Here is a video showcasing some great shadow puppetry set to the music of Louis Armstrong crooning “What a Wonderful World.” It’s amazing what you can produce with just two hands and an overhead projector.

(Video length: 2:17)

Note: Shadow puppetry performed by Australian magician Raymond Crowe.

HT: Challies

SourceFlix Productions has put together an excellent 3 minute video interviewing five biblical archaeologists on site in Israel. Here are some of their answers to the question: “Is the Bible relevant to archaeology?”

“You can’t do archaeology in Israel without the Bible.” (Dr. Aren Maier)

“Serious scholars, even if they’re not believers, even if they do not think this is a sacred text, still consider it to be history, because things match up so well … As it’s coming together, there isn’t anything to contradict or anything to make me wary of the testimony of Scripture.” (Dr. Steven Ortiz)

“I can’t ignore the Bible because the Bible is our main text relating to the periods that we excavate … I need some texts to refer to, and the Bible is, of course, the main one.” (Dr. Amihai Mazar)

“You cannot exclude the Bible from archaeology in this part of the country, in this particular period. You can, but then you are missing a very, very important tool … And you are missing not only this, then you are dealing with pots and pans and bones and dust. You lose the soul.” (Dr. Amnon Ben Tor)

(Note: Dr. Gabriel Barkay is also interviewed.)

There is more on the video. If you’ve got three minutes, I encourage you to visit SourceFlix and listen to these men talk on site about their work in archaeology and the Bible.

HT: BiblePlaces Blog

Countdown:
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Here it is – the first glimpse of footage from “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” movie. Actor Ben Barnes, who plays Caspian in the upcoming film, talks about the movie and his role. The film is scheduled for release on May 16, 2008. Only 272 days to go! (The trailer is about one minute long.)

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Who says you need long-term counseling? Bob Newhart (a.k.a. Dr. Switzer) can counsel you about all your problems in 5 minutes or less. Check out his amazing 5-minute counseling technique in this video.

(Video length: 6:16)

Just for the record, you may want to know that I do not model my own counseling style after Bob’s.

HT: MMI
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  (Tacoma Narrows Bridge – video below)

My three sons and I were talking about this the other day. I was explaining to them how a marching band can potentially set up a standing wave in a bridge setting up a feedback loop in the bridge’s construction eventually causing it to collapse. (Who says physics can’t be fun?)

There are historical examples where this has actually happened. In 1831 cavalry troops marched in step over a suspension bridge near Manchester, England causing the bridge to collapse. In 1850 the Angers Bridge in France collapsed when 478 soldiers marched across it in lockstep. Because of instances like these, groups marching in formation are now instructed to break step when crossing bridges.

So what is the science behind all this? Here is an answer from the physics department at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.

When troopers march in cadence across a bridge, the marching may match a natural resonance frequency of the bridge. Although only a small amount of energy is added with each step, because of the resonance effect this energy will be stored. As a result, the bridge will cumulatively absorb energy from the marching men, increasing the oscillation amplitude in the bridge (just as pushing someone on a swing, in cadence, increase the amplitude of the swing). Enough energy may be added this way to damage or destroy the bridge. (from: How to Cross a Bridge)

The Tacoma Narrows Bridge over Puget Sound in Washington is a famous example of a bridge that was destroyed by resonance vibrations. The original Tacoma Narrows Bridge, also known as “Galloping Gertie,” was a concrete and steel suspension bridge. It was the third longest span bridge in the world when it was built. Construction on the bridge began in 1939, and the bridge was put into service on July 1, 1940. Just four months later, on November 7, 1940, the bridge was destroyed by resonance vibrations set up by winds acting on the bridge. The bridge that had taken a year to build was destroyed in a matter of hours.

Here is actual video footage from 1940 of the bridge’s vibrations and eventual collapse. I remember seeing the footage of this concrete bridge bouncing up and down like a piece of rubber back in high school, and it was fun to find it online again. (Click below for video.)

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Tomorrow (the first Thursday in May) is the National Day of Prayer for the United States. The purpose of the National Day of Prayer is to gather the people of our country to come together and pray, particularly for our nation and for those in leadership on all levels of local, national, church and educational areas of influence.

Let me encourage you to participate in this special day of prayer for our nation. Over 40,000 prayer events are scheduled to take place this year across the country – at churches, schools, government buildings and other public gathering places. Some local pastors and I will be hosting an event in Agawam, MA during the lunch hour. To find an event near you, click here.

Tony Dungy, head coach of this year’s Super Bowl winning Colts, shares his thoughts on prayer and challenges Americans to unite in prayer in this video.

(Video length: 1:02)

Related articles:

• Tony Dungy No. 1 on NYT Bestsellers List
• Tony Dungy: Asking ‘What’ Instead of ‘Why’

Are you trying to get out of debt? Are you looking for sound financial counseling? Here is some of the best (and funniest) advice on finances you will ever find, courtesy of Steve Martin and the Saturday Night Live gang.

(Video length – 2:28)

They say humor hits hardest the closer it hits to reality. I am going to order my copy of “Don’t Buy Stuff You Cannot Afford” as soon as I can!

HT: Bradley Wright’s Weblog

This is a fun video. Three brothers and a cousin play Maurice Ravel’s Bolero on a single cello. Watch and be amazed. And, as an added benefit, you get to enjoy Ravel’s Bolero while you’re at it.

(Video length: 2:58)

The band’s name is Stringfever. They are from Great Britain.

Related post: Four Hands, One Guitar