Glutton for punishment

Yes, after all the fun that Doyce had last year doing the Blogathon, I’ve decided to get in on the act.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, it’s sort of like sponsoring someone to walk ten miles or run a marathon or drive a lawn mower from LA to NYC. But instead of something that requires I get sweaty, on 26 July, starting at 7 a.m. (Denver time), I will be posting to my blog no less often than every half hour, for 24 hours. The thrill of writing! The agony of writer’s block!

And you can sponsor me, either a flat rate (for completion) or by the hour (to 24 hours). At the end of the Blogathon, you’ll get an e-mail, telling you how to get to the charity that was sponsored. It’s all on the honor system — your contribution goes right to the charity, not through Blogathon’s (or, heaven forbid, my) hands.

The charity I am blogging for is the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. This 501(c)3 non-profit organization is “dedicated to the preservation of First Amendment rights for members of the comics community.”

The fund raises money to support comic book creators and stores from various First Amendment related legal attacks — e.g., comic stores (and the managers on duty) that get busted on bogus local obscenity charges, artists that need to protect their satire from trademark infringement and defamation suits — and in fighting overreaching censorship legislation. It’s not just a matter of First Amendment rights, though — it’s that comics should be accorded the same constitutional rights as literature, film, or any other form of expression. Because when the state gets to decide what’s a “legitimate” or “adult” form of expression, it’s a danger to all forms of expression.

It’s not saving lives, perhaps, but it’s helping, in a small way, protect our liberties.

I’ve donated myself to the CBLDF for the past few years. Here’s a chance for me to do more, by getting you to do more. If you want to sponsor me, go to the Blogathon Participants page, find me, and click on Sponsor This Site. I’m there under “***Dave Does the Blog” (toward the top). If you want to find out more about the Blogathon, go to their main page.

At 0700 MDT, Saturday, 26 July, the fun starts …

UPDATE: Oooh, look! Cool new buttons for Blogathon and CBLDF in the sidebar, courtesy Your’s Truly.

UPDATE: You can also sponsor me by going directly here.