Boobie Time

Happy Friday.

Good Job, California

The California Supreme Court steps up for equal rights. Good for them:

California Supreme Court overturns ban on gay marriage

The California Supreme Court has overturned a gay marriage ban in a ruling that would make the nation’s largest state the second one to allow gay and lesbian weddings.

The justices’ 4-3 decision Thursday says domestic partnerships are not a good enough substitute for marriage. Chief Justice Ron George wrote the opinion.

The city of San Francisco, two dozen gay and lesbian couples and gay rights groups sued in March 2004 after the court halted San Francisco’s month long same-sex wedding march.

The case before the court involved a series of lawsuits seeking to overturn a voter-approved law that defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

Maybe I'm just an old liberal, but I've always seen the gay marriage issue in very simple terms: equal rights. Discrimination is wrong. How consenting adults define their relationships should not be restricted by laws. As with inter-racial marriage decades ago, it's good to see a win for freedom over institutional discrimination.

Do Aliens Believe in Catholics?

I sometimes find "religion", and the whole concept of "believing" perplexing. So the idea of Catholics believing in aliens is confusing me.

VATICAN CITY (AP) -- Believing that the universe may contain alien life does not contradict a faith in God, the Vatican's chief astronomer said in an interview published Tuesday.

The Rev. Jose Gabriel Funes, the Jesuit director of the Vatican Observatory, was quoted as saying the vastness of the universe means it is possible there could be other forms of life outside Earth, even intelligent ones.

"How can we rule out that life may have developed elsewhere?" Funes said. "Just as we consider earthly creatures as 'a brother,' and 'sister,' why should we not talk about an 'extraterrestrial brother'? It would still be part of creation."

In the interview by the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, Funes said that such a notion "doesn't contradict our faith" because aliens would still be God's creatures. Ruling out the existence of aliens would be like "putting limits" on God's creative freedom, he said.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/V/VATICAN_ALIENS?SITE=FLSTU&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

So, do aliens believe in Catholics?

Mountain Weather

Ah, the joys of mountain living. It's the middle of May, and it's snowing. After a string of sunny, breezy spring days, we're back in winter. That sound you're hearing is the wailing of all the local gardeners who spent last weekend planting.

Mom's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all (I'm not a rethug, so I support MD). I talked with my sainted mother this morning (not that that's unusual; we talk most every Sunday), and she's doing well enough. Mom's had some minor health problems lately (nothing serious), and she's none too happy about it. Her main frustration stems from a surgery to remove rectal polyps, which has precluded her from riding her Harley this spring. At 74 years old, Mom is used to doing what she wants when she wants and physical limitations are not a part of her agenda. Her doc told her she'd have to wait another 4-6 weeks before jumping on the bike, to which she said "that's not acceptable", which is a good general reflection of my mother's attitude toward aging. She intends to behave as if she were still 21, and she expects her body to cooperate. Have I mentioned how much I love my mom? From the Dead shows when I was 9 years old to the Harley today, mom has always rocked. Happy Mother's Day!

(and mom, if you happen to read this, go easy on your poor doctor. He's doing the best he can.)