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Showtune Saturday: Ramin Karimloo “Make Them Hear You”

Ramin Karimloo

Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera star Ramin Karimloo absolutely kills “Make Them Hear You” from RAGTIME.

I’m such a fan of Ramin’s work. His focus, clarity and open heart command your attention with ease. And that voice.

Oh, and then there’s the fact he’s so easy on the eyes 🙂

Plus, the message of the song seems particularly relevant in this time.

Your sword could be a sermon or the power of the pen
Teach every child to raise his voice and then my brothers, then…
Will justice be demanded by ten million righteous men
Make them hear you, 
When they hear you, I’ll be near you – again…

More of his music can be found on iTunes here.

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Happy Thanksgiving From The Randy Report (And A Request)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

At The Randy Report, I talk a lot about politics and the political positions we all have.

The official policies here today are definitely “pro-Thanks” and “pro-Giving.”

I’m thankful for so many things this year – especially my hot hubby, Michael, and the 1st Amendment 🙂

That said, it’s easy for so many to enjoy this day. Whether wealthy or not, most of us have family, friends and a warm place to be today. I’m thankful that’s the case for me and my family today.

But there are many less fortunate.

Today I’m thinking of LGBTQ kids who have been turned out of their homes because their families won’t accept them for who they are, and they become homeless. And that’s just the beginning of a nightmare journey for these kids in crisis.

The mission of the Ali Forney Center in NYC is to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning (LGBTQ) youth from the harm of homelessness, and to support them in becoming safe and independent as they move from adolescence to adulthood.

The Center is committed to providing these young people with safe, dignified, nurturing environments where their needs can be met, and where they can begin to put their lives back together.

I humbly ask you to please take one minute – 60 seconds – and consider what a small donation could mean to help these young people.

If you feel so moved, click over to the Ali Forney Center website and consider this worthy organization when you think of “giving” today.  No amount is too small to help.

For anyone willing to help, donations can be made online via credit card or PayPal.

Or they can be mailed to:
Ali Forney Center
224 West 35th Street, 15th Floor
New York, NY 10001

I’m thankful every day that I get to share, post and pontificate here on The Randy Report.  Hopefully, I entertain a bit, help crack a smile, and every now and then inform.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for being here.

Happy T-day everyone!

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Halloween PSA Reminds Parents – It’s All Just Pretend

As we head into the Halloween holiday with all its spooky, dress-up fun for everyone, I thought this PSA (which debuted in 2017) makes for a timely #ThrowbackThursday post.

Boys and girls all over the country will get excited this evening about dressing up as their favorite super-hero, comic book character or cartoon persona for Halloween.

And in this day and age, some of those choices might surprise parents.

This public service announcement serves as a touching blueprint for moms and dads who might feel concern as their kids go house to house on Halloween as, say, “Batman” and “Wonder Woman.”

In the video, two children oversee their parents carving pumpkins with the logos of their favorite superheroes before running up to their rooms to suit up for a night of Halloween fun.

The two-minute video continues as the parents dutifully follow the mighty duo as they make their way from house to house in the neighborhood. We see one neighbor thanking the tiny tots for “keeping our streets safe” as the parents watch from the curb.

At the end of the clip, mom and dad tuck the kids into bed and there’s an important reveal.

One of the co-writers for the spot, Alexander Day, told HuffPost at the time, “Halloween can be a time people can express themselves in a certain way and not be attacked for it.”

For those who get concerned about so-called “gender norms,” just remember – the kids are pretending no matter who or what they choose to dress as.

And that goes for the adults who enjoy the holiday as well.

Here’s hoping everyone has a fun and safe Halloween.

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Music Video: Tom Goss Explores Domestic Violence In ‘La Bufadora’

Tom Goss and Daniel Franzese in “La Bufadora”

Out singer/songwriter Tom Goss’s new video, “La Bufadora,” features Goss and actor Daniel Franzese (Mean Girls, Looking), as a couple in crisis in Mexico.

La Bufadora is a blowhole just south of Ensenada, Mexico.

Goss shares that the song was written “after a tension-filled weekend in Mexico with my husband.”

“I couldn’t help but notice the similarities between La Bufadora (exploding in the middle of the serene ocean) and our emotions (constantly bubbling and ready to explode, just under the surface),” says Goss.

In the video, Goss and Franzese are vacationing in Mexico, but tensions build to physical conflict.

“As humans, we can be so volatile or wounded at the drop of a hat,” Goss told HuffPost. “Sometimes it is a choice we make, sometimes it is the deep-seated triggers that live within our bodies and minds. Just like La Bufadora, we ebb and flow, rest and explode.”

HuffPost notes that recent research by the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control found that 26% of gay men and 37% of bisexual men have experienced rape, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime.

For lesbian and bisexual women, those rates are 43.8% and 61%, respectively.

Proceeds from the video will be donated to help support The National Domestic Violence Hotline and the LA LGBT Center’s Intimate Partner / Domestic Violence Outreach.

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News Round-Up: September 23, 2019

Tom Welling will resprise his role as Clark Kent in upcoming 'Crisis on Infinite Earths' crossover on 4 Arrowverse series

Some news items you might have missed:

• Deadline: Hunky Tom Welling (above – image via FB) will reprise his Smallville role of Clark Kent for the upcoming mega-crossover ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ on The CW. Two more former Supermen, Tyler Hoechlin and Brandon Routh, will also take part in the 5-part story arc which will unite the entire Arrowverse series franchise – Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow and Batwoman.

• The Advocate: A federal judge has ruled that an anti-LGBTQ church, D. James Kennedy Ministries based in Florida, can be labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) as a matter of free speech. SPLC lists the church as a hate group “because it maligns the entire LGBT community, portraying it as perverted and a threat to the nation.”

• Twitter: Two of my favorite tweets today come from Democratic White House hopeful Joe Biden. In the first, he congratulates Billy Porter on his historic win last night at the Emmy Awards. In the second, Joe gets his message across in a single sentence.

• Bloomberg Business: At $28 billion so far, the farm rescue is more than twice as expensive as the 2009 bailout of Detroit’s Big Three automakers, which cost taxpayers $12 billion. Plus, an August survey by Purdue University and the CME Group, 58% said farmers anticipate another round of trade aid next year.

• Billboard: Streaming music continues to grow in popularity. According to Nielsen Music, there have been 505.5 billion on-demand audio streams in 2019 so far. That’s up 23% compared to the same time a year ago: 409.6 billion year-to-date through the week ending Sept. 13, 2018.

• Capitol Weekly: Tracking poll in California shows Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) leading the current pack of Democrats in the Golden State with 29% support; Sen. Bernie Sanders is at 21% support and former Vice President Joe Biden lands in 3rd with 18% support.

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InstaHunk Round-Up: Weekend Edition

Instahunk Obaid Habibi

Checking in with our favorite InstaHunks this weekend…

Hunky Obaid Habibi (above), enjoying Ibiza, Spain, reminds us that it’s always beach-time somewhere in the world.

Bremen Menelli is giving you spooky, black and white inspiration by photog Mark Bagang:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2sn8sMgyPy/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Simon Dunn attending the Diva Awards: “The closet I’ve ever been to going on a date with the opposite sex and also the most clothes I’ve ever worn…”

Pierre Vuala can’t believe the summer is almost over; I can’t believe how perfect his pic from the Bahamas is:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2rtgJAJLhg/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

After a year of shifting perspectives, designer daddy Daniel Sheehan revisits his “Death to Limits” t-shirt:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2r90_6lmek/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Randy Kaufman celebrated the end of summer with Portland, Maine, realness:

JD Rainey celebrated National Dance Day at Magic Mike Live in Las Vegas:

Francesc GascĂł is in his CrossFit happy place:

Papa Party impresario Eliad Cohen says ‘good morning’ from West Hollywood:

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Trump Orders Military Forces To Middle East

Donald Trump has ordered US military forces to the Middle East following an Iranian attack on Saudi oil facilities

Donald Trump has ordered US military forces to the Middle East following an Iranian attack on Saudi oil facilities

Donald Trump has approved deploying U.S. military forces to Saudi Arabia following a recent attack on an oil facility there.

From CNBC:

The Pentagon will deploy U.S. forces to the Middle East on the heels of the Iranian attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities, U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper announced Friday.

“The United States has a responsibility to protect our citizens and our interests in the region,” Esper said.

The strikes on the world’s largest crude-processing plant and oil field forced the kingdom to shut down half of its production operations. What’s more, the event triggered the largest spike in crude prices in decades and renewed concerns of a budding conflict in the Middle East. All the while, Iran maintains that it was not behind the attacks.

On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia’s defense ministry said that drone and missile debris recovered by investigators shows Iranian culpability. Saudi coalition spokesman Col. Turki al-Maliki said during a press briefing in Riyadh that all military components retrieved from the oil facilities “point to Iran.”

There was a time, however, when Trump said Saudi Arabia “should fight their own wars.”

There’s always a tweet…

(lead image via Flickr/White House – public domain)

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Trump: “Is Anybody Dumb Enough To Think I’d Say Something Inappropriate?”

There are reports Donald Trump made a 'promise' to a foreign leader that concerned a U.S. intelligence official

There are reports Donald Trump made a 'promise' to a foreign leader that concerned a U.S. intelligence official

The Washington Post is reporting Donald Trump, during a communication with a foreign leader, allegedly made a ‘promise’ of some kind that triggered a report from a U.S. intelligence official.

Trump’s interaction with the foreign leader included a “promise” that was regarded as so troubling that it prompted an official in the U.S. intelligence community to file a formal whistleblower complaint with the inspector general for the intelligence community, said the former officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

It was not immediately clear which foreign leader Trump was speaking with or what he pledged to deliver, but his direct involvement in the matter has not been previously disclosed. It raises new questions about the president’s handling of sensitive information and may further strain his relationship with U.S. spy agencies. One former official said the communication was a phone call.

Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson determined that the complaint was credible and troubling enough to be considered a matter of “urgent concern,” a legal threshold that requires notification of congressional oversight committees.

But acting director of national intelligence Joseph Maguire has refused to share details about Trump’s alleged transgression with lawmakers, touching off a legal and political dispute that has spilled into public view and prompted speculation that the spy chief is improperly protecting the president.

In the weeks prior to the whistleblower’s complaint, White House records indicate communications between Trump and five world leaders, including a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the end of July.

As the Post points out, Trump has been a bit sloppy when handling classified intel in the past.

In May 2017, he shared “classified information about espionage operations in Syria to senior Russian officials in the Oval Office, disclosures that prompted a scramble among White House officials to contain the potential damage.”

Trump took to Twitter to ask, without a trace of irony, if anybody is “dumb enough to believe that I would say something inappropriate with a foreign leader?”

(lead image via White House Flickr/Public Domain)