30 November 2006
equality
equality formally arrived in south africa today----In breaking with our past ... we need to fight and resist all forms of discrimination and prejudice, including homophobia,” Home Affairs Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula told members of Paliarment earlier this month, when the bill was passed by the National Assembly.
Posted by tomitron at 11/30/2006 09:23:00 PM 0 comments
ignorance
god---some people are such idiots----all this brou-ha-ha about whether the new muslim congressman has to swear his oath on a bible---this idiot dennis prager on cnn going on about it and how he ought to swear on a bible so as to "affirm [it] as our central text" and then he argues that it's not a religious test----and he actually talks about "the american bible"---god
Posted by tomitron at 11/30/2006 08:38:00 PM 0 comments
28 November 2006
another generation
so i'm a great uncle----alexis had her baby this afternoon about 5:15----big baby boy, so far nameless---she called me to tell me barely an hour after she had him---mother and baby all doing fine---
Posted by tomitron at 11/28/2006 09:21:00 PM 0 comments
26 November 2006
addiction
somehow i think i have avoided most substance addiction, which might not really be all that surprising, given the myths about drug addiction---alcohol and a doobie are great, together or seperately, but i don't have to have them to function and i can and sometimes do go for days without either one, especially when i'm traveling---even then i don't get a headache like i get if i go a day without caffeine---oh, but nicotine---i have not had any for going on three years, but last night at a party i came so-o-o close to lighting up---the host had laid out a box, conveniently filled with parliaments, for the guests, most of whom were young 20- or 30-somethings smoking like there was no tomorrow---nothing else has that pull---
only maybe 10-15% of people that use alcohol become addicted, and about the same percentage of pot smokers become "heaviliy dependent," although few claim it is actually addictive---and, believe it or not, way less than half of those that try heroin or cocaine become addicted---but nicotine? some claim near 90% can't put it down---i believe that---
Posted by tomitron at 11/26/2006 10:51:00 AM 0 comments
25 November 2006
getting around
now this would be a real public transportation system\
Posted by tomitron at 11/25/2006 06:58:00 PM 1 comments
22 November 2006
the natural world downtown
so brian took this excellent pic of the red-tailed hawk that has been chowing down on the five-points pigeons---there are probably too many pigeons i guess but i just wish he wouldn't eat sitting on the window sill outside our office---he doesn't eat pigeon feet by the way----
Posted by tomitron at 11/22/2006 05:24:00 PM 0 comments
19 November 2006
18 November 2006
the meyer lemon
the first lemon from my balcony----not ripe but it was a lot smaller than the other two and i thought it wasn't going to ripen---but it was juicy and right tasty in a vodka tonic---
hershey is feeling ok but the vet told me friday i would have weeks, not months, left with him----
Posted by tomitron at 11/18/2006 08:40:00 AM 0 comments
13 November 2006
southern baptists
this is happening in north carolina---what a pathetic group of people---While we fully recognize that other sins assail our members, there is no other sin that has a national advocacy group where people march and try to change laws and cultural mores to gain approval for itself. This particular sin is creeping its way into acceptability by virtue of this group's advocacy, and it is time for us to take a stand."
-- Baptist State Convention spokesman Norman Jameson, as the body moves to vote to further demonize its LGBT members of its flock by expelling tolerant churches
Posted by tomitron at 11/13/2006 08:13:00 PM 0 comments
12 November 2006
fall
me and the dog spent some time in the park today----a gorgeous day with leaf color as intense as i've ever seen----the "active oval," which was the driving club's race track in the 1880s, is open again after a thorough remodeling---
Posted by tomitron at 11/12/2006 07:40:00 PM 1 comments
10 November 2006
new times
is the dam breaking? now mexico city has legalized civil unions for gays----
Posted by tomitron at 11/10/2006 08:50:00 AM 0 comments
09 November 2006
harper's ferry
harper's ferry has got to be one of the most spectacular places in the east---located at the confluence of the Shenandoah and the Potomac rivers where they break through the blue ridge mountains---a ferry and subsequently a town were established there in 1761, but it's most famous as the site of john