I want to thank those of you who sent me Friendster and Tribe invitations. I’ll post my thoughts on them in a few days.
I listened to the original radio broadcast of War of the Worlds while at work today. It’s still a great piece of storytelling, even though the science is a bit questionable (rockets travel from Mars to Earth in minutes!). I can’t imagine that a stunt like this would work in today’s age of media sophistication, but I envy the fun that Welles and his crew must have had in putting this together. And the 1950s film version is great too. Speaking of which, what are some suggestions for a Halloween movie marathon. I have to admit that I have a special fondness for the film Pitch Black. Despite having Vin Diesel in the cast, it’s still a scary and even somewhat original story. Others?

One of my colleagues at work had a baby shower today. Man, the amount of stuff she got! It was a little overwhelming to behold. But her daughter is adorable. I don’t think about this much, but sometimes I wonder what kind of father I would be. I think I’d be terribly insecure about not being able to meet the physical needs of a child; things like bathing, dressing, feeding, etc. I might be okay once the kid hits five or six. I could turn my chair into a kind of jungle gym (Careful, Daddy needs that to breathe) and start turning them on to books and music and stuff. Not that I foresee fatherhood as a likely part of my future, but stranger things have happened. And a kid could probably do worse than have me as a parent. For one thing, the whole corporal punishment thing is absolutely removed from the equation. The kid will acquire a healthy repertoire of expletives, but that’s just part of building a good vocabulary.

The Schiavo debacle in Florida has motivated me to start drafting a living will. You would think that, as an attorney, I would have been on top of this little matter long ago. You would be wrong. Despite my best attempts to find a way to live forever, I should face facts and prepare for the possibility that something unexpected may happen to me. I’m contemplating who I should designate as a proxy in such a situation. It’s a difficult decision because I need someone who will be able to carry out my wishes without being unduly influenced by their own emotions. I’ll say here and now that if I was to enter a coma or permanent vegetative state with no or minimal chance for improvement, I would want my ventilator disconnected and all fluids withheld. The State of Minnesota has been kind enough to give the services I need to live a rich and satisfying life. No point in running up the bill once I’ve checked out.
If you haven’t seen Bend It Like Beckham yet, do yourself a favor and check it out. It’s a sweet and funny film that gently explores the divide between Anglo and Punjabi cultures. I enjoyed it immensely. My best friend from high school is married to a lovely Indian woman and some of the wedding scenes in the movie reminded me of their marriage ceremony.

I’ve avoided commenting on the so-called right-to-die case in Florida because I really don’t see the main issue being the right to die. I see this as bad reality television. You have a family with some pretty messed-up dynamics who are airing out all their grievances in front of millions of people watching CNN. It’s unfortunate that the woman at the center of all this didn’t leave behind clearer instructions regarding her wishes. I’ve gone on record as being opposed to assisted suicide for people with disabilities, but I also support an individual’s right to refuse treatment, either independently or through a proxy. Every judge in Florida who handled this case ruled that the husband was acting properly in his role as a proxy. So who the hell is the Florida legislature to step in and assume they know what’s best for this woman? If I had a proxy to handle my health care decisions, I certainly would not want the state intervening. By the same token, I’m a little annoyed with the disability activists who are screaming that the woman is being targeted for death because of her disability. While I agree that people with disabilities shouldn’t be regarded as having an inferior quality of life, I don’t think that we should be politicizing a private family affair and simultaneously undermining the entire concept of an independent judiciary. This just rankles the attorney in me. And the funny thing is that it will still be the judiciary who ultimately decides this matter.
Writing Update: I’m now dividing my attention between the ever-present book and a new short story. And this time, short means SHORT. Hopefully, no more than 20-30 pages.

I’m taking my sister belatedly out to dinner for her 21st birthday, so blogging is light today. I remember my 21st birthday. A friend gave me a capful of Southern Comfort and I coughed and sputtered for the next five minutes. I’m pathetic.