Sunday Drive: Schubert's Serenade

Barney Frank Marries Jim Ready

When:  Earlier tonight in Newton, Massachusetts, making Barney the first sitting Congressman to marry a spouse of the same sex. How: Governor Patrick Duval officiated, and numerous other Democratic political leaders were among the congregation. New York Times story here. Your Head Trucker's reaction: Sweet.

P.S. - That Barney sure knows how to pick 'em, don't he?

Dallas Marriage Equality Sit-In

Mark Jiminez and Beau Chandler applied for a marriage license at the Dallas County Clerk's Office on Thursday.  When they were refused, they promptly staged their own sit-in.  I'm not sure what actual good that did anyone, but way to go, guys!  I can remember when something like this would have nearly gotten you lynched here in Texas - but times are changing, s-l-o-w-l-y, even here:



The Dallas Voice, the local gay paper, reports:

“City police, county sheriffs and building security are all here,” Chandler said. “Nice to get their support.” Although he was joking, most of the people the couple encountered in the building were supportive, even if they were unable to issue the license.

Sr. Cpl. Laura Martin, LGBT liaison officer for the Dallas Police Department, accompanied the group, even though she didn’t have direct jurisdiction since they were in a county building. Lt. Shelley Knight, LGBT liaison for the sheriff’s department, also followed the couple. “I told them if they want to smoke, do it before going upstairs,” Martin said. “And have a full belly.” Martin said the couple could be held overnight, depending upon how backed up the magistrate was.

“They’re the nicest couple,” Martin said of Chandler and Jiminez. “They’re the first guys after any protest to come up and thank the officers.” It was unclear at press time what charge would be filed against the couple. Last week, a sheriff’s spokesman indicated the pair likely would be charged with criminal trespass, a class-B misdemeanor. The penalty for that is up to 180 days in jail and a maximum $2,000 fine.

Waitin' for the Weekend

Gay Marriage, Buses, Dogs, and Ice Cream

A satiric take on all the fucked-up reasons to oppose marriage equality, via Joe.My.God.:

Happy Fourth!

Hope you guys have a good one.

P.S. - a belated happy Canada Day to my truckbuddies north of the border. 

What the delegate from Texas would have said.

From the White House, a performance of "America the Beautiful." Yeah, it's partly a campaign ad - but aren't you glad it's not McCain or Bush or Romney?

In Memoriam: Andy Griffith, 1926-2012

Andy and Opie do a little fishing.

It's a sad day for the South. Andy Griffith, beloved for his TV portrayals of decent small-town Southerners, died today at his home in Manteo, Roanoke Island, North Carolina, at the age of 86.

Even though they were different personalities and from different parts of the South, something about Griffith's portrayal of Sheriff Andy Taylor always reminds me in a vague way of my father. (As it happens, Ron Howard and I are very nearly the same age, too.) There is - or at least, there was, well into the last century - a certain kind of well-rounded, down-to-earth, easy-going Southern personality that's hard to describe but easy to recognize; and it's not the stereotypes that our friends at the North love to make fun of. Something wise and dependable and comfortable to be with, and often rather humorous around the edges - a certain attitude towards life that is not seen so often these days.

Griffith was a great actor - if you doubt it, go watch his performance as an out-of-control rockabilly star in the vastly underrated A Face in the Crowd (1957) - so it would be a mistake to think that he and Sheriff Taylor are just alike; but Griffith was a Southerner and let the real, genuine flavor of that small-town background shine through his character.  It's never the same at all when a Yankee tries to imitate Southern accents or manners;  a few have done a good job of acting, but - it's obviously just acting.  Griffith gives you the real thing, although of course he's also playing for laughs much of the time. 

I still get a kick out of watching the Andy Griffith Show from time to time. Here's one of my favorite episodes, and one of the funniest.



Amazingly, Griffith never won an Emmy, either for TAGS or for Matlock - a great injustice.

One more thing: it should be remembered to his everlasting credit that Griffith, a lifelong Democrat, came out publicly in favor of Obama's healthcare reforms in 2010, despite heavy criticism from his Republican compatriots. Here's the PSA he made at that time:



Additional: It's come to my attention that George Lindsey, who played the clownish grease monkey Goober in TAGS, has also passed away, back in May. He was a very good actor too; everybody on that show was.

Lindsey as Goober:  "Judy, Judy, Judy."

Night Skies

Soundtrack is lousy, but the star trails are pretty cool.


T-RECS - Night Skies from T-Recs (Timelapse Recordings) on Vimeo.

Anderson Cooper Comes Out of the Closet

Finally. In an email to his friend Andrew Sullivan:

Recently, however, I’ve begun to consider whether the unintended outcomes of maintaining my privacy outweigh personal and professional principle. It’s become clear to me that by remaining silent on certain aspects of my personal life for so long, I have given some the mistaken impression that I am trying to hide something - something that makes me uncomfortable, ashamed or even afraid. This is distressing because it is simply not true.

I’ve also been reminded recently that while as a society we are moving toward greater inclusion and equality for all people, the tide of history only advances when people make themselves fully visible. There continue to be far too many incidences of bullying of young people, as well as discrimination and violence against people of all ages, based on their sexual orientation, and I believe there is value in making clear where I stand.

The fact is, I'm gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn’t be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud.

I have always been very open and honest about this part of my life with my friends, my family, and my colleagues. In a perfect world, I don't think it's anyone else's business, but I do think there is value in standing up and being counted. I’m not an activist, but I am a human being and I don't give that up by being a journalist.

A collection of his most dramatic on-screen moments from the Daily Beast:

Feel the Love

On Friday, Chief Justice John Roberts jokingly ducked questions about his role in the healthcare ruling by telling an audience he was heading for "an impregnable island fortress"  - i.e., Malta, where he was already scheduled to participate in an international legal conference.

Your Head Trucker doesn't know about Malta, but Bermuda I've always thought would be a real nice place to go to.  I don't know how they get so many houses and beaches and everything squeezed into an island that's only 20 square miles in area, not quite as big as Manhattan, but somehow they do. Never been there myself, but it looks right pretty, would make a dandy island refuge I think. Would sure suit me. Take a look at some of these videos:







Gee whiz, wish I could go there. Maybe one day I can, when my ship comes in:

Sunday Drive: I Dreamt I Dwelt in Marble Halls

I've heard of the title many times over the years, but not until today have I ever heard the song. It's lovely. From the 1936 film version of the 1843 opera, The Bohemian Girl, with a bit of comedy relief thrown in:



If you click around on YouTube, you can find other delightful versions by Joan Sutherland, Celtic Woman, and Enya, among others.