Huge thanks to John for sending me an early birthday present: Joss Whedon’s futuristic Slayer comic Fray. I wasn’t sure I’d like it – I don’t think I’ve read a real comic book in my life – but as soon as I opened it I couldn’t put it down. I read the whole thing in one sitting tonight. The artwork was amazing, the pace was tight, and the writing was vintage Joss. I just loved how… cinematic it was. I really hope they do a sequel. Meanwhile, do any of you have any more suggestions for comics or graphic novels? I was thinking of trying Neil Gaiman’s Sandman books next. Are they good?

Only nineteen days til I turn 27. Does that put me in my “late twenties”? I don’t wanna think about it.

Oscar Contest Volunteers Needed: We have almost 300 entries! That’s incredible. Would any of you folks with TiVos be able to help me out with something? The time-delay on the show here is going to create some difficulty in scoring the contest. I’ll be able to get the results in real-time off the Web, but it’s the tiebreaker question I’m worried about. I won’t be able to count the dead people in the Obituary Montage until they broadcast the show here several hours later. Could a couple of you TiVo-ers count them and e-mail me the number? Otherwise I won’t be able to declare an immediate winner. Just leave a comment or e-mail me if you can help. Thanks!

All this rage is makin’ me thirsty…
Earlier this week the Snook mentioned that he and his co-worker Toast were discussing the Atkins plan. Toast is a weightlifter and he really knows a lot about this stuff. According to him, there’s a magic formula for how much water you need to drink every day to stay hydrated and lose weight on a low-carb diet. You ready? Here it is:

Your weight in pounds / 2 = Fluid ounces of H20

I was excited about this approach til I realized it means that I need to drink nearly three liters of water a day. Ouch. I’m making a valiant effort though. I’m already up to 2.4 liters today. The secret seems to be to not have ANY caffeine. I still have to go to the bathroom every hour or so, but it’s not nearly as bad as it’d be if I gave in to the sweet siren call of Diet Coke.

I’ve just written letters to my two Senators and Congressman. I used the Congress.org site to e-mail them but they seem to have disappeared off the site. Hmm. At any rate, I’ve also printed them out and plan to mail them off tomorrow. You should all do the same. Read on if you want to see what I wrote.Dear Senator Bayh,

SUBJECT: SAME-SEX MARRIAGES

Lest you wonder why an Australian is writing to you, I should probably start by explaining that I’m an American citizen and Hoosier by birth. I lived in northeast Indiana for most of my life and graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1999. Since matriculation I’ve been living and working overseas, first in the United Kingdom and now in Sydney, Australia. For some time now I’ve been looking forward to the day when I would return home for good. I envisioned myself buying a house, marrying my Australian partner, and possibly even having children. I’ve seen a lot of nice places around the world, but I’ve always held on to the belief that the U.S. is a fundamentally good and fair country, the best in which to raise a family.

Now I’m questioning that belief.

I find it completely ludicrous that our President would even suggest enshrining homosexual discrimination in our Constitution. He would alter the document that provides the very foundation of our country merely to define a word – a word! – and in effect turn an entire demographic of hardworking Americans into second-class citizens. His only justification can be on religious grounds, which though I respect, are no basis for United States law. This very idea of this Amendment is an outrage. It is election-year pandering to fundamentalists and zealots.

Have you seen the couples that were wed last week in San Francisco? What right-minded person could object to loving individuals that just want the same rights as everybody else? How could anyone familiar with the Civil Rights Movement honestly suggest that “separate but equal” civil unions are palatable? I fail to see any valid reason why I should be able to marry my partner but someone else is not. If this Amendment were to pass, I seriously doubt that I could bring myself to marry. I could not in good conscience take advantage of legal benefits and privileges that were so callously denied to so many, purely based on the gender of their partner and the tyranny of the homophobic majority.

I urge you to speak out against the President’s proposed Amendment. I have been politically apathetic in the past but this issue has galvanized me. I am ashamed at the eagerness with which some of those who enjoy the freedoms our Constitution provides would use it to curtail the freedoms of others. I will not sit back and watch my country be divided by fear, intolerance, and hate. I intend to use what tools I have – my voice and my vote – to ensure that never happens.

Sincerely,

Kristine Howard

The Squirrelly is here! (In other words: Matthew of defective yeti has finally had his baby.)

So. Angry.
If Bush manages to actually enshrine homosexual discrimination in the goddamn Constitution, I swear I’m never getting married. Ever. I can’t in good conscience reap the benefits of getting married if somebody equally worthy is denied them on the basis that their partner happens to be the same gender. Screw him and all his homophobic supporters.

Update: I just downloaded my absentee voter registration card.

Eeeek! I just had my taped phone interview with BBC Radio Suffolk. I’m going to sound like a complete tool, I just know it. It was pretty fun though. They’re going to send me a cassette since the show isn’t broadcast on the Web. I’ll digitize it once it gets here so you’ll all be able to hear me geeking out. 🙂

Nine out of ten Americans like Australia best. I like to think that I’m doing my little bit to foster good US-Oz relations. Take that, Europe!

Mind-Blowing Fact of the Day: Eggplants are actually berries. Isn’t that weird? There’s more where that came from on this page about fruits and veggies.

Are you Yankee or Dixie? (Linguistically-speaking, that is.) I actually came out 58% Dixie. That’s so weird. I would’ve guessed I’d be Yankee all the way. I think I’ve spent too much time overseas. (Link courtesy of Max.)