Conservative Donnybrook

A Yale art student has taken to “artificially inseminat[ing] herself ‘as often as possible’ while periodically taking abortifacient drugs to induce miscarriages” in an effort to “spark conversation and debate on the relationship between art and the human body.”  I have a feeling Ms. Shvarts might be undermining her own agenda here, as sacreligious ”artwork” like this tends to spur the most ardent of pro-lifers to take a collective step back.

HT to Douthat who, like me, expresses skepticism as to the authenticity of this postmodern filth.

Same headline as the breaking news story from the National Catholic Reporter.

I’m glad to see Pope benedict confronting this crisis with the due diligence it deserves:

Benedict is today is wrapping up the first leg of his six-day visit to the United States. He has repeatedly engaged the sexual abuse crisis during this trip, speaking about it for the first time before he even arrived.

“We are deeply ashamed, and we will do all that is possible that this cannot happen in the future,” the pope said in a session with reporters aboard the papal plane Tuesday en route to the United States.

Benedict argued that efforts to address the crisis have to unfold on three levels: the legal and juridical, the pastoral, and programs of prevention to ensure that future priests are “sound.” Pointedly, the pope said that “it’s more important to have good priests than to have many.”

Hopefully this will serve to usher in a sense of closure for victims, their families, and the American faithful.

Thomas Bertonneau puts on his hazmat suit and diffuses the miasma of Atlas Shrugged in a new essay on First Principles, ISI’s Web Journal.  

Particularly excoriated is Rand’s ”naïve attitude towards history and philosophy[,] that at times can only be described as sophomoric.”

The Daily Mail reports that Vladimir Putin is leaving his wife for a 24 year old ex-gymnast and member of Russian Parliament.  Vlad is 56.

Eye candy here.

(HT: The Corner)