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Staying at Gaia Retreat & Spa

Approaching Gaia Retreat and Spa
The entrance to Gaia Retreat and Spa

From the Gaia Retreat & Spa website: Majestically poised on the highest point in the shire and set on 25 acres, Gaia boasts a dramatic backdrop of green valleys and undulating hills in the subtropical hinterland of Byron Bay. This boutique 19 room property will seduce you and capture your heart with its exquisite vistas.

Founded in 2005 by Olivia Newton-John, Gregg Cave, Ruth Kalnin and Warwick Evans, Gaia offers a retreat with tailored programs aimed to the individual. Gaia is run on a day-to-day basis with gracious hospitality by Gregg Cave, who along with the entire team at Gaia, is committed to your wellbeing.

Inspired by the healing culture of the Byron Bay region and its abundant and fresh local organic produce, Gaia Retreat & Spa is so much more than a healthy holiday; it is a unique retreat and spa experience – with heart.

Since opening in 2005 Gaia has received multiple awards and accolades including Winner of the prestigious 2008 Conde Nast Readers Spa Awards Favourite Overseas Hotel Spa – Australasia and South Pacific and Winner of the 2008 Australasian Spa Association- ASPA Award for ‘Best Destination Spa’.

Kukura House – main building and dining area
Just gorgeous.

Michael relaxing in the lounge at Kukura House
Travel critics have referred to Gaia’s style as “barefoot Armani”

Even the entrance to the restrooms in Kukura House are gorgeous

One view from Kukura House

The view from Samira Lookout towards the ocean.
You can see Byron Bay on the horizon.

Michael and I atop Samira Lookout with the gorgeous landscape around us.
Olivia with co-owner Gregg Cave
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News Round-Up: August 10, 2017

The U.S. Men’s Gymnastic team at the Olympics last year in Rio
(via Instagram)

A few news items you may have missed:

• U.S. Olympic gymnast Sam Mikulak thinks the men’s team could up interest in his sport if the guys competed shirtless. I think he may be onto something there 🙂

• Hideous Trump support and now former-CNN pundit got booted from the news network for tweeting “Sieg Heil!”

• “Maybe it wasn’t tough enough,” Donald Trump says of his “fire and fury” remarks on North Korea:

• Tony Award winner Ben Platt (Dear Evan Hansen) has scored a guest star spot on upcoming Will & Grace reboot.

• A new report shows it could cost around $960 million to kick transgender people out of the the U.S. military.

• Chelsea Manning, photographed by Annie Leibovitz, for Vogue’s September issue – “Guess this is what freedom looks like…”

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Instahunk Round-Up

The weekend is right – over – there.

Just one more day.

A little something to keep your “spirits” up…

A post shared by Joan Crisol Men Photography (@joancrisolphoto) on Aug 9, 2017 at 9:31am PDT
A post shared by Eliad Cohen (@eliad_cohen) on Aug 10, 2017 at 8:03am PDT
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Anthony Scaramucci Sees Himself As The “Monica Lewinsky” Of Trump Administration

Anthony “The Mooch” Scaramucci

Anthony Scaramucci, who you may remember (it was so quick) spent a few days as the White House Communications director last month, tweeted the bizarre message below comparing New Yorker Magazine reporter Ryan Lizza to Clinton/Lewinsky scandal leaker Linda Tripp:

Of course, the odd thing about this is Tripp secretly taped her conversations with Monica Lewinsky regarding President Clinton. Scaramucci called Lizza and knew he was being recorded, yet kept yapping obscenities about folks in the White House.

And if Lizza is the “Linda Tripp” of this analogy, doesn’t that mean “Mooch” is Lewinsky? And we all know why she’s famous, right?

Note – New York and Washington D.C. are “one-party consent” jurisdictions, which means that it is legal for anyone on a phone call to record the conversation.

The Twitterverse was happy to jump in:

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New Music: Pink “What About Us”

Pink announces she’s “insanely proud” of her upcoming album, Beautiful Trauma (release date October 13th), and shares the first single from the collection, pop anthem “What About Us.”

I could not be more excited right now. My single comes out today “What About Us” and my new album “Beautiful Trauma” comes out October 13th. I’m certifiably, insanely proud of this album. It’s been a while, and I’m grateful for all the years we’ve had. Looking forward to the next chapter with you.

This is the first new music from Pink in 5 years, and folks are ready. The new song is just what you want from Pink: mainstream power pop with empowering lyrics.

And there are some not-so-vague references to our new Cheeto In Chief. Check some of these lyrics:

And you sold us down the river too far

What about us – What about all the times you said you had the answers?

What about us – What about all the plans that ended in disaster?

What about love? / What about trust?

We were willing / We came when you called / But man, you fooled us / Enough is enough!

Check the lyric video of “What About Us” below:

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Suspended Fox News Host Eric Bolling Sues Reporter For Defamation Over Sexting Scandal

Former Fox News host Eric Bolling

Suspended Fox News host Eric Bolling has begun legal proceedings aimed at the reporter that brought his alleged sexting scandal to light.

You’ll recall last week, Yashar Ali reported for HuffPost that Bolling had texted pics of his genitals to several women over the years. Bolling was suspended from Fox News pending review.

Ali cites 14 sources for his reporting; highly doubtful he would write an article without a LOT of backup.

Via Politico:

Yashar Ali, a contributing writer for HuffPost, reported on Friday that several years ago Bolling sent lewd text messages that included photographs of male genitalia to two female colleagues at Fox. The next day Bolling was suspended and Fox launched an investigation by the same law firm that handled probes into the conduct of former host Bill O’Reilly and former Fox chairman Roger Ailes.

After the initial report, Bolling said, via his lawyer, that he “recalls no such inappropriate communications, does not believe he sent any such communications, and will vigorously pursue his legal remedies for any false and defamatory accusations that are made.”

On Wednesday, Bolling filed a “summons with notice” in New York State Supreme Court against Ali, seeking $50 million in damages for defamation. Ali must respond within 20 days, demanding that Bolling file a complaint, after which Bolling will have 20 days to file his response before the suit goes forward.

Bolling is represented by Michael Bowe from the same law firm as Marc Kasowitz, who was President Donald Trump’s personal attorney until last month.

“This anonymously sourced and uncorroborated story is false, defamatory, and obviously intended to destroy this good man’s career and family. We will defend Eric aggressively in court, where actual facts, based on evidence, testimony, and cross-examination, will belie these anonymous accusations,” Bowe said.

It’s notable that Bolling is only targeting Ali in his legal maneuver, not HuffPost who could easily settle a lawsuit. Bolling is clearly looking to bully Ali.

Ali stands by his story and his sources, telling Politico he will “protect my sources, especially the victims, at all costs.”

Responding to the news, Lydia Polgreen, editor in chief at HuffPost, issued a statement which read, “Yashar Ali is a careful and meticulous reporter. We stand by his reporting.”

Here’s a sample of the kind of “reporting” Bolling does on Fox News:

(h/t JoeMyGod)

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News Round-Up: August 9, 2017

(via Instagram)

Some news items you may have missed:

• Pietro Boselli (above) asks via Instagram, “Poolside, gym – what more?” #WhatMoreIndeed #grrr

• The Advocate shares 7 sports organizations that stand up for transgender Americans.

• Donald Trump’s “fire and fury” remarks aimed at North Korea were apparently made in the moment; no advisers were consulted on the language.

• A design firm thinks the swastika can be “rebranded” for the LGBTQ community. They’re wrong. #HideousIdea

• In the aftermath of President Trump’s threats of “fire and fury,” North Korea is now reportedly considering a missile strike on Guam.

• FBI agents conducted an early morning raid of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort’s home in July. The search warrant indicates the FBI wasn’t confident Manafort would provide all documents requested by the Special Counsel’s investigation.

• Adorable pic of gay dads after a day at Disney World with kids goes viral 🙂

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Las Vegas: Rio Hotel Set To Host “WOW” Water Spectacular – Set To Open Sept 26

Hey, hey, hey Las Vegas: the enormously successful WOW show (15 years of packed houses in Israel) is set to open on September 26th at the Rio All-Suites Hotel & Casino.

Via press release:

Prepare to be transported into a world of water, wonder and fantasy as “WOW,” the internationally-acclaimed production, will make its North American debut with a splash at the Rio Showroom at Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas September 26, 2017.

“WOW” is a water entertainment spectacular that transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary. The cast of more than 30 international performing artists, acrobats and dancers fly, flip, fold, dance and defy the imagination in a 180 degree theatrical setting that engages the audience from beginning to end with 3D multi-media projections, water walls, and holograms. Add breathtaking acrobatics, dazzling choreography, thrilling theatrical lighting, magnificent music and even finalists from America’s Got Talent, and you are sure to be wowed!

Created and directed by director Hanoch Rosènn, “WOW,” the long-running circus-style variety show features delights, dangers and water. Rosènn is known worldwide for his extravagant and large-scale productions – including where he directed

In preparation for its North American premiere, the Rio Showroom at Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino is being transformed into a world of water including a custom-built stage and pool that promises an up-close and interactive audience experience. Though grand in scale, design, and production, the family-friendly show will provide Las Vegas audiences with an intimate theatrical water show adventure unlike any other.

Ticket info here.

Check out the promo video below.

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LGBT Advocates Sue Trump Administration Over Proposed Trans Military Ban

Even though Donald Trump’s nascent ban on transgender military service members isn’t in place yet, two LGBTQ advocacy groups have filed a law suit to enjoin enforcement of the ban.

From the Washington Blade‘s Chris Johnson:

The 15-page complaint was filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by National Center for Lesbian Rights and GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders on behalf of five anonymous transgender service members identified as “Jane Doe.”

Although the Pentagon has said there would be “no modifications” to transgender service until further guidance from the White House, the lawsuit — known as Doe v. Trump — maintains Trump’s announcement “upset the reasonable expectations of plaintiffs and thousands of other transgender service members and the men and women with whom they serve and fight.”

“Execution of the president’s directive will result in an end to service by openly transgender service members and has already resulted in immediate, concrete injury to plaintiffs by unsettling and destabilizing plaintiffs’ reasonable expectation of continued service,” the lawsuit says.

This undermining of transgender service members’ expectation of continued military service amounts to a violation of the right to equal protection and due process under the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the lawsuit alleges.

Also violated by the intent to ban transgender people from the U.S. armed forces, the complaint says, is the legal doctrine of estoppel — a legal doctrine against making assertions contradictory to a previously held position. Trump’s transgender military ban violates estoppel, the lawsuit says, because the Obama administration assured transgender people the ability to serve last year by lifting the medical regulation barring their service.

The lawsuit names as defendants President Trump, Defense Secretary James Mattis, Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford, the secretaries for each of the military services and acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke, who oversees the U.S. Coast Guard.

Johnson notes in his article that Outserve-SLDN, the LGBT military group, also plans to file suit once an actual policy change is announced.

Experts put the cost of the ban in the neighborhood of $960 million.