Voters in Maine , you just voted on gay marriage. Your decision was to abolish this. I thought I’d take a moment to show you what else you voted against.

1) Separation of Church and State - What the religious right will not tell you about these votes is that a vote like this opens up the opportunity to vote on other religious institutions. What if Christians decide that Baptism should be required for all youngsters? What if Jews feel all boys should have to go through circumcision? This opens the door to vote on those issues.

On the flip side, for those that say the Constitution has this amendment to prevent from watering down the church, you have voted to allow the government to meddle in your church. In fact, you already have. There are multiple denominations, the UCC being the most prominent, that want to marry gays. You just told them they cannot. Good job. Also, what if someone feels full submersion during Baptism is dangerous? That can now be voted on and a church forced out of doing it. Ditto circumcision. Too dangerous? Fine, it is illegal.

2) The legal protection for families - Protecting families? That’s laughable. It has been shown in recent census data that Marriage and Family values are arguably stronger in states that allow gay marriage. Gay families live as straight families even *gasp* raising children. Why do you hate their kids? You just voted against protection for them in the event of the death of the partner. Who knows where the kids may end up now if one or both of them die? Sleep well with that thought.

3) Your argument as to why we should be in Iraq and Afghanistan - There is a ton of outrage in our country over the Islamic church states. How can they rule on an archaic view that women are not equal? How can they condone stoning based on religious doctrine? How can they seriously persecute those that participate in a religion other than Islam?? Yeah, Maine, how can they? Oh…wait…you just said that people that may not necessarily hold the same religious view as you shouldn’t be able to express that. Huh…

4) What Thomas Jefferson said - “The legitimate powers of government,” he wrote, “extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods, or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.”

I’m a firm believer in the facts, the Constitution and the well being of our Country and the families within. What do you believe in?

What a strange day.

I woke up and started getting ready for work, just like any other day. I looked outside and saw neighbors leaving for work, just like any other day. I turned on the TV to catch up on some headlines, just like any other day.

Funny; today is the day that gay marriages will occur for the first time in Iowa. I was under the impression that marriages would be cheapened, gays and lesbians would be in the streets recruiting, fire and brimstone would rain down and the world just might spin off of its axis.

Instead, here I am, typing a blog and preparing for the day ahead. The straight people around me are still married and living life as they would have any other day.

Weird.

The only people that seem to be straying from their routines are the protesters. Oh, and the kids that some of them pulled out of school.

Thank you for making this one of the greatest days of my life!

Over the past couple of years, my sig other and I debated getting married in Canada or another state. Our planning kind of stalled. Deep down, I think the reason is that it didn’t feel “right” and that something would be missing.

That something is the chance to make it easy for all of our friends and family to be there. This is an occasion that should be shared by all. The thought of possible financial hardship keeping loved ones from joining us was too much to take. Not to mention the logistics of cross-state planning.

I am so happy we waited and I cannot wait for the day to celebrate with our loved ones!

First…when the Bush administration took Saddam out…we saw this:

Now…as Bush is leaving office…we see this:

I guess that everyone overstays their welcome eventually.

I just wanted to take a moment to blog the following:

I hope that Americans truly appreciate what a historic event they are witnessing this evening. Not just for the obvious reason, but for so many others. The youth vote, an energized movement not seen since the 60’s, the turnout, the focus on our nation…it all creates the perfect storm towards a truly historic event.

Congratulations, President Elect Obama!

On a side note, and a rather personal one, I have to express that at the same time we are witnessing change on a national level, Florida takes a step back towards equal rights. So ironic that the state finds itself on two sides of the same coin. My thoughts are with those that I care about in the Sunshine State that will feel the wrath of this result.

As if on cue, the news comes that McCain’s VP Nom Sarah Palin’s 17 year old, unwed daughter is pregnant.

I feel for Palin’s daughter and I know that what she will have to go through is rough, but, just when you needed something to come along to smack the right in the face, it does. Palin is a huge advocate of Abstinence Only Education in schools. Apparently, she was also a huge advocate of it in her own family. While there is no guarantee that Abstinence Only Ed will stop teenage pregnancy altogether, it at least gives a bit of education to those teens making the decision to have sex.

Truthfully, however, this has very little to do with her views on sex ed and very much to do with the hypocritcal spewage that is so prevalent on the right. That whole “I’d like to regulate the lives of others while ignoring what is going on in my own family” thing. In fact, Palin has done so to further her politcal career to the point where she was clearly neglecting the issues within her own family. Kudos on those family vaules, Sarah.

Also, shame on Palin for spinning this into her own political gain. Her “yeah, but look, she isn’t aborting it” spin is disgusting. Using the personal events of your own daughter for political gain is oh so very Christian. I’m glad that your daughter can endure some trauma for your benefit.

Since this is the first I’ve touched on her nomination, I’d also like to express the fact that I am offended that so many political analysts think that Palin will draw in Hillary supporters just because she is a woman. If the Hillary supporters were truly supporters of Hillary’s ideology, they will not support a woman who endorsed Pat Buchanan as president and who is an advocate of teaching Creationism in schools. As a woman, I am extremely offended that Pundits think that, as a whole, my gender is that stupid. I’m sure some will vote for her because she is a woman, but those are the same people that buy a mini-van because their one kid clearly needs space for 8. Also, the GOPers that are smiling while saying “she is the only one with executive experience” should be shot. She was mayor of a town that is smaller than most Universities and was Governor of Alaska for about a year and 3 months. Wow, what credentials! I once had to lead a team of about 3 people at work to implement a new procedure. Maybe McCain could have picked me. I’m certainly no poster child of the right, but at least I’m genuine.

Part of me hopes that Obama leaves this alone, part of me doesn’t know how he can. However, I hope he does leave it alone and that people see what a good move it is when he does. He doesn’t need to use the daughter for his gain too.

I don’t normally find anything Paris Hilton all that funny. I should say, I don’t normally find Paris Hilton all that funny in terms of a quality humor way. This, however, actually made me LOL; especially when she shares her energy plan. I like the subtle dig in the way that they take, of all people, Paris Hilton and come up with a decent solution and compromise that two Presidential Candidates would never have thought of. To me, that’s the best kind of humor there is.

With just a little over 3 months to go in the race for the White House, Obama and McCain are finally starting to get the claws out.

First up was McCain:

Here, we see that McCain has turned into a jealous 14 year old girl. While he could have just stuck to the issues, he plays the “he’s popular so that means that he must be like Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, I’m not one of the popular girls so that means I’m more like you” card. Then, the energy prices are slipped in there. Granted, no one would hear that part as the Obama-haters are giving high fives, butt slaps (but not in a gay way) and chest bumps while guffawing at the slam and the Obama-lovers and, arguably, those on the fence are sitting there going “ummm…what the hell was that??” Based on what I’ve seen here, I’m pretty sure that the next ad will be “oh, and his name sounds like one of them thar ‘terrorists’ names. Oh, and his middle name is Hussein, so he totally loves Saddam!! Oh yeah, and I’ll lower gas prices.”

McCain should play up to the fact that he is, by and large, a raging moderate. Instead, he plays the “I’m old and unpopular” card. Very disappointing.

Obama responded with this ad:

Now you’re talkin!! He presents snippets from major publications to basically say that McCain is a dirty, rotten liar who just wants to make him look bad. Granted, the snippets could be taken ridiculously out of context, but who’s checking up on that? We’re Americans, we’re a lazy people. Everyone will just say “welp, USA today said baloney so…I’ll just take their word for it.” It may have said “Obama had a baloney sandwich for lunch today, oh and McCain’s ad is good” but most of the population wouldn’t think to check context. Obama found a way to appeal to moderates and the left in one fell swoop, though. He attacked the “mud-slinging” ways of McCain, something that many in the middle detest and brought up alternative fuels, which is something the left will love and cherish. The GOP is still so wrapped up with big oil that they aren’t thinking outside the box on the whole energy issue.

Obama also had this to say in Cedar Rapids yesterday:

In approximately 2 1/2 minutes, he brought up gas prices, the mortgage crisis and unemployment. That is a lot of punch in a short amount of time and it appeals to the big 3 issues of Americans. He attacked the “celebrity” ad, but didn’t dwell on it. Well played.

I will be interested in seeing McCain’s next response. This is going to be an extremely tight race and I have to think that those on the fence aren’t going to fall in love with the candidate that resorts to simple name calling and mud-slinging. McCain appears to be trying too hard to appeal to uber-conservatives and, quite frankly, that’s not the base that is going to be pro-McCain. In fact, we’ll likely see many cons voting 3rd party as they have made their dislike of McCain well-known. Obama, on the other hand, needs to unite the Dems. If he loses, it is because the Dems are fighting amongst themselves and not thinking of the big picture.

Regardless, it can’t get worse than what we have now no matter who wins. Can it?

My dad is notorious for stating that people look alike. He is also notorious for being horribly wrong. Once, he said one of our family friends looked like former Polish President Lech Walesa. This was probably 15 years ago and he is still ridiculed for this statement. Because of this, I am always very cautious about pointing out people that I feel look like others.

This is one that I cannot let go of.

Presidential Hopeful US Senator Barack Obama…

…and Cubs All-Star *snicker* reliever Carlos Marmol.