Fishing through some stuff recently sent to me by my folks (who kept such things) I came across this certificate from playing club rugby as a young lad. So obviously, with the Super 14 final tomorrow, it’s time to announce my availability for the ‘Canes should they need me (and as John Campbell once said, 40-odd thousand other people are injured).

I seem to remember we weren’t a bad team. Won more that we lost back in ’76 (if my memory of those distant times is accurate). I used to play at 2/5 so if Tana or Ma’a pull up lame tomorrow I’m sure I could nip down and help out. As an “impact player” off the bench, of course.

Link to old club: Paremata-Plimmerton Rugby Football Club.

Neil Gaiman and Adam Rogers write in Wired on The Myth of Superman

Superman is different because he doesn’t really belong to the writers who’ve created his adventures over the last 68-plus years. He has evolved into a folk hero, a fable, and the public feels like it has a stake in who Superman “really” is. Schwartz quit writing Superman because his bosses were telling him to put in things that he thought were out of character. That was admirable, but really, the specific stories we tell about Superman – the what-happened and what-he-did – don’t matter that much. Superman transcends plot. We retell his tales because we wish he were here, real, to keep us safe.

BTW – did you know that Gaiman wrote a one-off comic called “Legend of the Green Flame” (cover here) starring Superman and Green Lantern?

Apple – Nike+iPod combines shoes, exercise and the iPod.

I look forward to the integration of my iPod with my toothbrush. The iBrush (has a WhiteTooth interface) that sends music via your jawbone while you brush etc.

Why stop there? – For those who need them why not the iDentures – suck to advance a track, spit to go back, volume control by the opening and closing your mouth.

Random Murmurings: Movie magic… poses the question (and gives a list) of what a good selection of films might be for looking at religion and media. Join in there.

Various links that have been collecting in my bookmarks

Human Dignity Amendment – Christian Democratic Union – a Christian Democratic party in the US. Would like to see them define the imago Dei in some way and it looks like some idealized human genome becomes sacred. (Hat tip to SubversNZ: Human Dignity Ammendment)

George : Death and the brain. Better Humans posting linking brain function and rationality to personhood. Interestingly having made the claim that rational agency defines personhood he continues to address humans who can’t exercise that agency as “persons”.

Philadelphia Inquirer | 05/07/2006 | Science Anxiety talks about the anxiety generated in the general populace by advances in science and technology.

IST Results – Searching for the soul in the machine is an article contemplating artificial intelligence and the possibility of “computer society” – relational computing, but not as we know it, Jim.

I saw this a while back in the paper edition. On the one hand museums are training staff to deal with religious groups suchs as “six day creationist”, while here those groups are taking their own tours of the same museums with their own guides. See Science & Theology News – Religion around the world – Biblically correct tours find home at museums.

» The great Singularity debate | Between the Lines | ZDNet.com looks at various speakers (for and against).

International Superheroes is a web site that aims to build up a database of information about various superhero characters from around the world that are often overlooked in a world dominated by the US-based DC and Marvel characters.

Dave Zimmerman ponders To Be or Not to Be Super? On the Creating and Curing of Mutants at Pop Thought. Using the upcoming X-Men III movie he wonders about what exactly normal is. Some connections with discussions about therapy vs. enhancement related to technology, and to other discussions about the nature of personal identity.

Covalence, a Lutheran publication reflecting on faith, science and technology recently went online. See Faith, Science, and Technology – Covalence

My turn today to do the part of the church service that is specifically for the kids. So we did the Parable of the Lost My Little Pony. Unfortunately during the ensuing hunt around the house last night Sparkleberry Swirl and Minty were unable to be found (they really were lost) so Seaspray (see picture) had to front up. Which she did just fine.

The talk went well – it focused on God as a passionate, even obsessive, collector of people – so I had lots of props of things young and older people collect (including a old 45rpm disc of the NZ soccer teams 1982 world cup song!) and interaction with the children. The parable of the lost sheep was reworked into a girl who collected the ponies, lost one, searched and found it, and celebrated. That parable in Matthew 18 works well because it sits within texts that talk about God valuing children.

Was going to talk about collecting robot movies, science fiction TV shows and comic books – which the kids would have been fine with – but some obsessions are better left at home sometimes. (Still getting comments about the Serenity screen saver that kicked in last time I was preaching – though some people felt the images went well with the content of the sermon.)

The first in a series by David Plotz who returns to revisit the Bible after many years. See Slate blogs the Bible.

Via Maggi Dawn: What happens when an ignoramus reads the Bible?