My heart is broken. People Magazine is reporting that Carrie Fisher just died of the heart attack she suffered earlier this week. I don’t know anyone who dislikes Star Wars. In this house we love Star Wars– my daughter Rose chatters about Star Wars the way most girls her age chatter about ponies and Disney princesses. Rose is  clever, feisty and energetic girl, and it’s difficult to find clever, feisty and energetic girl role models that are real characters instead of... Read more
Yes, I read the RNC Christmas Greeting. I read the line everybody’s up in arms about: Over two millennia ago, a new hope was born into the world, a Savior who would offer the promise of salvation to all mankind. Just as the three wise men did on that night, this Christmas heralds a time to celebrate the good news of a new King. I’m just not 100% sure that line deliberately puts forth Donald Trump as a Christ figure. I think... Read more
Merry Christmas. I need to raw your attention to the finest satire I have read in this heinous, misbegotten prolapsed rectum of an election year, and I’ve read an awful lot. I can’t stop giggling. For once I have no further comment, because nothing can top it. Just read it here.  You can thank me later. I can only hope to someday master parody to this extent. I’m not going to say that this Dickens/Trump mashup made up for the hell we’ve been through nor... Read more
 If you are disappointed this Christmas, I understand. If you are lonely and depressed, I get it. If you are anxious– believe me, I know. I’ve been there. I’m there myself. And there’s nothing wrong with the way you feel. Christ is here too, of course. He chose to be with us in our suffering. We often forget that this festive, joyous, colorful season of the year began with a poor woman giving birth in a dank, straw-strewn cave. She... Read more
Here we have an illuminated letter from the Saltzburg Missal, from about 1480, portraying the Magi dreaming of the holy archangel who warned them to flee home by a different route. Never really thought about them this way, did you? All nestled snug in bed together, naked except for their crowns? Me either. Of course, nude and in the same bed was the perfectly normal way for kings to sleep in that part of Europe, at that point in history. Pajamas... Read more
I don’t really want to have to say this. I like writing prose poems about trees and funny stories about dinosaurs. I do not like writing about news or politics, and especially not about Donald Trump. But, today it’s all over the news that Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have both spoken about the need to expand their respective nuclear capabilities-– well, Putin spoke and Trump tweeted. And I have to say a few words of my own about that. Guys?... Read more
Blogging for Patheos, you meet a lot of atheists. In fact, if you’re on the internet at all, you’re gonna meet a lot of atheists. And that’s great. Atheists are among my good friends. I post annoying facebook statuses about Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hiddleston, and about cute things my daughter has said, and they admire my daughter and Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hiddleston with me. They say “Merry Christmas,” I say “you too.”  We get along famously. I do, however, occasionally... Read more
I have two works of mercy to ask of my readers. First, a spiritual work of mercy: pray for the repose of the soul of my friend Theresa’s father-in-law, Ronald Weiler, and for consolation and healing for his widow and surviving family. Thank you. Also, for a corporal work of mercy, please see if you can donate a few bucks toward his burial. You can donate here.  And if you can’t donate yourself, pass this work of mercy on to whoever... Read more
All right, NOW it’s Christmas. I know, it’s still Advent, but seriously: Christmas. I just made the best find. At the Sam Goody. Yes, Steubenville’s little mall has an actual Sam Goody store straight out of the 90s, at least until January when it’s set to close. But since it’s about to close, all of Sam Goody’s goodies were 40% off. I went in there thinking I could get something Godzilla-related for my daughter, but some how I walked out with... Read more
There was a hard frost outside this morning. All the puddles from the weekend’s rain were not only crusted over but frozen solid, thick and unyielding as marble. Frost covered each blade of the overgrown grass, even though it was late morning. Before breakfast, I made a phone call. I made an appointment for my daughter, Rose, for her yearly checkup and shots. I’m told we may lose our healthcare in the coming years; at any rate, thousands likely will. I’m told... Read more
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