mdowdle
5441
The full clause in question reads: “any kind of conjugal union with more than one person at the same time, whether or not it is by law recognized as a binding form of marriage”
Right, which to me sounds like it’s addressing polygamy, not menages a trois.
Dean
5443
Turns out his mom made the mistake of telling the kid that she was inviting me because we had so much in common (D&D, comics, games). Since the kid is 13 and he currently hates anything connected to his mother, he refused to talk to me all day.
His sister (who is 14) wants to be a writer, likes Sondheim, and is personable. I talked to her.
I got major points with my wife, but even she was saying that our hosts talk about their kids too much and she was bored. Hopefully that’s the last time we’ll have to do that.
Yeah, I think that wording is just meant to address the fact that polygamous arrangements aren’t generally legally recognized as marriages.
Polygamy is an irritating conflict between liberalism and utilitarianism.
On liberal principle, obviously people should be allowed to formalize whatever their consenting-adults domestic arrangement is. Not just because “awww, everybody deserves a wedding,” but because it isn’t fair for parties in a menage a trois or whatever to have no legal recourse if the arrangement is dissolved and people would normally be entitled to something, just because society happens to disapprove.
But in practice, there are the LDS-dissenter communities - certainly the Jeffs-affiliated ones - in which plural marriage tends to turn into a creepy patriarchal young-wives-for-community-leaders racket. The law has had a hard enough time tackling those even with plural marriage illegal.
The illiberality of the existing ban seems like the lesser evil, particularly since there doesn’t seem to be a massive demand for non-creepy plural marriage regularization.
Cormac
5445
I’m thinking of sending some chocolate to Australia, anyone know how strict the customs people are and if they’ll let it through?
(My secondary worry is the summerly temperatures there, which might cause the chocs to melt before they reach their destination… Though I’m willing to risk that)
Enidigm
5446
Where are my Christmas Lights?! The maids must have moved them, because they are gone!
RichVR
5447
If you can afford maids (plural) buy some new lights. Sheesh.
Mrenda
5448
A couple of hours ago I e-mailed a photography for the disabled charity in the UK. There’s a chance they might operate in Ireland as well and I’ve offered my services. (And I’ll be donating enough to be considered an international member anyway.) I really do hope their operation does extend to Ireland because I’ve spent the last three hours thinking about how I could setup something similar here if they don’t.
As a rule, customs here is very strict because as an island nation we’ve avoided various plagues & parasites and want to keep it that way. OTOH, chocolate is pretty safe. It does get hot here but thoughtfully wrapped chocolates probably - probably - won’t melt.
kerzain
5450
What you lack in plagues and parasites, you make up for with dangerous wild life and arid wasteland.
Typically, processed foods are safe. Hawaii and California, both of which have pretty strict agricultural customs requirements (for different reasons), don’t have any problems with prepared chocolates that I’ve ever seen.
Cormac
5452
Thanks for the input… I’ll give it a shot!
Is this in the context of sending food that came from outside the country? I don’t imagine individual States do much to check packages that are shipped from within the US.
I’d point out that lots of food products are perfectly safe yet various customs offices won’t let you bring them in. Is buying online from a retailer in Australia and having them ship it not an option?
Cormac
5454
This is a specific product that you won’t be able to buy at a normal retailer in Australia, otherwise I’d go with that option…
Houngan
5455
Air tools rock, even when driven by teeny tiny compressors.
Sarkus
5456
So I have a mild cold, but my voice is pretty shot. It’s going to be an interesting work shift later today, unless I decide to call out. I haven’t had a voice impacting cold in several years.
I would pay to see The Gay One fight Tiger Woods.
My phone contract with Verizon is up next week, and I’ve started looking at phones. I have a question, and this absolutely does not warrant a full thread in Hardware. Why is renewing my contract and getting a new phone cost me more than going to a different provider? That seems incredibly backwards to me.
kerzain
5460
Britney Spears just turned 30.
Fuck, I’m old.
