A Modern Conversion (how one "becomes" Orthodox)
Why Curation is a Good Idea (this list is one of them!)
Six Elements that Make a Post go Viral, or, the quest for cultural narrative.
McDonald's Is the New Commons, and why it is important to retain public gathering spaces, especially as our societies age.
Top 75 Pictures for 2013. Stunning, truly stunning.
Alan Jacobs reflects on ways of thinking, especially for writers. From the article: "The key point here is: get out of your comfort zone, your echo chamber. But don't do so by seeking out the crowd-pleasers and rabble-rousers from outside your typical group (unless you’re trying to understand sociological phenomena). If you’re a conservative who wants to understand liberalism, don’t bother with Michael Moore; if you’re a liberal who wants to understand conservatism, don't bother with Sarah Palin; if you’re an unbeliever who’s curious about Christianity, ignore Joel Osteen; if you’re an orthodox Christian trying to get a fix on atheism, steer clear of Bill Maher."
Thinking about seasonality, and how the modern world is flat. Personally, I'd welcome a public return to the cycles of feast and fast, tied to a publicly known agricultural cycle. Our brief sojourn in Austria, which still observes many of these customs, was delightful in that way.
And in a related brief reflection, Mat. Anna writes about Holy Days.
In Russia, "How are you?" isn't merely a formality; it is a serious question that asks one to divulge the true state of one's life. I've never re-accustomed to the American usage, although I've trained myself to observe it.
A friend writes about her resolutions for the New Year. Everything she wrote, I second. She articulated exactly what has been on my mind lately.
And Matt Walsh, on parenting and public education. (Warning: he is a little polemical) I've definitely been thinking about this article.
A decade of winter!
And finally: The Mythology of the French Woman. Rod Dreher's kitchen sink post on the same topic is also worth reading. It would appear that our fascination with French ways is in some part a reaction to the public loss of common sense.
Thanks for all these! Looks like a few good reads in here -- I LOVE Matt Walsh. He gives me hope for the men of this world.
ReplyDelete~ Country Girl's Daybook, recently posted: A Movie Review of The Book Thief → http://bit.ly/1eSRAS0
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThanks for the link!
ReplyDeleteThose 2013 photos were amazing.
So true about Russian how are you. I come from one of the Soviet country myself and when I went to the seminary and my American friends asked "How are you" and never actually listened the answer, shocked and upset me a lot.
ReplyDeleteBut now I know :-D
These hand picked links are all deeply engaging reading, thank you very much for corralling them together in this post. I'm looking forward to reading each and every one throughout the coming week.
ReplyDelete♥ Jessica