Gay Marriage

Generally speaking I don’t intend to write on politics very often on this blog, but there has been a great deal of chatter out there since New York legalized gay marriage earlier this week.  I believe that same-sex marriage is something that just needs to happen if we as a society truly want equality under the law. I understand that many people have religious/moral objections to gay marriage and wish to see it remain illegal.

There is one question in particular that is often brought to the table and is used both as an argument against and for gay marriage.  I feel both sides make a flawed argument with this question, and for the sake of logic I wish to point this out and how to make a better argument for the side I support.  The question is “Does gay marriage threaten the sanctity of marriage?” 

Social conservatives argue that by legalizing gay marriage the institution of marriage is somehow disparaged because the union of two people of the same sex (according to most who oppose gay marriage) is an abomination in the eyes God. Social conservatives point to holy texts such as the Bible to prove their argument.  While proponents of gay marriage argue that marriage these days isn’t really as holy as many social conservatives would like to believe.  Approximately 50% of all marriages don’t last, people cheat with just about the same frequency of divorce, and pre-marital sex is generally condoned in American society.

Both sides are missing the boat.  Our nation has lived by the excellent concept of separation of church and state.  The argument of whether or not same-sex marriage threatens the sanctity of marriage is really an irrelevant red herring. Our laws are not supposed to enforce the moral beliefs of any particular religion. The sanctity of marriage does not lie in the contract governed by state and federal laws, but in religious beliefs and rites.  Extending marriage to all groups of people gay or straight  under the law does not mandate the holiness of that union nor a particular religion’s right to exclude the weddings of those individuals they deem unfit for marriage within their holy sites (churches, temples, mosques, etc.) or officiated by their religious leaders.  Denying two men, or two women, the right of marriage under the law is not done in the interest of protecting society, but in the interest of forcing one group’s religious beliefs onto others.

The legislation of morality has been met by many failures (such as prohibition), including some failures we continue to try to enforce today.  In many cases legislating morality works because it protects society…we can all agree that murder, rape, and theft cause pain, terror, and damage to individuals and society as a whole. But these crimes which are typically seen as immoral were not put into law simply because they were immoral, but because they threatened the peace and prosperity of individuals and the nation by extension. The danger to legislating morality for things such as gay marriage, which truly affect only those who partake, is that we turn our backs on the basic guiding principles of our nation…life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.   

And now for a cute cat picture...

The Most Expensive Tomatoes Ever

I had a month or two of delusional thinking.  That is, I thought I could grow a tomato plant and reap the harvest of tasty, juicy, tomatoes.  I bought the potting soil, the planter, the Miracle Grow© tomato food, a watering can, and of course, the tomato plant.  

For two months Tim watered and cared for the plant which I continuously forgot existed.  I was excited to see the plant flower and tomatoes starting to grow. 

Since I am a novice gardener I forgot that you have to plant gardens really early in Arizona because for some reasons tomatoes don’t grow well in 100°+ temperatures.   Last week the plant died.  And I only got two tomatoes.  The most expensive, not even close to ripe, tomatoes I have ever had.  Hopefully they will ripen off the vine and taste somewhat delicious.   Each tomato costs approximately $10.00.  Given that tomatoes at the local grocery store are currently going for about $0.77 a pound, my tomatoes seem to be a little steep in price.

Note to self…buy tomatoes at the grocery store; don’t even try to grow them on your own.

The Pluses and Pitfalls to Being a Housecat

Pluses:

Nap time is whenever you want.

Food, water, shelter, and toys are free of charge.

People will pet you and cuddle you.

You are not required to get a job.

People don’t make you learn silly tricks…unless they are really bored or have a psychology experiment they need to do for a class.

Pitfalls:

Taking a bath requires lots of time licking yourself.

Hairballs

People will pet and cuddle you.

No opposable thumbs

No appreciation for swimming.

Excuse For Not Posting So Much Lately

Sometimes I think that I am an old lady trapped in a young person’s body.  For instance my favorite alcoholic beverages are Riesling wine and whisky sour.

Even the medical issues I get are usually old lady problems.  For instance I just got diagnosed with BPPV which is a vertigo problem mainly diagnosed in people 50 or older (not that 50 is old).  Basically if I tip my head just the right way the world starts spinning.  The plus side is that during this short duration of world spinning I have the grace and poise of a drunken monkey on roller-skates.  This has provided several moments of entertainment for the cats as they watch their human stumble, or simply fall on her face.

What’s next gout?

Anyway the posts will again continue as symptoms have waned.  

The Time I Almost Accidentally Killed My Hamster

Before I got my cats I had an adorable hamster named Rocky.  She wasn’t my first hamster, but she was the most peculiar.  You see Rocky was the ultimate escape artist.  I used to think that she was the reincarnation of Houdini.

Rocky loved to climb up the wires of her cage and swing around like a monkey.  In doing this she would bang on the side door of her cage with her bottom two legs.  After a sufficient number of swings the door would bust open and Rocky would be free for her next unauthorized adventure.

I had known that she liked to swing on the cage bars, but I didn’t know it was all a part of a grand escape plan.  The first night that Rocky was successful I was watching TV in my bedroom.  I had no idea that the hamster made a run for it because her cage was kept in the living room and I had not been in there the whole evening.

Then I started to hear some eerie scratching in the walls.  At first I dismissed it as a neighbor making some noise. The scratching continued.  I began to think that the scratching was not coming from the neighbors.  As the noise continued I began to think that maybe there was a rat in the wall.

I began to imagine that not only was there a rat in the wall, but it was huge like a New York City sewer rat with beady red eyes and a thick naked tail.  I began to get nervous and even a little frightened.  I remembered that we had a BB gun and pellets stored away.  I got the BB gun and loaded it with pellets and began to stand guard by the small hole in the wall that I found.   I called Tim and told him that I was going to kill the rat if it came out of the wall.

A few minutes later Tim came home and discovered that Rocky’s cage was open and the hamster was MIA. That is when I finally realized that it was Rocky in the wall! I was ready to kill my sweet little hamster!

We coaxed her out with treats and the cage placed near the hole in the wall.  After hours of sitting on the floor waiting for the hamster she came out and we put her away in her cage.  That wasn’t her only escape but it was the most daring and dangerous.

The Story Of The Time The Radio Was Stolen From My Car

One of my coworkers told me that he never knew certain things ever happened to people until he met me.  

For example back when I had the terrible Geo mentioned earlier in “An Exciting Afternoon Drive,” there was a reason that my radio was broken…actually two reasons why my radio was broken…now that I think about it there were three reasons why my radio was broken, not to mention that when I got the car the radio was broken.

Reason number 1:           The installation of the new radio I purchased was done poorly and my radio would work when it felt like it. I was too young and dumb to demand that the big box store employee who installed the radio reinstall it after it was not working just a month or two after purchase.

Reason number 2:           I did not know that extreme Arizona heat and a can of Pepsi in my glove box was a bad combination…I told you I was bad at physics.  Apparently heat caused the can to become so pressurized due to the carbonation that the aluminum could no longer contain the scorching hot Pepsi with lemon and there was a mild explosion.  A mild explosion that destroyed everything inside my glove compartment, got all over the passenger side window and seat, and coated the radio faceplate with gooey syrup which then baked into a sugary concrete.  This sugary concrete then made it impossible to change stations or listen to a CD.  *Plus side my car smelled sweet and lemony.

Reason number 3:           So my radio was already technically broken beyond repair at this point, and I was too cheap to purchase a replacement.  The apartment complex I lived in at the time wasn’t the best when it came to theft.  In fact, my car had been broken into before (several times).  One day someone (presumably the same person who kept preying on the parking lot cars) decided to steal my radio out of the dash.  I came to my car the next morning to see a bunch of exposed wires.   I was so angry that someone would steal my radio (even though it was broken) that I filed a police report.  The police officer kind of laughed when I admitted the value of the radio was $0.00 because it was broken.

To this day I laugh a little like Nelson from the Simpsons when I think about the moron that went through all that effort to steal a broken radio.  Ha Ha! (Finger pointing)

Quirky...Not Crazy (At Least Not Yet!)

I have certain “quirks.”  These habits are often considered weird or strange, but here is why I partake.

·         Singing at the top of my lungs in the car (by myself).  Yes, I am that person you chuckle at because they are singing along to some song on the radio (and probably dancing as well).  You wonder if that person realizes that other people can see them and that they look like a goofball.  Yes, I know you can see me, and I don’t care.  I am having fun!  I turn up the music loudly to cover up my own voice (because it is that bad) and bop my head as I sing along to “Bohemian Rhapsody” or Cee Lo Green’s megahit “F**k You” (uncensored).  I even sing along to a little AFI or perhaps some Rush.  It doesn’t really matter what the song or band is, or really if I know the actual words…there will be a performance in my car every time I drive.

·         Talking to myself.  I often hear people ask “Were you talking to me?”  The answer is no.  I am talking to myself because it helps me think about things.  It is a perfectly normal habit and is a sign of my vast intelligence (I am using hyperbole here…I’m not really that big of an egomaniac).  So if I’m alone and babbling take it as a sign that I am in deep thought and continue on your way. 

·         Counting on my fingers.  I realize as a person nearly finished with a Mathematics degree that counting on my fingers may seem a bit, oh I don’t know,  pre-school, but my fingers are my math security blanket.  If I decided not to use them anymore I don’t think I would have any problems (such as when I am in front of a professor who may judge me), but why stop doing something that doesn’t hurt you and helps you stay relaxed? 

·         I make up songs about my cats and sing them to them. For example:
(This song, which is my favorite, is to the tune of “Jitterbug” by Wham)
Ja ja ja Joy Joy
ja ja ja Joy Joy

You like to pounce on your crinkle ball.
And love the carpet with the side of your face.
You always meow meow at the birdies.
And make my day when I pet your belly.

(This song is not completed because usually by this time the cat walks away in protest… It is odd that she is so judgmental because cats can’t carry a tune either.)

I would have to encourage you to indulge in these oft mocked behaviors…you may just laugh a little or perhaps dare to smile.

Seriously do it now!  Or not, you really don’t have to.

Another announcement!

Some of you so kindly have asked me to be your Facebook friends.  I appreciate the gesture, but alas I try to keep my personal Facebook page full of people I know in real-life.  So as a way to keep in touch with my new friends on the World Wide Web I have added a facebook page for Just Another Thought Online.  Feel free to like my page to keep in touch with me on Facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Just-Another-Thought-Online/154116024657916

The Five Things Zombies Are Missing Part II: The Winners Have Been Chosen

There were some great posts both on the comments section and in some forums about The Five Things Zombie Movies Are Missing. I summarized some of the answers to get it down to the bare bones. Here are the top five winners from the contest:

I had a theory when I made my last post that those who did the best on the contest would probably have interesting and creative blogs… and I was right! I encourage everyone to check out the winner’s blogs.


And now for a new announcement!


I had a lot of fun coming up with the top five zombie post and also with reading the comments and forum posts from the contest. In fact this was so much fun I think this game will be a weekly feature on Tuesdays and Thursdays.


The game is being called 5 to 5. I will give a top five list on a different theme each Tuesday and then you readers will give your top five. The point is to be as creative, funny, unique, interesting, and quirky as possible while still staying on topic.


Thursday evening a list of the best five replies will be given along with the author and their respective blogs (so make sure to make your blog link available on either the comments section or your profile). Just to be fair, and keep the winners announcement simple and easy to read, if you write multiple blogs only two maximum blogs per winning entry will be featured.


I view this contest as a great way to get to know those of you who read my blog, and for me to learn about some of your wonderful, creative, and witty blogs as well.


Because I don’t want this to be a big distraction from traditional blog posts the 5 to 5 will be displayed on its own page. I hope that the enthusiasm I experienced with the Zombie theme continues to other themes.