December 2011
21 posts
"Orangeade" →
This was the codeword that would allow a civil servant in London to be put through to Burlington, a secret bunker in Corsham, Wiltshire, warning that it was about to become the last bastion of British government after Soviet nuclear bombs had devastated the country. The procedure, detailed in the 1962 Cabinet Office War Book, released under the 50-year-rule, is a brief, chilling guide to what...
1 tag
Sticking around after Christmas
Did you know that the three kings in the carol weren’t really kings? They were more likely wise men or ‘magi’ and there were probably more than three of them. Also they didn’t come to the stable, they turned up to see Jesus a lot later.
You did?
Oh ok. Well did you know that the stable was probably more likely to have been a cave? Or that the inn keeper could have been a relative of Joseph? Or...
Merry →
As Christmas comes to a close, John Gruber sums up being a dad perfectly.
The sound of Christmas
Move over Mariah, there’s a new Christmas favourite in town.
FAO preachers; Remember it's a wonderful life →
I know it’s been tough going these past few weeks. Christmas is a demanding time and there’s a whole heap of pressure on you. Well there’s two days to go and plenty of opportunities still to come your way. Suck it up, give it your best shot and take on board this post via Stafford Carson.
A kid with attitude →
Carl Trueman’s christmas article epistomologises Wizzard superbly.
Especially noteworthy though, is the following paragraph,
I wonder if it is coincidence that at the very moment when childhood - or, perhaps better, childishness - seems to be permeating society, atheism and the militant rejection of Christianity are becoming so trendy. There is nothing more childish than the repudiation...
Things you don't see anymore #18
Christmassy videos on Facebook.
Where’s 2011’s flash mob?
David Cameron: "I am a committed – but I have to... →
Dear reader,
I know what you’re looking for, but frankly I could write that article standing on my head.
Yours faithfully
Jonathan
Assimilation Watch
Watching on as The Christian Institute morphs into the Daily Mail.
Today’s outrage- Christians are ‘evil’ for backing marriage, says Tesco R&D boss
Christians are “evil” if they resist the redefinition of marriage to allow for same-sex marriage, the Head of Research and Development at Tesco.com has said.
The inflammatory comment came as news emerged that the supermarket giant is...
Obituary of Boris Chertok →
Boris Chertok, who has died aged 99, was a Russian rocket engineer and a key architect of the Soviet space programme; he played a crucial role in launching the Sputnik satellite and ensuring that Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space.
In 1957, Chertok was busy testing the newly-created R-7 rocket, one of the world’s first intercontinental ballistic missiles, which he had helped build with...
What is Satan plotting this Christmas?
I know most people don’t believe in the devil, perhaps in your heart, you don’t, but humour me for a moment, it is Christmas!
As the Bible describes him, Satan is at odds with God. He hates God and because God loves humanity, he hates us too. Most of all he hates Jesus and the work he did to save mankind.
So, what might Satan be doing at Christmas time?
Remember that Christmas is the time when...
Pro bono
I’ve done a little bit of seasonal advertising in the run up to Christmas. You can see the results here and here.
Presidencia Sans: A font commissioned by the... →
The type family comprises twenty variants, to cover a full spectrum of possibilities, from official documents to corporate signage, billboards and nation-wide campaigns in all media.
Governments spending money on typography sounds great. as long as this man isn’t allowed to contribute designs.
Why I could not live in 'the olden days' →
This has been going around the blogs for a little while but I liked it so in case you missed it, basically a guy looks into the possibility of making a cheeseburger from scratch and concludes,
A cheeseburger cannot exist outside of a highly developed, post-agrarian society. It requires a complex interaction between a handful of vendors—in all likelihood, a couple of dozen—and the ability to ship...
Ulster's born again rugby stars →
All three players grew up in a culture that promotes Christianity from a young age. Their schooldays were punctuated by regimented religion in assembly and in the classroom. It was only later in life that they truly engaged with their Christianity. Muller says: “Listen, I’m still a work in progress, I fail every single day, we all do, but I’m just trying to face that challenge every day, you’ve...
Peter Milsom's thought for the Week →
Warm, concise, topical, easy to understand and thoroughly biblical.
He suggests
Why not convert an article into a small leaflet and put your local church details on the back? You could put one of these in each hymn book every Sunday and ask people to pass this on to one person each week. Or just give them out with the church bulletin each week. This method is designed to encourage Christians to...
Caleb, the geriatric GI
A few weeks ago the minister was preaching from Joshua 14 about a soldier spy called Caleb who trusted God in the face of fearful opposition. As Caleb prepared to finally enter the promised land he had seen decades before, he said,
“I am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me...
Tatiana Giraud Foundation →
Things I did not know about the Demorcatic Republic of Congo until the other day.
i. There are such things as Blood metals.
Like opium and diamonds in other parts of the world, precious metals used in hi-tech equipment are mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Unsurprisingly men fight to have control of these resources.
ii. A woman is raped every 8 minutes in DRC
The militias and foreign...
Change is the Only Constant: A sermon by Wyn Jones →
I started listening to this sermon this morning and found it utterly compelling.
You should listen to this if:
1. You think interesting introductions are mere fripperies that appeal only to people with short attention spans
2. You think contemporary illustrations are unnecessary and detain people from getting to the meat of an argument.
3. You think word play and alliteration are for sermon...
Mendelssohn's Elijah →
Guy Davies makes a compelling (and funny) case for making this your next album.
See where your Christmas present is right now... →
Not quite Santa’s Grotto.