Calling all cars

I am absolutely wild about this Beyonce video.  Don't know how much I actually love the song, but damn if that girl can move!  I would pay obscene amounts of money to have the ability to dance like that...So much fun!

They have started to release cut out scenes from new episodes of The Office - what a great set of actors!  That said, I am starting to get frustrated by the story lines.  Angela is just seeming evil (rather than torn between two men, or misunderstood) and Michael is just depressing since loosing Holly.  Thank god that Jim and Pam are finally in the same place - the long-distance drama was such a downer.  I could be biased though - who wants to watch a long-distance relationship when you are in one??

Wanda Sykes comes out and speaks out: "Wanda Sykes was at a gay rights rally in Las Vegas on Saturday; she told the crowd: 'You know, I don't really talk about my sexual orientation. I didn't feel like I had to. I was just living my life, not necessarily in the closet, but I was living my life. Everybody that knows me personally they know I'm gay. But that's the way people should be able to live their lives.' But, Sykes said, Prop 8 made her feel like she was being attacked. 'Now, I gotta get in their face," she said. "I'm proud to be a woman. I'm proud to be a black woman, and I'm proud to be gay.'"

I am loving the blue room pictured to the left.  I love the color and I also have a huge weak spot for attic rooms - I think it's because my mom's room during my childhood was the attic room and it always seemed so grown up and mysterious to me.  Also, I love cozy spaces and having the roof sloping over you really appeals to me.  From Design*Sponge, of course!  

In  honor of the new film (which I might get to see tonight!) the 10 Coolest James Bond Cars Ever from Wired.com.

p.s. YAY for the NYTimes recognizing Talent, OR in this weekends Travel Magazine.  Although I hate to see secret places told to the world, I also appreciate seeing my beloved Rogue Valley acknowledged.  Can't wait to go home for Christmas!

Marriage Equality For All

The tyranny of finals kept me from today's protest, but my heart was there.  Check out the signs posted on Gawker (and elsewhere).

More pics from anti-Prop 8 rallies.

Fitter, happier, more productive

I'm studying for finals (when not blogging as a distraction).  This semester's finals soundtrack so far has been Beth Orton's "Daybreaker," Chet Baker (as always), and "Slidin'"a great collection of Slide Guitar I got somewhere.  All reccomended.

A devestating but important read from the NYTimes: A Killing in a Town Where Latinos Sense Hate. 

Image to the left is from artist Casey Ruble.

Had drinks and food (probably more of the former than the latter) at Drink last night with Lipstick Lobbyist.  Stay tuned for our joint review of the place!

This week's episode of 30 Rock was the season's first bomb.  Jennifer Anistons performance was awkward and unfunny, and seemed to bring everyone else down with her (except for perhaps Alec Baldwin who may not have been faking the horror his character feels....)

So curious to see what happens with this: Officials: Obama Offered Clinton Secretary of State.

Check it out

Prisons and art: Regina Jose Galindo (h/t ADM).

Goodbye and Good Riddance

My friend Zac just gave me a heads up to Paul Waldman's recent article Goodbye and Good Riddance. He writes that "After eight years of President Bush, we almost don't know how to function without him -- almost. But before we move on, we should pause to remember just what we're leaving behind.":

"Goodbye, we can say at last, to the most powerful man in the world being such a ridiculous buffoon, incapable of stringing together two coherent sentences. Goodbye to cringing with dread every time our president steps onto the world stage, sure he'll say or do something to embarrass us all. Goodbye to being represented by a man who embodies everything our enemies want the people of the world to believe about America -- that we are ignorant, cruel, and only care about foreign countries when we decide to stomp on them. Goodbye to his giggle, and his shoulder shake, and his nicknames. Goodbye to a president who talks to us like we're a nation of fourth-graders."

My friends are awesome

Two of my most favoritest ladies and globe trotters have recently shared their experiences with all of us:

First, my friend Maggie is a journalist and activist out of Philadelphia and has been traveling for the last few months.  She recently posted this article, with links to audio recordings, about the Social Forum of the Americas. Check it out! (FYI, all the audio recordings are in Spanish).  For those of you unfamiliar with the Forum, "according to forum organizers, the goal of the 3rd ASF was to 'embrace the range of struggles, proposals, and experiences that have been strengthened, renewed or emerging over this rich period of common searching that has been taking place across the continent. It will stimulate stronger interconnections and aim to create more effective spaces for self-guided construction of shared platforms for emancipation… Overcoming geopolitical divides, peoples of the continent are moving toward an ever more shared identity between South and North, and between the different regions of the Americas. The struggles are growing closer and stronger in solidarity, as peoples who are confronting capitalism, imperialism and patriarchy.'"

Our close friend Mneesha has had a number of publications in the last few years that reflect the varied experiences she's had while studying international conflict resolution in places as far-flung as Argentina, Cambodia, and Australia.  This piece, in Asian Perspective, is on the tension between justice and peacebuilding in Cambodia.  I'm so proud to have these brilliant women as friends!

Consumerist: Round-Up

This resort looks beyond perfect....from El Beso.

Another great design blog, Bliss.  I especially love her I Heart Mondays!  Great idea and great picks.

I agree with AGDS - this button card would look amazing framed....I can't wait till I'm living somewhere for more than three months and I can start collecting little items like this and assemble an actual house, instead of an apartment I'm squatting in.

I love all of IKEA's whimsical children's lighting.  I want to find a way to include these in my house without looking kitschy....

Adorable (from A Cup of Jo): "These gloves from Kate Spade are really cute. But the best part? They're handcrafted by women in war-torn regions. When you buy a pair, you're 'directly supporting a woman as she rebuilds her life, family and community.' Awesome."

Consumerist: Vanities

I love vanities and desks, so when I saw this desk on CasaSugar and I was totally in love.  From Pottery Barn for $469.  Sigh, maybe I'll find one on sale someday....

In the meantime, I'm on the look out for an old vanity to fix up...hopefully with enough scouring, the antique markets of South Beach will turn up something good.  This weekend we went to the monthly market on Lincoln Beach and there were some great finds - jewelry, dresses, art, and furniture.  Along with, as always, the best people watching every.  South Beach holds the title on that one!  If patience and funds permit, I hope to outfit our apartment with some unique finds from the markets.  I never thought Lucite lamps would be up my alley, but in the idea of a few transparent lamps on my heavy work desk is sounding perfect.

Things I Love: the incredible work of Vincent Bousserez

{Thanks to Happy Cavalier for the heads up.}

Looking for hope

If you haven't already, please take 5 minutes to watch Keith Olbermann's comment on Prop 8.  Its about so much more than the election, please check it out.  

Rocket man

To the left: by artist Jonathan Horowitz.

The United States' first openly transgender mayor....in Oregon!  Yay, Oregon!  I don't know much about Mayor Rasmussen or his policies (he continues to identify as male, hence my use of "he") but I'm excited that the town elected him into office and hopeful about what this means.

NYMag.com: Can the Daily Show Survive The Barack Obama Presidency?

Curvy Girl Daisy Lowe Lands Marc by Marc Jacobs Campaign.  This headline made me pretty excited since I love Marc Jacobs and, like most people I know, are horrified by what passes as a healthy model these days....however, when I actually clicked on the photos and saw what "curvy" looks like in this context any excitement I had was completely deflated.  This model is probably, seriously, 10 pounds more than any other stick-skin model.  Big deal.  Fashion is so unimaginative sometimes.

This may seem silly but I totally relate: Facing Facebook: How Facebook Status Updates Are Ruining Your Post-Election Social Life.

The post-election coverage celebrating our country's alleged triumph over racism is absurd.  Of course I'm happy that Obama was elected and hopeful about what it means, but since he became President Elect I have heard some incredible racism.  The morning after the election I was getting coffee at Dunkin Donuts and it was completely silent as the Greek Orthodox cashiers rang me up and a black man next to me placed his order.  Out of nowhere he looked up and said "Obama?" with a smile on his face.  All the women behind the counter, and I, looked up and all said "Obama!"  It was like something out of an ad, but felt so wonderful.  And then I sat down to eat and over the radio some guys were talking about the election.  They played a clip of Whoopie Goldberg speaking movingly, or so I thought, about finally being able to "put [her] suitcase down" and be an American.  The radio idiots thought this was hilarious and made repeated comments about her acting like she "just got her chains off yesterday."  It was horrifying.  And this on a mainstream morning show.  In a Democratic state.  This country is just barely beginning to address our history, and present, of racism.  

With arms outstretched

Two Law Profs In The White House (first time ever!  Plus, a darned smart Ms. JD as first lady).

The Onion: Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters to Realize How Empty Their Lives Are.

Oh, I am coveting these Penguin Classics (spines to the left) (h/t Design*Sponge).  Not only do I love the design, and the books they chose, but I'm so thrilled that they don't have book jackets - I hate book jackets!  I can't seem to find the complete list of titles - I am crossing my fingers that they included The Portrait of a Lady.....

Listening to Furnace Room Lullaby right now.  Definitely one of my top 25 albums ever.

The Magic of the Modern World.  Totally mesmerizing.

I'm in Miami for the weekend (a vacation, interrupted only by the MPRE tomorrow....stupid ethics!).  It's taken me almost a dozen visits but I think I'm finally loving this city.  I'll be living here soon enough, so I'll know for sure one way or another, but today the things I'm loving about Miami are (1) the variety (I've heard Spanish, of course, but also Portuguese, French, and Russian - just this morning); (2) the ridiculous number of happenings (I swear, there is an outdoor festival for everything!); (3) the food; (4) the weather; (5) the weather; and (6) oh yes, the weather!  I cannot overstate how amazed I am by the effect of sun on my mood.  I may have been born in Alaska, but I might just be a sun baby at heart...

And your untouchable face

Despite the somewhat off-putting title and the blurry pinkish color (it's the love!  Slipping away!) I recently read, and appreciated, The Love They Lost: Living with the Legacy of Our Parents' Divorce.  Without going too much into what I got from it personally, I will say that I think any adult child of divorce will benefit from reading the book.  Whether your parents stayed friends (like mine) or had a rough relationship post-divorce this book doesn't attempt to break new ground or propose huge ideas, but instead listens to the stories of various interviewees and provides comfort by normalizing a variety of responses to divorce.  The general gist of the book is that while many of us dealt with our parents divorces as children, new issues and realizations about the divorce can surface when we ourselves are facing decisions about marriage and children.  Worth a look.

On a not unrelated note, I also have been reading Anatomy of Love: A Natural History of Mating, Marriage, and Why We Stray by Helen Fisher. Dr. Fisher is an anthropologist at the American Museum of Natural History and allegedly "explains it all in this four-million-year history of the human species. She demystifies much about romance and pairing that we tend to believe is willful or just plain careless. She offers new explanations for why men and women fall in love, marry, and divorce, and discusses the future of sex in a way that will surprise you." Unfortunately, I was disappointed, and often annoyed, by this book.

I'm obviously no scientist but something about the approach of the book rubbed me the wrong way and constantly left me feeling like it wasn't a legitimate approach. Fisher of just tosses things together - there isn't much of a narrative of flow, it's just "hey, here's a collection of different animals that like bright colors - that's why humans like makeup!" She seems not to talk about culture at all and instead only circles around this vague idea of an evolutionary impulse. For instance when talking about the fact that many species find partners attractive who are able to support them, she says that American women like guys who have nice cars, etc. OK, I get what she's saying, but that's a really broad statement...and a pretty surface one. Does this vary amongst cultural groups? Has it always been true, or have there been times in American history where it is truer than others? It's this sort of sweeping generalization that continually rubbed me the wrong way.

In addition, it's completely heterocentric.  There is a discussion later in the book about homosexuality, but why couldn't it be part of the first general few chapters about flirting and attraction?  Why are all the examples from those chapters "man and woman" and "him and her"?  Totally unnecessary and not reflective of the scope of sexuality seen in nature - both human and otherwise.

Looking for hope

Glen Greenwald: An Answer to Prop 8 - Repealing DOMA.  Both Biden and Obama have made some big claims and promises - including Biden in the VP debates, where he said that "in an Obama-Biden administration, there will be absolutely no distinction from a constitutional standpoint or a legal standpoint between a same-sex and a heterosexual couple" - it's time to back them up.  Now.

Californians Ready to Repeal Prop 8.

Letter to the Gov: Repeal Prop 8.

Bil Browning: Today is the Day but I'm Angry Instead.

Melissa Etheridge is awesome: You Can Forget My Taxes.

Tim Wise, "Good, and Now Back to Work"

This victory is not the end of struggle - in many ways it is only the beginning.  And, yet, it is cause for celebration, and pride, and hope.  Once again, Tim Wise writes eloquently and powerfully on this crossroads we are at:

...let me say this, to some of those on the left - some of my friends and longtime compatriots in the struggle for social justice - who yet insist that there is no difference between Obama and McCain, between Democrats and Republicans, between Biden and Palin: Screw you.

If you are incapable of mustering pride in this moment, and if you cannot appreciate how meaningful this day is for millions of black folks who stood in lines for up to seven hours to vote, then your cynicism has become such an encumbrance as to render you all but useles to the liberation movement.

"This victory alone is not the change we seek, it is only the chance for us to make that change"

There are still so many fears I have for our country, and so much anger and disappointment I feel about this election (primarily the fate of Prop 8, and my anger at dems like Obama who didn't lend their support), but for now I want to take a moment to just say.....

President Barack Obama!!!!!

Democracy today.

GREAT article from Jezebel on a thought-provoking issue: Why You Shouldn't Vote For A Bad Guy With Good Positions: "Jim Moran is a wife-smacking, bribe-taking, black child-shaking anti-Semite that has earned the protection of the local Democratic party as well as many prominent, national Democratic women like Donna Brazile and Patricia Ireland in exchange for voting the 'right' way." 

Women Choose Tina Fey's Specs Over Sarah Palin's.

At left: very cute prints and designs @ Story by Mia.

Salon helps us Read the Numbers on Election Day.

And that's it for me!  I'm off to go watch election results come in!  I can't remember the last time I was so anxious....I'm definitely still scarred from Bush v. Gore though, and it will almost take an inauguration for me to believe any election is over...

Things I Love: This American Life

Two amazing shows from This American Life in September:

Settling the Score: "Stories about the lengths we go to make things right, and about what money can and cannot fix." (don't read the rest of the description on the site, it just ruins it!)

Going Big: "Stories about people who take grand, sweeping approaches to solving problems of all sorts." The first story, about the Harlem Children's Zone was particularly moving and thought-provoking to me.

Check them out! God, I love Ira Glass and the whole crew at TAL....

"I'd like to wear silver and purple gym clothes all day!"

Another piece of the ongoing discussion about women and their body issues: an interview with Valerie Frankel, the author of Thin Is The New Happy.

"I'd like to wear silver and purple gym clothes all day!"  This kid is pretty cool.

Ridiculously priced, but I love me a flip clock and fun with fonts: The Font Clock.

This girl is awesome: "Snow White!  That's a princess name!  Get that out of here!"

The great design to the left is from GoodSense Design via Abbey Goes Design Shopping.  I also like the AGDS post on the her dream office.  I like the photo she posts, but I would definitely need a larger (and rectangular table).  Must spread out and make a mess!

I'm looking forward to my next party so that I try these out!  Pingg looks like a step up from Evite...

V.O.T.E.

I love this story of a long-lost painting in CNN.com: "300-year-long lost painting heads to the auction block." It reminds me of a novel I very much enjoyed, Headlong by Michael Frayn (2000). I may just have to reread that book, actually....

Via Gawker: "Roll Call reports: 'The juror who was dismissed from the criminal trial of Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) to attend the funeral of her father in California admitted Monday that her father had not died, and that she went to California to attend a horse race.' Everything about the Ted Stevens trial was and is hilarious." I can't get behind all the Alaska hating in the comments section, but it is pretty incredible that someone would lie in a federal trial so that they could go bet....Sigh. Alaska. Wild place.

An ongoing discussion about being out in the legal workplace at AboveTheLaw.

"Top 10 Wired.com Yellow Photos, Decided by You."

I thought this was a rumor but it appears to be true...Palin prank.

Also, Hulu's got all the new episodes of one of my favorite shows/guilty pleasures, Bones.