As odd as it may seem, I'd like to take some time and write seriously for a moment (as I lay here on the familiar lumps of the couch of good friends after a quality nite out at the bar...obviously my reasoning could be impaired at this point). Yesterday the California Supreme Court overturned a ban on gay marriage. Aside from any personal beliefs I have on the issue (which I'm sure anyone who knows me well at all already knows said beliefs), I have taken issue with some of the reasoning of the dissenting justices (or at least what I have heard of it from bits and pieces).
First off, by no means are my thoughts here fully thought out and fully informed. I base these opinions on the bits of information read in news articles over the past few days, as opposed to the actual opinions of the various justices. Second, I am not a legal scholar but just someone who managed to make his way thru law school and actually enjoyed it at times, especially the more intellectual/academic exercises that were not always the most practical.
With the disclaimers out of the way, I noticed that some of the dissenting opinions were based (in my words, as much accuracy as they may maintain) on the idea that the judiciary should not usurp the power of the people and that the issue should have been left up to the legislative process and the people at large.
While it is easy and obvious to agree with the principle at first blush, it is also incorrect. Our governmental system is one of checks and balances; this is true on the federal as well as state level. Certain issues or matters fall within our outside the purview of each branch. Certain matters are to be subject to legislation and the will of the people. Yet at the same time the judiciary is to serve as s check on this branch.
The simple fact is this: sometimes the legislature, sometimes the people get it wrong. At the time that the California Supreme Court first struck down a law banning interracial marriage, I doubt public opinion was in favor of interracial marriage. As paternalistic as it may sound, sometimes we need someone to tell us what is right and what is wrong. In fact, the government tends to serve that purpose on many occasions.
Aside from any form of paternalistic argument, the point is that sometimes it is the courts that must step into the protect the rights and liberties of the minorities, of the groups that do not have the political power or general sway of others. At the end of the day, sometimes it is the courts that make major decisions and alter the path of our nations. And it should be exactly that way.
I'd say more but it's not after 3 a.m. and I've been up since 7 a.m.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
weekend recap and a game of tag...
highlights from the weekend in the Bay...
- virgin america
- walking most of the way to where i was going
- the funky smell of muni
- the PDA couple at Bocce Cafe
- do u like laundry?
- touching the pole
- an inability to find good food
- a day up at Tiburon
- Sam's
- "Barack and Roll"
- Los: "Johnny Drama is my hero."
- Los' excitement at the dance mix of "Since You've Been Gone"
- rolling deep
- rolling with more than half of the Paulus crew
- Darude - "Sandstorm"
- all the craziness of the nite out
- text messaging City Wide Dispatch
- the Finnish dood mugging on Los
- French Toast
- flipping into the bushes
- brunching up at 2pm
- Squatting and Gobbling
- and all the other laughs, jokes, and good times from celebrating PWT's birfday
____________________
so my brother tagged me, thus making me (and four others "it"). from his blog...
The rules of this game of tag:
1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people, and acknowledge who tagged you.
This is Your Brain on Music, Daniel J. Levitin
"Not all keys fit all locks; there are certain locks (receptors) that are designed to accept only certain neurotransmitters.
Generally, neurotransmitters cause the receiving neuron to fire of prevent it from firing. The neurotransmitters are then absorbed through a process called reuptake; without reuptake, the neurotransmitters would continue to stimulate or inhibit the firing of a neuron."
Makes me sound pretty nerdy. Good book, need to finish the last 20 pages or so still tho...eeks. It's funny, of all the stuff in the book, that is a portion I remember learning about at UCLA as a psych major. Sometimes I think back on how much I enjoyed psychology and how I was able to wrap my head around it and understand it at times...how it still is of interest to me. Makes one wonder and think about the different options and paths that existed at different times in life. Some people don't live with regret and I try not to for the most part. It's not that I regret the choices I've made...but that doesn't mean I wouldn't do some things differently. A good friend and I have often discussed how things would have been different if we could go back in time with the knowledge we have now...and how we would rock out. In all seriousness, some things I would do differently not because I regret the decisions I've made but because those decisions taught valuable lessons and now I know things I didn't before...
Back to the game...
I herebey tag: Peter, Swiyyah, Lisa, Sperry, and...i don't know if this breaks the rules [altho in my defense it is not one of the enumerated rules] but I tag my brother back [sorry Nick, u are the fifth and final person I know of with a blog that is still up and running].
The rules of this game of tag:
1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people, and acknowledge who tagged you.
This is Your Brain on Music, Daniel J. Levitin
"Not all keys fit all locks; there are certain locks (receptors) that are designed to accept only certain neurotransmitters.
Generally, neurotransmitters cause the receiving neuron to fire of prevent it from firing. The neurotransmitters are then absorbed through a process called reuptake; without reuptake, the neurotransmitters would continue to stimulate or inhibit the firing of a neuron."
Makes me sound pretty nerdy. Good book, need to finish the last 20 pages or so still tho...eeks. It's funny, of all the stuff in the book, that is a portion I remember learning about at UCLA as a psych major. Sometimes I think back on how much I enjoyed psychology and how I was able to wrap my head around it and understand it at times...how it still is of interest to me. Makes one wonder and think about the different options and paths that existed at different times in life. Some people don't live with regret and I try not to for the most part. It's not that I regret the choices I've made...but that doesn't mean I wouldn't do some things differently. A good friend and I have often discussed how things would have been different if we could go back in time with the knowledge we have now...and how we would rock out. In all seriousness, some things I would do differently not because I regret the decisions I've made but because those decisions taught valuable lessons and now I know things I didn't before...
Back to the game...
I herebey tag: Peter, Swiyyah, Lisa, Sperry, and...i don't know if this breaks the rules [altho in my defense it is not one of the enumerated rules] but I tag my brother back [sorry Nick, u are the fifth and final person I know of with a blog that is still up and running].
____________________
In other things...all I have to say for now is that life has been a little chaotic and messy of late. I feel it stems from some of the mess(es) around my house and I look forward to the weekend of cleaning house and organizing. It's definitely time to get some of my routines back in order (like going to the gym after a bad week, cleaning up around the house, and so on). Hopefully getting back to the old will lead to something new...cuz it's time for some changing.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
find a penny...
pick it up...if it's heads...u'll have good luck*
I found a penny today and I picked it up. It was heads...so how was my luck?
To be honest, this is/was not the best day of my life. Nor has it been the worst. It was just a weird day and one that probably could have gone better. Nothing in particular went awry (at least not that I know of yet...) but there were small things that could have gone better or turned out differently. It just felt like the things I could have been lucky about didn't turn out so...
As I drove home (forgetting to check out the taco place I wanted to try that I hear straight amazing things about), I thought about my perspective. I thought about how nothing went horribly wrong, how in some ways I was lucky to have work to do, that nothing blew up in my face, and so on. I thought about all the little things we don't normally appreciate and how in many ways I am lucky. Yet I still felt pretty blah...
The thing about perspective is that it really can make all the difference in the world. When you look things from different perspectives, it can lead to new feelings, new thoughts, different opinions, different and/or better understandings, etc. Sometimes it's all you need to feel better and be put in a completely different state of mind and mood. But other times it's just not enough...because feelings are powerful. (I think it's really a matter of it taking time to reach a different perspective and for it to effect you in the way it can) Also, it's not necessarily the case that one perspective is better than another...but sometimes you just see things from different perspectives at different times.
well...i gotta do a little more work and then it's back to GTA IV for a bit before sleeping...
* some say: all day long u'll have good luck
Monday, April 28, 2008
traveling south
my usual weekend trips as many know are towards the north but this weekend i made my way south to the greater san diego area. my brother had performances with the the san diego symphony over the weekend. the usual highlights from a weekend away spending time with some of my favorite people...
- spending an afternoon with two really good friends and having some great old school laughs
- grabbing a few drinks
- a quick change and making it on time
- seeing my brother perform
- spending some time with my brother
- bacon wrapped filet mignon
- a good brunch
- seeing a good teacher form my high school
- a nice Easter dinner with my brother with some strolling around after
- a nice drive home with my thoughts and my music
Sunday, April 13, 2008
exhaustion
after once again spending the weekend in the Bay, i'm lying in bed ready to pass out as i pump the tunes into my brain with my big @$$ headphones. i wanted to get to sleep a little earlier and almost passed out around 10:00 pm yet i felt a need to do a little rambling and writing. to start, the traditional list of highlights...
beyond the difficulty of a monday after a fantastic weekend i felt something more over the weekend, a feeling that persisted thru the joys and laughs that really made the weekend. the past couple days also came with a certain melancholy; a feeling of being overwhelmed. one way to look at it is to think of it as being overpowered by how great a time the weekend was...to see that really it's just hard to come down from that kind of high...to realize that what makes the time so great and so special is it's rarity. i feel all of that is true and has been a part of the feeling.
yet i know there is more to it. it's not really a feeling of being depressed but more of a feeling that goes along with knowing that right now, back in the "real" world [i.e., not the City with the homies] i'm not quite comfortable in certain respects, important respects. i honestly know what the heart of the problem is but it's best to not go into detail at this time and in this forum.
but on the positive note, all things are a learning experience and a chance to grow. while the present contains a certain amount of discomfort, it's good to learn to how continue on in such a state. also, it's definitely a temporary set of circumstances, one that will change when the time is right and the circumstances present themselves. until that time comes, there's a lot of fun to be had in the "real" world. and at the end of the day, it was a great weekend...and it's always hard for the new week to start.
- amazong weather all weekend long
- ordering way too much really good indian food
- Djimon Hounsou
- morning buns [that sounds more perverse than it actually is...]
- bbq'ing up at Stinson beach
- the beach
- pink mountains
- all the Johnny Drama moments [Los hydrating, Los cooking it up, turning a nice maple syrupy brown]
- "I'm taking a survey."
- the rooftop at Medjool
- late nite Cybelle's
- not waking up and sneaking out b4 the homies wake up
- brunch
- Pier 23
- seeing a good law school buddy for the first time in a while
- running into an old college friend in BART
- finding out that many of the things i've felt in my time are more universal than i believed at the time
beyond the difficulty of a monday after a fantastic weekend i felt something more over the weekend, a feeling that persisted thru the joys and laughs that really made the weekend. the past couple days also came with a certain melancholy; a feeling of being overwhelmed. one way to look at it is to think of it as being overpowered by how great a time the weekend was...to see that really it's just hard to come down from that kind of high...to realize that what makes the time so great and so special is it's rarity. i feel all of that is true and has been a part of the feeling.
yet i know there is more to it. it's not really a feeling of being depressed but more of a feeling that goes along with knowing that right now, back in the "real" world [i.e., not the City with the homies] i'm not quite comfortable in certain respects, important respects. i honestly know what the heart of the problem is but it's best to not go into detail at this time and in this forum.
but on the positive note, all things are a learning experience and a chance to grow. while the present contains a certain amount of discomfort, it's good to learn to how continue on in such a state. also, it's definitely a temporary set of circumstances, one that will change when the time is right and the circumstances present themselves. until that time comes, there's a lot of fun to be had in the "real" world. and at the end of the day, it was a great weekend...and it's always hard for the new week to start.
Friday, March 28, 2008
On one's own.
I often spend much time alone with myself. In part it stems from the decisions made over time, placing me in certain situations in which it is all to easy to immerse myself in solitude. To be completely open and honest about it, the most solitary periods in life came following break ups; I went from spending the great majority of my time with a person to spending most of that time on my own.
With time and experience I first grew comfortable with the time on my own and eventually grew to enjoy having time to myself, finding it a necessary and important part of life. Nowadays I spend a fair amount of time on my own, just relaxing at home or running errands or just getting out for silly little adventures. It's something I enjoy and am very comfortable with; after spending lots of free time being busy with friends and plans sometimes I look forward to the simplicity of just being home for a weekend with nothing to do.
Yet at the same time I crave social interaction in a way. It's not a sense of loneliness but rather that I simply enjoy and cherish the time I spend with the people in my life, especially those closest friends of mine. Though I am comfortable with just myself as company, the people in my life mean much to me. My family and close friendships are simply as important as anything in this world, my world. The people in my life play an important role, one which I am aware of, thoroughly enjoy, and am ever thankful for because I know that the solitary person I become at times would not be much of anything were it not for these people.
It's funny to think that it took (and continues to take) the people in my life to be comfortable spending time on my own, away from anyone. Yet I realize that without those people I would not be the person I am, I would not have the sense of self I do possess [and continue to learn about]. At times I wonder about my place in the lives of others, wondering how it compares to the role everyone plays in my life. Being far from perfect the wonders can sometimes reach the point of questions...a personal mild insecurity at times. Somehow during these times I find myself reminded of why it is I consider these people so important and close and why these relationships are so strong and endure. So, no matter what sense of comfort I feel spending time with myself, I know it's only because I know even during those times I'm not really alone and because of that it's not a big deal to just wander around in a little world of my own.
With time and experience I first grew comfortable with the time on my own and eventually grew to enjoy having time to myself, finding it a necessary and important part of life. Nowadays I spend a fair amount of time on my own, just relaxing at home or running errands or just getting out for silly little adventures. It's something I enjoy and am very comfortable with; after spending lots of free time being busy with friends and plans sometimes I look forward to the simplicity of just being home for a weekend with nothing to do.
Yet at the same time I crave social interaction in a way. It's not a sense of loneliness but rather that I simply enjoy and cherish the time I spend with the people in my life, especially those closest friends of mine. Though I am comfortable with just myself as company, the people in my life mean much to me. My family and close friendships are simply as important as anything in this world, my world. The people in my life play an important role, one which I am aware of, thoroughly enjoy, and am ever thankful for because I know that the solitary person I become at times would not be much of anything were it not for these people.
It's funny to think that it took (and continues to take) the people in my life to be comfortable spending time on my own, away from anyone. Yet I realize that without those people I would not be the person I am, I would not have the sense of self I do possess [and continue to learn about]. At times I wonder about my place in the lives of others, wondering how it compares to the role everyone plays in my life. Being far from perfect the wonders can sometimes reach the point of questions...a personal mild insecurity at times. Somehow during these times I find myself reminded of why it is I consider these people so important and close and why these relationships are so strong and endure. So, no matter what sense of comfort I feel spending time with myself, I know it's only because I know even during those times I'm not really alone and because of that it's not a big deal to just wander around in a little world of my own.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Awake.
Unsure why, I find myself restless tonite. Maybe it's due to the staying up 'til the wee hours of the morning the last two nites, doing nothing more than just vegetating [playing the new Hots Shots Golf game and/or watching whatever happens to be on TV].
Most nites I struggle to go to sleep. Oddly, it's not that I lie in bed tossing and turning [only rare occasions do i find that to be the case]. Instead I just find it hard to get into bed, to call it a nite, to put a close on the day. It's one of the small, everyday things I realize about "working life" that I'm not a huge fan of: having to get to bed at reasonable hours. I enjoy going to sleep when I feel like it's time to do so, as opposed to going to sleep because I need to for the next day [especially for work].
As the months of working continue to pass I realize other small things in a similar fashion. The first to come to mind is how on weekends and when I'm not at work I'm so comfortable in the clothes I wear: sneakers and jeans...a t-shirt, shorts...flip-flops.
I'm amused by all of this [and in a way saddened at the same time] because they are random, silly, small things. Yet sometimes it's the small things that matter most. Not that any part of me feels I need a different job because I can't roll up to the office in shorts and a polo [in a way I wonder why that is true...but the established business world is what it is and I can respect it]. But I guess the point of experiences is to learn and figure out what one does and does not like...so in a way it's like I'm just tracking my progress by these silly observations late at nite as I yet again skip out on sleep I should probably get.
I'll leave with this: ever notice how u can wake up really early on the weekend [in part because u're used to rising early during the week] and get up without being tired and struggling to climb out of bed like u do during the week? it's amazing how choosing to get up early can be such a different experience than having to get up early.
Good night.
Most nites I struggle to go to sleep. Oddly, it's not that I lie in bed tossing and turning [only rare occasions do i find that to be the case]. Instead I just find it hard to get into bed, to call it a nite, to put a close on the day. It's one of the small, everyday things I realize about "working life" that I'm not a huge fan of: having to get to bed at reasonable hours. I enjoy going to sleep when I feel like it's time to do so, as opposed to going to sleep because I need to for the next day [especially for work].
As the months of working continue to pass I realize other small things in a similar fashion. The first to come to mind is how on weekends and when I'm not at work I'm so comfortable in the clothes I wear: sneakers and jeans...a t-shirt, shorts...flip-flops.
I'm amused by all of this [and in a way saddened at the same time] because they are random, silly, small things. Yet sometimes it's the small things that matter most. Not that any part of me feels I need a different job because I can't roll up to the office in shorts and a polo [in a way I wonder why that is true...but the established business world is what it is and I can respect it]. But I guess the point of experiences is to learn and figure out what one does and does not like...so in a way it's like I'm just tracking my progress by these silly observations late at nite as I yet again skip out on sleep I should probably get.
I'll leave with this: ever notice how u can wake up really early on the weekend [in part because u're used to rising early during the week] and get up without being tired and struggling to climb out of bed like u do during the week? it's amazing how choosing to get up early can be such a different experience than having to get up early.
Good night.