Money well spent?

They contributed more than half a million to the Yes on 8 campaign, now they're laying off 202 workers. I guess for Focus on Family (the seventh-largest donor), spending (wasting) money on eliminating gay civil rights was more important that keeping and feeding their workers. I do feel a little pity for those who got laid off... But then again, engage in intolerance, hate and discrimination and you'll experience God's wrath! Oh well. Hope they all get jobs in the "real world" and finally see the truth. As for hate, it will eventually go out of business. Love is more profitable in the end! Continue reading...

Go Kieth!

I missed the show tonight because of rehearsals. This was a powerful commentary by KO. I especially like it when he questioned all the fuss against "redefining" marriage. He was right when he pointed out that if we hadn't redefined marriage in 1967, black people still couldn't marry white people.

Hate wrapped up in the name of religion is still hate!
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Bittersweet...

I got a little teary-eyed last night when MSNBC finally called it for Obama. Watching the crowds that gathered at Grant Park in Chicago and listening to Obama’s rousing speech made me proud of being an American. After eight years of Bush's failed presidency, this sure feels like catharsis.

However, victory seems bittersweet as my home state of California voted to add discrimination in the state constitution. The hateful Proposition 8 appeared to have passed with 52%. I don't understand it. The most liberal state in the union overwhelmingly supported Proposition 2 (which gave rights to chickens) but can't even extend equal rights to a minority group? That's really fucked up!

CNN exit polls reported that 61% of the 18-29 age group were against the measure. If there's a silver-lining to any of this, gay rights might turn out to be the new civil rights for the younger generation. Let's hope...

Maybe in the meantime, the best thing to do is to launch a counter Proposition against Religious bigotry. We should put some teeth into the rule that churches that engage in political activity lose their tax-exempt status. Continue reading...

Historic Election

I have done my civic duty and voted in what is probably a seminal event in American history. Tonight, a man of color, a minority will be elected 44th president of the US. Finally, the melting pot-myth that is America will become a reality. I think that Obama will usher a generational shift not just in politics but in society in general. We really need to discard the failed ideologies of the last century. We can only solve our country’s problems by less dogma, more development; less fanaticism, more tolerance. We need to turn the page and start fresh. Continue reading...

Last minute reminders...

Vote NO on hate-based Proposition 8! Continue reading...

Change. Hope. Believe.

Perhaps the most important issue this election: the possibility that things can change and will change for the better. After a disastrous eight years, what the country needs is a new direction, a new hope and a new beginning.

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On Proposition 8

This is probably one issue that matters to me personally this election. I believe that all human beings, regardless of age, race or sexual orientation have an equal capacity to love, equal yearning to be part of a family, equal craving for happiness, and an equal desire to live in peace without resentment from their fellow human beings. Nothing is more upsetting than religious conservatives injecting their dogma in politics when there clearly is (or should be) a wall of separation between all religions and the federal, state and municipal governments. Randy and I personally know a lot of people who are committed to life-long partnerships. And just like traditional families, we support, love and care for each other. We are law abiding citizens - we work, we pay taxes and we contribute to the growth of the community. Isn't it only fair that we are accorded the same rights as everyone else. Is it too much to ask for hospital visitation rights, medical decision on behalf of the partner, tax breaks, insurance breaks, inheritance rights, etc. Does anyone really believe that extending these basic benefits to gay couples would ruin traditional marriages? We're not asking for the Pope's blessing, were asking only for equality.

In the last three months, I have done my share by expressing my opinion at every opportunity (sometimes even debated friends who are very religious, hoping that they change their minds). I figured by changing enough minds, I can change the law. But then again, it's up to the rest of California to decide. Majority rules....

So, I vote NO on Proposition 8. Continue reading...

Oopsie Daisies!

Love this clip! Look at Cindy in the background, she's probably thinking "What the fuck did you just say!" Listen how McCain tries desperately to work his way out... LOL

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CampQ

Just got back from a two-day chorus retreat at some camp in Julian. It's not often that I get to drive up in mountains, let alone sleep in bunk beds and make s’mores around campfire with about 60 gay guys belting Broadway show tunes. It was fun, but as always, I had a hard time sleeping. I got the top bunk bed and my roommates said that I kept on tossing and turning. I have my nylon comforter with me so it was making this loud swoosh-swish sound all night long… I guess I kept everyone awake. But that’s not the only thing that bothered me. I also don`t like communal bathrooms. I can take public showers but what I can’t do is carry on a conversation with my chorus buddies while I am doing my “thing“ in the next stall. It’s pretty awkward. I need proper ambiance otherwise I get poo shy. So, I ended up holding off until I got home… least to say I did not eat fiber the duration of the retreat. Continue reading...

Slingshot

Today was the last day of the San Diego Asian Film Festival. Norman and I watched a gripping Filipino film entitled Tirador (Slingshot). Shot in a reality TV (i.e. frenzied and shaky camerawork, which made us dizzy!) and almost voyeuristic “in-your-face” style, the film presents the graphic underbelly of Philippine society -from small-time crooks living in the slums of Manila, to the corrupt politicians who utilize the democratic process (combined with religion) as a numbing agent against social ills.

I think it is quite amazing that a movie without a cleat-cut plot (and seemingly without a real script) can present so much conflict and dilemma. I kept on waiting for the turning point, but I realized that the intent of the film was not really to offer a resolution following a series of climax. Doing so would only blur the truth. The situation, as exaggerated and as surreal as it may appear to some, is actually reality in the Philippines. Unknotting the conflicts would only render the film into a cheap fairy tale. Also, for the first time in cinematic history (I think), dentures were used as symbolism for dreams, which I thought was brilliant! But it could also be the director poking fun at the appearance-consciousness among Filipinos. Behind all the facade is a petty, obtuse, toothless hag!

All throughout the movie, I kept on thinking why was it titled Tirador? When I was growing up, tirador was a popular children's toy. It was mostly home made, with two rubber strips attached to a forked Y-shaped branch. Maybe, it has something to do with the fact that when given a shot at life, people seize the moment and utilize whatever they have at hand. They improvise their ammunition, they aim and they give it their best shot. Like the characters in the movie, they make do whatever they have, be it their wits, their tenacity or their will to survive... and they miss most of the time! Continue reading...