Return

Only 15 months and I am back. Over the course of the year off…I have finished working at Working America, returned to Graduate School (this time in Public Policy) at New England College, gained hundreds of off-line and um…facebook friends, protested Neo-Nazi’s in New Philly, traveled to North Dakota and back, NYC and back, Chicago and back, North Carolina and back…much travelling…found love with my special partner, James and now am about to continue work in the union movement at the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) in Boston.

Of course, I am skipping the thousand tiny discoveries and follies that make up our lives on a minute level. Hope you will stick around for the next round.

Obama’s design

This is the first blog post I have seen on the coolness of the Obama campaign’s design portfolio. The stylized ‘O’, etc. all have successfully created a holistic ambience of the campaign’s message. It is an important observation of something that some people may consider superficial.

What’s a matter with Kentucky?

Via Daily Dish, an interesting story on the issue of race and the Kentucky primary results. As a native Kentuckian I found it very fascinating and wonder why American news outlets are not covering it as in-depth.

Injustice cannot stand anywhere

The decision of the California Supreme Court today overturning the state’s ban on gay marriage. California is now one of the few states in the union in which my relationship may be legally recognized. I almost cried while reading it.

 In the present case, it is readily apparent that extending the designation of marriage to same-sex couples clearly is more consistent with the probable legislative intent than withholding that designation from both opposite-sex couples and same-sex couples in favor of some other, uniform designation.  In view of the lengthy history of the use of the term “marriage” to describe the family relationship here at issue, and the importance that both the supporters of the 1977 amendment to the marriage statutes and the electors who voted in favor of Proposition 22 unquestionably attached to the designation of marriage, there can be no doubt that extending the designation of marriage to same-sex couples, rather than denying it to all couples, is the equal protection remedy that is most consistent with our state’s general legislative policy and preference.

        Accordingly, in light of the conclusions we reach concerning the constitutional questions brought to us for resolution, we determine that the language of section 300 limiting the designation of marriage to a union “between a man and a woman” is unconstitutional and must be stricken from the statute, and that the remaining statutory language must be understood as making the designation of marriage available both to opposite-sex and same-sex couples.  In addition, because the limitation of marriage to opposite-sex couples imposed by section 308.5 can have no constitutionally permissible effect in light of the constitutional conclusions set forth in this opinion, that provision cannot stand.

        Plaintiffs are entitled to the issuance of a writ of mandate directing the appropriate state officials to take all actions necessary to effectuate our ruling in this case so as to ensure that county clerks and other local officials throughout the state, in performing their duty to enforce the marriage statutes in their jurisdictions, apply those provisions in a manner consistent with the decision of this court.  Further, as the prevailing parties, plaintiffs are entitled to their costs.

        The judgment of the Court of Appeal is reversed, and the matter is remanded to that court for further action consistent with this opinion.

                                GEORGE, C. J. 
WE CONCUR:

KENNARD, J. 
WERDEGAR, J. 
MORENO, J.

Move complete.

I am now in Canton for the next few months. It has been a quick and disorienting move. Northeastern Ohio is a place with distinct characteristics. Also, saw a great documentary on climate change called “The 11th Hour” and it is better than “An Inconvenient Truth”.

Excuses and our dark side

An english newspaper, the Telegraph, has an interesting article on the state of mind of the Obama campaign in what we can only hope are the closing days of the democratic primary.

Regarding the continuing controversy over the comments of his former pastor Jeremiah Wright:

A poll on Saturday found 58 per cent of voters believe his de-nunciation of the Rev Wright was merely an act of political expediency.

The Rasmussen survey found 56 per cent of voters thought it likely that Obama shares some of his pastor’s anti-American views.

Who would’ve thought that the new response of the American voter is cynicism towards a candidate who is offering the antithetical choice to such an outlook? But what was really disheartening to read in the article was this comment:

Jay West, 55, an Obama supporter from Raleigh, but who grew up in Ipswich, said: “People who were looking for an excuse not to vote for him have now got their excuse.”

The underbelly of the typical American voter can now be seen as people use any excuse to indulge their paranoid and disappointing dark side. He doesn’t put his hand over his heart during the national anthem or he is secretly a muslim or just maybe he is an arugula-eating, latte-drinking elitist who was raised by a single mother in a multi-ethnic but underprivileged household.

Give me a fuckin’ break! Why isn’t the press actually doing some journalism and uncovering the real reasons behind all of these ridiculous rumors which have been an insidious and corrosive element since the beginning of Obama’s upsurge in the polls?

Levitation and laughter

I was watching “Meet Joe Black” and right at the beginning there is an interesting quote from one of the main characters, Bill Parrish (Andrew Hopkins) as he is speaking to his daughter concerning her most recent partner that has become stuck in my mind.

“I want you to get swept away…I want you to levitate, sing with laughter and dance like a dervish. Be deliriously happy…I know it is a cornball thing but love is passion…obsession…something you can’t live without. I say fall head over heels and find someone you can love like crazy and that will love you the same way back.” 

Hmmm. What he describes is something I think many dream of and few achieve but none can live without.

The elephant, the dragon and the moon

For some time I have believed that the next space race will not be between an old superpower (America) and a young superpower (China) but between two young superpowers (India and China). It has been developing for some time now. Within the past year China became only the third country in history to launch people into space and India just became the first nation to launch ‘10 satellites in one go’ and currently has one of the most sophisticated satellite systems in the world. As America ponders the role of manned expeditions and robotics in their program and whether to adequately fund NASA both India and China now have their eyes set on the Moon and seem to have no dearth of imagination and ingenuity to push their burgeoning national strength into programs that feed into a sense of national pride.

Northbound

I am headed to Canton, Ohio on Sunday the 12th for several months to help turn the Buckeye state blue in the coming presidential election. In 2004, I was in Maine which at the time was considered a battleground state in what was expected to be a close race and now in 2008 it’s Ohio. Hopefully, this time Ohioans will not cast their lot in with those that want “more of the same”. Canton has lost 10% of its population due to a deteriorating economy and job base as the new service economy hits Northeast Ohio and its manufacturing sector hard. 

Zimbabwean unity

Leaders of rival factions of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara, have united and in the parliament will now have 109 out of the 210 seats in the National Assembly. A clear majority and soon a clear victory will be declared for the Zimbabwean people.

Also, the Zimbabwean Electoral Commission (ZEC) may release results of the Presidential vote sometime this week nearly a full month after the election.