CNN & FOX: The Death Machine

This is in response to Frank Rich’s column, “Who Is to Blame in the Next Attack?” in the Sunday New York Times.
For my money Frank Rich is the best commentator in America, but today he didn’t go deep enough. He describes the ailment, but doesn’t diagnose it or prescribe any treatment.
So I, naturally, [...]

What Makes a Good Cook?

Chef Hector Boiardi, a Cleveland restaurateur, accidentally taught me how to cook.
I’m not sure how this happened, but I’ve been making the best darn food lately. It makes me wonder how a person gets to be a good cook.
Chefs are trained at schools like the Culinary Institute of America or even the local community college, [...]

Triumph of the “Ritualists”

Rood screen and balcony at St. Etienne du Mont, France. The English Reformation destroyed all such ornaments, but now the tide has turned.
The Episcopal Church has changed so much in my lifetime it’s really hard to fathom. We all know about women priests and bishops, the gradual integration of LGBT people into parish life and [...]

Yanking Out the Vines

Ivy’s no friend of my house.
Today is my birthday, and I’m going to spend the afternoon gardening. Then I’ll get cleaned up and give myself a good meal, salmon ponzu with citrus-soy reduction, a baked potato with sour cream and fresh chives.
I’m behind schedule in the garden thanks to several days of rain. I got [...]

Maine Catholics Lobby Against Gay Marriage

UPDATE: The legislature in Maine passed the Gay marriage bill May 6 and Gov. John Baldacci signed it. Whaddaya know, Democrats who act like Democrats. Hooray for Maine!

Richard Malone, Bishop of Portland, Maine.
I guess it’s no surprise, the Catholic Church hates Gay people, and calls us such charming phrases as “intrinsically disordered.”
In your being, [...]