Checking mail

Outside heat experienced like pressure. Front lawn carpeted in purple jacaranda blossoms. I want to make a single panel comic:
Adult figure, looking up at a tree. "I used to be taller than you."

(no subject)

A long time had passed and now in the wake of a great burst of energy she was weary. In her yellow dress she stood upon a gantry, rotating her view to find an understanding of why this swiftly flourishing work had stalled.

Her intention still held, but here, at this point had always been less firm. Its lack of definition now stood as a stark obstacle to her continued construction and it was too significant a piece to be filled in by a place-holder. Or so she thought of it.

On her island drifting through its eternal sea of blue sky she opened herself to inspiration, raising up her arms and summoning a wind so the moment felt right. Urgent inspiration did come, but it called back to an earlier stall and, though she found it compelling, did not resolve either that previous halt or this present one. Possibly it would be useful later; in lightning she etched its representation on a nearby stone, henceforth labelled precious.

She shook herself clear and- ahhh, there. If this part of the woven wire tower were expanded... take out that prospective bit which was silly anyway, move some reluctantly discarded pieces up higher and now perhaps it works. Story in story, not quite, not really.

She smiled and reached for more pieces. This might still be fun even if it fell over.

Shadow of the Empire: Day 12

Originally published at a denizen's entertainment. You can comment here or there.

Haven't posted updates for a couple of days because while I have been writing my output has not felt substantial enough to merit posting. Have not really got enough for that so far either, but I've been doing some thinking about what to do with this story to regain momentum and the next update, while likely not coming tomorrow, is probably going to be relatively lengthy. So here's a plate-clearing update of wretched writing:

( 1078 words )

Whether this is even good news I don't know...

Reading about this news earlier today I wanted to provide some recent context, if I were to say anything about it. I couldn't think how to express that, so put it down as a matter to gather dates and details for before posting. Then there was this post from Idiot/Savant at Larvatus Prodeo which I think sums the situation up well enough:

The ACT Legislative Assembly has just passed a civil union law, amending its existing civil partnerships legislation to permit public ceremonies. There’s some history here – in 2006 and 2007 civil union laws were repeatedly vetoed by the Howard Government on the basis that allowing public ceremonies (rather than filling out a form and making a declaration in a registry office) would “mimic marriage”. The message was clear: gay couples should stay in the legislative closet, and keep out of sight (and out of mind) of decent straight folk.

The new law gives the finger to that idea, reinstating public ceremonies and establishing a seperate system of civil partnership notaries. Oddly, however, the ceremonies are limited solely to same-sex couples – ensuring same- and opposite-sex couples use different laws apparently being a cornerstone of Australian bigot politics. Even this may not be enough to avoid a federal veto – the Australian Labour Party voted just three months ago to uphold Howard’s ban on gay marriage, and Kevin Rudd personally opposes equality. its unclear yet whether there will be a veto – but given the hostility of the ALP to gay rights, I would not be surprised.

There are plenty of links in the original, and argument in the comments that the ALP can't fairly be called 'actively hostile' because in the past they made sodomy no longer criminal. That's as may be, but in the present they do seem grudgingly hostile at best.