Be of good cheer, little pup, for thou too in resurrection shall have a little golden tail. ~Martin Luther
About Bryan J.
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Another Week Ends: Cognitive Dissonance, Habit Formation, Transparent Influencers, Aging Album Covers, and a Love That Casts Out All Fear
1a. It’s been a big week for the social scientists among us. Two of our favorites, Elliot Aronson and Carol Tavris, had a hit article over at the Atlantic this week. We’ve been following the duo since 2011, when they published Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me). The authors are experts in describing how […]
COVID Stole the Wienermobile and Everyone Is Grieving
Well, the virus finally hit my small town in rural Pennsylvania last week, and it hit in a way that surprised us all. Don’t worry, we’re all fine and healthy for the most part. But the virus hasn’t just come for our bodies and spirits. The most recent casualty of COVID-19 was our annual town […]
Another Week Ends: Sad Americans, Orphan Attachment, Fear of Failure, Wack-a-Mole Preaching, and the Greatest Weapon of the State
1. Any time the Resurrection breaks into the New York Times, it’s generally a thing to celebrate. But when Esau McCaulley offers the Resurrection as the balm for the trauma and rage of our times, it’s more than a celebration — it’s proclamation, which is even rarer. I’m tempted to share the whole op-ed, but […]
Under Robert E. Lee’s Shadow: Growing Up in The Lost Cause
It was announced last Thursday that the six story tall statue of Robert E. Lee on Richmond Virginia’s Monument Avenue is going to be removed. It is a response to the murder of George Floyd and the following week of protests and riots in the city. The news says that the rest of the Confederate […]
Another Week Ends: Social Scolding, Middle School Compassion, Pivoting Foodies, Coronavirus Calvin Ball, and an Ethical Relationship With Your Past Self
1. Every public thinker’s new past-time during quarantine has been hypothesizing the demise of certain cultural institutions. My newsfeed is full of these articles: “The Coming Commercial Real-Estate Apocalypse,” “The End of University Education As We Know It,” “No More Handshaking,” and the like. Of all the ones I’ve come across, the one that strikes […]
Another Week Ends: Christ the Physician, Lincoln’s Grace, Music for Hope, Personal Annihilation, and Night of the Living Karens
Alleluia! Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death that he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So goes the Pascha Nostrum, an old hymn that Christians have sung for centuries. The liturgical […]
Another Week Ends: Behavior Modifications, a Developed Buffer, Performance Parenting, and a Marriage at the End of the World
“Man, I sure pity whoever has to do the weekender today,” I thought to myself earlier this week, only to check my calendar and see it was me! If we’re connecting the Christian message to everyday life, for just about everyone, everyday life has, er, gone viral. Here’s our roundup of the best of the […]
Scorekeeping on Valentine’s Day
The book tour continues for #Seculosity! Catch David Zahl as he travels to Richmond, VA, on March 4; Pittsburgh, PA (Ligonier), on March 12; and Colombia, SC, on March 18. He’ll also be presenting at The Virginia Festival of The Book in Charlottesville on March 19. In the meantime, in honor of Cupid’s holiday, here’s a snippet […]
Another Week Ends: Purity Spirals, Plague Theology, Talking Horses, New York Grace and the Golden Girls of Super Bowl XIV
1. Of all the ballyhooing over Super Bowl LIV’s halftime show, Jennifer Weiner wins for the hottest take on J.Lo and Shakira’s lustful celebration of Latina culture and girl power. While some of us were clutching our pearls over stripper poles and close up crotch shots, and others of us were perhaps too gleefully joining […]
Super Bowl Psychology: What This Year’s Commercials Tell Us About Ourselves
Congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs, winners of Super Bowl XIV. Congratulations to everyone who got up for work today after a fun football game. As the old adage goes, the real reason for the parties we attended last night was not the sport itself, though I really enjoyed a competitive game between two great […]
Another Year Begins: Masked Mandalorians, New Modes of Time Keeping, Awards Season Hypocrisy, Holding Babies, Hating Your Job, Absolving Your Father, and the Boys Who Wear Shorts All Winter
A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year as the Mockingbird world returns to its regular posting schedule. Lots of great articles came out over the holiday and they’re worth highlighting even if they aren’t timely on January 10. Stay tuned for new podcasts, new magazines, and new posts that are on the way! 1. […]
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