Bobservations

Sometimes I’m a dick. Oh, I don’t mean to be, but my sarcastic sense of humor comes into play and … I’m a dick.

Case in point: with Carlos’ eyesight getting worse, he has chosen to stop playing with the local community band. He’s found a couple of other people to play with, at hospitals and churches around town, and that’s a better thing for him. But this past weekend our community band was having it’s Christmas concert and since Carlos wasn’t playing he asked if I still wanted to go. I said Yes, especially because I could sit in the audience with him.

The morning of the concert, I sarcastically asked what time he wanted me to drop him off; he said we didn’t have to go if I didn’t want to, but I said I was kidding and of course we were going. I spoke to my Dad that day and told him we were going; I was doing chores and making Spicy Asian Chicken and Rice soup that we could have after the concert. I planned on getting the soup all done, then letting it simmer from 3 until 3:45, before the concert, and then it would be ready to eat when we got home.

At 3PM, I set the soup to simmer and walked back to the office where Carlos was working on the computer, and said, again, ‘What time do you want me to drop you off?’ He turned around and said, ‘You don’t want to go, so we won’t go.’

“I do want to go, I was just kidding. I’m gonna take a shower and we can leave about 3:45.”

“The concert starts right now.”

Yes, I had screwed up the times, and then made stupid jokes all day about not going, and now it looked like I was doing it on purpose. I told Carlos I wasn’t showering; I was going to jeans-and-ball-cap it and we’d go.

Long story short: we were about 10 minutes late but saw most of the concert and had a really wonderful time.

Lesson learned: don’t be a dick unless you absolutely, positively, have the times right…or maybe don’t be a dick, period?

Yeah, that won’t happen.

Tuxedo is amazed at the way Republican politicians like Banks seem to lie so easily, and without batting an eye.

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib, left,  isn’t shy about being the first out gay player in the NFL. He donated $100,000 to The Trevor Project organization and has now created custom cleats for football players as part of the NFL’s My Cause My Cleats campaign. The program gives NFL players the ability to design custom cleats supporting a charitable cause or organization of their choosing, and Nassib’s  custom cleats highlight The Trevor Project, featuring the colors of the Pride flag along the laces, along with The Trevor Project logo, the organization’s suicide prevention lifeline [1-866-488-7386] and the message “Protect LGBTQ+ Lives.”

Good on him for standing in his truth. And good on Cleveland Browns fullback Johnny Stanton, right, a self-described LGBTQ ally, who wore Nassib’s cleats when the Browns played the Raiders and Nassib was sidelined with a knee injury.

It looks like former Minneapolis Police Officer, and convicted murderer, Derek Chauvin will be pleading guilty to violating George Floyd ’s civil rights. The federal docket entry shows a hearing has been scheduled for Chauvin to change his current not guilty plea in the case.

Good; you’re guilty.

James and Jennifer Crumbley, the complicit parents of Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley will have no influence, and no insight, into their son’s criminal case or life in the near term.

According to his court-appointed lawyer, Paulette Michel Loftin, Crumbley and his parents are deliberately estranged, and Loftin does not plan to cooperate with the parents’ legal team despite a long tradition of attorneys following formal and informal agreements to share information.

Lovely family.

Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky has begged President Biden for expeditious federal relief aid to victims of a deadly 200-mile tornado that struck his state last week.

This is the same Rand Paul who, in 2017, was one of 17 GOP senators to oppose an emergency $15.3 billion federal relief bill for victims of Hurricane Harvey. This is the same Rand Paul who, in 2013, was one of 31 GOP senators who voted against a $50.5 billion relief aid package for Hurricane Sandy.

Pandering fucking hypocrite.

Anne Rice, author of “Interview with the Vampire” and so many other novels, passed away over the weekend due to complications from a stroke.; she was 80.

I met her at Tower Books in Sacramento during the last century when she was signing books; I brought several and was told she would only sign one. When I got up to the desk she remarked at the handful of hardcover books I had and said:

“Set ‘em down, I’ve got a lot of signing to do.”

And she signed every single one.

RIP.

Alex Jones, the loon who claimed the Sandy Hook School shooting, where children were murdered, was a hoax, is now claiming that President Biden used, ahem, “weather machines” to spawn those tornadoes in Kentucky:

“So, they just think you’re stupid and they don’t want you knowing they are doing all of this, and they’ve got carbon systems they are putting in … that are sucking carbon dioxide out of the air when it’s a trace gas that we need … That’s why plants and animals were so much bigger and healthier.

…

[The] question is, did [Joe] Biden last February, this year, order the power turned off in Texas. They did officially; they wouldn’t let them up the power. Now, we know that. So the question is did they use weather weapons to cause the tornadoes? That’s a legitimate question to ask.”

Wait, so now Sleepy Joe, can’t stay awake Joe, suffering from dementia Joe, too old to govern so he’s the face of a shadow government Joe, has built “weather weapons”?

Bitch. Please.

We’ve all done stupid things to get out of something we didn’t want to do but a 50-year-old man from Italy has taken the top prize when he bought a prosthetic arm to avoid getting a COVID-19 shot.

The man—whose name is being withheld—went through all the formalities at the clinic, and health workers did not notice his fake appendage until she touched it. She asked the man to remove his shirt, and immediately realized he had been wearing a faux limb.

I mean, c’mon, he paid for a fake limb to avoid getting a free shot? Are they sure he wasn’t an American loon on holiday?

This week in Would You Hit It we feature Brazilian actor and model, Arthur Sales—born Arthur Sales Gouveia. That’s all you get, so Would You Hit It?

I Didn't Say It....

Jay Hayes, the captain of the NYU men’s volleyball team, in an "It Gets Better" video:

“Athletics is the next frontier for gay rights. When you look at the civil rights movement, it wouldn’t have been as successful if a person like Jackie Robinson hadn’t been there. I really hope that a gay athlete comes out soon. I think that professional sports these days are just a business and these players know that it could hurt the brand and the bottom line if they came out. Once we see a professional gay athlete come out and succeed, that will be monumental."

And, in my mind, it would have to be an athlete on a team, as opposed to say an individual sport athlete--gymnast or swimmer.

Then we can see how the rest of the team reacts to the openly gay player.

That'll be a big change, and I know it's coming.

Frank Bruni, on marriage equality, and homophobia:

"Voters in states with marriage equality on the ballot can tell us that we matter as much as anyone else. Or they can tell us that we don’t. Many of us--most of us, I hope--figured out long ago how not to root our self-esteem in the soil of popular opinion. But not everyone succeeds in doing that. Some people respond to the climate around them. They flourish when it’s hospitable. And when it’s hostile, they fail to, often falling prey to self-destructive behavior, and on occasion even ending their lives early. What sort of 'values,' family or otherwise, abet or turn a blind eye to that? 'Overt homosexuality' is a phrase with little currency today. But censure and condemnation of homosexuals still have traction. And a price."

More proof, though I didn't need it, that coming out is best for the entire LGBT community, and for the LGBT individual.

It's hard to demonize your co-worker, next door neighbor, or friend.

Oh, I know some people do, but it does get hard to demonize a gay person when they right next to you.

Anne Rice, on Facebook Easter Sunday:

"Happy Easter, Gay People of the World: you have indeed risen in the last few decades from centuries of persecution and oppression. May this be a great holiday for you all wherever you are. You are winning the battle for equal rights. And your victory over discrimination and hate is a victory for all oppressed persons. Happy Easter!"

It's another step in making sure that equality is for all of us.

Andrew Sullivan, on the rise of atheism: 

"What has happened since 1960 is that organized groups, like the Southern Baptist Council and other religious groups, have in fact become self-consciously political. They have become fused with one political party, the Republican Party--a party that is now defined by a particular religious faith, evangelicalism or far-right Catholic hierarchy. And that is making many people feel that faith in Jesus is about politics and power and partisanship, in ways that’s turning off an entire generation. The biggest growth in any belief sector in this country in the last ten years has been atheism."

Jesus was not a Republican.

Say it with me.

Jesus was not a Republican.

And, neither was he a Democrat.

Separation of church and state is a good thing, for these very reasons.

Rick Warren, on when he might evolve on marriage equality:

"Well, if the Bible is the word of God, then I don’t have the right to change it. Policies come and go over the years. And so if I’m unpopular for certain beliefs, well, then I’m unpopular for certain beliefs. And to me, the Bible is very clear that sex is for a man and a woman in marriage only...history shows that when the church accommodates culture, it weakens it. This is why there is a very weak church in Europe today. It’s almost non-existent in many areas."

Hmmm, I wonder if Rick realizes he shouldn't be shaving his facial hair, because, you know, the Bible, the word of God, doesn't like that.

Does he eat shellfish? God won;t be happy.

Wear clothing of mixed textiles? God won't be happy.

But then God knows that Rick Warren is a pandering hypocrite who hides his hatred in a book.

Mitt Romney, on Frothy's exit from the campaign:

"Senator Santorum is an able and worthy competitor, and I congratulate him on the campaign he ran. He has proven himself to be an important voice in our party and in the nation. We both recognize that what is most important is putting the failures of the last three years behind us and setting America back on the path to prosperity."

Mittsy comparing himself to Santorum.

Yeah, that'll get him elected.

Oh, except that he'll change his mind on that point, too, and suddenly begin distancing himself form his severely conservative rhetoric.

Hilary Rosen, apologizing to Ann Romney [sort of]:
"Let’s put the faux ‘war against stay at home moms’ to rest once and for all. As a mom, I know that raising children is the hardest job there is. As a pundit, I know my words on CNN last night were poorly chosen. In response to Mitt Romney on the campaign trail referring to his wife as a better person to answer questions about women than he is, I was discussing his poor record on the plight of women’s financial struggles. As a partner in a firm full of women who work outside of the home as well as stay-at-home mothers, all with plenty of children, gender equality is not a talking point for me. It is an issue I live every day. I apologize to Ann Romney and anyone else who was offended. Let’s declare peace in this phony war and go back to focus on the substance."

And it's just another way Mittsy will shift focus from his flip-fopping record, by keeping this spat alive.
End it.
Ann Romney was a stay-at-home Mom who worked very hard raising five sons while her millionaire husband fired people and put money in banks in the Cayman Islands.
There.....all better now?


Bev Perdue, governor of North Carolina, on her opposition to North Carolina's Amendment One that would constitutionally ban same-sex marriage, civil unions, and domestic partnerships:

"Whatever your personal, moral or religious views might be, writing discrimination into North Carolina’s constitution is just plain wrong...It would ban the state from recognizing civil unions, strip away domestic partner benefits and it actually could eliminate legal protections for all unmarried couples in the state. This will harm the stability and security of North Carolina families like never before....The amendment I believe is dangerous for women. There is a real risk that some laws we have on the books now to protect the victims of domestic violence may no longer apply to many women in the state."


Keeping it plain and simple.
Discrimination.Is.Wrong.
Discrimination, as law, is unconscionable.
Thanks, Governor.

I Didn't Say It....

Liev Schreiber, on being called "the best actor of his generation, by The New York Times:

"Well, how can you argue with The New York Times? Look, I have a different perspective, but I'm glad they have theirs. Really glad. But if you're going to accept that, you also have to be prepared to accept when someone calls you 'the somnambulistic Mr. Schreiber with a head the size of a watermelon,' which someone actually wrote once. I had to look up somnambulistic. It means someone who puts you to sleep. So if you're going to be okay with being the best stage actor of your generation, you also have to be okay with being the boring guy with the watermelon head."

Hot.

Talented.

Self-deprecating.

Love.Him.

Anne Rice, auther of Interview With The Vampire, among others, on quitting Christianity because she supports the LGBT community:

"For those who care, and I understand if you don't: Today I quit being a Christian. I'm out. I remain committed to Christ as always but not to being 'Christian' or to being part of Christianity. It's simply impossible for me to 'belong' to this quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous group. For ten ...years, I've tried. I've failed. I'm an outsider. My conscience will allow nothing else.

In the name of Christ, I refuse to be anti-gay. I refuse to be anti-feminist. I refuse to be anti-artificial birth control. I refuse to be anti-Democrat. I refuse to be anti-secular humanism. I refuse to be anti-science. I refuse to be anti-life. In the name of ...Christ, I quit Christianity and being Christian. Amen."

It is quite funny how many people, mostly so-called Christians, who equate being Christian with being Christ-like, when they are not at all alike.

Elton John, speaking from the stage at a concert in Tucson, on a boycott of Arizona:

"We are all very pleased to be playing in Arizona. I have read that some of the artists won't come here. They are fuckwits! Let's face it: I still play in California, and as a gay man I have no legal rights whatsoever. So what's the fuck up with these people?"

Um, Elton, you do-anything-for-a-paycheck musical whore?

What the fuck is wrong with people is that they want to stand up against discrimination and racial profiling. Not everyone is out to make the most money, and will do so by selling their soul to the highest bidder.

That, Sir, would be you, and that makes you the "fuckwit".

Cyndi Lauper, on the Bush/Cheney regime:
"The past - this year's getting a little better, but the past eight years, it was so dark. [I]t was like a fire sale, just before Obama came in ... And then this guy goes in and it's ‘his fault.' But it's not his fault - it's the other two. The criminals that never got charged. I can't say enough how upsetting that was. I can't. And the way he would go on television - that George Bush, and speak hate. I mean, just unabashed hatred."

Cyndi, you are more than just an icon for the LGBT community, you are an icon for everyone.

Let's stop blaming the new guy and remember who left this mess for Obama to clean up.

Amy Fisher, on her decision to become a porn star:

“Our society loves sex. It feels so good and we should enjoy it. Sex is beautiful, powerful, and simply put, no one has the right to tell me what I can or can not do with my own private parts. This time, I get to make the choices on what kind of movies I want to make, and I am excited to work with Dreamzone to make my dreams a reality.”

Of course, it doesn't have anything to do with her insatiable need to be in the spotlight.

Just think kiddies, shoot the woman who's married to your lover in the head and go to prison and then get out and write a book and become a porn star.

Fame is fun.

Tom Hardy, Inception co-star, admitting he has dabbled in sexual relations with guys:
"Of course I have. I'm an actor for f*ck's sake. I've played with everything and everyone. I love the form and the physicality, but now that I'm in my thirties, it doesn't do it for me. I'm done experimenting but there's plenty of stuff in a relationship with another man, especially gay men, that I need in my life. A lot of gay men get my thing for shoes. I have definite feminine qualities and a lot of gay men are incredibly masculine. A lot of people say I seem masculine, but I don't feel it. I feel intrinsically feminine. I'd love to be one of the boys but I always felt a bit on the outside. Maybe my masculine qualities come from overcompensating because I'm not one of the boys."

Open.

Honest.

Hot.

Me like.

President Obama, on why he didn't get an invitation to Chelsea Clinton's upcoming wedding:

"I was not invited to the wedding because I think Hillary and Bill, properly, want to keep this thing for Chelsea and her soon-to-be husband. You don't want two presidents at one wedding! All the secret service, guests going through [metal detectors], all the gifts being torn apart."

That's the same reason I wasn't invited.

As President [okay.....and sole member] of the Smallville Gay Men's Garden Club, perhaps the Clinton's didn't want to bother with the extra security.

Mostly, though, I think it's because, like Dominique Devereaux Carrington once said on Dynasty, "I don't share a room with my clothes."

Joan Rivers, on happiness:

“Look, nobody is 100% happy. I’m 93% happy which means that I am very lucky. I think anyone who gets to even 60% should be glad. You know what a good day is for me? I get a call from Melissa and she’s doing fine. I get a call from my grandson and he’s happy. I get a call from my accountant and he tells me I’m OK. That’s a good day.”

I'd say 93-percent is good.

A lotta folks stuck below the 60% mark.