w00t w00t booyah

Okay, two people of the same gender want to marry. What's the problem with this?

Or better question - WHY would they want to? I mean, that's got some responsiblities and standards association with it. Who would want them, if you didn't need them?

You hear the word 'love' used here. A lot. Let's take another look at this.

The love is already there. Given. I hear people want respect. Okay - well, the people who know you or give a damn, that's also a given. Guy on the street doesn't respect me any more or less - only if I press, do we really have something even to discuss on the matter, neh?

When we really have something to discuss. Ah. There we go.

It's not about the sex. Nobody is getting married to have it, unless the traditional reasoning one expects (sex, done right in heterosexual relations, makes more people and that's the original reason for marriage, folks - ownership of your kids and what made 'em) is in play, and even that doesn't do more than create a mental stutter. So, put that aside, it's already going on, as the saying goes.

Kids are also not the reason, obviously. You can adopt if you can't make 'em yourself, and either option is open to the single person. So that's not it, is it?

So what's it all about?

The ability to designate your next of kin.

Marriage does one thing that in every other case, only biology can do. It makes your spouse your nearest next-of-kin - replacing your parents, siblings and any other family member. Period. You have a spouse, you can tell the spouse's family to go pound - anytime you want to. You HAVE that authority, no questions asked - or can be asked. For life.

By your choice. You know the old saying, you can pick your friends but you can't pick your family?

Marriage is the only exception to that rule. Yes, you can pick your family - in this one case, singular. You also stand in front of the most reasonable, respected authority you ALSO decide is - and promise not to change your mind about it, ever. That, in a nutshell, is the whole ball of wax.

(I think a lot of people miss this point, because in every other 'family link' - it's incest if you do the same things you do with your spouse, neh?)

I mean, if you just want to get married to be clear that I'M DOING SO AND SO FOR LIFE - that would be one thing.

It's not - this has a much longer view, and nobody is making this clear enough or enough of a talking point.

We're not talking about beginnings here. We're talking about endings. And who gets to make the decisions surrounding them.

You hear about people being turned away from deathbeds because 'they're not kin.' It goes beyond that.

"My DNA donors don't deserve to even know if I'm alive or dead." Right now, unless you marry hetero, they will - because the law will need to find them upon your demise to make arrangements, funeral and otherwise...if you have a will or no. They'll find them, notify them and so on - and if they want to toss your will into probate...guess what. THEY CAN. Unless they find someone? You might end up cremated and stored - even if you have a partner willing to take over...because that person is NOT next of kin, the search can continue until it is completely exhausted. Grand-nephew of a second cousin. No, I'm not kidding.

Marry hetero, that person just inherits the lot and doesn't have to tell anyone. And it's scary how just matter of fact that is, trust me - firsthand experience speaking here.

Have an advanced directive? Hope it's in the hands of a blood relative or marry hetero - because it may take a bit for the legalese to catch up with the people on the floor if you're going to be given 'heroic measures' in case of something Really Bad like a persistent vegetative state. May even take a court order to enforce, regardless. Think about the time.

And when you really just need to know what's going on? Yeah, that.

I've also got some first-hand on this one, too. One time Cliff was taken into the emergency room, Joyce brought him in - and the ER staff just assumed they were the married couple (hey, one of each and she knew as much as he did about what ailed him....) so when I called and identified myself...they didn't believe me, and wouldn't tell me anything. It took an hour to sort out...and I was NOT amused (and neither was Joyce or Cliff, even if we laughed about it later). ER visit - not doctor's office. Assumptions made.

Not funny.

So when you're getting all huffy about those fags wanting to kiss in public, tuck this away somewhere (and people getting ready to put the next ballot initiative up there, you too) - it's not about the sex. Either one. Or what goes into slot B.

It's allowing people to decide who their family is - reducing the load on government and society at large by making it clear who's got the responsiblity and not tossing the load on all of us by default. People WANT this responsbility. I say, give it to the people who want the job, frankly.

And congratulations on setting a precedent I doubt you considered.

51% of any voter turnout could do any number of things now.

Like making Spanish the primary language for everything.

Or not allowing religious organizations to retain non-profit status. Even any recognition as a charitable organization, period.

Maybe even not allowing your faith at all. What else could you have elimated? Only takes a vote - 51% of people registered who show up. Not who live here. That SHOW UP. (Work a poll for an election - you'd be scared witless right now by that alone.)

Got nothing to do with the horizontal bop, folks.

Congratulations. Instead of fixing what's broken, more money is going to be spent breaking something even further.

Dumb as dead cats. And you know which ones those are.

Okay, two people of the same gender want to marry. What's the problem with this?

Or better question - WHY would they want to? I mean, that's got some responsiblities and standards association with it. Who would want them, if you didn't need them?

You hear the word 'love' used here. A lot. Let's take another look at this.

The love is already there. Given. I hear people want respect. Okay - well, the people who know you or give a damn, that's also a given. Guy on the street doesn't respect me any more or less - only if I press, do we really have something even to discuss on the matter, neh?

When we really have something to discuss. Ah. There we go.

It's not about the sex. Nobody is getting married to have it, unless the traditional reasoning one expects (sex, done right in heterosexual relations, makes more people and that's the original reason for marriage, folks - ownership of your kids and what made 'em) is in play, and even that doesn't do more than create a mental stutter. So, put that aside, it's already going on, as the saying goes.

Kids are also not the reason, obviously. You can adopt if you can't make 'em yourself, and either option is open to the single person. So that's not it, is it?

So what's it all about?

The ability to designate your next of kin.

Marriage does one thing that in every other case, only biology can do. It makes your spouse your nearest next-of-kin - replacing your parents, siblings and any other family member. Period. You have a spouse, you can tell the spouse's family to go pound - anytime you want to. You HAVE that authority, no questions asked - or can be asked. For life.

By your choice. You know the old saying, you can pick your friends but you can't pick your family?

Marriage is the only exception to that rule. Yes, you can pick your family - in this one case, singular. You also stand in front of the most reasonable, respected authority you ALSO decide is - and promise not to change your mind about it, ever. That, in a nutshell, is the whole ball of wax.

(I think a lot of people miss this point, because in every other 'family link' - it's incest if you do the same things you do with your spouse, neh?)

I mean, if you just want to get married to be clear that I'M DOING SO AND SO FOR LIFE - that would be one thing.

It's not - this has a much longer view, and nobody is making this clear enough or enough of a talking point.

We're not talking about beginnings here. We're talking about endings. And who gets to make the decisions surrounding them.

You hear about people being turned away from deathbeds because 'they're not kin.' It goes beyond that.

"My DNA donors don't deserve to even know if I'm alive or dead." Right now, unless you marry hetero, they will - because the law will need to find them upon your demise to make arrangements, funeral and otherwise...if you have a will or no. They'll find them, notify them and so on - and if they want to toss your will into probate...guess what. THEY CAN. Unless they find someone? You might end up cremated and stored - even if you have a partner willing to take over...because that person is NOT next of kin, the search can continue until it is completely exhausted. Grand-nephew of a second cousin. No, I'm not kidding.

Marry hetero, that person just inherits the lot and doesn't have to tell anyone. And it's scary how just matter of fact that is, trust me - firsthand experience speaking here.

Have an advanced directive? Hope it's in the hands of a blood relative or marry hetero - because it may take a bit for the legalese to catch up with the people on the floor if you're going to be given 'heroic measures' in case of something Really Bad like a persistent vegetative state. May even take a court order to enforce, regardless. Think about the time.

And when you really just need to know what's going on? Yeah, that.

I've also got some first-hand on this one, too. One time Cliff was taken into the emergency room, Joyce brought him in - and the ER staff just assumed they were the married couple (hey, one of each and she knew as much as he did about what ailed him....) so when I called and identified myself...they didn't believe me, and wouldn't tell me anything. It took an hour to sort out...and I was NOT amused (and neither was Joyce or Cliff, even if we laughed about it later). ER visit - not doctor's office. Assumptions made.

Not funny.

So when you're getting all huffy about those fags wanting to kiss in public, tuck this away somewhere (and people getting ready to put the next ballot initiative up there, you too) - it's not about the sex. Either one. Or what goes into slot B.

It's allowing people to decide who their family is - reducing the load on government and society at large by making it clear who's got the responsiblity and not tossing the load on all of us by default. People WANT this responsbility. I say, give it to the people who want the job, frankly.

And congratulations on setting a precedent I doubt you considered.

51% of any voter turnout could do any number of things now.

Like making Spanish the primary language for everything.

Or not allowing religious organizations to retain non-profit status. Even any recognition as a charitable organization, period.

Maybe even not allowing your faith at all. What else could you have elimated? Only takes a vote - 51% of people registered who show up. Not who live here. That SHOW UP. (Work a poll for an election - you'd be scared witless right now by that alone.)

Got nothing to do with the horizontal bop, folks.

Congratulations. Instead of fixing what's broken, more money is going to be spent breaking something even further.

Dumb as dead cats. And you know which ones those are.

Like carts following horses.

You heard Stockton is the city with all of its houses either in foreclosure or being sold after foreclosure, right?

"Pets "are getting dumped all over," said Traci Jennings, president of the Humane Society of Stanislaus County in northern California. "Farmers are finding dogs dumped on their grazing grounds, while house cats are showing up in wild cat colonies."

Never mind that the shelters were full to overflowing...they always are, this part of the country. It hasn't mattered what time of year it was - you find abandoned pets, and you want to shelter them...you'll be turned away. We're full. FOREVER.

You pay taxes to provide shelters, by the way. Your dollars just can't work hard enough to keep up.

Where I stand on this, from a truly objective standpoint - and you have to remove all emotion from this to get there - is that if you look closer, you'll find much more than abandoned pets. You'll find child and spousal abuse. Substance issues. Alcoholism. Ruined credit reports...what history has always found in populations of people unable to keep the wheels turning.

I'd wager a lot of these folks haven't had health insurance for a loooong time, too. They've been handed the old "you're screwed and nobody cares" line so often, it just rolls down to the next level.

And there hasn't even been a hurricane, earthquake or other natural disaster to blame.

Next biggest thing to Stockton is Sacramento, state capital.

The houses are new, shiny and huge. Welcome to the new ghost towns of California.

Dumb as dead cats. I swear.

I don't really think FEMA did everything in California. Much like I don't think they did everything in Hawaii, neh?

Here's the original. Snatch it for posterity

A good 9,000 people ended up here, at Qualcomm Stadium, and if this was the endgame of a disaster, it would be a disaster that seemed possible only in the idyll of California.

There was a banh mi picnic in the parking lot, beef empanadas on the chow line, Caesar salads, cartons of fresh Starbucks House Blend, free magazines, toys for the kids, cots for grandma, pizza by the slice or, if you wished, the box. There was a man playing jazz guitar, a blues band, massages and acupuncture.

"It's better service than when you go to a restaurant," said Gary Potter of Rancho Penasquitos. "Every time you turn around, people are asking us if you need something -- water, food, anything."

"They thought of everything," said Erin Kelley, his wife. She was particularly impressed by the massages being offered in the parking lot.

A steady stream of volunteers brought blankets, potato chips, diapers -- anything they thought someone might need.

The center is being operated by the city of San Diego but almost everything consumed within it was donated.

The place was so opulent relative to the standards of disaster relief centers that for some it was an improvement in living conditions.

( Here's the whole original )

I am so damn proud of my state right now. I won't deny it.

The Red Cross sent me a blast this morning with some figures:

As of 2pm, October 24, 2007: From Santa Barbara to San Diego, about 8,000 firefighters attempted to extinguish more than a dozen wildfires that had scorched at least 645 square miles (1,670 square kilometers), an area twice the size of New York City, in the past four days. Five people have died and 1,664 structures have been destroyed.

Since the latest wildfires broke out Oct. 21st, about 321,ooo residents have been ordered to leave their homes, and an additional 500,000 people have left voluntarily, making it the largest evacuation in California's history.

Your American Red Cross is providing the immediate emergency needs for those directly affected by the fires.

The American Red Cross Response as of Midnight, October 23, 2007:

Shelters/Evacuation Centers Opened: 24

Shelter Overnight Stays: 9,481

Meals Served: 9,028

Snacks Served: 14,973

Total Number of Red Cross Workers: 3,352

Total Number of Red Cross Volunteers: 3,264

Workers Given Training: 2,976

The emphases are mine, but I think you get the point.

You want to live here, you gotta work. But if you work, there's enough to go around. You'll pay the taxes, you'll take the shit jobs...and when things go bad, we got your back. Everyone has to work like a dog to make it here - and we all know it.

You hear about the nutcases who think all the ills can be traced to "illegals" using the system.

The rest of us - and we are the vast majority, no kidding - aren't saying that. We just know how stupidly expensive it is to live here.

And we share, readily. You want to come here? Come on in. Jump in, paddle like hell like the rest of us and welcome to the party.

I don't really think FEMA did everything in California. Much like I don't think they did everything in Hawaii, neh?

Here's the original. Snatch it for posterity

A good 9,000 people ended up here, at Qualcomm Stadium, and if this was the endgame of a disaster, it would be a disaster that seemed possible only in the idyll of California.

There was a banh mi picnic in the parking lot, beef empanadas on the chow line, Caesar salads, cartons of fresh Starbucks House Blend, free magazines, toys for the kids, cots for grandma, pizza by the slice or, if you wished, the box. There was a man playing jazz guitar, a blues band, massages and acupuncture.

"It's better service than when you go to a restaurant," said Gary Potter of Rancho Penasquitos. "Every time you turn around, people are asking us if you need something -- water, food, anything."

"They thought of everything," said Erin Kelley, his wife. She was particularly impressed by the massages being offered in the parking lot.

A steady stream of volunteers brought blankets, potato chips, diapers -- anything they thought someone might need.

The center is being operated by the city of San Diego but almost everything consumed within it was donated.

The place was so opulent relative to the standards of disaster relief centers that for some it was an improvement in living conditions.

( Here's the whole original )

I am so damn proud of my state right now. I won't deny it.

The Red Cross sent me a blast this morning with some figures:

As of 2pm, October 24, 2007: From Santa Barbara to San Diego, about 8,000 firefighters attempted to extinguish more than a dozen wildfires that had scorched at least 645 square miles (1,670 square kilometers), an area twice the size of New York City, in the past four days. Five people have died and 1,664 structures have been destroyed.

Since the latest wildfires broke out Oct. 21st, about 321,ooo residents have been ordered to leave their homes, and an additional 500,000 people have left voluntarily, making it the largest evacuation in California's history.

Your American Red Cross is providing the immediate emergency needs for those directly affected by the fires.

The American Red Cross Response as of Midnight, October 23, 2007:

Shelters/Evacuation Centers Opened: 24

Shelter Overnight Stays: 9,481

Meals Served: 9,028

Snacks Served: 14,973

Total Number of Red Cross Workers: 3,352

Total Number of Red Cross Volunteers: 3,264

Workers Given Training: 2,976

The emphases are mine, but I think you get the point.

You want to live here, you gotta work. But if you work, there's enough to go around. You'll pay the taxes, you'll take the shit jobs...and when things go bad, we got your back. Everyone has to work like a dog to make it here - and we all know it.

You hear about the nutcases who think all the ills can be traced to "illegals" using the system.

The rest of us - and we are the vast majority, no kidding - aren't saying that. We just know how stupidly expensive it is to live here.

And we share, readily. You want to come here? Come on in. Jump in, paddle like hell like the rest of us and welcome to the party.