Gay Union - a natural right

I say the heterosexual community can have marriage, personally don't want it... Bah! - I'm tired of the churches religious rhetoric, they have lost their way spiritually. I don't need organized religion to recognize my commitment, which is based on love, understanding, trust and compassion. Something organized religion don't seem to be able to muster. I know I'm not perfect and sometimes I fail on some of these pillars, but at least I try because I know how important they are. Always striving to have a open heart and open mind.

Want I do want is civil unions or a form of legal recognition for gay couples... as any other couple who have committed themselves to a loving relationship might want. It's a natural right ALL people should have. I can understand religious reasons against gay marriage (all though I disagree) but I can't understand why civil unions/ legal recognition seems such a threat to some people, fear it seems travels deep.

If only people could open their hearts... and that's a all inclusive comment.

Our Prime Minister Mr Howard (he makes me soooo cranky) is also totally against this concept as well. John Howard yesterday branded civil unions for homosexual couples a "cop-out", putting a stop for a push by Liberal backbenchers to follow Britain's lead and legally recognize gay relationships.

The Age reported:
Liberal MP Warren Entsch, a rough-edged, Harley-riding former crocodile farmer from far north Queensland, yesterday ignored the disapproval of some of his colleagues in the Coalition party room and argued it was time they tackled the "long overdue" issue of equity for same-sex couples.

But Mr Howard told the meeting he disagreed, saying a civil union was a "cop-out" and that would remain his view.

Mr Entsch, who opposed the Government's ban on same-sex marriages in the lead-up to the 2004 election, vowed to pursue his push for Australia to follow nations such as New Zealand, Britain and Canada in allowing civil unions for gay couples.

"A lot of people would probably not expect anyone with my background as an ex-crocodile farmer and Cape York grazier would be supporting this cause," Mr Entsch told The Age.

"I've got no issue with my own sexuality - I'm fiercely heterosexual - but I will defend (homosexual couples') rights to any extent to ensure people in that situation are fairly treated."

While he views marriage as for heterosexuals, Mr Entsch said he believed the Government should allow civil unions or some other form of legal recognition for gay couples. His stance is backed by other Liberal backbenchers including Victorian Petro Georgiou and West Australian Mal Washer.

"Most of the gay people I talk to, all they want is to have an opportunity to formalise a commitment to each other and get the same sort of recognition . . . as any other couple who have committed themselves to a relationship," Mr Entsch said.

Dr Washer said he did not disagree that marriage was for heterosexuals, but he felt there was a place for some form of civil union for gays.

Mr Howard said in December that he was opposed to recognition of such civil unions and that marriage was for men and women.

He makes me soooo cranky... did I say that all ready!!

Just like a gay boy

Our little dog is just like a gay boy. Young. Knows he's cute. Is a major flirt and when he over it, he's over it!

Bush and Monkeys

So what does Bush and Monkeys have in common... well a lot apparently, mind you monkeys are a great deal smarter.
> Clink on the image for a larger view.

Howard

Such a photogenic prime minister, no wonder he's so attacted to Bush, he's a looker to. Ha!

Crappy Job

Next time you think what a crappy job you got, think of this guy.

Sealord and Whaling

Before you buy that next box of frozen fish at the supermarket, you might like consider whether the company is involved in commercial whaling.

Take the battle from the high seas to supermarket shelves. You will find Sealord frozen, canned and fresh fish products in Australian supermarkets, fast food outlets and restaurants. Sealord's parent company Nissui is directly linked to Japans commercial whaling, as it is a major shareholder of the company which owns Japan's whaling fleet. They also market and sell the whale meat throughout Japan.

So next time you shop send a message and don't buy Sealord products until they stop participating the needless killing of the whales... Consumer power really works.

What else can you do? Ask Sealord's boss Doug McKay to persuade their parent company Nissui to end the whale hunt.

Green Peace email action form

The Village 'Movie'

We seem to be having a good run of movies at the moment, this one has actually been out a while, but if you have not seen it, its so worth a evening infront of the box. Its NOT a slasher movie, just really really suspensful and scarrrrry.

At first glance this late nineteenth century village seems picture perfect. However, this close-knit community lives with the frightening knowledge that a race of creatures resides in the woods around them. The villagers share the fear of the evil and foreboding force that lurks outside.

So frightening that one dare not venture beyond "The Village" and into the woods. Despite the advice of his elders, a curious and determined Lucius Hunt has a burning desire to step beyond the boundaries of the town into the unknown.

The ominous presence of the unknown boils over into chaos for the town, with one's bravery being the only thing that can save them. The truce between "The Village" and the creatures is ending.... find someone to hold your hand for this one. You'll probably find it in the weekly section under thriller in your local Video Shop.... you'd think we call them DVD shops now! Go Figure.

Its all about Jane

A little History first. I met Jane when she moved to Nowra from Canberra, she was 13 and I was 16 and we went to Nowra High School. We where school friends and she was my first girl friend - we used to talk on the phone for hours and I was scared of her dad (still am a bit) she dropped me for my best friend Alan at Rosies' (aka Lee) 14th birthday party... If you know me and remember that party, I was not happy, but hey I SO deserved it. Anyway Jane and I have been friends ever since. I have a few friends from high school, a lot of great memories and they are all pretty damn special - I'm a lucky boy to have them.

Jane came to visit us for a week to hang out in the pottery studio, make candles, drink beer and eat yummy organic food and a bit of light shopping... and we did just that!

Tackie Christmas Dinner

Well it was a bit late this year, but hey whatever. For those who don't know, each year we have a big fancy dinner with our friends for 'Tackie Christmas'. You have to bring along a tackie gift under $10 and the winner get a trophy - the person who recipes the winning gift has to display it in there home for a year - lucky them. This years theme was string and as usual the gifts where of exceptional quality. This years winner was Jane and the gift was received by our friend Spence, we secretly think he liked it.



Photo 1: Jane receives trophy form Christopher
Photo 2: Spence and Jess with there lovely gifts
Photo 3: The winning tackie gift... nice.
Photo 4: Alex and his gift - what ever that's suppose to be

The Workout

This is a very funny little movie about a polar bear and a tread mill.

Shirley

Photo: Me and our new little chicks 'Peep & Shirley' when we first got them in April 2004.

I'm very sad today. One of our chickens 'Shirley' has gone missing - we think we had a visit from a fox, it was very foggy yesterday and they become quite brave. There is no sign of feathers or any kind of struggle. So Shirley either escaped over the fence and has become lost in the bush or has become dinner for a fox or dog. She was a bit of a crazy girl, a good layer and had quite a personality - I'll miss her. I become very bonded to all the animals, so any loss is difficult for me.

Blessed be little chicken.

Ken comes out!

I was cruising the net, checking out some cute guys, reading some blogs, when I came across Ken and Ken. Well its about time he came out and ditched Barbie, his much too cute and anatomically correct for her... I sure this photographer and Blogger has probably upset a few people, but I love it - very funny! This is his story... Ken Loves Ken

Hot day

MOOD: Hot

Yep its a hot dry windy day, I'm still loving it by the way - not the wind so much and its is really dry so bush fires can be a bit of a worry. I feel for our little animals, especially the sheep, they seem to be really uncomfortable, lucky they have only recently had their hair cuts. Gus (the dog) he eazy - I just take him off for a swim in the creek... he loves it :) Not much else to say today, just a quite day playing sim city and doing a bit of gardening.

We watched a really great movie last night, 'Donnie Darko' I was hesitant at first as I thought I'd would be really dark and it was a bit but also funny and had a great story line....

Donnie Darko is a disturbed adolescent (a bit cute by the way) from a semi-functional upper-middle-class family. After escaping from death when a jet engine that falls on his house, he follows the voice of a 6-foot-tall bunny (not the cute furry type) Donnie is led by the bunny to create havoc that is both destructive and creative. Bazaar yes, but a really fantastic story. I highly recommend it.

New Years Eve

Well its going to be a quite one this year.

That's Ok though, its not that much fun out with all the hoards anyway. Been there, hated that. Plus I just don't think I could ever top the fun Chris and I used to have at the hand in hand dance parties we used to go to when we where in Sydney and took drugs (not that you need to take drugs to have fun kiddies)... so why be disappointed I say.

We have a good life here and we have little animals that need our love and attention. I've got a few good DVD's and some beer in the fridge and my boy friend who will always be hot no matter where we are. At least I know I'll get a new years kiss and probably laid too :)

So happy new years all, have a good one. This is a photo of Chrisopher and I in our city apartment just about to go off to a dance party at fox studios in Sydney 2002.

Fence Building

Yep even a ex-city gay boys can build fences, in fact we are positively butch now-a-days.

This fence replaced the old wire one and doubled the size of our veggie garden and our little orchard. The sheep had started to push one old one down, they do love fruit trees.... yum.

We still have a bit to go yet but its looking good so far.

Weather

Well its finally warm in our little mountain village. and I'm a very happy camper. Shorts, no shirt, sandal's, warm nights, its great.

Have you every noticed how people love to talk about the weather (look I'm even doing it) of course the middle aged and elderly are complaining and can't help but ask you "is it hot enough for you" or "oh its going to be a hot one" or " oh its just so humid, couldn't sleep it was so hot".... well I LOVE IT. Its the cold I hate, and by the way its not really that hot here, max of about 32 degrees c, and we only get a couple of days that warm, down the mountain in Penrith its like 43 - that's a bit warm I must admit. Anyway if one more person mentions how hot it is, I think I'll just scream or maybe just burst into flames...

Photo of the day

ADSL been down, lightening stuck us in the middle of the night and fried the modem... Scarred the fu8k out of me.... anyway brought a new modem today and its all good again. This is my favorite photo I took this week.

Pottery Studio

Have not blogged for about 2 weeks now... too much bad stuff happening in the world and race riots in Sydney - I though writing about it would only get me more upset and pissed off then I already am about the whole state of affairs. What are we doing people... for fu*k sake get over it and get along... Violence achieves NOTHING, never has never will. I feel a great sadness wash over me when ever I turn on the news now-a-days... might have to stop watching.
Anyway enough of that... up here on our mountain top everything seems calm and we are very blessed to have a safe place live. Christopher and I have been very busy doing up the pottery studio in our back yard. We have painted it yellow and blue, very beachy and happy. Put in a work space for the pottery wheel and lots of shelving + fixed the roof and connected the power. I'm a very happy camper, it looks really great - thanks Chris for helping me. Its a really nice space and is demanding me to use it - I'm feeling very creative.

Universal pain

It is never ok to take another life, never.
Each and every one of us is a product of the society that we live in. We must take responsibility for every soul.

24-year-old Nguyen Tuong Van from Melbourne will be put to death by hanging tomorrow at sunrise for drug trafficking.

We'll probably still be asleep, warm in our beds - safe.

How do we know he's not capable of becoming a better person, how do we know that he's not already a better person than you and me. We all make mistakes, especially when we are young.

Is he not a product of our own culture and if so then surly we all stand responsible. Taking Nguyen Tuong Van's life will not fix the drug problem. Killing has never fixed anything, it only brings more pain.

We need to find the root of our problems. Why are people driven to drugs to crime to hate. I belief its a universal pain. Something that's deep inside us all, It seems that man is the only animal that does not know his place in this universe. We have become lost.

While in my garden I was thinking about the times I have taken recreational drugs. At first I thought - well I just did it because it was fun and as a young city guy - especially a gay one - its almost a right of passage - massive dance parties, sex and ecstasy. I had some great times.

But was I doing it just for fun? When you take drugs like that at a dance party, everybody's your brother and sister, you feel loved, you feel joy... the universal pain is masked by the drug. And that's it, the pain is temporarily gone - everyone feels free of it. And that's why the come down is so bad and that why it can be additive.

We spend our whole lives hiding from the pain deep inside us all. Masking it with drinking, with drugs, with busy-ness. No body wants to really look at it - not even me.

unfortunately I have no answers today. But I do know this, we are all connected and the pain won't go away until we stop and listen to our hearts, let go of our fears, our distrust our hate.

I am your brother, I'm not perfect, but I love you because we are all one.

Nguyen Tuong Van is our brother, his life is yours and its mine and tomorrow we'll have to try harder to mask that pain deep inside us all.

Blessed be.

SUN SUN SUN

The Sun finally shines again and my mood has lifted with the dark sky's and all is good again on the Alex show. I was going fu#king stir crazy indoors... Oh and Gus (the dog) is much happier too... outside laying the sunshine :)
Below is my photo of the day of our Broad Beans and Lupins in flower.