So, it’s been a shit of a week, and it’s not over yet. Amongst all the horror and sadness and stupidity, I offer you a moment of pure joy.
In New Zealand the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill, introduced by Labour Party MP Louisa Wall (the lovely Māori woman in the rainbow coat) passed with 77 votes to 44. On receiving Royal Assent from the Governor-General, the bill will become law and same-sex marriages will be available in New Zealand from mid-August.
When the bill was passed, this happened:
Kia ora to all my Kiwi friends (particularly the lady in the fabulous hat).
Pōkarekare ana, ngā wai o Rotorua
Whiti atu koe hine, marino ana e
E hine e, hoki mai ra, ka mate ahau i te aroha e.
Tuhituhi taku reta, tuku atu taku rīni
Kia kite tō iwi, raruraru ana e.
E hine e, hoki mai ra, ka mate ahau i te aroha e.
Whatiwhati taku pene, kua pau aku pepa
Ko taku aroha, mau tonu ana e.
E hine e, hoki mai ra, ka mate ahau i te aroha e.
E kore te aroha, e maroke i te rā
Mākūkū tonu i aku roimata e.
E hine e, hoki mai ra, ka mate ahau i te aroha e.
The waves are breaking, against the shores of Rotorua,
My heart is aching for your return my love.
Oh my beloved girl, come back to me, I could die of love for you.
I have written you a letter, and enclosed with it my ring,
So your people could see it how much I’m troubled for you.
Oh my beloved girl, come back to me, I could die of love for you.
My poor pen is broken, my paper is spent,
But my love for you endures, and remains forever more.
Oh my beloved girl, come back to me, I could die of love for you.
The sun’s hot sheen won’t scorch my love,
Being kept evergreen by the falling of my tears.
Oh girl, Come back to me, I could die of love for you.
scav
to which I’ll add This Rainbow across my electorate.
Omnes Omnibus
@scav: Awesome.
Baud
Even the orcs are happy. Yay NZ.
quannlace
Yay! Now Merry and Pippin can finally make it official.
*********
Seriously, good on New Zealand.
Alexandra
Thank you, Miss Sarah Proud and Tall. We used to sing Pōkarekare ana at school when we were little. Not exactly sure how this London-based Kiwi came to lurk and occasionally post here, but I blame Sully and Tunch, I guess.
In case anyone is curious, from some reading of NZ politics sites over the past few days, Kiwi religious wingers are just as crazy as yours, although they’ve more or less given up on the abortion fight and aren’t so keen on guns. Their angst seems to be more about blaming natural disasters like last summer’s drought and the Christchurch earthquake on teh gays.
eemom
@Omnes Omnibus:
Well?
Omnes Omnibus
‘Twas indeed an impressive hat.
James E. Powell
“Unlock the doors!”
Indeed.
lojasmo
Great news! So France, Uruguay, and NZ this month? I think?
Omnes Omnibus
@eemom: Tentative offer for an ALJ job. Subject to reference check and paperwork. Salary offer well above expectations – was hoping for upper half of the range for the position and got just under the max. “‘O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!’ He chortled in his joy.”
Yutsano
@Alexandra: A friend of mine from college met and married a Kiwi. She made sure her kids are dualies so they can visit the grandparents with no issues. So sometimes it’s about love. Not that other circumstances don’t come into play. Oh and she made sure I knew it passed. I of course got to brag that Washington got there first. Now for a progressive tax system and single payer…
Baud
@Omnes Omnibus:
Cool. I assume you did NOT tell them you were a regular commenter on Balloon Juice.
Omnes Omnibus
@Baud: Oh fuck no. I want the position.
ETA: And I didn’t use any of you depraved preverts as references either.
MikeJ
It’s nice that even people who slave in the shoe polish mines can get married.
Yutsano
@Omnes Omnibus: WOOT!! I’ll send wifey to dhare beer and brats in celebration!!
Baud
@Yutsano:
What’s going on with your job hunt?
Ben Franklin
SNARKFESTIVUS !!!!!!!!!!!
Splitting Image
@lojasmo:
And Ireland (!) announced that they are going to do it by referendum later this year. Support is currently around 75%. (!!)
quannlace
And the dominoes keep falling
Robert
I’m in tears here. That was beautiful.
Alexandra
@Yutsano:
Having dual nationality is handy. I’ve spend over half my life outside of NZ now and am not sure about when or if I could ever return for good.
However, I was there in the mid-80s when the homosexual law reform act was passed. I remember incredibly discreet gay clubs in Wellington that had peepholes in the entrance doors. The fundamentalists tried to block it with a rigged petition with faked signatures, but failed. Heh.
New Zealand’s politics is quite interesting as they out-did both Thatcher and Reagan with union-busting, deregulation and so on in the mid-80s and far swifter, too. And what’s worse, a Labour goverment started it. Many chickens from those days are now coming home to roost.
eemom
@Omnes Omnibus:
Awesome sauce! Congrats!
You shall be quite irresistible in a black robe, I am sure.
May one inquire as to the administrative subject matter?
Omnes Omnibus
@eemom: The hearings won’t be that formal. It is one of my few disappointment with the gig.
ETA: Unemployment ins.
Mnemosyne
@Splitting Image:
Ireland seems to have gotten to the same point with the Catholic Church that Molly Ivins said she got to about a slightly different topic: “Once you figure out they’re lying to you about race, you start to wonder what else they’re lying to you about.”
Phoenician in a time of Romans
Maurice Williamson’s speech is also worth watching – http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/williamson-s-big-gay-rainbow-speech-makes-world-headlines-5410324
Note that NZ is a Parliamentary system. That means that as a matter of routine, parties are far more disciplined than in the US – a MP voting against their party line can and has bought down a government. the Prime Minister is NOT a President; he or she derives their position from controlling Parliament not from a separate election.
This also means that as a safety valve, some issues are declared “matters of conscience” and MPs are free to vote as they will WITHOUT party politics. This covers gay marriage, of course.
Williamson is in the National Party, which passes for the centre-right here (making him something like a flaming lefty Democrat to the US, of course).
I’m not only glad the Bill passed for the sake of those affected, I’m also glad it passed to correct the stupidity of giving gays equal marriage rights but being too cowardly to call it that, resorting to “civil unions” instead.
As Williamson says, it’s not going to affect me one iota if gays can get married – so why on Earth would I want to stop them from seeking their own happiness? I’m going to get married to a pretty conservative Christian woman in September – and she was busy castigating other Christians on Facebook for opposing the gay marriage Bill. That’s my girl!
Phoenician in a time of Romans
@MikeJ:
It’s nice that even people who slave in the shoe polish mines can get married.
Dude, we’re an agricultural nation. That’s real farmed Kiwi birds you’re spreading on your shoes…
Splitting Image
I also noticed a report on TPM about some transgendered folks running for office in Pakistan. The arc of history is long, etc.
Link
Omnes Omnibus
@Phoenician in a time of Romans: Don’t make us start with the sheep jokes.
Calming Influence
OMFuckingG. Some Fucking Idiot on CNN just suggested that the ease with which the suspects in the video where seen carrying their packs, They Might Be Soldiers. That’s right, you need military experience to sling a daypack loaded with heavy stuff over your shoulder that way. Well, unless you load your daypack with books.
But at least Boston isn’t a college town.
hamletta
@Robert: Inorite! I watched it last night and got all weepy. It was beautiful.
Yutsano
@Omnes Omnibus: Mmm…baby sheepses…
Soonergrunt
@Omnes Omnibus: That is awesome news! Congratulations!
MikeJ
@Calming Influence:
Open these side by side:
Suspect two
Possible match?
Omnes Omnibus
@hamletta: I don’t cry except during Green Bay Super Bowl victories, but there was a lump in my throat when I watched that.
ranchandsyrup
@Omnes Omnibus: Hence the martinis you referenced in another thread, I suppose. Awesome!
Omnes Omnibus
@Soonergrunt: Thanks. Process got held up by budget crap here. I had sort of figured it was not going to happen and then it did. Tentatively (knock on wood).
@ranchandsyrup: Thanks. Yes, I am bit celebraty tonight.
Soonergrunt
@Omnes Omnibus: So what pay scale does an Admin Judge work on?
And there’s no reason you couldn’t wear your own robes to court. May I suggest a nice terry cloth blue with matching slippers?
Yutsano
@Omnes Omnibus: Speaking of certain socialist football teams, there’s a certain young very wealthy linebacker you have there…
ranchandsyrup
Loved these quotes from a conservative MP in NZ about the passage:
Suffern ACE
@Yutsano: you left out “sometimes injured” .
Omnes Omnibus
@Soonergrunt: State gig. It is the same band with all lawyers in state service. I ain’t going to be rich, but it’s decent.
@Yutsano: Holy cow! I hadn’t seen that what with other distractions.
MomSense
That was beautiful! Thank you so much. Just what I needed today.
Schlemizel
gaw damn that was beautiful. Thanks to those fine folks
dewzke
The dude in the first row third left column won’t leave his seat and leaves like the jerk he is later. What an…ah fuck it. He can shuffle off into the dustbin of history!
PsiFighter37
I have to say, if you look at the U.S. compared to some other countries, we’re a lot more advanced on social issues. But on other shit (namely, a lot of the religious stuff), we’re pretty backwards – and we’re not even as religious as some other countries that are passing more socially liberal legislation.
Anyways, congrats to New Zealand to doing the right thing. Seems like N.Y. will remain the only state where a Republican-led legislative body voted for SSM for a while.
PF37 +1.5 glasses of white wine from somewhere in Santa Barbara
Elizabelle
Ready for some happy news. Thank you, Sarah.
Beautiful lyrics, too.
NOW: doesn’t the paler of the Boston suspects look a bit like Gilligan, off his island?
bemused
@MikeJ:
Hilarious. It would be irresponsible…..
Elizabelle
@PsiFighter37:
Wine from somewhere in Santa Barbara.
In honor of Jonathan Winters, who lived near there (if memory serves).
Did we EVER get a thread on him? Alack!
Omnes Omnibus
@Elizabelle:
No, I don’t think so.
MikeJ
@bemused: He does live in Boston after all…
PsiFighter37
@Elizabelle: @Omnes Omnibus: I totally miss what this is in reference to, please educate me.
raven
@Omnes Omnibus: No thread on the bombers either. Who wants yesterday’s papers, nobody in the world.
raven
@PsiFighter37: Jonathon Winters.
Yutsano
@Suffern ACE: He’s a football player. Injuries are a part of life for every player, it’s just a matter of severity and how much it limits his play.
raven
Jonathan WInters explains why we should pay taxes
“Even businessmen, that rob and steal and cheat from people every day have to pay taxes!”
Omnes Omnibus
@raven: BTW I think Between the Buttons is a way underrated album.
raven
@Omnes Omnibus: Oh yea.
burnspbesq
@Omnes Omnibus:
Hurt, my feelings are.
Seriously, congrats.
Chris
@PsiFighter37:
The problem is that we leave so much of this shit up to the individual states. So, for example, Massachusetts may have been far ahead of France on gay marriage, but Alabama will most certainly be far behind it.
Omnes Omnibus
@burnspbesq: Thanks.
Yutsano
@burnspbesq: I got a sternly worded letter from one of your colleagues today. Well actually it was a fax, but y’know, same principle. Basically I pissed him off because I didn’t jump when he snapped his fingers and he just expected me to lay down and bend to his will. Yeah, isn’t gonna happen.
beltane
@Chris: With regards to women’s reproductive health, parts of the US aren’t so great. It is interesting that Ireland will legalize same-sex marriage but is reluctant to allow abortion even to save the life of the mother.
burnspbesq
So, Brittney Griner is now officially out. I certainly understand why she waited until Waco, Texas was in the rear-view mirror before making a sort-of-formal announcement.
BethanyAnne
Hahaha https://twitter.com/fivethirtyeight/status/325048229093842944
burnspbesq
@Yutsano:
Don’t pay it no mind. Eighty percent of that was for the benefit of the client, so the lawyer is perceived as “fighting hard.” Competent lawyers who do collection related work on a regular basis know what is and isn’t possible, and will get the client in line eventually.
I’ve spent the last year listening to one particular client moan about the unfairness of people who had undisclosed accounts at UBS getting singled out, while other flavors of cheating go largely unpunished. I finally got tired of it, and sent her an Excel file comparing the deal she was getting to the worst-case scenario if she didn’t take the deal, litigated, and lost.
trollhattan
@Omnes Omnibus:
Uh, counselor, isn’t “depraved pervert” redundant, or are there several kinds and if there are, how many are represented here, weekdays?
Anyhoo, congrats!
Omnes Omnibus
@trollhattan: I was making sure I covered the bases.
raven
@Omnes Omnibus: In Mad town?
Omnes Omnibus
@raven: Yep. I’ve wanted to get into this job for a while now. It looks like it is finally working out.
raven
@Omnes Omnibus: Great! Well deserved I’m sure.
eta Our addition was approved by Historic Preservation last night and the bride goes under the knife bright and early. Joint is jumpin.
Yutsano
@burnspbesq: It also had to do with where his client’s case was resolved (Appeals) and where they are now (Collections). Plus the balance was way above what was set up in Appeals, so the attorney was just trying to not do the work and expected I would play along. Trust me, I laughed my ass off about it, mostly because I was right and he knows it.
Chris
@beltane:
Mirroring the way our views of gay marriage have swung very quickly, but the abortion issue’s been languishing for decades and probably isn’t going anywhere.
I suspect the argument that abortion ends a human life makes a much bigger impression than any argument they’ve ever thrown against gay marriage, where most people just go “who gives a shit? It literally affects nobody except the two consenting adults.”
Omnes Omnibus
@raven: Thanks.
ETA: Good thoughts for Mrs. Raven.
beltane
@Chris: Makes me think of the John Lennon song about women being the N-word of the world.
Elizabelle
@raven:
Wishing the bride smooth and successful surgery, and a good outcome.
Nurse Bodhi is ready to serve.
raven
@Omnes Omnibus: Thanks, she’s tough.
raven
@Elizabelle: Even though I work from home I took Friday and Monday off to make sure I’m on the case.
Mnemosyne
@raven:
Congratulations on #1 and good luck on #2. I don’t know if your princess has had opiates before (or if they’re even going to give her any) but Vicodin can have some not-fun side effects for some people. If she starts throwing up within a day or two, it could be the Vicodin.
ETA: I know, people are probably tired of my Vicodin story, but so far it’s the only surgery I’ve had (and, with luck, it’ll be the only one).
PsiFighter37
So I don’t forget my regular pimping schedule, are there any Angelenos down for a meetup in 3 weeks? I will be out visiting some family and friends for a quick Left Coast swing and would enjoy seeing anyone out there. Hit me at [email protected] if you’re interested. I think we have a party of 5-6 so far!
raven
@Mnemosyne: K, we’ve gotten a pretty good rundown on what to expect but I’m going to be right here so we’ll remain ever vigilant.
Yutsano
@raven: Just peaking from my personal experience, it was a wonderful feeling when it was all done. I had a morphine pump for a couple days before they graduated me to Percocet and got me upright. And hoo boy did I go upright! I hope all goes well, and don’t be surprised if the docs tell you they had to do more than they expected. That was true in my case.
Omnes Omnibus
@efgoldman: Yuts is Fed. I’ll be state. And I won’t be anywhere near tax stuff.
raven
@Mnemosyne: Every bit of information helps. I never liked those kinds of drugs until I had a particularly nasty surgery and they really did the trick.
JPL
@Omnes Omnibus: Fantastic news! If you ever need advice, call Tunch.
raven
@Yutsano: Funny, when I had my knee scoped the dude said “Oh, it wasn’t as bad as we thought”!
Omnes Omnibus
@JPL: And bring sushi-grade tuna.
JPL
@raven: Where is she having the surgery? I hoping for a quick recovery.
raven
@JPL: Where on her body or where which hospital? Lumbar Microdiscectomy here in the Classic City. Female neuro with a good rep.
Baud
@Omnes Omnibus:
This video is for you, Omnes.
Richard Shindledecker
Kia Ora to all!
Omnes Omnibus
@Baud: One begins to regret mentioning it.
lojasmo
@Omnes Omnibus:
That’s great news!
Omnes Omnibus
@efgoldman: I won’t get a robe. I won’t have a clerk. It isn’t that high up the ladder. It just gets a cool sounding title.
Baud
@Omnes Omnibus:
You will, however, get to hold our trolls in contempt, right?
Omnes Omnibus
@Baud: That won’t change.
JPL
@raven: That’s convenient. I didn’t know if you had to drive to Atlanta.
Ivy
@Omnes Omnibus: technically, a fascinator.
raven
@JPL: We thought about Emory, their pods did my busted back 40 years ago!
Omnes Omnibus
@efgoldman: Well, if I had a robe, pants would be optional. As it is, it will be a suit every day that I have hearings.
raven
@Omnes Omnibus:
Rufus T. Firefly: Gentlemen, Chicolini here may talk like an idiot, and look like an idiot, but don’t let that fool you: he really is an idiot. I implore you, send him back to his father and brothers, who are waiting for him with open arms in the penitentiary. I suggest that we give him ten years in Leavenworth, or eleven years in Twelveworth.
Chicolini: I’ll tell you what I’ll do: I’ll take five and ten in Woolworth.
Omnes Omnibus
@Ivy: I am not au courant with millinery terms.
Sly
@Splitting Image:
This doesn’t actually surprise me all that much. While being transgendered in the subcontinent is no picnic (as it generally isn’t everywhere on the planet), particularly in Pakistan, the views on gender identity there have often confounded Western ideals. It’s fairly common for people to view transgendered folk as members of a “third sex” who play important role in certain religious rituals and rites, even among Muslims of the subcontinent.
Mr Stagger Lee
A great story, along with one of the top Women’s B-ball players, Brittney Griner coming out. That is what I don’t get, why does the GOS feels the need to report about some POS named Bill Donohue a leader of some bullshit organization, that nobody really gives a dilly ding dong about. Spouting non-sense?
Mnemosyne
@raven:
I definitely have an anomalous reaction to opiates — not only do they make me sick to my stomach, they don’t seem to do much for my pain except make me spacey enough not to care that I’m in pain. Ibuprofen does a lot more for actual pain relief.
Debbie(aussie)
Omnes, congrats on the new job.
Hope all goes well for Ms Raven. May have to have similar but in the cervical spine.Doc wants me t wait as long as i can.
ETa: learnt that beautiful song as a youngster, go NZ, (bloody Aus PM & govt).
Ben Franklin
@Omnes Omnibus:
Congrats. May you be a credit to your profession.
ruemara
@Splitting Image: That’s awesome.
And Congrats, Omnes! May Ms. Raven, um, be safe and flexible as soon as possible.
Gin & Tonic
@raven:
I may not have followed all the details, but you need Historic Preservation approval for your wife’s surgery? That doesn’t sound very, uhm, complimentary. And I thought the “does this dress make me look fat” question was hard.
Omnes Omnibus
@Gin & Tonic: Oh dear.
Ira-NY
Shots being fired on MIT campus.
Mike E
It’s the Onion’s world, we’re just living in it.
Annamal
Kind of proud of my country right now.
I mean there’s awful stuff about us as well but this, this is good.
Kia Ora New Zealand
Omnes Omnibus
@Annamal: I still think Jonah Lomu ruined the position of wing in rugby. Big, giant freak.
ETA: Good on you kiwis for this though.
Mnemosyne
Strangely, this only strengthens my conviction that New Zealand is the Canada of the South Pacific.
Annamal
@Mnemosyne:
Pretty much, we’ll even apologise if you stand on our feet.
Just replace ice hockey with rugby and maple syrup with manuka honey and there’s very little difference.