This morning brought the winds of lively national conversation through the open window of 801a. With today (finally) bringing our nation its first primary, the rules of polite company were broken as we shared our opinions on this exciting race.

Rhetoric was kept mostly at the level of observation, rather than attempts at persuasion. Democrats all, Andy reminded us that any of our major contenders would likely make an excellent president. As Geoff would say, we were clearly in a “safe space.”

It turns out Renda [last name withheld] is registered to vote in two different states. Where would her vote count most? And who would she cast it for? The wheels were visibly turning. Her flirtation with NYC’s own RENT IS TOO DAMN HIGH PARTY led Andy to discover that they endorse McCain, shortly before Renda learned that they were also openly anti-semitic. A shame, as their website is among the best I’ve seen.

Holly and I did a little assenting — and Andy did a little dissenting — with Gloria Steinem’s Op-Ed in the Times today. She postulates that Obama’s “appeal to the heart” strategy combined with his thin résumé would almost certainly lead to electoral failure if he were a woman. Perhaps aware that the decidedly feminist presidential moment widely thought inevitable was likely derailed, we spent some moments reminiscing about our mothers’ politics. Thinking about the unlikelihood of a gay presidential candidate being taken seriously, I noted the continued need for feminist roll models; to me it seems that the continued renovation of our assumptions about what strength looks like would benefit my community too.

It was noted that despite his good position on gay marriage, Kucinich claims to have seen UFOs, and some research on his wife was performed.

I divulged that I voted for Sharpton in 2004.

The conversation ended after about thirty minutes, as we shifted to puzzling over the phenomenon of vegans who eat bacon.

Teen Works: an exciting program that answers questions on fashion, beauty, dating, friendship and lots more…Virtually no information exists on the internet about Teen Works, but it played a seminal role in this young woman’s pre-teen years. Teen Works was a big binder full of all the stuff I wanted to know: makeup tips, how to slouch your socks, what boys really think, how to mix and match for optimal funkiness. Every month new inserts came in the mail, and more secrets were revealed to us. Last month I found a copy of Teen Works at my local Salvation Army. Every week, 801a will use this binder to revisit our adolescence.


This week, we completed a quiz called “How Well Do You Know Your Best Friend?” Some of us were better than others at figuring out who our best friends were. Some of us changed our best friends midway. All of us completed the quiz. Below, we share our data with you.

——-
Out of a polling group of 5:
——-

If your frIend could get up her nerve to invite the guy she likes on an inexpensive date, she’s most likely take him:

——-

How many presidents of the United States can your friend name?

——-

Your friend sometimes wishes she:

——-

Chocolate chip, oatmeal, peanut butter… How many different types of cookies has your friend made?

——-

Your friend would describe her home life as

——-

When talking to a guy, your friend is most nervous about:

——-

Does your friend know who won last year’s World Series and Super Bowl?

——-

Is your friend planning to go to college someday?

PART II: Fill in the blanks

Her favorite TV SHOW is:
Andrew: 30 Rock
Geoff: Arrested Development
Renda: Man vs. Wild
Holly: Something on the Discovery Channel, I guess
Andy: Whatever baseball game is on TV.

Her FAVORITE SONG is:
Andrew: something by Pernice Brothers
Geoff: something by Stars
Renda: Every Day I Die at Maggie’s by Ariel Pink
Holly: Every Hall and Oates song ever made
Andy: D.A.N.C.E. by Justice

Her FAVORITE RELATIVE is:
Andrew: aunt
Geoff: brother
Renda: nephew, “The Baby”
Holly: mother
Andy: mom

Her FAVORITE PERFUME is:
Andrew: no earthly idea
Geoff: no answer
Renda: We picked it out at Bloomingdales. It comes in a black bottle. I told him ladies would like it.
Holly: from Commes des Garcons
Andy: musk – some sort of raw and natural scent

Her ALL-TIME FAVORITE TEACHER is:
Andrew: Tom Perratta
Geoff: Don’t know
Renda: Renee
Holly: don’t know
Andy: Wilhem Dilthey

Her FAVORITE ACTRESS is:
Andrew: no idea
Geoff: Goldie Hawn in “Overboard”
Renda: Debbie Harry
Holly: Don’t know
Andy: Maggie Chung

Her FAVORITE FLAVOR of ICE CREAM is:
Andrew: Strawberry
Geoff: I can’t picture her with ice cream
Renda: Ben and Jerry’s with cookie dough with cherries and whip cream, home made caramel, mixed together
Holly: green tea?
Andy: anything dumb and childlike, like Slimer’s Ectoblast ice cream

———-

Notes: Andrew changed his best friend while taking this quiz. He learned more about friendship. Holly’s best friend was a vague composite of several best friends, until the fill in the blanks when she just chose one of them.

BLIND ITEM TO BE REVEALED NEXT WEEK: Who are these best friends???

The Safe Space is a zone of trust where you can feel comfortable, say, donning a rainbow unitard and “dancing” your “feelings”. It’s a hand holding circle in which you can vocalize your shadow animal. Or maybe its just a friendly lunch table where you can bitch about Carol in accounting.

But perhaps the best way to define the Safe Space is by example. It can be elusive, but—like pornography—you know the Safe Space when you’re in it. The clip below is a product of this idea, and this is precisely the type of dream it can bring to life. Be sure to stay tuned for the dance part towards the end, and remember… I’m here for you. We’re here for you. And no one wants you to succeed more than us.