Today we span the spectrum from wonk to Winfrey ... I'll start with the big O: Oprah had a show yesterday on the "Million Dollar Idea Challenge," featuring everyday people who had genius (or near-genius) ideas. Among the competitors: an at-home dad named Robert Klick who invented the Po-Knee, a rocking horse that sets on dad's (or mom's) knee. I think Robert won -- the winner was to be announced on QVC last night at 8 p.m. (I wasn't watching) and the website wasn't very helpful. But ... QVC was hawking the Po-Knee during the 8 p.m. hour last night, which I take as good news.

The bad news is that the some nice Demon Decons have determined that taking family leave is a lousy career move for men. It's convention wisdom that women who disappear to take maternity leave are often hurt in the workplace, but this study suggests that men are hurt even worse by exercising their federally protected right to take family leave. While I can't say this is entirely surprising -- I faced resistance when I took my paternity leave -- it still saddens me. Men taking leave to be with their newborns is probably the best -- and the easiest -- way to create better fathers (and more at-home dads) by letting men know first-hand about what it's like to be focused on their children on a more-or-less constant basis. Unfortunately, beyond some TV stations the news was pretty much yawned off.