Somewhere Under The Rainbow

As the rainbow decorations all over the bar made clear, it was indeed a gay bar. Kelli’s on Merrick Road in Wantagh has always been ‘friendly’ to gay’s men or women but mostly women.

I was asked by a super hot young lady I know (we’ll call her Karri) to meet her there for a drink or two before we headed to the ferry so she can attend the wedding of her two friends Alex and Alise (who were at the bar) on Fire Island.

With all the hot, pretty women, it was not uncomfortable for me, being straight in a gay bar.

I didn’t really care because the woman I was with was hot and she has been decidedly ‘Pansexual’ for most of her adult life. (Pansexual is term that characterizes Karri) Karri wears a silver chain with a symbol in onyx and silver around her neck that begs me to ask the question…but I’ll save that for later. Alex sat next to me and asked what I thought about the gay marriage law. “Well, I really don’t want to get into a political discussion at the risk of alienating or angering anyone, I just want to drink.”

Alise said, It’s alright RJ, Karri told me about your friend in the ministry and given that your active in religious organizations I’d like to hear what you think about the gay marriage law.

I swallowed my beer hard and said “Well, there is no ‘gay marriage law’ actually the law is called the ‘Marriage Equality Act’ and nowhere in the law is the word gay.” Alex stared at me with cold hard eyes and I could hear the bar quieting down.

“With that said, the union between persons of the same sex pursuant to the ‘Marriage Equality Act’ is acknowledged as a ‘civil marriage’.

What that term means is not defined in the law, but it sounds good if you want to marry someone of your own sex.” I then went back to drinking my beer, looking at my phone and the door in five minute intervals. Alex insisted on buying me another drink and asked, “do you believe that gay’s should not be allowed to marry?”

I answered, “I absolutely believe that two human beings who make a commitment to live with each other as life partners in a very close relationship that may or may not include sexual acts of various natures is just fine with me.

The state must protect your rights as individuals regarding property, health and your freedoms that are guaranteed under the Constitution of the United States.” Alise said “RJ, you didn’t answer the question, do you believe we should have the right to marry?”

I stopped drinking as the number of eyeballs upon me multiplied. There was plenty of background noise but more than a couple of other people were paying attention.

I said, “Alise, let me go slow and Alex you also hear me out; there are now many different ‘definitions’ of marriage that boil down to three categories, legal, social and religious. Under the legal definition, I have no problem because it is nearly void of all things to do with God.”

Alex looked at me as if she wanted to rip my heart out but she took my hand and said, “Please, drink your beer, I don’t want it to get warm on you.” I thanked her as she asked me to continue. I said, “many countries have re-defined marriage according to their social customs, social norms, mores and taboos.

But the first marriage was solemnized by God, who created the union as a ‘treaty’ or ‘pact’ between two powers. One having seed and the other having fertile flesh, the unions primary goals were to procreate and possess the land.”

Alex interrupted, “but your talking about a Christian or One God view, other cultures are tolerant of gay relationships.” I retorted, “not exactly, Hindu’s, who have rules for sexual behavior between men outlined in the Kama Sutra do not in any way subjugate the primacy of marriage.

I sincerely believe and want anyone who wants to join in a ‘civil union’ with the same rights and privileges accorded to those in holy matrimony should have those rights. But it is not and never will be ‘Holy Matrimony’”.

Alise said, how can you say that RJ? “Because its true and I have the witness of history, not just religious or biblical history, but the history of civilizations that have found their way to extinction because their military or social needs were greater than, or outstretched their own capacity to feed and defend their own populations.” Alex got closer to me and I got scared, “Are you implying gay marriage will destroy the United States?”

“No!” I exclaimed, “we just need to know what civil marriage is in its context under the Constitution of the State of New York and the Constitution of the United States and how to respect each other and the views that we have without being combative or adversarial.” Karri said, “you mentioned the witness of history, put it in a nutshell for us RJ.” I was starting to shake as Alex held my hand tighter. But I continued quickly and carefully.

I said, “In a nutshell then; homosexuality in ancient Greece was under strict guidelines according to class and power, Greece saw it as a necessity with its Army to make sure men did not leave the ranks to tend fields and raise families.

It is widely known that Alexander the Great had a homosexual relationship with Hephaestion. Alexander’s Generals are also reported to have had homosexual relationships and that Alexander’s Army tolerated and accepted homosexuality.

In both Therevada and Tibetan Buddhism homosexuality is not punished but it is not embraced or practiced as a norm. Although in Therevada Buddhism, Buddhist sacred texts do contain many instances of loving relationships between unmarried men, which some believe to have homoerotic overtones.

Buddhist Monks are to remain celibate and Buddhists that have families are to abstain from sexual misconduct that could include homosexuality, although homosexuality is in the culture.

In Islam, homosexuality is punished, women are locked away and or put to death for lewdness. Men on the other hand are rebuked or punished and upon repentance forgiven. This all depends if one is a Shi’ite or Sunni Muslim.

Today five Islamic countries carry the death penalty for homosexuality, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Mauritania, Sudan, and Yemen. But in other Islamic countries such as Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, or Mali, same-sex intercourse is not forbidden by law. However, in Egypt gays have been the victims of laws against "morality".

But here in the United States homosexuality as a life style in the culture has been brought into the mainstream almost exclusively by President Obama who passed Civil Rights Legislation protecting ‘gays’ and ending homosexual discrimination in the US Armed Forces as it should have been long ago.”

Alise had ordered hot wings and chicken tenders while I was on my ‘apologetic for the civil marriage’. Alex and Kerri had been whispering to each other and burst out laughing about something.

“RJ, how do you know all of this?” Alex waited for an answer as Alise locked her eyes on mine. Here we go again I thought, so I answered.

“I served with all four branches of the Armed Forces as a Marine and while serving with the Army I had two female soldiers under my direct command that all but admitted to me that they were gay. Their administration was after them. But while I had them under my direct authority I made it clear that they understand the UCMJ and not commit any violation under the code.”

“So you protected them, didn’t you?” Alise’s question sounded like an accusation from Tomas de Torquemada (Inquisitor General of Spain) himself. “I had enough to deal with in effecting the result of our joint mission than to get mixed up in silly assed Army head hunting, yeah I protected them.” “Would you have protected them if they were men?” Alex had asked this very softly. “No, I would have probably given them the option for an immediate transfer or referral to the Sergeant Major.”

Karri said “so your enlightened tolerance has its civil and social limits RJ. Are you conflicted about this issue?” “No, not at all Karri, I have my belief system that keeps and sustains me, I don’t care if all the world spins out of control or into oblivion. People make choices, others make a life from their choices some make choices from their way of life. If your gay because you were born that way or because you choose to be that way due to events in a life lived, that’s fine with me, just don’t expect my acquiescence.”

Alex, a tall muscular attractive woman, a Latin, Philippine and Norwegian mix, stood up and asked me, “so where exactly are you with gays, how do you feel about me and Alise?”

“Alise said, “yeah, what’s in your culturally conformed Christian heart, condemnation or absolution? Karri looked on with a smile because she knew what was going to come from me so I let loose.

I took Alise by the hand and Alex gave me a crazy look so I took her by the other hand and laid it out, “Voltaire said, ‘I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it.’

I take this maxim a little further…I may not agree with how you live, I indeed may despise how you choose to live, but I have and will defend your right to live that way, even to the death. God alone will judge all in the end, as a Christian I have no command to condemn, but to love.”

With that Alex and Alise hugged everybody including me and took off in their 2005 candy apple red Ford Thunderbird. As Karri and I followed I asked her about the symbol around her neck and ‘Pansexuality’.

Karri said, “this is the symbol of a BDSM owner RJ.” “Really, Karri…so what exactly does that mean for us.” Karri said, “RJ you’re a great person, one of the finest souls I know but you’re the kind of guy a girl sticks with forever.”

Karri said when we got in the car, “Sex is something I can have with anyone at anytime but only on my terms, that is they must submit totally to service me on my demand. Sometimes that’s not for months or years, but when I summon them, they must come, submit , service me and endure my discipline. I get off on the exercise of power and force when necessary, but that’s me.” I asked “Is your subject or subjects all female Karri?”

“Are you looking for a position RJ?” As we got to the ferry I wondered how far one way or the other laws can be contorted. What next, can there be civil polygamy based on voluntary BDSM? I think I’ll just go home and watch exploitation movies.

RJ.

Eclipses and the Summer Solstice: Season of the Stupid

Somewhere in a small neighborhood bar in North Baldwin I did sit and hide. The bartender ‘G’, a hot milf from the old neighborhood tends bar. I had come from seeing a bunch of Doctors who can’t tell me anything good.

What’s worse is the nonsense happening around me. It was the Summer Solstice and the full moon was 6 days before.

I mention it because most scientists believe that people don’t act any different when the moon is full or a full moon takes place with another astrological event. I know different as I explained to ‘G’.

Also taking place on the 15^th of June was a total Lunar Eclipse. ‘G’s lunch crowd had thinned out and no one else was in the bar except an old timer nursing his cranberry and Vodka. “Why are you so down RJ?” “Where do I start G?”

“Start with what bugs you the most,” said ‘G’ as she poured me a black and tan. Holding my head in my hands, I said, “I talked to Candy on Wednesday, we met up at a Bar & Grill in Valley Stream and she told me that she couldn’t go out with me during the weekend, …we made plans but it all fell through.”

I took a swallow of the Guiness & Stella Artois black and tan and continued my commiseration.

“Apparently some kind of investigation is going on at NCMC (hospital) the place where Candy works, she is an Administrator.

Anyway some guy walked out of the hospital in a hospital gown and an I.V. pole with his I.V. attached to it after an emergency gall bladder surgery to a convenience store on Hempstead Turnpike. This guy was holding a 20 dollar bill when the police came to take him back to the hospital after the cashier rung him up for a pack of cigarettes.”

‘G’ giggled without remorse for my situation, “a guy I never met fucked up my weekend plans with Candy.” ‘G’ said, “OK did you make new plans?” “Wow, no shit ‘G’ I did…but not before my night with Candy would prove entertaining, eventful and stressed.”

‘G’ laughed as I went on with the details, “Candy said this guy had been brought in the night before with all kinds of pain radiating throughout his chest, the exam revealed his gall bladder was messing him up.

‘G’ this fool was at a biker bar in East Meadow partying his ass off, drinking shots of something made with some hot ass, semi-toxic nuclear hotwing sauce, Black Haus and Orange liquer. The investigation wants to find out how he got past the nurses station, two security posts and a security guard.”

I had another swallow of beer and told ‘G’ “A friend of Uncle Timmy came up from Louisiana, Cyndi, (I met her 6 years ago) came to visit her family in Inwood and wanted to come out to join me for an hour or two, I told her I was with Candy but she could join us anyway.”

‘G’ got the old timer another cranberry and Vodka, then got back to me and asked what happened next. “Well Cyndi caught up with ‘Biker Bob’ who she hadn’t seen in a year, she got on the juke box, rocked out the place with a mix of new and old tunes and then had so many shots of different liquors, it was apparent Cyndi was totally torn up.

Her ride left her and Biker Bob was not putting her on the back of his chromed out Harley. Then Candy appealed to me in a subtle way to take Cyndi home.”

‘G’ said “How’d she get you to do that RJ?” “Candy put her tazer on my groin and said ‘get her out of here’. But it got worse ‘G’, on the way to Inwood she wanted a bottle of wine.

The liquor store manager locked the door as I was entering and said he was closed. So I got to a local beer distributor who was being held up while we were on our way to the counter with a case of beer.

It was weird, Cyndi dropped her purse, threw up and fell backward on me, holding the case of beer, the crook, a Hispanic teen punk slipped on the vomit and gashed his head open. The beer distributor must have been family owned because two employees, I assume, proceeded to stomp the shit out of this guy while the female cashier calmly rang up my transaction. I got the beer and Cyndi in the car, got Cyndi in her house and went back to Candy all in about half hour ‘G’.”

“What day was this” ‘G’ chimed. I said “Wednesday, the day of the Lunar Eclipse.” ‘G’ said, “boy you had an eventful day.” I told ‘G’ “that wasn’t the end of it.” ‘G’ was pouring me another black and tan as I finished the first.

“Well what else happened RJ?” “I got back to the bar and grill, Candy was still there and wanted to know what took me so long, so I told her. As we got to doing some more catching up on past events a guy called Big Jake came in with his boys and started buying shots for everybody.”

By now the Old Timer is looking at me like I’m some sort of asshole, the old timer, Ned got closer and said “pardon me but I can’t help but hear this…don’t let me interrupt.” I said OK as ‘G’ grinned listening for more. I said “This guy Jake is throwing money around like it’s going out of style when one of the local shady bar babes comes in and gets Jake to buy her a few drinks, Liza is known to all who frequent the place and Levi, a short man with a Napoleon complex, gave Jake a warning about Liza he did not heed.”

‘G’ poured herself some coffee as I rambled on, I said “Jake gave Liza a $100 dollar bill to go to the local deli around the corner to get cigarettes. Liza and Rikki (Liza’s slut buddy and partner in nastiness) disappeared and never came back. Jake was pissed off and on his way out the back door with his posse when Levi harped on him about how dumb he was. Jake blew up and cursed out Levi who got intimidated by Jake’s size, Levi got into a karate stance.

Before Levi could finish saying ‘Let’s Go’, Jake had spun him around and kicked him in the ass and out of the door which had been opened by a member of Jake’s posse. The bartender, a new young girl, Katt, attempted to call the police when a female patron snatched the phone out of Katt’s hand and said that she would call the owner. It was amazing that Levi only had minor bruises as he worked his way out of the dumpster in the parking lot as Jake drove off.”

‘G’ asked, “did you stay there?” “No, Candy went home, I went away for the weekend and tried to forget everything.” The old timer bought me another beer and wondered if I had pissed off any voodoo women or other bad spirit.

“No but when I got back from the weekend I found out more crazy shit went on and I blame it on the full moon and the Lunar Eclipse.” I left ‘G’ and went home to crash. On the way I got a message from Ruby. I hadn’t heard from Ruby in ages.

When I got home I called Ruby who told me about some old acquaintances from the past who recently were indicted for fraud. The transactions involved money laundering when these ‘acquaintances’ owned a bar. So much for coincidence, when the moon is in eclipse mode, when assholes and false prophets lament the end of the world did not take place and stupidity takes place all around, I know it’s time to lock myself in the house and watch baseball.

RJ

Chip

“What are you going to do with the rest of your life? I mean, how long will you carry weights that aren’t yours? How long are you going to do the ‘right thing’ while everybody gets in your way doing wrong?”

N.F. then backed his pickup to the garage and we got the keg on the dolly and into the cooler. I said, “I see that no company is going to hire a guy who is over a half century old with a world full of experience when they can get a kid in serious debt with a college degree to do the work for less than half.”

Then I considered the fact that quite a few corporations are anti-American because it is they who send jobs overseas to our enemies for the sake of personal profit; that is the profit of execs and major stock holders.

“You never answered the question RJ, what are you going to do?” N.F. drew a pitcher of beer and poured me a mug full, waiting for an answer.

As we walked to the barn as the sun went down I said, “I have to change everything I perceive about myself because the America I knew is gone.”

“The country is different, not because of the President, but because we let corporations buy the people we elect like field hands hired to do wage work. The President as well as Congress answer to their money masters, not the people.” N.F. declared, “Fuck them, fuck the Congress, fuck the President and fuck their corporate masters…what about you?” N.F. took a long swallow, refilled his mug and motioned me to put my mug forward for a necessary topping off.

“I am going to go into some business for myself, something that I can do, something that I can make money at, I’m trying to put together a plan…a way to hustle myself through the tough times and get away from the nonsense.” N.F. said, “your not gonna do that if you wanna make money…the nonsense is where money gets made. People want what they want and will do anything to get whatever it is…life is a constant chain of transactions, trading what you have or what your willing to do for what you want.”

N.F. took a sip and asked, “what is it that you want?” I said “I want some more beer!” I ducked the question because the answer wasn’t simple. I just wanted to get away from all of it. I am burnt out on all manner of entertainment, plays, concerts and especially bars. But being a person alienated from my own world, a stranger in my own house, I find myself going where lonely people go. When I’m not around other lonely people I hang out with N.F. and bond with a keg of beer.

About that time Bernie showed up with a rifle and a night vision scope. After Bernie showed off his new rifle and what all he could see on a starry night we got on the subject of partying to death. It came up when Bernie discussed how he got the rifle. Bernie purchased it from Helen, the wife of his late friend Chip.

Chip died from a chronic liver disease and Bernie was pressed by N.F. for the details. Bernie needed something to settle his beer down so we cracked open a bottle of Jack Daniels white label.

Bernie got comfortable and then took us back to 1979. “Back in ’79 Chip and Doug (Bernie’s Brother) graduated West Point and headed for duty, Doug in Korea and Chip in Germany.

'79 was a fucked up year, Ayatollah Khomeini was back in Iran, China invaded Vietnam and everybody wanted to get high. Well at the end of July in 79 Chip got fucked up at this party and got real sick. He reported to his Command which quarantined him for almost 30 days with yellow skin, yellow eyes and Shingles.”

Bernie loaded the rock glass with Jack as N.F. filled his mug to the brim. I broke out my pipe and blonde Cavendish pipe tobacco cured by Uncle Lo as N.F. filled my mug and then Bernie continued his recollection. “Chip went to this party in Amsterdam where he did a little bit of everything, hash, blow, grass forever…but the weird sex he was having with some freaks from Morocco was probably what did it. Chip said he was swapping cum from these bitches after eating snatch and licking assholes.”

This part of the story didn’t really bother me until N.F. broke out some saltine crackers and sardines to munch on while Bernie took a minute for a bite of those stinking sardines on crackers.

Then my stomach started to growl. I loaded the pipe and kept the smoke rising to mask the smell. Bernie went on, “Chip got out of the Army after 6 years or so but Doug stayed. Chip met Helen in the mid 80’s. After his tour was up and he got an Associate Professors job at VMI (Virginia Military Institute).

Chip always had wild sex and did serious partying. One day Chip couldn’t get out of bed and he had lost all color, he looked like a ghost. Helen took him to the VA and he got the news that not only did he have Hepatitis C but his liver was all scarred up and not working well.

About 4 years ago they put him on a waiting list for a liver. Chip didn’t need to wait, it was a death sentence. Only the rich, the connected or the famous get transplants.”

“What the fuck?” said N.F. his face in a scowl as he finished drawing another pitcher of beer. “Your talking about Chip, the guy who came here to the pig roast about two years ago with your brother?” Bernie reclined with a sad look and said “yeah, that was him.

Crackin’ jokes, laughin’, tokin’ a hard working, fun loving all American guy. Four years on a waiting list and he couldn’t get a liver. But rich drugged out rockers, movie stars, politicians or filthy rich business men get a transplant in hours.”

I looked at Bernie who’s tone became hard and his eyes ablaze in anger. I said, “That just can’t happen all the time can it? I mean does anybody know how many people at any time are waiting for transplants? Who controls that process?” “Money does RJ! Money controls the process, money controls who lives and who dies” shouted Bernie, who now was pouring ‘Old No. 7’ into a rock glass. N.F. and I knew what was coming next. We strapped in for a Bernie rage rant.

N.F. topped me off again as Bernie got into gear, “I’ll run it down to you RJ; Back in ’93 Governor Casey of Pennsylvania needed a heart and a liver transplant. A black guy dies right on queue and Casey gets a heart and liver the next day. Mickey Mantle admitted he was an avid alcoholic. Mantle had liver cancer, hepatitis, and cirrhosis of the liver. Mantle didn’t have to wait 48 hours in a Dallas Hospital before he had a new liver, but cancer killed him less than two months after the transplant.”

Bernie sucked down some Jack and chased it with the cold draft from the frosty mug that N.F. sat down beside him and went on. “In this our new fucking high tech 21^st Century, all kinds of stars and money people got kidney’s Gary Coleman got two kidney transplants, Natalie Cole, Jennifer Harman the Woman Poker Player, two kidney transplants, Alonzo Mourning – Power Forward of the Knicks got a kidney transplant damn near right away.”

“Yeah Bernie, but those were kidney transplants” said N.F. as he swallowed down the ice cold draft. “The point I’m making is any critical organ needed by somebody with money gets to that person with money.

The rest of us can drop dead” said Bernie as he went on to make his point quite clear. “But since you brought it up N.F., let me tell you that getting a liver is harder than getting a kidney, let me tell you the Hepatitis ravaged rich, famous and powerful who did get a liver on demand.”

Bernie took a long swallow and ran it down; “David Crosby of the Byrds and CSN, partied his liver to failure and got a transplant back in November of ‘94. Freddie Fender got a liver in 2004 and died two years later. Jack Bruce of Cream got a liver in 2003.

Larry Hagman, ‘JR’ of Dallas got a liver in ‘95, he’s still alive. Evel Knievel got a liver in ’99 and lived damn near 9 years. Steve Jobs CEO of Apple got a liver on demand in 2009. Just a few weeks ago Greg Allman of the Allman Brother’s band who admits to being a sex fiend, drug addicted, alcoholic party animal got a liver. But not Chip.

We drank a toast to Chip and Bernie later passed out on the couch as N.F. let the dogs out before he went up to call it a night. I sat with the keg and let my mind run unattended with all its moral filters turned off. I did some checking and found out the following: According to UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing – www.unos.org) there are currently 111,776 people awaiting transplants and less than 3,500 donors identified.

According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control at http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/Statistics/index.htm) there are as many as 3.9 million persons living with chronic liver infections and 12,000 deaths per year from Viral Hepatitis. Also, according to the CDC, Hepatitis C is a contagious liver disease that results from infection with the Hepatitis C virus. It can range in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, lifelong illness.

Hepatitis C is usually spread when blood from a person infected with the Hepatitis C virus enters the body of someone who is not infected. Today, most people become infected with the Hepatitis C virus by sharing needles or other equipment to inject drugs. Before 1992, when widespread screening of the blood supply began in the United States, Hepatitis C was also commonly spread through blood transfusions and organ transplants.

Hepatitis C can be either “acute” or “chronic.” Acute Hepatitis C virus infection is a short-term illness that occurs within the first 6 months after someone is exposed to the Hepatitis C virus. For most people, acute infection leads to chronic infection. Chronic Hepatitis C is a serious disease than can result in long-term health problems, or even death.

Up until yesterday, there was no vaccine or cure for Hepatitis C. The best way to prevent Hepatitis C is by avoiding behaviors that can spread the disease, especially injection drug use. But as of yesterday News 4 WAOI reported that “A new medication just approved by the F.D.A. nearly doubles the cure rate, according to worldwide clinical trials. Much of the groundbreaking research took place in San Antonio, at the Alamo Medical Research.”

News 4 WAOI also reported, “The pharmaceutical drug ‘Incivek’ started hitting pharmacies this week. Clinical trials at Alamo Medical Research over the last six years show that eight out of ten Hepatitis C patients who took the medication were cured.”

This doesn’t mean that we all should forget about being organ donors or being screened for Hepatitis C. If you ever had freaky sex of any kind that involved contact with blood, semen or fecal matter you better get tested.

I know that many of you out there are saying, ‘I feel fine, fuck the doctors, I won’t test for a damn thing because they might find something.’ Get tested.

If you won’t do it for you do it for your lover, wife, fuck buddy or sex partner. We live in the only country on the planet where health care isn’t a right and financial ruin from health problems is a predatory finance industry. If you don’t take care of you now, the corporations and the government will ruin you and your family later.

RJ