A Thinking Reed

  • Two Radioheads

    This is bound to brand me as old and/or lame, but I seem to be one of the few people who loved Radiohead but stopped listening to them at the end of the 90s. I loved The Bends and especially OK Computer and saw them play a terrific show at the Metropol in Pittsburgh around…

  • BSG and green anarchy

    An interesting–though somewhat spoiler-y!–analysis of some of the themes in the Battlestar Galactica finale. (Via Jim Henley; also see Jim’s thoughts here.)

  • So much for states’ rights

    In the grand tradition of Congress treating D.C. as its own personal political laboratory, Nevada’s Republican senator John Ensign has attached an amendment to the D.C. voting rights bill that would essentially gut what remains of the District’s gun control laws post-Heller. I actually have fairly middle-of-the-road, or even conservative views on gun rights. Part…

  • Rawls’ religious roots

    Try saying that three times fast! And then read this fascinating essay about philosopher John Rawls’ early writings on religion (which have only recently been published) and the continuity of the ideas expressed there with his mature (and completely secular) political philosophy. It seems that the young Rawls considered entering the priesthood of the Episcopal…

  • Beyond “organic”

    Mark Bittman makes a couple of good points here: food labeled “organic” is not necessarily true to the spirit of organic food (i.e., is sustainable, treats animals and the land well, etc.); and you don’t necessarily have to buy “organic” food to eat better. An easier place to start is simply with eating real food…

  • Quote for the day

    “We have enslaved the rest of the animal creation, and have treated our distant cousins in fur and feathers so badly that beyond doubt, if they were able to formulate a religion, they would depict the Devil in human form.” — William Ralph Inge, Dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral, London (1911-34)

  • Salvation as re-creation

    A while back I wrote about Keith Ward’s understanding of how God acts in the world, as explained in his book Divine Action. Later in the book he devotes a chapter to the incarnation and offers an interpretation of the atonement. Ward argues that Jesus is properly seen as the enfleshment or embodiment of God’s…

  • Friday metal – All hail Mastodon!

    The mighty Mastodon are releasing their new album, Crack the Skye, next Tuesday. Here’s the first video, “Divinations.” They’re streaming much (all?) of the new album on their MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/mastodon more about "Friday metal – All hail Mastodon!", posted with vodpod

  • Singer and Cowen on poverty

    Interesting “diavlog” between Peter Singer and libertarian economist Tyler Cowen, focusing mostly on Singer’s new book The Life You Can Save. (I mentioned the book here; I still haven’t read it, though I do have a request in at the library.) more about "Singer Cowen", posted with vodpod I think at one point Cowen gets…

  • Foie gras: torture or distraction?

    I don’t really have an opinion on whether foie gras is “really” inhumane or not (I can’t imagine it’s particularly enjoyable for the geese), but this review of a new book on the subject makes a valid point: Face facts: If you oppose foie gras, even if the only thing you’ve ever done about it…