Let's not talk of love or chains or things we can't untie.

Leonard Cohen played last night at the Rosegarden. I didn't go see him, but I should have. Instead, I'm having a Leonard Cohen day inside my headphones, shuffling my feet under my desk and letting the soft, tattered ribbon of song take me where it may.

In other news, I heard this on the radio this morning, and it got me fired up: Chaplains Worry About Careers If "Don't Ask" Is Lifted. The story begins: "While most military personnel see no problem serving with openly gay comrades, some military chaplains are bristling. Many of the 3,000 chaplains are evangelical and believe repealing the "don't ask, don't tell" policy may affect how they do their jobs..."

Not to get too political here, but ... WTF?! Poor guys, they're worried about their careers. What about the soldiers? The ones out there fighting and at the same time dealing with hate, shame and secrecy. And why are we worried about teaching the Bible to the troops, anyway? This is not a moral argument, people, it's a civil rights issue. Okay, I'm done.

But wait, one last thing, and it's related. Did you see this story in the Portland Mercury?

Your Neighbor Could Be A Homophobe

It's a story about recent Portland gaybashings, and it prominently features our beloved Brooklyn spot. Crazy, sad stuff.