Important Victories for Gay Rights in the U.S.A.

Two important cases were decided today by the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS).

The first case concerned the constitutionality of the Defence of Marriage Act (DOMA), which was an American federal law, enacted in 1996, that required that the federal state should only give recognition to opposite-sex marriages in the United States and also restricted federal marriage benefits to opposite-sex marriages.

The second case concerned the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8, a California ballot proposition and a state constitutional amendment passed in the November 2008 state elections. The measure added a new provision, to the California Constitution, which provides that "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." The United States District Court Judge Vaughn Walker overturned Proposition 8 on August 4, 2010, ruling that it violated both the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of the United States Constitution. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals panel later affirmed the decision that Proposition 8 was unconstitutional.

Through the decisions delivered by SCOTUS today
1, the Defence Of Marriage Act (DOMA) was struck down as being unconstitutional by a 5-4 majority and
2. in the the Proposition 8 case the ruling was, by a 5-4 majority, that supporters of the measure did not have legal standing (did not have the right) to appeal the lower court's ruling, thereby leaving the earlier decision that the measure was unconstitutional standing and clearing the way for same-sex marriages to resume in California.

HALLELUJA!!! 

Men At Work

I am ordering my contractor about what to do, I should just have shut up
because he knew better than I what needed to be done and how to go about it.
Butch is an amazing man with excellent taste -  and BRILLIANT in everything he does.

How a builder can turn up to work without shoes is beyond me...
but the man was working brilliantly so I said nothing about it!

After having gotten the house in place, we decided to rest a little

..and then a little more.... Well we would have been ready
an hour or so earlier if I had not screwed a few things up.

A Clean Slate

After due consideration the Much Honored Bock McMillan, laird of Southern Charm, prince of Cascade Falls and supreme sovereign of The Commonwealth of Southern Enchantment with Outer Territories, decided that instead of redecorating only two rooms of his palatial mansion a more drastic move was needed.

A new villa was purchased and the demolition team has been working hard during the night. The result of their labor and efforts can be seen in the pictures above.

The old house has been completely and utterly demolished and the building site now waits for the consultant Butch Diavolo to wake up from his - much needed -beauty sleep and come to head the building team in its work. Further reports should be expected soon.

What Friends Are For

I was given this picture by Parvin, a warrior of Gor, that I met and talked with during the last Second Pride festival.

The picture shows Parvin eating dust after he has been defeated by Timmy, a gladiator from Rome with the bulkiest body I have yet seen, in one of the jousts between the warriors of Gor and the gladiators of Rome. The jousting was a new and interesting element introduced at this years festival. According to Parvin his dear and loving friends had taken the picture to rub his nose in the defeat. And isn't that exactly what friends are for?

It reminded me that it is said that in ancient Rome: as a Roman general was parading through the streets during a victory triumph, standing behind him was his slave, tasked with reminding the general that, although at his peak today, tomorrow he could fall, or — more likely — be brought down. The servant is thought to have conveyed this with the warning, "Memento mori" (Remember that you will die!).

Friends are there to support us, encourage us, comfort us, care for us and love us, but also to cut us down to size and remind us of who we are if and when we risk forgetting it.

Summit Meeting

Today the laird called for a summit meeting at the building site. The laird needed the reassurances from Guyke and Butch that indeed this was a good idea and that the new house that had been chosen would look great up on the hill on Southern Charm.

After both of them had said they thought it was a really excellent idea and the new house would look wonderful I felt somewhat calmer.

The road that had now been chosen meant that all the furniture had to be removed or stuffed away in some safe place until the new chateau was in place. The things belonging to Ars that were not possible to copy would have to be moved into the skies until they could be pulled back in place.

Yes, everything would go well, I told myself repeatedly, the new house you have chosen will look wonderful over the water fall!

Visiting With Drew

I have known Drew Barnard for a long time, but we reconnected when we met again at this years Second Pride Festival.

After my son had dumped me at The Fallen Gods when his husband came online, I received an invitation by Drew to come visit with him and see his home. I was happy to accept.

When I arrived Drew already had another guest who Drew introduced to me as a Grand Duke and told me that I did not need to genuflect. This of course called for me to make a full statement on my station in SecondLife with a brief account of my most important titles. Afterwhich I told both of them that I did not require them to genuflect to me.

Well, the Grand Duke was rather quiet after that and left shortly afterwards. Drew took me on a tour of the beautiful villa that is his home and the grounds, both are amazingly beautiful of course. We then continued down to the beach to build a sandcastle and talk. I always enjoy talking with my friends and other people, especially when they are nice and honest good people, just the kind that Drew is.

When we were done with the sandcastle we went on to enjoy the view of the sun setting over the sea and talk some more. It was a very pleasant evening and I really did feel that we came closer to each other.

Matt Corby - Resolution

(via Daskadasenibordet, loosely translated "Slap-the-schlong-on-the-table", at Qx.se)