My Favorite Songs of 2018: Fine China, Damien Jurado, Khruangbin, Low, The Mary Onettes, Ride, Silk Demon & more
I listened to a lot of music this year; these 21 tracks were the ones I kept coming back to with each passing month.
The Best of Opus
A sampling of Opus’ finest content from throughout the years, hand-picked for your entertainment, education, and edification.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and the Exhilaration of Representation (Review)
Easily one of the most exhilarating and entertaining superhero movies I’ve ever seen, and all the moreso for its inclusivity.
Pastor Wang Yi’s Declaration of Faithful Disobedience
The pastor was arrested along with his wife and parishioners by the Chinese government.
Your Language Affects What You Can See
We all have epistemic blind spots of which we are completely unaware.
Internet Memories and Battle of the Bands ‘93
For better or worse, the internet has become a big collective memory organ.
Howard Pyle’s Men of Iron: A Fanciful Coming of Age Story in the Middle Ages (Review)
A rousing, strongly principled adventure story that I would’ve loved to read back in 5th grade (but I still enjoyed it as an adult).
Low Tear Their Music Apart on Double Negative, with Stunning Results (Review)
Some of the most challenging music of Low’s career, but also some of the most daring, intriguing, and rewarding.
Old-School Christian Goth & Industrial: The Children of Power, Christian Image, and New Society (Review)
These albums are a fascinating glimpse into a realm of Christian music that most people probably never even knew existed.
The Boundless Optimism of Japan’s “City Pop”
The music of artists like Toshiki Kadomatsu sounds utterly disposable but I can’t get enough of it these days.
Random Thoughts About Avengers: Infinity War and the Future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Review)
The Marvel Cinematic Universe reaches an apocalyptic milestone ten years in the making.
Exploring the Strange, Ultra-Futuristic World of Tsutomu Nihei’s Blame!
Tsutomu Nihei’s manga masterpiece is a journey through a bizarre world filled with nightmarish technology run amok.
Soaring Through the Spaceways With the Silver Surfer (Review)
Dan Slott and Mike Allred’s take on the Silver Surfer is a far cry from the comics of my youth — for better and worse.
My Favorite Songs of 2017, Featuring Cloakroom, Grails, Lingua Ignota, Mount Eerie, Slowdive & more
This mix is a collection of songs that helped me get through the year — that encouraged, uplifted, challenged, and yes, moved me.
Should Netflix care how much you watched A Christmas Prince?
We need to get over any notion we might have that online services like Netflix are neutral platforms, or platforms that care about us.
What keeps us from falling down?
Once again, the moral failure at the heart of American Christianity is exposed for all to see.
Stranger Things 2 Is a (Mostly) Satisfying Return to Hawkins, Indiana
Also, let’s talk about what’ll happen in season 3 and why the series is so affecting to begin with.
Let’s Be Honest About Hugh Hefner’s Legacy
In light of his death, some have examined Hugh Hefner’s legacy and found it deeply wanting.
From Industrial Noise to Serene Ambience: Exploring vidnaObmana’s Early Years
Dirk Serries’ acclaimed ambient project underwent some pretty dramatic shifts as evidenced by these early recordings.
Ingmar Bergman vs. The Spirit of Our Age
What happens when we make ourselves the highest goal of our own existence?
It’s Time to Adopt a Block-Oriented View of Website Content Management
Think of a webpage as a collection of discrete, self-contained blocks of content — and edit it accordingly.
