Posts

Posted on

Trump: “Much Of The Wall Has Already Been Fully Renovated Or Built”

Donald Trump

Donald Trump tweeted today that his infamous ‘wall’ is actually being paid for via the recently announced trade negotiations known as United States/Mexico/Canada Trade Deal.

The Donald also asserts that ‘much of the wall has already been fully renovated or built.”

???

If it’s ‘fully renovated or built’ why shutdown the government?

Ken Meyer at Mediaite has more:

So, let’s see. Mexico is supposedly paying for the wall with an updated NAFTA deal that will presumably stimulate U.S. economic activity enough to offset the wall’s cost through tax revenue. Even if this federal revenue increase does happen as Trump claims, the actual end result here is American taxpayers will supply the money for the wall, not Mexico.

At a briefing today, Trump told reporters he’d ‘rather not say’ if he would accept less than $5 billion for his wall to bring the government shutdown to a close

Posted on

Pro-Wrestler Anthony Bowens Comes Out (Again)

Pro wrestler Anthony Bowens comes out - again
Pro wrestler Anthony Bowens comes out – again

Professional wrestler Anthony Bowens has come out – again.

After coming out in 2017 as bisexual, Bowens now says he’s come to the point where the term doesn’t really apply to him today.

“It’s on to a new year, a new journey and, apparently, a new label,” says the hunky 28-year-old in a YouTube video titled ‘COMING OUT…again.’

“The main purpose of this video is to tell everybody that I prefer to be labeled now as gay,” he begins.

In advance of the reactions he’s bracing for, Bowens admits, “There’s going to be ‘thank you, it’s great that you’re being open and honest and we love you,’ there’s going to be the ‘well, we knew that,’ and there’s going to be the ‘bi now gay later’ people.”

The hunky wrestler says he initially identified as bisexual as he “didn’t know much about the LGBTQ community” and he had been attracted to both genders.

While he still advocates for bisexuality (‘100 percent’), Bowens says, “As you get older, your viewpoints change; the way you look at the world changes; the way you look at yourself changes.”

He shares that recently, in looking back at some old articles featuring him, he realized the word ‘bisexual’ was used over and over to describe him.

“It was kind of annoying me that they had to continually put what I was,” he lamented. “I couldn’t just be a professional wrestler, I was the ‘bisexual pro wrestler,’ but I just wasn’t identifying with that term any more.”

Bowens’ relationship with boyfriend Michael Pavano, who he met in 2016, also has impacted the way he views himself.

“I’m in love with Michael, I want to marry Michael, I’m picturing myself being with a man for the rest of my life, so the term ‘bisexual’ felt less and less me the more time went on,” he tells his YouTube audience. “And I now feel more comfortable labeling myself as ‘gay.’”

The athlete also stresses that he didn’t use the term ‘bisexual’ as a gateway to ‘gay.’ It’s just how life unfolded for him.

“There are some people out there who will use that just because they are afraid to say that they’re gay, but not everybody’s like that, and I don’t think they should be judged for it because everybody has their own way of figuring themselves out,” explains Bowen.

“Please don’t be a hypocrite,” implores Bowen. “I think it’s very hypocritical as people who identify as LGBT who get judged by a lot of people about our lifestyle, then turn around and judge others in the same community.”

Amen, Anthony.

You can watch ‘COMING OUT…again’ below.

Posted on

Director Rob Marshall Breaks Down How Live Action & Animation Came Together in ‘Mary Poppins Returns’

Lin-Manuel Miranda and Emily Blunt in ‘Mary Poppins Returns’

Director Rob Marshall discusses how a scene, which combines live action and hand-drawn animation in the new Mary Poppins Returns, came to be.

Fascinating all the thinking that went into layering the 2-D animation, even down to how the clothing was painted to be a part of the scene.

From The New York Times‘ Anatomy of a Scene series:

The Banks children go on adventure that takes them inside of a ceramic bowl and into an animated countryside, in this fanciful scene from the new Disney sequel “Mary Poppins Returns.” The film’s director Rob Marshall narrates a closer look at the sequence, which features Emily Blunt as the titular nanny and Lin-Manuel Miranda as the lamplighter friend of the family, Jack. Here, Marshall discusses how animators were brought out of retirement to work on the 2-D animation.

Posted on

Mitt Romney Pens Op-Ed Trashing Trump’s Lack Of Leadership & Character

Incoming freshman US Senator Mitt Romney of Utah penned a scathing op-ed for the Washington Post criticizing Donald Trump up and down.
Donald Trump and Mitt Romney

File under ‘Infighting is funny.’

Incoming freshman US Senator Mitt Romney of Utah penned a scathing op-ed for the Washington Post criticizing Donald Trump up and down.

From the essay:

It is well known that Donald Trump was not my choice for the Republican presidential nomination. After he became the nominee, I hoped his campaign would refrain from resentment and name-calling. It did not. When he won the election, I hoped he would rise to the occasion. His early appointments of Rex Tillerson, Jeff Sessions, Nikki Haley, Gary Cohn, H.R. McMaster, Kelly and Mattis were encouraging. But, on balance, his conduct over the past two years, particularly his actions last month, is evidence that the president has not risen to the mantle of the office.

[sic]

To a great degree, a presidency shapes the public character of the nation. A president should unite us and inspire us to follow “our better angels.” A president should demonstrate the essential qualities of honesty and integrity, and elevate the national discourse with comity and mutual respect. As a nation, we have been blessed with presidents who have called on the greatness of the American spirit. With the nation so divided, resentful and angry, presidential leadership in qualities of character is indispensable. And it is in this province where the incumbent’s shortfall has been most glaring.

Predictably, Trump clapped back wondering aloud if Romney plans to be a ‘Flake,’ meaning now-retired Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, who was a sometime-thorn in Trump’s backside.

And by the way, just keeping them honest here, Trump didn’t win “big.” He lost the popular vote, and squeezed a win in the Electoral College by just over 85K votes in 3 states.

Posted on

Austria Celebrates Marriage Equality In The New Year

Shortly after midnight, two women in Velden, Austria, exchanged wedding vows becoming the first same-sex couple to officially marry in the country.

Shortly after midnight, two women in Velden, Austria, exchanged wedding vows becoming the first same-sex couple to officially marry in the country.

After being engaged for four years, Daniela Paier and Nicole Kopaunik and Daniela Paier were wed early Tuesday morning as same-sex marriage became legal in Austria.

Austria’s constitutional court ruled in 2017 that the country’s ban on same-sex marriage was discriminatory after years of challenges from LGBTQ rights groups.

Although same-sex couples have been allowed to enter into civil partnerships since 2010, marriage was still out of bounds.

The country’s governing parties, the People’s Party and the Freedom Party, opposed marriage equality, but honored the court’s ruling.

A September 2018 poll for Österreich found that 74% of Austrians supported same-sex marriage and 26% were against.

(h/t Miami Herald)

Posted on

Jerry Falwell Jr: There’s Nothing Donald Trump Could Do That Would Endanger Evangelical Support

Donald Trump and Jerry Falwell Jr. at Liberty University (WikiMedia)

In an interview with The Washington Post, Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. says there’s nothing Donald Trump could do that would cause Falwell to waver in his devotion to Trump.

Q: Is there anything President Trump could do that would endanger that support from you or other evangelical leaders?

A: No.

Q: That’s the shortest answer we’ve had so far.

A: Only because I know that he only wants what’s best for this country, and I know anything he does, it may not be ideologically “conservative,” but it’s going to be what’s best for this country, and I can’t imagine him doing anything that’s not good for the country.

So, all that unChristian-like behavior is totes good with Falwell as long as he gets his tax cuts.

In fact, Falwell says that it’s ‘immoral’ to not support Trump.

Falwell goes on to say that Trump’s adultery and lying is justified because he was successful in business. According to Falwell, “A poor person never gave anybody charity, not of any real volume.”

He also says, “You don’t choose a president based on how good they are.”

Alrighty then.

Posted on

Anyone Up For A ‘Dry January’ Challenge?

A study from the University of Sussex conducted a study, published in Health Psychology, set out to see just how effective one month without alcohol can be.
Could you go a month without alcohol?

Ok, folks.

Thanksgiving – done. Christmas – done. New Years Eve – done.

The holiday season is officially done, and with it all those holiday parties and gatherings that can lead to a lot of drinking.

As folks head into January with thoughts of New Year’s resolutions in order to improve our lives, cutting out/down alcohol intake tops a lot of lists.

I think the first tweet I saw today read, “I’ve made it all the way through 2019 so far without a hangover.”

Many participate in observing ‘Dry January,’ a month-long break from imbibing.

No wine???

A study from the University of Sussex conducted a study, published in Health Psychology, set out to see just how effective one month without alcohol can be.

The Dry January study involved 850 participants. Researchers interviewed them at the end of one month, and again six months later.

The results?

After one month:

• 82% felt a sense of achievement

• 79% noted they’d saved money

• 62% reported they had more energy

• 62% said they slept better

• 49% shared they had experienced weight loss

At the six month mark, 72% said they had maintained reduced levels of drinking.

In fact, 4% reported they’d continued to abstain from alcohol over the six month period.

And the folks who didn’t make it all the way through January completely alcohol-free still reported positive benefits.

“Even if participants took part but didn’t successfully complete the 31 days, it generally led to a significant decrease across all the measures of alcohol intake,” said Richard de Visser, an expert on health-related behavior, said in a statement.

What do you think, folks? Can you tackle a Dry January?

If addressing alcohol isn’t your issue, what kind of New Year’s resolutions do you take on?

Posted on

High School Bully Apologizes To His Victim Years Later

Egyptian/Canadian model and body positive activist Mina Gerges shared with his Twitter followers a surprise apology he received from his high school bully.
Mina Gerges (image via Instagram)

Egyptian/Canadian model and body positive activist Mina Gerges shared with his Twitter followers a surprise apology he received from his high school bully.

The screen capture of the message read, “Hey man, I just want to apologize for any f*cked up things I said to you or about you in high school. It weighs on me. I hope all is well. Cheers.”

Gerges followed up saying he asked the former bully why he was thinking on his actions eight years later.

“He said he felt really bad about it for a while, should’ve been kinder instead, and wished he’d done it sooner,” wrote Gerges. “We love growth!”

Gerges, who has a following of over 110K on Instagram, stepped into the public spotlight in 2015 thanks to his ‘budget conscious’ recreations of celebrity looks. His looks were featured on a host of media outlets including Buzzfeed, Teen Vogue, Paper and more.

A post shared by Mina Gerges (@itsminagerges) on Dec 24, 2014 at 6:42pm PST

With the spotlight, though, came haters who bullied him for his weight, which led to an eating disorder.

Eventually, the trolls inspired Gerges to become an ambassador for body positivity and unrealistic standards of beauty in advertising.

“My goal is to redefine what it means for men to feel beautiful and be considered attractive,” he told Paper. “I want to show that men who look like me can learn to love ourselves even if we don’t look like conventional representations of men.”

From moving past bullies and online trolls to inspiring folks with a message of body positivity. Mina Gerges, I love YOUR kind of growth!

A few years ago, my first serious boyfriend from my 20s emailed me apologizing for the way he treated me. It had been a somewhat tumultuous relationship.

“You didn’t deserve that,” he wrote.

While I felt I’d resolved any issues with the relationship and moved on, I was surprised the message left me a bit breathless.

I didn’t know it until I read the message how much power an apology – years later – could hold.

It was very appreciated.

Readers, have you ever received an apology from the past? If so, did it help heal some old wounds or no? Let me know in the comments below.

(h/t Gay Star News)

Posted on

Trump Tweets Happy New Year To His ‘Haters & Fake Media’

Donald Trump expressed his Happy New Year wishes to his Twitter followers, including "THE HATERS AND THE FAKE MEDIA!"
Donald Trump

Donald Trump expressed his Happy New Year wishes to his Twitter followers, including “THE HATERS AND THE FAKE MEDIA!”

Reviving his pet phrase, ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome, the Donald typed the tweet in screaming ALL CAPS!

The Trumpster has often called out his ‘enemies’ in past New Years’ tweets.

#WhatEverHappenedToClass?