Sunday, January 31, 2016

Happy 95th Birthday Carol Channing!


My dear Carol Channing celebrates her 95th birthday today.

Back in 2010, I performed with her again (picture above) in the opening number of the Gypsy of the Year competition, which is a major charity event for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.  She brought the house down as only she can.

For those that don't know, I spent two and a half incredible years performing with Carol in the last Broadway revival of Hello, Dolly!.  I eventually became the production supervisor where she would ask me for notes - on how to perform the role of Dolly Levi!  As if I could tell her anything she didn't already know.

You can read more about my journey with Carol and Hello, Dolly! here.

A quick Carol story: when I was supervising Dolly on tour, one day we had a particularly long and dreadful travel day - two planes, a bus, a train and a donkey or two - to get to what Carol called "a soccer arena" where we would perform the show that night.

In the sound check Carol looked down and realized that the musician's pit was 25 feet beneath us.  This was the pit that I had to leap over every night in the middle of the Hello, Dolly! number.  For the first time in 30 years of doing the show she decided this was dangerous.

After the sound check she came looking for me to ask if someone could put a net or something between the pit and the stage in case those of us who jumped over the pit happened to fall into it.  At this point, I had 30 minutes before the performance and was taking a long shower to rid myself of the long travel day.  This being a "soccer arena" the showers where open showers in a locker room.

Covered in soap and standing under the water I suddenly heard a very low baritone voice say "Randy".  I turned and there was Carol, in the open showers with me, smiling.  She waited for me to turn and went into her concerns about the pit, a net and all sorts of other things as I stood there completely naked.

When she finished expressing her concerns I said "Absolutely Carol.  But right now I'm soaking wet, taking a shower."  She looked me up and down, smiled and said "Oh! Yes, of course.  Well, you know - we're all just show folk" and then turned and left me to finish my shower.  Nudity was nothing to this old pro who had changed costumes in the wings for decades.

Celebrate our fabulous Carol Channing today.  She is truly a national treasure.

As Carol likes to say, "the first 95 years are the hardest."

Donald Trump Attacks Iowa's Anti-Gay Hate Group Leader Bob Vander Plaats Over Cruz Endorsement

Bob Vander Plaats (R) predicts Iowa win for Sen. Ted Cruz

Donald Trump took to Twitter to attack virulently anti-gay hate group leader Bob Vander Plaats after Vander Plaats endoresed Sen. Ted Cruz.







In 2012, Vander Plaats was famously accused of attempting to sell his endorsement to Rick Santorum for $1 million.

Viral Video: Donald Trump With A Cockney Accent


English comedian and actor Peter Serafinowicz took one of Donald Trump's stump appearances and redubbed the speech with a deep "Cockney/Gangster" accent to hilarious effect.

Serafinowicz notes that no words were changed at all.


Final Poll Before Iowa Caucus: Hillary Clinton +3, Donald Trump +5


The final poll before the Iowa Caucus's tomorrow shows Hillary Clinton leading her Democratic opponent Sen. Bernie Sanders by a narrow 3 points, while on the Republican side Donald Trump has retaken the lead over Sen. Ted Cruz 28% vs. 23%.

Results from the Bloomberg Politics/Des Moines Register:

Democrats
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton - 45%
Sen. Bernie Sanders - 42%
Gov. Martin O'Malley - 3%

Interesting to note, 83% of Clinton's supporters say their mind is made up, while 69% of Sander's supporters say the same. Twenty-nine percent of those leaning Sander's way say they could change their minds.

Republicans:
Donald Trump - 28%
Sen. Ted Cruz - 23%
Se. Marco Rubio - 15%
Dr. Ben Carson - 10%
Sen. Rand Paul - 5%
Gov. Chris Christie - 3%
Gov. Jeb Bush, Carly Fiorina, Gov. Mike Huckabee, Gov. John Kasich and Rick Santorum - 2%

Saturday, January 30, 2016

Viral Video: Coldplay & Beyoncé "Hymn For The Weekend"


The second single from Coldplay's acclaimed new album, A Head Full Of Dreams.

From Stereogum:

The clip, from director Ben Mor, features Coldplay performing at what appears to be an Indian street fair and wandering into the city while fireworks explode above.

Beyoncé never appears onscreen with the boys; instead, she plays some sort of Bollywood screen queen, which is some pretty decent casting if you ignore the whole cultural-appropriation angle.

Beautifully shot.

Longtime readers of The Randy Report know I'm a huge Coldplay fan.

Over 5 million views in a day. As it should be :)





Anti-Gay Harlem Church Could Become A Haven For Homeless LGBT Youth


A Harlem church, which has become a symbol of hate and homophobia, may present an opportunity to be repurposed as a haven for homeless LGBT youth.

Via Huffington Post:

A New York state judge has ordered the ATLAH World Missionary Church to be sold at a public foreclosure auction, according to court records cited by DNAinfo New York. The church, which has been known to display messages like "Jesus would stone homos" and "Obama has released the homo demons on the black man" on its billboard, has reportedly amassed debts and tax liens totaling more than $1.02 million.

The Harlem church could prove to be a commodity in Manhattan's cutthroat real estate market. But the Ali Forney Center, an advocacy group dedicated to homeless lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) teens and young adults, hopes that an online fundraiser will help raise $200,000 to secure the property as housing for its clients.

Carl Siciliano, who is the Ali Forney Center's founder and executive director, said in a press release that repurposing the church to house homeless LGBT youth would "truly be a triumph of love over hatred."

"The biggest reason our youths are driven from their homes is because of homophobic and transphobic religious beliefs of their parents," he said. "Because of this, it has been horrifying for us to have our youths exposed to Manning's messages inciting hatred and violence against our community. It has meant the world to us that so many Harlem residents have stood up to support our young people, and are now urging us to provide urgently needed care at the site of so much hatred."

LGBT rights activist Scott Wooledge, who is working with the Ali Forney Center to raise the funds to buy the church and has raised over $200,000 for homeless youth over the past two years, echoed those sentiments.

"We, as a community, have a golden, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to turn what was once a center of appalling hate into a home where our youth can be safe, nurtured, supported and thrive into self-sufficient adults," he told The Huffington Post in an email. "Let's seize the day, and turn the page on an ugly chapter in Harlem's history."

Siciliano has announced that should the Ali Forney Center not able to obtain the building, any funds raised will be utilized to increase its housing and vocational services for homeless LGBT youth in another site.

This is a wonderful chance to do something really beautiful. Please consider donating here.

You can follow the fundraising goals here.

Friday, January 29, 2016

U.S. State Department: Recently Released Clinton Emails "Not Marked Classified"


The AP is reporting that a group of emails meant to be released today as part of the investigation into Hillary Clinton's personal email server are being withheld because they contain "top secret" information.

It has not been reported whether any of the information was classified at the time of transmission.

State Department spokesman John Kirby clarified Friday, "The documents are being upgraded at the request of the Intelligence Community. These documents were not marked classified at the time they were sent."

Kirby told the AP that the decision to withhold documents in full as "not unusual."

The Associated Press learned seven email chains are being withheld in full from the Friday release because they contain information deemed to be "top secret." The 37 pages include messages recently described by a key intelligence official as concerning so-called "special access programs" — a highly restricted subset of classified material that could point to confidential sources or clandestine programs like drone strikes or government eavesdropping.

Even if Clinton only read, and didn't write or forward the secret messages, she still would have been required to report classification slippages that she recognized. But without classification markings, that may have been difficult, especially if the information was in the public domain.

Department officials wouldn't describe the substance of the emails, or say if Clinton sent any herself.

"We firmly oppose the complete blocking of the release of these emails," Clinton campaign spokesman Brain Fallon said in a statement. "Since first providing her emails to the State Department more than one year ago, Hillary Clinton has urged that they be made available to the public. We feel no differently today."

Fallon accused the "loudest and leakiest participants" in a process of bureaucratic infighting for withholding the exchanges. The documents, he said, originated in the State Department's unclassified system long before they ever reached Clinton, and "in at least one case, the emails appear to involve information from a published news article."

"This appears to be over-classification run amok," Fallon said.

New Music: Inas X "Love Is"


Brooklyn born recording artist Inas X drops her new single and music video "Love Is" just in time for the weekend :)

Via press release:
The positive, dance/pop hit was inspired by the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage, and her desire to capture the historic moment. The video itself showcases people from all different walks of life to illustrate the message that love is for everyone. The joyous feeling is infectious, and by the end you have no choice but to give in to the power of love.

"I knew how important this was for so many people," says Inas X​. "Love shouldn't be something that's restricted. It's a beautiful thing and there needs to be so much more of it in the world. I just had to capture this movement in a song.”

"It's such a revolutionary time in history and must be celebrated! Love is different to everyone but I think everyone wants to be loved. Love is painful, and hard but it also is the most beautiful strongest entity in the universe! Love is a celebration. Love is Love!"

Inas X​ prides herself on being a strong, passionate, “boss babe,” and hopes to create of “movement of love” through her music. “Love Is” marks the first single from Inas’ debut EP set for a 2016 release.
Inas has tons of show dates coming up - check her official website at www.InasX.com


Iowa: New PPP Poll Shows Hillary Clinton Leading Bernie Sanders By 8 Points


As we get closer and closer to Monday's Iowa caucus's, folks are looking to polls even more to read tea leaves about who may win on the Democratic side.

A new PPP poll shows former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton leading Sen. Bernie Sanders 48% to his 40%. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley comes in with 7%.

PPP makes note that O'Malley's voter COULD end up helping Sanders as the survey shows 57% of O'Malley's supporters name Sanders as their second pick.

In Iowa, for a candidate to receive any delegates from a particular precinct, he or she must have the support of at least 15% of participants required by the viability threshold. Supporters of inviable candidates can shift to a candidate deemed viable, form a new group of other inviable candidates in hopes of reaching the threshold, or choose to abstain.

This is where folks "second choice" factors prominently.

Also of note: 88% of Clinton's supporters say they are "firmly committed" to voting for her versus 74% of Sander's supporters.

Come Monday we'll finally have some real turnout and real votes to see where this is all headed.

New TV Series: Viceland's "Gaycation" With Ellen Page & Ian Daniel


Via press release:

VICELAND, VICE’s new TV network, launched the first trailer for GAYCATION, a brand new series hosted by Ellen Page and Ian Daniel.

Ellen and her best friend Ian set off on a personal journey to explore LGBTQ cultures around the world. From Japan to Brazil, Jamaica to America, they discover the multiplicity of LGBTQ experiences, meeting amazing people and hearing their deeply moving stories of struggle and triumph. GAYCATION celebrates the state of LGBTQ identities across the globe.

The series premieres on Wednesday, March 2nd at 10PM.


Music Video: Parlour Trick "Broken Hearts/Bones"


Parlour Trick shares the rise and fall of grocery store escapades in the music video for their new song, "Broken Hearts/Bones."

Passion, sadness, anger and regret are all on display in this collective expression of humanity, including a real-life gay couple who find passion in the snacks aisle.

Singer Lily Cato explains how the storyline of the video came to be:

"A few months ago I was standing in the checkout line at the grocery store," she wrote back. "A very popular, very sad love song came on the radio. When it reached the bridge I suddenly became aware that everyone around me had started singing to themselves. Softly, but earnestly. There was a middle aged man, some teenagers, woman with a baby, dude with a motorcycle helmet under his arm, all of the women working the checkout counter. Everyone was singing and no one was acknowledging it. I had never seen anything like it.

"After the song ended the line shuffled forward, the next song came on, there were beeps from the scanners, the manager talking over the intercom. No one made eye contact. I might as well have dreamt it. I left feeling crazy; it was so funny, but also so moving. I had borne witness to a weirdly intimate, collective catharsis. All because that song came on the radio."





Today In "News We Really Didn't Need To Know"

Only Female Senators Show Up For Work After Jonas Blizzard Last Week

Only Female Senators Showed Up To Work After The Snowstorm

Only female Senators showed up to work during the giant blizzard of 2016

Posted by NowThis on Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Tony The Tiger Tells Twitter To Tone It Down


It looks like the poor person who handles Kellogg's "Tony The Tiger" Twitter account had to tell folks to chill when folks from the "furry" community wouldn't stop sending the account anthropomorphic animal porn.

The definition of the term “furry” is contested, even among furries themselves, but it usually refers to the fandom of people who identify with, roleplay as, and usually wear fursuits to mimic, anthropomorphised cartoon animals. It’s not a sex thing. At least, it’s not always a sex thing. Basically, if the suave Disney version of Robin Hood – who is a literal fox – spoke to you on a romantic level, you may appreciate where they’re coming from.

Of course, as an anthropomorphised cartoon animal, Tony the Tiger is the daddy of all furries, and so there’s a fair amount of artwork featuring him. This artwork is not always safe for work. It also seems fair to assume that Kellogg’s does not want its brand to be associated with – say – a picture of an extremely muscly Tony, naked save for his neckerchief, masturbating on an exercise bench.

So three days ago Kellogg’s started blocking the furries en masse. Even ones who weren’t posting porn. Even, it seems, ones who hadn’t even said anything to Tony on Twitter.

Some furries gave up tweeting at Tony and found a new hero. Where Tony the Tiger was apparently hostile to their fandom, Chester Cheetah, the anthropomorphic mascot of the Cheetos brand of cheese-esque cornmeal puffs, was much more welcoming, and ended up straight-up flirting with them:


(h/t JMG)

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Iowa: Hillary Clinton Up 5 Points Over Bernie Sanders In New Monmouth University Poll


From CNN:

Hillary Clinton holds an edge over Bernie Sanders in the Democratic presidential race among likely Democratic caucus-goers, according to a new Iowa poll.

Clinton has 47% support compared to Sanders' 42%, according to a Monmouth University survey released Thursday. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley comes in third with 6% support.

News Round-Up: January 28, 2016


Some news stories you may have missed:

• Abe Vigoda, who played the lovable "Detective Fish" on Barney Miller, passed away at the age of 94.

• President Obama met with Democratic White House hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders in an effort to show no endorsement has been made by Obama between Sanders and Hillary Clinton.

• However, President Obama DOES think Hillary Clinton is facing "unfair" scrutiny this primary season.

• The nominees for the 2016 GLAAD Media Awards, which recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the LGBT community, have been announced.

• Hawaiian lawmakers have introduced legislation to ban so-called "conversion therapy" for minors.

• "Bundy militia" leader Ammon Bundy to his fellow domestic terrorists: "Please stand down. Go home and hug your families."

• Fox News' Bill O'Reilly urges Donald Trump to drop his boycott of tonight's GOP debate: "Be the bigger man."

I just like looking at him. Happy Thursday!

#TBT - Bill O'Reilly's Epic Meltdown On Inside Edition


I hadn't seen this is a while. It's pretty amazing folks could actually act out like this in the workplace.


Iowa: New Poll Shows HIllary Clinton Leading Sen. Bernie Sanders By 3 Points


With only five days until the all-important Iowa caucus's, a new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll shows former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton leading Sen. Bernie Sanders by a scant 3 points

Via The Hill:

A new poll shows Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) running neck-and-neck among likely Democratic caucusgoers in Iowa. Clinton has 48 percent support, compared to Sanders’s 45 percent in the Hawkeye State, within the margin of error of the NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll.

Sanders widened his lead over the former secretary of State to 19 points in New Hampshire, however, adding 15 points from a similar poll earlier this month.

Clinton remains dominant in South Carolina with a 37-point lead over the Vermont senator, 64 to 27 percent.

Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley hold the third spot in all three early voting states, pollsters also found, with 3 percent in Iowa, 2 percent in New Hampshire and 2 percent in South Carolina.

New "Reactions" Coming Soon To Facebook


Soon, you'll be able to do more than just "Like" your Facebook friend's posts. How much more? Huffington Post has the details:

The tech giant's chief product officer Chris Cox confirmed in a Bloomberg report that it's only a matter of weeks before Facebook users everywhere can hit the Reactions" icon.

Facebook announced last year that it would roll out "Reactions" buttons to accompany the familiar thumbs-up icon. Soon, there will be five emojis to represent "love," "haha," "sad," "angry" and "wow."

"Reactions" was first tested in Spain and Ireland in October. Then Facebook users in Chile, the Philippines, Portugal and Colombia got to try it. Soon, it will finally be available in the U.S. for the first time.

The company worked with sociologists to analyze the most common reactions across the social media platform to determine which emoji faces would make the cut. A spokesperson told Bloomberg that they decided to axe the planned sixth "yay" button, because "it was not universally understood.”

All of this comes out of Facebook users requests to be able to "dislike" something, like the passing of a friend's pet or losing a job.

Note: you still won't get the option to "dislike."

Video: Gay Sex Commercial


Cute, creative, thoughtful, "outside the box" approach to how we perceive sex.

Surprisingly safe for viewing at work.

From the creators:

“F**K THE HATE! Sex can be new and exciting, adventurous and amazing. But sometimes sex can become a routine. We decided to break this routine again and make a commercial that promotes sex (and thinking) in a colorful way. The first ever ‪#Gay‬ Sex Commercial. We hope, we can give the ‪LGBT‬ community something to celebrate. Because sex is not just one pencil and one sharpener – there is so much more in between!!”


Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Three 18 Year Old Buds Are Ready For Donald Trump


These three 18-year-old bros - Brody Buck, Turner Eakins and Tate Moyer - are ready to throw down and bro out hard for Donald Trump.

Speaking to CNN, the three explain exactly why they believe completely in the Trumpster.

Says Brody (the brooding one), “In school we learned about how America was great, you know, a while ago or whatever. And I kinda want to live through that as an 18-year-old.”

And when it comes to The Donald's non-traditional use of language (calling folks "losers") or political correctness, Turner says, “Ordinary citizens say stuff like that and I wouldn’t say any of us are sexist for using those terms. If you take that away, then you lose the authenticity.”

Ok. So, to be "authentic" you have to be rude or a jerk.

Got it.


Facebook Post Of The Day: Michelangelo Signorile


Why is this still being a called a "protest"?
Posted by Michelangelo Signorile on Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Video: Things Gay Pornstars Are Tired Of Hearing


Thanks to Boy Culture for pointing up this cute video featuring pornstars reacting to "things gay pornstars are tired of hearing."

By the way - who is Diego Sans? Cute!


Tom Hardy Takes An Icy Dip Naked


How could I not post this?

In scenes from Driven to Extreme: Coldest Road, Tom Hardy and former Formula one driver Mika Salo brave a plunge in a frozen Yukon river followed by a life saving sauna.

Warning some scenes may contain a naked Tom Hardy wearing a felt hat while being beaten on his most excellent bare rump with a bush.

The TV series is described as such: Hollywood actors join forces with former Formula One driver Mika Salo and 2003 World Superbike champion Neil Hodgson, to take on the world's most extreme roads.

I'm not asking questions - I don't have to understand. I just get to enjoy Tom and his furry, naked goodness :)

Happy Hump (Rump) Day!


Comedy Gold: Bill Maher On Sarah Palin's Endorsement Of Donald Trump

Trump & Gump

Posted by Bill Maher on Monday, January 25, 2016

Bill Maher gets it all SO right as he recaps the wild, rambling endorsement by former half-term governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, of GOP White House hopeful Donald Trump.

This is great.

Radio Show: Internet Sensation Brandon Skeie Drops New Single "So Bad"

YouTube music sensation Brandon Skeie releases his new single "So Bad"
Brandon Skeie releases his new single "So Bad"

I really enjoyed talking with internet music sensation Brandon Skeie last night on my online radio show, The Randy Report.

Brandon Skeie (SHAY-AH) is an LA based singer-songwriter/artist with a strong presence among the industry’s creative community.

At the age of 22, Brandon Skeie has been featured in Billboard, Ryan Seacrest and MTV, over 3M SoundCloud plays, an active online fan base of 350K+ followers, a 15 week synch on E! and more.

After developing a huge following on his YouTube channel (almost 9 million views) including his spectacular cover versions of songs like Adele's "Hello," Brandon is poised for a strong 2016 with the release of original music, beginning with his new single "So Bad".

I spoke with Brandon about his creative process in the recording studio, his amazing vocal range, and how he views being an out musician in today's musical landscape.

I'm a fan of the new song, so I asked about where the inspiration for the song came from. Brandon's response:
Basically, "So Bad" is based on a previous relationship of mine. I had met a person. It was actually my first love, which made it a little bit more interesting. I was deeply, deeply in love with this person, but around six, seven months into the relationship, it just became evident that love wasn't enough.

We had many, many differences. We didn't get along a lot of the time. It just created this feeling like, "Man, I just want you so bad all the time, but I can't." It's just you falling so in love with somebody or the idea of somebody, and then you really get to know them, your personalities clash, and there's nothing you can do, except for that feeling that lingers. Wanting somebody so bad, but knowing it's not the right time or the right place.

That's basically the full inspiration behind it. The same situation actually was going on with my co-writer Hillary Bernstein at the same time. Both of us were going through this really rough relationship period and just came up with this concept. It just flew out of us really quickly.
After listening to the show below, make sure you check out Brandon's new single "So Bad" here.

You can follow Brandon on Instagram here, Facebook here, and Twitter here.



Brandon Skeie in the recording studio
Brandon Skeie

Donald Trump Pulls Out Of FOX News GOP Debate


After some very entertaining comments thrown back and forth between Fox News and Donald Trump, the Trumpster has issued a statement saying he will definitely boycott Thursday night's GOP debate hosted by Fox News.

The statement reads, in part, "Unlike the very stupid, highly incompetent people running our country into the ground, Mr. Trump knows when to walk away."

Click the image above to enlarge.

The brouhaha centers around Trump's objection to Megyn Kelly taking part in the debate as one of the moderators. Trump maintains that he is not being treated "fairly."

Trump recently told CNN he was considering skipping the debate because he felt Kelly was biased against him.

If I think I'm going to be treated unfairly, I'd do something else. But I don't think she can treat me fairly, actually. I think she's very biased. And I don't think she can treat me fairly. But that doesn't mean I don't do the debates. I like doing the debate. I've won every single debate, according to every poll.

Fox News issued a statement saying, "Sooner or later Donald Trump, even if he's president, is going to have to learn that he doesn't get to pick the journalists — we're very surprised he's willing to show that much fear about being questioned by Megyn Kelly."

Last night, after Trump posted a Twitter poll asking whether he should or should not attend the debate (respondents were evenly split), Fox News served this dose of snark via Mediaite:

We learned from a secret back channel that the Ayatollah and Putin both intend to treat Donald Trump unfairly when they meet with him if he becomes president — a nefarious source tells us that Trump has his own secret plan to replace the Cabinet with his Twitter followers to see if he should even go to those meetings.

Hillary Clinton On Possible SCOTUS Appointment For Obama: "What A Great Idea!"


At a campaign stop in Deocorah, Iowa, yesterday, Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton was asked her thoughts on the idea of nominating President Barack Obama for the U.S. Supreme Court.

Clinton was quite bullish about the proposition.

Via ABC News:

"Wow, what a great idea. No one has ever suggested that to me, I love that, wow," the Democratic presidential candidate responded. "He may have a few other things to do but I tell you that's a great idea."

Clinton went on to talk about how the next president could have to appoint up to three Supreme Court justices, but she then circled back.

"I would certainly take that under advisement," she told the crowd of 450 people inside a ballroom at the Winn Hotel about a potential Justice Obama. "I mean he’s brilliant, and he can set forth an argument, and he was a law professor, so he’s got all the credentials."

Oregon: Eight Domestic Terrorists In "Bundy Militia" Arrested, One Killed


After three weeks of occupation of a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon, FBI and Oregon State police have arrested 8 members of the domestic terrorist group known as the "Bundy militia."

During the arrest, one of the right-wing extremists was shot and killed

From USA Today:
Arizona resident Robert "LaVoy" Finicum, 56, of Cane Beds, Ariz., was shot and killed during the encounter. The FBI did not release his name, but his death was reported by The Oregonian and NBC News.

NBC News correspondent Pete Williams, quoting unidentified sources, says Finicum was shot after stepping from a vehicle and brandishing a weapon.

The standoff, however, is not over, as five or six protesters remain at the compound..

One of them, Jason Patrick, said he has been speaking with an FBI negotiator who told him "they just want to get everybody off the refuge."

Those arrested include the Bundy brothers, Ryan 43, of Bunkerville, Nev., and Ammon, 40, of Emmett, Idaho, along with Brian Cavalier, 44, of Bunkerville; Shawna Cox, 59, of Kanab, Utah; and Ryan Waylen Payne, 32, of Anaconda, Mont. Also arrested, at separate locations in Burns, Ore., near the refuge, were Pete Santilli, host of a neoconservative online radio, and Joseph Donald O'Shaughnessy, 45, of Cottonwood, Ariz.

An eighth person, Jon Eric Ritzheimer, 32, was arrested after turning himself into police in Peoria, Ariz.

Those arrested were charged with a federal felony count of conspiracy to impede officers of the United States from discharging their official duties through the use of force, intimidation or threats.

Many residents of Harney County, where the refuge is located, have been among those demanding Bundy leave. Many sympathize with his criticism of federal land management policies of public lands but opposed the refuge takeover. They feared violence could erupt.

"I am pleased that the FBI has listened to the concerns of the local community and responded to the illegal activity occurring in Harney County by outside extremists," Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley said in a statement. "I hope that the remaining individuals occupying the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge will peacefully surrender."

The nutjobs who are supporting this terrorist act will scream about Finicum's death. It's worth noting, however, those are probably the same people who would blame a black man (or child) for being shot by police if THEY were to brandish a gun in the direction of a police officer.

UPDATE: Anti-Muslim activist and Oregon militia member Jon Ritzheimer has also been arrested after turning himself in to police in Arizona. Ritzheimer had fled the Oregon wildlife refuge some time before the arrests of his fellow domestic terrorists.

Viral Video: Dogs Vs. Stairs

Dogs Vs. Stairs

There is something about stairs that some dogs just can’t figure out. We've compiled some hilarious clips of dogs using some "unique" methods to figure it out. http://petcha.com/pet_care/videogallery/dogs-vs-stairs/

Posted by Petcha on Monday, January 18, 2016

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Donald Trump Dislikes Fox News' Megyn Kelly So Much He May Boycott Next Debate



I'll say this: if Donald Trump can't handle Fox News' Megyn Kelly, he's gonna be knee-deep in trouble onstage with Hillary Clinton.

Just saying.

Unanimous Ruling By Mexican Supreme Court Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage In State of Jalisco


From JoeMyGod:

In a unanimous 11-0 ruling, today the Mexican Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in the state of Jalisco, home to the popular gay resort Puerto Vallarta, and Guadalajara, the nation’s second largest city.

Same-sex marriage is legal and recognized in all of Mexico’s 31 states, but Jalisco becomes only the sixth state to allow same-sex marriages without a complex legal petitioning process that can take up to one month and cost $1000.

Jalisco today joins the states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Guerrero, Nayarit and Quintana Roo, the federal district of Mexico City, and the city of Santiago de QuerĂ©taro, capital of QuerĂ©taro state, in allowing marriages to take place free of the above-described nonsense. For more on Mexico’s complicated marriage journey, read Rex Wockner’s excellent status report.

Florida State Senate Considers Comprehensive LGBT Anti-Discrimination Bill


Today, the Florida Senate Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing regarding a comprehensive LGBT anti-discrimination bill.

From Equality Florida:

The committee will hear The Florida Competitive Workforce Act (SB 120) which would prohibit discrimination against LGBT people in employment, housing and public accommodations. This the first time the legislation will be heard by legislators.

“This is a huge breakthrough not only for Florida but for the South and the nation as the third most populous state takes up long overdue, basic protections.,” said Nadine Smith, Equality Florida’s Executive Director. “The Florida Competitive Workforce Act has bipartisan support in both chambers, the support of Fortune 500 Companies, over 400 small businesses and a strong majority of Floridians. It’s time for Florida to pass this common-sense legislation.”

Currently 55% of Florida’s population, in 38 municipalities, are protected at the local level by nondiscrimination laws, but no uniform statewide law exists, leaving many vulnerable to discrimination. The bill would add sexual orientation and gender identity or expression to pre-existing nondiscrimination laws that already cover race, religion, disability, age and other categories.

A recent Harris poll showed half of Americans believe “gay people have the same rights as everyone else.”

Unfortunately, the majority of states — 31 to be exact — don’t have fully inclusive laws in place that protect LGBT Americans from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

UPDATE: Time ran out in the Senate Judiciary Committee and no vote was taken on the Florida Competitive Workforce Act (SB 120) today.

But Chair Diaz de la Portilla guaranteed that it will be the first bill heard in next week's committee meeting and that there will be plenty of time for questions and discussion.

"Having waited almost a decade for the most important civil rights legislation to be considered by the Florida Legislature in years, we can wait just one more week,” said Carlos Guillermo Smith, Equality Florida’s Government Affairs Manager. “We have been assured by Senator Diaz de la Portilla that our bill will be heard in next week's committee, that it will be first on the agenda, and that it will be given the full hearing and debate the bill deserves.”

Extremely Damaging Video Exposing Donald Trump's Many Position Flip-Flops Over The Years


What can you say to this? It's all in his own words. And most of it is not ancient history.

This video shows how Trump's positions change like the wind to suit his personal needs.

Very, very damaging.


Viral Video: "RepubliCATS"


As a CATS alum myself - I often joke I did the show back when it was a good credit - I find this very funny. Great original details thrown in for authenticity.

I love that the Rum Tum Tugger is played by Trump, who admits this has all been a joke and he really doesn't want to be in the race at all.


In an effort to help the voters decide the primary, The Iowan Republican Committee hires Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber to stage live entertainment starring the Republican candidates.
Posted by RepubliCATS on Tuesday, December 15, 2015

(tipped by TRR reader Leslie)

Campaign Ad: Hillary Clinton "Children"


New campaign ad up from the Hillary Clinton campaign that utilizes video clips from decades ago, highlighting her work on behalf of children her entire life.


Video: What Is A Caucus, Anyway?


We caucus here in Nevada, and I really, really dislike it.

As the video points out, many people don't have the time to take off work and attend a caucus for an hour or two at a specific time.

Primaries, which are like a regular election, are held all day - people can come, vote and leave in the morning, afternoon or night. Whatever time suits their life and schedule.

Primaries definitely include more voters, and that should be the point. I'm told Nevada does the caucus thing because primaries cost more. Boo.


Monday, January 25, 2016

Shirtless Zac Efron On The Set Of BAYWATCH Movie

Toronto: LGBTQ Posters Cool Transformation When Photographed With Flash

This is pretty cool. God knows the younger crowd likes tech-y, new things.

Via Adweek:
New posters have gone up in Toronto District School Board schools, which include 76,000 middle school and high school students. Launched by LGBTQ advocacy group Toronto Pflag, the posters depict a rainbow that spells out the LGBTQ acronym: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Straight, Queer and 2-Spirited.

When students use the flash on their camera phones to take a picture of the poster, the words are suddenly accompanied by nouns that illustrate LGBTQ folks are people they know, respect and love.

"We wanted to send a positive message to students that we are all more than just our gender identity and sexual orientation," says Toronto Pflag president Anne Creighton. "Our mission is to get students talking about these things, so the novel and shareable nature of this poster was a perfect fit for our message."

Planned Parenthood CLEARED Of Wrongdoing, Anti-Abortion Activists Indicted For Tampering With Governmental Record


The Houston Chronicle has the surprising developments in the Planned Parenthood story:

A Harris County grand jury investigating allegations that a Planned Parenthood clinic in Houston illegally sold the tissue of aborted fetuses has cleared the organization of wrongdoing and instead indicted two anti-abortion activists behind the undercover videos that sparked the probe.

Secret videographers David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt were both indicted on charges of tampering with a governmental record, a second-degree felony that carries a punishment of up to 20 years in prison. Daleiden received an additional misdemeanor indictment under the law prohibiting the purchase and sale of human organs.

LGBT Academy Of Recording Arts Presents 9th OUTmusic Awards Online


Last night, the LGBT Academy of Recording Arts (LARA) presented an online presentation of the nominees and winners of the 9th OUTmusic Awards on www.outmusicawards.com.

These are actually the winners of last year's awards, but the presentation was cancelled due to some financial issues. Those issues continue to be shrouded in secret for what has been deemed legal reasons.

Via press release:

The 9th OUTmusic Awards were scheduled for production on January 19th, 2015, but the ceremony was postponed due to the fact that OUTmusic Inc. the 501c3 non-profit organization was the victim of a substantial financial fraud crime.

“Unfortunately, we had to abruptly postpone our production of the 9th OUTmusic Awards due to the fact that our organization is the victim of Financial Fraud Crime which caused significant and astronomical damages we were not able to recover from as fast as we wanted to. Hence, we were not able to deliver the production of the 9th OUTmusic Awards months later as we were planning. I wanted to share this information with you sooner, but because this was a crime against our organization, I was advised to not disclose any details to ensure the best possibility for justice to prevail in our favor. I have taken the necessary steps with the proper authorities and have been working with some generous business, media, and creative industry professionals who stepped up to offer their support in our endeavor to recover.”


I've supported the OUTmusic Awards in the past as I'm a big believer in giving LGBT artists acknowledgement for their artistic achievements. Here's hoping OUTmusic's issues have been resolved and the organization can move forward in celebrating LGBT achievement in music.

Here's a complete list of the announced award winners:

THE 9th OMA THEME SONG
Gold Nation (Soundtrack To Freedom)
Sir Ari Gold with Bob Sandee, Zhana Roiya and Sophia Ramos

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
We Will Know
Omar Thomas

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
She (She4Me)
Jen Foster

SINGLE OF THE YEAR
The Other Side
Monifah Carter

HUMANITARIAN SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Be Strong (LGBT Youth)
MRF feat. Lisa Bello, Justin Waithe, and Sheree Dunwell

BEST COUNTRY/FOLK SONG
Something Great
Karmen Butler

BEST DANCE/EDM
Deja Vux
Jonte'

BEST RAP/HIP-HOP SONG
New York
Infinite feat. Sonny Lewis

BEST ROCK SONG
Hell In Gramercy
Derek Nicoletto

BEST POP SONG
Unexpected Love
Charice

BEST R&B/SOUL SONG
Ooh Damn (Like Ooh)
Reina Williams

BEST JAZZ/CABARET SONG
Our Love Is Here To Stay
Nhojj

BEST INTERNATIONAL SONG
Toya Delazy
Forbidden Fruit

BEST GOSPEL/INSPIRATIONAL SONG
Come Bless The Lord With Me
The Relationship

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Aris

BEST ALTERNATIVE SONG
Bleed
Jess Godwin

BEST SONG ON A SOUNDTRACK
"Rebecca" from the webseries Producing Juliet
Rob Gokee

BEST NEW AGE/INSTRUMENTAL SONG
Forever With You
D'Lance Jones

BEST CLASSICAL RECORDING/PERFORMANCE
Since U Been Gone
Well Strung

BEST SPOKEN WORD
Tender
MRF feat. TJ Johnson, Clevland P. Jones

BEST CD COVER ARTWORK
We Will Know
Omar Thomas

BEST COMEDY RECORDING OR LIVE PERFORMANCE
It's Christmas Everyday
VonTanner

Happy Monday


Happy Monday from the ever-hunky Eliad Cohen.

Dang.

First Look At FRIENDS "Reunion"

A photo posted by Johnny Galecki (@sanctionedjohnnygalecki) on


We have our first picture of the much-ballyhooed "reunion" of the cast of FRIENDS thanks to "The Big Bang Theory" star, Johnny Galecki, who posted the above to his Instagram.

The pic shows his “The Big Bang Theory” co-stars Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, and Simon Helberg sitting at a table with Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, and Matt LeBlanc.

Via ExtraTV:

The “Friends” cast was on hand for an NBC special to honor legendary TV producer and director James Burrows, who directed 15 episodes of the hit show from 1994 to 1998.

The only “Friends” cast member missing was Matthew Perry, who has been rehearsing a play in London. Though Perry wasn’t there, he will introduce the cast in the NBC special via video. The special airs on February 21.

Stars from "Two and a Half Men," "Will & Grace," “Cheers," “Frasier," and "Mike & Molly” were also scheduled to pay tribute to Burrows.

Michael Bloomberg Gets Low Double-Digits In Hypothetical Independent Presidential Run

Sen. Bernie Sanders, former Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Donald Trump
Last week, the New York Times reported that former 3-term mayor of New York City and uber-billionaire Michael Bloomberg is considering a possible independent run for the White House.

(Donald Trump likes to say he's really rich. Donald, compared to you, Bloomberg is REALLY, REALLY rich).

Having been a Democrat turned Republican turned Independent, Bloomberg believes he could pull voters from both major political parties. Plus, being worth more than $30 Billion, he could easily drop $1 Billion of his own money without blinking.

But a Morning Consult poll shows the former mayor would not fare well in a three-way race:

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has a ways to go if he wants to win as a third-party candidate for president. According to a new Morning Consult poll, Bloomberg, an independent, gets just 12 percent of voters when competing in a three-way race with the Democratic underdog candidate Bernie Sanders and Republican front-runner Donald Trump.

Sanders, a democratic socialist who has recently tightened the race with front-runner Hillary Clinton, gets 35 percent of voters. Trump gets a nearly identical 34 percent.

Bloomberg is considering entering the race as an independent, third-party candidate if Trump and Sanders are the eventual nominees, the New York Times reported on Saturday, because he could compete with two candidates on the fringes of their parties.

But Bloomberg’s poll numbers barely change when he is competing against Sanders instead of Clinton. In a Morning Consult poll released last week, Bloomberg got 13 percent of voters, Clinton got 36 percent and Trump got 37 percent.

Bolding is mine.

The point being: why spend a billion dollars to come in a distant third?

Super-Producer Avicii Teams With Coca-Cola For New Anthem

Conrad Sewell and Avicii Collaborate to Create New Anthem,

Swedish super-producer and DJ Avicii has teamed up with London born, Australia-raised singer Conrad Sewell for a new anthem for Coca-Cola.

Via press release:
The anthem is part of a brand new Coca-Cola ‘One Brand’ global marketing strategy that, for the first time ever, unites Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Light/Diet Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero, and Coca-Cola Life under the iconic Coca-Cola brand positioning in one global creative campaign, “Taste the Feeling”.

“Taste the Feeling” features the studio wizardry of Swedish DJ, artist and producer Avicii.

A first acoustic version by Sewell is being featured in various TV spots for the new campaign and the lead single with Avicii will be released soon.

Sewell, an Australian singer, currently living in Los Angeles, was featured in the Kygo’s breakout 2015 single “Firestone," which produced 300 million Spotify streams and 3 million-plus worldwide sales. Conrad has also toured with a number of notable artists such as Ed Sheeran, Maroon 5 and more recently Jess Glynne.

Grammy-nominated Avicii is best known for his work with Aloe Blacc on “Wake Me Up,”feel-good theme “Levels” and dance anthem “Hey Brother.” Avicii also collaborated with Wyclef Jean and Carlos Santana to create the official FIFA 2014 World Cup Anthem, “Dar um Jeito (We Will Find a Way).” Avicii has appeared in the top 10 of DJ Mag’s ‘Top 100 DJ’s’ rankings every year since 2011, reaching number 3 in both 2011 and 2012.