A Nigerian Religion Blends Christianity with Islam
It’s not always that you hear the shouts of “Hallelujah!” and “Allah Akbar!” coming together in the same sermon. Yet this is exactly what his happening with this little cult in Nigeria, which has an almost 50-50 division of Muslims and Christians (not to mention a lot of indigenous religions) living in its borders. Is this the possible birth of a new religion that can unite the great divide in world faith? Or a local social curiosity brought about by the co-existence of two competing monotheistic religions in the same realm? The answer may not be clear, but the story of Chrislam is certainly interesting. Don’t miss!
Filed Under Diversity, History & traditions
Iran on Fire
Check this page and this page if you haven’t heard about this great event already, Iran is experiencing massive rioting, at a scale never before seen since the 1979 revolution, after the reformist politician Mousavi lost to the hardliner Ahmedinejad in what many people believe is a rigged election. Days of rioting have left the capital, Tehran, in a state of chaos, and a recount of the votes has been ordered. The pictures from the protests look like something big is happening indeed. Could it be that the Islamic Republic of Iran, one of the strongest regimes ruled by theocratic principles, is tethering on the brink of change?
Filed Under History & traditions, Human Rights, Media & Society, Politics
Languages of the World
Here is a site that is not that rich in graphics, but contains a treasure-chest of information in words. Behold the Ethnologue website!This on-line encyclopedia contains comprehensive information about the languages of the world. A brief foray into its contents can reveal interesting facts; did you know that Italy was home to 42 different languages, with forms like Mocheno, which is spoken only among 1900 people in the Trentino region? There is also an extensive catalogue of “nearly extinct” languages, some of which, like the Djawi language of Australia, have only one speaker. Languages are arguably the pillars of cultures, the defining features of people, both as individuals and groups. It’s a shame not to learn mmore about them. Make sure you visit this archive today!
Filed Under Diversity, History & traditions
The Future is a Thing of the Past
Perhaps the only certain prediction about the future is that all predictions will be false. This, however, has not stopped people from trying. Ranging from dreams of giant electric ships plying the world’s skies in the 1800s to the 1980s commercials where computers and automation make life endlessly convenient, the Paleo-Future blog has an incredibly diverse selection of plausible, fantastic, dark, utopic, or just plain weird future visions. I wonder how many of our future predictions will be left standing in fifteen, twenty-five years’ time.
Filed Under Design, History & traditions, Media & Society, Modern Life
The Brick Testament
The Brick Testament is an ambitious project by Brendan Powell Smith that aims to recreate the entire Bible, verse by verse, with figures and dioramas made from Lego bricks. Since going online in 2007, the Brick Testament has also been published as books. The books and the website have been extremely popular among The Brick Testament’s thousands of fans, religious and non-religious alike.
Filed Under Art, Creativity, History & traditions
“Why do you own a gun?”
Armed America: Portraits of Gun Owners in Their Homes is Kyle Cassidy’s latest book. An exhibit of this project is currently ongoing in Bernstein gallery at Princeton University; Mar 30-May 1.
Filed Under History & traditions, Human Rights, Media & Society, SPECIAL FEATURE
Painting health
Art , depression, mental wellness.
Filed Under Art, Events, History & traditions, World Health