Hey all, I know there has been a lot of attention (and rightfully so) on the campaign to Vote No on California's Prop 8 but I also wanted to give a shout-out to those in Florida working on the campaign to Stop Proposition 2. The language of Prop 2 reads: "Inasmuch as marriage is the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife, no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized." In addition to being the fourth time Florida law would work to prohibit gay marriage, Prop 8 would have even more far-reaching consequences for all unmarried couples. The "intrusive amendment to the Florida Constitution will take away long established rights for ALL non-married Floridians. In 2008, Florida voters will be asked to vote on an amendment that would take away the ability to visit loved ones in the hospital, harm our seniors, eliminate insurance benefits for non-married couples, and require government to take an even larger role in all our lives." If you're in a rush, check out the Top 6 Reasons to Say No to Prop 2. I know we are all tight on money, but even a pledge of $5 shows your support, shows that those fighting the props aren't alone, and reminds the homophobic, close-minded, hateful people behind the proposals that they are the ones in the minority. Please take the time to learn about both Prop 8 and Prop 2.

Things I Love: Daily Heller

Print magazine describes itself as " a bimonthly magazine about visual culture and design. Covering a field as broad as communication itself, PRINT documents and critiques commercial, social, and environmental design from every angle: the good (how New York’s public-school libraries are being reinvented through bold graphics), the bad (how Tylenol flubbed its disastrous ad campaign for suspicious hipsters), and the ugly (how Russia relies on Soviet symbolism to promote sausage and real estate)." While I am not a regular subscriber to the magazine (I have to strictly control my magazine subscriptions or I would be in debt and up to my eyeballs in glossies!), I do get their "Daily Heller" email. The Daily Heller is a great way to get a dose of design and culture in your inbox, without too much effort on your part. Some of the posts are more interesting than others, but there is always a great graphic and some tidbit of knowledge that's new to me. I definitely suggest subscribing if you have an appetite for design, but a limited budget and schedule.

Wishlist: Domino: The Book of Decorating

My beloved Design*Sponge gave me the heads up on this recently release and it's definitely on my wish list. Domino: The Book of Decorating: A room-by-room guide to creating a home that makes you happy, looks like it has the same bright, inviting approach to home design and decorating as the magazine it is based on. Although I am still, admittedly, a long ways off from living in places like those on the pages of Domino, I really feel like their tips are accessible to even the dirtiest, cheapest of law students (ahem). I can't wait to curl up with some Earl Grey and devour this book.

Lunafest: "Kaden"

From my friend Monika: "If anyone is interested, Lunafest is screening a docu-short about my partner, Kaden, this Saturday, Oct 11 at 2pm at Mass Bay Community College in Wellesley Hills, MA . . . It's $10 to get in with a student ID. The festival: brought to us by Lunabar, it's shorts about, for or by women ("Kaden" being the "by"). The film: our friend Harriet, a film student, shot this 8 minute short chronicling Kaden's process leading up top surgery. (Part 2 is almost done and about to go out to more festivals!) Check out: www.lunafest.org. (The little trailer on the "Films" page is great!)"

Monday Morning Round-up

So right on, in so many ways. It's time we all, finally, broke up with Jordan Catalano: "Consider Yourself Dumped, Jordan Catalano"

This is a good companion piece to the Jordan Catalano one: "The Earnest Fumbling Manchildren Of Film Make Crappy Boyfriends"

A short article from the New York Times on asylum for those who have suffered persecution on the basis of sexual orientation: "Persecuted in Africa, Finding Refuge in New York"

The "Get Ellen to Give" Campaign (feat. the stunning Ms. Adrienne Ellman.

Feministing's "Fun with Flikir" series - for inspiration.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Get involved - here is a state by state breakdown of organizations working to end domestic violence and provide services to survivors. Click on your state to donate, volunteer, or take part in services.

Things I Love: Fresh Air

Thanks to the magic of podcasts, I never have to miss an episode of one of the best shows in the world, Fresh Air with Terry Gross. My favorite episodes are the ones that deal with current events and political issues - Terry Gross has an amazing talent of conducting interviews with the best minds in a way that helps me understand previously intimidating issues. Most recently I was moved and challenged by two shows. The first was with a man named Andrew J. Bacevich, a professor at Boston University who wrote a book called The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism. The title would generally intimidate me and is a perfect example of something that Terry Gross helped me understand...and now I feel like a more informed citizen. Prof. Bacevich has a background as both a soldier and an academic, and also is a father of a soldier killed in the current "War on Terror." With amazing bipartisan scope (Bacevich describes himself as a conservative, but has praise for Jimmy Carter), Bacevich helped me understand the ways that we as a country need to reexamine our foreign policy goals and the sacrifices these demand of us as citizens. It's an accessible and thought-provoking interview and I encourage everyone to check it out: Andrew J. Bacevich

The other show that I was pleasantly surprised by was a dry sounding recap of the presidential candidates health care plans. "Political scientist Jonathan Oberlander offers an in-depth comparison of the Obama and McCain health proposals. Oberlander compared the candidates in his report, The Partisan Divide — The McCain and Obama Plans for U.S. Health Care Reform, which was published Aug. 21, 2008 in the New England Journal of Medicine." I know it sounds boring, but it's an important issue and Oberlander does a great job of narrowing it down to the basics: Jonathan Oberlander

Things I Love: Pastelitos

In addition to the two best reasons I've found for my eventual move to Florida - the weather and, oh yeah, my boyfriend - I'm pretty excited about my upcoming proximity to cafe con leche and guava pastelitos. While living in Puerto Rico for three months this spring, I became a devoted follower of the guava pastelito. Pastelitos can be filed with a number of different things, most usually (and deliciously) guava paste. Every morning while in PR, my love and I would have breakfast at Mallorca (the picture to the left) in Old San Juan, where a freshly baked pastelito and a steaming hot cup of cafe con leche (hot whole milk mixed with espresso) run you about 4 dollars and are served by the awesomest waitstaff in town. The waiters at Mallorca wear vests and bow ties, and are consummate professionals. The pastelitos are made up of layers of dough, with delicious sweet paste in the center, and powdered sugar on top. I was heartbroken to leave them behind when I left PR.

You can get pastelitos in Miami (this weekend we went to Porta Sagua), but they are Cuban pastelitos, which are a bit different (at least to my not-that-discerning pallet). They are flatter, less crispy, more chewy, and without powdered sugar on top. They will never have my heart the way that the ones from Puerto Rico do but, along with strong Cuban coffee, are a welcome addition to my diet that is unavailable in Boston (if anyone knows a Cuban bakery around here, let me know!).

Things I Love: Boston?

Just got back from a long weekend in Miami with my love and was surprised to find myself happy to be back North. As soon as I got off the plane, the crispness of fall felt invigorating and so clean. I called the Thai place around the corner from my house to order my favorite dish (Drunken Noodles with Tofu), to make sure it was ready for me when I got home. And now I am curled up in sweats, watching Without A Trace, eating my food, and reading the free weeklies Boston puts out (far superior to the plastic-surgery-laden few around South Beach). I guess I have sort of come to love this city.

Sarah on Sarah

In honor of tonight's debate, I thought I would post some of my favorite Palin-related links. Some are funny, some are very serious. While Palin has certainly proven to be very mock-able, she is also a seriously unqualified candidate who's election would, I believe, harm the people of the United States greatly.

I was very moved by Eve Ensler's essay "Drill, Drill." Ensler goes beyond the Democrat/Republican divide or Obama/Palin and instead addresses what it truly means to be feminist - whether you are male or female: Drill, Drill

The Daily Show hits Palin's narrow-minded hypocrisy right on the head in this hilarious/enraging skit: Palin Is "Able To Make The Choice She Doesn't Really Want Other People To Have"

Here one of my favorite blogs Jezebel, takes on the question of how to critique and mock Sarah Palin while being aware of the rampant sexism that has been aimed at her from both parties: Please, People: Stop Making Me Defend Sarah Palin

And the classic, the amazing, Tina Fey (and Amy Poehler!):
Fey's first Palin skit
SNL's sendup of the Palin/Couric interview

"Sen. Joe Biden from Delaware and Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, the vice presidential nominees of the Democratic and Republican parties, respectively, will debate each other at 8 p.m. (CDT) Oct. 2 in the Washington University in St. Louis Athletic Complex." http://debate.wustl.edu/home.php

Things I Love: Oh Joy!

Oh Joy! is one of my other favorite design blogs. I love the way the owner groups together items, sometimes basing posts around certain colors or a theme. It appeals to my collage-like way of thinking and certainly makes for good browsing.

Things I Love: Dexter

Showtime's Dexter is one of the best shows on television, period. Much like Showtime's other crowning glory, Weeds, I always think after every plot twist - well, this is it, they could never get out of this. And they do.

Dexter is set in Miami and is centered around the "Metro Miami Police Department" where Dexter Morgan works as a blood splatter expert. When he's not at his day job as an upstanding citizen, Dexter is a serial killer, hunting down all the killers who the justice system doesn't catch. Michael C. Hall (from the critically-acclaimed Six Feet Under) plays Dexter with amazing range. The rest of the characters are also pretty awesome, the plot moves quickly, and the visuals are color-saturated and lush (the opening credit shots are wonderful).

On a somewhat related note, I find it bizarre how much I enjoy crime shows. Mainly because all crime shows are so prosecution oriented, all focused on getting "bad" guys and, in Dexter's case, vigilante justice. As a good liberal with a possible future in criminal defense, who has spent the last 3 years and a significant amount of money learning about the rule of law, it's a little weird to me that I take such pleasure in the overly simplistic view of the world most shows have. While Dexter may be a bit more nuanced than some others, I still think its a little weird how much I love police and prosecutors on TV...

Things I Love: The Supremes

Things I Love: The Moth

One of my favorite new media/technological discoveries of the last few years has been the free podcasts on iTunes. I have regular "subscriptions" to about 10-12 and combined they make up my dream radio station. I listen to shows about news, science, music and pretty much everything else.

Discovered through a reference on my long time love This American Life, I have recently been getting a kick out of The Moth. The Moth is a "a not-for-profit storytelling organization" in New York (of course) where famous and not-so-famous people tell true stories, without notes, on stage. The quality of the stories and the storytellers varies (sometimes I turn it off after 30-seconds just because of the persons voice) but when they are good...they are great. I think my favorites so far are Matthew McGough's "My First Day With The Yankees," Ed Gavagan's "Drowning On Sullivan Street," and Rudy Rush's "Harlem Cowboy."

On The Page: "Flux"

"Flux: Women on Sex, Work, Love, Kids, and Life in a Half-Changed World" by Peggy Orenstein (2001)

Along with Reviving Ophelia by Mary Pipher, Peggy Orenstein's first book, Schoolgirls: Young Women, Self Esteem, and the Confidence Gap brought to the forefront of public discourse the plague of low self esteem amongst teenage girls in the United States. For both my mother and I, these books were important parts of finding our way around the landmines of my adolescence. (I think many parents read these book and don't think about giving them to their kids, but for us they were great conversation starters and a wonderful way for me to identify some of my own patterns). Perhaps the most widely discussed finding of both Pipher and Orenstein was the discovery that the "confidence drop" for adolescent girls came before the "competence drop." It had previously be assumed that girls' failures in science and math, for example, added to their low self esteem and lack of faith in academic abilities. Instead, both authors found, it was a lack of confidence in their abilities that led to a drop in grades and interest in school. As a young girl who had excelled in school her whole life, this resonated with me as a then-teenager who was berated by my math teacher almost daily.

It seems that Orenstein's interests are growing along with me. Her recent book, Flux, addresses the complicated choices that face women in their 20's, 30's and 40's and the never-ending quest to "have it all." Facing similar dilemmas in my own life - choosing a career, a life partner, the desire to have children - I was hoping the book could provide me with a sense of how other women grapple with these choices. Unfortunately there was little surprising inside - despite being raised with the belief we can have both a career and a family, as well as some vague sense of personal fulfilment, many women my age are still confused about how and why to do it....let alone if they can! The book was reassuring to read in the sense that "you are not alone" but also a bit depressing to hear how so many different, talented, successful women are struggling...and failing! Nonetheless, there are interesting observations by some of the women and I think it's an important book for everyone to read - including men, employers, and family members. If there is one point of the book I would say it is this: these are not "women's issues"!

On The Page: "My Life As A Radical Lawyer"

"My Life As A Radical Lawyer" by William M. Kunstler (1994)

I'm currently reading Kunstler's autobiography of his life as a lawyer often fighting on the unpopular side of popular opinion. The book starts with his account of the trial of the Chicago Eight (which quickly become the Chicago Seven). Kunstler's telling of the trial is fast moving, with lots of good gossip and quotes, as well as a welcome dose of self criticism (as well as the expected self-congratulation).

I picked up this book for a few reasons: one, to attempt to remedy my spotty knowledge of the 1960's; two, because I recently saw an excellent documentary about Charles Garry ("The People's Advocate"), Bobby Seale's chosen lawyer for the trial, which sparked my interest in the case; and, three, hoping for some inspiration in the form of lawyers who have fought the good fight. More than just lawyers who have received acclaim for the great work they have done, I was hoping this book would go a little further, talking about the challenges of doing such work and the toll it can take on a lawyer's personal life. So far, I am pleasantly surprised. Despite being arrogant (which I expected), Kunstler seems to have been pretty aware (at least in retrospect) of his occasional naivete, self-obsession, and susceptibility to fame and acclaim. I'm definitely enjoying the read thus far.

Things I Love: Design*Sponge

Design*Sponge is the blog responsible for the hour or two a day I spend online, ogling at various design blogs full of design that largely has nothing to do with my current lifestyle (mainly because I'm broke, a renter, and still overcoming serious issues with mess...). I don't even remember how I came across it, but Design*Sponge's excellent mix of highbrow and lowbrow, as well as the deliciously clean and yet warmly cluttered lay-out, have continued to make it my favorite place to visit for inspiration online. Thanks, Design*Sponge!

Things I Love: Santogold/Okkervil River

Finally gave into peer pressure and, to my surprise, actually like Santogold. My particular favs are "L.E.S. Artistes," "Lights Out" and "Creator." I'm not going to try to describe the music, since I'm terrible at that for some reason. But those three songs are pop-y and unique enough for my liking.

My favorite of album of the year is still Okkervil River's "The Stage Names" (it came out in 2007, actually, but I'm a bit slow on the uptake). A few years ago I heard "Black" from the 2005 album "Black Sheep Boy" and since then have considered it one of the most perfect songs I have ever heard. The lyrics, the singing, the structure...it all enthralls me every time. Finally, I got around to "The Stage Names" and it has been on my rotation ever since. My favorite songs are "Unless It's Kicks," "You Can't Hold The Hand of a Rock Star," and the absolutely incredible "Our Life Is Not a Movie or Maybe."

Also, I just installed the new iTunes app, "Genius." It lets you chose one song and then bases a mix off of it. It only uses music from your library so doesn't really expand your horizons as much as, say, Pandora, but is sort of cool nonetheless.

"If Jesus came back and saw what was being done in his name, he'd never stop throwing up" - Woody Allen

Why do I love this quote? I guess because I have a fondness for both Woody Allen and for Jesus, and neither one makes sense. As far as Woody goes, I'm not a New Yorker, not a Jew, and not a man who enjoys dating women significantly younger than himself. And yet Manhattan is my all time favorite movie and the opening 4 minutes thrills me every single time.

As far as Jesus goes, that link may be even more unclear. I'm not a religious person, not even "spiritual" (whatever the hell that means). My many years in Catholic school mainly served to teach me about hypocrisy, not so much about religion. And, yet, I sort of feel OK with Jesus. I feel like he was a young guy, confused about the way things were, trying to get people to talk about making things different. I sort of feel like he would be OK with me. OK with my life, my decisions, OK with the messiness and confusion. I don't think he gives a shit if I drink or smoke or who I sleep with or vote for. I think he would get that my heart is in the right place most of the time and, for some odd reason, I find that comforting.

On The Page: "A Yellow Raft in Blue Water"

"A Yellow Raft in Blue Water" by Michael Dorris (1987)

I just read this book after years of encouraging from my mother, and on the recommendation of another friend. While I'm sorry I put it off so long, I also tend to think that books find you at the right times. And this was definitely the right time for me to find "Yellow Raft." Simply put, what an amazing book. It is definitely one of the best novels I've read in the last few years. In addition to being moving and very readable, it's also (as many a critic has pointed out) amazing that a man could narrate the lives of three women in such a truthful way. A powerful story of three generations, "Yellow Raft" is (to me) a book about the misunderstandings in families, the complications of relationships, and the power of understanding, love, and forgiveness.

The book follows three generations of Native American women living in the mid-to-late 20th century. Through the unique voices of each, we learn more about their secrets and the motivations behind previously inexplicable decisions we have seen them make. I'm trying to let this book sink in instead of plowing onto the next tome. Having recently been at a three generation family reunion, I have been steeped in thought about the ways that, while being critical of previous generations, we must also accept that we will never know the full reasons behind the decisions that shaped us.

Another note in conjunction with this book: Michael Dorris was married to the author Louise Erdrich and, sadly, committed suicide in 1997. Having just finished his masterpiece, it is heart-wrenching to think that someone so talented could have been so tortured as to take his own life. However, his book also shows how finely attuned he was to the lives of those around him. To be so aware, so bare to the world, undoubtedly must have taken a toll. What a complex life he led...

Testing testing testing....

"There are only two mantras... yum and yuk. Mine is yum"

- Tom Robbins, "Still Life With Woodpecker

Hello there (I guess at this point, since I haven't told anyone about this blog, I'm talking to myself...). This blog is a place for me to try to embrace my inner "yum" - the things I enjoy, the things that make me feel good. I'm not worried (too much) about sounding clever or entertaining, just about taking note of my life as it passes. That will most likely mean keeping track of the books I read (since both books and lists make me happy) as well as the occasional restaurant or music review, some rants about politics and the law, and maybe some upcoming notes about life as a West Coaster, moved East for graduation, and moving South for love. To be continued...