1 day agoMember-onlyTales of the ice planetAnnoying, but perhaps necessary: It’s a storytelling convention of science fiction movies and TV shows that every planet except Earth is a monoculture. — Earth is made up of a variety of climates, from arctic to tropical. Humanity is made up of a variety of different races, cultures, and languages. And yet, it’s a convention of science fiction movies and TV shows that if we encounter an alien planet, or race, it’s got one…Star Trek3 min readStar Trek3 min read
Mar 16Member-onlyFermentation on the pageI’m glad I bought the two best-known fermentation books, even though I probably won’t ever get to most of the projects they contain — I’ve been making yogurt off and on since 2016, although I would not have thought to call that “fermentation” at the time. In 2018, I began lactofermenting hot peppers to make my own hot sauce. …Food7 min readFood7 min read
Mar 5Member-onlyRegenerationMt. Zion United Methodist Church, March 5, 2023 — (Based on a sermon preached March 8, 2020, at Goose Pond UMC) John 3:1–17 (CEB) There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a Jewish leader. He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one…Sermon11 min readSermon11 min read
Feb 28Member-onlyPrint the legendMy take on the iconic line from “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” is different from pretty much everyone else’s. — Last night, Turner Classic Movies ran “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance,” a classic 1962 movie directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne and James Stewart. This is one of my all-time favorite movies, and a must-see for movie fans. I’m about to discuss the meaning of its most…Movies4 min readMovies4 min read
Feb 14Member-onlyThe original scary spy balloonDecades before the recent spy scandal, a TV show terrified us with an accidental prop — When the Chinese balloon scandal first broke, I posted a clip from “The Prisoner” while making a joke that the balloon was actually Rover. Now that balloons have become a thing, I wanted to go back and explain the reference for those who didn’t get it — because I’m the…TV Series3 min readTV Series3 min read
Feb 7Member-onlyThe woman from Grinder’s SwitchI went to see “Minnie Pearl: Facing The Laughter” at a one-night-only theatrical showing. Do not miss it when it comes to PBS. — I’ve always been a fan of Minnie Pearl. Living in Middle Tennessee, within reach of the Nashville media, I was also familiar with Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon, Minnie’s alter ego, a refined, educated and compassionate woman. She lived next door to Tennessee’s governor’s mansion and played tennis against one of…Minnie Pearl6 min readMinnie Pearl6 min read
Jan 28Member-onlyTake off your rainbow shadesEver wonder why an Arizona Iced Tea tall-boy can is cheaper than bottled water? Maybe the reason is that they aren’t spending enough money on customer service. — Ten months ago, I posted about a really lousy mail-order experience I had with a small-batch soy sauce company out of Cincinnati. My original order never got fulfilled, they went months without answering their published customer-service e-mail account, and were completely unapologetic about not responding to it. Their website, and…Customer Experience4 min readCustomer Experience4 min read
Jan 21Member-onlyBean a long timeI am scandalized that some of my Facebook friends aren’t familiar with a fantastic wintertime meal. — A few days ago, my friend Amy posted a photo on Facebook of an assortment of various types of beans, soaked and ready to go into the pot to make 15-bean soup. …Food4 min readFood4 min read
Jan 15Member-onlyBe an AndrewFirst United Methodist Church, Shelbyville, Tenn., January 15, 2023 — John 1:29–42 (CEB) The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one about whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is really greater than me because he existed before…Sermons11 min readSermons11 min read
Jan 13Member-onlyThe Miracle of “The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek”How did this movie get released in 1944? Just be glad it did. — When I wrote my recent classic-era movie guide, I thought about including “The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek,” but at that point I already had two other movies directed by Preston Sturges (“The Lady Eve” and “Sullivan’s Travels”), and thought I probably didn’t need to try to shoehorn in a third…Movies4 min readMovies4 min read
