The Ever-Superfluous Subject Line.

A good day off yesterday, as days off go. They rarely go well for me, but yesterday turned out okay. We'd sort of been planning to make another trip to the Georgia Aquarium. But it costs $8 just to park, then you half to walk a quarter of a mile to stand in line forever, and then there's the security/search hassle (because terrorists want sea otters), and all the goddamn people and the stench of the food court, and when I put it that way, we both decided it wasn't something we were up for. Instead, we left the house about 2 p.m. and spent most of the afternoon at Piedmont Park, strolling around the edges of Lake Clara Meer. Birds everywhere. All manner of ducks and ducklings, a lone Canada Goose, what must have been a young Great Blue Heron, hoardes of grackles, mockingbirds, robins, starlings, etc. A mob of tiny dinosaurs. After the park, we made a stop at the Arden's Garden on Monroe Drive. I had a wonderful concoction of pineapple, mango, and papaya juice with a shot of ginger. Then we stopped by a bead shop on Highland, because Spooky needed eyes for the Madam Terpsichore doll, but they had nothing appropriate. We came home, and I spent a couple of hours on Wikipedia articles (so much for not writing). Then, for dinner, we had a salad and slices at Fellini's in Candler Park. We spent the evening reading.

I got a sneak peak at the cover art for the paperback of Threshold yesterday, and I'm quite pleased with it. I'll post it here as soon as I get word that I can. Dancy was chosen for the cover, and the artist/photographer and his model have done an admirable job of bringing her to life.

And I see that all of us who've been hoping for a black Mac have finally gotten our wish.

For those who have not heard, Georgia's gay marriage ban was struck down yesterday as unconstitutional by a Fulton County Superior Court Judge. Of course, the Republicans are already massing for the inevitable appeal. "Our" governor, Sonny Perdue, has stated, "The people of Georgia knew exactly what they were doing when an overwhelming 76 percent voted in support of this constitutional amendment. It is sad that a single judge has chosen to reverse this decision." I want to ask Mr. Perdue what percentage of white Georgians still opposed desegregation in the late '50s and early '60s, as Georgia was finally forced to end racial segregation. The voice of the majority does not determine right and wrong, only what is momentarily legal. Hell, lately, the voice of the majority does not even determine the frelling presidency. Anyway, I do have some hope that the ruling will survive at least the first round of appeals.

Okay, I've got to try to get started on the first vignette for Sirenia Digest #6. The day's not getting any younger...

Addendum: An Inconvenient Truth

It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it. — Upton Sinclair

Thanks to moschus for reminding me of An Inconvenient Truth, which I've been meaning to mention, but have forgotten (along with lots of other things) in the mad rush of editing these last three weeks. Anyway, yes, the website's here, and I urge you to watch the trailer and add your name to the list of people pledging to see the film. It will be screening here in Atlanta on June 9th at the Tara, and I for one will be there. In my wildest dreams, I just begin to hope that the world is finally waking up, here at the eleventh hour, when even now it may be too late to turn the tide of global warming. It's time to listen to the scientists and educate yourselves and understand the science and take the fate of the planet — or at least this version of the planet, the one amenable to human life — out of the hands of politicians and corporations. I'm not an optimist, and I'm not even sure than humanity deserves another chance, but I'd still rather see mankind fighting a losing battle, if it's the right losing battle, than continuing to ignore what's happening.

Meanwhile, today is managing to be stupendously unproductive.