Straight High School Guy Asks His Gay BFF To The Prom

Guess who just got asked to prom by @JacobLescenskii pic.twitter.com/eDrTRkX7fp
— AnthonyseXC (@anthonyseXC) April 21, 2015

Jacob Lescenski is straight, and BFF Anthony Martinez is gay.

Anthony is on the student council, and since he's responsible for planning school dances, he says he never gets asked to go.

So, Jacob figured - who better to go to the dance with than his BFF?

Jacob surprised Anthony with a banner reading “You’re hella gay, I’m hella str8, but you’re like my brother so be my d8!”

“He’s a real man,” Anthony said of Jacob in a post, “given that he has the guts to fulfill my gay student council dream of always helping out planning dances, and never getting asked. I couldn’t ask for a better person in my life.”

And yep - Anthony said yes.

5th grade "band of brothers" stand up for first grader with speech impediment

Here's your "feel good story" of the day:

Danny Keefe is a Bridgewater, MA first-grader with speech issues who serves as the water boy for the school's 5th grade football team. Danny likes to dress in a coat and tie often. That and his speech issues have led to him getting bullied a lot.

That is, until a "band of brothers" made up of 45 of his classmates came to his defense. Watch the story below:

(h/t Towleroad)

Lunch with long-distance friends

One of the very best things about the internet is how it's helped connect people who might have never known each other across great distances.

Today, while working in Sacramento on the upcoming production of CHICAGO the Musical for Music Circus, I had lunch with friends I've met and connected with through Facebook, my online radio show The Candi & Randy Show and The Randy Report.

Karla, Linda and I had a fab lunch that FLEW by. But it was a real treat to meet them face to face. I love when people are exactly who they appear to be on Facebook and the interwebs.

We talked and laughed about health, wine and wanderlust. Fun, fun time.

Thank you ladies for finding the time with my crazy schedule here. Loved it.

My college roommate, Mark Kaplan - may I brag for a minute?

How happy am I to write this?

I spent lunch yesterday with my college roommate Mark Kaplan, who I just adore.

In 1981, at Syracuse University, as a freshman I met Mark as a fellow freshman in the new class of music theatre students.  Sometimes in life you are drawn to kindred spirits; sometimes you are drawn to pure talent; sometimes, you are drawn at the same time to both.  I don't give myself credit for being as gifted as Mark, but I had the smarts to at least hang around him hoping something would rub off.  Mark, and my dear friend Matthew Whitaker, formed what would be the nucleus of my 'freshman year friends.'

We quickly became good friends and lived together for two of our four years in college.  It was clear from day one that Mark not only had a fantastic voice and passion for the theatre, but a sense of humor that would transcend time.  Mark made me laugh, Mark made me think, and more than anything Mark made me proud to know him as a person and as an artist.

One of the wonderful lessons that you can't grasp until you are "older" is the value and quality of true friends.  When I write that, I mean people that you may go 10, 15 years without seeing - but can count on the connection and bond that you share.  That is what I was reminded of spending three hours at lunch with Mark and his husband Michael (yes, we both married 'Michaels' - life is funny that way).

Mark is currently back on tour playing the role of "Zazu" with the national company of "The Lion King" for which he has worked off and on over several years.  He's also been honored with 2 Jefferson Awards for his work as an actor in "Forbidden Broadway" and "Ragtime" in Chicago.  Plus a ton of other credits I won't go into listing - just trust, they are there.  The point of my listing those is to point up what an accomplished actor and artist he is.  Much is made of being a 'star' in the world today, but my respect always goes out first to the actors who make a living doing what they love and are clearly good at what they do.  Even just skipping over thoughts and ideas at lunch, Mark was clear and 'on point' about what a lot of people who work in the theater would barely comprehend.

Some days I like to think I'm pretty astute about theater and entertainment in general.  Yesterday I listened to Mark  in casual conversation and I was reminded how smart and clear his instincts are - about theater, about working in the theater and his appreciation for the theater.  It's not often I stop talking about theater.  But when someone is speaking with more clarity and comprehension than I - and it's waaaaay obvious - I at least have the good sense to stop and listen.

Mark Kaplan is such an artist.  And a friend.  My life is best when I get to enjoy hours like I spent in Mark and Michael's company talking about these things that mean so much to us.  The restaurant literally closed around us as we continued to talk and catch up.

We all need days like I just had.  We all need friends who may be somewhere out there, but always 'present' in our lives that we can talk to this freely.

Good times.

:)

For animal lovers - the animal odd couple - very moving

This just kills me every time I watch it. The animals around us are far more advanced and sophisticated than so many dream.

A very moving story about two friends.

The friendships and relationships between animals is often very powerful.

In 2006, my daddy dog (and best friend) Bruno had a severe spinal cord injury. He had spinal surgery, but for ten days he couldn't walk. He had to stay quiet and on his own for weeks in our master bedroom to help his recovery. His anxiety was so high when I left the room that finally I stopped leaving the room. For weeks I barely left the room. I helped him do exercises for physical therapy, we watched TV, often I just sat with him. But he missed the other dogs. He loved being part of "the pack."

Finally, when we thought it was safe, we let Sabrina (mama dog) in to see the Bruno. Both were so anxious having not seen each other for weeks. It was so moving to see Sabrina sniff and inspect everything about Bruno until she felt he was ok. Then she laid down next to him. And the two laid there for hours. The most calm I had seen either since before his accident. It was very emotional.

Sabrina has been gone 9 months now. But there are times I still see Bruno look for her. 

He is so special. All of them are. And they teach me everyday.