Here’s to better days ahead …

A while back I posted a notice about the first annual, sex-positive journalism awards called The Sexies. Well, I’m shameless and nominated myself for my Las Vegas CityLife cover story Hot and Bothered. I won first-runner-up in the feature news category. So there you go. And just in case you think this is a chumpy award, I’ll have you know that New York Times and Washington Post writers are winners in this year’s group!

Did anyone see the LA Times story about the health risks of vinyl shower curtains? Scary stuff. Apparently, the beasties emit toxic chemicals in high enough concentrations that they could cause damage to the central nervous, respiratory and reproductive systems. Seven of the chemicals, including toluene, ethylbenzene, phenol, methylisobutyl ketone, xylene, acetophenone and cumene are considered hazardous air pollutants by the EPA. In addition, phthlatates, organtoins and vinyl chloride (part of PVC), are also commonly used in or on vinyl shower curtains. Yikes!

On the anniversary of testimony to Congress that first brought the term “global warming” to public light, NASA scientist tells Congress we’re in some serious trouble.

Looks like the Fag  Bug movie is coming out soon.

I write with a heavy heart that my father-in-law has died of pancreatic cancer. He passed away Wednesday morning. (Here is the obit I wrote for him.) It is a hard time. I hope you all keep up the good fight in my absence as I spend time with my family. Give ‘em hell for me and I look forward to brighter days when I will be back in the fight.

How wonderful that Gov. Jim Gibbons found the time in his busy texting schedule (850 texts in a 5-week period, impresive!) and divorce proceedings to call a special session of the state legislature to, you know, deal with our crushing $1-billion-and-counting budget deficit. What a multi-tasker!

I’m sure it’s not meant to distract us from the recent excitment of his private life and misuse of state equipment. Or maybe it’s the most expensive distraction from a scandal GW Jr. could manage! Did you know that a special session costs approximately $50,000 a day? Gosh, that would sure buy a lot of textbooks, especially after those 14%-across-the-board cuts from all state agencies Gibby’s mandating.

I could really go for a good protest right about now.

Wow - what news to come home to! GW Jr., aka Gibbons, takes things to a whole new low level with the texting scandal. I’m no technical guru, but I think the first rule of texting is to not do it with your mistress on gadgets that can be subpeoned. And is his device government-owned? Cause then it’s public record — even dumber on his part.

So I’m on the last day of a conference in Portland in my old home state of Oregon. I try not to miss Oregon since I am now a Nevadan, but sometimes it feels like coming here is like sending an alcoholic to a bar. There are so many things about Portland that I think would be awesome to transplant to our growing community in Las Vegas. For instance, right now I am waiting for my lunch in a locally owned café on Hawthorne called the Cup and Saucer Café. They have just celebrated their 20^th anniversary. They only use cage-free, antibiotic-free eggs, compost their food waste and have invested in wind power. On the corkboard on the way in I saw a sign for “awesome queer authors night.” Where could you find a café like that in Southern Nevada?

Meanwhile, all up down this street and on adjacent streets, people are walking, taking public transit (which runs exceptionally well), carrying their purchases in reusable shopping bags and the like. Did I mention it’s 60 degrees, cloudy and threatens to rain any minute? So it’s not the great weather that gets people out on the streets. It’s a community-oriented lifestyle. All down the street are independent cafes, pubs, and about a jillion record shops, antique and thrift stores, and on and on. Admittedly, I’m in one of the trendy hipster neighborhoods, but frankly, a lot of what is right about this scene happens all over Oregon.

So the question is, how do transplant what is working in Portland (and it’s not a paradise or perfect by any stretch), to our burdgeoning, progressive community and movement. While part of what is happening here grows organically, another big part of it is leadership in the community, the right kind of civic planning and the right level of engagement from the community itself. There’s plenty to learn from here. And that is what I try to focus on as I sit here, rather than my jonesing for my old life here. And anyway, part of that has to be nostalgia for my youth, right? (Don’t tell me if it’s not.)

In the meantime, let’s say I’ve gone undercover to absorb the good parts of the NW ethos and plan to bring it home with me to sweet Las Vegas. It’s hard to look honestly sometimes at the true challenges ahead of us in “Sin City.” Coming to conferences like this sometimes hammer it home. In many ways Las Vegas is still a very young community.  But with that we have enormous opportunity to shape how we grow and what happens next. We have an amazing opportunity to steer the conversation, to mobilize and create the kind of progressive, urban landscape we want to see in Las Vegas.

Even as I miss the NW, in some ways it is energizing me for the work to come and what is possible in Las Vegas. We can do this. And you know what? I’m actually really looking forward to going home.

On Friday I helped register new citizens to vote following the new citizenship ceremonies at the Federal Building. It was so awesome! Sometimes the people, holding little American flags, came right up to us as soon as they got out of the ceremony because they were ready to get registered! It was amazing and sort of emotional for me. A few times members of their families took pictures of them registering to vote! Isn’t that awesome? I wish everyone had that kind of enthusiasm about participating in the democratic process. We could all learn something from our country’s newest citizens.