It Gets Better

Dan Savage and his husband react to the heartbreaking news of another gay teenager in a small town who was bullied into suicide:



(Here's a link to a lower-quality, faster-loading version of the video.) They're encouraging other gay adults to post a video on YouTube to give gay kids hope, to let them know that high school is likely to be as bad as it ever gets and if they can just persevere, things will be okay.

This, of course, holds true for a lot of us, in all phases of our lives when life looks bleak and you can't imagine how it will ever turn around. But then, inevitably, it gets better.

At the Greek festival with the fam

These are so pretty

So, so gorgeous. Via Nylonthread's shared feeds and Loopy Rocket (who found them here and here). They're made from brooches. Love it! Who's up for a craft night?

Dance class

Thea started dance class today, her first ever. She's really excited about it, and I'm trying to be supportive, but part of me is nervous about what this means for our schedules.

Photo from Todd's blog

The class is 11:45 to 12:45 every Saturday, which isn't a big time commitment, it's true. The problem with it is that it's right in the middle of the day. What about dim sum, museums, lunches with friends across town, movies, picnics in the park, parties? Of course, I'm over-thinking this and it'll all work out just fine. Things always do.

While Thea went to class, I took Liam to the playground. What a cutie!

An Evening with Philip Glass

Floogee, his best friend, and I were lucky enough to get tickets to see Philip Glass speak at the Corcoran about Chuck Close, whose work is hanging in a gallery upstairs. It was one of those experiences that I feel lucky to be a part of, living near D.C.

Basically Glass just sat at a table and spoke for a couple hours on whatever crossed his mind. One of my favorite things that he said was this:

Drawing is about seeing, dance is about moving, music is about listening. Poetry, by the way, is about speaking.

You could say it's overly reductive and essentialist, but I think there's something elegant about that statement.

(Yes, I also think there's something pretentious about THAT statement, but whatever.)

Hank Williams III at the 9:30 Club, September 5, 2010

This was a really weird show. The moment we walked in, we were set on edge by the extremely testosterone-y crowd. They seemed to be there to get really drunk and obnoxious, and had a weird tea-bagger vibe. Plus our favorite place by the bar was taken by a bunch of redneck wannabes in ripped gas-station-attendant shirts, so we were probably predisposed toward grumpiness.

As is apparently standard for him, Hank Williams III started off the show with a neotraditional country-western set. I actually like this style and know a fair amount about the honky-tonk greats (Hank Sr., Dock Boggs, Lefty Frizzell). But I thought Hank 3 was incredibly inauthentic. It was like he was co-opting the broad style of his grandfather for the sake of selling tickets and melding it with the commercialism and unintelligent song-writing of his father. He had the traditional instruments and twangy sound and all his songs were about drinking and carousing, but there didn't seem to be any sophistication or self-reflection behind it. After a few songs, he was joined on stage with the singer (drummer? sound guy? I didn't catch that) for his speed-metal band, Assjack. He had the vocal stylings of a chainsaw, one of countless other lame, douche-y metal yellers that perform songs about misogyny, necrophilia, and how unfair their parents are. Most of their songs were about rebelling, and I couldn't help but think, What the hell are you rebelling against? Your privileged upbringing? Your upper-middle-class roots? The opportunities you've been given? Whatever, asshole.

(You can also read Floogee's take on the show.)

Beautiful day at Watkins Park

Today was one of those beautiful late-summer days when the weather is just perfect and you know you have to spend most of it outside. So we hopped in the car and headed down to Watkins Park.

Thea rode a carousel horse all by herself for the first time!

Liam is still more comfortable on the bench.

We also rode the train:

And visited the animals.

Goodbye, summer!

Guess who lost her first tooth!!

Sushi? I love sushi!

Last night, Floogee and I took the kids out for sushi at Tako Grill in Bethesda, a promise to Thea because she missed out on the sushi-extravaganza on Liam's special day. We ate our faces off.

Liam, like last time, ate the avocado and California rolls, but he especially loved the tofu in the miso soup.

Thea loved the avocado and yellowtail and scallion rolls, the seaweed salad, and the edamame.

My other charming and patient dinner companion and I loved it all, especially the sake.