Ames, Iowa To Be Included In New Book

Not just any book, either. It's a coffee-table edition of The Daily Dish feature, "The View From Your Window." Andrew Sullivan and company have been collecting reader submissions over the past few months, and put them together into a book. What's unique about the process is how they were able to cut down the cost:

How did we get the price down by half? We did it the way publishing houses do it - with a twist. We didn't guess the demand or market test it, we simply asked for pledges. We crowd-sourced the price. We got enough pledges to do a print run of 2,000 which brought the price down to $16.25. But unlike the publishing houses, we're not pocketing the difference. We're handing it over to you in a lower price. Blurb will make some money - they're a business, after all, and they're doing the heavy lifting - but apart from that, you are merely paying for the actual materials of the book. Since the pictures are yours, and this blog is yours, that seems fair.

Of course, once those are gone, the price goes back up to $30. I've already got my copies ordered.

Iowa Gay Marriage--Good News, Bad News

From the Des Moines Register. Good news:

The overwhelming majority of Iowans - 92 percent - say gay marriage has brought no real change to their lives.

Sixty-three percent say candidates' stands on other issues will be more important in making their decisions in the 2010 elections."

Bad News:

Forty-one percent say they would vote for a ban, and 40 percent say they would vote to continue gay marriage. The rest either would not vote or say they are not sure.

The most intensity about the issue shows up among opponents. The percentage of Iowans who say they strongly oppose gay marriage (35 percent) is nearly double the percentage who say they strongly favor it (18 percent).

Promising news:

"It's really none of my business what other people do in their lives," said Curt Goodell, 38, a Johnston resident.

He identifies himself as a Republican but said he worries his party will try to make marriage a key issue in coming elections. "I don't have any judgment toward people who want to get married: gays, straight or whatever," Goodell said.

John Smith, 50, a Republican from Clarinda, opposes gay marriage because of religious reasons, but he supports civil unions.

"I'm going to nursing school now, and part of the nursing code is to be nonjudgmental," Smith said. "In hospitals, if a same-sex partner couldn't visit or get information about their partner's health? I just think that's wrong."

The best news: It's not going to a vote for at least two more years, if ever. And while most people will vote on a candidate based on other issues, this one isn't unimportant, either. Let's target some of the haters and get them out of office--the process has to have two consecutive votes of the legislature before it goes to the people for a Constitutional Amendment. Cut it off at the pass.

Via Sullivan.

Motorist Arrested For Iowa Cyclist's Death.

From the Des Moines Register:

A 79-year-old Winterset man was charged this morning in the Aug. 30 hit-and run death of bicyclist Mark Grgurich in Warren County.

Paul “Jud” McKinney, 79, is charged with leaving the scene of a fatality, concealment of evidence and failure to maintain control.

If convicted of all charges he faces more than seven years in prison.

McKinney's arraignment is set for Sept. 22.

Judge Kevin Park set his bail at $10,000 cash.

McKinney’s attorney asked that he be released because of an ailing wife, poor health and is a longtime resident of Madison County.

You know, I have mixed feelings on this one. I have a loved one in a nursing home, just like McKinney. And yeah, the guy's 79 years old and throwing people in prison won't bring that cyclist back to life. Concealing evidence? Easy to point fingers when it's not YOU.

What does kinda torque me off is the $10,000 cash bail. While the attorney makes a good point that the guy's wife needs him, it's not like she's not in a care facility already. I think the bail is too low. But objectively, I'd like to know what the average bail is for a hit-and-run accident in general, and then see if the bail is consistent with that standard.

One way or another, there's a dead cyclist in the ground. We need to stop that. And we need to keep after public officials and the officers of the court that we're not going to stop demanding justice.

Via BikeIowa.com.

Norman Borlaug: RIP

The Iowa-born plant scientist died Sunday at age 95. From the WSJ:

"On the day Norman Borlaug was awarded its Peace Prize for 1970, the Nobel Committee observed of the Iowa-born plant scientist that "more than any other single person of this age, he has helped provide bread for a hungry world." The committee might have added that more than any other single person Borlaug showed that nature is no match for human ingenuity in setting the real limits to growth."

The man is responsible for stemming starvation around the globe, and deserves a statue someplace. Seriously.

Via ManicSparkle.

Maybe Hawkeyes Are OK, After All...

Well, one of them, at least.

Nate Kaeding of the San Diego Chargers has cut a "Watch Out for Bicycles" PSA. Love.



Full story here.

Ed Thomas Dead at 58

What a complete waste...

"Ed Thomas, a high school football coach who helped launch the careers of four current NFL linemen, was gunned down by a former player Wednesday morning in front of students participating in an offseason workout, authorities in Parkersburg, Iowa said."

The suspect was arrested and taken in for a psych eval the prior weekend.

I knew Ed Thomas from my days working at KLMJ in Hampton. One of my fondest memories in broadcasting was covering the Class 2A Championship game in the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls. Thomas's Aplington-Parkersburg Falsons lost to the Iowa Falls Cadets 20-13, but that in no way changes the man's legacy. I had the pleasure of talking to him on many occasions, and he always struck me as a man who was deeply committed, had great intensity, but maintained perspective in life, too. Jared DeVries, who now plays for the Lions, put it best when I interviewed him on the occasion of A-P retiring his jersey. He said Coach Thomas did a great job of raising not just great players, but great men, too.

What a waste.

Quote of the Day

"How can he equate being homosexual with being a coprofiliac?"
--Pharyngula commenter Vorvadoss from Finland, on US Representative Steve King (R-IA)

King's comment actually took place on the fucking floor of Congress. He's openly comparing homosexuality to eating shit for sexual stimulation.

Don't take my word for it...

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
Moment of Zen - List of Philias
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Economic Crisis Political Humor

*Mind Boggles*

Snow in April

I think God's smiting us for approving gay marriage...


Or, you know, not...

Marriage equality comes to Iowa

The Iowa Supreme Court has unanimously approved marriage equality for gays in Iowa. Not just civil unions, marriage. Just as it damned well should be.

There's a lot of love and hate going around the blogosphere for this state right now, but the anti-gay forces are going to have a hell of a fight on their hands. Sullivan:

"Such an amendment requires the votes of a simple majority in both the Iowa House and Iowa Senate in two consecutive sessions, followed by a passing vote of the people of Iowa.... Such a change would require approval in consecutive legislative sessions and a public vote, which means a ban would could not be put in place until at least 2012 unless lawmakers take up the issue in the next few weeks."

Which isn't going to happen; Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal put the kibbosh on that notion.

I love this state. For all its bad qualities, it really is a sensible, cordial, low-stress place to live. And we've set an example for tolerance.

Cycle Ninja blog love goes out to Mickey, Jen, JP, Kris, and all the others out there.
---
Update: Court decision summary is here (thanks, Des Moines Register). It basically said the only differences between gay couples and straight couples are their inability to procreate with each other and their sexual orientation. In other words, the standing law of Iowa marriage was discriminatory because of sexual orientation and should be thrown out. GOOD.

Charles Grassley is full of shit

No, I can't be diplomatic. Sullivan:

As Judge Judy signs off on relaxing marijuana laws, one senses a tired desperation from some:

Senator Grassley says the new policy outlined by Attorney General Eric Holder Wednesday is counterproductive because marijuana leads to use of harder drugs.

Is that all they've got to justify federal raids where state policy allows for medical pot? We're back to the gateway drug canard?

Remember, this is the same Grassley who spouted off on AIG executives falling on sabres and who also voted in favor of the Military Commissions Act of 2006. If anyone needs to be put to pasture, it's this Iowa farmer. 2010 can't get here fast enough.

Obama shovelling sandbags

Via Sullivan: