Interesting Stuff Dec. 2, 2010

Al Gore tries to interest youth in math, science (because nothing screams excitement like Al Gore)
Belgian cub report takes on weird alien evil
Bypass Planned for Leaky New York Aqueduct
Why more women aren’t becoming engineers
Curing crumbling infrastructure and other government waste
Engineering is Not Science (according to Henry Petroski, a guy who ought to know)
Graphic Books Best Sellers: Absolute Morrison
Growing pressure on water supplies affecting one in five global businesses

If I can’t have an invisibility cloak, maybe I can have a Romulan cloaking device:
-A Real Invisibility Cloak
-Scientists Close In On Invisibility Cloak
-Time-Space Cloak Seen Within Grasp

Interesting Stuff Nov. 8, 2010
Minimalist Superheroes

Pat-Down Blues:
-Higher costs, more frustrations forecast for holiday travels
-Sunday roundup: TSA's new enemy
-TSA screen pat-down superheroes

Scientists confirm existence of Kirby Krackle
Yemen: Think things are bad now? Don’t let it run out of water.

Interesting Stuff May 12, 2010

14th-century Aqueduct Found In Jerusalem
30 Great Resources on Water
A Symphonic Approach to Water Management: the Quest for New Models of Watershed Governance
Amazing Jack Kirby designs that need to happen (I’d probably watch Roxie’s Raiders.)
Boy finds breasts in Spectre issue from 1987 (If that is the most disturbing thing they saw in a Spectre comic, they got off easy.)
Boy Scouts to Give Awards for Video Gaming
Bruce Wayne is back
China Makes It Official: Big Brother's Watching
Comic Book Cartography
Darkwing Duck returns
Didn’t expect to see dope fiends in a Harvey comic
Discover the secrets of KC’s sewers (I went down in one of Kansas City’s large combined sewers several years ago. I also got to work a little with Charles Raab and can confirm he has an amazing knowledge of the history of Kansas City’s sewers.)
Interesting Stuff April 7, 2010
Kruse:Resource program is worth every state dollar (From a fellow Stoddard Countian, though I’m an expat.)
Morrison x Urasawa mining the past without strip-mining it
New comics only $3.99 (I can remember when you could get one for a quarter.)
New EPA water infrastructure policy seeks to encourage smart growth
Secrets of the Batcave

Second Chronicles

Second Chronicle continues the history of Israel from First Chronicles (originally they were one book). It covers a period of almost four centuries, beginning with the reign of Solomon and ending as the Babylonian captivity started.

The chronicles are books of comparisons and contrasts. There was something alike about all the periods when the kings of Israel were successful and the people thrived. Likewise, periods of defeat and loss all shared a common element. These thriving and dying periods similarly were unlike in a key way.

The key factor was the faithfulness of the king, and the people, to God. When the kings sought God and the people worshipped Him, he blessed them and caused to rise in wealth and power.  When the king and people sought their own ways, especially to worship the idols and practice the sins of neighboring kingdoms, God let them fall into the hands of their enemies. Eventually, Israel was completely taken over by Babylon.

This pattern could play out even if the reign of a single king. Some hard-hearted kings would start well but stray from God and lead the people away with him. Some evil kings responded to God’s call of repentance and reconciliation, and their turnaround could bring the whole kingdom back to God.

One could argue that the kingdom was at its peak during the reign of Solomon. He built the temple, he reigned in peace, and he stored up great wealth for himself and his kingdom. In spite of his wisdom, he strayed, too. Though he never abandoned the worship of God, he suffered for his sins, suffering he brought onto himself.

Even so, Solomon was the model of a good king. His reign takes up more pages than others in the book. A lot happened during that time, especially the building of the temple. The temple was the symbol of God’s presence with the nation of Israel, and His blessing is central to the prosperity of the nation, so it makes sense that His temple received a lot of attention.

Other notable kings include Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and Josiah. These leaders were associated with revivals, the destruction of idols, the restoration of worshipping God, and generally successful reigns. As an engineer, I take special note of Hezekiah, who was famous for building a reservoir and underground aqueduct to supply water to Jerusalem.

If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in

First Chronicles

First Kings

Second Kings

Second Chronicles. The Holy Bible. New King James Version. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1982.