You're not getting a penny of my money, Barry!

If you're like me, you'd sooner staple your own head to the carpet than give the government one red cent of your money. Last year, I went to great pains to avoid paying taxes. This involved a number of offshore shell companies, Swiss bank accounts, and a few other things I'd rather not discuss.

This year, though, I'm a little older and a little wiser. For instance, I can now say "Bad Bailey" when Bailey steals Cheerios from me and I can give Eskimo kisses. And you know what else? I've learned something new about the tax code! You can donate to worthy charities and take a deduction! Ha! Take that, Barry Obama!

But the problem is finding a worthy charity before the end of the calendar year. I was going to donate to the United Way, but they're kind of pushy. Then I was going to donate to the church, but I found out my contributions would go to pay the gas bill and fund the purchase of a solid gold backscratcher for the Archbishop.

So I decided to talk it over with Benedict, my stuffed octopus, and my new stuffed twin polar bears (Emilio and Esteban). Benedict was totally useless, but then Esteban spoke up. "¿qué sobre esa organización con la cual su papá ayuda hacia fuera? ¿Qué se llama?"

"Oh yeah," I said. "The Second Story! That's a great idea! Thanks, Esteban!"

In case you don't remember, my daddy is on the board of directors of an Indianapolis based non profit organization called The Second Story. The Second Story helps kids in the Indianapolis area form positive attitudes about creative writing and improve their skills as writers. And that's where my money went.

So if you're looking to cheat the government out of some of your hard earned money, please consider donating to The Second Story via the PayPal link at the upper right hand corner of this page.

If you want to know where your money will be going, just check this out:

And, in the spirit of Christmas, I'm promising daily posts until the big day. You'll be getting some new book reviews, my Christmas list, and lots of other Christmas related content.

Merry Christmas!