From the BBC:

Spain’s lower house of parliament has voted in favour of allowing gay couples to marry and adopt children.

And Canada is right behind.

The Roman Catholic Church wields great influence in Spain, but the BBC’s Katya Adler in Madrid says that since the Madrid bomb attacks in March 2004, Spaniards want unity among their people more than anything.

Granted, that’s one person’s opinion, but it illustrates in sharp relief how differently our countries have reacted to terrorist attacks. Maybe they saw the US as an example of what not to do.

A few years ago the British Office for National Statistics added “Jedi Knight” as a checkbox for religion in their census. Now, in his maiden speech to the House of Commons, the Hon. Member for Copeland, Jamie Reed MP, announced that he is a Jedi. From a Parliament publication:

as the first Jedi Member of this place, I look forward to the protection under the law that will be provided to me by the Bill.

He’s referring to the controversial Incitement to Religious Hatred Bill, so my guess is that he doesn’t seriously consider himself a Jedi, but he’s just trying to make a point about the bill. Still, it would be good to see someone address Tony Blair as “the Right Honourable Darth Foppish”.

There’s a political movement in the US, called “Topfree”, that seeks to give women the same rights that men have in where and when they can go topless. A Daytona Beach woman just fought for and won the right to drop her top as a method of protest. This is a cause I can get behind (better yet, in front of). I know what you’re thinking… “You just like it because of your fondness for funbags”.

That’s a boorish assessment. I have always been a strong supporter of equal treatment for groups that have been unjustly discriminated against. It’s an uphill battle to countervail the deeply-held cultural taboos that pervade and stagnate our society, but progress is made no other way.

That, and I love boobs.

A conceptual artist started this site (http://www.rentagerman.de/) as a joke — and to gauge German attitudes towards (un)employment.

Funny, though, the joke’s on him. 5 Germans have been rented out so far. Guess I know where to go to cast my next sheisse film. Ho—-gan!!

In 2002 John Ashcroft felt that the partially nude statues in the Great Hall of the Justice Department were just too prurient for him (and therefore, the rest of the country) to take, so he had them draped in cloth. A few days ago, Alberto Gonzales ordered the drapes removed. I bet Ashcroft is bracing himself for the imminent deluge of uncontrollable statue-fuckings.

If you were thinking of buying a house, this should give you pause. From the AP article:

The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that local governments may seize people’s homes and businesses — even against their will — for private economic development.

The 5-4 ruling represented a defeat for some Connecticut residents whose homes are slated for destruction to make room for an office complex. They argued that cities have no right to take their land except for projects with a clear public use, such as roads or schools, or to revitalize blighted areas.

As a result, cities now have wide power to bulldoze residences for projects such as shopping malls and hotel complexes in order to generate tax revenue.

The Guardian has an article about an anti-hatred bill floating around the British Parliament.

The controversial bill against incitement to religious hatred would protect Satanists, pagans and atheists as well as followers of more mainstream religions, the Home Office said today.

Home Office minister Paul Goggins said the legislation, published today, would protect people against being victimised for “any religious belief or lack of belief”.

A conservative countered:

“Religion, unlike race, is a matter of personal choice and therefore appropriate for open debate,” he said. “Aggravated crimes against religious groups are already protected under existing law while this new law would technically prevent what many people may regard as reasonable criticism of devil worshippers and religious cults.”

“…as well as mainstream religions,” I would add. Comedian Rowan Atkinson warned that it would leave comedians open to prosecution for satirising religious beliefs. I have to agree with the conservatives (and Mr. Bean) on this one. This would have a chilling effect on free speech.

Republican Congressman Walter Jones, who led the important battle to rename french fries and french toast “freedom fries” and “freedom toast” in the Capitol’s cafeteria says he’s going to introduce a bill to start bringing US troops home from Iraq. From the BBC article:

I just feel that the reason of going in for weapons of mass destruction, the ability of the Iraqis to make a nuclear weapon, that’s all been proven that it was never there.

Yeah… repent, bitch!