Must love cats

A few nights ago, I broke my pledge to not go on a date for the rest of 2008 (after a particularly dispiriting dating experience in January). Don’t know why, but I decided to accept an invitation for drinks and so on the night of the full Harvest moon, I took the dating plunge once again. Since I’m in the process of loading all my previously published columns online, it seemed as good a time as any to load this column about a date I had in September 2006.
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“You’re not one of those crazy cat ladies, are you?” Oh, great. A first date, and he’s already got me pegged as a cat-carrying member of the dreaded single-woman-with-cats cartel. He’s waiting for a reply; a smirk on his face and a forkful of pasta Bolognese paused on a one-way trip to his mouth. I take a sip of wine and think. (more…)

Redemption Song

After the week I’ve had, this column from July 2006 rings all too-familiar. If you have my book, Sideways in Sarasota, you’ve read it, but hopefully it will be fresh goods for the rest of you. Read it while you’ve got some Bob Marley in the background.

Nobody likes to go down for the count. None of us want to be so beaten we can’t get back up.

But one of the uncomfortable truths about life is that if you’re not seriously messing up at least every now and again, you’re probably not living your life as fully as you could.

If you’re not getting a little battered and bruised along the way, you’re probably not taking enough chances. (more…)

In defense of SCGs

So here’s what I’ve got against strip clubs: They degrade an entire gender. And, I, for one, think men deserve a lot better than to be degraded.

I know, you’re out there thinking, ‘Sweetie, men can defend themselves. They don’t have to go to strip clubs. None of us wives or girlfriends are out here holding guns to our partner’s heads saying, ‘Go on, honey, have a good time.’”

Well, gosh darnit, guys who go to strip clubs do too need to be defended. They get maligned every day just for hankering to see a little unfamiliar flesh. (more…)

Reality … in the age of chickness

This column first appeared in print in October 2007.

Chick-ness is in the eye of the beholder, right?

That’s all I can say in answer to the deluge (okay, the trickle) of readers who want to know one thing above all else:

“How old are ya, Reality Chick?” (more…)

MC talks about the writing process on Creative Life radio

If you’re interested in listening to my thoughts on the writing process — and probably lots of other topics as well — tune in next Tuesday, November 11th from 9 to 10 am. I’ll be the guest of Elizabeth Van Riper on her “Creative Life” radio program (WSLR 96.5 FM Sarasota Community Radio). (more…)

Of hope and hoops — my letter to Barack

What I want from you, Barack, as my president, is not so terribly different from what I’d want from any man, really.

I want a decent man. One who is measured and calm. One who can inspire and uplift. One who keeps his word.

A man who knows how to work up a sweat, shoot hoop and maybe even swish from the three-point line. Or at least one who doesn’t mind making a fool out of himself trying.

I want a man who helps me believe again. And then once I do – I want that man to give me reason to keep believing. (more…)

In bed with the Bard

I just returned from New England where I was fortunate enough to go back to my alma mater and speak to students, faculty, and folks from the community. It was the most intimidating public speaking experience I’ve ever had — because many of these folks were the very ones who taught me how to think and then helped me discover how to inform my thinking. It was one of the best nights of my life — kind of coming full circle from my college years, returning to campus as a paid speaker and being able to chastise students for not voting, encourage them to become writers (except do it better/earlier/more effectively than I did), and to lecture the very professors who once lectured me. (more…)

Making marriage moral … really moral, not fake moral

I’m passionate about the rights of same-sex couples to marry! Here’s a column I wrote in December 2007 — but it’s doubly important now. Please look into your heart and vote NO on Amendment 2.

Last week, sponsors of a proposal to ban gay marriage in Florida announced that they’ve secured enough signatures to put the question to voters on the 2008 ballot.

Don’t you think the next item on the agenda will be to define precisely who and what qualifies as a “man” or “woman?” Because, after all, once a law exists, someone has to enforce it, and to do that you have to define its components. There’s so much variation in chromosomal make-ups, just how in the heck do they plan on preventing intragender marriage?

I mean, really, with all the mustaches darkening the upper lips of women and all those man-breasts flopping around under golf shirts – just who among us is really “all man” or “all woman?” (more…)

McCain/Palin supporters’ idea of trick or treat

Last night I woke to the sound of someone in my yard. By the time I threw on some clothes and ran outside they were gone … but here’s what they left behind (and no McCain/Palin signs on my street — of which there are four — were touched):

Pounding out the dents in democracy

As if last year’s blow to Sarasota’s election integrity — found in the August 15th 2006 letter from ES&S (Election Systems & Software) that was received but not disclosed to the public by the local Office of Elections — wasn’t enough, this year we have an entire Senate race missing from the absentee ballots mailed to some Sarasota County voters. Even though the number of erroneous ballots was relatively small and action was taken to rectify the situation, this recent blunder by Kathy Dent’s office — which again, was not made public by that office — rips the scab off the wound of the 2006 Jennings/Buchanan voting scandal. (more…)