Monday Morning: Ad Random

• Terri Schiavo's feeding tube was removed last Friday, and Congress is on top of it. Meanwhile, the news media is showing video clips of Terri's facial expressions, responding to her mother's presence, all the while referring to her as still being in a "persistent vegetative state." And they wonder why people are more dependent on weblogs to get their news. Duh! (Update: An eyewitness account of an apparently "talking vegetable" can be found here.)

• While attending Mass at the Cathedral Parish yesterday, I learned that on Holy Thursday, there would be a canned goods collection instead of the Washing of Feet. A call to the diocesan office this morning revealed that Bishop Loverde issued this as an acceptable option for the foot-washing in all parishes of the diocese, and that otherwise, the current discipline was to remain as stated in the liturgical books. For background, see "Clean Livin' and Fancy Footwork," below.

• I have my final critique for web design class, as well as a final comprehensive, during this week. Then I'm on break for two weeks. For spring quarter, I have a "computer illustration" class, as a prerequisite for "concepts in motion design," which marks my return to classes in my area of concentration in the fall. Meanwhile I'm taking the opportunity to fine-tune my thus-far completed projects. I'm also hoping to take on a volunteer project.

• Now then, back to working for a living... I've got a major publication to complete during that time at the office, starting with a meeting this afternoon to go over all the material and draw out a detailed thumbnail of each page. This project is unique for me, in that it is a "tri-lingual" edition of an agency periodical, being specially prepared for a conference in May. I persuaded the Powers That Be, that I was uniquely qualified to design this book, inasmuch as I knew enough of both French and Spanish to match their layout page-by-page with an English translation.

• Next weekend, of course, is the Sacred Triduum, culminating in Easter Sunday. Sal and I agreed that partying was out of the question. We'd spend Friday night in a prolonged discussion about the Great Questions of Life -- accompanied by a glass of wine, and cheese and crackers, not to mention a decent recording of sacred music for the occasion. Then come Saturday evening, we'd take our baskets to my son's Byzantine Rite parish for three hours of billowing incense, continuous plainchant in English and Slavonic, and shouting of "Christ is risen, indeed He is risen."

• Spring is here, as of yesterday. I did not have an opportunity to balance an egg on the table at the precise moment of the vernal equinox, as had originally been my plan. Barring a shift in the earth's axis or orbit around the sun, there's always next year.