The Introverted Detective

 Today we boldly go where no man has gone before to tell you that Star Trek technology predicted today's devices. Don't believe me? Well, go ask Cortana or Siri to search for Star Trek and think about the fact that a computer just obeyed your voice command. A picture of Transparent Aluminum Here comes your crash course in Star Trek plot, in case you clicked this and never watched the old or new Star Trek movies and TV shows. Captain James Kirk is the captain of the starship Enterprise in the mid 22nd to late 24th century, where the plot then features Captain Picard. Their mission is to explore space. The introduction says it all. Read the narrated introduction below and you pretty much have the gist of the show and movies, give or take smaller plot points. It started with very little budget, and now we still love it, only now it has a budget that makes the costumes look less like the cast all went to goodwill.  "Space, the final frontier These are the voyages of the Starsh...

I was going to do this topic a while back, but I'm doing it now instead. Let's talk about knitting morse code and the role of art in espionage.  Morse Code Shawl example Some think the arts are only for children, others don't, but the spy trade takes all forms. Wars produce espionage. Having to send messages to the other side and infiltrate for information takes unusual methods and unusual people, some of which look perfectly ordinary to the average human. Put simply, a spy should blend into the environment. What is more common than knitting during a World War when women are told to knit gloves and hats for the troops?  Knitting No surprise here, women were a prominent force in the spy world, mostly because knitting for the troops and sitting in the domestic sphere knitting was a social norm. Female spies could blend in and knit knots of morse code into their sweaters for days, all under the enemy's constant view. It was perfect. You give the sweater to your lovable, so...

Ghosthunting and curiosity toward the supernatural are getting more and more popular lately. Is it biblical? Let's dive into that.  First of all, I'd like to define the term "ghost". The Bible does not use it how we do. It is mostly "giving up" the ghost that you see. Short answer, it doesn't refer to a ghost as a being lingering on earth as a soul without a body. The Bible does not support our use of the word "ghost". It is used only to show someone giving up the ghost, or the name Holy Ghost. Christian belief says that no souls linger on earth - there is only Heaven or Hell after we die. So, we do not seek ghosts in ghost hunting.  What are you seeking when you hunt "ghosts"? I hate to tell you all this, but you might be seeking contact with a demon. The use of seances and ouija boards as party games is not anything new to our society - look up the victorian period parties for proof - and it was a dangerous thing to do. It never sho...

Jayhawkers are not just a Kansas sports team. They wreaked havoc in the name of abolition in Kansas and hated Missouri with a passion. Let me introduce you to the Kansas-Missouri border wars. In case you were curious, this was both pre and during the Civil War.  To give you a snapshot of what the border war was, here's a brief history lesson. Kansas is for abolition, Missouri is not. For some, there is still animosity over this period of time, mostly due to the damage done to both states and the number of innocent people killed in the process. The Civil War led people to join a side to repay the other side for its actions during the border war.  The Jayhawkers would use the term "Jayhawker" happily, and the term "redlegs", since they wear red uniforms sometimes. Since some didn't have uniforms early on, it was unknown if they were civilian or military. Jayhawks in verbiage is a cross between hawks and bluejays (so noisy predators). This military abolitionist...

This topic is a real mind-blower. Do horror and Christianity get along? Do horror movies illuminate fears and help us face them, or do they give Satan a foothold and open up doors better left unopened? Vincent Price If you want a clear answer of yes or no you came to the wrong place. I deep-dived into research on this and found so many opinions. I'm dividing this into for and against, or rather, should you or should you not. There is no consensus on whether they benefit or harm you in the psychology department.  First of all, my advice to anyone who can't handle dark content is to not hit play. Simple. If you can, okay, but if you can't handle much horror at all leave the room or don't watch it. There is no shame in that. I can't handle some dark of content, so you are not alone if you can't hit play because you won't sleep. The Positives You may be saying "what positives?", but keep on reading. While there is bad influence, there is also potential...

Crime, Christianity, and suspense, Oh my! Will Christianity and crime novels work together? Let's dive into that. Christian books are somewhat restricted under the guidelines of the genre itself. Cussing is out the window if you are under this umbrella. Some readers love it, others avoid it, but it still exists. Crime and suspense are a tough tightrope walk for some authors and writers. Others are not afraid to scare reality into their readers by showing them the dark forces at their worst, then piercing it with light. The contrast is rather perfect, actually, and wonderfully effective. Some go fluffy and cozy. Some get intense. It depends on your author and their publisher. With brick-and-morter Christian book stores closing, they now have to compete with nonchristian books.  An introduction to crime and suspense is in order here. We have books that are formulaic- ending with an episode of Scooby Doo-like relief every novel, and others that end with your jaw on the floor and your ...