The XX Factor Is Legit

Can't say how I missed it (except that sometimes Slate boooores me), but apparently the lady-folk over there (including a former classmate of mine) have taken to blogging: political blogging from the female perspective, to be precise. Now, there's lots of chatter out there that this bad, because it ghettoizes women, and that it's totally banal, because all these ladies have to talk about are their domestic travails. But I for one will cheer for The XX Factor, because it's nice--and important--to have more female voices out there, talking about whatever the hell they please.

And if you happen to need more on that particular topic, check out my mom's blog post today on the HuffPo. Rock on, CJ!!!!

Young? Got a Good Heart? Well, MTV Wants YOU!

Getting involved is even easier than it used to be. Today, MTV Networks launched Think.MTV.com in beta, with an eye to giving them young folks an even better way to do good and--crucially for this generation-- "be recognized" for it.

The idea behind Think is that young people are great force to mobilize for action (duh), and that they would be well served by having a place where they can learn more about volunteer opportunities and connect with other like-minded folks. It's definitely a great idea, but it's not a new one: the folks at GoLeft.org have been working on a similar product since March.

Still, it's good to see anyone, everyone, trying to convince kids that there's more to life than making a whole load of dough. Especially when folks like Bob Herbert are apparently losing the battle.

Remembering Katrina

If you followed my instructions a few weeks back and checked out the posting I was doing from down in Mississippi and Louisiana during our Media Justice trainings, you'll be happy to see that there is now video evidence of the work we did while we were there.

This video, created by Jacquie Soohen, gives a great peek into what the process of putting together a radio documentary really looks like. Plus, she's set it to some seriously dope tunes, which is never a bad thing.

Blackle?

Anyone else heard about this yet? It's a new search page from Google, with one major difference: the screen is black. What's the point? The dark screen (it's black, with white type) uses less energy--which is good not only for the environment, but also for your wallet. Plus, at the moment, there are none of those pesky little Google ads to contend with. Phat.

Time for Another Debate? You betcha.

I bet it feels to you like it was just last night you were watching a debate between the candidates for the presidency of the United States. It certainly feels that way to me. But lo and behold, it is now time for those motley crews to gather together again and try not to offend each other too much while tearing apart the policies of their colleagues on the other side of the ideological divide. And this time, they've gone all techie on us: tonight at 7pm ET tune your channel to CNN and check out the first debate hosted by our friends at YouTube, which will take place in good old Charleston, SC.

And because YouTube is the bigwig behind this particular debate, you, netizen, have your very own shot at having your searingly sharp question be deflected by one of the major candidates: just visit YouTube to submit a question (note: you've gotta have a video or web camera to do this) and from there a crack team of CNN producers will whittle the pool down to the 75-100 questions they imagine Anderson Cooper will feel most comfortable sharing with the candidates (so nothing too too gay, please).

Since it's the closest most of us will ever get to being in the ring with the big boys, I highly advocate giving it a shot. (Though interestingly enough, I actually got somewhat of an invite to travel to Charleston to blog the event... and sadly enough, the fact that I have a j-o-b kept me from being able to go. Which brings me back to my earlier point: the YouTube debate is a godsend for most of us.)

Democracy (sorta) opened up to the demos? Pretty rad.

"Being a Black Man"--Interactive Series on WaPo

I have no idea how long this remarkable series has been running, but I just found out about it via one of my list serves today. It's an interactive experience that's not only thoroughly engaging and moving, but also multifaceted (see the inclusion of gay black men AND women in this conversation for proof).

Kudos to the Washington Post for taking up the life and times of the black American male like it matters... it's about time somebody did.

Blogging for HuffPo

So somehow I forgot to mention that I'm now also blogging for the HuffPo, and yesterday, my first piece ran. It's about violence and women and sports and dogs, and if you'd like to take a gander at it, you can find it here.

If you read the comments section, and you're a thinking person, you'll get a good laugh... It's great when folks get outraged and claim that violence against women isn't a "real" political issue. It's comments like those, from so called progressives no less, that make it the clearer to me why we need more women speaking the truth in the public forum. Otherwise, it all gets cast as sideline chatter. Pheh.

"Curative" Rapes--and Other Horrors of Being Gay in Africa

Last summer, when Jess and I spent about 10 days in Ethiopia with the organization AMREF, we came up with a little joke to make ourselves feel better about our status in a country (nevermind a continent) where our relationship is illegal. We took to calling each other "Criminal Smallz" ("smallz" being our most common nickname for each other), and it's a moniker we still volley about in jest from time to time. For us, by now, it's become a somewhat quaint reminder of our time in Africa; it's an inside joke--but one that's funny, of course, precisely because it's not our daily reality. We got to come home, to New York, where things are (relatively) safe for ladies like us.

Today's article from ColorLines reminded me of just how bad life might be if we had no such home to cling to. I won't enumerate all the terrible things that happen to gay folks in many parts of Africa, but suffice it to say, life is no bowl of cherries. The one ray of hope that activists point to, however, is the rise rise of the Internet, and the sense of community that can provide for isolated gays... Thank God for small favors.

More Trash for Women Who Love Trash

Did that sound like a dis? It actually wasn't... It's just my way of telling you that there's a new place for us all to indulge in our not-so-secret obsession with pop culture--but with a new female spin.

As of yesterday, Gawker Media is the proud parent of yet another (brilliant) trash talkin' website: Jezebel. This one aims to tackle "Celebrity, Sex and Fashion--Without the Airbrushing"--a.k.a., injecting the "women's perspective" to its media massacre. I can't quite say I can tell what about the site makes it that different from the once-venerable-now-stale Gawker, but I can say that 2 days of reportage (such as it is) has made me smile more than once. And it's the first site I checked when I tuned on my computer tonight--and I wasn't disappointed I did (love the Angie coverage, y'all).

Worth a peek if you're interested in a touch of celeb news... which I'm sure you're not. Ahem.

Why I Subscribe to New York Magazine

Truthfully, for a long time now it's been a question. Sure, some weeks I feel like I've been stimulated by what I've read (see Katie Roiphe's somewhat unsettling look at divorce); but just as often, I wonder why in the world I've wasted my time keeping up on the trappings of an elite that never quite strikes me as actually worthy of being kept up with.

For this reason, when our renewal notice came in the mail a few weeks back, I threw it straightaway into the trash. Not that I'd made up my mind, of course, but just because it was it clear to me that I wasn't ready to make up my mind. But this week's issue has convinced me I'm ready to write that check for $24.95. No, not because of that article about the infamous High Line and all it will offer NYC. What changed my mind was a tiny little notation in the magazine, which pointed me to this site, created by the alluring Miranda July. It's meant to promote her new book, No One Belongs Here More Than You--and it does that beautifully. But the site itself is also a sublime journey in the mind of one of the more creative folks we've got popping these days... I've read through it more than once now, and the thing has still got me laughing. And I've got my friend Ingrid hooked, too.

So thank you NY Magazine. My check will be in the mail. Tomorrow. I promise.