Hi, Grace -

Happy Spring. Take some Claritin (Flonase works, too) and get back out there.

I was off OurChart for Spring Break a couple weeks ago, and when I returned I had some ideas about the new OurChart format which I've been meaning to share with you. One thing I was going to suggest is that you periodically change the homepage icons for the different categories of discussion. I see you did that this morning, which has impelled me to write up my suggestions. I hope these ideas will be helpful, but if not, please feel free to discard them as just some more springtime airborne irritants.

I really really like it that you guys segmented the vertically scrolling blogs into horizontal discussion areas. I think that was a big improvement. And, as you've done this morning, I think it would keep things interesting if you often (weekly?) change the icons for those discussions. And I especially like that the new icons specifically reflect the discussion content for the week. Excellent.

But I miss the rolling pictures at the top of the page that you had before you switched to the one video format that occupies the top of the page now. Just visually, the video doesn't come up right away, so the first thing an OurChart visitor sees is a big black void. Also, the one video doesn't change that often, so women who visit OurChart daily just kind of disregard the all-important top of the page. But, most importantly, what that rolling picture format did was allow you to draw attention to more than one discussion on any given day and to keep a topic of discussion in the forefront for as long as was called for.

I think there are (at least) four topics of discussion right now that should be featured at the top of the page -- the Democratic nomination process, the Phone Sex rolling discussion, the Be Scene videos and the V to the Tenth discussions. With the old format, you could feature all of them at once (as well as whatever else you guys deem worthy) and, as importantly, you could keep them up there for as long as they generate discussion and interest.

Right now all discussions scroll chronologically within their segmented general subject, so even if there's a "hot topic" it soon scrolls off into the ether and is not that easy to find - especially for people who don't visit OurChart everyday. But if you reinstated the rotating picture idea at the top of the page, you could organize discussions on the site by importance as well as by subject and chronology.

Also, it would be really helpful if all the discussions on any given topic resided in the same horizontal subject heading. I was gone the week before and after V to the Tenth. Some of that discussion is in Wake Up where I looked for it, but most of it is in Hook Up, which I didn't even see for a couple days. And this morning I'm looking for Lenelle's amazing "How to Write About New Orleans" but I can't find it. Similarly, the Dem primary discussion is in Hook Up and Wake Up, but there are days that go by where there's no new featured blogs about it, so some of us just continue the discussion in the last Jennifer/Prof Wolff blog which I've bookmarked.

So, for instance, we ran down the Annie Get Your Gun "Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better" goof a day before Diana blogged about it, because we were off in our own little outpost that not too many people visited. And, I just noticed that there are some discussions about the election under the 10 news stories of the day. So, to make a short story long ... I am positive that you can grow all of these discussion communities if you keep the discussions on any given topic together. And I think the rotating top picture can help you do that and also help you keep multiple important discussions alive for longer and draw new people to them, especially people who don't visit the site every day.

So, that's my two cents on the mechanics of the page. On a philosophical front -- the website is organized very much within a Clintonian 90's top-down political framework forged in 70's liberal feminism . Which is groovy if that's what you want to do. But if you want to organize the website around the 21st-century bottom-up populist activist paradigm forged largely on the internet, you could make a few small but revolutionary adjustments.

For instance, your political category is called "Wake Up." Rebecca Walker just wrote a piece about that very phrase on her web site (I can't find the article right now, but I will find for you.) In her piece, Rebecca made the point that "Wake Up" is very much a liberal (1970s) feminist top-down call to action from those in the know to the hapless hoi polloi. But the thing is -- we are at a moment in history when we the people are wide awake and active and insisting that the leaders do our bidding -- as Patti Smith says, "People Have the Power, to dream, to rule, to wrestle the Earth from fools ..." Can I get an amen? So, if you want to reflect that political reality, it would be much more appropriate to title that section something like "Rise Up."

But beyond the minutiae of topic naming, you could actually empower the people more on OurChart. For instance, in your (fabulous!) Phone Sex discussion, you have, on the one hand, well-known women creating the rolling discussion, and you have, on the other hand, the OurChart audience who you've generously allowed to listen in on the conversation.

But you could create a Cats Cradle of discussion where you pass the topics back and forth between the well-known and the people. Obviously you have to set up who the next well-known person will be to receive the discussion, but you could have Alexandra Kondracke, for instance, pass the conversation to one of the OurChart members and tell her which fancy person to pass the conversation back to. Alexandra could, for instance, pass the conversation to RoverMom and say, when you've commented, pass it to Laurel Holloman. That would be more than entertaining; that would be revolutionary (as is the V to The L Word call for stories.)

The more you can find avenues for the membership to steer the conversation, the better, I think. For instance, you could have Diana Cage answer sex questions from OurChart members -- maybe as a weekly feature. Her Talk Dirty blog this week is so effing funny and brilliant, it would be great to have her field questions. You could also invite others in to do the same -- to actually interact with the OurChart membership. The Mighty Marga Gomez would be brilliant at that (and, of course I can't just volunteer her for that, and I don't know how expensive that would be) but Marga loves to hang out and talk to people, and because of her background in theatre -- especially with Culture Clash -- she loves to improvise. An "Ask Marga Gomez" blog or weekly podcast would be brilliant.

And you really really should find a way to connect with Rock the Vote. It seems to me that OurChart founder Hilary Rosen was involved with RTV when she was running the RIAA, so it's an obvious match. Here's a link to Patti Smith's MySpace page where she features a prominent link to Rock The Vote.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendi...

It seems like it would be so easy to, at the very least, add a link to Rock The Vote from the OurChart homepage. And it seems like it wouldn't be that much harder to get some cast members - probably Kate and Leisha as they would be speaking to the younger OurChart members -- to make and feature a podcast about the importance of voting and how easy it is to register through Rock The Vote.

Okay, those are the thoughts off the top of my head. Most importantly, I thank you for all you do.

Love, Light and Gentle Kleenex,
Melanie

I sprung with the spring fling - met with an OC friend - my first OC cyber to flesh! Went out with CarlinDesigner last night in Dallas - fantastic person - fantastic time ;). Got our pic up in my photos!

Also, yes indeed to the short nailed femmes - changed my boot photo to my working glove photo just for you - SHORT NAILS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nothing but love

Tex

...and the amount of beautiful girls that seem to climb out from underneath rocks once the warm weather comes! I have also caught the spring lust bug. I hung out with this super cute girl with the hottest tattoos all weekend and would love to spring fling with her. We went out drinking in the sunshine all day Friday then out for dinner, then hungout hungover watched movies and played cards in her sunroom all day Saturday, then the next day we woke up early and watched cornation street then went skateboarding in the sunshine. The problem though is that I'm also having the 'is she bi/straight' dilemma! I think my gaydar is broken it seems to not be working very well lately, or the girls I've seen around are just especially tricky. There should be some sort of blog about 'how to get your mojo back' for us girls who are trying to pull ourselves out of the winter slum. I'm having a little trouble.

I'm lusty, you're lusty. Let's have some drinks and find a solution to this problem. ;)

Enjoying your blog as always. xo!

Thank God it’s spring (TGIS) … completely agree!! w00t^^

So Ms. Jenn Kennedy, I read that both Jennifer Beals and Laurel Holloman are expected at the LA Glaad awards tonight :D and what a grand day in CA today is. Well NorCal at least, it’s gorgeous outside, hopefully it will be down south for y’all as well. <333 you forever if you can snag a pic of them together. Yes yes I’m missing TLW already and season five just ended … my my gonna be a long eight months for season six.

Anywho - Ms. Beals has been out and about but it’s really gonna been nice to see Laurel!! What an incredible season for her, must have been so fun! And Laurel looked fantastic – but I’m biased I think all women just tend to look more beautiful as time passes.

Lastly, congrats Ilene on your Davidson/Valentini award. If you get to spend sometime in SF and have a chance to tour (or drive-by) the Legion of Honor, it’s lovely. Might be a nice place for Bette, Tina, and Angelica to stop by in season six for a weekend trip :D The zoo is nearby, they can take Angie to see the monkeys!! *cough*LocationInSFWouldRock*cough* … I know the show is LA women but hey doesn’t hurt to ask right? and everyone needs a weekend getaway^^ truth - lol yes again my personal bias interferes (but I’m still right) :D

Oh! since it’s Mother’s Day weekend hopefully everyone traveling up to SF for the ceremony will get to enjoy the Bay Area^^ Make sure to get your reservations in ASAP though as I’m sure restaurants will be packed on Sunday.

That’s enough of my ramblings lol

Peace & Love,
P~

lucky for you you have me to dispense advice so that you can get laid this spring (spring isn't the only thing that's sprung, if you know what i mean. i'm pre-op. whatever). you can't kvetch about some weird straight woman at a bar and about how you want to start weaseling ladies into bed, and then go on a not-hot rant about your allergies. talk about your six-pack!

I've got spring fever bad! The gaydar is full effect. However, I'm sick also Grace, so I will be inside online with the windows shut as well. I do believe a spring fling may be just what the doctor ordered for spring fever!

The nail thing is usually a good clue, especially if just the nails on one hand are long. That can be misleading though. A former lover with long nails (and nice style) knew just how to hold her fingers to prevent injury. Don't ask me how she did it, I wasn't looking, only enjoying.

There's nothing more unsexy than a goddam runny nose. My advice Grace--okay, I know you didn't ask for it, but I can't help myself--load up on antihistamine and hit the streets. It would be a shame to sit on that libido when the long-legged women in short skirts are calling you (or you could be calling them).
Lezbeth

Gracie, you can flirt with us all you want. As for Ilene's new head shot...DAAAAY-YUUUUUM!!! I might have to print this pic, blow it up and put it on my wall, TigerBeat style.

I hope your cold is better. I have one too and there's an L Word party hosted by "a cast member" tomorrow night here in the "D". They won't tell us who it is but it's spring and I don't care!

xox and NyQuil too