Tuesday evening: First Liam-style post in quite a long time

1. Things are incredibly busy at the One-Stop Center. I can hear everything "official" say about the recession being over, but we see more people every day who have gotten laid off, and some who are reaching the point where they are canceling cable, phones and the like. It's tough out there. I had a woman call about job-searching today. I have to check on what county they live in, and she said, "Well I am living in my car." I said, "Let's work on that first and got her to go to Social Services.

I feel as though we're having a tough time, but every day I see folks who are really struggling.

2. Wow, that was depressing, eh?

Well, the good news is that the Yankees open next season at Fenway Park. That will be really cool, because the Red Sox will be the defending World Series champions, having won their third World Series in the six years while the Yankees will have gone eight years without winning one.

Oh, and the closing series of the season will be the Yankees at Fenway, too. I sense a lot of mid-season games in the Bronx.

3. The folks at Columbia Games make wicked cool stuff and are starting a series based on the wars in Shakespeare's histories. It's a block-based game, and the first one is focused on Richard III.

4. Followup: Swingers Club to explain use of lodge.

Meeting's tonight. I will update.

5. Oh, Patrick Swayze? Roadhouse, all the way!. There are just too many great lines!

6. College student with sword kills burglary suspect. It was a katana.

I have to wonder if I would really grab the real glaive we keep by the door and run someone through with it.

7. Ya know, I don't think about it much, but Earl Sir Micah Longbow was one of the first peers I met in the Society. I think he went a long way toward defining Peer-like Qualities for me, even though I sis not see him very much.

I don't know how I missed this story

(September 6, 2009) - A high school football player may have prevented a tragedy this week when he stopped a fellow student wielding a gun on a school bus earlier this week.

According to The (Jackson, Miss.) Clarion-Ledger, a 14-year-old female student from Yazoo County, Miss. boarded the bus with a .380 caliber handgun and threatened students she said picked on her.

But Kaleb Eulls, a defensive end for the Yazoo County High School football team, risked his own safety to protect the 22 other students on the bus. After trying to convince the girl to put down the weapon, the newspaper said Eulls managed to get close enough to her to tackle her.

“If it hadn’t been for this star football player, things could have been different,” Yazoo County Sheriff Tommy Vaughan told The Clarion-Ledger. “He didn’t go overboard, be he did exactly what it took to get her on the ground.”

www.afroamerican.com

Here's a more thorough story.

Another story pointed out that he was the one who opened the back door to let the kids sneak out.

Time for the fight for same-sex marriage to start again!

I just wrote to my state senator.

Dear Sen. Little;

In speaking with Rep. Dan O'Donnell recently, he tells me that the same-sex marriage bill will be introduced in  the Senate this Fall. I have read similar reports in the paper.

I am writing you, as I did the last time it appeared it would come up, to ask you to change your opinion on it and vote for the law, which makes marriage fair for all New Yorkers.

The last time I talked to your office, I was told that there was the sense that the area was too Conservative for you to cast a vote in favor of the bill. But, as Rep. O'Donnell pointed out to me, folks like Rep. Sayward up here voted for the bill.

I was deeply disappointed in the entire Senate this summer, and especially in you, as my senator.

I had fervently hoped you would have the courage to step forward, join the majority and get the session started.

You didn't do that. I am sure you had your political reasons for that, as did everyone else. But the Senate failed the people.

I had decided at that time, I would do what I could to keep any incumbent senator from being re-elected.

But I will tell you this: I believe you have a chance to be brave again.

Talk to the people in your district. I think you will be surprised at the support for same-sex marriage. To many of us, it's really important that New York not remain a backward state.

Thanks for your consideration,

Liam St. Liam
Salem

OK, I didn't sign it Liam.

If you are in New York, here is your guide to state senators.

Sen. Duane is the key sponsor in the Senate.

She keeps saying "Kawaii!"

The scene is Chez Casa Villa Haus, a bit before 10 p.m. on a Tuesday evening.

The bath is running, and Liam is heading to bed.

Alethea: "Sometimes, I wish I was not an adult."

Liam: "Why?"

Alethea: "Because I am going to ask for Tupperware for Christmas."

Liam: "Tupperware is in, you know."

Alethea: "Hush you."

Liam goes into the bathroom, and on the closed toilet lid is Alethea's bath reading material -- "The Manga Cookbook."

Liam holds up the book.

Alethea: "Kawaii!"

Liam: "The Manga Cookbook?"

Alethea: "Kawaii!"

Liam: "And three minutes ago you wished you weren't an adult."

Alethea: "You know you need to blog this, right?"

Kawaii, apparently, means "cute" in Japan and is meant to be said in a high-pitched, sing-song voice.

Folks, she got this on Interlibrary loan.

She hunted down this book and special-ordered it.

Kawaii!