Friday, September 30, 2011

7 Quick Takes

7 of my favorite blog reads this week!


I'm often asked this question. And while I am under the blissful delusion that I can rant and rave on any subject of my choice, this one leaves me stumped. What's it like being Catholic? Well, it's like...well you see...hm...

It's like sex. (continue reading)


2 - Bad Catholic (again): Death Metal Ain't Got Nothing On Us

A long, long time ago, in a galaxy frightfully near, when I was caught in the awkward throes of middle-school, Black Metal and Death Metal were where it was at. In fairness, I attended a British military school in Germany, which sort of implies dysfunction. But regardless, a good number of my friends were infatuated with growing their hair and dying it black, painting their nails, doing drugs, getting schwasted, wearing dead/dying/skeletal/demonic guitar players on their t-shirts, and rocking their satanic symbols; for what's metal without corporate merchandise? Oh, how the warm memories return. There was the pentagram, the anarchy sign, the various nordic runes - which they assured me all meant Very Evil Things - and, of course, the upside-down cross. I was only a little larval-stage Catholic, but even then I knew the upside-down cross was funny. "Oh hey, upside-down cross. Real satanic guys, real scary and evil. Really sets off your brooding, church-burning hatred of weak Christian values. Christians everywhere tremble when they...oh wait." (continue reading) 



3 - The Crescat: Drum roll, please

... So without further ado, I would like to announce the winners of the 2011 Catholic Cannonball Awards in their respective categories... (continue reading)
Some of the best of the average blogs out there!

  
Louisiana resident Kandace Smith is the latest hero when it comes to putting the birth and care of her own children ahead of herself — as she, while  suffering from cystic fibrosis, rejected abortion to have triplets. (continue reading) 
My oldest brother died when he was four of Cystic Fibrosis and my mother may be the oldest documented patient with Cystic Fibrosis ever.


It's the Catholic thing to do. Or you can keep doing what you've been doing, as the survey below reports, and continue on the treadmill to oblivion. (continue reading)


6 - The Curt Jester:   Atheism and Joy 

An AlterNet article by Amanda Marcotte reminds me of a question a reader asked me over at Google+.

  Atheist lives are bleak and lack meaning. Those in the atheist activist community find this one particularly insipid...(continue reading)
For your apologetics needs!

Recently I wrote a bunch of posts tackling the divisive issue of Christian Rock over at the ever-brilliant Virtuouspla.net. Basically I said - immaturely - that Christian Rock has become - thanks to the Almighty Need to Sell - a poor imitation of Pop music. That she often lacks Authenticity. That she conforms to a genre instead of attempting to write from the heart. (continue reading)

 
 
Jennifer Fulwiler
Thanks to Jennifer Fulwiler, a fellow Texan, for hosting
7 Quick Takes Friday 

3 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing the "Bad Catholic" link - love the part about tripping over the top step and checking facebook... I couldn't resist checking out your blog after seeing the Princess Bride pic on Conversion Diary

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  2. I remember doing a walk-a-thon to raise money for cystic fibrosis when I was in kindergarten or first grade...

    It's amazing how many things are survivable now that used to not be.

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  3. @Geomama Love, love, love that movie. When I saw the pic on my Google Reader this week, I got so happy!

    @Jen It is amazing, isn't it? I did tons of fundraising when I was younger. My parents are still active within the CF community. My mother gives many young men and women with the disease hope by networking on Facebook.

    She didn't get diagnosed until she was in her 60s and dying of what they thought was COPD. Her symptoms were so much like CF that we asked her doctor if it was remotely possible that she could have it--maybe a very mild presentation of it. The test came back positive; she started receiving treatment; she stopped dying on us and has lived another 9 years, each one a miracle!

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