California + Gay Marriage + Election Year = GOP White House

I’m going to try to be “objective” in this blog (whatever that means), pointing out what I consider to be the inevitable result of the recent decision of the California Supreme Court.

California has legalized gay marriage.

California’s Supreme Court declared gay couples in the nation’s biggest state can marry - a monumental but perhaps short-lived victory for the gay rights movement Thursday that was greeted with tears, hugs, kisses and at least one instant proposal of matrimony.

Okay, so the decision is going to get shot down later on, but let’s proceed anyways…

In my opinion, the most interesting thing about the story was found in the following quote:

“It’s about human dignity. It’s about human rights. It’s about time in California,” San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, pumping his fist in the air, told a roaring crowd at City Hall. “As California goes, so goes the rest of the nation. It’s inevitable. This door’s wide open now. It’s going to happen, whether you like it or not.”

First of all, the mayor’s usage of the word “you” sends an emphatic message to all the people out there who consider themselves a “you.” Of course we know who “you” is: the 55% of the country who opposes same-sex marriages.

Newsom’s comments more or less verbalized the big finger that the California Supreme Court has flipped in the direction of what is still (whether “you” like it or not) a majority of people in the United States. Keep in mind that the vast majority is still not in support of amending the Constitution to limit marriage as a man/woman-only privilege: as a country we’re still leery of amending the document our Founding Fathers ratified almost 220 years ago.

Regardless, what pro same-sex marriage liberals have done is shot the entire Democratic party in the face. Not in the foot…the face!

Two issues get conservatives to stampede their way to the voting booths: abortion and same-sex marriage. By legalizing same-sex marriage in an election year, for crying out loud…the California Supreme Court has virtually guaranteed that religious conservatives will be mobilized in a way that they haven’t been since they first heard the words “Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.”

Conservatives have felt disenfranchised since John McCain locked up the GOP nomination for President. They don’t feel like John McCain represents true conservative values. What they needed was something to rally behind; the California Supreme Court has provided it for them.

Sure, the decision isn’t exactly going to be influenced as heavily as one might think by the eventual winner, but that’s not always important in politics. Politics depends on getting your constituency MAD about something. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a die-hard Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, or woo-hoo-half-insane Green Party follower…people are energized by strong feelings, primarily angry ones.

So unless John McCain’s platform includes putting a Secret Service agent in every one of our houses to observe our actions and conversations as a means to protect us from an insidious radical Islamic force, the Republicans have just pulled into the lead.

Oh, and Newsom…why don’t you do your best to encourage the California Supreme Court to legalize buying booze for minors, as you allegedly did for your little temp-girlfriend, Brittanie Mountz, in 2006. There’s another thing that “you” (and by “you,” I mean people in general) frown upon that possibly needs to be changed whether “you” (and by “you,” I mean those same people I just mentioned) like it or not. Do “you” (and by “you,” I mean Gavin Newsom, womanizing mayor of San Francisco) think that would be a good idea?

Was that last part less than objective? Did I lose my journalistic credibility?

And does anyone really believe in true, 100% objective journalism?

The Impossible Has Happened…

Shannon Stanley, assistant pastor of The Pentecostals of Bossier City…

My brother-in-law…

The “hairy-legged Texan”…

…is a Mac user. His MacBook came in today. Check out the window decal.

Hell = frozen over.

Mother’s Day

To a mother who works hard, loves endlessly, forgives much, ignores little, and generally stretches herself thin to help anyone and everyone within her reach…

Happy Mother’s Day

I love you to death, Mom!

(this is slightly late at 2:04 AM, but this picture wasn’t ready at the time)

Bridget Lee

I’ve been editing Bridget’s pictures since our shoot on Monday, and I finally completed the set tonight a little after midnight. We had an awesome time avoiding snakes, picking out isolated shopping carts to commandeer, and alternating at will between stoic/happy expressions.

Thank you, Bridget!

For 23 shots from the set, check out the collection.

Is That You?

Here’s a blog that only those UPCers out there will get, so my apologies go out to those without a point of reference. Forgive me.

I’m a soccer fan, so I hit up SoccerNet about once every other day or so to catch up on my Premiership news.

Anyways, I was looking at the main page, where a feature on Fabio Capello was displayed prominently. Shari, lying in bed next to me with Apple snuggled underneath her armpit, piped up and said, “Hey, Jeff Arnold!”

Fabio Capello, manager of the English national team, does indeed resemble Jeff Arnold. Bro. Arnold is featured in the inset.

Great call, wife.

Fail.

From The Denver Channel.

An 18-year-old man went to the hospital after he was burned trying to steal gas, according to published reports.

The man peered into a portable gas tank with a cigarette lighter “to see how full it was” the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel reported.

The fumes ignited, and his clothes caught on fire. He had burns on his hands.

Officials said the teenager and a 19-year-old accomplice apparently were stealing gas from a boat and a four-wheeler in Fruitvale.

He missed getting a Darwin Award by thiiiiiiis much.

I really don’t know what else to write about this story…

Senior Shoot: Christopher Calhoun

I had the privilege of shooting Christopher’s senior portraits this last weekend in Texarkana, Texas. It was a bit of a drive, but we had a great time.

We avoided calamity in the form of a crazy man with a Moses cane, climbed into structurally-unstable barns, and generally romped all around Texarkana. Thanks so much for trusting me with your portraits, Chris!

I Am Humiliated

Truly.

A little over a week ago, I launched what I am referring to as my “temporary web-site,” RyanAustinDean.com. I set up the site primarily as a reference point for potential customers. I needed a place to direct them for pricing structures, contact information, and to offer them something beyond the photography blog.

Most photographers are placing a much stronger emphasis on their blogs rather than their web-sites (some like Jessica Claire and Mark Eric are making their main sites a fusion of the two, actually), but some customers expect you to have a “real site” to direct them to, at least if you’re a little peon like myself.

So, under time constraints, I threw together some graphics, got the necessary information together, and uploaded my site. I asked a few friends (COUGHBARONCARSONCOUGH) to proofread the thing for me, and then announced it here on the blog and posted it to the bulletin board on MySpace. I immediately began pointing customers and friends to the new site.

Here’s where it gets interesting. Today, I was messaged out of the blue by one of Shari’s former professors, Dr. Wolfgang Hinck. He said that he stumbled across the site through a friend of a friend of a friend’s MySpace page, and found THIS (look closely)…

See it? Oh, yeah! That’s right! I WOULD JUST LOVE TO BE YOUR “PHOTORAPHER!”

Dr. Hinck pointed out that such an epic typo would be a massive turn-off for potential clients, and of course he’s absolutely correct. I’m forever indebted to him for not allowing the humiliation to drag on any longer. When he said that he found my site “through a friend’s, friend’s, friend’s MySpace page,” I hope he doesn’t actually mean “when a friend told me about this moron photographer’s massive typo right at the top of his web-site.”

Embarrassing? How about utterly humiliating?

Yes, I’ve been sending potential clients to “Ryan Austin Dean Photoraphy.” I take “photoraphs” of all the important occasions in your life. I hope to God that 99% of the people who visited the site just somehow missed that little detail.

When Dr. Hinck let me know about that, I got this horrible, nauseous, sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I’m currently in Alexandria for LA Men’s Conference, but I could hear the humiliation in her voice while speaking on the phone.

So here’s the big question: “If any of you guys saw that, WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME?” If you didn’t see it, then maybe you don’t need a photographer…maybe you need a “photorapher.”

It’s going to take a looooong time for me to get over this one.

Teen Plots to Blow Up School & Kill Jesus

I’m not kidding. Story here.

A teen accused of plotting to blow up his high school told police that he wanted to die, go to heaven and kill Jesus, federal authorities said Tuesday.

Prosecutors argued in a federal courtroom that the statements are an indication that 18-year-old Ryan Schallenberger needs a psychological evaluation. The straight-A Chesterfield High School senior was arrested April 19 and faces several state and federal charges, including attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. That charge carries a possible life sentence if he is convicted.

Ya think?

Had to Share

The church office becomes a bit distracting. All of us employees have a habit of visiting each other’s offices to pester one another, ask their opinion on something, and generally make the office as personable as possible. My office is also located right at the main entrance, so I get heavy amounts of traffic in and out.

This is normally a good thing, but when I really need to finish up a message, I have to find a quiet, comfortable place. Sometimes I go find a spot in the family life center. Sometimes I go upstairs. Other times, I’ll come home and finish it up in “my chair.”

Today, Shari is gone, so Apple was super excited to see me walk in. Then, while I’m typing away, she decided she WAS going to take a nap in my lap while I work. I evidently had no say in the matter.

I took a 10-minute break to snap this picture in Photo Booth and share it with all of you. Enjoy.