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Felix Salmon: Can money buy happiness? (Maybe)

January 28, 2015 13 Comments

Can money buy you happiness? Maybe yes, according to Felix Salmon, but only if wine is involved. It’s an elaborate theory, and I must confess, I find it utterly convincing. Give it a bash at his old blog. Here’s the… Continue Reading →

Thoughts happiness, hedonic treadmill, money

There are no sad songs

January 24, 2015 1 Comment

There are no such things as sad songs, only sad minds.

Thoughts

Internet Archive releases all those timewasters from our youth

January 22, 2015 8 Comments

Ok – so I’m a bit behind on this one. But the Internet Archive recently released a whole bunch of old MS-DOS games that can now be played on your browser. Even if you don’t play any of them, it’s… Continue Reading →

Thoughts

Sinead speaking the Truth

January 20, 2015 Leave a Comment

Sinead o’Connor returns to form with this one. I haven’t listened to anything from her in ages, but gave this track a try and it hit me in right in the chest. Take me to church But not the ones… Continue Reading →

Music Sinead O'Connor

On the Stoics

January 7, 2015 7 Comments

Not sure how I stumbled into the Stoics, I think it might have been from reading De Botton’s “Consolations of Philosophy”. I’ve been steadily making my way through  Marcus Aurelius, Seneca and Epictus over the last few months. They are… Continue Reading →

Books and Writers marcus aurelius, seneca, stoicism

Bruce Springsteen: The Ghost of Tom Joad

January 4, 2015 4 Comments

After waiting far too many years, I finally decided to download the old 1995 Springsteen album “The Ghost of Tom Joad”. I’d had a sneaking suspicion that it would be great – and it didn’t let me down. It is… Continue Reading →

Music Bruce Springsteen

How do you choose your career?

December 30, 2014 1 Comment

Looking back on it – it wasn’t how I thought it was. I think I just kind of drifted unawares into my career choice. The randomness of an intern acceptance progress. What my friends were doing. During all of my… Continue Reading →

Thoughts

True Detective on the big picture

December 22, 2014 4 Comments

I finished up True Detective Season 1 recently. Aside from the great music, one of the conversations between Rust and Marty, has stayed with me for weeks. Rust and Marty are looking up at starts in the night sky, discussing… Continue Reading →

TV and Movies

I love you, now change.

March 23, 2014 Leave a Comment

A form of love that doesn’t really love the individual where they are, but insists on a transformation to become more like the lover doesn’t really seem like love to me. Christians can appear to be saying “I love you,… Continue Reading →

Thoughts

Bill Hicks on life

December 18, 2013 2 Comments

It’s just a ride, it’s just a ride. Don’t take life too seriously…

Thoughts

Stoicism

December 8, 2013 Leave a Comment

Note to self: do not read the Stoic philosophers when you have a hangover.

Thoughts

A spiritual moment for the ones outside of the tent

October 17, 2013 1 Comment

Sometimes when taking a walk with headphones on having a moment with Bruce Springsteen is about as good a spiritual experience as any I can imagine.

Thoughts

Lyric of the day

October 15, 2013 Leave a Comment

A prisoner of their own mindCan never be free~ Charlemagne

Music

God as parent. Believer as teenager.

September 22, 2013 Leave a Comment

We begin our faith as children looking to their parent. God is flawless, always looking out for us and all things will work out well in the end – if we just have faith. Some believers become teenagers. Rebelling against… Continue Reading →

Thoughts

Springsteen’s “cowboy album”

September 9, 2013 2 Comments

Devils and Dust is a hugely underrated album. I can only think its lack of commercial success upon its release must be due to the world not being ready for its themes of betrayal and loss.

Music

The Onion: Exhausted Noam Chomsky Just Going To Try And Enjoy The Day For Once

August 14, 2013 5 Comments

From the Onion… Describing himself as “terribly exhausted,” famed linguist and political dissident Noam Chomsky said Monday that he was taking a break from combating the hegemony of the American imperialist machine to try and take it easy for once.… Continue Reading →

Thoughts

Nick Shager on the dying art of action movies

August 13, 2013 Leave a Comment

A thoughtful piece on how action movies have given in to Chaos Choreography. “The Wolverine” is many things—another piece of Marvel’s big-screen superhero puzzle, a sturdy vehicle for Hugh Jackman’s soulful ferocity, a moderately gripping fish-out-of-water story of self-discovery and… Continue Reading →

Thoughts

Ehrman on the Bible

August 13, 2013 Leave a Comment

“Different authors have different points of view. You can’t just say, ‘I believe in the Bible.”   ― Bart D. Ehrman

Thoughts

Losing my Christian labels

August 11, 2013 3 Comments

I’m sympathetic to the postmodern/postChristian movement and I’m sympathetic generally to socially liberal causes, but I can’t bring myself to join any of the groups that go along with it.  I’ve always been uncomfortable with labels – I feel they… Continue Reading →

Thoughts

Life philosophy – starting this Thursday

July 31, 2013 Leave a Comment

On the advice of Tyler Cowen, I’ve decided to adopt a regret minimization heuristic.

Thoughts

Arnold Kling on the three languages of politics

July 30, 2013 2 Comments

EconTalk is ostensibly a 1 hour weekly podcast on Economics… but it is really more about life.  And after an uncomfortable conversation with a more conservative believer, a friend of mine recommended I give Arnold Kling’s viewpoint a try.  There… Continue Reading →

Thoughts

A comic book critiques utilitarianism

July 9, 2013 3 Comments
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From Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal:

Thoughts

Woody Allen: we’re not alone

July 7, 2013 Leave a Comment
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 I believe there is something out there watching us. Unfortunately, it’s the government. ~ Woody Allen 

TV and Movies

Man of Steel – Can we reopen the Batman versus Superman debate?

July 1, 2013 2 Comments
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It is reasonably fashionable these days to ridicule Superman as the “this is how American sees itself” superhero.  When film fans discuss the the age-old is “Batsman better than Superman?” argument, it is decidedly pointed in the favor of Batman… Continue Reading →

TV and Movies

David Chase’s eulogy for James Gandolfini

June 29, 2013 Leave a Comment
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You know, everybody knows that we always ended an episode with a song. That was kind of like me and the writers letting the real geniuses do the heavy lifting: Bruce, and Mick and Keith, and Howling Wolf and a… Continue Reading →

TV and Movies

The Ambivalent Manifesto

June 23, 2013 4 Comments

From Tyler Cowen, as applicable to spirituality as it is to economic We are the Ambivalents, unable not to see both sides of the argument, frozen in the no-man’s land between armies of true believers. We cannot speak our name, because… Continue Reading →

Thoughts

Joseph Arthur – The Saint of Impossible Causes

June 22, 2013 3 Comments
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I need the saint of music need the saint of love I know what you’re thinking and you’re right…

Music

Lovink on Social Media

June 9, 2013 3 Comments

‘We are honoured to be invited by the Machine to submit our opinions and preferences. We give in to the pressure to categorize data and join the swarms of ‘collective intelligence.’ Donate your wisdom to the crowds. We are invited… Continue Reading →

Thoughts

Maybe God calls some people to disbelief

May 31, 2013 Leave a Comment

Some people are called to have a close personal relationship with God.  Maybe for others, that never happens.  Maybe their path is never to have that kind of intimacy and confidence with this version of God that you have. Maybe… Continue Reading →

Thoughts

The postmodern theology of Walking Dead

May 29, 2013 1 Comment
TheWalkingDeadPoster

I don’t think I’ve ever been quite as theologically gutted by a show as the Walking Dead. Whether it is a character praying for a sign from God and being answered by having their child taken from them, or whether… Continue Reading →

Thoughts, TV and Movies

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