As the month of Gay Pride slips away with all of the hoopla surrounding the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots this year, I've been thinking a lot again about the idea of pride. It's always been an odd fit in my mind. How can anyone be proud of an attribute that is not within their control? I'm finally understanding that its not the attribute that solicites pride.
Therefore, it's not pride in the attribute, but in the community that shares that attribute. A feeling of pride by association with those who share that attribute and in my opinion, too little has been done to emphasis the accomplishments of our forebearers. And thus I offer this post.
Again, as we bid good-bye to the 40th anniversary month of Gay Pride and the Stonewall Riots in NYC, I have compiled a list of just some of the Gay, Lesbian & Bisexual People who make me PROUD to be a member of the Tribe! 228 very excellent reason so far as I can see.
1) BERNICE ABBOTT (1898-1991, African American Photographer)
2) ROBERTA ACHTENBERG (1950- American Politician)
3) JANE ADDAMS (1860-1935, American Educator, Nobel prize winner)
4) CLAY AIKEN (1978- American singer)
5) ALVIN AILEY (1931-1989, African American Dancer Choreographer)
6) EDWARD ALBEE (1928- American Playwright)
7) CHAD ALLEN (1974- American Actor)
8) PEDRO ALMODÓVAR (1949- Spanish Filmaker)
9) JOHN AMAECHI (1970- English Athlete, NBA Basketball Player)
10) GREGG ARAKI (1959- Japanese-American Filmaker)
11) RENALDO ARENAS (1943-1990, Cuban Writer)
12) W. H. AUDEN (1907-1973, English Poet)
13) JOSEPHINE BAKER (1906-1975, African American Singer/Dancer)
14) JAMES BALDWIN (1924-1987, African American Writer)
15) TAMMY BALDWIN (1962- American Politician)
16) SAMUEL BARBER (1910-1981, American Classical Music Composer)
17) LANCE BASS (1979- American Singer)
18) AMANDA BEARSE (1958- American Actor)
19) SIMONE de BEAUVOIR (1908-1986, French Philosopher, Writer)
20) LEONARD BERNSTEIN (1918-1990, American Classical Composer/Conductor)
21) ELIZABETH BISHOP (1911-1979 American Poet)
22) ROSA BONHEUR (1822-1899, French Painter/Sculptor)
23) JOHN BOSWELL (1947-1994, American Historian)
24) KARIN BOYE (1900-1941, Swedish Poet/Writer)
25) BENJAMIN BRITTEN (1913-1976, English Classical Music Composer)
26) RUPERT BROOKE (1887-1915, English Poet)
27) RAYMOND BURR (1917-1993, Canadian Actor)
28) LORD BYRON (1788-1824, English Poet)
29) PAUL CADMUS (1904-1999, American Artist)
30) JOHN CAGE (1912-1992, American Classical Music Composer)
31) MARGARETHE CAMMERMEYER (1942- American Soldier)
32) TRUMAN CAPOTE (1924-1984, American Writer)
33) WILLA CATHER (1873-1947, American Writer)
34) CONSTANTINE P. CAVAFY (1863-1933, Greek Poet)
35) RICHARD CHAMBERLAIN (1934- American Actor)
36) OTIS CHARLES (1926- American Episcopal Bishop)
37) MARGARET CHO (1969- Korean-American Comedian)
38) VAN CLIBURN (1935- American Pianist)
39) MONTGOMERY CLIFT (1920-1966, American Actor)
40) JAMES COCO (1930-1987, American Actor)
41) JEAN COCTEAU (1889-1963, French Writer/Artist/Filmaker)
42) AARON COPLAND (1900-1990, American Classical Music Composer)
43) JOHN CORIGLIANO (1938- American Classical Music Composer)
44) HART CRANE (1899-1932, American Poet)
45) QUENTIN CRISP (1908-1999, English Writer)
46) WILSON CRUZ (1973- American Actor)
47) COUNTEE CULLEN (1903-1946, African American Poet)
48) ALAN CUMMING (1965- Scottish Actor)
49) MERCE CUNNINGHAM (1919- American Choreographer)
50) MICHAEL CUNNINGHAM (1952- American Writer)
51) JOHN CURRY (1949-1994, English Figure Skater)
52) JAMES DEAN (1931-1955, American Actor)
53) ELLEN DeGENERES (1958- American Actor/Comedian)
54) Charles Demuth (1883-1935, American Artist)
55) SERGEI DIAGHILEV (1872-1929, Russian Ballet Producer)
56) MARLENE DIETRICH (1901-1992, German Actor/Singer)
57) ANI DiFRANCO (1970- American Singer)
58) MARK DOTY (1953- American Poet)
59) MARTIN DUBERMAN (1932- American Historian)
60) ISADORA DUNCAN (1887-1927, American Dancer)
61) MELISSA ETHERIDGE (1961- American Singer)
62) RUPERT EVERETT (1959- English Actor)
63) EDWARD FIELD (1924- American Poet)
64) HARVEY FIERSTEIN (1954- American Actor/Playwright)
65) LESLIE FISH (1947- American Anarchist/Writer/Singer)
66) E. M. FORSTER (1879-1970, English Writer)
67) JODIE FOSTER (1962- American Actor)
68) MICHEL FOUCAULT (1926-1984, French Philosopher)
69) BARNEY FRANK (1940- American Politician)
70) STEPHEN FRY (1957- English Actor)
71) RUDY GALINDO (1969- American Figure Skater)
72) FEDERICO GARCIA LORCA (1898-1936, Spanish Poet)
73) WILL GEER (1902-1978, American Actor)
74) DAVID GEFFEN (1943- American Business Executive)
75) JEAN GENET (1910-1986, French Playwright/Writer)
76) ANDRÉ GIDE (French Writer/Nobel Prize Winner)
77) JOHN GIELGUD (1904-2000, English Actor)
78) SARA GILBERT (1975- American Actor)
79) ALLEN GINSBERG (1926-1997, American Poet)
80) ALLAN GURGANUS (1947- American Writer)
81) MARILYN HACKER (1942- American Poet)
82) LORRAINE HANSBERRY (1930-1965, African American Playwright)
83) E. LYNN HARRIS (1955- African American Writer)
84) NEAL PATRICK HARRIS (1973- American Actor)
85) LORENZ HART (1895-1943, American Musical Theater Composer)
86) MARSDEN HARTLEY (1877-1943 American Artist)
87) DARREN HAYES (1972- Australian Singer)
88) TODD HAYNES (1961- American Filmaker)
89) ESSEX HEMPHILL (1957-1995, African American Poet
90) JERRY HERMAN (1933- American Musical Theater Composer)
91) DAVID HOCKNEY (1937- English Artist)
92) ANDREW HOLLERAN (1944- American Writer)
93) JAMES HORMEL (1933- American Ambassador: Luxembourg 1999-2000)
94) VLADIMIR HOROWITZ (1902-1989, Russian Pianist)
95) A. E. HOUSMAN (1859-1939, English Poet)
96) ROCK HUDSON (1925-1985, American Actor)
97) LANGSTON HUGHES (1902-1967, African American Poet)
98) JANIS IAN (1951- American Singer)
99) JOHN INMAN (1935-2007, English Actor)
100) Sir DEREK JACOBI (1938- English Actor)
101) CHEYENNE JACKSON (1975- American Actor)
102) DEREK JARMAN (1942-1994, English Filmaker)
103) Sir ELTON JOHN (1947- English Singer/Composer)
104) PHILIP JOHNSON (1906-2005, American Architect)
105) BARBARA JORDAN (1936-1996, African American Politician)
106) LESLIE JORDAN (1955- American Actor)
107) MYCHAL F. JUDGE (1933-2001, American Priest)
108) JOSHUA KADISON (1963- American Singer)
109) FRIDA KAHLO (1907-1954, Mexican Artist)
110) MOISÉS KAUFMAN (1963- Venezuelan Playwright)
111) ALFRED KINSEY (1894-1956, American Biologist/Sexual Researcher)
112) DAVID KOPAY (1942- American Professional Football Athlete)
113) LARRY KRAMER (1935- American Writer/Political Activist)
114) TONY KUSHNER ( 1956- American Playwright)
115) NANCY KULP (1921-1991, American Actor)
116) ADAM LAMBERT (1982- American Singer)
117) NATHAN LANE (1956- American Actor)
118) K. D. LANG (1961- Canadian Singer)
119) YVES SAINT LAURENT (1936-2008, French Fashion Designer)
120) MARK LEDUC (1964- Canadian Boxer Athlete)
121) ANNIE LEIBOVITZ (1949- American Photographer)
122) LEONARDO da VINCI (1452-1519, Italian Artist/Sculptor/Inventor)
123) ANDRE LOURDE (1934-1992, American Poet)
124) GREG LOUGANIS (1960- Philippino-American Diver/Olympic Gold Medalist)
125) PAUL LYNDE (1926-1982, American Actor/Comedian)
126) RACHEL MADDOW (1973- American TV/Radio Commentator/Host)
127) RICKY MARTIN (1971- Puerto Rican Singer)
128) JOHNNY MATHIS (1935- American Singer)
129) J. D. McCLATCHY (1945- American Poet/Writer)
130) KELLY McGILLIS (1957- American Actor)
131) CLAUDE McKAY (1889-1948, Jamaican Writer)
132) IAN McKELLEN (1939- English Actor)
133) TERRANCE McNALLY (1939- American Playwright)
134) CARMEN McREA (1920-1994, American Singer)
135) GIAN CARLO MENOTTI (1911-2007, Italian-American Classical Music Composer)
136) FREDDY MERCURY (1946-1991, English Singer)
137) GEORGE MICHAEL (1963- English Singer)
138) MICHAELANGELO (1475-1564, Italian Sculptor/Painter)
139) HARVEY MILK (1930-1978, American Politician)
140) SAL MINEO (1939-1976, American Actor)
141) ISAAC MIZRAHI (1961- American Fashion Designer)
142) MEGAN MULLALLY (1958- American Actor)
143) JIM NABORS (1930- American Actor/Singer)
144) KATHY NAJIMY (1957- American Actor/Comedian/Voice Artist)
145) MARTINA NAVRATILOVA (1956- Czech Tennis Player/Athlete)
146) ADI NES (1966- Israeli Photographer)
147) CYNTHIA NIXON (1966- American Actor)
148) HENRI NOUWEN (1932-1996, Dutch Theologian/Writer)
149) RUDOLF NUREYEV (1938-1993, Russian Classical Dancer)
150) DIANA NYAD (1949- American Swimmer Athlete)
151) ROSIE O’DONNELL (1962- American Comedian/Actor)
152) FRANK O’HARA (1926-1966, American Poet)
153) MARY OLIVER (1935- American Poet)
154) KANAKO OTSUJI (1974- Japanese Politician)
155) WILFRED OWEN (1893-1918, English Poet)
156) PIER PAOLO PASOLINI (192-1975, Italian Filmaker)
157) TROY D. PERRY (1940- American Clergyperson)
158) CARL PHILLIPS (1959- African American Writer/Poet)
159) DAVID HYDE PIERCE (1959- American Actor)
160) COLE PORTER (1891-1964, American Composer)
161) MA RAINEY (1882-1939, African American Singer)
162) ANTHONY RAPP (1971- American Singer/Actor)
163) AMY RAY (1964- American Singer)
164) ROBERT REED (1932-1992, American Actor)
165) CHARLES NELSON REILLY (1931-2007, American Actor)
166) ADRIENNE RICH (1929- American Poet)
167) ARTHUR RIMBAUD (1854-1891, French Poet)
168) JEROME ROBBINS (1918-1998, American Choreographer)
169) GENE ROBINSON (1947- American Episcopal Bishop)
170) CESAR ROMERO (1907-1994, Cuban Actor)
171) NED ROREM (1923- American Classical Music Composer)
172) KAY RYAN (1945- American Poet--16th Poet Laureat of the United States)
173) EMILY SALIERS (1963- American Singer)
174) SIEGFRIED SASSOON (1887-1967, English Writer/Poet)
175) MAY SARTON (1912-1995, American Poet)
176) DAN SAVAGE (1964- American Syndicated-Sex Advise Columnist)
177) JAMES SCHUYLER (1923-1991, American Poet)
178) ERNESTO SCORSONE (1952- American Politician)
179) DAVID SEDARIS (1956- American Writer/Humorist)
180) PARVEZ SHARMA (1964- Indian Filmaker)
181) MATTHEW SHEPHERD (1976-1998, American Martyr)
182) RANDY SHILTZ (1951-1994, American Writer)
183) STEPHEN SONDHEIM (1930- American Playwright/Composer)
184) SUSAN SONTAG (1933-2004, American Writer)
185) SAM SPARROW (1982- Australian Singer)
186) STEPHEN SPINELLA (1956- American Actor)
187) GERTRUDE STEIN (1874-1946, American Writer)
188) MICHAEL STIPE (1960- American Singer)
189) BILLY STRAYHORN (1915-1967, African American Composer)
190) KEITH STRICKLAND (1953- American Singer)
191) GERRY STUDDS (1937-2006, American Politician)
192) MAY SWENSON (1913-1989, American Poet)
193) WANDA SYKES (1964- African American Actor/Comedian)
194) GEORGE TAKEI (1937- Japanese American Actor)
195) PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893, Russian Classical Music Composer)
196) SCOTT THOMPSON (1959- Canadian Actor/Comedian)
197) VIRGIL THOMSON (1896-1989, American Classical Music Composer)
198) WOLFGANG TILLMANS (1968- German Photographer)
199) LILY TOMLIN (1939- American Comedian/Actor)
200) JIM TOY (1930- American GLBT Rights Activist)
201) HENRY SCOTT TUKE (1858-1929, English Artist)
202) URVASHI VAID (1958- Indian American Lawyer/Human Rigths Activist)
203) GUS VAN SANT (1952- American Filmaker)
204) CARL VAN VECHTEN (1880-1964, African American Photographer)
205) ELIHU VEDDER (1836-1923, American Artist)
206) PAUL VERLAINE (1844-1896, French Poet)
207) GIANNI VERSACE (1946-1997, Italian Fashion Designer)
208) GORE VIDAL (1925- American Writer)
209) WILHELM VON GLOEDEN (1856-1931, German Photographer)
210) TOM WADDELL (1937-1987, American Athlete, Founder of the Gay Games)
211) RUFUS WAINWRIGHT (1972- Canadian Singer)
212) ALICE WALKER (1944- African American Writer/Poet)
213) ANDY WARHOL (1928-1987, American Artist)
214) JOHN WATERS (1946- American Filmaker)
215) SUZANNE WESTENHOEFER (1961- American Comedian)
216) EDMUND WHITE (1940- American Writer)
217) MEL WHITE (1940- American Clergyperson)
218) WALT WHITMAN (1819-1892, American Poet)
219) OSCAR WILDE (1854-1900, Irish Playwright)
220) THORNTON WILDER (1897-1975, American Playwright)
221) TENNESSEE WILLIAMS (1911-1983, American Playwright)
222) RICKY WILSON (1953-1985, American Musician)
223) PAUL WINFIELD (1939-2004, African American Actor)
224) B. D. WONG (1960- Chinese American Actor)
225) NOBUKO YOSHIYA (1914-1973, Japanese Writer)
226) PEDRO ZAMORA (1972-1994, Cuban-American AIDS Activist)
227) FRANCO ZEFFIRELLI (1923- Italian Filmaker)
228) DAN ZHOU (1974- Chinese Civil Rights Lawyer)
Black-Eyed Peas are the Zeitgist of Now.
Loving this early collection of the singing of the children of Pops Staples! The music is wonder- ful. The voices are beautiful. The genre so fuses gospel with Delta and Chicago Blues, and African American Folk as to be a slice of American Culture pristine and precious. Can I get a witness? May this circle be unbroken!
Anyone who knows me, knows I appreciate what the earth chooses to do when it comes to gardens. Each volunteer, each interloper in my well devised plans is only a plant that is seeking advantage in the only way plants can: seeds, roots that follow the sun, seek water, nitrogen, acidic soil or base... And as I watch, I am their pupil. Plants can teach us a lot of things.
E. Lynn Harris has died! At the tender age of 54, too.... My first love of his was his 1998 novel, "If This World Were Mine." I bought it in an airport bookstore on a whim, and had devoured it between Houston and Managua in one sitting. Ever since, I was complete fan of his work.
Watched this film from Japan today. We have been taught that Japanese culture is very reserved and polite -- if so, Japanese cinema channels its alter-ego. "Schoolboy Crush" is about a mythical island nation on the rim of Asia where androgynous boys rule the known world and vie for each other's attention and sexual favors....er, I mean it's about a group of teenaged boys going to an exclusive, jesuit run private school somewhere in the Japanese countryside. Well, actually, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. There's sex for hire, sex for comfort, sex for punishment, sex denied, sex for blackmail, and a suicide to spice things up. And a creepy aside, one of the leads, Atsumi Kanno, looks a whole lot like Michael Jackson... which makes one wonder if MJJ's real goal wasn't to become white, but a Japanese "anime" character. It's really hard to know exactly what to say about this film that's just serious...it makes me think that of all the cultures I have been exposed to in the world, the Japanese is perhaps the most enigmatic.
Yesterday was Sweden; today I took a cinematic journey to the Philippines and watched "Moreno." It's a unique film idiosyncratic to the vision and life of its filmmaker, Chris Pablo. Chris tries to tell two stories here: 1) the growing dissolution of his relationship with his irrepressibly promiscuous boy friend of seven years, and 2) the plight of abused women trapped in a T'Bolio indigenous community and their intertwined struggle with poverty and polygamy. These are ambitious themes in the hands of a filmmaker with lots of heart by little cash, rudimentary technology, and a crew of "actors" who often doubled as gaffers, best boys, self-catering meals and working off the dime. Enjoy the ideas, appreciate the vision, and forgive everything else in the middle.
Army Cpl. Benjamin S. Kopp, 21, of Rosemount, Minn.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga.; died July 18 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington of wounds sustained July 10 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms fire.
Just saw this Swedish film called "Sebastian". It's the story of a teenage boy's journey toward self acceptance and coming out to his friends and family. He manages to survive accepting parents, and friends, and a crush on his sexually conflicted best friend who is likewise very supportive -- But then again, this is Sweden not Alabama! Clearly different standards for defining drama. A pleasant little film.
A fascinating book for periodic, episodic reading is Norman Davies' colossal "Europe: A History". I've been nibbling at it for years and no time is better than summer time when one wants a distraction from time to time. Davies' knowledge is unlike anything that I've encountered on this topic, and he generously shares it in this 1,365 + page tome.
Where in the world is it better to get sick than the Imperical nation of the United States of America with its healthcare envied by all those living on the known planet? Hmmm... There are 36 nations with better healthcare? We're 37! in the world? The wealthiest, most powerful, biggest DICK filled nation in the history of the world, and a people cowering on the little Caribbean Island nation of Dominic stand a better chance of seeing a doctor, receiving quality health care?
Yeah, I'm in a manic movie mood these days! And a psychological pathology actually enhances one's experience when it come to the film "Running with Scissors!"
After reading a friend's Tarot card on Facebook, I pulled out my set and did a reading for myself last night. Now before I go on, I want to say this: Tarot cards are not magic. They do not channel mystical powers. There is NO supernatural or paranormal anything about Tarot cards. They simply act as catalyst to the human imagination. They provide perspectives on how to consider one's life and one's desires. No magic, just ideas.
"Clandestinos" -- which was inexplicably translated on the DVD as: "What's This?" is my latest film out of Spain. 
I've heard of people who need to get their heads out of their own derriers, but this is a bit much! God, I love wrestling...
The echinacea purpurea is once again attracting the attentions of local bumble bees. Every year they arise along the steep embank- ment of my driveway. I never planted them there. They're all emigrants from long fizzled out plants that I put in the backyard years ago. And every year they arrive with more gusto than the year before, so what am I to do? I take my lead from the bumble bees in July and the Golden Finch in August and simply enjoy!
"The Curiosity of Chance" is a low budget indie film with a ton of heart and enough talent to pull it off. Set in the 80's, (camp appeal?) it tells the story of gay teenager, Chance Marquis, and how he came to fit in at a new high school. Set in Europe, with lots of Flemish and Dutch actors playing lesser roles, you'd think the lead actor was born there, too, with a name like Tad Hilgenbrinck. But you'd be wrong, this talented young man hales out of the Windy City. Along with co-star, Brett Chukerman, the two young men bring a sincerity to their characters that is both heart-warming and well-tempered. Definitely a movie worth seeing.
In a nation with a 13% Hispanic population to NOT have a member of this ethnic community on the Supreme Court is a travesty of justice. Wisely, Barack Obama has rectified this situation in the person of Sonia Sotomayor. Her endurance of the Senate Confirmation process was nothing short of stellar given the vitriol and racist badgering of mysonginistic, homophobic, facists like Jeff Sessions, Lindsay Graham and Orin Hatch. Three men with enough related skeletons in their proverbial closets to freaking know better and thus behave better, but then until Republicans are caught red handed, they NEVER apologize for hypocrisy....
As we in this nation continue to deal with the economic fall-out of 8 years (2000-2008) of unbridled Republican laise faire economic policy, 7 years (2002-2009) of outrageous spending on unregulated private sector war-profiteering and nearly 30 years (1980-2009) of selling off American industrial and manufacturing jobs to sweat-shops from Mexico and Bangladesh to China and Haiti. The result is a national unemployment rate of 9.5%.
"Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" was not my first pick in a Sunday matinee, but it was my fate on Sunday.
Been a little while since I shared one of these. With the up-surge of casualties this month (23 in the first 11 days....) it seems urgent to do so. So without further ado, regrettably:
The oak leaf hydrandea off the back of the sunroom is in it's mid-summer's blush. basking in the sun, swaying gently in the breeze, with leaves so full and supple even Adam and Eve would jones for their coverage, their soft caress. Just sayin...
Marion Barry -- Washington, D. C.'s "Mayor for Life" -- has once again gotten himself into a little bucket of sticky, ucky, goo. The older he gets, the easier it seems to be for him to do this. As a result of this scandal, the local "City Paper" printed this cover. 
You know that I am a student of history, sociology, and well, all things interesting. I recently undertook a study of all of the names of the counties of the 50 states. One aspect of this is the frequency of names and how that relates to the office of the president. Clearly many counties were named to honor our presidents. Here are the top 7 most frequently occurring names which cover 12 of the presidents:
Love this poster! And share it in the spirit of keeping front and center the life of Aung San Suu Kyi. She represents a people who deserve the same basic human rights and responsiblities that the rest of us enjoy and execute. 
Back on June 7th I published a pair of maps depicted the percentage of Hispanic and Black Americans by county in the United States, and here is a map with the results of where White America lives.
Add in Washington, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania and you have a lot of very majority white states electing our president Obama. Granted the old white guard offered a stark contrast in ideology, temperment, generation, experience AND skin color--so how much more of a message can the nation send? 
Congratulations to the Indian Supreme court for their decision to decriminalize homosexual acts between consenting adults! Institutionalized homophobia in India is one of the last negative vestiges of Colonial Rule by the British who brought their Victorian Christian values to the largely Hindu (i.e. pagan) subjects in South Central Asia. Before their conquest, the polytheistic spirituality of the majority Hindu people gave little regard to pronouncing judgment against Homosexual acts.
THE BIRTH OF ANGELS
Well, Lego has done it again! Which is to say, they've outdone themselves on their latest model. The Carousel is beautiful in it's execution and amazing in it's engineering. It not only spins, but the rides roll up and down on their journey round the fixed center, and it emits a bouncy carnival melody as it moves. Bravo! Nay, Bravissimo!!
"Black Is... Black Ain't" is the last film that Marlon T. Riggs directed and produced. In fact, he died from complications due to AIDS during the project, and it was completed by his assistant, Nicole Atkinson. Billed as a frank look at the contradictions in African American culture, at 87 minutes, it's barely a Table of Contents. It whirls you through a montage of topics from AIDS, education, skin tonality, and religion, to suburbanization, language and definitions of cultural terms, music, manhood, and ritual. It's so all over the place it really leaves one wondering what he could have done with this topic, had he lived.
Pow! Another home run from my favorite literary quarterly. Once a quiet little backwater publication with poems and fiction, it has transformed itself into one of the most ambitious and engaging university based magazines out there. VQR (Virginia Quarterly Review) chooses a theme and works it with outstanding prose and photos that make National Greographic look like yesterday's news. The summer 2009 issue features articles on the people of the middle east. You go to the Gaza Strip, you read about the history of the West Bank, Beruit, Lebabnon, Sadr City, and the images are simply stunning. 
My Lysimachia Purpurea is in full bloom all around my yard. The deeply maroon to nearly chocolate colored foliage has lightened to a variation of medium purple to olive as the yellow blossoms are popping open. Due the abundance of rain this spring the height of the plants have also increased by a good 6" with some breaking 48". 
I have a colony of Coreopsis Verticillata common name Zagreb Coreopsis growing in the little garden beneath my kitchen window. When I first planted it there, it went through a couple of years of only half-hearted return, but for the past 3 years it has thrived and muscled out the Evening Primrose, Bee Balm and Black-eyed Susan's. In mid-May I severely cut it back to make room for some Petunias and Snapdragons, but here it is, completely unwilling to accept any chastening.
Woke up this morning to discover my first Baltimore Oriole! A magnificent bird, and a real treat to finally see one here in Takoma Park. As a child, I would see them all of the time at my grandmother's home in Flintstone. She had an enormous weeping willow in her back yard and the orioles would build their hammock-like nests in the long swaying branches. The oriole was joined by many of the usual denizens of my backyard, Gold Finches, Catbirds, Carolina Wrens and Cardinals.
An hour later, I glanced out of front window to find a pair of Purple Finches perched on the powerline over my driveway. I can't remember the last time I saw a purple finch in my yard! What's next? A California Condor? One can always hope!
As the month of Gay Pride slips away with all of the hoopla surrounding the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots this year, I've been thinking a lot again about the idea of pride. It's always been an odd fit in my mind. How can anyone be proud of an attribute that is not within their control? I'm finally understanding that its not the attribute that solicites pride.