diff --git a/jrnl/Journal.py b/jrnl/Journal.py
index 12e638ec..74c82470 100644
--- a/jrnl/Journal.py
+++ b/jrnl/Journal.py
@@ -53,6 +53,11 @@ class Journal(object):
         """Opens the journal file defined in the config and parses it into a list of Entries.
         Entries have the form (date, title, body)."""
         filename = filename or self.config['journal']
+
+        if not os.path.exists(filename):
+            util.prompt("[Journal '{0}' created at {1}]".format(self.name, filename))
+            self._create(filename)
+
         text = self._load(filename)
         self.entries = self._parse(text)
         self.sort()
@@ -101,7 +106,7 @@ class Journal(object):
                     current_entry = Entry.Entry(
                         self,
                         date=new_date,
-                        title=line[len(date_blob) + 1:],
+                        title=line[len(date_blob):],
                         starred=starred
                     )
             elif current_entry:
diff --git a/jrnl/cli.py b/jrnl/cli.py
index 0fd91371..6492e85f 100644
--- a/jrnl/cli.py
+++ b/jrnl/cli.py
@@ -102,13 +102,6 @@ def decrypt(journal, filename=None):
     util.prompt("Journal decrypted to {0}.".format(filename or new_journal.config['journal']))
 
 
-def touch_journal(filename):
-    """If filename does not exist, touch the file"""
-    if not os.path.exists(filename):
-        util.prompt("[Journal created at {0}]".format(filename))
-        Journal.PlainJournal._create(filename)
-
-
 def list_journals(config):
     """List the journals specified in the configuration file"""
     sep = "\n"