So How Does One Pronounce Kamala?

 There has been criticism toward a number of republicans including DJT for purposely mispronouncing "Kamala" but I've not heard any definitive pronunciation. Even this writer leaves a door open.

Read this.

 

What We've All Known For Years Finally Has a Political Pac

 How a convention stadium full of supposedly educated, reasonable, political leaders can endorse Trump as their candidate for president of the United States is beyond incredulous and beyond preposterous. 

Is this ad and this PAC enough to change the minds of any of those who have drunk the Kool-aid? I am skeptical. 

Those republican political leaders and members are so far up Trump's ass, they can never admit their error and will do what they must to "save face". They are the proverbial monkeys: see no TRUTH, hear no TRUTH, speak no TRUTH. 

The fact that this narcissistic sociopath can have such a cult following will be studied and analyzed for years to come. 

George Conway tells it straight.

I've Been Immortalized by an Artist!

 My brother sent me a photo of an original watercolor by an artist friend of his, Jeff Bellantuano, that was inspired by an old photo of me and my 1972 Fiat 128 Sport Coupe when we went camping back in 1973 or 1974. The artist labeled it "Nova Scotia, c. 1974" but I'm thinking it was near the Farmington River in Connecticut. In any case, I'm flattered!

Bob Newhart Remembered

 Those of you old enough to have watched both "The Bob Newhart Show" and "Newhart" will remember the finale of "Newhart" when Bob, the Vermont innkeeper, wakes up from a dream back on his old show where he played a psychologist married to Suzanne Pleshette. Bob's timing and delivery of lines is classic. One of the funniest scenes in TV comedy. Bob Newhart is a classic.

A Little Something for My Catholic Friends and Family

 The "evangelicalisation" of the Catholic Church in America (due in part because all the liberals have fled) borders on heresy, in my opinion. Their political conservatism is sorely misguided and their religion has been contaminated. 

Here is a Catholic priest who speaks honestly about politics. I post this in spite of recent events because DJT will milk his near martyrdom for all it's worth. Just wait for the money beg.

A Break From Politics - Gardening on YouTube With Gian Marco Mapelli

My new favorite YouTube gardening channel. Hummm...

Becoming Disgusted with NBC Newsertainment

 To NBC News:

I just watched Craig Melvin’s interview with James Clyburn (Today Show Friday July 12) and I’m left feeling disgusted with the very obvious bias inherent in Craig’s repetitive questioning of Clyburn about Joe Biden’s decision to stay in the running for president of the United States. 

Clyburn answered Craig’s variously worded questions intelligently and did so with grace and respect but Craig would not accept Clyburn’s answers. It was obvious that Craig wanted Clyburn to say something detrimental to Joe Biden but Craig was not getting what he wanted from Clyburn. His harping on Clyburn about the topic repeatedly was not only dismissive but highly disrespectful and disgraceful. 

The remarks that were not forthcoming fron Clyburn were what the NBC Newsertainment department needed to keep viewers titillated. 

In their “analysis” immediately after the interview, Savannah Guthrie and Kristen Welker zeroed in on one particular comment and twisted and contorted it to conform to what their NBC Newsertainmet department wanted Clyburn to say, even confronting him again with their “analysis” to get further clarification. I obviously didn’t hear what they heard. Disgraceful reporting. Absolutely disgraceful.

This is NOT journalism. This purely biased reporting. NBC has an agenda, and I’m not sure why it is so anti-democratic. I used to trust NBC News. No longer.

Please read the recent NYT and LA Times editorials after which I will leave you all with this question: 

Why is NBC News not spending air time denouncing the most incompetent, disgraceful, inexperienced and convicted felon who is running for president again with the express intention of destroying democracy and the very government he wants to lead? 

And Now the L A Times Follows Suit After NYT

 
The L A Times has also decided that DJT is unfit to occupy the White House.

Link to the editorial here: LA Times Editorial

New York Times Editorial

 

Yes. The New York Times. The paper that has demonstrated subtle and not so subtle bias against the Democratic Party and all things progressive has now, finally, condemned DJT and his thirst for power.

The editorial is in several parts and I was able to read it without a paid subscription...perhaps they consider it important enough to give it wider distribution beyond their paid subscribers.

"DJT is Unfit to Lead".

He is dangerous
in word, deed and action

He puts self over
country

He loathes the laws
we live by

Here is the link: NYT Editorial

Yellow Journalism or Newsertainment

Read  the Hartman Report here:

Yellow Journalism

Then I sent this to ABC, CBS, and NBC today to call out their biased Newsertainment that is devoid of real journalism:

I will keep this as short as possible. 

I find it disgraceful and premature for the Mainstream (or any other) News Media to be giving exaggerated attention to any suggestion by anybody that President Joe Biden step aside without also suggesting that Donald J Trump drop out of the race for the good of the country because of his total incompetence and dangerous ideas.

I have seen little if any fact checking or calling out Trump’s lies, his impaired mental functioning, his disgraceful comments, or his not-so-subtle calls for violence. We all know what chaos he will cause should he not win in November and you in the TV Entertainment News (I hesitate to call it journalism) will be to blame for the results of your biased reporting.

The main stream media (YOU) is having a feeding frenzy every time a prominent Democrat comes out in favor of Joe dropping out. The negative press will not only become self-fulfilling, but will give the Liar-in-chief Trump more ammunition with which to sabotage either Joe’s or any Democrat's candidacy.

I urge you, before it is not too late, to dish Mr. Trump a daily plate of TRUTH, call out his lies, and demonstrate to your audience and the American people using your own archival video footage that Mr. Trump is a shyster and a criminal, whose incompetence is blatantly obvious to any rational person and that he is not, nor was he ever, worthy of the Office of President.

I will vote for Joe Biden even if he were on life-support and about to take his last breath. Should Joe, himself decide not to run, I will vote solidly Democratic all the way.

Miscellaneous New Mexico

 Our little town had a pretty decent fireworks display on the 4th. 

Where Else Would There Be a Chile Clinic?
And What Do They Treat?

Growing Veggies is a Challenge 

But I am up to it 

First Tomatoes 

Desert 4 O’Clocks in the Backyard 

Santa Fe Pride 2024

I think I needed a little dose of Pride after all the negativity coming at us for the past seven or eight years and even more so this year. The bible-bangers/republicans/christian nationalists/bigots have doubled down on their hatred and bigotry. As Joe of Joe.My.God news blog put it:

They wish we were invisible.

We’re not.

Let’s dance.

 

It's not New York, but it is after all, Santa Fe Subdued. Or Santa Fe Sleepy.

But seeing the crowd, the Rainbow Flags up and down the street and Plaza, hearing the music...it was healing and reassuring and a reminder that 

Yes We Are Queer and We're STILL Here!

 

Not a lot of photos because, well the photos just don't convey the festive vibe. And I wasn't really into taking pictures. 

Pride isn't quite what it used to be: no longer a march of visibility and defiance and demanding out rights, but more a march of our allies and supporters and social service organizations and commercial enterprises and even churches. Hard to tell who's L,G,B,T,Q or plus or straight.

Even the Government agencies are represented (don't tell the republicans, they will start writing ridiculous bills and trying to pass them in Congress).

Hubs works for Bureau of Land Management Recreation division. His field office had a booth at Santa Fe Pride again this year and Leon was proud to be there in his new uniform. (We are not thrilled with the colors, but I guess it's not up for debate).  

Here are a few photos of BLM and Park Service in the parade.

Hubs in his BLM uniform and me in mine.

Anyhow, Happy Pride to all!

Rainbow over Cochiti this evening. Who says Gay Power isn’t real?

Stonewall - A Musical Tribute

 Just a brief musical tribute to the Stonewall protest and Gay Lib. Music from an era subsequent to the Gay Lib movement.

(For a more complete and informative post about Stonewall see "I Should Be Laughing")

 

This defined many of our relationships for many years before marriage equality (and may do so again one day soon):

 

Surf’s Up at the Lake

I told Leon to get in the car after dinner. Drove down the street to the convenience store and bought a couple of Klondike Bars. Then we went down to the lake, sat on top of a picnic table, ate our 300 calorie ice cream and watched the waves. 

The "surf" was "crashing" on the shore and if I tried hard I could imagine the waves at Race Point. It was actually a nice sound because the lake is usually very calm. The rhythm of the waves was nice to hear. 

 

And it was 10 degrees cooler there than at the house. 

Driftwood left in dead trees drowned by high water levels

Our town in upper left corner; I don't know how to interpret the depth lines on the map. I assume the deepest part is in the center (white) area. The Rio Grande continues below the dam.

Stop the Merry-Go-Round! I Want to Get Off

 Yesterday morning, as we were heading to Santa Fe, I was driving, and Leon was listening to some YouTube video in which the interviewer was asking people whether “Pride has gone too far.”

I wasn’t listening too closely for whatever reason, and I assumed that it was a gay interviewer, talking to gay people about pride. When I did start listening, it sounded to me like everyone who responded was totally missing the point.

It was like they had never heard of Stonewall and or the gay liberation front and or the centuries of oppression and violence directed toward sexual minorities.

I said I wish I could respond, but not really. I’m getting to really hate these man and/or woman and/or whoever on the street interviews. 

But then Leon started reading the comment section. The comments were even more bizarre, confused, misinformed, and hateful.

I was very confused about whether the YouTube video itself was posted by an ally or an enemy. (Checking on this later today I find he - the YouTuber is a 19 year old black kid who seems to get all his misinformation from Newsmax. So that explains it.)

Obviously, most of the commenters were ignorant, hateful people. I’ve seen enough stupid and disrespectful comments on LGBTQ positive websites. So all this was just too much.

I really just wanted to scream “Shut up!” Exasperated, I said to Leon, “There’s just no escape. Isn’t there somewhere we can go to get away from this madness? I fucking can’t stand people anymore.”

I’m convinced that the percentage of ignorant, uneducable imbeciles has increased exponentially since you know who was elected in 2016 and became president in January of 2017. It is definitely approaching a critical mass.

P.S. I was going to post the video of Merry-go-round by Wildman Fisher but it’s just too irritatingly stupid. If you want to listen to it, you can go to this link.

https://youtu.be/CHqR1Rql5r8?si=eeAc2hSep2GGwVWj

The Heartache of Dining Out or Why I Cook at Home

 I left this review after we had pizza at a place in Taos, New Mexico:

We felt bad for the young woman who was waiting every table in the outside area (and maybe inside as well) which was quite busy for a Monday. She was doing a great job with no help. 

The Greek salad was excellent and a nice combo of greens, olives, feta and other veggies with a very tasty dressing. 

As for the pizza. As an Italian-American who has been making pizza for over 40 years I would say this has little resemblance to authentic pizza. Pizza is the base, the crust, the yeast dough that rises and makes big open air bubbles that when baked makes it not only crispy but gives the flavor of a yeast bread. Our pizza was undercooked and had not risen properly. Fermentation was totally lacking. The crust was actually partially raw and unedible. The sauce and the toppings gave it all the flavor. If this was the best pizza in Taos, they don’t know what pizza is. 

Over priced, long, long wait. And again horrible crust.

Large Greek salad, 12 inch pizza with sausage and mushrooms, one iced tea, over $40. 

The wait for service and finally getting our meal was longer than I would ordinarily tolerate but we were patient because the waitperson seemed to be doing it all by herself. Meanwhile, some patron had left their very expensive truck running, headlights on, with the air conditioner going for their dog, but right next to the outdoor dining area which was extremely annoying for all who were eating (waiting to eat) outside. There were plenty of parking spaces well away from the dining area.

I mention all this because dining out is not the pleasant experience it once was. Unless one goes to a pretentious "fine dining" restaurant the food is so often mediocre at best. The claim to fame for almost every New Mexican restaurant is either the "green chili cheeseburger" or the "huevos rancheros" and all the other menu items are the same in about 90% of New Mexican restaurants: some kind of tortilla or taco with meat, cheese and beans. Usually way over priced for what you get, often factory produced (e.g. anything breaded and fried, fried potatoes, burgers from the one or two "distributors" in the area, factory deserts, and non-alcoholic beverages from $2.50 to $6.00.

So I came across this in YouTube and well,....I'm making homemade bread and pizza tonight.

P.S. It's going to be a challenge to get logs burning in my new oven.

The Many Facets of New Mexico

Preface: The forest fires are burning in the southern part of the state. Very devastating for the people of Ruidoso. There are also fires in the west and northwest. If only we could get some of the rain that is making a mess in the east. 

We made a trip to Taos so I could see the orthopedic doctor for a reevaluation of my knee issue. Long story short I got a cortisone injection and an opportunity to get a replacement should things get worse over the summer. Continue with physical therapy and lose weight. 

Leon took a couple of days off work so we decided that a change of scenery was needed from the monotony of the desert. The area around Taos is greener and has real trees and grass - at least in some places. I think it also has a bit of privilege in some places too, but we avoided that as much as possible. 

After the doctor we went for a drive. I would just mention that I was a bit ferclempt considering surgery one minute and appreciating being with my hubby exploring the outback the next. 

We drove to Rio Grande del Norte National Monument-Wild Rivers. Did not do a lot of hiking but went to the overlook. At my age and with my knee arthritis I was content with that. 

We then drove a very rough off-road several miles to Cabresto Lake - a mountain lake surrounded by trees and greenery. Did a nice short hike along the lake trail. Here’s a few photos. 

View of the Rio Grande from the overlook

Not Georgia O’Keeffe’s tree

We are normally at about 5500 feet, So being at over 9000 feet took the wind out of me even on a short hike

The cows had the right of way

Celebrating “Frociaggine” Roman Style

Not only did Pride return to Rome this year, (first one post COVID), with a super parade and huge crowds but there was a fabulous appropriation of Pope Francis’ recent insult regarding “frociaggine” (pronounced “fro-chia-geen-eh”) or faggotry in the seminaries. 

Perhaps “gayness” would be a kinder translation. 

See: https://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=64451

(Duh. Without faggotry in the seminary there would only be about 1/4 of the priests world-wide and I dare say only about 10% of those in the Vatican would be left.)

Italian LGBTQs reclaimed the word, “Frociaggine” as we often do with insults, as a badge of honor and pride. They are fighting for their rights in Italy under a repressive Prime Minister Meloni (translated in the English subtitles as "melons"!!! Not to be confused with the still hunky actor, Christopher Meloni.)

The Far Right is becoming a danger in many countries besides the USA. 

We need do the same here under our repressive Congress and Supreme Court and the unthinkable DJT as president.

 

I Salute Edward

https://www.joemygod.com/2024/06/veteran-85-comes-out-in-his-heartbreaking-obituary/

This Guy Is Sounding the Alarm About the Real Threat of Christian Nationalism

 Watch this and be afraid. While I am no longer an adherent of any religion, I do respect this guy, Tim Whitaker, for his enlightened view of Evangelicals and the Christian Nationalist movement.

These people are not Anita Bryant and a pie in the face will not make them cry. They are hostile, they are hateful, they have an agenda and will stop at nothing, will use anything and anyone to gain power and they would put us all to death if they could, along with women who get abortions, and doctors and health care providers who assist them and eventually anyone who does not accept or agree to their sick religious tenets.

Not Feeling the PRIDE Quite Like I Used To

 Some thoughts for PRIDE MONTH though I'm thinking a month may be pushing it.

I was a late bloomer, or should I say a late boomer. I came out in my 30s after a very long and arduous journey filled with fear, denial, guilt, shame, depression and anguish. My coming out was, for me, the very definition of Gay Liberation and I’ve been wearing the Lambda symbol on a necklace for 40 years, since 1984.

Gay Liberation, born in the 70s but conceived years before that, was a political and human rights movement that grew in response to years of oppression and lies and prejudice and misinformation and violence.

During the early hours of June 28, 1969, the Stonewall Inn, thought to be associated with the NY mafia, was raided by police with no warning. Armed with a warrant, police officers roughed up patrons and arrested people for bootlegged alcohol and other violations, including criminal mischief and disorderly conduct.*

Some of our sisters and brothers decided that they just weren’t going to take it anymore and defied the status quo that included regular police harassment and arrests. What followed were not peaceful protests and colorful celebrations. There was street violence born of abuse and pent-up anger and humiliation and frustration. It was the beginning of the modern Gay Rights Movement.

In the years that followed, we marked the anniversary of those angry riots in Greenwich Village with peaceful parades and colorful celebrations. Our liberated voices proclaimed who we are, refuted the lies and misguided opinions and defied the institutions and laws that kept us repressed and powerless. It was a time when all of our new-found pride and optimism and dignity and confidence was wrapped up in a Rainbow Flag speaking volumes to the straight world. It was a time when a cream pie to the face was about as violent as our protests ever got.

The activism of the 70s became more urgent with the growing AIDS epidemic in 80s. It included protests and civil disobedience, widespread media coverage, books and articles, and the voices of enlightened psychologists, medical professionals, religious leaders, politicians and others. Celebrities and public figures came out in solidarity and others were forced out when they became ill with HIV/AIDS.

Lesbians, bisexuals, transgender and other sexual minorities declared their own unique liberation and celebrations throughout the 80s, 90s, 2000’s.

We were finally being heard and the truth of who we are was finally being understood by many who hadn’t really known us, or who had misconceived notions about us. But there were many more who would never, ever, “get it”.

Still, we were optimistic. We were making strides. Some stalwart organizations and even religious and educational institutions were beginning to realize that given the discrimination gay men and women were subjected to by society, government, religion, businesses, other entities and individuals, it was not likely that our sexuality is a choice, but is rather a natural and innate fact of our existence.

Even the Supreme Court had the sense to recognize that we are persons with rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and that should include the rights and privileges of marriage. Many of us, partnered for years, for whom marriage was never even conceivable, decided to marry after the Supremes gave their blessing.

I think our/my pride was rooted in optimism. My unfettered optimism of those 36 or so years, particularly 1984 through 2014, has begun to erode in recent times. I once believed that truth and facts and reason would be our weapons against lies and ignorance and obstinate beliefs. Because, of course, all people have the capacity to recognize truth and facts and reason, have they not?

The evidence in recent years says no. It seems that the hate and ignorance and over-valued straight sense of superiority has multiplied one hundred fold. It seems that the haters have become more bold and vocal and recalcitrant. And our allies have become complacent and, at best, continue to use tired rhetoric and mild-mannered words in a feeble attempt to incapacitate the enemy.

I remain a proud and out gay man, but I think I am realistic enough to also be afraid. I have conflicting thoughts about Pride celebrations, Pride parades, Pride days, Pride month, rainbows. I fear that we are possibly making ourselves easy targets; that we are creating new Stonewall Inns and Pulse nightclubs but they are venues without walls or disco or booze. I would hesitate to drive across country with a rainbow sticker on my car or depending where, to kiss my husband goodbye at an airport.

Our law makers and law enforcement agencies have shown mediocre, if any, commitment to keeping us safe and of late many lawmakers throughout the country have actually passed laws that could or will endanger us. They threaten to take away our hard earned rights like marriage equality and non-discrimination laws. If the law is no longer on the side of human rights and safety, where is a safe space to be found?

These haters and religious fundamentalists are cowards. Cowards with dangerous weapons. Cowards who target the minority within the minority among us, the phalanx with fewest numbers. The trans community, the non-binary, the gender dysphoric young people. The ignorant, utterly stupid folks who cannot understand same-sex attraction do not have anywhere near the mental capacity to comprehend the realities of those who identify as the opposite sex or who identify as neither or who are born ambiguous or who experience their selves in unique or different ways. Understanding, empathy, curiosity, openness are non-existent among the troglodytes.

And this brings me to my own rather politically incorrect thoughts about our Rainbow Flag.

I remember when the Rainbow Flag made sense. It was just a celebratory and subtly defiant symbol affirming our right to exist fabulously and be ourselves gayfully.

Back in the days of liberation and Pride, the Rainbow Flag was never meant to represent various or individual sexual or gender identities.

In recent years the addition of "Identities" by virtue of additional stripes or symbols or patterns may have the potential for engendering divisiveness, rather than being unifying.

I have no problem with the inclusion of any and all sexual/gender/identities or minorities in the larger LGBTQ+ community. But it seems the anti-gay, anti-everyone-who-is-not cis-gender-heterosexual segment of the human race has decided that our individual differences make us vulnerable. And they are using our differences to chip away at the rights we've gained by attacking the most vulnerable and visibly different. 

We best be vigilant. Because they hate all of us and would wipe us off the face of the earth if that were remotely possible.

……And, taking the time time machine back to when I remember the term "GAY" was all inclusive.

“Gay” referred to anyone, male or female or transgender or transvestite (that’s a long forgotten term) or drag queen or butch or fem - anyone with same-sex attraction and to all sexual/gender non-conforming individuals.

There were "gay women" and flamboyant queers and macho guys and the ones who went both ways occasionally. We were all gay. And proud and rebellious and illegal.

With women's lib the gay girls preferred the "lesbian" moniker. OK. I worked for the Gay and Lesbian Health Collective back in that day and age. And then the bi-sexuals want to be singled out with a B and the transfolk didn't feel they were necessarily gay or lesbian or bi, so we added a T.  And then they put the L before the G in deference to giving priority to the women. OK, no problem. All the letters a bit awkward and unwieldy, but progress.
 

Even with the LGBTQ+, not so long ago we were all one family on Pride Day, but not so much these days.

Honestly, are we all but just a letter of the alphabet? The more we splinter our community into specific identities and preferences, the less a part of the whole I feel. I don’t think I am alone in that. 

I would suggest that it is in being a part of the greater whole that engenders true Pride.

Oh, well, I am old, so what do I know? The youth will have to journey forward and live on the road they pave.

I lived through a time of repression, liberation, HIV/AIDS and the era our of civil rights, marriage equality, homes in the burbs and RVs.  It's been a ride.

Happy Pride.

 

* In the 1960s, while homosexuality was legal in the state of New York, establishments openly serving alcohol to gay customers were considered by the State Liquor Authority (SLA) to be "disorderly houses," or places where "unlawful practices are habitually carried on by the public."