Game, set and match... music, maestro!
This article is more than three years old, but I'm posting it anyway. It's an interesting read... I mean, what could be more interesting than gay penguins? 
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 PHOTO: The New York Aquarium |
Wendell and Cass, two penguins at the New York Aquarium in Coney Island, Brooklyn, live in a soap opera world of seduction and intrigue. Among the 22 male and 10 female African black-footed penguins in the aquarium's exhibit, tales of love, lust and betrayal are the norm. These birds mate for life. But given the disproportionate male-female ratio at the aquarium, some of the females flirt profusely and dump their partners for single males with better nests.
Wendell and Cass, however, take no part in these cunning schemes. They have been completely devoted to each other for the last eight years. In fact, neither one of them has ever been with anyone else, says their keeper, Stephanie Mitchell.
But the partnership of Wendell and Cass adds drama in another way. They're both male. That is to say, they're gay penguins.
This is not unusual. "There are a lot of animals that have same-sex relations, it's just that people don't know about it," Mitchell said. "I mean, Joe Schmoe on the street is not someone who's read all sorts of biology books."
One particular book is helpful in this case. Bruce Bagemihl's "Biological Exuberance," published in 1999, documents homosexual behavior in more than 450 animal species. The list includes grizzly bears, gorillas, flamingos, owls and even several species of salmon.
"The world is, indeed, teeming with homosexual, bisexual and transgendered creatures of every stripe and feather," Bagemihl writes in the first page of his book. "From the Southeastern Blueberry Bee of the United States to more than 130 different bird species worldwide, the 'birds and the bees,' literally, are queer."
In New York, it's the penguins.
At the Central Park Zoo, Silo and Roy, two male Chinstrap penguins, have been in an exclusive relationship for four years. Last mating season, they even fostered an egg together.
"They got all excited when we gave them the egg," said Rob Gramzay, senior keeper for polar birds at the zoo. He took the egg from a young, inexperienced couple that hatched an extra and gave it to Silo and Roy. "And they did a really great job of taking care of the chick and feeding it."
Of the 53 penguins in the Central Park Zoo, Silo and Roy are not the only ones that are gay. In 1997, the park had four pairs of homosexual penguins. In an effort to increase breeding, zookeepers tried to separate them by force. They failed, said Gramzay.
Only one of the eight bonded with a female. The rest went back to same-sex relationships, not necessarily with the same partner. Silo and Roy, long-time homosexuals, got together (or pair-bonded, in official penguin lingo) after that failed experiment.
At the New York Aquarium, no one suspected Wendell and Cass were gay when they first bonded. Penguins don't have external sex organs, so visually there's no surefire way to tell whether they are male or female. But over time, people began to wonder.
In all the years they had been together, neither Wendell nor Cass laid an egg. This was unusual because the keepers knew they copulated regularly. They had often seen Wendell submit to Cass, the more dominating of the two. But one day, a keeper saw Wendell on top.
When penguins have sex, the female lies on her belly and the male climbs on top with his feet and puts his rump around her rump. Then their cloacas (sexual organs) meet, and the sperm is transferred into the female. It's called the cloacal kiss.
Wendell and Cass were clearly kissing both ways. So in 1999, the aquarium did a blood test to determine their gender. It proved they were both male.
Today, they are one of the best couples at the aquarium. "Sometimes they lie on the rocks together," Mitchell said. "They're one of the few couples that like to hang out together outside their nest."
Wendell and Cass have a highly coveted nest. During mating season, several other penguins have tried to steal it. Cass, a fierce fighter, kept them at bay. (Wendell, on the other hand, is "afraid of his own shadow," said Mitchell.)
The appeal of their nest is the location: high up, close to the water and the feeding station. Rumors that they keep the neatest nest at the aquarium because they're gay are not true.
"These are penguins," said Mitchell. "They poop in their nest. Nobody's got a clean nest."
I got a new tennis crush. Robby Ginepri, you're another great reason to watch men's tennis. 
Don't worry Andy, I still love your ass. And those lips. And... Oh what the heck I love you both.
OK, iPod has a Top 25 list, but decided to make it just 20 because there are too many ties at the bottom.
20. The Roof by Mariah Carey
18. Ikaw by the UST Singers
18. Adagio for Strings (Agnus Dei) by Samuel Barber, sung by the King's College Choir
18. He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother by the AI4 Finalist (just because Bo Bice sings very prominently here) 
14. Almost Over You by Sheena Easton
14. Sing It Back by Moloko
14. Bringin' on the Heartbreak by Mariah Carey
14. Ave Maria by Lauridsen, sung by the Los Angeles Master Chorale
14. Alone by Heart
10. Barcelona by Russel Watson and Shaun Ryder
10. Hollaback Girl by Gwen Stefani
10. Cannonball by Damien Rice
7. Stay the Night by Mariah Carey
7. Cool by Gwen Stefani
7. Inside Your Heaven by Bo Bice (so much better than Carrie's)
4. I Can't Make You Love Me by George Michael
4. Barcelona by Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballe
4. Don't Phunk With My Heart by the Black Eyed Peas
2. The Blower's Daughter by Damien Rice
1. We Belong Together by Mariah Carey
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Just posted this because I didn't want to think of anything else.
I've seen much better days than the last month or so. After that unforgettable Spanish vacation I seem to have sunk into a prolonged slump, aggravated by quite a number of factors -- the weather, being single again after a long time, lack of motivation to work, etc etc.... I've been keeping myself busy by taking up cooking, playing more tennis and badminton, going to the gym more and keeping myself constantly abreast of local politics via the TV and newspaper (maybe that's also a big reason for this depression).
I mentioned being single again. There's a bit of an emptiness inside, but it doesn't really stem from missing my ex per se. Hey, ex#5 actually got together with ex#4 (who I had dumped for ex#5 over a year ago) just two days after we broke up. Weird thing was that ex#4 had been crying his eyes out professing his love for me just a week before they got together. Ain't that swell? But seriously, it doesn't really bother me, and I sincerely wish for their happiness.
Being single again has given me a lot of time to focus on myself, and a lot of times I am so thankful for the freedom to do as I please. So why is being single again also bringing me down? Maybe it's just the lack of a companion or person to talk to anytime you feel lonely or down, especially at this point when I'm in the doldrums. Maybe it's withdrawal from that short-lived romance in Spain, which thankfully I quickly got over. Maybe I miss that emotional whirlwind from falling head over heels for someone. A lot of maybes, but the reality is that I know I have to live with being single for a while, especially since I might be leaving the country before the year ends, and since I've become more cynical yet also wiser about love. No more rushing headlong into relationships. No more promises I can't keep. I don't even care much for casual sex anymore. I'm growing old, I know.
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Incidentally, for the first time two nights ago I listened carefully to the lyrics of Diane Reeves' Better Days. I didn't know it had such an interesting and inspiring lyric. I had only thought of it as some singing contest-karaoke-comedy bar-birit-diva favorite. I mean, who could resist these lines? "Now she's flying, and sliding, and gliding in be-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-etter days" and "I can hear her say, I-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i can hear her say..."
Better days will come. I know it deep down to the ends of my toes.
I'm so happy for my girl Venus. Being the eldest child, I could empathize with Venus (being the older sister to Serena) going from #1 in the world to #2 in the family and further below in the world rankings. Her game at Wimbledon this year really shone, a far cry from the 12 months or so, where I would normally cringe at her growing inconsistency and seeming lack of passion.
Could Roger Federer truly be the best tennis player ever? The way he played at Wimbledon this year (especially his demolition of Hewitt and Roddick), it certainly feels possible. I loved the article below, mostly due to Roddick's wit and candor, but also the testament to Federer's overwhelming talent.
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WIMBLEDON, England (AP) -- Andy Roddick is just about running out of superlatives to describe Roger Federer. ``He's probably as close as has been to unbeatable,'' Roddick said. ``I feel like I played decent and the stats are decent, and I got straight-setted. I'm not going to sit around and sulk and cry. I did everything I could.'' Federer beat Roddick in a second consecutive Wimbledon final, 6-2, 7-6 (2), 6-4 Sunday. That makes it three years in a row Roddick has lost to the Swiss star at Wimbledon, including the 2003 semifinals. Federer improved to 9-1 overall against Roddick, who is 32-0 against everyone else on grass since 2003. Roddick has won just one of 10 sets in their three Wimbledon showdowns, and Federer is 7-1 in tiebreakers. ``He's the most physically gifted I've played against,'' said Roddick, who walked around the net to hug and congratulate Federer after the match. ``But he's become a mental force, too.'' Roddick said Federer played ``head and shoulders'' above last year's final. ``I feel like if I played the way I did this year versus the way I was playing last year, I'd probably win,'' Roddick said. Roddick's coach, Dean Goldfine, said the 2003 U.S. Open champion was gaining confidence against Federer by trying new tactics. ``I think there's things that Andy could do to be effective against Roger,'' Goldfine said. ``It's all a learning process. ... His net game is getting better and that's obviously one of the keys. If you sit back there and let Roger hit from the baseline and don't pressure him, it's tough.'' Since Roddick's breakthrough in New York, none of the last seven Grand Slam tournaments has been won by an American man, the longest such drought in 16 years. After losing to Federer in last year's final at the All England Club, Roddick quipped that he ``threw the kitchen sink at him, but he went to the bathroom and got a tub.'' On Sunday, while holding the runner-up trophy, Roddick said with a smile that he would consider punching Federer before future matches. Later, he said he just hoped Federer would get bored of playing. ``It's hard for him because I really played a fantastic match -- one of the best in my life,'' said Federer, who won his third straight Wimbledon title. ``I won't get bored so quickly, so I'm sorry.'' Roddick joked his way through the postmatch news conference, even making his dour English moderator laugh. ``I finally got a laugh out of you,'' Roddick said, turning away from the reporters and pointing to the Wimbledon official. ``They're easy, but ...'' Roddick was seeded second at Wimbledon -- two places higher than his ranking and one spot ahead of No. 2-ranked Lleyton Hewitt, who lost to Federer in the semifinals. Roddick said Federer might be the best player ever. ``You're not stretching far to make that argument,'' he said. ``If he keeps up this level, then I think so. I don't know many people in history who would beat him.'' At 22, Roddick said he isn't frustrated to have Federer, who is a year older, as a potential career nemesis. ``If you can't compete against the best and beat the best, then you don't deserve to win these titles,'' Roddick said. ``And that's what I'm faced with right now.'' It also doesn't help that Federer is one of the most popular players on tour. ``I've told him before 'I'd love to hate you, but you're really nice,''' Roddick said. Roddick was asked if he had anything negative to say about Federer. ``Well, he cut his hair,'' Roddick said, referring to Federer's one-time ponytail. ``That's all we had going for us before. If I said anything else, it would be out of jealousy or out of me wanting to win or out of spite.'' Roddick still feels proud of reaching his third Grand Slam final. ``I'm not going to sit here and beat myself up about ... losing to a guy that everybody here is debating whether he's the best of all time or not,'' Roddick said. ``I'm not going to ruin what I've accomplished just because he was better than me today.''
Roddick marvels at Federer's greatness
By KRYSTYNA RUDZKI, AP Sports Writer
July 3, 2005
Much as local politics is consuming most everyone's time right now, I don't want to get into a lengthy discussion about it, although I do feel quite strongly about what's happening. (I even finished the Congress session last night on ANC just to listen to the 30-minute almost unintelligible "Gloriagate" recordings.) I just want this politicking to stop and let the President do her job. I mean, whoever you put in the President's place is bound to receive loads of criticism, and from the current state of Philippine politics, also have the opposition trying to topple him or her from power in whatever way possible. Such a sad, sad affair, really.
Still, there's another reason to rejoice elsewhere in the world. Just wanted to post it here to mark this landmark event.
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Spain OKs Gay Marriage, Defying Opponents
By MAR ROMAN, Associated Press Writer Thu Jun 30, 8:56 AM ET
MADRID, Spain - Parliament legalized gay marriage Thursday, defying conservatives and clergy who opposed making traditionally Roman Catholic Spain the third country to allow same-sex unions nationwide. Jubilant gay activists blew kisses to lawmakers after the vote.
The bill is now law. The Senate, where conservatives hold the largest number of seats, rejected the bill last week. But it is an advisory body and final say on legislation rests with the Congress of Deputies.
After the final tally was announced, gay and lesbian activists watching from the spectator section of the ornate chamber cried, cheered, hugged, waved to lawmakers and blew them kisses.
Several members of the conservative opposition Popular Party, which was vehemently opposed to the bill, shouted: "This is a disgrace." Those in favor stood and clapped.
The Netherlands and Belgium are the only other two countries that allow gay marriage nationwide. Canada's House of Commons passed legislation Tuesday that would legalize gay marriage; its Senate is expected to pass the bill into law by the end of July.
Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero noted this in debate before the vote.
"We were not the first, but I am sure we will not be the last. After us will come many other countries, driven, ladies and gentlemen, by two unstoppable forces: freedom and equality," he told the chamber.
Zapatero said the reform of Spanish legal code simply adds one dry paragraph of legalese but means much more.
He called it "a small change in wording that means an immense change in the lives of thousands of citizens. We are not legislating, ladies and gentlemen, for remote unknown people. We are expanding opportunities for the happiness of our neighbors, our work colleagues, our friends, our relatives."
Zapatero lacks a majority in the chamber but got help from small regional-based parties that tend to be his allies.
Spanish gay couples can get married as soon as the law is published in the official government registry. This could come as early as Friday, or within two weeks at the latest, parliament's press office said.
Popular Party leader Mariano Rajoy said after the vote that Zapatero has deeply divided Spain and should have sought a consensus in parliament that recognized same-sex unions but didn't call them marriage. Rajor said that if the vast majority of countries in the world don't accept gay marriage, including some run by Socialists, there must be a reason.
"I think the prime minister has committed a grave act of irresponsibility," Rajor told reporters.
Beatriz Gimeno, a longtime leader of the gay rights movement in Spain, held back tears as she hugged her partner Boti after the vote.
"It is a historic day for the world's homosexuals. We have been fighting for many years," Gimeno said. "Now comes the hardest part, which is changing society's mentality."
The gay marriage bill was the boldest and most divisive initiative of the liberal social agenda Zapatero has embarked on since taking office in April 2004. Parliament overhauled Spain's 25-year-old divorce law on Wednesday, also irking the church, by letting couples end their marriage without a mandatory separation or having to state a reason for the split-up, as required under the old law.
He has also pushed through legislation allowing stem-cell research and wants to loosen Spain's restrictive abortion law.
The Roman Catholic Church, which held much sway over the government just a generation ago when Gen. Francisco Franco was in power, had adamantly opposed gay marriage. In its first display of anti-government activism in 20 years, it endorsed a June 18 rally in which hundreds of thousands marched through Madrid in opposition to the bill. Some 20 bishops took part in the June 18 rally.
On Wednesday, a Catholic lay group called the Spanish Family Forum presented lawmakers with a petition bearing 600,000 signatures as a last-minute protest.
Late last year, the spokesman for the Spanish Bishops Conference, Antonio Martinez Camino said that allowing gay marriage was like "imposing a virus on society — something false that will have negative consequences for social life."
Despite the street protests in Madrid and elsewhere and the petition drive, polls suggest Spaniards supported gay marriage.
A survey released in May by pollster Instituto Opina said 62 percent of Spaniards support the government's action on this issue, and 30 percent oppose it. The poll had a margin of error of 3 percentage points. But surveys show Spaniards about evenly split over whether gay couples should be allowed to adopt children.
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Time to go back to Spain, methinks. 
Had a great time in Denmark in Spain, and would love to talk about it but I don't have the energy for it. Somehow even my interest in reading other people's blogs have also waned. I guess when you're so caught up in your own life, it's so hard to care about someone else's. Methinks I gotta put my own house in order first.
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Doesn't it feel weird when a song can speak so truly about how you feel? When every word and every line feel like they've been taken right out of the pages of your life?
Turn down the lightsTurn down the bedTurn down these voices inside my headLay down with me, tell me no liesJust hold me close, don't patronizeDon't patronize me.Cause I can't make you love me if you don'tYou can't make your heart feel something it won'tHere in the dark, in these final hoursI will lay down my heart and I'll feel the powerBut you won't, no you won'tCause I can't make you love me if you don't.I'll close my eyes, then I won't seeThe love you do not feel when you're holding meMorning will come and I'll do what's rightJust give me till then to give up this fightAnd I will give up this fight.Cause I can't make you love me if you don'tYou can't make your heart feel something that it won'tHere in the dark, in these final hoursI will lay down my heart and I'll feel the powerBut you won't, no you won'tCause I can't make you love me if you don't.
…and I were to make a playlist I could listen to over and over again, these are the songs I’d put in it:
1. Tonight, Not Again (Live) by Jason Mraz – Perfect song to start the set. It starts off with catcalls and applause from the audience, which segues into this long electric guitar, percussion, horn and keyboard intro. By the one-minute-and-forty-second mark, Jason enters with his acoustic guitar and soon enough, his resonant voice grips you and never lets go with his trademark adlibs and notes that seem to soar higher and higher as the song progresses. The track finishes off well just short of eight minutes but it always feels a bit too short. Ah, what fleeting bliss. 
2. Toxic by Britney Spears – What the hell is a Britney song doing in this list??? Well I have no particular love for Britney, but I make no apologies for the fact that I love this song. It’s a toss-up between this and Me Against The Music.
3. Dirty Dancing by the Black Eyed Peas – I had to choose a Black Eyed Peas song, and it was either this, Shut Up or Let’s Get Retarded. Dirty Dancing won out.
4. A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton – You gotta love that piano intro. It’s like a sign of great things to come (for the next four minutes at least). Other Vanessa Carlton favorites are Ordinary Day, Pretty Baby and White Houses. (Wait a minute – that’s basically all her releases.)
5. Woman by Maroon 5 – This song is SOOOO SEXY. It just makes you want to sink into that acid jazz groove, as if you were sitting in a dim, smoky room with that pervasive hint of sex in the air. Ooohhlala.
6. Satisfaction by Benny Benassi – After settling into that sexy groove, this song will surely pick you up. Makes me bounce (even on my seat) anytime. Reminds me of Puerto Galera / Boracay / huge doses of alcohol / sweaty bodies, etc. 
7. We Belong Together by Mariah Carey – All hail Queen Mariah. After a well-publicized meltdown a few years back and a total of 15 years in the business, she proves she’s still the one to beat. Her longevity and commercial success are simply impressive, do we still need a rundown? Indeed, the world’s best-selling female artist of all time has nothing more to prove, but she nevertheless adds to her success with We Belong Together, her best track in a long long time.
8. The Blower’s Daughter by Damien Rice – Haunting vocals, heartbreaking melody and lyrics, plus images of Natalie Portman walking down the crowded streets of New York in the movie Closer shot this song up my favorites list instantly. Damien Rice’s other songs don’t disappoint either.
9. He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother by the AI4 Finalists – I’m an AI4 junkie, I admit, and this was really one of their better group songs. I actually like the shorter live version better, but the recorded version ain’t half bad, especially with my favorite Bo Bice figuring very prominently on the track.
10. Agnus Dei (from Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings) by the King’s College Choir – One of the songs I wish I could sing with the choir, although this is a distant possibility considering the high level of difficulty of this piece. I could imagine this song to be hell for the sopranos, especially starting the sixth minute.
11. I Can’t Make You Love Me by George Michael – I wish I had George Michael’s voice. Really. It’s sonorous and incredibly flexible. I love how he sang this (much more than Bonnie Raitt did with the original), which is perhaps why I hated Constantine Maroulis’ dispassionate treatment of this song. Ugh.
12. The Man I Was With You by Jimmy Bondoc – Many times I really miss singing with the band. Sometimes when I hear a new song on the radio that I really like I just wish I could have sung it with them. The Man I Was With You was one song we rehearsed so many times but never actually performed (because the guitarist couldn’t get it right). Too bad, I could actually do a mean version of this (and Let Me Be The One). Sorry, just had to get that out.
13. Hollaback Girl by Gwen Stefani – I’m just lovin’ this song right now. Pharrell weaves his magic once again. I still have to see though if I’ll still love it after a thousand spins.
14. Good Luck by Basement Jaxx feat. Lisa Kekaula – Taken off the Queer Eye for the Straight Guy soundtrack, this upbeat, powerful, get-this-party-started track is the perfect end to this playlist. Makes you wanna lay down the iPod for a while and dance. 
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