Self-promotion

This Sunday, July 17, I am dancing my first solo at the Middle East during the open floor session. I'll be going on sometime after 9:30, just for 4-5 minutes, but it's a pretty big deal to me because the Middle East is the cradle of belly dance civilization in Boston. So, if you feel like going out for a late dinner or a nice pint of drink, I'd be thrilled to see friendly faces in the crowd (well, thrilled or panicked--I can't figure out which). No cover charge, no drink/food minimum, though the waitresses may get justifiably pissy with you if you sit at a booth or table without ordering anything, since you then cut into their tips.

(Speaking of tips--by no means am I asking you to tip me, but as a public service announcement, if you should care to tip a belly dancer at the Middle East, watch how other people do it first. Usually they shower the money (anywhere from $2-3 to lots) over her head, or toss it joyfully in the air at her. Somebody will pick it all up for the dancer when she's done. Attempted body-tipping will not be appreciated by most dancers and definitely not by the management, and may get you thrown out, even if you've seen it done at other venues in the Boston area. :-)

You tell 'em, Ted!

Senator Kennedy tore into Santorum today on the Senate floor for his remarks about the climate of Massachusetts liberalism and the resultant inevitability of the Catholic church child abuse scandals and demanded an apology to the people of Boston and Massachusetts--it's breaking character a bit for Kennedy to get all ad hominem, but I for one am very glad he did, speaking as a born-and-raised Massachusetts liberal. I reproduce his entire statement to the Senate under the cut-tag, since frames prevent me from linking to it directly on his site--I guess since it's a press release, it's fine for me to reproduce it here anyway. If you feel so moved, go to Kennedy's website, click on contact, and tell him you approve of what he did--it makes a difference for politicians to hear these things. Even if you are not a Ted Kennedy fan, I believe he acted as a true representative of all of the people of Massachusetts by making this statement.

( Rick Santorum owes an immediate apology... )

though I have to confess to being amused by the press release headline: "KENNEDY DEFENDS BOSTON FROM SANTORUM ATTACKS," both in the sense of picturing them dogfighting it out up in the sky and things I am trying not to picture involving the Dan Savage definition of santorum.