Russellarbenfox

MY BLOGS
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In Medias Res
http://inmedias.blogspot.com/
Essays, notes, and fragments--personal, political, and philosophical--from the midst of things
LATEST ARTICLES ( 606 )
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I'm Getting Older Too
I saw Fleetwood Mac on their "On With The Show" tour here in Wichita last night. What a fantastic show it was! It was obvious that both the band and the sold-ou... Read more
Posted on 01 April 2015 SOCIETY -
Should Mormons (or Anyone) Hope to Change the World?
[Cross-posted to By Common Consent]For many decades at least--and maybe, depending on whose history you most trust, maybe ever since our beginning--the... Read more
Posted on 29 March 2015 SOCIETY -
Power, Sex, and the Real Story of House of Cards
Be warned: spoliers follow.I finally finished season 3 of House of Cards late last week, and I have to say that I was, at first, disappointed. Read more
Posted on 16 March 2015 SOCIETY -
Why Local Elections Ought to Be Partisan
Here is the original and slightly longer version of a piece of mine which appeared in the Wichita Eagle this morning.Last week the Kansas Senate approved a... Read more
Posted on 06 March 2015 SOCIETY -
Live Long and Prosper
"[T]he press was still the last resource of the educated poor who could not be artists and would not be tutors. Any man who was fit for nothing else could... Read more
Posted on 27 February 2015 SOCIETY -
Saturday Night Live Music: "Taxman"
"[T]he press was still the last resource of the educated poor who could not be artists and would not be tutors. Any man who was fit for nothing else could... Read more
Posted on 08 February 2015 SOCIETY -
Annie Lennox Would Approve, I Believe.
"[T]he press was still the last resource of the educated poor who could not be artists and would not be tutors. Any man who was fit for nothing else could... Read more
Posted on 05 February 2015 SOCIETY -
Immanent Communities, Consecrated Economies: Taylor, Herder, and What We Hope (o...
Last month, at a local symposium on Christian faith and culture, I had the opportunity to listen to and learn from James K.A. Smith, a theologian and, lately,... Read more
Posted on 04 February 2015 SOCIETY -
Saturday Night Live Music: "More Than a Feeling"
"[T]he press was still the last resource of the educated poor who could not be artists and would not be tutors. Any man who was fit for nothing else could... Read more
Posted on 01 February 2015 SOCIETY -
Marijuana and the Democratic Problem
This is a slightly expanded version of an editorial which appeared in the Wichita Eagle this morning.This past Tuesday, when the Wichita City Council approved... Read more
Posted on 30 January 2015 SOCIETY -
Spiritual Responsibility and Self-Sufficiency
[Cross-posted to By Common Consent]This is a slightly revised and expanded version of a sermon I gave in sacrament meeting, on January 11, 2015, in Wichita, KS. Read more
Posted on 25 January 2015 SOCIETY -
What I Said in 9 Minutes About Citizens United
It seems I'm getting better--the last one of these Citizens United protest meetings I spoke at here in Wichita, I took 15 minutes (or actually, only about 13). Read more
Posted on 23 January 2015 SOCIETY -
Local Wonderings in Wichita
Wichita, KS, is the home to a wonderful bookstore, Eighth Day Books. (Which isn't my favorite bookstore in Wichita, but that's partly because my wife works at... Read more
Posted on 20 January 2015 SOCIETY -
Four Reasons to See Selma Immediately
Melissa and I and our two oldest daughters (ages 18 and 14; our third daughter, age 11, wanted to come, and we decided against bringing her--she couldn't have... Read more
Posted on 19 January 2015 SOCIETY -
Why John Cleese Is, and Isn't, My Favorite Python Either
The title of this post is a reference to this old post of mine, which I wrote after reading the first volume of Michael Palin's diaries. Read more
Posted on 12 January 2015 SOCIETY -
Blasphemers, Terrorists, and Liberals in Your Neighborhood
[Cross-posted to Front Porch Republic]Would I read Charlie Hebdo? (Assuming I could read French, that is.) Would I want anyone in my family to read it? Read more
Posted on 08 January 2015 SOCIETY -
The 10 Best Books I Read in 2014
As with movies, I'm doubling my total from last year, and going for a proper top ten. Again, in alphabetical order:All That is Solid Melts Into Air. Read more
Posted on 31 December 2014 SOCIETY -
Well, Technically I Think We Have Until October
"[T]he press was still the last resource of the educated poor who could not be artists and would not be tutors. Any man who was fit for nothing else could... Read more
Posted on 31 December 2014 SOCIETY -
The 10 Best Movies I Saw in 2014
I'm doubling the number from last year, and doing a proper top 10. As before, this isn't my favorite 10 films from 2014, but rather the 10 best movies, from... Read more
Posted on 30 December 2014 SOCIETY -
What Cuba Teaches Us About Equality, Sustainability--and Poverty
[Cross-posted to Political Context]Every since President Obama announced that the U.S. would relax its travel and economic restrictions on and open up normal... Read more
Posted on 29 December 2014 SOCIETY