Ferrini Roper boots — Ostrich skin, S-toe
I got my new boots over at Langston’s in Stockyards City. Definitely am enjoying so far. Super comfortable and they look pretty sharp. I definitely will be wearing them from now on when I have to go to court.
365gay.com: Venezuela Moves To Protect Gays In New Constitution
(Caracas) Venezuela may become the first nation in South America to constitutionally protect its citizens on the basis of sexuality.
The government has been examining a call by President Hugo Chavez’s plan to rewrite the country’s constitution.
The Chavez-controlled National Assembly this week approved amendments that would add sexual orientation to the categories protected under human rights. The issue had already received the OK of various committees, signaling the measure was likely to gain approval of the Assembly.
Among those speaking passionately in favor of the measure was Rep. Iris Varela from the state of Tachira.
The section of the proposed constitution also would include a ban on discrimination on the basis of race, religion, age and health condition.
The new constitution would lower the age at which people can vote to 16 from the current age of 18.
Chavez, who has come under fire from the US for his friendship with Cuban President Fidel Castro and his support for Iran, wants to constitution amended to end term limits, effectively allowing him to continue as president for an indefinite period of time.
The draft constitution must still be approved by the electorate.
Very encouraging news. The Gay rights measure is a good thing (something that Cuba only recently has begun to embrace, but not to the extent of putting it in the Constituition), but I am pleasantly surprised by the provision to allow 16-17 year olds to vote.
As a young person I was frustrated by the fact I couldn’t vote, and in hindsight I think my youthful ideals were right. Like many 16 year olds, I was working and paying taxes, as well as pursuing an education. I should have had a voice in how my taxes were spent and certainly should have a voice in educational policy (ok, hat was extremely idealistic and almost comical given the context of my life as student back then. I have many fond memories of high school, but not of the way schools are run. The typical Oklahoma high school has more in common with fascist dictatorship than any kind of true and free educational experience, and my high school was no exception… probably the best point being that you can’t beat adult prisoners with pieces of wood but you can do it legally to high school students. That is jacked up.)
Anyway I think 16-17 years old should be able to vote and I’m proud of Venezuela for taking this step.
Beeradvocate.com: Top 10 Hefeweizen list
I’m tickled pink to see this but am not surprised. I’ve been enjoying LO Hefe for years (in more recent years, only on trips as Live Oak only sells beer in kegs to bars — most of the time I drank this beer on the patio at the Dog and Duck Pub), and must say it is a glorious mouthfull of flavor. Here’s my own review of the beer that is published on Beeradvocate.com…
overall: 4.65
appearance: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | mouthfeel: 4 | drinkability: 4.5Hands down this is my favorite Heffeweizen. I’ve drank it for years (since the late 90’s when I lived in Austin), but on this visit I thought I would give it an attempt an unbiased review.
Pint served with a slice of lemon (which really makes this beer shine)
Bright heffeweizen color (golden yellowish color, but brighter than say Boulevard’s Heffeweizen). I really liked the color if this beer but on the negative there was almost no head.
The flavor is complex and satisfying. Some citrus notes (probably some of this is from the lemon) with faint banana notes (in the past, the banana notes were stronger I think). The wheat malt also definitely stands out. Also there are some faint spices (think a toned down version of the cloves of Aventinus)
The aroma is fantastic. It definitely grabs you from first whiff. Mouthfeel is good with a fair bit of natural carbonation.
An excellent beer for summer drinking.
[ serving type: on-tap ]
A.J. Jacobs has always been intrigued by religion and, after he became a new father, wondered if he was missing anything. So, for a full year, the ?Esquire? magazine editor-at-large followed the mandates of the Bible as closely as possible and wrote it about it in a new book, ?The Year of Living Biblically: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible.?
I’m very interested to read his book, particularly since he’s chosen to live 8 months according to the literal reading of the Hebrew scriptures and 4 months living according to a literal reading of the New Testament.
My own belief that any so-called “literal” interpretation of scripture is a business of picking and choosing. The Bible if taken literally contradicts itself, quite often, so you have to read it intelligently and prayerfully to get any good out of it. Because of my own leanings, I tend to read scripture from a Jesus-centered interpretation; I read scripture through the eyes of Jesus’ basic teachings in the Sermon on the Mount and place other texts as being less significant than these.
I know my old professors at Austin Grad (then the Institute for Christian Studies) would be troubled by my approach, but to me it seems more coherent and feels better to me. And I’m now at a place in my journey that I feel ok with choosing my own path despite what others might say.