Nightingale

I can't choose a "best ever" episode either. So many of them were brilliantly plotted, had fabulous social commentary, and really were just amazingly entertaining. However, the episodes that seemed to stand out in my mind were the ones that were more character driven rather than plot driven, particularly in TNG ("Family", "Attached", and "Memory Alpha") and Voyager ("Resolutions", "Endgame"). I don't think these are the best episodes, but they're the ones I remember the best, mainly because those were the episodes where the characters that seem so invincible and so much larger than life became a little more human.

Ten years ago, at the Renaissance faire out in San Bernardino, I'd finished reading Interview with the Vampire, decided it probably wasn't something I would re-read, signed my name in it and wrote in the cover "read it, sign it, and pass it on" and gave it to someone I met there who wanted to read it. This year, at the San Luis Obispo Ren Faire, someone at the campfire closed their book and turned to me and said "have you read this yet?" and handed the book to me. I opened the cover, thinking that it couldn't be, but on the inside was ten years of names and history, my own signature, and "read it, sign it, and pass it on." There's just something special about a real book.

not surprising you saw more conflict from the group you were in conflict with - in fact I bet you got hardly any flak from the side that you were supporting (and I don't know if a 'no' vote is a pro or anti gay position - I won't go read the proposal) - I was also talking about what I observed... people ripping down signs, spray painting over signs, plastering stickers for their side over signs from the other side... you don't have to be on one side or the other to observe that. However, the area I live in is very conservative, and took a primarily pro-prop 8 position, and had I lived elsewhere, I may have seen more stuff coming from the other side. I was in the minority in my county.

Just spoke to a friend of mine in California who is admittedly a conservative and voted yes on Prop 8. What's interesting is that he went to church, and protesters were standing outside the church throwing eggs at the cars. They squirted some blood-colored goo on his wife, and while everyone was in church, they broke a few windshields in the parking lot. He said it wasn't reported on the news there. I support gay marriage. But there's no excuse for assaulting people because you think they may have voted against you. In fact, anyone engaging in violence over this issue is just setting back how long it will take to eventually be overturned. My car was egged four times for my "No on Prop 8: Equality for All" sign in my rear windshield. I had a bumper sticker, but it was ripped off my car twice, so I gave up and put the sign inside my car instead. Around here, I saw a lot more problems coming from the pro-prop 8 side, ripping down anti-signs and such, but that may be because I was more attuned to it, since some of it was directed at me, and also because this is Orange County and there were a lot more pro than anti folks here.

My next gun is going to be one of these: http://www.kimberamerica.com/pistols/cdp/compact_cdp_II/ I'm trying to decide between the Compact CDP, the Ultra CDP and the Ultra Carry II (stainless). I've tried them all at the range, I love them all, and I can't decide!

She got quite the smackdown... it was a wonderful sight to see. Over 250 people took the day off on a Tuesday to come down and let the Board of Supervisors know what an important issue this is to the people of Orange County, and over 80 of them stood up to publically address the Board. Everyone was polite, well dressed, and well spoken. If anyone wants to see the meeting, it's on the board's website. http://egov.ocgov.com/portal/site/ocgov/menuitem.60dd148ab86dc8d8ba092f59900016a0/?vgnextoid=2e8aea093e054110VgnVCM1000000100007fRCRD&vgnextfmt=default The sheriff's presentation is in the morning session, about an hour and a half in. There's about three comments at the end of the morning, and the bulk of the comments are in the afternoon.

Friends are the family you get to choose!

We normally have Thanksgiving around 3:00 or 4:00 at the latest, mostly because people tend to skip lunch.

I'd be job hunting if I were you. What's the point of having a benefit if you can't use it?

We get paid vacation every year, usually, and if we don't use it, we can save it if we want to take a long trip a few years down the road. My dad, for example, has been with his employer for 38 years. He gets five weeks vacation per year, and usually only uses two. So, he's now got three months paid time off on the books that he can use for a long trip when he chooses, or he can just hang on to it and start his official retirement later than the date he actually stops work.

The gratuity system has a lot to do with that helpful and friendly attitude you find here. Because a server's income depends directly on his or her attitude, they're a lot more helpful. If you don't like the service, you don't have to leave a gratuity. The wages in our system are lower because the gratuities make up the rest. Our card dealers are probably making at least the equivalent of what your son is making, if you include tips. Some casinos split tips among all the dealers, so the dealers at the low stakes tables get a fair cut of the tips tossed around the high end tables. Food servers usually do fairly well tips-wise, but it depends on the restaurant (a waitress at a really expensive place is going to make a lot more in tips than someone at a diner), and bartenders usually do better. My brother bartends, and probably comes close to what I'm making as a lawyer (and in defense of that statement, he's at the busiest martini bar in town, and I'm not that well paid, as lawyer salaries go) when you add in his tips.

Try a bigger catbox, or an enclosed catbox. Most of the time when cat shit ends up right outside the box, it's because the cat is in the box, but the cat's butt is hanging off the end. It may not be intentional. If that doesn't work, I recommend high potency catnip. Whole Foods is a great place to get it, or you can find it online here. http://www.kookykat.com/catnipbuds.htm Get the cat high on kitty-weed and he won't be so stressed. =)

If you are renting, you should seriously consider renter's insurance. It's usually between $10-$20/month and will come in really handy in the case of fire/flood/etc. My condo insurance through Wawanesa isn't much more than that, and it even covers my rig!

Is anyone challenging her on that law? Imagine if she just arbitrarily decided to start revoking a lot of citizen's driver's licenses, or liquor permits, or... She has a duty to honor the legally issued licenses granted by her predecessors. She's sent out "intent to revoke" letters giving people 30 days to come up with a better reason to keep their CCW, but, of course, since she hasn't disclosed her issuance policy, nobody has any idea what kind of information to give her. However, since she hasn't officially revoked anybody yet, just stated her intentions to revoke, nobody has standing to file a lawsuit...yet. There are over 1000 permits in OC. She's sent out intent to revoke letters to a little less than half.

Even permits issued for business reasons are in jeopardy. Unlike our last two sheriffs, the new sheriff refuses to issue a public standard for her CCW policy, so as far as anyone can tell, who gets a permit and who doesn't is completely arbitrary, and who gets revoked and who doesn't is also completely arbitrary. People have invested a lot of time and money in required training and haven't done anything to justify having their permits pulled by the department, and it's quite probable that her current actions may be illegal under state law (the law lists several reasons why a permit may be pulled, and "because I changed my mind" isn't one of them!).

Three months ago, I'd have said "I'm adopted...I don't look like anybody." but now I can say I look like my sister Mandy, and when I was little, I looked like my sister Catie.

What I think the people on the "pro" side are missing is that this is not a religious issue. It is a LEGAL issue about what kinds of partnership contracts will be recognized by the government and what kinds will not. It has nothing to do with religion, with schools, or with free speech. Churches will not be forced to perform marriages they oppose, any more than they are forced to perform marriages they oppose now. A church can refuse to marry anybody they wish, and in fact, they do it all the time. They're not going to lose their tax exempt status for refusing to marry someone anymore than the boy scouts will lose their tax exempt status for refusing to allow gay scoutmasters. Schools are not forced to teach about gay marriage. Curriculum, beyond the state standards is not dictated by the state, but by the school board, the district, the principal, and by the classroom teacher, in that order. Got a problem with what's being taught in the classroom, take your gripe to the teacher first, and work your way up the chain. The only reference to marriage is in the Education Code, which provides a general guideline. "The code only instructs schools to “teach respect for marriage and committed relationships” as part of health and sex education curriculum. The code allows districts to decide against teaching health and sex education, and allows parents to pull their children from those classes or others dealing with sensitive subject matters." Schools do NOT have to teach the definition of marriage, mention that people of the same sex can get married, or allow discussion of such marriages in the classroom. (http://www.ocregister.com/articles/marriage-gay-prop-2201297-school-education) As for "prop 8 equals free speech", I'm not even sure where the heck that argument is coming from, so I can't even begin to rebut it beyond "huh?".

It is a voter initiative to amend the constitution, not to pass a law like voter initiatives usually are.

This proposition is to amend the California constitution.

Sure. Read this thread: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=3190904;search_string=polygamy;#3190904 There's no reason why polygamists shouldn't be able to marry any consenting adult they wish, and the situation in Texas was handled horribly. There's no reason why ANY OF US shouldn't be able to marry any consenting adult we wish. Period.

So, who's dressing up? as what?

Rocky and Bullwinkle?

The train probably wouldn't replace a lot of cars. The people that drive tend to do so because they don't want the added expense of renting a car or the hassle of dealing with public transportation when they get to their destination. The train wouldn't solve these issues, so you're not going to remove a lot of cars. You may end up with fewer airplane flights, but airplanes are already mass transit, so is that really a significant improvement?

With regards to the "right thing to do", you need to look at whether it's the right thing to do at this time and whether this is the right way to pay for it. Bond measures are very costly in the long run. They're a way to get money now by borrowing against our already very shaky future. Is that the right thing to do?

It ended up on the second page of my absentee ballot and I missed it when I was typing the stuff above, but it's a bond measure that we can't afford so, no.