How Do They Do That?

OK, I need to do this. This week, Judy and I got to participate in a Press Event at the Poplar Springs Inn Spa near Warrenton, VA. Which is to say, we were massaged, served hors'doevre, and given a gourmet six course meal with wine for each course. For free, in the hope that we would help spread the word about their facility. Hence this post--it's the least I can do.  I've got to say, these folks didn't stint. They're in the hospitality business, and if what we saw was any example, they're good at it.

The place is gorgeous, acres of wooded grounds, a huge fieldstone house, separate builing with the spa facility and pool. . .truly fine for getaways, corporate meetings and retreats, or just really good food.  If you ever want to treat yourself, give them a call.

http://www.poplarspringsinn.com/

Is what this default style is. Guess I'm going to have to learn to tinker with it.

Somewhat to my surprise, I have a Dreamwidth invite code available. This is them gradually building up their traffic to see what breaks, so things might break. But it's still a neat thing. Anyone interested?

The New York Times online just sent out an alert that the Vermont legislature just approved gay marriage--overriding the governer's veto. I am truly impressed. And this right after the Iowa Supreme Court struck down their same-sex marriage ban. I think maybe the tide is turning, here. The United States is becoming more civilized by the day.

It having been pointed out that silence is endorsement, I feel obliged to post the following:

I believe in gay rights and gay marriage. No harm has ever come to any person or anybody's institution of marriage by allowing loving people of the same gender to participate, and to enjoy the rights and privileges that come with that status. All efforts to interfere with the rights of gay persons to marry derive from bigotry, and must be defeated.

That is all.

Two years ago, the news came out that a high school girl in the St. Louis area committed suicide in response to an email sent by someone using a false identity. The entire affair was set up by the mother of one of the girl's school classmates.

The Missouri authorities did not prosecute, but now a federal prosecutor in Los Angeles has brought the mother to trial on hacking charges. Many people will probably be horrified at the legal twist being taken here, but I think it's time there was some way to hold individuals accountable for harm they cause on the net. It's more than speech.

Article here: http://tinyurl.com/6gkko5

Do get out and vote, everyone. And if my humble opinion means anything, I recommend voting Democratic all the way down the line. We need a fresh start. We may need another one a few years hence, but let's deal with the present first.

So. . .C-Span Radio today had on an official from Feminists for Life, because the current vice-presidential candidate is a member. They are, needless to say, a pro-life group. She spoke with some eloquence of the need to change society to make it easier to support a woman's choice to keep an unplanned child. The premise there is that women choose abortion because they are forced to by lack of resources, among many other causes. The main thrust of the interview, though, was their pride in the success of a prominent member.

I rather liked Mr. Obama's comment on the subject, that all sides to this particular debate find common ground in a desire to reduce the number of abortions performed. (Not the same thing as making it illegal).
My main complaint with the pro-life/anti-abortion movement is their lack of follow-through. Life is sacred, supposedly, but only until the moment of birth. The hungry baby, once born, is somebody else's problem. God Bless the child. Right. If life is sacred, adopt and raise a crack baby. If life is sacred, support the mother's choice by funding nationwide free childcare--operated by professionals with Civil Service status and pension rights. Yes, make it a government program funded by--wait for it--taxes! Which is to say, put your wallet where your mouth is. That way, the job will get done. And, I expect, abortion rates will plummet.

The demonstrated response of individual people of faith and goodwill is, while noble, inadequate to the task. While a few enlightened businesses provide child care, few if any cover all the costs. And most are far more interested in reducing overhead than providing child care or family leave.

So, to reiterate: try positive approaches for a change. Step up and pay for the care, feeding, and education of children in poverty. And maybe something useful will be accomplished.

Now you can get after those Shady Grove zipcars.

Recently I watched a couple of episodes of a favorite show online, as the network had announced that they would *not* be broadcast. I had to send some fan mail to the original author, who is conveniently on LJ.

She gently pointed out that this was exactly what the writer's strike is about--money is made every time somebody streams a show from a network provider. Feeling chastened, I looked around for someplace to send an offsetting contribution, some kind of penance. Remarkably, did not find anything suitable. There must be sites out on the net where honest people are collecting money to support striking writers and out-of-work production staff, but I couldn't manage to find any.

So, for me, the next-best-thing turned out to be joining the Guild itself. They have an associate membership category for wannabe writers who haven't (yet!) managed to make any real money from their writing. The only qualification necessary for this level is the ability to write a check--or at least charge $75 to a credit card. That's definitely more than I'd had in mind originally. . .but I've got to say, I feel pretty good about it.

And it's occurred to me that a considerable number of the folks on my slender friends list are guilty of fanfic, or even slash. And they link to some very large number of like minds on LJ. So guys, send this notion around. If 100 fic writers join WGA, there's several mortgage payments covered. And I'd be willing to bet there are as many as 10,000 of you out there. Ante up!