2004 Archives
Archived News and Announcements:
12-18-05: I know
that I had previously stated that it would be
some time before I would provide any updates here, and while it has
been some time, I am in no way ready to restart regular postings at
this present time. I'm buried in a nasty project which consumes most of
my free time now, add to the fact that the holidays are now here I find
myself with even less time than I would like. This of course makes
makes it even tougher to complete my project and return to regular
postings, however I saw something last Friday which made it imperative
for me to write an update. That something which I saw is Brokeback
Mountain, one of
the most powerful movies of our day.
Now I know that alot of people are going to refer to this as the "gay
cowboy movie." I suppose some could see it as that, however I do not. I
wish I could adequately convey what it is that I got out of this film,
but I'm afraid I can't. Nonetheless I will try. What this movie touches
on is love. Pure and simple. The love in this movie is the kind that
transcends all definition. There are no words or terms that can be used
to describe the love that the characters of Jack and Ennis had for each
other. Was there love only that of friends? No. Was there love only
viewed as brotherly? No. Was there love purely romantic? No. Was there
love only sexual? No. The love these two had was all these things and
yet more. They were truly best friends, even brothers, and they loved
each other. Their love transcended the restrictive social norms that we
as humans have placed on society. Their love was complete and pure.
Unfortunately it wasn't totally recognized by the both of them at the
same time until it was too late and the love was lost.
I mention this movie because I can relate to it. I consider myself a
blessed man because I've experienced this love. I'm also blessed
because this love is alive, well and thriving in my life. It is my wish
that if any of you reading this has such a person in your life, be it
same sex or opposite sex, be it sexual or not, that if such a
transcendent love is in your life, please hold on to it and let the
other person know how much you love him or her. There is nothing more
tragic than to have such love lost and then to realize its importance
only after it can never be regained.
11-15-05:
11-7-05: I realize that
I had previously posted that I was
going to be rather busy and not be able to update my website here, yet
here I am making a second update (following the Star Wars survey). The
purpose is to clarify what's going on. I didn't realize that things
were going to take this form, but this is the natural evolution of
things, and I'm actually rather pleased with what's happening.
Some months ago I acquired a
blog space on Myspace.com. It was just
sort of sitting there and not doing much. Over the last several days I
found myself just tinkering with it purely as a distraction. In the
process that tinkering it evolved into something with a definite
identity of its own and I like what I've managed to put together there.
Now whenever I wanted to do a message posting I would just post it here
on this website, regardless of the nature or subject matter. That's
sort of going to change. While I'll continue to post important issues
(whether they be social, political, spiritual, or just personal) here,
I'm going to start to post my more "whimsical" messages on my blog at
Myspace. Any postings that I make here I'll also put there, but the
frivolent stuff will go solely on Myspace unless I find it to be
relevant enough to post here.
If you want to visit my blog on
Myspace just go to   Az
Socks. (If you're curious about the name just e-mail me and I'll explain it
there. It would take too much time to explain it here.).
In the meantime, here is a fun
survey that I took which I'll share
here. I'm doing so because it sort of describes how utterly neurotic I
truly am.
11-7-05:
I found this fun little Jedi character test. Take it
yourself and see what you come up with!!!
| Which Star Wars Jedi/Sith are you?
Yoda
Dynamite in a
small package, and long-lasting, like the Energizer bunny. While you
are wise and calm, you are able to call on your killer instincts and be
kick-ass. Some may call you a ‘sleeper’. With such great power comes
some arrogance, but you are quick to return to humility and fix your
mistakes. You have certainly left your mark on the world, in good and
bad ways, and it was kinda sad to see you go. But no need to worry, you
have gained immortality even though you can’t wield your toothpick of a
lightsabre anymore.
|
| Click Here to Take This Quiz |
| Brought to you by YouThink.com
quizzes and personality tests. |
10-24-05:
This posting here is to let everyone know that I’m
still around. No, I haven’t been negligent in my duties to my website
here. My absence has been deliberate. You see, I’ve been sitting on
over 100 pictures from my vacation with Keith to Walt Disney World last
year and I finally got sick and tired of just hanging on to them and
decided to finally finish processing them in time for this year’s
anniversary vacation (Keith and I celebrated 8 years of wedded bliss
just last Wednesday). Instead of allowing all of the pictures to just
pile up I felt it was absolutely necessary to get last year’s processed
so for the past several weeks I’ve been spending all of my free time
working on those pictures. I knew it would mean having to ignore my
website and blogs, but it was a necessary sacrifice. Well luckily for
me last year’s pictures are finished and I’ve now got this year’s
loaded onto my computer for processing. I only have almost 50% of them
loaded onto a server. It’s a slow and tedious process, but I hope to
have that finished by the end of the week. Once that’s done all I need
to do is design the webpage for the thumbnails. That will take some
time as well because I work the old fashioned way, meaning I prefer to
write in the actual HTML language itself instead of using graphical
programs to make webpages. I know that my method is rather old
fashioned, but I’m an “old school” kind of guy I guess. Anyway, I’m
fairly confident that by Thanksgiving I’ll have the vacation page done
and added to my website. It will be almost a year late, but at least it
will be done!
I don’t want to leave things
without some food for thought here. George
Bush said that God told him to invade and go to war with Iraq. If God
told him to do that, why are things going so badly and why have we lost
almost 2000 of our brave men and women there? Also, the last time God
told any Christian country to go to war it resulted in The Crusades,
and we all remember how badly that turned out, don’t we?
9-15-05: I've got a
couple of items here...
First here is an article that
you might have at least heard about, it
not already read. Still, if you haven't had a chance to read about what
President Bush's mother said recently. It is being reprinted here
without permission.
------------------------------------
Finally, we have discovered the
roots of George W. Bush's
"compassionate conservatism."
On the heels of the president's
"What, me worry?" response to the
death, destruction and dislocation that followed upon Hurricane Katrina
comes the news of his mother's Labor Day visit with hurricane evacuees
at the Astrodome in Houston.
Commenting on the facilities
that have been set up for the evacuees --
cots crammed side-by-side in a huge stadium where the lights never go
out and the sound of sobbing children never completely ceases -- former
First Lady Barbara Bush concluded that the poor people of New Orleans
had lucked out.
"Everyone is so overwhelmed by
the hospitality. And so many of the
people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so
this, this is working very well for them," Mrs. Bush told American
Public Media's "Marketplace" program, before returning to her
multi-million dollar Houston home.
On the tape of the interview,
Mrs. Bush chuckles audibly as she
observes just how great things are going for families that are
separated from loved ones, people who have been forced to abandon their
homes and the only community where they have ever lived, and parents
who are explaining to children that their pets, their toys and in some
cases their friends may be lost forever. Perhaps the former first lady
was amusing herself with the notion that evacuees without bread could
eat cake.
At the very least, she was
expressing a measure of empathy commensurate
with that evidenced by her son during his fly-ins for disaster-zone
photo opportunities.
On Friday, when even Republican
lawmakers were giving the federal
government an "F" for its response to the crisis, President Bush heaped
praise on embattle Federal Emergency Management Agency chief Michael
Brown. As thousands of victims of the hurricane continued to plead for
food, water, shelter, medical care and a way out of the nightmare to
which federal neglect had consigned them, Brown cheerily announced that
"people are getting the help they need."
Barbara Bush's son put his arm
around the addled FEMA functionary and
declared, "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job." Like mother, like
son.
Even when a hurricane hits, the
apple does not fall far from the tree.
------------------------------------
JERRY FALWELL
I'm a subscriber of regular
e-mails from the organization Soulforce,
a group founded by Mel
White for the purpose of furthering the rights of the GLBT community.
In the latest e-mail I read a most surprising article regarding Jerry
Falwell. Take a look for yourself!!!
9-8-05: Well as time
has been passing since the UNnatural
disaster in New Orleans more and more dirt is coming out about how
badly the Administration mismanaged the situation. So why do I refer to
the flooding in New Orleans as an "unnatural disaster?" Days after the
disaster "not my President" Bush was interviewed by Diane Sawyer on ABC
and he claimed that no one could have foreseen what had transpired. Oh?
Really??? Then take a good look at this National Geographic article
regarding Lousiana's
Wetlands written in October of 2004 and you'll see why I call the
flooding in New Orleans an UNnatural disaster!!!
9-1-05: This was said
Wednesday. Look closely at what was said
and take notice of which political party this man belongs to.
"It makes no sense to
spend billions of dollars to rebuild a
city that's seven feet under sea level," House Speaker Dennis
Hastert said of federal assistance for hurricane-devastated New
Orleans.
"It looks like a lot of
that place could be bulldozed," the Illinois
Republican said in an interview Wednesday with the Daily Herald of
Arlington Heights, Ill.
Hastert, in a transcript
supplied by the newspaper, said there was no
question that the people of New Orleans would rebuild their city, but
noted that federal insurance and other federal aid was involved. "We
ought to take a second look at it. But you know we build Los Angeles
and San Francisco on top of earthquake fissures and they rebuild too.
Stubbornness."
Did you say stubborness Mr.
Hastert??? No it isn't. It is resolve to
try to build a quality of life which is the American dream!!!
Stubborness is when Americans vote for idiots like you in the hopes
that things will change for the benefit of the country.
No, wait... That's not
stubborness either. Doing the same thing over
and over and over again (namely electing fools like you Mr. Hastert and
evil men like those in our current administration) and hoping for
different results isn't stubborness. It's insanity!!!
I also want to take a stab at
the ludicrous claims by the evangelical
Christian no-so-right movement regarding why Hurricane Katrina
happened. Their claim that New Orleans was wiped out because of the
upcoming Southern
Decadence festival. Now let's put this in perspective. How many gay
pride festivals and celebrations occur throughout the world yearly? And
out of all of those, how many of them happen without a hitch as opposed
to the number of them that are prevented or interrupted due to the
"wrath of God?"
Now, let's look at poor New
Orleans. It's a fairly large city so it's
safe to assume that there are a number of people who live there are
anti-gay. Given the number of casualties it's also safe to assume that
a number of them are among the anti-gay crowd. Now, given these various
assumptions, is it also wise to assume that God would punish them as
well just because of his wrath towards gays??? Can God be that hateful
and judgmental that He would wipe out an innocent group of people just
because another group of so-called "sinners" is going to have a party???
To all you evangelical, wrong
winged Christians... Just go on espousing
this insane belief. Keep doing it and you'll end up convincing the
American public at how crazy the lot of you are and you'll be able to
do it without any help from me!!!
8-23-05: I'm putting
out this message for all of the GLBT
people, not just those in Phoenix, but throughout the country.
We have here in Phoenix a man
named Jack Jackson Jr. He's
a gay
Navajo indian who strongly believes in the issues impacting the
community. He is running against a candidate who has no interest in
GLBT issues. I've met Jack personally and find him to be a capable
candidate. What he needs more than anything else right now are campaign
funds. Running for office is never an easy or cheap endeavour.
I ask all of you out there to go
to the link given above and contribute
to his campaign fund. Please don't feel that you have to give huge
amounts of money. If a lot of people gave only $5.00 it would add up to
a sizeable fund, so plese give what you can so that Jack can run a
successful campaign.
CRAWFORD OR BUST
I know I'm also putting this
information out here rather late, but it's
important nonetheless. When Cindy Sheehan started her vigil in
Crawford, Texas I'm sure she had no idea what she was destined to
start. This is a woman who put a face to all of the senseless deaths
that have happened in Iraq. How many parents, brothers, sisters, and
even friends have to go through the rest of their lives wondering why
their loved one have to die, and is it all worth it? While most
Americans have felt this, they have been scattered and alone in their
grief and anger. Now along comes Cindy Sheehan who has put a real face
on the loss that we have all been feeling and has also managed to
galvanize the people into a strong protesting force that we haven't
seen the likes of since the days of the Vietnam War. Despite any media
reports that claim this is a fading and worthless effort there are
plenty of people who have travelled there to get their own point
across. Just because Cindy Sheehan elected to leave so that she could
be by the side of her mother (She suffered a stroke recently) the
strength of her allies remains and continues to grow!
If you wish to see and keep
informed of the goings on there just go to Crawford or Bust. There are
personalities from Air America Phoenix (See? We aren't a state filled
with just neo-cons!) that have made the trek, including a gentleman
named Ernest Hancock. Apparently he could use some financial help
supporting his trip to Crawford so there is a Paypal
link so that you can make whatever contribution possible. I know that
I'm asking alot in this entry when it comes to money, but consider who
it is that we're trying to remove from office. These people have the
big corporations in their pockets which makes it extremely difficult
for us to defeat unless we part with our hard earned cash. It's the
only way to not only remove the fascists from office, but it's the
loudest and clearest way for us to get our message across that we will
not stand by quietly and tolerate the dark path this country, and
Christianity itself, is being taken. Again, please give what you can.
Your efforts, no matter how great or small, will be appreciated!!!
8-14-05: I just made
some minor updates to the website here,
mostly in area of relevant information and in terms of appearance. I
would have done these sooner, but with everything going on in recent
months, not to mention problem after problem with either our computers
or our network has made it difficult to do these things in a timely
manner. Still, I finallly managed to get those done!
I also want to make mention of a
highly valuable book that Keith is
currently reading. It is called Lies
My Teacher Told Me by James B. Loewen. This book has been quite the
eye opener as the author points out all of the inaccuracies and
fallacies that we have been taught throughout our time in school. He
has done extensive research and has a plethora of footnotes citing the
document sources of said research.
The part that I wish to bring up
is a quote given by a Vietnam vet
named George Swiers. If we do not speak of it, others will
surely rewrite the script. Each of the body bags, all of the mass
graves will be reopened and their contents abracadabraed into a noble
cause. The words that jumped out from the page were "noble
cause." What is that President Bush said recentlY? That we must honor
the noble cause that our soldiers have died for. What is it that Cindy
Sheehan has been doing in Texas? What is it that she's asking and
wanting the President to answer? "What noble cause is it that my son
died for?"
I'm asking the same question Mr.
President. What is the noble cause?
You said there were weapons of mass destruction, but that was proven
false. You said that Iraq had dealings with Al Qaeda, but that was
proven false. You said that Iraq was an aggressor against the United
States, but that was also proven false. These were the reasons you gave
for us to go to war against Iraq, yet they are all lies. So, I'm
echoing Cindy Sheehan's question. What is that noble cause that so many
fine men and women have died?
I'm waiting for an answer Mr.
President. Why do I think I'm not going
to get one?
8-1-05: Again, it's
been a long time since I've posted here,
but I'm pretty sure everyone who visits here regularly knows why. I
don't have to overstate the obvious by saying that for the last several
weeks I have been incredibly busy and have had very little time to
myself.
Now since that's out of the way
I'm sure everyone here wants to know
how my mother is doing. The truth is she's doing remarkably well for a
woman who very nearly died! She's presently recuperating in a nursing
home that has excellent physical rehabilitation and occupational
therapy. She's getting stronger and stronger with each passing day and
we are all hoping that she'll be discharged to home within the week!
I just want to take the time to
thank all those who kept me, Keith, and
my mother in prayer. I've been shown an inner strength that I didn't
know was there, and it was through God that it was shown to me. Thank
you all for your concern, for your prayers, and for your love. Most of
all, I wish to give praise to God. I would not have endured this time
without God's strength, and most of all, my mother would not be alive
without God's blessings!!!
6-27-05: My heart is
full.
I haven’t posted here lately
because of numerous reasons. I admit that
one of the reasons is burnout, pure and simple. I work with computers
and with computer data anywhere from 50 to 60 hours a week. The thought
of posting on my own website doesn’t fill me with dread. It just
doesn’t fill me at all! I don’t post because by the time I come home
I’m so drained and tired that I can’t think of anything to share.
However, a more pressing reason took over which prevented me from
posting, and it is that same reason which is pressing me to make a post
now.
Almost two weeks ago my mother
took ill while we were out to dinner. I
rushed her to the CIGNA Urgent Care Center and they diagnosed it as
stomach flu. However, when the weekend came around she did not get
better so Keith and I rushed her to the Emergency Room at the hospital
around the corner from where we live. When we got her there the doctors
looked at her and noticed that her right leg had become both inflamed
and turned a very ugly shade of dark red. The initial diagnosis was
cellulites and she was admitted into the hospital as an inpatient.
When Keith and I returned (after
getting some much needed sleep) to see
her we discovered that she had been moved into the ICU because of the
nature of the infection in her leg. We were told that the doctors were
only going to administer antibiotics and just observe her leg.
Reassured that no surgery would be necessary Keith decided to keep his
business trip schedule and went to Rhode Island. Unfortunately the next
day I learned that my mom required surgery on her leg otherwise the
infection was going to kill her. Not “might,” not “potentially,” but
definitely kill her. She consented to have a special surgery performed
where the surgeons would attempt to both drain the leg of any poisonous
fluids and remove any dead tissue. Apparently the experience was so
traumatic for my mother that when the surgeons said a second surgery
was needed on Tuesday she declined, instead choosing death. Now it is
for this reason that I feel prompted to write.
When the surgeons called me to
say that she had declined surgery I ran
to the hospital to find the Parish Nurse (She’s the staff nurse from
the church that we attend.) praying over my mother, and as I walked
into her room my mother consented to the surgery. That was followed by
a third surgery on her leg and the good news is that the infection
appears to have receded. But why did I feel compelled to write?
My mom told me later that on
Tuesday, when she was literally on death’s
doorstep, she started to experience visitations from loved ones who
have already passed on, not the least of which was a visit from my
father (who passed away 22 years ago this August) and HIS mother!
According to her they were only two of many who came in and out of her
hospital room during this extremely critical time. The other moment
that really stood out was when the Parish Nurse was praying over my
mom. The nurse was holding her hand while praying and while my mother
had her eyes closed she said the words “This Is The Day The Lord
Has Made” appeared before her eyes. Even closed she could see them
as if her eyes were open. Upon this moment she knew that she had a
choice to make. She could either give up and exit this life, or she
could fight to live another day. She chose to fight and live. Since
that time her condition has been improving daily and the blessings that
we have all been experiencing from God have been too numerous to list.
Even though this last week has been the most trying in my entire life,
I have never felt the presence of God this strongly. I could actually
FEEL God’s gaze on not just me, but also my mother and I knew
without any doubt that not only could I feel God’s love, but also God’s
concern for my mother’s well being.
My heart is full.
5-20-05: I am a geek. I
say that because last night I saw Star
Wars III: The Revenge Of The Sith.
This is a wonderful movie on so many levels. Aside from being fun and
entertaining, it's probably the darkest of all of the Star Wars movies,
and I tend to like dark movies. The visuals are stunning, and I
honestly think this is John Williams' best score since Episode IV (A
New Hope). The acting is better than in the rest and I felt that Ewan
McGregor (hubba hubba) did an amazing job channeling the younger spirit
of Alec Guinness. I would recommend however that if any of you have
children under the age of 13 that you see the movie first before
letting them see it. There are some dark and disturbing images, the
worst of which is the killing of children. We as viewers don't see
Anakin kill any of the children, but he does pull out his lightsaber
and it becomes painfully clear what he's about to do them. We also see
some stormtroopers brutally gun down a teenaged Jedi student. This is
not your mother's Star Wars movie! It's a dark and sometimes violent
movie and it needs to be approached as such.
I also want to make some social
commentary here. I'm sure you have
heard the news by now regarding the parallels between this movie and
what is going on in our country today. George Lucas claims he wrote
this story sometime during the Vietnam War. I'll give him the benefit
of the doubt on this, but he did say that he wanted to show what would
happen when a democratic republic declines into fascism. What's
terrifying is that we are seeing that happen today, and many elements
from the movie do seem to be going on right now. There is a wonderful
line in the movie that says, "So this is how democracy ends... With
thunderous applause." That is EXACTLY what is happening today. We as a
country have applauded our fascist leaders as they continue to lie to
us, strip away our rights, and dismantle the Constitution which we as
citizens should hold very near and dear our collective hearts. There is
also a nerve wracking shot of the Jedi Temple with smoke coming out
after Anakin leads the stormtroopers in an attack against the Jedi. The
scene invokes disturbing images of the Twin Towers shortly after they
were attacked from 9/11.
Now I'm not trying to paint a
negative picture when it comes to this
latest Star Wars entry. It's a movie and it's entertaining. All I ask
is that while you're watching it try to see if any of the political
machinations resonate in some way. Keep in the back of your mind what's
going on in our country, and you'll see this movie, not just for the
entertaining film that it is, but for the statement that it is also
trying to make.
4-27-05: This article
appeared on the CBS news. I am
reprinting it here without permission.
------------------------------------
(CBS) A college production tells
the story of Matthew Sheppard, a
student beaten to death because he was gay.
And soon, it could be banned in
Alabama.
Republican Alabama lawmaker
Gerald Allen says homosexuality is an
unacceptable lifestyle. As CBS News Correspondent Mark Strassmann
reports, under his bill, public school libraries could no longer buy
new copies of plays or books by gay authors, or about gay characters.
"I don't look at it as
censorship," says State Representative Gerald
Allen. "I look at it as protecting the hearts and souls and minds of
our children."
Books by any gay author would
have to go: Tennessee Williams, Truman
Capote and Gore Vidal. Alice Walker's novel "The Color Purple" has
lesbian characters.
Allen originally wanted to ban
even some Shakespeare. After criticism,
he narrowed his bill to exempt the classics, although he still can't
define what a classic is. Also exempted now Alabama's public and
college libraries.
Librarian Donna Schremser fears
the "thought police," would be
patrolling her shelves.
"And so the idea that we would
have a pristine collection that
represents one political view, one religioius view, that's not a
library,'' says Schremser.
"I think it's an absolutely
absurd bill," says Mark Potok of the
Southern Poverty Law Center.
First Amendment advocates say
the ban clearly does amount to censorship.
"It's a Nazi book burning," says
Potok. "You know, it's a remarkable
piece of work."
But in book after book, Allen
reads what he calls the "homosexual
agenda," and he's alarmed.
"It's not healthy for America,
it doesn't fit what we stand for," says
Allen. "And they will do whatever it takes to reach their goal."
He says he sees this as a line
in the sand.
In Alabama's legislature, the
reviews of Allen's bill are still out on
whether to lower this curtain for good.
------------------------------------
Now I’ll tell you what bothers
me about this… I’ve been screaming for
some time now that we as a country are walking a very fine edge. “Those
who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Maybe I’m
making some leaps here, but this is just a stone’s throw away from the
book burning that the Nazis did during WWII. We already know that we
(meaning gays AND real Christians, not cristo-fascists) are very much
hated by the evangelical and neo-conservative movement. What’s next?
Will they start labeling us? Will they start separating us from the
general populace? Will they isolate us in camps so as to keep “their
group” pure?
I put it to all of you out there
that we are even more dangerously
close to repeating history. Even though the above mentioned story is in
Alabama, there is no reason something like this can’t happen in your
home town or state.
Write to your Congressmen and
Senators. Tell them your concerns and
fears regarding the general direction of our country and let them know
that you will not support them if they choose to continue going down
the direction of fascism.
I’m very much afraid which is
why I’m sharing this information here.
The similarities from history are just too many and too scary.
I will not call them “Nazis”
only because of the horrible image that
brings to mind, not to mention the painful memories of torture that our
Jewish brothers and sisters fell victim to.
Our government leaders are not
Nazis. However, they are fascists. Bush,
Cheney, Rove, Rumsfeld, Bolton, Delay…. They are all fascists and it’s
about time that we rise up as a people and do what we legally can do to
insure that they do not retain power when the elections come around
again!!!
4-7-05: Well I’ve got
lots of things to cover here so let me
get started…
First, does anyone remember one
of the so-called benefits about this
illegal war in Iraq? Does anyone remember the administration claiming
how this would help us in our oil demands and that we would all have an
abundance of gasoline and that gas prices would theoretically drop? Has
anyone noticed how blasted high the prices have become??? In the
meantime our joker of a President is busy distracting us with the false
threat of an almost bankrupt social security and now he's waving his
Bible claiming that we need to foster a "culture of life" and is using
Terri Schiavo as his political icon. Meanwhile our gasoline prices are
spiraling out of control and nobody seems to be holding our
administration accountable after the promises they made. Don't you just
love our news media? You can also forget the very idea of the
government trying to intervene because then they’ll have to answer the
big question as to why we’re still in Iraq and what are we doing there!
Also, Alberto Gonzalez has been
pushing Congress to give some pretty
scary extensions and additions to the Patriot Act. Here is a huge
concern that I have regarding the Patriot Act. One of the provisions is
allowing the government to have "super subpoenas" which allow them to
seize any records for any company that they may wish without any
permission or search warrants. There are also gag provisions attached
to these subpoenas, which impede the first amendment (meaning you can't
complain if your records have been seized by the government without
risk of reprisal and/or arrest). To date NONE of the provisions under
the Patriot Act have stopped terrorism, so these new provisions are
simply a means for the federal government to amass more power and
restrict both the rights of the state and the rights of the individual.
Lastly, a very powerful
story came across my computer today about a young, American gay
soldier who was wounded in Iraq. He wants very much to continue
serving, but as always there are groups out there that will do anything
and everything to stop him, even if it would make all the difference.
It disgusts me that it doesn’t matter if the gay community could supply
this country with THE MOST AND BEST talented soldiers this country has
ever seen. The very fact that they are gay is so disgusting to our
leaders that it doesn’t matter what wonderful contributions we can
make. Being gay automatically disqualifies us.
Everything that I’ve shared here
is a reflection on the leaders we have
in this nation. It is imperative that we all come together as a unified
force and do what we can do (within the law) to bring about change for
the benefit of not only our community, but for the country and possibly
the world!!!
3-30-05: I’ve made a
deliberate attempt to avoid weighing in
with my opinion regarding some of the atrocities being committed by our
government and elements of the “Christian Taliban.” Of course I’m sure
everyone is aware of what is going on with Terri Schiavo. I’m not going
to debate whether or not who is right regarding whether or not she
should have her feeding tube reinserted. What I will argue is the
inappropriateness of the federal government getting involved. They have
passed a law meant for only one individual. Only one!!! If the
government can do that what’s to stop them from doing it to anyone
else? I also find the idea of the federal government involving itself,
in what is clearly a family dispute, to be reprehensible. On top of
that to have the “religious rarely right” and neo-conservatives take
this poor soul and exploit her as a political icon for their own
self-interests to be absolutely disgusting!!! Whether Terri Schiavo
remain on life support or not is none of my business and it is most
certainly none of the business of the federal government. It’s a
private family matter and that’s where it should remain!!!
I want to finish with this.
Yesterday I heard on the radio that the
state legislators of Michigan have passed a bill that would allow
medical professionals to refuse service to anyone on the grounds of
“moral reasons.” This is a law that was aimed directly at the gay
community!!!
I AM SICK OVER THIS!!! IS THIS
WHAT HUMANITY HAS LOWERED ITSELF TO???
3-17-05: Those people
who either have been following my
website for some time, or those who personally know me, are well aware
that I’m a die-hard fan of progressive rock music. Groups such as Yes,
Genesis (preferably mid-70’s), Kansas and Pink Floyd are some of the
groups that I follow with what could only be described as a religious
fervor.
Back in 2001 Keith had to go on
a business trip for an entire week.
This pretty much left me to my own devices. I was reading the paper and
saw that the band Dream Theater
would be performing here in Phoenix. I also saw them described as a
mixture of Yes and Metallica. Well since I love Yes and do enjoy some
Metallica music I decided to check this band out. What I experienced
that night was most unusual. The lead singer had that “heavy metal”
sound in the way that he sang, but the band was really interesting
whenever they were left to their own devices. It wasn’t the cosmic
progressive rock that I was used to with the older bands. This was
leaner and far more aggressive, but it still had many of the trademarks
that are associated with progressive rock, however I wasn’t entirely
convinced that this was a band I wanted to become a fan of.
Less than a year later I read a
review for what was at the time Dream
Theater’s latest release, “Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence.” What
attracted my attention in the review was that the critic gave some
strong comparisons to Kansas. That always stuck in my mind, and finally
last summer I purchased the CD and absolutely fell in love with it. I
became a Dream Theater fan! I was so enamored with that recording that
just last month I purchased their latest CD, “Train Of Thought.” While
I don’t love the entire recording like I do with Six Degrees, there are
some very powerful moments here, the strongest being the song “In The
Name Of God.”
Being gay has made me at times
vulnerable to the attacks of the “rarely
religious right.” However, as also a Christian, I find their attacks,
which they do in the name of God, to be doubly offensive. What’s more
is that the world is seeing an increase of very strange religious
cults, many of which ask their followers to do some pretty terrible
things, again all in the name of God. It is for these reasons that I
wish to share with you some of the lyrics from the Dream Theater song.
“How can this be? Why is
he the chosen one?”
“Listen when the prophet
Speaks to you, killing in the name of God.”
“Passion, twisting faith
into violence in the name of God.”
“Justifying violence.
Citing from the Holy Book. Teaching hatred in the
name of God.”
“Religious beliefs,
fanatic obsession. Does following faith lead us to
violence?”
This song has come to mean a
great deal to me, and I wish to thank the
lyricist, John Petrucci (the AWESOME guitarist for the band), and the
other members of the band for recording this song. In this day of
religious persecution we all need to remain focused on whom God really
is, a loving Creator filled with love for us, not some deity who would
demand of his followers that they commit some horrible atrocities in
his name as this incredible song points out.
If any of you also enjoy some
really good progressive rock music, start
checking this band out. Don’t make snap judgments. It took a few years
for this band’s music to really grow on me. The music is incredible and
the lyrics can only be described as provocative. Now I can’t get enough
of their songs and eagerly await their next release and tour!!!
3-13-05: Been awhile
since I've made an update here and I
really should be ashamed of myself. Given all of the political, social,
and religious activity in the world today there is PLENTY of stuff for
me to share here. I guess I've just burned myself out and not felt
overly motivated, and as far as I'm concerned, that's not an excuse. I
put this website here for a reason and now I have to owe up to my
responsibilities to keep it updated, so here I go...
One of the regular websites I
like to visit is WIL WHEATON DOT
NET. Aside from
being a talented actor he has emerged as a well-respected writer, and
much of his writings appear in his web log. During one of my visits I
noticed on the right a banner advertising a commercial that was put
together by the United Church Of
Christ. This ad was supposed to run on ABC, but the network decided
against it because they didn't want to show a commercial which pushed a
specific religious agenda. Oh the hypocrisy!!! They wouldn't show that,
but they show political ads of candidates who make it no secret about
how they are trying to put down any of the gay rights we've been so
desperately deserved!!! Anyway, I just wanted to offer my kudos to Wil
(if in the event that either him or any of his readers should visit
this website) for having the integrity and open mind to run that banner
advertising the UCC commercial.
This brings me to my second
point I want to make here. Any long time
readers will know that for a numbers of years I had been a member of
the Community Church Of Hope (CCH for short) here in Phoenix. Since
leaving the Mormon faith I had attended quite a few different churches,
and CCH was the first one that actually felt like it could be a real
home for me. It was the church where I met Keith, it's the church where
Keith and I got married (Okay, for all you legal purists it was a Holy
Union, but in this man's heart it was a wedding. We walked down an
aisle, exchanged rings and vows. It was a wedding and Keith is my
husband. Deal with it!), and it's the church where I was finally able
to really explore my abilities as a guitarist and music arranger. It
really became an integral part of my life. Well unfortunately things
change, and CCH went into a spiritual direction that Keith and I both
felt we could not follow. As a result we left them well over a year ago
and had been wandering until recently. Our best friends, Brendan &
Gordon, introduced us to the UCC
faith which has quite a history behind it. We checked out one church in
north Phoenix called Shadow
Rock and while we found it interesting, it didn't "speak to us."
It's a HUGE church with one of the most spectacular church buildings
I've ever seen in my life, and the diversity they have is still unlike
anything I've ever experienced before. Nonetheless, it didn't "trip my
trigger," so we kept on looking. This then took us to another UCC
church which is right by where we live called the First Congregational United Church Of
Christ. While Shadow Rock had a somewhat large family, contemporary
feel to it, First Congregational (or White Spire as we fondly call it)
was smaller, more intimate, with a definite New England feel to it. We
had been going there for several months, but it wasn't until the
beginning of February that it all came together. Brendan, who is an
excellent player of the recorder (a baroque wooden instrument), and I
came together to perform a duet of a beautiful Celtic song called "Be
Thou My Vision." We had performed it before some years ago at CCH, but
we thought it would be nice if we blew some of the dust and cobwebs off
of it and play it for the people at White Spire. Brendan played the
recorder with a decidedly Celtic feel to it while I played the
classical guitar and sang. What happened that day could only be
described as the presence of God. I have performed worship music for a
number of years, as has Brendan. The two of us experienced something so
incredibly powerful and moving. When we finished performing we thought
it was just us, but everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) present that day
felt it as well. People there are still talking about it. So why am I
sharing this? Am I here to toot the collective horns of Brendan and
Ben? Absolutely not. I'm here to give praise to God, because as good as
Brendan and I can be in performance, what happened this day transcended
all of that, and that can ONLY be attributed to the presence, the
power, and the love of God. I had not felt the power of God quite so
strongly in many years (even as I write this it brings tears to my
eyes), and that is when we all knew that this church was to become our
new spiritual home. PRAISE BE TO GOD IN ALL THINGS!!!
3-3-05: Lately there
has been a resurfacing of an old argument
regarding the separation of Church and State, most notably in the
display of a 10 Commandments Monument in front of a courthouse. The
ruling finally went in front of the U.S. Supreme Court where it was
ruled that if it was okay to have words like "In God We Trust" on our
currency then it must be okay to have religious themed objects on state
property.
What I find most troublesome
about this is the argument that our
Founding Fathers would have wanted this because we are a Christian
Nation and that this country was founded on Christian Principles.
Nothing could be further from the truth. As of late Keith and I have
been reading some interesting biographies regarding our Founding
Fathers (Okay, so Keith has done most of this reading, but I have done
some of it myself!) and their spiritual beliefs. What has been most
interesting in all of this is that the majority of our Founding Fathers
were in fact not Christians, rather they were "Deists,"
meaning that they all pretty much believed in some sort of Supreme
Being, but when it came to the divinity of Jesus Christ and the
miracles performed in the Bible, they pretty much discarded those
writings and simply viewed Christ as an enlightened philosopher.
The point is that the Founding
Fathers did not help to form this
country on Christian Principles. Instead they used "enlightened"
principles. If you review the Constitution you'll find it's an
enlightened document, but it's also a Godless document, meaning God
doesn't figure into any of the Constitution or the legal
foundation on which this country was founded.
If you should find yourself in
any heated discussions regarding this
subject make the effort to read any of the biographies of the Founding
Fathers by Joseph Ellis. His work and research on the subject was
exhaustive and you'll find his writings to be extremely revealing!
1-23-05:
I
think the above picture says it all... We saw "The Lion King." I've
been trying to put into words how amazing I found this show to be, but
they fail me. To say that it was the most visually amazing play doesn't
do it. To say that the storytelling in the play was refreshing and
exciting just doesn't convey what I felt. To say that the music was
some of the most vibrant and passionate music I've heard in a long time
is inadequate. To say that the emotion and message in the play went
beyond being spiritual only scratches the surface. It was all these
things and more. I've been to my fair share of plays, both in San
Francisco and here in Arizona, and nothing compares to what I witnessed
yesterday. For sometime now I have heard people say that it was the
best show around, that it was better than the animated movie, etc. I
realized that there was something to all of this acclaim, yet I was
skeptical myself. What I experienced yesterday went beyond anything
I've ever witnessed. What I had could only be described as a religious
moment, and all I can say to everyone else is to GO SEE THIS SHOW!!!
You will not be disappointed. More than once the sheer majesty and
beauty of what was on stage in terms of acting and music had me
sobbing. From the moment the lights went down to the end of the curtain
calls all I could feel was this profound sense of wonder and joy the
likes of which could only make me cry, and when it was over all I could
say to myself was, will I be able to buy tickets to this amazing wonder
and see it again? To all of you, if you have not seen this show then
make a point of doing so. You will not be disappointed. In fact, it
might transform you in ways never before imagined.
1-4-05: I saw the most
interesting and thought provoking movie
earlier today. It was a documentary called "The Inner Tour." It deals
with a group of Palestinians taking a tour through Israel in the year
2000. Now I've been the first one to stand up here and state the
importance of not casting any stereotypes against me, either as a gay
man or as a gay Christian. What I didn't realize is how I've been
carrying some stereotypes inside of me without even knowing it. We
listen to the mass media and read the newspapers regarding the
Palestinian conflicts in the Middle East and it's easy to generalize
all of the Palestinians as suicidal monsters without heart or
conscience. Watching this movie has helped me to realize how very wrong
I am. These were sons, daughters, young, old, mothers, fathers, the
strong and the broken. After listening to what they had to say
throughout their three day tour of Israel I really began to realize
that they are human beings as well with passions, hopes, and dreams.
Whats more I realized that if I met some of them on the street I would
easily want to count them as friends. They were all good people. More
than that, some of them were able to hold extremely civil, if not
friendly, conversations with some of the Israelis living there. This is
where I felt my greatest shame. If some of the Israelis and
Palestinians could overcome the stereotypes that they are dealt with
and act truly as neighbors then it is incumbent of me to purge myself
of the stereotypes and rash generalizations that I have.
May we all look deep into
ourselves and learn to view all of our
neighbors as God's children, all equal, all special, and all equally
loved by God, and may we learn to treat all others with the kind of
respect that we desire to be treated with.
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