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May 19, 2008

Happy Birthday... a new year begins

Birthday Balloons

It has been a VERY busy couple of weeks. I had decided to move back to the westside of Los Angeles, back to Mar Vista, after the summer was over when a friend made an offer that I could not refuse. (why am I hearing the theme from "The Godfather?")

I spent the last two week packing up and moving myself and have finally finished that job. I keep swearing to myself that every time I do this that it is the last time and next time I will hire movers to do the labor. I am still recovering but the exercise was good and good for me.

2008 has gotten off to an interesting start as the universe and I get onto a first name basis with each other. I have met some interesting clients as I grow my Life Coaching practice and last month I completed my Reiki II program and am adding that to my list of services that I offer my clientelle.

Reiki, pronounced ray-kee and meaning universal life force energy, originated in Japan in the mid-19th century by Dr. Mikao Usui, a physician and monk. Reiki belongs to what is called energy medicine because it works with subtle energies of the body, believing that disturbances, imbalances, or depleted energy (ki) cause illness. It is an art that is passed from master to student. Reiki works so well with my intuitive nature and has been such a wonderful blessing in my life as both a recipient and a practitioner.

Usually, the month before my birthday is a tough one to deal with, but this year has been actually helpful. My mood has been very high, I found and had a simple move, I actually had a friend help me move the large items with his truck (that's a small miracle as anyone who has truck owning friends knows).

Life is good and, as always, getting better if we will just allow it. So happy birthday to me and may this new personal year continue as one of growth and prosperity.

Peace and joy to all those who would read this and wish me a happy day and/or peace and joy...

May 15, 2008

Same-sex Marriage & the Conservative Right

Man Date vs Mandate

The California Supreme Court today overturned California Proposition 22, from the 2000 election, which attempted to define that only marriages between a man and a woman would be recognized by the state.

SECTION 1. This act may be cited as the "California Defense of Marriage Act."

SECTION 2. Section 308.5 is added to the Family Code, to read:

308.5. Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.

Of course the traditionalists and the religious right are not going to be happy in the slightest about this and I completely expect that the usual claims that this is going to destroy marriage is on the horizon. I also expect that Pat Robertson will be having a mental meltdown on Friday's edition of the 700 Club, more on him and a few of his recent statements later.

I am sure that the religious right was not taken completely by surprise since they have been gathering 1.1 million signatures to qualify a state constitutional amendment to deny same-sex marriage, Initiative 07-0068.
SECTION 1. This measure shall be known and may be cited as the "California Marriage Protection Act."

SECTION 2. Article I, Section 7.5 is added to the California Constitution, to read:

Section 7.5. Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.
The actual text is identical, but by adding it to the state's Constitution, the current ruling would be trumped.

We could go into the lower arguments that the very people that claim same-sex marriage will destroy the institution also have some of the highest divorce rates and little regard for marriage outside their personal interest, but let's look at a few of the "better" arguments that I have heard as of late.

Pat Robertson has never really been one of my favorite people, but as of late he has developed a near Ph.D. in "hoof in mouth" disease. Here is an excellent example...


Other than the usual fear tactics of what "gay and trans-gendered" people are going to do and the other usual verbal diarrhea, my favorites are as follows with the time marks for interesting places to look.

1:04-1:50 : Pat feels that maximum of 2% of the population is "gay" and 1% are "lesbian" so it is acceptable to discriminate against this nominal number since they do not make up 10-20%.

2:21-2:47 : Though he hasn't the courage to actually say it, he feels that marriage is only about reproduction since he has repeatedly stated that when two men or two women can procreate, he would be willing to reconsider his objection to same-sex marriage.

This argument has always made me wonder why these people claim this argument when they would never refuse a heterosexual couple the privilege of marriage if they had no intent to have children, by choice, biology or age...

2:47-3:10 : "The reason we protect marriage is children." OK, so let's change the laws so that marriage is only available to couples having children and dissolve said marriages when the children are no longer at home.

These so called objections are not really arguments, but simple excuses that non-thinking individuals will accept. Pat and those like him are more than happy to condemn people in "cults" for drinking the arsenic laced kool-aid, but when it comes to there own poison laden kool-aid, drink and be happy...

oh yes and "saved."

 

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