If you enjoy a good love story, you ought to check out the film Cinderella Man. No, it’s not in major theaters right now. It’s run its course there and is now, in cities, playing in the cheap theaters, where you can enjoy an old-fashioned tale of hard work, family bonds, and covenant love. The film stars Russell Crowe as a New York boxer desperately trying to support his family during the Great Depression. Crowe subtly underplays his role, radiating... Read more

It’s a fascinating phenomenon, the ranking of colleges. U.S. News & World Report has turned this phenomenon into a cash cow by publishing annually a ranking of the top American undergraduate institutions. What a distinctly American thing to do. We can’t just have a general assessment of where things are, like in other countries. For example, Cambridge has no inherent “ranking score” attached to it, though everyone knows that it’s an elite institution. No, it’s the frothy Americans with their... Read more

I am from Maine. Born, bred, and steeped in Vacationland, as our license plates so eloquently sum up the homeland. I grew up in a Conservative Baptist church with little affiliation to outside bodies, and have since become a Southern Baptist. All of which is very interesting. Things that make being a Southern Baptist a strange affair1) The whole Disneyland boycott. I feel as though my more intellectual friends will simply laugh at me for it. Thankfully, most people my... Read more

One of the titanic figures of Southern Baptist history is a diminuitive man who packed a powerful pulpit punch. Wallie Amos Criswell, or W.A. as he came to be known, was for half a decade the pastor of Dallas’s First Baptist Church, one of the cornerstone churches of the Southern Baptist Convention. Interestingly, of all the churches in America, it is the congregation that Billy Graham denoted his own many years ago, though he rarely attended services there. Criswell entered... Read more

Those keeping an eye on political headlines recently will have seen the news that Bill Frist, Senate majority leader, is pondering a run for president in 2008. Frist is a talented man, with a medical degree, popularity among his peers, and ability to speak with eloquence and clarity. But a president, at least a president of the United States, he is not. He can be president of the Rotary Club, and that will be just fine with many. But president... Read more

I had heard some about rapper Nick Cannon’s “Can I Live” video recently in the press, but hadn’t seen the video until today. The video portrays an adult man, played by Nick Cannon, going back in time to talk to his mother, who is pregnant with Nick and contemplating an abortion. It’s a true story, and it’s powerful. Here’s the link to the site. You’ll note the need for Windows Media Player or Quicktime to watch the video. The media... Read more

If you are a loyal consumed reader, then you’ve noticed that the posting has been sporadic of late. I’m predicting that this has caused you some distress, that you’ve perhaps had to retreat to a quiet place, maybe do some breathing exercises, perhaps consume massive amounts of food that is bad for you. I understand all that; in fact, I think I’ve done all of the preceding lately. I retreated to a quiet place, being Maine; consumed massive amounts of... Read more

I’ve now been a part of three weddings this summer. Let me say this right off. It’s a weird thing to have your close friends married off. There are numerous levels of weirdness to that event. Your friend, who you’ve goofed off with, cried with, argued with…married? Hitched? Tied up? Odd. All that pales, however, to seeing your sister walk the aisle. Especially your little sister. It was truly an interesting experience today as my only sibling, Rachel, married Lester... Read more

I’ve now lived in the Mid-Atlantic states, the Midwest, and New England. I’ve visited Texas, Minnesota, and Florida. Through my various experiences, I feel that I am competent to make a judgment regarding the quality of New England. This judgment comes quickly to mind, with little reasoning necessary, and so I take comfort that Malcolm Gladwell would approve of its viability. That said, here are several reasons why New England is in fact the eminent region of America. 1) The... Read more

Caught sight a few weeks ago of a fascinating tv program called Laguna Beach airing on MTV. The show, the latest creation from the lab of reality tv, blends drama and real life by choosing real Laguna Beach to teenagers to be filmed in both their normal routines and certain “dramatic situations.” For one who enjoys reality tv when it’s done well, this show has a draw to it, a certain appeal, perhaps because of the youth of the characters.... Read more