Around the blogosphere

I am very much behind on my blogging due to a most chaotic week, that I hope will end peacefully tonight, though the chances of that, given this past week, seem unlikely. At any rate, here are a few things I've been waiting to post for you that you might find interesting:

• Deacon Kandra provides us with the classic Muppet performance of "Stars and Stripes Forever."
• Writing at First Things, R. R. Reno examines the New York Times criticisms of Pope Benedict XVI.
• John Allen reports that the Holy See is soon expected to release new norms for ecclesiastically disciplining clerics accused of sexual abuse.
• Over at Get Religion, Mollie examines two defenses of the Church and Pope Benedict XVI, one by Diane Winston and another by Nicholas Cafardi.