"Where are the candles?!? I *specifically* asked for candles!"

Ok, first evah OUATITW caption contest (also the first - and last - time I ever refer to this place by its ugly-ass acronym).

(photo via The White House's photostream via @ExJon)

Prizes*? Uh, yeah, there are lots of prizes*. Yeah. Lots (of prizes*).





*There may or may not (probobaly not) be a single prize. It´s a crap-shoot.

You can´t turn around without hitting a holiday in this country

For me in real life, that´s great. But, a) when my wife´s off work I pretty much hang out with her and not on Twitter or blogging and, b) when her brother finally says he´s coming back to continue working on the electric he began installing about 6 months ago I drop everything (including my jaw) to make sure we get as much done as possible before the next vortex swallows him.

So, this weekend saw the Spanish Constitution Day (which is meaningless apart from being a day off, since Spaniards handed their vote to the socialist jackass - Obama´s buddy, Zapatero - who heads the government here, who, subsequently handed over pretty much all the say anyone in office still had to the new president of the United States of Eurabia - deep breath) and Inmaculada (also essentially meaningless except as a day off since the religious conviction in Spain flows about as deep as the rivers of Obama´s committment to democracy) which I understand basically starts off the Christmas season. Hey, a four-day weekend regardless. So, mornings were spent at Starbuck´s (the only place to get coffee that doesn´t taste like liquid creosote mixed into oversteamed UHT "milk" - instead it tastes like Starbuck´s espresso mixed into oversteamed UHT "milk"), and the rest of the day either preparing the house for Diego (Bro-in-law) to work, working with Diego, or cleaning up after Diego (no offense to Diego intended, he does great work and, more importantly, it´s free labor).

Below the fold are just a few pics my wife took of the fun. I´m spackling over the rough stuff and painting it today so the switches are all removed again. But at least you can see what they look like. We like 'em. The outlets will all be the same style wood around ceramic switchboxes. The only different area is the kitchen, where the ceramic part will be black and we´re exposing all the conduit. I realize the kitchen colors are kinda 1970´s Brady Bunch, but considering Spain is only now somewhere around 1950 it actually looks pretty futuristic here.

Just a bunch of pictures I took walking through the city on a lazy Saturday (mostly to bother VL - wink).

I´m no Lileks, so I won´t bore you with my recount of the day's adventures, or even an explanation of what landmarks these are. Mostly because it would take the 'lazy' out of my lazy Saturday. If you really wanna know, you know what to do.

What better to lead off with?

The Daily Kos, all embittered about Maine rejecting gay marriage legislation, shows its own lifestyle biases, and continued ignorance of not only the issue, but the will of the overwhelming majority of Americans (or, maybe not; you tell me)

Updated (Bill´s response) below

In Bill´s (in Portland Maine) little 'Cheers and Jeers' anicdote about how unnecessarily antagonistic marriage laws are against (and only against) gays in the U.S., he both misses the point entirely and openly shows his own tendency toward personal prejudices. Apparently, according to Bill, there are numerous groups of people who should be discriminated against based on their choice of lifestyle only, regardless of the fact that their choices neither do (nor potentially do) anything to affect our constitutional right to the freedom to practice our religion of choice, nor do they contradict the historical social norm of marriage for the purpose of procreation and social cohesion. Neither do they, in any way, and possibly more important, preclude the exclusion of homosexuals in any of their respective companies. Bill´s group of those he believes are less worthy of being considered for legal marriage consist of:

Satan worshippers, divorcées, rapturists, crack addicts, axe murderers, neo-nazi anarchists, "schtuping" nuns, porn addicts, kitten-drowners, deadbeat dads and chain-smokers.

Now, with the exception of axe murderers, I don´t believe any other of these groups of individuals fall under the category of illegal behavior (I know it´s illegal to sell and buy crack, but I don´t believe it is illegal to be addicted to it), and, regardless, there are laws set up to punish them. What bearing it has on who should and who should not have a right to marry, I just don´t see. So, what exactly is the comparison Mr. In Portland Maine is trying to draw; that there are those who could do harm to the institution of marriage in general, and that we should do what we can to protect that institution from irreparable damage; and that we should strictly adhere to a constitutional definition of the institution that can in no way affect our other constitutional freedoms?

Well, in that case, good point, Bill!

Updated Nov. 12, 2009

And Bill had a response via email; reposted here, in its entirety (cuz I´m fair like that). You can read it below the fold and respond, or not, accordingly.

Killer Conservatives - Run Away! Run Away!

*With nasty, pointy polling data.

I just needed to post something so I could get that little pencil editor thingy to show and get rid of the unsightly Blogger navbar (the one you don´t see now cuz I got rid of it).