(no subject)

Mass. High Court Rules for Gay Marriage

The Massachusetts high court ruled Wednesday that only full, equal marriage rights for gay couples — rather than civil unions — are constitutional, clearing the way for the nation's first same-sex marriages in the state as early as May.

"The history of our nation has demonstrated that separate is seldom, if ever, equal," the four justices who ruled in favor of gay marriage wrote in the advisory opinion requested by the state Senate.

[...] The Massachusetts court said any civil unions bill that falls short of marriage would establish an "unconstitutional, inferior, and discriminatory status for same-sex couples."

The state Senate asked for more guidance from the court, whose advisory opinion was made public Wednesday morning when it was read into the Senate record.

The much-anticipated opinion sets the stage for next Wednesday's constitutional convention, where the Legislature will consider an amendment that would legally define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. Without the opinion, Senate President Robert Travaglini had said the vote would be delayed.

by way of gbdances

INFP - "Questor". High capacity for caring. Emotional face to the world. High sense of honor derived from internal values. 4.4% of total population.

Take Free Myers-Briggs Word Test

(no subject)

Earlier today I said What you do with your emotions are your reactions to your emotions.

I suppose from this it's possible to say that emotions are actions. (Completely internal actions, but actions nonetheless. And, apparently, involuntary.)

as seen in philosophy

I've just started it, but I can tell it's going to be interesting.

The Self as a Center of Narrative Gravity (Dennett)

(no subject)

The linguistic world and the physical world do not always correspond.

Certainly, the linguistic world and the metaphysical world do not always correspond.

Am I off base?

Try representing yourself while wearing a purple cowboy suit

Beneath Even Texas

UNLESS TEXAS authorities or the courts come to their senses, Scott Louis Panetti will be executed tomorrow for the double murder of his in-laws more than a decade ago. Texas is unique among the states of the union in its unbridled enthusiasm for capital punishment; it has executed about 35 percent of those put to death nationally since 1976. But even against this bloody backdrop, Mr. Panetti's execution would stand out. The state would be killing someone who is seriously mentally ill and who, despite that fact, was permitted to represent himself at trial and thereby end any chance that a jury might take his illness into account.

There is no dispute that Mr. Panetti killed Joe and Amanda Alvarado. Nor is there any question that he had a long history of schizophrenia before the killings, including a number of hospitalizations. His competency even to stand trial, in fact, was seriously in doubt and caused the first jury that heard the matter to deadlock. Yet not only did the court permit his trial to go forward, the judge let him fire his counsel and handle his own defense. So, in a case where any competent defense lawyer had a potentially compelling insanity defense, he appeared before the jury dressed in a purple cowboy outfit. He tried to subpoena Jesus (address: "everywhere"; county of residence: "heaven") and John F. Kennedy. He rambled incoherently. And, hardly surprisingly, the jury convicted him on capital charges.

( Read more... )

(The execution has been given a 60-day reprieve.)

my mom's reaction

"It's just a titty!"