I had my next column all planned out . . . It was going to be a delightful foray into the twisted mind of Michael Jackson. I was going to take delight in the folly of his self-tribute concert, and I was going to make all kinds of lame jokes about it, and people would have laughed, and I would have felt smug and proud, confident with the knowing that I had taken one more potshot at another easy target.

And then, reality intervened.

It is 1:36 A.M. on the morning of Wednesday, September 12th, and the wall of arrogance and cockiness that I have built around myself is now gone, replaced by a wave of fear, paranoia, and pain.

Our world is not the same after the events that have taken place, and it would be foolish to sum up the events of the past 24 hours into a pithy series of nifty, easy-to-digest soundbites, which unfortunately, many of the members of the tabloid-poisoned media have tried to do throughout the day. I don't blame them . . . In these times dictated by our short attention spans, it is all we know.

However, I think that this will now change, because these events force us to pay attention, to take stock of ourselves and our place in this country, and this planet. The days of relaxing, secure in the confidence that America is an impenetrable fortress, impervious to the horrors that besiege the rest of the world, are gone, at least for a long while. Now, it is up to us to join together, to help our countrymen and women in need. The national complacency that has warped our country for too long is now gone, replaced by feelings of unity, anger, and vengeance.

I've always known that this web site is a folly, a mere trifle not even worthy of discussion as part of the Great Universal Plan. However, if you'd like a place to vent, feel free to drop us a line, and we'll publish it if you would like (if not, just let me know). I'd be happy to talk with all of our regular sitegoers about these events, and if you have any thoughts and opinions on this issue, feel free to write them down, and it will be my pleasure to post them on this site. Everyone needs a catharsis right now, and MangyDog.com is happy to help.

In the meantime, pray for the families of the victims of New York, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania, and we'll be back soon to help cheer ya up.

This is the MangyDog, over and out.