* Tiger Beatdown questions, answers why she blogs—and lets readers in on a haunting truth all opinion bloggers must endure!: “What I thought privately was often dramatically at odds with what I posted.”

* Evil Slutopia gives the smack-down treatment to Ann Coulter’s recent remarks on single mothers—their kids grow up to be strippers, thugs, etc. The more you know! Wait, who is the scary blond lady? Why does anyone bother with her anymore? Boring.

* Meghan McCain blogs again! Her friends are having babies and she gets to go the White House next week for a day for Barack Obama to make nice with her dad. McCain Blogette will return again in earnest in February, when hopefully McCain can spend more time developing an independent young voice (conservative or otherwise), less time posting Weezer’s “Pork & Beans.”

* Stop what you’re doing! D.C. Nearlyweds provided you faulty bridesmaid dress advice last week! Do not buy your bridesmaid dresses online from J Crew! “I realized the dresses were NOT the color they appeared online,” wrote one nearly-wed. Don’t get me wrong, they are pretty dresses, but they were an orangey pink, and our wedding colors are wine, raspberry, and champagne.” My God. I hope it’s not too late.

* This Thursday: Proceeds from the Homo Hotel Happy Hour will benefit Gays and Lesbians Opposed to Violence (GLOV) The monthly “4H” club will be held at the Carlyle Suites, at 1731 New Hampshire Ave. NW, at 5:30.

Photo by trialsanderrors.

* Evil Slutopia dreams of Joe Biden:

I had a Joe Biden dream the other night. I was at some event where he was speaking, and I snuck backstage so I could talk to him. (Apparently there are no Secret Service agents in dreams, which made it really easy.) I told him all about the Joe Biden Feminism Watch, and he laughed and was all “no, really?”, and I was all “yes, really!”, and he thought it was awesome and gave me a hug. I also gave him an ESC business card, and then had to explain what our name means and that we weren’t posting about his feminist achievements in between porn and/or erotica posts. (Not that there would be anything wrong with that, but it would have required a longer explanation probably.) So he took the card and he was happy and thought it was all cool, and then he went off to give his speech and I woke up with a massive hangover.

* The New Gay is looking for submissions and editors.

* Reproductive Health Reality Check writes on how euthanasia registers as a reproductive rights victory.

* Dr. Shirin Ebadi, an Iranian activist and Nobel Laureate, faces increased threats to her person and home. Most recently, an angry mob “chanting death threats”:

Ebadi told the Campaing for Equality that “there are a lot of writers on this street, but I am the only writer who is also a traitor! I called the police immediately after the mob arrived. Two police officers arrived on the scene. They stood and watched, as those chanting slogans spray painted my home and attacked the building. They stood and watched, until it was over. The mob left and then the police also left.” [via Feminist Majority Foundation].

* Via Feministing: Now, get rehabilitation for your Internet addiction—they’re doing it for kids in China! Actually, don’t, because your Internet addiction may very well be the only thing keeping my newspaper afloat.

Photo via trialsanderrors.

‘

Well, hello, there. Sorry if things have been sparse here as of late. I awoke yesterday with peculiarly large lymph nodes and  inner ears that seem to have gone scuba diving without my permission. But I’m hopping off to one ye olde urgent care center cold & flu mill this morning, where a medical doctor can hopefully inform me how I might go about not sounding like a classic movie nerd post-haste.

* Another guy claiming to be looking for a date to the inauguration is 52, loves “fresh seafood on the grill, roast chicken and fine wines,” looking to take you to “one of the department stores to purchase a gown or gowns—if you would like to attend more than one Gala with me.”

* Other Craigslisters, on the other hand, are advertising their interest in your inaugural gravy train, like this 40-year-old Kensington woman. She’s a charmer:

I have been in the DC/MD area for three years, and up until recently I was completely unimpressed, ney, disappointed with the “energy” of the area. However, like so many others, I have experienced the verve, excitement, and yes, the hope that permeates the air these past few weeks. . . . Therefore, I am very interested in attending the Ball!

* Via Slate: Barack Obama’s Presidency: kids ask, parents answer.

* Also in Slate, Christopher Hitchens completes his yearly curmudgeonly exercise of hating Christmas:

I have just flung aside my copy of the Weekly Standard, a magazine with a generally hardheaded and humorous approach to matters. It contains two seasonal articles that would probably not have made print were it not for the proximity to the said solstice. (To be fair, the same can be said of the article that you are reading, but I claim exemption under the terms of the “to hell with all that” amendment.)

* Evil Slutopia has a guide to how your holiday shopping can help women.

Photo via trialsanderrors.

The Evil Slut Clique over at Evil Slutopia has conjured up some more advice on how to fight back against Prop 8 and anti-gay legislation like it. Click on to find some practical—and for the armchair gay activists in the crowd, easy—avenues for signing petitions, voicing opinion, and showing support.

* Evil Slutopia finds this sweet Joe Biden cupcake, via my.barackobama.com.

* Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin have got nothin’ on this lady: She advocated for sexual freedom, wore tons of booty ruffles, and ran for president back when most women couldn’t even vote. Plus, she was clairvoyant! NPR’s “All Things Considered” looks back at the first female to run for president, Victoria Woodhull.

* Esquire names Halle Berry the “Sexiest Woman Alive” (no quibbles), “re-enacts” famous Bill Clinton cover with Berry sitting in for Bubba (minor quibble: whither the pants, shirt of Clintonian era?)

* Beware the rogue knitted tree trunk. Outsapop names a new trend in the world of craft: Knitgraffiti.

* For some reason, infoplease wants to know which famous politician you’d want to adopt your children if you died: “Which of these political couples would you select as guardians for your child/children in the event something happened to you and your spouse or partner?”

Because in the event of your death, Joe and Jill Biden, John and Cindy McCain, Barack and Michelle Obama, and First Dude and Sarah Palin will definitely not have anything better to do but raise a stranger’s children. (Yeah, yeah, you can vote here). Current results:

Barack & Michelle Obama	36%
Todd & Sarah Palin	32%
Joe & Jill Biden	17%
John & Cindy McCain	16%
Total votes cast: 3047