way, way, way half full.....

That is how I see the world. To call me an optimist doest really capture my outlook on life. I make Nellie Forbush, that cockeyed optimist, look like Wednesday Adams. Part of any troubles that I do have is that I tend to see goodness and light, even when its not there.

There, that said:

Neil and I were absolutely ecstatic ( do you need to qualify ecstatic?, more perfect? ), ecstatic about Bishop Gene Robionson giving the invocation at today's Concert at the Lincoln Memorial. He is a friend of Neil's and very close friend to some friend of ours. He was the "balance " to (p)Rick Warren's Inaugural Prayer, an openly gay Episcopalian New England Bishop v Mr Orange County Mega Church, yet another round in the culture war and all. 

I did not know, and still do not approve of the fact that the concert was only shown on HBO today, they did " unlock" the channel so everyone could see it, BUT, just a little non egaletarian for my tastes. I figured that cspan would have everything. MSNBC told us" that at 2:40 they would go to Bishop Gene Robinson's prayer".  I could have heard wrong, but they did say 2:40 and Gene Robinson. The HBO coverage did not start until 3:00, we were a little confused. But, I think a lot of people were, I don't think all the T's were crossed. A little after 2:40 , still on MSNBC, Neil says" there's Gene!" ( the other networks were able to show the crowds or the stage, but none of the performers.. I guess) Sure enough, there was Bishop Robinson, behind the little podium, in what looked like to me a sound check.

Nope, it was the prayer, not carried on HBO, not carried on any network, AND NOT even broadcast to the huge crowd gathered! From the New York Times:

Reverend V. Gene Robinson, the openly gay bishop from New Hampshire who advised Mr. Obama on gay rights issues, gave the invocation. But his words were lost to hundreds of thousands gathered along the Reflecting Pool and those tuning in on HBO. A malfunction in at least one massive speaker tower on the south side of the memorial left tightly-packed crowds on pins and needles chanting thunderously, “We can’t hear. We can’t hear.”
In the impenetrable sea of people, concert goers near the tower traded ideas on how to draw attention to the problem. They would not miss history. On man called the Washington, D.C. Police Department, but got no where as he explained that there was no emergency.
Finally, Luke Taylor, 18, a student at American University from Charlottesville, Virginia scrawled a note on a poster in dark blue ink: “Speaker is off.”
He passed the SOS to the man in front of him, and watched as it made its way hundreds of yards toward the stage.
“We think it went all the way up, ” Luke said victoriously

MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT on so many levels. Really, no doubt that Mr Warren will be out there for the world to see on the big stage, and in the wake of that, we needed to see Bishop Robinson, we wanted to hear someone with the same voice as us. Seemed like a little bus tossing, yet again. BUT, was it nefarious?

Which would be the better start for HBO the more perfect Fanfare For the Common Man or , well, Genes big ole downer of a prayer?, I mean, just from a TV stand point? It would have been wonderful to have seen him on tv today. BUT, he was there! AND he was on stage afterwards, The President Elect gave him a big hug, Mrs Obama stood and talked with him for quite a while post concert. Who knows who made the decision to not air the prayer... but I see no reason at all for all the gnashing of teeth that is going on in the gay blog world. Deep Breaths everyone .. eyes on the prize.

The Washington Gay Men's Chorus ( with OUT my good friend Craig! ) sang behind Josh Groban and Heather Headley (?), in a VERY moving tribute to Mairon Anderson:

Come on guys, Queen Latifah introduced them... it was pretty damn gay! ( I hope this youtube clip stays around, ...)

I LOVED the show, sometimes these type shows can be a bit much, this one ,I broke down a couple of times, I mean come on, they could have had ANYONE on the planet close the show, and went back to the oldest , greenest, most liberal man they could think of PETE SEEGER to close the show. I will write more about it later on. The sky is NOT falling folks... Nellie and I just think that the  darn speakers were broke and it was not good tv. 

God bless us all.... everyone

( AND, In what I hope is a sign of things to come MICHELLE LOOKED FANTASTIC )