just do it.

how do you spend?

never mind.

gilda lives.
well, her name does, in madison, wisconsin.

last year, the madison chapter of gilda's club —
a community cancer support organization named to honor the memory of
comic actress & saturday night live legend gilda radner —
announced it intended to change its name to
cancer support community southwest wisconsin [catchy, no?].

gilda's club was founded in 1991, two years following
radner's death from ovarian cancer.
in 2009, gilda's club worldwide merged with
the wellness community, another established cancer support group,
creating the cancer support community [csc].

following the merger, many local affiliates of both merging groups
adopted the csc moniker, but some kept their original names.
the madison gilda's club chapter had done so — until recently.

that delayed decision called attention to itself,
& sparked a brushfire of harsh criticism
from chapter members, other club leaders, radner fans
& even her widower, comedic actor gene wilder.

so last week, the madison chapter board voted to
retain the gilda's club name,
in apt tribute to the legacy of a woman who
faced cancer with compassion, dignity & humor.

viva gilda.


image source: nerdy chicks rule.

just indulge me ... one more day.

my top six runners-up for the greatest moments
of the 57th presidential inauguration [in order of appearance]:

6. kelly clarkson [texan] wowing the crowd
with her *live* version of "my country 'tis of thee":



5. beautiful beyonce [texan], amazing as ever, delivering
our national anthem [lip-synch? who cares? look at her!]:



4. our first lady epically eye-rolling
at boehner's luncheon banter:



3. nbc's al roker getting a presidential thumbs-up
& a vice-presidential handshake during the inaugural parade:



2. big first sister malia obama hilariously photobombing
little first sister sasha's shot of their smooching parents:



1. jennifer hudson, doing right by the reverend al green
with her first-couple's-first-dance version of "let's stay together":



aaaand . . . my favorite moment of the 2013 inauguration?
the one captured at the top of the post —
president obama, as he exited the ceremony,
pausing & turning around to take a moment to take it all in.
"i want to take a look one more time," he said.
"i'm not going to see this again."

watch the video of it here.


image source: the white house.

let's stay together ... four more years.

we, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths —
that all of us are created equal —
is the star that guides us still;

just as it guided our forebears through seneca falls,
& selma,
& stonewall;

just as it guided all those men & women, sung & unsung,
who left footprints along this great mall,
to hear a preacher say that we cannot walk alone;

to hear a king proclaim that
our individual freedom is inextricably bound
to the freedom of every soul on earth.

it is now our generation’s task to carry on what those pioneers began.
for our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers & daughters
can earn a living equal to their efforts.

our journey is not complete until our gay brothers & sisters
are treated like anyone else under the law —
for if we are truly created equal,
then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.

our journey is not complete until no citizen
is forced to wait for hours to exercise the right to vote.

our journey is not complete until we find a better way
to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants
who still see america as a land of opportunity —
until bright young students & engineers
are enlisted in our workforce rather than expelled from our country.

our journey is not complete until all our children,
from the streets of detroit
to the hills of appalachia,
to the quiet lanes of newtown,
know that they are cared for & cherished & always safe from harm.

that is our generation’s task — to make these words, these rights, these values
of life & liberty & the pursuit of happiness
real for every american.

america’s possibilities are limitless,
for we possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands:
youth & drive;
diversity & openness;
an endless capacity for risk
& a gift for reinvention.

my fellow americans,
we are made for this moment,
&we will seize it — so long as we seize it together.

president of the united states barack h. obama
his second inaugural address
january 21st, 2013

different is beautiful.

i am sick.

not with the dreaded flu that's so widespread,
thank goodness.

just a cold.
a bad cold.
a miserable cold.

yesterday, i was coming down with it.
today, i'm down with it
[& not in that "i'm cool wit dat" way;
in that "i'm down for the count" way.]

i loathe it even more than i loathe lance armstrong.
which is considerable, as i've forever considered lance armstrong
an egotistical asshole. & now, at last, i'm not alone.

regardless of how vindicated i'm feeling, however,
i'm still feeling crappy.

i've got an asshole cold.

i blame lance armstrong.

still, watching this 3 minutes + 19 seconds of
different, beautiful, vulnerable, confident, breathing, wonderful women
makes me feel just a smidge better.



that, & knowing the obama family
will knock lance armstrong totally off my tv screen
come monday.

happy friday, y'all.


image source: old-fashioned days.

revamping the crown.

my favorite headline of 12.4.2012: kate expectations.

yea, verily, the duke & duchess of cambridge are with child.
& it has been confirmed it is only one child & it is due in july.
it has not been confirmed what sex said child is believed to be.

but, regardless of blue-ocity or pink-ishness,
prince william + kate middleton's firstborn will be great britain's future monarch,
thanks to primogeniture recently becoming history.

primogeniture is the ancient rule of royal hierarchy,
which provided male heirs priority over their older female siblings,
permitting them to cut to the front of line of succession.

not only is the british government in the process of
modernizing the laws of succession to ensure trh w+c's
eldest child will become monarch, but queen elizabeth ii
has bestowed the title of "prince" or "princess" to all of the couple's kids.

prior to qe2's decree, if will+kate's firstborn were a girl,
she would receive the underling title of "lady."
now, she will officially be called "princess," & will be third in line
to the british throne, regardless of the arrival of any annoying little brothers.

my fingers are crossed for a xx-er!


image source: queen elizabeth ii & her firstborn, prince charles, ca. 1948, via vanity fair.