Author: Randy Slovacek

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Meet Nathan Minor of Chippendales

How about a little Q&A with uber-handsome Nathan Minor of The Chippendales?

Q: Were you a theatrical sort of kid?

A: I was Johnny Appleseed (in a school play) my fifth-grade year. That’s my claim to fame. And I was in choir, up until eighth grade.

Q: When did you decide to pursue a career in entertainment?

A: I don’t know, because I was a big football fan, too. I played football from Pee Wee, and that was one direction. I thought I was going to go to college and play ball. But I dislocated my knee a couple of times and I ended up in art school (on a scholarship).

Q: Did you finish?

A: The second year of art school, I was bored to death. … So I went to the president of the school and I asked him if we could put the scholarship on hold. He thought that was pretty funny. I ended up walking out without a scholarship and leaving school without talking to my family first.

Q: When did you join Chippendales?

A: They were doing something in New York and asked me to be a part of it in 2000 and 2001. … Then, after 9/11, the show basically shut down, and we went to Europe for the first three months and came to Vegas for a weekend, and we did real well at the Rio. … After that weekend, they made a deal and we moved here. So I’ve been here 10 years.

Q: Are Las Vegas audiences different than audiences elsewhere?
A: In Europe, for sure. The women in Europe are really critical about the (production) of the show. They really appreciate the show (production values) more than, I would say, American women, who are more aggressive.

Q: They’re not critiquing the lighting design?
A: Right (laughs). They (American women) want to know when you’re going to take it off and they want to know what’s coming off next.

Q: What does your wife think about your job? And please say you met her when she was in the audience during a show.
A: (Laughs) It was not in the show. She’s from Brazil, and she’s awesome, and she keeps me in line.

Q: She doesn’t get jealous?
A: Know what? If she does, she does a good job of hiding it.

Read more at LVRJ.com

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Friday Fun video: Tom Daley & Team GB – Sexy And I Know It

British Olympic diver Tom Daley and some of the Team GB diving squad (Jack Laugher, Chris Mears, Tonia Couch, Sarah Barrow, Nicolas Robinson-Baker and Max Brick) took some time out from training in Adelaide, Australia to make a “Sexy and I Know It” video. Made me smile. Enjoy.

Via Towleroad

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Randy Jackson responds to Betty Buckley’s defense of Broadway singers

Recently, Betty Buckley tweeted in defense of singers that American Idol judge Randy Jackson deemed “too Broadway.” For many, the label appeared to diss singers who sounded like they would be at home on a Broadway stage.

Today, Randy Jackson responded to Betty through whosay.com:

“Just for the record; @bettybuckley I love you, I also love broadway, I am a huge broadway fan. There are tons of broadway stars that are dear friends of mine. I have the upmost respect for all broadway actors and singers. To me the greatest thing in life is a true thespian. One who can be a great actor, singer, and great dancer. The all around performer. Last I checked, America is land of the free, home of the brave, and freedom of speech is still allowed. But what I was merely saying to the singer, or any singer who wishes to be in popular music is that you have to be able to have control of your vibrato and have amazing talent. A lot of people who sing broadway, do not have control of their vibrato, which does not easily lend itself to singing other styles of music. The wide open vibrato doesn’t work everywhere. Was not dissing anyone, and if you know our show carefully, we have been using the words “Too Broadway” for 11 seasons now, and we have all said it. FYI: If you are a fan of the show, then you would know, we had a giant win with a broadway singer named Adam Lambert. One of our greatest contestants, 4 years ago, And yo Betty the dawg ain’t got nothing but love for you. Ever since eight is enough. I want everyone to realize their dreams.”

My thoughts on this:

1. Thank you Randy for addressing the issue and saying you have respect for Broadway actors and singers.

2. While you and other judges HAVE been saying “too Broadway” for 11 seasons, what you have NOT made clear is that it was not dissing Broadway. Many times on American Idol singers have been dismissed with a simple “too Broadway” and that was it.  To many viewers this gave the impression that having a “Broadway” sounding voice was a bad thing.

Perhaps, Randy, if you have the respect you say you have for the talent and discipline of Broadways performers, you could have been been clearer by saying “great voice, and I can see you succeeding on Broadway, but I don’t think your voice is suited for the pop music industry.” While you may have understood in your head that that’s what you MEANT, that’s not what you have been saying.

Here’s to clarity in the future.

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Nevada: Low GOP turnout shows enthusiasm gap

From DailyKos.com: Republican turnout in the Nevada caucuses fell from 44,324 in 2008 to 32,894 this year—meaning that Sen. John McCain was exciting Republicans more than Mitt Romney and field.

For a party that claims to be fired up about beating President Barack Obama, they sure don’t seem to be reflecting that sentiment at the polls.

In Nevada, GOP voter registration is down, voter turnout is down and party competence is down — it took Republicans two days to count those votes this year, while they were able to do it in one day in 2008 (with more votes to count).

The Nevada GOP is in trouble. They got a respite in 2010 because of national trends, but whether it’s the drop in Latino support (3% less Latinos participated this year vs 2008), or just the drop in general participation, and given demographic trends in the state … I’ll say it now — Nevada will now, or by next election cycle, be as blue as California.

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Simple chart showing decline in Initial Jobless Claims

This chart tracks the four-week moving average of initial jobless claims, beginning in January of 2008, the last year of President Bush’s administration.  Note the dramatic climb during 2008.

President Obama took office January 9, 2009.  Note the decline in initial jobless claims once he took office.

While the economy isn’t booming, it’s a clear illustration that the labor market has, on President Obama’s watch, been healing.

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Ugly Betty reunion: Vanessa Williams backstage on Broadway with Michel Urie at “How To Succeed…”

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