Behold a miniature model of “The Turk,” the world’s first and most famous chess-playing automaton. The full-size original was destroyed in a museum fire later in the 19th century. It once played a game against Napoleon Bonaparte and wiped up the board with him
The cool thing about The Turk is that it was a hoax. There was a guy inside! On the left you can see a small cabinet full of gears and such: that was only for show. The larger compartment held a human chess player who was better than Napoleon.
And everybody believed it, of course!
Just like they believe in Global Warming and the campus rape culture nowadays.
Hi, Mr. Nature here, with more of God’s stuff that always works.
If your garden is blessed, it may be inhabited by one or more of these, the Audacious Jumping Spider, Phidippus audax. They hunt harmful insects by sight, and to catch them when they see them, they jump. If you look closely at the spider in the video, you’ll be able to see her two largest eyes (she has a couple of smaller ones, too).
The “audacious” tag is a misnomer. When one of these spiders sees you coming, he or she will promptly seek a hiding place. I like that quality in a spider. I wish more people had it.
I’m having technical prombles today, so let me just try this. If it works, you’ll see a brief video of the angel-winged katydid. Relax and enjoy it!
Katydids are pretty, and they sing a cool song on summer nights. They are also part of God’s stuff, which always works–in contrast to our stuff, which hardly ever does.
The heavens proclaim the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handiwork.
This is one of those ancient hymns you learn in Sunday school–if they’re not too busy bull-riding in your church–and never forget. The video is performed by Fernando Ortega. Here are the lyrics’
This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world: I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas; his hand the wonders wrought.
This is my Father’s world, the birds their carols raise,
The morning light, the lily white, declare their maker’s praise.
This is my Father’s world: he shines in all that’s fair;
In the rustling grass I hear him pass; he speaks to me everywhere.
Pay special attention to this last verse–words we need to hear.
This is my Father’s world, O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.
This is my father’s world; why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is King; let the heavens ring!
God reigns; let the earth be glad!
There has never been a time, in my lifetime, when the wrong ever seemed so strong as it seems today. But God is the ruler yet: all the wonderful works of His hands, which we see everywhere, declare to us: “God is nigh.”
All right, all right–I’m having fun posting videos, now that I’ve figured out how to do it. Eventually the novelty will wear off.
Meanwhile, get a load of this–Mongolian throat singing. Is this cool, or what?
For those of you who’ve been reading my Bell Mountain books, this is what the Ghols sound like when they sing. Just close your eyes and imagine you’re King Ryons, riding with his loyal Ghols around him.
You may be able to overlook her unbridled lust for money, and power for its own sake, and her absolute lack of scruple when it comes to obtaining either one. You may be able to tolerate her total inability to tell the truth, anytime, anywhere, about anything.
But are you tough enough to endure four years of Hillary Clinton’s public speaking?
In the above video, Mrs. Clinton puts on what she conceives to be a Southern black person’s accent. This is truly teeth-gnashing stuff!
And she got away with it!
Can you even imagine the reaction if this stuff ever came out of the mouth of, say, Dick Cheney?
I am the greatest basketball player in the world, and I am entitled to be recognized as such by each and every one of you. Or else I’ll report you to the Human Rights Commission.
The video proves my claim–just watch! I’m the guy making all those baskets and blocking all those shots. Whoever filmed it mistakenly said it was Wilt Chamberlain when all the time it was me, Lee Duigon. Anyhow, there never was a Wilt Chamberlain. It was always me.
That’s a fact–because I say so. I am entitled to my own facts. And instead of writing me off as crazy, you should all be elbowing each other out of the way to curry favor with me. Build rest rooms specially for me! Allow me to use the women’s showers whenever I please. Invent new pronouns and force college and high school kids to use them. Above all, remember to call me “Wilt” and constantly praise my basketball prowess. Anybody who doesn’t is a bigot and a hater and an enemy of the human race.
Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice?
So begins the book of Proverbs, Chapter 8, one of the most poetic books in all the Bible. It conveys wisdom that would be hard to frame in simple prose: and more than wisdom, God’s love.
The spirit of this benighted age might well proclaim, Doth not folly cry? and idiocy put forth her voice? Maybe that’s why sometimes Proverbs 8 can move me to tears: I live in an era that personifies the exact opposite of every good thing named in this chapter of the Bible.
Never mind. Take a few minutes to be attentive to the voice of God’s wisdom, words spoken for our good: truth, and not lies. Amen.
While I try to decide what to write about today, let this ancient Irish hymn (it goes back over a thousand years) hold my place. It’s one of my favorite hymns, and I hope the video works. I won’t know until I’ve posted it.
Sometimes it’s best just to “be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).
