Election Results

So, I haven't posted in a while, mostly because I've wanted to respond to the election but hadn't quite figured out what to say. I keep trying to write about it but haven't really been successful at sounding good.

Let me explain. Obama won - YAY! This made me happy. But it was hard to maintain this happiness because of some other election results. I had written about Prop 8 in California. Well, it passed and thus the right of same-sex couples to marry in San Francisco was revoked. Other states passed some anti-gay legislation as well, including Arkansas which took away the right of individuals who aren't married (gay or straight) to have foster children or to adopt.

Well, like I said, this has made me very upset and made me realize my difference more and more. In San Francisco, we live in a bubble and I was surprised at California, but really if California's vote against the gays, that must mean that we aren't nearly as close to equality as I had thought.

So, we elected a black man (and in no way do I think this means racism is dead in America) but gays are even more behind. I'm frankly outraged and tired of being a second class citizen. No more "tolerance", no more "acceptance", no more "buts", no more Mr. Nice Gay. I will only settle for equality. Either you think I'm as good as you or you don't. If you in any way think I should not be able to be married or have the same rights as others, then you still think something is wrong with me and that will not fly. My new mantra is either, you're with me or against me. I've been going to protests and talking to folks about it. I'm boycotting businesses that are anti-gay and ask that you do the same.

I still don't feel like I can talk clearly about this, but invite dialogue. In the meantime, I leave you with these two links from folks who are more eloquent than I. Read, think, and decide. Are you with me?

http://nofo.blogspot.com/2008/11/proposition-hate.html (warning - strong language and thoughts)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4xfMisqab8

Proposition 8

So, I think most of my blog readers don't even live in California, but either way, you've probably heard about Proposition 8. Earlier this year, the California Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to not allow same-sex marriage. Proposition 8 was then put on the ballot to change the California constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman. It needs a simple majority vote to pass and it's very close.

There are a lot of reasons that Proposition 8 is wrong. Regardless of your views on marriage, I believe that any proposition that takes away rights that have already been granted to people is wrong. The last time this happened in history was Prohibition....and we know that didn't work out. Constitutions are written to protect rights and they shouldn't be altered to unfairly discriminate against different groups. It wasn't so long ago either that inter-racial marriages weren't allowed. That changed and the world didn't come to an end.

Also bothersome is the way the Prop 8 supporters have been handling the campaign. First of all, almost all of their funding has come from outside of California. Millions of dollars have been sent from Mormons and Evangelical Christians who do not live in the state but want to ban gay marriage. MILLIONS OF DOLLARS! Think about how these churches could have alternatively used this money to benefit their communities rather than worry about what people elsewhere are doing.

The ads for Prop 8 also are very fear-based and not factual at all. They say that if this Proposition passes all children will be taught about gay marriage. That's not true. There was a similar case in Massachusetts, but in California, parents always have the right to take their kids out of classes or sessions that they don't believe they should be learning about. But guess what folks? There are going to be children in schools with gay parents regardless of if they're married or not and it's going to come up in the classroom and be talked about regardless of if this prop passes.

They also say churches will be sued if they won't do gay weddings or they will lose their tax-exempt status. Another lie. The court decision clearly states that churches do not have to act any differently as a result of the ruling.

Even more ridiculous is the idea that people can be sued over their personal beliefs. Um....I'm pretty sure we're not always in agreement in the state and I don't see a lot of lawsuits flying around because of it.

Plain and simple, the Yes on Prop 8 folks are just homophobic and willing to do anything to push their agenda, including spreading the lies above. It's meant to scare voters into voting yes on a proposition that is discriminatory and takes away rights. So, a vote for 8 is a vote for hate.

Vote no if you're in california. And if you want more info or want to donate: www.noonprop8.com

Random Thoughts

Yes, I know I haven't posted in a while - so shoot me. Nothing particularly exciting going on recently to blog at length about. But I thought I would share some quick tidbits with you.

I've been thinking a lot about people's ears and how different they are. I don't think we pay much attention to ears unless they are really big, but there is a lot of variation. Really, start taking a look. I notice it in my clients and now I'm more cognizant of it.

I don't understand how we can have computers and machines that run factories, perform surgery, and keep track of zillions of dollars in bank accounts, but then we have voting machines, which are basically big calculators, that are getting glitches.

I'm sad that it's going to rain on Halloween but going to make the best of it too.

I'm in politics overload. I can't wait until Tuesday but in reality, I know that will just start entirely new conversations. I know it won't be over.

If you believe in God, what do you think he/she looks like or how do you picture God when you think about it? I've been thinking about that too.

I think people are on their cellphones and PDA's too much. It's like we've lost the ability to be alone without some outside stimulus. When I walk around the city, people don't seem to pay attention to what's around them but rather seem sucked into their devices. I worry that this type of technology will kill social skills altogether and eventually be the death of our civilization. I'm not anti-technology and love the gadgets. I'm just thinking we need to have more balance.

I've found I'm most unhappy when I'm thinking about all the things I don't have that I want, even though I don't really "need" anything.

Oh, and a long time ago, I asked what celebrities you would like to have to dinner. I've thought of a few, but not the whole 7. I think I would definitely have Dolly Parton. She's earned it. Meryl Streep I think is an amazing actress. Steven Spielberg is a maybe, as is Ellen DeGeneres, just because I think she'd be fun at a party. Also, maybe Tina Fey. You can obviously tell I'm more of a TV/Movie person than looking at authors or artists, but for now, that's where my list stands. I don't really know why I'm taking such a long time thinking about it. It's as if I think when i get the perfect list, it will actually happen.

That's it - happy halloween!

I'm Back!

Hey hey hey everyone! So, what a week! Kurt and I traveled back to the east coast to see my family last Saturday. We flew Virgin America, which I still love despite that they fly into Dulles. But it was cheap and I love that when you want food, you just order it on the screen in front of you and they bring it to you. The seats are comfy too.


So, we arrived Saturday evening and had dinner at Fuddrucker's on the way home. I love the buns there! I think mostly because they are grilled with butter. Yummy. We got home late where my sister, Amy, was waiting to meet us. She had not met Kurt before (my parents did last summer when they visited here) and was anxious to do so. We chatted for a while before heading to bed.



Sunday, Pete, Daisey, Kurt and I went to Fort Delaware. It's a Civil War fort that was used as a POW camp for Confederate soldiers. When you take the tour, all the people you meet act like it's 1864 so it's really quite educational and interesting. It looks like a castle because it has a huge moat around it and it's on this island that you can only get to via ferry. So, you can see why it made a good prison. We ate the worst hot dogs ever at the concession stand there, but Kurt did get singled out to help with a reenactment of firing a cannon. He got to scream out all the orders to the other "participants" and give the command to fire. And he got to wear a fun hat! That night we went to Amy and Cecil's (her boyfriend) house for dinner. A very yummy dinner of smoked bbq pork roast and mac and cheese. Yummy.

Monday, we went fishing on Cecil's boat, but only caught three fish. Stupid fickle fish! You never know when you're going to catch any. It was windier than we had wanted, but it was still a nice day just relaxing on the boat. That night, Daisey made my favorite Chicken Pot Pie for dinner.

Tuesday, we went to Rehoboth Beach to shop a bit at the outlets (I got some new luggage which is going to be my Christmas present), walk around the boardwalk, eat some Thrasher's Fries (yum again) and have dinner. We headed back home that night and my friends XL (Jon) and his wife, Cathy, stopped by to visit. It was great to see them.

Wednesday, it was back to the airport, but we did meet up with Seth for lunch on the way at Macaroni Grill. He met us halfway, we ate, and then he drove us back to the airport. Thanks, Sethie! Daisey only cried a few tears. I think she's getting better :-)

I went back to work briefly before Kurt's friend, Rodrigo came in for the weekend. We had some great meals while he was here at Conduit and then at El Dorado Kitchen when we went to wine country. Sonoma was great even though I was designated driver. We rented a little Mini Convertible through zipcar which was a lot of fun, but I got a farmer's tan! Curses! The rest of the weekend, we shopped, ate, drank, and went to a street fair.





And then Monday, I had to go back to vacuuming and work and teaching math class :-(

But it was a great trip overall. I was reminded of what a wonderful family I have. They are so openminded and accepting - the true definition of unconditional love! And it was wonderful to see friends I hadn't in a while. And it was great traveling with Kurt, as always, and spending time with his friends, who are also incredible. I hope you enjoy the pictures from our adventures! I know I need to figure out how to arrange them better!

Visiting the Swains

Tomorrow morning, Kurt and I travel east to visit Pete, Daisey, Amy and Cecil. I'm excited and sure that good times will ensue. I'm still packing. Nothing like waiting until the last minute.

It will be good to get away, even if it's brief. The summer went by so quickly and I feel like I need some time to breathe. I'll miss all you SF readers and will post again upon my return!

A good week

Well, I taught both of my classes this week and the math class will be pretty easy to teach and the students seem nice. My freshmen seminar only had 8 of the 16 people show up. If it stays that way, it will also be great. Generally, it was a busy week at work and in the building where I had to meet with some contractors.

Massage continues to be slow.

I was told today that I would probably be the type that goes crazy and talks to myself when I'm old. I don't know how I feel about that.

I had more nightmares about Sarah Palin. Ack!

I had a mouse in my apartment last night. I think he/she got away though. I certainly hope so but I'm going to buy a trap.

And my funny story for the week: MUNI has had these 'testimonials" from drivers plastered on the buses for a few months, but they always make me laugh. They basically tell memorable stories that these drivers have and I think it's supposed to be marketing to make MUNI seem more personable and part of the community. But I think whoever did this marketing should be fired. It doesn't make the transportation system look good at all. Take these excerpts for example:

Shirley remembers: "A passenger was having a seizure on the bus. I kept calling central command but they weren't responding." Thank you, Shirley for bringing to light the poor management of MUNI.

Juan recalls: "A passenger came up to me in tears because she was heading to a job interview and we were running late that day". A wonderful reminder of MUNI's unreliability.

And finally, Yvette shares: "A crazy homeless guy started yelling at me and ran up to the front of the bus and kept pushing on the accelerator and grabbing the wheel from me. I couldn't stop the bus and we kept going through red lights. Finally, I was able to push him off the front of the bus. Thank goodness it was late or we may have all BEEN KILLED!". Really makes me feel safe as I ominously eye the crazy homeless guy sitting across from me (which is ALWAYS the case). Thanks, Yvette.

Hosting a Dinner Party

Don't ask me why, but I've been thinking a lot about celebrities this week and who we consider to be celebrities and why they are worthy of our attention. So, I propose to you this question: If you could invite seven currently living "celebrities" to a dinner party with you, who would they be and why? I'm going to think about my own list as well and post it soon.