gay marriage musings

Snotty had a couple posts recently talking about California's Proposition 8 and Connecticut's gay marriage laws. I was certainly disappointed that Prop 8 passed, and today I ran across an article by William Saletan that discussed how black voters likely had a large role in the proposition being approved.

According to Saletan:

They [blacks] think sexual orientation is different from race. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of a nation in which individuals would be judged not "by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." Whites, on balance, have come to believe that sexual orientation, like color, is immutable. Blacks, on balance, haven't. They see homosexuality as a matter of character. "I was born black. I can't change that," one California man explained after voting for Proposition 8. "They weren't born gay; they chose it."

He eventually sums up the article with:

From prenatal hormones to genetics to birth order, scientists have been sifting data to nail down homosexuality's biological origins. As they advance, it will become easier and easier to persuade African-Americans that being gay is a lot like being black. The lesson of Proposition 8 isn't that blacks have stopped the march of gay rights. The lesson is that when they turn, the fight in blue America will essentially be over.

And while I'm on the subject, I had left a silly comment on one of Snotty's posts apologizing for being gay and ruining marriage for anybody. Of course then I realized that it did have a hand in ruining my marriage with my ex-wife. Woops! Maybe I'm part of the gay agenda to destroy the sanctity of marriage after all?

Oh, and Bryn has a better idea than gay marriage. Civil unions for all, gay or straight. Then you can get "married" through whatever type of religious/spiritual ceremony you want in addition. Move back to the whole "separation of church and state" thing.

Dog Sweater Drama

I'm blogging to avoid working on my piles of schoolwork that needs to be done. Went to school this morning to register for spring classes, which conveniently was school-related and also allowed me to procrastinate. But I swear that as soon as I'm done with this post I'll get cracking.

Anyhow, I got the following text from my ex-roommate who now lives in NYC last night:

"Hey. Got an obscure and expensive gift in the mail today anonymously sent. Trying to figure out who sent it. Feeling a little creeped out. Any ideas?"

I called her and she said how she was freaking out from getting this $60 dog sweater (shown above) in the mail randomly and how she thought it was from her lame ex-boyfriend trying to get back together with her. She'd called her mom and her sister and they agreed and told her it was most likely from him. And she also had two drinks because she was freaking out so much.

Then I told her that I had actually had it sent to her as a holiday gift for her and Kozo (Kozo is a pug) and that it was supposed to come with a gift message saying it was from me. I remembered how Kozo had a Burberry sweater and know how she and I both like Cole Haan a lot, so when I saw the dog sweater on clearance I figured it would be a cute present for both of them!

Amusingly enough, this did little to calm her down (neurotic much?). But I don't think she's going to return it like she was planning (she had filled out the return slip that was enclosed). Personally, I am all in favor of any expensive gifts I receive in the mail, anonymous or otherwise.

Still, maybe I should let Cole Haan know that the gift message wasn't enclosed and that my nice gesture actually ended up driving the recipient to drink. And on the bright side, once she settles down, she'll have something to talk to her therapist about.

New Throw Pillows for the White House?

I found an interesting blurb about the White House in a "Design Daily" news briefing email I receive from ASID. It is interesting because another article I read talked about how there probably wouldn't be any extensive White House renovations due to the economy, and yet this article says that there is a $100,000 budget every four years! Which makes sense considering the size, function, and historical value of the property. Text below is copied from the email:

Barack and Michelle Obama have many design choices to make as part of their transition into the White House.

In the second installment of a series titled "Obama Chic: The Changing Face of the White House," FOX News (11/12, Corbin) reported on its website that, as part of the transition to the new President-elect, Barack and Michelle Obama will "transform the 208-year-old White House into the place they call home -- all while considering the historical preservation of times past. As have all the First Families before them, the President-elect and future first lady will supervise the refurbishing and redecorating of the White House residence -- working closely with a team of interior designers." They can redesign their personal space, and "have the authority to restore...public spaces, like the State Dining Room," as well as the White House grounds. The budget, appropriated by Congress "for the furniture and decor of the residence... was set at $100,000 for President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush," and is "allocated every four years."

Pilchuck Auction Photos

Got an email that the photos taken by "Team Photogenic" had been posted online for folks to look at and purchase. I browsed through them (there are a LOT of photos) and it suddenly brought back a flood of memories. Of course, those memories were only about two weeks old, so it isn't surprising.

I threw a few images up so you can see that A) yes, Dale Chihuly was there; and B) no, my volunteer duties did not consist of hanging out near the buffet in the volunteer lounge. But that would have been nice.

Also I really liked the glass billiard ball set I got to carry--with wooden triangle carried by another art handler, of course. And that gigantic clown jar I am hugging desperately was valued at $23,000 so I'm really, really glad I didn't drop it.

Six Months

Got my hair cut even shorter last week for a new job (they're conservative) and it almost feels like it was never long. Since I haven't really seen anyone but Bryn for the past week, I figured I would throw this side-by-side comparison of my hair in June with my hair today. Thought that I would miss my long hair more than I do. Maybe it was just something I had to do to get the whole "art school" experience and make up for some sort of lost adolescence? Or perhaps I've sold out in favor of corporate interests? Either way, I'm okay with it.

Mist-Covered Mountains

Took Bryn to work this morning and on the way back across the bridge (520) I was struck by how shrouded in clouds the Olympic Mountains looked. When I got home I went up on the roof deck and took a few pictures, but the view from there wasn't nearly as dramatic. Plus my camera doesn't zoom in as close as I'd like. Still, it was a good way to start the morning.

Luther Burbank Park Revisited

I have this "sacred space" design proposal I have to create for a class. We are presenting them to a panel on Friday and since I was working on homework today I realized that it would be helpful to go back to the site and get a sense of the space again. It turned out to be really helpful. Figured I would throw up a few of the pictures I took. Included is a view of an earth sculpture by John Hoge and a view of some of the ritzy homes with private yachts on Mercer Island that you can see from the docks. *sigh* I need a friend with a yacht.

(Note: Sorry for the poor picture quality, I just realized I had the camera on the wrong setting. Still, you get the idea.)