... the Catholic Church WANTS to chase people away.

From ABCNews.com: Like many Catholic children, Haley Pelly-Waldman, 9, had looked forward to her first communion. ... Four years ago, the New Jersey girl was diagnosed with a rare digestive disorder called celiac disease, leaving her unable to eat wheat — not even the tiny amount in the wafer at the communion table. In order to accommodate Haley's medical condition, her priest substituted the wheat wafer with one made of rice. But ... the Diocese of Trenton, said, "Bread, to be valid matter for the eucharist, must be made solely of wheat." The local diocese ruled that Haley's first communion didn't count, and reprimanded the priest who gave her that rice wafer. [Read the complete story here.]

So a priest has the power to turn bread into the body of Christ during Mass, but not if the host is made of rice? If we want to get picky here, a host (even one made of wheat) isn't really BREAD, is it? It sure doesn't look like any bread I've ever eaten.

Where did these flat little wafers come from, anyway? Hundreds of years ago they didn't use them, right? So at some point, they switched from bread to wafers. And someone chiseled in stone that the wafer had to have wheat in it?

Is it just me or does it seem utterly ridiculous to exclude this devout little girl from experiencing the sacrament of Communion but to allow someone like Terri Schiavo, who is pretty much unaware of her surroundings, to partake?

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If you look forward to finding yummy, chick-shaped Marshmallow Peeps in the stores around Easter, you might want to pick up the Marshmallow Peeps Marshmallow Maker Machine from Wham-o.

Yes, now you can have Peeps in a variety of shapes and colors all year round, assuming you are willing to concoct them yourself and then clean up the mess. (I like Peeps as much as the next guy -- okay, way more than the next guy -- but it seems like a lot of trouble to me!)

Burning The Daze
by Marc Cohn

Marc Cohn's albums are a great blend of rock, blues and ballads, with lyrics that put one in mind of Randy Newman's non-humorous songs (think "Same Girl" or "Baltimore"). It is easy to see why Cohn's fans are chomping at the bit for his long-promised fourth album.

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Waking Hour
by Vienna Teng

Singer-songwriter-pianist (and former computer programmer) Vienna Teng is opening for Marc Cohn as he tours this fall. If you get a chance to see her (with or without Grammy winner Marc "Walking in Memphis" Cohn), jump at the chance. She is amazing.

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JT
by James Taylor

"... no more grey mornings. I think I'd rather die ... "

James Taylor has put out so much good music over the years that it is hard to pick a favorite, but if I had to choose ... I think this would be it. The man is a god.

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Gonna Wear Red
by Wendy Woo

One of these days Wendy Woo's career is going to move up to the next level and she'll finally get the national acclaim she deserves. Give her a listen.

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Hey Nostradamus!
by Douglas Coupland

This novel by Vancouver-based author Douglas Coupland ("Microserfs") begins with a Columbine-like attack at a public high school. The opening chapter is narrated by one of the students who was murdered (a la "The Lovely Bones"). The rest of the book follows the lives of several people who were affected by the tragedy. Over a period of 15 years, we watch as they try to move past the events of that day. Some authors run out of steam after a few books. So far, Coupland is still going strong.

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Blackbird House
by Alice Hoffman

A beautifully written collection of related stories about the families who live in a Cape Cod house during a 200 year period. If you haven't read Alice Hoffman before, you are in for a treat. If you have, you won't be disappointed.

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