1 pitch, 3 Topics, 5 Photos

Before I start to write, I just wanted to put in a plug for University of Wisconsin Press's My Diva, 65 Gay Men on the Women Who Inspire Them


My partner, Bill Fogle is one of the essayists, the book launch is this weekend and it is available on Barnes and Noble and Amazon.








Bluebells:
Yesterday, during a lull in the rain, I did some chores outside and discovered that the bluebells I planted a few years ago have finally decided to bloom. I had to show them to Bill and we talked about the scene in Howard's End when Leonard Blast (played by Samuel West) walks all night and is shown in a field of the flowers. A pretty flower and a really good movie.





















Torture:
I decided not to go into the torture issue, before the flu (call it swine or call it H1N1)it has been covered extensively in the press, on blogs, on the radio and tv (from the many sides of the argument). However, I did want to talk about my sister and Ann Coulter's comment about enhanced interrogation: Coulter said the techniques used by the CIA and are similar to older siblings harassing their younger brothers and sisters. Sis, thanks for not doing the water board thing. Was it because you knew you'd get in trouble for swamping the bathroom floor?














The Virgin:
There is a Calexico restaurant where a woman at the griddle noticed a likeness of the Virgin Mary. The griddle at Las Palmas Mexican restaurant has been taken off the stove and is now displayed in a room that is quickly filling up with rosaries, flowers, votive candles and other offerings.
When I read about this I thought of Romper Room and Miss (fill in whatever name of the hostess was in your area) ending the show with, "Romper, bomper, stomper boo. Tell me, tell me, tell me, do. Magic mirror, tell me today. Have all my friends had fun at play?" She would then lead into, "I can see Scotty and Kimberly and Julie and Jimmy and Kelly . . ." just add "and the Virgin Mary, mother of our Lord."
I quickly moved to communion additions: After serving the host, the priest or minister could ask, "you want home fries with that?"
Then I saw the photo and, well, um...



...it sort of looks like a butt-plug to me.