From ancient byways to modern highways, glimpses of faith are everywhere...

Monday, February 29, 2016

Trump not sheepish about Mussolini quote



(Photo by Brocken Inaglory)
Fascism aside, let’s take a look at the Mussolini quote that self-professed “good Christian” Trump has upheld:  “It is better to live one day as a lion than 100 years as a sheep.”

Jesus seemed to really like sheep, so much so that some of his greatest metaphors feature them.  Many a “good Christian” will surely recognize these biblical sayings:

Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. (John 21:17)

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. (John 10:11)

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. (Matthew 7:15)

Scary political question of the day:  Could “ravening lions” be equally applicable?

Resources  
http://news.yahoo.com/trump-mussolini-retweet-gawker-232519997.html 

Copyrightr February 29, 2016 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Cat came back after Florida vacation



Russian Blue male   (Photo by Tkeiger)
What with the wind and the cold, it’s perfectly understandable for a Wisconsin cat to head south for the winter.

Nadia the Russian Blue did just that.  She left home one snowy day last December, and was technologically traced about two months later to sunny Naples (Florida not Italy, but still amazing).

When Nadia was discovered by a Naples resident, she was brought to the local animal shelter.  Workers there found her microchip and contacted her Wisconsin family.

Nadia is now back home, no doubt dreaming of Florida’s balmy shores.  So much for technological “advancements.”

Resources
http://news.yahoo.com/catwalk-wisconsin-cat-disappears-then-reappears-florida-131406743.html 

Copyright February 28, 2016 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved

Saturday, February 27, 2016

Peanut butter and jellyfish subs



John Dabiri  (Photo by MacArthur Foundation)
When life hands you peanuts, make peanut butter.  But when life hands you jellyfish, make submarines.

The latter concept has been pioneered by an engineering genius named John Dabiri, who has “unraveled some of the mysteries of the jellyfish and how they propel themselves by creating whirling vortexes in the water.”

Dabiri then thought to himself, “If they can do it, why can’t submarines?”  Bloomberg Business reports that the United States Navy is currently developing “underwater craft that employ [Dabiri’s] mathematical models.”  Such innovations would require 30 percent less energy than existing craft.

Dabiri has also applied bio-inspired engineering to other challenges.  When standard wind turbines are placed near one another, they tend to “funnel wind into each other.”  This causes decreased output and increased wear and tear.

Because Dabiri had observed that fish within schools have found ways to move together without slowing one another down, he “modeled their motion mathematically.”  Using these results, Dabiri then developed “software to define the optimal placement of wind turbines.” This has allowed for more turbines on “a given plot of land,” which in turn has yielded “10 times more energy.”

Resources
http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/articles/2012-04-05/john-dabiri-unlocks-the-mysteries-of-jellyfish

Copyright February 27, 2016 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved