Back in March

Back in March, we had a sudden but large storm appear out of almost nowhere. The weather was pretty nice, for March, then suddenly it very much wasn't. I took a bunch of pictures but never posted them, so I'm doing that now.


March Storm 1

It only took about, gosh, 10 minutes to roll in from the south, and the streetlights started coming on, and homes started lighting up as people reacted to the sudden dark.


March Storm 2

The creepy part was how you could see the clouds overhead just winging by, but not feel much wind at all down by the house. Then it picked up a bit at ground level.


March Storm 3

And then the wind picked up a lot.


March Storm Winds

Then it calmed down and lightened a bit, all about 15 minutes later, after which, it snowed.


March Storm Snows (1)


March Storm Snows (2)

Later, we were all ready for creepy outdoor tea with American McGee's Alice.


American McGee's Teatime

Today's Cultural Warfare Update

The New York Times finally notices the anti-contraception movement and growing effort to overturn Griswald so that contraception can be banned;

Focus on the Family article on the party-line vote on Brett Kavanaugh in committee; my theory is that this is really about John McCain, one of the Gang of 14; will he break the compromise he helped broker in order to win their favour in the 2008 presidential race? We'll see; note that Focus on the Family's rhetoric towards the "Gang of 14" compromise; instead of a vile roadblock, it's now a "compromise" enacted to "break the deadlock over several... nominees" which is about a zillion times more friendly - clearly they're offering an olive branch to McCain; includes the usual ACTION ITEM against any judicial filibuster;

FofF feature against California SB 1437, originally introduced against anti-gay lesson plans, amended to include GBLT figures in history and related classes; includes ACTION ITEM against the bill;

FotF condemns efforts to include contraception in the Republican health-care bill;

FotF supports "fetal pain" anti-abortion bill in Louisiana;

FotF applauds House vote to keep abortion by military doctors illegal;

FotF somewhat-admiring commentary on Dick Morris and an ACTION ITEM to demand support for the anti-marriage-rights "Marriage Protection Amendment," coming up to a vote soon;

House Armed Services Committee intervenes in military chaplain guidelines issue, inserting a clause into the DoD budget authorisation bill; I'm not certain this is particularly bad in this case, though it bothers me that they are attacking military guidelines set up in response to religious harassment at the Air Force Academy; includes ACTION ITEM to support the bill;

Focus on the Family and CWA wonk Warren Throckmorton attack the study showing that the brains of lesbians react to female pheromones like the brains of men, declare the study was reported "inaccurately"; clearly they are buying irony by the supertanker load at this point; I have no doubt at all that the media reported the story with great ineptitude, because they always do, but c'mon, guys, you have no fucking room to talk at all;

Massachusetts Supreme Court weighing validity of a proposed Constitutional amendment voiding marriage rights for lesbian and gay people; if it gets certified, then it has to go through the legislature twice (but only needs 25% YES votes) in order to get to the ballot where it will need a supermajority;

FotF claims President Clinton politicised the approval of RU-486, condemns him for it, demands it be pulled from the market immediately; see what I mean about supertankers of irony?

FotF attacks medical marijuana efforts in New Jersey, echos the usual drug warrior lines;

Centres for Disease Control doesn't want to waste its time with abstinence-only education at an anti-STD panel; Focus on the Family, et al, howl; congressional intervention from Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN) gets an abstinence-only promoter wedged in;

Focus on the Family Canada's version of the "lesbian brain" story;

***** Oooh, this is neat; Focus on the Family Canada sends out a story titled "ABORTED FETAL TISSUE BEHIND MANY VACCINES" that doesn't seem to be on their website. It's against vaccines allegedly developed involving collected cells from abortions in the 1960s;

Family Research Council ACTION ITEM against Louisiana bill that would provide protection against anti-gay discrimination and harassment in state employment ; they describe it as "special privileges for homosexuals"; as always, it provides general protection on sexual orientation, which includes heterosexuality too - that's even written into the bill language explicitly - but that's never stopped them from lying about it before, why would they stop now;

American Family Association ACTION ITEM against Ford Motor for advertising in GBLT publications - in particular, in OUT magazine; calls it "proof" of "Ford's support of homosexual marriage";

AFA reports failed attempt by fundamentalist activist Ford shareholder to repeal Ford Motor's internal anti-discrimination policy; calls the 5% of the vote they got a victory; normally 95-5 is called "losing in an overwhelming landslide," but whatever;

***** Institute for Creation Research to offer a Masters Degree in Science - no, really; that part's funny, but the stated goal isn't: to create more teaching opportunities for creationists in science fields by handing out an MS in a "science" arena;

AFA and Article 8 Alliance blast youth GBLT day in Boston;

AFA newsbrief calls civil marriage for lesbian and gay people a threat to the church; also promotes Constitution Party and Mississippi comprehensive abortion ban initiative drive;

Traditional Values Coalition reports how "homosexuals target state races to gain political power";

TVC condemns CBS for running Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Public Service Announcement;

TVC ACTION ITEM urging letters to the editor condemning "lesbian brain" study reporting;

Traditional Values Coalition: "Religious Freedom Will Die If Same-Sex Marriage Legalized Nationally";

USA Today article on GBLT people in state-level races;

Anti-gay Episcopalians demand church trials against the openly-gay Bishop Robinson and the 42 bishops who consecrated him;

Here's a place where American fundamentalists and Canadian fundamentalists have little or no common ground: the Institute for Canadian Values is demanding that deportation of otherwise-law-abiding illegal immigrants stop immediately;

Canada Family Action Coalition links to a National Catholic Register story on the same testimony presented earlier by a woman who grew up with her gay father; the problem isn't so much with her unfortunate childhood, but with the fact that she and the fundamentalist movement present her case as typical, and claim from it that GBLT parentage is inherently abusive;

CFAC starts the Judicial Tyranny chant up in Canada, defending a parliamentarian who lied about a Canadian Supreme Court Justice's statements;

CFAC accuses Planned Parenthood (of Canada and the US) of supporting and promoting child pornography.

( Articles and excerpts below )

A small update and expansion

For a couple of people who had been asking, I posted the replies I feel are appropriate to my assertion that the impeachment of President Bush is now mandatory. I want to make something else clear, as well: it's not just that I think President Bush should be impeached; it's that I feel he must be impeached, for the good of the country.

The core reasons, the ones that really matter, the ones that make it mandatory, are twofold:

1. The usurpation of legislative power primarily via abuse of the "presidential signing statement," which has moved beyond commentary upon law and into rewriting of law to change both its letter and intent, including de facto appropriation of spending authority, and;

2. The usurpation of judicial power through a variety of troubling precedents, the latest of which being the use of the NSA to shut down a Justice Department investigation of administration domestic spying programmes operated in direct opposition to established Federal law. The administration feels that the law is unconstitutional, and has, through its actions, declared that the question cannot even be investigated by Justice.

It is for these reasons that, for the good of the country, President Bush must be impeached. This amalgamation of power cannot be allowed to stand.

If you're wondering what I think about why President Bush's administration has clutched for power at every opportunity, my charitable response is that it is a reaction to failures and incompetence. Every time they have a significant setback, they attempt to exert more control over any related area, even though they are manifestly unable to handle the responsibilities they already have.

This is one typical response of incompetent managers - grab for more money (or power), claiming you don't have enough tools to get the job done. However, at some point, it becomes mandatory to fire the manager, for the good of the company. I believe that time has come.

post! mania!

The local Farmer's Market starts up again on Sunday, 11AM-4PM, and runs through October 1st. Yay! I've missed it. The U. District's starts earlier and runs a little later, but only slightly later in the year now - last year's inaugural season did so well for the local market that this season is much longer.

Of course, talking about gardening, I have to get my summer bed built now. Hopefully I can do that on Sunday - in between going to the market and maybe to the Ravenna Creek daylighting celebration. I have too much to do and not enough time for all of it.


Daffoldil Attention

I thought this had to be a joke, and yet it wasn't. Every time you run out of jokes about British teeth, they invent more for you.

In other news, I now have chemistry textbooks. Yay! Tomorrow I stand for election to what's probably the lowest-key elected position at Norwescon; one of the open Guest of Honour Committee slots. I've no idea whether I might win; I reflexively doubt I will. I also have four or so errands I have to run.

Too much time on livejournal today. Time for bed now. G'night!