It certainly must be frightening to be followed and stalked, particularly if you are an investigative reporter focused on security issues. I should think it would produce paralyzing anxiety for one’s safety and certainly the safety of one’s family. Nothing funny about it. Still, as sympathetic as I am to this writer’s story, it’s hard not to be a little amused at the idea of a private investigator who thinks that driving a black BMW while wearing a furry Fonzie... Read more
I haven’t yet decided if I can bear to watch these pointless theatricals — remember the old days, before twitter, when we used to live-blog it — but whether I do or not, these are a few things to keep in mind as the rhetoric goes on, and on, and on: 1) From early days it seemed pretty clear that Obama was more interested in being rather than doing. That might be great for a spiritual aesthetic, but it’s a... Read more
I love this about Saint Thomas Aquinas, the great teacher, whose story reminds us that we do not know as much as we think we do: [In 1273, on the feast of Saint Nicholas, Aquinas was celebrating Mass] when “he received a revelation that so affected him that he wrote and dictated no more, leaving his great work the Summa Theologiae unfinished. To Brother Reginald’s (his secretary and friend) expostulations he replied, “The end of my labors has come. All... Read more
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A couple of years ago, jumping off of this appreciation by Katrina Fernandez, I chronicled a few Catholic priests who had put themselves in the middle of danger, in astonishing ways, for love of Christ and humanity. Currently, there are terrible stories, violent images and reported deaths coming out of Ukraine, as citizens and journalists have attempted to peacefully demonstrate for their right — the very basic human right — to be able to freely question and protest against public... Read more
The Federal Reserve also found that those with student loan debt were less likely to purchase houses or cars than those without student loans. This isn’t surprising. [Such debt] doesn’t encourage people to live large. But with young people traditionally being a major source of demand in both the housing and auto markets, two areas deemed important to economic recovery and prosperity — buying first houses and first cars and then moving up to something fancier every few years —... Read more
Bear with me, please, because I’m unpacking a lot of stuff, and I’m not sure where I’m going with it, even as I begin. Let’s start with this new channel here at Patheos, that is dedicated to dialogue on the philosophies and realities of faith and work. Not so much “faith in the workplace” — although that obviously is part of it — but more, how faith informs our thinking on labor and industry. The channel has been put together... Read more
A reader bought this through the Amazon portal (which is the link to my book) and I was so intrigued that I asked for it, for Christmas. What intrigued me? Two things — cost and froth. A) COST: I’m way too middle class to spend a lot on a coffee maker; it wouldn’t make me feel good about myself. Spending a lot for a latte would, in fact, make me feel bad about myself. While this unit sells at higher... Read more
A couple days ago, I wrote about a Catholic squabble taking place on social media and opined: I’m not going to tell the pope (or any priest or deacon) that they shouldn’t baptize a baby whose parents haven’t checked off all the boxes. I’d rather see the baby claimed for Christ, the portal of grace created within the child, and hope that the parents who sought this baptism are also brought into conformity through that act of faith, however confused.... Read more
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