Legal celebrations! :)

Well, unexpected and well worth celebrating. After celebrating what the UK Supreme Court did for gay asylum seekers, we see another court in the US give a wonderful surprise by declaring DOMA unconstitutional. Not once, but twice..

Both judges came to their decision through summary judgment (which is legal speak for the judge picking up the case and saying “this is such utter bullshit I don’t even have to listen to you to make my decision!”)

This judgments AREN’T saying that all states have to allow same sex marriage (sadly).

But they are saying that the Federal government can’t refuse to accept couples that have been married under state law. So, for example, if a gay couple has been married in Massachusetts, the federal government has no business turning round and saying “no, they’re not really married.” I understand this is a 10th Amendment issue (don’t ask me, American law is not my thing but I understand this is the Amendment that says “unless it‘s expressly states to be the Federal government‘s decision, it‘s the state‘s decision.”). So the federal government cannot treat a legal same-sex marriage from a state that legalises same-sex marriage as anything less than a marriage and cannot force the state itself to treat same-sex marriages as less than opposite-sex marriage. It cannot force the state to discriminate.

Of interest as well in the fuller details of the case is the many other things the judges didn’t accept such as refusing to accept that banning same-sex marriage benefits children, that allowing same-sex marriage serves as a disincentive to marry, etc.

‘Tis a step in the right direction, yes yes it is

In other legal victory news, the island of Sark (that is one of the semi-autonomous British dependent islands around the British Isles) has finally bought a clue and equalised the age of consent for gay and bisexual men to 16 to bring it in line with heterosexuals, lesbians and bisexual women.  This follows Guernsey doing the same in March and the Isle of Mann catching up in 2006 (but then, the Isle of Mann still had sodomy laws in place in 1992). Well, islands, welcome to the 21st century. Took you long enough.

Sadly other British dependencies – Bermuda, Alderney and Gibraltar – still seem to be maintaining separate age of consent for gay and bisexual men.

Random randomness

Beloved said it was body paint. I think he lied. I think it may have actually been that tar based stuff they use to pain road markings. I am glad that I didn’t let him anywhere near me with it. Now I can help with the scrubbing  *scrub scrub scrub scrub*

I think I am resigned to having a multicoloured lover. Especially since he wants to dye his hair blue again (the man will be bald before he is 30 at this rate). Which I suppose is an improvement over his current colour – blond. And yes, he is a natural blond. And yes he dyed his hair blond. No I don’t know why either.

In garden news everything is green and growing and quite impressive. Especially the lettuce. All the lettuce. Why do we have this much lettuce? We don’t like lettuce. Lettuce is boring. And why, in the name of all that is holy, did he have to pick all of it at once?! I could feed an army. Well, a very very healthy vegetarian army that was watching its weight.

In fact, he does this with all the plants. I am having to set an armed guard on the potatoes to prevent us sinking beneath a tsunami of spuddy goodness. It’s even worse when he does it with the strawberries. look if you wait a week the rest will be ripe – now I have 1 strawberry. What can we do with one single strawberry?

Also, the beans are doing well. I don’t like broad beans. Nor does he. But they’re doing well and look like it’s going to be a heavy crop. Uh, yay?

And my right arm is killing me. No idea why, but it’s a mass of stiff pain from hand to elbow, it feels like I have a beaver gnawing on it – and twisting or turning it is absolute agony. And brain is not listening to me and keeps trying to use it. I demand much sympathy for this. It is preventing me scrubbing properly.

Summer is ordered to be less hot or Senior Partners are ordered to invest in some air conditioning. And this suit is not summer weight no matter what it says on the label. I predict provocative use of ice cubes may follow.

Work has been abandoned for the day – it’s too damn hot to breathe let alone think.

Foody suggestions?

Today is our foody night, where we make a foody feast of goodness.

Part of this involves finding a way to use the NINE cabbages. And there are 6 more in the garden.  All white cabbages and all impresive. Seriously, these things are freaking huge and perfect and unblighted and no fertiliser, pesticide, random radiation or whatever other crap they put on our food. Beloved is most proud of himself and right so.

Except – WHAT can you do with this much cabbage except make everything smell truly awful. I have cooked it with dinner as just a plain veg (well with lemon juice and once with nuts), I have made coleslaw, cabbage gratin, saurkraut and even something with apples that wasn’t very nice. What other options are there?! Do I have to freeze the whole lot and just resign myself that we have enough cabbage to last us until doomsday?

Also, does white cabbage pickle? I mean pickled red cabbage is commonplace (and I loves it. And he has grown none. Why is this?) but we don’t see pickled white cabbage – whyfor?

In other news Beloved has expressed criticism of my stuffed mushrooms! (Well, he didn’t. He asked if we should add a herb to it. But in homage to my mother I have decided to take that suggestion to be a fierce indictment of my skills, my honour, my family and indeed all aspects of my life to date. So there ) so I am looking at adjusting their scrumminess. Currently they are:

Huge portabellow mushroom, inside scooped out and finely chopped with a stronger mushroom (shiitake or oyster). Mix with grated cheese (red leicester for preference but wensleydale, cheddar and emmenthal work well. So can brie but it’s a bit overpowering.) finely chopped crispy bacon (Note Renee and other Canadians suffering from dellusion – this is real bacon, not ham) finely sliced onion and a glug of soy OR worcestershire sauce.

Now, miscellenaious herb to add. Beloved has declared garlic boring (because I add it to everything. And rightly so). I am leaning towards cumin or paprika – but tbh, I raher think it should be left alone. Maybe something mild like parseley.
So, suggestions?

(It is also ridiculously hot, every window in the house is open and the cat has taken to sleeping in Beloved’s carrot patch – the feathery tops make a good bed and the ones she doesn’t squish shade her. Beloved is not amused. Cat does not care if he is not amused. A small war has begun)