A Thinking Reed

"Man is but a reed, the most feeble thing in nature, but he is a thinking reed" – Blaise Pascal

News

  • Boston

    The “what” and the “how” are awful, and no one seems to know much about the “who” and “why” at this point. Of course, that hasn’t stopped people from speculating. I recommend this post from Jesse Walker at Reason as an antidote to some of that. I lived in the Boston area (Somerville to be Read more

  • Do the evolution

    As everyone not living under a rock now knows, in an interview with ABC yesterday, President Obama–who recently had said that his views were “evolving”–announced that he now supports the right of same-sex couples to get married. Some liberal critics complained that Obama’s announcement does nothing to change the status quo, with marriage still being Read more

  • Friday Links

    –Today is the Feast of the Annunciation; here are some thoughts on that. BLS also has one of her outstanding musical offerings for the day. –John Piper, theological nihilist? –Catholics are “more supportive of legal recognitions of same-sex relationships than members of any other Christian tradition and Americans overall.” –How to live without a mobile Read more

  • Japan

    Natural disasters are the kinds of events where bloggers, unless they’re on the scene, can’t add much value to the coverage from quality news sources. But I wanted to at least make note of the ongoing events in Japan and encourage folks to pray if they’re the praying sort and give if they can afford Read more

  • Friday Links

    Somewhat abbreviated… –Here’s the Red Cross disaster newsroom page for donations and updates on today’s earthquake and tsunami in Japan. –How climate change can lead to increases in earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic activity. –The Christian Century responds to B.R. Myers’ anti-foodie polemic, drawing some useful distinctions. –A study finds that chickens are capable of empathy. Read more

  • But I thought he was the new Hitler!

    Looks like Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may be on the way out. Read more

  • History’s greatest monster strikes again

    Is there no end to his evil? Aijalon Mahli Gomes, the American held in North Korea since January, reunited with his family here Friday after flying in with former President Jimmy Carter. A day after Mr. Carter secured his release in Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, Mr. Gomes stepped off a private plane at Logan Read more

  • Haiti

    A collection of links on donating, etc. here (including trustworthy organizations like the Red Cross, Doctors without Borders, and Oxfam). Lutheran World Relief is also accepting donations (see here). Read more

  • Guitar Man, R.I.P.

    Folks who only know him (if at all) from “Smokey and the Bandit” may not realize what a unique songwriter and performer Jerry Reed was. His sound blended country with a kind of Cajun stomp and a generous dollop of humor. R.I.P. Read more

  • Heath Ledger, R.I.P.

    This is pretty shocking. I’m not much of a celebrity-phile, but I always thought Ledger turned in good performances, even in his “fluffier” roles. A real shame. RIP. Read more