Each week in The Moviegoer, Nick Olson examines new and upcoming films. The Hobbit (Peter Jackson) & Les Misérables (Tom Hooper) At the moment when Bilbo Baggins answers the door to his Hobbit-hole home to unexpectedly find a Dwarf inviting himself in as if summoned, followed by all that ensues in that sequence of scenes which comprises the first chapter of the book, I was feeling more than optimistic about Peter Jackson’s adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. His depiction of... Read more
A few years ago, the Freakonomics blog interviewed Joel Rose, the founder of School of One, a specialized education program which attempts to educate students according to their learning curve and personal style, engaging with their preferred learning styles as the technology sees fit. Joel Rose, also an employee of the New York Department of Education, described the idea of his educational start-up: The basic idea is that live, teacher-led instruction (the type we all think about when we think about... Read more
Fracking – hydraulic fracturing of shale to extract the oil trapped therein – looks like it is going to be the next pitched battle between environmentalists and industry. The effete treehuggers stand arm in arm, singing vacuous Live Aid bromides about the mutual ownership of the world, whilst the mustache twirling capitalists order their bulldozers to level the last remaining habitat of the wood nymph. Hyperbole aside, fracking is a chance for us to apply the lessons of a century... Read more
On January 23, 2013, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta stated that, on the recommendation from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the ban on women in combat would be overturned. Many applauded such a progressive and forward-thinking policy and marveled at the possibilities of servicewomen’s new caché. There are several reasons our leaders might feel this is a good change. First, it can easily be viewed as a step toward greater egalitarianism, to a world where men and women are equal in... Read more
Recently the Coca-Cola Co. aired an anti-obesity commercial hoping to save some face for the company. It seems that soda sales have dropped since research has won out that soft drinks can be bad for one’s heath. The commercial on the whole aims to communicate how Coca-Cola is making changes in their drinks to lower calories, and at the same time, they claim, being more intentional with what products they offer in schools. You can take a look at the commercial... Read more
What happens when the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR) asks actor Mehcad Brooks (USA Network’s Necessary Roughness, HBO’s True Blood) to send “Happy 40th anniversary” sentiments to Roe v. Wade? This video happens. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEMnyiDKUJI For me, the creep-o-meter is off the charts. And I’m not alone, as outrage is building across the Internet. Interestingly enough, pushback isn’t only coming from pro-life supporters; pro-choice supporters have also voiced their disapproval. I found Brooks’s sultry and seductive act utterly distasteful, especially in this context. Both the... Read more
"What we need to talk about are the ways we as Christians need to get off the merry-go-round of vitriol in dialogue." Read more
I will confess that I have a tendency to form attachments to television shows doomed to premature cancellation: Firefly, of course, Jericho, Kings, Terra Nova, Missing (does anyone else remember Push, Nevada?). The latest addition to this list is Last Resort, an ABC series from The Shield creator Shawn Ryan that, unfortunately, will air its final episode this Thursday, January 24. The series follows Captain Marcus Chaplin (an outstanding Andre Braugher) and his crew aboard the powerful nuclear submarine USS... Read more
Is Lance’s confession more than the damage control of a still self-obsessed Machiavellian? Read more
As a professor, I am constantly assessing how well my students grasp the concepts of my class; the primary way this is accomplished in academia is through testing. Sure we might not call it an exam but this is indeed what every assignment is. The whole system is based on achievement for my students. If you complete the assignment, do it well, and turn it in on time, you will get a good grade. But if you don’t complete the assignment, do... Read more
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Christ and Pop Culture
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