babies

while i am still light years away from having children, i have to say that they can be pretty damn cute. the ones that don't talk yet, anyway. efe's brother and his wife just brought their little tot, jacob, home from the hospital this week. he was born premature and spent 3 weeks in the NICU. he's doing great now, and he is so freaking adorable. i fed him his bottle yesterday and his personality was coming through -- he'd stop feeding, and then he'd burp, and then start screaming because i didn't put the bottle back in his mouth quick enough. he's got quite an appetite, that one. it's nice being an auntie again.

Dame

Checked out the jazz vocalist who will part of a jazz trio that will perform for the 1st 2 hours at our wedding. I booked her sight unseen, knowing that she performs at Pops, and after checking out some sample tracks of hers on her website.

My mom and I saw her perform at the Speakeasy Supper Club on Devon. AMAZING. She wasn't even singing jazz, which is her specialty. She was there just basically having fun, singing folk and country with a friend of hers, who plays guitar. Her voice is like Julie Andrews', but without any pretention -- just perfect pitch, tone, style -- I was thoroughly impressed, and so pleased that I'll have such a great singer at our wedding.

To hear her sing live, check out her gig schedule on her website. www.elainedame.com

Recused

For the past year and a half I have become intimately acquainted with the topic of inmate abuse at the Cook County Jail. I know that inmate abuse occurs, that it gets covered up, and that guards who complain about it get retaliated against. What I didn't know was the depths that the damn defense attorneys would sink to in trying to prove that none of that actually happens.

3 years into a contentious lawsuit, a month before trial, and while summary judgment motions were being considered by the judge, the Sheriff and his legal henchman sought to have the judge recused. And today they succeeded. On a practical level that means that the judge steps down from the case and that a new judge will be assigned. Both sides will have to expend considerable time and resources bringing the new judge up to speed on the details and legal merits of the case. And if settlement doesn't occur, we'll go to trial with a new judge.

I am disgusted and disheartened. Disgusted at defense counsels' tactics. Disheartened at all the work that has built up to this anticlimax. But also invigorated with that peculiar brand of righteous indignation that comes from knowing that you are right and you have been wronged.

reactionary v. proactive

a series of recent events have made me feel that i need to be more proactive. less talk, more action. more action in terms of finding a suitabe florist (not letting 2 weeks lag between talks) and in making sure male bosses don't pigeonhole my friends in the you're-female-so-you-must-do-my errands bit.

TO BOSSES EVERYWHERE: JUST BECAUSE IT'S NOT ILLEGAL DOESN'T MAKE IT RIGHT -- TREAT WOMEN WITH THE RESPECT THAT THEIR BRAINS AND HARD WORK DEMAND