Every journey begins with a single step.

I've decided to create a page to archive my writing. I hope to actually post a new bit of writing there every day. Of course, this could fail. Only time will tell.

Check out the page here. I've also added the link over to the right.

Don't die.

Something wicked this way comes.

Matt Dubay and the National Center for Men has begun an interesting lawsuit which "addresses the issue of male reproductive rights, contending that lack of such rights violates the U.S. Constitution's equal protection clause."

Dubay argues his ex-girlfriend, now with a child and demanding child support, assured him she was infertile. He argues that since a woman has a choice between abortion, adoption, or keeping the child, a man should have the choice between giving or not giving financial support.

Matt Dubay is expecting the lawsuit to fail miserably, but wishes "just to create awareness ... to at least get a debate started."

This is an interesting proposition. Of course, Dubay has a better chance fighting for custody and forcing her to pay child support.

Read about his lawsuit here.

Don't die.

Bob, oh Bob, where art thou.

I dislike to admit I enjoy anything from Canada, but Margaret Atwood is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers.

Take this quote for example (The Blind Assassin):

The best sequence at the moment is the one in the middle cubicle. The first sentence is in pencil, in rounded lettering like those on Roman tombs, engraved deeply in the paint: Don't Eat Anything You Aren't Prepared to Kill.

Then, in green marker: Don't Kill Anything You Aren't Prepared to Eat.

Under that, in ballpoint, Don't Kill.

Under that, in purple marker: Don't Eat.

And under that, the last word to date, in bold black lettering: Fuck Vegetarians - "All Gods Are Carniverous" - Laura Chase.

--

Yep. I laughed.

Fortunately, Atwood has invented a mechanical hand which can sign her books for her (even when she isn't present) so I can make fun of her and still like her at the same time. Crazy Canadians.

I recommend reading her novel "The Handmaid's Tale." It paints a frightening picture of the future with "freedoms from" replacing the "freedoms to."

Don't die, all.

Kill the purple dinosaur.

A New Jersey bill seeks to end anonymous web posting by claiming they need to keep "operators of interactive computer services and Internet service providers liable to persons injured by false or defamatory messages."

Sorry, New Jersey, but it isn't going to fly. You're just going to have to deal with people making fun of you on the Internet.

Read the bill here.

Don't die.

Punt a cat, save an otter.

Homeland Security sure has some odd red flags. For example, retired schoolteacher Walter Soehnge was just recently under investigation for paying too much on his JCPenny's credit card.

Yep. One day, he realized that mayhap his credit card bill was getting a mite too high, so Walter decided to pay off around 7,000 dollars worth of debt. Low and behold, when he recieved his next month's bill, the money had yet to be deducted from his credit card. His account, he found, was frozen and Homeland Security was investigating... something.

How does paying off credit card debt amount to terrorism or our security? No one will answer Walter. Probably, because there isn't one.

Read more here.

Don't die.

I am the only sane person in the universe.

I just finished reading Christopher Buckley's novel "Thank You For Smoking." It was a good read. Nick is a brilliantly written character. I think he could have finished the book without the epilogue - which seemed to (unnecessarily) reaffirm Buckley's "Smoking is stupid" message.

So, I headed over to learn more about the movie and read: "Nick goes on a PR offensive, spinning away the dangers of cigarettes, but he begins to think about how his work makes him look in the eyes of his young son Joey." Which, I think, rarely actually entered Nick's mind in the book (if at all). But, whatever.

Don't die.

I once ate zombie and it was mm-mmm good.

What is it with parent's groups? According to the The Parents Television Council "children's television programs are filled with violent, disrespectful and aggressive behaviors." They go on to claim that although violence has always been a part of children's programming, it has become "ubiquitous, often sinister, and in many cases frighteningly realistic." Read about them here.

When did these parents ever watch the boob tube?

We had Conan the Barbarian, the Fantastic Four, Spiderman, Batman, Superman, He-Man, Darkwing Duck, Gargoyles, and other violent cartoons. Did they miss these?

On occasion, when I watch the Saturday morning cartoons, I am put of by their lack of anything remotely interesting. Teen Titans, which is the cartoon rated with the highest amount of violence, is one of the only good cartoons left in this crazy, crazy world.

Frankly, I weep for the children of the future with groups such as the Parents Television Council coddling them into mindless, cuddly robots. Welcome, my friends, to the cowardly new world.

Don't die.