Δαφνη Ευτυχια Αρθουρος

Two today -- one touching on this week's Supreme Court docket, the other seasonal...

From "Commission Report Cites Flaws in New Jersey Civil Union Law", by Tina Kelley, The New York Times, 2008-02-20:

"The lesson I learned was just how important this issue was for people who didn't have a whole lot of money," said David S. Buckel, senior counsel of Lambda Legal, the gay rights organization that represented the couples whose lawsuit led to the creation of civil unions. "When you have the state sending the message that discrimination is O.K., there's double discrimination for people who don't have the resources to try to soften the blow."

Lynn Fontaine Newsome, president of the New Jersey State Bar Association, testified before the commission that "the legal work performed for these clients is double that which is performed for married couples to ensure that they are afforded equal rights."

Sylvia Rhue, director of religious affairs for the National Black Justice Coalition, told the commission: "When employers fail to recognize civil unions as equal to marriage, the couples who get hurt the most are poor couples who are often African-American couples, who cannot afford thousands of dollars to hire fancy lawyers to draft documents like wills, health care proxies, and powers of attorney."

"Pesach is that holiday where you can't eat 99% of food on the planet, but you still manage to eat like a sumo wrestler" -- @Joco967, 2013-03-11

To everyone celebrating it this week, a blessed Passover!

A few recent photos. First up, this morning a little before dawn ... hope everyone's enjoying Spring!

... and an example of why I've got acrylic on three nails of my strumming hand -- this nail was nice and round before Saturday's gig; I played right through the acrylic and then the tip of the nail (this doesn't happen every performance but it's not unusual for me).

Insomnia sucks, but at least I've been somewhat entertained this morning. Is funny dog business the theme off the day? (Or pet antics in general regardless of species?)

In the wee hours I got up for a snack, and Pepper came trotting into the kitchen trailing one of Mom's bras snagged in her fur.

Then I spent a while photoraphing snow the next time I got up ...

And just as I was headed back to bed, I saw an orange head out of the corner of my eye, which upon investigation turned out to be a yellow lab from next door (they've been fostering labs for a rescue organization, so they've got a different dog every couple of weeks) nosing around Pepper's doggie-door (which is far too small for a labrador). I figured it shouldn't be there -- they never let the dogs just roam the way we often let Pepper do -- and when I opened the sliding door to say hello, I noticed the dog was trailing a leash, a pretty sure sign the dog wasn't supposed to be loose right then.

I walked it back next door, barefoot in the snow and wishing I'd had skis because the very strong dog would've merrily towed me around (and nearly did anyhow, the round being so slippery) and waited for the neigbours to get back from driving around the block trying to find their escapee.

My toes warmed right back up again once I got back indoors, and then Perrine started nagging me -- she's both unsubtle and impatient when she decides she wants to be brushed -- but that's not unusual. Now she's purring loudly and beating me with her tail. And I'm wondering what antic is next on one critter or another's agenda.