Sunday morning: The middle of a busy weekend . . .

1. Rainy day in upstate New York. I'll be inside all day, I think, except for going to get my truck, which was worked on yesterday, My mechanic, Frank, is going to call me this afternoon, and I am going to meet him to get the truck, which will have a new exhaust system. I will be doing a lot of reign work, especially pollings. I have some job-search stuff to do, and some beating the bushes for Polar Plunge donations. Oh, yes, and chocolate-raspberry pancakes for alethea_eastrid.

2. If you in an East Kingdom polling order, can you take a minute to fill out your poll and send it to me? They are due in a week.

3. NPR did an excellent piece on Harvey Milk. I highly recommended it. I am disturbed a little, though, that some of those interviewed do not know of his importance or his legacy.

4. Canadian Press did a really solid story on Great Big Sea,

5. I suppose I should not be surprised, but I am taken aback a little by the vehemence of the response to the passage of Proposition 8, both personally, here on LJ and in the real world. I could rant about it, but there's a lot of good stuff to read on Google News.

6. The front page of the New York Times, July 4, 2009. The most amazing spoof I have ever seen. The Times responds  here.

7. If I had uploaded yesterday's pictures, I might have something new and spiffy.

Instead, I have something Chunky!

And people wonder about the visceral reaction to Prop 8?

So, I go to check on the Syracuse football coach getting fired, and I see this:

(Bold is mine)

SYRACUSE, NY - Dwight R. DeLee shot and killed Moses "Teish" Cannon with a .22-caliber rifle Friday night because he didn't like that Cannon was openly gay, Syracuse police said.

Cannon, 22, and his brother, Mark Cannon, 18, both of 404 Arthur St., were shot as they sat in a car parked in front of 411 Seymour St., where they had been invited to a party. The bullet grazed the left arm of Mark Cannon, who was in the driver's seat, and hit Moses Cannon in the chest, police said.

Police have charged DeLee, 20, of 420 Gifford St., with second-degree murder. DeLee went into the home at 411 Seymour St. to get the rifle after guests at the party started "making profane and vulgar comments in regards to the sexual preference of our two victims," police Chief Gary Miguel said.

"There was no previous argument between these individuals, there was no previous fight, there was no bad blood," Miguel said. "Our suspect took a rifle and shot and killed this person, also wounding his brother, for the sole reason he didn't care for the sexual preference of our victim. Isn't that sad? Isn't that a sad situation that that's the sole reason why?

Full article

I have no words.

Sunday evening: It's blustery and cold . . .

1. I really want to post all the wonderful things about Bjorn's Ceilidh. A lot of people did a lot of work so we could have a lot of fun. It is much appreciated. Pictures are here.

2. Can I declare myself a "Solitary Christian?" Maybe a "Free-Range Christian."

3. Here's something I can get behind: Blue For Equality. Interesting concept.

Let's show our support in a way that is VISIBLE so that we can continue to Unite, grow, motivate and inspire one another until we have
EQUAL RIGHTS FOR EVERYONE.

When you attend your next Equality Rally you can help build momentum by:

Wear BLUE
Write your picket signs in BLUE
Bring a BLUE candle
Be Creative in how you incorporate the Blue!

4. A random joke I have heard before:

An old Italian lived alone in New Jersey . He wanted to plant his annual tomato garden, but it was very difficult work, as the ground was hard.

His only son, Vincent, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament:

Dear Vincent,
I am feeling pretty sad, because it looks like I won’t be able to plant my tomato garden this year. I’m just getting too old to be digging up a
garden plot. I know if you were here my troubles would be over. I know you would be happy to dig the plot for me, like in the old days.
Love,
Papa

A few days later he received a letter from his son::

Dear Pop,
Don’t dig up that garden.
That’s where the bodies are buried.
Love,
Vinnie

At 4 a.m. the next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies. They apologized to the old
man and left.

That same day the old man received another letter from his son::

Dear Pop,
Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now. That’s the best I could do under the circumstances.

I love you,
Vinnie

5. My therapist wants me to read "Walden." He's an odd sort. Very Zen, but he loves him his cliches. This came out of me talking about how much I have changed since moving up here.

6. Got the truck back from "Frank." today. He finished it this afternoon, because it was the first weekend of deer seadson. "I didn;t see any, but they'll be out there," he said. I like him, because he understands the concept of "The Thousand Dollar Pickup Truck," and knows what has to be done on it -- so far. He says he's had vehicles like that in the past, and he knows I don't want to spend too much money on it.

7. Kids: Do not try this during court!

(No, it was during the day, and we were kidding around.)

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