Category - Soapbox

Lying for Jesus
Soapbox

Lying for Jesus

On Sunday, we watched Atlanta’s Pride march from the northwest corner of 10th and Peachtree Street. Opposite us, on the northeast corner, stood a tiny group of protesters broadcasting their messages to the crowd. They loved us, they insisted...

October 10, 2011
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5 min read
Exceeding Limits
BooksGearSoapbox

Exceeding Limits

So, last night, while sitting on the couch, I decided to curl up with a good book. I pulled out my trusty iPad, loaded the Kindle app, tapped The 90-Day Novel … … and got an error message: “You have exceeded the maximum number of devices...

August 11, 2011
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3 min read
Brotherhood Bands
SoapboxTravel

Brotherhood Bands

  Apparently, when two rugged, manly, male models of Scandinavian descent feel a certain kinship with each other, they may now celebrate the bond between them by gifting each other with braided leather “brotherhood bands.” I do, I...

June 2, 2011
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1 min read
The USA’s Budget Woes Explained Clearly
Soapbox

The USA’s Budget Woes Explained Clearly

  To understand America’s recent budget crisis, Philip Greenspun suggests you divide by 100,000,000: We have a family that is spending $38,200 per year. The family’s income is $21,700 per year. The family adds $16,500 in credit card debt...

April 13, 2011
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2 min read
Books without Borders
BooksGearSoapbox

Books without Borders

Online shopping, and the advent of e-readers, with their promise of any book, any time, anywhere, and cheaper pricing, have shoppers abandoning Borders and Barnes & Nobles bookstores as they did music stores a decade ago. (via the Wall Street...

February 12, 2011
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2 min read
The *Real* Slippery Slope
Soapbox

The *Real* Slippery Slope

  Today, the United Nations voted to restore gays and lesbians to a list of people who merit special protection from “the unjustified killing of minority groups.” This may come as a surprise to many, who may not understand that, even in...

December 22, 2010
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4 min read
A Benediction at the Wendy’s
MomentsSoapbox

A Benediction at the Wendy’s

We are in Oxford, Alabama, standing in line at the Wendy’s. In front of us: three young men, ages eleven, twelve, and thirteen. The youngest and the oldest are, except for their age, virtually identical: disheveled brown hair, camouflage...

November 28, 2010
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3 min read
Freud called this concept schwanzangst. Not.
Soapbox

Freud called this concept schwanzangst. Not.

This widely-quoted blog post from OkTrends claims Freud coined the term “schwanzangst” (roughly, “fear of penises”) to describe irrational homophobic fears. Sharp-eyed MadeByMark reader Steve left a comment tonight noting...

October 17, 2010
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430 views
1 min read