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Quranic Quote of the Week #2: Oceans of Ink

“Say, ‘If the whole ocean were ink for writing the words of my Lord, it would run dry before those words were exhausted’—even if We were to add another ocean to it.” (Quran, 18:109)

“If all the trees on earth were pens and all the seas, with seven more besides, were ink, still God’s words would not run out. God is almighty and all wise.” (Quran, 31:27)

Quranic Quote of the Week #1: Guardian Angels before Us

“It makes no difference whether any of you speak secretly or aloud, whether you are hiding under cover of night or skulking about in the day: each person has guardian angels before him and behind, watching over him by God’s command.” (Quran, 13:11)

For better or worse, none of us can hide from God. But that’s not as bad as it sounds.

Because the Plot Demands It

Do you ever feel like you’re being watched?

I do. Every minute of every hour of every day.

My name is Chase Walker. I like running, jumping, saving the world, and pizza. And I have a big problem. Well, okay, two big problems.

Discovery Channel

“Coming next Tuesday on Discovery: They thought they were safe. But they weren’t expecting … A Haunting. Together, let’s journey around the world, experiencing firsthand accounts of spirits and demons beyond the veil.”

What He Missed

There are two types of travelers: the one who travels out of necessity, and the one who travels out of opportunity.

Martin began that day as the first, but ended it the second.

Zeffilax

On April 1, 2035, in Denver, Colorado, Arthur Iris discovered a new color.

Well—not discovered, exactly. Rather, during the course of his research on mantis shrimp, he devised a mechanism to mimic the optic functions of these creatures, which use twelve color receptors to form their visible light spectrum, whereas humans use only three. This prototype receptor lens was far from perfect, but it gave Iris a window into a vivid new color which had literally never been seen by human eyes.

Dictionary of Deplorable Idioms

Play the Devil’s Advocate

A figure of speech which means to play the role of the opposing, usually less popular side of an argument. Has little or nothing to do with the actual devil, unless of course one is literally defending Lucifer in a court of law or at least championing some of Satan’s seditious philosophies. One might properly call himself the devil’s advocate if, for example, he publishes a treatise on the merits of eating, drinking, and being merry—on the rhetorical basis that since we will die on the morrow, no degree of salvific action is worth exerting. (I once had a colleague at Oxford who attempted this very feat—and with remarkable success.)

Types of Conflict

“Picture this:”

A ragtag group of friends stumbles upon an old, decrepit house rumored to be the haunted home of a secret treasure. One night, in spite of countless warnings, they venture inside and witness a ghastly sequence of supernatural events as they discover the house’s mysteries.

“Hm. There’s some potential there, but we need something specific, something dramatic to catch people’s interest. What if…”

Quintessence

Fire

Raging passion. Kindled sparks. Conflagrant fury and murderous bloodlust. Unbridled energy. Insurgent power. Ardent ambition and flaring potential. Warmth and hope. Burning love and incendiary ideas. Flickering beauty in celestial embers.

Deadly “Sins”

Pride

A pride of lions, streaking majestically across the savannah to hunt for their young. A father and mother, proud to overflowing of their child’s achievements. A nation of Yankee patriots, proud of the freedoms they have won for generations to come.