'tis the olympic season...

and people have started reporting on figure skating...

belbin and agosto might be able to compete for the united states after all, thanks to an appropriations bill amendment, sponsored by congressman carl levin (d-mi), that would help speed the immigration process for people of extraordinary ability (due for a vote this week):

per, christine brennan in usa today (nov 3, 2005).

and, amy rosewater, in the nytimes (november 17, 2005), plays catch-up on the story--and wins--with the juicy nugget that another ice dancing team was looking to thwart the efforts of belbin, agosto, and congressman levin:

"The push to expedite Belbin's citizenship seemed to be moving along smoothly until last week, when the family of another ice dancing team contacted Representative James T. Walsh, a Republican from upstate New York, and asked him to review it, said Dan Gage, a spokesman for Walsh.
Walsh initially objected to the amendment, Gage said, but late Tuesday, he decided to support it because Belbin had been living in the United States for several years and competing as an American. Walsh's office did not identify the family that had contacted him."

drama, drama, drama.

and in this week's si, katarina witt, offers her picks of who to watch in turin. sheesh. you'd think she's not been working as a commentator for abc...she picked sasha cohen (out all season so far, hip injury--is competing in paris this weekend), michelle kwan (out all season so far, hip injury--unlikely to skate competitively before the us nationals), irina slutskaya, elena sokolova, and carolina koster (finished 7th at skate canada). no mention of alissa czisny, who's actually been competing and medaling this season. i mean, yes, watch cohen to see if she doesn't implode before your eyes, and watch kwan, to see if she can "get her math right" enough to medal under the new scoring system...and granted, slutskaya is in great shape, koster is lovely and better than her 7th place finish at skate canada, and sokolova won at skate america last month (over czisny, but not convincingly)...but how does she not mention the polished, graceful, athletic czisny?

czisny was recently voted "female athlete of the month" for october 2005 by the US olympic committee (apollo anton ohno won for male athlete) after defeating two former world championships medalists to win the ladies title at the 2005 skate canada (a title she earned as a last -minute replacement, with only 4 days notice in advance of the competition) and placing second at 2005 smart ones skate america in atlantic city, nj. czisny's results have already guaranteed her a spot at the grand prix final in tokyo, japan.

and don't forget kimmie meissner...she could have gone to worlds last year, and is still a wild card despite a quiet season so far....

the most important news of the day....

bernie williams receives the roberto clemente youth award this weekend during the clemente family's fourth annual gala and golf tournament fundraiser, to benefit roberto clemente sports city, a a 304 acre youth recreational and sports facility in carolina, puerto rico.

the award is presented annually by the clemente family to the individual or individuals who best exemplify the leadership, passion and dedication to youth athletics both on and off the field, and who personifies the humanitarian ideals of clemente.

williams is being honored, in part for his contributions as the "captain" of the children’s health fund/yankees home run club. williams makes a donation every time the yankees hit a home run during the season, and between his and other member's contributions, the home run club has raised over one million dollars for the children’s health fund.


in other bernie news, at least we know joe torre wants him back...

one organic evening...

went to an opening party last night for the new anna sova luxury organics boutique at abc carpet and home. i had actually never heard of the line, but knew that pure food and wine would be providing goodies! pure food and wine has been on my radar for a few months, specifically because of their desserts (they used to have a pistachio citrus neopolitan on the menu, but it changes seasonally) and their juices and shakes.

it was a brutally disappointing food experience. one snack involved cheese (methinks it was goat?), on a very nutty, crunchy cracker...but there was no richness to it, and it left my palate so quickly that i only remember thinking...what's next?

next was a samosa. of all things. samosas are supposed to be crispy fried treats, so i don't know why they even bothered calling it that. what it was, was a tiny green, chewy triangle, encasing a thin layer of nuts and, i think, a gingery chutney. my friends, it was no samosa. if anything, it was a twist on a vietnamese spring roll--it tasted like rice paper wrappers (banh trang). it was garnished with an orchid petal. pretty, and i ate it, but it was really beside the point.

so, i learned that raw food/real world is not a world that i belong in. now i never have to work to convince any of the people that i love and care about to plunk down a wad of cash for a melange of uncooked veggies, seeds, and nuts.

i did get the glow, though--from the very tasty organic wines they had. a very nice, hearty red--italian barbera--as well as an interesting white from australia...thank god for organic, biodynamic booze...

i guess the real reason we were all there was to see the anna sova line, anyway...

i quite enjoyed speaking with the anna sova folks--they are so en-thu-si-astic. and i think they have reason to be--it is a great concept.

their line of healthy paints are made with 99% food-grade ingredients, and degussa pigments (from germany). a pretty, wide-range of colors--and all of the paints are made to smell like vanilla shakes (though one of the ladies said it reminded her of cupcakes). i personally find the "regular" paint smell comforting in a way (who doesn't love a fresh new coat of paint?) but i would not object to a few coats of stuff that smells like vanilla, and will not contribute to my getting cancer, my kids developing birth defects, etc...if only i could afford it.

one gallon is $59. yikes.

another intriguing concept--organic eco-safe linens that are created using no toxic dioxin bleaches, no ground water polluting dyes...i especially loved the grey alpaca wool bedding . but yes, these too, are very dear.

somewhat (somewhat) more affordable are the line of aromatherapy sprays and soy candles.

if you've got the cash, you can create a lovely little eco-safe bubble for you and your family to repose, i recommend the anna sova line to you, for sure.

a less, expensive investment -- eco-friendly plants!!

"living on earth" recommends these:
— lady palm
— areca palm
— ficus alii
— peace lily
— golden pothos
— arrowhead vine
— bamboo palm
— dwarf date palm
— rubber plant
— english ivy