Heteros Next on Fundies’ Hit List

After its victory in last year’s fight over a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage in Virginia, the Family Foundation of Virginia announced Thursday that it will push to change the state’s divorce laws to make it more difficult for parents to end their marriage.

The Family Foundation, which opposes abortion and promotes socially conservative values, said it will lobby the General Assembly this year to amend the state’s long-standing no-fault divorce law, which essentially allows a husband or wife to terminate a marriage without cause.

The foundation is advocating “mutual consent divorce” for couples with children, which would require a husband and wife to agree to divorce before a marriage can be legally terminated, except in certain instances, such as abuse or cruelty. The proposed legislation would not affect childless couples.

“Right now, one spouse can unilaterally end [the marriage], and not only is their spouse unable to stop the divorce, their abandonment does not preclude them from having custody of their child,” said Victoria Cobb, president of the Family Foundation. “When we send a message that one can up and leave their family and have no consequence, the Old Dominion is encouraging divorce.”

And if that passes, I suppose they'll next try to end no-fault divorce entirely....

The proposed legislation would not affect childless couples.

Because honestly, if you don't have kids, it's not a real marriage anyway.

the Old Dominion is encouraging divorce

I really hate language like this. It scares the crap out of me, and I frequently think people who think like this are a bigger threat to this country than terrorists.

While I do agree that a fair amount of vitamin-talk is cockamamie self-help in pill format, I've recently been nagged by my doctor to take calcium supplements, since skinny white women are prime candidates for osteoporosis. Now, I was told to take calcium supplements because I forgot to mention that, unlike most calcium-rich foods, I do eat ice cream regularly; but if I didn't care for ice cream, I'd probably consider taking pills. I just don't eat calcium-rich foods, often -- except for ice cream.

This is the type of thing that makes me hate all sweeping recommendations (vitamins, water, etc.). So much of it relies on how you eat. For example, if you're a vegetarian, you are probably getting enough water no matter how many glasses of it you drink. And, depending on your diet, I believe there are a variety of foods that might make you lose more calcium. Also, with osteoporosis, there is such a strong hereditary factor, that "white" is just not an adequate risk factor for me to necessarily take supplements.

Because too much of a good thing is also harmful.

Except when it's not. That's an unsupported and overly general position to take.

How many of us are actually walking around anemic because we're not eating sweetbreads?

Anemic? But that's the easy one. I had to take iron supplements until I shifted my diet around to be more balanced. No, I didn't add sweetbreads, but I did make sure I had more iron-bearing food than I had been eating before.

I think so -- if there's baking powder, but I could be wrong. Is salt involved with yeast rising? I thought it was sugar that did that?

Baking powder mostly leavens in response to heat. Baking soda in response to acid. Yeast leavens when there's sugar to feed on, but salt helps to curtail the process. I'm not aware of it having any effect with baking powder or baking soda. My cakes have seemed to raise just fine without it.

A lot more people are anemic than one might think, but it's more likely to be vitamin B12 deficiency, even a mild one, rather than iron deficiency.

As for vitamin C making your pee look weird, I take 3000 mgs a day and mine is quite normal. Don't know about the chewables, though, I don't use those.

A lot more people are anemic than one might think, but it's more likely to be vitamin B12 deficiency, even a mild one, rather than iron deficiency.

Do you have a cite?

taking fish oil

People have mentioned this before... what does it benefit?

I noticed vitamins a little, but I noticed an herbal supplement (targeting PMS symptoms) more.

Also, green beans are teh awesome. Craxy people.

[link]

Looks like salt can enhance rising in cakes, depending on how the ingredients are incorporated, but isn't a big deal. It's more of a taste thing.

Dear Anne and Sue,

What is the purpose of salt in cake recipes? Is it for taste only, or does it also aid in leavening? Is there a ratio formula for each cup of flour?

Thanks,
Diahn Green

Dear Diahn, The main function of salt in cake recipes is to enhance the flavor of the other ingredients. Its presence perks up the depth and complexity of other flavors as the ingredients meld. Salt also provides a balance to the sweetness of cake batters—but a salty flavor should not be discernible. Depending upon the method of combining ingredients, salt can also have a strengthening effect if it's combined with egg whites. If whipped egg whites to which salt has been added are "folded in," they're better able to hold their volume. Although salt is not considered to be an aid in leavening, it can contribute slightly to the volume of some recipes. An often-cited proportion is 1/8-1/4 teaspoon of salt per cup of flour, though other sources may cite different amounts. There is not a specific ratio formula for home baking. This means that the salt in a recipe may require adjusting—for example, if a high proportion of salted butter is included. You can reduce the salt according to your taste, but if you leave it out completely, you'll likely find your cakes taste a little "flat." Anne & Sue

Do you have a cite?

bon, I probably do, but I'll have to wait until I get home to my own computer to find it.

Ditto fish oil - I'll spew out everything I know about it, once I'm away from work and can think about it.