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Cat scares itself

There's something about cats - they're just smart enough to manipulate the world around them, but dumb enough that they're funny...



Source: 22Words

Choose your own font

I've recently been trying to teach myself a bit of web design. Well, I've got the brain to do the web part, but the design ain't my area of natural talent.

A big problem? What font to use. Step up this handy diagram, although a section for websites would be good too:

Source: 22 Words

Has John Cage considered this?

At the risk of comic upheaval - here's a second post on the subject of music!

I don't know if John Cage has considered this, but it seems right up his street:



At the very least it's subject matter for a Billy Joel song.

Audio gives the most bang for your buck

I tweeted earlier about how listening to the Dark Knight soundtrack makes even mundane tasks like tidying your wardrobe feel slightly heroic. And that reminded me of a comment I half-remembered from George Lucas.

In this interview, George Lucas comments on how he believes that audio is 50% of a movie's impact, and a good soundtrack gives you the most bang for your buck in terms of impact.

Given that he worked on Star Wars I can see why he thinks that. But it's probably true, if you ever watch a scene (esp. the threatening ones) and consider what's actually happening onscreen vs. the way the music makes you feel, you'll realise what an effect it has.

I was searching for a source for the quote when I came across this interview with John Williams about the Star Wars soundtracks. The most interesting part for me were his comments on how an orchestral score appealing to the traditional nature of the stories was an important factor in its popularity, his thoughts on George Lucas' modifications to the original films, and a nice story about how the cantina band tune came about. Worth a look.

Christian rap

Christian rap has been around for a while now, and to be quite frank, I don't know much about it. I don't listen to rap much, but what I will say is that it seems a great medium for putting a message across because it is so word-heavy you can pack a lot of meaning into the lyrics of one song. That said I don't think it would work in church. John Piper likes it though...

I was digging through some bits of paper looking for a password, and I came across a rap I wrote way back in my second year at uni. Some of the rhymes are a bit weak, but it's a bit better than I remember. What do you think? Do you agree with the words? Any bits that should say something different? What's your opinion of Christian rap as a whole? Do you have a favourite artist?

Anyway, comment away, here goes:

God is one God in persons three,
A holy trinity,
Perfectly relating to each other,
And God also wants for you and me,
To be,
In a relationship with Him for all eternity.

He created the world by His word,
All the beauty around more than we deserved,
For Him to give and to be served,
Friendship and harmony in Eden,
Humankind in perfect freedom,
In our perfection we could see Him,
And He provided for all our needing,
And it could have stayed this way.

But we rebelled against Him,
And decided to do our own thing,
Rather than acknowledge Him as King,
But because this is wrong we bring,
A curse on creation and humanity to ruination,
The wrong in the world results from this alienation,
And we deserve His punishment on us, eternal separation,
From the source of all good and are left only with the bad and His wrath in Hell eternal condemnation.

But God so loved the world that He sent His only Son,
Jesus, who mankind shunned,
Came to Earth as fully God and full man,
Lived a perfect life like none of the rest of us can,
But we put Him on a cross,
God's perfect plan, but at great cost,
He suffered for us God's wrath,
And gave up His life for us,
But that was not hope lost.
After three days He rose from the grave,
Conquering sin and Satan, us He saved,
And our sins He forgave,
And that's the best news because to sin we all are slaves.

And if you believe in Him,
Turning from your sin,
He'll forgive you and welcome you in,
But because He loves you that's the thing,
And why Christians sing,
Out of gratitude for His suffering,
that set us free from Hell and death,
That our final earthly breath,
Will not spell eternal pain,
But rather we will eternal life gain.

That's what Christianity is about,
And anything that denies these facts,
Is false and should not be passed about,
That you should not doubt,
From Genesis to Revelation,
The Bible is a proclamation of salvation to the nations,
from generation to generation.
How do I know this is true?
Because it says so in the Bible,
God's infallible word to me and you.

So do you think that you are perfect,
No wrongdoing to detect, correct? Don't even suspect?
None of us are without defect,
Life not directed by the One who demands our awe and respect,
Do these thoughts not affect you and make you circumspect?
Gain the whole world and lose your soul to what profit?
Think it's a trick?
No, the evidence for its truth is historic.
Do you believe that? You pick.

N.B. Best read in a rapping sort of rhythm - it makes it flow a little better.

Peking? No, but I had a jolly good look...

Unfortunately they changed the name of Peking to Beijing, which means the joke no longer works. But yes, I just got back from China.
The joke is from these old PG Tips adverts. Still some of the best adverts I've seen.

More about China itself to follow, I still need to organise my life: