The Sun

Over at the Big Picture, you can find a collection of great NASA photos of the Sun.

The Sun is the fourth of the planetary spheres and whose qualities are imagined in C.S. Lewis' The Voyage of the "Dawn Treader" which will be released as a movie in December 2010. I've been leading a discussion group on the Dawn Treader, and have been having a hard go at helping the group catch on to identifying Lewis' exposition of the verses. Lewis might have called the work we are doing as 'looking along the beam' --that is to say, Lewis doesn't merely want to tell you about the virtues, he wants you to experience them.

In order to help the group grasp the reality that they already knew the poetic virtues of the Sun even though they could not articulate them out-right, I asked them to come up with a list of songs about the Sun. I posted the request on facebook and received a lot of great replies. Here they are for you enjoyment and comment: Walking on Sunshine (Katrina and the Waves), Might as Well Be Walking on the Sun, You Are My Sunshine, Sunshine Go Away Today, Here Comes the Sun (Beatles), Find Your Place in the Sun, I Wanna Go to the Sun (Frampton), Soak up the Sun (Sheryl Crow), Sunshine on My Shoulders (John Denver), Black Hole Sun (Soundgarden), Sunshine Day (The Brady Bunch), Sunshine Superman (Donnovan), Blinded by the Light (Manfred Mann's Earthband), This Little Light of Mine, Sun King (Beatles), Red Rubber Ball, I Can See Clearly Now, Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me (Elton John), You Are the Sunshine of My Life, Sunshine of My Love, All the World is Mad (Thrice), Who Love the Sun (Velvet Underground), Good Day Sunshine (Beatles), Wheel in the Sky (Journey), The Heart of the Sun, House of the Rising Sun (Folk Traditional), I'll Follow the Sun (Beatles), That Lucky Old Sun (Louis Armstrong), Softly as in a Morning Sunrise (John Coltrane), Staring at the Sun (U2), Heart of the Sunrise (Yes), Wonderin Where the Lions Are (Bruce Cockburn), Island in the Sun (Weezer), Sunny (Bobby Hebb), Good Morning Starshine (Oliver), and Sun (Patty Griffin).

What others would you suggest?

Saturnine

The Big Picture posted a number of images from Cassini which caught Saturn at its equinox. Saturn is the the last of seven planets and its sphere in Dante is inhabited by the great contemplatives. For Lewis, Saturn is not merely time or age or death but always give over to the Jovial spring.

Quicksilver Conversing

The Mercurial
The photo above was taken by the Messenger Probe which concluded its last flyby of Mercury in preparation for a permanent orbit which you can read about here.

2009 Bridge to Bridge Ride Report

Bridge to Bridge was epic. What else can you say? 8 hours on the bike, rain and fog? Epic. Der Jan and Big Red lined up with the 10 o'clockers, and we held our own on the modified route. It seems the first 45 miles are somewhat negotiable. I have no idea where we were or where we were headed. It was round and round in circles until we reach 90 and then made the left hand turn onto Adako Road.

Der Jan was a champ. Not having been on his bike, say 7 times, in 09 made the trip a little arduous. Granted he had the power (spin class doe help), but the climbs were a little uncomfortable. Big Red, too wasn't used to the high pace either--too much riding alone. Nevertheless they made it to 181 and it's 13 mile climb up to Jonas Ridge.

Red had time to snap this photo of Der Jan just after the turn onto 181. Jan, are your feet wet? He seemed to be say, "Where's the Merlot?" Indeed, "More wine."

Jan held out for 65 miles, and then packed it in with her Pinkneyest. Good call, Jan. I hope the ride home that evening wasn't too terrible. At least we'll have the memory of being flashed by the boys at the SAG stop. No kidding. A couple of dudes pulled up their shirts to cheer us on. I don't think I'll ever be the same. We also rode with the lead group (left at 11am) for, oh, I'd say about 15 seconds as they blew past us.

Rumor had it that Chum and the Good Doc were gunning to catch and pass on 181. After stopping at the rest stop at the top of 181, I could hear some chatter behind me. Guess who? Red was now on that cruel false flat just before Jonas Ridge. He hollered back, "You can't catch me, I'm going downhill!" We'll that was just enough taunting, and Red was caught by Chum and the Good Doctor. From then on we rode together. Up through the fog and rain, the Viaduct, the descent to Price Lake, up to Shulls Mill and the return on 221. They were kind and waited.


Chum, the Good Doctor, Red, and Pat from Charlotte, rode together most of the way up 221. Red wasn't too chatty, he's never liked 221 much. Each reached the gate prior to the 6:30 cutoff, but Red had had enough and skipped the climb up Grandfather. Instead he opted for the escape into McRea Medows.

Great ride, Ramblers. Thanks for the commraderie!

Seven Deadly Redux, Part 2

Richard Mouw at Fuller quotes Herman Bavink in The Certainty of Faith in which Bavink writes,

[W]e must remind ourselves that the Catholic righteousness by good works is vastly preferable to a protestant righteousness by good doctrine. At least righteousness by good works benefits one’s neighbor, whereas righteousness by good doctrine only produces lovelessness and pride. Furthermore, we must not blind ourselves to the tremendous faith, genuine repentence, complete surrender and the fervent love for God and neighbor evident in the lives and work of many Catholic Christians. The Christian life is so rich that it develops its full glory not just in a single form or within the walls of one church.

This highlights ways in which the warm-hearted and cold-hearted relate. Sad to say, I find myself in a cold-hearted camp.

(via Alan Jacobs)