today in politics

Seriously?

Prop 8 decision and Obama announces Supreme Court nominee (word is it's Sonia Sotomayer) on the same day?

And then there's this: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/26/opinion/26douthat.html (the argument of which seems to be "we need more sexual stigma!" while continuing to advance the idea that women leading over men in anything is Really Scary).

Is someone trying to make the Internet explode?

garden status

Windy today, so all herbs were brought inside, so as not to get blown off the terrace. The lavender doubled in size for having been outside, and the sage perked up. More new shoots on the basil and it seems to be doing well.

We are confirmed at 3 tomatoes on the green zebra, and the first of them has noticeably gotten much larger. We also have a new stalk on this plant with five buds, so I'm hoping for some tomato action there too. There are three buds on the stalk with the three tomatos, but one looks like it died before opening, and I'm not sure what the other two are doing.

New leaves (possibly buds, but I think new leaves unfurling) on the two younger tomato plants.

The pepper plant looks great. We have some new stalks coming in, and a gazillion little buds buried in the leaves. I have high hopes for it.

This weekend I want to put in a paprika plant and some scallions and possible onions, and that will probably max out what we have room for outside (this includes the strawberries, when I find the seeds). We do have a handing pot thing we bought, that I think we can do cherry tomatoes in inside.

prop 8

8 upheld, but existing marriages still legal.

Because 18,000 gay marriages won't destroy civilization but equal rights will?

The entire situation, that this is even something we're debating as a nation, is so completely irrational, I kinda can't deal with it. It is only rational if the debate is framed thusly: "are gay people human?" and until people who are anti-equal marriage are willing to make the assertion that gay people are not, in fact, human and as such should not be allowed to enter into any legal contract or business relationship, I have even less than zero patience for their arguments.

Say what you mean and mean what you say. Even if I find your personal "deeply held beliefs" bigoted and offensive, I'm peripherally willing to acknowledge you as a thinking person if you at least have the nerve and the intellect to stand by what you really mean.

And if you tell me, "well, no, I do think gay people are human but it just shouldn't be called marriage" or some other half-assed "compromise"? Intellectually weak. Examine your shit and choose a side. Either hold your nose and advocate for calling it marriage despite your discomfort, because gays are human, DESPITE YOUR DISCOMFORT, or go join the camp that says I'm not.

THIS IS NOT A COMPROMISE ISSUE.

Perhaps I'll be rational later. Oh wait, this is being rational. It is rational to be outraged. It is rational to be angry. We shouldn't have to live like this.