Five questions, five answers.

There's an "interview game" going around St. Blog's, and I volunteered for it. Here are Alicia's questions to me (italics), and my answers (bold).


1. Why did you name your solo blog "Dyspeptic Mutterings"? Do you really suffer from chronic indigestion?

Good question. Uh, no, I don't really suffer from an unusual level of intestinal discomfort, except after reading Reporter editorials. Even then, I pop a Rolaid and I'm good to go. The bile is almost always metaphorical.

As to the name, it pretty well fit my mindset in late 2002, in that horrid first full year of the scandals: I'm irritated-to-furious (I'm feeling dyspeptic) but I might--might--be read by literally dozens during the course of any given week (for all intents and purposes, I'm muttering). It still fits, more or less.

Fun Fact: What almost no one knew is that the original title was going to be Sunshiny Thoughts and Happy Fluffy Bunnies, but (1) fortunately my wife got me to the emergency room in time and my medication was recalibrated and (2) I was advised that the title was already being used by a diocesan newspaper. Ah, well.


2. Why 2 blogs?

Another Fun Fact (which differs from the first one only in being true) is that this is the spin-off blog. Our original blog (which was shelved because of Blogger formatting problems) and its successor are family-and-vignette-oriented. Just ordinary life stuff. Sometimes really, really weird slices-of-life, but ordinary life nonetheless. Or that was the idea, at least. Unfortunately, I started enjoying the idea of shooting my mouth off, and did so to the tune of getting Instapundit and Corner references for the same essay, a rather, er, dyspeptic piece upbraiding Jimmy Carter and the entire nation of Quisl--er, Norway. Scroll up for the firestorm. Heather gently suggested that I take it outside, so I did.

3. What is your favorite devotion, and why?

Is the Liturgy of the Hours technically a "devotion"? I pray at least part of the Divine Office every day, usually the Office of Readings, and I have every day for the past eight or so months, ever since I bought the four volume set on eBay, ultra-cheap. I recommend LOTH strongly, but with the caveat that it is the most user-unfriendly prayer book format contrived by the mind of man. The essential failing is that it presumes you know what you are doing, and have been doing it for years. If you approach it "cold," it will be frustrating. Fortunately, the internet can help.

If not, then the main devotion I have is praying with my children before they go to sleep at night. We go through the seven prayers my eldest knows: The Our Father, Glory Be, Jesus Prayer, Hail Mary, Grace Before Meals/Bless Us O Lord (YOU try arguing with a three year old), Hail Holy Queen and the Fatima Prayer (O My Jesus). This last one Maddie has memorably referred to as the "Fires of Hell" prayer. Yikes.

4. If you could have supper with 2 saints, who would they be and what would you serve?

Sts. Therese of Lisieux and Jerome. I would definitely serve my patented What Are You Putting In It NOW? chili (venison or ground chuck--not hamburger!--depending on what was in the freezer). The sodium content is near-toxic, and definitely offers a sting for blander palates, but it's quite good, if I say so myself. With some brown rice and fresh vegetables, you have a solid meal.

5. Do you have a favorite Bible verse or saying? What is it? How does it speak to you?

Just one? That's tough, but here goes: Yes. It's from chapter 11 of the Gospel according to St. John, and it is Jesus' words to Martha, the sister of Lazarus:

"I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?"

It is the ultimate question He poses to everyone, bluntly and without room for equivocation. It gets right in your face. It's unblinking. Well, how about it, Dale Price?

I can only answer yes.

Because any other answer is really a "no."
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Thanks for the opportunity to answer, Alicia. Now what do I do--pass on five more questions to someone else?