Daddy, Papa and Me

Hannah Arendt, a political theorist, wrote this about marriage in 1959 (during the civil rights movement and before Loving v. Virginia:

The right to marry whoever one wishes is an elementary human right compared to which "the right to attend an integrated school, the right to sit where one pleases on a bus, the right to go into any hotel or recreation area or place of amusement, regardless of one's skin or color or race" are minor indeed. Even political rights, like the right to vote, and nearly all other rights enumerated in the Constitution, are secondary to the inalienable human rights to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence; and to this category the right to home and marriage unquestionably belongs. [Dissent, Winter 1959]

I dare say I agree. Liberty, the pursuit of happiness, equal protection under the law... yep, pretty fundamental I'd say.

Back to posting :D

We got back home from the Hawaii (the big island) to San Francisco over a week ago.

They got hit by a 5.3 earthquake yesterday and now about to be sideswiped by a category 2 hurricane. When it rains, it pours.. so to speak.

New Jersey just instituted Civil Unions about 6 months ago. And as I've shown before, domestic partnerships and civil unions (which are NOT equal to marriage), can lead to marriage.

Apparently, in New Jersey, as Pam reports, polls are showing that an overwhelming majority of voters there support turning civil unions into marriage:

* By 63% to 31%, New Jersey voters say they'd be fine with the state legislature upgrading civil unions to marriage equality. * By 72% to 21%, New Jersey voters say state legislators would be in no electoral danger if they enacted marriage equality.

* By 61% to 29%, New Jersey voters say they expect the state to enact marriage equality within just a couple of years.

It might be a race to see who turns their dp/cu into marriage first: NH, CN, CA or NJ? :)

Race is not a reason to vote for or against anyone. Yet, there is something about this picture that makes me want to vote for Barack Obama. It's not because it's the typical political photo of a candidate as "family man" or as "every man," it's not because it shows him as a human. No, it's because of his daughter. And mine.

I've always wanted... they've got diapers/suits for them now. (though i'd have to change them wouldn't I?) (hattip: andrew sullivan)

Just almost 2 years ago we started loaning 'microcredit' through Kiva. It's been a rewarding (for Emma and us) and interesting way to give back. And so far we've had the microloans we've made either paid back completely, or still in the loan term but making payments.

Today, I got some news that I had 50 dollars refunded...

So, I'm going to try something. I wanted to get back into the habit of blogging. I was thinking about the reason for this blog, to chronicle, for Emma and our posterity, our lives. So, I decided to try something: "A Week in the Life" series of posts as a snapshot of what our lives are like. Each day I'm going to post those boring details of what we had for dinner, what we did, what was in the news, my random thoughts etc. Oh, and each post will be accompanied by a photo from that day (or two). Now, for you this might be boring, but I think in 20 years this might be something we can look back on in great interest. You know, a time capsule kind of thing. If it works out, I might do it once or twice a year as an ongoing snapshot.

Tomorrow, Saturday the 25th of August 2007, will be Day One of the Week in the Life of the Lathe-Berryessa family.

So stay tuned.

Well, so far it's been a relatively quiet day.

8:000am We woke up and had cereal for breakfast. Afterwards, Emma and I played 'Hiss", a card game for kids, only we played by her rules... which means.. well.. .I'm not sure. Basically it means she wins every round, but I'm never sure when the round ends till she says "I WIN!"

10:00am...

6:30am Guy and Emma get up. Emma eats breakfast and Guy and Emma play.

8:00am I get up.

Well, the week has started.

6:30am I get up late. I have been trying to start my days at 6-6:30, so I can end early and pick Emma up for the afternoon.

7:15am: I start work, my commute consists of a walk downstairs to my office, after eating breakfast, getting Emma's ready and making her lunch.

7:30am Guy having gotten up before me has already done a few things, finishes getting Emma ready.

9:00am Guy takes Emma to her third August camp at "Swivel Arts," this week is "Improv", the performance on Friday should be an iteresting one.

I said it before (Haggard, Foley, Drier, McCreevey, etc, etc, etc), I'll say it again... THIS is what happens to you when you are self-loathing and closeted. You make really really bad choices. Can anything be worth this kind of inevitable outcome?

To those closeted people living dark miserable lives out there... listen... it's just MUCH better open and honest. In the end, you and the people around you (most anyway) will be much happier.

Oh my oh my.

Now, I've seen it all. "Man on a Mission" calendar, a calendar of 12 bare-chested sexy former Mormon missionaries (like me.. I mean.. former Mormon missionary, not the bare-chested sexy part... well... hmm.. though... after my Army basic training....)

You can get the calendar here, if you must. There is something, you know, just slightly jarring about a calendar of bare-chested Mormon missionaries.

and...I tell you, that eurythmics song would have made a great anthem for me during those mission days....

Rough day.

6:30am I got up, ate and went to work.

7:00am Emma and Guy got up and ready for day camp.

8:30am Guy took Emma to day camp.

and the problem began. Emma didn't want to go to camp. She has had her good and bad days, mostly enjoying her camp (she loves music, dance and drama), but today she was tired and it was outing day (to the park). She didn't want to go and as they got there, she had a breakdown (I'm glossing over that.. it was not pretty)... to the point that Guy couldn't take her.

She was given a consequence if she didn't calm down and go...

It says it all, but of course I'm going to say more. This cartoon sums up what is so dang (I hand another word in mind, but this is a family blog :) wrong with many Republicans' (and yes, a few Democrats') hypocrisy. With one face they sneak around dark corners, hidden bars, dark recesses of the internet and bathroom stalls living a repressed and self-loathing life and with the other face deny all the things that would make our lives free, open and happy like equality and acceptance. I have sympathy for men and women who feel they must live these repressed and self-loathing lives, it's not easy to feel you will lose family and jobs and community and have to live such a life... and it almost always destroys you and hurts others. I understand and sympathize (and encourage them to start the process of coming out, even small steps). BUT... I've lost patience for those in power who live that life and then make it difficult for the rest of us to live our lives in peace, openess and equality. Very. Little. Sympathy. For. Them.

The moral of the story I get from the new book "The World Without Us"?

If you want someone or something to know you even ever existed, even millions of years from now... perhaps forever, there are two things you can do:

1. You can have your likeness, perhaps some story written in mathematic code or somemthing, made in bronze. It would still remain for at least another 10 million years (assuming someone doesn't melt it down or something)... but if you REALLY want your memory to last forever?

2. Get on TV. The TV broadcasts would travel through space for what would basically be forever for all we know. This of course assumes someone or something somewhere actually receives that signal.

Hmm, this gives me an idea for a new 'memorial service' company :D.

Hmm, so.. where to begin.. oh, in the morning...

As the difference between the right-wing Republican reactions to Vitter (caught in adultery and illegal prostitution- heterosexual) and Craig (caught in illegal solitication in a public place-homosexual) has exposed the ""family values" wing of the right-wing movement" for what their 'values' and 'morality mean:

The only kind of "morality" that this movement knows or embraces is politically exploitative, cost-free morality

You should read Glenn Glenwald's entire piece. Excellent.... another quote: