Government, LGBT, Same-sex Marriage

U.S. SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS LOWER COURT’S DECISION BANNING MARRIAGE FOR HETEROSEXUAL COUPLES

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imageWASHINGTON, D.C. (The Adobo Chronicles) – Everyone is so focused on the same-sex marriage case now before the U.S. Supreme Court that a recent high court decision on heterosexual marriage went practically unnoticed.

On Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a decision by the 9th Circuit Court in San Francisco banning the marriage of two heterosexual couples.

The case stemmed from a lawsuit filed by a gay couple challenging the marriage between the heterosexual couples in Alpine County, California.  The county has a population of  1, 1775 (as of the 2010 census), making it the least populous county in the state.

In the lawsuit, Smith & Smith vs. Alipine County, the gay couple sought to invalidate the marriage licenses of two heterosexual couples who were married at Markleeville City Hall. The gay couple, John and Paul Smith (no blood relation), argued that the county cannot grant marriage licenses to the heterosexual couples because it does not extend the same right to gay couples.  “It violates the state constitution, particularly the provision for equal rights and protection,” the lawsuit argued.

The gay couple won the lawsuit but the decision was challenged by the county, elevating the case to the 9th Circuit Court, which subsequently upheld the original local court decision.  The county then filed an appeal before the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court voted 5 to 4 in favor of the gay couple. Chief Justice John Roberts sided with Justices Kagan, Sotomayor, Ginsburg and Breyer to form the majority ruling. Roberts penned the decision.

While the LGBT community considers this a huge victory, it now means that all same-sex marriages will also be invalidated and banned until the Supreme Court issues a decision this summer on the pending case that would pave the way for federal recognition of same-sex marriage.

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments starting April 28, whether all 50 states must allow gay and lesbian couples to marry, positioning it to resolve one of the great civil rights questions in a generation.

International, Science and Environment, Travel

U.S. TO SCRAP DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME IN 2016

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Image: ABC News

WASHINGTON, D.C. (The Adobo Chronicles) – It’s hard enough remembering when to ‘spring forward’ or ‘fall back,’ but having to change your clocks twice a year can make your life off balance.  All because of this thing called ‘Daylight Saving Time (DST).’

It confuses Americans, considering that not all of the 50 states observe this ridiculous back and forth exercise, not to mention that they already have to deal with Pacific, Mountain, Central and Eastern time zones.

Well, think about the International Dateline, where countries east and west of this imaginary dividing line over land and water have to calculate the time and day differences between and among each other. 16 hours ahead. 9 hours behind. It’s already Tuesday here, and only Monday there.  And if you’re a frequent world traveler, it’s a constant nightmare!

Most people think that DST is an energy-saving measure in the United States. Wrong. In the U.S., Daylight Saving Time – or “fast time”, as it was called then – was first introduced in 1918 when President Woodrow Wilson signed it into law to support the war effort during World War I.

Despite DST, Americans still waste a lot of energy by constantly plugging in their smart phones to recharge, never turning off their desktop computers, indiscriminately turning on their heaters and airconditioners and constantly driving to the supermarket located three blocks away.

Workers are fashionably late during ‘spring forward,’ but are also late during ‘fall back.’ Travelers miss their flight connections, employees miss their morning staff meetings, and women (and men) show up late for their dinner dates. It’s an epidemic of total mess!

The U.S. government is fed up with all the complaints. So effective in 2016, it will totally scrap Daylight Saving Time. Permanently.  That means you just have to remember to adjust your clock one more time this fall. And remember  it’s ‘fall back!’

What do our readers think? Good riddance, or bad idea?

Festivals, International, The Media

MEDIA GUIDE TO 2015 LUNAR NEW YEAR

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imageSAN JOSE, California (The Adobo Chronicles) – Is it the Year of the Sheep, Goat or Ram?

If you’re confused about what to call the 2015 Lunar New Year, don’t fret.  We are as confused as you are.

As a public service, The Adobo Chronicles has issued a media advisory to guide editors, reporters and netizens in properly making reference to the new year:

CHINESE NEW YEAR (Wrong) – It is not only the Chinese that celebrate the New Year. So do many other countries and cultures that subscribe to the Lunar calendar, like Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Mongolia, Tibet, Korea, Japan, Myanmar, Thailand, and … well you know what we mean. The politically-correct term is LUNAR NEW YEAR.

YEAR OF THE SHEEP (Use with caution) – Sheep is the female Ram.  Be careful when using ‘Year of the Sheep’ as it may be offensive to the male population in the countries celebrating the Lunar New Year.

YEAR OF THE RAM (Use with caution) – Ram is the male Sheep. Be careful when using ‘Year of the Ram’ as it may be offensive to the female population in the countries celebrating the Lunar New Year.

YEAR OF THE GOAT (Be mindful when using) – Many people favor the sheep over the goat because the sheep looks better in pictures (and selfies), especially with its  white, thick coat. But also remember that sheep may not be found in many tropical countries, except perhaps for farm breeding. But they have goat, so ‘Year of the Goat’ may be more appropriate. Incidentally, have you tasted goat meat? They’re delicious! When in the Philippines, try the kalderetang kambing, kilaweng kambing or adobong kambing . When in Baguio City, Philippines, the best place to go for goat meat is the Slaughter House.

GUNG HAY FAT CHOY (Spelling doesn’t matter) – It doesn’t matter how you spell this traditional ‘Happy New Year’ greeting, as long as it sounds the same or similar. ‘Kung Hei Fat Choi,’ Gung Hay Fat Choi,’ Gong Hei Fat Choy, ‘Gong Xi Fa Cai.’ To be safe, when greeting someone a Lunar Happy New Year, just make a phone call.  Don’t embarrass yourself by posting on your Facebook Page or Twitter Account.

To one and all, HAPPY NEW YEAR! Lunar New Year, that is.

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