Better Check Your Closet

A woman in Iowa was arrested for not returning a library book. I understand the frustration that librarians must feel when library books are not returned, but this seems a bit over the top. The book only cost $13.95, but the woman wound up paying much more than that in bond money, plus whatever court costs she's going to incur.

Y'all had better check around the house for those forgotten tomes before the library police come for you!

Sam Vimes Would Laugh

Congratulations to Sir Terry Pratchett, OBE, on being knighted!

Sorrow Too Soon

Father Richard John Neuhas died yesterday after a brief illness. He will be sorely missed.

Details on funeral arrangements are here, along with some past columns written by Fr. Neuhas on death, dying, and becoming Catholic.

In paradisum deducant te Angeli; in tuo adventu suscipiant te Martyres, et perducant te in civitatem sanctam Jerusalem. Chorus Angelorum te suscipiant, et cum Lazaro quondam paupere aeternam habeas requiem.	May the Angels lead thee into paradise: may the Martyrs receive thee at thy coming, and lead thee unto the holy city of Jerusalem. May the choir of Angels receive thee, and mayest thou have eternal rest with Lazarus, who once was poor.

A Happy Literary New Year to All!

"New Year's Day: Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual." -- Mark Twain

And on a more hopeful note:

"The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul and a new nose; new feet, a new backbone, new ears, and new eyes. Unless a particular man made New Year resolutions, he would make no resolutions. Unless a man starts afresh about things, he will certainly do nothing effective."
- G.K. Chesterton

Our best wishes for a happy 2009 to all of you.