Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Unprepared for College Infographic | US students are not at the top of the class

College@Home, a gateway to online degree programs from dozens of colleges and universities—and not just the usuals suspects by the way—offers this assessment of US college student achievement.










Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Let the Word Go Forth | John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address Reimagined

For the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's inauguration as US President, Harvard's Kennedy School of Government created this video recalling his brief speech in a chorus of American voices.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Young Heroines Digest | What do young adult fiction heroines share in common?

NextMovie produced an infographic to compare the lives of young adult fiction heroines who have made the jump to film. 

Notable: All but one suffer poor self-esteem, all are shy or quiet, all are fighters, all are white.



Monday, February 18, 2013

Djesus Uncrossed | Is this anybody's preferred Jesus?

WARNING: WATCH THIS PARODY VIDEO AT YOUR OWN RISK.

That warning made, I have the unhappy suspicion there are American Christians who might prefer DJesus Uncrossed to the one who so embarrasses them by what his earliest followers claimed he actually did and actually said. Is that suspicion totally off base?

Thursday, February 14, 2013

True Love | now that Valentine's Day is behind us...

The Pew Research Center finds that Love is the primary reason Americans give for getting married.

For what it's worth:

  • Men are slightly more likely than women to agree with the proposition, "...there is only one true love for each person." 69% disagree with the premise altogether. 
  • Among those who have loved and lost (through divorce), 29% say they would like to marry again. Just 8% of widowed women and men want to marry.
  • US Millennial first marriages are timed more like those at the end of the 19th century than the so-called traditional marriages of mid-20th-century America. In 1890 about half of first marriages in the US occurred by age 27 for men and 24 for women. At the beginning of the 1950s half of first marriages occurred by age 24 for men and 21 for women. On a long, fairly steady, climb, in 2011, half of first marriages occurred around age 28 for men and 27 for women. That said, the curve is still climbing, so, we'll see...



  • What's clear is that marriage in the US is far from over. More than 60% of never married adults say they would like to marry; 12% say they would not; 27% say they are unsure.


Happy Un-Valentine's Day from Mahwah New Jersey

"The Mahwah Public Library is hosting an ‘Un-Valentine’s Day’ Party Thursday afternoon for fifth through twelfth graders who are not excited about the card, candy and flower exchanges happening elsewhere in the township."

And what do you think about St. Valentine's Day?

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Barack Obama's 2013 State of the Union Address



Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, members of Congress, fellow citizens:
Fifty-one years ago, John F Kennedy declared to this chamber that “the Constitution makes us not rivals for power but partners for progress.” “It is my task,” he said, “to report the State of the Union -- to improve it is the task of us all.” 
Tonight, thanks to the grit and determination of the American people, there is much progress to report. After a decade of grinding war, our brave men and women in uniform are coming home. After years of grueling recession, our businesses have created over six million new jobs. We buy more American cars than we have in five years, and less foreign oil than we have in 20. Our housing market is healing, our stock market is rebounding, and consumers, patients, and homeowners enjoy stronger protections than ever before. 
So, together, we have cleared away the rubble of crisis, and we can say with renewed confidence that the State of our Union is stronger. 

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

The Post-Ironic Millennial Speaks | No. 04 The Dog's Dilemma

The Big Idea | The Dog's Dilemma is about taking yes for and answer. It's about releasing the thing I have to accept the thing I want more. It's about believing that thing won't be snatched away before I can take hold of it.

Biblical Roots | Hebrews11:1-12:3; John 1:9-13

SUPER-8 HD Video Download | $3.99 US 

Public Privacy | not everyone enjoys over-sharing

A JWT Intelligence survey (reported February 8, 2013) found that teens and Millennials are more sensitive about online sharing than many assume. Does this reflect sound judgment, wisdom gained from watching others get crossways on the internet, or lessons learned the hard way? 

In any event, can you help less experienced internet users develop good judgment to protect their own and others' privacy?



Saturday, February 09, 2013

Common Ground | Universal Background Checks for Gun Buys


We share massive common ground on universal background checks for gun sales.

Tell your Senators and House Representatives you expect no less than universal background checks. And if you expect more, tell them that as well.


Saturday, February 02, 2013

The Post-Ironic Millennial Speaks | No. 38 Flannel Graph Jesus


The Big Idea | If the Jesus we talk about is less amazing than, say, Katniss Everdeen or Harry Potter, it may be worth asking: A) are we really talking about the Jesus of the Bible and B) is it any wonder that a lot of kids bail out?

Biblical Roots | Luke 2:41-52; Luke 4:14-37; Mark 1:21-27; Mark 2:1-12; Matthew 5:1-7:27; Luke 5:1-11; Matthew 8:1-27: Mark 5:1-20; Mark 5:21-43; Matthew 8:28-9:33; Mark 6:30-52; Luke 9:18-45; John 7:1-24; Luke 11:14-36; Mark 10:17-34; Mark 11:15-18; Mark 11:27-12:17; Matthew 22:15-45; Acts 3:1-4:22
HD Video Download | $3.99 US 

The Post-Ironic Millennial Speaks | No. 05 Remember



The Big Idea | God connects with us where we are, not where we're supposed to be—that's mercy, that's grace, that's gospel.

Biblical Roots | 1 Corinthians 1:20-31 

HD Video Download | $3.99 US 

The Post-Ironic Millennial Speaks | No. 14 Just like it says in the Bible


The Big Idea | Holding other people responsible for standards we fail to keep ourselves is not leadership, it's pretense, hypocrisy, maybe even abuse of power.

Biblical Roots | Luke 11:29-53

HD Video Download | $3.99 US