Welcome to Opening Day of March Madness!

::listens to Marvin Gaye open with the National Anthem, thinks about sex::

How it works: Vote for your favorite contender in today's category by making a donation in their support using the form below ($1 minimum). The funds raised go to scholarships for fans who'd like to attend Writercon 2009 but need some financial help to get there. (And by the way, if you're planning to apply for a scholarship, the application process is open now through March 15. See the Writercon site at writercon.com and click "Apply for a Scholarship" on the left menu.)

A new challenge will be posted every morning in March, and each day's result will be posted the next evening. There are themes for each weekday, with a little randomness tossed in just for the hell of it.

If you don't see the contenders you prefer, keep watching -- there are 30 more days to go, and we want to get in as many as we can.

So here, without further ado, is our first match-up:

Straight Shipper Sunday!