Half Way Between The Beginning of the End and The End of the Beginning

My good friend and brother Steve, who exists on the internet primarily as “Sven” – here is his blog - this weekend introduced me to the concept of blogging.  Certainly “blog” is a fine word.  My immediate inclination was to experiment, which is what this is.  Perhaps no-one will ever read anything I write, perhaps millions of equally anonymous internet users worldwide will hang on my every word; or perhaps somewhere in between.  Here is my first OPINION, stolen:
 
“To get out of prison all means are good ones.  If need be, mere absurdity can be a source of freedom”.

which is – and here is my second OPINION – the greatest book ever written.  Read it.

Thank you.

And my first question is:

do birds ever get struck by lightning?