I’m your daytime blogwatch at the Taco Tiki Hut… Amy Welborn: …When I think of St. Patrick, the word that comes to mind is forgiveness. For St. Patrick had been kidnapped as a boy, and taken in slavery to Ireland, held there for years. When it was time, years later, to share the Gospel, Patrick responded to the call – to share that Good News in Ireland, with those who had caused him great suffering and even killed members of... Read more

“BETTER”: Short story by me, at Doublethink. What if the aliens are just better? Read more

Once, twice, thrice–as I crept closeInto the ark, the nest, the bride,Into the pulse, into the life, into the wounded side–Eliza Kearny, “Christine and Mary” Read more

KITCHEN ADVENTURES: FISH FRY. Timely! ingredients: two skinless catfish fillets, a big lemon, a big yellow onion, some butter, and sea salt; tinfoil; eventually, a potato I turned the oven to 400, put the fillets in a baking dish, and squeezed half the lemon over them. I dotted them with butter, then covered the dish with foil and put it in the oven. While it was cooking, I sliced half the onion. The fish cooked for… I don’t know… ten... Read more

BETTE DAVIS SAYS, “GIT OFF MAH PROPERTY!” Hey guys. I’m swamped in work here, but I need to tell you all about various things involving Amy Welborn, who bestrides the Catholic blog world like a Colossus. So please go away, and read her instead. First, she has a really powerful meditation here, on one unexpected effect of her husband’s recent, unexpected death. Second, she has moved blogquarters, and will be doing most of her posting at BeliefNet, here. She’ll be... Read more

EVE’S ADVICE TO THE LOVELORN: Just a bit more on that APA thing. Some commenters have suggested that requiring only gay people to abstain is differential treatment which constitutes discrimination. This claim prompted a series of thoughts, which I present here, ranging from most relevant to the APA to least; the ones most relevant to the APA are least interesting to me, though, and vice very versa. “It’s Lent.” “Well, when you get it back, come up and see me... Read more

YOU LIVE INSIDE A BOTTLE AND PRETEND YOU’RE IN A CAN: John Schwenkler’s post on “closeted Christians” in academia reminded me of a conversation I had with a young, conservative lesbian, just after my piece on ex-gay ministries was published at National Review Online. She expressed surprised that NRO had wanted the piece; and I may be wrong, but I felt as though she was implying that she wouldn’t’ve pitched it to them. Whereas my approach was basically, “Well, this... Read more

COME, MUSE, AND LET US SING OF RATS!: Movie reviews. Actually, only two of these movies involve rats. But two is enough, don’t you think? The Rats: The Hulu description promises killer rats at Christmas! That would’ve been awesome. In fact, the Christmas element is virtually absent. I have no idea why it was even introduced. Why not rats in Christmas trees, rats attacking Santa, rats in church? Gremlins did much better with this movie’s attempted anti-consumerist theme (although Gremlins... Read more

The heavens are telling the glory of God;and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.Day to day pours forth speech,and night to night declares knowledge.There is no speech, nor are there words;their voice is not heard;yet their voice goes out through the earth,and their words to the end of the world.–Ps. 19:1-4 Read more

LET’S YOU AND HIM FIGHT. So apparently there’s this kerfuffle in the American Philosophical Association about whether schools which require their faculty to abstain from gay sex should be allowed to advertise in the APA’s job listings. There’s a petition, and a counterpetition, and my name came up in comments on the latter, because apparently I’ve been weaponized now? I tried to post this at Brian Leiter’s site, but the comment wasn’t accepted–not sure if it’s in moderation, or if... Read more