A Thinking Reed

  • Elvis and race

    This article by the author of the definitive two–volume Elvis biography attempts to dispel the strangely persistent rumor that Elvis was racist. Some very interesting stuff about how Elvis broke down racial and musical barriers (via Unqualified Offerings).

  • Friday metal – God Forbid, “Chains of Humanity”

  • A 21st century latitudinarianism

    I’m traveling for work, currently staying at a resort in Florida for a company meeting. There’s a reason people don’t vacation in Florida in August it turns out. Though it may actually be more pleasant here than it was in DC when I left… Anyhoo, my flight was delayed for three hours, which gave me…

  • Church shopping: update

    I know I said earlier that we were thinking of reverting to Lutheranism, but after a couple of visits I have a feeling we’re going to end up at St. Paul’s Episcopal on K Street, a venerable Anglo-Catholic parish. For me this is less about a particualr form of churchmanship than what seems to be…

  • Christians and markets

    Here’s a smart article by Kathryn D. Blanchard, a professor of Religious Studies at Alma College. She argues that Christians, especially the Christian intelligensia, need to get beyond abstractions about “the market” and “capitalism” and look at the ways in which particular markets can serve or impede human flourishing. She makes some points that ought…

  • Yuengling vs. the union

    This story, if accurate, is a bummer. The writer is absolutely correct about its ubiquity in the greater Philadelphia area. And now that we’re back in the world of Yuengling distribution it’s been my go to beer. Which makes this all the more unfortunate: Earlier this year, the employees at Yuengling’s Pottsville brewery decertified —…

  • Oops

    I seem to have accidentally deleted a long post I just wrote and published on the meanings of “progressive,” “liberal,” etc. Oh well. You win some, you lose some. Maybe I’ll attempt an actual substantive post a bit later. UPDATE: Jeremy had the lost post in his Bloglines and was kind enough to paste it…

  • Friday metal – Ronnie James Dio tribute edition

    Here’s a hilarious new video of Killswitch Engage’s cover of Dio’s “Holy Diver”: And, of course, the immortal original:

  • Tom Snyder, Joe Strummer, and Johnny Rotten

    Veteran talk show host Tom Snyder has passed away. Josh has dug up a couple of fascinating clips of him interviewing the Clash and John Lydon (nee Rotten).

  • Jesus Freaks and CCM

    This Slate article examines the connections between the at times far out lives and music of the 60s “Jesus People” and contemporary Christian Rock. The Christian embrace of hip youth scenes can be traced, like so much, to the cultural ferment of the 1960s. Given that we are all weathering a Summer of Love flashback,…