Daddy, Papa and Me

Lentil chili tonight! Recipe to follow. Lots of links, i've been doing some reading to distract myself :(. So let's talk...

Some good news. The drought in Australia _might_ be weakening it's grip on that country.

Though the bad news is in that graph here...

Just a reminder why marriage is important.

A new hate crimes bill has the anti-gay religious right hate groups going apoplectic... (additional updates below, bill passed the House, more commentary)

As this journal is in part to write down my own experiences and history for our daughter, I wish her to understand my time as a Mormon and what it meant to me. Like my coming out story, this will be in parts. Unlike that story, this will start at the end. Yesterday's half about "The Mormons" included a part about excommunication and gays. I thought it might be a good time to write about that part of my life.

I have been long fascinated by longevity studies. My fascination is both scientific (what is the evolutionary basis for 'programmed death'? what causes old age? etc) and personal, I want to live a long and healthy life. So far there is only one method that has proven to lengthen life (and health) in animals as different as fruit flies, worms, monkeys and dogs: severe calorie restriction. A new study just came out...

(bringing this post forward, has some updates).
If you want to know what about Mormonism that has intrigued, frustrated, endeared, repulsed and fascinated me over the years, what has made me be a fervent and devout believer and an outcast, then you should watch the PBS special "The Mormons." It is a four-hour special that was on last night and tonight (two hours each), though if you missed it last night, you can watch it online from the previous link.

With prominent American, and devout Mormon, figures in politics like Harry Reid and Mitt Romney, perhaps it might be a good thing for all Americans to see this film. Perhaps it's time for Americans to see Mormonism a little more in it's full, complex reality.

It's Emma and me tonight. Daddy is in Utah working. So supper is simple. So simple in fact I can give you the recipe here before we talk. Cooked penne pasta (about a pound) tossed with 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, 1 bunch sauted spinach and 1 cup sliced mushrooms (saute each for about 2 minutes in 1/2 tablespoon olive oil), 2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil and salt and pepper to taste. You can adjust amounts per your liking. We serve with salad. Voila.

First lets talk some science... A wrote a couple years ago about how grandmothers help their grandchildren survive and thrive and this is an evolutionary reason for grandmothers :).

So Steve at Adamant Sun brings up the issue of housekeeping, division of labor and the age old question "who takes out the garbage?" Ok, that last question was mine. Gender roles when it comes to the household go out the window (well, sorta) when the couple is a same-sex couple. We can divide up the chores and activities based on our personal preferences, strengths and whatever other criteria. But, as Steve points out, this doesn't make it necessarily smooth sailing.

Frequent commenter and blog friend Ann Adams (Roc Rebel Granny) lost her daughter last night. I can only imagine the loss she and her family are feeling right now. Please send thoughts and prayers.

Hug someone you love and reconcile with someone you haven't talked to in a while. I am learning that our time is always shorter than we realize.

Emma's pet fish she got in September last year, Toby, a "Betta", died yesterday. Emma discovered him in the morning when I was out. She was devastated. She insisted they call me to tell me just about the time I walked in the door. Her tears and sobbing were soul-wrenching to see. I picked her up and held her as she sobbed on my shoulder. My heart was disinigrating. More so because it was my fault.

SAN FRANCISCO / Ship parts poke through sand at Ocean Beach / 3-masted freighter went aground in 1878 -- last appeared in 1980 and now reappeared. We'll have to take Emma down to see it, it's just 15 minutes away... and this...

That is what my grandmother always said. Poor Emma. This weekend her pet fish died and it was a very sad day for her. She went to school yesterday morning and the first thing she did was run and tell her teacher the sad news. The teacher pulled me aside and told me that the class pet, a guinea pig named fluffy, died that weekend too and the were going to tell the class that day in circle time. Later that day we heard that they told the class and all the kids, and the teachers, cried. They all told stories about Fluffy and the older kids (it's montesorri, so the 3yearolds to kindergardeners are all together) were writing stories about him. Emma told the class about her pet's death that weekend and how we buried him in the ocean, and they all cried even more. Emma told Guy that afternoon that it reminded her of Toby's (the fish) death and she cried even more. Poor Emma.

The first part of this story is here. The month leading up to the court was one of the most emotionally tense, draining, pained and exhausting times I've lived through. It was not like I didn't expect something like this to happen eventually. After Desert Storm and deciding to remain celibate and Mormon but openly gay, I started to recognize through prayer and experience that a forced solitary life is not emotionally and spiritually healthy. After a few years of that, about 3 or 4, I came to the realization that I'd have to leave the Mormon church sooner or later...

The good news. Today the governor of Oregon signed a bill that gives same-sex couples all the rights of marriage (state rights, not federal) and that makes 7 the number of states that do so.

It marks a lot of progress since 2004 as the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force shows in this press release.

This is a twisted and hilarious tale.

So, apparently Mitt Romney (a Mormon if you haven't already figured it out) was lamenting the fact that marriage is on the decline in America (gay marriage, single people, oh my) and France is leading the way. He told a evangelical audience at Pat Robertson's Regent University:

In France, for instance, I'm told that marriage is now frequently contracted in seven-year terms where either party may move on when their term is up.

France has no such marriage law or 'contracts'. So, where in the world did Romney get this idea?

I just thought this was funny, especially since my parents and several friends are avid players of a certain 'sport' and I'm an avid heckler of said sport. Guy has a small rental property in Utah. The homeowner's association sent a warning out about a rattlesnake found in the area. In the warning, the suggested that some owners might not have seen them near their home because they have dogs or cats...

Those of you who have cats or dogs close by might not see any snakes as they [the dogs and cats] kill and usually eat snakes, golfers and other vermin (we know as we find specimens dead on our doorstep-- special gifts from our cat).

So, we learned three things from this sentence...

Didn't post friday and not today. Not my usual self. Busy with teaching a class and getting ready for a trip. Will resume tomorrow, hopefully I'll post my next installment of "When I was Mormon" or whatever we want to call it and a few other things.

See you there!?

Well, between a class I had to prepare for and teach this week, travel plans (I'm going to my Uncle's memorial service), etc. I just could not post this week.

BUT... I did start a lot of posts. My conversion story, my feelings..10 years later.. about being excommunicated, global warming news, Emma's fish, schools, etc. It's going to be a full full week of blogging next week.

So be prepared :D.

We have no bananas today! Well.. actually we do. About 3 or 4 years ago, we had a landscaper come in and redo our courtyard. He planted what was supposed to be a 'dwarf banana' that subsequently grew to about 35 feet tall. Some dwarf. Of course it does dwarf our courtyard. He also said that though banana trees grow in San Francisco, it's too cool and windy here for them to fruit and produce actual bananas. That actually has been confirmed by several gardeners since. Till today. I looked up at our towering banana tree today while passing through the courtyard, and what did I see? A banana flower, so in about 3-4 months we might just have several dozen bananas. How do you like them apples?

I'm not saying it's a sign of global warming or anything, but San Francisco did go up one hardiness gardening zone in the last decade (It's one of my entries I've written about 3/4 and will post next week).

So, after I cut this tree down (after the bananas of course), I think perhaps we'll plant some papaya seeds :D

It's my birthday today. Going to my brother's house for a cookout, both other brothers and my parents will be there. Should be fun.

Funny, I'm such a cliche. Woke up feeling older today and not wanting to celebrate... feeling more perspective now (have a great life.. stop whining)...

I'd rather go to a plant nursery and do some gardening for my birthday, or spend the day doing something fun with Guy and Emma, but I am at a science conference for work... I'll do the former this weekend...

and looking forward to the cookout.

I promise LOTS of posts this week.

That is the question that asked me the other day. As you know, Emma's fish died a while back and she was sad, every sad. She buried him in the ocean that day.

And started processing...

So, I've got like 4-5 posts this week on climage change (and two on my Mormon history), but to get you started, here is an excellent post by Real Climate called "Start Here". It's a great place to start. There are links to the basics of climate change science, the data and links to arguments against the climate change deniers. It's a great place to start.

Four years ago I reported of a lawsuit against adoption.com by some people we know (we know some of the litigants and the director of NCLR) because adoption.com did not allow same-sex couples to post profiles (it's the largest adoption web site and gets public funding I believe). They lost the first court hearing, but now Adoption.com has agreed to either allow same-sex couples to post profiles and join adoption.com _or_ quit working in California all together. It will be interesting to see which they decide to do.

It was a year ago yesterday that I posted about my diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea. My reaction I wrote was, and I quote,

OH MY GOD, YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!... IT. IS. A. MIRACLE.

That's a direct quote, case and all. Well, it's apropos that I slept without my CPAP machine last night...