So why do I like Amber?

This is gonna sound a little on the soppy side but I don't care. Here ar ethe reasons I like Amber:

1) She is incredibly talented. Be it acting, writing, directing, singing, she really does seem to have multiple strings to ehr bow and is good at them all. Plus, she has integrity in her work. yes, you can sometimes tell the parts she has taken just for the money cos its a job but you can see that the work, and good quality work, drives her more than the pay cheque. in this highly materialistic age, she seems refreshingly lacking in materialistic goals and I like that quality. She seems to value people for who they are, not the Dollar value they may bring for her.

2) She is an incredibly nice person. I've had the privilege of meeting ehr twice and what comes acros is something I don't really see from other stars i've met. Amber has this ability to make you feel that she ahs travelled all that way just to meet you. That she is not the celebrity, you are. There is a genuine enthusiasm and warmth in her that immediately puts you at ease. Plus Amber seems to have an amazing memory for faces and often will remember you (as she did me at our second meeting) and that only adds to the warmth. Rather than seeing signings and conventions as a job, she makes it look like an honest excuse to come and meet amazing people (namely the people who are coming to meet her).

3) And this is slightly more personal. I've had a lot of bad breaks in the last few years. Won't give the details but suffice as to say its been tough. I've had ocassion to speak to Amber's Mum Diane and by extension on ocassion Amber herself (this has been through email exchange) and they have been very decent with me at all times and have shown, to a virtual stranger, a level of compassion and concern that really helped me through my toughest times. I doubt they will ever really know how much they helped. Also, the character of Tara (who i identified with a lot), was another source of comfort and to find that Amber shared the same kind of compassion and, dare I say gentleness, that tara did was again a source of comfort in darker times.

So that's why i like her. i like ehr as an artist, as a celebrity, and as a person. She is someone whom, if we were in teh same circles, i would be proud to call a friend. But what i can call ehr is an inspiration and she ahs me as a fan for life.

Proposition 8 - A Scotsman's perspective!

As happy as i was to see Barack Obama win the US Presidential race, that happiness was somewhat stunted by the news that California had voted in proposition 8, effectively writing segregation into their State Constitution by defining marriage as one man and one woman, overturning a recent Supreme Court ruling that deny gay couples the right of marriage was unconstitutional, but also denying them the right to be considered as adoptive parents.

My views on this are fairly simple I'll be brief on each:

On marriage, I simply don't get the problem. No one is asking straight couples to suddenly marry gay people. Also, i have heard every one of the arguments (be they social, religious, moral, whatever) for barring gay couples from marriage opr even equality under the law and I've yet to hear ONE argument that stands up to any scrutiny.

As for adoption, again i can't see the issue. the adoption process is long and arduous (some say too long and too arduous but that's a separate debate) and I reckon any prospective adopter, regardless of age, gender, race, sexual orientation or religion, who gets through that process has earned the right to be treated with the respect that adopters and especially fosterers deserve. The notion that because one is gay or bisexual it somehow limits or diminishes your ability to parent is a notion that is lost on me.

So I hope Proposition 8 is overturned. I also hope that EVERYONE who opposes this disgraceful act of segregation makes themselves heard. I don't care if you are an actor or a plumber or anyone in California. Your voice, no matter how small or insignificant you might think it is, counts here.

And Hollywood, from the big stars to the small indie players, need to get their collective muscle together and help influence the court the right way.

And I am hoping to see AMber at such an event. She has been a great supporter of the LGBT community and I am sure she is offended by proposition 8 as much as I am.

More Amber in the UK

Okay, no secret that I am a huge fan of actress/director/author/all round decent human being Amber Benson. My ASA (stands for AmbersSecretAdmirer, my posting name on the Essence of Amber Board and the Kitten Board) is a deliberate oxymoron.

I like Amber's work very much, even when she is in projects that on the whole I don't tend to like. For example, "Taboo" wasn't great but I liked Amber's contribution. "Race You To The Bottom" only had Amber going for it. I know Amber is really proud of the film but I found it utterly depressing and I left the viewing so despondent that had I not been with friends that night I probably would have done myself an injury.

But for the most part, I've liked what I've seen. I say "what I've seen" as a good chunk of Amber's work hasn't made it over here to the good ol' UK. Her novels are only available online or in specialist scifi shops like Forbidden Planet. Go to a regular bookstore and ask for Amber Benson's work and they will give you a curious look.

Same goes for some of her indie work. "Strictly Sexual", which I saw by other means, is a great film but not getting a Region 2 release. "Country Remedy" is equally afflicted. What bothers me is that a real independent like Amber, aware that she has fans overseas, happily produced Region 2 versions of both her films yet these studios, who must realise that with Amber comes an international fanbase, seem reluctant to release a Region 2.

At the very least these indie companies should release a Region free version of their films so people overseas can see them. Simply put, they've lost money as I would have willingly paid for these films but won't cos i can't watch them. So they have lost a potential customer who must now wrestle with either not owning the film or owning them by nefarious means, which I dont want to do cos I want to support Amber's career.

So indie producers, take a leaf out of Amber's book and release your stuff with an international audience in mind. And publishing houses, do the same.

Amazingly, the world doesn't end at the borders of the USA and Canada. Amber gets that, why can't you guys?