Last night after work I had a few errands to run--Menard's to return something, Target to buy a few things, and a book drop to pick up the final installment of the Lemony Snicket books, A Series of Unfortunate Events: Book the Thirteenth: The End. Fittingly, everything went wrong.
First, lightning struck my usual book drop during a storm two weeks ago, so rather than picking up the book on my way home, I had to go quite a bit out of my way. But I tried to turn this into a good thing by using it as an excuse to shop at the new Target on 59 and Higgins. Leaving that Target, I thought I'd avoid making two left turns by taking Old Sutton Road up to the book drop instead, creating a series of simple right turns and staying away from traffic. Halfway up Old Sutton, though, there's a railroad crossing, and when I arrived a train was apparently going through it. Except--well, the train wasn't moving. It was dark, so this wasn't immediately clear, but as the cars lined up, it became obvious we weren't going anywhere for a while. So I turned around and made three left turns instead of the original two, sitting through several red lights. When I finally arrived at the book drop--which doubles as the village hall for a neighboring town--there was a squad car with its lights blaring in the entrance! After waiting a while for the man who was out of his car talking to the cop through the window to move, I finally honked him out of my way, drove in, and got the book.
Now, this is all nothing next to the perils the Baudelaire orphans have faced though 12 soul-crushing tomes, but doesn't it seem a bit foreboding?
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Not a Reunion
ABC sticking with 'Brothers & Sisters'
This news makes me happy. While we've given other new shows a try this fall--Studio 60 and Dexter--this is the only one, so far, that we've actually kept up with. (The others are building to a critical mass on our DVR--methinks next Saturday will see a marathon in our house!)
Yes, Brothers & Sisters is a fairly standard issue family soap opera, complete with a family business that creates a wealth of strife, a la just about every daytime soap. But it also looks at how political and social issues play a role in a family dynamic; Calista Flockhart and Sally Field have a long-running feud over the Iraq war. And the big family includes a gay son, who copes with being accepted but still feeling different from the rest. Why on earth wouldn't I like this show?
Oh, and while it hasn't met the grim fate of Reunion, it does serve as a reunion of sorts for us, with Dave Annable from that show and Rachel Griffiths from Six Feet Under among the cast. (Notice that Dexter also features an SFU alum, Michael C. Hall, while Studio 60 is essentially a re-write of The West Wing. Creatures of habit, anyone?)
Have you found any good new shows this season?
This news makes me happy. While we've given other new shows a try this fall--Studio 60 and Dexter--this is the only one, so far, that we've actually kept up with. (The others are building to a critical mass on our DVR--methinks next Saturday will see a marathon in our house!)
Yes, Brothers & Sisters is a fairly standard issue family soap opera, complete with a family business that creates a wealth of strife, a la just about every daytime soap. But it also looks at how political and social issues play a role in a family dynamic; Calista Flockhart and Sally Field have a long-running feud over the Iraq war. And the big family includes a gay son, who copes with being accepted but still feeling different from the rest. Why on earth wouldn't I like this show?
Oh, and while it hasn't met the grim fate of Reunion, it does serve as a reunion of sorts for us, with Dave Annable from that show and Rachel Griffiths from Six Feet Under among the cast. (Notice that Dexter also features an SFU alum, Michael C. Hall, while Studio 60 is essentially a re-write of The West Wing. Creatures of habit, anyone?)
Have you found any good new shows this season?
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Can't Go Back
My five-year reunion took place over the weekend at Augustana. It was a fairly uneventful visit--I saw some professors, walked around campus, and had a beer at Blue Cat. (It still tasted great to me five years and many other beers later--who'd have thought a little pub in the Quad Cities would have such exceptional ale?)
But one thing happened that will never happen again.
I visited Carlsson Hall on Friday. In the lounge I found a plaque with my name on it, honoring me as a four-year resident. (That isn't strictly true--I moved in partway through my freshman year--but I'll take it.) Also pictures taken at picnics in front of the building, many containing hallmates I haven't seen since I graduated. And even a plaque commemorating the many times our floors won the award for the best male GPA on campus.
Carlsson, as I heard later at the president's house, is slated to be gutted next year; when they rebuild the inside it will become the home of many business-oriented departments. The beautiful new residence hall behind Andreen will surely help the school to recruit new students; the kids only have to share a bathroom with four people rather than dozens, and the rooms are huge. (The place also looks like a nursing home to me, but I suppose if the college ever goes under it can always be repurposed.)
And so this weekend was the last time I will ever stroll through the halls of my old home as it was. It makes me a little bit sick to my stomach to think of it, honestly.
But, while I hope the plaques and pictures are preserved and set up somewhere else on campus, being back made me realize that I don't need Carlsson as a vessel for the memories that happened there. This weekend was the first time I set foot on campus in four and a half years, and while it's nice to think that it might be the start of something, the harsh reality is that it may be longer than that before I go back again. It's comforting, somehow, to know that the bathroom where I puked up my 21st birthday drinks hasn't been altered, and that the tile in my senior year room still peels away to reveal the names of the room's residents going back many years. But Augustana gave me all that it could--an education, mentors, friends, and love. It exists for a seventeen-year-old somewhere, who may be just like I was, thinking about his first year away from home and the changes that it might bring. I hope that he decides to go to Augustana, and that it is everything for him that it was for me. And that can happen with or without the chance to live in Carlsson Hall.
But one thing happened that will never happen again.
I visited Carlsson Hall on Friday. In the lounge I found a plaque with my name on it, honoring me as a four-year resident. (That isn't strictly true--I moved in partway through my freshman year--but I'll take it.) Also pictures taken at picnics in front of the building, many containing hallmates I haven't seen since I graduated. And even a plaque commemorating the many times our floors won the award for the best male GPA on campus.
Carlsson, as I heard later at the president's house, is slated to be gutted next year; when they rebuild the inside it will become the home of many business-oriented departments. The beautiful new residence hall behind Andreen will surely help the school to recruit new students; the kids only have to share a bathroom with four people rather than dozens, and the rooms are huge. (The place also looks like a nursing home to me, but I suppose if the college ever goes under it can always be repurposed.)
And so this weekend was the last time I will ever stroll through the halls of my old home as it was. It makes me a little bit sick to my stomach to think of it, honestly.
But, while I hope the plaques and pictures are preserved and set up somewhere else on campus, being back made me realize that I don't need Carlsson as a vessel for the memories that happened there. This weekend was the first time I set foot on campus in four and a half years, and while it's nice to think that it might be the start of something, the harsh reality is that it may be longer than that before I go back again. It's comforting, somehow, to know that the bathroom where I puked up my 21st birthday drinks hasn't been altered, and that the tile in my senior year room still peels away to reveal the names of the room's residents going back many years. But Augustana gave me all that it could--an education, mentors, friends, and love. It exists for a seventeen-year-old somewhere, who may be just like I was, thinking about his first year away from home and the changes that it might bring. I hope that he decides to go to Augustana, and that it is everything for him that it was for me. And that can happen with or without the chance to live in Carlsson Hall.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Violation
George F. Will - What Goeth Before the Fall - washingtonpost.com
George Will's column today is pretty much brilliant. Often a handmaiden for the party, today Will calls the Republicans on their hypocrisy. Referring to Dennis Hastert's complaint that whoever brought forward the Foley e-mails and IMs has disrupted the "story" he and other GOPers are trying to tell, Will says, "Their story, of late, has been that theirs is the lonely burden of defending all that is wholesome. But the problem with claiming to have cornered the market on virtue is that people will get snippy when they spot vice in your ranks."
Will goes on to note the disturbing turn that has taken place among evangelicals. Once, they believed that their religion forbade their active participation in politics. Those were the good old days! Will quotes Ryan Sager, author of The Elephant in the Room: Evangelicals, Libertarians, and the Battle to Control the Republican Party:
Now all those Americans feel violated. And so, as Will puts it, "If, after the Foley episode -- a maraschino cherry atop the Democrats' delectable sundae of Republican miseries -- the Democrats cannot gain 13 seats [Will concedes the two former gay Republican seats, Foley's and Jim Kolbe's, to the Dems], they should go into another line of work."
George Will's column today is pretty much brilliant. Often a handmaiden for the party, today Will calls the Republicans on their hypocrisy. Referring to Dennis Hastert's complaint that whoever brought forward the Foley e-mails and IMs has disrupted the "story" he and other GOPers are trying to tell, Will says, "Their story, of late, has been that theirs is the lonely burden of defending all that is wholesome. But the problem with claiming to have cornered the market on virtue is that people will get snippy when they spot vice in your ranks."
Will goes on to note the disturbing turn that has taken place among evangelicals. Once, they believed that their religion forbade their active participation in politics. Those were the good old days! Will quotes Ryan Sager, author of The Elephant in the Room: Evangelicals, Libertarians, and the Battle to Control the Republican Party:
"Whereas conservative Christian parents once thought it was inappropriate for public schools to teach their kids about sex, now they want the schools to preach abstinence to children. Whereas conservative Christians used to be unhappy with evolution being taught in public schools, now they want Intelligent Design taught instead (or at least in addition). Whereas conservative Christians used to want the federal government to leave them alone, now they demand that more and more federal funds be directed to local churches and religious groups through Bush's faith-based initiatives program."These changes have transformed politics, and morphed a mostly tolerable Republican party into one that has festered into a thing revolting to behold, both for many sensible Americans and for most of our allies abroad. The Foley episode only crystallizes in the public mind a dreadful shift that has taken place, as Republicans have harnessed well-meaning (but wrong, nonetheless) people of faith, whipped them into a frenzy, and used their anger for their own ends. In a sense, the entire Republican party is Foley, and a great many Americans who have been taken in by it are those young men, giving the party what it wants--in this case power rather than titillation--in hopes that they'll eventually get what they want out of it, too.
Now all those Americans feel violated. And so, as Will puts it, "If, after the Foley episode -- a maraschino cherry atop the Democrats' delectable sundae of Republican miseries -- the Democrats cannot gain 13 seats [Will concedes the two former gay Republican seats, Foley's and Jim Kolbe's, to the Dems], they should go into another line of work."
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Smear Campaign
"The List" (of Gay GOP Aides on the Hill)
No, this is not a link to a list of gay Republican aides, though that is probably available somewhere on the Web by now. But that list will be the next piece of the pie in the Mark Foley scandal, suggest both David Corn (above) and Josh Marshall. Not really a surprise, I suppose.
The theory is that Hastert & Co. will blame this whole affair on gay staff members who enabled Foley's behavior. While this would be reprehensible if true, something--namely Kirk Fordham's statement--tells me it isn't.
David Corn notes:
The fact remains, though, that in the next few days we're probably going to see two things: A desperate blame game by Republicans that blames gay staffers for this whole sordid mess, and a mass outing in Washington that will put other such campaigns to shame. I feel sorry for the great many politically-minded gay men who are about to be violently torn from the closet, but let's face it: They knew the score going in. They worked for forces of hatred at a time when those forces were pressing down especially hard on their fellow gays and lesbians. They brought this pain on themselves.
No, this is not a link to a list of gay Republican aides, though that is probably available somewhere on the Web by now. But that list will be the next piece of the pie in the Mark Foley scandal, suggest both David Corn (above) and Josh Marshall. Not really a surprise, I suppose.
The theory is that Hastert & Co. will blame this whole affair on gay staff members who enabled Foley's behavior. While this would be reprehensible if true, something--namely Kirk Fordham's statement--tells me it isn't.
David Corn notes:
What's interesting about The List--which includes nine chiefs of staffs, two press secretaries, and two directors of communications--is that (if it's acucurate) it shows that some of the religious right's favorite representatives and senators have gay staffers helping them advance their political careers and agendas. These include Representative Katherine Harris and Henry Hyde and Senators Bill Frist, George Allen, Mitch McConnell and Rick Santorum.This raises the question: Are these people sincere in their hate of homosexuality? If not, the base they've convinced that they are should be appalled. (And if so, of course, they're both bigots and, apparently, hypocrites.) Or are they merely opportunistic, willing to play to any prejudice to gain power? It's hard to look at those names and think of any nice way to spin this.
The fact remains, though, that in the next few days we're probably going to see two things: A desperate blame game by Republicans that blames gay staffers for this whole sordid mess, and a mass outing in Washington that will put other such campaigns to shame. I feel sorry for the great many politically-minded gay men who are about to be violently torn from the closet, but let's face it: They knew the score going in. They worked for forces of hatred at a time when those forces were pressing down especially hard on their fellow gays and lesbians. They brought this pain on themselves.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Not Again
Rep. Mark Foley, IM jockey. By Timothy Noah - Slate Magazine
Like James and Zach in Seattle, I'm dismayed by the news about Mark Foley, whose IM conversations with teenage boys, including the one documented above (which is probably too filthy to read if someone might look over your shoulder), sent him from Congress to rehab faster than you can say filibuster, much less pedophile. What is it about staying in the closet for decades that leads to behavior like this?
National Coming Out Day is next week (October 11). Maybe the rest of the closeted members of Congress should join the celebration rather than going down the same self-destructive road that took down Foley?
Like James and Zach in Seattle, I'm dismayed by the news about Mark Foley, whose IM conversations with teenage boys, including the one documented above (which is probably too filthy to read if someone might look over your shoulder), sent him from Congress to rehab faster than you can say filibuster, much less pedophile. What is it about staying in the closet for decades that leads to behavior like this?
National Coming Out Day is next week (October 11). Maybe the rest of the closeted members of Congress should join the celebration rather than going down the same self-destructive road that took down Foley?
Thursday, September 28, 2006
A Little More Equal
Partner benefits proposed for federal workers | News | Advocate.com
This is huge. And I have to give credit where it's due: Joe Lieberman, of all people, joined Gordon Smith--a Republican!--to propose it. If that combo doesn't make domestic partner benefits seem like the very picture of moderation, I don't know what does.
Change clearly happens in stages. This would be a big step in the right direction!
This is huge. And I have to give credit where it's due: Joe Lieberman, of all people, joined Gordon Smith--a Republican!--to propose it. If that combo doesn't make domestic partner benefits seem like the very picture of moderation, I don't know what does.
Change clearly happens in stages. This would be a big step in the right direction!
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
First Man
THE WANDERER
Bill Clinton’s quest to save the world, reclaim his legacy—and elect his wife.
Grab a tall cup of coffee. This profile by David Remnick is definitely not short. But by the time you're done, I think you'll understand Bill Clinton--and understand why, despite their faults, I believe the Clintons are the best chance the Democrats have right now of winning and of using their power to actually accomplish something.
Bill Clinton’s quest to save the world, reclaim his legacy—and elect his wife.
Grab a tall cup of coffee. This profile by David Remnick is definitely not short. But by the time you're done, I think you'll understand Bill Clinton--and understand why, despite their faults, I believe the Clintons are the best chance the Democrats have right now of winning and of using their power to actually accomplish something.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Refreshing Honesty
Archives open up centuries of British sex
The results of a 57-year-old British survey are being released this week, after being embargoed because they were too shocking to be reported when they were compiled. I think this paragraph explains why:
Seriously, the one in five number doesn't surprise me. Anyone who's got a bit of an Anglophilic bent knows what goes on in those boarding schools. While we have a "Lesbian until Graduation" (or LUG) phenomenon in America, Britain long had a GUG trend, though it took place behind closed doors rather than at bars.
This does, however, give new meaning to a scene from Will & Grace (courtesy of imdb):
The results of a 57-year-old British survey are being released this week, after being embargoed because they were too shocking to be reported when they were compiled. I think this paragraph explains why:
Despite the taboos of the time, the 1949 sex survey, originally meant for national newspapers but never published due to its content, found one in five men had homosexual experiences and a quarter admitted to having sex with prostitutes. One in five women confessed to extra-marital affairs.One in five! That's a lot of extra-marital affairs! (And the number of men diddling men is pretty remarkable, too.)
Seriously, the one in five number doesn't surprise me. Anyone who's got a bit of an Anglophilic bent knows what goes on in those boarding schools. While we have a "Lesbian until Graduation" (or LUG) phenomenon in America, Britain long had a GUG trend, though it took place behind closed doors rather than at bars.
This does, however, give new meaning to a scene from Will & Grace (courtesy of imdb):
Lorraine: You're a fancy dresser. Are you English?Finally, a loophole that lets me be English!
Will: Oh no, I'm gay.
Lorraine: Well, its the same thing.
Will: If that weren't true, I'd find that offensive.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Solid Foundation
Alexander out indefinitely with broken foot - NFL
This is sad news. A terrific, though sometimes selfish, player should never go down in the third week of the season. I hope Alexander is able to return to the Seahawks before the season ends.
I also hope that when his team meets the Bears in the playoffs, it's at Soldier Field rather than in Seattle. And this injury, by making next weekend's Sunday-night game more winnable, definitely makes that possible. Sick, perhaps, but it's tough for the fan in me not to see a silver lining after several injury-plagued seasons in Chicago.
This is sad news. A terrific, though sometimes selfish, player should never go down in the third week of the season. I hope Alexander is able to return to the Seahawks before the season ends.
I also hope that when his team meets the Bears in the playoffs, it's at Soldier Field rather than in Seattle. And this injury, by making next weekend's Sunday-night game more winnable, definitely makes that possible. Sick, perhaps, but it's tough for the fan in me not to see a silver lining after several injury-plagued seasons in Chicago.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Just a Peck
The New Yorker: The Talk of the Town
AIR KISS
This story, in which a gay couple resting their heads on one another during a flight from Paris to New York results in the captain threatening to divert the plane, makes me cry inside just a little bit. I try to believe that the world is becoming more accepting, to enjoy being in public with the man I love (even if we would never put on even this small a display of affection for an audience). But reading about this reminds me why we tend to just stay home. I hope American Airlines issues an apology.
AIR KISS
This story, in which a gay couple resting their heads on one another during a flight from Paris to New York results in the captain threatening to divert the plane, makes me cry inside just a little bit. I try to believe that the world is becoming more accepting, to enjoy being in public with the man I love (even if we would never put on even this small a display of affection for an audience). But reading about this reminds me why we tend to just stay home. I hope American Airlines issues an apology.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Gut Check
The excuses keep on coming for Ellison's behavior
I hate that I agree with Katherine Kersten, but what is going on in my old congressional district? Kersten suggests that Minnesota's 5th District Democrats are so excited about the prospect of a black Muslim in Congress--a worthwhile first, no doubt--that they're ignoring Keith Ellison's faults, and it's tough to argue with her. They threw former state party chair Mike Erlandson overboard in favor of Ellison, who in the past aligned himself with Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam and who has a history riddled with violations of laws related to both campaign finance and operating a vehicle.
Ellison will almost certainly still win in November; the 5th District is true-blue; the situation is quite like that in Cook County, where a new poll shows Todd Stroger running away with the election for board president despite a blatant lack of qualifications and a...let's call it "questionable" path to the nomination. But unless he shows heretofore untold abilities in Congress, I hope his stay is brief. It's fun to make history, Minnesota. But there's no need to fill a safe seat with someone who's nothing more than a seat-filler.
I hate that I agree with Katherine Kersten, but what is going on in my old congressional district? Kersten suggests that Minnesota's 5th District Democrats are so excited about the prospect of a black Muslim in Congress--a worthwhile first, no doubt--that they're ignoring Keith Ellison's faults, and it's tough to argue with her. They threw former state party chair Mike Erlandson overboard in favor of Ellison, who in the past aligned himself with Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam and who has a history riddled with violations of laws related to both campaign finance and operating a vehicle.
Ellison will almost certainly still win in November; the 5th District is true-blue; the situation is quite like that in Cook County, where a new poll shows Todd Stroger running away with the election for board president despite a blatant lack of qualifications and a...let's call it "questionable" path to the nomination. But unless he shows heretofore untold abilities in Congress, I hope his stay is brief. It's fun to make history, Minnesota. But there's no need to fill a safe seat with someone who's nothing more than a seat-filler.
Don't Panic
Bush approval rating rebounds in new poll
I know that this news is hard to fathom; other than cheaper gas, nothing has changed. (Though I've been saying for a long time that, reality be damned, a lot of people decide whether things are going well based on the price at the pump.) But one thing has changed since Bush's super-low ratings earlier in the year: There's an election on. Elections tend to rally people to their standard bearer, for good or ill. (Remember how Democrats stood behind John Kerry?) The poll confirms that this is the reason for Bush's rebound:
I know that this news is hard to fathom; other than cheaper gas, nothing has changed. (Though I've been saying for a long time that, reality be damned, a lot of people decide whether things are going well based on the price at the pump.) But one thing has changed since Bush's super-low ratings earlier in the year: There's an election on. Elections tend to rally people to their standard bearer, for good or ill. (Remember how Democrats stood behind John Kerry?) The poll confirms that this is the reason for Bush's rebound:
Bush's approval rating edged up largely on the strength of Republicans coming back to the fold with 86 percent saying they support him now, compared to 70 percent in May, USA Today said.That doesn't change the discontent in the country with his performance, only how it's quantified. It will take more than poll numbers like these to convince me that people are really unlearning the lessons of the last six years of misrule.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Back in the Day
Top 200 Songs of the '80s
One of the most admirable things about my friend Paul is that he always has a project in the works. The one linked above is ambitious; he's created a list of the top 200 songs of the 1980s. While he got help from several others, myself included, this has his stamp on it. He's up to #171 right now, with ten songs unveiled every other day. Subscribe with Bloglines and follow along!
One of the most admirable things about my friend Paul is that he always has a project in the works. The one linked above is ambitious; he's created a list of the top 200 songs of the 1980s. While he got help from several others, myself included, this has his stamp on it. He's up to #171 right now, with ten songs unveiled every other day. Subscribe with Bloglines and follow along!
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Minor Infraction
The incumbent's win in Rhode Island is a sign of the tough fight to come. By John Dickerson - Slate Magazine
John Dickerson's analysis of last night's sorta-surprise win by incumbent Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee over town loon/Cranston mayor Steve Laffey in Rhode Island is a good one, but what it foretells is not. Here's one of the great lines of this week:
John Dickerson's analysis of last night's sorta-surprise win by incumbent Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee over town loon/Cranston mayor Steve Laffey in Rhode Island is a good one, but what it foretells is not. Here's one of the great lines of this week:
Do you like grown-ups calling each other names? Treating each other with the bitterness and recriminations usually reserved for faculty fights? This may be the election season for you.If you find that funny, pick up a copy of Richard Russo's Straight Man. You'll love it. (If you've already read that, try just about any David Lodge novel.)
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
All of the Above
The Chronicle: 9/15/2006: A Pop Quiz for Constitution Day
Did you know that next Monday is Constitution Day? Somehow that didn't make my office calendar, though my wall calendar insisted that yesterday was "Patriot Day (USA)." In any case, give the quiz above a try. You may not get a perfect score, but it will probably make you think!
Did you know that next Monday is Constitution Day? Somehow that didn't make my office calendar, though my wall calendar insisted that yesterday was "Patriot Day (USA)." In any case, give the quiz above a try. You may not get a perfect score, but it will probably make you think!
Polled
Governor's lead solid, but voters seem wary | Chicago Tribune
Unless something wild happens, it looks like term number two will start for Gov. Blagojevich about the same time prison term number one starts for former Gov. Ryan. The results of the poll linked above, for which I was one of the 600 respondents, indicate that Blago has a 12-point lead over the plain-talkin' Judy Baar Topinka.
Between this race and the one for Cook County Board President, though, I have to admit it's tough to get fired up for this election. I'll vote, of course, but how can I get excited about my choices? Blago is, at best, a seat-filler. Stroger is such an empty suit that I don't think I can even vote in his race; I'm going to leave it blank and hope Peraica doesn't eke out a win. And then there's Rep. Melissa Bean, who shocked Phil Crane two years ago and since has been the most Republican of Democrats in the House. I'll punch her number, but it's tough to feel great about it. (Still, she's better than McSweeney.)
Are you feeling election fever this season, or just waiting for it to end?
Unless something wild happens, it looks like term number two will start for Gov. Blagojevich about the same time prison term number one starts for former Gov. Ryan. The results of the poll linked above, for which I was one of the 600 respondents, indicate that Blago has a 12-point lead over the plain-talkin' Judy Baar Topinka.
Between this race and the one for Cook County Board President, though, I have to admit it's tough to get fired up for this election. I'll vote, of course, but how can I get excited about my choices? Blago is, at best, a seat-filler. Stroger is such an empty suit that I don't think I can even vote in his race; I'm going to leave it blank and hope Peraica doesn't eke out a win. And then there's Rep. Melissa Bean, who shocked Phil Crane two years ago and since has been the most Republican of Democrats in the House. I'll punch her number, but it's tough to feel great about it. (Still, she's better than McSweeney.)
Are you feeling election fever this season, or just waiting for it to end?
Friday, September 08, 2006
Two-fer
Help! Home for sale: Terry Likens and Duane Przybilla
I love this story for two reasons. First, it encourages my thinking that not owning a house right now is not the worst thing in the world; the difference between us having bought over the summer and waiting until next summer or the summer after that, price-wise, is likely to be negligible due to a flat market, and in the meantime we can save the money we're not paying toward the mortgage faster than the combination of appreciation and chipping away at the principal would have gained us equity in the first two years. All we're losing is time.
But the second reason is more exciting. This article is one of more and more articles that appear in the mainstream media that matter-of-factly present a gay couple as an example of an issue that has an impact on everyone. What will ultimately make gay equality a reality isn't petitions and fundraisers and protest, though those are important. It's opening paragraphs like this one:
I love this story for two reasons. First, it encourages my thinking that not owning a house right now is not the worst thing in the world; the difference between us having bought over the summer and waiting until next summer or the summer after that, price-wise, is likely to be negligible due to a flat market, and in the meantime we can save the money we're not paying toward the mortgage faster than the combination of appreciation and chipping away at the principal would have gained us equity in the first two years. All we're losing is time.
But the second reason is more exciting. This article is one of more and more articles that appear in the mainstream media that matter-of-factly present a gay couple as an example of an issue that has an impact on everyone. What will ultimately make gay equality a reality isn't petitions and fundraisers and protest, though those are important. It's opening paragraphs like this one:
Travel agent Terry Likens and his partner, contractor Duane Przybilla, own a three-bedroom, four-bath townhouse in Eden Prairie, Minn. They would rather have a single-family house with more space and a backyard.What could be more subversive? Without once using the words "gay" or "marriage" or even "civil union," the article presents a gay couple facing the same issues as any straight one, handling them in the same way. The cumulative effect of articles like this is that gay couples are normalized, as is the idea that, yes, indeed, gay men can have a stable life. When that idea takes root, equal rights won't be far behind.
Evolution at Work?
St. Paul Pioneer Press | 09/08/2006 | U finds test drug prolongs sex for men
While this article raises questions about whether this drug will ever be sold, it's clear that pharmaceutical companies view it, and premature ejaculation treatments in general, as the next big thing. But I have to ask: Is premature ejaculation really a sexual dysfunction?
Obviously, for the couple experiencing it, it's not something to crow about. But isn't it at least possible that calling it a dysfunction misunderstands an evolutionary strategy?
Perhaps "premature " ejaculation is one of two methods for trying to pass on genes. Call it the "Don't worry, baby, this will only take a second, you'll barely even notice" method of gene-spreading. Others opt for the "You know you want it baby--remember how good it was last time?" method. Clearly, as a civilization, we're claiming that we prefer the latter option. But does that really mean that the former is a dysfunction?
According to the article, "As many as one in three men may experience premature ejaculation." That doesn't sound like a dysfunction--it sounds like a common situation.
Then again, the numbers in the study are such that I wonder if maybe it is a dysfunction:
While this article raises questions about whether this drug will ever be sold, it's clear that pharmaceutical companies view it, and premature ejaculation treatments in general, as the next big thing. But I have to ask: Is premature ejaculation really a sexual dysfunction?
Obviously, for the couple experiencing it, it's not something to crow about. But isn't it at least possible that calling it a dysfunction misunderstands an evolutionary strategy?
Perhaps "premature " ejaculation is one of two methods for trying to pass on genes. Call it the "Don't worry, baby, this will only take a second, you'll barely even notice" method of gene-spreading. Others opt for the "You know you want it baby--remember how good it was last time?" method. Clearly, as a civilization, we're claiming that we prefer the latter option. But does that really mean that the former is a dysfunction?
According to the article, "As many as one in three men may experience premature ejaculation." That doesn't sound like a dysfunction--it sounds like a common situation.
Then again, the numbers in the study are such that I wonder if maybe it is a dysfunction:
Roughly 2,000 men in the trials took pills and then used stopwatches to time sexual intercourse with their spouses or significant others. Intercourse increased for some men from less than one minute without medication to 3½ minutes on the highest dosage that was studied.3½ minutes? One minute!? Never mind what I said before. Get these guys a pill. Their wives and lovers deserve better than that.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
High Holiday
Ellen DeGeneres tapped to host Oscars
The Oscars are a gay holy day of obligation, and now we have just the priestess we need. Jon Stewart was a good idea, but this is pure genius! And Ellen is even funny accepting the job:
The Oscars are a gay holy day of obligation, and now we have just the priestess we need. Jon Stewart was a good idea, but this is pure genius! And Ellen is even funny accepting the job:
"When [Oscar producer] Laura Ziskin called, I was thrilled," said DeGeneres in a statement. "There's two things I've always wanted to do in my life. One is to host the Oscars. The second is to get a call from Laura Ziskin. You can imagine that day's diary entry."I have no idea what will be nominated, but I can already tell that the next Oscars will be great!
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