Here’s an interesting case against polygamy, arguing that it is a socially destabilizing practice, and differentiating it from same-sex marriage (as a stabilizing practice). I still think the debate suffers from people confusing polyamory, which is legal, and polygamy, which is not (and can be either recognized religously or politically – chalk that up to overloaded terminology).

The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts has upheld the 1913 law that invalidates marriages of residents from other states where the marriage would be considered unlawful. The law was originally put in place to stop interracial marriages from states where such marriages were unlawful (i.e., the law was founded on an unconstitutional situation). Nonetheless, it appears that the SJC believes the law should be repealed, if at all, by the legislature and not by the judiciary. However, it remains to be seen whether residents from states without explicit anti-gay-marriage laws (e.g., New York and Rhode Island) are unfairly restricted by the 1913 law.

Up with Grups, an article in New York Magazine , discusses the closing generation gap, as evidenced by the narrowing differences between people in their 40’s and those in their 20’s. Something about this piece rubbed me the wrong way, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. Maybe it’s the conflation of cultural evolution with generational preferences? Or of musical nostalgia with retro fads? Or maybe it’s the overhyping of a mostly urban phenomenon? And what about the Internet’s role in all this?

I spent some time this past weekend at the Mojave National Preserve and greatly enjoyed the vasts amount of open desert (pictures forthcoming). The trip made me recall an Internet phenomenon that took place six or so years ago: the Mojave phone booth site.

Rolling Stone : Inside Scientology: Unlocking the complex code of America’s most mysterious religion. A long but interesting read about everyone’s favorite for-profit cult. Most of what’s described can easily be found on xenu.net, but it’s worth compiling into a single article. (thx, kv)

“Do they really believe that abortion is murder?” An interesting analysis arguing that pro-lifers are more interested in punishing women for sex than for the murder of fetuses. I think the fetus vs. 4-year-old question is worth asking, although I wonder if most pro-lifers view abortion as murder of a lower degree. (And if they do, what does that mean about the “a fetus is a person” claim?)

If you’re interested in looking at fascinating photos of Las Vegas, check out flickr’s stream of most interesting photos of Las Vegas. The photo pictured on the right (by {platinum}) can be found in the stream; it is a long exposure shot of the Luxor pyramid at night, when a powerful beam of light is projected upwards into the sky, visible for tens of miles from the city. The photographer believes that the chaotic lines criss-crossing the light are made up of bats and insects.

No matter what city I live in, I can’t seem to get away from Frank Gehry’s architecture. In Cambridge, I lived less than a mile away from Gehry’s Stata Center on the MIT Campus. Now here in Las Vegas, Gehry recently unveiled his design for the Lou Ruvo Alzheimer’s Center, to be built in the downtown area.