I Don't Believe

Honestly, I have no idea what to make of reproductive rights with yesterday's SCOTUS ruling and the Senates take down of IVF. 

SCOTUS rejected a challenge - one - to keep mifepristone on the market. I will admit, I was surprised at the unanimous vote. Not just for this - but for any measure on this specific court. 

Isn't it horrible when they do something right and you immediately suspect another shoe is going to drop? I just don't trust this. 

Then senate on the other hand........

Those motherfuckers blocked a bill guaranteeing IVF services across the country. 

“Why should we vote for a bill that fixes a non-existent problem? There’s not a problem. There’s no restrictions on IVF, nor should there be,” Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas. 

Yeah - this twat. Clearly he's not reading the news on Alabama. Nor is he to be believed, the way SCOTUS candidates lied about Roe being established law. It IS a problem - it's just hidden under a rock until a potential change in administration. 

Yes, it totally violates HIPAA, but I want the names of every Senate and House members wives, daughters, aunts, mothers, cousins who have gotten IVF - and publish that fucking list. 

I am so.very.tired. of the hypocrisy. 

I can't have kids. I don't even want them - never have. Honestly, I'm not sure if I care that other people have them ever. Still, it's their decision, not the governments. 

I feel the dichotomy in these two rulings is really setting up the GOP for a "yahhhhh, we're all for your reproductive rights", while they have their fingers crossed behind their backs. 

This is all a lie. Somehow. 

Song by: Joe Bonamassa

Run the World (Girls)

It's been said for generations that women are the fairer sex. Even the Oxford dictionary says: 'women viewed collectively'. 

 It's been bad enough that an old English university tells it like it is - even though it is just a false statement. They just define the terms, not create them. 

Unfortunately, SCOTUS now gets to weigh in on this. 

A private school is trying to require women to wear skirts. I get it's a forced dress code issue, but it goes to a different level. 

O.M.F.G. 

I get it's the South and they are a genteel folk, and well, fucking backwards. 

There are four female Supreme Court justices, I'd like to think that even Amy Barrett would take offense to that...........but she'd probably take it as a compliment 

It is truly shameful that people think about women this way in this day and age. But these are the same people who wonder what women were wearing when they are sexually assaulted, as surely they must have brought in on themselves. 

Forget that the skirts in which the must wear to school sexualizes the women to the male population and enforces oh so many stereotypes. I suppose school administration doesn't think the women will notice, as they'll be in Home Ec class much of the time trying to learn how to keep a nice home for her husband. 

The women at this school, or anywhere, don't deserve "gentle treatment" from their male classmates. They need to be treated with dignity and respect..........and to not attempt rape. They are not less than. 

The school administration is. Perhaps SCOTUS too.......depending on how they vote. 

Song by: Beyoncé 

Silent House

The raping of America continues. 

Restrictions on the EPA being the newest one. I don't have kids with whom to leave this planet, so, I guess I wouldn't have to care, but I do. People (read: corporations) are selfish for selfish sake. Period.  That is the entire story. The entire rationale.  If it costs $0.08 more the make something better, cleaner, more responsible, they won't have it.  Period.  End of story. 

So, change in climate change will happen, but not in the reverse, which should be the case. Nope. Not happening. 

With abortion rights, gun laws relaxed and such, and now the EPA stance, one of the other items that kind of got buried: Miranda Rights. 

You know - that whole: "you have the right to remain silent" thing?  You've seen Mannix, McCloud, Mod Squad, Policewoman and Cagney & Lacey - so I know you can repeat the right word for word.  I also might need to start watching more timely police shows for more modern references. 

in Vega v. Tekoh, SCOTUS backtracked substantially on its Miranda promise. In Vega, the court held 6-3 hat an individual who is denied Miranda warnings and whose compelled statements are introduced against them in a criminal trial cannot sue the police officer who violated their rights, even where a criminal jury finds them not guilty of any crime.

Your first reaction is: ok, so you can't sue the police for not Mirandizing you.  But let's think that through - shall we?

No Miranda. No right. So extracting a false confession out of someone, without your right to a lawyer, you get railroaded, up to and including the death penalty - and there are no consequences. 

Tekoh was not given a lawyer when asked. Miranda wasn't read; so his request wasn't really a requirement. He was threatened with his families deportation and physical violence.  Now Miranda wouldn't really stop the last two things, but if he had legal representation who was there, they also might not have happened. 

It's just fucked up. Miranda was around longer than Roe........so we go back yet another decade in our rights. 

We keep saying with Roe we are back to the 70s, but we're really in the 60s with Miranda. Of course, there is chatter about same-sex marriage being on the GOP agenda, but minorities better be thinking about the 1964 Civil Rights Act.    Tick Tick Tick......with this court.  

Of course, they're already chipping away at that with voter registration laws. 

I'd say it's a slippery slope, but at this point we are hanging off the edge of the cliff by our fingernails. 

Song by: the Chicks

Erase and Rewind

I knew the abortion ruling was coming.  We all did. We knew what the ruling would be - and yet, I took it like a punch to the gut. 

The relaxed gun shit was a bit of a surprise too.  So the week for many of us wasn't great. We are living in the wild west - guns and where women's rights are dependent on white men. 

I will admit, I don't have fully formed thoughts on a lot of this. That gut punch knocked the proverbial wind right out of me. The decision announcement to drafting this has only been 36 hours too. 

Chatter on the intertubes has me up in arms - on all sides I might add. Mind you, I don't know a lot of pro-lifers, or they have the common decency not to say anything to, or around, me.  I stopped self-inflicing wounds by really not looking much at things like Faeebook.  

But butthole politicians are having the nerve to use my phone number to text me: Nancy Fucking Pelosi texting me for $$$ to fight this. 

Sorry you stupid twat, that fight is O-V-E-R. And guess what, it's over for my life time.  It took 50 years to overturn Roe v Wade. Do the math on these asshole judges sitting on that bench and anything that comes before them in their lifetime term.  Oh - and 2024?  Welcome to another republican president who will appoint more republican judges. 

Seriously Nancy - what the fuck are you going to do with the $20 you're asking from me? Building a time machine, are we? 

This was my response to "her":

I knew it was a bot, and I knew no one was actually reading it. But for a nanosecond, it made me feel better. 

I also got one from Ohio's wanna be a senator, pretty much asking for the same thing, but to defeat his wanna be rival.  I feel forced to vote for Tim Ryan in the fall, but honestly, he I believe he will be Joe Manchin II.  His current ads tout how often he agreed with BLOTUS.  I get he's trying to sway fringe righters, but he's alienating me.................big time. One of his sayings is roughly, "I don't represent ANY party".   Clearly.  So - then why should I give you my money? 

Of course, the second sting is from Clarence Fucking Thomas' written decision show way above. He's coming for contraception and same-sex marriage. 

I am fighting making this post about the potential dissolution of my marriage. Don't get me started on a threat to a woman's right to contraception and the pro-life shit. I get they don't see the irony in it, but it is a fucking dangerous irony. 

What they do get is that while saying no to abortion is not saying yes to the child.......after it's born. There will be no affordable housing for the working class (or impoverished) who are forced to have children.No one in this congress is increasing funding for WIC or food or heat for the families of these kids. Schools will not be funded for sex education and contraception (see C. Thomas reference two paragraphs above.

There will be no one picking these kids out for adoption or fostering - which are roughly 100,000 a year for adoption (and that's just US kids, not foreign ones) and the 424,000-672,000 children in the foster care system - depending on the year. 

The social services are not the GOP strong suit. 

The church is loving this though. An endless supply of pre-teen hole for all the priests!

When I say it's too late for Roe v Wade - and it is - it doesn't mean people should stop fighting this. All of it. Each of these things will get peeled away. In theory this could really jack up the mid-terms, but those are months away and we have a strong history of short term memory issues. 

But we are going to have to fight for gay marriage (again), voting rights and no doubt civil rights. More than half the justices lied when they said "Roe is settled law".  Maybe a few follow-up questions would have been prudent. 

So there is no reason to believe other laws in the books are not about to targeted. 

Welcome to the new reality.  

Song by: the Cardigans

a Heartbeat is a Lovebeat

So, I have a theory about this whole Texas / Abortion Ban / Bounty shit.  But I'm sure you thought I would. 

Personally, I think that Texas had to go WAY out there for this, but only so they get the abortion ban part to stick. 

The bounty piece is so egregious and I think totally unlawful, I don't even think the legislature figured a court would uphold it - state, federal, appellate or supreme.  However, they also figured that would be the sticking point and the thing folks focused on the most.  And they weren't wrong.

So they will be well and good and happy if the bounty part gets dropped, but the abortion ban part stays in place. And I think that is on which they are counting. 

As evil geniuses goes, this isn't a bad plan at all. 

While, of course, this is a continuation on a War on Women, let's be completely frank: it is a War on Women of Color and Economic Means. 

White women, who can afford it, will always have access to abortion. Those without funds, transportation, jobs or the ability to take a day off will never have this ability. 

And BT'DUB.....

SURPRISE.  

White women in Texas overwhelmingly voted for BLOTUS and his ilk. So it's not just men dictating what happens to a woman's body. White ladies also want to continually deny anything and everything to women / people of colour and the poor. But it's Texas, we know they knowingly and willingly entered into this coven of horribleness. 

And you know - once again - it's a War on Women of Color and Economic Means when there is zero punishment for men in any of this. As you know, women get into these situations by themselves. So unless a dude drives them to the abortion or knows about it and doesn't stop them, then it's a bounty issue. 

I have a friend who works at Planned Parenthood and FYI - Mississippi, South Dakota, and Ohio are the next ones looking at the same restrictions and bounties. If Newsome loses the California recall and a Republican gets in as governor, your can add that state to the list as well. 

Oh, and 22 states have laws currently in place - Ohio being one - if Roe falls, the state follows Federal law. State laws will no longer apply. Look for more states to add that before SCOTUS truly hears this full-on. 

Here MIGHT be a silver lining?   Mid-terms. 

IF the Dems have the fucking balls to galvanize behind this issue alone, they could rally and really make the mid-terms their own. Unfortunately, I don't see that happening. They have no leadership in Pelosi or Schumer. The minority seemingly has, if not all the power, then the most of the media attention. McCarthy and McConnell still rule the roost and we, once again, get beat up for our lunch money.

Oh - and $$$.  I have long been a customer of AT&T.  They were better than Sprint and less annoying than Verizon. But they gave $291,000 to members of the Texas legislature who passed that law. I will be looking to change my carrier, as soon as I look into other's donation habits. And I will be cutting off auto-pay before I do it, because if they think I'm paying an early termination fee {see what I did there?} they as fucked as the women that Texas is fucking over. 

Song by: the DeFranco Family (ft. Tony DeFranco)

Saved

7-2. 

That was the SCOTUS vote to keep the ACA.  .....for the third time. 

And better yet: it was on a thrice seated BLOTUS SCOTUS. 

....and two of three of his appointees voted with the majority. 

SUCK. ON. THAT. you Obama-hating BLOTUS. 

Just for the record - we are still waiting for BLOTUS' "it's gonna be great" healthcare plan. 

Maybe he did enact it with COVID. And his secret Death Panels killed 600,000. That probably was his health plan. 

Song by: Bauhaus

Holding Out For a Hero

Actually, to replace one heroine, we are holding out for three heroes / heroines. 

As it turns out, 710 and I happened to be in DC on Friday when we got the word about Ruth Bader Ginsberg's death. 

Now, I loved my parents, but I was far more devastated by RBG's death than theirs. The fate of this country did not rest on the fate of my parents being dead or alive. 

Of course, with three (?) bouts of cancer, there was am expiration date for Ruth, but I was hoping - nay - needing - her to survive until January 21, 2021. 

This was more important than the 2020 election. 

I'd say 'prove me wrong', but you can't. 

BLOTUS might actually lose the election (though I am FAR from convinced of this). But he'll contest it all the way to the Supreme Court. I don't know what that looks like with eight justices. 

However, I DO know what it looks like with a full court - three of them being BLOTUS apointees: any decision going to BLOTUS, regardless of the actual law. 

Make no mistake, the GOP plan is to have a replacement before the election - that third apointee. 

This has made me manic in the last 48 hours. 

The republican led Senate is going to push through someone worse than Kavanaugh and in record time. Unless.........those three heroes appear. 

By all accounts, if three republican senators join ALL democratic ones, they can possibly delay the nomination. If that's before the election or before BLOTUS is out of office is uncertain. BLOTUS cannot appoint someone before leaving office. 

This is not hyperbole.........it will be the end of this country. Not as we know it - as that has long since passed, but as in forever. 

I fear for all the things that would pass in front of that court and the judgements that they render. Besides the fact any post-presidential case that hits their courts - no one is siding against BLOTUS. At least not the majority. 

I feel way lost and anxious over all of this. 

And truth be told - a little drunk. 

710 and I were in DC - coincidentally - when we got the news. We stayed a bit longer to go down to the Supreme Court yesterday. It was crowded and solemn.  We felt a little better being there, but not exactly hopeful. 

I hate that the Dems are turning this into a 'donate' option. That's not the focus now. Holding off a nominee is. Giving them money cannot - and will not- change any of that. 

I'm going to bed.

Song by: Bonnie Tyler

Blow Me Down

So when a co-worker texted me yesterday about the SCOTUS ruling on LGBTQ rights the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that the 1964 Civil Rights Act protects gay, lesbian, and transgender employees from discrimination based on sex, you could have knocked me over with a feather. 

My immediate text back was, who was the fifth justice, as I assumed it had to be 5-4. 

Well, knock me over again.  6-3?  

That almost never happens with Queer rulings. And certainly not from this court. 

Mind you, without reading a thing, I knew who the three dissenting justices were. Two of them being sexual assaulters. 

Somewhere at 1600 Black Lives Matter Ave, BLOTUS is fuming. Only one of his two SCOTUS picks is doing his bidding. I have yet to see him call Neil Gorsuch an activist judge, but you know it's coming. Too bad those seats are for life, eh BLOAT? 

Somewhere over at the Naval Observatory, Ms. Pence and Mother are probably trying to pray the gay away, all the while, Say Yes to the Dress is playing on their tv.  ....and now, thanks to SCOTUS, BLOTUS can't even fire Pence. 

You know who else is pissed? Clarence Fucking Thomas. 

Now, he's such a douche, I'm not sure he'd even support the 1964 Civil Rights Act. But it must really grind his gears that lumping homos in with blacks is just too much for him to handle. 

Good. 

Thomas, I'm guessing, doesn't believe that sexual orientation is like skin colour - that one chooses to be gay, but someone like him is born that way. A tale as old as time - when you hate the gays. 

SCOTUS truly comes through. Now and then things don't see quite as dire. 

Song by: Harry Nilsson

Cry Baby

Is it wrong that I can't be bothered with these Kavanaugh hearings? 

I can say {again}, "I heard".....be it this or that, because I really didn't watch any of it first hand.  Partly because I have a job. Partly because I could guess these senator's reactions - from both sides of the aisle. 

From what I could tell, they came close to the mark on expectations.......right down to Miss Lindsey's melt down.  Can't believe she didn't get the vapors and need smelling salts. Lindsey that is. Not Dr. Ford. 

By all accounts, Ford did well.  By all accounts Kavanaugh stomped his feet, had spittle, blamed the Clintons, and was extremely partisan - even though his intended role is supposed to rise above that. 

Shocking!

Just as equally un-shocking, GOP moving forward with the vote today. At least they're supposed to - if they have enough votes that is, or think they do. 

I'm hoping that's where the shock really lies. I have a glimmer of hope, but little would surprise me at this point. 

Song by: John Mellencamp

Drivin' Nails in My Coffin

This will be short and sour.

I cannot believe how fucked as a nation we are now. Kiss jurisprudence goodbye.

I do not say this lightly:  having BLOTUS fill another Supreme Court seat is actually worse than him winning another term in office.

The phrase these days seems to be: "civility".

All I can say is the Dems better get their shit together and refuse to let any nomination even get to discussion let alone a vote.  It worked for Weasel McConnell and while I'd like to think the Democrats are better than that - this is not the time to 'go high'.......all apologies to Michelle Obama.

This is honestly depressing as fuck.  I've tried to block it out today, but felt the need to record it here for history.......however short it will now be.



Song by: Rhonda Vincent

Bigot Sunshine

Sooooo.............it's not about the cake.

Shocking!

It's just about the hate.

Some nob in Washburn, TN (population 2,508*) put this sign up in his hardware store back in 2015.

With the SCOTUS ruling on the cake guy from Colorado, the nob decided it was ok to put the sign back in his store window.

I really don't know what to do with such unadulterated bigotry.

Sure - boycotting seems to be the thing to do, until you remember it's Tenne-fucking-ssee and the town has 2,508 folks in it.  I don't mean to cast wide-spread judgments, but he kind of lives with his target audience, doesn't he?  And dare I say, it's highly doubtful that Washburn is holding up the 10% of homos rule.

Boycotting isn't the right touch here.  Personally, I'd rather go in with like $2,805 in cash and use it all to purchase stuff.  Then on the way out, "see the sign", tell them I'm big fucking faggot and I want to return every single item.

It's not enough for them to know people might not come into their store. It's more important for them to see the money go right back into your pockets. Almost like they're now paying me $2,805 of their money because I'm that big fucking faggot.

THAT has got to hurt. 

But at least call it 'hate'.  Stop pretending it's for religious reasons. Look in the mirror and just tell yourself you hate people. Certain people. Specific people - even though you've never met them and don't know them.

Hey Mr. Hardware Store Owner -  don't forget to cry 'discrimination' when someone turns the tables and refuses to serve you.  SCOTUS says it's ok.


*according to 2000 Census data



Song by: Tonic

a Question of Time

And open blog post to SCROTUS: 


You know - I just don't get it.  I truly do not.

Fake Time covers hanging at your golf courses.  The actual epitome of "fake news".  The one and possibly only thing you seem to be against..........though you perpetuate it at every single turn.

You're wise to label things "fake news". The alternative facts to that are "lies".   ...and it's a dangerous thing to have that thrown back in your face, but I'm calling it out:  You're a Liar.

Still.....back that fucking fake magazine cover.


WHY?

This is not rhetorical. I truly want to know why.

I get it - if you had one created, I'd almost say "it's whimsical". But no......you purposefully had someone go make multiple and had them have them hang those at your establishments. This really just lends itself to narcissism and an ego to match none.

This isn't a fake mock-up they do at Downtown Disney shop {yes, for the record, I have one of myself as a nun......I kid you not}.  For chrissakes.....you even have the barcode and a publication date.

What I truly do not get - yet I do:  You have been on the cover of Time.  ....and not just because of your candidacy and eventual "win". Hell, for some inexplicable reason, you were their "Person of the Year".

BTW:  Time?   Really?  Has that magazine even been that relevant since say, 1988?  There was no other publication more worthy - like say, Teen Beat, Le Monde or Marie Claire?

I will go on record, if you're gonna pick a Time cover, you should go with my favourite one of you:

BTW (again), this one isn't fake news. Its harsh reality.



Song by: Depeche Mode

We Believe in Happy Endings

I guess I can do a follow-up to Friday's SCOTUS decision on same-sex marriage. I mean, why not?

I know it has only been less than 48 hours, though I have yet to hear a word from anyone in my immediate family.

My little right-winged sister will never say a word to me about this. Which is ok, as it would just spiral out into things that can never be taken back.

Unexpectedly - the first person I heard from was my cousin, Jack. If I think my sister is conservative, Jack beats her hands down. Just the day before, his FB page was ranting and raving about the ACA ruling. Yet, he congratulated me and wonders how 710 and I will proceed. I didn't understand that line of questioning, but he thought getting remarried by a judge here might be an easier way than having our marriage being recognized "by default".

I was a little taken back by that comment, but he's a lawyer and I think he was just looking out for our interests.

His sister, Claire, chimed in later in the day - and she was VERY happy for 710 and myself.

I had to admit to Claire (had to?) that I was happier than I ever anticipated. I found myself smiling all day long. I couldn't pull myself away from Facebook that easily. I was looking at all the love and support out there - and perhaps it was just my newsfeed, but I still have yet to see a negative comment. I'm sure they're out there somewhere, but I haven't seen them. It's probably a good thing I don't check Twitter.

In between those Jack & Claire were David - whose support is / was never in question, and then our cousin, Billy - who if he weren't already married to a woman might get gay-married himself. He just doesn't know it yet.

Billy's comments were the funniest - but probably just to me. He even sent me a little audio recording of "Mr. Sandman" played on his ukulele, which I'm convinced is the only song he knows. He didn't deny it when I called him out.

Still, if you're counting:   Cousins: 4.  Sisters / Mother: 0.

Even 710's sister sent a nice note.

****************

We did not make it to Pride.  But no one did. Due to weather and rain, it was cancelled. Blerg.

****************

In my original post, I mentioned not having read the dissents from the four Just-asses. At least now, I have read two. I'm not sure I can stomach the other two, though I can't imagine Alito and Roberts could possibly anything worse than Scalia and Thomas.

I'm not sure Voldemort and Senator Palpatine could be worse than those two.

There is much ado about Scalia's 'hippie' comment'. Personally between this dissent and the one for the ACA, it sounds like he might to see a neurologist as he slowly loses his grasp on sanity. Still the 'hippie' comment wasn't anything troubling.  To me, this was:

"It is of overwhelming importance, however, who it is that rules me. Today’s decree says that my Ruler, and the Ruler of 320 million Americans coast-to-coast, is a majority of the nine lawyers on the Supreme Court. Until the courts put a stop to it, public debate over same-sex marriage displayed American democracy at its best."

Who the fuck does he think he is - and where the fuck does he think he lives?

Scalia actually believes and every single U.S. citizen (all 320 million?) believes in his lord and saviour? It's 2015, not 1915 you stupid fuck.

And this is not about who rules 'you', Tony. This is about the law and the constitution, not the person to which you believe is the son of g-d. Since you've seemed to forget what your job duties actually entail, maybe you should consider retiring. And soon!

Lack of grasping your job is one thing. Losing your grasp on reality is quite another - case in point: Clarence Thomas:

"The corollary of that principle is that human dignity cannot be taken away by the government. Slaves did not lose their dignity (any more than they lost their humanity) because the government allowed them to be enslaved. Those held in internment camps did not lose their dignity because the government confined them. And those denied governmental benefits certainly do not lose their dignity because the government denies them those benefits. The government cannot bestow dignity, and it cannot take it away."

I don't know Clarence's ancestry, but let's assume some descendants were African. He is saying being round up like animals, shackled in boats for months and forced to work for nothing at the hands of the white man, in a strange country, devoid of your own culture does not contain a loss of dignity. Nor does being interred for the length of a war, just due to your heritage. Both with the blessings of our government.

I mean, his understand of the word "dignity" might be a little skewed in terms of its definition. Just ask a female lawyer who worked for him at the EEOC a number of years back. I'm sure her "dignity" wasn't taken away from Long Dong Silver either.

I'm actually offended he's allowed to write ANY dissent or ruling.

As of February 2014, Thomas has not asked one single question in the previous EIGHT YEARS of anyone presenting to the high court. Not one. (If he has asked anything since, I cannot find it.)

Sometime in 2013, he made a comment to the other justices, but that is the only time he had talked aloud in the Supreme Court in the eight years prior.

Is he physically impaired? Is he just unqualified to ask pertinent questions? He is just lazy or dumb?

Who the fuck gets away with almost a decade at not speaking on the job? Even Marlee Matlin speaks out loud more than Clarence does.

Unfathomable.

****************

As for our celebratory pizza night out?   meh. 

We ended up at our third choice place - which is usually just fine. But neither of us were thrilled at our pizza or beer selection. 

I know, right?  How can you fuck up pizza and beer? 

The beer is a rotating menu - you rarely get the same types twice. I'm ok with that, but we chose our selections unwisely, or it is possible that none of their selections were up our alley. 

We opted to order something new, which was probably a mistake. They asked me if I wanted "red sauce" on it - which I thought (to myself) "what other kind would there be?".  I should have asked the question out loud (oh no, am I just like Clarence Thomas???), as maybe they had "other sauces" of which I was unaware. 

The red sauce was questionable at best. But that was on 710's side of the pizza. My side was buffalo chicken. It was good, but not great. 

Still, it was a nice time out - both of us were pretty happy from the day, so it made it all better. 

Song by: Earl Thomas Coyne & Emmylou Harris

a Legal Matter

You get a special second blog post today.

It is warranted.

SCOTUS has done the right thing - barely - by legalizing same-sex marriage in all 50 states.

And while maybe not needed due to the first ruling, the Court also vote in favour on the other matter - that all states must recognize same-sex marriages performed in states where same-sex marriage is legal and licensed.

At 09:45, I logged on to SCOTUSblog and just waited with baited breath on the ruling. It came right at 10:00. I mean, immediately.

Fucking A.

Odd. I didn't think I would be SO relieved, but I am. Happy, even. Sitting here smiling.

No one to sit and yell "YEAH!" too - besides the dog, and he's sleeping. So I turned to Facebook, and I think I was the first of my "friends" to post. I'm claiming that - no one can prove otherwise.

Since then - thanks to me - Facebook has blown-up.

I even posted before texting 710 with the news.

His response?  "I hope this makes taxes easier next year". 

{pause............pause..........pause}

"Oh. And I love you and am happy to be your lawfully wedded husband."


My reply?  "Too little. Too late."  

But followed up with all would be forgiven if we went out for pizza tonight.

Yes. My love can be bought. And yes. I'm cheap.

And yes, after 4.5+ years of being married, it is now legal in Ohio. Our marriage is valid.


So, to follow-up on my post yesterday, it was not 7-2, though I didn't think it would. It was the same 5-4 - and the same 5-4 voters as always. I mean, I know Kennedy would be the swing vote, but in terms of this I was pretty confident he'd vote this way.

The odd thing is, one Justice didn't write a dissent. All four dissenting judges wrote four different dissents. As of this posting, I have not read them. Nor do I know I will. Some of their crap will seep down to me, but I don't give a fuck what they have to say.

Of course, we will have to endure a week's worth of crap from the right wing media and the GOP presidential hopefuls.

Yesterday, fucking Ted Cruz, called SCOTUS, "unelected advocate judges".  Well, I don't know about you, but I'm not sure he's fit to be president not understanding the different branches of government.

And mind you, when SCOTUS ruled for Hobby Lobby, they weren't "unelected advocate judges". They never are when they vote the way of the GOP. He's such a fucking hypocrite. And Canadian!

But now we wait for pastors to set themselves on fire (please...do!). Now we wait for states who said they'll defy SCOTUS to do so (please do! I'm waiting to see how that all turns out for you.) Now we will have the GOP candidates saying how they'll overturn this decision. Knock yourselves out, but I think you'll be too busy overturning Obamacare.

For now, I will revel in this.

Of course, I think, weather permitting, a pop-in to Pride tomorrow is warranted. I'm not a fan of Cleveland's event, but why not show our support?

I mean - weather permitting.

So, rejoice folks. Or at least the folks who read my blog. I don't expect to get hater comments here, but you never know. We will leave that to other venues.

I know many of my readers already live in states where same-sex marriage is legal or recognized. Still, I think we all share in this - a great victory. Not for gay men and women, but for mankind.



Song by: the Who

Tentative Decisions

6-3.

When did the Supreme Court last have a ruling that wasn't 5-4?

I'll be honest - I was much much much more worried about the ACA ruling than I am about same-sex marriage.

If reports are correct - and both Ginsberg and Scalia have hinted they are - that same-sex marriage will pass. But I'll believe that when I see it.....which may be today...or possibly Monday.

But in some new reports, the Supreme Court refused to hear another Alabama case invalidating the definition of marriage in that state, leading folks to believe it is because the Court has already decided on that matter.

The bigger news is with that refusal, only two of the judges publicly dissented: Thomas (shock!) and Scalia (double shock!!).  In theory, this could mean there is a 7-2 in favour of same-sex unions. But in reality, it just means they were the only two to publicly dissent on the Alabama case.

As for the ACA ruling: I do love how news outlets say "John Roberts saves Obamacare". Even without his vote it would have been 5-4. So what's that all about?

Let them have their rhetoric. People who disagree with the ruling won't read it - yet they'll still write Grandpa Simpson-like letters to their OpEd page of any local newspaper.

The court was interpreting a passage in the law that said the tax credits are authorized for those who buy health insurance on marketplaces that are “established by the state.”

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said that while the law’s wording was problematic, Congress’s intent was clear.

So was the Second Amendment, but that doesn't stop dozens of cases per year on gun control (or lack of it).

“Congress passed the Affordable Care Act to improve health insurance markets, not to destroy them. If at all possible we must interpret the Act in a way that is consistent with the former, and avoids the latter,” Roberts wrote.

I'm sure there are many more lawsuits to come regarding the ACA. With rulings like this, it might weed out some of those - since a decision has been established. And one with a clear court majority.

As for 2016 and the Republicans constantly bringing up "Obamacare" (forgetting that it was passed in the House and Senate) - it will be hard for the GOP to repeal this. At least harder than they think. Not only will they have to have a better plan - and one that is obtainable through Congress - because they will be taking something away from MILLIONS of people. They might get a pat on the back from businesses (and that might be the only thing they care about), but when millions of people push back - they will be in for a world of hurt.

No doubt it will be another campaign promise broken by a "Washington outsider" - as they all like to call themselves.

Well, let's now see what today or Monday brings us. On the selfish side, if SCOTUS rules on Monday, I don't really have to go to Pride on Sunday (my rationale on going is: regardless of the decision - after the fact - I can be there to support it or show support if a bad decision is made). Sure, Belinda Carlisle is performing, but that's a lot of vibrato just to hang out in iffy weather.



Song by: Talking Heads