11.02.08
Posted in Life, the Universe, and Everything, ponderings at 8:41 pm by Ally Blue
I got this from my friend and crit partner Jade Buchanan. This is a wonderful, eloquent essay by author Kemble Scott about the history of repression in the name of the christian god and how it applies to Prop 8, which if passed on Tuesday would write discrimination against gays into the California consitution. I think the essay speaks for itself.
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Prop 8 and God – A challenge to author Rick Warren
There’s been a lot of talk about “God’s will” and the upcoming vote on California’s Proposition 8.
The latest to invoke God in trying to get the measure passed is Rick Warren, a televangelist and bestselling author.
I’m an author too, so Warren’s words got my attention. They sent me on a mission to look for other times in history when arguments like this have been used.
Warren said, “This is not a political issue, it is a moral issue that God has spoken clearly about. There is no doubt where we should stand on this issue.”
Warren is telling his followers to vote yes on 8, which would eliminate the current right of same sex couples to marry in California. Warren is joined by the Mormon Church, which has poured millions of dollars from out of state into an advertising campaign aimed at changing our law.
There’s a great deal of historical precedent for passing laws to remove the marriage rights of minority groups. As you prepare to vote on Prop 8, I thought it would be interesting to share with you some past examples. Just as Warren has done, all of these past marriage bans claimed to be following God’s will.
“Almighty God created the races white, black, yellow, Malay and red, and he placed them on separate continents. The fact that he separated the races shows that he did not intend for the races to mix.” –Judge Leon Bazile, Caroline County Virginia, 1959, in his ruling that sentenced Richard Loving and Mildred Jeter Loving to one year in prison for marrying in violation of segregation laws. Mildred was part African-American. Richard was white.
“It is my conviction that the fundamental trouble with the people of the United States is that they have gotten too far away from Almighty God.” –U.S. President Warren G. Harding. He signed into law The Cable Act of 1922, which revoked the citizenship of any American woman who married an Asian.
“Hence today I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord.” –Adolf Hitler on September 5, 1935 when he signed the Law for the Protection of German Blood and German Honor, which prevented any subjects of Germany or related heritage from marrying Jews.
Ultimately, all of these acts of discrimination and hate were seen for what they really were. They no longer exist. But for a time they were the law of the land: Asians, African-Americans, women, and Jews restricted from marriage.
So as you enter the voting booth this Tuesday, ask yourself one simple question. Which side of history do you want to be on?
I urge you to vote NO on Proposition 8.
Kemble Scott, Author, California
http://www.kemblescott.com
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06.14.08
Posted in Life, the Universe, and Everything, ponderings, running at 12:02 pm by Ally Blue
[/gratuitous Massive Attack lyric, because it kinda fits]
So. Here it is, two weeks before we head off for the beach, and I am feeling bloated, tired and totally out of shape. Sigh. This always happens to me, vacation sneaks up on me while I’m busy with Life & Its Consequences and I end up going to the beach feeling blobby and unattractive. I HATE that, dammit. Therefore, I am attempting to put in some serious exercise time before we go.
Let’s face it, body image isn’t so much about what the scale says, or what the size tag on your clothes is. It’s more psychological than anything. If I stay on an exercise program, I will feel better, therefore I will look better even if it’s only in my mind. *g*
Today’s attempt: ran my usual 3.25 mile loop. Or, well, jogged/walked. Actually managed more non-walking than I thought I would, though the heat was kind of a downer. It was at least ten degrees cooler than it was this time last week, but low 80s still feels hot when you’re running in the sun :-/
Okay, I need some iced coffee now. Maybe later I’ll come back and bitch about writing blurbs O_O
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05.31.08
Posted in Life, the Universe, and Everything, work in progress at 11:27 am by Ally Blue
Writing:
- Got one really loooong chapter of An Inner Darkness finished (though it’s not very good and needs serious tweakage) and about half of the next chapter (which is pretty good so far, I think). I need to get at least another 2K today. Oy.
- Actually did a bit of promo on the two print books that came out this week. Go me!
- Took copies of Easy and Fireflies to a new local women’s magazine, Verve, for review in their August issue. They’re doing a small feature on romance authors in Western North Carolina, which is pretty cool. I’ll link that when it comes out
Mom World & Other Family Obligations:
- Managed to navigate the UNC-Chapel Hill website well enough to find the info about what financial aid we’re getting for the girl-child’s college. Answer: not much. Work study, big f’ing deal. Oh well, she’s enthusiastic about it and willing to work, so whatever.
- Took the boy-child for a FREE sports physical this morning at the ass-crack of damn dawn. He wants to go out for soccer next year (9th grade). It was okay though, they got all kids in and out pretty fast and everyone got a free T-shirt and gym bag. Y’all cross your fingers that his soccer game has improved since he was six…
- Tried to talk my dad and That Woman He Married into staying with my in-laws (next door to us) instead of a hotel when they come up for the girl-child’s graduation. Failed, of course; the tight-assed harpy liked to keep her distance from my husband’s family. Not upscale enough for her. Oh well, at least my sister is staying with us, I’m seriously looking forward to that. I don’t see her nearly enough.
- Attended way-fun family potluck on Memorial Day, put on by my hubby’s cousin R. Embarrassed the crap out of R’s nephew by constantly telling him how last time I saw him he was toddler-sized and now he’s like twenty and helping remodel their house and wasn’t that just insane how fast life goes by. The four glasses of wine might have had something to do with that. LOL. It’s fun being “old” *g*
Self-improvement:
- Re-joined the gym at work after having been out of it for like 3 years. Actually went twice this week. Yay! Discovered their treadmills are WAY better than mine. On the flip side, the water pressure in their showers leaves much to be desired.
- Got out on the road and ran my 3.25 miles this morning after taking the boy-child for his physical. It was already almost 80 degrees. Yikes. The older I get, the more the heat seems to affect me. But, I didn’t do too badly, considering. Ran the flats and downhills, walked the uphills. Kept up more or less the same pace throughout, which is quite an achievement for me
EDJ:
- Bitched about having my position phased out and being forced to take an ED case management job instead. Not that I have anything against ED case management itself. I think it’ll be pretty interesting, and certainly more challenging than the crap I’m doing now. It’s just that I’ll have to go back to working weekends and holidays and that SUCKS BIG FAT HAIRY DONKEY BALLS.
- Bitched about being forced to go back to school for my BSN. If I wanted that particular piece of paper, I’d have gone and gotten it years ago. I am not interested, and I resent being told I have to have it for this new job I was not given any choice other than to take. Dammit. Just how in the nine hells am I supposed to fit schoolwork in on top of EDJ, home stuff, mom stuff, running, friends, writing, occasional meals and sleep, and seeing my hubby now and then?
- Continued the (so far fruitless) search for a new job. Sigh.
So those are the big things going on this past week. My goals for the upcoming week:
- Finish An Inner Darkness. I’d rather not still be working on it when my dad and sister are here to visit. They’re driving up Thursday and staying the weekend.
- Get in my three runs. I have GOT to do better at keeping up with that or I will turn into The Blob.
- Get the house cleaned up, sheets washed, food bought for the big graduation party next Saturday, etc etc.
- Survive my baby girl’s graduation. *sob*
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05.01.08
Posted in Life, the Universe, and Everything at 2:50 pm by Ally Blue
My laptop, that is. He’s been with me nearly five years, every one of my published stories and books were written on him, and now he’s dead.
**sniffles**
So, now I have a new laptop on the way. Refurbished MacBook, 13.3″, white (because there weren’t any black refurbished ones), with Leopard installed. Oswald couldn’t run Leopard because he had the wrong chip, so I suppose this one will be better. But I loved Oswald. I miss him.
Ummm… I’m not a freak for loving my laptop in an entirely inappropriate way, right? Right???
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03.23.08
Posted in Life, the Universe, and Everything at 10:50 pm by Ally Blue
I wasn’t yesterday, after my “run”, so I decided I needed to work harder today. Oh boy. Bad idea. Everything HURTS now, dammit! On the up side, I trimmed 3 minutes 21 seconds off my time from yesterday, on the same loop. Time today = 44 min. 11 sec, pace = 13:38/mile. Yay for being a whole minute per mile faster today!
Hopefully by Tuesday, when I might have a chance for another run, my muscles and joints will no longer be screaming at me. One can only hope…
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03.22.08
Posted in Life, the Universe, and Everything at 7:23 pm by Ally Blue
Today I went out running for the first time in weeks. I kind of sucked. I was sloooooow, and I couldn’t run more than a minute or two at at time unless it was downhill. BUT, at least I did it. Three and a quarter miles of running some and walking a lot. Go me!
Time: 47 min. 32 sec. Pace: roughly 14.5 min. per mile.
Oy. It can only get better…
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03.16.08
Posted in Life, the Universe, and Everything at 2:53 pm by Ally Blue
Or at least that’s the idea. Heh 
Those who know me know I’m one of those on-again, off-again runners. I like the way running makes me feel. It relaxes me, energizes me, helps me focus. Sometimes I come up with some pretty awesome solutions to thorny book-related problems while running.
BUT… (and didn’t you just know there was a Big But coming *g*)
… I am easily swayed from the straight & narrow path. I get out of the running habit, and whammo, I’m a slug. Ick.
This time it was the flu. A solid week of 103 fever, hurting all over and hacking my lungs up. After that came a sinus infection, and just to put the diet chocolate sauce on the low-fat sundae of my recent weeks, I got a bladder infection. Argh!
Today is the first day in THREE FUCKING WEEKS I’ve had enough energy and been pain-free enough to exercize. And boy, do I have a lot of work to do to get my saggy carcass in shape again. I want to be able to run five miles like I used to before the last time I slacked off, and not feel like I’m going to die, and I want to be able to do it by mid-summer. Y’all have to kick my ass so I’ll be good and do it!
Many thanks in advance
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