Thursday, June 25, 2026

Bobservations

I do love a good text exchange with Carlos since he uses Siri and she has quite a time with his accent. Once he ended a text with “Gracias” and Siri translated it to “Gracious.”

The other morning the text exchange went like this:

Carlos: “Craig is coming over to paint the shoe border or whatever you call it and then he’s going to install it.”

Bob: “Okay.”

Bob: “And it’s shoe molding.”

Carlos: “Well, mowed your shoes.”

Bob: :That makes no sense.”

Bob: “For the love of god man, can you speak English.”

I feel like Lucy trying to understand Ricky!

This Tale of Tuxedo is from March 2010 and is entitled Tell Me....................

..........am I a bad parent because I gave my cat a leopard pillow?

Let me get this queer … if you pull the peeled paint out of a reflecting pool, you get arrested but if you smash windows, savagely beat officers at the Capitol Building, and smear your feces on the walls you get a pardon and perhaps a payout.

Oh, and if you tear down a government building without a permit … 

I don’t eat fast food; I have but I haven’t in years. So imagine my surprise when one day last week I found myself in line at McDonalds for no apparent reason …

This is American Policing in Black and White

BLACK AND UNARMED

Amadou Diallo 23, standing in front of his building, MURDERED by police, 41 bullets

Sean Bell 23, leaving his bachelor party, MURDERED by police, 50 bullets

LaQuan McDonald 17, walking away, MURDERED by police, 16 bullets

Jayland Walker 25, traffic stop, MURDERED by police, 90 bullets

WHITE AND ARMED

Vance Boelter 57, murdered 2 people, ARRESTED, 0 bullets

Dylan Roof 21, murdered 9 people, ARRESTED, 0 bullets

James Holmes 24, murdered 12 people, ARRESTED, 0 bullets

Payton Gendron 18, murdered 10 people, ARRESTED, 0 bullets

Tell me again, how race has nothing to do with it

Apparently there are some people calling the DC Reflecting Pool the Straight of Warm Ooze.

James Burrows once said that if Will & Grace made just one young kid less homophobic, then his whole career would have meant something. He died last week at 85 and I dare say his career meant something.

He didn't just direct an episode of Will & Grace here and there, he directed every single episode, putting two openly gay characters into millions of American living rooms when network TV still treated that as a gamble. And it was a gamble. When NBC executives complained that the pilot had too much gay content, Burrows shot back:

"If not here, then where?"

The show stayed exactly as it was. 

RIP Mr. Burrows

Aaron Shandel hails from South Africa and was discovered while catching waves in his hometown of Cape Town and if you caught him, Would You Hit It?

Wednesday, June 24, 2026

Architecture Wednesday: Alaska Buildings Warehouse Loft

On the top floor of the Alaska Buildings, a former industrial warehouse in Bermondsey, south-east London, you’ll find this lofty two-bedroom apartment that has been impeccably reimagined but retains its sense of history.

Set behind secure gates the Alaska Buildings make an arresting first impression as they are two former factories—one built in 1869, the other in 1932—that closed in the 1960s and then converted into apartments in the 1990s.

Entry is to the main lobby, with 24-hour concierge service and a large stone bar area for residents to gather for the annual summer, Halloween, and Christmas parties organized by management, Opposite the concierge desk is the post and parcel room, as well as a storage room for tenants.

This apartment is on the top floor, accessible via staircase. The apartment’s front door opens to a central hall. To the left is an impressive, open-plan reception room with kitchen, dining and sitting area. A soaring vaulted ceiling with exposed timbers lends an ecclesiastical quality, while steel framing reflects the building’s industrial origin. Two arched, south-easterly warehouse windows draw in abundant natural light and are complemented by additional skylights.

The kitchen runs along one side of the space, with black metal doors and reeded glass that echo the industrial theme and contrast well with the white countertops. A large central island provides space for casual dining though there is space for a proper dining area. Stairs ascend to a mezzanine where a custom-made bookcase conceals a large storage area accessed via a secret door. 

At the back of the apartment is the generous principal bedroom with an adjacent dressing area fitted with built-in cabinetry and a refined en suite bathroom finished with mosaic tiles and brass fittings with bathtub and shower. A second double bedroom lies just off the front door and has a concealed desk nook and a shared bathroom with walk-in shower.

The apartment includes a secure and allocated underground parking space and is available for £1,000,000 AKA $1.35 M USD.

As always click to emBIGGERate …

Monday, June 22, 2026

There's Still Hope ...

I am still on a high from the joy, the intelligence, the decency, the love, the compassion, the friendships, the sheer beauty of the opening of the Obama Center.

It reminds me of how we used to be when we didn't have a president spout hate-filled rhetoric, or sell America to the highest bidder to line his own pockets, to start wars to deflect from his involvement in the Epstein scandal.

I want to go back to that other America when we could be proud of our leaders, perfect and imperfect.; where our leaders worked toward equality for all, not just their rich friends who bought votes.

I want to go back to leaders who spoke to all of us, no matter our skin color or gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, religion, non-religion; we were all part of the conversation.

I will hold onto this feeling until November when I cast my vote for change here in South Carolina and I will keep it close in 2028 when I vote for a new President and new Congress and new Senate.

Hope.