35 minutes ago

we converted our NJ Civil Union to a full legal marriage.

A judge friend of ours is performing in "White Christmas" at the Levoy Theater in Millville, NJ, and came out to the mezzanine at intermission of her last dress rehearsal to perform a quick ceremony and sign the license.

How appropriate for a gay marriage to be officiated by a woman in sequins during a musical.

No woman should ever feel they HAVE TO abort.

For too many women, there is no choice involved in ending a pregnancy. They feel they have to abort, and that feeling is understandable.

Economic issues enter into it. Many poor women can't afford the medical care involved with pregnancy and even more can't afford to properly feed and care for a child once it is born. If we work toward eliminating poverty, some of these women who really want to have a child will be economically able to and won't feel the need to abort.

Too many pregnancies come about because of poor sex education. If we teach our kids proper contraception techniques, some of these unwanted pregnancies can be prevented from happening in the first place.

Other pregnancies come about not because of ignorance but because of a lack of effective birth control. Making contraception available to everyone who wants it without undue expense or social stigma will prevent more of these unwanted pregnancies in the first place.

The choice to end a pregnancy needs to be that: A CHOICE, and not one a woman ever feels pressured into. When we say we want abortion to be safe, legal, and rare, we are talking about the NEED for abortion, not the CHOICE.

What's up with Obenshein?

Why is that wacko out in front in the VA AG race?

Confession: Buono was the only Democrat I voted for today.

We're through the looking glass here in CUmberland County. The county committee has been taken over by raging homophobes and nominated an Evangelical preacher for the Freeholder board. We also had an allegedly Democratic State Senator (Jeff van Drew) send out a mailing last week proudly announcing that he had been endorsed by the National Organization for Marriage!

Meanwhile, the Republican slate in our county ENDORSED gay marriage.

As a result, I voted Democratic at the top of the ticket, but decided to vote for the people who weren't trying to take away my civil rights downticket.

I kept very quiet about all this here on DU while the election was underway, but now there's no need to hide it any longer.

Now I start the hard work of taking back our local party from these people.

A Halloween alternative to candy

Over the past five years we've become the "cool" house in our neighborhood. Why? Because we don't give candy.

We give comic books.

Every year, a number of publishers put out special Halloween mini-comics from their lines. They sell packs of 20 for $5.00 each, and most comic stores offer discounts for advance orders. This year we got 400 books for $80.00, about what we would have paid for candy for a similar crowd.

Comic books encourage reading, can be traded from one sibling to another, and last a lot longer than a little bite-size candy bar.

So if you're concerned about giving candy to kids on Halloween, find a comic shop near you and look into the better alternative.

Question about Federal Emergency Unemployment Benefits

I had enough weeks worked to get state unemployment benefits, but just got turned down for a Federal Tier I extension because I didn't have 20 weeks in a "base year."

I worked more than 20 weeks total, which qualified me the first time, but because my time worked straddled the end of one calendar year and the beginning of the next (2012 into 2013) they turned me down.

Do I have a chance of winning on appeal?

Young women, are you upset you'll have to pay for Viagra

and prostate exams when you buy insurance?

Just curious, since you seem to be using insurance to spread your misandry here on DU today.

Your WTF video of the day

NJ marriage license application: print at home

A few municipalities are refusing to issue licenses by lying and saying they were not sent the proper form from the State.

Here is the application you can download and print at home to bring with you just in case.

http://www.state.nj.us/health/forms/reg-77.pdf