Don't forget to give to The Hunger Site. One click - six different charities. You can give to all, or choose which you want, and it doesn't cost you a dime.
http://www.thehungersite.com
I know many of you do this routinely every day. I just thought it was a good time of the year for a reminder.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Civil Rights in NJ
I have just got around to reading the December 10th issue of our local newspaper, The Cape May Star and Wave. I am so proud of the editors! When I read the editorial in this issue I must say I was surprised, and very proud of them.
The State Senate vote on same-sex marriage was to be held last week, but was postponed in order to have it go to the General Assembly and to let more voices be heard. So many people had signed up to speak, that there was not time for them all to be heard.
I really would like to post the entire editorial here:
"FOCUS ON MONOGAMY
Why isn't the issue making sure heterosexuals stay married?
The New Jersey State Senate is expected to vote today on same-sex marriage legislation.
The Judiciary Committee approved it on Monday and it is going to the full Senate today. We hope the Senate approves it, and outgoing Gov. Jon Corzine signs the bill into law, even though we expect the long term fate will be a voter referendum that will overturn it.
We support the legislation becoming law in New Jersey, for whatever period it may exist, not only because it is the right thing to do, but also to point out the inherent contradiction in this civil rights battle over gays and lesbians who want to get married.
The institution of marriage has been crumbling since the 1960s. So many factors in society have caused the breakdown of marriage, including easy divorces and the immediate gratification mindset that overrides long term commitment. Easier divorce does have its benefits, not the least of which is making it easier for spouses to get out of abusive relationships, but much of the failure in marriage comes down to the attitude in this country that marriage is not sacred, no matter all the pious claims to the contrary.
Half of the marriages, even among professing Christians, end in divorce. All of the hype about the defense of marriage - and the Defense of Marriage Act - goes in absolutely the wrong direction. Instead of reinforcing life-time commitment, the "defense" is nothing more than a vehement attack against gays and lesbians who want to marry. How is showing disregard for monogamy consistent with defending marriage?
Heterosexuals, in these man-woman relationships, have been failing at marriage at a rate of one out of every two couples, yet legislation to defend marriage has but one purpose - to stop non-traditional couples from entering a legal union.'
There is something screwy with the law when a same-sex couple that has been together for decades can't marry, but two drunken dopes who met in a casino can tie the knot and then untie it just as fast with the blessings of the state.
Some institution.
We don't get it. Actually, we do.
Many people find it easy to pretend that marriage is sacred. That way all the energy can be spent wearing blinders, focusing on denying marriage to same-sex partners. The other option is too difficult. No institution, including government and the church, can figure out how to keep partners of the opposite sex committed to each other.
Hatred and exclusion are easier than love and acceptance. It is easier to claim marriage is sacred than explain why half of all couples don't take their vows seriously.
Codifying an inclusive definition of marriage would allow a significant portion of our population to legally commit to monogamous relationships. That would reinforce the concept of marriage for everyone."
Those opposed to this bill are protesting loudly, even harassing the lone Republican Senator, Mr. Baroni. He remains determined to vote in favor of it, making what I consider to be the best argument yet: "I have never voted for discrimination, and I'm not about to start now." Congratulations, Mr. Baroni! And congratulations to the Star and Wave editors!
The State Senate vote on same-sex marriage was to be held last week, but was postponed in order to have it go to the General Assembly and to let more voices be heard. So many people had signed up to speak, that there was not time for them all to be heard.
I really would like to post the entire editorial here:
"FOCUS ON MONOGAMY
Why isn't the issue making sure heterosexuals stay married?
The New Jersey State Senate is expected to vote today on same-sex marriage legislation.
The Judiciary Committee approved it on Monday and it is going to the full Senate today. We hope the Senate approves it, and outgoing Gov. Jon Corzine signs the bill into law, even though we expect the long term fate will be a voter referendum that will overturn it.
We support the legislation becoming law in New Jersey, for whatever period it may exist, not only because it is the right thing to do, but also to point out the inherent contradiction in this civil rights battle over gays and lesbians who want to get married.
The institution of marriage has been crumbling since the 1960s. So many factors in society have caused the breakdown of marriage, including easy divorces and the immediate gratification mindset that overrides long term commitment. Easier divorce does have its benefits, not the least of which is making it easier for spouses to get out of abusive relationships, but much of the failure in marriage comes down to the attitude in this country that marriage is not sacred, no matter all the pious claims to the contrary.
Half of the marriages, even among professing Christians, end in divorce. All of the hype about the defense of marriage - and the Defense of Marriage Act - goes in absolutely the wrong direction. Instead of reinforcing life-time commitment, the "defense" is nothing more than a vehement attack against gays and lesbians who want to marry. How is showing disregard for monogamy consistent with defending marriage?
Heterosexuals, in these man-woman relationships, have been failing at marriage at a rate of one out of every two couples, yet legislation to defend marriage has but one purpose - to stop non-traditional couples from entering a legal union.'
There is something screwy with the law when a same-sex couple that has been together for decades can't marry, but two drunken dopes who met in a casino can tie the knot and then untie it just as fast with the blessings of the state.
Some institution.
We don't get it. Actually, we do.
Many people find it easy to pretend that marriage is sacred. That way all the energy can be spent wearing blinders, focusing on denying marriage to same-sex partners. The other option is too difficult. No institution, including government and the church, can figure out how to keep partners of the opposite sex committed to each other.
Hatred and exclusion are easier than love and acceptance. It is easier to claim marriage is sacred than explain why half of all couples don't take their vows seriously.
Codifying an inclusive definition of marriage would allow a significant portion of our population to legally commit to monogamous relationships. That would reinforce the concept of marriage for everyone."
Those opposed to this bill are protesting loudly, even harassing the lone Republican Senator, Mr. Baroni. He remains determined to vote in favor of it, making what I consider to be the best argument yet: "I have never voted for discrimination, and I'm not about to start now." Congratulations, Mr. Baroni! And congratulations to the Star and Wave editors!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Misunderstanding
Do you remember things from your childhood which you were convinced of, but were totally wrong?
The thing that keeps coming to mind at this time of year is the Christmas carol, Silent Night. I could never understand what made peas heavenly. And why would they have placed the baby in a manger full of them? It just didn't make sense to me, but I sang it dutifully. Why I never asked anyone, I cannot tell you. I guess it was just another of those things that grown-u
ps did that were incomprehensible to children.
In different circumstances, when I was much older than that - in the sixth grade as a matter of fact - our teacher taught us that there is no such thing as the moon. She claimed that the moon was only the reflection of the sun. I was surprised to hear that, and rather disappointed, but I had no reason
to doubt what a teacher would say. I believed that for a while, until my older brother straightened me out and my parents confirmed that there was, indeed, a moon up there.
Did you ever misunderstand a word or phrase or fact as a child?
The thing that keeps coming to mind at this time of year is the Christmas carol, Silent Night. I could never understand what made peas heavenly. And why would they have placed the baby in a manger full of them? It just didn't make sense to me, but I sang it dutifully. Why I never asked anyone, I cannot tell you. I guess it was just another of those things that grown-u
ps did that were incomprehensible to children.In different circumstances, when I was much older than that - in the sixth grade as a matter of fact - our teacher taught us that there is no such thing as the moon. She claimed that the moon was only the reflection of the sun. I was surprised to hear that, and rather disappointed, but I had no reason
to doubt what a teacher would say. I believed that for a while, until my older brother straightened me out and my parents confirmed that there was, indeed, a moon up there.Did you ever misunderstand a word or phrase or fact as a child?
Memes
I've been feeling kind of strung out recently. I've decided to cut back on some of the memes I've been participating in. I stopped a few quite a while ago, but it's reached the point where even the few I do are becoming too much.
I really love Think Green Thursday and feel it's an important one, and I won't give up on that one, even though Thursdays sometimes sneak up on me, catching me without any preparation. And I do love Shadow Shot Sunday. Shadows have always fascinated me, and that one is fun - although here again I may not be able to get out and look around for something, particularly as winter closes in. So I hope that I'll keep up with those two. Sky Watch is beautiful. I love viewing as many as possible each week. But there are so many of them! It's impossible to really cover them all, much less comment on as many as I would like to do. I am always amazed at the talent all of those participants exhibit. And Mellow Yellow is fun too. So many possibilities.
There are quite a few other memes out there that look so interesting, and that I would really enjoy participating in. But I don't really enjoy being pinned down to things. Never have. I don't wear a watch, and don't like to follow routine in anything, although as I grow older it does become more necessary to do certain things at the same time every day. (Like eating, even though I'm supposed to take meds with my food. I frequently forget to eat, since I'm never hungry. ) It sometimes annoys me that I am supposed to do a meme on a certain day. I usually get around that by scheduling them ahead of time.
My dislike of routine even extended to how I got to work every day, before my retirement. I lived only about three minutes from work, if I turned left at the end of the driveway, left again at the end of the block, then right a few blocks farther. But I rarely went that way, I would leave early and go up to the bay first, or go around the block to see what was blooming in someone's garden, or just wander through the neighborhood.
I guess I have fallen into some routine recently. When I get up in the morning I generally sit down at the computer and check email first, then move to comments I've received the night before, then do the jigsaw puzzles. Then I eat breakfast - unless I become too distracted by the computer. At times that is the case and I forget to eat for an hour or two.
Anyway, I don't think I will be doing many memes other than the two I mentioned. Of course, if I see a gorgeous sky, or something yellow and unusual that I just can't resist, I'm sure I will drop by another meme once in a while. But for the most part, for a while I am just going to write what I feel like writing, when I feel like writing it.
I really love Think Green Thursday and feel it's an important one, and I won't give up on that one, even though Thursdays sometimes sneak up on me, catching me without any preparation. And I do love Shadow Shot Sunday. Shadows have always fascinated me, and that one is fun - although here again I may not be able to get out and look around for something, particularly as winter closes in. So I hope that I'll keep up with those two. Sky Watch is beautiful. I love viewing as many as possible each week. But there are so many of them! It's impossible to really cover them all, much less comment on as many as I would like to do. I am always amazed at the talent all of those participants exhibit. And Mellow Yellow is fun too. So many possibilities.
There are quite a few other memes out there that look so interesting, and that I would really enjoy participating in. But I don't really enjoy being pinned down to things. Never have. I don't wear a watch, and don't like to follow routine in anything, although as I grow older it does become more necessary to do certain things at the same time every day. (Like eating, even though I'm supposed to take meds with my food. I frequently forget to eat, since I'm never hungry. ) It sometimes annoys me that I am supposed to do a meme on a certain day. I usually get around that by scheduling them ahead of time.
My dislike of routine even extended to how I got to work every day, before my retirement. I lived only about three minutes from work, if I turned left at the end of the driveway, left again at the end of the block, then right a few blocks farther. But I rarely went that way, I would leave early and go up to the bay first, or go around the block to see what was blooming in someone's garden, or just wander through the neighborhood.
I guess I have fallen into some routine recently. When I get up in the morning I generally sit down at the computer and check email first, then move to comments I've received the night before, then do the jigsaw puzzles. Then I eat breakfast - unless I become too distracted by the computer. At times that is the case and I forget to eat for an hour or two.
Anyway, I don't think I will be doing many memes other than the two I mentioned. Of course, if I see a gorgeous sky, or something yellow and unusual that I just can't resist, I'm sure I will drop by another meme once in a while. But for the most part, for a while I am just going to write what I feel like writing, when I feel like writing it.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Shadow Shot Sunday
We are all grateful to Tracy for hosting Shadow Shot Sunday each week.
We had a little rain this week. Well, actually, more than just a little. My daughter, Rita, took these pictures in front of the library, where she works. I think the shadows in the water are interesting.
Friday, December 11, 2009
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