“Songs Without Words” are quite common in the classical repertoire. So why am I calling this piece I’m sharing a carol without words? Because it sounds Christmassy to me. And so I share it (in the last hour and a half before it becomes awkwardly late to do so any longer), and invite any who think it should have words to see what they can come up with. It is a midi file to keep it small, created using the... Read more

Merry Christmas!* * This Christmas greeting is offered in accordance with the articles of Christmas previously posted. Some restrictions apply. If the merriness resulting from this greeting lasts for more than 8 hours, please consult your physician. Read more

Here’s the Butler Children’s Orchestra performing Farandole by Bizet: Read more

Students at MIT are the hosts for the time travellers’ convention scheduled for May 7th, 2005 10:00 pm EDT. We’re looking forward to having seen you there… This actually comes from a book I’ve been reading, Philosophy Through Science Fiction by Ryan Nichols, Nicholas D. Smith, and Fred Miller (New York: Routledge, 2009). The publication date presumably provides further confirmation that time travel is possible. The book is in many ways a standard introduction to philosophy, illustrated with examples from... Read more

Lots of people (including me) have written on why they are or are not a Christian (or something else for that matter). A good friend pointed out to me the (very British) answer to that question offered by Geoffrey Sampson. I share it in the hope that it will be of interest to some readers, and perhaps even worth talking about. Read more

I thought I’d mention that the discussion of homsexuality, marriage, the Bible and Christianity that began in time immemorial and has continued in various posts (as well as a recent piece I wrote for Religion Dispatches) is currently continuing most actively in the comments section of this post. If you’re interested in the topic, I invite you to pay another visit to that post and to consider joining in the conversation! Read more

Here’s the latest Battlestar Galactica webisode: http://www.hulu.com/embed/HKKvRpZVHxqjANfd05AF4w Read more

Grades have been submitted. The semester is officially over. When my colleagues return in the Spring to teach their classes, I will not be among them. Instead, I’ll be playing hooky and taking my band on tour. Below are some prelimary tour photos: Band lineups are always changing, and so I invite readers of this blog with an interest in defining the band’s future makeup (and with at least a minimimal proficiency with Photoshop) to make modifications and send the... Read more

Here are two videos for your enjoyment. The first is “O Come All Ye Faithful” performed by the Butler Children’s Orchestra joined by members of The League of Extraordinary Musicians: The second is the third of the Battlestar Galactica webisodes, “The Face of the Enemy” (HT SF Signal): http://www.hulu.com/embed/6SHbIkH09rA4rxjFZ7PfnA Read more