitudes and attire.

And, yes, radios were the ‘in’ thing and were often huge like the Zenith in the picture above. 

In fact, it was on a radio like this that many folks heard the Halloween broadcast of the Orwell play and were convinced that the War of the Worlds with space invaders had begun.

But I digress.

You definitely need to check these pictures out.  Truly amazing.  HERE’S THE LINK.

Was the fruit an Apple?

The other day (Saturday, Aug 14) we thought about why Eve’s eyes were not opened until after Adam had also eaten of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Today let’s take this topic a tad farther.

Specifically, was the fruit that Adam and Eve ate, in violation of God’s specific command to not eat it, an apple?

Everyone, or almost everyone, just carelessly or flippantly says it was an apple.

But was it?  Does the Bible say it was an apple?

Good question.

And to find out more about this ‘forbidden fruit’ and what it might have been, HERE’S THE LINK.

The earth from space by NASA

It is summertime which means vacation time which means trips to here and there.

Well, usually it means that.

But, perhaps this year you are not going as far afield as usual.

The heat, expenses, whatever may be keeping you home bound.

But, not to worry, we can still do some serious traveling.

How about let’s board the space shuttle and circle the earth a few times and take pictures of what we see.

Of course we can’t really do that but the NASA folks have done this for us.

And, WOW, the pictures they have taken are astounding.

Niagara Falls, Mt. St. Helen’s, Alaska, Cape Code, Antarctica, the Bahamas, Crater Lake in Oregon, New York City, the Golden Gate Bridge, The Hawaiian Islands, and on and on. You will be amazed. I certainly was.

Of course, from time to time our ‘tour guide’ (the explanation beneath each photo), has on his ‘old earth glasses’ but putting that aside, you will still love these pictures.

So, sit back, relax, put on your ‘vacation cap’ and let’s enjoy these amazing photos of earth from space.  HERE’S THE LINK.

The Bible: Can we Trust it?

It is Sunday and time for your to grab your Bible and head to Church.

Many folks, however, would scoff at you for doing that. 

They would even say that the Bible is just a bunch of myths or that it has been changed repeatedly through the years or ....

In other words, there are folks who say that you can’t trust the Bible.

But are they correct?

Is it really, as they claim, outdated, corrupted, just a book of fables, and therefore unreliable?

I don’t know who wrote this rebuttal to these doubters and skeptics but a good article out there on the net addresses these doubters.  HERE’S THE LINK

Why were Eve’s eyes not opened until after Adam ate?

To bring you up to speed before we discuss this, here is the Biblical text:

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. (Genesis 3:6–7)

You recall this tragic earth and life changing  event.

This was when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and, as the result, sin and death entered their lives, our lives, the world, and the universe.

Much could be said about this but one question which may have crossed your mind is: “Why were Eve’s eyes not opened (to sin) until after Adam also ate?”

This is a great question and there are several possible answers.

What are they?  Well, HERE’S THE LINK

More beautiful Aurora pictures

In the event that you are unable to see the Perseid Meteor shower because of too many lights or cloud cover or whatever (in my case it is trees blocking the view) though I tried several times last night to see them, well do not despair.

We have an alternate thing for you to view and review.

You recall the ‘sun storm’ of Aug 4.

And we posted some pictures at the time of the Auroras which were produced.

Today let’s look at some more.

These are amazing and beautiful.

First, let’s look at several still pictures of the Auroras.  HERE’S THE LINK

And next, but definitely not least, here is a very interesting time lapse video of the aurora borealis.  This is truly amazing.  HERE’S THE LINK

Perseid Meteor Shower

It is that time of the year again when the Perseid Meteor shower occurs.

This year, according to an article on the Fox News site: “The best time to watch for meteors will be from the late-night hours of Wednesday, Aug, 11 on through the predawn hours of Aug. 13 – two full nights and early mornings.”

If you live in a city with all the bright lights, you probably will be somewhat disappointed as I have been on many occasions when trying to view this annual event while in a city.

But, if you are in a countryside location or somewhere where it is really dark, you may see up to 60 or more of these shooting stars every hour.

So, get your reclining lawn chair, go outside, and start watching.

This article will tell you more about where to look and how and more. HERE’S THE LINK

And even if you are in a city and can’t see many of these shooting stars, you will still learn a lot about this beautiful annual event. HERE’S THE LINK.

Baby Christopher Update

We haven’t given you any news about Baby Christopher for quite some time.

You will recall that he is the son of the Sports Writer that has written some articles that we have posted on this site from time to time.

Baby Christopher, you also recall, desperately needed and received a Heart Transplant several months ago.

Well, fine, you say, so why are you talking about him now?  Is he OK?

Well, yes and no.

The Heart transplant was successful and is beating merrily away.

However, he is still in the hospital in ICU, in his 8th month!

Why still there? you ask.

Well, he has had one complication after another including the most severe which is renal failure !!!

And he has had several other surgeries.

And now he seems to have peritonitis and possibly (though not yet confirmed) septicemia BUT he seems to be conquering this also according to the latest report of about 5 hours ago in which his mother said he smiled and smiled at her for about 30 minutes. Wow.

But, he still needs your prayers as he is definitely not out of the woods yet.

The Arkansas Democrat Gazette Newspaper ran a series this week about him and his family.  Alas, you can’t read those articles because they are only for the paid subscribers to their website.

But, you can view a wonderful short video that the Newspaper put on line that is free to all. It is great!  HERE’S THE LINK.

What the M’s stand for in ‘M & M’s’

On January 23, 2010 we told of a newly wed couple who went to the Tetons for their honeymoon.

Their first names begin with M so they were often called, “the M & M kids” and they have a ‘thing’ for M&M candies.

Because of this, part of their table decorations at the wedding were, you guessed it, little collections and groupings of M&M candies scattered along the tables.

Well, I have thought about this (The M&Ms on the table) for quite some time and wondered what is the origin of the name ‘M&M’s’ ?

This tasty candy was obviously not named for this couple.

But there is an origin. This is not just a catchy made up name.

So, if you want to know how the M&M candies got their name,  HERE’S THE LINK

Fall 2010 Worldview Rallies

OK folks, the Schedule for the Fall of 2010 has been released.

So If you live in or near any of these cities, you MUST attend one of these rallies.

And, If you have relatives or friends in or near these events, tell them also.

          City                                                                 Date
Little Rock, Arkansas                 Sunday Night, September 19, 2010
Wichita, KS                                Friday Night, September 24, 2010
Lincoln, Nebraska                      Saturday Night, September 25, 2010
Mitchell, South Dakota              Sunday Night, September 26, 2010
St. Louis, Missouri                     Saturday Night, October 2, 2010
Carbondale, Illinois                    Sunday Night, October 3, 2010
Columbus, Ohio                         Friday Night, October 8, 2010
Pittsburg, PA                              Saturday Night, October 9, 2010
Morgantown, West Virginia        Sunday Night, October 10, 2010
Milwaukee, Wisconsin                Friday Night, October 15, 2010
Duluth, Minnesota                      Saturday Night, October 16, 2010
St. Paul, Minnesota                     Sunday Night October 17, 2010
Pensacola, Florida                       Saturday Night, October 23, 2010
Orlando, Florida                          Sunday Night, October 24, 2010
Nashville, Tennessee                   Saturday Night, November 6, 2010
Chattanooga, Tennessee              Sunday Night, November 7, 2010
Kingsport, TN                             Saturday Night, November 13, 2010
Richmond, Virginia                     Sunday Night, November 14, 2010
Peoria, IL                                    Friday Night, November 19th, 2010
Des Moines, Iowa                       Saturday Night, November 20, 2010
Rockford, Illinois                        Sunday Night, November 21, 2010
Branson, Missouri                       April 29, 30 & May 1, 2011

Why do you want to attend? you say.

Well, after you attend you will understand. 

But, in the meantime, know that these meetings are awesome, informative, necessary, will ‘fill in the blanks’ about what is going on, and etc etc etc.

But, don’t take my word for it, though I have attended one of these and highly recommend them, go to one and find out for yourself.

You can read more about the rallies, listen to brief clips of some of the speakers, and register (they are FREE).   HERE’S THE LINK

And, if you have friends in or near these places, you can send them this information by clicking on one of the little buttons below.

Cashew Nuts

Sitting here at the computer, clicking away, surfing the net looking for another Daily Interesting Thing to post for your ‘edification’, I reached into a big jar of Mixed Nuts on my desk.

That jar sits next to a small can of Macadamia nuts which sits next to a container of pretzels.

Hmmm.  Isn’t your computer desk similarly fitted out with snacks?

Anyway, looking at the choices of nuts in the Nuts Jar, I pulled out a Cashew Nut (well, several cashew nuts) and began to munch on them.

That reminded me of a trip taken earlier this year where, on a tour, our guide stopped the bus, went to a big tree and ‘picked’ the object you see pictured as today’s Daily Interesting Thing.

What is it? you ask, noticing that it looks like an apple with a hook or something similar.

Well, what you are viewing (that 'hook-looking thing on the top of the 'apple looking thing') is a Cashew Nut as it grows on the tree (though in this picture it is being held in the hand, with the background being the seat in front of us on the bus).

Anyway.  All that to say, this was definitely not what I had ‘pictured’ to be the appearance of a Cashew Nut. 

I assumed they grew more like a pecan or walnut or whatever.  But, this is really odd.

And the processing that the Cashew Nut goes through before ending up in my jar of nuts is amazing also.

For a Cashew Nut, ‘life’ is very different from the average nut. 

No wonder they are so expensive.

Anyway, to read about Cashew Nuts, where they grow, what has to happen to them to get to your taste buds, and more, HERE’S THE LINK.

Another archaeological find as old as and similar to the Hammurabi Code

 What? Another archaeological find?  Yes!

And when something is as ‘old’ as the Code of Hammurabi, it is rellllly old.

How old? you ask.

Well, according to Wikipedia, it dates to about 1790 BC.

Many years ago (but not in 1790 BC) I saw the 7.4 foot tall Stele of Hammurabi in person!  It was an unforgettable and awe inspiring moment.

To think that I was viewing the stele with the 282 laws (which, of course I could not read) of the Babylonian King Hammurabi was truly a ‘wow’ event.

And now, apparently archaeologists have found another fragment (though not nearly as big as the Stele of the Code of Hammurabi, shown in the picture above), which dates from the same general time period.

Wow.

To read about this new find, HERE’S THE LINK. 

And to find out why the Code of Hammurabi is so important (and it is), Wikipedia has a good article with pictures.  HERE’S THE LINK

Remains of John the Baptist found ?

Well, this is interesting. 

And, how will they know? 

Did folks have DNA records back then?  I don’t think so.

Anyway, the current thinking (while awaiting ‘tests’) is that bone fragments from John the Baptist have been found.

However, other such ‘finds’ claiming to be that of John the Baptist have been reported through the years including in Lower Egypt and other places.

According to Wikipedia concerning this present find:  

"In July 2010 a small sarcophagus was uncovered on St. Ivan Island, Bulgaria. According to local archaeologists, the sarcophagus holds relics of John the Baptist which were donated by Constantinople to the destroyed monastery on the island.”


Well, I guess the “tests”, whatever they may be, will give us the answer or maybe they won’t, but for now, this is what is being reported. 

A one minute 6 second video (after a short advertisement saying that man created the dog ) shows the sarcophagus which might contain his remains and some of the remains.  HERE’S THE LINK

Northern Lights seen farther south than usual this week

Well, as you surely know by now, as it is in all the news, there were several eruptions on the Sun on Sunday. 

The effects of these eruptions in the form of the Aurora Borealis began to be seen on Tues.

And, due to the slightly larger than usual size of the eruptions of the ‘sun storm’, the Aurora Borealis that is being produced is visible in lower latitudes than usual.

But, alas, not low enough for me to see. Sigh.

Not to worry, though, for as mentioned in a previous ‘Daily Interesting Thing’ awhile back, I saw the Aurora Borealis many years ago.

Still, it would have been fun to see it again.

Well, maybe not fun. 

Because if it were visible this far south, the side effects would be awful (power outages, etc) since it would mean it had been a humongous storm.

So, I will take a pass on not seeing the event this time and will be content with looking at pictures made by folks who did see it.

So, with that said, to see some beautiful pictures of the Aurora Borealis produced by the Sun Storm of Sunday,  HERE’S THE LINK

And to discover where some of the best viewing locations are located and for information about ‘why’ and ‘how’ the Aurora Borealis is produced, HERE’S THE LINK

Should you really dry clean? Or can it be washed?

Now this is an interesting question.

And an important one.

Doubtless you have often wondered if you reallllly had to dry clean that sweater, blouse, slacks, jacket, whatever.  I know I have.

Well, I found an article that gives some good advice on this topic and a few others.

So, with that said, and perhaps this will help save you some money and time, HERE’S THE LINK.

CD Tracts -- What an amazing concept !

A few months ago we told you about the excellent printed tracts that Living Waters Ministry of Ray Comfort produces.  

I have purchased and handed out many of their tracts. They are very good and very effective and we highly recommend them.

You can refresh your memory about those tracts and perhaps order some if you haven’t already.  HERE’S THE LINK to the home page for the site.

To see the page with all their printed tracks HERE’S THE LINK.

But recently I ran across a website that does CD tracts !

WOW !  What an amazing concept !

In other words, instead of handing out printed tracts, this group hands out CDs.

And they encourage you to do likewise. 

They let you download the audios (they also have videos) to your computer and then put them onto CDs or DVDs to share with your friends, family, and ‘perfect strangers’.

They even have a lot of helpful ‘how to’ information that clearly tells you how to make the copies, what equipment to use, etc.

All in all, this is quite an interesting ministry and a unique concept.  I haven’t tried it yet, but it looks like it would be very effective.

Folks could listen to these while driving or jogging or whatever.

They even have the audio for a CD based on the book 23 Minutes in Hell which we referenced yesterday. 

To learn more about this ministry and to download some audios to burn to CDs to give to others, HERE’S THE LINK

And be sure to tell your friends about this so they can start a CD ministry also.  You can email them a link to this ‘Daily Interesting Thing’ by clicking on one of the little buttons below.

23 minutes in Hell

Bill Wiese, in 1998, had an experience, a vision, in which he went to hell for 23 minutes.

His description of Hell, as given on his website states:

"With electrified senses Bill Wiese experienced the searing flames of hell, total isolation, a putrid, breathtaking stench, deafening screams of agony, terrorizing demons, and finally, the strong hand of God lifting him out of the pit."

Formerly a Businessman (Real Estate broker), he now travels and teaches about his experience and assures us that Hell is a real place!

I saw his book in a bookstore a few months ago and scanned through it though I didn’t purchase it at the time.

But recently I heard him being interviewed on a radio program and was very impressed by his comments and answers to the questions posed to him, some being obviously ‘trick’ questions.  But he answered according to what the Bible teaches and did not get ‘off topic’ or into speculation.

This is a very interesting book and site (not Hell but his website).   Click on the various links (he answers many of the questions about which you are surely wondering). 

He also tells you how to NOT go to Hell!

For his website, HERE’S THE LINK

And I think you can listen to his testimony for free at this site (though I have not tried it personally).  HERE’S THE LINK

A new painting by Ron DiCianni

This was sent to me by a friend.  Yes, another ‘fruit’ of emails.

What is it? you ask.

Well, short answer is --

It is a painting depicting the Resurrection of Christ, at the moment He emerged from the tomb.

But, it is more than that.

In this brief, 4 minutes 20 second video, the artist, Ron DiCianni, describes the painting, the various individuals depicted in it, and more.

Awesome.   HERE’S THE LINK