Bobservations

Kent Taylor CEO of Texas Roadhouse, is giving up his base salary and incentive bonus so that those funds can be made available to assist front-line hourly restaurant employees.

Just sayin’, when this is all over, I may just have to find a Texas Roadhouse and have a bite to eat.

One of the first deaths of a Virginian from COVID-19 was Landon Spradlin, a Christian “musical evangelist” who shared a meme that compared virus deaths to swine flu deaths and that it was a plot against _____, writing:

“It will come and it will go.”

Not before you did, sir.

Billionaire David Geffen took to Instagram to say he is self-isolating during the pandemic and wants y’all to know that he’s safe … on his $590 million yacht:

“Sunset last night … isolated in the Grenadines avoiding the virus. I’m hoping everybody is staying safe.”

To be fair, Geffen’s foundation is a major contributor to LGBTQ rights groups, health clinics, and charities for the homeless in L.A., but, c’mon man, did you have to prove yourself so out of touch?

The Empire State Building debuted a flashing red and white light display, and lit up red, Monday night, an effect intended to represent America’s heartbeat, according to the building's Twitter account:

“We’ll never stop shining for you. 

Kinda breaks my heart a little.

Well, now we know, and in November we need to make sure _____ knows we know.

Way back on February 5, _____ administration officials rejected an offer of emergency coronavirus funding from Congress. In that meeting was Democratic Senator from Connecticut, Chris Murphy, who Tweeted that day:

They knew in February; were warned in February; and they did nothing.

November is coming 

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross is working from his estate in Florida, while the _____ administration tries to limit the economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak.

Ross said in January the pandemic could be good for U.S. jobs and manufacturing, arguing it might give businesses “another thing to consider when they go through their review of their supply chain.”

Wilbur Ross is a fuckmonkey.

Great news …  Christopher Meloni is bringing his Law & Order: SVU character Elliot Stabler for a new  upcoming NBC crime drama series. Like SVU, Meloni’s series will also be set in New York, centering on “the NYPD organized crime unit led by Stabler.”

I was hoping it would be set in Scotland so we could get Meloni in a kilt.

Life Tabernacle Church was packed for services on Tuesday night after its pastor, Mark Anthony Spell, was charged with six misdemeanor counts of disobeying the powers of the governor for defying the state’s ban on public gatherings amid the coronavirus crisis; he said:

“We have a mandate from the word of God. … We have a mandate from God to praise God in his sanctuary. This is the sanctuary.”

Perhaps COVID-19 is God’s way of thinning the religious wingnut herd?

And now, even though we had Scottish beef[cake] earlier, I need a little more of a palette cleanser, in model David Taylor.

He gets my motor running …floats my boat …tightens my screws …lights my fire … maybe I’ve been cooped up too long.

Still …

Architecture Wednesday: El Mirador ... The Looker

After last week’s huge, sleek farmhouse, I thought we’d head south for something a little more rustic, a little smaller, a little different.

El Mirador is located on the 234 acre El Eterno estate in Valle de Bravo—a forested municipality that wraps one corner of Lake Avándaro—about an hour-and-a-half southwest of Mexico City. That’s the south; now for the different.

The house is partially embedded in a slope overlooking the valley, and on top of it, crafted from railway sleeper cars is a car barn, or, better still, a horse barn. The architects designed the house so that its living areas are  below the level of the road that passes out front, making only the horse barn visible from the road. That’s the different, now for the smaller.

It's a 1500-square-foot one bedroom, two bathroom very open home that feels larger because of the openness of one side and the views beyond.

A large living room, with two seating areas and two fireplaces, occupies the center of the homey, with wide glass doors that open onto a terrace. Stone seats and tables are built into this patio area, which is fronted by a glass balustrade that permits unobstructed views of the valley. The living room is flanked by a bedroom and en-suite bathroom on one side, and a kitchen and second bathroom on the other. A large slate island stands in the middle of the kitchen and serves as both a dining table and a workspace. A large display case shows off old leather-bound suitcases and books, alongside crockery and specimen belljars.

It's rustic; it’s different; it’s small. It’s very cool.

Click to emBIGGERate ...

ArchDaily

GOP Senator Kelly Loeffler and Her Husband Profited Off A Pandemic

Keep in mind that Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler’s most recent financial disclosures show that millions of dollars in stocks were sold on her behalf at the same time Congress was dealing with the impact of the coronavirus.

Keep in mind that Loeffler is married to Jeff Sprecher, the CEO of the company that owns the New York Stock Exchange.

Keep in mind that Loeffler and Sprecher sold shares in retail stores such as Lululemon and T.J. Maxx—that have been shuttered in the pandemic—and then invested in a company that makes COVID-19 protective garments.

Coincidence?

Franklin Graham Makes You Promise To Hate Before You Can Help

With all the cases of COVID-19 in New York City, Samaritan’s Purse, an evangelical Christian humanitarian aid organization that provides aid to people in physical need, is funding and erecting a Field Hospital in Central Park to handle all those people who need care.

Nice, but … Samaritan’s Purse run by Faux-Christian bigot, homophobe, asshat, fuckmonkey Franklin Graham makes all workers, including health care providers “read and adhere” to a statement of faith that says gay people will burn in Hell.

You know, because when you’re caring for the sick you want god to know who should burn in Hell.

A City Hall spokesperson said the field hospital will operate as a Mount Sinai facility, and must adhere to the hospital’s policy against discrimination. But I guess they still have to read about Hate and agree that The Gays should burn in Hell.

New York state Senator Brad Hoylman, The only openly gay member of the New York State Senate, put the group on notice:

“Graham has a long history of homophobic and transphobic remarks. He’s called LGBTQ activists ‘immoral,’ said being gay or trans is ‘detestable,’ and even claimed Satan is behind the fight for equal rights … LGBTQ New Yorkers already experience health disparities compared to the general population, including higher rates of HIV, cancer and respiratory health issues. This means many LGBTQ New Yorkers have weaker immune systems or pre-existing conditions that make them more vulnerable to COVID-19. COVID-19 doesn’t discriminate, and neither should Franklin Graham. It’s unacceptable that a New Yorker infected with COVID-19 could be subjected to discriminatory treatment from an organization whose leader calls us ‘immoral’ and ‘detestable.’ Today I’m calling on Franklin Graham to publicly assure LGBTQ New Yorkers that they will receive the same treatment as anyone else at the Central Park field hospital. The City of New York and the Mount Sinai hospital network must monitor conditions closely at Graham’s facility and ensure every single LGBTQ patient is treated fairly. We cannot abandon our moral compass in the middle of a pandemic. Sadly, beggars can’t be choosers: New York needs every ventilator we can get. But homophobic pastor Franklin Graham and his field hospital operation in Central Park must guarantee all LGBTQ patients with COVID-19 are treated with dignity and respect. We’ll be watching.”

Bravo, sir, although the idea that Franklin Graham has a “moral compass” is laughable.

I hope the volunteers at that hospital step up, and away, from the kind of “Christian” Franklin Graham represents.

Tuesday Thought #2

Tussday Thought #1

Idaho Governor Brad Little Is The Face of Hate

Today is the 10th annual Transgender Day of Visibility, but with so much happening around the world it feels like just another day.

Unless of course, you’re Idaho’s governor Brad Little, who is choosing to commemorate this day, not yesterday, not tomorrow, by signing of two bills into law that take away the rights of our trans brothers and sisters.

One measure bans transgender girls from playing on girls’ and women’s sports teams.

The other prohibits transgender people from changing their gender on Idaho birth certificates.

Yes, at a time when Americans are dying—we just passed the number of Americans killed on 9/11—and at a time when our trans brothers and sisters are being murdered simply for being trans, Brad Little and the Idaho legislature chose today to legalize the demonization of transgender people.

To Brad Little, the Idaho state legislature, and any hate-filled person in this world, I say:

Things I Like #1

Well, to be fair, I stole this idea from Mistress Maddie, who was sharing some of favorite things of fellow bloggers. I figured, I have some things I like, so why not do the same.

First up, The Kids.

Tuxedo is clearly not happy with self-isolation or having his picture taken. But, oy, look at the punum on that cat!

Miss Consuelo Roca Jones and her ‘What?” face. She likes attention, but only when she seeks it, not when you offer it.

MaxGoldberg had a tooth removed several years ago, and now, every so often, his mouth goes a little cock-eyed—I believe Maddie has the same condition … being cock eyed. Max’s Native American name is Crooked Mouth.

And finally, the lone pup in a house of cats and queens. Ozzo loo0ks like someone just said the word ‘Bath.’

And so there’s the first of Things I Like … more to come.

His Ego: I Can't

_____ says that he wants his name on coronavirus relief checks going out to every American as part of the $2 trillion stimulus package intended to boost the economy even though a civil servant—the disbursing officer for the payment center—would normally sign federal checks.

Why?

Well, while signing the bill into law in the Oval Office last week—with only Republicans on hand, mind you—IMPOTUS was said to be in awe at the price tag attached to the legislation:

“I never signed anything with a T on it.”

Trump, who has faced criticism recently for his bumbling of the pandemic, and his view that it’ll be over soon, predicted a ‘rebound like we have never seen before’ by the end of the year.

The end of the year? But you said Easter! You said when the weather got warmer. You said it was no big deal.

I don’t want your name on a fucking check, I want your name at the bottom of a letter that says:

“I resign.”

The Funny Papers

Bill Day, David Horsey, Michael de Adder, John Deering, RJ Matson, Terry Mosher AKA Aislin, Darrin Bell, Drew Sheneman, Tom Stiglich, Nick Anderson, Gary Varvel, Mike Thompson, Jack Ohman, Clay Bennett, Adam Zyglis