OK, I'm guilty.

I'm guilty of a crime.

The crime of having one too many guilty pleasures.

They're not heinous crimes or even illegal, and I'm not the only individual on the planet who has them. Everyone has at least one guilty pleasure (most often, chocolate). It's just, well, do I admit to them or not?

Will you respect me tomorrow?

For instance, if I tell you that I love a good cartoon, will you think I haven't totally grown up? Batman. Superman. Spiderman. Johnny Quest. Godzilla. And the occasional Charlie Brown cartoon special. I'd rather watch these cartoons than most movies put out lately. Give me Bugs Bunny over Arnold Schwarzenegger anytime.

Similarly, comics are a great quick read. The best comics are those with political and social commentary with a twist. "Doonesbury" and "The Boondocks" are highly entertaining and each comments on society in ways mainstream news outlets don't, can't and won't.

If you've never read "The Boondocks," it's because it's not in any local paper. It's in an Indianapolis paper, though.

The basic premise is that two young African-American boys move into white suburbia from Chicago and have to learn to adapt. They don't find it easy.

There's a neighborhood girl whose mother is white and father is black. One neighborhood girl is so excited to find out that some "black" people have moved into the neighborhood because she wants to see her "first rapping gangsta'." Other characters dealing with racial issues exist, too.

I only started rereading "Doonesbury" recently. I read it a few years ago, stopped and then began picking it up when a fellow reporter mentioned it one day. The comic strip pokes fun at politicians and the absurdity of politics. Its recent storyline involves a priest who's hesitant to marry a gay couple. Too far to the left for many people, but I think the approach is worth a good laugh. "Doonesbury" is in the Times-Union daily on the editorial page.

Another newspaper-related guilty pleasure I have is reading the "Let It Out" daily column in the same Indianapolis newspaper that publishes "The Boondocks."

The column publishes remarks from Indianapolis-area residents who call in and leave messages on the answering machine. While they do edit for content, it's amazing at what some people will say when they don't have to have their name printed along with their remarks. Comments range from interesting and intelligent to the absurd and the huh? kind of comments.

For instance, in a recent column, someone remarked, "In regards to rising gas prices: I'm in the gas business. We make no money at this. If you don't like it, don't drive. Take the bus."

There are better ones, I promise. That's why I'm hooked.

One guilty pleasure, and the one that most people can't understand, is my secret passion for pop music.

You know, the bubble-gum, too-sweet, give-you-cavities kind of pop music.

Note: I don't listen totally to the pop music stuff. I do like my Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Limp Bizkit, Jamoriquai, Prodigy type of music. There's also my favorite rap artists (Tupac, Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliott, etc.) and my favorite R&B artists (Aayliah, Whitney Houston, R. Kelly, etc).

But, there's just something about listening to Matchbox 20, Madonna, and (gasp! do I admit it?) Ricky Martin that just lets me smile and be happy for a day. It's not hard, it's not edgy, it doesn't contain a lot of vulgarity, it's just pop music.

I almost feel guilty admitting to liking pop music, but I do.

Why be ashamed of what makes me happy?

Last, but not least, writing is my biggest guilty pleasure.

Anything from poetry to fiction, attempts at plays to features, even letters. Writing is my calling, though I am my harshest critic.

I've been attempting poetry since eighth grade. The attitude of my poetry hasn't changed ... it's still dark and unhappy ... but I've found my groove. I know what I like and what I don't. Most of it doesn't rhyme but it does usually have some rhythm to it.

As far as my fiction, I'm attempting to write a story for a magazine contest presently. I am having a little trouble with it because the contest forbids the use of anything copyrighted and I want to incorporate lyrics from a couple of well-known songs into it. Can't, so I won't.

Then there's my letters. The ones I write either via the postal service or e-mail. Very few of the people I write to actually write back (they're not writers), but I write the letters mainly so the people I'm writing to know I'm thinking about them. I haven't forgotten about them. I care.

I also usually include the following message as a hint: Call me.

There is one guilty pleasure I'm thinking about getting rid of though.

It's the way I write these "Between the Lines." I put too much of my personal thoughts and feelings into them. Does the world really want me to get so personal? Should I?

In a world where neighbors don't know their neighbors and companies treat their customers like numbers, I'm exposing myself to the world little by little.

Strangers are getting to know my likes and dislikes. My history, my present and my future appears to be an open book in these columns.

I'm not sure that's a good thing, but as I strive to become a better writer with my own unique style, I'll take my chances.

Perhaps one day, readers can say, "I knew him when," or say, "Hey, who's that in the gutter? Is that ... ?" [[In-content Ad]]