Asymmetrical news coverage at most of the mainstream media sites is something that I’ve almost just come to accept without any particular frustration. However, there are times when a particular topic comes up, and it’s so obvious that the coverage has been unfair and skewed, that it creates a sense that I have only been told what the m...

I don’t always read Freddie deBoer because he can sometimes be a bit… well, mean. At the same time, I have to admit that he’s one of the most interesting and insightful cultural critics we’ve got. If you have the stomach to read one more think piece on the bizarre national divide over Taylor Swift, it should probably be his. deBoer is ...

Pete Brown shares his working theory about why people don’t perceive that the U.S. economy as being healthy, despite the many indicators that it is. “Instead of a pension plan that I don’t have to think about, I have a 401k that I have to constantly look after and fret about and which might be wiped out by a bad turn in the stock marke...

As I headed to Divine Liturgy yesterday morning, I was glad to be able to participate in sacred time. The ability to set aside time for worship and repentant reflection has clear benefits for the soul. Elizabeth Oldfield writes about Keeping Sacred Time for Comment Magazine. “Rowan Williams says that “undifferentiated time” is one of t...

Fr. Stephen Freeman writes about the modern condition in a way that resonates with me and what I've witnessed in my lifetime. “I think we are often disappointed that God refuses to behave as the god of modernity. The extremes of the “prosperity” preachers are only the most egregious examples of modernity’s god. There are others, more s...

The moment when I became a catechumen in the Orthodox Church is captured on Instagram. There are a few comments about our group of catechumens. One reads "may they persevere to the end." I believe I've heard this before in the same, or similar contexts, so I think it is a pretty common saying under these circumstances. When I first rea...

Jason Morehead laments the way content is disappearing from the internet. He brings up the way technology news site CNet deleted a whole swath of older pieces. “In the grand scheme of things, deleting old tech articles may not seem like a big deal. But what frustrates me is that there’s no real good reason for it, just as there’s no go...

Jacky Baty writes about the new Bluesky decentralized social network and ponders a return to Mastodon. “Bluesky has a real “You can’t come here if you’re not one of us” vibe right now. I mean, someone suggested that anyone even inviting someone “bad” should be banned. What do you think is going to happen when it’s out of beta and anyon...

I recently listened to an episode of the Art of Manliness podcast about the ability to shut up in a world that won't stop talking. The guest on the show was Dan Lyons, who recently wrote the book STFU: The Power Of Keeping Your Mouth Shut In An Endlessly Noisy World. Unfortunately, at least a few people who read Lyons' book thought the...

Adam Wood hosts a show called Flux Observer that features one of my favorite podcast concepts: Wood reviews a cultural artifact from years ago to determine how his relationship to it has changed over the years. I've always wanted to do something like this, though I never considered doing it via a podcast. For years I've talked about re...

I found out, on Christmas Eve, that my youngest didn't want to say anything about his newfound understanding of Santa Claus, because he didn't want to "crush our spirits." My spirit, having this absorbed the fact that my son no longer believes the strongest children's myth of our time, is not crushed. Partially, it's because I read thi...

For a few years now, I’ve followed a “read the Bible in a year” program. Last year, I used the plan from Bible Class Material, which presents the readings in a more-or-less chronological order that I’ve found extremely helpful for following the Old Testament material. Every year that I have read the Bible, I have gained new insights an...

It wasn't a well-kept secret that Elon Musk had layoffs in mind from Twitter the moment he started thinking about acquiring the social network. The size and haste of the layoffs was a bit shocking, though. Approximately 50% of the company gone within a week of the acquisition is something to marvel at. It's like Musk is Thanos performi...

One of the co-creators of the latest official D&D adventure, Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel, Ajit George, compares the setting of the book to solarpunk. I wrote about solarpunk in issue no. 8 of the newsletter. Wikipedia defines it this way: “Solarpunk is a genre and art movement that envisions how the future might look if humani...

Last week, I published a micro post about my thoughts after reading Matt Birchler admonish his readers against switching blogging platforms. Birchler's main point was that switching platforms made it harder on readers and, therefore, more difficult to retain consistent readership. It's a solid point and one that really resonated with m...

I've heard some grumblings about the new Star Wars TV series online. The Book of Boba Fett, which I quite enjoyed, was particularly stung by criticism. Even though Obi-Wan Kenobi seemed to be a success story, it had its share of detractors as well. While it may not make writing about these shows as interesting, I have had a lot of fun ...

I consider myself fortunate to have procured a subscription to the feed reader platform Feedbin, when it first launched, after the untimely demise of Google Reader. Getting in early allowed me to lock into the service at $2 a month. Feedbin has been improving over the years, adding features that make it more of a one-stop-shop for keep...

I spend a lot of my time in software. For my job (software development manager), for my hobby (reading articles, blogging) and for my life management. Lately, though, I’ve run across a lot of issues that make these aspects of my life difficult. I need some bug spray to get rid of those nagging little pests that keep cropping up. In the...

A few years ago, when I was teaching confirmation at the PC(USA) Presbyterian Church of which I am a member, I was showing a video about church polity and governance from the RE:form curriculum. The video was done in an intentionally kitschy old-school style of animation with the voice over imitation a 50’s instructional video. In the ...

The concept of the Finest Hour playlist is to distill a favorite band's discography into an hour of music (or as close to an hour as reasonably possible). It's a bit of a challenge trying to do a "greatest hits" style playlist within the time constraints and with the right sequencing. The idea was taken from Adam Wood. ••• Swedish indi...

The Antinet Zettelkasten movement is picking up steam. Despite what you would first think, the term ancient is not a stab at digital technology, but rather a partial acronym. Specifically, ANTI stands for: 1. Analog 2. Numeric-alpha 3. Tree 4. Index Eleanor Koenig briefly mentions the concept in her latest Obisidian Roundup newsletter....

Today, I visited my local Orthodox Christian church for the fourth time. My body felt somewhat weak, but my desire for worship was strong. Others clearly felt the same way. I attended a pretty packed Divine Liturgy service. I knew something felt wrong as soon as I arrived at the church, though. When I pulled into the parking lot, I was...

I’ve been growing increasingly frustrated with Apple lately. Apple is a giant company now, as compared to the scrappy upstart they were when I started using their computers in 2005 upon my return to college. A lot has changed. Their workforce and market cap are massive. They are always plowing forward at breakneck speed now, sometimes ...

A lot of times, when I watch movies that pit good vs. evil in easily distinguishable sides, I wonder about someone actually choosing a path that is clearly evil. Take Star Wars, for example. Why would someone choose to be on the dark side, with all the available evidence that it’s just evil? There are moments when I have trouble suspen...

We tend to think of government corruption as happening in other places. Third world countries. It’s time to start thinking about, and rooting out, the corruption in our country. All of those who take money to jeopardize the safety of our children have to be exposed and brought to justice. Elizabeth Bruenig lays out her case that this i...

Lois M. Collins has a profile of Elizabeth Bruenig, whom I’ve long admired, for Deseret News. The basis for the piece is Bruenig’s unusual (for these days, anyway) blend of faith and politics. She doesn’t fit neatly into the proscribed categories that we have packaged up for easy consumption and advocacy. She’s strongly left on economi...

Captured Tracks recording artist Scout Gillett covers the standout Broadcast track “Come On Let’s Go” on her newest covers EP, One To Ten. I liked the original version of this song, despite the fact that I am always feeling like I’m going to get Broadcast mixed up with Stereolab (it’s the same sixties space age bachelor pad vibe). It’s...

My first thought when read (at the end of a long day of work) that Elon Musk had purchased Twitter, was some measure of disbelief. I'm almost embarrassed to admit the second thought that popped into my head after reading the news. Yep, it is definitely with some shame that I tell you my disbelief was quickly followed by relief. I'm awa...

I look at Easter not just as a day, but as a kickoff, if you will, for Eastertide. I see it as somewhat analogous to New Year's Day. Resolutions start then, and don't end when the day is over. Eastertide is a time to look at renewal in your life. If that renewal is simply a present fact, as is my continuing recovery from ME/CFS — thank...

📷 Image source: Brandon Burke on Flickr In 2019, I participated in what is called a Leadership 360 assessment. This particular survey is based on principles from Zenger Folkman. The purpose of this survey is to help you identify your strengths and become even stronger in those areas. The assessment seeks to answer the question of what ...