Neener Neener.... Pt.2015

Apparently I'm just using this blog for a brag outlet.
I'm ok with that.

First, some review...
2014: http://lostlocalhost.blogspot.com/2014/05/neener-neener-pt2014.html

2011: http://lostlocalhost.blogspot.com/2011/04/neener-neener.html

2011: "I got a new job!"
2014: Me too!
2015: Heh... Yeah, me too.

2011: "I'm actually enjoying my area. [...] I've been there three weeks. It's new. Let's revisit this post a year from now and see if it's still the same."
2014: Yup. still dig it
2015: Yet again, I got a brand new job! The new job is too new.. see next point.

2011: "There is a bit of a learning curve here as well I'm still getting use to. That is the case with any new job, but that doesn't mean I like it. [...] Being new sucks. I miss being the main guy in charge of a team and an application. In due time, I suppose."
2014: Heh... I feel ya, bud. Me too. You always have to start somewhere - no one leads well without following some first.
2015: I'm now a Data Designer doing Data Analytics. It's a job I can do, but it wasn't my first choice, but it got me down to Dallas. Woot. I'm new in the role, and there isn't any work - so I'm going crazy being bored with no direction, but apparently that's the expectation for now. I'll try to enjoy it while it lasts. I wouldn't be surprised if there's another change in the next two years either, but I'm definitely going to be on a management track within five.

2011: "New gun! I bought an MP15-22"
2014: Yeah, that's gone.
2015: Never did pick up a new Rifle, but am in love with a couple new guns.

2011: "Still selling my MP"
2014: Nope, that's gone too.
2011: Awww man, I loved that thing!
2014: Move on. I did.
2015: I bought a new MP... I had a Deltapoint on it, but didn't like how it had to be taken off to lock down zero, so I bought an RMR to replace it. Instead of selling the DP, I decided to buy a new gun to put it on! :) The 22/45 LITE is currently my favorite gun I've owned.

2011: "Cousin had a baby! -  I know I'm getting older because every once in a while I want to sell the 350Z, fix the house up and have a kid... ok, maybe not sell the Z, but at least get more prepared. Shit... is it my turn now?"
2014: Buuahahahaha. haha. ha... Yeah
2015: Ethan is my life. Love that little punk,

2011: "Birthdays abound! -  My wife wants to do something extra special for me (aren't I lucky?) but I'd much rather spend that cash on something like fixing up the house. The fact that I wrote that down proves I'm getting old."
2014: 31 was a good birthday. The wifey planned a trip to Dallas for a house hunting trip for our upcoming move.
2015: MOVED!!!!!!!!!1111!!!!!!1!1one!1 June of 2015 we moved to Texas, finally.

2011: "Bottom line: I'm in a good place and feel very blessed. Nothing is ever perfect, but compared to the rest of the world I know I have no reason to complain about much."
2014: Pretty much the same, but better.
2015: Life keeps getting better.


The details...
So the last year or so has been busy. Been dealing with medical stuff and surgeries in the family, work changes, relocating, and other family adjustments and they're all related to each other. That isn't a complaint. In fact, in light of any challenges we've faced as a family, we're really in the best place I think we've ever been. Life is good. Yesterday I had a conversation where I said my biggest problem right now is that I'm waiting for something to go wrong - I'm actually anxious because life is good and how horrible of a problem is that to have, right?

I was offered a position with my company in Dallas and I jumped at it. I loved my old area, but this came with many perks I couldn't pass up, would be in the location we wanted, and involves some pretty cool work. I also get to retain my lead status and help actually build my team. I feel old now.
I bought a nice house. Not crazy, but it's a grown up house finally. I was pretty bitter about our last home since we bought when we were so young, and it affected the family. That's gone, and we're extremely happy with where we're at now.
Ethan is crazy awesome. So much love for him. He is my best bud.

Super Gay Post Pt.2

(If you have't read my initial Super Gay Post from 2013, take a looksie HERE)

OK. so I'm doing this... and here - we - GO!

Is marriage a religious act, or a government act? Which side of the recent SCOTUS decision you land on kind of relies on that first question that no one seems to be asking.

If it's a religious act, then the actual action of performing or participating, or NOT performing or participating, in that act is completely covered by constitutional rights.
If it's a government act, then the only thing protected and fair is equal treatment by that government entity for all persons.
Here's the problem, for most church's, it's a religious act, and for most everyone else it's only a government act.

As long as government gives special considerations to married vs non-married citizens, they need to be equal in that for all citizens and not limit that based upon a religious sacrament which they have no business being involved in anyways. PERIOD.
There is no way around that - it needed to happen, and it's sad it hadn't happened sooner. With that said, the Constituion protects organizations rights to object to certain activities based on religious beleifs.

Unfortunatley, many think because something is against anothers beleifs, it means they HATE a person...
Couple: "We want to get married."
Church: "ROT IN HELL YOU HEATHENS [or other horrible names]! NOT HERE YOU WON'T! YOU'LL NEVER SEE THE LIGHT OF GOD! BURN! BUUUUURURURRRRRRRNNNNN!!!!"

I beleive more often this is how it would go:
Couple: "We want to get married."
Church: "We love you, but it's against our beleifs to marry the two of you."
Couple: "That sucks, but we respect your right to run the church how you see fit, but we won't be a part of a church like this. We're going to goto the church down the street which we know will perform the cerimony, or get it done at the courthouse."
Church: "God bless you both."

A shame the first example exists in this society, right? How sad is it that there really are churches and people who hate so much because of what they consider a sin while committing what they themselves would also deem a sin. Those churches and people preach God loves us all, despite everything we deem as flaws, but they don't follow that up with action. It's sad those same churches would probably have no issues marrying other couples that obviously intended to keep sinning in some way. Hypocrisy is no stranger to religion. Luckily in our western society, it usually (sadly, not always) ends with a denial of service and words, as opposed to other parts of the world and other religions where they would be hung from rooftops or burned alive. Crazy shit, right?

I think it's also a huge disservice and quite sad that people don't acknowledge that the second example is more common. Most churches who deny a ceremony don't do so with hate. Hate is not a requirement for belief it's wrong in God's eyes.

The SCOTUS ruling was the right one, because it helped make government defined marriage fair, like it should have been from the start.

Now I hope they support the freedom that churchs have to refuse to perform a marriage (religious sacrament). The fear most libertarians and conservatives have is that this won't happen based on past rulings. No one is protected from being offended, only from being unfairly treated by the government.

Thank God for the SCOTUS ruling.