The Banks children go on adventure that takes them inside of a ceramic bowl and into an animated countryside, in this fanciful scene from the new Disney sequel “Mary Poppins Returns.” The film’s director Rob Marshall narrates a closer look at the sequence, which features Emily Blunt as the titular nanny and Lin-Manuel Miranda as the lamplighter friend of the family, Jack. Here, Marshall discusses how animators were brought out of retirement to work on the 2-D animation.
Incoming freshman US Senator Mitt Romney of Utah penned a scathing op-ed for the Washington Post criticizing Donald Trump up and down.
From the essay:
It is well known that Donald Trump was not my choice for the Republican presidential nomination. After he became the nominee, I hoped his campaign would refrain from resentment and name-calling. It did not. When he won the election, I hoped he would rise to the occasion. His early appointments of Rex Tillerson, Jeff Sessions, Nikki Haley, Gary Cohn, H.R. McMaster, Kelly and Mattis were encouraging. But, on balance, his conduct over the past two years, particularly his actions last month, is evidence that the president has not risen to the mantle of the office.
[sic]
To a great degree, a presidency shapes the public character of the nation. A president should unite us and inspire us to follow “our better angels.” A president should demonstrate the essential qualities of honesty and integrity, and elevate the national discourse with comity and mutual respect. As a nation, we have been blessed with presidents who have called on the greatness of the American spirit. With the nation so divided, resentful and angry, presidential leadership in qualities of character is indispensable. And it is in this province where the incumbent’s shortfall has been most glaring.
Predictably, Trump clapped back wondering aloud if Romney plans to be a ‘Flake,’ meaning now-retired Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, who was a sometime-thorn in Trump’s backside.
Here we go with Mitt Romney, but so fast! Question will be, is he a Flake? I hope not. Would much prefer that Mitt focus on Border Security and so many other things where he can be helpful. I won big, and he didn’t. He should be happy for all Republicans. Be a TEAM player & WIN!
And by the way, just keeping them honest here, Trump didn’t win “big.” He lost the popular vote, and squeezed a win in the Electoral College by just over 85K votes in 3 states.
Shortly after midnight, two women in Velden, Austria, exchanged wedding vows becoming the first same-sex couple to officially marry in the country.
After being engaged for four years, Daniela Paier and Nicole Kopaunik and Daniela Paier were wed early Tuesday morning as same-sex marriage became legal in Austria.
Austria’s constitutional court ruled in 2017 that the country’s ban on same-sex marriage was discriminatory after years of challenges from LGBTQ rights groups.
Although same-sex couples have been allowed to enter into civil partnerships since 2010, marriage was still out of bounds.
The country’s governing parties, the People’s Party and the Freedom Party, opposed marriage equality, but honored the court’s ruling.
A September 2018 poll for Österreich found that 74% of Austrians supported same-sex marriage and 26% were against.
The start of 2019 also marks the first day of the freedom to marry in #Austria – which today became the 26th country where same-sex couples can marry, following a landmark court ruling affirming marriage equality in 2017! 🇦🇹 pic.twitter.com/Fs95wjvkFS
Donald Trump and Jerry Falwell Jr. at Liberty University (WikiMedia)
In an interview with The Washington Post, Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. says there’s nothing Donald Trump could do that would cause Falwell to waver in his devotion to Trump.
Q: Is there anything President Trump could do that would endanger that support from you or other evangelical leaders?
A: No.
Q: That’s the shortest answer we’ve had so far.
A: Only because I know that he only wants what’s best for this country, and I know anything he does, it may not be ideologically “conservative,” but it’s going to be what’s best for this country, and I can’t imagine him doing anything that’s not good for the country.
So, all that unChristian-like behavior is totes good with Falwell as long as he gets his tax cuts.
In fact, Falwell says that it’s ‘immoral’ to not support Trump.
Falwell goes on to say that Trump’s adultery and lying is justified because he was successful in business. According to Falwell, “A poor person never gave anybody charity, not of any real volume.”
He also says, “You don’t choose a president based on how good they are.”
Thanksgiving – done. Christmas – done. New Years Eve – done.
The holiday season is officially done, and with it all those holiday parties and gatherings that can lead to a lot of drinking.
As folks head into January with thoughts of New Year’s resolutions in order to improve our lives, cutting out/down alcohol intake tops a lot of lists.
I think the first tweet I saw today read, “I’ve made it all the way through 2019 so far without a hangover.”
Many participate in observing ‘Dry January,’ a month-long break from imbibing.
No wine???
A study from the University of Sussex conducted a study, published in Health Psychology, set out to see just how effective one month without alcohol can be.
The Dry January study involved 850 participants. Researchers interviewed them at the end of one month, and again six months later.
The results?
After one month:
• 82% felt a sense of achievement
• 79% noted they’d saved money
• 62% reported they had more energy
• 62% said they slept better
• 49% shared they had experienced weight loss
At the six month mark, 72% said they had maintained reduced levels of drinking.
In fact, 4% reported they’d continued to abstain from alcohol over the six month period.
And the folks who didn’t make it all the way through January completely alcohol-free still reported positive benefits.
“Even if participants took part but didn’t successfully complete the 31 days, it generally led to a significant decrease across all the measures of alcohol intake,” said Richard de Visser, an expert on health-related behavior, said in a statement.
What do you think, folks? Can you tackle a Dry January?
If addressing alcohol isn’t your issue, what kind of New Year’s resolutions do you take on?
Egyptian/Canadian model and body positive activist Mina Gerges shared with his Twitter followers a surprise apology he received from his high school bully.
The screen capture of the message read, “Hey man, I just want to apologize for any f*cked up things I said to you or about you in high school. It weighs on me. I hope all is well. Cheers.”
My highschool bully just messaged me to apologize and tbh this is the kind of energy I need in 2019 pic.twitter.com/BKQ5B9Md7Z
Gerges followed up saying he asked the former bully why he was thinking on his actions eight years later.
“He said he felt really bad about it for a while, should’ve been kinder instead, and wished he’d done it sooner,” wrote Gerges. “We love growth!”
Gerges, who has a following of over 110K on Instagram, stepped into the public spotlight in 2015 thanks to his ‘budget conscious’ recreations of celebrity looks. His looks were featured on a host of media outlets including Buzzfeed, Teen Vogue, Paper and more.
A post shared by Mina Gerges (@itsminagerges) on Dec 24, 2014 at 6:42pm PST
With the spotlight, though, came haters who bullied him for his weight, which led to an eating disorder.
Eventually, the trolls inspired Gerges to become an ambassador for body positivity and unrealistic standards of beauty in advertising.
“My goal is to redefine what it means for men to feel beautiful and be considered attractive,” he told Paper. “I want to show that men who look like me can learn to love ourselves even if we don’t look like conventional representations of men.”
From moving past bullies and online trolls to inspiring folks with a message of body positivity. Mina Gerges, I love YOUR kind of growth!
A few years ago, my first serious boyfriend from my 20s emailed me apologizing for the way he treated me. It had been a somewhat tumultuous relationship.
“You didn’t deserve that,” he wrote.
While I felt I’d resolved any issues with the relationship and moved on, I was surprised the message left me a bit breathless.
I didn’t know it until I read the message how much power an apology – years later – could hold.
It was very appreciated.
Readers, have you ever received an apology from the past? If so, did it help heal some old wounds or no? Let me know in the comments below.
Donald Trump expressed his Happy New Year wishes to his Twitter followers, including “THE HATERS AND THE FAKE MEDIA!”
Reviving his pet phrase, ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome, the Donald typed the tweet in screaming ALL CAPS!
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE, INCLUDING THE HATERS AND THE FAKE NEWS MEDIA! 2019 WILL BE A FANTASTIC YEAR FOR THOSE NOT SUFFERING FROM TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME. JUST CALM DOWN AND ENJOY THE RIDE, GREAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING FOR OUR COUNTRY!
Ricky Martin & Jwan Yosef announce birth of their new daughter, Lucia
Pop superstar Ricky Martin and husband Jwan Yosef have announced the birth of their baby daughter, Lucia Martin-Yosef.
Martin already has two sons, Valentino and Matteo, who are about 10-years-old.
Martin and Yosef, who married in January of 2018, both shared identical posts on their respective Instagrams.
“We are beyond happy to announce that we have become parents to a beautiful and healthy baby girl, Lucia Martin-Yosef,” wrote Martin. “It has been a special time for us and we cant wait to see where this stellar baby will take us. Both her beautiful brothers and me and Jwan have fallen in love with Lucia.”
Madonna prepares to surprise the NYE crowd at the iconic Stonewall Inn in NYC
Madonna surprised the crowd last night with a midnight appearance at the iconic Stonewall Inn in New York City.
Madge was recently named a ‘Stonewall Ambassador’ by Pride Live to help bring awareness to this year’s 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising on June 28, 2019. In honor of the anniversary, World Pride is being held in New York City this year.
Appearing onstage in an appropriate melange of leather, chains and glitter, the Queen of Pop noted, “This is the smallest stage I’ve ever been on.”
She then went on to address the diverse crowd about the memory and revolution of Stonewall (via Boy Culture):
“I see you! I stand here, proudly, at the place where Pride began, the legendary Stonewall Inn, and the birth of a new year.
“We come together tonight to celebrate 50 years of revolution. Fifty years of freedom-fighting. Fifty years of blood, sweat and tears — can I get an amen?! Fifty years of sacrifice. Fifty years of standing up to discrimination, hatred and — worst of all — indifference.
“And it all started here, at Stonewall. Let us never forget the Stonewall Riots and those who bravely stood up and said, Enough. Enough brutality, enough violence inflicted on this community, enough stigmatism, enough oppression, enough pain and suffering.
“We must never forget where we came from.”
Madonna then launched into an acoustic version of her mega-hit “Like A Prayer.” That was followed by a duet of the Elvis classic, “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” with her son, David, on guitar.
