Reelect Al, already

My boyfriend Al Gore comments on his new Hollywood life after making a movie, as reported by US Weekly:

"I'm in a feud with Lindsay Lohan... She knows what she did."

Oh Al, I thought my affection for you could grow no more.

Quick, what rhymes with DWI?

Ahhh, J.J. He's an easy man to hate when he's good. He's even easier to hate when he's bad.

Redick arrested on DWI charges

Considering I have a friend who personally shared a bowl with J.J. at a traffic light somewhere in Durham, I can't say I'm too terribly surprised at this turn of events.

As long as we're thinking of J.J. - something we try to avoid at all costs, unless we're remembering that time Tyler Hansbrough unleashed a can of whoop-ass on his senior night, or that time he never won a national championship, or that time he cried in his last game, or that time he picked his nose on national TV ... all right, the kid had his moments - why don't we take a moment and revisit his poetry?

Ah, that never fails to warm the cockles of my cold, Dook-hatin' heart.

Billy Preston, now in outta space

Sad news today about the death of "fifth Beatle" Billy Preston. Billy should be remembered for his fantastic talent at organ and piano playing and his great songwriting skills, but he'll always be best known as one of the only outside musicians invited into the Beatles' fold. George asked Billy to play on "Let It Be" as relationships between the Beatles became particularly hostile; Billy's presence made the Beatles act on their best behavior and his musicianship was a welcome spark on songs like "Get Back" and "Let It Be" (see Billy playing with the boys here). He jammed along with the Beatles at the famous rooftop concert and was a great friend to them all in their later careers.

Billy was more than a footnote in the history of the Beatles, though. He wrote some truly great funk songs ("Nothing from Nothing" and "Will It Go 'Round in Circles" being the most famous) and performed some awesome covers (he does a really soulful version of Paul's "Blackbird") and wrote some amazing songs for other people (Joe Cocker's "You Are So Beautiful"). He was a troubled guy throughout his life, but he still sounded great singing and playing "With You I'm Born Again" with Vonzell on American Idol last season.

He and and his killer 'fro will be missed.

Mawwiage

Apparently 20 years ago a woman was more likely to be killed by a terrorist than marry after the age of 40. I can't say from personal experience if this felt true, because 20 years ago I was more concerned with Baby Food Bananas and Pookie the blankie than my potential future spinsterdom. But I can say that reading Newsweek's revisiting of this statement and the issue of women and marriage in general brings a modicum of relief to my ever-aging, still beauless heart.

Marriage is a popular topic in the twentysomething life. Lots of us are in the middle of trying it; the rest of us are freaked out by it, and will continue to be so until we meet someone to go googly-eyed over or until societal and biological pressure drives us to desperation. You can guess which camp I'm firmly in. I really can't imagine being married right now. I'm much too independent, or selfish; same thing, really. But that doesn't mean I don't ever want to give it a go. Just not this decade.

The new Newsweek article has lots of encouraging trends for gals like me. For example, 25 is the median marriage age for women, but for women with graduate degrees it's 29. Relationships are becoming more egalitarian as women earn similar paychecks with men. (There's still a way to go on that one, but that's a subject for another feminist rant.) Around 90% of baby boomers were or are married. So spinsterdom is unlikely, but I might start stockpiling cats just in case.

Thank God things are changing for the better. Thank God I'm not living in Jane Austen's time. I would be quite in trouble if what Lydia says in Pride and Prejudice were still true:

"Jane will be quite an old maid soon, I declare. She is almost three and twenty!"