Timing, as they say, is everything.

Just Saturday night, my lover and I took a stroll through the Southside to our favorite Cambodian restaurant and passed by a local confectionary called Chocolate Celebrations and the Milkshake Factory.  You may recall a certain Post-Gazette article fawning over two certain members of this family owned business, siblings Dana and Chris Edwards.  Their claim to fame is that both work for the White House.   I blogged about it here.   I wasn't impressed that two Pittsburgh kids work for the war machine presidency while their family makes a living schlepping ice cream to hardworking families who don't know any better.  Call me a liberal. 

Why do I bring this up?  Well, over the 72 hours, I have had visitors from multiple governmental sites surfing over to my little post by typing "Dana Edwards and White House" into their engines.  At first, I thought it was one of the "google myself" things.  But its coming from the House of Representatives, the White House, Securities and Exchange Commission and so forth. 

Just one of those things I keep noticing. 

Dana has friends in high places.  Or gives good milk shake.  

"Maybe the city's in a position to look for some security and let things settle down a bit," said Mr. Onorato. "We don't have elections to distract us."

h/t 2 Political Junkies

The PG's Bob Smizik takes Penn State to task for allowing Portland to ride roughshod over university standards, policies and common decency.

It's not like the Harris incident was the first against Portland. She had a long and documented history on the subject. As far back as 1986, Portland was quoted making an anti-lesbian statement. In such a comparatively unenlightened era, such behavior might be understandable. But to maintain such an attitude over some 20 years speaks to the ignorance of a closed mind -- something that should not be tolerated among leaders at a major university.

And what does the big mac-Daddy of PSU sports himself have to say about the whole thing (he hired Portland back in the day when he was athletic director)?

"She is doing what she wants to do," said Paterno, who hired Portland in 1980 when he was athletic director. "I hired Rene and have always been fond of Rene. I think she has done a great job. If she wants to get out of it, then that is up to her."

Uh huh.  Well, fortunately, he won't be hiring the next coach.  Rumor has it that Pittsburgh's own Suzie McConnell-Serio is at the top of the consideration list.  Now that would be very romantic, but I'd suggest PSU take a moment to ensure that McConnell-Serio "gets" it on LGBTQ issues.  She's on the record as stating that sexual orientation is a "personal choice" and that she'll respect personal choices.  Not exactly a ringing endorsement for affirming lesbian players, but a far cry from the Portland-menace approach.  If McConnell-Serio can keep her attention on the game and the players' behavior related to the game, more power to her. 

But wouldn't it be cool if Penn State hired an openly lesbian coach? 

A few days ago, I received a letter from Mr. Peduto thanking me for attending a house meeting in my neighborhood.  This is how he signed off:

"Together we can move Pittsburgh forward.  Together we can win.  I look forward to working closely alongside you to help build a New Pittsburgh."

Today I received the acknowledge of my campaign contribution which I have to admit was a big chunk for me to fork over.  It was incorrectly adddressed so I called the campaign to get that corrected.  During the course of that conversation, I was fed the whole party line about the reasons why it was in Pittsburgh's best interest for Mr. Peduto to withdraw from the race and why I should still be a true believer. 

It just made me angrier.  Its almost as if I am supposed to just stuff my feelings down and take one for the team with just the slightest suggestion that actually *criticizing* Bill Peduto is a big fat no-no.  Good girls/progressives don't.  I'm supposed to suck it up and go to bat for other progressive candidates. 

Fuck that.  While my learned blogging colleagues around the burghosphere explore the political underbelly of recent events, critique the media response and go all cosa nostra on the Ravenstahl administration, I sit here at my computer staring at these two letters just FEELING ANGRY.  It has only been three days after all.  I'm allowed to be angry.  It is a healthy response to betrayal.  Oops, did I say that?  I mean to tacitly accepting the status quo with regard to Allegheny County Dem politics. 

Its only two years, the staffer told me.  I'm 36.  Two years is a still a proportionately decent amount of my lifetime.  It is 24 months of my payroll taxes and property taxes and sweat equity.  It is countless community meetings and volunteer hours and meals in locally owned restaurants and purchases in local businesses. 

It is two more years of endless telephone calls to Luke's Folly (aka 311) about dumping, dog fighting, marijuana sales, runaway girls, and overgrown lawns.  It is several years of calling 911 from my cell phone so the cops don't show up on my door and rat me out to the local dealers (if they show up).  Its probably another few years of the house next door to me remaining unsold, unkempt and unattractive.  Oh, and that holds true for the other 10 houses for sale on my street. 

Two years is how long it might take for Allegheny County's anti-street violence project to actually try and intervene with the young men on our street.  Of course, in two years they could all be in jail anyway and who needs to worry then?

Two more years of driving out to the Giant Eagle on Camp Horne Road because its clean AND prostitute free.  On a bright note, with extra daylight it is safer to go to our Northside Giant Eagle a bit later in the evening (per the jitney drivers who have urged me away at times). 

So, Mr. Peduto, I look forward to a New Pittsburgh, too.  But over the next two years, I'm going to have to put all my energies into just keeping body and soul together here in my inner-city neighborhood. I'm one of the lucky ones who has a two income family and the privileges of being white.  You may not have noticed that most of the people who showed up at our little neighborhood meeting were white, most of us yuppies.  The following week at another community meeting, the reverse was true.  But you weren't there.  Neither was our actual city council rep (Ms. Payne) or our state rep (Ms. Wagner) or our senator (Mr. Fontana).  I wonder why they couldn't make it?

So while I appreciate the genuine sentiment of Mr. Peduto's campaign worker, I disagree with her philosophy.  She asked me to keep an open mind.  I blew a gasket at that and have to give her credit for listening to me.  My mind is open. 

It is my heart that is closed. 

Our favorite editor over at the CP sticks his toes into the muck that is Ann Coulter's latest brouhaha.  As we mentioned earlier, the Pitt College Republicans have invited Annie to town for a talk on April 1, 2007.  While none of the College Republicans responded to his Potter's request for an interview, he does dig up some interesting facts about $$$.

The price for Ann begins at $20,000.  How the heck can the College Republican's come up with that kind of dough?  Even at a significant discount, you have to wonder ...

Yes, the protestors are ready to make an appearance both inside and outside the event.  That information comes from my assorted queer mailing lists, not the Potter column.

However, I have to make note that the obliviousness so rampant among Pittsburghers seems to have found a new low in the capable arms of Terry Milani, a Pitt student life administrator. 

Still, Milani says, "I don't expect [her appearance] to be contentious. I would expect that, for whatever reason, people would be interested in what she had to say."

Huh.   Maybe she's in charge of the part of student-life that doesn't involve reading the paper or watching news.  The girl part. 

Speaking of girl parts, I was thrilled to see one of my favorite performers featured in this week's edition.  Her name is Colelea and she's someone we've blogged about numerous times in the past.  One thing I like about Colea is that she just doesn't dismiss and turn her back on the mainstream gay community, she doesn't write us all off. 

You marched in last year's PrideFest Parade and said it was about lesbians taking space of their own. What role do gay men play in supporting your agenda?

Gay men have more of a vested interest in capitalism and patriarchy. We do have a lot of oppression in common, but we do have separate issues that are valid. I identify with queer politics and call myself a dyke. I think there have to be separate organizations, not that we don't share the same issues. ... I'm certainly what you'd call a radical feminist. I certainly don't represent the interests of all lesbians.

Here's a tidbit of good gay-tidings!

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Penn State women's basketball coach Rene Portland resigned today, ending a 27-year tenure in which she won 606 games but battled allegations that she discriminated against lesbian players.

Portland resigned last night, the university said in a statement this morning.

Hurrah!  Hurrah!   More later ....

dsf