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| (via Instagram) |
Rise and shine, kids.
It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day…
And I’m feeling good 🙂
Just Because…
7.9 Earthquake In Gulf Of Alaska Triggers Tsunami Warnings
From CNN:
A magnitude-7.9 earthquake detected in the Gulf of Alaska has triggered tsunami warnings in Alaska and tsunami watches across several Western states.
A tsunami warning is in effect for southeast and south Alaska, including the Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Islands, as well as British Columbia in Canada. A tsunami watch is in effect for California, Oregon and Washington, according to the Tsunami Warning Center.
Neil Diamond, Diagnosed With Parkinson’s Disease, Will Retire From Touring
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| Neil Diamond |
Pop music legend Neil Diamond has announced that, due to a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, will retire from concert touring.
From The New York Daily News:
“It is with great reluctance and disappointment that I announce my retirement from concert touring. I have been so honored to bring my shows to the public for the past 50 years. My sincerest apologies to everyone who purchased tickets and were planning to come to the upcoming shows,” Diamond said in a statement on his website.
“I plan to remain active in writing, recording and other projects for a long time to come. My thanks goes out to my loyal and devoted audiences around the world. You will always have my appreciation for your support and encouragement. This ride has been ‘so good, so good, so good’ thanks to you.”
The Brooklyn native will wrap up his 50th anniversary tour in October in London, but the third leg of the tour, scheduled for Australia and New Zealand, has been canceled.
Diamond is set to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Recording Academy at the Grammy Awards Sunday.
Poll: Americans Are Split On Whether Trump Is Mentally Stable Or Not
This surely isn’t how Donald Trump envisioned beginning his second year in the White House.
A new poll from ABC News/Washington Post shows substanially more Americans give President Obama the credit for the ongoing positive economic situation.
Specifically, only 38% of those polled say today’s economic conditions are a “great deal/good amount” a result of Trump’s efforts, while 50% say Obama gets the credit.
Additionally, the country is split on whether or not Trump is mentally stable – 48% say he is, 47% say no.
And though Trump tells us all he has “the best brain,” 73% of Americans don’t think he’s a genius; a small 21% agree with the Trumpster on that one, though.
Ralph Lauren Unveils Team USA’s 2018 Winter Olympic Uniforms
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| 2018 US Winter Olympian Gus Kenworthy |
Since 2008, fashion designer Ralph Lauren has outfitted Team USA for the Olympics and Paralympics.
With the 2018 Winter Games just weeks away, RL unveiled his designs today for the opening and closing ceremony uniforms.
This year’s designs include “wearable heating technology.”
From USA Today:
Roundly mocked in 2014 for a chaotic, patchwork cardigan sweater, the brand went classic red, white and blue this time around for the opening ceremony and white for the closing parade of athletes in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Both have a cozy bit of technology built in to keep athletes extra warm.
Athletes will be treated to stretchy skinny jeans and a far less busily designed sweater for opening, with a stretch knit pant — think structured sweat pant — for closing. The jeans have moto-inspired seaming. Accessories include a navy wool ski hat and USA-themed navy bandanna. On the athletes’ feet will be brown suede mountaineering boots with red laces for the outdoor opening.
And then there are the gloves. They’re more Ralph than Ralph himself, a Western style in suede with fringe in rawhide brown and decorated in hand-beaded Olympic rings and an American flag. They’re lined in white and fit over the wrists. Warm, yes. Yee haw! Lasso not included.
Check out the new Team USA uniforms below.
News Round-Up: January 22, 2018
Some news items you might have missed:
• I’m still jazzed about 2016 Summer Olympic sensation Pita Taufatofua (above) becoming a cross-country skier heading to the 2018 Winter Olympics in only a year.
• A young gay came out to his mother in Mississippi last week. But when the mother didn’t know how best to respond, she wisely called a gay bar looking for advice 🙂
• The Twitterverse is not happy seeing Timothée Chalamet lose the Golden Globe and SAG Awards for his acclaimed performance in Call Me By Your Name to Gary Oldman.
• Porn actor Tegan Zayne tweets that two summers ago his co-star, Topher DiMaggio, forced him to have sex the night before shooting a scene. Zayne also alleges DiMaggio demeaned and degraded him during the video shoot calling him “a girl.” DiMaggio denies the allegations.
• Back2Stonewall reports on anti-LGBT banners outside a gay-friendly church near Indianapolis. The banner read, “Die Faggots Just Like Orlando and Las Vegas.” #HowCharming
• According to Fox News host Howard Kurtz’s new book, Media Madness: Donald Trump, The Press, And The War Over The Truth, Donald Trump secretly admitted he was wrong to have former White House press secretary Sean Spicer exaggerate the size of the crowd attending his inauguration.
• Gus Kenworthy and Adam Rippon aren’t the only gay athletes heading to the Winter Olympic Games. Check out these three queer women – Cheryl Maas, Ireen Wüst, and Belle Brockhoff – going for the gold in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Anti-LGBT Homicides Hits Record High Under Donald Trump Administration
There’s always been violence directed toward the LGBT community, but life under the Donald Trump administration shows an incredible spike in anti-LGBT homicides.
According to the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Project, 2017 saw a record-breaking 52 anti-LGBT homicides making it the worst year on record regarding the murder of LGBT people.
In 2016, that number was 28.
From Chris Johnson at The Washington Blade:
The report, published Monday, comes after a mid-year report in August signaling 2017 was the worst year ever for anti-LGBT homicides. The new report, however, indicates anti-LGBT violence increased even further after that report and reached 52 deaths by the end of the year.
According to the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Project, that’s the highest number ever recorded in its 20-year history and represents an 86 percent increase from 2016.
Beverly Tillery, executive director of the Anti-Violence Project, said in a statement the report is “a wake-up call for all of us” and blamed the anti-LGBT policies of the Trump administration for the increased violence.
“Our communities live in an increasingly hostile and dangerous climate, after a year of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and policies coming from the White House, federal government agencies, state and local sources and in our communities across the country,” Tillery said. “Anti-LGBTQ violence has long been a crisis, but NCAVP has watched the escalation of violence this past year with great concern.”
The victims of these violent crimes are in large part transgender women, particularly trans women of color (22 out of 52).
Seventy-one percent of those attacked were LGBT people of color.
The state of Texas led the way with 7 LGBT homicides.
2018 SAG Awards In Memoriam
Actors honored actors last night at the Screen Actors Guild Awards including a beautiful In Memoriam in reverence of many of those who passed in 2017.
Well done. Watch below.
BREAKING: U.S. Senate Votes To End #TrumpShutdown With Conditions
The U.S. Senate just passed a key procedural hurdle to end debate on a Continuing Resolution to reopen the government and fund it through Feb. 8th.
The measure passed by a wide margin of 81-18.
From NBC News:
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced the agreement shortly ahead of the vote: “After several discussions, offers, counter-offers, the Republican leader and I have come to an arrangement. We will vote today to reopen the government to continue negotiating a global agreement, with the commitment that, if an agreement isn’t reached by February 8, the Senate will immediately proceed to consideration of legislation dealing with DACA.”
The Senate still needs to vote on final passage of the bill before it goes to the House of Representatives.
I expect @SenateMajLdr to fulfill his commitment to the Senate & abide by this agreement. If he does not honor our agreement, he will have breached the trust of not only the Democratic Senators but the members of his own party as well.— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) January 22, 2018
#senate vote: cloture invoked 81-18.
No votes:
1. Blumenthal
2. Booker
3. Cortez Masto
4. Feinstein
5. Gillibrand
6. Harris
7 Hirono
8 Leahy
9 Lee (R)
10 Markey
11 Menendez
12 Merkley
13 Murphy
14 Paul (R)
15 Sanders (I)
16 Tester
17 Warren
18 Wyden— Senate Press Gallery (@SenatePress) January 22, 2018
Complete List Of 2018 Screen Actors Guild Awards
Last night’s Screen Actors Guild Awards looked like a repeat of the Golden Globe Awards with Frances McDormand, Gary Oldman, Allison Janney and Sam Rockwell taking home honors for their respective work.
The SAG Awards doesn’t present a “Best Picture” honor. Since the voters are actors, the closest thing to “top honors” is the Outstanding Performance By a Cast in a Motion Picture.
At this point, I’d be looking at the Globes and SAG Awards as serious precursors to what we can expect come Oscar night.
Sad to see Timothée Chalamet missed out again for his acclaimed turn in the gay coming-of-age film Call Me By Your Name, but after the year he’s had its certain he has a glowing career ahead of him.
Here’s the list of honorees last night.
Film Awards:
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Judi Dench, “Victoria & Abdul”
Sally Hawkins, “The Shape of Water”
Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” WINNER
Margot Robbie, “I, Tonya”
Saoirse Ronan, “Lady Bird”
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Timothée Chalamet, “Call Me by Your Name”
James Franco, “The Disaster Artist”
Daniel Kaluuya, “Get Out”
Gary Oldman, “Darkest Hour” WINNER
Denzel Washington, “Roman J. Israel, Esq.”
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Mary J. Blige, “Mudbound”
Hong Chau, “Downsizing”
Holly Hunter, “The Big Sick”
Allison Janney, “I, Tonya” WINNER
Laurie Metcalf, “Lady Bird”
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Steve Carell, “Battle of the Sexes”
Willem Dafoe, “The Florida Project”
Woody Harrelson, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Richard Jenkins, “The Shape of Water”
Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” WINNER
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
“The Big Sick”
“Get Out”
“Lady Bird”
“Mudbound”
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” WINNERS
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
“Baby Driver”
“Dunkirk”
“Logan”
“War for the Planet of the Apes”
“Wonder Woman” WINNER
Television Awards:
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
Laura Dern, “Big Little Lies”
Nicole Kidman, “Big Little Lies” WINNER
Jessica Lange, “Feud: Bette and Joan”
Susan Sarandon, “Feud: Bette and Joan”
Reese Witherspoon, “Big Little Lies”
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
Benedict Cumberbatch, “Sherlock: The Lying Detective”
Jeff Daniels, “Godless”
Robert De Niro, “The Wizard of Lies”
Geoffrey Rush, “Genius”
Alexander Skarsgård, “Big Little Lies” WINNER
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Millie Bobby Brown, “Stranger Things”
Claire Foy, “The Crown” WINNER
Laura Linney, “Ozark”
Elisabeth Moss, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
Robin Wright, “House of Cards”
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Jason Bateman, “Ozark”
Sterling K. Brown, “This Is Us” WINNER
Peter Dinklage, “Game of Thrones”
David Harbour, “Stranger Things”
Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul”
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Uzo Aduba, “Orange Is the New Black”
Alison Brie, “Glow”
Jane Fonda, “Grace and Frankie”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep” WINNER
Lily Tomlin, “Grace and Frankie”
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson, “Black-ish”
Aziz Ansari, “Master of None”
Larry David, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”
Sean Hayes, “Will & Grace”
William H. Macy, “Shameless” WINNER
Marc Maron, “Glow”
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
“The Crown”
“Game of Thrones”
“The Handmaid’s Tale”
“Stranger Things”
“This Is Us” WINNERS
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
“Black-ish”
“Curb Your Enthusiasm”
“Glow”
“Orange Is the New Black”
“Veep” WINNERS
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series
“Game of Thrones”
“Glow”
“Homeland”
“Stranger Things” WINNER
“The Walking Dead”