JCPenney is making a lot of changes. For one, they are are now jcpenney. For two, Ron Johnson is now at the helm. And today, on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Ellen will announce that she's their new spokesperson. Surprising? Maybe. But things are shaking up over there. Rumor has it...
Posted January 24, 2012 | 1/24/12
If you didn't know it was real, you might think it was an episode of Law and Order. Fraud, threats, back alley pacts and over 400,000 victims. But, sadly, this story is the real thing. In the '90s, six million Americans took fen-phen, a diet pill combo that was billed...
4 Comments | Posted January 23, 2012 | 1/23/12
Just when I think I can no longer be shocked by politicians' behavior, this comes along. It's not the fact that Newt Gingrich's ex-wife claims he wanted an open marriage that I find so shocking. Not at all. Maybe he did. Maybe he didn't.
The issue that has me...
Posted December 15, 2011 | 12/15/11
My little sister's partner just gave birth to their first baby. She's six weeks old. I have a daughter myself who will be 13 in April. I flew out to Portland, Ore., last week to see the new baby and to lend a hand. My sister is back at work...
Posted November 21, 2011 | 11/21/11
On Saturday, Nov. 12, over 3,000 people got together and raised more than $1 million to support HRC (Human Rights Campaign) and a variety of other LGBT-focused North Texas charities.
Black Tie Dinner celebrated its 30th anniversary this year, and it was quite the star-studded event. Just after we...
Posted November 12, 2011 | 11/12/11
On Sunday, November 13, "From the Catwalk to the Sidewalk" opens at the Dallas Museum of Art. It's the first U.S. stop on the tour and it's sure to stop some hearts. I previewed the show yesterday and had the chance to meet Gaultier as well as his longtime model...
Posted November 10, 2011 | 11/10/11
It's easy to forget what Veteran's Day really means, whom it's really about, and why it's so important. It's easy to forget the men and women who have served. And it's easy to forget that they are not always all honored fairly and equally.
When German torpedoes off the...
Posted November 4, 2011 | 11/4/11
Last week Dallas played host to the Out & Equal Workplace Summit at the Hilton Anatole. More than 2,500 conferencegoers from 26 countries came to town to talk about LGBTQ issues in the workplace. But they also came to celebrate the remarkable strides that have been made, as...
Posted October 7, 2011 | 10/7/11
It's not about the perfect dress or the perfect flowers or the perfect food. It's not about the perfect first dance or the perfect venue or the perfect band. In fact, the perfect wedding is not about perfect at all.
The perfect wedding is about knowing yourself.
I...
Posted August 4, 2011 | 8/4/11
Every summer, for twelve years, I've gone to the same writers' retreat in the mountains of Southwest Virginia at a place called Nimrod Hall. The main house was built in 1783 and the property has slowly expanded into a number of outbuildings. There's running water and electricity -- but...
Posted August 3, 2011 | 8/3/11
Most places change over time and some change the people who visit them. Nimrod Hall is definitely the latter. In the Wood family since the early 1900s, Nimrod looks (and feels) today just as it did then. And as anyone who has ever been will tell you, Nimrod changes you....
Posted July 21, 2011 | 7/21/11
Someone told me years ago that the short story was dead. Either they were terribly (and thankfully) wrong or poet and writer Cathryn Hankla didn't get the memo. Her new collection of stories, Fortune Teller Miracle Fish is more than alive -- it's kicking.
Like a sauce...
Posted January 15, 2011 | 1/15/11
I knew that the trip would change my life. But I never even imagined that the gear would too.
The trip was a beginner's rock climbing camp in Joshua Tree. Climbing instructor Matt Walker invited me after we met in a climbing lesson at Miraval resort in...
Posted January 4, 2011 | 1/4/11
Someone recently asked me to list all of the places I've been in the world. It took me a while and I had to use the refrigerator magnets to help me remember, but I think I did it. I got close anyway.
It amazed me once I saw it...
Posted November 5, 2010 | 11/5/10
The Answer? Both
I've always liked the idea of camping. It's the actual camping that I took issue with. Sleeping on the ground. Dodging bugs. Eating food cooked on sticks. Not exactly my idea of a good time.
But night skies full of stars. Campfires with s'mores. Spending the...
Posted October 12, 2010 | 10/12/10
The idea of going on a cruise causes many a traveler to hyperventilate. What if we miss the boat? Won't it be too many people? Where do I put all my stuff? Will I have to shower over the toilet? Do we have to sit with the same people at...
Posted August 30, 2010 | 8/30/10
Well, well, well. Just when I thought I had seen it all. Along comes Book 22, the online sex toy and accessory shop for married Christians only. (Although I don't think they check your ID...) Sure, it's a bit exclusionary for my taste personally. But at least they've...
Posted August 5, 2010 | 8/5/10
This year for Memorial Day Weekend, I went to a music and arts festival outside of Los Angeles called Lightning in a Bottle (LIB). Some call it a baby Burning Man since it has the same intent but much less harsh conditions....
Posted August 4, 2010 | 8/4/10
Every summer, for as long as I can remember, my family would spend a month on our sailboat. Me, my mom, my dad, and my little sister sailing up and down the Chesapeake Bay on our 28' Pearson, the Jenny Rebecca. I loved those summers. Playing Yahtzee. Rowing the dinghy...
Posted July 22, 2010 | 7/22/10
I know this might sound crazy, but it's true. Everything I ever needed to know about sex -- and life for that matter -- I learned from stepping off a telephone pole. It wasn't what I would have expected when I signed on for a sex workshop at
Posted January 25, 2012 | 1/25/12