Semi-random thoughts

● There is something wrong when a benefit for the Harvey Milk High School in New York City contains material that "May be inappropriate for people under the age of 18."

● It's good to see Andy Roddick finally beating Roger Federer after 11 straight losses to him. It reminds me of when Vitas Gerulaitis won a match from Jimmy Connors back in 1979, after years of losses. Afterwards Gerulaitis quipped, "Nobody beats me 17 straight."

● I hope the delay in the adoption of the New York State budget doesn't interfere with Gov. Paterson's appearance at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Leadership Awards Dinner on Monday, that I'm going to.

Being a fashionista can be hereditary

And stay out of malls

Man Fatally Stabbed in Ariz. Mall
It's not just individual chain stores and restaurants that are dangerous.

Plat du jour

Another Republican leaves under a cloud

HUD Chief Resigns Amid Criminal Probe
Now it's one of Bush's cabinet members exiting. There is just so much corruption among the Repugnants, oops, Republicans.

I'm quoted again on the ISTHMUS

My post on the Wisconsin Badgers' men's hockey team's loss in the Midwest Regional Finals was quoted in the Madison Miscellany column on the Daily Page of the ISTHMUS. This was second time my glob was quoted there. I love when that happens.

Semi-random thoughts

● I wonder if my post last August had anything to do with Dell's change of marketing strategy. I noted that I would not buy another printer from them, because I could buy ink cartridges only directly from them. Now I can buy them at Staples (along with other Dell products).

● Someone from Bahrain Googled something and found my blog. I did the search also, and noticed they would translate my site into Arabic. I wondered what that would look like, so I clicked on it. What was interesting was they couldn't translate any form of the words "crossdress," or "transgender." And they had nothing for "misogynistic." Why am I not surprised.

● My brother saw my little post about the recent disappearance of spam e-mails. He has noticed the same thing. But he said he kind of missed them. He called them "sort of an electronic Walmart for the perverse."

Now it's all the Badgers

If college hockey games were the same length as college basketball games, the Wisconsin men's team would be making their travel plans to Denver to play in the Frozen Four. But their 2-0 lead at the end of 40 minutes did not hold up. North Dakota scored twice early in the third period, and eventually scored their winning third goal in overtime.

The Badgers were totally superior in energy and effort during the first two periods. Only the excellent goaltending by the Fighting Sioux's Jean-Philippe Lamoureux kept the game from being a rout. It took a perfect pass from Kyle Turris to Jamie McBain to get the first Wisconsin score, just after a power play ended, and the second was a fluke when a shot that went wide caromed off the boards, and bounced off the back of Lamoureux's leg into the goal.

But North Dakota was a completely different team after the second intermission. Not only were they the more energetic, their coach adjusted their lines a bit. Wisconsin could not handle the change.

So now all of the big winter sport Badger teams are through for the season.

Well, not all the Badgers

Meanwhile, back in Madison, the Wisconsin men's hockey team won its first game in the NCAA tournament, 6-2 over Denver. The Badgers were a team that didn't even have a winning record, but were picked for the national tournament on the basis of its record against top 25 teams and its computer ranking. It was even seeded third of the four teams in the region. I suspect the fact they would be playing at home might have had something to do with it.

Next up for Wisconsin is North Dakota, who beat Princeton. The winner goes to Denver next week for the "Frozen Four."