American Marriage Ministries is a non-profit constitutional church with the mission to Democratize Marriage by supporting marriage equality and putting confidence and control of the marriage contract in the hands of the couple. You can find us at:

www.americanmarriageministries.org

We are not a Kool-aid chugging, bible thumping, choirboy humping church. In fact we want to break all of those rules. It is my sincere desire for American Marriage Ministries to support and represent same-sex couples in marriage, civil unions, or whatever the euphemists want to call it. For more about our mission check out our blog:

http://americanmarriageministries.blogspot.com/2009/07/new-democracy-of-marriage.html

Our generation is understanding of recognitions for homosexuals. I believe it is just a matter of time before all states recognize same-sex marriage or at least account for some legal equivalent. There are only a few churches that support same-sex marriage, though they seem to do so grudgingly…and with a Christian undertone.

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So I was in a staff meeting the other day at work and our very socially conscious office manager played us this YouTube video that I found extremely humbling. After watching it I feel a bit apprehensive of things to come… almost a bit scared.

Check it out here:

Personally, the thought of a computer smarter than all human cognitive ability put together is rather discomforting. I guess all we can do is wait for the day when technology takes over and we no longer need to rely on human intellect for decision making. Yikes!

The video was created by Karl Fisch, and modified by Scott McLeod; Globalization & The Information Age. It was even adapted by Sony BMG at an executive meeting they held in Rome this year. Credits are also given to Scott McLeod, Jeff Brenman.

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Trying to pick out a car is really difficult to do when you don’t have unlimited funds. I know many cars that I would love to have, but of course they are out of my price range. So how do you go about choosing one, and how do you get your car, buy, lease, finance or steal?

I have been crazy about cars my whole life. I used to sit in the back seat of my parents can and yell every time I saw something I liked. My parents didn’t appreciate this as they always were concerned that my scream meant another car was rearing towards us. I may have also talked my parents into buying cars I liked, maybe they just wanted me to stop after the years of bugging them about it.

I cannot say that I know anything about fixing cars, but really, who does these days. There are so many chips and electronics, most people can’t do much. So it makes sense to have something that is reliable, or at least under warranty so you aren’t on the hook for fixing everything. Reading car reviews and consumer reports can give you information about car reliability. I was also informed that if I were to go used, something less than 5 years old and under 100,000km is the best way to go. But, of course it’s hard to know if that car was driven hard and put away wet. We all know what that feels like.

Living in my neighborhood doesn’t help with decision making either. There are nice cars everywhere and I would hate to be embarrassed about what I drive. I know I shouldn’t care, but I do, I have dreamed about the cars I want for years. Every time I play the lottery, my first thoughts are the cars I’d buy if I won. Even though it will be my first car, I want to really like it.

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Looking for something to do later this week?  Madonna in My Mind http://mirateca.lldt.net/projects/theatrestorytelling/madonnainmymind/default.aspx) is running at the Roundhouse Theatre (111 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver – corner of Davie and Pacific in Yaletown) on August 12th and 13th @ 8pm.  

 Taken from the website:

Madonna in My Mind is a new ensemble theatrical exploration for the live stage that takes us to peoples most intimate and astonishing dreams about Madonna – friend, lover and life force, inspiring many to take control of their own destinies and desires. Concept and direction by award-winning Terry Costa from real life dreams, fantasies and tales written by folk from around the planet…

The talented cast includes Jeanettea Antonio; Ian Batt; Joey Bothwell; Maria J. Cruz; Darcy Hinds; yours truly, DJ Landon James; Trilby Jeeves; Maryam Mehrtash; Samora Mpulu; Jasjit Rai; R. Nathan Sinclair; Trixie, and features guest appearances by Jamie Lee Hamilton and Shaira Holman.

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In recent years I. like many people, have found myself very attracted to reality TV. I’m a busy guy and sometimes I just want to get lost in the lives of other people. I like that I don’t have to follow it religiously in order to enjoy it. That being said, I recently made a rather poor choice in my reality tv line up… More To Love. The show is a Bachelor style show – but with a twist. The twist being that instead of having all of the people on the show look like models, they are all heavier set people.

Now, you can say what you want about the show…is it really a good thing to put on TV? Are these people being taken advantage of, having their weight and love issues combined into one thing and then projected for all of North America to watch? Maybe it’s a really great step in the direction of having larger people more accepted? I don’t know what the answer is, but I’m confident in saying…this would never fly with the gays.

How many times did you go to the gym this week, or go for a run, or go to your fitness class? The reality is, most of us have an immediate answer to these questions that involves a 4 or 5 times a week workout. Those lucky enough to be naturally thin and fit may not go to the gym – but they’re likely looking to date someone that is equally as toned as they are.

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On this Pride weekend in Vancouver, it is worthwhile to take note for the journey of the gay rights movement to date. As many have noted, this year marks the fortieth anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, which marked the start of the movement for equal rights, at least in the United States. But equally, if not more important, is that 2009 also marks the fortieth anniversary of the passage of the Omnibus Act by Pierre Trudeau’s Liberal Government. The Omnibus Act made sweeping changes to Canada’s Criminal Code, decriminalizing abortion, allowing contraception, regulating gun possession and drinking and driving. It also decriminalized homosexuality in Canada. In the face of vicious attacks by his critics, Trudeau, who introduced the legislation while he was Justice Minister, remained resolved to see the bill passed as a new Prime Minister.

Over the course of subsequent years, further advances were made. In 1977, Quebec became the first jurisdiction in the world to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. Later that year, the Canadian Immigration Act was amended to remove the ban against homosexual men as immigrants. In 1986, Ontario’s Human Rights Code was amended to include sexual orientation as prohibited grounds of discrimination. From 1987 to 1995, similar changes were made in Manitoba, the Yukon, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland, leaving Alberta, Prince Edward Island, and the Northwest Territories as the only provinces without those protections. By 2002, Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories, and the newly created territory of Nunavut also enacted the changes, and Alberta was ordered to do so by the Supreme Court of Canada. In 1992, then-Justice Minister Kim Campbell, a Progressive Conservative who would later serve briefly as Prime Minister, lifted the ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the Canadian Forces. Canada was one of the first countries to take such action.

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It’s that time of the year again. Stickers and flags are getting stuck and installed in the downtown area, while the gym is getting extra full for those last minute procrastinators. Posters are getting glued and tentative weekend plans are getting originated. It’s pride time here in Vancity.

This will be my fourth year in town to experience the mecca of colors, beads, heat, hype and homosexuality. Like most years, I have a general direction of what the events are with no firm plan. The only recurring solid tradition is to catch a few hours of pride parade. Each year, it seems that the parade get longer with more inclusion of corporate floats and sponsors. This begs the question, is this a good thing or bad thing?

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I recently got the chance to try out the Equmen Core Precision Singlet and I have to say, when I pulled the generic looking tank top out of the cardboard box, I was a little skeptical of all of the hype sprawled across the Equmen website (http://www.equmen.com/):

Equmen high-performance men’s compression clothing is designed to immediately improve how men look and feel, street to sport, work to weekend. Equmen compression undershirts and underwear are engineered with seamless athletic technology and physiotherapist techniques for ergonomic results. Equmen Helix-Mapping Technology focuses on core body mechanics – optimising support, improving posture stability and slimming at the same time. This makes Equmencompression clothing ideal for any man, whether he wants to slim his body under a suit, reduce back pain, or improve performance in any sporting activity. Equmen is for every man, every day, every wear.

Core Precision Undershirt: Singlet
EQUMEN’S singlet style structures and supports the core. Exclusive HELIX-MAPPING DESIGN builds in physiotherapy taping techniques to gently pull the shoulders back and promote optimal alignment.

The website also claims that the tight-fitting shirt:
·  Improves Posture 
·  Supports Core Muscles
·  Visibly Streamlines and Slims  
·  Controls Body Temperature  
·  Promotes Circulation   

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