Personhood on the Ballot. Again.
In 2008, one of the questions people in our state had to vote on was Amendment 48, which would have changed our Colorado state Constitution to define life as beginning "at the moment of conception". Fortunately, it lost. Lost big, too - it was rejected by 73% of voters, more or less from the entire state. You would think that would be the end of it. The anti-women brigade is nothing if not tenacious. They have managed to get a similar measure on the ballot this year. This time, it's known as Amendment 62. The ...
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Aug 10
10
Been Tagged for a Meme
This hasn’t happened for a while, as I am normally known as the Meme Killer (All Memes End With Me!) But last week Katja Michelle nominated me for the Cherry on Top award. Here we go…
1. Thank the person who gave you the award.
Katja Michelle, thank you for this. I really didn’t do much, but I was happy to help out during a stressful part of what sounded like a great visit.
2. Insert award into post.
I hope it’s there.
3. Name 3 things you like about yourself.
My morbid sense of humor.
4. Post a photo that you love.
This is a picture of School Girl and two of her cousins checking out Jenny Lake during our Big Hiking Day on our mini-vacation last June. One of the few pictures where they didn’t have to be told to stand still…
5. Tag 5 people to pass the award to.
This is tough, because All Memes End With Me. But I’ll try.
1. Patience Ann at Mermaid Left as Ligan. Please Reclaim.
2. Barb at Cigarettes and Coffee.
3. Kaessa at My Knitting Has Gone to the Dogs.
Random Fun by .
There are currently plans in place to build an Islamic Community Center in lower Manhattan. there are some (deliberate, I think) misconceptions about the center. It’s not a mosque, although a mosque is a part of it. It’s not “at Ground Zero” – it’s 2 city blocks away. And it’s drawn considerable interest from people who couldn’t find Ground Zero if somebody dropped them by helicopter into the pit. Nor is this unique to Manhattan, as written about in yesterday’s New York Times.
Here’s the thing.
If you don’t live i Manhattan, the Cordoba Center is none of your goddamned business. I haven’t lived there for quite some time. It’s none of my goddamned business either. If you could also extend the infamous Christian tolerance (face it, most of the complaints are coming from Christians), that would sure be super. Also deeply appreciated by your Muslim neighbors, I’m sure.
Northern Sky – Nick Drake
Fscking Boyfriend – The Bird and the Bee
Dreamboat Annie (Reprise) – Heart
New Rose – The Damned
Sweet Blossom – Èmilie Simone
Jesse James – The Pogues
Dirty Sheets – Bpa
Soul Meets Body – Death Cab for Cutie
She’s Lost Control (live) – Joy Division
London’s Burning – The Clash
Friday Random 10 by .
Aug 10
5
Prop 8 Falls (For now)
I don’t think I ever told this story before. It’s been a long time ago, but I wanted to tell it today for a good reason.
I almost got married 23 years ago. To my then-girlfriend. We were going to get married in a local MCC; flowers. dress and everything. We knew it wouldn’t be legal. At the time, we didn’t care (at least I didn’t) about that; it was the thought and the intent that counted for us.
All these years later, our country has taken another baby step for her to really marry the woman that she loves and with whom she is raising a family. Yesterday, Judge Vaughn Walker of the 9th District Circuit Court finally issued his ruling in Perry v. Schwarzenegger. Proposition 8, voted into law by Californians in 2008, prohibited the state from recognizing same sex marriages performed on or after Nov. 5, 2008. Judge Walker found the law violated the equal protection and the due process clauses of the US Constitution.
There’s a great opinion piece in today’s New York Times, entitled “Marriage is a Constitutional Right”. Hat tip to The Rachel Maddow Show’s blog, who has a great piece today on two weaknesses in the ruling.
There has been a stay issued, and there is the little matter of it most likely going to the US Supreme Court (gee, I wonder how they’ll rule on this one). But for now, it’s another baby step toward equality for all in our country.
Aug 10
4
Big Kids
Today is School Girl’s first day in 3rd grade. Our school has solved their overcrowding problem by splitting up the school into 2 separate units: K-2 is at one school, 3-6 is at another school. If that sounds strange to you, perhaps it will make more sense if I tell you that our annual state student testing is only administered for grades 3-6. But anyway.
A surprising number of her good friends in 2nd grade aren’t in her class this year. There are some, including one friend who lives up the street from us, but not as many as I had hoped. Some people I recognized, others were new. The hardest part is making small talk with the other parents that I know. Really hard. But School Girl was excited and ready to go, so that made it a little easier.
Her teacher came up and introduced herself to me, which was nice. She seems very pleasant – Best Friend Bear’s big sister had her and said she was very nice. I feel a little better about having her in her class. I wish she had sent School Girl a letter like her teacher did last year, but I’m sure things are chaotic.
This year I left right before they went into the school. I held myself together until I got back into the car this year, too.
Parenting by .
Buttons, Rings and Other Things
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