The Church runs the risk of being ridiculed for its stance on gays

Oliver "Buzz" Thomas is a well respected Baptist minister and he has a message for his peers: stop picking on gays when it's increasingly clear homosexuality isn't a choice or history will not look kindly on religion:

It's happened to Christianity before, most famously when we dug in our heels over Galileo's challenge to the biblical view that the Earth, rather than the sun, was at the center of our solar system. You know the story. Galileo was persecuted for what turned out to be incontrovertibly true. For many, especially in the scientific community, Christianity never recovered.

This time, Christianity is in danger of squandering its moral authority by continuing its pattern of discrimination against gays and lesbians in the face of mounting scientific evidence that sexual orientation has little or nothing to do with choice. To the contrary, whether sexual orientation arises as a result of the mother's hormones or the child's brain structure or DNA, it is almost certainly an accident of birth. The point is this: Without choice, there can be no moral culpability.

He goes on to undermine the argument made by the gay bashers that "they are right to do so because the Bible tells them that homosexuality is wrong" by giving examples of why it's wrong to use the Bible as the baseline, since the Bible blasts far more than the gays:

As a former "the Bible says it, I believe it, that settles it" kind of guy, I am sympathetic with any Christian who accepts the Bible at face value. But here's the catch. Leviticus is filled with laws imposing the death penalty for everything from eating catfish to sassing your parents. If you accept one as the absolute, unequivocal word of God, you must accept them all.

For many of gay America's loudest critics, the results are unthinkable. First, no more football. At least not without gloves. Handling a pig skin is an abomination. Second, no more Saturday games even if you can get a new ball. Violating the Sabbath is a capital offense according to Leviticus. For the over-40 crowd, approaching the altar of God with a defect in your sight is taboo, but you'll have plenty of company because those menstruating or with disabilities are also barred.

The truth is that mainstream religion has moved beyond animal sacrifice, slavery and the host of primitive rituals described in Leviticus centuries ago. Selectively hanging onto these ancient proscriptions for gays and lesbians exclusively is unfair according to anybody's standard of ethics. We lawyers call it "selective enforcement," and in civil affairs it's illegal.

His best point is this:

The point is that the sort of long-term, committed, same-sex relationships that are being debated today are not addressed in the New Testament. It distorts the biblical witness to apply verses written in one historical context (i.e. sexual exploitation of children) to contemporary situations between two monogamous partners of the same sex.

He's so right. The Bible should not even be used to judge gays' rights because it was written 2,000 years ago and if you think it applies to today, then you have to apply it to everything, not just the gays.

Here's the link to the article.

Amazing pictures from the womb

And for womb, I mean that of animals. A new special (airing on the National Geographic Channel in the US next month and in the UK next year) looks at fetuses of different animals, showing us their development from conception to delivery.

The pictures look amazing. Can't wait to see the show. Here's the link to the article, and here are some of the pictures:

a baby elephant,

a baby dog,

a baby dolphin.

Interesting tibbits:

At almost a year, the trunk is longer than the legs, and by 14 months, the characteristic elephant ears are visible. They will eventually grow to almost two feet across to help regulate the body temperature of the fullymature-elephant. At birth, he will weigh nearly 260lb and be able to take his first steps in minutes.

A golden retriever foetus is shown exhibiting some of the same behaviour as family pets, panting with its tongue out, while still in the womb.

Programme makers also reveal the moment at eight weeks when a baby dolphin learns to swim while in the womb. During the next few weeks, it develops flippers, a tail and a blowhole before being born after a year, and must be able to quickly swim to the surface to take its first breath of air.

And this could lead to its own scientific research:

Experts also found that at 24 days, the dolphin embryo develops tiny leg-like buds, which then disappear over the next two weeks.

After 11 weeks, the dolphin embryo's fins display bone structures resembling human hands, which experts believe may show that dolphin ancestors were land dwellers.

Exhibition on homosexuality among animals draws crowds

The exhibit, named "Against Nature?", is in Oslo, Norway, and the purpose is to show how homosexuality is rather common in the animal world, and should therefore be viewed as a natural occurrence among humans as well:

[T]here has been strong interest in an aspect of animal behaviour the museum says is quite common.
[...]
"Homosexuality is a common and widespread phenomenon in the animal world," says an exhibition statement.

"Not only short-lived sexual relationships, but even long-lasting partnerships; partnerships that may last a lifetime."
[...]
It says sex between animals - as between humans - is often a matter of enjoyment, rather than procreation, and that this applies to animals of the same sex as well as opposite sexes.

And the best part is this:

In Norway there was a desire among publicly funded museums to be "deliverers of truth" and to "put on display controversial subjects, things that are not said and are swept under the carpet".

The museum says one of its aims is to "help to de-mystify homosexuality among people... we hope to reject the all too well known argument that homosexual behaviour is a crime against nature".

Thankfully, enlightened minds still roam this planet. Now, if we could only get one in the White House...

The Departed

The latest offering by Martin Scorsese is the kind of movie that requires more than one viewing to be fully understood and enjoyed. I had a hard time because of the accent, but arguably the speed of the action made it hard to follow for anyone.

Nonetheless, I really enjoyed the movie. The plot is rich of twists and turns and the characters are all well developed and established.

Leonardo DiCaprio, all grown up now, gives what is probably his best performance to date. So does Matt Damon, and I felt that Jack Nicholson, accused by some to overdo it in some scenes, was excellent as usual. His portrayal of a mob boss always on edge and seemingly enjoying his game of cat and mouse with the cops was riveting.

The story follows the three of them (and a top notch supporting cast that includes Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin, Vera Farmiga, and Mark Wahlberg) as both the police and the mob are infiltrated by moles who try to tip off their respective bosses. The action drums up, confrontation after confrontation between the two forces, and never really slows down, hurtling toward the unexpected and shocking finale.

With this movie, Mr. Scorsese is definitely back in shape (some compared it to his Goodfellas, but I never saw it). After two misfires with Gangs of New York and The Aviator (the first too puzzling and unclear, the second somewhat boring, albeit both artistically interesting), he's back in great form with a thriller that never lets go of its grip on you.

A must see.

Grade: 8.5

In Memoriam

Robert Altman 1925 - 2006

He was the acclaimed director of such movies as MASH, Nashville, The Player, Short Cuts, and Gosford Park.

He made experimental films with a signature style based on improvisation and preferred a more natural flow of the acting and reacting on the part of the actors. He felt like actors could and should speak when they felt like they should, even if it meant speaking over other actors' lines, making it impossible at times to understand everything that was being said.

He liked stories showing the interrelationships between several characters, hence his large (and often star studded) casts. He also tended to sketch out only a basic plot for the film, referring to the screenplay as a "blueprint" for action, and allowed his actors to improvise dialogue, earning him the nickname of the "actors' director." Furthermore, he would leave some things in the plot for the audience to infer, because he wanted the audience to pay attention.

This very prolific director didn't always make movies that the public at large would appreciate, but they all carried his unmistakable mark. He'll be remembered as one of the geniuses of American cinema.

Altman earned five nominations for best director throughout his career, but never won an Oscar. He was finally awarded an Honorary Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2006.

Teacher Man, by Frank McCourt

This was my first autobiography and the second book read by the author.

I've come to the conclusion that if you want your audio book to be effective and stirring, you need to hire an actor. Don't skimp on that money and don't assume you can be as effective as a professional, your readers will disagree with you and regret your decision.

I actually wasn't aware that the book, which was borrowed, was biographical. McCourt is the author of Angela's Ashes, which I never read but I've heard great things about, and so I was anxious to read this.

The book is certainly interesting and at times quite funny (although other times boring too), and even though you don't know this guy, you can relate to him and his experiences.

I would recommend this book to any teacher (we actually borrowed it from a teacher) because they'd be much more likely to relate and enjoy the reading.

Grade: 6.5

Sex and the City

I never watched this show while it was on the air. A friend let me borrow the DVDs of the first 3 seasons, and after that, I was hooked. I just recently saw the series finale and I must admit it's the best comedy series I ever saw.

The four characters of Carrie, Miranda, Samantha, and Charlotte were the perfect combination of everything you find in yourself or your friends. They were all relatable at some point, depending on the episode and the issue explored, and there was one with whom you could totally identify.

I have to admit that, although I loved Carrie, my favorite was Miranda. Her stories were just so believable and closer to my experience than any of the others (except maybe at times Samantha's), and Cynthia Nixon was by far the best actress of the four. Seeing her marry Steve (a very sexy David Eigenberg) and set up a home for him and their child was nice and appropriate to her character.

Like everyone else, I felt bad for Kristin Davis (Charlotte), who always got snubbed during awards season, since she is a good actress whose character just didn't have the same amount of flare as the others' did. I was happy that in the end she found what she was looking for, a husband, a child, a happy life.

Kim Cattrall found the perfect role in Samantha, the man-eater powerful woman who won't take shit from any man (or woman) and who won't judge anyone, dismiss anything, avoid any experience. Her story arch, ending with her going off into the sunset with her beau Smith (a fabulous Jason Lewis) was sweet and satisfying.

And then there is Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie. She was funny and sweet, romantic and pragmatic, and always, always fabulous. I'm actually very glad she ended up with Mr. Big (Chris Noth) instead of Aleksandr Petrovsky (Mikhail Baryshnikov). I could totally relate to her euphoria at the idea of moving to Paris, but Aleksandr didn't deserve her, since he wasn't willing to make any adjustment to his life in order to make room for hers. Carrie and Big were meant to be together from the first time she laid eyes on him.

This is definitely a must-see show, and I'm confident that it will stand the test of time.

Grade (overall): 10

It's so hard to be me!!

South Africa legalizes same-sex marriages

It is the first African country to do so and a beacon of hope for all gays and lesbians living on that continent.

The bill passed by a wide margin, 230 to 41, and although it still needs to be approved by the National Council of Provinces and signed by the President, it is expected to become law:

The South African parliament passed legislation recognizing same-sex marriages Tuesday in an unprecedented move on a continent where homosexuality is taboo.

African National Congress veterans heralded the Civil Union bill for extending basic freedoms to everyone and equated it with liberation from the shackles of apartheid.
[...]
"When we attained our democracy, we sought to distinguish ourselves from an unjust painful past, by declaring that never again shall it be that any South African will be discriminated against on the basis of color, creed culture and sex," Home Affairs Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula told the National Assembly.
[...]
The bill provides for the "voluntary union of two persons, which is solemnized and registered by either a marriage or civil union." It does not specify whether they are heterosexual or homosexual partnerships.

But it also says marriage officers need not perform a ceremony between same-sex couples if doing so would conflict with his or her "conscience, religion and belief."

South Africa recognized the rights of gay people in the constitution adopted after apartheid ended in 1994 -- the first in the world to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

The bill was drawn up in order to comply with a Constitutional Court ruling last December that said existing marriage legislation was unconstitutional, as it discriminated against same-sex couples.

The court gave the government a December 1 deadline to change the laws, saying that otherwise same-sex marriages would be legalized by default.
[...]
In an effort to ease some of these concerns, the drafters of the bill allowed both religious and civil officers to refuse to marry same-sex couples.

Gay rights groups criticized this "opt-out" clause, saying they should be treated the same as heterosexual couples.

I do agree that that clause shouldn't have been included in the bill, because in essence it says that gays are different from heterosexuals, which is precisely the kind of notion that the bill is intended to dispel.

However, it's still a huge step forward, especially in an area of the world so caustic to gays' civil rights.

The Democrats take all!!

I know I'm late posting about this, a week late to be exact, but with the wedding, the vacation, the return to work, and a class I had to take for my job I had no time left to blog or read or anything else.

I did however follow the election returns, and it's a big understatement to say I was delighted by the results. The Democratic Party won, as was expected, the House of Representatives by gaining 29 seats (more than twice what most people expected and what they needed to retake the House from the GOP) and more may be coming, since ten races are still now undecided.

The Democrats also pulled off the unthinkable by winning the 6 seats they needed to retake the Senate as well. They now have a razor thin majority of 51-49, thanks to the 2 lone Independents who will vote with them and against the Republicans.

Unfortunately, one of those two is Joe Lieberman, who won his seat here in Connecticut for a 4th time, in spite of a legitimate Democratic candidate who had beat him at the primaries. Joe, sanctimonious prick that he is, decided to run anyway, and ended up winning thanks largely to the state's Republicans' support (and the Republican Party's money machine).

It remains to be seen how long it will be before Joe decides to switch affiliation and join the Republicans on the other side of the aisle, thereby giving them the Senate back (in a 50-50 situation the Vice President breaks the tie, and guess how Cheney would vote...) Honestly, I don't feel comfortable at all knowing that Lieberman is now the single most powerful Senator in Washington. If I were Reid, I'd sleep better at night knowing that Ned Lamont were the new Senator from Connecticut.

Finally, the Democrats also won 6 governorships, bringing their total to 28 vs the Republicans' 21. One race is still undecided. This bodes well for 2008's presidential elections, since the state governor can often help his party's candidate win the state's electoral votes.

All in all it was a terrific result. Not only did the Democrats take back both chambers of Congress, thereby regaining the ability to block each and every move of this very dangerous president in his last two years on the job (how do you like your official lame-duck status, Mr. President?), but they also managed not to lose anything they had. Every gain the Democrats made came directly out of the Republicans' columns (and one independent).

That's a great result, that speaks volumes in terms of how much dissatisfied the country was with the Republican leadership across the land. Yes, because the Democrats also won the majority of state houses and senates throughout the country.

Now we're well positioned to take the White House in 2008 and make even more gains in the Congress. Let's try not to screw it up and we'll be in a position of power for a long time to come.

A few more shots

Nicole and Daniel.

The family.

Nicole and Daniel with Grandpa.

The flower girl goes down the isle...

followed by the ring bearer...

then by Ray and his mom, Mary...

and finally by me and my mom, Giovanna.

The ceremony.

And apparently the ring bearer really appreciated his dessert...

Our Wedding

On October 14, 2006, Ray and I got married.


It was a gorgeous day and a beautiful ceremony, very emotional for the two of us and apparently all the participants.

The weather was magnificent all day, although a chilly breeze came up in the afternoon. I didn't mind however, since it brought along a few clouds that looked great in the pictures.

We actually just saw the pictures, and they're beautiful too.

The ceremony was short but romantic, sweet, and emotional. The Justice of the Peace was able to sing our song, The Rose, live and it was beautiful. The sun was setting during the ceremony and the colors of the fall were absolutely stunning. We lucked out and picked the weekend when the foliage colors were at their peak!

The reception also was beautiful, and both Ray and I had a blast. I spent virtually the whole time on the dance floor and really had the time of my life.

Everything worked out perfectly, the ceremony, the weather, the reception, the food, the music, the pictures. Overall, we couldn't have hoped or wished for a better wedding.

Besides my parents, 3 friends came from Italy, Vittorio, my Best Man, Fabrizio and Fabio. They left one by one, and by the end I was very sad they had all gone back, but I couldn't be more grateful that they had come all the way from the other side of the world to be with us on our special day.

They are all special people and special friends. And I'm so, so happy my parents came too. We had a great time together and they finally met the kids after two and a half years of hearing me talking about them. Needless to say, they loved them and bonded right away.

Now it's back to the usual routine, and I'm already looking forward to the next visit, whether it'll be here or there.

And to our married life together.