I thank Thee, Mammon. I thank Thee because Thou hast bequeathed upon me such fecundity and blessing, And all Thou hast asked in return Is my time, my freedom, and my soul. ~ I praise Thee, Mammon. I praise Thee because Thou makest possible The accumulation and consumption of innumerable shiny, new, and useless […]
Category: Culture
The War of the Worldviews
I have been thinking lately about the issue of integrated, holistic living. What I mean by this is the idea that one’s life could or should reflect a worldview that is internally consistent and all-encompassing. For example, I explained recently that I am trying to move my eating habits in a more whole-foods, vegan direction. […]
Psst! Slaves? We’re Calling It Even….
OK, howsabout a little test, shall we? The other day a well-known political pundit offered the following remarks about this year’s Oscar winner for Best Picture, Twelve Years a Slave : “There’s no way that movie was not going to win!… There was no way — it didn’t matter if it’s good or bad; I haven’t seen it — […]
Stuff I Like: Europe in the ’90s
I’m not a sociologist, so I don’t really know when I technically “grew up.” Since I went from age 6 to 16 in the 1980s, a case could be made that I grew up in that decade. Still, I feel like it was during my time aged 16 to 26 that I actually became who I am […]
Duck Diplomacy
My first encounter with the whole Duck Dynasty craze was when I was last in a Christian bookstore (still trying to get the taste out of my mouth), and I came across what I can only describe as a shrine to the show, and to Phil Robertson, one of its stars. And now, apparently, he has […]
Prohibition, Moderation, and Boobies
By Christian In an interview a few years back on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, comedian Russell Brand addressed the possibility of his own sex addiction, saying, “I mean, yeah, it’s possible I’m a sex addict. But then, maybe I just really like boobies! How can you tell?” We live in a society that is […]