Around the Web:

We Post Nothing About Our Daughter Online

Slate has an interesting perspective on the issues surrounding online data and children, from someone whose job it is to understand the way companies use your data online.

Essentially, this means that with each photo upload, Kate’s parents are, unwittingly, helping Facebook to merge her digital and real worlds. Algorithms will analyze the people around Kate, the references made to them in posts, and over time will determine Kate’s most likely inner circle.

I’m not sure I follow the conclusions, but these are things that we’re doing by default instead of in careful, considered ways. It’s good to be challenged. Read more. (ht: Challies)

The Church, Faith, and Work

Justin Taylor at the Gospel Coalition pulls together a pile of resources around developing a Christian theology of work, inspired by a Tim Keller quote.

The gospel is seen as a means of finding individual peace and not as a ‘world-view’–a comprehensive interpretation of reality that affects all we do. But the gospel has a deep and vital impact on how we do art, business, government, media, and scholarship. Churches must be highly committed to support Christians’ engagement with culture, helping them work with excellence, distinctiveness, and accountability in their professions and in ‘secular work.’

We need this! Read more.

Can Oyster – the Netflix for Books – Be Successful?

There’s a start-up trying to be Netflix for ebooks.

“You don’t have to decide, do I want to spend $12.99 on this single book?” co-creator Willem Van Lancker explains to Wired. “We want to eliminate the barriers to get you into content because we know that the most enjoyable experience someone is going to have with Oyster is finding a book that they fall in love with.”

Isn’t that what we used to call a library? Read more.

An Oldie: To Parents of Small Children…

This popped up on my facebook feed, and it was as good a read now as it was back in March.

I am in a season of my life right now where I feel bone tired almost all of the time. Ragged, how-am-I-going-to-make-it-to-the-end-of-the-day, eyes burning exhausted.

The irony of a six-month-old post being an “oldie” aside, go read more.

Around the Warren:

Confessions of a Worried Dad

We started the week with a best-of post, S. D. Smith’s post about being a dad who worries.

I’m a time-traveler. I’m one of those imaginative worriers who can feel the weight of potential loss, or future loss, really deeply, way before it even arrives. I don’t recommend it, but it creeps up on me sometimes. I may worry through a possible conversation I have to have later, feeling in advance the sadness and pain as if it were already happening. It’s an old habit of worry that has improved over time, but hasn’t been eradicated.

If you’re a parent and you’ve ever had a little anxiety, you should read this post.

Five Movies Our Family Loves

Sam continued our week talking about five movies his family loved.

That got me thinking about some of our family’s favorite movies. These are a few, though not necessarily a “Top 5.” I limited myself to just three, two-word sentences to describe each one. Very difficult. <—-See? I somehow included only one Pixar movie.

Un-Ironically Whole Hearted

James Witmer finished up the week talking about our cultural shift toward irony and the dangers that come along with it.

Cheap beer is enjoyed not because it tastes good and is refreshing (since neither are usually true), but because of the blue-collar aesthetic that goes with it. Victorian-style beards are grown not because they look handsome, but because they clash with contemporary styles. Nothing is appreciated at face value – only things which have been subverted in some way are considered worthwhile.

So good. Read more.

Something to Try with Your Kids:

We’re always looking for fun games to play as a family. Spoonful.com has a collection of 20 different ideas that you can try with your family. I’m looking forward to trying a couple with my kids this weekend. Read more.