[Magdalen] Precip.

[Lynn Ronkainen]

Roger - Very few toilets in the US are made like many I've seen in the UK, 
and elsewhere in Europe, where each 'stall' is floor to ceiling walls and 
door - which I think are great.

Stay tuned (on the Houston toilet vote)... we'll know tomorrow, or Wednesday 
latest.
Lynn

website: www.ichthysdesigns.com

When I stand before God at the end of my life I would hope that I have not a 
single bit of talent left and could say, "I used everything You gave me." 
attributed to Erma Bombeck
 "Either Freedom for all or stop talking about Freedom at all" from a talk 
by Richard Rohr

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From: "Roger Stokes" <roger.stokes65 at btinternet.com>
Sent: Monday, November 02, 2015 5:39 PM
To: <magdalen at herberthouse.org>
Subject: Re: [Magdalen] Precip.

> On 02/11/2015 19:34, Lynn Ronkainen wrote:
>> Major rains here again over the weekend (here being Houston and the 
>> burbs - my abode) and for the first time, possibly because we've had so 
>> much rain in the last 4 weeks, TONS of sewage ended up in local bayous 
>> and on the roads : P  as the waters receded. Really bad news and on the 
>> heels of divisive issues of infrastructure neglect and budget shortfalls.
>
> That seems an appropriate comment on the rest of your (understandable) 
> rant
>
>>
>> Our spunky 3 term mayor has sunk billions in to enlarging and enhancing 
>> our green space, but in her last term (3 term limit here) she has been 
>> especially bold in her creativity. What has gone wanting during her 
>> tenure is any attention to infrastructure - our roads are s**t, private 
>> and interstate, 2+ of which cross here, not to mention other 6-8 lane non 
>> interstate roads. Sidewalks in the city (except for downtown) - 
>> abysmal!!! and the underground water system (many, many pipes burst two 
>> summers ago during huge drought, and only patch-patch attempt to solve 
>> immediate problems). Me thinks her legacy will not be positive. AND 
>> tomorrow the city votes on the famous 'bathroom measure' that has been 
>> getting national press time, for one of several angles for the last 18 
>> months (subpoenaed pastor sermons!!, raising the hackles of religious 
>> groups, championing the GLBTetc forces, creation of sick negative ads... 
>> creating questionable positive ads, and 'Gidget' even made an appearance 
>> last week on the 'for' side ... you know, Sally Fields) all for a 'law' 
>> that common sense says is already covered by federal law. As I said... 
>> what a legacy. I doubt that she will be remembered for more than being 
>> our first gay woman mayor and championing this bathroom issue... I think 
>> it may very well be voted down and who knows what that will do with 
>> Houston as a venue with the current rage of withdrawing conventions and 
>> such from cities that become controversial in this vein?  sigh.
>
> Having had a quick Google in what this is about I think she is backing the 
> wrong horse here.  If all bathrooms are to become unisex then they will 
> need to be all cubicles rather than having urinals for the males among us. 
> This would take more space and water, not to mention increasing demand. 
> Compare the length of the line outside the men's and women's facilities. 
> You would need to increase the total number of cubicles to cope.
>
> If the concern is the relatively low number of transexual people then 
> whichever the direction of their transition the cubicles are there. They 
> are not "personal plumbing" related in their design, as we know in our own 
> homes,  The problem will be that if this is voted down then some will 
> argue it's an anti-LGBT act when it's really a case of refusing to 
> countenance massive upheaval that is not needed.
>
> Roger