Pristine Angie’s Good Homemaker Adventures at www.d332.com

As promised, here are pictures of me actually out around town with Bob.

Me and Bob at BUMP in Philadelphia on my birthday.

Me at the Shofuso Japanese House in Philadelphia

As most of you may have already heard, Tim Russert passed away on June 13th. If you get a chance to watch the MSNBC special or NBC this morning, you should do it. I guarantee you will walk away a different person. It’s not just about a newsman. It’s about the idea of quality, the commitment to excellence, and the great can-do optimism that made this country great.

The internet is piling up with blog and news entries about this, so there’s really no need to repeat too much here. Predictably, there are bloggers who shrug and go “big deal, he was just a newsman, what’s the fuss all about?”

It’s about so much more than just a newsman.

Russert’s story and life was one of enthusiasm, joy, hard work and a belief that the American viewer deserved more than mere punditry. He was also respected for being well-prepared, thoroughly researching the politicians who come to sit on the Meet The Press hot seat, and going medieval on their seats when they try to worm their way out of accountability. I can’t count how many times reporters and anchormen and women have backed down when a politician refuses to provide an answer that every American has a right to know.

One doesn’t really appreciate this until “journalism” from other countries are inspected. There are places where news is doctored to such a degree that no locals even treat it as truth. My country of birth, for example, has government -to this day - who can conveniently arrange for a journalist with Russert’s persistence to disappear overnight. Even though I have lived in the US for thirty years, not a day goes by when I don’t appreciate the freedom of speech.

I know people in the armed forces are fond of saying “freedom isn’t free.” Though the cost of freedom is debatable, what Russert did was to make that earned freedom worthwhile. Not a breath was squandered when accountability was demanded. I just hope the new generation of journalists don’t get inspired by the loud, shouting FOX-News brand of critical inquiry.

What is quite endearing about Russert on this special day, was his love of life, work, and family. Look at any of the pictures of him outside the shots from Meet The Press. The fellow had the biggest, most optimistic smile that I love. It was a smile loaded with promises and the great Kerouac American spirit. He had also written a book about his close relationship with his dad, Big Russ & Me. For a man who was not only all about family, but dedicated himself to sharing the joyful wonder of his Father-Son relationship, it’s heartbreaking that he should go two days before Father’s Day. Just…sigh.

I once asked my first art teacher what decade he thought was the greatest in American history. His answer would come to play a big role in who I am today: “The 50s saw America at the height of the nation. The GI Bill had produced the highest percentage of college-educated people in the population, war was behind us, the technology left over from wartime was producing products with the highest quality the country had ever seen. The future looked bright and full of possibilities and companies were committed to excellence.”

It’s no surprise Tim Russert was born in the beginning of the 50s.

A Chinese woman’s father gets murdered in San Francisco.

She outsmarts gangsters and evades them. Fashionable, stylish, and affluent, she embarks on a solo journey to an island in Central America on a mission to nail the head of the gang.

On the other end, a Chinese American federal agent attempts to solve the murder case alone, so he goes undercover.

Eventually they both meet, and join forces to solve the case.

They both speak clear, unbroken English with no visible accent.

They defeat the criminals and ride off into the sunset together.

Am I dreaming?! THIS is not the pigeonhole extravaganza known as Hollywood today! Is this some Bizzaro world where everything has been turned on its head? Is there actually hope that Hollywood can actually show people as they are?!!

NO. This was Hollywood SEVENTY YEARS AGO, and the film is called Daughter of Shanghai. This month on TCM’s Asian Images In Film.

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The fabulous and hilariously witty art of Robert de Michiell will be on display at the Alden Gallery in Provincetown, in his first solo show ever. This comes after decades of distinguished illustrations for Entertainment Weekly, Premiere, Time Magazine, and the cover and pages of The New Yorker Magazine.

Alongside movie critic and sometimes housewife Libby Gelman-Waxner, De Michiell has gently poked fun of all the celebs in Gelman Waxner’s movie column “If You Ask Me.” (Now compiled in the paperback collection If You Ask Me: The Collected Columns of America’s Most Beloved and Irresponsible Critic .

De Michiell’s work is a household item even if you may not have heard of him; his familiar style has been unabashedly copied by magazine illustrators from all corners of the globe. Combining an economy of strokes with a cheerful minimalistic, sometimes cubist palette, this American artist captures the essence of both famous personalities and familiar personae while revealing interior angles we have often thought about but never possessed the tools to vocalize.

His exhibit will also coincide with Provincetown’s 10th Annual International Film Festival which will run from June 18-June 22.

I normally don’t spend much time on transgender-focused websites. For the path I am taking (non-hormones, non-surgical (the big one)), much of the information only applies to a small degree. Once in a while, I do need to look up topics such as work and ID issues. When I do, the first place I go is Andrea James’s Excellent TS Road Map.

There are many many websites dedicated to Transgender lifestyles and Timetables. However, if you didn’t know what you were doing, you’d have to sift through a pile of links, 85% of which are devoted to weekend warriors and bedroom transgirls, and the other 10% are fake sites. So where are the remaining 5%. In my opinion, TS Road Map is a one-stop shopping center of facts and ideas. And it applies to anyone who is embarking on, or seriously considering doing it full time.

I’m sure my mysteriously absent readers (who communicate by email but never by commenting) can suggest many more relevant sites. Feel free to, by whatever methods. TS Road Map has a links section and looking over them, I see names and places that have been around since the late early 90s, so you are in good hands. Check out also her links on Fake Internet Transsexuals.

Andrea James has been generous with her knowledge, and you will be sure to gain an insight into how to go about certain aspects of your T*ness. I know I learned something. Of all the websites I have seen, this one is the most well-organized, cleanly laid-out info depot. Just reading some of the pages will reassure you that you are not alone.

Also a particularly notable site I was reading before revisiting TS Road Map is the Transgender At Work website. Also, check out Transgender Employment Links at Gender Sanity. There is a wealth of lifesaving information and links here for anyone who wants to come out at or between jobs.