Ok, I rarely do this (and don’t think I don’t have a damn cute cat), but I’m animal blogging. According to an article in the Daily Mail,

The 12-week-old macaque – who was abandoned by his mother – was close to death when it was rescued on Neilingding Island, in Goangdong Province. After being taken to an animal hospital his health began to improve but he seemed spiritless – until he developed a friendship with a white pigeon. The blossoming relationship helped to revive the macaque who has developed a new lease of life, say staff at the sanctuary.

Now the unlikely duo are never far from each other’s side, but they aren’t the only ones to strike up an unusual friendship. Earlier this year a pig adopted a tiger cub and raised him along with her piglets because his mother couldn’t feed him. And in 2005 a baby dear named Mi-Lu befriended lurcher Geoffrey at the Knowsley Animal Park in Merseyside after she was rejected by her mother.

And who says we can’t all get along? This one’s for you, Mom, to brighten your day.

Wendy Schneider just sent me word of her new documentary, CUT: Teens and Self Injury. The film looks like a much-needed resource in schools, and Wendy is currently seeking a distributor. CUT premiered at the Wisconsin Film Festival in Madison this week. Do check out this glowing review in the Isthmus. Ah, the Isthmus: A paper I once placed a personal ad in during the dark lonely days of grad school only to be answered by someone with whom a friend had already tried to set me up. Total non sequitor there — I blame the chocolate hangover. Anyway, Wendy is setting off on a college screening tour in a few weeks. For those of you on campuses, keep an eye out for this film! More on it all on this MySpace page. Good luck, Wendy, and do keep us posted!

The amazing Samhita over at feministing will be live blogging from the Web of Change conference, an annual gathering connecting folks working at the convergence of online strategy, technology, and social change. It’s held at a place called Hollyhock Center (left), on Cortes Island. Rumors of a hot tub on the beach. Um, how do I score an invitation to that next year?!

First of all, I’m here to report that there is such a thing as a chocolate hangover.

Second, check out the news about this course that Pitzer College media studies professor and documentary filmmaker Alexandra Juhasz is teaching on YouTube. Literally. The course’s subject? The popular role of YouTube!

Class members control most of the class content and YouTube watchers from around the world are encouraged to comment. Mainstream media coverage is all “you’re kidding–college credit for watching YouTube?” But if you ask me, it’s an incredibly innovative venture. I’m eager to see where this leads.

To check out the course and join the conversation, click here. Juhasz is blogging about it all at Media Praxis, a project she’s developing for Mediacommons, where interesting commentary on the project is also underway.

Just got home from a post-reading chocolate fest at Max Brenner’s with Lauren Sandler, Nona W-A, and Marco. I think I’m going to be up all night. I highly recommend ordering mass quantities of chocolate fondue after you read. Assuming you don’t have to be anywhere early the next morning. Is there such thing as a chocolate hangover? I guess I’ll soon find out.

(Thank you, Kelley McMasters and KGB bar, for organizing the reading tonight, and thank you, Sassy girls Kara Jesella and Marisa Meltzer, for your fabulous book! And big shout out to Lauren and Nona for coming! Grandma Pearl: this reading was dedicated to YOU.)

This one comes courtesy of Broadsheet. Apparently, maternity clothing designers are getting hip to the fact that there are (ahem) pregnant brides. I’m not sure if this is another way to glamorize the baby bump in our newly MILF-focused culture, or a long overdue acknowledgment of the fact that weddings and babies don’t always happen in that order. Regardless, as an aspirational late-mom who also plans on tying the knot one of these days soon, I’m kind of into it, even though I’d more likely wear a red dress and cowboy boots when the blessed event occurs (the wedding, not the labor).

Anyway, I’m not sure I believe Maternity Bride’s survey, which claims that 1 in 6 brides are preggers. Still, nice to know there are options for those who are screwing with the traditional order of things and still want to wear the traditional big white dress.

Yesterday, after a piece I wrote (“Wired, She Wrote”) went live, I received the NICEST emails from a handful of women who have been my bloggy mentors, heros, and connectors these past months. Just wanted to send out a heartfelt shout out to you all — Amy Tiemann at MojoMom, Cooper Munroe and Emily McKhann at BlogHer and the Motherhood, Andi Buchanan at MotherTalk — for the amazing work that you do. You inspire me deeply!

And speaking of connecting, I met with Nona Willis-Aronowitz last night over spring rolls and fries. I love her energy. Nona (23-year-old daughter of the much-beloved and recently departed Ellen Willis) is soon to embark on her feminist road trip, as I’ve mentioned here, and I’m eager to hook her up with wired women far and wide. She needs help finding a diverse swath of women ages 18-25 to interview about their connection to or understanding of feminism, and she’s also just looking for folks who are interested in her project and would like to spread word. If this is you, send me an email and I will pass it along to Nona!

O happy day! At last, an article on Hillary that focuses on our problem, not hers. Well, actually, their problem — “them” being older, affluent, highly educated women. Younger women seem to be supporting Hillary in droves.

The October issue of More magazine has a great dialogue between veteran political analyst extraordinaire Donna Brazile and Deborah Tannen, linguistics prof and author most recently of You’re Wearing THAT? Understanding Mothers and Daughters in Conversation. The two pundits speculate on the age gap that’s emerged among Hillary’s female supporters (hint: younger women, women with no more than a high school education, working class women, and women of color support her in droves) and ask an important question: Just what is it that ambivalent, older women — women who say they want to want Hillary but don’t — want to hear?

I remember the comment from a panelist at a political session during BlogHer — that women Hillary’s age feel lesser because Hillary “has it all.” (I repeat my reaction: with all due respect, barf.) Brazile says that the older contingent are less excited than the younger gals are about the mere fact that a woman is running. Tannen adds that we always expect more of Mom than we do of Dad. Is that why W has gotten away with what he has? But I digress. Age gap aside, Brazile and Tannen very smartly sound off on the ridiculous double standards imposed on female leaders by men and women alike. This is indeed my own answer whenever I get the question during my readings about what I’ve come to casually refer to as “Hillary Hate.” There is only one of her, and we expect her to be so much.

I’d love to hear others’ thoughts, though, about Hill and the age gap. Do tell. Why are younger women seemingly more prone to support her so far, while older affluents are hedging their bets? (And for more, check out TAP’s recent article on it all, here.)

Join Kara Jesella and Marisa Meltzer (HOW SASSY CHANGED MY LIFE: A Love Letter to the Greatest Teen Magazine) and me (SISTERHOOD, INTERRUPTED: From Radical Women to Grrls Gone Wild) tomorrow night for the fall kickoff of KGB Tuesday Night NonFiction!

DETAILS:
KGB Tuesday Night NonFiction
7-9pm, Free!
KGB Bar, 85 East 4th St
kgbbarlit.com

I’ve been so fortunate these past months to have learned a ton from fellow feminist bloggers – and in the spirit of “see one, do one, teach one,” I’m eager to share. So my fall webinar, MAKING IT POP: Translating Your Ideas for Trade, will include a session on how authors can use blogging and new media to spread word about their books, online. Details about the 6-week course, including how to register, are posted here. (All you need in order to take it is an Internet connection and a phone — I will walk you through the rest! The first session is Nov. 6, 8-9:15pm ET.)

And on a related note, the Women’s Media Center recently asked me to write a piece on this issue of authors and new media. The piece is now live. I look forward to your thoughts — and to working with some of you to “make it pop”!