HERE COME THE BRIDES...Seems to Squid that there is a whole litany of things that undermine the institution of marriage a lot more than gay marriage. Squid hopes state Assemblyman Simon Salinas sees things the same way Squid does. Last week, the Campaign for California Families staged a news conference at the Monterey County Courthouse in Salinas in an attempt to bully--oops, Squid means urge--the Assemblyman to vote against the "gay-marriage bill," AB 205. The proposed legislation would allow registered domestic partners some of the rights afforded to traditional married couples. But people like Randy Thomasson, executive director of Campaign for California Families, say it's a "severe attack" on marriage. Thomasson also urged Salinas to sign a "marriage protection pledge," to "uphold the pro-marriage, pro-child spirit of Proposition 22 and refuse to support 'domestic partnerships,' 'civil unions,' or any kind of relationship that compares itself to the sacred bond of marriage between a man and a woman." At the news conference, former Assemblyman Peter Frusetta said homosexuality is a sin (Squid thanks the Lord that guy's out of Sacramento). Salinas--who's expected to be one of two swing votes in the Assembly--hasn't taken a position on the bill. The other swing vote could be Assemblywoman Rebecca Cohn, a Democrat from Saratoga who has said that she will run for state Senator Bruce McPherson's soon-to-be vacated seat. She refused to sign the pledge. Her Republican opponent, Assemblyman Abel Maldonado, however, did sign it. Squid told you so.

SQUID 101...Squid's honored, but really not too surprised. Who wouldn't want to study the glorious cephalopod--Squid's majestic beak, graceful tentacles and beady eyes. Truly, Squid is a sight to behold. Apparently this is not lost on the state Department of Fish and Game. According to a recent agenda, the DFG has a magnificent week ahead, studying the wonder that is Squid. Between May 4 and May 12, doctors Roger Hanlon and Ken Foote (Squid doesn't know who they are--surely some big-wig biologists--but the important thing is, they know who Squid is) will be working with DFG personnel aboard the R/V Mako to study squid egg beds in the Monterey Bay. "This project will use the best available acoustic sampling technology to find and measure areas of greatest concentration of benthic egg beds of the commercially valuable California market squid, Loligo opalescens. The goals of this project are to test and refine acoustic technology to image and quantify squid egg beds and to determine the habitats with greatest concentration of egg beds. This technology and the biological information on critical spawning habitat should provide a tool for future monitoring and stock assessment." Okay, now Squid's lost. And maybe a little bored. This scientific babble is really too much for this mollusk's pointy little brain. Let's get back to talking about Squid's favorite topic. That is, Squid. And Squid's breathtaking beauty.