“…LEST IN SAVING OTHERS, I MYSELF AM LOST.” I have to admit, this piece over at Mere Comments resonated uncomfortably with me. Here’s the lead… I have never been enthusiastic about film reviews as a regular feature in Touchstone. Assertions that they are necessary to engage the culture leave me cold. Reading pert and urbane reviews in culture-sensitive Christian magazines has very frequently left me with the lingering question if the reviewer, whether he found the movie good or bad... Read more

EMILY MONDAY 1453 A Counterfeit — a Plated Person —I would not be — Whatever strata of IniquityMy Nature underlie — Truth is good Health — and Safety, and the Sky. How meagre, what an Exile — is a Lie,And Vocal — when we die — Read more

POPE THUMBS UP ACT ONE…BASICALLY… VATICAN CITY, FEB. 21, 2005 – Here is the text of John Paul II’s new apostolic letter on the media, “The Rapid Development,” published today by the Holy See. * * * APOSTOLIC LETTERTHE RAPID DEVELOPMENTOF THE HOLY FATHERJOHN PAUL IITO THOSE RESPONSIBLEFOR COMMUNICATIONS 1. The rapid development of technology in the area of the media is surely one of the signs of progress in today’s society. In view of these innovations in continuous evolution,... Read more

INCONSTANINT Saw the new “film” Constantine Thursday. It is so bad, I can’t bring myself to waste any of the precious minutes I have back here in CT with my family for the weekend. It has the story of a video game. Bad, bad acting. Stupid script. Indecipherable theme. Some theological errors. Some cool looking images — all of them of fairly revolting things, but hey, they’re well-executed. The basic idea is that devils are bad and God is mostly... Read more

MAGNIFICENT OBSESSIONS I’m 41 today. I woke up thanking God for letting me make it this far, and wondering what the next 41 years will bring. Eve Tushnet had something a neat self-study posted last week. I thought it was a cool reflection, because I believe that the passions of our heart determine our choices – which then define us. Here are some of mine… Dying on Jesus’ sideEmily Dickinson, especially #664A Pillar of Iron, and most everything written by... Read more

PRIVATE TO MAX S: I’d call if I had your number, but this will have to do…. Thanks so very much! They are lovely! And glads too! Read more

NO WHINING TODAY…. So, this morning at the monastery, an old guy limped in to the pew in front of me. He was really tall and this made his halting steps even more waveryish. He was leaning on one of those aluminum canes with the four points on the ground, and as he slowly made his way into the pew, exhaling heavily, my meditation switched from the day’s readings, to how many years I have left before that’s me. At... Read more

WITHOUT A REAL HITCH I caught the movie Hitch this weekend with three or four hundred other Angelenos. We all enjoyed the film. It’s a lot of fun, and includes some positive story choices that would surprise anyone who doesn’t read this blog. [ahem.] Namely, Hitch continues and expands the Gen-X friendly theme that sex is easy but relationship is really hard – and it’s the relationship that we should all want. A few outstanding differences in this romantic comedy... Read more

EMILY MONDAY #997 Crumbling is not an instant’s Act (or) A fundamental pause Dilapidation’s processes are organized Decays. ‘Tis first a Cobweb on the Soul – A Cuticle of Dust – A Borer in the Axis – An Elemental Rust — Ruin is formal — (The) Devil’s work (is)Consecutive and slow — Fail in an instant, no man didSlipping — is Crash’s law. P.S. from Barb: Love this poem. I added some helpers in spacing and parenthesis for those who... Read more

“LOVE IS A BRIGHT LIGHT, JOAN. IT CASTS A BIG SHADOW.” Joan of Arcadia was so great tonight, I actually cried and squealed with glee all within its 47 minutes. It had Barbara Hall stamped all over and, sure enough, it was her episode. Nobody writes like Barbara. (Except maybe her sister, Karen!…They are like literary freaks of nature.) I just wish Barb could do the David E. Kelley thing and write every episode. There were so many good lines... Read more