Laughter is generally a social phenomenon; usually, it is very difficult to laugh at, say, a comedy program if nobody else in the room is so doing. It is also even more difficult to do, for some reason, when reading -- a naturally isolated activity --, and, up until recently, only one book ever...

Todd Pruitt just brought this to my attention. The list fails to mention two other tell tale signs -- suspects will also cast no reflection in the mirror, and exhibit a strange preference for the earlier, Shatner-dominated series of Star Trek.

As William Willimon puts it in his superb book, Proclamation and Theology , page 72: `I believe the roots of clerical sloth are theological rather than primarily psychological. We become lazy and slovenly in our work because we have lost the theological rationale for the work.'

I have always been a huge fan of Luther and especially of his pastoral advice, especially the comment he made to the effect that no Christian should ever think they have so mastered the ABCs of the faith that they have no need of reading simple things like catechisms. And it is remarkable that, as...