Donita and Jane

(I'll be catching up over the next few days, both here and at work: posting will be erratic, but is likely to be heavy at times.)

It's a bit weird when one's childhood idols show up, just a few steps removed from oneself, when you realize that you don't need anything like seven degrees to get to them. That's how I felt listening to Donita Sparks' podcast this week. I loved Jane Weidlin. Loved, loved, LOVED Jane. I am small and dark haired and was, in my day, sort of hoppy and perky: Jane was a model for me (as was Clare Grogan, both in Altered Images and in Gregory's Girl).There are pics of me on this very blog with my Weidlin-inspired gamine haircut in the early 80's (but no, I will not post those of my poodle perm, which is also her fault), and a story of one of my very first concerts, to see the Go-gos, is here.

Last Friday, Donita put up a podcast of a fun conversation with Jane:

Jane didn't really want to have an "interview" so she came over to my place for a couple of beers, and I got some questions in anyway. In fact we blabbed so much that I'm making this Podcast "conversation" a two part-er. This episode includes topics such as punk rock backlash, fat pets, political candidates, Nashville backlash, and masturbation slang.

We also devised a CONTEST exclusively for the Firedoglake community. You'll hear more about this in the Podcast but the Cliff Notes version for the technically challenged is this…

Contest Question: What is the common thread between Jane Wiedlin and Donita Sparks? (and it's not professional). The most accurate or most creative answer in the comments section will win. I will announce the winner in next week's podcast, Part 2 with Jane Wiedlin.

(Dave will be delighted to hear about The Po-gos project, assuming he hasn't already.)

I'm always a bit shy at FDL, though Jane Hamsher once told me I was funny. They seem so much more serious than we Atriots. Not Kos serious, just more serious than us. Maybe it's because they get on TV more often (don't get me wrong: I think that's a Very Good Thing: I like Christy's stuff particularly--damn, that woman is smart.

I missed this when it happened, being out of town, but I'll be sure to post next week's.

If my SEA lit folks actually make it here, they can entertain themselves with this.

And Atrios continues on his Kinks kick, which is good.

UPDATE: Kid C reminds me how much I love this song.