|
|
| |
Greetings, Quotaholics:
Bruce
sent me a link
to an interesting story. In New Hampshire, where gay marriage is legal,
the state’s largest newspaper has refused to run a wedding announcement
for a gay couple.
Joe McQuaid, the publisher of the Union Leader of Manchester, says the
paper isn’t anti-gay but believes marriage is between a man and a woman
and they have a constitutional right to choose what to print.
Years ago, when newspaper readership began to dwindle, newspapers began
to charge for these notices. So it seems to me that choosing to ignore
a revenue source is not the best business decision, yet I agree that the
paper has a constitutional right to do so.
Still if gay marriage is the state law shouldn’t they have a right to
be able to have their announcement printed? Is this any different than
a newspaper refusing to run an announcement for a mixed-race couple? Yet,
since federal law doesn’t recognize gay marriage, gays aren’t covered
by the same "equal treatment" provisions afforded mixed-race
couples.
We’re seeing more and more cases where state law and federal law don’t
agree. The recent flap over Arizona’s immigrant laws is an example. Another
that is brewing is Proposition 19 in California which would make it legal
for individuals to grow and possess marijuana. Federal drug enforcement
officials have already stated their intention to enforce the federal laws
regardless of what the California voters pass.
It seems that federal immigration law doesn’t agree with state laws on
marriage either. A recent case in New Jersey could have serious ramifications
for a gay couple living there. According to an article at AOL
News, one of the men, who were legally married in Connecticut, is
facing deportation due to the fact that federal law won’t allow his same-sex
spouse to sponsor him for citizenship.
"(Josh) Vandiver said he feels like he’s been treated like a second-class
citizen in his own country. ‘It’s discriminatory to me as a U.S. citizen
that I can’t have a successful petition for my spouse’s green card,’ he
told AOL News. ‘It’s an injustice toward me and Americans like me.’"
Throughout the history of the U.S. there have been many fights over "state’s
right’s". It was one of the principle’s behind the formation of the
Union. Yet somewhere along the line the federal government usurped this
power. Now federal law always takes precedence over state law.
Doesn’t it seem to you that a couple who are legally married under state
law should be legally married under federal law? What’s next? To make
your marriage legal you must get a federal license too? And if you are
legally married under state law, shouldn’t you be afforded the same federal
rights as any other couple? Rights like protection from discrimination,
the right to citizenship for your spouse, and most importantly having
your marriage recognized as valid by the federal government?
Discriminatorily,
P.S.
Be sure to check out Monday’s issue. I’ve got a big surprise for
you!
Comment
On This Article
|
| |
|
| Isn’t
it worth $1 a month to you to keep RGQ going? Please click the
link and direct your contribution to keep RGQ going.
|
| |
“Whipping and abuse are like laudanum: you have to double the dose as
the sensibilities decline.” - Harriet Beecher Stowe
“Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that
is granted, all else follows.” - George Orwell
|
| |
Injury
[Thanks dEE]
I was taking the
train to go visit a personal injury lawyer. I called and asked, “Can
you give me directions from the train station to your office?”
“When you get to the station, just walk outside, lie down on the sidewalk
and start yelling. Someone from our office will be along shortly.”
|
|
| |
“Affectation is a very good word when someone does not wish to confess
to what he would none the less like to believe of himself..”
“I never liked the men I loved and never loved the men I liked.”
“Let the world know you as you are, not as you think you should be,
because sooner or later, if you are posing, you will forget the pose,
and then where are you?” - All by American singer Fanny Brice born on
this day in 1891
|
|
|
| |
|
Isn’t
It Though?
[Thanks Tesser]
|
| |
| |
|
| |
|
Speak right up!
|
| |
Light
Many times things I’ve seen looked so different the 2nd or 3rd time,
I was wondering if I was looking at the same thing. Sometimes
it is the angle of view, and other times it can be the play of
light, highlighting or shadowing, making it look different.
One such was a building for which I was looking. I had been to
this same building several times. There was an architectural marking
on the building that was easily seen in daylight. However, on
this occasion, I was looking for it in lower light levels at dusk.
Artificial lighting on the building made it appear different.
I simply did not recognize it in the dark.
While out geocaching, I have been to parks and neighborhoods during
the day. I have also been out in the same places in the dark when
the seasons have shorter daylight hours. Familiar places can,
and do, look unfamiliar when the lights go out. In one case, a
cache I had found had been archived and a while later, someone else
placed another in the same general area. While seeking the 2nd
one, I had a problem because I did not recognize the area in the dark
and I made the 2nd find harder on myself as I missed the geotrail that
had been there for years.
Another thing light does is remarkable. We were driving along
on a cloudy day. It was so cloudy that headlights almost needed
to be turned on in order to be seen by other motorists. Big, lumpy,
black clouds hung overhead from horizon to horizon. Rain downpours
were occurring often from these storm clouds. Then, totally unexpectedly,
there was a small hole in the clouds. A sharp ray of sunshine
shone down on a church nearby. It looked like a spotlight, it
was so striking. I’m sure the church could have used a new coat
of paint, but it shone as white as snow in the sharp light amidst the
dark clouds.
Although similar, yet different, I got to witness something just yesterday.
I was at a geocaching rally. It’s a type of event where you go
from park to park & take pictures of things. We arrived at
an overlook at one of the parks that overlooks downtown Cincinnati,
OH. The park is on the west side of town, and the sun was setting.
The sunlight was at the perfect angle to make the downtown buildings
look like the Golden City rather than the Emerald City of lore.
The skyline of town simply glowed. It was simply beautiful!
At least I was able to get this one recorded by camera.
Here’s your quiz:
What have you seen in a different light that was memorable to you?
Have you ever missed a turn because the lighting was different?
Do you have difficulty seeing after sunset?
Light - Can Be Hi- or Low-
Cliff (the High-Tech Redneck who doesn’t rate a fancy ’signature pic’)
Comment
on this article |
| |
|
|
Email Kirsten
“It
is the soldier, not the reporter who has given us the freedom of the
press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us the freedom
of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who gives us
the freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier who salutes the flag,
who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag,
who allows the protester to burn the flag.”
~ Father Dennis Edward O’Brien (Douglas Adams) ~
From my blog, Running for
Autism
On Monday an odd coincidence occurred to me, that led me to ponder the
idea that my trip towards marriage is linked in some cosmic way to my
status - my proudly held status - as a Canadian. Some of you already
know the story of my engagement, how Gerard prearranged the whole thing
with the good folks at Citizenship & Immigration Canada. At my citizenship
ceremony, after I had been declared a new Canadian, Gerard got down
on one knee and, in front of the judge and all of my fellow new Canadians,
he proposed. If you haven’t seen it, check out this video.
On Monday, my personal life and my life as a Canadian were once again
linked, by virtue of the fact that two events happened on that day.
First, we got confirmation of our wedding date. This has been quite
a journey that has led to us committing to a date on which we will,
after ten years of cohabitation, become husband and wife. Ten minutes
later, we went together to my younger son’s school, which was set up
as a voting station in the Ontario municipal elections. And there, for
the first time since becoming a Canadian citizen, I exercised my democratic
right to vote.
This is a right - and a responsibility - that I take very seriously.
I am mindful of the fact that in parts of the world, I as a woman would
not have this right. The brave war veterans, both living and dead, fought
for my freedom of choice, for my right to vote. It seems only right
that Gerard and I, in recognition of those men and women who sacrificed
so much, are having our wedding reception at the Royal Canadian Legion.
What better place for us to start this new phase of our lives together.
Soon we are going to start seeing the poppies. In Canada, as in other
parts of the world, war veterans hand out poppy lapel pins in exchange
for donations. The lapel pins are worn every day until November 11th
- Remembrance Day - at which time they are placed at a war memorial.
I find that Canadians are very respectful in their attitude towards
our soldiers. The wearing of poppies is done with a great deal of pride
and a respect that is almost sacred. When a fallen soldier is returned
home, having made the ultimate sacrifice, ordinary citizens suspend
their lives to gather at overpasses and on bridges to wave flags as
they salute the soldier’s hearse as it travels down the Highway of Heroes.
This video is worth watching. Grab the tissues before you click on this
link.
Last year, I did something special for Remembrance Day. Along with most
of my co-workers, I observed a minute of silence at 11:00 a.m. After
that, I solemnly got changed into my running gear, pinned my poppy onto
my running jacket, and secured my Metropass in my fuel belt. I went
outside into the biting cold, and began my run - a run with a purpose.
This run was dedicated to the veterans and the war dead. I ran from
the office to the war memorial at Queens Park, where I joined the crowds
gathering for a Remembrance Day ceremony.
At the end of the ceremony, I unpinned my poppy and left it at the base
of the memorial. I thought of my grandfathers, who were both veterans
of World War II. I thought of a friend of mine south of the border,
whose son was, at the time, a soldier in Iraq. I thought of the very
elderly veteran who had sold me my poppy; I thought of how the lines
on his face told a story that I could not begin to comprehend.
Exactly one month after that Remembrance Day, I got my citizenship.
This year, on November 11th, I plan to do what I did last year. Only
this time, I will be doing my Remembrance Day run as a Canadian.
Kaleidoscopically yours,
Kirsten
Comment
On This Article |
| |
I’m
not partial to Halloween. It is my job to sit on the front porch freezing
my nether parts, and not using the john until the trick or treating is
over.
I volunteered for candy patrol for three very good reasons. They’re names
are TJ, The Golden Retriever, Molly and Daisy. If I didn’t sit on the
porch and catch the little demons before they ring the door bell, they
may get more Halloween scare than they want. It is my duty as a citizen
to avoid doing anything that may force innocent parents to do the kind
of laundry that might result when their young are greeted by 3 excited
barking dogs.
Fortunately our town fathers and mothers have seen fit to limit the ghostly
festivities to 2 hours. These are scheduled for the time I usually preparing
or eating dinner. Since my culinary efforts are interrupted, we could
add starvation to the "holding it in" inconvenience, but, alas,
such is not the case. After all, who can starve when they are sitting
on the porch with a bowl of individually wrapped Snickers bars on their
lap? Only someone who didn’t like chocolate could resist such an opportunity,
and I believe that person doesn’t exist, or doesn’t like puppies either.
This brings me to last Halloween. I was at my post when my mother brought
TJ, The Golden Retriever out on a leash. He is a mellow beast, and since
he could see the little devils coming towards him, he was content to greet
them with a friendly lick and tail wag. Most kids enjoy his attentions,
and the ones who don’t are usually in the loving arms of their parents.
One group of kids were especially amused by TJ’s antics. In fact, they
were laughing unusually hard, and didn’t seem to be in a hurry to move
on to collect treats from my other neighbors. I had furnished them each
with a couple of the candy bars I hadn’t eaten, and was clueless as to
why they tarried. Finally, one little guy inadvertently informed me of
the delay.
"It’s my turn to feed him!" he said to his companions. "You
already let him get something from your bag!"
Alarmed, I found that one of the beggars thought it was a real treat to
have a golden retriever head in his bag. Unfortunately, the golden retriever
in question thought it was a real treat to have his head in a bag of candy,
and he was contentedly munching away at anything that was on offer.
"Ha Ha," his benefactor howled, "He’s eating a piece of
bubble gum!"
"Hey, it’s my turn! I bet he’ll eat the cookies Mrs. x gave me! Here
Doggy!"
TJ didn’t get sick from the excess of sugar he consumed that night. It
wasn’t from any will power on his part. The kids were disappointed when
I put my errant pooch back in the house for the duration. I’m still impressed.
When I was a kid, I was too stingy to share my stash with my sisters,
let alone a big, hairy dog. Oh well, it isn’t like TJ can go out and do
his own trick or treating.
Comment
On This Article |
| |
Misc. Tips
[Thanks Herm]
When the doll clothes are hard to put on, sprinkle with corn starch
and watch them slide on.
|
| |
I know by Monday Halloween will be past, but let’s
try one more.
Next opening line…
A witch and a warlock had sex…
Hints:
Here’s a great new rhyming/composition tool. http://www.writerhymes.com/
There’s also a great rhyming dictionary at http://www.rhymezone.com/
Limerick rules. http://freespace.virgin.net/merrick.sheldon/limerickrules.htm
Submit
Opening Line
Submit
Limerick
A
really old vampire named Tex
Who worked as a nice service tech
Doing phlebotomy
Because economy
Suggests to self-serve from the neck - Maria in Illinois |
A
really old vampire named Tex
has placed me under a hex
he has cast a spell
he did it very well
now I am barking like Rex - dEE |
A really
old vampire named Tex
liked to have lots of anal sex
until his mom showed up
and said "Get a blow-up,
or on you I will put a hex". - Cassandra in New York |
A really
old vampire named Tex
Tried to make his biceps flex
"They budged when I was young
But now they are just hung
As muscles these are rejects." - E. Cole Aye |
A really
old vampire named Tex
Wanted to engage in oral sex
‘Stead of a dude in Prague
He sucked on a hot dog
Only then he saw he needed specs. - E. Cole Aye |
A really
old vampire named Tex
Pursued a librarian named Dex
Who had a big backlog
With the card catalogue
And Tex helped by being index. - E. Cole Aye |
A really
old vampire named "Tex"
Is "out for blood" and I suspect
He’s not a nice guy
If he catches your eye
It’s you who will likely be necks - Author Unknown |
When pumpkins
are bloated and ripe
People fall for the Halloween hype
While eating stale candy
For many is dandy
If find that as a food it’s tripe. - E. Cole Aye |
When pumpkins
are bloated and ripe
I hope one the kids will then swipe
And have it explode
And spread its smelly load
Then from their bodies the gunk they’ll wipe. - E. Cole Aye |
When pumpkins
are bloated and ripe
O’er the bogs float wails of the bagpipe
With the chill of the wind
Summer’s heat does rescind. . .
Ah, heck, who writes this silly tripe? - E. Cole Aye |
|
| |
Re: Christma$$
Patti said, "I also
have no idea who would buy these highly expensive and short lived
items for a five year old."
Idiots. Complete barking idiots. That’s who. Brainwashed by years
of advertising. - Gyppo
I’m glad I’m not
competing with TV ads and other kids for the hearts and minds of any
children. Based on some early experiences with Macintosh, I finally
bought an iMac 5 years ago. It was such a disappointment that I will
never buy another iProduct for anyone. The software has become procrustean,
Apple Care made serious errors on the help line, and now the hardware
is failing with less use than I’ve had from cheap PCs. - Bob of the
North
I would be interested too
know if the 5 year olds they polled had older brothers and sisters.
Monkey see, monkey do. - Lucille
|
| |
Disclaimer- All quotes printed in this publication are believed to be
accurately attributed, but no guarantees are made that some incorrectly
attributed, or even outright false quotes won’t get in here from time
to time. I assure readers that I will do my best to weed out incorrect
quotes, and will print a retraction as soon as I become aware of any errors.
|
Click here to see the archives of past issues, or go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/reallygoodquotes/messages.
If you run across something really outstanding when perusing the archives,
I’d appreciate it if you’d mail me at TheBestOfRGQ@yahoo.com
and point it out to me. I’m in the process of compiling an e-book
called, not surprisingly, The Best of RGQ, and I’d like to hear from you
which pieces impacted you the most. |
| Questions?
Comments? Want to contribute a joke or a quote or an image? Feel free
to e-mail
at reallygoodquotes@gmail.com.
We’d love to hear from you! We’ll even publish your comments, if they
make any sense! 
If
you’d like to receive RGQ by email, please send a blank e-mail
to reallygoodquotes-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
We
can’t imagine why you’d want to, but if you choose to unsubscribe, please
send a blank e-mail to reallygoodquotes-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.
Should you choose to unsubscribe, please e-mail
us and tell us why. We listen to what people say, even if they’re
leaving us.
|
