How were the stones at Stonehenge transported and set up? A construction worker thinks he knows how. (Thanks to Uncle Orvis for the link.)

Steve Carper, in the Writer’s Bloc column of this month’s Bulletin of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, quotes The New York Times, quoting Richard Dawkins, who has a low opinion of fantasy:

Dawkins said, “I would like to know whether there’s any evidence that bringing children up to believe in spells and wizards and magic things turning into other things—it is unscientific, I think it is anti-scientific. Whether that has a pernicious effect, I don’t know.”

His book for children is to explore children’s relationships with fairy tales and to encourage them to think about the world scientifically rather than mythologically.

Atheists keep telling us that they live full and meaningful lives without God, but they keep coming up with sterile nonsense like this. And then they wonder why we’re repelled by their arguments.



“I am proud to announce that I have proven shoes unnecessary!” said the scientist, after cutting off both his feet.

Guardian writers Sarah Crown and John Crace offer advice on how to arrange one’s shelf of books, for instance: “The kleptomaniac: Easy. You just arrange your books in accordance with the numbering system of the library from which you nicked them.” I suppose some collections could be arranged by theological tradition–Reformed, Wesleyan, Catholic, Dispensational, maybe Humanist. I doubt that would be helpful.

(But then, pretty much everything is oddly frightening.)



I’m remarkably empty of rational (or any other kind of) thought tonight, but this story caught my eye.

You don’t often find me blogging about cars.

I’m not entirely sure I’d enjoy meeting the lady, as they describe her in the article, but she definitely has her own style.

Nearly 600,000 miles later, the 90-year-old Florida woman still drives her 1964 Mercury Comet Caliente every day.

I might note that you don’t generally find cars that old in Minnesota, because of the road salt. So don’t blame me for Mrs. Hermanson’s rust. It’s society’s fault.

Oh yes. I have a book out. You can order it here.

“The Vinland Map,” subject of much controversy over most of my lifetime, is genuine after all, according to a Danish scientist.

COPENHAGEN, July 17, 2009 (Reuters) — The 15th century Vinland Map, the first known map to show part of America before explorer Christopher Columbus landed on the continent, is almost certainly genuine, a Danish expert said Friday.

Tip: Ori Pomerantz.