We are, as you might guess, rather distracted this morning

So here’s the day’s blogging in a nutshell:

Prayer requests: A reader writes: “Please ask your blog readers to pray for the members of a local parish here in the Diocese of Charlotte, NC. Their music minister was arrested for indecent liberties with a minor, and their pastor (whom I consider a friend) was arrested for obstruction of justice. Pray that the truth may be found, justice be done, and healing may soon begin. Mary, help of Christians, pray for us!”

Radio stuff: I’m on Heart, Mind and Strength Radio today at 12:45 PM EDT. (By the way, Catholic Answers Live had some technical glitch yesterday, and couldn’t have me on. So we’ll reschedule and I’ll do it soon.)

Sheavings: Here’s a piece I wrote for Inside Catholic on “Blessed are Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness“.

Political commentary: Trust not in princes. Love your country.

Cultural commentary: TV sucks. Pixar is awesome.

Religious commentary: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. Love your neighbor as yourself. Major area for improvement for Westerners: put the temptation to consequentialism to death.

Mailbag: Tons of kind words of encouragement from various saints, various questions, plus links to all manner of stuff, as well as a smattering of “You suck and I hate you with sincere Christian love. Vote GOP: God’s Own Party!/You can’t fool me, I know you are a GOP shill./God is dead! Get a brain, moran!/Come forth out of the Vatican II sect and join us in our tarpaper shack in Montana!/I was raised Catholic and I can tell you all about the sacred monkey beneath the Vatican they don’t want you to know about./I want to become your mind-numbed Follower and enslave myself to your capricious will.”

Humor: Cheat Commandos, Part 2

Tin Cup Rattle Day 7: St. Blog’s Deranged Genius, Victor Lams, writes:

I haven’t written a song now in over two months, but I’m more than willing to come out of retirement/de-mused exile to provide a song on the subject of their choice for the highest pledger on your tin-cup rattle, Day 7.

Standard past verbiage applies: pledger suggests in 50 words or less the subject matter and even conceivably the genre of song, and then I write and record a little song on that subject and post it — so they shouldn’t choose anything*too*close to their heart as I’ll probably just wind up ruining it for them; and, generally, the LESS political the subject matter, the better (think creative, sky’s the limit, what hasn’t there been a song about before?): though in light of recent posts I could possibly be persuaded to do an ode in appreciation of circumcision — but even that would be pushing it.

Again: I’m not sure if this would help or hurt your pledge drive at this point, so offer this at your discretion in whichever way you think might maximize the returns on your leveraged revenue streams.

I was personally tempted to commission an ode in praise of Circumcision by Orbiting NASA Crop Circle Laser, but decided this might transgress the normal canons of good taste for which this blog is known.

Anyway, tip jar’s on the left rail. Buy my books, CDs, and DVDs, especially the brand new Mary, Mother of the Son. Also, you badly need me to come speak for you and will regret it till the day you die if you don’t have me out.

Final remarks: Beans. Noses. You know the drill.

I’ll be back when we have more news about Tasha and the baby. Please pray!