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Teen Homophobe Threatens YouTube After Being Booted From Video Site

Soph (screen capture)

A 14-year-old California girl who goes by the name “Soph” had her YouTube account terminated after posting an anti-LGBTQ video on July 31.

The high school freshman had amassed a following of over 800,000 subscribers via anti-Muslim and anti-LGBTQ commentaries before YouTube removed her account.

In the video that finally got her booted from the streaming video site, titled “Pride and Prejudice,” she mocked LGBTQ people for celebrating Pride Month.

“Unfortunately, as you know, last month was Pride, which meant we all had to endure 30-days of AIDS-carrying pedophile victims patting themselves on their backs for their lifestyles,” said Soph in the video. “I had an especially hard time considering that I live in California where there was a puddle of diseased load waiting for me whenever I dared to step out of my house.”

She went on to tell her audience that LGBTQ people criticize her and call her homophobic as a way to “detract attention away from the rates of STDs and pederasty involving homosexuals.”

The teen apparently laughs all of this off as ‘edgy internet humor.’

Soph also calls Pride a “fudge-packing fest” and tells followers to “make sure to blame me in your manifestos.” The word ‘manifesto’ refers to a kind of document left behind on far-right websites by people like the shooter behind the deadly Christchurch attack in March and the shooter accused of the recent El Paso shooting.

The account was canceled after the teen racked up three Community Guideline violations within 90 days. The Pride-bashing video violated YouTube’s hate speech guidelines.

After YouTube removed the channel, Soph tweeted a photo holding what appeared to be an assault rifle captioned, “YouTube headquarters here I come.”

The tweet was quickly removed. Then the teen wrote, “Gun tweet obviously a joke,” and seemed to ask for payments to her Bitcoin accounts.

This wasn’t Soph’s first ‘joke’ regarding violence and YouTube. In May, she threatened to murder YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki after her account was temporarily suspended and demonetized.

In a video directly addressing the YouTube executive, Soph said, “Susan, I’ve known your address since last summer. I’ve got a Luger and mitochondrial disease. I don’t care if I live. Why should I care if you live or your children? I just called an Uber. You’ve got about seven minutes to draft up a will. … I’m coming for you, and it ain’t gonna be pretty.”

Folks, this is YouTube in 2019.

(source)

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Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Toni Morrison Passes Away At 88

Toni Morrison (image via Flickr/John Matthew Smith)

From the New York Times:

Toni Morrison, the 1993 Nobel laureate in literature, whose work explored black identity in America and in particular the experience of black women, died on Monday in the Bronx. She was 88.

Her death, at Montefiore Medical Center, was announced by her publisher, Alfred A. Knopf. A spokeswoman said the cause was complications of pneumonia. Ms. Morrison lived in Grand View-on-Hudson, N.Y.

The first African-American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, Ms. Morrison was the author of 11 novels as well as children’s books and essay collections. Among them were celebrated works like “Song of Solomon,” which received the National Book Critics Circle Award in 1977, and “Beloved,” which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1988.

Ms. Morrison was one of the rare American authors whose books were both critical and commercial successes. Her novels appeared regularly on The New York Times best-seller list, were featured multiple times on Oprah Winfrey’s television book club and were the subject of myriad critical studies. A longtime faculty member at Princeton, Ms. Morrison lectured widely and was seen often on television.

“If you can only be tall because someone is on their knees, then you have a serious problem.”

“If you are free, you need to free somebody else. If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else.”

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Podcast: Chatting With Writer/Performer/Podcast Host Dennis Hensley

Chatting with the super-fun writer, performer, celebrity journalist and podcast host Dennis Hensley.

I’ve known Dennis for years. He’s the guy you always want to sit next to at a party because he’s not only smart but always ready with an authentically clever line.

Dennis is a master of so many fields. From his popular podcast, ‘Dennis Anyone?’ (www.dennishensley.com) to his very cool ‘Lifecast’ project where he interviews people and creates a podcast about their life – ergo, a ‘Lifecast.’ (www.getalifecast.com)

There are his many TV appearances on shows like Logo’s “Gay For Play” game show starring RuPaul, “Fashion Police,” and “The Big Gay Sketch Show.”

He’s a frequent guest host on Sirius XM and the author of several novels. And he recently developed a new party game called “You Don’t Know My Life” with Jeb Havens. (www.YouDontKnowMyLife.com)

We have wanted to interview each other for a long time, and so finally, here we are.

This episode turned into a ‘battle of the interviewers’ as we both kept trying to ask the other questions about their lives and projects.

I really had fun here.

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News Round-Up: August 5, 2019

Terron Beckham (via Instagram)

Some news items you might have missed:

• InstaHunks: Terron Beckham (above), the ridiculously jacked cousin of the Cleveland Browns’ Odell Beckham Jr., shows off some gym humor along with his ‘big-is-best’ everything else. #thosecalves

• OUT: A new study shows some men may be reticent to recycle because it might be perceived as ‘feminine.’

• Variety: At her Madison Square Gardens concert over the weekend, Barbra Streisand offered up a tweaked version of “Send in the Clowns” that trolled the current clown in the Oval Office.

• Twitter: A police officer busts some moves to Steps’ 2017 hit “Scared Of The Dark” while attending Brighton Pride in the UK. The clip went viral after his police department shared the clip on social media.

• Red Flag Bill: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is collaborating on a “red flag” bill with Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) that would start a federal grant program to help encourage states to create “‘red flag’ protection order” laws, which are meant to make it easier for law enforcement to identify mentally ill people who should be banned from purchasing guns.

• NY Magazine: A new profile on Ivanka Trump quotes a friend who says the Trumpette, “Has no idea she’s privileged. She genuinely thinks she’s earned everything she has. She goes on and on all the time about how hard she works.”

• Out Music: Make-up artist Deney Adam (whose work has been seen in Vogue, NY Times, Interview) puts down his brushes to drop his wild and wooly new track and music video, “Heartdrop.”

The visual, directed by the fab Mike Ruiz, is a fast and furious, animalistic affair featuring a nearly naked Deney locked inside a glass case.

“I wanted to convey that feeling of being trapped in a situation; when just at the moment that you think you are finally free from it, you find yourself right back where you started,” says Deney.

Musically, the track continually switches gears resulting in a visceral, heart-pounding (or should that be ‘heart-dropping?’) ride. Hit play below.

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Out Music: Kyle Motsinger “Love On Each Other”

Out singer/songwriter Kyle Motsinger just released his latest single, "Love On Each Other," in advance of his upcoming album to be released this winter.

Out singer/songwriter Kyle Motsinger just released his latest single, a groovy, bouncy bop titled “Love On Each Other,” in advance of his upcoming album to be released this winter.

Working with producer and collaborator Corey Tut, the track features big disco beats and slinky 70s strings making for an upbeat affair – which was Motsinger’s goal.

The artist says current headlines of “crowds chanting against immigrants” and “transgender people being murdered in the streets” inspired him to counter that with some positivity.

“It’s a sneak peek of the more upbeat sound I’m cultivating for my Sophomore album that will be released this winter,” says Motsinger. “I hope everyone takes away from the song that we have the power to change the world if we open our hearts and ‘Love on Each Other!’”

You can currently find the track on Amazon and Spotify.

Check it out below.

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Trump Supporter Who Sent Pipe Bombs To Trump’s Political Opponents Gets 20 Year Prison Sentence

Cesar Sayoc (mug shot)

NBC News reports Cesar Sayoc, an ardent Trump supporter who pleaded guilty to sending more than a dozen pipe bombs to prominent critics of President Donald Trump last year, was sentenced Monday to 20 years in prison.

Sayoc sent homemade pipe bombs bundled with glass shards to prominent Democrats including Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama.

The series of mailed pipe bombs, which prosecutors described in court papers as “a domestic terror attack,” spurred a nationwide scare last year.

He was arrested on Oct. 26 outside an auto-parts store near Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Sayoc was living out of a white van plastered with stickers praising Trump and slogans condemning liberals and the media. He would shower at the gym where he works out, a Florida-based cousin previously told NBC News.

From Oct. 22 to Nov. 2, the FBI and U.S. Postal Service recovered 16 manila padded envelopes containing improvised explosive devices that were believed to have been sent by Sayoc from Florida, prosecutors said.

Sayoc is also accused of sending the devices, or addressing them to be sent, to former Vice President Joe Biden; former Attorney General Eric Holder; former CIA Director John Brennan; Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Kamala Harris, D-Calif.; Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif.; activist Tom Steyer; and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.

Sayoc had faced a possible sentence of life in prison.

Police reportedly found a list of more than 100 additional possible targets.

A cousin describes Sayoc to NBC News as a “lost soul” and a “loose cannon” who abused steroids.

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Las Vegas: Strip’s Longest-Running Headliner Frank Marino Joins Legends In Concert

This fall, the longest-running headliner in Las Vegas history, Frank Marino, will join the longest-running production on the Las Vegas Strip, Legends in Concert.
Frank Marino (via Facebook)
This fall, the longest-running headliner in Las Vegas history, Frank Marino, will join the longest-running production on the Las Vegas Strip, Legends in Concert.

“I’m truly honored to be joining the cast of Legends in Concert for a limited engagement,” said the former star of Divas Las Vegas. “I’m simply ecstatic to be going from Diva status to a Legend inside the world-famous iconic Tropicana Las Vegas.”

Marino also shares that this will be his swan song appearance as the legendary first lady of comedy, Joan Rivers.
Marino joins the cast of Legends beginning September 11 and will be joined by a new cast of tribute artists singing some of the biggest hits of recorded music. 
Fans will be taken into a “Bohemian Rhapsody” with Fernando Castro’s mesmerizing tribute to the one and only Freddie Mercury and the iconic catalog of Queen; moved far from the “Shallow” with Tierney Allen’s breathtaking homage to Lady Gaga; and transported to the 80s with Jill Burke’s stunning recreation of Pat Benatar’s “Love is a Battlefield.” 
Elvis also returns to the Legends in Concert Theater with hunk of “Burnin’ Love” Matt Lewis and his beloved portrayal of The King, Elvis Presley.
The acclaimed production featuring stunning tribute artists also dazzles fans with historic showgirl costumes curated directly from iconic Vegas productions of the past, creating a special tribute to the showgirl glamour that is synonymous with the Entertainment Capital of the World.

Legends in Concert performs at Tropicana Las Vegas Monday through Saturday (dark Sunday) at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in person at the Tropicana Box Office, or online at ticketmaster.com and ticketbat.com. 

For more information about Legends in Concert, visit LEGENDSINCONCERT.COM.

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Obama On Recent Shootings: “No Other Developed Nation Tolerates Levels Of Gun Violence That We Do”

President Obama issued a statement today regarding the twin mass shootings that occurred over the weekend.

President Obama issued a statement today regarding the twin mass shootings that occurred over the weekend.

After sharing condolences from his family for the victims of the attacks, Obama wrote, “No other nation on Earth comes close to experiencing the frequency of mass shootings that we see in the United State. No other developed nation tolerates the levels of gun violence that we do.”

He also called out those who say “tougher gun laws won’t stop all murders” because “the evidence shows that they can stop some killings.”

The former president also wrote of the accused El Paso shooter: “Troubled individuals who embrace racist ideologies and themselves obligated to act violently to preserve white supremacy.”

“We should soundly reject language coming of the mouths of any of our leaders that feeds a climate of fear and hatred or normalizes racists sentiments; leaders who demonize those who don’t look like us, or suggest that other people, including immigrants, threaten our way of life, or refer to other people as sub-human, or imply that America belongs to just one certain type of people,” said Obama in closing.

You can read the full statement below.

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Mass Shootings: Trump Condemns “Racism, Bigotry And White Supremacy”

Donald Trump (screen capture)

Donald Trump denounced white supremacy, racism and bigotry on Monday as he addressed the two mass shootings that occurred over the weekend.

From the New York Times:

“In one voice our nation must condemn racism, bigotry and white supremacy,” Mr. Trump said.

But Mr. Trump stopped well short of endorsing the kind of broad gun control measures that activists and Democrats have sought for years, instead falling back on time-honored Republican remedies, calling for stronger action to address mental illness, violence in the media and in video games.

He warned of “the perils of the internet and social media” with no acknowledgment of his use of those platforms to promote his brand of divisive politics.

It remained unclear whether Mr. Trump’s 10-minute remarks after one of the most violent weekends in recent American history could place him in a position to unify the nation when many Americans believe he is personally responsible for inflaming racial division. He took no responsibility for the atmosphere of division, nor did he recognize his own reluctance to warn of the rise of white nationalism until now.

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GOP Lawmaker Candice Keller Blames Gays, Drag Queens, Marijuana & Video Games For Mass Shootings

Ohio state Rep. Candice Keller (image via government site)

In the aftermath of two deadly mass shootings over the weekend, one conservative Ohio state lawmaker put the blame for the tragic events on same-sex marriage, video games, transgender people, drag queens, President Obama and more.

On Saturday, a lone gunman killed 20 people at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas. That was followed by another shooting in Dayton, Ohio, which left 10 dead and at least 27 more wounded.

State Rep. Candice Keller (R), who represents a district near Dayton, wrote on her Facebook page, “After every mass shooting, the liberals start the blame game. Why not place the blame where it belongs?”

She went on to list who she feels are the real culprits for so many mass shootings beginning with, “The breakdown of the traditional American family (thank you, transgender, homosexual marriage and drag queen advocates).”

Also on her list of folks to blame for the two mass shooting events were:

  • Fatherlessness
  • Video games (although other countries have video games as well and not nearly the gun violence that is seen in the U.S.)
  • Open borders
  • Recreational marijuana
  • Students in school who misbehave
  • Disrespect for the police (she gave a shoutout to Obama for some reason)
  • Hatred of our veterans (athletes are to blame for that one)
  • The Democratic Congress (although Democrats only control one chamber of Congress)
  • Culture (in general we guess) for ignoring the importance of God and the church
  • State officeholders and something about the 2nd Amendment
  • And, of course, ‘snowflakes’ who “can’t accept a duly-elected president

I’m not sure how Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny managed to avoid the list, but maybe she was in a hurry.

When the Dayton Daily News contacted Keller about the post, she told a reporter she had posted something “to her private, personal Facebook page.”

And when the post was read to her over the phone, she said “it sounded like part of her posting but she couldn’t be sure if it had been altered,” introducing the idea that she had been possibly hacked.

The post was promptly deleted, but screengrabs have gone viral on the internet.

Brian Hester, Chairman for the Butler County Democratic Party, responded to the post telling the Daily News, “She loves to fan the flames and play the role of victim here, not the nine people who were killed….She is fundamentally unfit for office.”

Hester added, “She is an embarrassment to her party, to conservatives, to Butler County, and to the state Legislature.”

(source: Dayton Daily News)