“One Little Hour”

For Father’s Day this year I thought I’d list several things I learned from my Dad:

1. All truth is God’s truth. My dad is an analytical chemist. (more…)

Jess and I watched Defiance tonight. (more…)

In the 1940s and 50s, during the late stages of the Fundamentalist-Modernist controversy, Fundamentalists divided into two roughly defined camps: (more…)

Today I read an article on a humor website that poked fun at online, contributive encyclopedias by listing a number of bizarre wikipedia clones like “Conservapedia” and “Pagan Wiki.” [Parental Advisory: the article is frequently obscene.] Though the article was tongue-in-cheek, the impetus behind niche encyclopedias is quite fascinating. (more…)

Over this weekend I saw this hilarious Intel commercial while watching some shows on Hulu.

The rockstar treatment for Ajay Bhatt, the co-inventor of the USB, is humorous because the object of worship is so incongruous. Instead of the doors opening for the 6′ 8″, 250 pound LeBron or American Idol winner Kris Allen, a short, dowdy, overweight computer tech strides into the break room and is immediately mobbed by devoted fans. (more…)

Jess and I had originally planned to get away this weekend to celebrate our first anniversary (though last minute work scheduling kept us home). Since we were looking forward to a much-needed time to pray, reflect, and retune our hearts together in the Word, we stayed home today, worshipping in song, etc.  We also listened to an online sermon preached by my brother-in-law Tim Lovegrove at his church plant in Southern California. (more…)

This weekend, Slate featured an excellent essay about the epic tone of easter passion plays. (more…)

I work as a bank teller. My current branch keeps the radio behind the teller line tuned to a Philly station that plays everything from golden oldies to current hits. While the playlist is rather unpredictable, I can guarantee that the song on the air will be unspeakably raunchy whenever Sister Paul from a local Catholic college comes in to do her banking. (more…)

Currently I am researching for a seminar paper on the politicization of Carl McIntire and what his story can tell us about the re-entrance of evangelicals into political discourse during the 1950s and 60s. Very little academic work has been done on Carl McIntire (though now that Princeton is processing his papers I expect more to follow) except for one 2007 article by Heather Hendershot in the American Quarterly.

Dr. Hendershot began the article with a piece of correspondence to Carl McIntire from an anonymous listener of his radio show, The Twentieth Century Reformation Hour.

500 years ago Moses said, “Pack your camel, pick up your shovel, mount your ass, and I shall lead you to the Promised land.” 500 years later, F.D. Roosevelt said, “Lay down your shovel, sit on your ass, light up a Camel, this is the promised land.” Today, Nixon will tax your shovel, sell your camel, kick your ass, and tell you there is no promised land.

P.S. I am glad that I am an American, I am glad that I am free, but I wish I were a little doggy and Nixon were a tree.

I just received the American Historical Association’s Perspectives on History for February. One of the articles complained about the shrinking availability of tenure track positions at universities. Also, over the past two decades part-time faculty have taken on an increasing share of the teaching load in the academe. The history profession has become more and more stratified. (more…)