Are Men finished?

Tonight, I am attending my fifth

Intelligence Squared debate

. (If you live in the New York Metro area I highly recommend attending these and, if you don't live nearby you can listen to them on NPR or watch them on Bloomberg.) The topics tend to be of a political nature, but tonight's debate is a Mensa version of the age old playground banter that boys drool and girls rule. AS someone who has never been comfortable identifying as a feminist I hope that this debate focuses on the science, the biological differences and the strengthens and weaknesses of each sex's predispositions. In preparation, I re-listened to this Radiolab episode

Sperm - Radiolab

(starting at the 40:00 mark, it delves into the debate topic more directly).

On My Mind This Monday Morning

• avoiding real work and focusing on the Times crossword puzzle

• must get my finances in order

• wish that my favorite podcasts aired new episodes more frequently

• the w button on my MacBook is becoming difficult to press

• i got a terrible night's sleep last night

• i miss my family

• must research topics and relevant news for Wednesday's Social Good Summit

• today is the first day in months that I have worn a coat during the day. Hello, fall.

• the music in this Starbucks is awful

• how much energy should I exert comforting a friend who knowingly puts herself in the same repeating painful situation?

• i wonder if I can get my boyfriend's family to volunteer with me this Thanksgiving

• i hope my family can come out for Thanksgiving

• when is my stepsister going to get engaged?

• i hope I make it to boot camp tonight

• why is it so difficult to find information about hosting private events at restaurants in New York?

• a man's whose style can only be described as Ed Hardy, 80's, hipster cowboy just sat down (*discreetly snapped iphone photo below)

• i want to write at least one post a day this week

• 12 days until Caitlin's wedding

• one Venti coffee down and no signs of stopping

A Sunday Stroll

On Thursday afternoon, the wind shifted, the air became crisp and dusk arrived a little earlier than it had the night before and, just like that, summer gave way to autumn. Being my favorite season, I bid summer a perfunctory adieu reached for my cashmere, sipped an apple cider at the farmer's market and started planning a trip to the Catskills, but before I cruise up to the mountains, I decided to enjoy the begining of fall in the New Yorker's version of nature.

bouncy street performers

a man playing the accordion, sitting on a vintage suitcase while shaking a tambourine affixed to his foot

view of the west side from the lake

77th Street Entrance to the Museum of Natural History