Showing posts with label quotes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label quotes. Show all posts

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Casting Down Imaginings: Is Global Warming a Man-made Phenomenon?

SunriseThe good scientists over at ICR have published an eye-opening article about the relationship between global warming and greenhouse gases, that turns the standard explanation on it's head.

Many climatologists, including Dr. Larry Vardiman, disagree about the role of CO2 in this respect. They have found that the observed increase in CO2 (whether produced by human activity or not) is not causing global warming, but is perhaps caused by it!4 Dr. Vardiman was featured in a video presentation in which he referenced a graph showing that the fluctuations in atmospheric CO2 follow after corresponding fluctuations in atmospheric temperature.

In addition, “the detailed temperature record since 1850 shows a temperature decline between 1940 and 1970 [a time when massive amounts of industrial CO2 were entering the atmosphere], which flies in the face of the explanation that a continuous exponential increase in carbon dioxide causes global warming.”4 Dr. Vardiman has also demonstrated the remarkably close overlaps of temperature to sunspots, indicating that solar cycles are more likely the cause of global warming.

Bet you haven't heard that in the media. It reminds me of Earl Nightingale's advice, "If you want to be successful in life, simply watch what most people would do in a given situation, and then do the total opposite--nine times out of ten, you'll receive greater rewards." In this case, listen to what most scientists say about global warming, then believe the opposite. Not, perhaps, as good a rule of thumb as Nightingale's advice, but eerily appropriate in this instance.

Since I have never blogged about ICR before, I'll just take a moment to introduce them. The Institute for Creation Research is a Creation Science ministry that conducts scholarly scientific investigations and hosts a Graduate School. Their mission is to equip "believers with evidence of the Bible's accuracy and authority through scientific research, educational programs, and media presentations, all conducted within a thoroughly biblical framework." They use good science to uphold the straight forward teaching of God's word, and fulfill Paul's commission in 2Cor 10:5:

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God

Keep an eye open for shared articles from ICR in the right sidebar.

Evidence for Creation

Thursday, October 9, 2008

A.Word.A.Day Keeps the Boredom Away

Since I'm already on a roll today of recommending other websites, I'd like to commend to you A.Word.A.Day. A.W.A.D. is the creation of Anu Garg and has been around for ages (in Internet years). In fact, I originally subscribed to their mailing list back around 1995! Thankfully the list has matured along with the Net, and Anu is now broadcasting in RSS as well as email. That's where I learned the funny sounding, but absolutely appropriate for conversation word fard.

Each week A.W.A.D. sends out a group of oddball, obscure, or highbrow words on a particular theme. Many of them are not really made for normal, day-to-day conversation, unless your friends are all linguaphiles, though periodically, he features series of words intended for daily discussions. But, they're all bona fide words from the English dictionary that might just help you work through some wordy prose and definitely will stretch your brain.

Though I do not agree with Anu's worldview (which he shares in drips & drabs in his introductory comments each week, and via the attached quotations), I applaud his dedication to this project over the last fourteen-plus years. If you're on the hunt for quick ways to increase your brain power, give A.W.A.D. a try.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

The Sledgehammer Approach


"Art is not a mirror to reflect reality, but a hammer with which to shape it."
Bertolt Brecht

This quote from Dr. Mardy Grothe's book, I Never Metaphore I Didn't Like got me to thinking about art in general and specifically the "art" that comes out of Hollywood.

It seems to me, genuine artists use small taps of the hammer, then sandpaper, to shape their final image. Think of the great writers you've read and I think you'll find their writings have a common characteristic: they attempt to shape one's thinking through small, gentle nudges. In this manner, some authors have fundamentally altered the way generations think.

Hollywood, on the other hand, seems to prefer to take a sledgehammer approach to force their opinions upon all who view their shows or movies. Used to be, Bogart would passionately embrace his leading lady, and then... nothing. A passionate embrace, that's all. Viewers were left to assume more happened than was shown, or nothing more happened. Or, Bogart would fire his gun and viewers would see a shadowy figure fall down, presumably dead. Perhaps Heston would carry a couple of stone tablets down a mountain. Even Hollywood used to have some art & occasionally supported the Bible. Today, we're treated to, well to graphic depictions of sexual encounters and exploding body parts, and evolutionary dogma assumed as fact. The sledgehammer approach. And what it does is smash down our defenses and open an generation to baseness as a way of life. And fundamentally alters our thinking, because, after all, who has time think when there's so much good stuff to watch.

So what's the answer? Enact laws to force Hollywood to clean up their act? We already have such laws that aren't being enforced. No, I think a better solution is to get rid of the television, as Donna & I did around 10 years ago. Go ahead, cut the cable, eliminate the desensitizing distractions, and spend some quality time with a good book, perhaps even The Good Book. Am I saying it's wrong to watch TV or movies? Absolutely not. Though some TV and movies are clearly immoral and ought to be avoided. Am I advocating taking a sledgehammer to your TV? Not really, though it may be a good idea to sell it if you're addicted to movies. Christians have the liberty to watch TV or movies of any sort, but we also have a Biblical mandate to carefully consider what we allow to influence our thinking.

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, 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.

Friday, August 15, 2008

A good quote is like a finely cut diamond, incredibly compact yet endlessly fascinating.


Dr. Mardy Grothe has done it again. He has recently released a new book called I Never Metahpor I Didn't Like. As with his other three books, Dr. Mardy explores a specific niche of wordplay - in this case, analogies, metaphors, and similes - through poignant and pithy quotations taken from some of the world's greatest wordsmiths.

I first heard of Dr. Mardy around ten years ago when he released his first book, Never Let A Fool Kiss You, or a Kiss Fool You. I immediately fell in love with chiasmus as a rhetorical device and jumped into Dr. Mardy's competition with both feet. In our correspondence, I found Dr. Mardy to be warm, friendly, and receptive then, and I'm delighted to say he was just the same when I recently emailed him.

Though I haven't yet, I look forward to reading I Never Metaphor I Didn't Like. However, based on his past writings, I will commend it to adults with a love of language and wordplay. Adults, please consider carefully before allowing your children read it, however. As a secular writer, Dr. Mardy does not exclude quotes of a sensual and/or sexual nature; expect them to be mostly confined to the sex section (Chapter 10) with a few sprinkled throughout other categories.

Dr. Mardy, via A.Word.A.Day