Error message

Deprecated function: Array and string offset access syntax with curly braces is deprecated in include_once() (line 20 of /home/caucusni/public_html/includes/file.phar.inc).

Diaries

Open Thread - Wednesday September 16, 2015

Submitted by gulfgal98 on Wed, 09/16/2015 - 7:00am

Attributed to Benjamin Franklin:

In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.

At the rate we are going, we could add in US hegemony

It's hard to fight against taxes, and no one ever gets out of life alive. All my life I have been very fortunate. My health has been good. I am not rich, but I am secure. I live most of the year in a beautiful place. Compared to most people, my life is good and it is stable.

Time to lobby for transgender rights in Massachusetts

Submitted by Robyn on Tue, 09/15/2015 - 1:35pm

More than 50 businesses, including Google, Harvard Pilgrim Health, and Eastern Bank, as well as the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, the Massachusetts Hospital Association, and the YWCA of Boston have thrown their support behind a bill aimed at protecting transgender people from discrimination in public accommodations.

On the opposing side are Governor Charlie Baker and the Massachusetts Family Institute.

In 2011 the Massachusetts legislature passed a bill protecting transgender people from discimination in housing, employment, and credit and added gender identity to the state's hate crimes law.

Though hailed at the time as a "major victory," it was not a total success.

The bill did not include language to protect transgender people in public accommodations, which advocates had sought. They will continue to fight to expand transgender protections to include public accommodations, such as hotels, restaurants, and clubs, she said. Opponents had decried those proposals as “the bathroom bill,’’ arguing that they would enable biological men to demand access to women’s restrooms and locker rooms.

Anti-discrimination protection in public accommodations was just perceived as going a bridge too far.

Monday Morning Open Thread

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Mon, 09/14/2015 - 7:00am

Hey, good Morning. This Monday Morning Open Thread is due to be published by 6:00 am Pacitic Time. Johnny says it must be up by 5:00 am Pacific time to meet that deadline (the server must be running Windows). Hence, it is being drafted and queued Sunday evening and I will show up as soon as I get up and get going. (As a retiree, I have a lot of flexibility in that regard.)

About My Silence

Submitted by JtC on Sun, 09/13/2015 - 4:03pm

I've long wrestled with myself ever since the inception of this blog as to whether I should voice my opinions about certain subjects. I've mostly stayed silent about many things not wanting to taint the discussions and believe me I have written several acerbic screeds only to delete them after second thoughts. I feel it's best that I as the founder and admin stay as neutral as possible.

Pages