Welcome......

...........to Michael Mattison of Spice Of Life.

Michael is an American living abroad.....No, not as a broad, but abroad, as in Europe. Sheesh! Of himself, he says, "I think of life's pleasures as spices: the charm of that picture-perfect Parisian café; a Santorini sunset worthy of the gods; a soprano's voice of liquid gold; a fragrance straight out of paradise ... Together, these spices make life the zesty experience it should be."

Sounds delicious, so stop on over and say Hello.

Quote Of The Week: John McCain circa 1955

In his State of the Union address, President Obama asked Congress to repeal the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy. I am immensely proud of, and thankful for, every American who wears the uniform of our country, especially at a time of war, and I believe it would be a mistake to repeal the policy.

This successful policy has been in effect for over fifteen years, and it is well understood and predominantly supported by our military at all levels. We have the best trained, best equipped, and most professional force in the history of our country, and the men and women in uniform are performing heroically in two wars. At a time when our Armed Forces are fighting and sacrificing on the battlefield, now is not the time to abandon the policy.

I know I have my issues with Barack Obama, but every time Grampa John McCain opens his mouth I thank my lucky stars that he wasn't elected. For him to honestly think that over ten thousand Americans losing their jobs because of their sexual orientation is a "successful policy" shows just how out of touch he is, and how necessary it is for Old McCain to retire and go back to Arizona and shout at kids to get off his lawn.

For the record, Gramps, discrimination is NEVER successful.

I Know How She Feels

A few years ago I was in a Z Gallerie, you know, looking at the bric-a-brac; fondling a knickknack; comparing tchotchke prices. And, not looking where I was going, I accidentally kicked a ceramic pot into a display cabinet and it shattered into a bunch of tiny little pieces.

Well, the Gallerie cops busted me right then and there, and with their strict You Break It, You Bought It policy, I was the proud own of a bag of pottery shards.

Okay, that didn't really happen to me, but imagine how embarrassing that would be.

Now, imagine that you're visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art [MOMA] in New York, and you stop to admire Pablo Picasso's "The Artist." And while you staring deeply into the brush strokes, you lose your balance and tear a hole in the painting.

And the painting is appraised at $130 million. Million!

That actually happened, and now that particular painting, although it can be repaired, is appraised as a damaged piece for $65 million. Appraiser Gerard van Weyenbergh says, "It's a 50 percent loss of the value -- at least. When an artwork comes up in auction, that's the first thing people want to know -- were there any repaints or restorations.

At least they didn't make her pay for it.

I know how that feels.

Calling All Word Police....Be On The Lookout For "Oral Sex"

Apparently stupid is contagious.

See, we have a long history of stupid people doing and saying stupid things here in South Carolina, from Governors, to Lt. Governors, Senators and Congressmen and just everyday, garden variety dumbasses. And now it seems as though South Carolina Stupid is spreadin' to the west coast!

In Southern California, in the Menifee Union School District, a parent has complained that an elementary school student found the word "oral sex" in the dictionary!

Well, it was a dick-tionary!

Bah-dump-bump.

Thank you very much I'll be here all week!

Anywhore, the Menifee Union School District officials decided to pull Merriam Webster's 10th edition from all school shelves earlier this week and allow school officials to review the dictionary to decide if it should be permanently banned because of the "sexually graphic" entry.

Yeah, don't put anything about sex in a book of words and definitions.

District spokeswoman Betti Cadmus says the dictionaries were initially purchased a few years ago for fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms districtwide, butt hat these words are "just not age appropriate."

Cadmus and her jackbooted goosestepping word police will begin to read the dictionary for other inappropriate words, like "gay," or "lesbian," "marriage equality." "Democrat." "Free thinker." You know, words that are offensive to normal folk.

I suggest they take a look closer, to see if they find the words "asshatted neanderthal" and then take a quick glance in a mirror.

They're Funny, 'Cuz They're Real Ads

Gavin Newson On The Right Side Of History

Gavin Newsom was once considered Obama-like, a young rising star in the Democratic Party. He ran a successful business, had a huge line of supporters to fund a campaign, and well, he is kind of pretty to look at. As San Francisco's Mayor, there was talk that his next step should be to run for governor of California, and after that, well, President Newsom sounded fine. But with him bowing out of the California gubernatorial race, the question arises: what happened to Gavin Newsom?

There are those who say it all began to unravel in 2004 when Gavin Newsom decided it was time that marriage equality was the law of the land in San Francisco. Instantly, he became a hero to the LGBT community around the world, and those who support us, for his unwavering, unyielding determination to do the right thing, the equal thing.

But, while those who fight for equality stood with Gavin Newsom, the Democratic Party, which had once considered him one of their "golden" boys, suddenly distanced itself from the mayor. In a recent interview with Maureen Dowd, Newsom talked about his political career, and the choices he made, and the fact that he believes his political future came to a screeching halt when he made the decision to champion same-sex marriage. He even suggests that the Democratic Party punished him for his pro-equality stand.

According to Newsom, as soon as he moved to recognize same-sex marriage in San Francisco, Democratic Party activists stopped calling, and began avoiding San Francisco for fear of being associated with a radical gay rights mayor.

"Life was really good, and then it came crashing down. ‘You’re not going to be speaking at the convention. We overbooked.’ And then it becomes the house of cards with the Democrats excusing themselves from visits to this city and being in the same room with me," Newsom said in the Dowd piece.

But why be so surprised? This is the Democratic Party. The party that proudly states that it stands for the rights of all Americans, including the LGBT Americans, but then turns its back on a candidate who actually does something for us.

Now, to be fair, there are those who say that Newsom had an uphill struggle being recognized anywhere outside of San Francisco, but, well, being a Senator from Illinois didn't exactly hurt Barack Obama. So, what was the difference? Obama talked about LGBT rights; Gavin Newsom did something about LGBT rights. He stood up for us when the rest of the Democrats merely patted our heads, took our money, and offered us hope.

Gavin Newsom, perhaps because of his stance on LGBT rights, was denied the opportunity to speak at the 2004 Democratic Convention. His stance inspired anger from then-Presidential candidate John Kerry, who was against marriage equality in 2004 even in his home state of Massachusetts. Even Barack Obama, still a US Senator in 2004, allegedly refused to have his picture taken with Gavin Newsom during a 2004 fundraiser for fear of creating a some sort of connection Obama and marriage equality supporters.

In Maureen Dowd's piece, she says that, although Gavin Newsom may have ended up alienating the Democratic Party, and subsequently derailing his political future, in the end he will be seen as one of the lone candidates who stood on the "right side of history." As Dowd sees it, after Newsom, any Democrat running for office in California will have to support marriage equality if they want to have a chance. And it may turn out, that once Obama is done with his presidency, no other Democrat will be able to run for that office without a clearly defined, pro-marriage equality stance.

We may not ever see a Governor Newsom, or a President Newsom, but at least, in relation to the LGBT community he was one politician who stood for equal rights, who still stands for equal rights, who sacrificed a political career for equal rights.

And that's more than you can say about almost any other Democrat.

Giving Ann Coulter a Run For Her Money

Michelle Malkin, as ignorant, and homophobic, and hateful, as Ann Coulter, speaking on Cindy McCain's NoH8 photograph:

"Hollywood and political celebrities are such lemmings. AIDS ribbons. Foreign baby adoptions. Livestrong bracelets. Now, every fame-seeker and left-wing panderer wants his/her mouth duct-taped to show solidarity with the gay marriage movement. The latest slave to fashion? Cindy McCain, following in the oh-so-edgy-for-Tinseltown footsteps of her daughter, MEghan. Who’s silencing these Prop. 8 opponents? They’re more overexposed than Mariah Carey’s bosom."They can talk and talk and talk without fear of retribution, intimidation, or physical violence. Meanwhile, Prop. 8 supporters and donors have been hounded, threatened, blacklisted, beaten, and forced to resign from their jobs for exercising their political free speech. Cindy and MEghan McCain’s silence on the continued thuggery of their anti-Prop. 8 duct-tape wielders speaks volumes."

Oh, Michelle, such a shame that those who wish to inflict discrimination on a particular group are made to feel bad. Such a shame that those who want to write inequality into any state Constitution are held accountable for their actions.

Michelle? Dear stupid, ignorant, Michelle, why don't you try years and years and YEARS of hate speech hurled at you like it has been at the LGBT community. Try losing your job because of who you are; being evicted, or denied housing because of who you are; being beaten and left tied to a fence in Wyoming because o9f who you are; being called a pedophile; being blamed for all the ills of the world, from hurricanes and terrorism, because of who you are.

Failing that, try acting like a human being you insufferable bitch.

And that dear friends, is what ISBL follower David, who lives in Canada, calls my contagious "focused outrage."

Thanks David!

Ripped From The Headlines

PS I have a few preplanned rants and rages for tomorrow and Friday, but this is all you're getting from me today. Carlos and I are off on a mid-week getaway....a much needed mid-week getaway! Play nice!

Thank You Nora!

One of my oldest, dearest friends, Nora, has a dog that she loves like it was, well, anything but a dog. I get pictures of the dog, cards from the dog, calenders of the dog. You'd think it was a cat. Anywhore, this year, for my birthday--and before you ask I am somewhere between forty and death--my old old OLD friend Nora sent me a stuffed toy dog that looks ::::gulp:::: just like her dog Cotton. Along with a picture of Cotton wishing me Happy Birthday.

 

  So, naturally, I had to show her what a gorgeous animal like Tuxedo: The Most Beautiful Cat EVER!!! with a Thank You "card" looks like.

 

  Thanks Nora, the cats love their new playtoy!!!

I'd Like To Thank The Little People

As a big old queen, I love nothing better than attention drawn my way. So, I was beside myself, all a'twitter, in a tizzy, when I was given the prestigious, okay, dusty, Kreativ Blogger Award.

Kreativ? Is someone missing a spellcheck or are they trying to be cute?

Anywhore, this is what I am supposed to do:

ONE: Thank the person who nominated you for this award.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Mark In DE for this lovely honor. Muah!

TWO: Copy the logo and place it on your blog.

THREE: Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
Mark at Tales Of The Sissy. Go there now, for some good stuff, and, well, the Crush Du Jour!
FOUR: Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.

1. I am a dyed-in-the-wool Republican, pro-life, anti-gay, anti-immigration. My goal is to marry Michelle Bachmann and have a bunch of illiterate kids to continue my work. See, I have been fooling all of you all along! Or, maybe I'm just a smartass.
2. I used to be a wicked partier, always up for anything and everything, going anywhere at anytime day or night, and having absolutely no regrets. Now, i like a good quiet time with friends, or just a night home with Carlos. i don't miss the wild times. i actually love that i lived through them.
3. I hate being called a gay man, because I happen to be a gay woman....okay, there's that smartass thing again. No, I happen to be a man who happens to be gay. I think the best way to feel connected to other people on the planet is to simplify how we define ourselves. We are all human beings, first and foremost, so that should force us to get along. It's all that stuff we add to being human that causes the drama.
4. I am fascinated by death. I am not looking to die any time soon, but I am fascinated with the hows and whys of death, and the hows and whys of those affected by it. When I lived in California I volunteered as a hospice worker and spent a great deal of time with people, both young and old, who were terminally ill, and I learned a lot from them. I have been in the room as several people have died and it is nothing to fear; it's just peaceful. Death does not scare me.
5. I am a trusting person. But I will not be run over. I have in the past year found that one person I thought was a friend was not a friend, and apparently had never been a friend. And the "friendship" we had was over. Do I miss it? No. Once you've lost trust in someone how can you ever believe another word that comes out of her mouth. Of course, it hasn't help that she continued to bash me to Carlos.......
6. I didn't much care for my Dad when I was growing up. Loved him, of course, but wasn't sure I liked him. Maybe it was because I knew I was gay and figured he'd be disappointed in a homo-son. Maybe it was because he was in the Air Force and away a lot when I was a wee lad and I missed him so much i didn't want to get too close for fear he'd go away again. But, as an adult, I found that I am very much my father's son, and that's a good thing. And as I became an adult I became friends with my father; I'd always loved him, but now I liked him.
7. I met Carlos online, in an AOL chatroom. I wasn't looking; he wasn't looking. But there we were, and the chats started, and then phone calls and then visits, and then, well, moving 3,000 miles from where I'd lived my whole life, and knowing that it was the perfectly right thing to do. And still feeling that way today. I call that "Shaking The Etch-A-Sketch."

FIVE: Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers and post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.

This was tough, because some bloggers, hell, a lot of blogers hate these things, and I'd seen a number of them already given the award. But here are some new friends, and some old friends, and, well, we'll see if we can't all get to know them better:

• Wicked funny Corey at Madtexter
• Lou from Down Under at The Quiet Life
• Froggy at Froggy because she knows The Chicken Story.
• Dan at 41North87West because, well, we were separated at birth.
• Lenore at LenoreNevermore who is divinely fabulous.
• Bob--nice name if I do say so myself--at Bob Out. A peach from Georgia.
• Kyle at Out Left because we think the same way though he is much nicer at expressing his opinions!

Now, you lucky seven, you do not have to complete the task if you so desire. think of it merely as just an honor to be nominated!

SIX: Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated.

Done and done.

Welcome To My World

This is running for governor, and thinks she'd be a good change after Mark "Take A Hike" Sanford leaves office.

Lt. Governor Andre Bauer: "My grandmother was not a highly educated woman, but she told me as a small child to quit feeding stray animals. You know why? Because they breed. You're facilitating the problem if you give an animal or a person ample food supply. They will reproduce, especially ones that don't think too much further than that. And so what you've got to do is you've got to curtail that type of behavior. They don't know any better."

He believes the state should not give assistance to the children of parents that fail drug tests or don't attend PTA meetings. And, Miss Bauer thinks students that receive free lunches get the lowest grades, so perhaps they ought to starve.

For the record, Bauer was outed last year by blogger Mike Rogers; one of many outed in the documentary Outrage.

Is Andre Bauer gay? I couldn't care less.

Is he an asshat?

Oh, yes!

Bauer has since apologized for comparing the poor to stray animals.

It's Spreading

When marriage equality was legalized in Washington DC, all sorts of folks in states surrounding the District wondered what might happen to them. Should they enact marriage equality legislation? Should they recognize marriages performed in DC?

Well, for the first time, a new poll has revealed that more Marylanders support marriage equality than oppose: 47 percent to 44 percent; more than half would vote to keep such unions if they became legal.

The Greenberg Research, commissioned by Equality Maryland, also found significant gains in feelings toward the LGBT community compared with previous polls, including among Catholic and African-American voters. Although there was some hostility toward homosexuality, the pollsters noted there was common ground that LGBT activists could explore.

From the report: “[E]ven among more observant Catholics, there are opportunities to build bridges. “The African-American community is in a somewhat different place. A majority of these voters believe homosexuality is a sin and there are also some class resentments that emerge, more so in the focus groups than in this survey. Still, this research finds some common ground here as well.”

Equality Maryland was sure to release the poll results this week, just ahead of efforts to win more co-sponsors for the marriage equality bill state Senator Richard Madeleno is planning to introduce.

Take the step, Maryland.

Protect The Children [and mean it]

from Rob Tisinai at Waking Up Now.

We've all heard the myths about gays and pedophilia. It's just one of the ways that homophobes and haters spread intolerance of the LGBT community. Well, Rob Tisinai debunks that theory with this video, and some words from his blog:

"The Prop 8 trial, predictably, has shown our opposition spreading this most vicious lie about the LGBT community. Homosexuals are 12 times more likely to molest children. This particular version comes from William Tam, who volunteered be a defendant in the trial against Prop 8 and then dropped out, claiming the publicity might lead us to take revenge on him. Our side called him as a hostile witness anyway, and exposed his hateful ignorance, pathetic illogic, and blind willingness to believe whatever anti-gay crap he reads on the Internet. Even the Prop 8 lawyers tried to distance themselves from him – during cross-examination, I mean, not during the campaign. During the campaign they were happy to have him out there spreading this evil. But the best cure for dishonesty is truth. We all need to be able to debunk these lies. I hope this will help."

Asshat Of The Week: Cathi Herrod

"It's one thing to disagree on the issue of same-sex marriage. It's quite a different matter to label those of us--really the millions not only in California and Arizona, but throughout this country--who stand for marriage between one man and one woman as 'haters.' Mrs. McCain has effectively called all of us 'haters.' That surprises me. For those of us in Arizona who worked very hard to pass Prop. 102 in 2008, we're offended, we're disappointed and we're outraged."--Cathi Herrod of the Center For Arizona Policy, the group that backed the state's successful Prop 102 referendum to ban same-sex marriage.

Cathi, honey, you don't know the meaning of the words, disappointed and offended and outraged. Try being a member of the LGBTQ+community and dealing with people like you who use hate to legislate.

Try living as a member of the LGBT community and listening to a barrage of people calling you a pedophile because you're gay; calling you obscene because you're gay; calling you defective because you're gay.

You are a horrid, horrid woman.

South Carolina: One Giant Step Backwards

During the 2009 session of the South Carolina General Assembly, Republican Representative Joan Brady introduced a Dating Violence Bill that would require the State Department of Education to develop a model dating violence policy in collaboration with the South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.

This new policy would aid school districts in developing policies for reporting, and responding to, incidents of dating violence for grades 6-12. The Bill would require that school districts include dating violence education in its health education curriculum, and that the Department of Education review and approve grade level topics relating to dating violence and healthy relationships.

The General Assembly recognized that when a student is a victim of dating violence, that student's academic life suffers, and his or her safety at school is jeopardized, and so every school district should have a policy in place. The bill specifically stated that all students have a right to work and study in a safe, supportive environment that is free from harassment, intimidation, and violence.

A companion bill to Representative Brady's proposal was then introduced in the Senate by Senator Phil Leventis and included the same gender neutrality as the original bill. Dating violence was defined as a pattern of behavior where one person uses threats of, or actually uses, physical, sexual, verbal, or emotional abuse to control his or her dating partner. A dating partner was defined as a person, regardless of gender, involved in an intimate, affectionate relationship with another, whether casual, serious, or long term.

Wordy, but you get the meaning.

The bill passed the first reading in the House intact, though, near the end of the session last May, as the second reading neared, Repugnant Representative Greg Delleney proposed an amendment that redefined the “dating partner” as a person involved in a heterosexual dating relationship only. Shockingly, that amendment was approved. The rationale behind the amendment was that Delleney, an old school Southern fucktard, asshat moron, did not want this bill to give the schools the opportunity to discuss homosexuality—even though there was nothing in the bill that indicated that this would occur.

No, don't discuss homosexuality, and make the bill specifically preclude anyone who might be gay, and in a relationship, from being protected against violence. That, of course, is the South Carolina holier-than-thou bullshit Christian thing to do. You think being gay is a sin, then its okay for gay kids to be verbally, emotionally, and physically abused at school.

Still, when news of Delleny's wishing to basically allow violence against gay students to continue, South Carolina Equality members mobilized, contracting contact their Representatives and asking that they vote No on this bill during its third reading and send it back to committee to have the discriminatory and unnecessary amendment removed. The bill did not receive a third reading during the 2009 session, though it will be brought up again this month. If it passes, it goes to the Senate where South Carolina Equality is committed to working with its allies in the Senate to stop the bill until the offensive amendment is removed.

I get it that South Carolina is a deeply religious state, and people use their religion to inform their every decision, from voting decisions to how drunk they'll get after Church this Sunday, but to allow violence against anyone to continue unchecked simply because you don't like their sexual orientation, and it doesn't fit into your limited world view, is unconscionable.

And decidedly un-Christian.

One Of The Square States Weighs In

What with marriage equality trials going on in California, and conservative wingnuts in New Hampshire all up in arms, the debate over simple equality--a debate which should never be allowed to happen....equality should be a given--goes on.

And now it's raging in Indiana.

At the Indiana Statehouse, Senator Carlin Yoder, a Republican, of course, introduced a measure that would allow Indiana voters to decide if the state's constitution should specifically bar marriages and civil unions between gay and lesbian couples. Yoder says, "I firmly believe in the sacred definition of marriage as Indiana has always known it, as it is written in statute."

Yoder? Listen up. Don't make me go all Real Housewives of New Jersey on your ass: marriage has constantly changed in the last five thousand years. Do a little research and see; hell, it changed in the last forty years when interracial marriages were legalized and recognized.

And it's time for another change.

But, Yoder, with his asshat firmly in place, says, "This is not in any way an attack on the gay and lesbian community. By doing this, we are not taking away any rights from the gay and lesbian community in Indiana."

Well, no, of course not you moron. You aren't taking away rights, you're denying them. Pay attention, Tersesa!

Yoder supporters believe giving Indiana voters the opportunity to add discrimination to the constitution will protect the state's marriage law from the whims of court and legislative decisions.

See, and this is where it gets loony. Indiana already has a ban on gay marriage, but they want it carved in stone so that, no matter what happens anywhere else, no gay man or lesbian will ever, ever be allowed to marry in Indiana.

The Senate has voted several times since 2005 to pass an amendment banning gay marriage, but the House has never cleared those proposals. House Speaker B. Patrick Bauer, D-South Bend, has repeatedly said amending the state's constitution isn't necessary because Indiana law already prohibits same-sex marriage.

You've already deny equality, why pack on more hatred?

Okay, now that I'm done, take a look at Carlin Yoder. Is it me or does he have a little gay-face happening there? Well, what I mean to say, is a little self-loathing-still-deeply-closeted-gay-face? Just sayin'.

Hawaii Senate Votes Civil Union

Out west....waaaaay out west in Hawaii....the state Senate has passed a civil-unions bill by a veto-proof majority of 18 to 7.

The bill will allow same-sex and opposite-sex couples to enter into a civil union and receive the same rights, benefits and responsibilities as marriage under Hawaii state law. The House passed a civil union bill last session that only applied to same-sex couples; House leaders say they will wait and see what what the Senate vote was before deciding whether to move forward on the Senate version of the bill.

State House Speaker Calvin Say says the Democrats will meet in private caucus to decide how to proceed. he says one of the factors will be whether the House can muster a two-thirds' majority--34 of 51 lawmakers--to override a veto.

Last session the House voted 33 to 17 on civil unions, with one lawmaker absent.

Speaker Say, who supports civil unions, said he would recommend that the House not
attempt to address a technical flaw--the flaw being what date the new bill will go into effect--in the Senate version and decide simply whether to send the bill to the governor.

Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona, a Republican who opposes civil unions, of course, said the Senate vote was at odds with the people of the state. "Instead of redefining the institution of marriage, legislators should be focused on improving public education and balancing the state budget."

Perhaps, "Duke", when everyone is treated equally under the law, you'll have nothing but time to focus on other issues facing the state.

Quote Of The Day: Jerry Sanders

Sometimes I find it hard to believe that I came so close to making the wrong decision, and to endorsing government-sanctioned discrimination. As it turns out, I was reelected to a second term the next year. My position on marriage equality definitely made it more difficult. But I know I would have regretted vetoing that resolution a lot more than losing that election.
Now, more than two years later, I have testified in federal court about my decision and the rationale behind it. I told the court that, as someone who has spent most of his lifetime in public service, I understand that when government tolerates discrimination against any class of people, it makes it easier for citizens to do the same thing.
I was proud that Lisa was in court with me, along with her wife, Meaghan, whom she married in Vermont last month. Meaghan is like another daughter to me, and she has brought great happiness into our family.
The defendants in this case -- those who would deny equal rights to others -- would like us to believe that they are the true victims of discrimination. They argue that their opposition to marriage equality has made them targets of violence. They've made this argument as their excuse for withholding documents from the public, and it is as self-serving as it is inaccurate.
From my own experience as a police officer and mayor, I can say that the overwhelming evidence is that violence is directed against gays and lesbians, not those who would deny them equality.
San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders talking about testifying in the Prop H8 case

New Hampshire Wingnuts

It's been barely a month since New Hampshire legalized gay marriage, and opponents are already asking a House committee to repeal the law and let voters amend the constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman.

The House Judiciary Committee held hearings last Wednesday on the two measures, although many observers expect the House to reject them when they are brought to the floor in the next few weeks.

And opponents to equality know their chances of success are slim, but they are looking to next November's elections in hopes the GOP will regain control of the Statehouse and then act to repeal the law. Gay marriage opponents know that, with the Democrats in charge in the state house, they should shift the focus toward voter sympathy.

In recent weeks, opponents began a grass-roots effort to challenge the law indirectly by suggesting New Hampshire’s 400 House members and 24 senators aren’t representative of the people’s wishes.

Correct me if I'm wrong, asshat haters, but these House members and Senators were elected by the people to represent them, and I'm not seeing a great uprising against the New Hampshire government because of marriage equality. I think it's you few who wish to inflict your views on the majority.

Still, the asshat haters plan to raise the issue at town meetings this spring to pressure lawmakers to present them with an amendment that defines marriage. They also hope their effort will help elect anti-gay marriage candidates in November.

But Kevin Smith, executive director of the conservative Cornerstone Policy Research, agreed there is little or no chance the gay marriage law will be repealed this year. Though he supports repeal, Smith is focusing more on proposing constitutional change and will urge lawmakers to let voters decide the issue. “People really want an opportunity to have a say,” he said.

So, if you want them to have a say, give them the facts, don't fill their heads with the usual lies about pedophilia and indoctrination, and how next you're be legalizing polygamy or prostitution. Give.People.Facts.

Janson Wu, staff attorney for Gay and Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, argues that the size of New Hampshire’s Legislature makes it one of the most representative democratic bodies in the world, and says, “New Hampshire realizes it is just wrong to vote on people’s rights.”

And it is, because one day, perhaps it will be the rights of the asshat haters that are put to a vote.

The Week End

Busy work week for both Carlos and I last week. We shared breakfast a few times, and dinner a couple of times, some nights of mutual snoring, but that was the extent of our time together. So, I was ready for a lazy Sunday. Carlos. Pancakes. Lazy.

In that order.

But then Carlos reminded me that he'd invited David and Neal, the Round The Way Gays, and Round The Way Gay David's sister, Barbara, for breakfast on Sunday morning. No big deal I thought; great people. Sleep late. Have a fun breakfast. S'all good.

Until, late Saturday night, when Carlos tells me he invited them for breakfast at 8-freakin'-thirty AM!

On.Sunday.

I was sure he was kidding me. I begged him to say he was kidding. I pleaded with him to tell me it was a joke. I asked, Why? Even we don't get up for an 8:30 breakfast on Sunday. And when we went out to breakfast with David and Neal last Sunday, we went at 10:30? You seriously didn't invite them at 8:30?

Yes. I did.

Had I not been so tired, I could have pancaked him right then and there.

Sunday morning, 7 AM, the alarm goes off, and I'm told to Get up!

And I did.

And bleary eyed, and not-so-silently cursing, I fried up some some bacon and Andouille sausage; swearing, I cut up fruit; calming down somewhat, I made a mix for Bloody Marias--Marys, but with tequila, because I does like me some tequila. Especially if I'm hauled out of bed at 7 AM om a Sunday.

Oy!

I got my prep done and ran back for a quick shower. Carlos prepped up his Banana-Pecan pancake batter and then he dashed back for a shower. As I was debating whether or not to have a Bloody Maria, sans Bloody, if you get my meaning, I glanced out the dining room window and there were the Round The Way Gays and Sister.

In bathrobes!

See, they, too, thought, Eight-freakin'-thirty!!

But then, after some mimosas and some Tequila Marys, all thoughts of the early rising dissolved, and there was good chatter and good food and good drink and good company for the morning.

Of course, as an extra added bonus, there were gifts. See, a certain someone who shall remain nameless [me] is having a birthday this week, so after breakfast, there was The Presenting Of The presents!

A bottle of wine! Who knew!?! A cookbook!?! For recipes to serve with the wine. A new winter sweater, to wear on those cold days when I'm making something dee-lish from the cookbook and sipping said wine. And a book about my place in the universe, called You Are Here: A Portable History Of The Universe.

Yes, light reading, but again, with the wine....yum.

So, even with the early-bird wake-up, and the flip-the-bird at Carlos, it was a wonderful day, and the start of the week-long Smallville celebration known as The Birth Of Bob.

Okay, maybe it's just a celebration in m y mind, but hey, there'll be wine, books, and food.

Plus, Carlos and I will be taking a midweek getaway which is always something to enjoy. As long as I don't have to get up too early.