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Wednesday, February 18, 2004 |
Now it's Alabama.... From the Montgomery Advertiser, news of a bill to encourage creationism in the classroom:
If passed, the bill would apply to all levels of education
and would provide teachers and students the legal right to discuss
religious-based creationism within the lesson of human origin. The bill
also calls for employment and tenure protection for any... [Pharyngula]
10:32:06 PM Permalink
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Weddings
Last Friday I flew up to Spokane WA with my son Richard. We spent Friday night with my uncle J.B., then on Saturday we drove from Spokane over to the "Bavarian Village" of Leavenworth for my brother Dave's wedding. A long trip, but spending time with my uncle J.B. (my mom's brother) and his wife Gwen is always a treat. I also got to see briefly my mom's sister Betty and her husband James. I said to Betty, "you look good," and true to form, James replied, "too bad she hasn't been acting that way." Since the death of my mother 20 years ago, I haven't seen enough of them, and they are the only connection I have with mom and her parents, every bit as beloved to me. Having Richard along was terrific, J. B. and Gwen really took to them, and he grew some connections to the rest of the family.
Besides them, I saw my sister's three kids, my brother's two (and Eve, my brother's granddaughter). And an old pal from my days of manual labor in the apples, Roy, who has been teaching lo these 27 years. I don't know how these people get so much older, for my part I don't look (or feel, anyway, most days) more than about 22.
Though I don't know her well at all, my brother seems to have done very well with this marriage. I am very impressed with Sandy, who owns Journey Tours. During the wedding I was very taken by how happy they were and how committed they are, and enthusiastic about their future together. I'm very impressed that Dave was able to put together this relationship. That wedding really picked things up for me; it's fun to see two people, who could have every reason to be jaded and even bitter, take up a new life together.
Then, on Tuesday, I was in San Francisco, down by city hall. At about 9 in the morning there were 100 or so people waiting in line to get married. I had been doubtful about what Gavin Newsom was doing in authorizing the city to issue marriage licenses to so many gays. But I saw a young couple, women, crossing the street, each carrying a red rose, fresh from the city hall. They had a glow about them that wasn't unlike the one Dave and Sandy had on Saturday. I congratulated them, and they beamed, and blushed like, well, brides. There was such an atmosphere of joy and happiness down there I really felt proud for San Francisco's mayor and what he had done. Something that causes so much joy, the joy of committment, has to be good; I can'tsee how the marriage in Washington needs "defending" from those in San Francisco, or how that Washington marriage is threatened by those others. I hope that all those who were married down on Polk Street these last few days fan out across the country and spread their joy and good examples to everyone.
9:32:03 PM Permalink
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Outrage!. Retrogrouch has found some more damaging pictures of John Kerry: First up, this photo of Kerry showing disrespect to a... [The Poor Man]
5:00:04 PM Permalink
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© Copyright 2004 Steve Michel.
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