bonfire of the marriages

I just finished watching a fascinating discussion on "Meet the Press" about the DOMA and Prop 8 cases facing the Supreme Court.
Lots of vitriol.
Many people, my dad included, cannot get past the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman.  Honestly I  had a hard time with that too, even as the Mario Cuomo Liberal that I am.
 But then I picked it apart, and looked at at this way:
We in this nation (made up of states that need to agree on this because of common federal interests and laws) recognize a legal partnership called "marriage" that has a certain meaning, rights, and responsibilities, just as we have a legal entity called a "corporation".  Anyone can form a corporation, so why shouldn't any two people form a marriage?  It is a legal entity held together by a contract, notwithstanding the religious or cultural definition and context.
What is so difficult about this?

30 Seconds on the web is a lifetime

No, it's a novel, could be multi-genrational.

regular old reality is hard enough

http://augmentedreality.org/learn/video/nokia_mixed_reality_nokia_world

so I thought it was with iphones.  This is better.

WHAT"S THE BIG DEAL?

So doesn't it seem like none of the stuff that happens in the world is that much of a surprise?

Like you remember reading Neuromancer and how it seemed so otherworldly, but it's pretty much here.  You taught me the word avatar, now it is in common use.  The same with "pixel".  I remember my Aunt had Jean Dixon's book, where she talked about  some anti-Christ rising in the East, and thinking in '93 that they would be back to finish the job.

The stuff on the news now is just absurd.  The inmates are running the asylum.  You can't make this shit up.  Look around.  People are nuts...

Here's an idea I heard:  It's all about gases now, liquids (oil, water) are over.