This past weekend, under a canopy of swaying palm trees and morning fog, was the 39th Annual West Hollywood Pride Parade.  With any pride parade there was the usual ripped bodies, dance music,  and outlandish costumes.  But this year was a little different…a little more serious, perhaps.  Since the last festival, the first official gay marriages in California took place and in several months the right was voted away.  Surprisingly, some of the folks who voted to take that right away in November showed up this weekend. 

Huddled in a fenced area on La Cienega Blvd was a group of self-proclaimed Christians, holding signs proclaiming that “God Hates Fags” and that “Homo Love is a Sin.”  They had microphones to share their beliefs, but their message was soon drowned out by the angry roar of the crowd.  In a matter of minutes they fled for safer ground and sped away in a fleet of white vans.

I shared everyone’s anger that they dare take the time to make hateful signs and come to LA’s “safe haven” for gays and lesbians to make us feel that we’re damnable.  But it got me to thinking; how can people dislike me so much based on a story full of fairytales?

Think about it; the Bible is a fairytale.  It has convinced people that there’s an invisible man living in the sky.  He watches everything we do; every minute of everyday.  The Invisible Man has a special list of ten things that he does not want us to do. 

 If we do any of these ten things he has a special place full of fire, smoke, burning, torture, and anguish where he will send us to live, suffer, burn, choke, scream, and cry forever and ever until the end of time.  But he loves us……..

He loves us and he needs money!!!!!!  He always needs money!  He’s all-perfect, all-knowing, and all-wise, but somehow can’t handle money.  Churches take in billions of dollars and don’t pay taxes, but they always need a little more.

Now that’s a good fairytale!

Once upon a time I really tried to believe in all this.  I tried to belive there is a God who created us in his own image and loves us very much.  But I have to honest; the more I look around then more I realise that the world is screwy.  Something is wrong. 

With events like war, disease, death, destruction, hunger, filth, poverty, torture, crime, corruption, and Paris Hilton there is something really wrong.  This is not good work.  If this is the best God can do, then I am not impressed.  Results like these do not belong on the resume of a supreme being.  This type of work belongs to an office temp with a bad attitude. 

I often feel like people treat God rudely.  They ask him trillions of prayers everyday.  They ask and beg for favours; asking for help, a new car, or a better job.  Most of this praying takes place on a Sunday; his day off.  That’s not nice and no way to treat a friend. 

But people do pray and they pray for a lot of things; a sister may need an operation on her crotch, and a brother is arrested for indecent exposure at the mall. 

I encourage you to pray for anything you want.  But, what about the Devine Plan? 

A long time ago God made a devine plan.  He gave it a lot of thought and decided it was a good plan and put it into practice.  For eons the devine plan has been doing fine. 

But you come along and pray for something.  What if that thing you want isn’t in God’s devine plan?  Do you want him to change his plan?  Just for you?  That seems a little arrogant.  It’s the devine plan!  What’s the point of being the supreme being if any Christian with a $2 Bible can mess up your plan?

Suppose your prayers aren’t answered.  Most people say it’s God’s will.  If it’s God’s will and he’s going to do what he wants anyway, why bother praying in the first place?  Seems like a big waste of time!

For those who look to the Bible for moral lessons and literary qualities I have a few other stories I can suggest.  “The Three Little Pigs” is a good one with a nice, happy ending.  There’s “Little Red Riding Hood”, although the part with the Big Bad Wolf eating the Grandma a tad gruesome.   

Personally I’ve always drawn a great deal of comfort from “Humpty-Dumpty.”  My favourite part; “all the King’s horses and all the King’s men couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty back together again.”  That’s because there is no Humpty Dumpty and there is no God.

You’d have to be living under a rock, or a trailer park in Toledo, Ohio, to not know of Carrie Prejean, our official Miss California and runner-up for Miss USA.  What was once a simple beauty pageant has become a political arena ever since she shared her beliefs that marriage is reserved solely for heterosexual couples (or as she quoted “opposite marriage”).  What fueled her to voice her opinion was a question from pageant judge and gay rights activist, Perez Hilton, to if she believed that gay marriage should be legal.  Not only did her answer cause her to lose popularity, but it may have cost her the tiara.

However, strangely enough, I respect her for the decision she made on stage that night.  I certainly can’t agree with her answer, as it discriminates against myself and many wonderful people in this country, but she has a right to hold onto her beliefs and she was intrepid enough to share them.  Many people in that situation would’ve given a neutral answer that dodged the subject and would’ve played it politically correct.  But not Ms. Prejean.  She may be a tad misguided by using the Bible as her inspiration, especially after the scandalous photo shoots, but she has earned my admiration for being honest on how she felt. 

The question was a loaded one, and there was no way she could’ve pleased everyone.  If she went the other route and had promoted gay marriage, she would’ve upset most Americans (sad, but true).  However, she made her decision and stood her ground.  As to if it was the reason why she lost the crown, we may never know.

What is more disturbing to me is Perez Hilton.  He has the right intentions and has always been active in the gay community.  He was cunning enough to bring up the issue of same-sex marriage and throw it into the spotlight at a nationally televised contest which used to be more about good looks than politics.  The question was a legitimate one, as Ms USA will represent the citizens of this country, but the answer he received was not what he expected.

Perez’s video response was sickening and embarrassing.  It’s hard to fathom that the judge who was representing the GLBT community would resort to name calling, swearing, and be so immature it made me feel ashamed.  This is not a civilised way to go about getting a point across.  He portrays to many Americans what gay society is all about and in this case, many will believe we are all whiners and sore-losers when we don’t get the answer we want.  We also seem like hypocrites, pointing fingers at conservatives and freely accusing them of bigotry, while we ourselves seem to want to limit free speech on others whom may not agree with us.

Aside from the temper and childish backlash’s, Perez is also a bad rep because of his image.  He’s a man that few in middle America can relate to.  His outfits are outlandish as is his hair, and he is extremely out-of-shape.  We are all entitled to act like we want in life, but with being a public figure and a poster child for an oppressed culture, there’s more responsibilities to be aware of when it comes to demanding respect.  Few outside the gay community will be able to sympathise with him, and in turn, with all of us.

We shouldn’t feel like we should hide ourselves, but the gay community really needs a leader out there who can make our opposition feel more comfortable, who can be more level-headed, and still be able to push for our rights while not coming across as crude.  I commend Perez for his efforts and he has done a wonderful job, but we really need someone else to be the “face” of our society.  Otherwise, uncontrollable moments like his video response to Ms California will only make us lose credibility and hurt us in the long run.

In case you’ve never visited, space can be a scary place.  Not only is it a huge, silent, and empty vacuum, but it’s also full of solar flares, grouchy aliens, and extreme temperatures.  It doesn’t sound like a very nice travel destination and is an even worse place to live.  Unless of course you’re stationed on board the Starship Enterprise while Captain James Kirk is in charge.

With much fanfare “Star Trek” opens on Thursday.  It isn’t a continuation of the original series but, like “X-Men Origins”, goes into the past to explain how things came together and how Captain Kirk ended up sitting in the captain’s chair on the ship’s bridge.  We even get to see the “Enterpise” being constructed near Kirk’s hometown in Iowa (which for the record was filmed in Bakersfield).  The scene evoked images of the “Titanic” being built with construction workers, appearing as insignificant as ants, crawling around the ship putting it together.  That was something that no other Star Trek series has ever shown and it helped me relate more to the Enterprise and it’s earthly origins.

The beginning of the movie follows the USS Klein inspecting a type of electromagnetic thunderstorm while the young George Samuel Kirk is second at command.  The thunderstorm turns out to be trap by the Romulans and the doomed ship is completely ill-prepared for the attack.  Kirk decides to stay behind and fight off the imposing threat while the crew, including his pregnant wife, escape in little transporters.  The Klein is destroyed, but thousands were saved.  Kirk goes down into history as a hero for staying with his ship.

Fast forward twenty five years and his son, James Kirk (played by the gorgeous Chris Pine) is unemployed, alcoholic, and has a short temper.  In a dingy bar in rural Iowa he is approached by Starfleet, the renowned academy for space cadets, who know of his fathers’ legacy and believe that James holds his Dad’s spirit, suggesting that he could be a captain in five years.

With much hesitation he agrees and excels at the academy.  There he meets Spock, who oversees the testing of students, and the two clash after Kirk beats the “impossible test” that Spock created.  Ultimately, the two become life-long friends, but not without a rocky start. 

One of the Vulcan…er….human aspects of “Star Trek” was Spock’s upbringing.  There’s a lot of focus on the struggles he faced being half-human and half-Vulcan.  Neither side would accept him for who he was and these issues followed him into adulthood; forcing him to seal in all emotion from anyone.  It was a very touching side that was never brought to light in prior series’.  And it wouldn’t be a “Star Trek” movie without an appearance from Leonard Nimoy and split finger salute.

Not being a “trekkie” myself, the movie was still entertaining and had a lot of action and managed to get a few jumps out of me.  There were a few minor plot holes, but compared to some recent Speilberg movies, these ones were just misdemeanors.  Probably the cheesiest part of the movie was the costume and set.  Credit goes to not forgoing “Star Trek’s” past, but some of it was way too 70’s for my liking.  The outfits of the crew was still the tacky faded yellow, and the bridge still had a the filmed-in-a-Burbank-studio look to it, but at least there wasn’t shag carpeting on the floor.

If you’re not a trekkie fan it may be worth waiting for the DVD release, but loyal followers of the series will love this movie. It has enough action to keep it from being boring, yet still focuses in on the characters’ in a more in profound than ever before.

The phone you see in the picture to the left is my personal everyday mobile phone.  Okay……you can stop laughing now.  This phone is as basic as cell phones get nowadays; there’s no camera, no videos, no downloads, and no Internet.  It’s an honest to goodness phone and that’s all there is to it.  And contrary to the popularity of the iPhone and it’s must-have accessories, I am very content with my little Motorola.  It does what a phone should; answer calls.

Don’t get me wrong; the iPhone is an amazing technological piece to behold.  From the palm of your hand the world awaits.  From the virtual keyboard on its screen it’s easy to access the entire Internet, open documents, play videos, e-mail, and download music.  It even acts as an iPod as well.  The amazing part is that it’s all squeezed into a little package that can fit in a pocket and isn’t hefty.  It really is an innovation.

As awe-inspiring as the phone is, I couldn’t own one.  It’s just too much to deal with.  Watching users of the phone negotiate their way around to do basic funtions, like saving phone numbers, can be frustrating.  It would be cool to watch the latest Pussycat Dolls music video anywhere I go, but not only is it distracting (and thinking about the Pussycat Dolls; annoying), but I’d rather do it on the larger screen of my computer.  Come to think of it, most of the things an i-Phone can do would be better done on a computer.  And this is where my issue is with the i-Phone; it just doesn’t do its primary job as a phone very well.

I’ve heard complaints that its reception is not that good (AT&T may be to blame for that one, as they aren’t that good in general) and considering the cost of the phone and the extra charge for the monthly service;  just isn’t worth it .  As aforementioned too, it seems to excel at everything but using it as a phone can sometimes be daunting and confusing.  It defies the whole purpose and isn’t very ergonomic.  Another thought is that the more advanced a device is, the more chance there is for malfunctions and glitches.  The iPhone has not been trouble-free, especially compared to simpler phones

The last issue is that with any of these advanced phones, including the Blackberry, it’s impossible to escape from the electronic leash that keeps us tied to them.  If we’re not talking on them, we’re responding to countless text messages, and then surfing the web or cruising on Facebook.  It’s hard to pry ourselves away from them and appreciate the people and the world that are right in front of our eyes.

The saddest part is that consumers are like locusts and in two years, the present-day latest and greatest will be considered junk when the next best thing comes out.  What’s wrong with appreciating what works and not having to have the newest technology?  It’s a vicious cycle that will continue in a material world.

So for the time being, I’m pleased as punch with my trusty phone.  It may not have a catchy name like Storm, or Pearl, but it gets the job done.  And maybe when I’m done with it when it eventually dies, I’ll move my way up to a camera phone!  As long as I can still make a call……..

I grew up as a kid watching X-Men on Saturday mornings and although I was never a fan of the series, my inquisitive side would always naw away at me.  How and why did these mutants become the X-Men?  What was the purpose of their existence?  Granted, it’s been many years since I’ve watched the show and these questions may have been answered during that time, but X-Men Origins Wolverine answers some of them.

The movie won’t answer all of those questions, but it’s a start.  The beginning of the film is set in 1845 in Northwestern Canada with a young Wolverine and his half brother, Sabretooth.  During a tragic incident that caused them to lose their father they swear to always be together as a team.  Once again, I have no idea how they became mutants, so it’s left up to the imagination.

Throughout history they fight side-by-side through the Civil War, two World Wars, and Vietnam.  More recently they are signed up for a special government squad where they are able to use their special powers to their advantage.  It’s here that they realise they have different ideals of what winning is all about and they go their separate ways.

Wolverine, who goes by Logan, tries to live a normal life and shed his mutant past.  He has a commited relationship, lives in a cabin in the woods, and works as a lumberjack.  As hard as he tries by living in a remote locale and being a regular guy, the memories still haunt him and he knows he can’t be normal.   Things become more sour when former members of his squad find where he is and then attack his girlfriend.

It’s a pretty easy film to follow, considering how clueless I was to X-Men.  There are a lot of plot twists and there really aren’t any dull moments.  During the movie credits, there must’ve been over 100 stunt people listed and it’s easy to see why.  There’s some excellent action scenes and the special effects are pretty good, if not a tad cheesy (although the premise of eyes that can fire lasers is hard to take seriously no matter how good the special effects are).  Probably the most breathtaking part is the natural beauty of the setting.  Although filmed in New Zealand, as was “Lord Of The Rings”, it’s depicted to be the Rocky Mountains and the scenery is absolutely gorgeous.

Just as important, there’s a scene with Hugh Jackman doing a naked run across a field and he is shirtless for half the movie.  Jackman went through high-intensity training to bulk up for the film and it shows.  He’s not my type, a little too hairy, but it’s good eye-candy for you if it is your thing.  The always cute Ryan Reynolds also has a starring role, although an experiment done on him during the film leaves him not looking…so…er…cute.

The only downsides are that some scenes are a bit gruesome (not much blood, but the lovely squishy sounds of organs being crushed) and why is it that during these mutant/superhero movies the innocent, caring, loving mortals always die such horrible deaths? 

If you’re not into X-Men, you may not get some of the plot but it’s still a good show, and if you love X-Men…well…you be the judge to if it answers your questions.

Yesterday, along with 3,900 other participants, I raised my right hand and obediently swore to uphold the responsibilities that come with US citizenship and for a brief moment, was the newest American.  It’s been a long journey to get to this point and one that has been filled with the conflicting combination of anxiety, patience, fear, and joy.  After going through all the tests, applications, waiting, and as of yesterday, the final moments of being an immigrant, a few people have asked me what the whole process towards citizenship was like.  In one word….it was disappointing.

Have you ever seen a movie or read a book that has a spine-tingling build-up but then has a rushed and lame ending?  Or how about finally going to the restaurant that everyone raves about only to experience lousy service and inferior food?  Yeah…that’s what gaining citizenship was a bit like.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love America and have spent half my life here.  I’ve made some wonderful friends, and have experienced things I never would have if I had never left Australia’s shores.  The thought of being a citizen and not carrying around a tacky greencard like I have for over a decade is a relief.  I’m now equal to my peers, and can finally have a say when it comes to voting (why didn’t this happen before last year’s election!?).  Heck, I’m even excited to go on jury duty if I have to and see if it’s as glamorous as it is on “Boston Legal.”

So what’s the citizenship process like and what’s the problem?  Becoming a citizen starts with an online application and a payment to the INS.  After the application is approved, fingerprints are taken and background checks are run.  This sounds simple enough, but those background checks took over a year!  Finally the infamous citizenship test came my way.  You know the one…..it’s the test that they(whoever those “they” people are) say most Americans wouldn’t be able to pass. 

Contrary to popular belief, the test is not written and is not multiple choice.  It’s a verbal test, conducted face-to-face with an INS agent, and covers American government, politics, history, and geography.  There’s a study guide that’s supplied with 100 questions, but only 10 questions are asked on the test, and those are random.  About half the questions that were thrown at me weren’t even in the study guide.  It was high school civics class revisited! 

The English portion was ridiculously easy; it’s comprised of reading a simple sentence (in my case, “I do my job well”) and then writing the same sentence below where it was printed on a sheet of paper.  Wha!?  Anybody could do that….even if they can’t speak English.  Just spell out the letters and copy the words.  Obviously it’s been altered to make it easy on people who speak English as a second language…perhaps a little too easy.  This is all it takes to pass the test and become a citizen of the most powerful country in the world?

And then finally there was the naturalisation ceremony that took place this week.  To many, this event is life-changing and something to take pride in.  One would expect it to be dignified and, like a high school graduation, an exciting celebration of a new chapter in life.  But it woefully wasn’t. 

Residents of Los Angeles County are sent out to the fairgrounds in Pomona, a vast expanse of asphalt in the midst of an industrial area miles away from any civilisation.  The heat was record breaking on this particular day, and all 3900 applicants and their family and friends were hustled into a huge unairconditioned auditorium.  There was a stage where facilitators would speak, but it was so far away I could barely see them and the audio speakers were full of static.  A  judge took centre stage at the podium, and his voice was muffled by the speakers.  He didn’t seem very interested in being there and mumbled and continually coughed into the microphone, only worsening the clarity of his speech.  He read out the oath, which we were all to repeat, but his sentences were so broken that I could only pick up parts of what he said.  The majority of my oath was mostly murmurs that made no sense.  Behind me, a woman spoke in Spanish on her mobile phone, having lost interest in the incomprehensible speech, as had a couple nearby carrying on a conversation.

At last the oath was over, and from what I had understood, we were all now citizens of the United States.  With the persistent heat, everyone was anxious to leave and a crowd began to form toward the exits.  Armed INS agents and guards scolded the crowd and demanded that everyone return to their seats.  A few attendees ignored the request and were obstructed by the guards.  We were warned as a group that we were not leaving until everyone sat back down.  Some foolishly refused, only causing us to wait longer in the sweltering heat.  The agents were intimidating as they had stern expressions, and weapons, and it became a tension-filled stand-off between some of the attendees and the officers, which then affected all of us.  An otherwise joyous event for many became very dramatic and even scary.

Eventually we were all released and received little certificates showing that we were naturalised.  Vendors in the parking lot were selling overpriced frames for the documents, as well as passport photos and American flags.

On a last note, America does not support dual citizenship and part of the oath is to renounce citizenship of ones former country.  It’s a law that the US holds, yet can not enforce.  Unless the former nation also outlaws dual citizenship, there is no way the US can force the former native country to give up one of its citizens. I have no plans to lose my Australian citizenship and as a taxpaying American resident, just want to same rights as everyone else does while I’m living here.  Now, where is my voting box and jury summons?

There are the occasional films that leave me captivated long after the movie and the credits are over.  “Knowing”, being released tomorrow, is one of them.  It asks the biggest question in the universe; are the events in life pre-planned in a particular order or are they just random happenings? 

We’ve all seen the previews and have a general idea of what the plot is.  To celebrate the opening of a new elementary school in 1959, students were asked to draw images of what they believed the world would look like in 2009.   The images were sealed in a time capsule until the school’s 50th anniversary.  All the students drew pictures of rocket ships and flying cars, with the exception of seemingly-troubled Lucinda, who, with an intense glaze behind her dark eyes, scribbles rows of random numbers. 

Fast forward to now and we follow John Koestler (Nicolas Cage), a professor of astrophysics at MIT in Boston.  He is in a profound state of depression; dealing with his wife’s recent death, raising his son Caleb, and has disassociated himself from his parents and siblings. 

Caleb’s school holds the 50th anniversary ceremony and the pictures from 1959 are handed out to the students.  But Caleb doesn’t get a picture, he gets the string of numbers scrawled on a paper.  John is intrigued with this and by accident one night, figures out that the numbers represent the dates, places, and death tolls of the greatest disasters from the last fifty years.  There are still three remaining disasters to occur and the last one looks like a biggie.  John takes it upon himself to prevent them.

We all know that something very bad is going to happen to planet Earth.  But the question is how John and Caleb are going to help prevent it.  The movie builds up to a spectacular ending and it doesn’t disappoint.

This film is really intriguing and had me in suspense all the way through.  The question of mankind’s existence and if it will ever end has always been fascinating.  Our rule over the world is just an illusion and we are still at the mercy of events that are beyond our control.  At some point in the future it may very well happen.  There are plenty of films depicting the near extinction of humans involving angry aliens, meteors, and weather changes, but none in recent memory represent the human emotion in “Knowing”.  Even tired old scenes with car chases and mysterious people in the shadows work here because of the connection with the characters.

“Knowing” opens in a striking manner, a shot of the planet from space segueing into gradually closer aerial views of the earth. Eventually, as if being filmed from the wing of a plane that hasn’t yet reached full altitude, cars as small as specks can be seen driving down arterial roads. Suddenly, the viewer feels very, very small, insignificant even—an ant on Mt. Kilimanjaro.

The special effects are simply amazing.  A horrible airliner crash in the pouring rain and John’s subsequent attempt to save the imperiled passengers while walking through a maze of smoking rubble, debris, and screaming people on fire is chilling and unforgettable, made all the more authentic by being told in a single shot with zero cutaways. Likewise, Caleb’s vision of a cataclysmic landscape littered with woodland animals fruitlessly trying to escape the blaze around them is an achievement in both concept and visual effects.

Of personal interest, the film was directed by Australian Alex Proyas and was filmed entirely in Melbourne.  The crew and computer artists did a fantastic job of converting Melbourne into Boston and for most of the movie I was convinced I was in New England.  There were a few small details that were missed; the occasional license plate, a few street signs, and one scene with Melbourne’s skyline doubling as Boston’s.  But, to be honest, I was intensely looking for any detail they may have overlooked, and it was difficult to spot any (maybe I should’ve been watching the film itself!).   

The only gripes come from a storyline that was all too similar to “Signs” from 2002.  Both films dealt with single fathers who were recovering from a tragic loss.  Both had given up their faith in god and both movies seemed to focus too much on religion/faith and destiny vs. coincidence.  Both fed on the premise that we are all sinners except for children.  And obviously, both films were based on disasters and the end of mankind.  Many Christians will be glad to see Manhattan at last get what it deserves.  The main difference between the films is that the visitors on “Knowing” are able to open doors.

Any real life profesor at MIT would probably think that “Knowing” is laughable and the events could never happen.  Maybe so, but it was still a great movie to watch and after all, it’s science fiction.  Once again, I was riveted the entire time and it really made me question mankind’s existence and how we really do take our lives on this world for granted.

So, you may be wondering, what really happens at the end?  Based on how you  look at it; it could be good or bad.  That seems to be the theme with this movie.  There’s plenty of twists in the plot, and things that seem bad initially aren’t necessarily so, and vice-versa.  Maybe that’s the point of the entire movie; is there any point to knowing what is best for us?

Almost every morning, before the sun comes up, I drag my sleepy carcass out of bed and off to the local gym.  It’s been a ritual of mine for over three years and even though I may grumble about it each morning when the alarm rudely wakes me up, my day wouldn’t feel right without doing it.  Taking a long run and “pumping some iron” can be more invigorating than a Starbucks run.   The gym has its own unique culture and can be intimidating to anyone new to the scene.  Not only is it overwhelming trying to reach your own personal goals, but because some attitudes there aren’t very healthy….

When I first walked into a gym, it was sensory overload.  Muscle-toned guys who could rip me in half, the slamming of weights as they crash to the ground, and the intoxicatingly peppy music that plays on the speakers.  In all honestly, most folks are very nice and it’s easy to make friends.  However, one thing I’ve noticed in a small portion of the patrons is a lack of respect for fellow gym members.  Below is a list of a few misdemeanors:

1) Hogging a machine for an hour!  Some weight machines are more popular than others and a wait can be expected.  But sometimes a machine can be held by someone for an hour.  For example, each morning I like to use a particular machine, but there is always the same guy who uses it for (and I’ve timed this)…..45 minutes before giving it up.  He is well aware that myself and others are waiting for it, but it doesn’t speed up his snail’s pace.  Please be respectful of your colleagues and realise we all are deserving to work on all the machines.

2) You’re only one person….  This kinda goes along the lines of #1.  Some folks like to claim two machines at the same time. ”How do they do this?” you may ask.  Quite easy: work on one, but stake the other by leaving a personal possession on it (i.e. keys, a towel, water bottle, etc.)  and come back when it’s convenient.  It’s just plain rude and disrespectful.  I usually move their clutter aside and work out, which leads to a confrontation.  But heck, they can’t physically be on two machines at the same time.

3) The equipment is not talk show furniture.  Another extension of #1 and #2.  Some people will lean on the equipment or sit on it, and will just chat.  No working out…..no calories burned.  Just talk and taking the machines.  Isn’t that what seats (and Starbucks) are for?

4) Please wipe after your swipe.  There’s nothing more gross than going to a machine that is drenched in sweat.  Either it has to soaked up by my towel, or worse, my clothes or my hair.  Ergh! 

5) It’s naked time!  Okay, so I’m comfortable seeing a nude male body.  But what about a bunch of out-of-shape ones clustered together in a hot, humid, sweat filled room that would a be a breeding ground for malaria?  I have never understood why guys are so comfortable hanging out in the locker room naked.  It makes me feel a little awkward…and that’s saying a lot!

There a no official gym rules, but if we all follow these guidelines it would make life on our fellow gym buddies much nicer, especially at 5AM!  Have a good work-out!

I once saw a bumper sticker that made me laugh that read; “Opinions are like a**holes, everyone has one!”  It made a very eloquent point that stuck with me, and it would be safe to assume that everyone has an a**hole.  Anyway, back to the point, everyone is entitled to their opinions and they all differ from each other.  What makes democracy great is that we can voice them without fear of tyranny and prosecution.  In the past year, I’ve been hearing a lot arguments supporting Prop. 8 and I’ve occasionally asked myself “what if they’re right?”

Don’t worry, I’m not going to be parading ”Yes on 8″ signs anytime soon.   It’s not a case of uncertainty for what I believe in and what is right.  These feelings are more toward being fair and stepping aside and looking at both arguments with a clear mind.  At some point in our lives we’ve been wrong with our view on something, but felt so passionate about what we thought was right that we lost sight of the big picture, right? (please back me up on this *crickets chirping*)

I’ve been absorbing what the “Yes people”, as I like to call them, have to say and why they feel the way they do.  Could they be right?  Or could they be dreadfully wrong?  The best way to solve my dilemma was to grasp their reasons and figure out if they were valid and if my view held any water.  Below is a list of the primary concerns of the “Yes People” and if they are good enough to change my mind.

1) Gay Marriage is going to change marriage forever.  What’s next, polygamy? 

Good point, once the floodgates are open; what will stop them?  Next we could have people wanting to marry children or animals.  What will stop them from demanding equal rights as well? 

Marriage is a sacred bond between two people to provide and care for each other until death.  It is intended to be between consenting adults who are responsible enough to agree to the terms given to them.  That rules out the children and pets from the equation.  Once upon a time, not so long ago in 1968, blacks were not able to get married to whites in 1/3 of American states.  When that ban was removed, many people thought it would lead to the watering down of racial groups and destroy marriage (see pictures below).  Before that slaves were not allowed to marry each other and even further back only virgins are allowed to wed.  These rules have changed over time to give everyone a “fair-go” and the concept of marriage is still as important as ever.  Heterosexual marriages will not be affected by gay weddings and they will retain the same rights they’ve always had.  So, this argument holds no water.

2) What about the children!?  They will learn about gay marriage and be confused and may become gay!  Oh, what about the children!?

Okay, it should be said that no one can become gay, that’s been proven.  But should children need to learn about gay marriages?  It may be confusing that men can love men, and women love women.  To some it could be traumatising!  Teaching little ones about this is unnecessary.

Think back to primary school and about what we learned about marriage in class.  What about high school?  Did we really learn anything about it?  Was there an official course about spouses and gift registries?  Not that I recall.   Basically, anything we learned at school about marriage was from our friends, either playing house or through rumours.  It’s ultimately up to the parents to teach children about marriage, as we have different beliefs about it and traditions.  And since they (the Yes People) are so concerned about the children, what about the gay teens who are coming to terms with who they are and are told that they are wrong for being the beautiful people they are?  Where is the concern for them?  No wonder gay teenagers count for 30% of  all teen suicides in America.  Gay marriage would reassure them that they are normal and can live a happy life.  What about those children!?

3) What’s the point of voting if the Supreme Court will just overturn it months later?  It’s unfair that the people have spoken and now it’s being tossed out. 

On this argument I couldn’t agree more.  That’s the beauty of America; the people have a voice and can change the laws.  And yes, it’s discouraging if a majority vote gets turned around by a panel of judges. 

BUT (and it’s a big but), the Constitutional rights of a minority should never be left up to the majority vote, especially when rights are taken away.  Imagine if that took place in the past.  We would never be the country we are now.  Think about, blacks could still be slaves and women would still not be able to vote if it were left to the majority.  It’s the courts duty to oversee checks and balances and ensure that everyone has fair treatment, even if it’s not always popular.  Keep this in mind; Proposition 8 was the first ever change to a Constitution (aside from the federal Prohibition Amendment, which didn’t last long) that has taken away rights from individuals.  Anyway you look at it; it is wrong!

4) Gays can’t have children naturally together.  It goes against the meaning of marriage if they can’t procreate.  It’s the reason why it has to be one man and one woman. 

Good point and it’s true that gays can’t reproduce together (in the words of Harvey Milk “we keep trying!”).  But once again, marriage is a commitment between two loving adults to be together through the good and bad times and be as one.  Homosexuals can most certainly do that.  If being able to produce children is a pre-requisite to getting married, then what about heterosexual couples who are infertile?  Are they forbidden?  And what about senior citizens?  They certainly can’t have kids, although they may try too.  Denying homosexuals the right based on that reason is a double-standard. 

5) Gay sex is just icky!  Two dudes……ergh!

Well….er……straight sex sometimes isn’t very pretty either. [shrugging]

The Yes People had some valid points, but none of them are very convincing.  One day they may reflect on their choices and will be ashamed about their decisions.  It makes me wonder how the folks in the picture below feel about their stands on inter-racial marriage back in the 1960’s:

Is it possible that California, which was both riveted and divided by the Proposition 8 campaign and its aftermath, actually looked away for a couple of months, distracted by shared worries over the economy? After all, it’s hard to boycott supporters of one side or the other when everyone is trying to save money.

This morning, though, our collective eye is glued to the televised (and webcast) oral arguments before the state Supreme Court, which is hearing an unusual line of reasoning by defenders of same-sex marriage. They seek to overturn Proposition 8 by saying it isn’t a constitutional amendment at all, but a constitutional revision that should have been required to go through a much more rigorous process to become law. Another argument, by state Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown, holds that the right to marry whom one wishes is part of Californians’ inalienable right to liberty. As such, he wrote, it cannot be denied to a so-called suspect class — a group of people who have historically been targets of prejudice — no matter what the political process.

Should the ruling go against Proposition 8, there almost surely will be a move to unseat one or more justices by people who conveniently ignore the court’s proper job — which is not to assuage voters or political groups but to interpret law in accordance with the state Constitution. This case is particularly difficult to parse or predict, pitting a history of constitutional case law against a proposition that goes to the heart of what the Constitution is all about: protecting the rights of Californians.

The court has traditionally cast a skeptical eye on arguments that invoke the murky revision clause, which calls for substantial changes to the Constitution to be passed by two-thirds of the Legislature and then by a majority of voters. The two laws it found to be illegal revisions involved sweeping changes to the structure of state government.

The 14 words of Proposition 8, prohibiting the state from recognizing marriage that is not between a man and a woman, don’t fall easily into that category. Their message is simple, and they are about rights rather than about government structure. But if one of the fundamental purposes of the Constitution is the protection of Californians’ rights, perhaps an upending of that purpose also could be rightly construed as substantial.