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Robert Rackley

Christian, aspiring minimalist, inveterate notetaker and paper airplane mechanic.

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The Exercise of Humility

The first time I went to an Orthodox Christian Church, it was with a group of confirmation students from my Presbyterian Church. Not knowing the tradition, we just happened to end up at "Forgiveness Vespers," the service that kicks off the Orthodox Season of Lent. At this service,

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Sonic Economics

Options for music on physical media seem to be getting worse.

Sonic Economics
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Karaoke Night

Karaoke Night by soccer mommy When I went to the Hopscotch music festival a few weeks ago, two of the bands that I went to see were Soccer Mommy and Pavement. Pavement played the first day, Soccer Mommy the third. After Sophia Regina Allison, the woman behind the stage name

Karaoke Night
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Matter Podcasts Integration

Matter continues to add features that make a subscription to the service even more valuable. The latest is an enhancement to their recent podcast support. Matter will not intelligently (some might say artificially) break podcasts down into chapters. This is something that used to be done organically with podcasts, but

Matter Podcasts Integration
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No War For Heavy Metal (Outcore)

This article about the lifecycle of tricks in skateboarding really brought back memories for me. It heavily references the early nineties, the period I was most active in skateboarding. As noted in the piece, it was a time of big pants and small wheels. Lucas Wiesenthal, who wrote the piece,

No War For Heavy Metal (Outcore)
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Time To Make The Donuts

Last week, I spent some time serving at a soup kitchen. This soup kitchen no longer serves soup, but I guess no one can decide on something more appropriate to describe the establishment. I ended up serving donuts, which were the dessert du jour, the last thing on the line

Time To Make The Donuts
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May They Persevere

The moment when I became a catechumen in the Orthodox Church is captured on Instagram. There are a few comments about our group of catechumens. One reads, "may they persevere to the end." I believe I've heard this before in the same, or similar contexts, so

May They Persevere
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Natural Ones

Bringing back a moment in indie rock history.

Natural Ones
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Link Rot

You can't count on the things you love always being available on the internet.

Link Rot
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No Country for Rich Men North of Richmond

Recently, a musician with the adopted name of Oliver Anthony became famous overnight for a song he performed entitled "Rich Men North of Richmond." The song, which reveals the frustrations that many feel at those with money and political influence, resonated with a lot of people, catapulting Anthony

No Country for Rich Men North of Richmond