Eat Your Vegetables: “The Crying of Lot 49” (Pynchon, 1966)

It’s a kind of mystery novel, so you are tempted to figure out the puzzle that leaves the novel’s central character flummoxed.

Mixed Signals: Newsweek and “Mad Men” Unite

Newsweek is smart to capitalize on the popularity of Mad Men

What Memes Mean: An In-House Perspective of ‘Jesus > Religion’

“The common man in popular discourse is not used to our in-house equations of” Jesus and religion.

Can’t Access Your Favorite Websites? Blame SOPA/PIPA

Have you heard about the law proposed to regulate the Internet? We’re against it.

The Kiddy Pool: Pink, Blue, and Shades of Gray

“It’s not the knowledge of the baby’s sex that is problematic for me, it’s why we want it and what we do with it—and those motivations can be as mysterious and varied as individuals”

Our Ten Favorite Graphic Novels of 2011

CaPC’s illustrator, Seth Hahne, shares his favorite examples of a burgeoning medium.

Grace Notes: Minecraft

C418’s soundtrack paints a picture of an intriguing and wonder-filled environment.

Sacred Space: Can Tattoo Parlors Help the Church Reach Out?

“Instead of trying to cloak ourselves in the latest trend, we ought to be busy putting on the garb of holiness.”

The Moviegoer: The Girl Who Played with Boundaries

“Perhaps the film relies too much on the extremes, gadgetry, and cool edginess to keep us involved in a story that offers little beneath the surface.”

Eat Your Vegetables: “The Third Man” (Reed, 1949)

“…the world doesn’t suffer from a lack of villains. In fact, it has too many.”

Mixed Signals: Special K’s Lose-Gain Philosophy

“…make sure you aren’t counting on an external fix for an internal issue.”

What Memes Mean: What I Learned about Memes in 2011

Kirk takes a look “at the weird world of meme in 2011” and finds some method to our meme madness.

Our Favorite Television Shows of 2011

Sometimes, we watch television. And honestly, sometimes it’s pretty darn good.

When Games Matter: For the Love of the Grind

“The fact that Skyrim broke me of my anti-grinding ways is a tremendous compliment to the world that Todd Howard and his team at Bethesda have created.”

Watching Politics from the Pew: The Presidential Obstacle Course

“Too often Christians call for more character and better values in leaders, but they get just as caught up in the mud-slinging as anyone else.”

Citizenship Confusion: Top 10 ‘Anti-Christian’ Acts of 2011 and SB 48

“When the worldly government does not favor our moral system, we take it as an attack on us, rather than a sign of the Church’s failure.”