Bobservations

I don’t have a Carlos story this week, really, because we are dealing with some health issues for his parents. Things in Mexico City are kind of a mess and the family there is trying to help his mother and father; Carlos, for his part, will be given Power of Attorney, but in Mexico, nothing is ever easy.

We have an appointment with the Mexican Consulate in North Carolina for obtaining the Power of Attorney, but just learned that he’ll need two Powers of Attorney, one for the sale of property, houses and cars etc., and the other for making healthcare decisions. And to get both Powers we need two separate appointments at the Consulate and will have to drive to Raleigh to get things done.

Not a huge schlep but … I overheard Carlos on the phone, trying to make the appointments, and he was telling the person that we live six hours away and don’t want to make two trips, and could we get both appointments the same day.

Yes, we can. Carlos was thrilled and came out to tell me that our first appointment will be May 31st at 8:15AM! But then I reminded him that he told the woman we live six hours away, and unless we were going up the day before we’d have leave Smallville at around 2AM.

That was when he freaked, and squawked and railed, until I told him it was only about a three-hour drive …we’ll still have to leave around 5AM, but we should get both done in the same day, and really, that’s all that matters.

Still, the look on his face when he thought we’d have to leave at 2AM was kinda worth it.

I don’t usually like to share horrible news, heartbreaking news, gut-wrenching news, but if I keep this in, it might just kill me.

Idris.

Elba.

Is.

Married.

And NOT to me! Idris married Sabrina Dhowre last weekend in Marrakesh.

I would have married him in Marrakesh. Budapest. Muncie.

My heart will go on, cracks and all.

Well, someone is desperate to keep their job.

Brad Parscale, _____’s 2020 campaign manager, anticipates the re-election bid will cost at least $1 billion.

It costs that much to keep a racist in office.

On the Woman’s Right to Choose front, the Kansas Supreme Court ruled that the state’s Constitution protects a woman’s right to an abortion.

And that ruling now stands as the law of the land in Kansas with no path for an appeal, making abortion legal in Kansas even if Roe v. Wade is ever reversed by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Now, if only other states could be like Kansas.

Many Americans were shocked by their tax bills this month, but the new GOP Tax Scam really went after our nation's Gold Star families, who saw the taxes owed on their survivor benefits skyrocket.

Theresa Jones has been a single mother to Anthony and Hunter for almost six years since her husband Landon died Operation Enduring Freedom in 2013.

It's been a challenge for Jones, especially financially, but they’ve been able to stay afloat because of the survivor benefits they received … until now.

While her sons each received about $15,000 in survivor benefits last year, Theresa  Jones was hit with a tax bill of $5,400 for them, up from $1,100 from the previous year.

Because a surviving spouse can't receive both Veteran Affairs and Defense Department benefits simultaneously in full, Gold Star parents often sign the taxable DOD benefits over to their children. But the new GOP Tax Scam puts the children of dead veterans into a bracket known as the "kiddie tax" which sits at 37%, much higher than their previous tax rate.

The Treasury Department says it is "evaluating what can be done to solve this issue" but let’s be clear, while the GOP and the Hair Furor love to send men and women to war, when our veterans return home, or goddess forbid, never come home, this country, this government, this administration screws them.

Ain’t that America.

One of my favorite actors,  Judith Light has been named the 2019 recipient of the Tony Awards' honorary Isabelle Stevenson Award.

Light, a Tony winner herself for performances in both The Assembled Parties and Other Desert Cities, will be presented the humanitarian honor in recognition of her advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights and in the fight against HIV/AIDS, from her early involvement in the AIDS Memorial Quilt in the '80s to partaking in the 100-mile African AIDS Trek in 2002 to her continued efforts with such groups as Broadway Cares/Equity Fight AIDS, GLAAD, and LGBT community centers around the country .

"The HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ+ communities are inspirations and demonstrations of how to be and live in the world; courageous, honorable, and uplifting. They inspire me and it is my privilege to be of service to them. I am humbled by this recognition from my theater family, whom I so respect, honor, and love."—Judith Light

Love her, and no one deserves the recognition more.

… is MSNBC guest Chandelle Summer who says that because Pete Buttigieg kissed his husband—a loving gesture made by heterosexual candidates nearly every single time they appear with their spouses—he was making his sexual orientation “an issue” :

“Clearly Pete Buttigieg has made his gayness an issue in this campaign. He’s brought his husband up on stage. They shared a kiss during his announcement. … I think he made it a huge issue. He talked about his spouse, Chasten, and the fact that they were married. This is not a typical candidate. He made it an issue. He could have ignored it. He could have said nothing. And people would speculate about it. But he made it an issue.”

His gayness, and stop with the ridiculousness of that word already, isn’t an issue. Like any other candidate he introduced his husband and gave him a quick kiss.

It’s called ‘love,’ Chandelle, and maybe when you find it, you’ll understand it when you see it.

Sorry, not sorry, Jussie Smollett.

While  Empire will be returning to FOX for a sixth season Jussie Smollett will not, at least as things stand right now, be appearing on the show.

You made your bed ….

I have been watching A Discovery of Witches on BBC America because I love all things witch and vampire and demon, and this one takes the cake.

It also has some Hot Men and I do love me some of those, too, like … clockwise … Daniel Ezra, who plays Nathaniel Wilson, one of the demons; and David Newman, who is Stephen Proctor; also, Edward Bluemel plays Marcus Whitmore, bloodsucker; and lastly, Gregg Chillin, who plays swarthy vampire Domenico Michele.

Huh, maybe it’s just the vampires I love?