This is one story where I’m sure there’s a lot more below the surface and behind the screen. Draven Rodriguez, 17, from Schenectady, New York (not far from where I grew up), committed suicide at home on Thursday, Jan. 19, according to his parents. He initially became famous for creating an intentionally cheesy portrait of himself with laser beams and a former stray cat, which went viral. From the Albany (N.Y.) Times-Union: “He wasn’t trying to stir things up with... Read more
It’s the first Friday of Lent, and, aside from tuna and fish & chips, seafood is not on the menu for me. I suspect I’m not alone in this, and even if I am, the world is full of other meat-free yumminess. For example, there’s macaroni and cheese. Oh, yes, indeedy, there is. It was one of the mainstays in my house, so I’m starting this list of five outstanding M&C creations with my late mother’s recipe (as remembered by... Read more
Here’s news on an upcoming supernatural drama from the creator of AMC’s zombie drama “The Walking Dead,” already available in comic-book form. Will it be good? We’ll have to wait and see, but it doesn’t involve a Catholic priest, so it’s already got one hand tied behind its back. As you know, when Satan and his minions threaten to sweep over the face of the Earth, you gotta have the smells and bells … CINEMAX PICKS UP NEW DRAMA SERIES OUTCAST LOS ANGELES, Feb. 12,... Read more
From Gizmodo, “The Gorgeous Typeface That Drove Men Mad and Sparked a 100-Year Mystery” … Their type was created in 1899, and the duo would use it to print indescribably beautiful books, bound by hand and designed with the perfect balance of craftsmanship and modern utility. Cobden Sanderson was a bit of a snob in the sense that he only wanted to commit his designs to the finest literature, the “most beautiful words.” They printed Paradise Lost. They printed the English Bible.... Read more
I can’t help you with your fasts — being hungry is the point, so you’re on your own there — but I sure can help with abstinence during Lent. As a closed door leads to an open window, the (temporary, for me) absence of meat (mmmmm … meat) means the presence of other things. And one of those things is the grilled-cheese sandwich (or GCS, for short). Of course, you can have it with meat — and I heartily endorse... Read more
An airport cleaning woman schools the veteran country singer, as related in a FoxNews.com opinion piece: Don’t get me wrong, I love my “job.” The old saying that “the man who loves his job is always on vacation,” really applies to me. But this morning I got a master’s class, a sermon, a life lesson in joy. I wasn’t close enough to her to recognize the tune she was humming under her breath, it ws as if she were humming... Read more
Loving this youth video from Catholic Athlete: And if you’re wondering about Laudate (available for iOS and Android, and also from Amazon) this free app is currently my Novus Ordo missal, and the prayers, rosaries (including my favorite, the Franciscan Crown), chaplets, Bibles and Vatican documents I carry around with me. Now if only they’d add the Tridentine Mass missal. I’m with the kids in the video on the confusion of page-flipping. Image: Screenshot from YouTube: Catholic Athlete Read more
Over at CatholicVote, in a post called “ISIS and the End Times,” I offer some excerpts from, and a link to, “What ISIS Really Wants,” a meaty, substantive piece from The Atlantic on the theology and goals of the Islamic State militants. Click here for my post, but The Atlantic article is an example of what the media can do, if it’s brave and thorough. Contributing editor Graeme Wood takes a detailed, comprehensive look at how ISIS fits into Islamic... Read more
Ever since he wrote a thoughtful, heartfelt post about the unfortunate events in Ferguson, Missouri, I’ve been following the Facebook page of New Orleans Saints tight end Benjamin Watson, and I wrote about his lovely sentiments for New Year’s Day. An outspoken Christian, husband and father of four, Watson continues to hit them out of the park. Here’s his current post, on St. Valentine’s Day and the nature of real love: I can vividly remember those grade school #ValentinesDay cards. As the big... Read more
We’re always happy to see a successful Catholic in the entertainment business, but let’s be honest, they’re not all going to be Raymond Arroyo. TLC closes out the first season of its freshman panel-talk show “All About Sex” on Saturday, Feb. 14, with an episode called “Reinventing Romance.” Unfortunately, it’s also somewhat about “50 Shades of Grey,” which is, one way or another, going to be a main topic of conversation this weekend The series, which airs at 11 p.m.... Read more
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