A Thinking Reed

  • Did we save the rainforest?

    Not really, as it turns out. Though climate change may be putting it back on the agenda, as the rainforests are pretty important for keeping vast amounts of carbon from escaping into the atmosphere. Incidentally, this is a nice example of how the “free market” often works in practice: the World Bank bribes a relatively…

  • A defense of Ghostbusters

    As if one was needed! Still one of my all-time faves. Link.

  • This generation’s Black Flag?

    It’s nice to see hipster redoubt Pitchfork finally starting to review metal and other heavy music. Here’s a review of Converge’s Axe to Fall, which has been getting heaps of critical praise. I just got it yesterday and have yet to fully digest it, but so far so good.

  • Building a better farm animal?

    Thanks to mizm of the fine blog Left at the Altar for alerting me to this paper by Adam Shriver that makes a case for replacing factory farmed animals with animals genetically engineered to feel less pain. The author cites recent research that seems to show that it’s possible to eliminate, or at least reduce,…

  • A broad orthodoxy

    Pastor Robb (a.k.a. LutherPunk) recently asked how people defined orthodoxy. The question was raised in the context of the recent decisions of the ELCA church-wide assembly, as many traditionalists are now accusing the ELCA of lapsing into heresy. Interestingly, Robb got about as many different definitions of “orthodoxy” as he had commenters responding to his…

  • Factory farming power grab in Ohio?

    Ohioans will vote Tuesday on a measure to amend the state constitution and create a board of political appointees that will set standards for the treatment of farm animals. The problem, as this Mother Jones article spells out, is that any such board would be outside the normal rule-making process, immune from public comment, and…

  • Just because

  • Anglican-Roman doings

    There’s been a lot of virtual ink spilled over the last week or so about the Vatican’s announcement that it will make it easier for Anglicans to convert, establishing, it appears, a more widespread use of the so-called Anglican Rite liturgy and allowing for some degree of self-governance for former Anglican communities. (Including continuing the…

  • Friday Metal: Faith No More, “War Pigs” (live)

    Cover of the immortal Sabbath classic:

  • Non sequitur of the day

    Theologian Paul Griffiths has an interesting post about how Christians should think about Muslims, but then ends with this: I hope, that is, that we Christians will increasingly choose to see Muslims as allies and affines against the deadening and bloody weight of late-capitalist democracy. It would be better, I think, for the Church to…