May 31, 2024

spencergreenhalgh.com posts digest for May 24 and May 31 2024

Hello! Thanks for subscribing to my newsletter. Apparently, last week's edition was saved but never sent, so this letter includes both. :)

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Here are long-form blog posts I published this week:

• on (re)claiming the name Mormon

• giving ordination another go

• the difficulty of imagining the kingdom of God

Here are microblog posts that I published this week:

• Joost versus the Romulans: A Star Trek/Eurovision crossover with lots of shoulder pads.

• Kiddo and spouse got drenched by a surprise rain shower biking home from school today. Once dry, kiddo expressed more respect for me as a consistent bike commuter but less respect for me as the person who decided today was a bike-to-and-from-school day.

• Any recommendations out there for CBD teas? I’ve found CBD chews invaluable on particularly anxious days, but since I’m already a tea-drinker, I’m interested in trying the intersection of the two.

• Spouse made the mistake of asking some innocent questions about Animorphs last night, and now kiddo is asking me whether worksheets or quizzes would be more pedagogically effective for the Animorphs Academy classes she’s planning for the weekend.

• My brother misheard “fediverse” as “feta-verse” on a podcast, and I’m now soliciting your best cheese puns for Mastodon, Pixelfed, etc.

• Dear “Dad of the Year” jury, I submit to accompany my application these words that I pronounced after my kid asked to play in the backyard after having a whole park day at school: “Haven’t you played outside enough today? Let’s stay inside and play Switch instead.”

• Working on kiddo’s spice tolerance: “My mouth is like an oven, but in a calming way.”

• Today in first day of summer vacation adventures: Finishing this round of braces! Cancelling library plans because we drove over a nail? Figuring out safest way to bike home after we drop off car at nearest tire place! Maybe some Minecraft once we get back?

• I don’t know how this is possible, but I’m now at a stage of my career where I’m giving advice to junior faculty and newly-minted PhDs. I honestly don’t know if that diminishes or increases my feelings of imposter syndrome.

Here are news articles and podcasts I commented on this week:

• 🔗 linkblog: my thoughts on 'Pluralistic: You were promised a jetpack by liars (17 May 2024) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow'

• 🔗 linkblog: my thoughts on '25 Great Things About The Phantom Menace'

• 🔗 linkblog: my thoughts on 'OpenAI loses its voice'

• 🔗 linkblog: my thoughts on 'Wanna Make Big Tech Monopolies Even Worse? Kill Section 230'

• 🔗 linkblog: my thoughts on 'Decentralized Systems Will Be Necessary To Stop Google From Putting The Web Into Managed Decline'

• 🔗 linkblog: my thoughts on 'PayPal is building an ad network based on your Venmo data'

• 🔗 linkblog: my thoughts on 'The hidden potential of bicycles'

• 🔗 linkblog: my thoughts on 'Systems: The Purpose of a System is What It Does - Anil Dash'

• 🔗 linkblog: my thoughts on 'YouTuber Has Video Demonitized Over Washing Machine Chime'

• 🔗 linkblog: my thoughts on 'OpenAI launches programs making ChatGPT cheaper for schools and nonprofits'

Here are my reviews of books and other media I consumed this week:

• 📚 bookblog: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ for Apostle of the Poor: The Life and Work of Missionary and Humanitarian Charles D. Neff, by Matthew Bolton

• 📚 bookblog: ❤️❤️❤️🖤🖤 for On Basilisk Station, by David Weber

• 📺 tvblog: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🖤 for A Gentleman in Moscow

• 📚 bookblog: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🖤 for Pirate Cinema, by Cory Doctorow

• 📚 bookblog: ❤️❤️❤️🖤🖤 for Beyond Resistance: The Institutional Church Meets the Postmodern World, by John Dorhauer

• 🎙️ radioblog: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🖤 for The Man Born to Be King

If you have thoughts about anything I've posted, feel free to comment directly on my website through Hypothesis or to reply to this email with what you have to say.

Thanks for reading!

Spencer