Ross Douthat's idea to ban porn is entirely sensible: In this weekend’s New York Times Magazine there is a long profile of a new kind of pedagogy unique to our particular stage of civilization. It’s called “porn literacy,” and it involves explaining to young people whose sexual coming-of-age is being mediated by watching online gangbangs that actually …
For the #straightouttairondale Set, the Canonisation of Paul VI is a Brown Pants Moment
It's coming soon: Acclaimed Vaticanista Andrea Tornielli reports that a unanimous vote has taken place at a meeting of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, positively recognizing a purported miracle attributed to the intercession of Pope Paul VI (Giovanni Battista Montini, 1897-1978). This development effectively paves the way for the Pontiff's 'canonization.' But the #straightouttairondale …
Jubal: Trust
Wheat WR 1001 (1977) Although this Detroit-based production has been described as "Christo-funk," it's really very eclectic, with a wide variety of styles that reflect the makeup of the group. There's both jazz and soul elements in it, some hard driving stuff and some very light stuff too. One thing that's missing is any churchy …
Those Unscientific Science Journalists
NPR wants a new one, but... NPR, which to its credit at least attempts to cover science and health, is looking for a new Science Editor. Unfortunately, actually being trained in science is not required for the job. Under the qualifications section, the ad says, "Education: Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience." Amazingly, not only …
I Guess YouTube Will Flag the Boring Video, Too
YouTube is doing some strange things these days, and this is yet another: YouTube announced Friday it will start flagging videos published by organizations that receive government funding. Viewers will be able to see labels on videos from government-funded outlets above the video's title on the page. “News is an important and growing vertical for us …
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Just Because Your Alma Mater is “Christian” Doesn’t Mean You’ll Be
Higher education is a competitive business. One of the things that educational institutions that are affiliated with a church or profess or call themselves Christian use to attract students is "your faith will be enhanced by coming here." Christian parents and students find that attractive, which is why many pay the premium to go to …
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Is Going to a Canadian Style Immigration System That Bad?
While most Americans were bracing themselves for Donald Trump's first State of the Union Address (which turned out reasonably,) I got myself into a Facebook argument with the most bilious person I know about immigration policy. During that dialogue I stated my preference for a Canadian (the Aussies use a similar system) immigration system which …
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The Real Problem with Prosperity Teaching Isn’t Theological (Well, not entirely…)
There's a well-known Anglican "divine" (to use the old term) in this country who's engaged in a Facebook campaign/rant (take your pick) about African faith declarations and the popularity of prosperity teaching. It's gone on for some time, and the fact that he's Reformed only adds to the persistence. (Maybe he's also trying to prove …
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My Response to Twitter’s Paranoia About the Russians
Yesterday I received the following in my inbox from Twitter: As part of our recent work to understand Russian-linked activities on Twitter during the 2016 U.S. presidential election, we identified and suspended a number of accounts that were potentially connected to a propaganda effort by a Russian government-linked organization known as the Internet Research Agency. …
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No, Columbus Wasn’t Worried About Falling Off the Edge of a Flat Earth
I think it's fair to say that most Boomers (and some who came afterwards) were taught that one reason Columbus sailed west to determine whether the earth was flat. But this won't wash, as BizzareVictoria notes: Everyone knows that in the medieval era, everyone thought the world was flat, and Columbus discovered the Americas in …
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Positive Infinity 