Graeme

Wow! There was so much in there that I might've known intellectually, but to actually hear it from someone going through it...that made such a difference. Thank you!

Thanks, Mike, but I think another short story on the subject should also be mentioned, mainly because it looks like I got it so wrong.... http://www.awesomedude.com/graeme/short_stories/family_first.htm

I've just stumbled across this article in the Washington Post about a same-sex marriage that was performed in Colorado, back in 1975.

That's more just New Zealand. They have an Accident Compensation Commission that pays out for all accidents. Thus there's less incentive to try pointing fingers to get money. Instead, fingers are pointed to try to prevent the same sort of accident again. In other words, looking at what happened for the right reason, not just to save/make money. Australia doesn't have the same. There are schemes in place for compensation for work-related injuries and vehicle-related injuries, but nothing global like New Zealand has.

Intriguing I will say that when my son broke a bone in the school yard, I didn't even think of suing the school he goes to. It was just one of those things that happens.

From the context, "divs" are clearly people in authority or influence. My best guess is that it's something to do with the word "divisional", a hierarchical term, though it's equally possible it's some sort of derogative term with a much cruder root meaning. EDIT TO ADD: It might be derived from UK prison slang and means someone who displays stupidity: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=div

As I said, I found it more amusing than anything else. From my point of view, besides the obviously deranged rant objections, the ones I found interesting were two books I remember were assigned reading when I was back in school: Of Mice and Men, and Brave New World. I think whoever nominated these would probably have found something to object to in almost every book on the texts list for English when I was growing up. My teacher was good -- she knew I had a strong interest in science fiction and there was one such book on the list, so she was going to assign it...until she told me what it was and I told her I had already read it and didn't like it. I'd probably like it now, but at that age I wasn't adventure and excitement, and that book was more a study in culture, which my 15-year-old self found boring....

From the American Library Association: http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10 It's currently showing the top ten most challenged books for up each year upto 2014. I think the lists are more amusing than saying anything important. The number of challenges each year is listed, and it's only around 500 a year. For a nation with the population of the USA, that shows that most people aren't concerned.

In Australia (generally -- some regional variations): Bonnet or Hood Boot Truck

Interesting Australians tend to use frontyard/backyard the same as the Americans, even though there are a lot of other phrases that we derive from the British. Often, we use the equivalent phrases from both nations interchangeably (both "at the moment" and "just now" could be used by an Australia without a strong preference for one over the other). Anyway, part II of the commentary is now online. It completes the story up to the current point, and then looks at the lessons from similar cases in the past: http://www.scotusblog.com/2015/04/commentary-the-supreme-court-and-marriage-for-same-sex-couples-part-ii/

With the upcoming oral arguments before the Supreme Court later this month, the SCOTUSBlog has been posting a number of article. They've just posted part I of an interesting article on the history of same-sex marriage in the USA. The writer shows an obvious political bias, but despite that it's easy to read and fascinating as to the evolution of the social debate over the last few decades.

Good luck with the work!

I got the message. I just wasn't sure if the way the message was delivered was funny. Amusing, I suppose, but I thought it was borderline as to whether it crossed the line from funny into stupid. I do know that that line is a very personal thing, though. I thought Seinfield generally crossed that line, but I knew a lot of people who disagreed.

Wow, that was nice! Thanks, Dude, for giving us the link.

Be careful with the praise, guys. I remember Arthur C Clarke being told that one particular short story of his was his best, and that made him rather depressed as it was the first one he ever wrote. To him, that's saying he had been going downhill ever since.... I don't believe Cole has been going downhill since his third novel All his stories are different and unique, and trying to put them into some sort of hierarchy is a waste of time.

Revenge is sweet. Revenge is a dish best served cold. Revenge is ice-cream!

Not really sure what to make of this... Gay killers tie the know behind bars in Britain's first known same-sex wedding I think the families of the victims are wrong to say they should've had a say in whether the two guys could get married, but I'll admit that it's a little unsettling that they've both in prison for murder -- one of them explicitly for murdering a gay guy (the article doesn't state much about the other murderer, but the subtitle indicates his was also a homophobic attack). I know we all talk about self-hatred driving some homophobia, but still....

I agree. I think the weight of evidence leans towards the authors who object to the app, but it's certainly not black-and-white. In my case, I think the fact that the app really isn't effective is enough for me to not approve of it.

And that's the argument from the app developers that they're not in breech of copyright. They're not changing the story -- they're allowing the reader to change the display of the story if they want. From an abstract point of view, it's the reverse of all those students that take a highlight marker to a book. Instead of highlighting words/phrases, they're either masking those words/phrases or, if desired, sticking a piece of paper over the top of those words/phrases with an alternate. It would depend on the text of the copyright laws, but browsers that allow font sizes to be changed (ie. all modern browsers) may be in breech under a a strict reading, since they're altering the story. After all, large-text versions of books are sold separately -- shouldn't large-text versions of eBooks also be sold separately (playing Devil's Advocate -- I certainly wouldn't want this to happen). As I said in my earlier post, I understand what the app developers were trying to do. I just don't think it can work without the support of the authors.

NSW politicians popping up on Grindr It's amazing what can happen during an election campaign. Maybe this will catch on, and we'll see lots of USA politicians also using Grindr

It looks to me like a couple who had what they thought was a good idea (and it might be for their family), but didn't really think about the bigger consequences. As an analogy, I would love to buy the movie Pride to watch with my family, but there are two scenes that I just feel are (currently) inappropriate for my kids (that will change as they get older). Neither of those two scenes were, in my opinion, necessary for the story (in one case the basic scene was fine and needed but it showed details that were unnecessary for the plot that I'm not comfortable with my boys seeing it until they're older). If I could have a version of the movie without those two scenes (or have those two scenes modified), I'd take it, and then get the 'original' later on when the boys are older. I see this app in that light. It's not for adults (any adult who wants it is, in my opinion, being deceitful with themselves), but for parents who want some control over what their kids read. As such, from what I've read about it, it's a complete failure -- and I suspect any attempt to do a better version would also be an abject failure. As the authors have said, it's just not possible to extract out words and phrases from a story without damaging that story. The only way it can legitimately be done if is the author cooperates to produce an appropriate version (analogous to a modified movie being produced to meet a particular market, such as airlines, or countries with different classification criteria). That's not what's happening here, and that's why the app is a failure.

My first thought was that this was part of the Melbourne Comedy Festival, but I was wrong. This is a regular charity-fundraiser that's been going for five years now. http://www.twistedbroadway.com.au/melbourne.html

Point e) is probably unconstitutional, too, since it's violates separate of powers between the three branches of government.

Arrghh.... I meant to type "wasn't laboured"....

One of the things that lifts this story out of the ordinary is simply the subject matter. Writing the story from the point of view of someone with profound hearing loss is a major challenge. You've managed to pull it off extremely well -- he only knew what other people were saying when there was someone there to interpret. Similarly for the communication problems when he wanted to say something to someone else. The point was laboured, but it was there and was a key part of the story.