Random Musings

Another year and another Cinco de Never survived.

It was a nice party — good friends, both old and new — with great food and plenty of alcohol — margaritas, sangria, cerveza, wine and an open bar — to satisfy anyone.

We served chips and my Aunt Norma’s Salsa—which is so easy to make and is always a hit—and guacamole; we had Roasted Lime Chipotle Peanuts to nibble on and Chorizo-stuffed Sopes — little masa boats topped with cheese and cilantro. For dinner, we offered homemade Tamales stuffed with Pork, along with Carlos’ Pasilla Pepper Salsa; we had Shrimp Ceviche with Capers, Green Olives and Avocado; Pinto Bean and Corn Salad; Cilantro Lime Rice and Refried Beans.

The weather was kind of iffy, but the rain stayed away until well after the last guests left, at which time Carlos and I cleaned up the house and then collapsed, vowing not to do this again and yet already making changes to the menu for next year.

It’s just 360 days away … time to get moving.

So, over there to Ghana, where violence and harassment of gays and lesbians is way up, a Muslim cleric has announced that he believes he has a new reason to hate The Gays.

Mallam Abass Mahmud, said “Allah gets annoyed when males engage in sexual encounter and such disgusting encounter causes earthquake.”

Yes, The Gay Sex causes earthquakes. And, well, I have felt the earth move a time or two hundred so maybe there’s some truth to his statement?

In Arkansas, Mitchell McCoy is a reporter for both KARK and FOX16 News. Not a big deal, except for the note he received from a viewer:

“Dear Mitch,

I watched KARK before you joined and it was a reputable broad cast until now. I have been holding back for months but I can’t stand your gayness. You are on television every night and our children should not be watching people like you. You are a disgrace to Arkansas and I will be asking your boss to take you off. Do not be offended but society is not ready for gay men reading news.

Sincerely, kark Channel 4 fan”

McCoy shared the note to his Twitter feed with this response:

“I get many emails but this tops it. I’ve dreamt of being a reporter since I was 9 and I won’t stop on your behalf. With that said, no matter who you are or what you believe in – dream loudly and don’t let anyone get in your way. The minute you stop…is the minute you stop being who you are. It’s not worth it.

#DreamOn #StepUpStopBullying“

Hats off to Mitchell McCoy for gay-reading the news … whatever that means!

Okay, I will confess that Dutch actor Michiel Huisman has been a Random Musings Hottie before when he appeared early in the series run of Nashville. But over the weekend, whilst channel surfing, I came across a film called The Age of Adeline which co-starred Huisman.

He is all kinds of dreamy but when he appeared onscreen, fresh from a shower, wrapped in a towel, I felt he just oozed sexiness.

It took Carlos about ten minutes to get me to stop licking the TV screen. Just sayin’.

Ali Chaney, a thirteen-year-old Texas student was sent home by her school for wearing a t-shirt that read:

“Some people are gay. Get over it.”

Ali was told by school administrators that her shirt was “disruptive” to other students and when she refused to change into a school-provided shirt, she was sent home. Her mother, Cassie Watson, said Ali called her crying because she felt school leaders were discriminating against her for being gay:

“I would never, ever have expected it from the administration. I would think that the administration would be the first ones there to support her.”

They should support her, but then again, this is Texas and, well, they hate The Gays.

District Spokeswoman Wendy Sledd released this statement:

“Our purpose at CCISD is to educate children, first and foremost. According to CCISD’s dress code in the student handbook and code of conduct, clothing that is disruptive to the learning environment based on reactions by other students is prohibited. The student was offered a school shirt to wear and declined.”

I guess if other students don’t like your clothes, you have to change; not the students with the tiny bigoted minds. And Ali did point out that one student wore a shirt that said President Obama is a communist Muslim and he was not forced to change.

But again … Texas.

Victor Gutiérrez, member of the Spanish water polo team, and an Olympic hopeful, has come out as gay:

 “I’m out of the closet in my environment. My family knows I’m gay, my friends too. And I’m living in such a positive way with my sexuality that I felt a responsibility to share it with others.”

And one reason Gutiérrez chose to come out now is because of a rise in gay bashings in Spain:

“There have been more than 70 homophobic attacks in Madrid so far this year. It is a reality that we live in. And there are almost no athletes who are out of the closet. But in my experience, people have changed. As an athlete, my experience has been absolutely positive.”

The best part of all is that Victor says he didn’t sit his teammates down and tell them he was gay; he simply introduced them to his boyfriend like anybody else would.

“I never sat down with the president of my club, the coach or teammates. In the end, it is my life and I do what I want. I hope my coming out serves to break a taboo within the sport. You have to be judged not by your sexuality but by your sporting merit.”

Welcome out, Victor, and please accept as our gift the Official Coming Out Toaster Oven and a copy of The Gay Agenda. The toaster oven is perfect for warming your Empanadas!

And for those of you who don’t know, an empanada is a beef turnover so get your minds out of the gutter!

Last month Time ran a story about the fight over transgender persons suing the bathroom that corresponds to their gender identity. It was a good article, but …

Time used the rainbow flag on the cover to promote their article and some people — I was one — were annoyed that they used that flag and not the one that represents transgender pride. I mean, the rainbow flag is widely considered representative of the LGBT community but there is a separate flag solely for the trans community.

Luckily, Rachel Sharp, an author from New York, re-created Time’s front cover with the right flag, the transgender flag:

Random Musings

We are in the home stretch to our Sometimes Annual, Sometimes Not, Cinco de Never Celebration at Casa Bob y Carlos.

Limes for the Rice and the Pinto Bean Corn Salad? Check.

Limes for the Chipotle Lime Peanuts? The Bo’s House Special Salsa and Guacamole? Check.

Limes for Margaritas? Double check.

Lemons and Oranges for the Shrimp Ceviche? Check.

Wine? Need a few more bottles …

Beer and Liquor? Check.

Now, it’s just a matter of building ceviche and salsa and guacamole and cooking rice, and heating tamales and sopes and  … and … I best get busy …

Last week I posted about the GOP congressmembers who bullied some of their colleagues into voting down an LGBT-protection clause, and how the Democrats went off on the Republicans for being blatantly anti-LGBT haters.

Well, the congressman who introduced the legislation, openly gay Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney of New York, is not giving up on his anti-discrimination measure to protect LGBT workers.

Tuesday Maloney vowed that he would try and attach his proposal to the energy and water spending bill scheduled to be debated in the House this week and scheduled for a final vote on Thursday.

“There is a majority [in] the House of Representatives right now to oppose discrimination in the workplace [and] … the only way discrimination is going to win is if Kevin McCarthy keeps rigging the votes.” — Congressman Maloney

Let’s hope McCarthy’s fellow Republicans won’t bend to his bullying this time.

I was over the Chewbacca Mom about ten seconds into the video and the fact that now she’s freaking everywhere makes me wanna boycott anything and everything Star Wars.

If you are one of the few who has yet to see it, move on.

A new version of Roots is set to premiere on the History channel next Monday. I am interested, though I often wonder why not just show the original. Sure it’s about forty years old but the story is the same.

That said … Hot Men Alert!

The new Roots stars — clockwise from upper left — Malachi Kirby, Matthew Goode, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Regé-Jean Page.

Ooh yes; a good story and some eye candy.

It might be just me, but aren't the Avengers and X-Men really just the same movie? And even if they aren’t I have no desire to see either one.

Poor Mark Cuban is conflicted …

A day after offering himself up to be Hillary Clinton’s running mate, Cuban, who calls himself an independent, said he is also open to being [t]Rump’s Veep.

How does that happen?

Why I am in love with Helen Mirren, Reason #13,849:

When 10-year-old Oliver Burton declared that his dying wish was to have afternoon tea with the Queen of England, he never received an invitation to Buckingham Palace.

Luckily, Dame Helen Mirren, who is playing the Queen in The Audience in London’s West End, stepped up to meet Oliver, who has Down’s syndrome and is also battling terminal spine and bone marrow cancer.

Mirren invited Oliver and his family to the Gielgud Theatre to see the show, and then after she met the young man while still in her Queen drag. She sat and had tea and cakes with the boy — “royal” footman served the tea — and then Oliver met Mirren’s corgis. Finally, Helen Mirren knighted Oliver, giving him the title of Sir.

“She stayed in character for the whole thing. Oliver thought she was the real Queen, and well, that’s good enough for us.” — James Browne, Oliver’s father

I didn’t need another reason to love Mirren but I’ll take this one.

The San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus was at the center of a disturbing incident at Petco Park last week when, as they were preparing to sing the national anthem, their singing was replaced by a recording of a woman — reportedly the anthem singer from the night before. No one stopped the recording and when the chorus was led off the field afterward they were taunted with homophobic slurs … “you sing like a girl” … from fans.

Afterward, the chorus wanted answers, specifically about whether it was discriminatory or a hate crime. The Padres' investigation concluded it was a mistake, that DJ ArtForm hit the wrong button and played an old recording, but he was fired anyway:

“Based both on the unintentional mistake that was made, as well as the failure to immediately intervene and correct the situation by those who had oversight, we have terminated our relationship with the third-party contractor who was responsible for the error, and taken disciplinary action against our employee who was responsible for the game production on Saturday.

We once again sincerely apologize to members of the San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus, their families and those who came out to support their pride night performance. The Padres organization is proud of our longstanding commitment to inclusion – within both our sport and our community.

We deeply regret that a mistake on our part has called this into question, but accept full responsibility.” 

But now, the San Diego Gay Men's Chorus has announced that it wants the Padres to rehire the DJ — DJ ArtForm — who had been fired for his role in the anthem mess:

"We applaud the San Diego Padres organization … for its ongoing efforts to make something good come out of unfortunate recent events. We have met with Mr. Dee and he has agreed to meet with and work closely with the LGBT community to bring our communities together with constructive, positive change.

"We also would like to publicly accept the sincere apology of DJ ARTFORM and recognize his support for the LGBT community and equality for all people. We do not wish to see him lose his job with the San Diego Padres and kindly ask the Padres to reinstate him. Everyone deserves a second chance."

And DJ ArtForm has also spoken out, and taken ownership for the mistake, and apologized, adding it was just a mistake and nothing discriminatory against gays:

“I believe we all deserve a second chance."

Here’s hoping the mistake doesn’t ruin jobs and relationships for all involved.

Random Musings

It’s not my birthday … it’s not our anniversary. But I just read that the “Oppenheimer Blue” diamond was sold for a record-breaking $57.5 million and I will say this: it matches my eyes and Carlos did leave the house with the checkbook so ….

Fingers crossed.

Have you seen those commercials where the new SUVs have a deal where you wiggle your foot under the rear bumper and the hatchback opens automatically because you’re too lazy to take out your keys and use your hands?

I.Loathe.That.Ad. And that car.

Then there’s this … an ad on TV last night where a woman is melon-balling a watermelon — let’s not get into the sexual double-entendre there —and her husband calls from the store; he’s doing the groceries and wants to know if they need eggs.

The wife is too busy balling to look in the fridge so she tells him to, ahem, “check his phone” ... because their new fridge has a camera inside that you can access from your phone when your wife is too effing lazy to look in the fridge herself.

Seriously. We are getting way too lazy. I say this as I voice type and use the remote to change the TV channel and check the pot roast in the oven while the Roomba vacuums and Tuxedo washes the cars.

Carlos and I are having our Semi-Annual Sometimes Cinco de Never bash next weekend and we are in the planning and preparation stages as the date draws near.

We opted to forgo a fancy dessert and instead are going to do Mexican brownies — they are made while a hint of cayenne pepper — and lemon bars and cookies and finger-ish type desserts.

Last Monday Carlos announced he would be making the brownies that night.

I said, “You wanna make a dessert tonight  for a party we’re having in twelve days?”

“We don’t have much time.”

Twelve.Days. And this from Carlos the Procrastinator who, when we had a new light fixture installed in the kitchen ceiling announced he would repaint the ceiling and then took, wait for it, it’s rich, five years to do it!

Oy, I love that man, goddess help me.

Speaking of Mexico … last week Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto called for the legalization of same-sex marriage nationwide.

Yes, heavily Catholic Mexico is moving forward with equality!

In other Good News, Itzhak Perlman has also Springsteen’d North Carolina by becoming the latest to cancel a performance in the state over their Bathroom Bill:

“As my fans know, I have spent a lifetime advocating against discrimination towards those with physical disabilities and have been a vocal advocate for treating all people equally. As such, it is only after much deliberation that I have decided to cancel tomorrow’s concert in North Carolina as a stand against House Bill 2.”

Bravo, Mr. Perlman!

In other … yes, other as in more … good news, Eric Fanning has finally been confirmed by the Senate as the first openly gay Secretary of the Army.

Fanning had served as Acting Secretary while his confirmation was being held up by the, you guessed it, Republicans in the Senate.

Seriously, the GOP is about twenty steps behind the rest of the world.

Yassssss! Bob the Drag Queen won RuPaul’s Drag Race this season and I was thrilled.

I loved his lip sync and his humor and his whole aesthetic but ….

I will say that when last year’s winner, Violet Chachki, stepped onstage to crown Bob, her drag nearly blew the roof off the auditorium and had me leaping from my chair.

Her picture is now in the dictionary under “fierce.”

Melania Trump is speaking again and she wants you all to know that she knows, ahem, that …

“We know the truth. He’s not Hitler.”

Yes, Melania is worried that people might think The Rump is Hitler.

Meanwhile, Hitler is sitting in Hell, waiting for his future bridge partners Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, demanding that we stop comparing him to Rump.

We started watching a WGN show called ‘Underground,’ a story of the slaves using the underground Railroad to escape to freedom.

It’s kinda hard to watch at times, listening to the use of the n-word and the way in which people treated other people, based on their skin color but …

I found some hot in the show, in, from left to right, Reed Diamond, who plays a slave owner, Aldis Hodge, who plays a slave trying to escape, and Mark Blucas, as an abolitionist.

So far the story is very, very good, and the men very easy on the eyes.

I Didn't Get Raptured As Much As I Got Sangria'd...

...which, in my mind, at least, is a much better thing.

Our Second Annual Cinco de Never Again Party was quite the success. The name of the party, Cinco de Never, comes from a few years back, when a group of friends had gathered somewhere and Carlos announced to the group--without my knowledge--that he wanted to have a Cinco de Mayo party and make some traditional Mexican food. Everyone was keen on the idea and then....it never happened. Carlos simply forgot all about it.

Cut to the following year and someone asked me if Carlos was going to come through with his Cinco de Mayo party and I replied, "Make it Cinco de Never cuz it's never gonna happen." And a tradition was born.

The first CdN was last year and quite successful, and this year was more of the same. I loaded up on Tequila and beer and wine and Tequila, while Carlos made Tamales, Pollo con Poblanos and Marinated Flank Steak with Grilled Onions. He also made Coffee Flan and Coconut Flan. I made a Pinto Bean and Corn Salad with Cumin-Lime Vinaigrette, Salmon Ceviche with Peaches and Jalapenos, Shrimp Ceviche with Spanish Olives and Capers, and, together Carlos and I made 75 Chalupas with Chorizo and Queso Fresco.

It was crazy, er, loco.

And then I found a recipe for Sangria, which called for Hibiscus Water, which is a traditional Mexican beverage and something Carlos had as a kid. You take dried Hibiscus flowers and boil them into a kind of tart--think really tart lemonade--beverage. You add sugar and drink. Well, I added sugar, six bottles of Chardonnay, a bottle of Brandy a half bottle of Triple Sec and some orange juice and it was nirvana. It made so much and I worried about having too much, but it was the drink of choice on Saturday.

It was, yes, I'm gonna say it, rapturous. All in all, rapturous.

We had nearly thirty people at Chez Smallville, out of the deck and scattered throughout the house. A great blend of good friends who all know one another, and some new friends who fit right in. It was a Sangria-Tamale-Chalupa kinda day. And it was spectacular.

I had such good intentions of taking pictures of the food and the friends and that rapturous Sangria, but then I got Sangria'd and Tamale'd and Chalupa'd and Ceviche'd and forgot all about it. Maybe next year, at Cinco de Never, Numero Tres?

Light Posting Ahead

Carlos and i will be having our Second Annual Cinco de Never party this Saturday, so posting will be light, and preplanned, for the next couple of days.

We have Chalupas to fill, and Ceviches to make, and Guacamole and Salsa and Green Chile Salsa, to prep. There are Margaritas to make--and my special Bob-a-rita, too--and Sangria to create, and Flan to bake. There are rooms to clean and dishes to set out and flowers to get and music to ready.

Plus, there's that whole Rapture thing set up to ruin the day. I friended God on Facebook, and sent him....her[?]...a private message asking that the Rapture be put off for a while since we had planned this day long before the announcement of the End Times was made. I mean, had I known, I would have had the party last weekend.

Anyhoo, I may not get much of a chance to comment over the next couple of days, but I will play catch up after the weekend.

Happy Cinco de Never, y'all!