Author: James Riley - page 42

Riyadh or River City?

In Defense of Empire Rand Paul and his pops, should be applauded for defending the Constitution, but thoroughly scolded for lamenting a better way. Newsflash, folks:  some ideas are better than others. The term “Arab Spring” might invoke an image of fragrant grains blooming in a once parched desert and a luxury Hilton opening its..

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The Church Isn’t Sexy Enough

In the wake of the Josh Duggar story, it is wise to remember that when a basic human hunger is demonized by church culture, weird things happen to people. Pornography, abuse, homosexuality, infidelity all can be traced to a failure of the church to celebrate sexuality. The church isn’t sexy enough? No, please, I am..

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Ice Men

Mad Men Didn’t End.  It Unraveled.. Of course, Mad Men is a well written, well observed, beautifully art-directed show, or we wouldn’t be talking about it. I wish there were more shows like this in production, but I’ll start by  telling you why my twenty year old daughter couldn’t watch it: “It’s too cold,” she..

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The Day of the Swine

Chapter 2 For those untouched by savagery, those who have been blessed never to have lost a loved one to torture, starvation, and murder there is an official fiction out there, offering solace.  Surely, murderers are always brought to justice, aren’t they? Surely, that’s what protects us from mayhem, isn’t it? Unfortunately, crime pays.  Intimidation..

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How It All Began

Chapter One The exponential worldwide growth of the ultra-violent Perringdale Religious movement may have had its entire genesis in the sorry events of one terrible afternoon. Felix Perringdale, on his way home from the horrendous 4 AM chore of hand milking his neighbor’s thirty-six Jersey cows, was set upon by a band of Le Mars,..

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