Tragedy and Triteness - In addition to on-going Mars rover coverage, expect this weekend to bring many news packages with the theme "Columbia: One Year Later." (Here's a link to the Beav's own commentary last year.) The NFL will even "help" by including a tribute in its typically tasteless, rarely entertaining Super Bowl half-time show. For a gripping detailed account of the Columbia's final moments, see this Newsday excerpt.

On a related note, controversy has erupted over the cancellation of a final refurbishment mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. Critics of human spaceflight have lined up against this move, petitioning to save HST and laying the blame squarely on Bush's new Moon-Mars agenda. But the fact is that the board investigating Columbia's loss insisted on a host of new safety measures for shuttle missions, including the ability to shelter astronauts in space should an orbiter become too damaged to re-enter the atmosphere. Since the only such shelter available is the space station, NASA has decided to cancel all future missions that don't go there. In effect, Hubble is the victim of the decision to shut down the shuttle, not lack of funding. But earthbound politicians (especially those representing HST's home base in Maryland) got all hot and bothered, so NASA Chief Sean O'Keefe has offered to get a second opinion directly from the CAIB chairman Hal Gehman.

Didn't we just get through saying that safety at NASA shouldn't be at the whim of political agendas? Let's hope Hal puts Mikulski in her place. In case you're curious, after it conks out around after 2006, Hubble is slated for replacement anyway by the more powerful Webb Space Telescope, which, curiously enough, will also be managed out of Baltimore.

Focus On Your Own Damn Family - When the VH1 special Totally Gay (last item) touted a light-hearted lexicon of gay-related words, it didn't include today's Word-Spy entry, "straight supremacist." A versatile cousin of "bigot brigade," the term can be used as both a noun and an adjective. "Straight supremacist" succinctly conveys disdain while utterly assaulting (insulting?) all that your opponent stands for. Try it out at your next cocktail party!

It is somehow fitting to see the expression used in places like the Ole Miss student newspaper. After all, state governments in the deep South tend to adhere strictly to the Taliban-like prescriptions of James Dobson and his ilk. You can't blame Dixie homos for appropriating the forceful, plain-spoken civil rights rhetoric long used against groups like the Klan and the CCC.

TiVo Alert - Ben, check out VH1's slick retrospective on how gay became the new black. Totally Gay wraps up the zeitgeist in a nifty one-hour package featuring the tons of icons and eye candy, tracing the last decade from Madonna to metrosexuality. (Keep an eye out for scenes from the Virgin Megastore promotional signing party with stars from your recent rental.)

I'm Talking DOWNtown - So Sacramento mayor Heather Fargo is pushing a plan for a city hot spot, eh? I don't understand how the urban planners of Sacramento can be so shortsighted. Why do that think that a movie theater and new retail, *ANY* new retail, will revitalize downtown? Wouldn't a better strategy be to try to recruit unique, upscale stores and restaurants -- destinations -- that will draw people from around the region to downtown? If your revitalization plan is to open a movie theater without unique features showing the same crap as every other theather...or the same Applebees and Gap that suburbanites have near their homes... why would anyone be encouraged to treat the downtown like a hot spot?

Dating in the Age of Google - Blind dates and tricks beware: your companion for the evening knows more than he or she's letting on.

Transbay Tube Top - John, how do you think our friends in the M4M4BART Yahoo group feel about the growing, semi-mainstream popularity of the last car of the train, as reported by the NY Times.

Got Valentine's Plans? - Patrick, ever the sharp observer of things cultural, has pointed me to rumors that Cathy - perennial cartoon champion of the single working woman - may have wedding bells in her immediate future. Waaahhhhh! Heh.

Good and Bad News - According to Drew, some of the bigot brigade support retrenchment on the FMA. At the same time, they want it strengthened to abolish Vermont's civil unions and California's DP's. (Similar to what Virginia and Ohio recently pushed.) Perhaps this reflects an assessment that Bush and other Washington movers won't embrace the extreme version of the FMA, and that a weak FMA is worse for the BB than nothing at all, because it would tacitly endorse the various marriage-lite options.

Product Placement - Fortune confirms that an appearance on Queer Eye translates to a major bump in sales for retailers. That's one way to jumpstart the economy...after all, "if it feels good, buy it!" So when are Kirstie Alley and her ass finally going to be replaced by Thom Filicia in the Pier 1 commericials?

From the Desert to the Sea - Well, it seems that before he hit the big time, Benjamin Mackenzie, The OC-star and Russell Crowe-lookalike, was Benjamin Schenkkan of Austin, TX. I guess he should never forget that they can replace him in an instant with Chad Michael Murray.

And speaking of our friends in Chino and the rest of the Inland Empire, the LA Times is reporting on a survey showing that Riverside is suffering from a lack of upscale retail outlets. The story quotes a study saying that Riverside "has more households earning more than $75,000 than Newport Beach, Glendale, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley and Mission Viejo." I am highly dubious about this fact, unless they're talking about total numbers of households, not percentages.

On the flip side of the coin is another study about retail viability in Southern California, but this one was commissioned by Wal-Mart. The findings indicate that not only will new Wal-Mart supercenters in Southern California create jobs, but the lower prices enjoyed by consumers will translate to another $524 dollars a year of disposable income for families. I suppose that's doing little to assuage the fears of the executives of grocery stores currently plagued by strikes and lockout.

Running Scared - My favorite passage in this article about how geography may not favor John Kerry's run is this one:

"...Kerry backers said they were pleased that Dean may appear to be his chief rival, believing that the Vermonter's appeal, as measured in exit polls, is concentrated among vehement opponents of the Iraq war and a highly educated liberal elite -- two groups that will be less prominent in states such as South Carolina, Missouri, Arizona and Michigan."

Is the WaPo calling you a hick state, South Carolina? Are you gonna put up with that, Michigan? Are you uneducated, Arizonans? But, I suppose Kerry's strategy of appealing to dumb people is as good as any other. Worked for W, right?

Qu'est-ce que c'est "homosexual act"? - With spring training just around the corner, aspiring Indians' minor league pitcher Kazuhito Tadano is back in the news. Bhaus readers will remember the 23-year-old Japanese import who showed up in the States dogged by rumors of a gay porn past. Now that he's been invited to practice with the big leaguers, Tadano has gone to public, admitting to engaging in a "homosexual act" for a flick made after his sophomore year at Rikkyo University.

But hold on. He has apologized, asking forgiveness and swearing he was just gay-for-pay: "I'm not gay," he said, adding "I'd like to clear that fact up right now." (For a non-English speaker, the kid sure knows his soundbites.) Fine, whatever, but can't we get more details on what he got up to, please? The SI article was notably reticent on this point. Jeez, even pics shouldn't be so difficult, really. It's the Internet age, people!

It's Academic - How incredibly sad is it that the only Oscar nominated movie I've seen this year was Finding Nemo. Perhaps a matinee of Lost in Translation is in order for the weekend.

Update on the Sell-Off - With offers coming in for US Airways assets, I begin to wonder: um, what exactly is left after they sell off operations in Philadelphia, Charlotte, and Pittsburgh; gates at La Guardia and Logan; the US Airways Express regional carrier; and the shuttle?

This Won's For You - In honor of the orthographically challenged everywhere, here's a nifty article on how eBay pros low-ball online auctioneers who can't spell. Credit the venerable Apple Mac that in this day and age such non-spellers should still be able to navigate complex computer software and the Internet.

The Space Highway - Well, thank the editors at the NYTimes for making an obscure automotive allusion in the headline of this article on plans to retire the space shuttle, without ever explaining it. Best I can tell, they meant to liken the orbiter to a classy vintage vehicle whose popularity as a hotrod couldn't sustain it in the era of fuel efficiency and cheap imports. Given STS's safety record, maybe the Corvair would have been a better comparison - or possibly the Gremlin.

Star Power - The Clark presidential campaign really needs to up the wattage... Drew Barrymore and Mary Steenburgen aren't exactly Madonna, now are they?

The Backlash in Operation - Ever wonder what laws the bigot brigade would pass if they controlled a state legislature? Look no further than Virginia. Yes, the General Assembly is back in session and the Lawrence and Goodridge decisions have them pissed off. Nevermind that the Richmond body now includes the South's second ever openly-gay delegate. (See Lion's Den, Daniel and.) This is a group that may not be able to bring itself to allow private employers to offer domestic partner health benefits. Instead they're hard at work on such crucial issues as urging the Congress to pass an all-inclusive ban on gay marriage and civil unions. What a bunch of assholes - but hey, the taxes are low!

Consider that a divorce - I guess this report of Ahnuld's opposition to NASA's Mars mission was erroneous. Here's Quaid - I mean, the governor - congratulating the JPL rover team during last Saturday's touch-down on the red planet. Seems only fitting after all those Total Recall jokes last October. (Good thing PKD wasn't alive to see that.)

Love Those Missionaries - Unfortunately, the ones that visited our house last week were not this cute, according to Jamie. Latter Days, the sweet gay-Mormon romance flick with hot actors, opens in LA and NYC this weekend. DC and Sacramento some time later. However, the LDS in SLC won't have the chance to see it in theaters, according to this Advocate report. (Pity.) By the way, with full-page ads in the magazine and a big time review in the current issue of Advocate, one wonders whether Liberation Publications doesn't have a investment in this movie.

Update: I think this means the the NYTimes liked it: Latter Days "draws on an unconscionable number of conventions, but works in the end because of its commitment to its characters and a handful of fine performances."

Move over Friendster - Is Google getting into the social networking business? They certainly seem to be looking into it. If so, I would hope they can provide the kind of decent server power that Friendster clearly can't afford. On the other hand, I have yet to see any significant improvements to Blogger after Google acquired Pyra Labs, have you, Ben?

Get 'Em Up, Move 'Em Out - Schroeder, when your ex-roommate ran into Heath Ledger at Sundance this week, did she ask him about the rumors that he's going to play a gay cowboy who falls for fellow queer cowpoke Jake Gyllenhaal in Ang Lee's next movie, Brokeback Mountain?

Keep 'Em Guessing - What a strategy, Karl. Is the point that when you can say you've pissed off all of the special interest groups, then you have captured middle America?

Actually, given how confused recent press reports on Bush's position on the FMA have been (famously including erroneous reports in the NYTimes), this article seems to come closest to giving a clearly thought-out explanation of his political high-wire act. If only they hadn't gotten the position of the Log Cabins wrong.

Can You Hear Me Now? - With a communications outage between Earth controllers and the Mars rover Spirit, perhaps tonight is not the right time for project scientist Jim Garvin to appear on Letterman as previously announced.

The sort of minutiae that should be celebrated - So says my (heterosexual) buddy Patrick about this in-depth WaPo article on the Hermes Birkin handbag Martha brought to court the other day.

Where the News Comes First - A Missouri NBC affiliate is taking heat from fans for cutting away from the final nine minutes of Average Joe: Hawaii to show Dick Gephardt's Iowa concession speech. Boy, talk about putting viewers in a lose-lose situation.

Off the Market - Why did it take me nearly a week to discover this? Courtesy of Jeff's site, I learn that hottie designer and Oprah fave Nate Berkus is dating Max Mutchnick, co-creator of Will & Grace.

Airline - I finally got around to watching the five Tivoed episodes of Airline last night. It's an American remake of a successful British reality series that follows the employees of a low-cost carrier through the exciting world of travel. This version shadows my favorite Southwest Airlines, and with their quirks of open seating and workplace fun, airplane travel can become even more confounding to some passengers.

Watching the show can be painful. It's not quite as bad as the review in LA Weekly describes, but it's remarkable how idiotic everyday people can be. The show constantly reinforced how stupid and clueless people are, but especially when travelling. It's an intersting venue through which to demonstrate this fact: we've all been in airports and travelled with these people, and now we get the details. The show doesn't make me want to slam the airline, it makes me wish I could get a fractional share in a corporate jet so that I don't ever have to interact with fellow passengers.

The other passengers that are the root cause of nearly ever problem! From people who arrive late for their flights and expect it to be held to people who don't understand federally-imposed dollar amounts for the replacement of a bag to people who don't get that the lock on their bag was broken *intentionally* by the TSA, not by Southwest, it is astounding how worked up people get over little problems or drama that they manufacture themselves. How do people function in the world without understanding simple things like, all bomb threats are taken seriously?

Just in case you're wondering - Gay Real Worlder Norm Korpi has annointed Abe Boise as "best dick" on MTV's RW/RR Challenge: The Gauntlet. You can read all about it in Norm's soft-core account of "orgy night," which took place after the show's Rope Mission. (Scroll down.) Personal fave Theo Vonkurnatowski and fuzzy-chested newcomer Dave Giuntoli get honorable mention. Unfortunately, rugger James Orlando was not available for the contest. (Just seemed important to bring this to y'all's attention.)

Kids TV Gets Same-Sex Kiss - Now don't call me one of those homos who watches age-inappropriate television just to bask in the glow of handsome young male stars, but I did happen to catch wind of the gay plotline on The N's high school drama Degrassi: The Next Generation, even before The Advocate ran a story on it. (Hey, I TiVo Daria, people! They're always advertising the series.) And heck if teen actors Adamo Ruggiero and John Bregar aren't pretty cute. Oh well, I'm going to hell anyway so why not enjoy the ride? Besides, when GLAAD nominates a show for awards, that qualifies it as a cultural phenomenon. I'm just being literate. And kudos to Noggin owner Viacom for another strong effort in corrupting the morals of American youth. Reminds me, whatever happened to Grosse Pointe?

Some cartoons do encourage violence - In honor of our glorious leader, George W. Bush, we present the Simpson's "Amendment Song." (Listen here.) Cause there's limits to our lib-er-ties, oh yeah!

One Hundred Eighty-Three Words - Far more than most expected, and yet he can't bring himself to say the word "gay":

A strong America must also value the institution of marriage. I believe we should respect individuals as we take a principled stand for one of the most fundamental, enduring institutions of our civilization.

Congress has already taken a stand on this issue by passing the Defense of Marriage Act, signed in 1996 by President Clinton. That statute protects marriage under federal law as the union of a man and a woman, and declares that one state may not redefine marriage for other states.

Activist judges, however, have begun redefining marriage by court order, without regard for the will of the people and their elected representatives. On an issue of such great consequence, the people's voice must be heard. If judges insist on forcing their arbitrary will upon the people, the only alternative left to the people would be the constitutional process. Our nation must defend the sanctity of marriage.

(APPLAUSE)

The outcome of this debate is important, and so is the way we conduct it. The same moral tradition that defines marriage also teaches that each individual has dignity and value in God's sight.

(APPLAUSE)

I'm tired of defending this asshole.

And No Child Left Behind is Perfect Too - "Stopped short"? That's sure not how I read Bush's State of the Union comments on the Federal Marriage Amendment.

The Curse of Popularity - A story about the travails of a popular but struggling online shopping destination? Isn't a dot.com article a little passé, NYT? If you're nostalgic for 1999, learn about RedEnvelope's difficulties keeping up with customer demand this past holiday season.

The Other Other Media Circus - Don't be so quick to discount California and her trials, John. Word is that the Scott Peterson trial is being relocated to lovely San Mateo County, California, perhaps best known as the actual home of SFO.

The Other Media Circus - I couldn't care less what happens in Santa Maria. Here on the Right Coast, our own high profile criminal prosecution opens today, starring a far more stylish protagonist and concerning questions of securities law and insider trading, no less. Eat your heart out, California.

What's he gonna say? - The prez is being pestered by the bigot brigade to condemn gay marriage and endorse the FMA in tonight's SOTU speech. Well, the Post has the scoop, and it seems Bush continues to hedge his bets. Apparently W will reiterate his opposition to gay marriage but won't call for a Constitutional amendment, not for now at least. Tune in to find out if the prognosticators had it right.

My One Political Item - Hey, Poliguy. Kerry-Edwards. Or Edwards-Kerry. Either way, I should think there are fewer "bring-on-Dean" smirks on GOP faces this morning.

Paper Chase - The NYTimes looks into the rising popularity of "gay law" classes among JD students. Once concerned about the appearance of such classes on their transcripts, students are now finding most law firms "wouldn't think twice" about it. Suddenly even boring law school lectures about queers are "hot." (After all, what could be more stimulating than philosophical discussions about gay marriage and the Constitution?) Has your bro signed up yet, Ben?

A Hoot - Speaking of weird Texans, Jamie and I watched Sordid Lives Saturday night. White trash antics are always amusing, especially when you throw in Delta Burke, Olivia Newton-John and enough gay content to qualify for the WeHo film festival. Ty, one of the story's chief protagonists (hunky Kirk Geiger) is a former fat kid from the trailer park who escaped to LA for a career in soaps and community theater, but who can't quite deal with coming out to his crazy family back home (or it seems anyone in his new home in Hollywood). Complicating the scenario is his uncle the Tammy Wynette impersonator, played by Will & Grace's Leslie Jordan, whom the family had committed to a truly insane asylum for his homosexuality and cross-dressing. Of course everything turns out fine in the end as the raucous relatives find reconciliation at grandma's over-the-top funeral.

The movie definitely has its laugh-out-loud moments, but overall reviews were mixed. I thought it fell into the same traps as too many plays written for gay audiences. (Sordid Lives got its start as a stage production by Del Shores.) Ty's neurotic whining about whether to accept his homosexuality struck me as wholly unbelievable for a long-time inhabitant of Los Angeles, and the plot line following Jordon's "Brother Boy" was particularly contrived. A farce should be a farce, and avoid diluting our fun with "we're all family after all" preachiness. For the laughs that do register, though, I'll give this one a C+.

You Got a Purty Face - What a bizarre tale.

It's that time again - Yes, kids, MAL is back in Washington this weekend. This annual event is mostly a fun diversion for my friends, who generally haven't bought all of the necessary couture to truly partake of the lifestyle. (The best yours truly could come up with out of his closet was a plain black t-shirt, jeans and black Sketchers.) However, I'm sure Ben will be pleased to hear that MAL's popularity among the young adult set has been growing lately. Maybe he and Kevin can adjust their January DC trip next year to take advantage.

P.S. Time magazine just happens to have a fitting piece this week on "SM," part of a package covering America's sex life. (Ben might want to read the article about the deleterious effects of watching too much porn.)

Going Downtown - Yesterday Jamie and I joined Brian and Jason to see a movie at the new E Street Cinemas at Metro Center. The opening of the theaters last week in downtown DC marks another milestone in the revival in the area's social life. Landmark Theaters, the art house chain owned my the Sam Goldwyn Company, chose to locate its second DC-metro multiplex in the basement of the Lincoln Building, a new office construction which - in the modern style of Washington - hides gleaming lawyers' offices behind an attractive façade of restored 19th century storefronts. The entertainment options complement a growing retail presence in the old city core, where H & M, "the Ikea of clothes," recently moved into one of the four spaces that have been carved out of the old Woodward & Lothrop department store. The renaissance helps me feel good about having bought a house in the District.

Our group saw the "timely" Battle of Algiers. A 1965 cinéma vérité depiction of Algierian resistance to colonialism, the "documentary" filmed by Italian communists in French and Arabic on the actual streets of Algiers has been reissued to much comment. The film's gritty and morally ambiguous protrayal of the vicious cycle of violence between resistance forces and an occupying power in the Middle East - especially the bloody assasinations and cafe bombings - is certainly haunting. Sound familiar? It is said that screenings have been mandatory over at the Pentagon.

Bush's Pie in the Sky

Don't wait for the book; you can read the three-part Bob Woodward-style inside story on Bush's decision to revamp NASA here (and here, and here).

This Just In - Huge government contractors support new space initiatives. Nice how they wedged Halliburton into that story. Heh.

Update: Salon.com's Joe Conason thinks the Mars mission really is a sop to Dick Cheney's old corporation. Ah, conspiracy theorists.

Prisoners Rights - What exactly is "brutal scissors domination"? And why are role playing games (a la D&D) prohibited in prison? These questions and more are raised in the case of an Oregon prison inmate cruelly deprived of magazines containing such material.

On the Bandwagon - Why we looked for houses north of downtown Sacramento, instead of to the south: nothing but chain restaurants.

Come Fly with Me - Even as John receives some sad news about his favorite US Airways, we're celebrating in Sacramento over the news that JetBlue is going to launch SMF-to-JFK flights starting in March.

An Eating Tour - I'm sure you've all noticed that the West Coast half of this blog has been quite delinquent in posting lately. I hope you can forgive me, as I've been on a three-week jaunt, including Christmas in LA, New Years in San Francisco and the feast of the Epiphany in Washington DC and a few days in Chicago.

Here's the quick rundown, using food as our guidepost: I had the opportunity to meet John's friend Quincy at Cafe Asia...have lunch at Tortilla Coast with Poliguy...spot Drew at Duplex Diner while dining with Kevin and Dr. Brian...and enjoy a great evening out with Brian, Jason, Michael, John and Jamie, starting with drinks at Chi-Cha Lounge followed by dinner at Local 16.

Kevin and I both had a really good time in DC, and the Mitchells were excellent hosts, as always. We had the opportunity to enjoy Jamie's delicious Deer Valley Chili during a Simpsons/AbFab/Sex and the City viewing. And we also got to do plenty of sightseeing, including a visit to the new Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum extension at Dulles, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Another Smithsonian highlight for me was seeing the three walls of Julia Child's kitchen at the National Museum of American History (I had seen the fourth wall at Copia when Kevin and I went to Napa in November).

My last day in DC, I had to make a run to cakelove (as featured on Oprah!) to bring some cupcakes on the next leg of my trip. In Chicago, I finally meet my friend Joe in person, and we had a great time checking out the Art Institute of Chicago together. I visited my dear friends Rob and Tom, who took me to a tasty little spot called Firehouse Grill, and also provided me with the opportunity to get in some good shopping. And before leaving, I was pleased to be able to meet Joe's new boyfriend Ken while enjoying a delicious breakfast at Toast. So, now that I've totally destroyed my South Beach diet, it's time to regroup, start eating better and resolve to start blogging more regularly again too.

Yenta-in-Chief - Where should Bush focus his promotion of marriage proposal? The NYT argues that the place to start is in Burlington, Vermont, home of Drs. Howard and Judith Dean. Even with Carol Moseley Braun's endorsement, if I don't see a cookie recipe from Judy soon, I may not even be able to consider voting for Howie.

Now, you know who is outraged, simply OUTRAGED, with the promotion of marriage proposal? The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (who have taken to calling themselves simply The Task Force, on their website). I'm not in support either, but come on people! This is supposed to be a professional lobbying organization and the best they can come up with is "he's catering to a voting bloc!" DUH! Don't all politicians try to do things to appeal to voters? And what's with the "grand masters" reference? Thinly veiled allusion to the Klan? If that's the best strategy they can come up with then I'm glad I've never sent any money to The Task Force.

Oh, and speaking of marriage, members of the California Assembly are trying to make another end-run around Prop 22.

Let's Hear What He Has to Say - The time for trial ballons is up. President Bush gives his big space speech at NASA Headquarters today, and it will be broadcast beginning at 3pm EST on NASA TV and online at www.nasa.gov. Emphasizing the policy announcement, Veep Cheney will visit JPL in Pasadena today to congratulate the Mars Rover crew.

Yesterday's WashTimes had a preview by beat reporters Seitzen and Cowing, who were also the first to break this story. (They note it will be one of Bush's more multilateral endeavors, relying on international cooperation to continue U.S. access to space when the shuttles are retired.) USA Today covered the skeptics. Today's NYT and WaPo phoned in reports from AP and Reuters, but there is a brief historical-perspective piece in the Times Science section. Look for much more coverage in tomorrow's dailies.

As an aside, I'd like to thank you for all the comments on my last post on this topic as well as other recent Bhaus posts. It's really gratifying to debate, instead of just listening to me or Ben pontificate. (Honest!)

Update: The speech is done. A White House fact sheet can be found here. FYI, Bush only asked for $1 billion in new money over the next five years -- less than the five percent increase pundits were expecting. Since he plans to reallocate $11 billion from existing authorizations during the same period, my guess is he wants Congress to fight out whether any of their pet programs are saved from the chopping block, and if so, blame Capitol Hill for any excesses in the program's cost.

Hypothetically Speaking - When John forwarded me this NYT article on drug use in the bathhouse culture, I couldn't help but react to something in the second paragraph: "Bob conquer[ed] a half-dozen sex partners during a 35-hour binge." Now, I'm going to propose a politically incorrect hypothetical situation: IF one had chosen to do meth, and IF one had chosen to go to a bathhouse afterwards, and IF one spent 35 hours there, then wouldn't one have conquered a LOT more than six partners? Just wondering...

Parental Units - There is an interesting, but clearly biased, article in today's NY Times about gay male parenting: "Two Fathers, With One Happy to Stay at Home." The story chronicles the career sacrifices made by one-half of gay male couples to raise children. But, the couples interviewed are clearly a self-selcting bunch, because in order to have the option for one father to stay at home, one or both partners must have a high-income-producing job to provide for the family.

I grew up with a stay-at-home mom, and I don't think I'd consider fathering a child unless Kevin or I could stay at home to raise him. In fact, we're hesitating to get a dog unless there's a guarantee that one of us will be able to spend at least some more time at home.

And an aside, what's with homos giving their kids freaky names like Caelan and Ceriwen? The article didn't even mention last names. Who knows if these kids have unusual first names AND a long, hypenated surname.

Beware of Dogma - I have to hand it to the Catholic hierarchy. No other religious authority knows how to lean on its layity when it comes to enforcing orthodoxy quite the way they do. In the latest bid to halt gay marriage, Boston's archbishop told members of his church who are also judges and lawyers that they must use their legal skills to work against same-sex marriage, according to the AP. At least American Catholics have long had the good sense to ignore what their leaders instruct them to do. (In Spain they've gone so far as to sue their bishop, but that seems excessive to me.)

Mom & Dad's Book Club - I've started reading Jamie O'Neill's novel At Swim, Two Boys, which my Jamie gave me for Christmas. I mentioned it to Tim the other day, since he's big into his Irish heritage, thinking he might enjoy the book, which concerns a love between two Dublin boys set around the time of the 1916 Easter Uprising. Turns out, Tim's older sister had given it to him for Christmas as well.

That got me thinking. I don't believe I've ever had a well-meaning straight relative give me anything gay-oriented. And more to the point, my straight family members have to my knowledge never read any gay literature. (My mom's Patricia Cornwell mysteries don't count.) It seems like one of the best ways to get your parents or others to comprehend the experience of being gay would be to have them read a well-written and thought-provoking account of the life - either biography or fiction. Does anyone out there have personal experience with such a project? How did it work out? Any books that are particularly good at conveying the message? And what are the pros and cons of trying? Just wondering.

Real World: Luna - Our buddy Hank Stuever imagines the Bush moon-Mars project as a reality TV show.

Poster Boy - NPR's Day to Day covers the tenth anniversary of DADT by talking to Brad Powell, a gay former National Guardsman (printed transcript here). Without caption, the SLDN website associates this photo with its report on the Day to Day story. Should we assume it's Brad? If so, he should be on the SLDN's recruiting poster. Woof.

Update: Looks like it's him. Remind me again how to volunteer for these guys?

To Infinity - and Beyond! - George W. Bush is channeling JFK. The Post reports that Bush intends to announce - in what advisors hope will be a "Kennedy moment" - a bold new mission for NASA: to send Americans to Mars (with a stop at the moon along the way). What is he trying to achieve, some 43 years after the original call to land on the moon, and 32 years after we last visited the place? Take your pick from the following suggested rationales: (a) provide for a huge government jobs program, (b) get NASA out of its post-Columbia funk, and/or (c) unify the country behind a "gigantic common purpose."

The NYT has the political history leading up to next week's speech. We've been here before. W's dad, 41, thought he'd take advantage of the "peace dividend" following the end of the Cold War to reconfigure the military-industrial complex into a engine for human space exploration. Not quite, huh? That 1989 plan ran aground on a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $400 billion. (That used to be considered a lot of money - now it's just a Bush Jr. tax cut.) I'm curious how the son is going to get around the same problem, but maybe those borrow-and-spend Republicans just don't worry about such things any more.

In general, I am in favor of this proposal. Space is cool. In fact, there was a time when a politician's forward-looking views on space exploration was at least as important to me as any other platform plank. But I'm now a bit wiser in the ways of the world, and I can even acknowledge that a visionary space program is no panacea for the world's ills. Nevertheless, the optimist in me hopes that the future will bring enough economic success and progress on other fronts that we don't need to rule out grand projects like this one.

(Note: as details leak out, even the space exploration lobby isn't uniformly behind W's plan.)

Chicks with Hicks - What is it with slutty celebrity women this week? First Britney makes a mockery of heterosexual marriage with the joke wedding to hunky Louisiana hometown sweetheart Jason A. Alexander . (Think the prominent inclusion of the boy's middle name in the media reflects our common revulsion at the idea she'd marry George Costanza?) Then Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie swap spit with Arkansas homeboys on The Simple Life. Eh, I don't blame 'em. That shaggy haired country boy thing works okay for me too.

Bring on the TiVo love - It's been a big day for the TiVo faithful at the CES in Vegas:

TiVoToGo - Those of us with Home Media Option are finally getting some bang for the buck. Coming in Fall 2004, subscribers with the HMO service will be able to transfer TiVo video files to their laptop or PC and even burn them onto DVD for storage. Caveat - right now it looks like the files will only play using certain software, using the subscriber's unique security key, so you can't take the DVDs over to a friend's house. Presumably they also would not play in a normal DVD player. (Wonder about those Pioneer burners, though?) Also coming - programing your TiVo from your cell phone. I'm sure I'll never have known how much I needed that until I get it.

HD DirectTiVo - The first high-definition TiVos are supposed to be out this quarter. Sporting four (count 'em, four) tuners, these bad boys will be able to record both DirecTV HD programming and over-the-air broadcasts from your local HD stations. And unlike regular TiVo, you can watch something while recording something else. As a bonus, DirecTV is expanding its high-def offerings with more network signals via satellite.

Other goodies - Besides an expanding list of home entertainment appliances containing TiVo technology (such as new DVD burners from Toshiba and Humax), we'll have a bundle of other nifty services connecting to the happy set-top box. XM subscribers will be able to listen through their TiVo, Adobe and Picasa will organize photo files for the TiVo and MoodLogic will do the same for mp3s.

What a glorious time to be alive.

Checking in on Massachusetts - I still can't get a good read on what the legislature is going to do about Goodridge, but the forces for and against SSM continue to posture.

What uproar? - The New Jersey Senate may approve legal recognition for gay couples today, the NYT reports. Apparently, this doesn't even count as news in NJ.

Dean, the FMA and Religion - The Washington Post reports that Howard Dean turned to his faith to guide him on the question of civil unions in Vermont. Meanwhile conservatives are bashing Dean up and down for not being in touch with his godly side. Maybe Americans need the warm fuzzies that come from knowing our prez is good, church-going folk, but presidential religiousity is always better seen and not heard. Bush's outspoken born-againism gives me the creeps, though I somehow suspect he doesn't in fact take it too seriously. (Like, say, this arsehole does.)

P.S. Sitting as I do in something of an echo chamber of pro-Republican chatter, I'm continually hearing how impossible it would be for Dean to beat Bush. Being a moderate, I don't buy into propaganda from either side, but I do agree a victory seems unlikely at this point. On the other hand, I hardly think Dean "would be lucky to carry Vermont," Poliguy. The Gore-Nader vote in 2000 arguably would have killed Bush if it hadn't been split. By himself, Gore took 267 electoral votes, give or take Florida. Sure, 9-11-01 changed a lot, but not so much as to leave Dean as a 21st century Walter Mondale. Ronald Reagan in 1984 was a much better loved president.

P.P.S. If Bush plays the gay marriage card, how's this for a spoiler: Dean is the "defender of traditional marriage" who "drew the line" at civil unions. Sound good? Anyone buying?

How to Be an Iowan for a Day - Beaverhausen fave, Dan Savage revisits his trip to the Iowa caucuses in 2000, and explains how very little has changed to prevent motivated campaign workers from exerting influence over the process.

Shut up and drive - Now that DC has passed* a law banning the use of cell phone handsets while driving, does that mean I can justify spending the money on that Bluetooth headset I've been eyeing? (Oh, and I see where councilwoman Carol Schwartz, the biggest opponent of banning smoking at DC bars and restaurants, was actually the sponsor of this infringement of personal liberty.)

* Technically, Congress can still block this local bill, under DC's so-called "home rule."

Space Ennui - Wow, Mars is boring.

Rehash-o-rama - Just to tweak Ben, here's another article on the Bush FMA quote: this time, the New York Times' ombudsman (a post-Jayson Blair innovation) tackles the misquotation issue. While he makes the same point I did, that contra GLAAD 55-to-40 percent FMA approval is a political landslide, the ombuds also spanks the Times for (1) touting its own polling on Page One without mentioning other polls with different findings and (2) treating a substantive misquote of the President as "just another correction."

Call It "Romantic Changeability" - Gay boys are born that way, but maybe girls see it differently? The WaPo explores heteroflexibility as a female phenomenon. As the Post puts it,

Recent studies of relationships among women suggest that female homosexuality may be grounded more in social interaction, may present itself as an emotional attraction in addition to or in place of a physical one, and may change over time. Young women also appear to be more open to homosexual relationships than young men are. In one recent national study, more than twice as many girls as boys reported being attracted to the same sex at least once.

(By the way, can anyone else imagine, as described in the article, having stood in a "diversity circle" in high school -- let alone stepping forward when the leader called for gays and then bisexuals to move inside? Kids these days!)

Anyways, queer confusion and equivocation makes great fodder for the bigot brigade. They love to say our "lifestyle choice" is all about indoctrination, recruitment, and media influence on impressionable youth. In our own defense, we've concocted this assertion -- as much political plank as scientific theory -- that being gay is genetic. It's a position born of our feelings of insecurity about who we are and uncertainty about our right to love whom we want. I look forward to the day when the "why" of homosexuality isn't relevant -- let alone necessary -- to granting us social acceptance. If, as the Post declares, a generation of girls is growing up with a more flexible sexuality, maybe that day isn't so far off.

The Man who would be Justin - Meet Jason Allan Alexander, whose stint at being Mr. Britney Spears can be measured in days. More photos of the tall, dark and mysterious stranger here.

A Lot of Movie for the Money - Jamie and I saw The Return of the King last night. Three and a half hours of fun, but honestly, the Frodo-Samwise thing has just gotten maukish. Couldn't the drawn-out scenes of Elijah Woods and Sean Astin making sorrowful, longing eyes at each other have been trimmed enough to bring Christopher Lee back from the cutting room floor? And how about some more of that woofy David Wenham? Despite the gripes, all in all an enjoyable cinematic spectacular. (Lucas, eat your heart out.)