Author: Nathan Campbell

Nathan runs St Eutychus. He loves Jesus. His wife. His daughter. His son. His other daughter. His dog. Coffee. And the Internet. He is the pastor of City South Presbyterian Church, a church in Brisbane, a graduate of Queensland Theological College (M. Div) and the Queensland University of Technology (B. Journ). He spent a significant portion of his pre-ministry-as-a-full-time-job life working in Public Relations, and now loves promoting Jesus in Brisbane and online. He can't believe how great it is that people pay him to talk and think about Jesus. If you'd like to support his writing financially you can do that by giving to his church.

Anatomically correct

Late last year I posted the anatomy of a minifig – a nice little view of what’s inside your favourite lego men, making them tick. The guy who showed us how minifigs work is back – now showing us how people work – and there’s a little bit of lego in all of us…

And he’s also given us the run down on what’s inside the humble gummi bear…

The Church of Google

A while back I mindlessly speculated that Google was just like God. At least there were certain similarities. I was trying to find an appropriate analogy for talking to geeks. Who incidentally, in my latest piece of theorising, are probably statistically more likely to be atheists despite a love for science fiction*.

Anyway, it seems there’s actually an atheist movement running round calling themselves “the church of Google” suggesting that Google is indeed the closest thing to God (Note: google chrome reckons this site is dodgy, and has blocked it (and search results it appears in on my site) so I’ve killed what was a link, and you’ll have to google it for yourself),.

Sadly, there is a page dedicated to “hate mail” filled with irate Christians. Like this guy.

“I’m sorry, but I must not only completely disagree with your little Googlism idea, but i must also call it insanely retarded. For one large reason, it was man-made. Not to say than any other g0d is not man-made, but as much as we are sure google exists and g0d does not, we are also sure google is a search engine not only made by two guys, but there is no opposition to the thought that it wasnt, where as to g0ds of any nature, are not man-made, but more on control/lead man. Another reason, the only thing google is made for, is to give information. Google has not created the world, man created google. To say google is g0d not only does make sense, but it has to be one of the most retarded things i have ever heard.”

*Based solely on the number of pro-atheism articles submitted and voted for on geek cesspools like Reddit, Digg, and StumbleUpon.

Hanging around

One of the coolest wedding presents we were given was a Beginners Guide to Taxidermy… Seriously. If I had pet Guinea Pigs I’d seriously consider turning them into salt and pepper shakers… but I digress.

Hanging dead animals on walls has been trendy since the Middle Ages. But it’s usually the head and not the body – which means there must be a lot of spare animal bodies floating around right?

This is a bit of a back to front approach from a Museum in Venice.

And Ken Ham would love to bag one of these on one of those all American hunting trips he probably goes on with his ultra-right wing buddies. If only dinosaurs ran around with people. It sold on eBay for $US660.

If you’re more the squirrel type – the redneck M16 toting squirrel type – how about one of these… from Rick’s Custom Squirrels

Starbucks: Overconfidence in advertising

These are some advertisements from a current Starbucks campaign

I’ll take “nothing” – I love how if you switch the “not” and the “just” around you get a pretty accurate understanding of the product.

That’s right people. Starbucks are the coffee house of choice for Vampires. They put “heart” into every cup. That’s a whole lot of blood – and explains why it tastes so bad to the average daywalker.

A bunch of links – June 13, 2009

Cards for the not quite Hallmark moment

Someecards is a site full of ecards – about half of them are too inappropriate to put here and the other half are brilliant. You shouldn’t go there thinking I’ve endorsed it – more that I’ve laughed at some of them…

This one’s for U2…

Pool table with extra soft cushions

Sofa beds have great utility value – a sofa and a bed. In just the space of a sofa. It’s a great concept – so how cool is a sofa pool table… it’s for sale on eBay – so get in now to avoid disappointment.

Pirates v Ninjas: Black and white issue

First there was ninja v ninja checkers – and now a chance to settle the age old question – pirates v ninjas.

Beaten to the punch

Facebook’s vanity URLs have been launched. Some other Nathan Campbell beat me to the Nathan Campbell punch – so I, as in gmail, am nm.campbell.

It took me a few minutes to realise you had to go to www.facebook.com/username to sign up.

I’m a bit annoyed. I wanted Nathan.Campbell. Robyn didn’t even care, but got her preferred option just the same.

OCC Episode 5

The fifth, and penultimate, episode of the cynical and unacclaimed Christian drama/parody/soap opera.

The ultimate episode is on the DVD and still to be ripped and uploaded. This may take me some time. But in the mean time, enjoy. May contain art rock… and Coldplay… in this one you’ve pretty much got to ignore the video – it’s about ten seconds out…

Where we go wrong

I’m going to do something odd for a second. I’m going to put on the “naturist” atheist hat. I watched this video (with a pretty strong language warning) of Christian comments about atheism on blogs. It’s disturbing.

Atheists are not stupid.

Peter Jensen put it best when he said that atheists and Christians have a lot in common – they reject all Gods, we reject all Gods but one.

If you start from the assumption that the universe is a product of chance, infinite time producing every possible result, then atheism makes the most sense. The whole argument comes down to that question, and both answers seem prima facie “logical” (if not, in atheist’s thinking “rational”).

So when you throw stones at all atheists on the basis of the intolerance of the few remember you may end up in a video like this – that shows a lot of Christians not “speaking the truth with love”…

Again, there’s a “strong and nasty” language warning on this video – but it’s coming from “Christians”.

Should we be worried if atheists take over the world? Personally I don’t think so. They’re not all Pol Pot or the Barefoot Bum.

“Evolution of Religion”

One of the arguments that atheists use that I don’t like is the accusation that Christianity is just plagiarism – taking bits common to other religions and applying them – as though its relative newness (2000 years compared to say Greek polytheism) means it’s just been able to “pick and choose” in order to colonise the infidels.

They always play it like it’s a trump card Christians have never considered… “Did you know that the obscure tribe from the middle of nowhere also have …?” Christianity is just a mish mash of other religious myths. A myth mash…

This is what happens when you dismiss any truth in any religion.

It’s rubbish. It’s one of those arguments where they need to put the “God hat” on for a minute and look at it from a believer’s perspective – just because something uses the same elements doesn’t make it a copy. Water is not a copy of carbon dioxide. Though both contain oxygen. While Cat Stevens may suggest that Coldplay were copying him by using similar musical notes in a similar progression to one of his songs – it doesn’t make it so.

So, this post about communion on the Friendly Atheist made me angrier than most.

While Atheists believe there is no truth to any religion adherents of those religions all claim that their’s is uniquely true – they can’t all be products of each other at that point. Though Christianity is the fulfillment of Judaism, and Mormonism to an extent claims to be a fulfillment of Christianity. The idea that common elements is a critique is wrongheaded.

If you’ve got an hour and twenty minutes then you should watch this lecture on the evolution of religion and get annoyed. Like I did. About ten minutes in.

That is all.

What if Star Wars was a TV Serial?

I’m using the fact that Robyn is writing school reports to do some spring cleaning of the “starred items” in Google Reader – which I basically use as a queue of things to post here… there were things from a couple of months ago waiting to see the light of day – including this Macgyveresque Star Wars TV serial intro… You’ll understand if you watch it. I got it from Ben at bathgates.net – which is truly one of my favourite blogs. It’s scope is pretty much as broad as mine so it makes me feel less eclectic.

Superhero Supply Store

I’ve written about Real Life Super Heroes and the Real Life Super Hero Registry before. Those not sure what I’m talking about should check those links before reading further – or just read this one sentence summary: There are people who dress up in costumes and run around fighting crime… for real…

Now, we’re on the same page.

I’ve always wondered where Real Life Super Heroes go to get their awesome supplies and costumes. Well, now I know. The Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co – “Online purveyors of high quality crime fighting merchandise” indeed. They sell the complete range of Super hero requirements from capes to cartography… and everything in between (including Robots).

The Standard Cape.

“For over two centuries, the BSSCo. Standard 58″ Superhero Cape has been the industry standard in fly-wear for professional heroes. Every cape we ship meets all Superhero Alliance and FAA regulation requirements, and is specially designed for maximum flight control and resistance to air burn.”

There are occupational hazards that you may not consider before taking on the role – but the Super Hero Supply Co has you covered.

A Flight Tilt Indicator

“For mid-flight orientation and positioning, the Flight Tilt Indicator finds and displays the angle of your vehicle relative to the Earth’s axis”

Run Arrest

“Fast-drying, Compound X-based formula for sealing torn seams on tights, leotards, capes, hoods, gloves, and other non-breathable superheroic fabrics.”

Canned Intelligence

“Our neuro-oil formula is specially designed to meet the demands of heroes in the field:

-Eliminates idle, repetitive thinking.
-Restores quickness to one-liner delivery.
-Prevents corrosion from sidekick.

Recommended for use with brain mold, power supplements, and all weaponry. Improved performance on TV quiz shows or standardized tests not guaranteed.”

One Gallon of Omnipotence

Matter

“Fundamental building block of the material universe, in convenient evaporated powder.”

And Anti-Matter

“BSSCo. Antimatter reverses the process by which subatomic energy organizes into material form. Suggested for use in the dissolution of all material structures, including human and non-human bodies, all forms in nature, buildings, material planets, unwanted hair, paperwork.

WARNING: Ordering in the same shipment as Matter is a waste of 20 bucks.”

Coming soon…

There’s heaps more there – so get ordering and get on with saving the world…

“What’s really in these cans and bottles?

If you purchase a canned or bottled item, your shipment will include an information card stating exactly what’s inside of it. It is all safe. (Unless you’re a supervillain.)”

It’s what’s inside that counts

Have you ever wondered what’s holding all your favourite cartoon characters together?

Skeletons of course. Anatomically correct skeletons in fact. At least that’s what Michael Paulus reckons