FYI: In case you are concerned for us here in L.A., We’re OK!
Still feeling a bit frazzled, though.
My dogs, Besi & Birdie, started acting very strange prior to my realization.
Their talking ball started rolling and talking upstairs.
That’s how I was first alerted that something unusual was happening.
Stupid me, when I realized what was happening,
I ran upstairs to the rooftop
to look and see if there was a tsunami coming,
instead of running outside the house.
Scary jolting 20 seconds or so of rolling and shaking.
I better put some clothes on, in case of an aftershock. LOL
Goes to show how unprepared I am for the big one.
No noticeable damage to the house,
but unfortunately, it is built on sand! Yikes!
7/26/08
A night with friends and the Lady Supreme
For the second time around, my friend Tom invited me to our friend, Nelson Lee's Annual Hollywood Bowl Party, where a bunch of friends of friends of friends (x 21) get together for a picnic prior to one of the hottest shows of the summer at the Hollywood Bowl. This is Nelson's 21st time to organize the event. Last year's party and show was South Pacific with Reba McEntire & Brian Stokes Mitchell. This year's show was Diana Ross: Lady Supreme. I have not seen her in person since Bill and I served as one of the several extras in her "I Will Survive!" revival with RuPaul video shoot shot in location at West Hollywood. (If you watch closely, you will surely see me wiggling on top of Bill's shoulders ... LOL).
Unfortunately, Bill was in Washington D.C. for a conference, so he could not join me to go to this gathering. Since it was a diva night, I invited some of my friends who I knew would surely enjoy the show.
or please click HERE for a bigger slideshow of the album.
If you prefer to view the thumbnails, please click on the link below:
21st Annual Hollywood Bowl Party & Diana Ross Night
Unfortunately, Bill was in Washington D.C. for a conference, so he could not join me to go to this gathering. Since it was a diva night, I invited some of my friends who I knew would surely enjoy the show.
or please click HERE for a bigger slideshow of the album.
If you prefer to view the thumbnails, please click on the link below:
21st Annual Hollywood Bowl Party & Diana Ross Night
7/12/08
My Grandaunt Iris' 95th Birthday
I was very young when I lost my maternal grandparents. In fact, two of my earliest memories were of their respective funerals.
Five years ago, I had the opportunity to meet the only surviving sibling/sister of my maternal grandfather, my grandaunt Iris Zabat-Simon.
So when her 95th birthday came, I was excited to drive down (along with my sister, niece, and aunt) to San Diego, CA to have a reunion with my mother's side of the family, the Zabats, and celebrate my Lola's birthday.
For more pics of the celebration, please feel free to click HERE.
Five years ago, I had the opportunity to meet the only surviving sibling/sister of my maternal grandfather, my grandaunt Iris Zabat-Simon.
So when her 95th birthday came, I was excited to drive down (along with my sister, niece, and aunt) to San Diego, CA to have a reunion with my mother's side of the family, the Zabats, and celebrate my Lola's birthday.
For more pics of the celebration, please feel free to click HERE.
7/4/08
Happy 4th of July 2008!
Friends usually ask if we are having a BBQ party for this specific holiday, since we have a strategic view of the fireworks at the marina. I felt exhausted from the trip to NYC, so we decided to just chill. We hung out with our friends, Pat & Michele, at their place in the Venice Canals, and then headed back home to watch the fireworks.or please click HERE for a bigger slideshow.
If you prefer to view the thumbnails, please click on the link below:
4th of July 2008
7/2/08
iPostcards from New York, NY - Summer 2008
Please click HERE or on the title to be directed to the posting.
6/29/08
6/22/08
iPostcards from Monterey Peninsula, CA
Please click HERE or on the title to be directed to the posting.
6/15/08
Sean and the City
As far as I can remember, some of my wholesome fantasies involved being (in no particular order) ... a superhero, a Broadway/rock star, a male supermodel, an animal trainer, or a host of some travel show.
So for the past few years, every time I travel, I started filming myself acting as if I was Anderson Cooper or Matt Lauer reporting from some remote exotic location for CNN, National Geographic, or the Travel Channel.
When LXTV, a local L.A. Lifestyle TV show, recently announced that they were having a contest searching for a new host, I thought to myself, "Hey, I can do that!". After checking their website,
I saw that 95% of all the contestants who submitted entries already had past or have current professional experience hosting a TV show.
On the last day of the contest, I decided not to be intimidated and still come up with my very own audition video, albeit that it is, admittedly, very amateurish. Had I had the help of some of my friends, who are now accomplished film/commercial directors, fashion/costume designers, make-up artist, etc., I may have been able to present a more professional looking piece. But all I had with me was my trusty camera and Quik Pod. I managed to submit my video 11 minutes to go till the midnight deadline. What I didn't take into account is the time it would take to completely upload. So waahhh ... F+_)(*&^%$#@! ... I missed the cut-off! Even if I didn't have a chance against the pros, it still would have been nice to have been considered.
Since I already came up with a finished product, I might as well share it with you, my family and friends. I hope you like it.
LXTV hosting reel/audition video:
"Why should I be the new host of LXTV? Well, I found myself reporting about various places in this world, but never reported about my hometown. I may not have the professional background and/or back-up of a production crew like the other contestants,
I'm just a local guy who loves everything about Los Angeles!
Well, not exactly everything." ... (see ending of video).
For more pics/videos of my vaca-sean/saba-tical, please click HERE.
6/12/08
Happy 110th Independence Day, Philippines!
For the 110th Philippine Independence Day, a friend asked a bunch of his friends to submit a video greeting to promote one of
Ayala Foundation, USA's flagship projects, GILAS.
Gilas means ability in Filipino. GILAS also stands for
Gearing up Internet Literacy and Access for Students.
Happy 110th Independence Day, Philippines!
6/5/08
Go Lakers! - There Can Only Be One
I was never good at playing basketball.
When my parents chose the lot, among the first ten on the grasslands of our new village, in which to build our family home, my mother made sure that our house would be built right across the basketball and tennis courts.
So all the summers of my growing up years were filled with noises coming from park.
Being one of the smallest boys was no excuse. A lot of my friends who were just as small were very good at the sport. (Yes, in spite of the fact that it would be hard to find a Filipino over 6-feet tall, basketball is the number one sport in the Philippines.)
I really didn't follow the PBA, the Philippines version of the NBA, which usually had a lot of "imports" (mostly Americans who weren't good enough for the NBA). Being gay had nothing to do with my disinterest in the sport. The stereotype does not hold true. There are a lot of "us" who are athletic and are into sports. At that time, I couldn't understand people who absolutely had no athletic bone in their body and were fanatics of all the happenings within the league.
Today, I may not be a fanatic like Jack Nicholson, but I mainly follow the NBA whenever the Lakers are doing well. Being neighbors with Coach Phil Jackson and owners, the Buss family has nothing to do with my support.
I'm so excited that our home team is in the finals! Once again after 21 years, the Lakers-Celtics rivalry is back.
Go Lakers! Beat Boston!
There Can Only Be One: Kobe and KG
There Can Only Be One: Magic and Bird
When my parents chose the lot, among the first ten on the grasslands of our new village, in which to build our family home, my mother made sure that our house would be built right across the basketball and tennis courts.
So all the summers of my growing up years were filled with noises coming from park.
Being one of the smallest boys was no excuse. A lot of my friends who were just as small were very good at the sport. (Yes, in spite of the fact that it would be hard to find a Filipino over 6-feet tall, basketball is the number one sport in the Philippines.)
I really didn't follow the PBA, the Philippines version of the NBA, which usually had a lot of "imports" (mostly Americans who weren't good enough for the NBA). Being gay had nothing to do with my disinterest in the sport. The stereotype does not hold true. There are a lot of "us" who are athletic and are into sports. At that time, I couldn't understand people who absolutely had no athletic bone in their body and were fanatics of all the happenings within the league.
Today, I may not be a fanatic like Jack Nicholson, but I mainly follow the NBA whenever the Lakers are doing well. Being neighbors with Coach Phil Jackson and owners, the Buss family has nothing to do with my support.
I'm so excited that our home team is in the finals! Once again after 21 years, the Lakers-Celtics rivalry is back.
Go Lakers! Beat Boston!
There Can Only Be One: Kobe and KG
There Can Only Be One: Magic and Bird
5/31/08
Traffic on the freeway - Don't drive, fly!
We've flown on small planes before, but mainly abroad.
The last time we experienced flying on a small plane in the U.S.
was when we flew over the Grand Canyon.
The pilot was so cool that he broke all rules
and flew lower than what regular rules & regulations would allow.
It was an awesome way to see this majestic place!
So when our friends Patrick & Michele invited us to fly
from Santa Monica to Santa Barbara for lunch,
we immediately jumped on the opportunity.
Who needs to deal with the traffic on the freeways
when you can fly?... LOL.
We flew up and down the gorgeous Pacific coast,
flying low enough to almost see some celebrities
getting rid of their tan lines out on their oceanfront Malibu mansions.
It was such a beautiful day and
a fabulous way to see our hometown from a different perspective.
Thanks Patrick & Michele!
Next time, I want to fly over the Hollywood sign.
Flying from Santa Monica to Santa Barbara for lunch
The last time we experienced flying on a small plane in the U.S.
was when we flew over the Grand Canyon.
The pilot was so cool that he broke all rules
and flew lower than what regular rules & regulations would allow.
It was an awesome way to see this majestic place!
So when our friends Patrick & Michele invited us to fly
from Santa Monica to Santa Barbara for lunch,
we immediately jumped on the opportunity.
Who needs to deal with the traffic on the freeways
when you can fly?... LOL.
We flew up and down the gorgeous Pacific coast,
flying low enough to almost see some celebrities
getting rid of their tan lines out on their oceanfront Malibu mansions.
It was such a beautiful day and
a fabulous way to see our hometown from a different perspective.
Thanks Patrick & Michele!
Next time, I want to fly over the Hollywood sign.
Flying from Santa Monica to Santa Barbara for lunch
5/22/08
5/18/08
5/15/08
Pride & Groom - Party A & Party B
Today is a landmark event in history!
California ban
on same-sex marriage was struck down by the California Supreme Court!
Yehey! I already gave up on this ever happening.
Especially happy for all that believe in equality and that it happened in the state in which I live.
Not that Bill and I will immediately jump on it ...
we've only been together for almost 13 years ... LOL.
We've already filled out most of the necessary precautionary paper work to protect each other, so we never felt the need to file for domestic partnership or get civil unionized.
Not sure if we will take advantage of this next step and be part of history.
Unfortunately, current federal law prohibits the federal government from recognizing marriages of same-sex couples. This means that even if we got married, we currently will not have any of the rights, benefits, or protections that federal law gives to married heterosexual couples, such as the ability to file joint federal income taxes or receive federal spousal benefits through social security or other federal programs as a surviving spouse. Being excluded from these federal protections, and often state protections as well, is a serious hardship and can cause significant legal problems.
Perhaps we will just wait for that magic day when it becomes national and includes federal.
For more info, please click on:
CNN, Bloomberg, SFGate, Equality for All
California ban
on same-sex marriage was struck down by the California Supreme Court!Yehey! I already gave up on this ever happening.
Especially happy for all that believe in equality and that it happened in the state in which I live.
Not that Bill and I will immediately jump on it ...
we've only been together for almost 13 years ... LOL.
We've already filled out most of the necessary precautionary paper work to protect each other, so we never felt the need to file for domestic partnership or get civil unionized.
Not sure if we will take advantage of this next step and be part of history.
Unfortunately, current federal law prohibits the federal government from recognizing marriages of same-sex couples. This means that even if we got married, we currently will not have any of the rights, benefits, or protections that federal law gives to married heterosexual couples, such as the ability to file joint federal income taxes or receive federal spousal benefits through social security or other federal programs as a surviving spouse. Being excluded from these federal protections, and often state protections as well, is a serious hardship and can cause significant legal problems.
Perhaps we will just wait for that magic day when it becomes national and includes federal.
For more info, please click on:
CNN, Bloomberg, SFGate, Equality for All
Civil Union vs. Marriage
Some of my super-religious family members and "born-again" Christian friends, who are against the concept of same-sex marriage, because their faith pushes them to firmly believe that marriage is only a heterosexual right as opposed to a human right, would eventually try to sort of give in out of "love" for me, and say, "OK, I'm for a civil union but not for a marriage.". Why can't they see that what "we" are fighting for is not the right to march down the aisle of a Catholic 
Church, but for equality of civil/secular rights?
I find it hard to further engage in an intellectual discussion with them to demonstrate that civil unions look nice on paper, but don't work in the real world.
Political blog Blue Jersey recently launched the "Think Equal" media campaign to support marriage equality for all couples based on Apple’s “I’m a Mac / I’m a PC” ad campaign. The video ads and grassroots lobbying campaign focuses on the differences between civil unions and marriage.
If you have an open mind and would like to be educated, enlightened, and humored, please click on the following videos:
Think Equal
Check Equal
Barring Equal
Counsel Equal
Church, but for equality of civil/secular rights?I find it hard to further engage in an intellectual discussion with them to demonstrate that civil unions look nice on paper, but don't work in the real world.
Political blog Blue Jersey recently launched the "Think Equal" media campaign to support marriage equality for all couples based on Apple’s “I’m a Mac / I’m a PC” ad campaign. The video ads and grassroots lobbying campaign focuses on the differences between civil unions and marriage.
If you have an open mind and would like to be educated, enlightened, and humored, please click on the following videos:
Think Equal
Check Equal
Barring Equal
Counsel Equal
5/7/08
The day I left my balls with the angels
I can't believe it's been 5 years,
since the day I thought we were going to die! ... LOL
since the day I thought we were going to die! ... LOL
4/15/08
A-stigma-tism
Well after 4 years since having to wear glasses for the first time for being nearsighted,I have been advised by my eye doctor that my nearsightedness has improved but unfortunately I now have astigmatism. F+_)(*&^%$#@K!
I get queasy just thinking about putting contact lenses in my eyes and still scared to death about Lasik, so I got myself a new pair of glasses.
4/8/08
Rock the Vote!
Now that I am a U.S. citizen of 18 years of age (and slightly older),
I am eligible to exercise my right to vote on this very crucial U.S. Presidential elections this coming November.
Unfortunately, I was not able to cast my vote during the California primary,
since I apparently had yet to register. Duh!
So in checking some things off from my New Year's To Do List ...
(It's already April!) ...
I finally got to register to vote!
In case you have not, click on the widget below and register today:
I am eligible to exercise my right to vote on this very crucial U.S. Presidential elections this coming November.
Unfortunately, I was not able to cast my vote during the California primary,
since I apparently had yet to register. Duh!
So in checking some things off from my New Year's To Do List ...
(It's already April!) ...
I finally got to register to vote!
In case you have not, click on the widget below and register today:
 |
3/23/08
3/16/08
Finding Face
It took me awhile to join social networking sites, such as MySpace, Friendster, and Facebook; since I was 
under the impression that it was only frequented by the peers of my nieces and nephews (teenagers to twenty-somethings). I kept out of MySpace, since I was worried that I would be easy prey to online pedophiles ... LOL.
But two months ago, I decided to join Facebook to search out old friends. Boy, am I glad I did! I finally found old friends that I have failed looking for via Google. I was able to find long lost friends that I had last touched based with ... all the way from the time I left the Philippines 13 years ago, from college, from high school. I even found my best friend during my sophomore year in the seminary, who I last saw when the priests finally kicked me out of the seminary, since they concluded that I would just be wasting my good looks if I became a priest ... LOL. My image of him was that of a 14-year old, and thus did not immediately recognize him in his picture of a man close to hitting his 40s. It feels exhilirating to even think where and how to begin to catch up on all the years that have gone by. Or who knows, perhaps friends don't really give a F+_)(*&^%$#@! about what each other has been up to... We'll see ... just elated to see "old" faces (and by no means am I referring to the wrinkles) ... LOL.
under the impression that it was only frequented by the peers of my nieces and nephews (teenagers to twenty-somethings). I kept out of MySpace, since I was worried that I would be easy prey to online pedophiles ... LOL. But two months ago, I decided to join Facebook to search out old friends. Boy, am I glad I did! I finally found old friends that I have failed looking for via Google. I was able to find long lost friends that I had last touched based with ... all the way from the time I left the Philippines 13 years ago, from college, from high school. I even found my best friend during my sophomore year in the seminary, who I last saw when the priests finally kicked me out of the seminary, since they concluded that I would just be wasting my good looks if I became a priest ... LOL. My image of him was that of a 14-year old, and thus did not immediately recognize him in his picture of a man close to hitting his 40s. It feels exhilirating to even think where and how to begin to catch up on all the years that have gone by. Or who knows, perhaps friends don't really give a F+_)(*&^%$#@! about what each other has been up to... We'll see ... just elated to see "old" faces (and by no means am I referring to the wrinkles) ... LOL.
3/5/08
Sleep Well Roy
Bill's father, John, unexpectedly died in 1987 from an aortic aneurysm, seven years before I met Bill, thus I never had the privilege of meeting him.By the time Bill and I met 12 1/2 years ago, his mother, Mabe, had found a new love in a man named Roy. Roy proved to be a wonderful blessing to Mabe and Bill's family. The couple was happily married for the next 13 years.
Well, one of sad days that we've been anticipating and fearing, which was one of the reasons I was kind of unexcited about this year, unfortunately has finally come to pass. Roy, Bill's step dad, passed away shortly after noon today at age 85 from bladder cancer.
Last Christmas, you couldn't tell that he had been battling cancer for the past year and half. But by Valentine's he asked to go back home to their main house in Grants Pass, Oregon, instead of finishing the winter season in Palm Desert, CA, as Mabe and he usually do every year. It was Valentine's Day and as I whispered to his ear that I love him, I knew it was the last time I would see and touch him. His local doctors later checked him again and gave him a month to live. Sadly his time came earlier, but at least he is mo longer in pain.
May he rest in peace. Please lift him up in your prayers and include Mabe and Bill's family during this difficult period. To our dear friends who have offered their condolences, "Thank you very much." Your thoughts and prayers are much appreciated. :-(
3/3/08
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