What Caught My Eye Today

Pope - In his visit this month to the United States, Pope Benedict XVI will find an American flock wrestling with what it means to be Roman Catholic. That's putting it mildly, to say the least. In a nation founded by Protestants, Catholics comprise nearly one-quarter of the population. Catholic America is the biggest donor to the Vatican. The U.S. also is home to more than 250 Catholic colleges and universities. About one-third of the more than 64 million U.S. Catholics never attend Mass, and about one-quarter attend only a few times a year. A majority never go to confession or go less than once a year. There's an added urgency to this visit. While it will be Benedict's first trip to the country as pope — he made five visits when he was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger — it may also be his last. He turns 81 during his visit to Washington and New York, and he has less interest in travel than his globe-trotting predecessor, Pope John Paul II. I can't fault the pope for his reluctance to travel. With the security lines, overbooked and cancelled flights, and lost luggage, who needs the headache? Just pick up the phone. It's so much easier. And let's be real about the reason for his visit. The pope has no illusions about try to start a revival of Catholicism in the United States. Though while he's here, I'm sure he will take the time to ensure that the flow of donations to the Vatican doesn't stop.

2008 Presidential Race - Today's entry applies 'six degrees of separation' to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Be forewarned that there will be no Kevin Bacon associations...sorry. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have at least one thing in common: the Jolie-Pitts. Hillary and Angelina are distant cousins--ninth cousins twice removed. Barack and Brad are also ninths cousins. Wait, it gets better or weirder, depending on your perspective. Clinton, who is of French-Canadian descent, can also claim Celine Dion and Madonna as cousins. Obama can claim relations with Harry Truman, Winston Churchill and Dick Cheney. One almost feels bad for Cheney (note the sarcasm). Not only does he have a lesbian daughter, but now he's related to a black dude. Oh the shame. What's a self-respecting conservative to do?

Olympics - The International Olympic Committee has no regrets about its "wise choice" of Beijing to host the Olympics. China, which won the right to host the Olympics in 2001, faced a public relations crisis last month after it rigorously clamped down on monk-led marches in Tibet. IOC President Jacques Rogge said the opportunity to bring the Games to the world's most populous nation meant the IOC had made the right choice. Well honestly, what else could he have said. "Oh crap, we screwed up. The Chinese really are mean. I guess we better cancel the Olympics." Yeah, right. The crackdown and China's jailing of a Buddhist Chinese dissident who spoke out over Tibet and other sensitive topics have angered non-governmental organizations who condemn China's behavior and accuse the IOC of staying silent. IOC has vigorously defended its policy of non-involvement in politics, but did say that Beijing's poor air quality might affect athletes' performance. Makes perfect sense to me. We mustn't let politics get in the way of sport, though the fact that many of the athletes may not actually be able to breathe, well that's just a hurdle we'll tackle when we get to it. You know if these IOC guys aren't careful they may be confused with another group of inept bureaucrats--the United State Congress.

Pop Culture - America has developed a geeky obsession with fonts, the latest instance of our sophistication about design. Come again? Basic font knowledge has become mandatory for anybody in the know. Even Barack Obama has a custom font. Today, there are tens of thousands of typefaces available to buy and download and anybody with a few bucks and some time can learn how to create their very own font. Well, I will agree on this point. One would have to be rather geeky (not to mention a narcissistic loser) to spend the time to create one's very own personal font. Fonts can convey tone, spirit or mood. Studies show that different fonts can be interpreted as friendly, rigid, cold, et cetera. They may even influence whether something is interpreted as casual or professional. Should you be interested--and God help you if you are--Obama chose the modern classic Gotham for his logo which designers say is the best crafted of any politician's in history. Meanwhile, Hillary's font is described as a 'snooze of a serif'. Girlfriend just cannot cut a break can she?