The House voted down the FMA today, 227-186. Hoo-ray.

Yet, 36 Dems voted for it. I will find out their names and "out" them here. Don't they know the party's platform is kindness towards all people ? (Well, it should be!)

Of course, legislators used the infamous argument that "God created Adam and Eve, He didn't create Adam and Steve" as to why only men and women should have the constitutional right to marry.

Acutally, god create Lilith and Adam and Eve; so, where does that put us?!

- - -

A few voting tidbits: Ok, so locally - NJ Congressmen Frank LoBiondo voted for the FMA; as did Curt Weldon of Delaware County; and PA Rep. Phil English, from my neck o' the woods in the far northwest. But, on a good note, Rep. Jim Gerlach of PA voted against the bill :)

Some of you have asked why I haven't been writing much lately. (Who knew I had more than 5 active readers amongst you?)

Truth be told, I have some items I've been working on in my hard drive, not yet uploaded.

I realized that, with the advent of my new, daily Air America radio habit (ok -- addiction!), that I have less and less to write about. [That's http://www.AirAmericaRadio.com - LIVE LINKS on the web site, now in both Real Player and Windows Media formats!]

The Air America radio personalities are all saying it for me, more clearly, and much funnier than I could ever hope to grow up to be. It's like they read my mind.

While I, personally, love Rachel and Liz and Chuck D. in the morning ("Unfiltered" -- 9am-Noon EST), I think I have The Gal hooked on Randi Rhodes in the p.m. (evening drive time -- 3pm-6pm). With Al (no-longer-The-O'Frankin-Factor) Frankin in between, what's not to love?

Your mission then, my dear readers - should you choose to accept it - is to check out at least one hour of one of the above-mentioned radio programs. Your life will change. I'm tellin' ya.

It's all the Truth that's not fit to print, or be aired by Fox News, or CBS, or all those other, wimpy, so-called "liberal" media outlets. I may never go back to NPR again!

Anyone read the NY Times Magazine this weekend? The Gal and I are big fans of The Ethicist and he had a good column this week.

All about the national health club Curves and how its founder / franchiser (the guy who gets rich off of the profits) Gary Heavin gives a lot of money to right-wing, conservative, anti-choice organizations.

The imperative phrase there being a lot - as that appeared to be a dividing line regarding "ethical" behavior for someone who wants to join the club - marketed almost exclusively to women - but yet is concerned about her membership dues ultimately going into the coffers of Mr. Franchiser and, thus, said organizations.

I think a National Boycott is due. Along the lines of boycotting Domino's pizza (remember those days?).

Of course, it's easy for me to say. I'm not a member of nor do I plan to be a member of a health club. For a discussion of this issue from a pro-choice woman who belongs to a Curves health club, check out http://www.curversforchoice.org

From the files of "How Did These 2 Lesbian Moms With Absolutely No Fashion Sense Get Our Daughter, Anyway?" . . .

This weekend, The Banana finally agreed to go shoe shopping, as her favorite shoes were recenlty sent to The Shoe Graveyard and the pair she currently wears is about to Bite the Dust. And, what does she select?

High-heeled, fur-lined clogs.

Go figure.

Today, the Black Clergy of Philadelphia and Vicinity endorsed incumbant Republican Arlen Specter for the U.S. Senate.

Yet another reason to vote for Joe Hoeffel.

You see, I have nothing against black clergy. It's The Black Clergy I have issues with. Besides that whole endorsement thing and preaching politics from the pulpit and the inability to have separation of church and state in our country. . .

. . . there's this little thing call Spewing Vile Hatred and Lies.

Back in 1993, in the Rules Committee of the Phialdelphia City Council, the head of the Black Clergy of the Delaware Valley, testifying against domestic partnerships for city employees, compared gay people to "child molesters and bestialists."

Since then, they're been in bed with my other favorite religious group, the Archdiocese of Philadephia, in fighting any pro-gay and lesbian legislation in the city or state and at the federal level; including domestic partnerships, second parent adoptions, the FMA. You get the point.

On the other hand, a new group - the Pennsylvania State Coalition of Black Churches - endorsed Joe. Go, Joe!

Back in my "daily life." Think I'll do some more Tidbits:

• Joe Hoeffel was very funny today on my new fave radio program, Unfiltered on Air America radio, comparing jobs lost in PA under Bushie = 160,000. Gay marriages in PA = zippo! Which should we be more concerned about? Go, Joe!
• How about that "mushroom cloud" sighted over North Korea? Hmmmm. They'vea dmitted they have nu-cu-lur weapons. They've said they'd be testing nu-cu-lur weapons. Yet, Bushie and his cronies are noting that it's NOT nu-cu-lur weapons, perhaps it's a forest fire. Maybe we can loan them Smokey the Bear.
• For the record, I couldn't find it within myself to write about nor pay attention to the details of that Russian hostage situation at the elementary school. The thought of it hit too close to home. Needless to say, it depressed me greatly.
• Saw my good friend and bio-terrorism "expert" Monica over the weekend. Thankfully, she was able to confirm for me that Lassa Fever is not very easily spread, given that South Jersey had a recent "scare" when an ill man returning from Sierra Leone (that should have been a tip-off, o' customs officials!) was found to have the hemorragic fever.
• Those of you who know me well, know of my strange obsession with infectious diseases - and hemorragic fevers rank near the top of my Do Not Ever Want to Be Near list! But, on another note, I am reading an interesting teen novel about the Yellow Fever epidemic that hit Philadelphia in the 1700s - from a young girl's point of view.
• More fun from my Unfiltered radio show: they had a blast this morning noting that a number of toy water guns were recalled this summer while the Assault Weapons Ban will expire at midnight tonight!

I know, I know. . . where have I been? It's been tough coming back to the real world after our great Vermont Vacation. However, I think I can ponder up some Friday Tidbits:

• Watched some Thursday Night Football (still can't get used to football on Thursdays, though). Game was good, but that pre-show? Get over it, just show the game, will ya? I felt really bad for the Boston Pops, not only lowering themselves to being a "pre-show" at an NFL football game, but they also had to play the NFL Football Theme Music to boot (while heady winds blew their hair this way and that).
• Speaking of sports ('cuz I can), the Phillies just took 3 from Atlanta. Not that it matters anymore, boys! Baseball, I'm over it - moving on to the Iggles and the start of the college hoops season.
• Ok, how about that Bushie this week, eh? First, his "ob-gyn" slip up [while trying to talk about frivolous medical malpractice suits he said, "Too many OB-GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country!"]; then the Air National Guard memos on "60 Minutes"; and now Costa Rica wants off the list of US-Iraq "coalition of the willing" (they're a pacifist country!).
• So, I've covered sports and politics so far - all that's left is my lesbian mom hat. Had a meeting with a PA State Senator this week who is co-sponsoring a re-write of the stat'es Adoption Act. It would not allow for "second parent" adoptions by us homosexyalls.
• Back story: the State Supreme Court already took up this matter over a 4-year period. All arguments were heard. No good arguments existed / exist for why children of lesbians and gay men should not be allowed to have 2 legal parents. Except, maybe, that the Catholics have some weird, strange obsession with us and don't want us to be parents. Except that the only people being hurt here are the kids.
• Of course, this is the same Catholic Church that sez that if you vote for a candidate who supports "abortion rights," it is a sin and you must go to confession before you take communion. Uh, can you can "separation of Church and State," people?

Ever have one of those vacations where you just can't assimilate back into your own life very easily?

In my case, it has to do with "noise."

In Vermont, we were in a house near the Green Mountains. In the woods, off a state road. While a few cars would travel the road at night, the usual noises were that of the house shifting and crickets chirping.

No cell phones, no airplanes, no radio; and rarely would the telephone ring and, if it did, it was for the fax machine (not for moi, mind you; but The Gal's sister was having a semi-working vacation).

Now that I'm back, every noise sounds sooooo loud: conversations by people on the train, the telephone ringing in our house, the nightly medical helicopter that makes its way on a flight path through my neighborhood.

And the airplanes.

Now, I like to watch airplanes. [Ask me about my favorite viewing place by BWI Airport sometime!] Before 9/11, a flight path to Philly Int'l went pretty much right over our house, on its landing approach. I was in airplane nirvana.

Those days just after 9/11 were kind of freaky to me. No airplane viewing or airplane noise at all (except the fighter jets which, yes, I was able to watch at night -- their lights -- protecting the Eastern Seaboard and the 5th Largest City in the U.S.).

Now, the flight paths have changed a bit, but I still catch sight of my airplanes. I still awake to the sound of the first few red eyes coming into Philadelphia air space. I still drift off to sleep able to watch their tail lights heading towards the airport.

But, not having heard an airplane while in Vermont (the small prop planes towing gliders don't count), I'm amazed at how loud they are.

I want my quiet back.

So, liberal talk radio is abuzz today, in the tradition of Where's Waldo?

Where was Mary Cheney last night?

The straight daughter was on the stage at the Republican Convention. So was her husband, their kids, Lynne, and loving Daddy Dick.

Al Franken suggested that maybe lesbians are slow. (Gay time?)
NPR tried to put words in the mouths of their interviewees. (Republican conspiracy? Hiding The Gays?)

I did catch One Black Delegate (a 22 year old from Arizona) being interviewed on the floor. He's young; maybe he doesn't know better.

I also had the great luck to catch Rick-y Boy's speech from the stage (pre-Prime Time; guess he's off the A-List). Traditional family values; welfare moms need to get married; kids need to have 2 parents, male and female; blah blah blah.

In what society do these people live?

Ok, I just can't stay away from the Republican National Convention. Not the entertainment aspect of it, mind you (I got what I needed in that respect from those Dancin' Dems); but the political part. You know, The Platform.

This is what The GOP has to say about "Protecting Marriage" (emphases below are mine):

"We strongly support President Bush's call for a Constitutional amendment that fully protects marriage and we believe that neither federal nor state judges nor bureaucrats should force states to recognize other living arrangements as equivalent to marriage."

Wait. It gets better.

"We believe, and social science confirms, that the well-being of children is best accomplished in the environment of the home, nurtured by their mother and father anchored by the bonds of marriage."

I am personally offended. As should be judges, bureaucrats, social scientists, my daughter, my partner, single parents and, oh. . . anybody with a brain!