Dear Readers

Been laid out with a bad back (stupid human aging), and haven't been able to sit up with any consistency since Sunday. Thus, zero posts. This really pisses me off in ways that I've yet to intellectually comprehend; just a sad sick feeling in my gut. See, I've long been a physical guy -- lift weights, play hoops, swim, sharpen what martial arts skills remain to me, and, er, well, other things. So when I'm unable to stand or walk with any authority, it frustrates and angers me. It also reminds me that I'm not as young and spry as I once was, something the wife keeps telling me, but a reality I deny as often as I possibly can. And while I've cut back on beer, coffee, cheese, most sweets, and have pretty much eliminated chips of any kind from my diet, I still fancy myself a young man who can take pretty much anything -- that is, until my back went out. Nothing like gravity to get your attention.

I have at least a half dozen posts sitting in various stages, waiting for completion. I'll finish the ones that I feel are most pertinent, even though new outrages spring up daily, and I want to stay as up-to-date as I can. But before I return to the garage to tinker with those posts still on blocks, I must do something I thought I'd never do, and have resisted since I started this thing in Nov, '04.

Put simply, in order for me to continue this blog, I need some dough coming in -- not a ton, but something. Those who've read me since pretty much the beginning know the amount of work I've put into this project. (If you're relatively new, check the archives and see for yourself.) The Son belongs to no party, adheres to no party-line, mixes pop and politics in a style that I think is unique to the Web. Because of this, I'm not picked up or promoted by most of the larger sites, since I "gore" many of their heroes as well. I do have my friends and admirers, and my posts turn up in the strangest places; but overall, the Son occupies a singular space. I take pride in this, even though it guarantees relative Web obscurity. Such are the trade-offs when you do your own thing.

Extra money will mean more posts, since I'll be able to afford the added time it takes to compose my thoughts and slanders. Remember, for years I worked as a professional writer, and rarely wrote for free (only if the cause was good). Since the start of Son, I've written the equivalent of at least two books of essays, and haven't received a dime for it. And that's what makes Son different from most daily blogs -- the majority my posts are essays, not a few cobbled sentences and links. These take hours, sometimes days, to write, which of course takes away from any freelance work I might chase down. But to be honest, I prefer writing here, since I can say what I want in the style that I choose without some overeducated editor correcting my slang, toning down my outrage, or censoring bits for fear of offending more powerful figures (and trust me, that goes on more than you probably know). I've been through that ringer numerous times, the end result being something that I cannot fully embrace (as in this piece, which is still making the rounds), since someone else's fingerprints are all over it. Thanks to blogs, that tyranny is over, at least for now. Why do you suppose mainstream journos and commentators hate and fear this form so?

Ultimately, I want to get back to where I was many years ago -- writing on a regular basis, snaring speaking gigs and getting invited on panels, radio and TV. Unlike many bloggers, I've actually engaged big-time media figures and made them squirm (provoking more than a few to say I was crazy -- corporations run the media? Conspiracy theorist!!). I've debated face-to-face people who should be on trial for war crimes. It's an environment that I thrive in, and for me to get back to that place, I need your help. Email me and I'll let you know how to do so. By tossing a few bucks my way, I can fully devote myself to the Son, who gets stronger and more effective when fully engaged.