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Trump Jr. Calls Joe Biden A ‘Pedophile’ On Social Media

Donald Trump Jr.
From the New York Times:

President Trump’s eldest son on Saturday posted a social media message suggesting Joseph R. Biden Jr. was a pedophile, an incendiary and baseless charge that illustrates the tactics the president is turning to as he attempts to erase Mr. Biden’s early advantage in key state polls.

Donald Trump Jr., who is one of his father’s most prominent campaign surrogates, put on Instagram a picture of Mr. Biden saying: “See you later, alligator” alongside an image of an alligator saying: “In a while, pedophile.”

When a reporter shared the Instagram post online, the younger Mr. Trump, echoing one of his father’s tactics, wrote on Twitter that he was only “joking around” and noted that he had included emojis of a laughing face.

Junior also restated his accusations of ‘unwanted touching’ by the former vice president using a collection of photos picturing Biden hugging children. But the pics, primarily from swearing-in ceremonies, were taken out of context when actually he was greeting lawmakers and their families.

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Obama: Pandemic Has Torn Back Curtain On Idea Folks In Charge Know What They’re Doing

Former President Barack Obama (screen capture)
During a virtual commencement address to the graduates of 74 historically black colleges and universities across the United States on Saturday, former President Barack Obama took a veiled swipe at the nation’s leaders for the inconsistent handling of the coronavirus pandemic, saying “a lot of them are not even pretending to be in charge.” He also referenced the shooting death of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery, a black man shot in Georgia while jogging through a white neighborhood when two white men attempted to stop him.

“You’re being asked to find your way in the world in the middle of a devastating pandemic and terrible recession. The timing is not ideal. And let’s be honest. A disease like this just spotlights the underlying inequalities and extra burdens that black communities have historically had to deal with in this country.

“We see it in the disproportionate impact of covid-19 on our communities, just as we see it when a black man goes for a jog, and some folks feel like they can stop and question and shoot him if he doesn’t submit to their questioning.

“Injustice like this isn’t new. What is new is that so much of your generation has woken up to the fact that the status quo needs fixing; that the old ways of doing things don’t work; that it doesn’t matter how much money you make if everyone around you is hungry and sick; and that our society and democracy only works when we think not just about ourselves, but about each other.

“More than anything, this pandemic has fully, finally torn back the curtain on the idea that the folks in charge know what they’re doing. A lot of them aren’t even pretending to be in charge.”

Cue the Trump Twitter rant in 3, 2, 1…

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Out Music: Dance Loud Asks ‘Why Lie?’

L-R Desereé Fawn Zimmerman, Kristin Sanchez
Chicago-based electronic duo Dance Loud (Desereé Fawn Zimmerman & Kristin Sanchez) release their hypnotic new music video, “Why Lie,” asking the eternal question: why do some people choose dishonesty in relationships? The chill soundscape seems more like a ‘journey’ than an episode as the ebb and flow of the moody downtempo track feels soothing and tranquil. I especially like the extended rhythmic passage at the end. The Chicago Tribune raved about the real-life couple’s live performances: “The tandem’s live performances are a joy to behold. Sanchez’s beats build and build on the dance floor like any good house music set, then Zimmerman joins the production, adding layers of intricate drum rhythms that both complement and contrast with the synths.” I covered the duo’s euphoric single “Hollow” back in March. Both tracks are from their upcoming indie album The Moment due out June 5. You can Instagram the duo here.

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Straight Folks Try To Guess Gay Slang

The Buzzfeed Australia YouTube channel asked some straight folks ‘down under’ to try to guess what certain gay slang words mean. Throwing out terms like “kiki,” “NPNC,” and “looking,” gay hosts Zotti and Ryan challenge Tom, Michael, Zeta and Sohan to surmise their meaning . Everyone is good-natured about the challenge, although I will say folks in Australia have some slightly different definitions for some of these terms. You can guess the one I’m talking about 🙂

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Trump Praises Protesters Anti-Media Behavior “Great People!”

On Thursday, a local TV reporter tweeted video footage of him being berated by anti-shutdown protesters in the New York City borough of Long Island shouting “fake news” and “the enemy of the people.” “You’re disgusting. You are the virus!” shouted one attendee. “Traitor!” said another. News 12 Long Island reporter Kevin Vesey shared the video writing, “The level of anger directed at the media from these protestors was alarming. As always, I will tell a fair and unbiased story today.” In the video you can see people getting in Vesey’s face using anti-media rhetoric. Extremely disconcerting. Making matters worse, Donald Trump, who opened the door for this ever-devolving public discourse, retweeted the video attacking the reporter with his own ugly attacks of “FAKE NEWS IS NOT ESSENTIAL” and praising the protesters as “great people!” Sad.

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News Round-Up: May 15, 2020

(via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Woofy Alexis (above) made me laugh with his observation, “I used to smile in all my mirror selfies…. now I just have to raise my eyebrows.” Life in the pandemic era LOL. Follow him here. • EW: VH1 will broadcast the finale of RuPaul’s Drag Race on Friday, May 29 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, in what will be its most technically challenging finale yet. The episode will feature the remaining queens competing in a revolutionary lip-sync for the crown and a $10,000 prize. • MetroWeekly: NYC Pride has announced a 50th-anniversary broadcast special on Sunday, June 28, featuring Dan Levy, Janelle Monáe, Billy Porter, and a host of other celebrities and LGBTQ activists. The special replaces the annual Pride March, which was canceled last month due to COVID-19. • KIT212: Kenneth’s round-up of the what’s what in local LGBTQ publications includes BTL’s cover story on Broadway icon Patti LuPone. • NY Post: A new study found men are less likely to wear face masks because they’re ‘not cool’ and ‘a sign of weakness.’ Ironically, men appear to be more severely impacted by the virus. In places such as China, Italy, Spain, and New York City, men have died from COVID-19 at far higher rates than women did. • South China Morning Post: Researchers at the University of Hong Kong, led by Professor Ivan Hung Fan-ngai, recently found that blood plasma from coronavirus survivors could kill 99 percent of the virus in patients still fighting Covid-19 because they contain the necessary antibodies to fight the infection. • New Music: Seven-time Grammy Award-winner Toni Braxton is ready to kick off the summer vibes with her sizzling new track “Dance,” remixed by legendary dance producer Dave Audé. “Instead of being sad about a relationship not working out,” Toni Braxton explains, “you decide to dance your troubles away in the club or alone at home. It’s just about moving forward from a negative situation, whether that’s a relationship, your job or something else holding you back.” The remix for “Dance” comes on the heels of her recently released single “Do It,” which scored the highest radio chart debut of her solo career with record-breaking adds on impact, and is currently closing in on Top 10 at Urban AC.

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Music Video: Matt Zarley & Jeb Havens Honor Class Of 2020 ‘Stronger’

Award-winning singer/songwriter/producer Matt Zarley teams up with critically acclaimed indie artist Jeb Havens to honor the educators and students of the class of 2020 with a reimagined rendition of the Kelly Clarkson hit, “Stronger.” The GLEE-tastic music video, featuring a cast of 50+ students and parents from Canoga Park High School in California, was shot on location at the school two weeks before the coronavirus pandemic lockdown. “If we had to delay shooting a week, we probably wouldn’t have been able to complete this,” says Zarley. “I can’t imagine being a high school senior and not getting to experience those special end of school year moments that you’ve been looking forward to for the past 4 years,” he adds. “I feel so bad for these kids. This entire situation is just awful.” As Havens and Zarley take on multiple roles as teachers, coaches, janitors, and cafeteria workers, the video tells the tale of a new student at school who finds his way to tryouts for the dance team.  In a short time, he goes from misunderstood (#QuackIsWhack) to ‘rad’ (#FunkADuck). The duo’s soulful pop vocals are a perfect match for the soaring self-empowerment anthem.

I’ve shared music from both Zarley and Havens over the years, but just in case you missed it… Zarley made his theatrical debut at 17-years-old in the national touring company of CATS, at that time the youngest to ever perform in the mega-blockbuster. His career continued with roles on Broadway in A Chorus Line, The Who’s Tommy, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat as well as TV appearances in Disney’s Cinderella (w/ Whitney Houston), Geppetto (w/ Drew Carey) & Annie (w/ Kathy Bates), The Drew Carey Show, Fame, The Tonight Show, The Rosie O’Donnell Show, and Smash, among others. An award-winning, 4-time Billboard charting recording artist, his albums include Debut, Here I Am (2008 Billboard Critics Top Ten and American Idol Top 20 Songwriter), and Change Begins With Me (2012 OUTMusic Award for Album & Single Of The Year). He was also the first openly gay man featured in People Magazine’s ‘Hottest Bachelors’ annual issue. He added filmmaker to his resume when he released hopefulROMANTIC, an award-winning musical short film he wrote, produced and starred in which played dozens of international film festivals including Cannes, Mumbai, Montreal, and as well as numerous stateside festivals.

L-R Matt Zarley, Jeb Havens
Jeb Havens is an international recording artist and songwriter whose music is a blend of catchy pop and raw emotional therapy. He became a viral sensation when he began recording original and cover songs in his closet (good sound) and shared them on YouTube. One of his earliest “Closet Covers” was his emotional, moving take of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car,” which quickly garnered hundreds of thousands of views. As it spread across the internet, his performance grabbed the attention of mainstream entertainment media outlets like Buzzfeed which raved, “Seriously, someone get this guy a record deal already.” His debut solo album “Home Base” was named one of the Top 5 in LGBT Music for 2016. The woofy duo has collaborated several times over the years on projects ranging from music videos to live performances in the U.S. and abroad including their ‘Works of Heart’ concerts. You can find my posts on Jeb Havens’s music here, and my previous coverage of Matt Zarley here.

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NY Barber Tests Positive For Covid After Continuing To Cut Hair

(stock image via Unsplash/Andi Whiskey)
A barber in Kingston, New York, has tested positive for COVID-19 after he continued to cut hair for weeks in violation of the state’s stay-at-home orders. From NBC News:

In a statement Wednesday, the county health commissioner advised anyone who received a haircut in the past three weeks at a barbershop on Broadway in the city of Kingston, about 20 miles north of Poughkeepsie, to seek testing for the coronavirus. The statement did not identify either the barber or the shop.

Nonessential businesses have been closed since March 22 under an order issued by Gov. Andrew Cuomo that is set to expire Friday, when certain parts of the state that have met public health metrics will be allowed to begin a phased reopening.

Under the order, barbershops, beauty salons, nail salons and other businesses that provide personal care services are not allowed to be open and operated to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

It goes without saying that the state of New York has been the epicenter of the pandemic, the guy knowingly put himself and his customers at risk. The report didn’t mention if the barber followed any safety guidelines like sanitizing or wearing a mask or limiting the number of clients in his shop at any given time. Restrictions in Nevada were lifted this past week allowing for haircuts if such guidelines were followed. I saw my guy, Phil, who has his own one-man barbershop and was doing double-duty on sanitizing and only allowed one customer in the shop at a time.

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Medical Journal: Trump’s ‘Inconsistent And Incoherent’ COVID-19 Response

Donald Trump speaks to reporters at the White House (screen capture)
As the U.S. COVID-19 death toll passes 85,000, one of the world’s oldest and best-known medical journals published an op-ed calling out the Trump administration’s ” inconsistent and incoherent national response to the COVID-19 crisis.” The new editorial by The Lancet notes that, following two months of stay-at-home restrictions, infection and death rates have declined in those states hardest hit like New Jersey and New York. But recent outbreaks in Iowa and Minnesota raise disconcerting questions regarding the effectiveness of the federal response. The op-ed accuses the administration of, among other things, minimizing top officials at the CDC, as well as creating an “intelligence vacuum” in China when it pulled the last CDC officer from the country in July 2019. “The Administration is obsessed with magic bullets — vaccines, new medicines, or a hope that the virus will simply disappear,” it continued. “But only a steadfast reliance on basic public health principles, like test, trace, and isolate, will see the emergency brought to an end, and this requires an effective national public health agency.” The editorial closes with a call for new leadership in the White House writing, “Americans must put a president in the White House come January 2021, who will understand that public health should not be guided by partisan politics.” Meanwhile, during a press event today, Trump told reporters the country will overcome the COVID-19 crisis with or without an effective vaccine, claiming that the disease will “go away at some point” either way.

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Swing State: Biden Leads Trump By 6 Points In Florida Poll

You see a lot of chatter on social media along the lines of “Ignore the polls, they were all wrong in 2016.” In truth, ALL the polls weren’t wrong. If you look at the RealClearPolitics average of polls at the end of the 2016 campaign, Hillary Clinton led Trump by an average of 3.2 points. Remember, national polls basically gauge the popular vote. Hillary won the popular vote by 2.1 points, off by a point which just about every polling organization would give you as margin of error. My point being national polling might give a sense of the electorate at a given time but it won’t predict the election. If you want to follow the race, watch the six or seven swing states (Wisconsin, Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Arizona, Minnesota) that will decide the election. I say “decide” because let’s face it, we know California and New York will go blue. We know Tennessee and Indiana will go red. Which brings me to today’s polling from Florida, where Trump beat Hillary by just 1.2 points. According to a Florida Atlantic University poll released today, former Vice President Joe Biden leads Donald Trump by 6 points in the Sunshine State. The survey, conducted May 8-12 shows Biden with 53 percent support while Trump garnered 47 percent. The same poll in March showed Trump with a slight lead, 51 percent to 49.