Corner Office, but still no Ocean View

It's been a month now, since my boss, on the very last minute, promoted me by exiling me to another office, to salvage the possibility of losing a major law firm account. As soon as I got back from my mini vacation, I was shipped seven blocks away, demoted to a lower floor, but given a corner office. The only people in this firm who get a corner office in the entire building are the partners. Well, who was I to complain, since I did not have to make partner and even go to law school, for that matter, to get my corner. I even have a bigger office than some of my neighboring attorneys. My only complaint is that I still do not have my requested ocean view. I guess it is an impossible request, if one's office is in downtown Los Angeles. For now my view is a construction site of another future condo, the old Hotel Figueroa (which side wall is used for movie promos), the Staples Center, the L.A. Convention Center, the 110 Pasadena/Harbor Freeway, and the infamous L.A. smog.

The dress code in this trial law firm is so laid-back, it is almost difficult to differentiate the mailroom boy from a partner who is wearing a torn vintage T-shirt, cargo pants, and flip-flops. They change to their power suits only when they travel, go to court or meet with clients. Even if I like dressing up, I find it such a refreshing change. I guess I'll just have to adapt and update my homey wardrobe for casual Mondays to Fridays.

I find myself busier than ever and more stressed, taking no breaks, leaving the office late, skipping the gym, having dinner very late, and losing sleep. At this pace, the firm had better give me my ocean view, or else!...LOL.

Age is just another number

I do not know what happened, but when I turned 29, something suddenly changed...I stopped being carded to check if I was 21 or older, when I would enter a bar/club and/or order a cocktail. Once my age number surpassed my waistline number, which I proudly maintained since college, I got the feeling that it was the sign that it was all going downhill from there.
Then when I turned 35, commercialism made me keenly aware that I was no longer part of the marketable young demographic.
Nowadays, I have to stop and think to remember how old I actually am. It now seems just like any other number...
I guess until I reach the Big 4-0.
Now at my age, especially since I came to my parents' lives, with my mother having just turned 41, I feel simply blessed to still have them with me. Fortunately, they are still relatively quite healthy in their late 70s-mid 80s. However, that does not stop me from worrying about my elderly parents since the vast Pacific separates us. It's a good thing that my father has this lifetime benefit, for both my mom and himself, of flying first class free during their lifetime, after my dad retired from the airline. Thus they are able to visit their kids abroad at their pleasure. I have not seen my Dad in a year and my Mom in two, so my birthday was extra special, since they decided to fly over here to be with my sister, Bill, and me, for our successive birthdays in August.
That's the best gift I could have asked for!

iPostcards from Maine & Vermont

We're back!
Had a fabulous time!
Please click on the following destinations to be directed to the specific posting:

Portland

Peaks Island, ME

Kennebunkport, ME

Ogunquit, ME

Pittsfield, VT

iPostcards from Maine

Under Construction - Coming Soon!

iPostcards from Vermont

Under Construction - Coming Soon!

11 on the 11th

Bill and I are celebrating our 11th anniversary today!
That's more than a decade! That's 77 in gay dog years! Now, whoever said that I was unlovable and that same sex relationships can't/don't last beyond one night to six months?!?
We now have surpassed millions of breeder couplings who have either ended their marriage in divorce, legal separation,...or (as in the case of some of my fellow Roman Catholics) annulments!
In a little more than a week, we will be headed for Vermont. No, not to get married or anything like that. We're going to attend the wedding of Bill's nephew, Kaya, to his beautiful fiance, Kelley, which happens to fall on Bill's birthday.
The blessing of our own union will just have to wait until the powers that be allow us to live in a more beautiful, educated, and enlightened world.

Leaving my mark in "Amerika"

I apparently received a one-week notice for an appointment to have my fingerprinting done in connection with my U.S. citizenship application, during the period that I was out of town. By the time I opened the letter, the date had already passed and now I was at risk of having my application delayed even further. I immediately wrote a letter of complaint to the USCIS, explaining why I missed it, that they should have given me a more advanced notice, and that they therefore should now expedite my application. I marched to the nearest immigration application center ready to do battle. I was surprised to be greeted by a friendly clerk, who simply said, "Well you're in luck, today is a slow day, and we can take you right this moment".
I imagined with the modern infra-red photo-technology, this was going to be a quick, clean and painless procedure. I was wrong. It took an average of seven swipes per finger to get a good read. I could see the officer was getting frustrated as she painfully kept wiping my finger with a wet cloth to moisten it. She then asked me, "What kind of work do you do?!?". Oh boy, I knew what she was actually trying to say behind that question. She meant that the reason my prints were not registering properly is perhaps due to my hands seemingly being drier than that of a common farmer's daughter. I came to America with skin as soft as a baby's butt. Now after 11 years of life in America without affordable household help; I am only left with a memory of my once soft and smooth hands. The officer had to ask a supervisor to approve my fingerprint readings and override the system to finally accept them as passable. I was so apologetic to them. They eventually gave me a smile to appease my embarrassment. I hollered back at them, "I swear, I moisturize my hands at least 6 times a day!". Not realizing then that I sounded more like a horny teenager confessing that he has been up to no good...LOL.

A.B.C. of A.B.C.

Last April, I got a clean bill of health from my doctor, during my annual physical.
But last June I was diagnosed with sarcoidosis, which is a disease that mainly affects the lungs.
Call it coincidental, psychosomatic, or blame it on the "Brokeheart Mountain" in my chest, I have been bogged down by A Bad Case of A "Bulldogged" Cough for these past six weeks. My throat is not sore, but I have lost my normal voice because of it. I really have not been expectorating any phlegm, but the few times I did, it was tinged with blood.
According to my mother, asthma, bronchopneumonia, chronic bronchitis run in my family's health history. My doctors were concerned that it might be tuberculosis, simply on the account that I was born and raised in a third world/developing country. All of the test results came back negative and all of these diseases, including mold and allergies, have all been weeded out.
I then went through a barrage of pulmonary tests and fortunately my chest and breathing results came back normal.
Here is hoping that it is just some quirky summer allergy and I get better soon...

P.S. I guess I have to note that I am HIV negative, just in case you are one of those types who narrow-mindedly do the math and think: "gay man + sickness = must have AIDS" , and might unnecessarily worry about me.

iPostcards from Rogue River, OR - "The Devil does the River Wild "

Long before Meryl, played the ruthless and cynical Miranda Priestly in "The Devil Wears Prada" in 2006, she did "The River Wild" in 1994 with Kevin Bacon...

We flew up to Oregon, where Bill's mother and one of his brothers live, for a family reunion and to celebrate another brother's milestone birthday. To save on the air fare we decided to fly on Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air. Big mistake! Once we got there, not all of our luggage had arrived with us. It immediately put a damper on and stopper to our activities for the next 28 hours. That's how long it took for the airline to deliver our missed luggage & golf bag.
So the highlight of our first day was having to buy toiletries and clothes at the local Walmart. I never imagined that I would have so much fun at a store like Walmart!...LOL.

For X'mas 2000, I took Bill's one and only niece, Carley, to the Philippines, to meet my friends & family, and experience the beauty and culture of my homeland.
This time around, my own niece, Czarina, was with me.
I was so excited for her to experience my partner's beautiful and loving family. It was great to see everyone again. It has been exactly 10 years since I was first introduced to them after Bill came out to his family six months prior.

One of the highlights of this trip was a full day of wild river kayaking on the Rouge River, same river where "The River Wild" was filmed. So just like some of Meryl's characters, I too enjoy fashion, but also enjoy the great outdoors.

Puff Daddy's namesake longs to be a daddy!

In case, you do not know who Puff Daddy is, he is a lot of things. But to me, he is merely the man who uses my name for his hip-hop fashion line, Sean John.
Had I known this during the beginnings of the Internet, I should have immediately registered that domain name. He would then have to pay me "mucho dinero" to use it. Unlike Madonna or Sting, who sued others using domain names with their name on it; he cannot sue me, since it is my real name and besides...I'm several weeks older than him. Damn, I would have had a better chance of getting rich this way than winning the lottery...LOL.
Most hip-hop clothes are so oversized/supersized, and unfortunately for me, P. Diddy's line is no exception. I am not one who is into labels, but had his design style fit mine, I wouldn't mind receiving gifts from JLo's ex. I guess I can always try the accessories...LOL.

***

Since I was 10 years old, helping my sister raise my parents' first grandchild, I knew I was good with children. When my peers were starting to become parents in high school, college, in our early and late 20's, that obviously was not in the cards of my life plan. As I hit my thirties, somehow my body clock started ticking. I started yearning to become a father. I even went out and bought a brand new blender and turkey baster, just in case we found the right surrogate...LOL. My life partner, who was a teacher and coach early in his career, is equally, if not better than me when it comes to kids. Unfortunately, he worries that he may have already passed his best years to share in the physical joys of fatherhood. Eventually, it did not matter to us if the child was biologically one of ours, since there are so many precious children who need a loving home. When I hear about kids being born to couples/families with a unstable home, I more so feel we deserve to be given that chance.

We may never be ready for that possible opportunity or if that opportunity will ever be even given to us. But I do know one thing. I will make sure I will be do my best to be a good father to that blessing.

***

GLMA Hails Groundbreaking Report Finding That
Children Benefit When Their Same Sex Parents' Relationships
Are Legally Recognized.
Report appears in July issue of Pediatrics,
the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

source
c/o Dr. Constantine Azarcon M.D.

My Brokeheart Mountain

In my experience, if you are gay, "coming out of the closet" is either a non-issue, a never-ending saga, or totally out of the question. I have a lot of my friends, who are like Tom C., who are still deep inside the closet for their own personal reasons. Those dear to them have either no idea, or have never given them the opportunity for them to open it up for discussion.

The ball of my coming out started rolling when I was in college, when my third older sister confronted me one day, after having my nanny spy on my late nite goings & comings and received a final report as to who was picking me up and driving me home. I blatantly and swiftly answered her unexpected inquiry. I even surprised myself, since this was the first time in my life that I said the words, "gay" and "boyfriend" within one sentence in reference to myself. And so the never ending saga of coming out started.

Eleven years ago, when I moved to the U.S. with the plan of settling in the East Coast, where my eldest sister and older brother live, I had no choice but to tell them the reason as to why I decided to settle in L.A. instead. After coming out to my two siblings, the last of the family members to receive the news, I knew the hardest part of coming out was behind me and that for any future friendships, my sexual orientation would not be an issue.

Coming out is never easy on either party. I know my family was initially heartbroken. My one and only brother was devastated. I broke his heart when I told him that it was up to him to carry on the family's last name, so he had better have a son once he decided to start his own family. I was comforted to hear from his wife that he said, "Well, what can I do, he is my brother, and I love him.". That positive notion carried me over all these years.

Now, more than a decade later, it was my turn to get my heart broken. This personal blog of mine, which was a means for me to share my life with my family & friends, has inadvertently forced my brother to come out to me as a "Bush-supporting, conservative, right wing, religious right, Republican bigot".
If you're interested in reading what he wrote to me, click HERE.
If you're interested in reading how I responded, please click HERE.
If after reading his letter, you find yourself unperturbed and concur with his ideas, please let me know, so I can decide how to proceed with our relationship.
Thank you.

Addressing my brother

My dear brother,

Thank you for finally expressing what is hidden in the darkest recesses of your mind and heart. It must have been such a heavy cross to bear have to have all of these bottled up inside for more than a decade. At least, I did not have to wait to be on my dying bed to hear words that many people fail to exchange or relay in their lifetime.Well, I too, love you very much!But you already know that, and I am one who has never had any difficulty expressing it to anyone with whom I share these feelings. However, it is sad and unfortunate that you chose to use these precious loving words to sandwich a body of text fraught with ignorance as your glib response to my sharing of my so called "wrong" life in my blog.Did you really think that starting and ending your letter like this would soften the blow of your coming out as a "Bush-supporting, conservative, right wing, religious right, Republican bigot"?

I decided to wait a few days to process my thoughts, so as not to be so reactive and hopefully be more proactive in my unsolicited rebuttal.

As you may know, a blog is an online journal/diary/personal chronological log of thoughts which often reflects the personality of the author. It is a modern means for me to share my thoughts and experiences mainly to a selected group of people, namely my family and my friends.
Contrary to what you think, my blog is not an "advertisement of my being gay". Since it is about my life, I took advantage of playing with the title of a contemporary novel and film, "Memoirs of a Geisha". Mom and Bill both did express their trepidation with the use of the word "gay" in my title. Part of their reasons is that they felt that it may limit my accepting audience and may alienate others from my position. Having a mind of my own, I obviously ignored their discomfort, since I saw nothing wrong in the use of the term because simply I believe “there is nothing wrong with the term”, and everyone in my target audience knows that I am gay, anyway. I was not about to give in and compromise who I am and also sacrifice my creative freedom and wit. Now, being gay is just part of who I am. It is not all of who I am. Among others, my blog also shows that I am a son/brother/uncle/friend who believes that most of the goodness in him comes from his parents and his family, that I am a romantic who loves to write poems and songs about his loved ones, that I am someone, just like most people, whose interests also involves animals/sports/music/travel/culture, and that I am someone who can make light of some things in life and have a sense of humor about it.

Now, about politicizing my sexual orientation by "influencing" others about my plight... It just so happens that the recent events happening in the US were riddled with issues that are, without a doubt, close to my heart; such as immigration and gay/equal rights. I am not one who enjoys discussing politics and certainly do not claim to be an authority to have such power to influence one's proclivities. I was merely presenting topics that affect me personally and have no problem opening myself up to others. And yes, sharing them may "enlighten" some other's views because of their association with me. My network of contacts in my addressbook are brimming with people from all walks of life from older to younger, from the dirt poor to the very rich, from the jobless to the ones who don't need to work, from the fittest to the dying a slow death, liberal to conservative, democrat to republican, white to black, gay to straight and yes, also everything "in between". With some of these connections, because of simply knowing me and the goodness I have shown to them, they have now changed their preconceived notions of Filipinos, Asians, Catholics, and/or Gays. I firmly believe that even if one was raised a bigot, in time, if one is willing to have an open mind and is given the opportunity to be able to create meaningful connections with a person or more from various groups of a different race, religion, politics, or sexual orientation; one's partiality to one's own group eventually weakens and one understands the other better. I find myself disconcerted to realize that this apparently has not worked for some members of my family, who incontestably have known me the longest, and presumably wished only for my happiness.

Now, allow me to address your disordered dogmatism in the disorganized manner in which it was presented.

I find your misuse of a lot of terms, especially "male" and "female" very amusing. Gender is not synonymous to sexual orientation or sexual identity. I can only surmise that what you really were trying to infer about “me not seeing any other males/females seeking identity” is that heterosexuals do not feel the need to flaunt their lifestyle. This is quite understandable since they obviously do not belong to the marginalized minority. If a straight couple got married and eventually gave birth to their first child and shared their joys of matrimony and parenthood in an email or blog, should all childless unable-to-marry same-sex couples in their circle be offended and take that as "heterosexuals seeking their identity”?

Your reference to me being what I am is based on the "choices" that I have made is totally revolting and lacking in any scientific or empirical input and is utterly unintelligent and backward in thinking. It reeks of leanings toward nurture in the nature vs. nurture debate. You say "you cannot judge me for the choices I've made in my life", and yet YOU DID...and in the same breath, "you can tell me what "IS" right and wrong, like it was some absolute truth...Well, there is no absolute to what "IS", only what you "BELIEVE IS"!I'm not too clear on what you claim is wrong, being gay or politicizing gay issues? I sure pray that it is the latter.
When and how I communicate to my God is between me and my God and no one else. The last time I listened to the word of God, the sermon was about, "Judge not, lest you be judged.".

Even when we were growing up, you were always the more conservative one. I know you have voted Republican in the past. But what I didn't know, and was not prepared for, was to discover how extreme far out over the top right wing you are. Perhaps your political pundit (who as I last read was inching towards Richard Nixon's depth in the polls of approval) will enlighten you on what is "wrong and right" the next time he opens his mouth to switch feet.

There is an obvious disconnect in your argument.What I was opposed to was the Federal Marriage Amendment or "Marriage Protection Amendment", which proposes to amend the U.S. Constitution which would define marriage in the U.S. as a union of one man and one woman. This in turn would prevent legislative or judicial extension of marriage-like rights to same-sex couples or other unmarried persons. Without marriage, neither partner in a relationship, whether straight or gay, has any legal right to (just to name a few) joint parenting or adoption; next-of-kin access and decision-making in serious medical situations; joint insurance policies and leases; inheritance through right of survivorship; benefits such as annuities, pension, Social Security and Medicaid; veterans' discounts on medical care, education and home loans; or bereavement or sick leave to care for a partner or child.
I certainly, in this matter, was not talking about modifying the definition of marriage as it is defined in the dictionary or in man's interpretation of the modern bible. The founding fathers of this country were outspoken proponents of the separation of church and state. I'm not talking about religion and walking down the aisle together. I'm talking about secular legal rights here. If government suddenly made an amendment that dictated that if you passed away before your wife, she was not going to receive any of your social security benefits, would that seem fair? Wouldn't you like your brother to experience the joys of fatherhood like you do, if ever he wanted to take advantage of such an opportunity to adopt?

The rest of your text covering marriage to kin and dogs and so forth sounds like a thrown out drafted speech from a religious right/Christian coalition meeting and is purely asinine and equivocal, and I will not waste my time by making a go at it and confound the writer.

Please do not make blanket statements and speak for others. If Mom and Dad have “tolerated what has become of me” because of indebtedness to Bill, I'm afraid to imagine what kind of relationship I would currently have with my parents had I not met Bill. How can you expect one to argue a debate statement like “the act is wrong” when it is presented once again as an absolute. You never even once attempted to express your thoughts as an “opinion” by using words like, “I believe, think, feel” which you should have, since your thoughts are not substantiated by positive knowledge of proof. You use the teachings of the religion with which you were raised, as the backbone of your thesis without opening yourself to other channels of research.

You bet I discussed this with Bill, not that I need to, but I want to. He is after all, my partner in life. And what do you mean by “think for yourself for a change”. I always think for myself. That's why, like any “normal” couple, we discuss but do not always agree on things. Did you share the contents of this email with your wife? Even if you may share the same values and beliefs, I highly doubt that she would have been in favor of sending your email written as it was. If you did, I would be equally as flabbergasted and disappointed in her. Even if I am not legally married to my partner, it is conspicuous I know a thing or two about being married that you have overlooked.

Finally, I was not "shoving" my lifestyle at you but was simply sharing my life. I admit, I used certain words in my blog to insinuate my disgust in certain policies by the GOP that may have "trampled" on your beliefs. I "know" that man's interpretation of the scriptures of the guidebook of the religion with which we were raised says that I can be "myself" but how I express my love in action is what is "wrong". My knowing that there is nothing wrong with how I was born and how I choose to act on it, is the very reason why I cannot continue being a fanatic follower of my religion. Do not dare misconstrue this as equating to me not having a spiritual relationship with my Creator.

So where do we go from here?
We can continue to love each other "unconditionally", but respect each other's differences without expecting to mold the other in their image.With regards to my blog (that's what it is...Sean's Blog) ...
do what I do when I receive emailed chain letters that expect forwarding ...I ignore and/or delete them.
If you do not like what you see in television, you are always free to change the channel or turn the TV off.
We always have a "choice", and that is using the word in a proper way.

Love,


Sean

My brother's Coming Out as a Bush-supporting, conservative, right wing, religious right, Republican bigot

Dear Sean,

I am not the best writer in the family, but I guess I am writing what needs to be said.First of all I want to let you know that I love you very much. I just cannot understand why you have to politicize your sexual orientation by influencing others about your plight; your feelings of gross inequity through your blogspot. You do not see me or any other male or your sisters or any other female seeking an identity of being a male or a female. We are what we are, and you are what you are based on the choices you made.

I cannot judge you for the choices you make in life. But I can tell you what is right and wrong, black and white, positive and negative. I cannot support and say and stand idle and accept what you are doing is right, because it is wrong. When was the last time you prayed or even listened at least to the word of God?

My gosh Sean, God made a Man and a Woman, anything in between I am sorry to say is an anomaly. I am not a perfect person myself, but I can distinguish and acknowledge when I do something wrong. This is the problem with society nowadays. For the sake of convenience, people tend to accept even the wrong things because it might offend those who believe in it.

What next? With your plight to seek equality by changing the definition of a marriage is unnecessary. Why do you have to get married? Isn't their simply a law that protects you or your life partners interests? Why tamper with the definition of marriage defined simply as the union between a man and a woman. So you group wins for example. What now? Will it be deemed unconstitutional to ban a gay marriage in a catholic church? Will it be unconstitutional to ban a son from marrying his mom or sister? a daughter fro marrying his dad or brother? Will it be unconstitutional to ban a man from marrying a dog and having sex with it to bear babies? mongrels if possible? Will it be unconstitutional not to provide medicine or body parts from clones because it is against Catholic beliefs to save a life or provide a cure? It is absurd. This should stop! It is wrong! I am not saying this just because I am a right wing, Bush-supporting conservative Catholic Republican. I am saying this because I have a moral duty to tell you so.

You know, I guess Mom and Dad tolerated what has become of you because they feel indebted to Bill for helping you, Sari and even Ina out. God bless him for being a good person. Unfortunately, the act is wrong. Now I bet you, you are going to discuss this with Bill as you feel the need to. Think for yourself for a change, and keep it within family.

Sean, remember one thing. I love you too no matter what you are. Just do not shove or trample what I believe in as well. Why do you have to advertise that you are gay? You are gay and be happy as is, but know and acknowledge what is right and what is wrong.


Love,


your dear brother

Happy Gay Pride - Happy Father's Day!

On June 27, 1969, The Stonewall Riots in New York City gave birth to the more radical Gay Liberation Movement.
Now the world was ready for my arrival. Less than 2 months later, my mother gave birth to her youngest. My father was the proudest father that day.

Since then, for the past 36 years, around this time of the year, Gay Pride is celebrated in almost every major city around the world. Although my marching days are way behind me, I still go to the celebration. For some reason, this year, this event made me think of my father.

I took my father to one Gay Pride event a few years ago. I was so amused to see my very "macho" father beaming, as he asked me to take his picture with his hands holding a pair of double D-cup breasts on an almost completely naked "lady". I had to ask him on the way home, "Dad, you know that wasn't a real woman...didn't you?". He naturally replied, "Of course, I knew that, son!"... LOL

My father is flying in from my homeland to visit his children and grandchildren here in the U.S., just in time to be in L.A. for Father's Day. Too bad the Christopher Street West L.A. Gay Pride was held a week earlier, thus my father missed another opportunity to touch a pair or more of L.A. homemade scientifically enhanced boobies on a transexual...LOL

Of all the colorful fabulously flamboyant costumes, signs, banners, and floats in the parade in West Hollywood, this man with a simple sign was my favorite sighting:
This is not my father in the picture, but if my Dad were with me, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have any qualms about carrying this sign. Just like he told me several years ago, when I came out to him, "Son, I don't care if you're "happy", as long as you're "gay"... and I'm proud of you!". I know that these two words are synonymous, but I think he had one "Scotch on the Rocks" too many and meant it the other way around ...but I still understood what he meant to say...LOL

To all the fathers of gay children, I do hope you are proud of them, just like my Dad is proud of me and I wish you a Happy Proud Father of a Gay Day!

And to all the gay men who are lucky to have children (whether it may have been by accident during the years of confusion, curious experimentation with a vagina, unknowing rape by a fag hag during a semi-conscious drunken state, sperm donorship, or adoption, etc.) ...
I wish you a Happy Proud Gay Father's Day!

To everyone in my community, I wish you Happy Gay Pride and
Happy Father's Day to my father and all the fathers in my life!

Binational Gay Couples in US in Immigration Bind

I am one half of a binational couple. I am Filipino and my life partner is American. There was a time in the early years of our relationship and of my life in the U.S. that I was constantly plagued by the fear that we would have to be separated one day due to the current immigration policy that does not extend the same legal rights to binational gay relationships as they do with married binational heterosexual couples. There are a lot of same sex couples who are in this quandary, including several friends of mine. In due time I was lucky enough to get my immigration status in order and was able to legally continue living my life in the States with my partner. But most are not so fortunate. My heart goes out to my brothers and sisters in the community who are in this predicament. Here's hoping that one day things will change and proper legislation will rectify this gross inequity!

Please click HERE for more details.

Oppose the Federal Marriage Amendment

Almost 11 years ago, one of Bill's nephews met the woman of his dreams. Around the same time, Bill met the love of his life. Almost a year ago, that same nephew proposed to his girlfriend of 10 years. Around the same time, Bill proposed to his life partner of 10 years. I was very touched and as excited as anyone who accepts and gets engaged. But in the back of my mind, I knew that we would have to wait for that day when we would really be allowed to get married in the State and Country where in we live. Ironically and by coincidence, on this day when the U.S. Senate begins the federal marriage amendment debate, Bill gets a call from his nephew announcing that they have set their wedding date. We're so happy for them. Congrats K & K! For us, on the other hand, our "date" will just have to wait for a more enlightened America that does not discriminate against equal citizens ...

In an open letter released Monday morning, the head of the Log Cabin Republicans takes President Bush to task for supporting the proposed federal marriage amendment, which the U.S. Senate begins debating today. Patrick Guerriero, the outgoing executive director of the gay GOP group, calls the president's support of the discriminatory amendment "an insult to millions of fair-minded Americans from all walks of life."

Please click HERE for the full text of the letter.
source: (The Advocate)

Without Walls

"Manhunt for the Commander in Briefs

ends on stage Without Walls"

We went to see Alfred Uhry's Without Walls at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles on its opening night.
Laurence Fishburne, portrays Morocco, an idealistic and popular drama teacher at a non-traditional high school in Manhattan, circa 1977. Morocco, who has great skill in bringing out the best in his students, takes a confused transfer student, Anton, under his wing and gives him a chance to play the lead role opposite the prized student actress, Lexy, in a school production of “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.” A special bond is formed between Morocco, Anton and Lexy but misperceptions and complex emotions threaten to send the three down a perilous path. What follows is a poignant look at the power and the fragility of the student/mentor relationship.
This Center Theatre Group production is directed by Christopher Ashley. Now playing from June 1 to July 16.

Click here and here for more information.

Talk about guilty pleasures, but I wasn't expecting to see former contestant of Bravo's cheesy Reality TV Show, "Manhunt - The Search for America's Most Gorgeous Male Model", Matt Lanter, who also plays the first son in Geena Davis' TV show, Commander in Chief.
Matt is noticeably and understandably still not at ease on stage as he marks his professional theater debut and joins Tony Award-winning actor Laurence Fishburne and Amanda MacDonald in this new drama.
In the program credits, he does not mention among his short body of work, his involvement in Manhunt, where he had to jump out of a plane and skydive in his underwear on the pilot (and by that I mean the TV prototype first episode, and not the person flying the plane). In this play he drops his pants once again, but this time he is firmly planted on the ground, on stage "without walls" obstructing the view. I assure you it was an integral part of the story.

So if you enjoy seeing a good play and/or simply want to see a gay Morpheus mentor a cute guy in his Calvin's under the pretense of quenching your thirst for culture, go and see "Without Walls".
Note: Buy a seat facing stage right for a better view... LOL

Madonna - American Idol

CONFESSING TO TWO OF MY GUILTY PLEASURES

Madonna kicked off her Confessions Tour 2006 at The Forum in Los Angeles (21/23/24 May).
When the tour/ticket sale dates were announced, I never even considered attempting to buy tickets, since I knew it was going to sell out very quickly. Then I was surprised to hear that my friend, RV, was flying to the U.S. all the way from the Philippines, just to watch her perform. I teased him and told him that I may be a fan, but am not a groupie and not that big of a queen...LOL
Some years ago, Bill took me to a Fleetwood Mac concert at the Hollywood Bowl, and I sat beside this big raging flaming queen, who informed me that he follows the group to all their concerts because of Stevie Nicks. I so cluelessly inquired, "Why, who is he?". To which he replied, "What!... where have you been girlfriend?... she's only the greatest diva of all time!". I immediately mimicked his gestures and waived the finger in front of his face and rebutted, "Ah...ah..no way, Madonna is the greatest diva of all time!". She was the best selling artist aside from MJ, when I was going through my puberty blues during the early mid 80's.
So here I was just about to leave my office, looking forward to the watching the finale of the American Idol Season 5 at the Kodak Theater, knowing that I missed another chance to see Madonna live... I suddenly thought to take a chance to check online at craigslist.com, to see if there were people out there desperately trying to sell tickets they realized they couldn't use. I was shocked to read what people were willing to do, how much people actually paid and were willing to pay for tickets. So I had to contemplate if Madonna was worth two cell phone bill payments, one monthly car payment, or one paycheck. Bill didn't care to go unless it was U2 or Led Zeppelin, so I asked my friend, Bart, to go with me and put the onus on whatever he decided. We decided to screw it and go for it! I ended up getting us a pair of tickets for great seats for a little more than half the price of the face value. So I had to waive goodbye to my donation to the Catholic Church and contribution to the Republican Party (sarcastic). American Idol would just have to meet TiVo ...and we were off to dodge stray bullets and head to The Forum to go Confess on the Dance Floor!

Please click on the arrow at the center of the screen below
to play the video footage of the opening number.

It was an absolutely fabulous show!
It was obvious that a lot of money and concept was put into the stage design, videography, choreography, costume design, etc.
Madonna's body and that of her back-up dancers were lean mean machines!
Those expensive seats were hardly warmed, since everyone was up on their dancing feet from the beginning to the end.
My only regret is that some of my favorites of her earlier work were not showcased. I know...I could have very well waited for the DVD or for it to come out in HBO. But it was a lot of fun and worth giving up funds for a whole month's worth of a full tank of gas!...LOL

Here are RV's pics:
Confessions in San Jose HP Pavillion
Confessions in Fresno Save Mart Center

***

I gather that the finale of American Idol Season 5 turned out to be a great production as well. I have yet to watch it on my TiVo.
If you were like me and missed it, they had a guest list that included performances with/by Al Jarreau, Live, Meat Loaf, Mary J. Blige, Toni Braxton, Dione Warwick, Burt Bacharach, Carrie Underwood, Clay Aiken, and Prince.

Congratulations to the Soul Patrol and
Taylor Hicks, the new American Idol!

Is the U.S. ready for a female President?

By the time 2008 comes, I will already be a U.S. citizen, and be eligible to vote for the next U.S. President. That is one more vote to add to the enlightened ones.

For several months, the question that has been going around is,
"Is the U.S. ready for a female President?"

Last April, I had the privilege to be inspired and hear Gen. Colin L. Powell and former President William Jefferson Clinton speak in the 2006 Music Center Speaker Series in Los Angeles.

The 42nd President echoed what he said in an interview early this year that his "gut" tells him the country is ready to elect a woman president, as long as she is the right kind of candidate.
Asked if the popularity of TV president Geena Davis means that America is "ready for a female commander in chief," Clinton told CBS's "60 Minutes," "My gut is, yes."
"If a woman came across as strong and seasoned and well-prepared, if you said the right things in the right way and you had a good record to back it up, my gut is, yes," he explained.
"But the hard truth is we won’t know until it happens," Clinton added.
Despite the prediction, the former president said it would be a mistake for his wife and current Democratic Party front-runner to begin focusing on a 2008 presidential run.
"I have urged all of Hillary’s supporters not to think about that, because she’s got to run for re-election" as senator, he told "60 Minutes." "And it’s a big hazard for anybody who’s up for re-election to think about anything but re-election." source

Aside from Hillary Rodham Clinton, are there any others, who may prove to be potential strong female candidates?
You may not know it, but behind every powerful woman, is a man wanting to come out!...LOL