Catching up...

Well... Jake is still running a fever, and he wet my bed twice last night after his IV at the Dr.'s office. I don't think that child has had his temp under 100 degrees for the last 6 days, and I KNOW he hasn't had four hours of uninterupted sleep in that time, either... because neither Liz or I have had that much sleep ourselves. Because he wakes up frequently and is so unbelievably miserable, he is constantly calling out for "Mommy" (understandable... who doesn't want their Mommy when they are sick?) so she tries to sleep with him in the big bed, while I take the couch. However, she isn't sleeping in the big bed, and I'm not either on the couch.

We've seen two "physicisan's assistants" and two Doctors... and he is still looking at a solid week of steady fever, real dehydration, and text-book symptoms of sleep deprivation. The latest diagnosis was for tonsilitis (that after a call of upper respritory infection), and there is no question that his throat is the root of the problem, but the antibiotics are not having the desired impact on the problem, and we continue to battle the symptoms rather than the disease. The latest symptom to surface is a nose so full of sticky lime-green snot that the child simply cannot breathe during the night, and snores himself awake every 35 to 45 minutes.

So, that catches everyone up on our miserable existance over the last several days... let me get caught up here.

To answer Ryan's question on polygamy:

I have every bit the reservations and moral issues with polygamy that I have with gay marriage, because I feel it demeans the "natural" state of marriage (religious, spiritual or biological... take your pick). However, as Ryan pointed out, it is very difficult for me to ignore the fact that I am convinced that mandating morality via the Federal government in areas not clearly enumerated by the Constitution whether it is a same sex issue or multiple partner issue... as long as the parties involved are voluntarily seeking the arrangement and are old enough to make the decision themselves. So, the short version is YES, I feel that without a Constitutional amendment defining marriage explicitly and exclusively as "one man-one woman" polygamy is as legitimate a choice for people to make as a same-sex union would be and that the Feds don't need to be mandating against them based on the moral position of a select few among the population.

On Mr. Ejercito's comments:

Well said, sir. A very valid point, especially on the failures of the government to recognize the fundamental rights of women to vote, own land, make contracts, etc. from its very inception. We aren't alone in that, nor do I think it is the problem today that it was even 50 years ago... but it is a valid point.

My only additional comment would be that, while I agree that women have the same rights and freedoms as men in the country, there are fundamental, undeniable differences inherent in our nature that makes absolute "equality" impossible. A seperation of facilities necessitated by biological function (bathrooms, showers, even plumbing) means that true "unisex" status in government agencies are next to impossible to have. Mean average and statistical realities tell us that not all women area capable of fullfilling the roles and jobs of all men, and vice versa, so that broad, general "equality" (especially forced equality by means of regulation and legislation) are far more prone to fail then they are to succeed.

Male sailors on an aircraft carrier making a 6-month cruise will never need gynaecological facilities, but the female members of the crew do, and thus the logistics of the cruise (and the Navy as a whole) are forced to change. Now, I AM NOT SAYING THIS IS A BAD THING! I'm simply stating an obvious fact to make my point that true "equality" of purpose between the two sexes is impossible to achieve, in any society, at any level.

Again, it was an excellent observation, Mr. Ejercito. We have so few intelligent contributions to the Bund from outside our very limited numbers, so I hope you will continue to visit and share your thoughts and comments.

On Haiti:

Tragedy on this scale is terrible to see... but I was shocked at how effected I was by looking at the slide show that Ryan linked. That leaden-feeling in the very bottom of my bowels that I remember so well from the days immediately after Katrina came back to me with mind-numbing speed! I wasn't surrounded by thousands of dead bodies, but I think the devestation and destruction that I was surrounded by was just as real, and I know the feeling of helplessness and of having nowhere to turn for assistance was very much the same for me as it is right now for those Haitians wondering where they are going to get water, food, shelter, underwear, diapers, any means of communication with extended family, etc, etc, etc.

Liz and I have already made our contributions to the relief effort and will continue to keep those people in our prayers and say or rosaries for the children. I think everyone should do the same...