Apologies Galore (and The Round-up)

To all those who are regular readers of this blog and therefore noticed that though I usually post every single workday, last week I posted only twice, I offer my profoundest apologies... This back thing really knocked me for a loop. Had to have x-rays last Thursday to rule out any herniated discs and the like (which were indeed ruled out) and then got put on a bit of bed rest and Flexeril--which, you will know if you've ever been on it, makes you more than a little groggy. I like to say that Thursday night was spent more or less in a drug induced coma, but by Friday, I'd figured out how to time my doses so that I could actually get some work done--albeit from my couch--during the day.

Today I'm finally back somewhat on track, and though my back is still aching and I'm kicked back in my chair like some17th century Pasha, its possible to get a few more things accomplished... like blogging. So here I am, again, and for the duration, I hope.

In any case, my job is not to natter on about ME, but to direct you to the news that's fit to kick around. So, to that end...

Bill Officially Stumping for Hill: Any time I get a message in my inbox from Bill Clinton that says, "Watch This" I promise you one thing: I'm opening it (since you never know what he could have in mind). Though not as titillating as some of the best outtakes from his years in office, this video of him stumping for Hillary really is effective--though whether that's because I learned things about Hillary I never knew before, or because I just got sucked in by that amazing Bill Clinton charm, I cannot say. Regardless, worth a watch.

J.K. Rowling to the Rescue: Seems that the Harry Potter author cum billionairess has offered to add a few pennies to the fund being amassed as a reward for the return of Madeleine McCann--the 4 year old who was left alone by her parents while they went out to dinner and then disappeared. Sources are calling Rowling's pledge "staggering"--so if you didn't think returning an abducted child to her parents was a valuable act in and of itself, now you have further inducement to be a decent human being.

Lefties Battle over Georgia Rule: I'm going to stay mostly out of this one since both are parties known to me, but just for your knowledge, there's an interesting debate going on between Jennifer Pozner, Don Hazen, and the readers of both their sites over a posting last week on Alternet about the film "Georgia Rule." Take it all in and judge for yourself.

Weekend Round-up

Sometimes it's good to save the "Weekend Round-up" writing for late in day on Monday, since remembering my weekend always gives me a much needed boost once the horror of the the work week sets in... So let's try to release some endorphins, shall we?

On Friday night, I had my last (last!) birthday celebration of this year over dinner with our friends Liz and Ingrid and Nina and Carina. Two lesbian couples--both pregnant. Based on Nina's recommendation, we tried a new Algerian restaurant in the East Village called Nomad. I think it's true that none of us had had Algerian food before (and which, in the lead up to dinner, got confused for Moroccan at least once), and I also think it's fair to say that we were happily surprised. We ordered a bunch of yummy apps (with the exception of the fava beans, which Ingrid said tasted like feet) and then I had a lamb and prune tagine, which was delectable. The only thing I'd say is that if you happen to read the review in the Times, beware that the cookies aren't all that the reviewer claims... they aren't in any way bad--they're just not that good. Far better, to my palate, were the red velvet cupcakes my dear friend Liz brought along as a surprise.

Saturday was fairly calm: we took Jackson for a two mile jaunt up First Avenue, then came back to nosh on bagels and watch the 2007 NFL Draft. A short trip to J.Crew was made even shorter thanks to the antibiotic Jess is on that left her running (literally) for the bathroom; we spent the rest of the night indoors.

And then Sunday, beautiful Sunday: got up, walked the pooch, straightened the house and then headed to breakfast at the diner. Then walked from our place in Midtown East all the way to the Upper West Side, through the park (gorgeous these days!), to meet Liz and Ingrid at my friend Sue's house, where they picked up a few things for their imminent arrival, while I got to play with my goddaughter and her siblings. Afterwards, Liz and Ingrid and Jess and I took up residence at Citrus, for snacks and beers and conversation, and at the end of all the socializing Jess and I walked all the way back to our apartment at a nice, sweat-inducing clip. All that was left of the day was a little 60 Minutes (George Tenet freaks me out!), a peek at the Little People, Big World marathon, and bed. Divine.

And now, as En Vogue once said, it's time for the break-down...

Times Gets it Right on Washington Correspondents Dinner: And I thought I was the only one who found it strange that the press, who are supposed to maintain an "unbiased" distance from the people they report on, would travel to Washington every spring and yuk it up with the powers that be in the White House. Now it turns out that the NY Times will be taking a pass on the event next year, since given this whole debacle in Iraq, it's become increasingly clear what a bunch of patsies the MSM have become as far as unearthing the truth about this President and his administration goes. Here's hoping more outlets follow suit.

Women's College Hoops--A Bona Fide Bull Market: Columnist Mechelle Voepel gives you the run down on a few (too many?) of the coaching changes taking place within women's college game. What's driving the 30-some staff changes in Division 1? Happily, money. Should be interesting to see if the women's programs can actually take the pressure and make back the bucks these universities are laying out on staff. But remember: UConn and Tennessee are currently the only women's b-ball programs in the country that turn a profit--and Tennessee's profit isn't even close to 6 figures (god bless all those folks in CT who have nothing else to do but watch women's basketball).

Unmasking Leni Reifenstahl: It is a fact not-so-universally known that I have long held an interest in the person of Leni Riefenstahl, Hitler's sometime gal-pal and full-time filmmaker (despite what she may have argued once the man was dead). Now, there is a new book out that takes a detailed look at her life and debunks a whole boatload of the myths she invented to clear herself of culpability for the nightmarish rise of Nazism. Amazing how long it can sometimes take to come to the simple truth of the matter, isn't it?

Weekend Round-up

Maybe it's that the weather has suddenly turned from torrential gray to bud-bursting green, but whatever the cause, this weekend was a good one. Friday was the first day you could really feel a new season coming on, and after work, Jess and I jumped on a train to New Haven to spend the night with her brother and sister-in-law and their kids. 6:30 am on Saturday found the rugrats bouncing on our bed, and we spent most of the rest of the day playing outside with them in the yard, on the swing, eating bagels in the grass. Nobody will be shocked to learn that by the time we got on the train back to NYC at 4 o'clock that afternoon we were exhausted... I slept, mouth hanging open, pretty much from the moment we got on, until we pulled into Grand Central. So did Jess. We decided we'll definitely need a nanny when we have kids, just so we can take a few naps from time to time.

Tired as we were, we were able to rally that night for dinner at Mimi's (piano bar!) with our friend Katie; after that we headed over to Patrick Conley's near Grand Central to have a drink with Jess's friend Jen and her husband. We were home by midnight, which was perfect, because yesterday was Liz and Ingrid's baby shower and we wanted to be fresh. It's the first lesbian baby shower either one of us has ever been to, and for my money, it turned out to be the best baby shower I've ever been to. Why? Well, again, it was a beautiful day, so that never hurts. But mostly it's because it was an open house, and thus very informal--folks could come and go as they pleased. No forced games or merriment--and a great art project on hand that was fun for everyone (except Jess, who hates crafts). And also, just wonderful to see all the amazing community and love their baby will have when she finally makes her way into this crazy world. It sounds sappy, but it really did touch me. Sigh.

Now for the more worldly kind of news...

France on Course to Elect First Female President? This past weekend, France held its "first round" presidential election, which narrowed a larger field of candidates down to just two, who will participate in a run-off. One of the two candidates is Segolene Royal, who, if elected, will become France's first female president. Over at the NYT, though, it looks like they'd rather hang on to Chirac for another 50 years or so.

Sharpton Taking Complaints Straight to Shareholders: Employing a tactic first used by a woman (C. Delores Tucker) more than 12 years ago, the Rev. Al Sharpton has just announced that he will take his complaints about rap/hip-hop lyrics into shareholders meetings, to demand accountability for their content from the heads of the corporations that produce the (sexist, racist) stuff. How will he get into these meetings? By buying stock in the offending companies. It's an interesting idea, and I hope they record the proceedings once Sharpton gets into the room.

Wolfowitz, Out? It would certainly make my day, but it looks like it'll take a little more time for this particular deck of cards to fall. Still, I'm glad to see the MSM keeping the pressure on this little weasel. Anyone who is a friend of George Bush's--plus, largely responsible for this terrible war--deserves whatever ill-will comes his way.

Weekend Round-up

Since I used my earlier post to wax teary-eyed about my wonderfully indulgent weekend, I figure it's time right about now to let you know what's keeping the newshound in me glued to the screen.

Deadliest Shooting Rampage in American History: Today, at Virginia Tech, 31 people were killed by a lone gunman; another 22 were injured, at last count. According to the NY Times, today's shooting comes just a few days shy of the eighth anniversary of the school shooting at Columbine, which left 12 students dead.

Kidneys for Sale: Should people be allowed to sell their own organs? William Saletan asks the question and here's my answer: Hell, no. I understand that there are people out there who are dying for need of an organ, but, like Saletan, I believe that issue it best addressed by encouraging more folks to become organ donors at the time of their death, not by putting people who are already vulnerable (read: poor) under increasing pressure to make a buck by selling off their inner goods. Enough already.

Another Sanchez Backs Away From Hispanic Caucus: Just a few months after her sister, Rep. Loretta Sanchez, resigned from the National Hispanic Caucus after accusing the chair of calling her a "whore", Rep. Linda Sanchez has now also cut her ties with the group. Though she says her resignation has nothing to do with the "whore" issue--and is instead about "structural issues"--I hope that's not entirely true. Anybody (or association) that called my sister names wouldn't be getting my support either.

Just When You Think Your Birthday's Over...

... Something else comes along to surprise you--at least if you're as lucky as I am and have a partner who is just amazing. So this past Friday night, Jess cues me up to have dinner out, ostensibly with her brother and sister-in-law. I amble along happily, and find myself sitting at the bar at Schiller's, sipping a Pimm's Cup and waiting for the in-laws to appear. Round about 8:05, Jess grabs me and says "Eric and Duff couldn't make it, so I had to bring in a stand-in couple." She says this with a look on her face that makes me think that there's no way in hell I'm going to be happy to see who this stand-in couple might be, so I start hissing in her ear about how I'm going to kill her and wondering why in the world she'd keep this kind of secret from me...

...and then I turn around to see none other than my friends Cameron and Jenn standing behind me with open arms. It was amazing! And surprising! And truly wonderful to get to sit down with them for a meal to catch up, and to know that Jessica had totally, completely gone out of her way to give me a fabulous birthday treat. Jenn and Cameron and I have known each other since high school (which is a frighteningly long time now!), and though they live in Boston, which doesn't seem so far away, I don't get to see them nearly as much as I'd like. So getting to spend some good QT with them was heavenly. I was smiling from ear to ear.

At dinner, Jessica explained that they had tried to get our other good friends, Lis and Laura and Ford down to the city for the celebration as well, but that Laura was busy with tax season and that Lis had been stymied by both bad weather coming out of VT and an inability to find a babysitter for her son Izak. In both cases, I totally understood and didn't give it a second thought--since I hadn't been expecting anything at all I hadn't had my hopes up about seeing folks. So I went to sleep that night totally stoked to spend the next day just hanging out with Jenn and Cameron, running around the city.

When we woke up on Saturday morning, Jess and I went on our newly ritualized 2 mile walk up 1st Avenue, then came back and got ready to meet J & C for brunch. We walked over to 51st and Lex, where we were scheduled to meet up, and waited and waited... and then finally, I saw them coming towards me, walking east on 51st Street. And then one of them grabs me (I was so stunned I can't even remember who it was) and says "Sorry we're late, but it just keeps getting better." And they step apart and there behind them are Laura and Ford... and again, I was totally, 100% shocked and amazed and surprised and elated. And I hugged them all because I was so happy to see them and so moved by their caring, and hugged Jess super tight, too, because she was the one who brought it all together. I am one lucky woman.

So suffice it to say, I had a glorious weekend, surrounded by some of my favorite people in the world. (Alas, Lis really couldn't make it, for the reasons outlined above, but we tried to party on in her honor.) The six of us did brunch and Bloody Marys at Danal, then wound our way over to Soho, where Jess and I did some shopping for an upcoming baby shower, Laura and Ford tested chairs at Room & Board, and Jenn got some dope new kicks. Then we all had beers, napped, and met up again for dinner that night at Sala, where we were joined by our little buddy Katie Sherwin and Laura's friend Susan.

Good times, man. Real good times. :-)

Weekend Round-up

This having been a birthday weekend for me (32!), the days between my last post and today have been filled with fun, frivolity, friends and family--all in all a pretty perfect weekend. Friday night was spent celebrating someone else: Jessica's friend Lynne threw a surprise birthday party for her boyfriend Rob, and the party was great--partly because the catering was divine (tiny little passed hors d'oeuvres ranging from beef carpaccio on itty bitty buns to minuscule lobster rolls to bite size burgers accompanied by a small cone of perfectly crisped french fries), and partly because it was nice to see someone completely surprised by the gathering of people who had come to celebrate him. Oh, and those bite sized ice cream sandwiches were pretty legit, too.

Then on Saturday, Jess and I spent much of the day lazing around: doing brunch, shopping at H&M for a birthday outfit for me, hitting Whole Foods to pick up more dog food for Jack (preservative free!), napping, and then finally preparing for my b-day dinner with friends. We chose Le Pere Pinard as the place to hold the dinner; I've been going there for years and always have a great time--though I noted that my old friend, the maitre d', Fifi, was no longer in the house. Still, it was a good pick, because even though the chefs that night went a little heavy on the salt for my taste, they have a great big looong table in the back room that fit the 13 of us nicely. Plus, magnums of good red table wine, which we polished off quite nicely before heading for drinks at The Magician, around the corner. Another highly recommended place in my book, because there's nothing better than walking into a bar at 10:30 on a Sat night, with 13 people and more on the way, and being able to find a place for all of us to sit. Definitely worth checking out.

Yesterday, the actual birthday, was spent with the family. We did Easter mass at St. Barts--though Jess and I were so late that we ended up having to stand through the whole service--and then followed that up with a jazz brunch at Le Bateau Ivre. I got wonderful gifts including multiple giftcards to Barnes & Noble--which is pretty much the best thing ever for me--and, from Jessica, a miraculously supple Marc Jacobs bag that I haven't stopped thinking about since I took it out of its box. So suffice it to say, I had a phenomenal birthday, and feel so lucky to be surrounded by so much love.

But enough about me--here's what happening in the rest of the world:

Answering Imus: I haven't addressed this before now not because I didn't think the issue was important, but because I hadn't yet come across an article that delved deeply enough into the forces that allow Don Imus to rant in his racist and bigoted way to make it worthwhile. Now I have, courtesy of the Women's Media Center. If ever there was a case to be made for why it is important to have women on the deciding lines of media, this one is IT. Imus is scheduled to appear on Al Sharpton's show to apologize any minute, but this "nappy-headed ho" is tired of apologies. Maybe Imus and Ann Coulter can team up for a Tour of Hate--and least then they'd be conducting their business out from under the cover of "journalism."

Saving--or Stigmatizing--Black Boys: In Ossining, NY, the school district has started a program that pairs black boys with black teachers who act as their mentors after, and in, school, to try to address the issue of why young black men under-perform their peers academically, and find themselves in more hot water than their peers do when it comes to behavior issues. On the one hand, how excellent that someone has decided to step in and address what is a very real problem. On the other hand, how can we not worry that by doing this, you're isolating and stigmatizing children on the basis of their gender and skin color? Would I, would you, want our sons so be tracked into this program? Or would we just be happy they were getting special attention? And meanwhile, what about the black girls--who may not perform quite as badly as the boys, but are still struggling compared to their white peers? Seems to me that this is a program that just about every child could use in some way or another...

A Baby Story: I've been reading this series on fatherhood by the wonderful Michael Lewis (author of a book that recently hit my "must read" list, The Blind Side) for a while now, but only by way of the latest edition, which discusses his infant son's battle with RSV, did I realize that he's married to Tabitha Soren, formerly of MTV fame. In any case, the series is well worth keeping up with, partly because their kids are cute as hell (and each article is accompanied by a few photos) and partly because Lewis' honesty about the highs and lows of parenthood, from a male perspective, is truly without peer.

Weekend Round-up

Here's a tip for anyone in the NYC vicinity or coming to town soon: go see Grey Gardens. It's a musical, on Broadway, starring the divine, surreally talented Christine Ebersole, and worth every single penny you'll spend on the ticket. I've had it in mind to see this one for a while now, but you know how it goes: there's never any time. And yet this weekend, abandoned by my partner in favor of a trip to see the men's Final Four in Atlanta, I found myself with what definitely amounted to a little extra time, and a burning desire to get myself some cul-cha already. So I took myself out there to the TKTS booth in Times Square (which, in case you're planning on going, is under construction; the new site is on 46th and Broadway, in the Marriot), hoping to get a ticket to GG but assuming it would be totally sold out. It wasn't, not even remotely, and for $60 cash, I got a perfectly decent seat at a perfectly phenomenal play. God, I love New York.

Meanwhile, in the news...

Tennessee Women Rule!!: Ok, so we're one game away from total and ultimate domination, but damn, that Candace Parker is good! I was jumping up and down and screaming so loudly last night while watching this game that Jackson actually started barking along side me. We raced around the house howling in ecstasy when North Carolina finally collapsed. Tomorrow, I will be dressed in my Tennessee orange for good luck, and if I can find a way to do it I'll take a picture and post it to let you see. Go Lady Vols!!

Little Miss Perfect: Yesterday's cover story from the New York Times on the struggles of young women to excel in all facets of their lives. Is it worse than it was when we were in school? Probably, so--though I think that many of us felt a very similar kind of pressure. What's nice is to see institutions like the Times treating the issues with some seriousness--although I do wish they'd spent a little more time pulling apart this so-called dialectic between hotness and smartness...

A Less Than Magical Evening?: Galleycat reports that the reviews are starting to come in on the translation of Joan Didion's memoir, The Year of Magical Thinking, into a play--now on Broadway and starring Vanessa Redgrave--and the critics do not seem much pleased. I've heard otherwise from regular theater-goers who've been lucky enough to score a ticket (the run is said to be sold out through June 30th); and I also happen to be one of those folks who feels that the opportunity to see Vanessa Redgrave on stage should not be missed, at any price. So despite the what those paid to appraise these things say, I will still probably go if I can. I'm a sucker for royalty and this is one that provides proximity to two kinds: theatrical and literary. Can't beat that with a stick, matter how (overly) "earnest" the play may be.

Weekend Round-up

Whew! Has anybody else ever noticed how many people's birthdays seem to fall right around this time of year? The 25th alone is the birthday of 3 people I know (Birthday shout outs to Nettie, Jenn and Gloria), and there are more to come in the days immediately ahead. In any case, this birthday barrage meant that this past weekend was filled with candle-laden revelry: one party on Friday night, 2 on Saturday, and then another one on Sunday. Each of them was fun filled in its own right, but each very different from the others; the one thing they all had in common, though, was that each left me filled with a very profound sense of how lucky I am to be surrounded by family and friends whose company I truly enjoy.

Another bonus was being introduced to two fabulous new restaurants (new to me, that is) here in NYC. Cafe Noir is where Nettie's 31st birthday bash took place, and between the fried brie and the lamb meatballs I couldn't have been happier. Oh, and they make Mojitos so strong (and delicious) that Jessica was pink in the face and sweaty after about four sips.

The second restaurant, where Gloria had her party last night, is called Candle 79. It's a totally organic, vegan establishment, and despite what you might imagine the food was fabulous. I had seitan picatta--seitan being some form of pure gluten that has a very "meaty" texture and pretty much seems to take on the flavor of whatever sauce you put on it. Because I love picatta sauce (it's a lemon and caper blend, usually) this was a good thing. I'd highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a new food experience on the UES--and frankly, the food's good enough to travel for, too. (Don't forget to try the deserts!)

News on my mind:

Abortion or Adoption? The $500 Question: In Texas, a bill is on the table that would pay women who are considering abortion $500 to carry their babies to term and then give them up for adoption. So now the pro-lifers have turned to outright bribery? I guess we shouldn't be surprised.

Warner Books Warner No Longer: Looks like that big ugly "W" is flying the way of a Republican majority (if only I meant the human one). Warner Books now has both a new owner and a new name: Grand Central Publishing. I don't care what they call it--I'm still not buying books w puffy covers... unless I'm on my way to my yearly beach vaction and can't stand the thought of taxing my brain beyond subject, verb, object.

The Final Four is Set: Because I was busy partying last night, I missed the end of the of the Georgetown/UNC game where, according to Jessica, UNC went stone cold at the end of the game and into overtime, missing 17 of 18 shots from the field. Needless to say, Georgetown found a way to triumph. Jess is heartbroken, but I've had a soft spot for the Hoyas ever since John Thompson, Jr. was at the helm.

Weekend Round-up

Funny, isn't it, how life and art (or journalism) intersect? This morning as I was walking down Wall Street with a copy of this weekend's NYTimes Magazine griped firmly in my left hand, I noticed an absolute phalanx of combat ready NYPD officers clogging the street, the sidewalks, and the entrance to the number 1 train. Being that this is New York, and downtown NY at that, only blocks from where the World Trade Center once stood, seeing all this police activity made my heart race a little bit--and not in a good way. And then I heard the shouting in the distance, rhythmic and punctuated by an intermittent drum beat, and when I looked again and saw once officer with a camera to his face, snapping madly at the scene, I realized what was going on: a protest. An anti-war protest. It's the first one I've seen in person here in Manhattan and it made me wonder if we've finally reached a place where people are actually going to begin standing up and demanding real change... Which brings me back to the life/art connection, because what I was holding in my left hand, in that NY Times magazine, was this week's cover story on women and war--or, specifically, the female US soldiers who are returning from their tours with cases of PTSD caused not just by the trauma they are seeing in the war zone, but also by the sexual trauma inflicted upon them by their male counterparts in the military. To have been so fully immersed in the story on my subway ride downtown this morning, and to have had the sense, in reading it, that the shit is really about to hit the proverbial fan in regards to this war; and then to emerge from there straight into the middle of an anti-war protest... Well, it gives you the feeling that the war really is everywhere--that the chickens have come home to roost. And the most terrible part about it all is that, in so many ways, the damage has already been done. There's no going back for the thousands of soldiers dead or damaged. The only question left is: how many more lives are we willing to ruin in the name of oil and power?

On that happy note, a few items of note from this past weekend:

Let the Mudslinging Begin (Again): Barack's team may be disavowing it, but this video spot that parodies Apple's landmark "1984" commercial is the best piece of pirate political advocacy I've seen yet.

Is Ignorance Bliss?: From the NYTimes, a paralyzing article about one young woman's choice to find out whether she possesses the genetic marker for Huntington's disease (she does). Likely to provoke the "What Would You Do?" sentiment in most of us. For the record, I don't think I have the capacity to hold such knowledge about the limitations of my life expectancy and still live any full kind of life. When it comes to pain and suffering, I'm a wimp, quite frankly. So let me float off in a daze, all who are listening...

Pre-abortion Ultrasounds Could Be Required Under SC Law: In another move to limit a woman's right to abortion without being lectured to or coerced, a bill is now winding its way through the South Carolina legislature that would require women seeking abortions to view ultrasounds of their fetuses before actually going through with the procedure. Un-freakin'-real.

Weekend Round-up, Tampa style

For anyone who's known me for more than about 2 years, what I am about to reveal is going to come as a significant shock: this past weekend I traveled down to Tampa, Florida to attend the ACC Tournament--and had an absolute blast. If you know basketball at all, you know that the ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) is home to some of the best basketball in the nation. Duke, UNC, Maryland, Boston College, Virginia, Virginia Tech--all these schools are part of the conference, which means there's some pretty fierce competition to be crowned conference champions and get an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

In any case, we went down because Jessica had to be there for work and we figured we'd make a weekend out of it (not least of all because it was 15 degrees in New York and 80 in Tampa--hard to beat that). Jessica flew down on Friday morning and I followed her after work that night; our friends Kerryann and Allison also came down for the fun. Jessica and I spent most of the day on Sat at the games and at the pool; then we met up with the girls for dinner in this outdoor mall-like place called Channelside. We ate at a restaurant whose menu featured sliders of many kinds (beef, turkey, tuna), freshly caught fish entrees and sushi. Oh, and the best beer battered fries I've had in a long time. Kerryann's sister and brother-in-law joined us for dinner, but peeled off afterwards when we decided to go seek out "Gay Tampa", smartly enough.

Let me give you this piece of advice: If you're ever in Tampa, just forget about seeking out the gay scene. Here's what happened to us: once we had enough alcohol in our veins (Allison, Jess and I shared a 64 oz. bowling ball filled w sangria; whether it was truly alcoholic is still a question in my mind, but we were happy) we hopped a cab from Channelside over to Ybor City in search of a bar whose name KA couldn't "quite" remember. After walking around for half an hour, asking any vaguely gay looking person we could find for directions, we gave up and got in another cab and headed to some place out in the boonies called Valentine's. Valentine's, when we got there, was a large space occupied by about 10 very sad looking gay Latinos, and if I recall correctly the wind chill in the place left the air temperature at about 20 degrees. It was cold. And dark. And scary. And we had no car to get us home. So we did what any good lesbians would do in that situation: we drank. And played darts. And drank some more. And by 2:30, when the place was packed with salsa dancing fools, we decided it was time to go home. A full night, by any standards.

Of course, Allison and Kerryann found some more fun later that night at a little club called Flirt. But that's their story to tell... All I can say is that I woke up on Saturday morning with a picture of a very comely trannie in my inbox.

Weekend Round-up

This past weekend was the kind there should be more of: full of friends, full of food, and peppered by not a little sports action on the television. The best part of the sports bit was that Jess and I got to watch the women of NC State show Duke who's boss, only to have them lose the ACC finals to UNC (the highs...the lows). The NC State coach, Kay Yow, is apparently a real trailblazer (a precursor to Pat Summit, even) and has spent this entire season battling breast cancer while continuing to coach. And when I say "battling" I mean "BATTLING": she's had to be carried off the court in a stretcher after practice, and has been hooked up to an IV in her office--just to be there, just to show a group of girls what determination means. It really was unbelievable to see her sitting there on the bench during that semi-final match, still there, still with them, after all that. As I said to Jess after their win brought Duke's unbeaten record to an end, "Well, how mad can Gail Goestenkors be at that?" Some things are bigger than basketball and from where I sat, this sure looked like one of them.

In other news, here are the articles of note from this past weekend:

The Science Behind God: I'll admit that I haven't had time to finish this one yet, but given that a variant of this debate took up a good portion of a small dinner party's attention on Saturday night, I figure it's a hot topic. Why we believe is at least as important an inquiry as whether we believe, right?

Jeff Wall at MoMA: The New Yorker review of the installation may be middling, but I think this exhibit is still worth seeing, 1) because most folks don't know who Wall is and 2) his work is startling and profound, in a way that stays with you for hours after you actually see the work. I can't even recall how long it's been since I first saw his "After: Invisible Man" piece, and I can still conjure the image in my head in an instant, so deep did it burn into my mind's eye. Well worth the $20 ticket.

Hillary & Barack March on Selma: Is it wrong that seeing Hillary turn up here, on Barack's heels and with Bill at her side, after being "non-committal" for weeks, makes me feel a little queasy? I cannot stand the thought that this is going to devolve into one of those internal wars that leaves everyone on this side bleeding and everyone on the other side laughing at us from the winner's circle, but it looks almost inevitable, doesn't it? (Except for that winner's circle bit--I'm not quite ready to concede that much yet.)

Weekend Round-up

Does anyone else have the same Academy Awards hangover I do? So much hype, and now it's all over. Which is good, I guess, because that means we can get back to thinking about topics other than Tinseltown.

My picks for great reading from the past weekend:

Do the Lives of Mothers Matter?: While here in the US we're taking ever greater measures to ensure the quality of maternal health, around the world, pregnant women continue to die by the millions. Go to the Times' front page to watch a 3 minute video about the plight of pregnant women in East Africa, or, if you have a Times Select membership, read the full article.

Feminist Votes = Hillary Votes??: On AlterNet, an interesting meditation from a young woman who ponders whether her feminist beliefs oblige her to vote for Hillary. It's a question a lot of women are asking.

Women Take It to the Turf: Almost 2 years ago now, I spent a Saturday afternoon at a women's professional football game. It was dope, and the tailgating beforehand wasn't bad either. Now, MSNBC's picked up on the fact that there's a women's league out there worth paying attention to. Plus, Ickey Woods (remember the Ickey Shuffle?) is coaching in Cincinnati! It's an older story, but still relevant.

Weekend Round-up

Happy President's Day! If, like me, you're one of those folks lucky enough to have the day off, I'm sure you'll be reading this on Tuesday. But if, like Katie Sherwin, you're one of those whose job screws you out of mid-major holidays, here are a few tidbits to keep you happy while the rest of us are cavorting:

Reading Barack's Blackness: Another article on the question of Barack's racial identity, our perceptions of it, and why we should find the question itself utterly infuriating. (21 months out from the election and I already do.)

Siblings with Difference: A close look at the reality of being a typically functioning child whose sibling has developmental and/or emotional disabilities.

Another Woman Takes the Lead: Though last week was all about Harvard's big female appointment, Yale also took a big step in elevating a woman this month: Sharon Kugler-- a Catholic-- is about to take the helm as Yale's new chaplain.

Weekend Round-up

Sorry to have been MIA since Thursday, but board duty called... Unbelievably, it was warmer in the Northwest corner of CT (read: Berkshire Mountains) than it has been here in NYC of late. I don't know what that means in terms of climate change, but I'm betting it's not good.

In any case, here are the stories that had my heart aflutter over the weekend:

HARVARD'S LADY LEADER: After 371 years, Harvard has finally seen the light and appointed its first female President in the person of Drew Gilpin Faust.

THE (IN)HUMANITY OF LETHAL INJECTION: Read this article and then keep trying to argue in favor of capital punishment. I ain't buying it--and neither are an increasing number of judges.

MARK CUBAN--VOICE OF REASON?: His argument may be a little simplistic, but it's nice to see somebody in the business trying to convince players it might actually be to their advantage to come out.

That's it for the moment... More updates to come.