happy all hallows eve

Well, here we are. It's Halloween. Krista and I did manage to wear red to the office today, but that's where my Halloween energies end. Krista is hosting a Halloween party for her two sons and fifteen of their closest friends. I am going home, turning off the lights, and hiding under the covers so that no trick-or-treaters know I'm home. I think I did that last year, too.

Partly I don't have a costume. I stumbled upon this, but only just today. Too bad. If I could go out as Borat, maybe I'd have the motivation to brave the Castro this year. But alas, digging out my rhinestone cowgirl hat yet again because I failed to figure out a good costume was tragic last year. I think I have a mental block against Halloween. I had one good year in the Castro, and that was in 2002.

This year there is a ZERO-TOLERANCE policy in the Castro, and the one party I really wanted to go to is pretty much IN the Castro.

It's important to remember that nine people got shot in the Castro last year, and I am feeling a little vulnerable in the aftermath of the computer theft. If I start now I might be able to pull off the Borat costume for next year. All I'd really need is a huge-ass stretched out bikini bottom and a new razor.

---Brooke

liars, cheaters, and stealers

We've been offline here for a few days. I had a nice post lined up, about Britney's mom's new memoir and the fact that it's being published by Thomas Nelson, a Christian publisher. I had a thoughtful draft about the many issues that brings up for me. But alas, that draft was among the many things I lost when my computer was stolen over the weekend. Yep, people, we had a break-in at our offices. Someone apparently stole the superintendent's keys, had access to our building all weekend, and stole three (yes, only three) computers. And so there you go. Krista and I are suffering from immobilization. I sat down at my desk today and immediately started clicking on my mouse and keyboard. It was involuntary. And then I just stared at my blank monitor and let it sink in yet again: My laptop is gone. Without it my monitor and keyboard are useless. Empty. Dead.

Something like this brings up so mcuh: Coping mechanisms, how people deal with hard and frustrating circumstances, why people steal, individual loss and gain, serious questions about morality. I spent most of yesterday in a fog, trying to process the immensity of what rebuilding my files might look like. I felt heavy and sluggish and lost. The reality of my reliance on that thing hit me right in the gut. Just an Oh Shit! reaction that leaves you pretty speachless.

Last night I ended up talking to my friend's dad who's a cop for the City of Oakland. I was struggling with the idea that someone would risk being charged with breaking and entering for three computers. He's attended to countless incidents where people just walk into offices as if they're delivery people, or as if they work there (carrying internal office envelopes or some such thing). It's not until people's wallets or purses or computers have gone missing that people realize, oh yeah, that friendly stranger from earlier today... I've never seen her before. The person who stole our computers didn't just walk in and grab them in broad daylight, but really, they could have. I guess I'm trying to weave a little warning into this post, but mostly it's just an UGGHHH post. I'm angry. I hate you, whoever you are. And now I'm going to take a deep breath. Cause we're going to be okay.

---Brooke

Go Go Ginsburg

So my son would say, "Yo, props to you dude," if he were complimenting U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg because of her recent talk in a synagogue in Atlanta. (No my son is not Randall Jackson from American Idol.)

Seal author, Jessica Valenti of Feministing fame reported Quick Hit: Ginsburg speaks out on women's rights that Ginsburg spoke about the backlash against women and reproductive justice when she was in Atlanta. Thank god Ginsburg is out and about saying what needs to be said. I feel thankful to her. So thankful. And then I feel greedy, and I feel guilty. Can she speak out even more? It must be hard to carry such responsibility; she has to be a loud voice for women. There are so few women in government positions speaking out for women's rights. Ginsburg importantly noted that if Roe was overturned, middle class women would still be able to obtain abortions as they were pre-Roe in NY, CA, and Hawaii, but clearly the decision to overturn the 1973 decision would have a devastating impact on poor women.

We love you Justice Ginsburg. Keep it coming. And thank you.

Until next time.
K.

cleavage creek

I didn't get out of my pajamas until three o'clock in the afternoon yesterday. I was a little hung over. I saw a concert in the city the night before. I stayed out too late, drank too much, talked too much, maybe smoked a cigarette, definitely inhaled a lot of secondhand pot smoke. I'd watched two hourlong biographies---Reese Witherspoon and LeAnn Rimes---before noon.

I'm just setting up context for my mood here. Cause when I flipped the channel to the local news and saw this segment on Cleavage Creek Cellars I felt confused. My thoughts were forming too slowly, my judgment questionable. This is a winery up in Pope Valley, California. They've got a cool mission. The man who owns it lost his wife to breast cancer, and so he's developed this wine label to honor breast cancer survivors.

The thing is, as awesome as the concept and the awareness-building are, the name and the labels are creepy. Check out the website. And then there's this news guy who can barely contain his enthusiasm. He gets to talk about boobs, to boobs. He's talking to one of the models, saying things like, "Well, look at you on this label. You look absolutely gorgeous." And "You'll always have this label as a reminder of how beautiful you look." And yes, and no, and this is where my overindulgence from the night before was starting to cloud my thinking. I felt alternately like I should be supportive of this, and like something was so off. The women of Cleavage Creek bear their cleavage, and they have every right. And good for them! Be honored. Dress up and have your decolletage out there for the world to partake from---literally. It's good. Busts are sexy. But then, I don't know. There's an edge of Stepfordness to it, a little something about the glamour shots that makes me squirm. They're celebrating life and wine, and they look like they're gueststarring on next week's episode of "Desperate Housewives."

I'm going to ask The Boob Lady, our resident boob expert, what she thinks. Her book, bOObs: a guide to your girls is out, by the way. It's true that we can never get enough of boobs. And October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. So I'm glad for the segment on Cleavage Creek, but you know, simultaneously a teensy bit disturbed.

---Brooke