News: California's top court overturns gay marriage ban

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080515/ap_on_re_us/gay_marriage

SAN FRANCISCO - The California Supreme Court has overturned a voter-approved ban on gay marriage, paving the way for the state to become the second in the United States where gay and lesbian residents can marry.

The justices released the 4-3 decision Thursday, saying that domestic partnerships are not a good enough substitute for marriage in an opinion written by Chief Justice Ron George.

... In striking down the ban, the court said,

"In contrast to earlier times, our state now recognizes that an individual's capacity to establish a loving and long-term committed relationship with another person and responsibly to care for and raise children does not depend upon the individual's sexual orientation, and, more generally, that an individual's sexual orientation — like a person's race or gender — does not constitute a legitimate basis upon which to deny or withhold legal rights."

CCA Open Studios (MFA & BFA)

Back in April, before I flew down to LA for a few days, I threw myself into a very art-heavy weekend. Oakland Art Murmur/First Friday, the first 24th & Mission Artwalk, and CCA's Undergraduate and Graduate Open Studios. Have finally gotten around to posting just some of the images from that weekend. Prepare yourself for more.

Mary Anne Kluth

My friend, Mary Anne, with whom I attended CCAC, has a website (and it's about time)! I only just found it a few moments ago after a look at my site statistics.

Looks really good, and I can't wait to see her stuff at the upcoming SFAI MFA exhibition.

Example (w/ details):



Website: Mary Anne Kluth

Her work is amazing and just keeps getting better. Come out to the reception May 16th and check this stuff out in person - it's well worth the trip out to Fort Mason.

NPR is not the same thing as PBR

I admit it: I've turned into that person who mentions NPR over and over again. Is it because it's one of my last channels for entertainment, news, and trivial information wrapped into one? Almost certainly yes.

These NPR fans... I'd always eyed them with a slight stink-eye, imagining them sitting back easily, their hands clasped slightly above their sweatered bellies, laughing fully and lengthily as droll voices on their antique-style radios discussed the follies of the American government.

A few hairs always prick up at the back of my neck when I feel the compulsion to mention the most recent item I'd heard on NPR.

"Have you heard the name of the woman who won the 'worst name ever' contest?"
"Yeah, I heard about Twitter on the radio the other day."
"There's a fantastic joke they told about McCain on 'Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me' this past weekend."

I listen to NPR at work to keep myself awa-, er, alert as I haven't had much time to get new music. One of my staples is "This American Life" and they replayed a fantastic episode recently.

Give it a listen for free here:
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=328&date=05022008

It's so good for so many reasons.
And for the record, I still feel the same way about NPR as Summer feels about TAL. Listen to the podcast, and you'll know what I'm talking about.

Thomas Demand

thomas demand - bathroom
Originally uploaded by bestbeon.

Currently distracted by Thomas Demand's infinitely impressive photographs.

He constructs various environments exclusively out of paper and photographs them.

More: Flickr