The Cogitating Ceviché Podcast

The Cogitating Ceviché
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  1. 4D AGO

    Cogitating Ceviché’s Week in Review (26-6)

    The Cogitating Ceviché Week in Review (26-6) Discussion via NotebookLM Editorial Summary This week at The Cogitating Ceviché, misunderstanding, memory, machinery, and mystery braided together in striking ways. Calista Freiheit reflected on the cost of expecting clarity in a faith built on paradox. Conrad Hannon and Conrad T. Hannon examined progress from two angles—our surrender to machine memory and our inheritance from efficiency’s most severe architect. Gio Marron returned both to the windswept moors of literary obsession and to the tightening circle of a modern mystery. Across genres and voices, one question lingered: what do we lose when we demand control—over belief, over memory, over labor, over love? Articles Why Christianity Assumes You Will Be Misunderstood February 9, 2026Calista Freiheit Calista Freiheit argues that modern Christians are unsettled not by persecution, but by confusion. In an age that prizes clarity and instant comprehension, she contends that faith has always required endurance through misinterpretation. The piece invites readers to reconsider whether misunderstanding is not an anomaly—but an expectation. Perfect Recall, Zero Memory February 10, 2026Conrad Hannon Conrad Hannon explores the paradox of digital permanence: as systems remember everything, individuals outsource the discipline of remembering. The essay reflects on technological over-reliance and asks whether perfect recall erodes the moral and intellectual muscle memory once formed through effort. Frederick Winslow Taylor: Efficiency Without Mercy (#2 Anti-Heroes of Progress) February 11, 2026Conrad T. Hannon In this second installment of Anti-Heroes of Progress, Conrad T. Hannon dissects the legacy of Frederick Winslow Taylor. Taylor’s scientific management reshaped industry, but at what human cost? The essay balances admiration for industrial order with unease at its cold arithmetic. Wuthering Heights February 11, 2026Gio Marron Gio Marron revisits Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, examining obsession, isolation, and the destructive symmetry of love returned in kind. The piece moves beyond summary, drawing out the emotional architecture that makes the novel endure. Banned on Earth, Essential in Orbit February 13, 2026Conrad Hannon From controlled substances to controlled ecosystems, Conrad Hannon considers whether the plants prohibited on Earth may one day sustain human life beyond it. The essay blends speculative science with cultural critique, asking how context reshapes moral judgment. The Norwegian (Part VI of VII) – A Mimi Delboise Mystery February 14, 2026Gio Marron Tension escalates in Part VI of Gio Marron’s serialized mystery. Clues narrow. Motives sharpen. The emotional stakes rise alongside the investigative ones. As the series approaches its conclusion, the narrative tightens around both crime and conscience. Quote of the Week “We built systems that never forget and stopped doing the work of remembering.”— Perfect Recall, Zero Memory, Conrad Hannon Questions Why Christianity Assumes You Will Be Misunderstood * Has the modern expectation of clarity reshaped how faith communities communicate truth? * Is misunderstanding a failure of witness—or an inevitable feature of conviction? * How should believers respond when clarity does not resolve conflict? Perfect Recall, Zero Memory * Does technological recall weaken personal discipline, or merely redirect it? * What is lost when memory becomes retrieval instead of formation? * Can digital permanence coexist with forgiveness and forgetting? Frederick Winslow Taylor: Efficiency Without Mercy * Where is the line between order and dehumanization? * Has Taylorism truly faded—or does it persist in algorithmic management? * Can efficiency ever be neutral? Wuthering Heights * Is Heathcliff a victim, villain, or both? * Does obsession give life meaning—or destroy it? * Why does emotional extremity continue to attract modern readers? Banned on Earth, Essential in Orbit * Should moral judgments shift with context? * How might space exploration alter cultural taboos? * What other “forbidden” tools may become necessary under new conditions? The Norwegian (Part VI of VII) * How does suspense alter moral perception? * What clues now appear more significant in hindsight? * What resolution would feel earned rather than convenient? Additional Resources * The Abolition of Man by C. S. Lewis * Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman * The Principles of Scientific Management by Frederick Winslow Taylor * Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë Calls to Action * From Calista Freiheit: Share this essay with someone who has wrestled with misunderstanding in faith—and ask them what endurance looks like. * From Conrad Hannon: Examine one habit you have outsourced to technology this week. Reclaim it, even briefly. * From Conrad T. Hannon: Look for Taylorism in your workplace—or in your own habits. Efficiency reveals values. * From Gio Marron: Revisit a classic novel or reread the earlier chapters of The Norwegian before the finale arrives. General Call: If this week’s reflections sharpened your thinking, share the publication and invite a friend to subscribe. Conversation deepens conviction. Thank you for your time today. Until next time, stay gruntled, curious, and God Bless. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecogitatingceviche.substack.com/subscribe

    15 min

  2. FEB 8

    Cogitating Ceviché’s Week in Review (26–05)

    The Cogitating Ceviché Week in Review (26-5) Discussion via NotebookLM Editorial Summary This week’s writing circles a shared concern: the quiet replacement of judgment with systems, procedures, and spectacle. Across theology, political theory, institutional critique, and fiction, contributors interrogate how meaning is displaced when responsibility is abstracted. Calista Freiheit frames spectacle as a moral anesthetic. Conrad Hannon and Conrad T. Hannon trace how trust migrates from people to systems, and how progress often advances by narrowing moral agency. Gio Marron, through fiction, offers a counterpoint: human choice reasserting itself inside constrained structures. The week reads as a sustained meditation on obedience, delegation, and the costs of convenience. Articles * The Christian Case Against SpectacleFebruary 2, 2026 — Calista FreiheitAn argument that spectacle functions as a moral bypass, training audiences to feel rather than judge, and to confuse reaction with discernment. * Why We Trust Systems More Than PeopleFebruary 3, 2026 — Conrad HannonAn examination of how procedure replaces judgment, and how trust migrates from persons to mechanisms in modern institutions. * Herbert A. Simon: Progress at a Price (#1 – Anti-Heroes of Progress)February 4, 2026 — Conrad T. HannonA critical portrait of bounded rationality and the moral tradeoffs hidden inside managerial efficiency. * The Cathedral Without a GodFebruary 6, 2026 — Conrad HannonA meditation on compliance as theology, and the unspoken faith embedded in bureaucratic order. * The Norwegian (Part V of VII)February 7, 2026 — Gio MarronThe mystery tightens as motive, memory, and obligation collide, testing how much agency remains when choices narrow. Quote of the Week “Spectacle does not persuade; it replaces the need to decide.”— The Christian Case Against Spectacle, Calista Freiheit Questions The Christian Case Against Spectacle * Where does spectacle most successfully short-circuit moral judgment today? * Can communities resist spectacle without withdrawing from public life? Why We Trust Systems More Than People * What do systems promise that people no longer do? * At what point does procedure become a substitute for responsibility? Herbert A. Simon: Progress at a Price * What forms of judgment are lost when decisions are optimized? * Is bounded rationality a description, or an excuse? The Cathedral Without a God * What beliefs are required to sustain large-scale compliance? * How does bureaucracy teach obedience without naming it? The Norwegian (Part V of VII) * Which constraints in the story are structural, and which are chosen? * How does mystery function as moral inquiry rather than puzzle-solving? Additional Resources * Ivan Illich, Tools for Conviviality * Jacques Ellul, The Technological Society * Hannah Arendt, Responsibility and Judgment * Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death Calls to Action * Calista Freiheit: Examine which forms of spectacle shape your moral reflexes this week. * Conrad Hannon: Question one procedure you follow automatically. * Conrad T. Hannon: Revisit a thinker of progress with attention to their blind spots. * Gio Marron: Read fiction as a way to rehearse judgment, not escape it. * General: Share this review with someone who still believes systems are neutral. Thank you for your time today. Until next time, stay gruntled, curious, and God Bless. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecogitatingceviche.substack.com/subscribe

    14 min

  3. FEB 1

    🗞️ Cogitating Ceviché - Week in Review (26-4)

    🗞️ Cogitating Ceviché - Week in Review (26-4) January 26–31, 2026 Discussion via NotebookLM 🧭 Editorial Note This week circles a single, persistent question: How much of our lives are chosen and how much are inherited? Across essays, satire, and fiction, our writers examine the forces that shape us long before we recognize them as such. Moral formation precedes instruction. Systems present themselves as neutral while quietly enclosing us. Courtesy disguises privilege. Procedure acquires theology. Memory and habit guide lives more than intention ever does. What emerges is not a program, but a pattern: we are trained before we are persuaded; by families, by institutions, by stories, by silence. 📚 This Week’s Writing The Moral Education of Children Happens Before Instruction Calista Freiheit · January 26, 2026 By the time a child can explain right and wrong, the work is already underway. This essay argues that moral formation happens through environment, attention, and example—not lesson plans—and that instruction arrives late to a conversation already in progress. We Don’t Use Systems. We Live Inside Them Conrad Hannon · January 27, 2026 Convenience rarely announces its price. This piece examines how systems designed to simplify life gradually define its boundaries, becoming environments rather than tools, and enclosures rather than aids. Gretchen’s Forty Winks Gio Marron · January 28, 2026 A short fiction piece in a Fitzgerald-inflected register, where drowsy conversation and half-formed intention reveal how easily people drift into lives they never fully chose. Giuseppe Parini: Satirist of Courtesy, Critic of Privilege Conrad T. Hannon · January 29, 2026 Parini wielded politeness as a blade. By imitating aristocratic manners with exacting precision, he revealed courtesy as performance and privilege as theater. The Administrative State as a Folk Religion Conrad Hannon · January 30, 2026 Procedure becomes belief. Paperwork becomes ritual. This essay frames modern bureaucracy as a faith system. complete with a priesthood, sacred texts, and unquestioned legitimacy grounded in process rather than truth. The Norwegian (Part IV of VII) A Mimi Delboise MysteryGio Marron · January 31, 2026 The investigation deepens as culture, memory, and silence press inward. What crosses borders most easily is not language, but habit. 💬 Quote of the Week “We are trained long before we are persuaded.”— Calista Freiheit ❓ Questions to Carry With You * What moral lessons were taught to you without words? * Which systems feel invisible until you imagine life without them? * When does politeness conceal power? * How does procedure replace judgment? * What parts of your life arrived through habit rather than decision? 📖 Further Reading * Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics * Hannah Arendt, The Human Condition * Ivan Illich, Tools for Conviviality * Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America * Franz Kafka, The Trial 🔔 From the Editors * Calista Freiheit: Notice what you teach without intending to. * Conrad Hannon: Question the systems you assume are neutral. * Gio Marron: Pay attention to what your characters—and neighbors—avoid saying. * All readers: Share this week’s work with someone who thinks systems are optional. Thank you for your time today. Until next time, stay gruntled, curious, and God Bless. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecogitatingceviche.substack.com/subscribe

    15 min

  4. JAN 25

    Cogitating Ceviche’s Week in Review (26-3)

    The Cogitating Ceviché Week in Review (26-3) Discussion via NotebookLM Editorial Summary This week, the contributors danced between fable and firmware. Gio Marron revisited myth and mystery with painterly precision, while Calista F. Freiheit redefined responsibility in a culture obsessed with property. Conrad Hannon offered a Kierkegaardian corrective to the digital mob and dissected the recursive tyranny of the software update. Each piece confronted modern flux—whether algorithmic, ideological, or emotional—with curiosity, concern, and conscience. Articles * What It Means to Be a Steward, Not an OwnerJan 19 | Calista F. FreiheitAn exploration of the ancient concept of stewardship as an antidote to contemporary ownership culture. * The Tyranny of the Update: Life Under Permanent BetaJan 20 | Conrad HannonA critique of the endless-update ethos, where progress becomes perpetual disorientation. * The Juniper-TreeJan 21 | Gio MarronGrimm’s haunting tale, retold with poetic insight and subtle dread. * Søren Kierkegaard: Writing Against the CrowdJan 21 | Conrad T HannonThe first in a series on thinkers who refused to scale, beginning with Denmark’s most paradoxical penman. * Why Irony Is a Poor Substitute for FaithJan 23 | Conrad HannonA polemic against the detachment that defines our era—and its failure to sustain us. * The Norwegian (part III of VII)Jan 24 | Gio MarronThe mystery deepens in Marron’s serial thriller: secrets unravel in snowbound silence. Quote of the Week “Irony makes a poor scaffold for a soul—its structure collapses the moment anything heavy leans on it.”— Conrad Hannon, “Why Irony Is a Poor Substitute for Faith” Questions What It Means to Be a Steward, Not an Owner * Can stewardship be taught in a culture so steeped in ownership? * What traditions or texts support this idea in your own worldview? The Tyranny of the Update * Is perpetual beta a design flaw—or a philosophy? * When does improvement become erasure? The Juniper-Tree * Why do some fairy tales persist in disturbing us? * What is the moral—or is there one? Søren Kierkegaard: Writing Against the Crowd * What does it mean to write “against” in an age of algorithms? * Would Kierkegaard use Substack—or avoid it completely? Why Irony Is a Poor Substitute for Faith * Is there a place for irony within a faithful life? * What happens when irony becomes default? The Norwegian (part III of VII) * What’s being hidden in the Norwegian fog? * Who do we trust in Marron’s fragmented tale? Additional Resources * “The Crowd is Untruth” – Søren Kierkegaard * Jenny Odell on Resisting the Attention Economy * On the Tragedy of the Commons * Digital Minimalism – Cal Newport * The Brothers Grimm – Full Fairy Tale Archive Calls to Action * Calista F. Freiheit: This week, consider something you “own” that might be better stewarded—and share why. * Conrad Hannon: Audit your update settings. What software do you let rewrite your routines? * Gio Marron: Read a Grimm tale aloud—to someone, or just to the dark. * General: Choose one article and bring it to your next coffee chat, book club, or late-night phone call. See what happens. Thank you for your time today. Until next time, stay gruntled, curious, and God Bless. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecogitatingceviche.substack.com/subscribe

    18 min

  5. JAN 18

    📚 Cogitating Ceviche’s Week in Review (26-2)

    📚 Cogitating Ceviche’s Week in Review (January 12–17, 2026) Discussion via NotebookLM ✒️ Editorial Summary In a week that shuffled among ghosts—both divine and digital—the Cogitating Ceviché’s contributors peeled back the veils of modernity, faith, and fiction. Calista Freiheit reminded us that Christianity’s timelessness lies in its resistance to trend. Conrad Hannon explored the spectral residue of past futures in the cloud and the fading Americana hidden within Instagram’s algorithm. Gio Marron slipped from a mythic Conrad tale into the noir pulse of a Norwegian mystery, while Conrad T. Hannon revived William Blake as the prototype of the neglected genius. The week unspooled like a haunted reel, flickering between revelation and recursion. 📰 Articles This Week Why Christianity Is Inherently UnfashionableCalista F. Freiheit – January 12, 2026Christianity does not—and cannot—play catch-up with cultural fashion. Freiheit argues that its rootedness in the eternal makes it alien to every age, including ours. The Ghost in the Server Farm: Hauntology in the CloudConrad Hannon – January 13, 2026A philosophical look at cloud computing through the lens of hauntology. What lingers in our digital archives? Ghosts, or glitches? The Inn of the Two WitchesGio Marron – January 14, 2026Gio adapts Conrad’s lesser-known supernatural tale into a compact psychological fable—twilight shores, duplicitous hosts, and fate circling like seagulls. William Blake: When Genius Was Not EnoughConrad T. Hannon – January 14, 2026The first in a series on overlooked brilliance, Hannon presents Blake not as a mystic oddity but as the casualty of a culture allergic to real vision. The Last Great American Roadside Attraction: Instagram’s AlgorithmConrad Hannon – January 16, 2026Nostalgia, selfies, and saturation: Hannon investigates how digital platforms cannibalize Americana and turn ephemera into algorithmic detritus. The Norwegian (Part II of VII)Gio Marron – January 17, 2026The mystery deepens in Marron’s noir serial. Mimi Delboise returns to uncover old crimes under new snow—one cigarette, one puzzle at a time. 🗣️ Quote of the Week “Christianity is not behind the times; it is above them.”— Calista F. Freiheit, “Why Christianity Is Inherently Unfashionable” ❓ Reflective Questions Why Christianity Is Inherently Unfashionable * Can timelessness coexist with cultural relevance? * Is Christianity’s unfashionableness its strength or its stumbling block? The Ghost in the Server Farm * What exactly is haunting digital infrastructure—abandoned ideals or unrealized potential? * Does “the cloud” replace or preserve memory? The Inn of the Two Witches * How does suspense operate differently in adaptation vs. original? * What role does moral ambiguity play in maritime settings? William Blake: When Genius Was Not Enough * Why does modern culture often ignore its prophets? * Is genius still viable without recognition? The Last Great American Roadside Attraction * Have algorithms destroyed or reinvented nostalgia? * Is digital memory more fleeting or more permanent than physical keepsakes? The Norwegian (Part II of VII) * What does the setting reveal about the characters? * How does serial form enhance or dilute mystery? 📚 Additional Resources * The Myth of Progress by John Gray * Spectres of Marx by Jacques Derrida * The Society of the Spectacle by Guy Debord * The Disappearance of Rituals by Byung-Chul Han * Mystery and Manners by Flannery O’Connor * Algorithms of Oppression by Safiya Umoja Noble 📣 Calls to Action * Calista F. Freiheit: Share the article with someone who thinks religion should be more modern. * Conrad Hannon: Upload your oldest photo to the cloud and ask: what ghost am I saving? * Gio Marron: Read Conrad’s original “Two Witches” and spot the changes. * Conrad T. Hannon: Nominate the next neglected genius for the Brilliant, But Not Enough series. * General: Which article made you think hardest—and why? Drop a comment or forward it to a friend. Thank you for your time today. Until next time, stay gruntled, curious, and God Bless. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecogitatingceviche.substack.com/subscribe

    13 min

  6. JAN 11

    Cogitating Ceviche’s Week in Review (26-1)

    Cogitating Ceviche’s Week in Review (January 5–10, 2026) Discussion via NotebookLM Editorial Summary This week’s offerings spiral across epochs and genres—echoing laughter in sanctuaries, automation in our palms, Rome through the pen of Cassiodorus, and freedom from within. Conrad Hannon revisits the gentleman dissenter and diagnoses automation’s iron grip; Calista F. Freiheit pens a theological meditation on humor as spiritual resistance. Gio Marron gives us a noir entrée and a Komroff classic, while history looms large with a defense-less but not senseless Cassiodorus. The week ends where it began—in search of freedom, mystery, and meaning. Articles * The Christian Sense of Humor: Laughter as ResistanceCalista F. Freiheit | January 5, 2026An exploration of sacred wit—how laughter, rightly tuned, becomes a theological and political act. * The Automation Trap: When Tools Make You WorseConrad Hannon | January 6, 2026A critique of the seductive erosion of skill under the guise of productivity, from spellcheck to steering wheels. * How Does It Feel To Be Free?Gio Marron (Manuel Komroff) | January 7, 2026A republication of Komroff’s meditation on interior liberty—fierce, lyrical, and unblinking. * Cassiodorus: Saving Rome Without Defending ItConrad T Hannon | January 7, 2026First in the “Custodians of Meaning” series, this piece considers how one man preserved Rome by giving up its sword. * The Gentleman Dissenter Is ExtinctConrad Hannon | January 9, 2026A polemic on the vanishing breed of principled dissenters—and what’s replaced them. * The NorwegianGio Marron | January 10, 2026The first part of a new Mimi Delboise mystery, tinged with fog, suspicion, and linguistic codes. Quote of the Week “To laugh in a time of collapse is to bear witness to resurrection.”— Calista F. Freiheit, “The Christian Sense of Humor: Laughter as Resistance” Questions The Christian Sense of Humor * Can laughter serve as a form of nonviolent resistance in secular contexts? * What are the limits of theological humor? The Automation Trap * Have our tools replaced our instincts—or just dulled them? * Is “ease” always the enemy of excellence? How Does It Feel To Be Free? * Is freedom a condition or an orientation? * How does Komroff’s idea of inner liberty clash with modern definitions? Cassiodorus: Saving Rome Without Defending It * Can culture preserve what politics fails to protect? * What modern analogs exist for Cassiodorus’ role? The Gentleman Dissenter Is Extinct * What happens to dissent when civility disappears? * Can new forms of dissent still carry moral weight? The Norwegian * What defines Mimi Delboise as a detective in a digital age? * How does ambiguity serve suspense in serialized storytelling? Additional Resources * “Amusing Ourselves to Death” by Neil Postman — A foundational critique of media and meaning. * “The World Beyond Your Head” by Matthew Crawford — On attention, automation, and the loss of embodied skill. * “From Dawn to Decadence” by Jacques Barzun — On cultural transmission and preservation. * “The Abolition of Man” by C.S. Lewis — Dissent, civility, and eternal standards. * “Thinking in Systems” by Donella Meadows — For reading behind the tools and structures we create. Calls to Action * Calista: Reflect on where humor has disarmed bitterness in your life. * Conrad: Audit a digital tool you use daily—has it made you better? * Gio: Follow Mimi into mystery—what do you suspect in Part II? * General: Join the discussion in the comments—Who’s your Cassiodorus? Would you like this exported in a specific format—Markdown, PDF, or embedded into a layout? Thank you for your time today. Until next time, stay gruntled, curious, and God Bless. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecogitatingceviche.substack.com/subscribe

    12 min

  7. JAN 4

    Cogitating Ceviche’s Week in Review (25-52)

    🐟 Cogitating Ceviche’s Week in Review (Dec 29–Jan 3) Discussion via NotebookLM 📝 Editorial Summary This week, we explored the uneasy friction between permanence and disposability, the secret life of your kitchen appliances, and the ghostly hands shaping modern thought. Calista F. Freiheit called Christians to resist throwaway culture. Conrad T. Hannon unearthed the intellectual legacies behind the “average man” and the modern pamphleteer. And Gio Marron returned to Tolstoy’s moral minimalism. A week of quietly sharp ideas. 📚 This Week’s Articles The Virtue of PermanenceCalista F. Freiheit – December 29, 2025A meditation on Christian faith, the beauty of stability, and why building for eternity matters in a world obsessed with the new. Why Your Smart Fridge Is Plotting Against YouConrad Hannon – December 30, 2025A short sermon on optimization and betrayal. A smart home, Hannon warns, may still be a dumb idea. A Lost OpportunityGio Marron – December 31, 2025Tolstoy’s brief fable of hesitation and loss. What we fail to do may echo longer than our actions. Adolphe Quetelet: Inventing the Average ManConrad T. Hannon – December 31, 2025The first in a new series—The Architects of the Invisible. Who decides what “normal” means? It may start with Quetelet. Pamphleteers, Substacks, and the Long War Over AttentionConrad Hannon – January 2, 2026Newsletters are older than you think. Hannon tracks the lineage from 18th-century coffeehouses to your inbox. The CandleGio Marron – January 3, 2026Another Tolstoy tale—this time about the small light of moral courage, and the ease with which it’s snuffed out. 🗣️ Quote of the Week “The modern home has been optimized for everything but truth.”— Conrad Hannon, Why Your Smart Fridge Is Plotting Against You ❓ Questions to Consider The Virtue of Permanence * What does permanence demand of us? * Can faith thrive in a culture designed to discard? Why Your Smart Fridge Is Plotting Against You * Are our devices optimizing us in return? * When does convenience become complicity? A Lost Opportunity * Is passivity a moral failing? * What actions have you avoided that still haunt you? Adolphe Quetelet: Inventing the Average Man * Can we think statistically without becoming inhuman? * Who benefits when “the average” defines the norm? Pamphleteers, Substacks, and the Long War Over Attention * Is independent publishing a revival—or a rebranding? * Has the attention economy always existed? The Candle * What small acts keep your integrity alive? * Have you ever looked away when you should have acted? 📎 Additional Reading * Amusing Ourselves to Death – Neil Postman * Technopoly – Neil Postman * The Technological Society – Jacques Ellul * The Gospel in a Pluralist Society – Lesslie Newbigin * The Invisible Gorilla – Christopher Chabris & Daniel Simons * The Ethics of Authenticity – Charles Taylor 📣 Calls to Action Calista F. Freiheit: Consider what in your life you treat as temporary that may deserve permanence.Conrad Hannon: Turn off one smart device for a week and note the difference.Gio Marron: Read a Tolstoy story out loud. His prose carries different weight aloud.Everyone: Share one article with someone who wouldn’t normally read it. Thank you for your time today. Until next time, stay gruntled, curious, and God Bless. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecogitatingceviche.substack.com/subscribe

    10 min

  8. 12/28/2025

    Cogitating Ceviché’s Week in Review (25-51)

    Cogitating Ceviché’s Week in Review (December 22–26) Discussion via NotebookLM Excerpt (Substack preview):From faith and formation to spreadsheets and satire, this week’s essays examined how modern systems—technical, cultural, and spiritual—shape the ways we think, work, and believe. Featuring Calista Freiheit on Christian storytelling, Conrad Hannon on digital liturgies, and Gio Marron on letters and gifts that outlast algorithms. Tags: philosophy, culture, faith, literature, satire, technology, theology, Conrad Hannon, Calista Freiheit, Gio Marron Editorial Summary This week’s writing returned to a shared concern across genres and voices: how modern systems—technical, bureaucratic, and cultural—shape formation, meaning, and moral attention. Calista Freiheit examined how algorithmic life weakens Christian formation by replacing shared narrative with optimization. Conrad Hannon approached modernity through satire and philosophy, treating the spreadsheet as liturgy and revisiting Plato’s Cave under streaming conditions. Gio Marron grounded the week with literary clarity, presenting letters and short fiction that resist speed and abstraction in favor of human cost and gift. Across essays, satire, and fiction, the week asked a single question: what forms us when efficiency replaces story? This Week’s Articles Why Christians Need Stories, Not Algorithms — Formation Happens Through Narrative, Not Notification Calista Freiheit — December 22, 2025 A careful critique of digital formation, arguing that Christian moral life depends on shared stories rather than personalized feeds. The Spreadsheet as Sacred Text — On the Liturgy of the Modern Office Conrad Hannon — December 23, 2025 A satirical meditation on bureaucracy, treating metrics, dashboards, and KPIs as devotional objects of late modern work life. The Letters — by Lucy Maud Montgomery Gio Marron — December 23, 2025 A literary presentation foregrounding intimacy, memory, and the slow discipline of correspondence. Joachim Ringelnatz (1883–1934): German Poet, Humorist, and the Art of Earnest Absurdity — Entry #93: Honoring the Satirists and Thinkers Who Altered Our Perspectives Conrad T. Hannon — December 24, 2025 A reflective portrait of a satirist who used humor not to escape seriousness, but to expose it. Plato’s Cave with Wi-Fi — Philosophy in the Age of Streaming Conrad Hannon — December 25, 2025 A contemporary reading of Plato’s Cave, reframed through algorithmic curation, passive spectatorship, and digital comfort. The Gift of the Magi — by O. Henry Gio Marron — December 26, 2025 A seasonal return to sacrifice, love, and irony—reminding readers that value is rarely measurable. Quote of the Week “Formation requires a shared story, not a personalized feed.”— Calista Freiheit, Why Christians Need Stories, Not Algorithms Questions for Reflection Why Christians Need Stories, Not Algorithms * What once formed belief that digital habits now displace? * Can formation survive personalization? * What is lost when formation becomes efficient? The Spreadsheet as Sacred Text * What rituals govern modern work life? * When does measurement replace judgment? * What does satire reveal that critique alone cannot? The Letters * What disciplines does letter-writing require? * How does delay shape meaning? * What forms of attention disappear with speed? Joachim Ringelnatz * Why does satire endure under pressure? * What makes absurdity truthful? * How does humor function as resistance? Plato’s Cave with Wi-Fi * How does streaming alter perception? * What replaces truth when comfort dominates? * Is escape still possible? The Gift of the Magi * Why is sacrifice often misunderstood? * What cannot be optimized? * What makes a gift meaningful? Additional Reading * Plato, Republic (Book VII) * Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death * Wendell Berry, The Unsettling of America * Jacques Ellul, The Technological Society * O. Henry, Selected Short Stories Calls to Action * Calista Freiheit: Reclaim shared practices that resist personalization. * Conrad Hannon: Read satire slowly; it sharpens judgment. * Gio Marron: Return to letters, stories, and forms that require patience. * General: Share one piece this week with someone who values thought over speed. Thank you for your time today. Until next time, stay gruntled, curious, and God Bless. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecogitatingceviche.substack.com/subscribe

    11 min
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