Ally Oops

My new purchases from Borglum's this year included Ally Oops, for which Dana was just award a medal from American Iris Association. Gotta join that!

Even though the season is almost done, since I am getting back to the blog (freed from some evil in my life) I will be recapping the season soon... and the daylilies are on their way.



2000, Borglum

'Ally Oops' (Borglum, Registered 2000) SPEC-X, height 18" (46 cm), blooms Early Midseason. Standards and style arms light blue; Falls yellow, blue veining; foliage tall, ribbed center. Parentage unknown --- presumed siberian X Iris pseudacorus . Borglum 2002. Randolph-Perry Medal, 2010.

Careful, the things you say

Careful the things you say, children will listen... Three parts of Anderson Cooper's report (in there parts) on the the "Sissy Boy Experiment" government funded program at UCLA in the 1970's.










Read my husband's blog and his comments here.

Then watch Bernadette from Into The Woods

Die Walküre in HD

Tonight I went to Die Walküre, Live from the Met in HD.

It was really wonderful. Siegmund stole the show for me. OK so I had a huge crush on Jonas Kaufman. Truth to be told there wasn't a singer who was anything less than stunning.

Stephanie Blythe as Fricka has a very small part in the 5 1/2 hour epic, her acting was the least engaging. She comes across as a bitchy wife and not the "moral compass" that she is supposed to be.

There are lengthy scenes of repetitious staements of love, hate, jealousy, etc. And I mean lengthy. But the talent of the singers and Wagner enveloping score make it impossible to get bored. Knowing a little about the leitmotifs really helps.

The set is a mechanical wonder and used so cleverly it is fascinating.

There are some drawbacks to HD closeups. Seeing the ends of the set marks and bolts is one. Another was watching Siegmund drool. Apparently the cutey has overactive salivary glands. Watching Sieglinde wipe it of his chin took a bit of the passion out of that love scene.

So you expected a classy review? As a Wagnerite from way back, I can only say it was an evening well spent. I can't wait to see the Trilogy completed next season. (There are four operas, but Das Rheingold is in one act and most would agree it is just a lengthy [only 3 hours long] prologue.)

Back to being Me

I have resigned from the Integrity Board of Directors. I won't go into the reason, but it's nothing immoral or Anthony Wiener like. I will miss working with some really wonderful people. I am also looking forward to having my own life again. My blog has been neglected. That will change.

Gays and Sports... the world is changing

Kal Lwanga sport columnist for SBNation-Chicago writes about gays and sports

May 24, 2011 - It surprises some of my friends that I’m a sports fan and a sports writer. I’m gay, and the assumption–even among my friends–is that "gay" and "sports" are antithetical.

That assumption, of course, is wrong. But it’s widely held.

It’s that assumption Rick Welts, president and CEO of the Phoenix Suns, who has 40 years of experience in sports, wanted to publicly set aside when he decided to come out.

"Nobody’s comfortable in engaging in a conversation," Welts told the New York Times in the story that broke the news, "This is one of the last industries where the subject is off limits."

Read the rest here

NEW POLL and MAP offer hope in NYS

According to a poll released today public opinion continues to trend toward marriage equality in New York State with a record high of 58 percent support and a record low of 36 percent opposition. The study comes from the non-partisan Siena Research Institute

and acoording to this map...


Our Senator's district may reach to southern Canada where marriage equality is already in place. Perhaps this will help him vote with public opinion and his conscience and convince others in his party to break ranks with their leadership.

The Death of Osama and War

I feel no angst about celebrating the death of Osama Bin Laden. I will not judge the reactions of others. He was an evil man. He killed thousands. And twisted the word of God to justify it. What I feel great sorrow about is that so many lives have been lost trying to avenge 9/11. And I honor and respect those who have lost or risked their lives for what the believe is right.

.. Last night we watched Restrepo for the second time and just before a key point, a push notification from MSNBC came through. "President to announce, Osama Bin Laden is dead."

This operation was well planned, carried out quickly, and the Muslim tradition of burial honored. The evil has been removed... and only Osama and God know if he is in the paradise that he believed in.

War is not to be entered into without "good cause." It because of that the I celebrate the removal of Osama from this world. I was his action and that of his follower that precipitated the deaths of thousands of civilians, Muslims with whom he did not agree and then the thousands of troops that fought and are fighting wars that may or may not have had anything to do with al-Qaeda. Clearly there was a great deal of combat which had nothing to do with 9/11 that the American people have been led to believe was somehow connected. If only this kind of operation had been carried out years ago. We can only speculate to no avail why.

Now it has been done. This is the type of response that any country should be proud of when its soveriegn territories are attacked, its citizens slaughtered. What we need to reflect on is when we my have been guilty of the same.

We must also remember that the ultimate heresy for any of us is to presume to know the mind of God and act in God's name except to "Love one another as I have loved you." John 13:34

Anthem for Doomed Youth
Wilfred Owen
1893-1918

What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?

--Only the monstrous anger of the guns.

Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle

Can patter out their hasty orisons.

No mockeries for them from prayers or bells,

Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs,-

The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;

And bugles calling for them from sad shires.

What candles may be held to speed them all?

Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes

Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes.

The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall;

Their flowers the tenderness of silent minds,

And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.