Author: Randy Slovacek

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Brett Kavanaugh Pens Op-Ed: “I Might Have Been Too Emotional At Times”

Judge Brett Kavanaugh

U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh penned a last-minute op-ed for the conservative Wall Street Journal defending his defensive and pointed Senate Judiciary Committee testimony last week.

From The Wall Street Journal:

My hearing testimony was forceful and passionate. That is because I forcefully and passionately denied the allegation against me.

At times, my testimony—both in my opening statement and in response to questions—reflected my overwhelming frustration at being wrongly accused, without corroboration, of horrible conduct completely contrary to my record and character. My statement and answers also reflected my deep distress at the unfairness of how this allegation has been handled.

I was very emotional last Thursday, more so than I have ever been. I might have been too emotional at times. I know that my tone was sharp, and I said a few things I should not have said.

I hope everyone can understand that I was there as a son, husband and dad. I testified with five people foremost in my mind: my mom, my dad, my wife, and most of all my daughters.

It’s notable that Kavanaugh chose two Murdoch-owned media outlets to make his case: Fox News for his TV interview and Wall Street Journal for his op-ed.

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WATCH: First Senate Vote On Kavanaugh Scheduled For This Morning

Brett Kavanaugh

After rough and tumble political upheaval, the U.S. Senate will begin to vote on the nomination of Judge Brett Kavansugh to the U. S. Supreme Court today.

According to many political reporters, Republicans have 48 of the 50 votes (Vice President Mike Pence would become the 51st in case of a tie) to approve Kavanaugh.

There are four unannounced senators at this time. Three Republicans – Sens. Jeff Flake, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski – and West Virginia Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin.

The GOP needs just two of them.

The first cloture vote is scheduled for 10:30AM ET/7:30AM PT.

Watch the live feed below.

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Brain Break: Adam Rippon Riffs On The Return Of Pumpkin Spice

Ah, October.

When most of the U.S. finally falls into autumn and a whole bunch of folks do a happy dance for all things pumpkin spice.

In fact, the venerable Pumpkin Spice Latte is already back in residency at Starbucks marking the 15th consecutive year of the concoction, which the coffee giant says is its most popular seasonal beverage.

With that in mind, Cosmopolitan asked Olympic bronze medalist Adam Rippon to sample several different pumpkin spice products as part of their ongoing “Adam Rippon Riffs On” series.

Of course, you have to begin with the aforementioned PSL from Starbucks, which Rippon awards a healthy “4 pumpkins.”

Next up, pumpkin spiced Kahlua which clearly takes awesome Adam by surprise. “Shut the video down, this is f**king amazing,” raves Rippon.

He then pours the liquer into the latte, and bam! We have a 5-pumpkin winner!

Rippon moves on to food next tasting a pumpkin spice bagel with pumpkin spice cream cheese. Who wants to guess how that works out?

Annnnd, back to the Kahlua latte.

Pumpkin spice Frosted Flakes with pumpkin spice almond beverage? #seriously?

The cereal acquits itself well, but the almond beverage is apparently some serious version of nasty.

In fact, there’s only one way to salvage this breakfast. Want to take a guess?

Take a four minute brain break and watch our favorite self-declared “America’s sweetheart” take on pumpkin spice below.

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Song Of The Day: Janis Siegel & Fred Hersh “Agua”

Michael Caprio

A bit of #TBT action today as the above pic of hubby Michael came up as a reminder on Facebook today and it totally took me back in time to when we first met.

It was 1994. Michael and I had just begun to date long distance after meeting in Minneapolis at the recording session for the revival of Hello, Dolly! with Carol Channing bound for the Great White Way (my first Broadway show).

Michael was the 25-year-old vice president of publicity for the record label that handled the recording.

A couple of weeks into dating I realized I didn’t have a pic of Michael. Remember, this was pre-internet days.

He sent me a test polaroid pic from a photo shoot he’d just overseen for a new album, Slow Hot Wind, by Janis Siegel of the Manhattan Transfer and jazz pianist Fred Hersh.

I still have the polaroid in my office.

And I loved the album when it came out.

p.s. Michael and I celebrate our 24th anniversary this month, which is pretty cool 🙂

Check out “Agua” from Slow Hot Wind below.

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Poll: 68% Of Americans Favor Businesses That Show Support For LGBTQ Equality

Last June, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of anti-LGBTQ baker, Jack Phillips of Masterpiece Cakeshop, many saw the decision as a symbolic setback for the LGBTQ community.

But a new Harris Poll shows a majority of Americans feels the federal government and private sector should do more to protect LGBTQ rights.

The survey of over 2,000 U.S. adults indicates 70% support a federal law protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination in housing, employment, public accommodations and credit.

Respondents overwhelmingly said businesses should not discriminate against people based on their sexual orientation (81%) or their gender identity (80%).

In fact, 75% of Americans feel that when a business opens it’s doors to the public, everyone should be served equally.

The poll also showed 68% of Americans say they would favor, and be more likely to shop at, businesses that openly support LGBTQ equality.

But its not all sunny news, as 20% of of those polled believe businesses should be able to deny services based on race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion or disability.

And 25% say business owners should be allowed to refuse services to certain customers if that would be in opposition to their religious beliefs.

Last November, a campaign known as Open To All was launched in order to boost awareness of discriminatory business practices.

Businesses who support the campaign make public their pledge to treat everyone fairly and can display signs in their windows with the hashtag #OpenToAll.

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FBI Investigation ‘Complete,’ Republicans Say Time To Move On To Kavanaugh Vote

Judge Brett Kavanaugh

Well, that was quick.

The ‘new’ FBI investigation into allegations that Supreme Court nominee, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, sexually assaulted Dr. Christine Blasey Ford when the were teens, is done say Senate Republicans.

The report, which will not be released to the public, is available for all 100 U.S. Senators to review, albeit for only an hour.

And one at a time, as only one copy has been made available in an effort to ensure it’s not leaked to the public.

There are apparently 46 pages of interview summaries in the report, with nine pages devoted to Kavanaugh’s former bestie, Mark Judge, who agreed to cooperate.

Ford says Judge was in the room years ago when the alleged assault took place.

Republicans say there’s nothing new to see.

“There’s nothing in it that we didn’t already know,” Senator Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said in a statement Thursday. “These uncorroborated accusations have been unequivocally and repeatedly rejected by Judge Kavanaugh, and neither the Judiciary Committee nor the F.B.I. could locate any third parties who can attest to any of the allegations.”

But Democrats counter that there’s nothing in the report that makes them believe Ford’s allegations any less.

Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley tweeted, “I read the FBI report. This whole thing is a sham. This stunted, strangled investigation was designed to provide cover, not to provide the truth.”

According to The New York Times, several leads and identified witnesses were not interviewed.

In any case, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has already scheduled preliminary votes in the full Senate regarding Kavanaugh’s nomination.

The Times notes that Senators Jeff Flake of Arizona and Susan Collins of Maine, two important Republican swing votes, have indicated they seem satisfied with the report, although neither have announced how they ultimately plan to vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination.

Interestingly, Axios reports that the Kavanaugh debacle seems to have tightened several races in the upcoming midterm elections as the issue seems to have energized Republicans in states like Montana, Indiana, West Virginia, Missouri and Tennessee.

Plus, a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll released yesterday found that the “wide Democratic enthusiasm advantage that has defined the 2018 campaign up to this point has disappeared.”

While last month the Democrats appeared to hold a double-digit lead over Republicans in a generic ballot, that lead has now dropped to only 6 points.

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Exploring Who Is And What Makes A Gay “Daddy”

Eric Rutherford (L) and Patrick Dempsey (R)
(image via Instagram)

While the term “daddy” has gotten more and more popular in the gay community over the past several years, therapist Matthew Dempsey’s latest YouTube video explores what makes a gay “daddy?”

“Growing up gay, most of us didn’t have parents who shared that identity and could guide us through that experience as we stepped into adulthood. Enter the gay daddy,” Dempsey shares in the intro to the video. “Whether for friendship or romance, we can easily find ourselves drawn to older gay men for answers we never got and always needed.”

Dempsey enlists the aid of his friend and “resident daddy,” Eric Rutherford, to chat on how being a gay “daddy” affects gay men in regard to aging, dating, and taking care of yourself mentally and physically.

First up, Dempsey and Rutherford note some of the physical reasons why some men are labeled “daddy.”

Dempsey shares that he’s begun to get called daddy in part due to his greying hair and also thanks to being a therapist. But Rutherford, who works as a model for IMG, says when he was younger he felt a daddy was someone who displayed physical/muscular stature, presence and maturity.

There’s also aspect of whether or not some men “own” their age and experience. It’s no secret that gay culture can be a bit youth-obsessed.

Rutherford, who allows his hair to grey naturally but cops to occasionally using botox, encourages a balance in addressing how we physically age. “You can’t hide behind it, because no matter what, you could have all this done, fixed,” he says. “At the end of the day it’s still you.”

Dempsey concurs adding, “If at the core you’re really wrestling with deeper seated things about not feeling good about who you are, if you just look to the exterior to be the thing that’s gonna fix that, it’s not gonna work.”

Side note: I think Mr. Rutherford’s exterior is just fine. Definitely qualifies as “daddy” material.

When it comes to dating and sexual attraction regarding a daddy, Rutherford notes that when he was younger he was attracted to older guys, but as he’s reached his 40s and 50s he now dates a man 17 years his junior.

However, Rutherford admits that initially he had reservations about dating a younger man because he had “some judgement about a stereotype” not wanting to fall into a “sugar daddy” kind of role.

Both men agree that mental outlook is also an important component to daddyhood.

Instead of allowing age to become a negative in his mind, Rutherford, who’s 51, says he works everyday to keep a positive perspective and “living my best life to the fullest.”

“And I don’t have it all together by any means,” he says. “Every day I still wake up, I’m curious, I want to learn more, I want to experience more.”

And as a man who’s been sober for years, Rutherford says he stays grounded by making a conscious effort to stop and express gratitude for what he has achieved.

That doesn’t mean everyone escapes the pressures of aging. Rutherford shares that the “first big love” of his life committed suicide when he reached his 60s feeling he had “aged out” of gay culture.

“He was wildly accomplished, good-looking guy, incredible friends,” gushes Rutherford. But he adds that his former partner “felt invisible in this community and this culture – he wasn’t wanted.”

It’s an interesting chat for anyone who is, or is attracted to, a gay daddy. Watch below.

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News Round-Up: October 3, 2018

Some news items you might have missed:

• Look at that concentration, look at that beefy bicep. Fitness guru Ramses Principe (above) is getting over Hump Day like a boss!

• After traveling to San Francisco, a gay man contracted bacterial meningococcal meningitis which resulted in the permanent loss of his hearing, temporary inability to walk, and his vision for a period. Still coping with the hearing loss, the man was recently fitted for cochlear implants. The first thing he heard when the device was turned on was his longtime boyfriend proposing to him.

• Folks in Minnesota now have a non-binary option when specifying gender on their driver’s license. Along with “M” for male and “F” for female, Minnesotans will also have “X” to choose from representing non-binary.

• After the New York Times’ bombshell investigation into Donald Trump’s wealth, New York state tax officials are looking into allegations that Trump may have committed tax fraud over the years.

• Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke leads GOP incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz by three points in a new poll tracking the senatorial race down in Texas.

• Check out the trailer for Reach starring Garrett Clayton (Hairspray Live!) as “Steven Turano,” a socially awkward band geek who shares with a pro-suicide group that he’s planning on killing himself due to bullying by his father and a school bully.

However, when Clarence, the new kid in school, befriends him, Steven’s plans are sidetracked and he forms stronger relationships with his father, friends, and teachers.

Reach will be in limited theaters and VOD October 19.

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Stormy Daniels On Sex With Donald Trump: “I Laid There And Prayed For Death”

Stormy Daniels on Jimmy Kimmel Live (courtesy of ABC)

 Stormy Daniels dropped by Jimmy Kimmel Live last night to promote her new tell-all memoir, Full Disclosure, and along the way the porn star offered even more details about her 2007 sexcapade with Donald Trump.

Out actress Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story: Apocalypse) gleefully asked if she could stay on stage for the Stormy segment telling Kimmel she would love to play the porn star in the film version of her book.

After sitting down, Kimmel took the conversation right to “Chapter Trump.”

Daniels shared that when she first met the Trumpster in his hotel suite that fateful night, he was wearing silky black pajamas: “I’m pretty sure I thought he was channeling Hugh Hefner. Significantly less sexy.”

According to Daniels, she told him to change.

“I wish you could make him change now,” quipped Kimmel.

“He followed orders much better back then,” Daniels said with a laugh.

Kimmel replied he thought Daniels could still order the Donald around a bit, but Daniels was quick saying, “I don’t speak Russian.”

Stormy Daniels (image via screen capture)

Kimmel couldn’t help but bring up the now-infamous moment during the evening when Daniels reportedly spanked the Donald with a magazine, asking, “What does he do, when you spank Donald Trump?”

Without pause, Daniels responded, “Do you want me to show you? Get up!”

After spanking Kimmel with her book, the late night host paused to pray saying, “Please, God, let him (Trump) be watching this right now.”

Eventually, the chat gets around to Daniels and Trump doing ‘the deed.’

“And you made love,” said Kimmel.

“Gross,” shrieked Daniels. “What’s wrong with you? I laid there and prayed for death!”

Kimmel referenced the passage in Daniels’ book where she had described Trump’s junk as being “smaller than average” and said his penis was “like the mushroom character in Mario Kart.”

The late night host then presented Daniels with a tray of mushrooms and asked the porn star to pick the one that most resembled Trump’s penis.

“Can you hold it up so it’s coming at me at the correct angle?” asked Daniels.

Taking a moment, she selected one of the smaller toad stools saying with a sly grin, “It’s the most accurate depiction.”

Throughout the segment, Daniels showed herself to be confident, smart and quick with a clever line.

Watch below. Daniels’ memoir, Full Disclosure, is available now.

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Go Behind-The-Scenes As Rami Malek Becomes Freddie Mercury In ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’

The producers of the upcoming Freddie Mercury biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody, have shared a behind-the-scenes peek at the genesis of star Rami Malek “becoming Freddie.”
Rami Malek as “Freddie Mercury” in Bohemian Rhapsody (screen capture)

The producers of the upcoming Freddie Mercury biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody, have shared a behind-the-scenes peek at the genesis of star Rami Malek “becoming Freddie.”

The film is a “foot-stomping celebration of Queen, their music and their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury.”

Defying stereotypes and shattering convention, Mercury emerged as one of the most theatrical rock stars of the 1970s and 1980s. Following the meteoric rise of Queen through their songs and revolutionary sound, the band reaches breathtaking heights in the music industry.

Although Mercury explored a solo career, it was with Queen that he found his greatest successes. While facing an AIDS diagnosis, he would reunite with his band mates in 1985 for Live Aid, delivering what many consider one of the great performances in rock history.

He died at the age of 45 in 1991.

According to producer Graham King, he knew Malek was their guy early in the planning stages.

“He came in and I was like, whoa, he IS Freddie,” says King. “And he wasn’t just acting, it was something that came natural to him.”

Once cast, though, Malek felt the gravity of bringing the iconic rocker to life on screen.

“When you set out to play Freddie Mercury, you think ‘How am I ever going to fill those shoes?,” wonders Malek. “It’s an immense responsibility but one that I was very eager to take on.”

In his approach to the role, Malek shares that he didn’t set out to “mimic” Freddie but knew movement would be an intrinsic part of his performance.

“I had some top choreographers come in and realized a choreographer isn’t going to help me,” says Malek. “I need a movement coach.”

Polly Bennett was brought in to help Malek focus on specific ‘mannerism tricks’ that included “every eye lift, every turn, every flick of the microphone.”

And then there’s the all-important style of dress that made Freddie so much who he was.

Malek shares there were over 50 hours of costume fittings which included four-inch high platform shoes, tight-fitting satin pants, and an entire outfit made out of lycra.

“When you dress as Freddie does, it makes every day feel like it’s going to be a good time,” says Malek with a smile.

Watch the teaser below and look for Bohemian Rhapsody in theaters November 2, 2018.