Another bit of (mini) activism

This is a bit old, but I’ll tell you the story and then give you the exciting bit.

So about a week and a half ago, I had just had an interesting lunchtime conversation with a friend about religion, science, and all the controversy in the public over different things. As he went to the bathroom, I started flipping through a copy of our school newspaper, the New University, and I saw this piece of utter ridiculousness.

Here is a sample:

Time: According to the theory of evolution, it took millions of years for mankind to figure out how to cultivate, hunt, invent the wheel, etc., and yet, in the last few hundred years alone, we’ve discovered the steam engine, the car, electricity, the computer and the safety pin? You’ve got to be kidding me.

Well, I got riled up enough to write down all the ways in which the author was wrong. I even spent the entire day looking up solid research to back my statements (something that the author never bothered to do). And I emailed my old college roommate who knows a ton about this stuff, and got his responses, which I added. And then I sent it to the opinion editor.

On Sunday, I get this email:

Thank you for your submission to the New University’s Opinion section. I would like to run your response to Jesse Nickles, but in order to, I need to know your year and major (if you are an undergraduate), or if not, your title or status with regard to the university. Please reply with that info ASAP. Thank you,

Taylor Hudson
Opinion Editor
New University

And sure enough, my letter was published in that week’s New U, along with some letters to the editor to the same effect. Way to go science!

Lots of my colleagues told me they liked the article, so I’m glad I did it.

Hopefully people who are on the fence can see that believing in evolution is not scary and bad and godless. I mean, if God can set the planets in motion, why not natural processes that generate biological diversity?

CA passes marriage equality bill

Just yesterday, the California legislature (again) passed AB 43, a bill legalizing same-sex marriage.

Schwarzenegger has already said that he would veto it like he did last time. But hopefully this can at least send a message that this is an important issue.

It seems like one of the main objections is Proposition 22, which was passed by voters in 2000 and defined marriage as between a man and a woman. Well, I don’t know if you’ve checked your calendars, but this is 2007. A lot has happened. Plus, even if a majority of voters still want to restrict marriage, since when have civil rights been determined by majority rule? Don’t minorities have rights, too?

Another argument the Republicans are using is, “As a Christian, I believe it is immoral.” But what makes *your* beliefs the ones we have to go along with? And morality and legality are separate issues — or else we would have laws telling us to go to church and punishing those who take the Lord’s name in vain.

I plan to write a letter. If you also want to do something, you can write one directly or go to Equality California’s web site. Hand-written letters carry more weight, though, so consider writing and signing yours by hand.

Do you think it’s a good idea? Bad idea? Let’s talk this one out.

UPDATE: text and photo of letter below the fold

Y’all want some craaaacck?

Oh, this is so wrong. So wrong.

Getting my computer fixed

Update on my computer: it is going to get fixed whenever I can find time to drop it off at the repair place to fix my fan.

Getting the fan replaced is frustrating because it requires the specific part (which I have) and a specialized tech person at one of a handful of companies who knows how to do it. You can’t just take it to any computer store and have them do it.

And the tech person was out sick on Thursday, went to an on-site call on Friday, and was gone over the weekend. I’m supposed to call them tomorrow, but I have class from 8 until 3:30. And from my experience last week, they don’t arrive before 8, and if I call after 3:30, they will say that they won’t have time to get to it that day. So probably I won’t be able to get it fixed until Tuesday or later, which sucks.

This update is rapidly turning into another rant.

The good news is that the computer is still usable. But I don’t want to stress it too much by keeping it on too long. I feel that the computer might not like that.

Being single

I have been single all of my life! Sort of. FWB doesn’t count.

So you would think I’d have gotten used to it by now. But still, I get these waves of despair that I have never been in love with somebody who loved me back in the same way. And also I get desperate and, I guess, one might say, slutty. Not in the sense of being promiscuous; just, thinking too seriously about men with whom it would never work out.

For example: sixteen-year-old guy I met online (Nothing is going on between us!). I am careful to keep things friendly, but I sometimes wonder if he would be interested in me. (But nothing is going on! We don’t even talk anymore! Don’t call the cops on me!)

Second example: older gay physician (mid- to late-thirties-ish) I met at a dinner for a gay and lesbian medical association. Extremely good-looking, and we had quite a conversation, and I keep wondering if we were flirting or not. Most likely he was simply being nice to me, as a mentor, and someone who graduated from my med school.

Third example: practically all of my straight male friends. Some of whom are married.

I don’t beat myself up too much for having these emotions; I am human, after all. And I’ve already been down the path of self-induced guilt, and I’m not going back there again. But it does make me wonder why it’s so hard to meet a guy who is my age, gay, and as attracted to me as I am to him.