STARK INEQUALITY
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| Josh Vandiver and Henry Velandia got married in August 2010 |
More and more Americans are being forced by the US government to emigrate because the Defense of Marriage Act will not allow their legal spouses to remain in America. Why? Because the spouses are not US citizens. For ever, the US has acknowledged, perhaps excessively, that marriage and family trump everything in immigration law. As long as the marriage is valid, and sincere, no questions are asked. Why? Because we collectively acknowledge something profound about the decision to commit legally to one other person for life, and respect it. We do not force someone to emigrate from the US because he fell in love with a woman from, say, Spain or force the repatriation of an American because she swooned for a Russian.
But for gay couples, it's so different. It is difficult for a government to express more contempt for a citizen's human dignity than asserting that it is completely indifferent to his or her being able to live in America with the person he or she loves. And this inhumanity is compounded by the fact that in some states and the capital city, Americans can lawfully wed someone of the same gender but of a different nationality. So they are lured with the chimera of equality only to discover that, if they are to remain together, they will have to leave the country.
No other civilized Western country treats its own gay citizens this way. And yet it appears clear that the law will not change on this in the foreseeable future, as a more and more radicalized Republican party exercizes a veto over any equality for gay people, and as the Democratic party continues its defensive crouch in the face of religious intolerance and cultural panic.
This is not, in my view, a minor matter. In fact, very few issues demonstrate so starkly the inequality between gays and straights in America than this. Has any heterosexual American citizen ever doubted for a mili-second that he has a right to marry the person he loves and remain in the land he was born in? It is unthinkable. And yet what is unthinkable for 98 percent of citizens is mandatory for the tiny minority.
It hangs over a binational marriage like a sword; it eats away at you like a cancer; it terrifies and enrages and demoralizes. And, for so many, it is not going away.
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/
TIRED OF LEFTOVER TURKEY YET?
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ELEGANT TOBOGGON
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Late 19th C. American Sled - Wrought Iron Swan Necks and Heads
Americanlate 19th century
Wonderful American folk art child's sled with highly unusual wrought iron throughout - swan necks and heads with original paint detail - whitewash paint to the wood; late 19th century.
Price
$1,400
$1,400
Condition*
Very good, with some wear consistent with age.
Very good, with some wear consistent with age.
Measurements
height: 9.5" (top of swan heads)
second height: 16.5"
depth: 17"
width/length: 36"
height: 9.5" (top of swan heads)
second height: 16.5"
depth: 17"
width/length: 36"
Specifications
Number of items: 1
Materials/Techniques: whitewashed wood with iron supports and decoration. All original.
Creator: unknown
Number of items: 1
Materials/Techniques: whitewashed wood with iron supports and decoration. All original.
Creator: unknown
Photography
provided by M. Finkel & Daughter
provided by M. Finkel & Daughter
Affiliation
Antiques Dealers' Association of America, Inc. (ADA)
Location
M. Finkel & Daughter
936 Pine Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
USA
Phone: 215-627-7797
E-Mail: mailbox@finkelantiques.com
Ref. : U1011228583289
Antiques Dealers' Association of America, Inc. (ADA)
Location
M. Finkel & Daughter
936 Pine Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
USA
Phone: 215-627-7797
E-Mail: mailbox@finkelantiques.com
Ref. : U1011228583289
WHY MILLIONIARES DON'T NEED A TAX CUT
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| Click to Enlarge HERMES Birkin 40 Bag Unique CURRY mint beauty FRANCE Talk about eye candy! Rare to find this unique CURRY is neutral and perfect for year round wear. This is an utterly stunning bag. Palladium hardware. Togo leather is textured to be highly scratch resistant and is butter soft to the touch. Comes with lock, keys, and clochette. Pre-own in perfect condition with NO wear on the corners, handles or interior. BAG MEASURES: LENGTH: 40cm / 15 3/4" TALL: 29cm tall / 11 1/2" DEEP: 20cm / 8" deep HANDLES: 6 " TALL CONDITION: LIKE NEW Price $14,750 Condition* CategoryLIKE NEW Accessories >> Hand Bags >> Birkin Period Search 21st Century and New Measurements contact dealer Specifications Materials/Techniques: LEATHER, HANDMADE Creator: HERMES Photography provided by Penny Long Couture Location Penny Long Couture 1278 Glenneyre #98 Laguna Beach CA, 92651 Phone: 310-994-8330 / (877) 825-4497 E-Mail: mad4couture@gmail.com |
A TIARA FOR THE QUEEN CITY
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Queen City Square, Cincinnati’s premier business center, is the city's newest and most prominent downtown development. The inspiring complex features 1 million square feet of Class A+ office space, the tallest building in the region, and downtown’s first “green” building. Queen City Square has a commanding presence on the Cincinnati skyline and is the leading symbol of the city’s economic vitality.
Located in the heart of Cincinnati’s business district, the exceptionally designed Queen City Square is ideal for companies desiring distinction, environmental sensitivity, worker productivity and advanced technologies.
The building's architect, Gyo Obata, designed the building to include a top inspired by Diana, Princess of Wales's tiara. Gyo was flipping through books when he came upon a picture of Diana wearing a crown. "That's perfect. Here we have the crown of the building, and the nickname for the city is Queen City," said Joe Robertson of Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum remarking to Gyo when he first saw the picture. The building will be constructed of glass and aluminum. It has met with approval from Sue Ann Painter, author of "Architecture in Cincinnati" (Ohio University Press, 2006), who believes the skyscraper's headdress recalls the iconic Chrysler Building. She continues to say that the building is somewhat conservative, but pays homage to the other skyscrapers in Cincinnati. Jay Chatterjee, a former dean of the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning says that the design is similar to buildings constructed in the United States during the 1980s, that it does not break any new ground at all.
RESTORED APPENDAGES
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Italy's culture ministry on Friday defended Premier Silvio Berlusconi for giving ancient marble statues in his office replacement body parts, to the horror of art restorers.
The ministry, which is led by a close ally of the premier, said in a statement there's no cause for alarm: The hand added to Venus and the penis added to Mars are attached by magnets and can be removed without damage.
For decades, restorers have widely agreed that missing parts of ancient statues should not be recreated.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/11/19/international/i072829S54.DTL#ixzz15qQERrS4
EARTH PHOTOS FROM SPACE
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Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/11/19/national/a132723S71.DTL#ixzz15q6IemlG
EXQUISITE BELLE EPOQUE SLUMBER
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Rare Art Nouveau Bed
Circa 1900
This astounding Art Nouveau bed is a symphony of Belle Époque enchantment. Crafted of cast iron with fitted wood panels, this majestic bed is composed of a headboard, footboard and sides, with flowing lines artfully arranged in a naturalistic fan motif. The wooden panels, adorned with Celtic-inspired creatures and mother-of-pearl accents, add to the bed's natural allure. Art Nouveau furnishings are among the most fascinating furniture on the market today. Though smaller pieces have been found, large items such as this magnificent bed are highly desirable and extremely rare.
Price
$68,500
Location
Location
MS Rau Antiques
630 Royal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
USA
Phone: 877-315-8652
E-Mail: info@rauantiques.com
Dealer Ref. : 29-4137
Ref. : U1011108911132
630 Royal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
USA
Phone: 877-315-8652
E-Mail: info@rauantiques.com
Dealer Ref. : 29-4137
Ref. : U1011108911132
10,000 DINNER PLATES ON THE BEACH
More than 10,000 jellyfish, each about the size of a dinner plate, washed up on Ocean Beach, in San Francisco, last Friday, November 12.
According to experts, they are probably moon jellies, which have a pinkish hue and leave intricate, flowerlike imprints in the sand when they dry up.
Unlike the Portuguese man o' war, whose stings can be fatal to humans, moon jellyfish are so mild the toxins rarely penetrate human skin.
Apparently this is nothing to be alarmed about. Jellyfish tend to congregate in groups, and tides, the wind, ocean swells and currents can combine to send the groups ashore. Jellyfish have been washing ashore around San Francisco Bay for at least 500 million years, said Mike McGill, a marine biologist at the Aquarium of the Bay.
And the California coast is home to about 20 species of jellyfish, all of which are thriving.
I went to see them on Saturday and the high tide had washed most of them back out to sea!
Check out the sight on Friday here:
VOLCANO ON MARS
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Typically, such eruptions produce fountains of molten lava. Most of the lava would have cooled in this fountain, producing a loose pile of lava rocks. However, it appears that some pulses of the eruption allowed the lava to land without cooling much. These pieces were hot enough to weld together to make the hard layers seen today. The cone is about 2,300 x 3,600 feet, or 700 x 1,100 meters, in size, similar to many cinder cones on Earth.
REAL GOOGLE STREET VIEWS
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| Click images to Enlarge Hands up! |
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| Click images to Enlarge Same to you guys! |
http://9eyes.tumblr.com/
POEM FOR SATURDAY
Shy, he stepped off into the cornfield. I could see
his back muscles under the damp shirt quiver and go slack.
Turning again to face the shade, he smiled at me, not
squinted, smiled, and finished tugging shut his fly.
Now, when the cornstalks in the night wind slide
like fire, I see him. He steps closer in my dream.
I don't know, where he sleeps, if sleep refreshes him,
but here it works me like hot metal over a flame.
POST 1906 MOTION PICTURE
San Francisco Earthquake and Fire from Red Channels on Vimeo.
A 17 minute compilation of the devestation, how people were coping and even scenes of tent encampments and the frenzy at the Ferry terminus at the foot of Market St. An intriguing portal into life here 104 years ago!
MYAN PAEN
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Lloyd Wright, son of famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright, built this homage to Mayan pyramids in 1926 for his friend, photographer John Sowden. Author Erik Davis writes of the home's history in his book,The Visionary State: "The Sowdens were artsy Hollywood folks who liked to party, and Lloyd Wright, who had spent a year or so designing sets for Paramount, indulged their desire for theater."
Since 2001, the home has come under new ownership by designer Xorin Balbes, who renovated the property to transform the inner courtyard with a pool and jacuzzi. He also added antique pieces like a huge Indonesian stone Buddha, a 400 year-old Quan Yin statue, and an antique Chinese dowry chest to enhance the exotic setting. According to the official site, the home comes with:
its own private spa-soak in a freestanding tub, a shower in a glass encased steamroom, and a meditation area by a beautiful koi pond. The home also features a reading room with a huge salt water aquarium, a home theater system with surround sound, a gourmet kitchen, formal dining room, 2 fireplaces, 2 outdoor firepits, 2 exotic modern flaming torches, and a dramatic city view.
YUM, YUM, YUM,
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Foodie blog Chow provides the cooking instructions for the Turkey Cake: layered sweet potatoes, stuffing, and turkey loaf. Add a mashed potato icing and top with browned marshmallows. Follow that up with a lovely cherpumple and you've got your entire Thanksgiving feast in two easy-to-carry boxes.
BAY AREA MAN ABOUT TOWN
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“At five minutes to nine o’clock last night, San Francisco was favored by another earthquake. There were three distinct shocks, two of which were very heavy, and appeared to have been done on purpose, but the third did not amount to much.” ---Mark Twain, The San Francisco Daily Morning Call, 23 June 1864
Thanks to the fantastic success of the Mark Twain complete autobiography — the first volume doesn't officially land in bookstores until next week and is already sitting atop the bestseller lists — Twain is once again the toast of the town. And his Bay Area roots run deep.
Even though Mark Twain only spent about two years of his life in the city, the time he spent as a roving reporter in the speculation-crazed, boisterous San Francisco of the 1860s would define his satirical writing style and ultimately launch his career — a career that shows no signs of slowing on the centennial of his death.
Mark Twain, a.k.a. Samuel Clemens, came to San Francisco in May 1864 at age 28, after a long string of random jobs—including riverboat piloting, typesetting, and, his last stint before his move to San Francisco, mining in Nevada. By the 1860s, San Francisco had joined New York as one of “the poles of the American avant-garde,” writes Ron Powers in "Mark Twain: A Life," and it boasted a vibrant literary scene. San Francisco's numerous saloons, which have been called the precursors of the Beat hangouts of the 1950s and ‘60s, were well known to Mark Twain, who joined literary figures like Bret Harte and Ambrose Bierce.
"I fell in love with the most cordial and sociable city in the Union," Twain wrote of his first months in San Francisco in his memoir, "Roughing It."
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