My inbox now contains about 30 suggestions for calendar software that my wife and I might be able to use to manage our mad family and more than 70 suggestions for Advent calendars of a traditional–which is to say, religious–nature. I’ve also received quite a few requests asking me to post the best couple of suggestions in each category. (Query for Milton Friedman: In a an economy as vast and varied as our own, why are so many of us nevertheless having so much trouble finding items as simple as Advent calendars and as needful as computer software?)

I figure I’ll have my inbox sorted out by early afternoon Pacific Time. Until then, may I, a) beg your forbearance, and, b) state yet again my pleasure and astonishment at the intelligence, knowledge, and goodwill of our readers?