Culture – Sowing the Seed

All Quiet on The Small Internet

Posted on January 9, 2020 by Richard Newton

And somewhere in-between I had the realization that, contrary to popular belief, the internet isn't just about generating original content that demonstrates influence or raises one's clout. The web need not be worldwide; and our time in it, world dominating. I'm here for the small internet, where a niche of people find what they're looking for--whether they were looking for it or not. And for me this has involved what Kelly J. Baker has called "the cold take," and C. Travis Webb describes as "intellectual intimacy."

The Science of Aesthetics: Rethinking Religion with the Five Percent Nation

Posted on April 12, 2018May 2, 2018 by Richard Newton

The way a person perceives a sensory stimulus may result from that person’s cultural arrangements, suggesting that perception is trained or nurtured... If someone has been taught and surrounded by the belief that a certain sensory stimulus is powerful, then that person will continue to believe it.

ICYMI: On Kings and Trump Cards

Posted on February 14, 2018February 15, 2018 by Richard Newton

A student asked me the other day whether King's legacy is something to be given up since it can be used for contrary ends. My piece doesn't answer this with a clear answer. I do hope that it leaves readers asking that question. To me that question is a prior step to ruthlessly careful and self-conscious criticism.

A Byte of Apple: Identifying Religion as a Social Technology

Posted on September 16, 2017September 18, 2017 by Maya Clare

The issue in this discussed example is that if an identity is so ubiquitous as Apple’s enthrallment was, it can prevent us from realizing our conversion.

Holding on to Houston from Afar

Posted on September 5, 2017September 6, 2017 by Richard Newton

Watching images of Hurricane Harvey, I’ve been able to do little but reflect on the past. I was born and raised in Houston. It may be America’s bustling fourth-largest city, but somehow I never thought the national news would feature the site of my first date, first speeding ticket, and countless other personal moments.