It's been a rough season on the wagering front for me; overall I am in the black, but it has been my least-successful year. College football killed me last fall (made out better, and ahead, on the NFL) and while I'm reasonably ahead on college hoops this season, overall it's been my leanest year. At this point I'm simply looking to remain consistent, with the conference and NCAA hoops tournaments coming up...

I don't watch a lot of television; I often don't have the time nor, frequently, the inclination. When I do it's usually either news, sports, documentaries, or movies. Rarely do I follow any programs; I did watch The Sopranos when it was on (Edie Falco was vastly under-rated), and currently follow Mad Men; Season 5 premiers March 25th! (An aside- my all-time fav MM episode, The Suitcase, is on On Demand this week; superb script, superb acting by Jon Hamm and Elisabeth Moss.) But I see ads for programs and so often I wonder "Who the heck watches these shows?!" Who makes time to watch Two And a Half Men, How I Met Your Mother, some of the trashy so-called "reality" programs (where from the ads all it seems people do is argue and fight over inanities) and more. Granted, many people must; they remain on the air, but yikes... I know, it's probably just me :(

What I'm Reading Now: Hard Knocks, Howie Carr (and who could ever write such a book as this: I Hate You, Kelly Donahue ?! :)

Items of note
Sex-changing treatment for kids: It's on the rise A small but growing number of teens and even younger children who think they were born the wrong sex are getting support from parents and from doctors who give them sex-changing treatments, according to reports in the medical journal Pediatrics.
It's an issue that raises ethical questions, and some experts urge caution in treating children with puberty-blocking drugs and hormones... A dilemma. My .02- I do think it would be wiser to wait until they reach the age of, I dunno, 14, maybe 16; as one doctor noted: "It's harmful to have an irreversible treatment too early..."
Gay Marriage a Tough Sell with Blacks in Maryland As a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in Maryland hurtles toward a vote in the legislature this week, a coalition lobbying for its passage has focused much of its efforts on a group of Democrats who could potentially scuttle its success: African-Americans. More: A civil solution to same-sex marriage angst ...the eighth state to legalize same-sex marriage may soon be Maryland, where former vice president Dick Cheney reportedly lobbied Republican state legislators to help pass the bill Friday Maryland's Senate still needs to vote on the legislation; it passed their House by one vote.
14 Beauty Rituals Men Will Never Understand ...besides shoes, what other things do women wear or do for the sake of fashion and beauty that (straight, obviously) men will never be able to wrap their heads around?
Photographer Lillian Bassman on Glamour: "I project what I'm not. What I would like to be."
From Couch To Clutch After being cut twice, Jeremy Lin emerged from the end of the Knicks' bench to inspire victories, debunk stereotypes and dazzle the NBA—while living on his brother's sofa. Some folks have focused on his being Chinese-American but to me what's impressive is a Harvard guy doing so well in the NBA; the Ivy League isn't the Big Ten.

10 on shuffle...
Unity, Desmond Dekker
Dancing With Myself, Billy Idol
Straight Up, Paula Abdul
Medicine, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Ace Of Spades, Motorhead (really! :)
She's A Beauty, The Tubes
Maybe Monday, 'Til Tuesday
My Moon My Man, Feist
Can't Stand Losing You, The Police
State Of Massachusetts, Dropkick Murphys

"I don't predict the future, I don't care about the past/Send them both to DSS now you've had your chance..."

Bought a nice pink Talbot's cardigan sweater the other day; it's cute! Also bought a pair of Nine & Co. black knee-high boots- I didn't own a pair, and I've seen a lot of women wearing knee-high boots recently. Call it shopping therapy if you want but I have been on somewhat of a shopping spree the last several months; I needed to update my wardrobe as is, plus some of my pre-cancer items no longer fit (too big; I've lost, and kept off, a lil weight! :) See? I'm not always Miss Serious And Deep!

Brief health report: re. the cancer itself I'm still doing and feeling fine, wouldn't know I had it if I didn't know. But the chemo-induced neuropathy has gotten more pronounced, and annoying. They did take me off of the drug that primarily causes it (and I went a lot longer on that drug than many colon cancer patients apparently) but it will take time to begin to dissipate. It's like a numbness, a lessened sensitivity, in my fingertips and toes; makes typing, even buttoning or zipping something or tying shoes, opening things, etc... a lil difficult. But considering the alternative... :) Other than that I feel fine- still running indoors dammit but the am temps should start to moderate soon enuf and I can hit the pavement again- yay!

What I'm Reading Now: Citizen Somerville: Growing Up with the Winter Hill Gang, Bobby Martini and Elayne Keratsis

News of note...
Cynthia Nixon: Bald and gay by choice, bisexual by birth Sadly, many self-appointed/self-annointed "leaders" of Big Gay came down on her hard- no dissent from the orthodoxy shall be allowed (and many of these are the same people who bleat about tolerance and "embracing diversity...")
A Gay Time at JCPenney I think the Moms are wrong. Ellen DeGeneres is an American citizen. She has committed no crime. If she wants to promote equality for gays or gay marriage, that is her constitutional right. She should not be dismissed from anything... So let's leave Ellen alone and allow the marketplace to dictate exactly what Americans believe is worthy. That is the American way. Witch hunting against certain people and groups is not. Fair and balanced from Bill O'Reilly.
Male and Female Behavior Deconstructed Hormones shape our bodies, make us fertile, excite our most basic urges, and as scientists have known for years, they govern the behaviors that separate men from women. But how? Now a team of scientists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) has uncovered many genes influenced by the male and female sex hormones testosterone and estrogen that, in turn, govern several specific types of male and female behaviors in mice.
Making Peace With The Past Worth a quick look.
Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue shines spotlight on Olympians Motivation to get in shape...

My favorite Whitney Houston song:

A loss.

GO PATS !!!