Unbelievable. I got all my work done by 2:30 pm. Word is that one of the columns might be...too..."edgy" for one of my papers. Sorry. I can do only so much heartwarming before my own edges start to fray and my cynical self bursts forth. Actually, that column in question got its start here on the Weblog, and I think it turned out well. We'll see.

I ended up skipping the Weigel this time around. Oh, I read it, but I gave so much time to critiquing Triumph that there was no room left for my qualified praise of Weigel. I highly recommend the Bottum. That doesn't sound right. But I do...the poems are excellent. Mostly about death in some form or other, but still great.

More on the Dave Thomas Knoxville connection.

Joseph was pretty cute at snack time. So of course I had to take pictures. Here they are.

My husband Michael Dubruiel will be on the radio today. He'll be on a program called Moments of Truth Live at 11am eastern time.

Hey! Here's a good saint for Catholic scribblers like me:

Blessed Tommaso Reggio, who established the first Catholic newspaper. He did a lot of other great things, too, another, less well-known Saint To Make You Tired.

Why Republicans are of extremely limited value: An article from the Village Voice reveals that buried deep in one of new NY mayor Bloomberg's campaign documents is the plan to instutionalize abortion training in the city's hospitals:

...to make abortion a standard part of OB-GYN instruction in the city's hospitals. Because his election seemed so improbable, Bloomberg's Blueprint for Public Health barely made a ripple—let alone a splash—when it was first unveiled. But should the new mayor make good on the document's controversial promise, the result will be groundbreaking. No other city is known to have institutionalized abortion training in its public hospitals. Jubilant pro-choice advocates say the move would not only improve services for the city's uninsured women but also help alleviate a shortage of abortion providers nationwide.

That's a relief.

I am still trying to figure out the news about the Vatican's new procedure regarding clergy accused of sexual abuse. Suspected abusers are to be reported to Rome without delay, which is good. This implies that so far, bishops have failed in their responsibility to deal with these cases, which they have, and that some distance from the people involved is required. The problem, of course, lies with the question of "secrecy," which I suppose is intended to protect the "reputation" of the Church as well as simplify the process of examining the case, free from the glare of publicity. But the disadvantage of "secrecy" is that it prevents other victims, who might have been reluctant to step forward, from hearing about accusations and perhaps getting the courage to step forward. And then there's the question of civil authorities - a centuries-old dispute between church and government in regard to clergy accused of crimes. The Vatican document makes no mention of them. Is this because they don't want civil authorities involved or that they take it for granted that they will be? I hope it's the latter. I really do.

Finished two columns yesterday and this morning, and after a trip to the grocery store, the rest of the day will be spent wrestling with a baby and a book review.