Sally Starr's Martian Dilemma.

The "Face" on Mars

Uncle P is not currently (nor has been for quite a while) in a long-term relationship (though not for lack of trying). Like most of us however, I would not be adverse to being in one. It's basically what we all want, isn't it? That one person to spend our lives and grow old with. The person who makes our hearts beat just a little faster and who 'gets' us like no one else. I've thought I had "The One" at least twice... but I was painfully wrong both times. That doesn't mean I won't find "The One," despite having told my friends I've given up on doing so. "Hope," said Ms Dickinson."is the thing with feathers."  By now you are asking yourselves "What the hell does any of that have to do with Mars?" Well, I'll tell you.

Sonia Van Meter is among those chosen as a semi-finalist for the Mars One project, which hopes to establish a Human colony on Mars starting in 2024. That's just 10 years from now. If you are anywhere near Uncle P's age, you'll realize that 10 years is merely a blink of an eye in the grand scheme of Human history. 

Mars One, of course, is a one-way ticket for those taking part. Best estimates with our current space flight technology put travel time to the Red Planet at 6 years. Once there, colonists would then spend several more years building and establishing a sustainable environment for human life. And while I find such an endeavor to be both exciting and frightening, I can't begin to imagine what and/or how those family members of the finalists must feel. Van Meter's husband, Jason Stanford has written an excellent essay on what it might be like to have his significant other potentially go away, forever.

And again you are asking, "What the heck does Sally Starr have to do with any of of this?" I know I've told the story about my High School teacher and his cousin who rode the Ferris wheel to get a better look at local TV personality Sally Starr at a local carnival. When my teacher's cousin got sick on the wheel, Sally's dilemma was whether or not to stand her ground and get puked on, or move and get puked on. So my question is: Do you let your soul-mate/significant other/loved one go on what may well be the most important scientific expedition of the 21st Century or be selfish and demand that she/he remain with you here on Earth? I'm not sure I could make that choice and I think that I would only agree if I could accompany him/her. 

What would you do, given this situation? Especially after seeing this:

Would I go? Maybe. Would you?

More, anon.
Prospero

Welcome 2014!

Justin Mikita and Jesse Tyler Ferguson

So many things to look forward to this year. I'm about to direct a new work and present a proposal to direct a play by the insane and hilarious Christopher Durang. I may be auditioning for Shrek (though I haven't quite decided, yet). 

My house will hopefully be transformed enough to have a small "Re-warming" gathering by the time my sister and the BIL come up in the spring. Hopefully all paperwork; deeds, quit-claims; forms and any & all legal documents having to do with Mom's estate will be closed out soon. I do hope my old car sells, quickly, now that the word is out. I could use a little cushion. Tax refunds will help, too. And I'll be having a BIG yard sale this spring (I'll let you know in case you want to stop by). 

I'm also excited to see the rapid advancement in Marriage Equality in the last few months and look forward to the building momentum as more states join the right side of history. I have real hope mostly because of something a friend posted on my Facebook timeline in response to anti-bullying piece I had shared on the JTMF page while the idiotic "Duck Dynasty" debacle was going down:

"Brian, I saw your link regarding homosexuality and suicide. This is a subject that has been on my mind, weighing heavily, since the GQ article came out the other day. The Robertson's have a large family, odds are there is at least one poor, tortured, closeted soul in that family. Originally, I said that I disagreed with everything Phil said, but that I supported his right to say it. Since then, I've come to regret that stand. I don't want Phil or anyone else spreading and encouraging that venom and filth for other clueless parents to glom onto. I don't know for sure if there is someone hiding in the Robertson clan, I pray there isn't, but the thought makes my heart and soul hurt."

Wow. I also hope no one in the Robertson clan is hiding in fear of what their patriarch (or any other family member) thinks of them. But more importantly, I'm so thrilled I was able to make someone see the light and actually change her mind about the power of words. I replied "No child should take his or her life because of what anyone says or thinks about them." So as the states continue to move forward and the conservative right realizes they most evolve if they want to remain relevant, we (by which I mean Western Society as a whole) are that much closer to achieving the ideals of true equality under the law for every citizen of the world. Of course, the battle in some places is going to be tougher than others, but I have no doubt I will see marriage between any two consenting adults in all 50 states and Puerto Rico in my lifetime. Maybe within the next 5 years. And who knows? I might actually meet someone by then... Ever hopeful or ever delusional? We may never know.

I had my traditional New Year's Eve with K, Q & Dale last night. It was also my penultimate gift-exchange of the season (the final one being this coming Saturday with the Dinner Club crew). The three of them conspired and got a gorgeous Steampunk clock that will eventually live in this office, scheduled for redecorating after the aforementioned BIG yard sale. Sis & BIL got me some very fun gifts including a huge ceramic piggy bank dressed as Batman; a zombie Batman keychain fob and a lovely framed print of a photo of an abandoned coaster at Six Flags New Orleans in a funky frame (among other things). While in Florida (which, as lovely a time I had, was still a very weird Christmas for me), I bought myself a few presents, as well (thanks for the extra spending money, Auntie!). I also had a chance to spend some quality time alone with the BIL while there, and we finally had some real bonding and I am happy that we are now closer than ever.

I'm glad the holidays are coming to an end, just so I can really start getting used to a new routine and spending time doing things just for myself, for a change. That in itself is reason enough to look forward to the new year! Thanks for still reading me. I hope you will continue to do so, as long I have it in me to write it. I hope Santa was wise and generous and your holiday foods were delicious and plentiful. The Triskaidekaphobia-inducing year has come to a close and lucky 14 is here, Thank Zeus!

Here's some movie nonsense, proving how bad last year was in just about every way:

More, anon.

Prospero

Half a Century On

November 22, 1963

I was 28 months old (do the math) when JFK was assassinated in Dallas on November 22nd, 1963. I have no memory of where I was (Trenton, NJ) or what I was doing (probably dancing in my playpen to a Cheer detergent commercial, according to what my mother has told me). When I started elementary school, Lyndon Johnson was serving his second term as POTUS, soon to be followed by Richard Nixon. I wasn't really all that into politics back then. I was more interested in monster movies, playground games and any number of other things important to any kid under the age of 10. I have a vague recollection of a playground conversation with a classmate about who I would vote for if I was old enough to vote, but I don't really remember who either of us chose. 

Of course, Kennedy's murder was a major turning point in mid-century American history. The American 'Camelot' was gone and a decade or more of political and social turmoil was about to begin. The post-Kennedy era was time of massive change in the States. People were turning on ad tripping out; hippies and yippies were everywhere; women were suddenly burning their bras and men were landing on the moon. Woodstock shocked the country and the Chicago 7 outraged conservatives; Hair dared to expose naked people on a Broadway stage and the Feminist movement was taking hold. In New York, gay people had finally had enough and fought back against persecution and Martin Luther King, Jr. was fighting peacefully for justice and tolerance. 

Meanwhile, my suburban parents were far more concerned with making their $56.00 per month mortgage payment on the house that cost them $10,250 and which I have just had appraised at $175K. My mother, far more intent on raising her family than paying attention to the political/social climate, would much later talk about how she missed 'all the fuss' because she was too busy caring my sister and myself. 

And while I certainly don't begrudge Mom's insular life at the time (she undoubtedly lived the life she wanted to live), I can't help but think about all the changes she (and I) saw in the past half century.

To be honest, I feel sort of bad for those born in the 70's, 80's, 90's and Aughts. They have been totally insulated from the kind of sociopolitical turmoil with which I grew up. Stonewall is a buzzword to them. Rosa Parks and MLK are simply historical notes from an era they will never fully understand and appreciate the importance of the two-term election of an LGBT-friendly African-American POTUS. Yes, they will have their own moments of historical precedence. One day they will look back and laugh at those who opposed Marriage Equality; the idea that corporations can be people; the lack of health-care for the poor and the enslavement of minimum-wage workers (I'm talking about you, Walmart). But they won't have the sense of wonder and amazement of technological advancements that my mother and her generation experienced in the past 50 years. And that's a shame. Personally, I'm looking forward to what the next 50 years will bring. I can only imagine that advancements in health care will most likely insure that I and my contemporaries will be around to see them. 

All Americans should reflect on that terrible day when JFK was shot in the head by a man whose motives will probably never be understood. But we should all be focusing on the future and ways to make better for those yet to come. Uncle P will probably never have children to carry on my bloodline, but that doesn't mean I don't care about those who will be entrusted with the planet after I'm gone. 

Remember the past, but look forward to the future. Honor those who have gone before and live for those who mean the most in the present while leaving behind a world those who have yet to come can be proud to call home.

The past may well be prologue though I, for one, hope that future generations will actually use those lessons to make the world a better place. 

More, anon.
Prospero

The Gayest Thing Every One Has Seen This Week

Most LGBTQ bloggers have been reporting and commenting for several hours since SCOTUS' rulings on DOMA and Proposition 8. And yes, I am thrilled - No - beyond thrilled by today's rulings. We're one step closer to joining the 21st Century and the rest of the countries already there. But unlike most bloggers, I've all had all day to ponder and digest amidst the celebrating. 

Now, I know I've mentioned Alvin Toffler and his 1970 book "Future Shock" and the subsequent 1972 documentary (narrated by Orson Welles) based on it. I was 13 years old when I (along with all my classmates) was shown Future Shock in our Health Studies class (taught begrudgingly by our Phys Ed teachers). The premise is that technology is moving so fast, humans can't keep up and will eventually suffer from Information Overload (a term Toffler created, by the way) and civilization as we know it will break down into chaos. Of course, humans invent and create technology, which makes the concept absurd. 

Anyway... as part of the 'collapse of society' section of the movie, there was a scene where two men get married in a church. My classmates all giggled and hooted. I did, too. I mean, I knew I was gay by then, but the idea seemed silly. That of course, was part of the shame I was feeling about who I was, but I as 13. Who isn't ashamed of themselves for something at 13? I spent an inordinate amount of time being ashamed... as do many of us. Then, with some help, I stopped being ashamed and found out I really had no reason to be. And once I stopped, it seemed like the whole world changed. And just kept on changing.

Flash-forward several decades and I'm on the board of an organization that raises funds for people afflicted by HIV/AIDS & Arts Education; Anti-Bullying and Suicide Prevention charities. I am out to everyone at the Day Job (without having had to out myself and no one caring) and I write openly here and on Facebook about who I am and the things in which I believe (and don't believe) and I don't care who has a problem with it. I have yet to lose a real-life or Facebook friend over any of my opinions or beliefs and if I did, they weren't my friends in the first place and good riddance to bad rubbish.

I have been very clear about stance on Marriage Equality from the beginning and today feels like... well, it feels like I may actually see the day when my friends and I (and those who will come after) can never again be made to feel (in the words of Dustin Lance Black) "Less than." Make no mistake, this is the beginning of the end of one of the last Civil Rights movements in the U.S. I will be so happy to say "Goodbye" to Bryan Fischer; Brian Brown; Maggie Gallagher; Pat Robertson, at al when they die and fade into obscurity, their over-stayed 15 minutes reduced to a very brief footnote: "These idiots were wrong and they lost."

But we can't get overly excited, just yet...

There is still ignorance, bigotry and hate. Crimes against gay men in Manhattan in the past few weeks alone have been more than alarming and crime against trans people continues to rise. We have a long way to go. I said I couldn't wait to say goodbye, because those idiots aren't going away or shutting up anytime soon. They'll be at until they croak, even when they're only left listening to one another.  The churches will still lie and cover-up their bigotry. I won't be around to see it, but they will lose all relevance, too.

Rational Secular Humanism is on the rise and while superstition still rules much of the east, reason reigns in the world's civilized countries (at least, I hope it does - it sure seems like it does, anyway). There are still bullies and families that ostracize their gay kids and preachers who want to exorcise the gay demons. There are still men and women in positions of power (ecumenical; secular; educational & governmental) who believe that I have made a conscious choice to disobey the natural order; that I am unnatural. I am evil, simply because I am attracted to other men. To these people, regardless of what the 5 have said today is true and fair, will always think of me as "Less Than." And not that I care what those people think. Hardly. I know they are wrong. Still, it makes me sad when fear repels truth.

Of course, still not having found "The One" (in fact, I'm beginning to doubt the existence of "The One"), it's unlikely that today's rulings will ever really have an impact on me, personally. At Uncle P's age, the odds are not in one's favor. Of course, I keep trying. I've had both wonderful and awful experiences (T comes to mind as the most recent of the latter - and no, no details on any of that, thanks), but I keep hoping. And that's what today is really about. Hope for the future. Hope for a time when superstition and fear are eradicated, like the diseases they are.

I know... such a downer for such a great day, right? Well, here are some things about today that made me smile and cry in good ways:

Weeping again...



Go, Nancy! Go, Nancy! It's your birthday! Go, Nancy!

Thank you, Mr. President!

In my lifetime I've witnessed a lot of history. The Moonlanding. Kent State. Nixon Resigning. The Iran Hostages. The Fall of the Berlin Wall. Operation Desert Storm. 9/11. Operation Iraqi Freedom. AIDS; Avian Flu; SARS; MRSA; E-bola; Anita Bryant; Leonard Malkovitch; Harvey Milk; Computers; The Internet; Daniel Choi; Ellen Degeneres; Lance Bass; Ricky Martin. 

Today, though.... Today was a day I honestly thought I'd never live to see. Today I witnessed justice and the upholding of the self-evident truth that "All men are (indeed) created equal..." Today was a ginormous step in the right direction, for all the right reasons. Today was just as historic as each and every one of the events I've cited, all of which continue to lead towards the ideals of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" so wisely envisioned by the framers of the Constitution. When the Tea Party is joke gotten only by historians and a POTUS and his First Husband live at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, I won't be here to gloat at the haters, so I'm doing so in advance. 

Nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah!

Suck it, haters! (Even though you know you've secretly longed to do just that, anyway). Read a book by a reputable author, losers. I mean, if prayer worked, don't you think you might have won? Nope. If there is a 'god,' She hates you for hating me. But don't worry... it's a dry heat.

Stay strong, stay truthful and stay visible. Never stop fighting the bullies, folks. You will always win.

More, anon.

Brian

"Mad Max" IRL?

While the world almost certainly isn't coming to an end in two days, it certainly seems as though we're edging closer to it with every passing moment, especially in light of recent events.

There is no denying that man is a violent animal, who all too easily allows the reptilian brain to take over, for all sorts of reasons. Truthfully, people are born monsters. Tiny, squalling, red-faced balls of Id, human babies don't care about anything but their own needs. And that's as it should be. But Homo-sapiens' larger brain eventually allows us to control those urges and to put others' needs ahead of our own (though 'self' is always first and foremost when it comes down to it). We learn compassion and empathy; manners and respect; the difference between right and wrong. We can apply everything we've ever learned about what it means to be a good person as much as we want, but there will always be that lizard in the back of our skulls, ready to pounce at the oddest of provocations. 

"Road Rage" has long been a term here in the U.S. though it has proven to be not just an American problem. We've all seen plenty of those Russian traffic videos. And now it seems that the folks from Oz have caught on, as evidenced by the video I am about to share with you.

Australian Tabloid News program "Today Tonight" (via) brings us this story of of an Australian road rage victim who was terrorized by a madman, but caught the whole thing on video. The next 8 minutes of footage are among the most frightening I've ever seen:

Yikes! So how long do you think it's going to be before that devolves into this:

And don't give me that "Violent movies and TV shows are to blame" BS! They make violent movies and TV shows because it's what people want to see. We're no better than Romans at the Coliseum. We love carnage and mayhem. Rubbernecking at an accident is far more of a traffic maker than the accident itself. Real-life tragedy is exploited for ratings. Meanwhile, 20 children are gone forever and we're still arguing about gun control and mental health? Of course, we can thank The Great Communicator for closing so many mental hospitals in the 1980's, rather than giving them money for the overhauls most of them so desperately needed, thereby forcing so many mentally ill people onto the streets and denying much-needed care for all those to come after. But I digress...

It's that caveman brain... the one we try to suppress with all our might... the one that sometimes gets off its leash and does inexplicably horrific things. It's the lizard brain that reacts to fear. Fear of death; fear of the unknown; fear of people different from themselves. Fear and hatred are learned. And yes, some fears are good - they keep us alive. Others... well, they make us attack and beat down and kill other people. As much as things seem to get better in so many ways, I see things like this and worry that the lizards aren't going anywhere, soon. I also worry that they seem to be gaining speed. I just hope I'm not around to see it all go to hell... because you know it will. If you're reading this in the future, I'm sorry. Some of us tried to fix it...

BTW - If I were writing this piece 20 years ago, it would have been Mel in the picture above. He was so hot in those movies (and more than a few others). Of course, that was before I knew he was an anti-Semitic, homophobic, misogynistic douchebag.

As you can tell, my Holiday Spirit is still fighting to get out...

More, anon.
Prospero

I Will Sleep Well Tonight

Holy crap! I just lost three paragraphs thanks to Google's new version of Blogger. WTF?!

Anyway, I am thrilled to learn that it's all but a formality and President Obama has been reelected for a second term. This means that the repeal of DADT will stand; DOMA will be struck down and ENDA will finally be approved. And it also looks as though a Democrat-heavy Congress will actually be able to back up the reforms he's been trying to pass for the last four years. 

It's actually heartening to know that most of America hasn't drunk the Rmoney Kool Aid; saw through his lies and sent the Kolobian packing. Of course, as of this writing, Mittens has yet to concede, claiming that Ohio was called too early. Boo-hoo! I just want to see the poor loser licking his wounds through his magic underpants.

Of course, my joy is tempered with sadness for those still suffering the effects of Hurricane Sandy. There are still many thousands without power and/or homes. I am hapy though, that FEMA will still be around to help them. I also feel bad for the kids in my town. Trick or Treating was postponed to tomorrow night, just when our area is supposed to be hit by a Nor'Easter that may dump 2 to 4 inches of wet snow on the area. I'll still have my bowl of candy ready, just in case a few brave souls knock on my door. 

Keep believing in Hope and Change. Donate to the Red Cross' Hurricane Relief and volunteer if you can and know that America's future is a little bit brighter, now. Oh - Clinton/Booker in 2016. Who's in with me?

Update - Romney has conceded. 

More, anon.
A Very Happy Prospero