A while back, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Mother Dolores Hart, OSB about her book, and she talked of breaking off her engagement in order to enter the Abbey: He was furious. Oh, He was so upset. But he said a very unexpected thing which was, ‘you know all love relationships don’t end at the altar, and I will be faithful to you in this.’ Well, I thought that was a head-trip too. I didn’t see how in... Read more
Repeated …so many times…it was practically a verbal tic. NBC News: Obama Administration knew millions could not keep their health insurance. President Obama repeatedly assured Americans that after the Affordable Care Act became law, people who liked their health insurance would be able to keep it. But millions of Americans are getting or are about to get cancellation letters for their health insurance under Obamacare, say experts, and the Obama administration has known that for at least three years. Four... Read more
This autumn we are being energy-frugal-and-budget-wise and keeping the heat either off or very low. Even though I am trying to do a half-hour to 45 minutes on the bike each day (which one would think would up the warmth factor)I’m finding that our virtue is challenging my tootsies, and I hate wearing shoes in the house. Everything is fine as long as I stay at my desk, where this combo footrest/heater more than does the trick, but yowie, the... Read more
I always loved the surprise of this performance. Lou Reed is gone, at age 71. RIP Simcha has more. So does Frank Weathers, who notes that Reed played for JPII. Read more
One of my favorite people on the planet is Brandon Vogt, a young man of considerable energy and imagination, but also great faith and astounding generosity. No one could have faulted him, had he sought to profit from his first book, The Church and New Media, but Brandon donated 100% of the book’s proceeds to establish school computer labs throughout the Archdiocese of Mombasa, Kenya. Kathy Schiffer has mentioned meeting Brandon in Rome in 2011, for the beatification of Pope... Read more
I just can’t even: So, a server went to pick up a check after restaurant patrons had eaten, and found this message on the bill: “Thank you for your service, it was excellent. That being said, we cannot in good conscience tip you, for your homosexual lifestyle is an affront to GOD. Queers do not share in the wealth of GOD, and you will not share in ours. We hope you will see the tip your fag choices made you... Read more
This is one of those stories that makes you feel good about one human being seeing and hearing and helping another human being, but it also frustrates, because long-term answers are not forthcoming. When she asked if she had paid for all the food she was carrying, Robles confessed that she hadn’t. “I asked her, ‘Why would you do that? What would make you do that?'” [Officer] Thomas told WSVN. “And she said, ‘My children are hungry.'” Thomas pulled her... Read more
One of my brothers owns a small community theater, and he always dreads it when they schedule The Sound of Music (or, as both he and Christopher Plummer refer to it, The Sound of Mucus). He has a love/hate relationship with the play, which always sells out but makes him long to follow it up with something a little less gooey and sentimental, like Urinetown. For this reason, and this reason alone, I would never introduce my brother to Deacon... Read more
This morning, for no good reason, I awoke with this song in my head: Billy Joel talking to himself, and the rest of us, about how quickly insulation and unreality seep in when we attain a measure of financial and professional success that the world admires: All the people want to know your name Soon there will be lines outside your door Feelings do not matter in your game Yeah, ’cause nothing’s gonna touch you anymore So your life is... Read more
One chapter of Strange Gods is entitled, “Through the Looking Glass: Super Idols and Language”, and part of it entails looking at how we use, over-use and misuse certain words — or, sometimes, completely co-opt language — in order to facilitate the creation of idols. . . . when we render words meaningless — especially powerful words like peace and love — our understanding of them becomes warped. Then, as when a teenager flings his stuff thoughtlessly and lazily about... Read more
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