18 posts from June 2008

Sean is conflicted...

Red Sox Logo

I have been a huge Boston Red Sox fan over the years. I own a piece of the Green Monster as well as a piece of the 2004 World Series bench amongst other memorabilia from the Red Sox!  And in the spirit of family unity I have also in the last 2 years become a fan of the Tampa Bay Rays... it helps that Stefan's brother is a broadcaster for them. All of a sudden though the Rays have gotten not just good but great after 10 years of languishing at the bottom. They are so good that they just overtook the Red Sox for the lead in the American League East!  Stefan and I witnessed the win that did it for them too in Pittsburgh against the limping Pirates at PNC Park with our friends Tim and Roxanne this weekend!

Tampa Bay Rays

Tonight the Red Sox and Rays start a three game series in a match up that truly matters in the nature of the standings. FoxSports and Sports Illustrated columnists just today (June 30, 2008) called the Rays the best team in baseball this week (although subjective). It's gotten so bad I find myself listening to more Rays games and knowing Rays players better than my own beloved Sox!  I hate appearing as a frontrunner fan, but family pride seems to be winning out this season... as is my love of the underdog. I even ordered an Evan Longoria rookie card!  Oh the betrayal!

Who to root for??!! The Sox? Or the underdog Rays??!!

Agony!

I hope that the games are classics given the stakes!

The McFreeds share the following letter from Barack Obama with you...

Barack Obama

Dear Friends,

Thank you for the opportunity to welcome everyone to the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club's Pride Breakfast and to congratulate you on continuing a legacy of success, stretching back thirty-six years.  As one of the oldest and most influential LGBT organizations in the country, you have continually rallied to support Democratic candidates and causes, and have fought tirelessly to secure equal rights and opportunities for LGBT Americans in California and throughout the country.  

As the Democratic nominee for President, I am proud to join with and support the LGBT community in an effort to set our nation on a course that recognizes LGBT Americans with full equality under the law. That is why I support extending fully equal rights and benefits to same-sex couples under both state and federal law.  That is why I support repealing the Defense of Marriage Act and the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy, and the passage of fully inclusive laws to protect LGBT Americans from hate crimes and employment discrimination. And that is why I oppose the divisive and discriminatory efforts to amend the California Constitution, and similar efforts to amend the U.S. Constitution or those of other states.

For too long, issues of LGBT rights have been exploited by those seeking to divide us. It's time to move beyond polarization and live up to our founding promise of equality by treating all our citizens with dignity and respect. This is no less than a core issue about who we are as Democrats and as Americans.

Finally, I want to congratulate all of you who have shown your love for each other by getting married these last few weeks. My thanks again to the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club for allowing me to be a part of today's celebration.  I look forward to working with you in the coming months and years, and I wish you all continued success. 

Sincerely,  
Barack Obama

Sean reports...

Well, another federal U.S. Constitutional Amendment has been submitted before Congress. With the Democratic Party majority in charge, the amendment will probably not even come up for a vote. Here is the text:

Section 1. This article may be cited as the Marriage Protection Amendment.

Section 2. Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution, nor the constitution of any State, shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon any union other than the union of a man and a woman.

The congressional sponsors? Senators Larry Craig (R-Idaho) and David Vitter (R-Louisiana).

(pauses for laughter)

It's nice to see that an allegedly (thank you Kathy Griffin) closeted gay man who thinks being in Congress means laws don't apply to him as well as his word (Didn't he say he was going to resign Sept 2007?) and an admitted former client of the DC Madam can in good conscience introduce legislation together affecting other people's lives especially in the area of defining marriage. Hypocrisy at its best.

I am sure there are other sponsors to this but I am just appalled.  I know forgiveness is a virtue best practiced but this is to easy to just shake your head at and just groan at the audacity.

Share a song you listened to in 6th grade.

Sixth Grade was 1983 - 1984 for me (Sean). The original video for this was one of the best ever.

What is your personal motto?

Sean says...

I have two self-written mottoes about life now at 37 years old...

1. Determination means never asking how far one has to walk to get somewhere.

This motto came about when I was standing at the top of Yellowstone Canyon in Yellowstone National Park in 1999. A woman in her 70s came up to me and asked if you could somehow get to the bottom of the canyon... because you know I look like a park ranger in shorts and a T-shirt (smirk). I did have an answer for her though!  You could walk down a few trails into the canyon but you could not hike into the bottom because of park rules. The woman looked at me and said (and I will never forget this), "You mean you have to walk there? Nevermind. Thanks!" I swore from that day forth I would walk as long as I had workable legs anyplace I went to see and try and see a lot in this world before that happened. Well that incident and the fact someone used the word "determined" in describing me as a criticism. hehehe

2. To be curious is to live life asking "why" with a mischievous grin.

This motto is credited to my Mom somewhat. She always had us going to see things or looking up stuff as research. She read the whole Encyclopedia Britannica once we bought it once. But the one moment that sticks in my mind the most was one drive home from school was interrupted with a quick pull to the side of the road and a short walk through the woods in our Catholic school uniforms to a rotten log to see slim mold in person. She smiled broadly and called it by its scientific name. "Myxomycetes!" she screamed with a smirk on her face. We all rolled our eyes and slinked back to the car as she skipped like a happy child. To this day my sisters and I still talk about that moment as the germination of our curiosity about all things later in life... and then we giggle. Myxomycetes is usually mentioned often in stereo at least once when we three get together. Curiosity will never kill this cat.

However, the "evil" dark inside of me still harbors the following line from Alice Roosevelt Longworth, which is most famous as a quote from one of the best chick flicks ever Steel Magnolias:

If you can't say anything good about someone, sit right here by me.

And people still do. (twinkle in eye)

Sean confesses...

Sean Beard Mischievous Grin

Sean Beard No Smile

Faithful McFreed fans, I (Sean) have been keeping something from you.  After our Hawaiian trip I was feeling rebellious and decided to grow a beard for a week! 

(Waits for gasps and screams of "NO!" to die down before continuing.)

Here is the result. The beard only lasted from May 29th through June 9th, 2008. So for all of you who wanted to know what I looked like with a beard (all 0 of you) here is the result! My office liked it and even Stefan admitted that it made me look even cuter... and then asked me when it was going to be shaved off!  Mom I am sure is glad to know its gone too, she hated the goatee I had for 10 years from 1996 - 2006. You be the judge!

Sean reports...

Dr James Dobson

Dr. James Dobson of Focus on The Family said the following on the radio yesterday in response to a speech (link to text) by presumptive Democratic Party nominee Barack Obama to the Call To Renewal's Building A Covenant For New America on June 28, 2006:

"He's deliberately distorting the traditional understanding of the Bible to fit his own world view, his own confused theology."

Dobson, Tom Minnery, and Dr Bill Maier go on to talk about how Obama talks about the application of Bible teachings from Leviticus and Deuteronomy in the Old Testament. Both Dobson and Minnery talk about how the Levitical law no longer applies today because it was only meant to apply to the Israelites after they came out of the desert. And in the same breath they say that the principles - such as on the issue of same-sex marriage - still apply.

HUH?

Does that make any sense? Aren't these two then doing what they are accusing Obama of doing?

Dobson even says that he isn't a reverand and a Bible expert but then responds to Obama like he is. For me I thought faith was a personal gift to yourself; a tool guided by your personal covenant with God and your own intrepretation of his vessels/prophets dictating a higher power's word - be it the Jewish God, the Catholic God, the Protestant God, the Islamic God, Buddha, Vishnu, or what even being your faith recognizes (Not to leave other faiths or Jewish/Christian/other denominations/sects out, I do want to say I am condensing here). In the end it is all a personal interpretation of how to live one's life well with the people and environment around us.  My personal view in this instance is in deference to Jesus Christ's declaration of a Golden Rule in the Bible's New Testament, "Love thy neighbor as thyself."

I respect Dobson's right to give his opinion and have it heard. Many Christians utilize 1 Corinthians by Saint Paul as a counter to Levitical Law and maybe this is where Dobson and Minnery are coming from. But is it right to accuse people of hypocrisy and commit it in the same breath using his own interpretation? Funny how people don't even listen to their own voice sometimes.

For instance, Dobson and Minnery agree there are other faiths in America but since Christianity is the majority their views and morality should take precedence.

On the other side, Dobson and Minnery take presumptive Republican presidential nominee to task for not villifying same-sex marriage stong enough and supporting anti-gay marriage amendments on the state ballot in several states in November. So no side is left out in criticism from Dobson's moral view in this radio presentation.

It's funny to listen to someone feign that he isn't an expert than go on like he is and at the same time accuse someone of reinterpretation of the Bible while doing it in the same breath.

I will let you decide though in your own mind if Dobson is right or not. In deference to Dobson, here is a link to the full radio show. I am all for at least respecting disparaging views even though I think they are without real reason and hypocritical.

The McFreeds relate a story from across the pond...

The following ad for a Heinz Deli Mayo product was recently removed from the air in Britain because "viewers complained to the [British] Advertising Standards Authority that it was 'offensive' and 'inappropriate to see two men kissing'" and other complaints said "unsuitable to be seen by children and that it raised the difficult problem of parents having to discuss the issue of same-sex relationships with younger viewers."

Judge for yourself...

Heinz's response after pulling ad:

"It is our policy to listen to consumers. We recognise that some consumers raised concerns over the content of the ad and this prompted our decision to withdraw it," said Nigel Dickie, director of corporate affairs for Heinz UK.

Dickie added that the campaign for the new Heinz Deli Mayo product, which was due to run for five weeks, was meant to be humorous (the deli man was supposed to be a representation of the wife and mother as she became one when dispersing Heinz's product) and that the company apologized to anyone who felt offended.

Help with this story came from an article in The Guardian.

So is it time to hold off on buying Heinz ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and pickles in the store this month yet??

The McFreeds report on the weekend's activities...

We finished up the 6 month long Hitchcock film retrospective that Baltimore's The Charles Theatre held this year with Cary Grant and Grace Kelly in To Catch A Thief. Our friend Julie again tagged along. This clip gives you a great hint at what to enjoy when you catch it on DVD or a theatre near you. This was the first time Stefan had seen this one!  We were sad to see this go, but we really enjoyed the retrospective and so did a ton of other people. We saw Rear Window, Vertigo, Dial M for Murder (in 3D no less!), and To Catch A Thief together; and Sean caught The Birds with our friend Julie (who also saw Vertigo and Thief with us). We can't wait to see what is next!

Sean mourns the passing of a legend...

Her name was Tula Ellice Finklea when she was born in Amarillo, Texas, on March 8, 1922. From her earliest years she was called Sid, because her older brother couldn't say "sister." She was a sickly girl who started dancing lessons to build up her strength after a bout with polio. She took up ballet to strengthen her body. The skills she took her from Texas to around the world. She got a big break dancing in Singin' In The Rain and never looked back through the hey day of the Hollywood musical, all on the best legs in the business. Cyd Charisse has danced her last dance for us. She passed last night after a heartattack at the age of 86.

Here is her first big impression on the silver screen, Singin' In The Rain's "Broadway Melody" sequence. Wait for  the 4:46 minute where the beautiful pairing of Gene Kelly and Cyd in a ballet duet with a 25 foot scarf will just amazes you. (9:02 minutes)

Cyd could dance with the best of them!  Here she is in my favorite dance with her. Her partner? Fred Astaire. This is the "Dancing in The Dark" sequence from The Band Wagon. This was later famously remade with Steve Martin and Gilda Radner on Saturday Night Live. The choreography of this is timeless and romantic. (4:32 minutes)

Cyd excelled in many of her films. This little seen film, It's Always Fair Weather, contains my third favorite dance by her - "Baby You Knock Me Out." Never a singer really, her voice is dubbed here by Carol Richards. How they got all those very old guys to dance so well I will never know. Watch her skirt. They weighted it to make the skirt flow as it did. Great movie by the way and worth your time, if you love musicals. (2:40 minutes)

I hope she is dancing her way up to heaven now. Thanks Cyd!

Bonus Video! Here is Cyd (at 67!) doing a cameo at the 2:58 minute of this Janet Jackson video for the song "Alright." This was the first time I ever saw Cyd and I never forgot it. Enjoy! (8:24 minutes)