Proposition 8

Let me first say, everyone who reads this may write their opinion on this article but please keep it tasteful. Let us keep the argument as civilized as possible. Any foul language or statement voicing bigotry will be deleted at the author’s discretion. Let this be a civil but lively debate.

First let me come out forward and state for the record that I am neither for nor against same sex marriage. I could hardly care less on a moral stand point what people decide is moral or not. I am against Proposition 8 not for morality but rather for reasons of law. Why may you ask, as for reasons of law, am I against proposition 8? To understand the argument, we must first understand the history of one of the most controversial propositions to enter the American political scene in some time.

The history on the arguments for or against same sex marriage can be found in cases in the 1970s. Same sex marriage on a federal stand point has been complicated at best as traditionally the U.S. Government has not attempted to establish any sort of marriage laws or establish its own marriage definitions. Any marriage for that matter set by the state was also recognized by the federal government, even if one’s state laws conflicted another. Such cases existed in the 1960s and 70s with interracial marriages with many southern states banning interracial marriages while many northern states has accepted them. Things slightly changed however with the passage of The Defense of Marriage Act (1996) in which Congress officially recognized marriage as a union strictly between one man and one woman for the purposes of law (1 U.S.C. Sec. 7) yet still to this day, no single federal agency recognizes any definition of marriage. Conflict however begins with the fact that the act does not affect laws dealing with the everyday rights of ordinary citizens state to state in accordance to marriage nor does it impose how a single state may only recognize marriage as a matter of law. To make matters even more complicated, many citizens, myself included, agree that laws concerning marriage should only be dealt with as a matter of state law and not on the basis of federal law.

With arguments on the definition of marriage from a state to state basis, such cases can be found as early as 2003. The beginning of states recognizing same sex unions can be found in Massachusetts in Goodridge v. Dept. of Public Health (2003). In it, the state court’s opinion noted that the arguments for denying same sex unions had no legal basis as in accordance to state constitutional law. Chief Justice Margaret Marshall noted that the state constitution “{affirmed} the dignity and equality of all individuals” and that state constitutional law prevents the creation of “Second-class citizens.” This however was complicated with the fact that the court did not flat out state that same-sex marriage was to be recognized by the state as a matter of law, but rather that the state had no legal rationale to argue against it. The court gave the legislature a limited amount of time to rectify the situation and Governor Mitt Romney (Rep.) pushed for a state constitutional amendment to officially define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. This however failed to make its way through the legislature and thus failed to be put on the ballot for voters in 2006.

In California, the case for same-sex unions was brought before the State Supreme Court with In re Marriage Cases (2008). The case was brought before the court with the passage of Proposition 22 (2000) which redefined California Civil Code (Sec. 4100) that “Only marriage between a man and a woman {was} valid or recognized in California. (Prop 22, Sec. 308) Matters were made worse when Mayor Gavin Newsom (City of San Francisco) in 2004 started issuing marriage licenses in protest to the 2000 proposition and for support of the 2003 ruling in Massachusetts. Proponents of Proposition 22 then filed a lawsuit barring the mayor from filing any more licenses to same-sex couples to the Superior Court of California. This court denied any injunction or stay on the City of San Francisco’s action allowing the mayor to continue issuing licenses. Legal battles continued with Lockyer v. City and County of San Francisco. The State Attorney General issued a mandate ordering that the mayor’s actions were unlawful in accordance with state law and that he was to end same-sex marriages immediately. The Superior Court agreed stating that Newsom violated state law but that he was free to challenge the ruling in the State Supreme Court on the basis that the current laws and rulings violated state constitutional law. Six cases all in all were formed and organized into In re Marriage Cases (2008) before the court.

On June 4th 2008 the State Supreme Court, in a 4-3 ruling, stated that Proposition 22 violated constitutional law. In writing for the majority, Chief Justice Ronald George cited precedent with Perez V. Sharp (1948) which found bans on interracial marriage in the State of California was unconstitutional. George cited in the case that marriage was a basic civil right for all and that right should not be held against even same-sex couples. The court also stated that “Gays and Lesbians” were subject to more biased treatments with no basis on their contributions to society as a whole. Their sexual orientation therefore was a protected class much like race or religion under California’s Equal Protection Clause (Cal. Const. Sections 1 & 7) As such; any classification would have to be held to the strictest of scrutiny under the law. They cited that because of Proposition 22’s wording, the law violated such sections of the California constitution and therefore was invalid.

Proponents of the proposition fought back filing a another proposition; Proposition 8, which would in turn would amend the constitution stating that marriage would be recognized by the state only as a union between a man and a woman, thus overturning the State Supreme Court’s ruling. The initiative was listed on the November 2008 ballot and passed at 53% for the amendment to the 48% that said no to any such law.

Now that we understand to some extent the history on the legal battles concerning same-sex marriage, we can look that the argument against the noted proposition. I will try to be brief and as simple as possible.

1. The amendment to the state constitution violates the “full faith and credit clause” to the United States Constitution (Article IV Sec. I). The clause addresses the duties of individual states to recognized and public act, record or contract as if it were their own. In other words, say between California and Massachusetts, a contract, is a contract, is a contract and must be recognized as both. Marriage in its simplest form is nothing more than a binding resolution or contract to between to parties that have decided to form a union i.e. a man and a woman. The conflict occurs when such states such as Massachusetts marry same-sex couples and thus issue a contract between the to parties. If California’s amendment only recognizes such a contract between a man and a woman only, it cannot then fully recognize the State of Massachusetts marriage licenses thus setting a dangerous precedent. Other such states have issued same amendments to their constitution creating a conflict on interest between other such states. If the full faith and credit clause is to stand, such states like California cannot uphold such amendments to there constitution. In Lawrence v. Texas (2003) which found sodomy laws to be unconstitutional as they were a violation of one’s privacy rights, the dissenting Antonin Scalia stated that such a case could “destroy the structure... that has permitted a distinction to be made between heterosexual and homosexual unions." If this is such the case, than the majority opinion may have already forced precedent requiring all states to recognized same-sex marriage.

2. Proposition 8, much like Proposition 22 violates the Equal Protection Clause under both the California Constitution (Cal. Const. Sections 1 & 7) and the United States Constitution (14th Amendment Sec. 1). Such wording of the proposition sets same-sex couples as another class of people and thus denying them such rights provided to other people. Let us not forget, the official title for Proposition 8 was “Eliminates Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry” If the 1948 State Supreme Court stated that marriage was a fundamental right for all, such an amendment would contradict such other articles of the constitution both federally and state wise. Much like it was stated earlier, Chief Justice Ronald George stated that because such a class of people was subject to more bias, such laws would need to be examined with more scrutiny to make sure that no single class of peoples rights were denied. Even the 14th amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects such people. The amendment the constitution states “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. Therefore, a state constitutional law would violate the stated amendment, denying people of such basic rights like the right to marry.

3. While a definitive majority voted in favor of the said proposition, 53% does not make a super majority. Many if not most propositions in the State of California require not only a vote between both house of the state legislature both a two-thirds majority of voters to enact such a law. Why was this one so different? The legislature never voted on the proposition and only 53% of the state approved of the measure. If any amendment is to be passed it should be required that all amendments need a 60% vote before being ratified. Also, such amendments should have their moment in the state legislature before being brought before the people. The general population often becomes very confused with law and is often not educated enough to understand the fine print. This is why we have elected officials. If all else fails through the system, then such an amendment may be brought before the people, but only as a last resort. If U.S. constitutional law requires any amendment to be approved by both two-thirds of Congress and/or two-thirds of the state legislatures in the union through a national convention and then after being proposed, three-thirds of states must accept, why should such amendments not follow the same order of law with concern to state constitutions? Proposition 8 should have passed only with two-thirds of the legislature and at least 60% of the people approving. 53% to 48% does not leave much room thus when really looking at it, is essentially a tie.

4. While most assuredly a moral issue, religion should not play any part in ratification in any law. Under the United States Constitution (Amend. I) church and state are to remain separate. Nowhere in recent court cases did any law require any religion to accept any and all marriages whether heterosexual or homosexual, nor may the state issue such laws. Nor should churches start issuing doctrine into civil law. The case of same-sex marriage is strictly one of civil law, not religious law. Churches such as the Catholics, Mormons, Baptist, or even the Jews or Muslims should not force people to follow their set of morals nor should any state do the same. Even if Proposition 8 failed, no church would have been forced to marry a same-sex couple. Much like recent privacy laws, what you do in your own church is your own decision. Nothing should be forced upon you. If such a church does not accept same-sex couples, one can easily go to any court house and be issued a marriage license by a judge.

5. Marriage whether heterosexual or homosexual was never required teaching in public schools. The State Supreme Court simply stated that marriage by law was and still is a fundamental right of the people whether gay or straight. Schools are in no way required to teach children on the basics of marriage and relationships and any teaching therefore is strictly up to the teacher’s discretion. If such cases arise, it is not the government’s role to issue what is moral or not. Morality is to be decided at home with family and friends. A child may learn from school about same-sex marriage but it’s in the parents hands to tell his or her children on there ideology of marriage. Children learn more about relationships at home with their family than in any school.

Proposition 8 fails to work with the fundamental rights that all men are created equal. Such a proposition fails to protect those who need it most. America is a classless society and proposition 8 puts same-sex couples in such a class much like African Americans, Hispanics or even women and men. Proposition 8 is not about morality, it is about equality. Approving such a measure simply removes ones rights simply because he or she behaves in a different way. It has already been proven that being gay or straight is not a choice. It is genetic and no such person can decide on whether he or she doesn’t want to be gay such as one person cannot suddenly decided not to be of African decent or of another sex. Incest or other such things are a choice and therefore fall under such issues of legality. On the basis of law, this is why I oppose the ratification of such a measure.

On a more personal note, I am some what saddened and dishearten that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has involved itself in the battle. I have respect of the church and have many friends that are members of the organization. The church has done a lot in recent history to better society. They are out helping the poor and the sick, many members involve themselves in charitable works, and the church does provide a good sense of morals. I however disagree with the recent decisions made by the church on Proposition 8. Any individual member may agree or disagree with Proposition 8 and may support it or not support it in any way they see fit. While the church in itself may not have donated any specific amount of money to the cause for Proposition 8, the fact that the president of the church asked its members to fight for the proposition is hypocritical. This is a church that vowed to stay out of politics and yet this year has involved itself strongly in this latest cause. Proposition 8 is a civil or rather legal battle and has no place in religious law. The law does not affect any way the church sets morals or performs marriages. The president and higher ups should have stayed out of the arguments and let its followers decide what is proper and/or moral.

Is this the end of Capitalisim?

There has been talk among conservatives and liberals alike on whether the peak of capitalism has been reached. Since the fall of Bear Stearns in early summer, numerous major banks, both in investments and basic banking alike have collapsed. Washington Mutual officially declared Chapter 11 Bankruptcy and was declared insolvent by the FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) on September 26 this year. Total losses from WAMU totaled out to $327.9 billion making it the largest company to fall into bankruptcy every in United States history. Currently the credit market is still frozen and interbank lending is essentially none existent. Include a housing market run that hasn't been seen since the Great Depression, and Wall Street is sent into a tailspin. Two weeks ago the world recognized what would be known to our children as the "Great Crash of '08."

So what does all of this mean? Has capitalism failed at it's very core? Does the US financial system see doom in its near future? Is this the end of the Great Western Powers and more so, is this the end of Globalization. Few would say yes, but to the contrary it is no where near the end.

First one most recognize that this the the natural life cycle of free market economies. People make money, then the make more money. Eventually someone becomes too greedy and their greed eventually becomes there downfall. They buy more than they can afford and suddenly, the debt tailspins out of control. One then has no choice to either stop buying to pay the debt or just collapse all together. The point of modern government of course is to minimize the blow when it all comes crashing down.

People are screaming of course that this whole bailout smells of socialism. Government now has a stake in the markets and many banks are now publicly owned. In many ways I can disagree with them. It angers me more in that the government has used our money (taxpayer money) to repair what was the consequence of their greed. However, I have begun to look at the whole picture rather then the fine line. The government essentially had no choice. If government could help these companies without using taxpayer money, they would do it; however that's just not possible. People need to realize Main Street needs Wall Street and vice versa. Without banks, there is no credit, without credit companies can't access loans to continue there operations, and without money, companies will have no choice but to layoff people and downsize. Everything is set in a symbiotic relationship and the public needs to see it. When you look at the whole picture, that being pragmatic.

So what needs to be done to allow the system to survive. The first and for most pressing issue is to save as many banks as possible. Government has done a fairly good job at it, but the crisis is far from over. More needs to be done, and countries need to unite with each other to figure out the best way to save as much as can be saved. One should not follow the policies of the 30s that allow countries to hoard goods rather than continue trade. Some are even talking of a new Brentton Woods system, a co-operation of countries to set proper trade and regulate currencies exchanges. I whole heatedly agree with this and the first of the talks should be to reorganize the IMF. The IMF's debt regulations between nations is outdated and needs to be examined.

Next of course is internal regulation. As more and more time passes and the November 4th election rapidly arrives, it looks more and more likely that the Democrats are going to win control of the government again. I am not ready to set my predictions just yet, as polls are unreliable, and in such a troubling time, voters are irrational and confused and are capable of anything at the last minute. However, with the numbers as they are and with two weeks left, McCain's chances of coming back to the top are becoming more and more unlikely - not impossible, but unlikely. People don't necessarily distrust McCain, but rather the party he belongs to and the simple fact is, it seems the public has become weary of of the Republican Party. If Obama is to win, he should recognize that while regulation is needed, there is a fine line from proper set rules and socialism. The economy needs smart government, not an overpowering one. Government should set rules that allow finance to repair itself not take over it. Finance however should realize that the government bank is not unlimited and only so much money can or rather should be passed around. Globalization should continue. NAFTA should be reexamined but not abolished. Without free trade, countries like China or India could not be near what they are today. Last but not least, the American people need to start saving. The Baby Boomer generation has begun to feel the consequence to not properly saving for retirement. Capitalism and the stock market can take you far, but it is by no means a protected system for retirement. The simple truth is money wont always be there, markets have there ups and downs, and no society has ever survived without saving a little something for those "rainy days"

Is capitalism over? No by any and all means. It's just on hold right now. Much like the economist states, "For all its flaws, it still is the best system out there." With proper governing, the financial system can repair itself and become strong again.

Generation X and votes.

Certain things bother me more than most these days. Much of them dealing with our generation or rather Generation X. Much of Generation X was born from the baby boomers (those born between 1948 through 1960). For a previous generation that for the most part has shown up the polls in large numbers, who took an active part in politics demanding change in the 60s, protesting the Vietnam War and preaching peace, love and flower power, I could never understand why our generation never seemed to care about modern day politics.

Certain comments have come to my attention as this election approaches. I recently read a blog of an old but now distant friend. What can I say, occasionally I get bored and read on what other people have to say. Awhile back, she wrote a blog on some of the more interesting things about her since her graduation from school. In it, a certain comment popped out. In it she noted she wasn't registered to vote. She claimed she was a bad citizen but that she simply "Just didn't want to." In her blog she is quoted as saying, "I just don't want to register with a party, but I don't want to register to be Independent. I'm just going to sit in the middle and let other people pretend like they are deciding."

I have to say, that comment irked me in away I hadn't felt in awhile. My first and for most opinion is that someone who doesn't vote has no right to complain about the current state of affairs wither local or federal. If one cannot participate in on the most basic of democratic principles, then he or she cannot complain about anything. If you want change, you should fight for it. More so the shear fact that she came to the conclusion that somehow her vote wouldn't really matter angered me even more. Your vote always matters. Even a single vote can sway an election in ways people never could even imagine. Bush won the 2000 election by a mear 5 Electoral votes and yet only 47.9% of the popular vote with Gore winning 48.4%. Someone voting really does decide on what is in store for the future of this country. Personally, not voting in the most simplest of local elections in many ways shows you as being not necessarily a bad citizen but rather a poor citizen. Admitting that that not voting and being a poor citizen is one thing but to not register and then claim, "but I am a good citizen cause I don't jaywalk" is a poor way of vindicating one's self. One should always participate in on government whether it's in town hall meetings, watching CSPAN or even VOTING!!! The policies of today can effect everything about your from taxes, to your job, to how you raise your children. Not to mention, should one care about the future of there children? What hold in store for your kids and government.

Hope of course is that my generation will start to finally care about this up and coming election. Much of the news finally states of college students registering in record numbers. My only hope is those same numbers will translate to that of people showing up to the polls. It doesn't matter whether you are a republican or democrat, conservative or liberal or even an independent "which really is just a way to say you are a liberal (Democrat) and just don't want to admit it." It's time for Generation X to stand up to what they believe in. The simplest way to do that is to simply mark that ballot this November 2nd. My hope extends to that very person that posted that blog.

P.S. Apparently I have now been listed amongst the many "Liberal Elites" of this nation in political ideologies of FDR, JFK, or even the Rockerfellers" Not a bad list huh?

The Post American World and the 2008 Election

Most undoubtedly the 2008 will go down as probably one of the most tumultuous years in American History. A faltering economy, a war, to this day, with no real end in site, and a government which hasn’t seen this many of its own citizens losing faith in the system in almost two generations. Many Americans, myself included have grown weary of a do nothing congress, 8 years of failed policies, corruption, and fear of course of a very bleak future of the United States.

The “Financial Crisis of 2008” has not only affected America, but has now spread through most of Western Europe, Russian, and much of the Eastern world. China, Japan, and Singapore now feel the effects of a world trying to function without credit. Ben Bernanke stating that the outlook of the economy in the next year looks bleak doesn’t help much in the stock market with the Dow Jones losing nearly 30% of its value in one week alone. While the IMF claims with proper action the threat of another global depression, much like what was seen in the 1930s, is minimal, the shear thought of it scared investors to their very bones. The U.S.A. now has a deficit fast approaching 10 trillion dollars. On a GDP of 13.7 trillion, 10 trillion is a scary number. 65% of the GDP now pays the debt alone and more than 15% of that is just to pay off the interest. Agreed, compared to most nations of Western Europe or even Japan where 126% of the GDP pays off the debt, the US is in a better position than most but with a dollar now faltering in the money markets, 65% is a very unsettling number. While not reaching that stage yet, we have most assuredly reached the final chapter in the baby boomer generation of economics. What lies in store for myself and the rest of Generation X remains to be seen. As the previous generation begins to age and retire, such systems as Medicare and Social Security will be strained, and the budget will soon be thrown into the red even further. Fears lie of course on who in the end will have to pay this debt. More so, will college be affordable for my children and will Medicare (or some form of Universal Health Care – god willing) be available for me when I reach those golden ages?

On the world stage, American has never seen its self rather this unpopular, well really ever. The war continues to drag on with Americas suffering the brunt of it. To date, 4180 deaths have occurred on this country’s armed forces since the war began. I have always supported the troops and have always stated, in a real war that threatens the very core of this country, I would be one of the first to enlist to fight for it. I for one however believe it is time to end this conflict. It has lasted longer than Vietnam or even US involvement in WWII now. Our troops do not deserve this. This country sadly is seen rather in disgust lately. Much of Europe and parts of Asia have lost faith in this country and its ability to continue peace across the globe. While still the epitome around the world, many are starting to see the cracks in the economy and an immigration policy and restricts more than opens. Many find the government was a war hawk, looking for conflicts rather than preventing them. Of course, many like myself, have seen the prestige of the Presidency falter rather than glow with Bush’s numbers at there lowest for any president.

I have faith this country. I always have had faith. Americans, while inherently lazy and of course waiting till it is as bad as it gets, always fixes the problems and fast for that matter. This country of course has seen its fair share of struggles. Two World Wars, A Great Depression, an unjust and unpopular war (Vietnam) and decades of strife in terms of Civil Rights and Woman’s Suffrage and in each, the better has always triumphed. We will get through this. Much of the fear now lies of course in the fact we have now reached a tipping point it what is now the post American World. Instead of the US dominating the global markets we now see a plethora of markets now entering the world stage. The EU, China, and India now hold nominal GDPs that only continue to grow. Militarily, many scholars now see the US much like the Roman or British Empire now at its waning period. While no eminent collapse of US society will happen fear of a US dominated world no longer existing scares many.

The time for change has come. I myself first believe that the US should rather embrace these growing nations rather than blame them of its problems or shun them away. Most if not all have embraced in some form or another of US capitalism and democracy. This country has shown the path and should continue in some form or another to help lead them down it. This country needs to find a way to end this conflict in the Middle East peacefully and triumphantly as soon as possible. Most absolutely of course, this government needs to reinvest itself back into its people. Highways, trains, and air travel need a major overhaul. Energy is old and antiquated and needs to be up dated. Like many of us believe, the age of energy independence is overdue. If America works together rather blame each other, this country can still show the world the way and perhaps the very ideology of America being “the last great hope” will continue.

The Show Must Go On!!!

Well... I realize that once again, its been sometime since I have written anything. Of course these days, who has the time too. There are multiple things happening in my life at the moment. Where do I begin?

I guess like always you should start with the good, and then transfer to the bad. So first to begin with, my sister (Lian) made it into the internship with B.U. and is going to be studying in France for 3 months. She is leaving in May and will be back mid July. Ok, so its more like two and one half months, but its close enough. To that extent, I myself might be going to Europe also for the summer. I have decided I need a break for a little bit. I have been staying home and or working for the last three summers, so I decided to take a little tour through Europe. I had originally decided on three cities, but due to the ever weakening U.S. dollar, I may have to reduce it down to two, possibly one. Prague is a definite for sure, but as to the other city I debating on either Amsterdam, London again, or possibly even Dublin. I have always wanted to go back to Ireland, and this might be the opportunity to do so. I have a few friends that might tag along, though most may only be able to be with me on the second half of the trip. Thats ok. I prefer to visit Prague on my own, experience the culture and possibly even pick up some Czech.

One of my great friends, Kasaundra Meza is getting married today. Mormons!!! No really though, I am every happy for her. Johnathan and Kasaundra really do seem to love each other, and hopefully this one will last. I have been kind of bad, and have yet to buy her wedding gift. Opps!!! Her wedding reception is tomorrow, and I am both greatly looking forward to it, and yet at the same time, scared to death of it. I have been looking forward to this reception for awhile now but then Kasaundra called me to notify the fact the Janice was going to be there. Oh goody. Kasaundra and I laughed however when she apparently told Janice that I was going to be there. Janice then stated that she would bring her friend/boyfriend, Erik Pedersen to "protect me from her." Seriously though, I really couldn't stop laughing when I heard that. One, as much as I deeply care for her, I have no interest in talking to her at the moment. Mostly for the fact that I am scared as to what I might "scream at her." If she wants to talk to me fine, I personally would like to keep this as civilized as possible. If that simply means, not speaking to each other, so be it. Second, I love the fact that somehow I am some kind of threat. Erik is somehow going to protect her from the "Evil Wai-lum." Pathetic really. Nice to know though that I have friends both in L.A. and Provo that support me. When Janice told Kasaundra about Erik stopping me, Kasaundra laughed and told her "She was being stupid." Naturally, Janice didn't respond back. Mostly because she knows Kasaundra is right. On an even funnier note, she blocked me from seeing her wall on facebook. I am not really sure what the purpose in that is. I don't see how it punishes me in some way, and its not like I know that her and Erik are together. To be honest, if she truly hated me, she would have returned my things both borrowed and given, blocked me from her facebook page and blocked me on Gmail chat. Sometimes, I wonder what I see in her that I find so attractive. I have a feeling that I am going to be telling all of this to a therapist some years down the road. Anyway, I am bringing a date/friend myself, Kimberly Roberts, so she can keep me entertained if need be. The only other downside, is that it is all the way in Riverside. Oy vey... no more long drives!!!

Spring break was pretty fun. For once I simply just got to relax, catch up on some long needed zzz's and clean up my apartment a little. Did some baking and some cooking for the girls. For the Easter weekend, I left for San Diego to see Grigory. That was an immense amount of fun, though I must remind myself never to get that wasted again. I agree I went a little over the top. Grigory and his roommate Chad had a little party to celebrate Spring Break 2008. Michelle Henderson (Hendo), came over, one of Grigory's friends from the Fraternity-Sorority. It must have been the alcohol talking but for some reason that night, I found her unbearably hot. All I could think about was making out with her. I might have tried to make a move on her but to be honest... well I only remember half of that night. The other half was a blur and I remember was waking in the morning with a splitting headache. Its been awhile since I have drank that much, and was still suprised to notice how high my tolerance still is. The rest of the weekend was fun. We simply just chilled, saw "The Bank Job" which for all of you, is a fantastic movie and you should all see it. My mistake for probably the entire weekend was traveling back up to L.A. in the early evening on Sunday, as traffic was horrendous and it took me nearly 3 hours to get back to Hollywood.

This Easter was nice at least in the fact that I actually got to sleep in. Since I met the Mormons, I think the last 3 or 4 Easters I have been going to church. This time, it was sleeping in till 12 pm. So beautiful.

That's about it otherwise. I figured I should write something. It has been awhile. My life is good. School will be over in the end of May and soon I will hopefully be in Europe relaxing in the easy going summer atmosphere of France, The Netherlands, The Czech Republic, and possibly London and Ireland. Till next time....

Fight the Good Fight!!!

Some things in life never change. Others change before you in the blink of an eye. It’s amazing to see the world turn, see people develop, become adults, experience new and interesting things, and have their eyes open the world. Other times, while beautiful, it hurts. You realize that while the person has developed, he or she no longer sees you in the picture. They move on and leave you never looking back.


Its been awhile since I have written anything. Life has been well... nothing short of hectic really. Christmas was the usual. My family gathered together for Christmas Day dinner, and as usual, the bickering, yelling and arguing continued like many other family traditions. My great aunt managed to screw up a ham, a pre-cooked ham to be exact which bewildered me in so many ways. Truly, how can one ruin a perfectly good ham? My theory is that rather than using an oven to heat the ham, she used a microwave, in turn making the ham rubbery and soft. Bleeh!!! Continuing the in the family traditions, my grandparents continued to argue with my sister and I on how we we're making the wrong decisions in life, how my theatre choices will make me end up like my parents, desperate and broke, and how my sister's job at a bar/restaurant puts her at risk for perverted men and possible rape. Go figure. As usual, I simply just played Rachmaninoff’s second piano concerto in my head while watching her lips move. When dinner was finished my aunt (Auntie Marian) my two uncles (Greg and Sean) my mom and my sister stayed behind, laughing and joking on how dysfunctional our family is. It’s always wonderful to look back and see how insane our family really is.


New Year's was wonderful. I spent time with my closest friend, Grigory Shektman and celebrated a traditional Russian New Year's dinner with smoked cod, a roast, and champagne. I received to lovely gifts. DVD's of the first season of Arrested Development and a bottle of Champagne Bollinger (the one James Bond drinks). After midnight, we traveled to UCLA where we met with another good friend of mine, Yudif Alevia, and we hung out at her apartment till the beginning rays of the morning sun began to rise.


Martin Luther King Weekend was quite an eventful one for me. One for the books really. I traveled to Utah to see some old friends and to hit the slopes. This would have only been my second time skiing so I was rather worried if I was going to make myself look like an ass, constantly falling and slowing the group. While skiing with Ian, I met to very lovely girls, Kelsey Brady, and Allie Horn. Both rather cute, and both a lot of fun to be with. As suspected, I fell multiple times on my first one, and on my second, broke my ski pole and one of my skis while taking a massive spill half way down. The EMS rescue personnel laughed and noted that I was probably one of the biggest falls he had ever seen in sometime. Since I had no skis now, he gave me an exciting ride on his toboggan down the rest of the hill. I had a package for Janice, basically a break up package. While we were never officially together, I felt some kind of closure was needed. I am still crazy about her, but after nearly ten months of no contact, one simple email, and the inability to talk to each other face to face in November, I began to realize whatever friendship was there, was at its breaking point. I went to her house, her roommate answered, I simply asked if Janice lived there, she said yes, and I gave her the package, and told her that she would know who its from. It contained mostly gifts that she had given me over the last 3 years.

I received the most vicious messages in the morning telling me how I lacked any tact, and that somehow I was a stalker. I am not really sure where stalker came in but in any case, I had, for the first time ever, truly lost it to her. My temper exploded and I screamed at her on a voicemail, calling her things I would rather not repeat, and told her if she was half the woman she believes she is, she would come to me face to face to tell me what she really wanted. She never did as expected, and I have begun to realize that I will probably never have my things I gave to her, or let her borrow, returned to me.


I guess in reality, I didn't want it to end this way, yet I saw it inevitably ending this very way, and in the end, it hurt me horribly. I have never been hurt like this in any relationship. I miss her horribly and would love nothing more then to be with her, but I realized unless something changes, the relationship whether friendship or more, was doomed from the start. You could almost say, there was too much chemistry. Some people say what I did lacked tact; I could have done it more gently, or rather just kept it and never said a word. They maybe right, but I felt something had to be done. Both of us are barely able to handle our own lives, neither of us are exceptional examples of commitment, and simply the two of us are just too far apart physically. I'll move on; continue with other relationships, and continue on with my life, but will always keep in mind that maybe when she is more sane, as am I, we can try again and just maybe, it will grand as it first was.


School started two weeks ago. Surprisingly it was something I was dreading. I guess mostly due to the fact that it felt wonderful to have a real vacation for once. Sleep in once in awhile, and just be myself with friends. School has now begun and the hectic life of theatre, work, friends, and classes has once again, kicked into full gear. I have decided to stick it out for at least another year so at minimum, I will be graduating in 2009. It's no big deal. Rather then 3 years I'll graduate in 4 or possibly 5. My next big thing, grad school!!!


The world continues to turn, life goes on and people continue with their daily errands and chores. Friends come and go, but with a precious few that stick it out with you till the very end. Maybe Janice will be one of those very few. You never know. The future is blurry at best. All that we can do is continue on with our lives, create new and wonderful things, meet new, beautiful and interesting people, and live out your passions to their fullest. As so many people before have stated, "Fight the good fight!"

The stars shine ever so brightly!!!

Its cold, wet and miserable outside. Just my kind of weather. The year is coming to and end and finals are almost over. Just one more week to suffer with, two more finals and one more paper and I can officially call myself free for one month. In so many ways, I love my school, and the four weeks I get as a break for winter helps too.

A few things to mention in my life but nothing dramatic. After finally gaining enough "balls" I mentioned to my parents about possibly doing some work with the Peace Corps after I graduate. My friend mentioned to me a long time ago that the Peace Corps would possibly be a fantastic opportunity for me. I enjoy traveling, seeing new and exotic places, and many of my friends have noticed I have a knack for learning new languages. Apparently the ease of learning a new language is a Weise family trait. One of the few to actually be proud of. Many of you know what I am talking about. Anyway, I mentioned it to my mother and father and the reactions were mixed. My mother says that I should go for it and that it would be a wonderful opportunity for me. She however also noted that I would have to raise the money on my own, and that while my intentions are good, they will the end, be meaningless in this world. I tend to disagree with her there. She came to me and said that the problem with our generation and our age group is that we all tend to be idealistic, believing that we can all change the world for better. She noted in the end, you will realize that all of it was minuscule and that there is just to much in this world to change. I disagree with her there, but then again, it could possibly be my idealistic mind set that continues to make me argue with her. My father's reaction on the other hand was not to pleasant. While he likes the idea, he is worried about safety and of what may happen to me if I were to really leave. I would like to do some work, possibly in Africa but he stated no. He mentioned Africa was a dangerous place, with war, crime, murder, and such. Africa has its problem I agree but when you really begin to look at it, its no different then Eastern Europe, or Southeast Asia. The risks are equally great, but if one remains vigilant, and open minded, I believe on can be fine. I am hoping maybe for South Africa or Ghana. We'll have to see. Its still a long time away.

I had a long talk with a friend last night which was wonderful. Its been awhile since I have really sat down with some one and just talked for hours. Granted, it was on AIM but still... Kara is a lovely girl we sat talking about everything for hours. Everything from love to politics. Its fun talking to her, plus it gives me a chance to try out some of my new "Asian" jokes. I laughed with her at one point when I noted that my friends on Facebook, those from Provo/BYU now out number any of my friends from my school or any other network for that matter. Joey laughed at me at one point and noted I was so popular there now, I should just transfer over and complete my major there. Yeah right!!! Its fun to be friends with girls again. I don't know why but I just prefer the company of women. Don't get me wrong, I have lots of guy friends and a few really god friends, one's I can confide to when I need, but if I had the choice, I'd rather hang out with the girls. I feel more comfortable around them. Call it weird if you want.

I tried to send a package to that girl in Utah this week but couldn't find the heart too. Truthfully, it was the gifts and letters she sent me over the last couple of years, and the ring she gave me. I felt so angry at her but trying to close the package, I hesitated and now it just sits on my coffee table. Yes, it is basically a break up package, but I just don't have the guts too. I try to be angry at her, try to find all the words I want to say to her, all of the nasty things, but when I try, it fails miserably. I don't know if its just that I am to nice, and am unable to tell what I really feel for fear of the repercussions, or if its because of my feelings for her. Maybe its both. I am not even sure if I can even be just a friend with her right now. I want more, but when I try to tell her, again the words fail to come out and I wind up dancing around the subject making myself look and sound like a fool. Its all to complicated at the moment.

Finals are almost over and now the next debate is how to enjoy the four weeks. I am possibly planning a trip to NYC for a week but if anything, I will be heading to Utah for the MLK holiday weekend. My mother hates the idea of me always hanging out in Provo, but if the snow is good this year, how can you fight it. She fears I am going to convert. I just laugh and say "who do you think I am... anyhow?" Utah's snow compared to Mammoth is beautiful. You couldn't ask for better snow for snowboarding. Dry and powdery. Whether its 5 or 7 days I'll have to see. My worry too is bumping into that girl. In Provo, it tends to be unavoidable. Again, we'll have to see. When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade right?