Author: Randy Slovacek

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Marvel Studios Drops Mega Teaser For Upcoming Films

Scarlett Johannsen

Scarlett Johannsen
Scarlett Johansson as ‘Black Widow’
Marvel Studios wants to remind folks that while the pandemic set their release schedule for super-hero flicks back a bit, they plan to drop several new cinematic adventures soon. From GMA:

A title card reads, “We go to escape, to get lost in a story, to feel connected, to share moments we will remember forever” before the Marvel montage shows an opening night movie audience going bonkers during the climactic final battle from 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame” to prove the point.

The video then switches to Marvel Studios’ opening fanfare and snippets of its pandemic-delayed releases — “Black Widow,” opening July 9, and “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” opening Sept. 3 — and then to a never-before-seen peek of “Eternals,” opening Nov. 5, from Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao.

The fast-paced video teaser also shares these release dates further in the future: • “Spider-Man: No Way Home” on Dec. 17 • “Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness” on March 25, 2022 • “Thor: Love and Thunder” on May 6, 2022 • “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” on July 8, 2022 • “The Marvels” on Nov. 11, 2022 • “Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania” on Feb. 17, 2023 • “Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3” on May 5, 2023

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InstaHunk Round-Up: Weekend Edition

Duncan James laments his 'thicc-ness' but we're totally good with it

Duncan James laments his 'thicc-ness' but we're totally good with it
Duncan James (image via Instagram)
Checking in on what the hunks of Insta were up to this past weekend. Former UK boy bander Duncan James lamented getting “thicker” thanks to the pandemic – but we think he looks just fine… https://www.instagram.com/p/COPrBl_HjTV/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Recording artist Melieck summons the power of the sun – “Summer glow in full effect.” https://www.instagram.com/p/COYe7SzMH0t/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link HawaiiMuscleBear is living the Waikiki out of Sunday: https://www.instagram.com/p/COYJHhwjs2n/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Fitness guy Bremen Menelli gets cute and creative as he tosses in some shirtless eye-candy: https://www.instagram.com/p/COTA2i3B1Qk/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Beefy bear Moe embraced his inner dork: https://www.instagram.com/p/COWAqiPjbmi/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Hunter Harden is giving you full-on furball for the weekend: https://www.instagram.com/p/COWMOGBD6gH/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link What happens when folks call Curtis Fitzgerald late at night: https://www.instagram.com/p/COW_ylUAzVx/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Ashley Parker Angel, formerly of the boy band O-Town, seriously grew up for reals. https://www.instagram.com/p/COOhE2YHZ4Z/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Former ‘Bachelor’ star Colton Underwood dropped his first thirst trap since coming out: https://www.instagram.com/p/COO5ik6nvXr/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link CrossFit athlete Nick Dompierre was living his beast best life working out on the beach: https://www.instagram.com/p/COX-RsWBylI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

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Podcast: Bad Gay Reality TV Shows, Gays And Eating Disorders, Biden’s First 100 Days In Office

The Randy Report podcast

The Randy Report podcast delivers the week's top stories in a quick, convenient podcast - 'the 60 Minutes of gay news - only shorter' In this week’s headlines: • Scoring Joe Biden’s LGBTQ wins and losses during his first 100 days in office • The American Medical Association begs governors to let transgender kids be themselves • There’s backlash for Colton Underwood’s Netflix ‘coming out’ reality series and I look back on truly terrible gay TV reality shows • Funny man Michael Henry artfully addresses body image and eating disorders among gay men in his latest short film. All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report

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Doctor Dies Of COVID Just Weeks After Calling Vaccines ‘Totally Unnecessary’

Dr. Stephen Karanja

Dr. Stephen Karanja
Dr. Stephen Karanja (image via Update of Nepal Banda)
A doctor in Kenya who virulently opposed the use of COVID-19 vaccines has died from the virus just weeks after calling the shots “totally unnecessary.” From the BBC:

Dr Stephen Karanja, chairman of the Kenya Catholic Doctors Association, advocated steam inhalation and hydroxychloroquine tablets.

Health authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO) rejected his claims.

“[The vaccine] being distributed in Kenya, has been reviewed and found safe not only by the WHO rigorous process but also by several stringent regulatory authorities,” the WHO said in March.

In a letter dated 3 March Dr Karanja said that “there are drugs that have been repurposed and used effectively to treat Covid-19,” adding that “we also know that vaccination for this disease is totally unnecessary making the motivation suspect.”

I don’t celebrate the death of any man, but this is would seem to be yet another lesson to those who continue to fall for or espouse anti-vaccine propaganda. #Choices

(h/t JoeMyGod)

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Stock Market Performance During First 100 Days Of Presidents

Image of stock market data

Image of stock market data From Axios:

Stockholdings by U.S. individual investors increased to 41% of their total financial assets in April — the highest level on record, The Wall Street Journal reports (subscription) from JPMorgan Chase and Fed data going back to 1952, including 401(k) retirement accounts:

“Financial advisers and money managers said their clients have grown more comfortable holding stocks as they witnessed the powerful rally over the past year, with some even questioning why they need bonds in their portfolios with yields still so low.”

You’ll recall Donald Trump often (and I mean OFTEN) pointed to the performance of the stock market as a measure of his ‘success’ as a president. Trump also claimed over and over again the market would tank if he lost the 2020 election. Well,… The performance of the S&P 500 during the first 100 days of the most recent presidents

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Olympia Dukakis, Oscar Winner For ‘Moonstruck,’ Dies At 89

Oscar winner Olympia Dukakis dies at the age of 89

Oscar winner Olympia Dukakis dies at the age of 89
Olympia Dukakis (image via Twitter)
Academy Award winner Olympia Dukakis, known for playing world-weary and wise characters, has passed away at the age of 89. After decades of stage work on the East Coast, Dukakis shot to stardom playing Cher’s mother in the film adaptation of John Patrick Shanley’s Moonstruck in 1987. The following year she took home the Oscar and Golden Globe honors for Best Supporting Actress in a Film. More from the New York Times:

She played a catty Southern widow in the mostly female ensemble cast of “Steel Magnolias” (1989); the mother of Kirstie Alley’s character in the three “Look Who’s Talking” movies (1989-93); the pot-growing transgender San Francisco landlord Anna Madrigal, from 1993 to 2019, in the four television mini-series made from Armistead Maupin’s “Tales of the City” stories; and Frank Sinatra’s mother, Dolly, in the 1992 television movie “Sinatra.”

Despite the awards and her other screen successes, Ms. Dukakis never gave up theater work. In 2011 she starred in an Off Broadway production of Tennessee Williams’s “The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore.”

Charles Isherwood, reviewing her performance in The Times, called her “macabre, hilarious and weirdly touching,” with a “bullying bravado that commands attention.” The next year she played Prospero (Prospera, actually) in “The Tempest” for Shakespeare & Company in Massachusetts.

Rest in peace Olympia Dukakis.

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Out Music: Wrabel ‘good’

Acclaimed singer/songwriter Wrabel

Acclaimed singer/songwriter Wrabel
Acclaimed singer/songwriter Wrabel
Out singer/songwriter Wrabel drops his latest single, ‘Good,’ which urges the listener to let go of past disappointments and be present in the here and now.

Let a good thing be good… Don’t you let a good thing go bad

The piano-driven track serves up soaring, soulful vocals by Wrabel accompanied by a rich and earthy gospel chorus. And it’s impossible to miss the artful songwriting skills at hand as he deftly crafts the storytelling through not just the lyrics but the emotional musical build and release of the song. As with his previous hits ‘The Village‘ and ‘11 Blocks,’ Wrabel journeys through an earnest exploration of those personal aspects of life that can be scary and unsure.

A tender moment from the music video for Wrabel's "Good"
A moment from Wrabel’s new music video, ‘Good’
“I feel so lucky to have worked with (video director) Carlos Asse on this video,” Wrabel says. “We wanted to build off of one of my favorite lyrics in the song – ‘I know you still see him in your apartment , let me in i’ll paint the walls’ – following a couple as they move into a new space – like a fresh start.” “Whether it’s anger, resentment or hurt, sometimes it’s the smallest disagreement that can send those feelings from the deep – down to the surface,” adds the artist. “The smallest thing can turn a good thing bad. But leaning in and trusting can keep a good thing good.” American Songwriter hailed Wrabel as “one of Hollywood’s finest songwriters for a decade” as the extensive list of his collaborations include artists like Kesha, Pink, Backstreet Boys, Louis Tomlinson and many more. ‘good’ prefaces Wrabel’s upcoming debut album scheduled for release later this year. Hit play below, and you can follow the artist on Instagram here. I really like this.

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India Reports Over 400K New COVID Cases In One Day

The first confirmed case of the omicron variant in the U.S. has been discovered in California.

Over 400,000 new cases of coronavirus were reported in India on Saturday as the  new surge there continues to ravage the country. Forty percent of new cases globally are in India where over 3,000 people a day are dying from the virus. From the Washington Post:

The soaring number of cases prompted the United States to restrict travel from India on Friday. Dozens of countries have begun sending aid to bolster hospitals overwhelmed by patients and short on oxygen.

On Saturday, a hospital in the capital, New Delhi, issued an SOS for oxygen supplies, saying its tank was empty.

Eight coronavirus patients died over the next hour before it was refilled, said S.C.L. Gupta, the medical director of Batra Hospital. The dead included one of the hospital’s own doctors. “We have lost him,” Gupta said.

The 7-day rolling average of new daily cases in India was more than 357,000 on Thursday. That’s five times what it was just a month ago. A tight lockdown last year helped the country avoid huge case numbers, but clearly officials relaxed those restrictions far too soon.

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News Round-Up: April 30, 2021

NIKO releases his latest single, "Dance Again"

NIKO releases his latest single, "Dance Again"
NIKO releases his latest single “Dance Again” (photo: Billie Black)
Some news items you might have missed: • LA Magazine: Former N’SYNC member Lance Bass is about to open “the biggest gay nightclub in the USA” in West Hollywood. The new club will land at the same location of the long-running, but now-defunct, RAGE. • NBC News: Amid a slew of anti-transgender bills working their way through state legislatures, the American Medical Association has written an open letter asking governors to veto legislation that would prohibit physicians from providing transition-related care. • BosGuy: It’s Furry Friday over at the longtime Boston-based gay blog. Click here for previous installments of furry goodness at BosGuy.
(image via BosGuy)
• Washington Post: Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) is an apparent ‘no’ vote on statehood for the District of Columbia. Manchin says there should be a constitutional amendment to move DC up to statehood, but there were no such amendments in making Alaska or Hawaii states. • Fox5 Atlanta: The family of Ashli Babbitt, the insurrectionist who was shot by Capitol Police while illegally climbing through a window in the Capitol building, is apparently planning on suing the officer and police department for $10 million.

• New Music: Dance into the weekend with the latest from Randy Report favorite, NIKO (top photo) who wants us all to “Dance Again.” Inspired by classic 90s trance tracks, the LA-based Euro Pop artist takes us on an uplifting sonic journey featuring effortless shimmering vocals, switching with equal ease between Italian and English, as that groovy bass line bops like a boss. NIKO says the track was written during the pandemic when he was “missing my loved ones who were thousands of miles away.” “The track can be interpreted very literally (wishing we could go out dancing like we used to), however, for me, the song’s message goes beyond that,” explains NIKO. “It’s about leaving your home to pursue your dreams, feeling homesick, and looking back on a time when life seemed a little more carefree. “

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Stephanie Ruhle’s Fierce Takedown On Anti-Trans Athlete Bills

MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle asks West Virginia Gov. Justice why address trans girls in sports versus larger more pressing issues in his state?

MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle asks West Virginia Gov. Justice why address trans girls in sports versus larger more pressing issues in his state? This is a pretty brutal, but fair, take down by MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle on the topic of all those state’s currently banning transgender girls from playing sports in public middle schools, high schools, and universities. West Virginia Governor Jim Justice just signed such a bill into law, and Ruhle brings some direct questions to the table. “The law you just signed, bans transgender female athletes from playing on women’s school sports teams,” she began. “Can you name one example of a transgender child, trying to gain an unfair competitive advantage at a school, there, in West Virginia?” The governor was at a loss to do so. “Well, Stephanie I don’t have that experience exactly to myself, exactly, right now.” “No, not yourself,” Ruhle pressed. “Your state. Can you give me one example of a transgender child trying to get an unfair advantage? Just one, in your state. You signed a bill about it.” “I can’t really tell you one, but I can tell you this, Stephanie,” replied Justice. “I’m a coach and I coach a girls’ basketball team. And I can tell you we all know, we all know, what an absolute advantage boys would have playing against girls.” “But sir – you have no examples of this happening,” countered Ruhle. “Why would you take your time to do this? Let’s talk about other things that I can give you examples of in your state. According to US News and World Report, West Virginia ranks 45th in education, 47th in health care, 48th on the economy, and 50th in infrastructure. If you can not name one single example for me, of a child doing this, why would you make this a priority? I just named four things that would seem to me like a much bigger priority.” Justice attempted some lame babble praising girls who work so hard at their sports and they shouldn’t be disadvantaged by trans girls participating. He also said he thinks “there are only 12 kids in our state that are transgender-type kids.” Ruhle wasn’t impressed. She ended the segment with this coup de grâce: “Please come back, when beyond anecdotal feelings as a coach, you can show me evidence where those young women are being disadvantaged in your state because I can show you evidence how ranking that low in education is a disadvantage for young women and men in West Virginia.” Annnnnnd, curtain. Watch the exchange below.