It was my birthday the other day and Hannah took me, Joyce, and Allison to the Seattle Storm game. That's women's professional basketball for you who don't read the sports pages. It was a lot of fun. There was all sorts of silly hoopla as befits the first game of the season. There was live music by "Hit Explosion," a local band that knows all your favorite 70's funk/disco hits. The team has a blimp that flies around the arena dropping Starbucks coupons onto the fans. The Storm dancers are a bunch of junior high kids who all want to be Britney Spears. A bit worldly, to be sure, but energetic as all get out.

The game was pretty good, too. It was the season opener and both teams (they were playing the Phoenix Mercury) were a bit ragged at times. The Storm stormed to a 30-point lead and then blew away most of it, but they ended up winning. They have a new player, a 19-year old Australian sensation named Lauren Jackson, who you're going to hear more about. She's 6'5", has a smooth game, and is a babe. In fact, all the Storm players are babes. This sex/sports thing goes more ways than one, you know.