I have a bad habit of putting off holiday shopping until a worrisomely late date. I don’t like simply buying things that are on people’s wish lists or giving gift cards if I can avoid it; I guess I’m old-fashioned in that respect. But the thought of trying to find suitable gifts for everyone has a certain paralyzing effect on me. Fortunately, I don’t have many people to buy for.

One of the most interesting presidential candidates to watch at the moment is former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee. Not too long ago, he was considered an also-ran, something which puzzled me. The combination of his likable personality and conservative Christian street cred should have made him particularly appealing to the evangelical wing of the GOP, but he hasn’t caught on until now. Huckabee is now rocketing towards the top of the Republican pack, both in Iowa and nationally.

Huckabee could be a formidable candidate for the Republicans. Many conservative Christians seem to view him as one of their own and he has that Southern good-ol’-boy charm that seems irresistible to so many American voters. But the presidency can’t be won solely on the backs of evangelicals and this is what could cause Huckabee difficulties. The anti-tax fanatics in the Republican party don’t look kindly on some of the tax hikes he implemented as governor. Huckabee needs to convince the big-business donors to open their wallets for him and this hasn’t happened yet.

Of all the Republican candidates, Huckabee strikes me as the most, well, daft. His proposal to enact a fair tax is deeply flawed and his denial of evolution, while predictable, demonstrates a kind of zealotry that has no place in the White House. The odds are still pretty good that Huckabee will flame out, but he shouldn’t be discounted yet.

I’m going about this all wrong. I’ve been watching the media’s adoring coverage of Diablo Cody, the former Minneapolis blogger and stripper who landed a book deal and then wrote the screenplay for the buzzworthy indie movie Juno, and I’ve concluded that no literary agent is going to be interested in a blogger whose preferred topics are health care reform and fishnet stockings. What I need is a compelling personal narrative; something with more pizazz than “attorney/government bureaucrat”. Maybe I should put an ad on Craigslist advertising my services as an exotic performer. Which means I need to change my name. Something that rolls off the tongue and carries a certain sense of menace. Got it: Twitch McGimpy. I’ll start blogging about my experiences performing at bachelorette parties and offering witty insights on the topics of human frailty, lust, and my frequent sexual encounters with bored suburban housewives.

It occurs to me that I have absolutely no right to make fun of Ms. Cody. She’s out in Hollywood, living the dream, while I’m sitting here in my condo trying to decide what I’ll watch on my TiVo.

If you’re deaf and have been considering the iPhone, but you don’t want to pay for voice minutes that you’ll never use, there’s good news. AT&T will soon be offering a data-only plan for deaf and hearing-impaired customers. I know the Sidekick is popular within the deaf community, but the iPhone seems to offer the same capabilities in a smaller and sleeker package. And kudos to AT&T for targeting the specific needs of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. If only other corporations would get on board the clue train. It boggles the mind that the movies and TV shows available on Apple’s iTunes Store still don’t include closed captioning.

AT&T: Trying to make up for narcing on its customers at the behest of the Bush Administration.

I received a phone call from a single mom with cerebral palsy who was desperately searching for an attorney to represent her in a child custody hearing. Someone gave her my name and she was hoping that I could direct her to someone who could help her. I gave her a couple phone numbers, but unfortunately, I don’t think I was of much help. I also recently spoke with a friend with a disability who may be a father (the circumstances are complicated) and is concerned that the mother’s parents may prevent him from having contact with the child. These two separate events have gotten me thinking about the challenges facing parents with disabilities. In most cultures, disability is equated with an inability to care for oneself. The notion that someone with a disability could care for a child is one that does not compute for society at large. Of course, many parents with disabilities can and do raise happy, well-adjusted kids. But the legal profession seems poorly equipped to advocate for these parents when they need it.