Bobservations

In addition to Retinitis Pigmentosa Carlos also suffers from Usher’s Syndrome which affects hearing; it seems RP and Usher’s kind of go hand-in-hand. So, when Carlo uses his phone it’s on speaker and I can usually hear the conversation.

The other day I was back in our home office and heard his phone ring and could clearly hear the entire conversation. A few minutes later Carlos appeared in the office and said Bo had called; Bo is a friend and he and Carlos get together about once a week to play music.

“Bo said he can’t get together today.”

“I know.”

“You know?”

“Yes, he suggested maybe this Saturday.”

“How do you know that?”

“Sweetie, I hear everything that goes on in this house, and I see most things, too.”

“You don’t see things—”

“Don’t I? Don’t I have cameras all over the house?”

“You don’t.”

But the look on his face suggested otherwise.

This Tuxedo Says is from November 2020 and Tuxedo was over politics so … he wanted to get away from the election and took to listening to some country music, and he just doesn’t quite get it.

Iowa State Democratic Representative J.D. Scholten was as disgusted by GOP Senator Joni Ernst and her “We’re all gonna die” nonsense that he announced he will run against Ernst next year:

“After her comments over the weekend … that’s when I just said: This is unacceptable and you’ve gotta jump in.”

Hopefully, he can sound the death knell for Ernst’s time in Congress.

There is nothing like the appearance of shy pink cakes on a beach somewhere, eh?

Loretta Swit, who played Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan on seminal TV comedy “MASH,” died last week at the age of 87. For her work on “MASH” Swit was Emmy nominated for outstanding performance by a supporting actor in a comedy every year from 1974-83, winning the Emmy in 1980 and 1982.

I always loved her because Margaret wasn’t one-note; she adapted and changed year-to-year and Swit made her a character and not a caricature.

RIP Hot Lips.

Wisconsin Democratic Governor Tony Evers took aim at the White House last week when he raised a Pride flag at the state Capitol in recognition of Pride Month. It’s the seventh time Evers has raised the flag since he was first elected, and it comes as The Felon’s Regime has taken steps to eliminate protections for LGBTQ+ Americans:

“We will fight and overcome all those in every capitol and in the White House who want to erase the vast and vibrant identities, stories, and communities that make America so great.”

On the flip side Wisconsin Republicans introduced a bill earlier this year that would ban state buildings from flying flags related to religious, political or gender identities.

And for the first time ever, Pride flags will be flown at the Hawaii State Capitol throughout June, as Governor Josh Green has declared Pride Month:

“In Hawaii, aloha is more than a word, it’s a value that guides how we treat one another, with love, respect and dignity. Flying the Pride flag at our state Capitol is a proud reflection of that aloha, as well as our deep commitment to inclusion. While other places are pushing people to the margins, Hawaii is leading with compassion and courage, recognizing that our Mahu and LGBTQIA+ communities have always been a valued part of our story, and always will be.”

Ah, inclusion, such a simple idea that makes life better for everyone.

And also … in Montana the Missoula City Council approved a resolution recognizing the Pride flag as the only official flag of the city of Missoula, according to Ryan Sudbury, the city attorney for Missoula:

“Currently, there is only one official flag for the City of Missoula, and that’s the Pride flag adopted last night. There was no prior official flag.”

The resolution comes in response to House Bill 819, which GOP Governor Greg Gianforte signed into law last May which prohibits flags on state property, including public schools, that represent a “political viewpoint, including but not limited to flags or banners regarding a political party race, sexual orientation, gender or political ideology” on government property.

Sorry, Greg, love wins.

Sean Penn, who won an Oscar for starring as Harvey Milk in 2008’s Milk, spoke out about DUI hire and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s decision to strip the name of the gay rights activist and late San Francisco Supervisor from a Navy ship:

“I’ve never before seen a Secretary of Defense so aggressively demote himself to the rank of Chief PETTY Officer.”

Oh, playing a gay man really upped Penn’s shade game!

Giuseppe Giarratana is a make-up artist, hair stylist, beauty consultant, and a hot silver fox … so Would You Hit It?

This Bitch: Tim Sheehy

Tim Sheehy is a former Navy SEAL who is the Republican candidate in the Montana US Senate race that could determine control of the chamber.

So, what about him? Well, Sheehy often tells the story of a gunshot wound he received in combat that left a bullet lodged in his right arm as evidence of his toughness; in December campaign event posted on social media, Sheehy pointed to his right forearm and said:

“I got thick skin—though it’s not thick enough. I have a bullet stuck in this arm still from Afghanistan.”

At least that’s what he says today, but back in October 2015, over a year after he left active duty, he told a different story saying that, after a family visit to Glacier National Park, he told a National Park Service ranger that he accidentally shot himself in the right arm that day after his Colt .45 revolver fell and discharged while he was loading his vehicle; the park ranger says Sheehy showed him a handgun with a missing bullet. And a trauma surgeon says that an X-ray provided by Sheehy shows an apparent wound from a handgun, not a military weapon.

The best part of the story is now Sheehy is saying that the story he told the park ranger was a lie, and that he was shot in Afghanistan during combat, but why the lie? I mean, does he just walk up to random park rangers, show them a handgun missing a bullet and say he accidentally shot himself when he dropped the gun? Why do that? That story means nothing and does nothing to boost his own sense of importance so why tell it?

Perhaps because it was the truth but wouldn’t help him win an election . Oh, and he’s a Republican, so lying seems to come easy and he’s also, This Bitch.

Vote. Vote Blue. And Here's Why, AGAIN!

It’s been a few weeks since we checked in on the GOP and their special brand of bigotry and ignorance, so let’s dive right in …

NORTH DAKOTA

The state GOP voted last week to raise their own meal reimbursements to $45 a day. This happened less than two weeks after that same state GOP blocked a bill to provide free school lunches to low-income students.

Tell me again how the GOP is pro-family or pro-children.

 TENNESSEE

GOP lawmakers have expelled two Democrat Representatives, Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, from the House for taking part in a peaceful demonstration for gun reform that was staged in the aftermath of a Nashville school shooting that left six people dead. A third Democrat, Gloria Johnson, was barely saved from expulsion.

Of note, the two Democrats expelled were two Black men, while the white woman was saved.

FLORIDA

Ron DeSantis signed HB 543 into law this week that will allow Floridians to carry a concealed firearm without the need for a permit. People can now carry concealed firearms without going through the background screening and training that is currently required to have a concealed carry license.

More guns. Less control.

IDAHO

The state legislature has passed the nation’s first law that makes it illegal for minors to travel out-of-state to get an abortion without parental consent.

Idaho already has a near-total abortion ban in place but neighboring Washington and Oregon allow minors to get an abortion without their parent’s consent, so Idaho will restrict its residents from interstate travel for abortion access.

Why not just lock up all pregnant women until they give birth?

FLORIDA

A survey finds that among Florida’s incoming college freshmen, dissatisfaction with Governor Ron DeSantis’s education policies runs deep … deep enough in some cases to make them look for college opportunities in another state.

Intelligent.com surveyed over 1,000 Florida students, including 783 still in high school and 364 current undergrads and found that 91% of prospective college students disagree with the governor’s policies and that 1 in 8 graduating high school students won’t attend college in Florida due to education policy in the state.

Florida will become a ghost town save for the elderly and the fascists.

MISSOURI

The Missouri House has put forth new budget bills that would eliminate state funding for libraries across the state. The House Budget Committee has proposed to cut the entire $4.5 million budget slated for Missouri libraries last week after the American Civil Liberties Union [ACLU] filed a lawsuit to overturn a new Missouri law that bans “explicit sexual” images from all school materials, including library books. The law, passed last year, does not apply to written descriptions of sex or sexual acts; only photos, drawings, videos and other visual depictions are prohibited but librarians and other school officials face up to a year in jail or a $2,000 fine for violating the policy.

It might be easier just to ban all books.

MONTANA

Republicans in the state Legislature are trying to change the rules for next year’s Senate primary to make it easier to defeat Democrat Senator Jon Tester and win back the Senate majority.

A bill moving through the statehouse would change the structure of the election from the party primary system currently in place to a jungle primary in which the top two vote-getters advance to the general election regardless of party. The move would essentially box out Libertarian candidates who would likely vote Democrat ensuring a GOP victory.

If they can’t win fairly, they change the rules and cheat.

MISSOURI

State Attorney General Andrew Bailey has issued an emergency regulation regarding gender transition interventions on minors and launched a website to report allegations of malpractice at gender clinics in the state:

“It’s about protecting children for me. We’ve got to inject some sanity into this conversation. Gender is an objective reality defined by biology, in the same way that gravity is an objective reality. It is unhealthy to deny objective reality.”

He really only cares about cis gender children, to be fair. Trans kids are less than.

FLORIDA

As happens in fascist states, the rules are changed to enable the fascist to do as they please.

This week the Florida Senate scheduled a change via committee vote of the “Resign to Run” law.

This is certainly meant to allow Ron DeFascist to keep his job as governor should he fail in his attempt to take the White House in 2024.

ON THE UPSIDE …

SCOTUS

This week the U.S. Supreme Court refused to intervene in an ongoing case involving West Virginia’s law banning transgender girls from participating in girls’ sports teams at school. Conservative Justices Samuel Alito and the hopefully soon-to-be-impeached and removed from the bench Clarence Thomas dissented.

The court’s action came on its “shadow docket” so-called because decisions are made without full briefing or argument and decided with little or no explanation.

Some 19 states have enacted laws like West Virginia’s anti-transgender law but no appeals court has yet ruled on the question.

WISCONSIN

Last week voters gave control of the state’s highest court to liberals for the first time in 15 years after Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz defeated former Supreme Court Justice Dan Kelly in a race that served as a referendum on the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

The tide is changing in Wisconsin; let’s hope that trend keeps moving forward.

NEW JERSEY

Democrat Governor Phil Murphy signed Executive Order No. 326 establishing New Jersey as a safe haven for gender-affirming health care by directing all state departments and agencies to protect all persons, including health care professionals and patients, against potential repercussions resulting from providing, receiving, assisting in providing or receiving, seeking, or traveling to New Jersey to obtain gender-affirming health care services.

“Across the nation, we are witnessing attacks led by certain states that seek to undermine the equality, dignity, and safety of the LGBTQIA+ community, especially transgender and non-binary youth. As leaders, our greatest responsibility is ensuring that every person we represent, regardless of their gender identity or gender expression, is entitled to respect, fairness, and freedom. We will continue to uphold these principles in New Jersey and support every person’s right to live freely and authentically by making our state a safe haven for those seeking or providing gender-affirming health care.”

Finally at least one safe haven for our trans brothers and sisters.

Pay attention … vote … speak up … vote … because if we don’t all stand together one day all of this country will be like Florida and Tennessee and Missouri and Idaho, and the GOP and the traitors come for us all.

Architecture Wednesday: Big Bear Lodge

This is a true getaway, located in the ski-in, ski-out neighborhood of Moonlight Basin in Big Sky, Montana, and everything about it screams rustic; from the exterior material palette of reclaimed wood siding, hand-hewn timbers, stone siding and chimney stacks, and cedar shingle roofing.

Those same elements continue into the interior of the home, bringing the rustic aesthetic throughout the dwelling and yet the home doesn’t feel dark; large windows throughout the house bring the outside in while capturing both the stunning views and the natural light.

What do I love? I love the roughhewn beams and stacked-stone fireplaces—there are two in the Great Room alone—and the rustic yet inviting design. Oh, and the massive bar between the Great Room and Dining Room, with a view to the slopes, is perfect for those who don’t ski but enjoy a cock-a-tale, as is the large wine room in the dining area.

There are several outdoor areas, each with its own fireplace, to make those cold snowy evenings a bit warmer and cozier. And there’s a gym to work off the cock-a-tales and food, and even a bunk room for Maddie’s houseboys. And if you do ski, out back there is convenient access to the Moonlight Basin ski runs.

It’s rustic luxury, yes ma’am.

One Kind Design

They're Everywhere ... Part Sept

These really are the easiest posts to compile, because, well, they’re everywhere …

WASHINGTON DC

During a Senate video call with Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday, GOP Senators Marco Rubio and Steve Daines shared screenshots of the Zoom chat to their social media, despite being told not to do so due to concerns about the Ukrainian president’s safety.

These two fools put the man in danger by revealing his location.

This is what passes for leadership in  this country.

CAST A GODDAMNED VOTE.

CASTA  GODDAMNED BLUE VOTE.

FLORIDA

On Friday, the Walt Disney Company responded to calls for action over the Florida House passing the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill that would limit what classrooms can teach about sexual orientation and gender. Disney representatives sidestepped the bill itself  and instead recommitted itself more broadly to LGBTQ+ rights and then claimed its “inspiring content” is action enough.

Yes, cartoons and Gay Day more than make up for the silencing of the LGBTQ+ community.

AMERICA

The Great Trucker Convoy is making its way to DC to demand an end to all Covid-19 mandates and restrictions.

All those mandates and restrictions should be up by the time the MAGAt Convoy arrives, but go ahead, Red Hats., protest something that’s over while spending upwards of $5.00 or more a gallon for gas on your cross-country road trip to nowhere.

KENTUCKY

During a debate over anti-abortion legislation, GOP Representative Danny Bentley falsely said RU-486, or Mifepristone, a pill taken to induce abortion, was developed during World War II and was called Zyklon B, the gas that killed millions of Jews in the Holocaust. He also claimed that “the person who developed (it) was a Jew” and that Jewish women have a lower incidence of cervical cancer because “they only have one sex partner.”

This is what happens when you let men decide the healthcare choices for women.

WASHINGTON DC

Last week, when the House passed a resolution night to declare support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, only three votes were in opposition, all of them … guess what … from Republicans, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Paul Gosar of Arizona, and Matt Rosendale of Montana.

The good news is that the resolution passed near-unanimously with a 426-3 vote.

Also of note is that when a House vote came up for the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act of 2022, which would designate lynching—extrajudicial killings typically committed against Black Americans, particularly during the Jim Crow era—as a federal hate crime the three Republicans who voted against that bill Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Chip Roy of Texas, and Andrew Clyde of Georgia.

Voted against making lynching a Hate Crime.

Again … CAST A GODDAMNED VOTE.

TEXAS

Republican Chip Roy is back again because he is concerned, y’all! He says innocent people are dying needlessly because a tyrannical government has grossly overstepped its bounds, and freedom and democracy are under attack and … wait for it … it’s all Dr. Anthony Fauci’s fault.

Appearing on Fox News Roy, an anti-vaxxing loon, used his time not to discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but to peddle his conspiracy theory that the government is failing to report deaths caused by the Covid-19 vaccine.

Roy has no numbers to claim, no science to prove his wacknut theory, but he’ll say it because MAGAts will buy it.

Herd Stupidity.

MONTANA

GOP Governor Greg Gianforte—who once assaulted a reporter for asking him a policy question—killed a mountain lion on public land after it had been cornered in a tree for hours by hounds while he made his way from a different site.

What a man; he has dogs chase a gorgeous animal up a tree so he can get in car and drive over and shoot it to prove he’s so macho. Little bitch. I need a mountain lion to drive Gianforte up a tree, or the Montana electorate to drive him out of office.

TEXAS

A few weeks back, in this very space, we talked about GOP Texas QAnon nutjub Bianca Gracia announcing to the world that God had told her she would win her election, and if Texans failed to elect her they were "going to have to deal with it with the Lord."

Cut to last week and Gracia received 7.5% of the votes.

Even God took a look at her and went, ‘Nah.’

Get educated and save yourselves from The Stupids.

A Gaggle of Qidiots

Arkansas’ Q Governor, Asa Hutchinson, just signed new legislation that allows doctors and other health care workers to refuse to perform certain services if they have “conscience-based objections.”

That’s GQP lingo for Don’t Help The Gays.

Senate Bill 289—The Medical Ethics and Diversity Act—is a retread of an earlier Hate Bill that was presented in the 2017 legislative session. Ethics? Diversity? Not so much.

But I guess in Arkansas if you first can’t pass a Hate Bill, try, try again.

There’s a proposal looming in North Dakota to shield schools and teachers from lawsuits arising from those schools and teachers posting the Ten Commandments in classrooms.

In public schools.

And one asshat, GQP state Senator Janne Myrdal, even listed a litany of social ills, including sex trafficking, child sex abuse and crowded jails, that she says could be remedied with displays of the Ten Commandments in North Dakota schools.

Honey, if that worked at all, posting your list of rules that a great many Christians do not follow in your churches and religious schools would have ended those social ills years ago.

Try a little something called Separation of Church and State. And keep your religious idiocy out of public schools.

Senator Steve Daines [Q-MT] is quite the idiot.

During  a visit to the Mexican border with other Senate Q’s, to spew the lie about a crisis, he lamented the loss of the meth trade from Montanans to Mexicans:

“Twenty years ago in Montana, meth was homemade. It was homegrown. And you had purity levels less than 30%. Today the meth that is getting into Montana is Mexican cartel.”

Seriously. He’s genuinely upset that Montana’s meth trade is losing business to Mexican cartels.

You cannot get much more asshatted than Steve Daines.

Even some of his own Party members couldn’t hide their reactions to Daines’ idiocy. Fellow Senator Mike Lee [Q-UT] couldn’t stop smiling as Daines whined about the death of meth in Montana, and even began looking at the ground to hide his smile.

Steve Daines. Asshat.

DICK OF THE WEEK: John Fuller

Montana state Representative John Fuller has introduced a pair of bills targeting transgender youth because … Republican, because … transphobia … because ignorance

The first—House Bill 112—requires athletic teams at every public educational institution from elementary school to college be designated based on “biological sex.” Fuller’s Save Women’s Sports Act—though the Anti-Trans Because We’re Bigots Act sounds better—bans transgender students from joining teams that match their gender identity, no matter how long ago they transitioned.

So, let’s say a college athlete, who transitioned in his or her teens, cannot play on the team of the gender with which they identify, but only on the team of their gender assigned at birth.

Yeah, I see no problems there.

Another Hate Bill, also penned by Fuller, would bar health care professionals from providing transgender minors transition-related care. This bill—House Bill 113, AKA An Act Providing for Youth Health Protection—physicians and other medical professionals would be banned from treating gender dysphoria in minors by prescribing, providing or administering puberty-suppressing drugs or cross-sex hormones, prohibited from performing gender-reassignment surgery, or removing “any otherwise healthy or nondiseased body part or tissue.”

In other words, he wants transgender made illegal until you are of legal age. He wants to force trans youth to deny their identity because … Republican.

Fuller says it is “deeply wrong” for young people to undergo such procedures:

"We don't let children do all kinds of things. Why should we allow this to happen? The state has a vested interest to protect children from such barbaric behavior."

He makes it sound like children are forced into gender reassignment surgery.

Again, because he’s an ignorant ReTHUGlican … and a Dick.

UPDATE: House Bill 112 has advanced through the statehouse, while House Bill 113, AKA An Act Providing for Youth Health Protection, was rejected.

NBC News

Architecture Wednesday: Montana Getaway

I am not a camper; I don’t sleep on the ground, or pee in the woods, or cook over an open fire, or wipe my ass with leaves. Sue me.

But I do love a rustic, well, rustic chic, getaway, like this log cabin sitting by a lake in the woods of Montana.

I like that it’s rustic, with the raw woods, but I like the chic and clean interiors, and the simplicity. I can’t think of a better way to spend time in the woods…and I wouldn’t use leaves for anything other than decoration.

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