esrosedotblog

STANDING O

This one is about ten years too late. The Tyranny of the Standing Ovation started in Boston. I remember the event very well.

There was a snow storm and people were getting up at the end of the concert to rush for their cars. Somehow, the artist (I think that it may have been Leontyne Price--the diva über alles), took the mass exodus as a standing ovation and with one magnificent gesture, swept the crowd into her stagey-embrace. Enthralled, the crowd stood one moment too long and was caught in an unbreakable cycle of clap/bow/clap/bow.

A side bar: in Russia, the artists will not leave the stage until the applause STOPS! So be careful, if you are watching some Russky imports. If you keep applauding, you may be headed for the Guiness Book of World Records.

John and I sat rooted to our seats for years; doing our part for perspective. Eventually, the roar of the greasepoint and the smell of the crowd took over, and we started to stand too. Now, I see that, as usual, New York has finally caught up with Boston.

Out here, they are so grateful for even the most disgraceful performance, that they stand before the concert is over; after a song or two, during the scripted encore, occasionally after just a movement. Oh well.

ON THE AGENDA

I suppose that by this time I should be used to it. For years we had to listen to news of the 'gay agenda'. I kept asking my friends, to no avail, why I had not gotten a copy of it.

Now, we are apparently at the forefront of America's consciousness around the issue of marriage. (Don't 'they' have anything else to think about?)

In today's New York Times, there is an article about the increasing support for a ban on gay marriage and decreasing support for gay relationships in general. You can take a look at this at Ban Support.

I have been essentially married to a man for 27 years. I am not about to look to the State or the Feds to endorse this union of equals. And, I certainly am not about to terminate the arrangements just because some twiddling law (or Ammendment) says that we are illegal. Hell, we have been illegal in as many as 27 States during most of those 27 years. There are now only a handful of States in which this is the case.

It is all so amusing to see the 'sky is falling' people look after other people's morals.

But there is nothing new in this. It is so much easier to meddle with other people's lives than take responsibility for your own. In this case, they are messing with the homos; but the MORAL AGENDA reaches into the lives of all their fellows; and believe me they all got a copy of it. This is just the first step towards the big roundup.

Oh, and another thing. We are now certified domestic partners in the State of California (the new law). I gotta also say that I have not noticed any new results forthcoming. For example, where are the cards and wedding presents?

Of course, as the article states, we don't really get to reap all the benefits of the new law until 2005. We will be sending out invitations.