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November 05, 2008

Will California's Gay Marriage Ban Force Divorce?

No marriage symbol (as it appears at http://thornsandnails.com/pics/not_marriage2_sm.gif)Proposition 8, a California initiative that defines marriage as being between one man and one woman, has passed.  Because the measure amends the state constitution, it would effectively overrule the decision of the California Supreme Court that banning same-sex marriage is discriminatory.

But this leaves a convoluted side effect which will have a major impact on many Californians and others.

Thousands of same-sex couples married between the court decision in May and the vote on November 4.  What will happen to those couples?

The law will either be interpreted as:

1) Those same-sex couples who are already married can stay married.  But that would leave the dilemma of the state both approving same-sex marriage, and saying it's unconstitutional.

2) The marriages of those already married same-sex couples would be forcibly ended by the government.  That would essentially mean the state would force married couples to divorce.

Neither one of these options is something that conservatives or liberals would fully support.  The effects of the court decision and the vote cannot be ignored, and it will force this issue to stay in the public arena.  Either way, this controversy is far from over.

And is also begs the question: does this mean that the state of California would define the polygamous marriages of most Biblical patriarchs as illegal?

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September 26, 2008

Will Ice Cream Made From Breast Milk Be Served in Two Scoops?

CREDIT: Siegel, Arthur S., "Detroit, Michigan. Little girl with ice cream cone in the zoological park." "America from the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the FSA-OWI, 1935-1945," Library of Congress. "This morning, PETA dispatched a letter to Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, cofounders of ice cream icon Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc., urging them to replace the cow's milk in their products with human breast milk."

That's from the official website of PETA, or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.  It's apparently in the wake of news reports that a restaurant owner in Switzerland plans to buy breast milk to use in soups, stews and sauces.

Their site claims it's cruel to keep cattle locked up, forcibly impregnating cows every nine months just to keep up milk production.Woman breastfeeding a girl (photo from the U. S. Government apparently taken in Paraguay)

Would their solution mean milk-supplying women would have to be impregnated every nine months?

Apparently not.  It appears that woman will continue producing breast milk as long as they're nursing, as the Veronika Robinson case points out (she breastfed her daughters until they voluntarily stopped at age 7, one of them almost 8 years old who asked for it again on her 9th birthday.)  PETA claims breast milk is not only better for the animals, but for people.

If this becomes a trend, it leaves us with a very large question: what about yogurt, or milk itself?  A cow can produce many times the milk that a human woman can.  Where would all that milk come from?

Read the PETA letter and comments at http://www.peta.org/mc/NewsItem.asp?id=11993

See a short video about Veronika Robinson at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHRyRCHuQ7g and Robinson's corrections to some of the video at http://www.themothermagazine.co.uk/extraordinarybreastfeeding.html (thanks to Einley for pointing these out at http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=844263 )

 

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July 27, 2008

Don't Ask, Don't Tell--Gays in the Military

The photograph of Paul Tibbets with his ground crew in front of the Enola Gay is reproduced from Vincent C. Jones, Manhattan: The Army and the Atomic Bomb, United States Army in World War II (Washington: Center of Military History, United States Army, 1988), 535.Allowing homosexuals and bisexuals in the United States military is being examined by Congress for the first time in 15 years.

When Bill Clinton became U.S. president about 16 years ago, one of the first things he wanted to do was to stop the military from discriminating against bisexuals, gays and lesbians.  Under policy at that time, the Pentagon could and did ask recruits their sexual orientation.  This was due to what would now be called homophobia--people were afraid that gays would proposition, sexually molest or even rape them.  (Two or three decades ago, many Americans believed that most sexual molesters were homosexual).

Congress wouldn't go along with Clinton's proposal, but instead made a compromise.  This became known as the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.  If you were lesbian, bisexual or gay, you were supposed to keep your mouth shut about it.  In turn, the Pentagon wouldn't ask you what genitalia you preferred.

It was an odd policy to begin with--it was against the rules for you to have a "non-normal" sexual preference, but it was OK as long as no one found out about it.  Something of an "It's OK as long as you don't get caught" policy.

But the military establishment caught people anyway.  While the Pentagon stopped asking directly, they still investigated.  The number of people kicked out due to their sexual orientation only lessened by about 10 percent, according to Randy Shilts' 1993 book Conduct Unbecoming: Gays & Lesbians in the U.S. Military.

But Congress is now holding a hearing on the policy with what is ironic timing.  Senator Sam Nunn, who was a co-creator of the policy, is being seriously considered as the vice presidential running mate for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, who’s had a lot of support from homosexuals.

So what think?  What affect could having Nunn as a running mate have on Obama's campaign?  And should the military be allowed to keep people out due to their sexual orientation?  Is a policy that makes those who want to serve in the military hide their homosexuality or bisexuality fair?

(Alden Loveshade contributed to this)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20080723/us_time/revisitingdontaskdonttell
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July 15, 2008

JonBenét Ramsey Parents Cleared--Again. Who's Next?

JonBenét Ramsey(Alden Loveshade is a freelance writer who became involved in a political protest while vacationing in Boulder, Colorado, some time before JonBenét Ramsey (sometimes spelled JonBenet Ramsey) was reported missing.  Alden has been following the Ramsey case ever since.)

Yes, the story about the parents of JonBenét Ramsey being cleared--again--came out a few days ago.  This time, it was "touch" evidence, DNA that was left on the girl's panties that didn't fit anyone in the family.  Sadly, mother Patsy Ramsey didn't live to see this, but her husband John and much of the rest of the family did--after living under the horror of suspicion for almost 12 years.

So why am I writing about it now and not a few days ago?

 I hesitated doing an entry at all, as I largely said what I wanted to say in a previous post (http://loveshade.org/blog/2006/08/jon_benet_ramsey_murder_case_h.html)

The reason I posted is this:

Continue reading "JonBenét Ramsey Parents Cleared--Again. Who's Next?" »

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June 17, 2008

Same Sex Marriage Now Legal in California

I heard from Lorien that same-sex couples can now get legally married in California.  I knew the California Supreme Court had ruled that restricting marriage to the opposite sex was unconstitutional on the state level on May 15, but it took until 5:01 p.m. today (June 16) for that decision to stand.  (for a discussion of the May 15 decision, see http://loveshade.org/blog/2008/05/california_may_accept_marriage.html)

California is the second state to do this, and several couples have gotten married there already.

Of course there's protests, calls for changing the law, etc.  There's a California measure coming up for vote in a few months that would specifically ban same-sex marriage.  And because U. S. states recognize marriage as defined by other U. S. states, it puts anti-gay-marriage states in something of a bind.  This will probably beef up the idea of amending the U. S. Constitution to a "one-man, one-woman" marriage amendment.  My friend Alden claims that marriage in the U. S. has never been controlled by the federal government, and this would put even more power in the hands of big wigs in Washington.

So what think?  Should same-sex marriage be legal?  Should the federal government be able to control marriage?  For that matter, should the state government be able to control marriage?  And what about governments of other countries?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080617/ap_on_re_us/gay_marriage

(members of The Loveshade Family contributed to this report)

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May 25, 2008

California May Accept Marriage Based on Love

Lesbian couple (from Queereaster Media Working Group 2006)Marriage has always been the state-recognized union of one man and one woman.  Or such is the assumption some would have us make, even though a look through Christian, Jewish and Muslim scripture would show otherwise.

Now the California Supreme Court has challenged that assumption.  A case was fought on behalf of 14 same-sex couples and by Equality California and our Family Coalition.  They had legal help from several individuals and groups including the ACLU and the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

The result? The court overturned California's ban on same-sex marriage.  Because this case applied to state and not federal law, it can't be appealed to the U. S. Supreme Court.

Where will it go from here?  As Bob Dylan sang, "the answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind."  And as Dylan also sang, "the times they are a changin'."

To learn more, go to http://www.aclu.org/lgbt/relationships/12141res20050314.html

(Lorien Loveshade contributed to this).

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March 29, 2008

Nipple Rings Pose Threat to National Security

Mandi Hamlin shows how to remove nipple ring using a bra, with attorney Gloria Allred watching (AP Photo/Nick Ut) Mandi Hamlin was handed a pair of pliers and told to remove her nipple rings before boarding a plane, according to attorney Gloria Allred.  In a news conference on 27 March 2008, Allred said Hamlin was forced by the Transportation Security Administration on 24 February 2008 in Texas.  (For those who don't know, Texas is a part of the United States, although some Texans insist it's the other way round.)

We didn't realize nipple rings posed such a threat.  We can't imagine any way you could hurt someone with nipple rings, unless you made them swallow.

But if nipple rings are such a threat, surely false teeth are.  You could bite someone with false teeth!  Maybe we should make every passenger remove anything that could be potentially dangerous before boarding a plane.

If nipple rings are dangerous, surely wedding rings are.  What about a watch?  A terrorist could use a watch band to strangle a child, or a little person.  And what about a false leg?  You know terrorists would willingly cut off their own leg so they could replace it with a false one, and then hit people over the head with it.

Come to think of it, if false teeth are dangerous, what about real ones?  Maybe everyone should be given a pair of pliers to pull out their real teeth, not to mention fingernails and toenails.  And it false legs are dangerous, what about real legs and arms?  And speaking of dangerous body parts, if we want to be certain a man can't rape a woman....

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March 24, 2008

Arthur C. Clarke Cleared of Child Sex Allegations

Arthur C. Clarke (released to public domain by photographer Amy Marash)Arthur C. Clarke, the 90-year-old icon of science and science fiction who passed away on March 19, 2008, has been cleared of having sex with boys.

Clarke served as host and commentator of the television program Mysterious World, and was the creator with Stanley Kubrick of the immortal 2001: A Space Odyssey.  The movie (it was also a book) was honored at the 2001 Academy Awards.  He came up with the idea of the communications satellite, and was a close friend of fellow science and science fiction writer Isaac Asimov, who in turn was known by our own Alden Loveshade.

But even Clarke could not escape the rampant international pedophile hunt that's ravaging the modern world. The Sunday Mirror had published its story of the allegations 10 years ago when Clarke was 80, ironically (or purposely) a few days before he was to be knighted by the Prince of Wales on a visit to Sri Lanka.  The British-born author had made his home there for many years (he was knighted in 1998).

While no evidence came forth, the allegations haunted Clarke, and resurfaced after his death.  But authorities in Sri Lanka announced Sunday, 2008 March 23, that the investigation had been dropped, and that Clarke had been cleared before his death.

See http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/1998/08/13/fhead.htm and look for the most current article at http://www.citizen.co.za/ (sorry, we don't have the exact URL)

 

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February 18, 2008

Sex Toy Sales Now Legal in Texas

Picture found at dl3.glitter-graphics.netUntil now, if you sold "marital aids" in Texas, you could be prosecuted for obscenity.  A federal appeals court has finally overturned that law.

Under the law, you couldn't sell sexually-oriented devices.  Ironically, some businesses got around this by selling dildos as "novelty items" with notes specifying that they weren't intended to be used for sexual purposes.  Right.

Even weirder, you were automatically considered a sex toy dealer if you possessed six vibrators.  They needed no evidence whatsoever that you were actually trying to sell them--possession meant promotion.  Strangely, you weren't considered a garment dealer if you had six pair of blue jeans, and possessing six pair of shoes didn't make you a shoe store.

Those of us who are involved in the Discordian Division of the Ek-sen-triks CluborGuild have a personal interest in this, as one of our friends was prosecuted for obscenity in Texas.  Fortunately, that case was finally dismissed.

The government continues to want to spy on you in your bedroom.  Hopefully laws like this will continue to get thrown out, especially as obscenity, like beauty, is only in the eye of the beholder.  Robert Anton Wilson called obscenity the modern form of black magic--there is no test to measure how much "obscenity" or "black magic" is in an item or image.  But a tremendous number of innocent lives were ripped away from the fear of witchcraft a few centuries ago, and a tremendous amount of personal freedom is being stripped away today.

These anti-freedom laws have already been tossed into the trash can of history in Louisiana, Kansas, Colorado and Georgia. Mississippi and Alabama continue to live in the past. Let's hope that laws against not just sex toys, but all forms of so-called obscenity, are throw into the garbage.

Read about this case in the relunctantly and slowly forward-moving state of Texas at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080214/ap_on_re_us/sex_toys_ban

(Danacasso pointed this tidbit out to us)

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December 01, 2007

Emily Sander's Death is Confirmed

Tragically, authorities have verified that the body found was that of Emily Sander.

 And yes, we know Emily posed nude with other women and in solo shots under the name Zoey Zane. She just turned 18 years old this year and apparently saw it as a way to gain publicity in order to futher her career.

We, or at least her friend Perlie the Pony Girl, knew about her posing before we posted our first entry about Emily here.  But at that point, it wasn't publicly known, which is why we didn't mention it.

We know that some people don't approve of nude or sexually-oriented modeling.  But whether you approve or not, please don't let that get in the way of your seeing the tragedy of the death of someone described by a friend, Perlie, as a friendly, sweet and very lovable young woman.

Look for more updates on this blog, or see previous entries for more details.

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November 30, 2007

Emily Sander's Body May Have Been Found

Emily Sander, 18, is at left; Israel Mireles, 24, is at top right; Victoria Martens, 16, is at bottom right.Tragically, authorities believe they've found the body of Emily Sander.  The body was found about 50 miles from El Dorado, Kansas, where Emily attended school and was last seen.

Police are still looking for Israel Mireles, 24.  Emily was apparently last seen leaving a bar with Israel, who is described as being 5 foot 6 inches and weighing 130 lbs.  He may be traveling with his apparently pregnant 16-year-old girlfriend Victoria Martens.  A car rented by Mireles was found in Vernon, Texas, and Mireles and Martens are believed to be heading to Mexico, if they haven't already arrived there.

In the photos, Emily Sander, 18, is to the left; Israel Mireles, 24, is at top right; and Victoria Martens, 16, is at bottom right.

Emily is--or, tragically, was--a friend of our own friend Perlie the Pony Girl.

If you have any information about Emily Sander, Israel Mireles or Victoria Martens that could apply to this case, please contact Detective Captain Justin Phillips at the El Dorado Police Department by calling (316) 321-9120 or faxing (316) 321-1456.  If you are uncomfortable contacting him by phone, you can email at jphillip @ eldoks.com (ignore the spaces in the email address--it's posted that way to reduce spam).

See another and possibly more current photo of Mireles at http://loveshade.org/blog/2007/11/please_help_us_find_missing_em.html

Look for updates in more current postings to this blog.

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November 27, 2007

Please Help Us Find Missing Emily Sander

Emily Sander, 18, is missing (family photo)Emily Sander, an 18-year-old student at Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kansas, is missing.  She was last seen  leaving a bar there with a man who may have been Israel Mireles, 24.  El Dorado is about 30 miles from Wichita.

Sander's car was found at the bar. Mireles was driving a grey or green Ford Taurus rental car with the license plate XUJ 487. He and his 16-year-old pregnant girlfriend Victoria Martens may be traveling to Texas or Mexico as Mireles has family and friends in those areas.

Emily is a friend of our own Perlie the Pony Girl, and we are very concerned about her.  She is 5 foot 3 inches tall, weights 105 lbs., has blue eyes, long brown hair, tattoos and body piercings.  She was last seen wearing low-rider jeans, a "Don't Mess with Texas" T-shirt, and skateboard-style tennis shoes.  Mireles is described as being about 5 foot 6 inches tall and weighing 130 lbs.

Police are looking for a white bedspread with a floral design that may be a clue. Unfortunately, foul play is suspected.Israel Mireles, 24 (image provided by El Dorado Police Department)

If you have any information about Emily Sander or Israel Mireles that could apply to this investigation, please contact Detective Captain Justin Phillips at the El Dorado Police Department by calling (316) 321-9120 or faxing (316) 321-1456.  If you are uncomfortable contacting him by phone, you can email at jphillip @ eldoks.com (ignore the spaces in the email address--it's posted that way to reduce spam).

A recent photo of Israel Mireles is to the right.

Look for updated postings on this blog as this case continues.

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November 21, 2007

Religious Polygamy and Preteen Rapists

Warrent Jetts, left, with his attorney Richard Wright (AP Photo, Judd Burkett, Pool)The Holy Bible says nothing against polygamy--in fact, many of the greatest spiritual leaders and men of God were polygamists.  Even King David, the man after God's own heart in Christian and Jewish faith, practiced it.

Warren Jeffs, head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, promoted it.  And was sentenced to two consecutive five-year to life sentences as a result.  This in the United States of America, which prides itself on following biblical principles.

The Holy Bible also doesn't give a minimum age for consenting to have sex.  And many United States laws insist that the older partner in a sexual encounter is automatically the perpetrator--if the "victim" is under the legal age of consent.

But now, an 8-year-old and two 9-year-old boys are charged with the rape of an 11-year-old girl.  Was this preteen rape by preteen rapists?  If all the participants were 7 years older, a 15-year-old boy and two 16-year-old boys with an 18-year-old female, she might be the suspect.   Certainly she would be, if "she" were the "he."

So why do so many American laws claim that it's impossible for a 13-year-old to consent to sex, when they claim some preteens, or even pre-tens, can not only consent, but force it on another?

In both these cases, America might want to question its current version of reality.

See the polygamy story at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071120/ap_on_re_us/polygamist_leader and the preteen sex story at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071120/ap_on_re_us/boys_rape;_ylt=Aj3SaSuhfmz37xFV8fkOfI5H2ocA

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November 06, 2007

Does Abstinence-Only Education Stop Teen Pregnancy?

Pregnant teen (from www.parentsbehavingbadly.com)Once again, Texas has the highest teen birth rate of any state in the United States.  Interestingly, Texas has a policy of denying contraceptives without parental consent and strongly promotes abstinence-only sex education in public schools.

By contrast, California, which promotes both teaching abstinence and birth control, and which makes contraception available to teens without parental consent, has a much lower teen birth rate.

From 1991 to 2004, the nation's teen birth rate dropped by a third.  Texas only dropped by 19 percent, while California dropped by 47 percent, according to the non-profit group Child Trends.  (California and Texas are respectively the first and second most populous U. S. states).

Certainly there are other factors involved--micro or sub cultures, wealth vs. poverty, etc.  But the numbers certainly don't support the idea that abstinence-only education stops teenagers from having sex.

See a Dallas Morning News article about this at http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/110507dnmetteenbirths.35daddb.html

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October 31, 2007

Teenagers: Your Sex Lives May be Illegal

Shot of teen lovers from Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (Media Asia Distribution)Many teenagers may be shocked to learn that the intimacy that they and many of their classmates share could land them in prison.  In fact, the senior who's dating a junior could be in danger of becoming a lifetime registered sex offender, and considered a sexual predator of children.

One of our family personally knows of a 16-year-old male who had a 14-year-old girlfriend.  That was legal in the state of Texas, and he was known for being gentle and caring.  But as soon as he turned 17, he was arrested and was considered a sexual predator and a child molester for being intimate with her.  The actual difference in their ages hadn't changed, but his birthday made all the difference.

Genarlow Wilson was convicted and sentenced to serve 10 years in prison by the state of Georgia.  His crime?  As a 17-year-old, he engaged in consensual oral sex with his 15-year-old girlfriend.  He served for almost three years before the state supreme court released him--barely.

Learn more about these laws, which 19-year-old teenager Lorien Loveshade calls "laws against love," at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071030/ap_on_re_us/teen_sex_laws

Learn more about Wilson at http://loveshade.org/blog/2007/10/man_released_after_imprisonmen.html

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October 26, 2007

Man released after imprisonment for consensual teenaged oral sex

Photo Genarlow Wilson from the Wilson familyShould a 17-year-old teenager get 10 years in prison for having consensual oral sex with his 15-year-old girlfriend? The state of Georgia said yes; but now, after two years, the court said no. But just barely.

The court ruled 4-3 that Genarlow Wilson was subjected to cruel and unusual punishment. His conviction was ordered to be reversed, and he has been released. But this is after he paid two years of his young life for "aggravated child molestation."

This is another example of the absurdity of so many U. S. laws. How many people reading this engaged in consensual sexual activity with another teenager where the age difference was two years or greater?

They've finally released a man who, in my opinion, should never have been imprisoned for something that, in my opinion, should not be a crime. The act has been reduced in Georgia to a misdemeanor, but still leaves the question: should this be illegal?

In a religious state that believes in maintaining strict control over its citizens in support of that society's official religion, perhaps yes, for them. In a totalitarian state that forces strict controls over its citizens, it might be bad for the people, but is at least consistent with the government of the country. But in a nation like the United States that supposedly is in favor of personal freedom?

See the article at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071026/ap_on_re_us/teen_sex_case

See more info:

Continue reading "Man released after imprisonment for consensual teenaged oral sex" »

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October 20, 2007

Teen and Preteen Birth Control in Portland Maine

Lucie Husband photo at http://images.scotsman.com/2006/05/16/en1605pregnantb.jpgKing Middle School in Portland, Maine will let students get birth control pills. The Portland School Committee voted 7 to 2 in favor.

This has caused tremendous controversy. But why? Most of the students there are age 11 to 13 but some are from 10 to 15. Do you think 15 and 14 year olds aren't having sex? Most teens in America have sex by the time they're 16. And a lot of them start younger.

One of my friends had her second baby right after she turned 16. She had her first at 14 but she got pregnant at 13. Her middle school didn't give birth control. Do you think that stopped her?

Continue reading "Teen and Preteen Birth Control in Portland Maine" »

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October 06, 2007

Adam Newton Interviews Ek-sen-trik Discordians

Ek-sen-trik-kuh Discordia: The Tales of ShamlichtAdam Newton, an educator and freelance professional writer who's done work for magazines, newspapers, radio and television, interviewed us! Why we don't know.

As of this posting, we're getting ready to start submitting Ek-sen-trik-kuh Discordia: The Tales of Shamlicht in an ignoble attempt to get it published. Learn about our book, animal sex, nudism/naturism, Smagmoid Kids Club, The Cloved Lemon Kissing Game, and how we were investigated for alleged possession of illegal drugs, promotion of child pornography, consorting with terrorists, and lots of other fun stuff.

The interview is unique: where else would you find people of various species being interviewed naked in a naturally formed hot tub on planet Eta Mu Pi?

To see the interview, go to Ek-sen-trik Discordian Interview

Also see our September-October 2007 Snooze Letter

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September 28, 2007

Support American Breastfeeding Rights with H. R. 2236

Beautiful breast feeding photo from www.sxc.huDo you want to support breast feeding? There's a bill in the United States Congress called H.R. 2236 to do just that!

The bill's purpose is "To amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to protect breastfeeding by new mothers; to provide for a performance standard for breast pumps; and to provide tax incentives to encourage breastfeeding."

Breastfeeding is the most natural and beautiful thing in the world. But some people want to stop it! There is nothing wrong with the breast and using it for what it was created for.

The bill is at

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.R.2236:   

You can find your representive and write them in support at

http://www.house.gov/writerep/

Also see a lawsuit about it at http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-09-12-breast-feeding-lawsuit_N.htmThis is from Women's Health Action Trust

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September 12, 2007

Make a Baby Day

This may not be a generally recognized holyday (yet), but it sounds like a good one.

Russia's population has been dropping since the Soviet Union aborted in 1991.  Now there's an effort to swell the population.  This isn't through immigration, but through conception.

According to the article this links to, "Ulyanovsk Gov. Sergei Morozov has decreed Sept. 12 a Day of Conception and is giving couples time off from work to procreate. Couples who give birth nine months later on Russia's national day — June 12 — will receive money, cars, refrigerators and other prizes."

This isn't strictly Discordian, but damn, wish we'd thought of it!

See the ARTICLE at <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070911/ap_on_re_eu/russia_making_babies_day;_ylt=Aj3sJkWMdU4sr9thYeq6TOsUewgF" target="_blank">Make a Baby Day</a>

BONUS: to see a cute educational book that shows German children how babies are made (a book we can't link to from this blog) go to the link at http://www.23ae.com/index.asp?post=381.

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May 25, 2007

Transgendered Children

Riley Grant, 10-year-old trangender girlAccording to the mother of the 10-year-old girl Riley, she has a birth defect--a penis.  The preteen transgender girl, who is biologically a boy, finds self-identity as the opposite sex.  Even as a toddler, Riley wanted "girl" toys and clothes.

On the flip side, 14-year-old girl Rebecca wrote Mom a letter saying "she" wanted to be a "he."  Rebecca, now known as Jeremy, was "a boy in a girl's body."

Most modern societies, and most historical ones, force people to be identified as either "male" or "female."  This dictates what clothes, activities, professions and people they can marry.  But this division into two boxes reflects neither psychological nor biological reality.  People range from a wide spectrum of "feminine" to "masculine" thoughts, feelings and behaviors that doesn't always fit biological gender.  And genetics don't produce only the "female" XX and the male "XY," but also XXY, XXX, X, XXXY, XYY and other combinations.

Read about Riley at http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=3072518&page=1

And learn about Jeremy at http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=3077906&page=1

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May 17, 2007

Sex and Google

Do search engines such as Google violate copyright laws?  Is the display of a low-pixel image in a search engine illegal?  The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco just said no.

It's fascinating how technology changes law and our very concepts of our world.  Before printing became commonplace, and even for quite a while after, there was no such thing as "copyright," nor even a clear concept of how a piece of work could belong to its creator.

Now we're questioning whether a computer-interpreted phone line or satellite link that displays a lower pixel version of an electronic image that's computer code interpreted by a personal computer and electronically put together on a visual monitor is a copyright offense.  Weird.

 Read about the decision at http://blogs.abcnews.com/scienceandsociety/2007/05/sex_and_google.html#comment-69784414

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April 07, 2007

Sex Offenders Required to Live Under Bridge in Miami

Sex offenders live under Miami bridge (AP Photo/J. Pat Carter) Here's another twist on the sex offender laws that have been popping up in the last few years and are growing bigger and bigger throughout America.

In Miami, Florida, the ordinances have gotten so strict that five offenders are living under a bridge with the state's approval.  The reason?  It's virtually impossible for them to get housing.

So they've been forced to live outside all day and all night near where children play and teenagers hang out rather than live within 2,500 feet of a school.

Not all offenders were convicted of anything violent.  Some were arrested for having willing relations with their boyfriend/girlfriend, or of downloading photos off the Internet that are considered legal in some parts of the country, but not in others.  So does forcing them, and those who were convicted of violent crimes, to live on the streets make them and everyone else safer?

See the article at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070407/ap_on_re_us/sex_offenders_bridge and feel free to make comments and reports on what's happening in your area/country below.

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January 30, 2007

Sexism in Schools: Separate but Equal?

All girls classroom at Arrowhead High School (Yahoo! News Photo)In 1892, Horner Plessy, a "colored" shoemaker, was locked up in jail for sitting in the "White" car of the East Louisiana Railroad.  With a series of failed appeals, the Plessy v. Ferguson case of 1896 established that the principle "separate but equal" was legally valid in the United States of America.

It wasn't until 1952, over half a century later in Brown v. Board of Education, that the court finally decided that separate but equal was inheritantly inequal.

Now, with a twist it's happening all over again, only this time in reverse.  It's been decided that "separate but equal" is fair, only this time it's not "white" v. "colored," it's "boys" vs. "girls."  Public schools can now receive federal funding for same-sex classes, and even same-sex schools.  It's not just for physical and sexual education anymore.

Is this a wise policy decision, or just sexism?

You can read the story, which Danacasso pointed out to us, at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070125/ap_on_re_us/same_sex_schools

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November 01, 2006

School Boots 3 Girls in 'Underpants'

A high school principal in Long Beach New York banned three girls because they dressed as Captain Underpants on Superhero Day. Captain Underpants is a children's book. So is it too sexy for high school?Captain Underpants

And the girls were completely covered. They wore beige leotards and nude stockings under their white briefs.

But Principal Nicholas Restivo didn't like it.  "Yes, I know they weren't naked," Restivo said. "But the appearance was that they were naked."

If he thinks wearing briefs over a leotard looks like being naked, he needs to go to a nude beach. I guess he just doesn't like briefs.  Maybe he wouldn't have a problem if the girls just took their underwear off.

You can read the whole story at http://news.lycos.com/dynamic/stories/C/CAPTAIN_UNDERPANTS?SITE=LYCOS&SECTION=home&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

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October 28, 2006

12 Reasons Gay Marriage is Bad

Do you want to know 12 reasons why gays shouldn't be allowed to marry? Well you won't find them here!

This is a funny article that makes fun of the arguments against gay marriage. Check it out and make your own copy at http://grove.ufl.edu/~ggsa/gaymarriage.html

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October 14, 2006

Birds and Bees May Be Gay!

Kakkak (Ixobrychus sinensis)"OSLO (Reuters) - The birds and the bees may be gay, according to the world's first museum exhibition about homosexuality among animals.

With documentation of gay or lesbian behavior among giraffes, penguins, parrots, beetles, whales and dozens of other creatures, the Oslo Natural History Museum concludes human homosexuality cannot be viewed as 'unnatural.'"

The court in California said bans against gay marriage are legal. How can they do that when being gay is natural? There's about 1,500 species that practice gay and lesbian sex. Many of them are bisexual. So how can they make laws against love?

You can read the article at http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061012/sc_nm/environment_homosexuality_dc_4;_ylt=AtOxzwI_H3kQIPNq0TW26OpH2ocA;_ylu=X3oDMTA2ZGZwam4yBHNlYwNmYw

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Read about California banning gay marriage but they're going to appeal! at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061005/ap_on_re_us/gay_marriage

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Rhode Island Lesbians can Marry in Massachusetts http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&e=2&u=/ap/gay_marriage

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September 07, 2006

Naked teens in Vermont

Naturist Teens"This summer, a group of teenagers has disrobed near restaurants, bookstores and galleries, igniting a debate about whether this bohemian southern Vermont town should ban a practice that has been tolerated until now." That's from an article called "Nude teens raising eyebrows in Vermont."

In Vermont, public nudity is legal! But towns and cities can make laws against it. But why? What is wrong with the human body? Should we be ashamed of how we were created?

You can read the article at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060905/ap_on_fe_st/naked_town and read my opinion about being an adult, teen, preteen, and child nudist at http://lorien.loveshade.org/opinions/nudism.html

(One of our correspondents pointed out that the original link to the article is no longer valid.  As of today, 10 January 2007, you can read a version of this story at http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/articles/2006/08/23/law_of_nature_prevails_in_vermont/)

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August 17, 2006

JonBenet Ramsey Murder Case: Here We Go Again

JonBenet Ramsey (CNN)(Alden Loveshade is a freelance writer who became involved in a political protest while vacationing in Boulder, Colorado, some time before JonBenet Ramsey was reported missing.  Alden has been following the Ramsey case ever since.  Here, Alden looks at the problem of false accusation, like what happened in the Ramsey murder case and to a small town mayor).

The tabloids, whether in print or local TV news form, are having a field day: a suspect has been arrested in the murder case of JonBenet Ramsey.  If you don't know, Ramsey was a 6-year-old beauty queen who was found, dead and beaten, in her family's basement in Boulder, Colorado, on December 26, 1996.  The parents, John and the recently late Patsy Ramsey, were named by the pop media as possible suspects, but were never charged.

Ironically, the number of parents who signed up their preschool and other young girls to run for beauty queen shot up after the case.  It's an odd example of how sometimes publicity, any publicity, can help.

Continue reading "JonBenet Ramsey Murder Case: Here We Go Again" »

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