First: Leslie Hall was featured on NPR Music recently. Thankfully, they have the episode online: Taking Over the World One Sweater at a Time.

The episode reinforces why Leslie is so dear to me and all her fans. The 5′ 10″, 200-pound, size-16 beauty says of her size, “I like to eat cookies. Peanut butter cookies. And I don’t like to exercise that much, so this is what I got.” Fantastic. I love cookies, too. :-)

She’s much more comfortable with her body than I’ll ever be with mine, but she’s inspiring nonetheless. During her concert in the episode, she says, “I’d like to sing a song, now, about my butt cheeks — so round, so ripe…” referring to her song “Blame the Booty”.

Second: While reading a recent NYTimes article, “India Nurtures Business of Surrogate Motherhood“, I was inappropriately disturbed to find out that one of the clients of the surrogacy business in India works for Greenpeace. Of course, as a human, he’s free to be as silly as he wants, although it’s still sad to me. It would be unrealistic to think that all Greenpeace employees don’t have or want children, but using a poor woman as your baby carrier is beyond that.

I suppose it’s because I tend to think of activists associated with such remarkable organizations, that want to change the world and make a difference, as people who really TRY. They really want to eliminate oppression, obtain justice, save a tree! My experience (with myself as well as others) tells me no one is perfect and we all could do more. But somehow, flying to India, ejaculating into a cup and sitting back while a stranger makes a baby for you to enjoy while millions of children in your own country and in the birthplace of your offspring wait around in orphanages doesn’t seem like a “Greenpeace-y” thing to do.

Maybe that’s just me, being an arrogant, childfree, cookie-loving, condescending idiot. (Just to save you the trouble of commenting. ;-))

[Edit: Some follow-up: I’m not the only one to have pointed this out. A commenter on Salon.com also noticed that this doesn’t look good for Greenpeace to be associated with this guy.

IHT.com has the article with photos and voiceovers from the client.]

I think the upcoming miniseries on HBO about the life of John Adams will be great. It’s so nerdy that I found out about it at the local post office, where they had a large ad in their window. Is it weird to see a movie poster at the post office and think “I need to see that”?

The USPS, in promoting the miniseries, is celebrating “The Power of the Letter” and letter writing, which is neat.

They have some good links and info there, like the Massachusetts Historical Society’s John Adams minisite which has images of letters sent between Adams and his wife. You can catch a lot of neat, strange English with lovely phonetic spelling, interesting capitalization and the penmanship, oh the penmanship! There are also some sweet sentiments, like:

“There are perticuliar times when I feel such an uneasiness, such a restlessness, as neither company, Books, family Cares or any other thing will remove, my Pen is my only pleasure, and writing to you the composure of my mind.”

- Abigail Adams, September 23, 1776

Aww. :-) Also:

I feel that agitation this Evening, a degree of Melancholy has seazd my mind…

Darn English spelling reform. Seazd is much better than seized, come on…

The date: Friday, February 15th. The place: A horrible bar in Philadelphia where I probably got the flu.

LESLIE HALL. The Diva, the Myth, the Legend.

I finally had the honor of witnessing Leslie and the Lys. Since being visited by Mother Gem in a dream long ago I have been a fan of hers. She lived up to every expectation. She kicked, flipped, be-dazzled and christened a few sweaters. She educated us about zombie outbreaks. In summary, she dropped a giant gem on Philadelphia.

She’s actually a great singer and a wonderful performer. She’s just lovely. If she comes to your town (or if you’re going to ROFL CON) PLEASE see her and imbibe her Wisdom.

Corn-fed, unwed, drop-dead gorgeous.

More at my Flickr album!

Oh, dear… Rufus is an angel. He was perfect. Charming, funny, amazing. Stunning.

I almost cried during “Sanssouci” (why?) … I probably should have let myself, but I didn’t want to miss a note of his beautiful voice.

Ahh…

I saw this over at Shakesville and felt it necessary to repost. The message is clear and simple.

The poster is part of a campaign by Stonewall in the UK designed to help stop homophobic bullying in schools. A Scottish actor supporting the organization (who I don’t know because I barely watch TV) added: “Be bold. Be brave. Be a buddy not a bully.” That short, sweet message applies to everything.

I’m going to be a buddy to Rufus Wainwright tomorrow night in NYC.

“Women get jewelry. Men get laid. Happy Valentine’s Day.” - Melissa McEwan at Shakesville, a lovely quote which sums up all the silliness surrounding this stupid holiday. The video linked over there, showing men using jewelry to “hypnotize” women into (apparently) having sex with them, is a perfect example of human idiocy. I think I’ve already said as much as I need to about this before. Just love and be happy.

In other silly news, I have been getting a few emails and messages about Wikipedia’s Muhammad article having illustrations. So what? This shouldn’t even be an issue. Wikipedia is not trying to destroy Islam or defame the prophet. I support Wikipedia’s editors in their display of these images and all other images which expand human knowledge.

Bit of odd news from Germany, Mustafa Akyol shares a new poster being circulated: Sexual Abuse Alla Turca.

Anything that says “Republikanische Jugend” (Republican Youth) can’t be good. Their website says the ad is an “anti-mosque” campaign… Sweet.

(I’m wondering about the translation of the phrase in the poster. Mustafa translates as “don’t abuse me” but I understand it as “don’t mess/flirt/fool around with me” from it. It’s literally “make me not on”. Given the circumstances he talks about between Germans and immigrants, I understand how “abuse me” fits. Either way, I think it expresses a nationalist/racist/anti-Muslim/protect the pretty Weiße Mädchen attitude.)

Just helping to pass around this awesome video and site.

The Story of Stuff!!!

If you’re feeling negative after watching the video, make sure to see “Another Way” 10 Little and Big things you can do help.

BIG THANKS TO Thoughts of a Hijaabi.

Zoo Visitor Says She Saw Men Taunting Tiger and I believe her. If you go to a zoo (just like if you walk into a jungle or swim in the ocean) you’re basically asking to be mauled.

The zoo was set to reopen Thursday. The tiger enclosure will remain closed indefinitely.

Visitors to the zoo will find a new public alert system and more signs around the facility warning people not to bother the animals.

I’ve got a much better way to not bother the animals: Stop putting them in “enclosures”.

And stop hunting them, eating them, wearing them, trapping them, abusing them, stealing their habitats…

Trailer trash is trailer trash, no matter how much money they have.