Apple's new direction, NY turning Conservative?

I know, I just got a new mac, so I may be a little biased. But what Mac in unveiling this year at WWDC should spark some interest in those who have brushed Apple aside in the past, as well as lodge fear into the minds of those who work at Microsoft and leading computer manufacturers such as Dell and HP. Apple has made a tremendous profit from the switch from PowerPC based computers to the new Intel based Macbooks. So much so that they've decided to make the full switch over to the new chips--including their professional series of computers such as the G5. You will be able to get a ridiculously fast G5 for roughly $1,000 less than what a comparable system from Dell would cost you. [ Source: Computerworld: WWDC: Jobs touts next Mac OS, unveils new pro machines, Xserve]

I read this other article today, and almost fell out of my chair when I read this really good news coming from the New York Times, which has traditionally been associated with the extreme liberal newspapers of the country, if not the most liberal of them all. Some of the excerpts that I enjoyed the most from the article were:

"John H. Mollenkopf, director of the Center for Urban Research at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, recalled that New York's proportion of Catholics was among the highest of any state's, and that many still tended to be more conservative than the general population."

"There's no question that the people of the city and state of New York are middle class in their thoughts, in their traditions, to a far greater degree than people give them credit for," Mr. Koch said in a weekend interview."

"When the presidential election results are parsed, New York, like much of the nation, is more a purple state than a bright red or blue one."

"Perhaps most telling of all, the state's highest court ruled last week that gay couples cannot legally marry, and explained its decision by suggesting that heterosexual parents might be better suited to child rearing."

After reading that sentence, my jaw dropped to the floor. Since I was in Vegas last week with a sketchy at best internet connection, I didn't exactly have a chance to keep up with the news. Thus, I had no clue that NY had accomplished this feat in their court system. I couldn't believe that the country's biggest city had broken the "norm" of politics when it comes to big cities in the country and decided to take a conservative stance on something.

Although I have nothing against gays, speaking from the perspective of a nephew that had a gay uncle die from AIDS ten years ago, I believe that gays should be able to live together and live normal lives, but I do not believe that they should be allowed to take part in the traditional, spiritual, and, most fundamentally, religious ceremony of marriage. I would prefer them to enter into a legally binding arrangement, such as a civil union, where they can enjoy the same rights and privileges of married couples. But to allow two individuals of the same sex to "marry," in my opinion as a member of the Catholic church, would be a huge disgrace to the core meaning of the ceremony and to the church.