Thursday, December 06, 2012

Happy Marriage Equality Day in Washington State!

Today, December 6, 2012, is Marriage Equality Day in Washington State.
Today, and ever after,  any adult couple in Washington State can get a marriage license, without the need for government approval of their gender combination. This is a happy thing; I personally know several gay couples raising good families, and it's good for everyone that they have the same rights and responsibilities under a marriage license as everyone else.
The arguments against lost, because they are basically "Euw Ick!". But when you think about it, wasn't the prior situation even creepier? You had to prove to the satisfaction of a government clerk that you had the approved set of genetalia! What if they insisted on a "pants check"? Really, some things are private and nobody's business but your own, and you're spouse's.
Change can be hard, and I have to be honest. As a kind I was kind of squicked out by the idea of gay sex, but I had a lucky experience: when I was in the seminary, one of my best friends told me he was gay, in a very non-threatening way. I had to choose whether to stick with my prejudices or stick with my friend, and it wasn't that hard to stick with my friend. We are still friends today, and he's happily married to a guy, having been together for over 25 years (...longer than any of my marriages!) and raised a family quite successfully (although, not having raised a family myself, I don't consider kids to be the only reason to be married.)
If you're into religious argument, Genesis 2:18 reads:
"And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him."
...and we now know that some men were made by God that another man is that "helper suitable for him", and some women were made by God so that another woman is that "helper suitable". It is not for us to question the way God made them, nor to build barriers in law against God's clear command. There's more on this at No Father, The Gay Sky Isn't Falling.

For everyone else, if the thought of gay sex squicks you out, there's a simple solution: think about something else! What are you doing fantasizing about what your neighbors are doing anyway, you dirty dog!
This is a happy day for so many people, including myself, that we have a new burst of freedom in our state.

Tuesday, December 04, 2012

Heroics For Beginners: a book by John Moore

Heroics for Beginners is a delightful light fantasy that pleases on a couple of levels.
First, it is a spoof of the conventions of the fantasy genre, almost a novelization of Peter Anspach's "Evil Overlord list". However, it also works as a light-hearted story of adventure that Joseph Campbell might recognize, for the flawed hero overcomes his shortcomings with a handy how-to book that is more effective than any magic ring.
This is a quick read; if you enjoy Terry Pratchett or Piers Anthony's lighter works, you will probably enjoy this. It is well-written enough as a story that young teens may enjoy it without really caring about all the unsubtle references to classic fantasy literature.

Monday, December 03, 2012

Wintergreen in Our Raingarden

Wintergreen settles in
On top of the wall forming out rain garden
Wintergreen was on the list of plants going into our rain garden. I was not familiar with the plant but when Kris and I went shopping at Village Green's seasonal closeout, we saw 3 or 4 tiny bushes with bright red berries, with labels that said "Wintergreen" so we picked them up.
It turns out that the berries are indeed edible and come out very late in the season, which explains the "Winter" part of the name. They're supposed to be minty in taste, which made me remember that "Wintergreen" is a flavor of gum or lifesavers; I'd never really appreciated that there was an actual wintergreen for that flavor to be referring too.
These appear to be tough little plants and I'm looking forward to watching them grow.

4freeCLE: Your Free CLE Newsletter! December 2, 2012

4freeCLE: Your Free CLE Newsletter!
December 2, 2012
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