Hey Smokers – What’s Up?
Written by Ashley Kelmore, Posted in Random
Continuing my intermittent series of open letters, here's one to smokers in London.
No matter where you go, there you are.
Friday
October 2009
COMMENTS
Written by Ashley Kelmore, Posted in Random
Continuing my intermittent series of open letters, here's one to smokers in London.
Sunday
October 2009
COMMENTS
Written by Ashley Kelmore, Posted in Adventures
I live very close to Brick Lane, which most people who aren’t from London will recognize from the myth of great curry (if they recognize it at all). While there are loads of Indian and Bangaladeshi restaurants on Brick Lane, they’re pretty mediocre, although they offer cheap prices. There’s also a passable Mexican (more like Tex-Mex) restaurant there as well, which I experienced Friday.
Sunday
October 2009
COMMENTS
Written by Ashley Kelmore, Posted in Adventures
I moved here just over a month ago, and I’ve been able to do a lot in that month. I’m really enjoying my program, and I’m loving this city. There’s so much to do and see, and I’m lapping it all up.
Sunday
October 2009
COMMENTS
Written by Ashley Kelmore, Posted in Random
Last night I ventured to Sports Cafe – the place in London where one can go to watch all sports, including American football. It’s also a great place to go if you’re interested in getting picked up by creepy British (or American) men. I was there for the football. The USC and Notre Dame alumni associations took over one of the bar areas for the game last night. It was excellent. Epic. Fabulous. Primarily because Notre Dame lost.
Friday
October 2009
COMMENTS
Written by Ashley Kelmore, Posted in Random
Keith Bardwell is happy to marry couples of the same raceA white US justice of the peace has been criticised for refusing to issue marriage licences to mixed-race couples.
Keith Bardwell, of Tangipahoa Parish in Louisiana, denied racism but said mixed-race children were not readily accepted by their parents’ communities.
A couple he refused to marry is considering filing a complaint about him to the US Justice Department.
Mr Bardwell said he had many black friends and frequently married them.
‘No integration’
Mr Bardwell, who has worked in the role for 34 years, said that in his experience most interracial marriages did not last very long and estimated that he had refused applications to four couples in the past two-and-a-half years.
He said he had “piles and piles of black friends” but just did not believe in “mixing the races”.
“They come to my home, I marry them, they use my bathroom. I treat them just like everyone else,” he said.
He said he had discussed the issue with both black and white people before making his decision.
“There is a problem with both groups accepting a child from such a marriage,” he said “I think those children suffer and I won’t help put them through it.”
I try to treat everyone equallyKeith BardwellMr Bardwell added that he checked the race of the couple in question, 30-year-old Beth Humphrey and 32-year-old Terence McKay, when they first phoned him requesting a marriage licence.
Ms Humphrey, who is white, said that when she phoned Mr Bardwell on 6 October to discuss getting a marriage licence signed his wife told her about his stance.
Mrs Bardwell recommended that the couple see another justice of the peace, who did agree to marry them.
Ms Humphrey said she had not expected such comments “in this day and age” and that she was looking forward to having children with her husband.
American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana attorney Katie Schwartzmann said that her organisation has requested an investigation into Mr Bardwell, describing the case as one of “bigotry”.
She said the Supreme Court ruled in 1967 “that the government cannot tell people who they can and cannot marry” and that Mr Bardwell had knowingly broken the law.
However, Mr Bardwell denied mistreating anyone and said if he oversaw one mixed-race marriage, then he would have to continue to do it for everyone.
He said: “I try to treat everyone equally.”
I’m just . . . huh. Really?
Tuesday
October 2009
COMMENTS
Written by Ashley Kelmore, Posted in Random
This comes courtesy of Pajiba, which I think is the hands down best movie review site. A bit snobby, but generally really funny. AFI just listed them; Pajiba puts them all together.
Sunday
October 2009
COMMENTS
Written by Ashley Kelmore, Posted in Random
Friday night I visited another of the museums that stays open late. Suzanne and I met up at the Victoria and Albert museum. That place is crazy. It’s in a gorgeous building, and is a bit of a cluster in terms of artifacts. We spent about an hour there and only saw three exhibits – well, two and a half. There was one temporary exhibition we saw, and it was adequately creepy: Telling Tales. The fashion and jewelry sections were also amazing.
Friday
October 2009
COMMENTS
Written by Ashley Kelmore, Posted in Adventures
I’ve attached below some pictures of the neighborhood, campus, and THE QUEEN.
Thursday
October 2009
COMMENTS
Written by Ashley Kelmore, Posted in Random
I’ll post something this weekend about my classes – spoiler alert: they’re awesome – but I have to get this out so that I don’t turn into the mean old lady who keeps the ball the neighbor kids kick into her backyard.
Wednesday
October 2009
COMMENTS
Written by Ashley Kelmore, Posted in Adventures
Before my wonderful camera – which I purchased from Herman, who had lent it to me when I went to Ireland the first time – went to the big photomat in the sky, I took these pictures of Postman’s Park. It was envisioned as a memorial to those average people who died while saving the lives of others. The memorials went up in the late 1800s, and only lasted for a few years. However, they added another tile to the memorial in 2007.