Chrislam
Google that word and you will discover dozens of blog articles hailing the approaching end times, noting how people like Rick Warren are now pushing for a merger of Christianity and Islam. Reading even one of these reveals the poorest of justifications for saying Warren has “embraced Chrislam.” I am no Warren fan, but any Christian who writes such junk should be ashamed.
But, if fallacious argumentation is not enough to demonstrate the flaws of these “reports,” maybe plagerism will do the trick. All of the content I have found seems to originate from a pseudo-journalist named Paul L. Williams. The posts seem to be minor variations of each other, using the same words — and even the same church sign picture. Also note that all of them talk about the same events happening “this week” despite being posted anywhere between November and this week.
This smells more of an email urban legend than news. Yet this misinformation is being passed around as news and people will take it as such. Even when we disagree with people, we must reject spreading mistruths, no matter how perfectly they may confirm our biases.
To do otherwise is sin.
UPDATE: My friend Ed Hurst notes that the Chrislam church sign accompanying such posts was fabricated using a church sign making site.
Intriguing
Engadget reports,
C-Mount lenses (commonly used on 16mm film cameras) have already found a bit of new life on Micro Four Thirds cameras thanks to adapters, and it look like the compact lenses are now also found another fan in the form of Japanese camera manufacturer Kenko. It's now showing a new compact camera that will apparently accomodate C-mount lenses directly, and be available in Japan this summer for [yen] 32,000, or about $370 (it's not clear if that includes any lenses).
A new camera line with a not new mount. Intriguing.
Das Auto
This is a perfect way to build up to the relaunch of the iconic car.
The Blizzard that Never Was
Last night was the first time I can recall hearing a blizzard warning for anywhere around the St. Louis metro region. For days there has been talk about the destructive ice, snow and wind headed to the area. There was enough fear with the storm presently crossing the midwest that many businesses closed today that usually would not for mere snow. We as a city were prepared.
But, the blizzard did not come and only a few inches of accumulation happened.
I didn't want to get hit by anything severe that did great damage, but somehow after all the hype, this little snow storm seemed anticlimactic — like a story that builds up great drama only to invoke deus ex machina to fix it all in a most sensational and unsatisfying of fashions.
Oh, well, the snowfall was pretty today.
Snow on Snow on Snow
Rossetti seems fitting tonight,
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.
There is something contemplative about watching the snow fall. Tonight it is falling briskly.
Huckleberry Finn
The San Francisco Chronicle gets it exactly right in its editorial concerning the censoring of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn:
The moral hinge of the novel centers on Huck's realization that Jim's freedom is as important as his own. The rest of the country made this realization in a bloody but necessary way - and trying to deny that history is an insult to all of us.
Ironically, the censoring of Huck Finn removes a crucial element in Twain's biting attack on racist stereotypes. Making the characters appear to be more respectful of Jim is as effective of means for stopping racism as denying parts of the Holocaust would be for reducing anti-semetism. Could it be that those who find Huckleberry Finn most offensive are those for whom the novel's critique hits closest to home?
Happy Ninth Day of Christmas!
I hope everyone has a good day, today. Don't forget that there are still 3 2 official days of Christmas left!
The Matrix
Well, eleven years later, I finally watched the Matrix. The symbolism and allegory are fascinating. In the realm of drama and story, it seems like allegory is an under appreciated form, albeit one that is still richly rewarding. It is nice to see it used.
I think it is one of those films I will need to chew on for awhile. I cannot say I ever had much of a desire to see it… But I think it was good that I now have.
