WHY DON'T MEN TAKE US SERIOUSLY?:

Michael Kinsley's Days Are Numbered,/a> (Susan Estrich, Creator's Syndicate)

It has always been my theory that women in America have enormous power, if only we would use it. But it's hard: You have to be willing to stand up, find allies, take the arrows and have people (men) call you names.

The Secretary of State Spreads Her Wings (Robin Wright, February 10, 2005, Washington Post)

To show the human side of a normally reserved woman, her staff arranged for Rice to drop in on the Hector Berlioz Conservatory in Paris on Wednesday to attend a children's music class and then watch three young adult groups perform.

"I learned to read music when I was 3 years old, before I learned to read," she told a group of 16 students ages 7 to 9. An accomplished pianist who still tries to play with a chamber ensemble weekly in Washington, Rice sang a basic music comprehension refrain in French with the kids. "Fa-do-sol-si-re-la-sol," Rice sang softly. "I remember this," she said, through an interpreter.

"It takes a lot of work to learn to read music," she told the kids. "You have to practice and practice and practice."

In another classroom she got into the rhythm, tapping her toes, then swaying to the beat as a quartet of alto and tenor saxophones played classical jazz. She applauded a sextet performing a Beethoven choral work. "Wonderful," she said. "They say Beethoven is the most difficult for the voice because he makes the most demands, but you make it look easy. I know it's not."

Rice was invited to play in both classes, but declined. Noting that she's trying to learn Dvorak's Piano Quintet in A with her ensemble, she said she'd come back and perform it for them on another visit. "Next time, you'll play for Paris!" said her host.

It was cute, but clearly calculated.

Several searches reveal no story in which Ms Wright similarly referred to an event involving Ms Rice's male predecessor as "cute."

Posted by Orrin Judd at February 18, 2005 7:52 AM