Brutally Honest

Captured alive, thermal imaging played a big role

This is pretty fascinating:

Authorities said a helicopter equipped with a thermal imager spotted the heat signature of a person inside a tarp-covered boat, sitting in a backyard in Watertown, Mass. Police used the sensor after an area resident reported seeing a trail of blood leading to the boat — and catching a glimpse of a blood-covered body inside. The thermal readings confirmed that there was indeed someone under the tarp, and that the person was still alive.

"Our helicopter had actually detected the subject in the boat," Col. Timothy Alben of the Massachusetts State Police told reporters. "We have what's called a FLIR — a forward-looking infrared device — on that helicopter. It picked up the heat signature of the individual, even though he was underneath what appeared to be the 'shrink wrap' or cover on the boat itself. There was movement from that point on. The helicopter was able to direct the tactical teams over to that area."

After monitoring the body in the boat for more than an hour, police moved in and took the wounded bombing suspect, 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, into custody.

One of many interesting stories that will be coming out in the coming days as we learn more about what's taken place in the last 24 hours.

 

Tests date Shroud of Turin back to the 1st century (UPDATED)

News you may've missed with all the hulabaloo going on of late at the Supreme Court:

New scientific experiments carried out at the University of Padua have apparently confirmed that the Shroud Turin can be dated back to the 1^stcentury AD. This makes its compatible with the tradition which claims that the cloth with the image of the crucified man imprinted on it is the very one Jesus’ body was wrapped in when he was taken off the cross.

...

The research includes three new tests, two chemical ones and one mechanical one. The first two were carried out with an FT-IR system, so using infra-red light, and the other using Raman spectroscopy. The third was a multi-parametric mechanical test based on five different mechanical parameters linked to the voltage of the wire. The machine used to examine the Shroud’s fibres and test traction, allowed researchers to examine tiny fibres alongside about twenty samples of cloth dated between 3000 BC and 2000 AD.

...

Final results show that the Shroud fibres examined produced the following dates, all of which are 95% certain and centuries away from the medieval dating obtained with Carbon-14 testing in 1988: the dates given to the Shroud after FT-IR testing, is 300 BC ±400, 200 BC ±500 after Raman testing and 400 AD ±400 after multi-parametric mechanical testing. The average of all three dates is 33 BC  ±250 years. The book’s authors observed that the uncertainty of this date is less than the single uncertainties and the date is compatible with the historic date of Jesus’ death on the cross, which historians claim occurred in 30 AD.

Fascinating stuff.

Carry on.

UPDATE: Thomas McDonald is covering the subject matter where he includes information about a related app, free for iOS users... but he also adds:

Is the shroud the burial cloth of Jesus Christ? I’ve never found the debunkers particularly persuasive, but my faith neither rises nor falls on its authenticity. It’s a pretty remarkable artifact any way you look at it.  I don’t claim any special expertise in any of the sciences, but as someone trained as a cinematographer (including a semester of optics), I can say that it certainly appears to be an image created by light, not paint. That alone makes it remarkable.

I saw a documentary once where a man “proved” he could reproduce the image using totally natural means. He presented his reproduction, painted on cloth, with pride and victory. He thought this was the final vanquishing of the God-botherers who believe the shroud to be authentic … and it looked nothing at all like the actual image.

What do I think? I think it’s the real deal.

Read the whole thing.

Atheism explained

Guest posted by tim, The Godless Heathen

Even I have to admit this is pretty good.

Swiped from AmericanDigest. 

Atheist Penn Jillette defends Catholicism

And he does so against Piers Morgan who, shockingly, is Catholic.

This is pretty fascinating:

Mr. Jillette here sounds more like a Catholic than many Catholics and more intelligent than Piers Morgan which actually, isn't quite saying much now is it.

Hats off to Penn.

Via New Advent.

"Then something unbelievable happened"

Billy Kanga has spen the last 10 years as a youth minister and worship leader in the Protestant church but has recently made the decision to convert to Catholicism. 

His conversion story is fascinating to me:

I began to realize that I was beginning to believe a lot more like a Catholic then a protestant. Many Catholics began joking with me that I was more Catholic then they were. There really was only theological reason I wasn't Catholic yet, the Papacy.

It was something I struggled with deeply almost viscerally. I couldn't believe the arrogance of the Catholics in claiming that they had a man that could declare things to be infallible truth. I read a lot about it and seemed to become more and more convinced that the papacy was totally and utterly wrong. I became certain I would never become Catholic.

Then something unbelievable happened.

In Lent 2011 I was taking some time to read more about the Catholic faith. My wife had bought this book about Catholic dogma by John Hardon and I was reading through it during Holy Week. I was particularly struck by a passage in the book that argued for the validity of the papacy by arguing that Christ intended the church to be a Universal reality (p. 217-218). Hardon used Matthew 24:14 as a jumping off point. In the passage Jesus promises that the Gospel will go forth into the world beyond Judea and into the gentile world before the end of the generation. He points out that Jesus' vision was for a truly Catholic Church in union, where all people could find a place, and no group was excluded. The Church is a collection of diverse and particular faith communities that are all in union in one Body. I loved that vision. One in which every culture could bring their own encounters with God and use them to help the Church see the mystery of the incarnation more clearly. In the protestant world we had been bitterly divided over ever conceivable issue. Diversity caused division. The same seemed to be true in the Orthodox world, where churches were so often divided along ethnic lines, and unity seemed almost impossible. Hardon pointed to the papacy as a center of unity around which diverse groups could truly voice their particularity while still being in union with those who were different them them. I had never read Matthew 24:14 as a vision for a global, but united church, but I liked it. It was the first time in years I had taken the idea of the Papacy seriously. I resolved to think about it more in the days to come.

The next day I went to the Easter Vigil at the Catholic Church where my brother had been received into communion with the Catholic Church in a journey quite separate from my own. (You can hear a bit about his wife's reception here). It was the same Catholic Church I had almost shouted down the Priest in 10 years before. This time instead of feeling anger during the Mass, I felt a strong conviction. I had an overpowering thought that God wanted me to join the Catholic Church.

My first response was to try to ignore it, but it wouldn't go away. By the end of the mass I walked out into the parking lot and started arguing with God.

"No! God don't you understand. I am a minister, that is who I am. I have not bled, sweat, and cried for my ministry and gone through eight years of education just to have you throw it all away on a whim. I'm sorry God, but NO!"

I prayed at God for about an hour like this, and he took it. At the end of it all I just gave up arguing and went home hoping the feeling would go away after I got some rest.

(It didn't)

The next day we drove back home to Chicago and all I could think about on the way home was joining the Church. As we got in, I took my wife aside and told her that I thought that God was calling me to join the Catholic Church. I was so afraid. She smiled and told me not to worry about it too much, she knew God would make it clear in time.

The following night I resolved to take some more time to pray about this issue. I took my Bible and walked down the street. I stood under a lamp post opened my Bible and asked God to show me a passage that might help me know what I was supposed to do. I oppened to a random page, put my finger down, and was just about to start reading when a man ran around the corner (literally ran).

He looked at me and said, "is that a Bible?"
I said "yep."
"Read Matthew 24:14 to me" he said
I opened to the passage and read it aloud.
"Thanks!" he said, and ran down the street (yes, he really just ran away).

I was left there wondering what had just happened. The passage that had sparked my first thoughts in years about accepting the papacy had just been quoted exactly by a complete stranger just as I was asking God for a verse to help show me the way. I was blown away. I had to take this seriously, it was just too big of a kick in my pants for me to ignore.

In one weekend my whole life was suddenly uncertain.

Do read the rest.  Great stuff.

And pray for Mr. Kanga.

H/T to Mark.

So how do they select a new Pope?

I'd like to think that many are interested in the topic and I've been wondering about it as well.  

Tiberjudy has weighed in with an easy to read primer on the nuts and bolts:

When a Pope dies (or in Benedict’s case, abdicates) there begins to unfold a complicated process to elect his successor.  The Code of Canon Law (which is like the Constitution of the Church) details everything involved and who in the Church is responsible for each part of the election.
 
The Cardinals of the Church come to Rome from all over the world and meet in a conference called a “conclave” which is held in the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City.  Conclave means “with a key” and refers to the face that the Cardinals are locked into the chapel for the voting process.  They used to be locked in night and day until a new Pope emerged.  The longer the voting took, the less food and water was sent in for them.  In one lengthy conclave, the roof of the building they were using at the time was removed to let the Cardinals bake a little under the hot Italian sun.  That sped up their voting, I’m sure.  Today, it’s a little more comfortable.  In the evenings, the Cardinals are lodged in a special dormitory called St. Martha’s House where they’re fed and housed so long as the conclave lasts.  Still, the process is built around electing a new Pope in a timely manner.  The Cardinals will vote up to four times each day by secret ballot.  Before the voting begins each elector takes an oath to faithfully observe the voting process, to maintain absolute secrecy and to disregard any influence on his vote outside his own heart and the leading of the Holy Spirit.  He promises that if he is the one elected, he’ll defend and protect the office of the Pope.  Once the oaths are taken everyone who isn’t voting is ordered out of the Chapel and the door is closed and locked.  The conclave begins.  The room is also swept for any electronic devices and no one is allowed a cell phone.  Many Cardinals use Twitter and Facebook these days, but not during the conclave. 
 
In order to be elected, a man must receive a 2/3 majority of the ballots cast.  The ballots used are simple note cards folded over once, with the words “I elect as Supreme Pontiff_______” printed on them in Latin.  The cards are collected and counted and if no one receives the needed number of votes, the ballots are burned in a special oven.  Dark smoke emerging from the smokestack tells the watching world that no result has come about yet.  White smoke indicates that the election has produced a new Pope.  Since 1963, chemicals have been added to insure the smoke is white but that doesn’t always work.  So since 2005, bells are rung as well to cut down on any confusion. Inside the Chapel, the Cardinal Dean (who oversees the conclave) asks the Pope-elect if he accepts the results of the election.  He can say “no” if he wishes.  If he accepts and is already a Bishop (as all current Cardinals are) he immediately takes office.  If he isn’t already a Bishop he must first be consecrated one.  The office is, after all, the Bishop of Rome. In the chance that a lay man is elected to the papacy (and this is possible) he must first be ordained a deacon, then a priest, and then consecrated as Bishop.  So the Pope can be any baptized male in theory and is not just limited to the pool of Cardinal electors. The next thing that happens is the choosing of a papal name.  Pope John Paul II was named Karol.  Pope Benedict XVI was named Joseph.  Each pope is free to choose a name that holds meaning for him and his pontificate.  Later, the new pope will go alone into a small red room adjacent to the Sistine Chapel called “the room of tears.”  Here he dresses himself in the new white vestments (which are made in advance and are available in three sizes to fit whomever is elected) and prepares to be introduced to the world in his new role.  No wonder the room is known for the tears shed there in joy, responsibility, hope, and probably no small amount of fear and humility as well.  Then he’s led to the main balcony of St. Peter’s facade where we all get our first look at the new Holy Father.  “Habemus Papam!”  We have a Pope!

Voila!  Now you know.  

Carry on.

Signs and wonders... and apparent injuries

Amazing video of the meteorite that actually caused numerous injuries in Russia yesterday.

More here:

Russia’s Urals region has been rocked by a meteorite explosion in the stratosphere. The impact wave damaged several buildings, and blew out thousands of windows amid frigid winter weather. Hundreds are seeking medical attention for minor injuries.

Army units found three meteorite debris impact sites, two of which are in an area near Chebarkul Lake, west of Chelyabinsk. The third site was found some 80 kilometers further to the northwest, near the town of Zlatoust. One of the fragments that struck near Chebarkul left a crater six meters in diameter.

Servicemembers from the tank brigade that found the crater have confirmed that background radiation levels at the site are normal.

Russian space agency Roskosmos has confirmed the object that crashed in the Chelyabinsk region is a meteorite:

“According to preliminary estimates, this space object is of non-technogenic origin and qualifies as a meteorite. It was moving at a low trajectory with a speed of about 30 km/s.”
According to estimates by the Russian Academy of Sciences, the space object weighed about 10 tons before entering Earth’s atmosphere.

As of 15:00 Moscow time, 725 people have sought medical attention in Chelyabinsk alone because of the disaster, 112 of whom have been hospitalized .Among the injured there are 84 children, Emergency ministry reported.

New History Channel miniseries The Bible - Will it put a dent in the nation's biblical illiteracy?

That would be the hope.

I know I plan on watching it.  

The trailer hints at the promise of a series that will stay true to the Truth and not veer off into progressive fantasyland.  We shall see.

Will you watch it?

"Let’s head further in this direction"

In the direction of a gun that can only be used by its owner or by those the owner authorizes:

Intelligun^® is a fingerprint locking system which completely locks your gun, unlocking it immediately only for you and for your authorized users.

No keys, watches, or codes are needed. All you do is pick up and hold your gun normally, and Intelligun^® reads your fingerprint, authorizes you, and unlocks your gun right away, allowing only you to use your gun. Right when you let go of your gun, Intelligun^®relocks your gun, rendering it completely inoperable.

Seems sensible.  If it works.

Mark Shea is credited for the find and adds:

If it’s crap then nobody will buy it and that will be that. On the other hand, if it turns out to be a good reliable weapon that can’t be used by bad guys, then the market will (aside from some giant gun comglomerate doing something shady to destroy it) probably help make such weapons proliferate over the older versions. Seems like a good idea to me. Let’s head further in this direction.

Readers, what are the drawbacks?

Leave them in the comments.

Here's a video that explains the concept:

"Religiously affiliated organizations will be given the option of exempting themselves from the requirement..."

Early indications are, and we should learn more later today, that the Obama administration may be walking back the Health and Human Services Mandate requiring religious institutions to provide contraception coverage.

CNN put this up early this morning:

Religiously affiliated organizations will be able to opt out of providing their employees with insurance coverage for contraceptives under updates to an Obama administration mandate that the Department of Health and Human Services is expected to unveil on Friday, according to two sources.

In March, after an uproar among religious institutions that didn't want to pay for contraceptives, the Obama administration offered several policy suggestions that would require the administrator of the insurance policy, not the religious institution or the insurer, to pay for contraception coverage and invited comment on those proposals.

The administration is expected to detail how it will handle two of the more controversial situations, said a source familiar with Friday's announcement.

"Religiously affiliated organizations will be given the option of exempting themselves from the requirement of providing their employees with contraceptive access or service that they are morally opposed to," said the source.

There'll be much more on this I'm sure once it's studied and understood and Cardinal Dolan has already weighed in with his own wait and see statement:

“Today, the Administration issued proposed regulations regarding the HHS mandate. We welcome the opportunity to study the proposed regulations closely. We look forward to issuing a more detailed statement later.” 

I suspect that this won't be the victory that it may initially appear to be given Obama's history and his penchant for deception but I'm hoping I'm wrong.

We'll know soon enough.