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New Music: All Singer/Songwriter Clinton John Wants To Do Is “Cry”

Out recording artist Clinton John drops the music video for his single "Cry"

Clinton John (photo: Acacia Evans)
Out singer/songwriter Clinton John’s synth-pop single, “Cry,” offers his take on the internal push/pull of letting go of a past relationship. The downtempo earworm pairs top-shelf, pure-pop production with candid lyrics that capture the realization you haven’t moved on from a former love as much as you’d hoped. I recently chatted with the handsome Nashville-based artist about the single and a few other things. The Randy Report: Congrats on the new single. What inspired the track? Clinton John: “Cry” came about from the classic struggle of trying to get over someone. I had tried everything that I thought would help. I partied, hooked up with other people, basically used anything to distract myself from the feeling. After months passed, I saw that person again and all the emotion came flooding back and I was so frustrated that I had made no progress in getting over them. It was that type of frustration that makes you so mad you just want to cry and scream. And that is when I wrote the song.
Clinton John (photo: Acacia Evans)
TRR: What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given? CJ: The best advice I have ever been given is “no one cares what you do.” It doesn’t really sound like great advice per se, but as an artist creating music it’s so easy to get in your head and the worry that people might not liking what you create holds you back from making something authentic or special. Also, as coming out as a gay artist I had years of built-up fear of what people thought of me that giving myself the freedom to just live authentically and care about what people think. TRR: What’s next on the musical horizon? CJ: I have a collaboration with another LGBT artist named Stasney Mav, a song called “SOLO.” After that, I have another single lined up for the beginning of June, and many other tracks in the works to release throughout the rest of the year! Check out Clinton John’s “Cry” below. The single is available on digital download sites here, and you can follow him on Instagram here.

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News Round-Up: May 20, 2020

Ramzan Kadyrov, head of the Chechen Republic in HBO’s ‘Welcome To Chechnya’
Some news items you might have missed: • Oregon Live: A gay man recently became angry with his mother when she didn’t know how to respond when he introduced his new boyfriend who is HIV-positive. She fears if they stay together and have children the new boo might infect the future/possible kids. She wrote to the popular column ‘Ask Amy’ for advice. • CBS Detroit: A Wisconsin woman who has taken hydroxychloroquine for 19 years to treat lupus has tested positive for COVID-19. The woman, a self-described Trump supporter, says she only left her home to go the grocery store. She told CBS News she thought she would be safe because of what Donald Trump has said about the drug. • HBO: From Academy Award-nominated director David France comes Welcome to Chechnya, a powerful and eye-opening documentary about a group of activists risking their lives to confront the ongoing anti-LGBTQ persecution in the repressive and closed Russian republic of Chechnya.

• Politico: More than 40,000 National Guard members currently helping states during the coronavirus health threat will face a “hard stop” on their deployments on June 24 — just one day shy of many members becoming eligible for key federal benefits like education benefits under the Post-9/11 GI bill and/or early retirement. • Bloomberg News: Researchers are finding evidence that patients who test positive for the coronavirus after recovering aren’t capable of transmitting the infection, and could have the antibodies that prevent them from falling sick again. • AZ Central: Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ) dropped four percentage points in a month trailing Democrat Mark Kelly by 13 points, according to the latest tracking poll by OH Predictive Insights. The same poll in April favored Kelly 51% to McSally’s 42%, and now in May, it’s 51%-38%. The poll shows independents breaking more than 2-1 for Kelly. • TikTok: Since the fan on my two-year-old laptop sometimes goes into high gear for no apparent reason, I clicked on this. I had no idea computers could get so filthy inside.

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Out Music: Project Moses “He’s Not Staying”

Project Moses (right) in his music video ‘He’s Not Staying’
The new single, “He’s Not Staying,” from out artist Project Moses, explores the quiet turmoil of living with mental illness. The music video for the song, directed by Zach Adam (who also wrote and produced the track) was shot in on Fire Island during the quiet, cold weeks of November. Somber and reclusive, Project Moses says it was “the perfect setting for the dark subject matter of this single.” The story-telling for the video is artful and delicate as the artist reflects on the pensive journey of the song. Project Moses’s evocative vocals are clear and sure, never veering to hyper-emotional, letting the listener take the ride for themselves. Project Moses admits he was drawn to the song but had to do some self-exploration to understand his connection. “It took me a while to recognize what was going on in my head and the reason why none of my relationships with friends, family, or lovers lasted,” explains the artist. Over the years, he came to grips with the rejection he felt from his family after revealing he was gay. “For whatever reason, the feeling of abandonment cut deep into my heart,” he adds. “While my family and I are in a much better place today, the scars from our past remain.”
Project Moses (promotional photo)
Scars aside, playing the track for his mom proved to be a cathartic moment for both mother and son. “My mom cried when I played the song for her,” shares the handsome artist from his home in New York City. “It was the first time she realized how close I came to ending it all.” But just as the song evolves from a gloomy, melancholy sound to a more progressive, light at the end of the tunnel vibe, Project Moses says that he too has “transformed.” “He’s Not Staying,” from the upcoming album Better Man, is available now on all digital download sites. Check out the moody, wistful music video below. Follow Project Moses on Instagram here.

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Thousands Forced To Leave Ford Assembly Plant On Day Two Of Reopening

(screen capture via CBS 2 Chicago)
Day two of the reopened Ford assembly plant in Chicago came to a stop for many when an employee tested positive for COVID-19. CBS Chicago’s Charlie De Mar spoke to many employees who are conflicted about their working environment.

“I’m worried right now,” said employee Timothy Shy. “This is the second day, and we are already hearing about this.”

Production was temporarily halted at part of the facility and the main plant.

“Social distancing doesn’t really work,” said employee Billy Cowart.

There are changes, from the social distancing reminders outside to temperature checks and re-configured work stations inside. Ford provided a video highlighting some of the updated health changes COVID has brought along to their plants

“All these people are crowded and on top of each other,” said Michael Hopper while wearing his Ford issued face mask.

“I lost a brother to coronavirus May 6,” Hopper said.

Hopper along with others describes an experience inside the plant that doesn’t sound or look like the polished video.

“I cleaned my own workstation myself,” said Hopper. “How our jobs are set-up, if one person gets in the hole that would affect the person behind him.”

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#CostcoTison Wins The Day After Rude Customer Booted From Store

CostCo manager Tison and Mr. 3K
The latest video to go viral on Twitter involves a CostCo store manager who politely stopped a shopper in his Colorado-based store who wasn’t wearing a face mask. For health reasons involving the current COVID-19 health crisis that has killed over 90,000 Americans to date, the store posted its requirement for all shoppers to wear a mask weeks ago. Tison let the gentleman know he needed to wear a face mask – like all the other shoppers in the store – or he’d need to leave. The shopper began recording the encounter and proudly announced his bigly 3K following on Instagram. Mr. 3K informed the store manager he didn’t have to wear a mask because “he woke up in a free country.” Tison politely looked in the camera and restated the policy. When Mr. 3K refused to wear the mask, Tison took the man’s shopping cart and departed saying, “Have a great day.” “So you’re gonna take this cart from me full of stuff?” the shopper asked, to which Tison replied, “You are no longer welcome here in our warehouse. You need to leave, thank you very much.” “He’s gonna take the cart away because he’s a pu**y little bitch,” said Mr. 3K as Tison walked away. “There he goes walking away with all my stuff, there he goes because I’m not a f**king sheep.” Note – the goods weren’t Mr. 3K’s yet as he hadn’t paid, but I digress. Mr. 3K apparently posted the video (thinking he was victorious) on Reddit, but soon deleted the clip as he was being ridiculed across the interwebs. But, as they say, the internet is forever… Here is Mr. 3K and our hero, Tison via Twitter. For the record – what I see here is a responsible front line supermarket employee doing his job and enforcing company policy, he did not deserve the abuse.

“People of Twitter thank you for all of the support,” @Thoff821 tweeted. “I was just trying to protect our employees and our members #Tison.”

Mr. 3K came back to announce, “I got every f—ing right to not wear a mask,” he said. “This isn’t about wearing a mask, it’s about control. I’m not the f—ing sheep … I was one of the only people in that store not wearing a mask.”

Dude, you pay ‘membership’ to belong to CostCo and the rules state membership may be terminated at any time. Plus, policies and practices may be amended from time to time.

And, saving the best for last:

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News Round-Up: May 19, 2020

Joe Blizzard (via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Woofy Joe Blizzard (above) is giving you boo-boo face over having to deal with home-gym workouts. Don’t worry, Joe, the gyms will open soon. Follow him on Insta here. • Deadline: In surprising news, Ruby Rose, the star of the CW’s freshman drama series Batwoman, is leaving the Warner Bros. TV/Berlanti Prods. drama after one season. The series, which already has been renewed for a second season, will continue with the title role getting recast. Rose, an alum of Orange is the New Black, returned to the small screen with Batwoman, playing the first gay lead character — male or female — of a live-action superhero series. • ABC News: After nine homes over five years, 17-year-old Michael was adopted by Chad and Paul Beanblossom of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Despite the coronavirus pandemic shutting down court proceedings, 80 people including friends, family and adoption specialists witnessed the special moment unfold over the Zoom teleconferencing app.

• The Gaily Grind: Matt Belanger, an Emmy-winning news anchor in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was viciously attacked in what police believe was a hate crime fueled by homophobia. He suffered an eye injury which could result in permanent vision damage. Vennie Jerome Williams, 39, was arrested in connection to the assault. While in police custody, authorities said Williams “made statements indicating that he assaulted [Belanger] because he perceived that [he] was homosexual.” • Politico: More vetting of Tara Reade’s allegations of sexual assault by former Vice President Joe Biden reveals those who have tried to help her in the past were left with an unsavory impression. A number of those who crossed paths with Reade say they remember two things: She spoke favorably about her time working for Biden, and she left them feeling duped. • The Advocate: CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, appearing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show last Thursday, that along with his newborn son Wyatt, he considers being gay “one of the great blessings” of his life.

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Study Shows Injectable PrEP Taken Every Two Months As Effective As Truvada

(image via Depositphotos)
Could this be PrEP 2.0? A large-scale clinical trial found that the injectable antiretroviral drug cabotegravir administered once every 8 weeks resulted in fewer new cases of HIV than daily doses of Truvada taken as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Begun in December 2016, the study involved more than 4,500 participants around the world. All were deemed to be at risk of contracting HIV and randomly assigned to receive either a daily dose of Truvada or an injection every eight weeks. Those in the injectable group also were given a placebo pill, and those given Truvada received placebo injections. After conducting an interim review of the trial, the study’s results clearly showed cabotegravir actually reduced HIV infection rates more than daily oral doses of Truvada. According to Science Magazine, 12 infections occurred in the cabotegravir group versus 38 in the group that received Truvada. Both control groups were of the same size. Statistically, that represents a 0.38% incidence in the cabotegravir group versus 1.21% in the Truvada one, a 69% difference in new infection rates. The results were deemed so impressive that all participants, including those receiving placebos, will be offered the injections beginning this week. Science Magazine reports the apparent success (the results of the study haven’t been published in a peer-reviewed journal yet) could be a more attractive alternative than a daily regimen of pills which has proved difficult for many people. One drawback to the daily oral dose of Truvada has been the difficulty for some people to stay on schedule. A missed dose here or there can reduce the regimen’s effectiveness. On the flip-side of that equation, though, those who choose to use the long-acting injectable medication might miss a scheduled clinic visit which could reduce its effectiveness. (source: ScienceMag.org)

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Fox News Guest: Epidemics Like COVID ‘Last About Five Weeks, We Have Immunity, We Don’t Have To Think About It Anymore’

Dr. Knut Wittkowski
In case you don’t watch much Fox News, although a lot of people do, take a listen to recent guest Dr. Knut Wittkowski, an epidemiologist who told viewers Monday night that epidemics like the ongoing COVID-19 threat are usually over in around five weeks, we gain immunity and “we don’t have to think about it anymore.” “Respiratory disease epidemics, and this is just one of those, they come and last about two weeks,” said Wittkowski during an appearance on “The Ingraham Angle.” “They peak, they go for about two weeks – in a large country it lasts a bit longer, in smaller countries a bit shorter. After three, four, five weeks the whole thing is over. We have immunity, we don’t have to think about it anymore.” More from Fox News:

A renowned epidemiologist told the “The Ingraham Angle” on Monday that a video he posted on YouTube questioning the effectiveness of widespread lockdowns amid the coronavirus pandemic was removed for violating “community standards.”

Host Laura Ingraham noted that his video was viewed nearly 1.5 million times and asked Dr. Knut Wittkowski why he thinks “there is so much pushback to your line of thinking?”

“Because I think so many people have invested so much of their ego and so they have a problem acknowledging that maybe it was a little bit too much,” he said in response. “This in itself is restricting freedom of speech,” he continued.

In the YouTube video referenced above, Wittkowski declared, “With all respiratory diseases, the only thing that stops the disease is herd immunity. About 80% of the people need to have had contact with the virus, and the majority of them won’t even have recognized that they were infected.” So, 80 percent of the U.S. would need to be exposed to the virus and POOF! it will be gone…? Umm, no. At this writing, that virus has killed 91,750 Americans. And that’s in two and a half months, which is a lot longer than ‘five weeks.’

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Video: ‘Kick Their Balls, But Don’t Touch Them’

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran (screen capture)
Mashable shares Nassau County Executive Laura Curran’s awkward moment in instructing tennis players how to handle balls in the COVID era.

Ahead of tennis courts reopening in parts of Long Island, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran emphasized the importance of only handling your own balls.

If you and another player are from another household, she explained during a press conference last week, you can touch each others’ balls, but players should otherwise take every precaution to avoid coming in contact with balls of unknown origin. “You can kick their balls, but you can’t touch them,” Curran said to a giggling crowd.

And we all tee-hee like 3rd graders 🙂