While I’m forever grateful for the experiences I had traveling in the 80s and 90s, I don’t miss the actual act of traveling one bit, especially since the demise of PanAm business class. That said, I’m definitely having a bit of travel envy this morning based on this:

MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.  [via Towleroad]

Good Op-Ed in the Los Angeles Times [via Towleroad] on the experience of ten years of marriage equality in the Netherlands.

Civilization as we know it did not end. And, as far as I can tell, God did not punish the Netherlands.

With their 1400 same-sex marriages per year for ten years, they’re almost up to the 18,000 that were performed in California in 2008, our own included. Hopefully California will still be around in seven years as well.

Just a little something I saw and had to share.  Love to do some philosophical thing about how words can hurt, and words turned loose in the abstract can have unintended consequences, but it’s too early and I need more coffee, so I’ll let the video stand on it’s own.  More or less.

[via Andy Towle]

All kinds of things  running through my mind as I watch this.  Musings on how much of photography is being in the right place and the right time.  Recollections of kayaking out and snorkeling with the seals and sea lions and otters in Monterey Bay. Amazement at the shots Paul Nicklen got on this adventure.  And a bit of reconsideration about what was going on in Pongo’s mind when he’d bring me live geckos when we still lived in Togo.  Did he really think I was “useless” when I didn’t know what to do with his gift?

[via Towleroad]

Generally I think the civil rights movement (particularly the gay one) is in kind of a kumbaya coma, led by a group of lobbyists afraid that confrontration will upset their cocktail plans, and too happy to protest at friendly buildings because the consequences elsewhere might not be quite civilized.  *holds pinky in air*  Then I see signs of life, and have hope.  Whoever you are, thank you.