LGBTQ news and entertainment
Some news items I thought worth your time:
• Gayety: Heartstopper star Kit Connor (above) has reportedly been cast as “Cyclops” in the upcoming new X-Men movie from Marvel Studios. #perfectcasting Continue reading “Kit Connor To Play ‘Cyclops’ In X-Men Movie + More”
Josh Cavallo (via Instagram)
A scene from “Uncoupled” (Image via Netflix)
(photo: Unsplash/Elsa Olofsson)States are getting more and more creative in coming up with new incentives for folks to get vaccinated against the coronavirus.
The Washington state Liquor and Cannabis Board has its new promotion, “Joints for Jabs,” which will allow state-licensed cannabis retailers to give one free pre-rolled joint to customers 21 or older when they receive either a first or second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. ABC News reports the promotion will run through July 12.
Talk about going gangsta…
The board had previously authorized businesses with liquor licenses to offer a free wine, beer or cocktail to customers who could prove they’d been vaccinated through June 30.
Adults can claim a complimentary joint of marijuana in Washington state this week when they receive a COVID-19 vaccine shot. https://t.co/WsvrHIBNu7
— ABC News (@ABC) June 8, 2021
But Washington isn’t the only state offering ‘puffs for pokes.’
An Arizona cannabis dispensary recently announced a similar program where you could get your free shot and receive a free pre-rolled joint and an edible cannabis gummy. The dispensary calls the program “Snax for Vaxx.”
Many states and businesses began incentivizing vaccinations when the demand began to slow in April.
That was when Krispy Kreme started giving out free donuts to those who got their shot.
Los Angeles County offered free Lakers season tickets, and the Hustler Club in Las Vegas ‘put some skin in the game’ by serving up free lap dances and bottle service.
West Virginia’s governor announced young folks between the ages of 16 to 35 would receive a $100 savings bond if they got vaccinated.
Ohio really upped the stakes when Gov. Mike DeWine announced a new lottery giving away $1 million each week for five weeks for those who received at least one dose of COVID vaccine. For winners under 18, the prize is a four year scholarship to an Ohio public university.
Jonathan Carlyle, an Amazon delivery driver from Toledo, is the second person to win $1 million in Ohio’s vaccine lottery. https://t.co/vGuoC1BYjO
— ABC News (@ABC) June 4, 2021
Colorado is doing a similar program called “Colorado Comeback Cash” where one vaccinated resident will be chosen to win $1 million each week for five weeks.
Between May 25 and July 3, Maryland is giving away $2 million in daily $40,000 drawings.
In May, New York State launched the “Vax & Scratch” lottery program which offered $20 scratch-off lottery tickets with a chance to win a $5 million prize if they received a COVID vaccination.
Lottery officials in Kentucky gave away 225,000 free lottery tickets in May to residents who stepped up to get vaccinated.
On June 28 Oregon will give away $1 million to one lucky vaccinated winner plus one person from each of the state’s 36 counties will win $10,000.
If you get a vaccine you could soon be eligible for • free flights on United Airlines • free doughnuts at Krispy Kreme • a $1 million lottery prize in Ohio • $1.5 million in California • a fishing license in Maine • and hunting rifles in West Virginia
— Morning Brew ☕️ (@MorningBrew) June 3, 2021
California is giving 10 lucky winners $1.5 million each on June 15, plus 30 more Californians could score $50,000 prizes.
Previously mentioned Washington state also has a $2 million lottery going on throughout June.
And don’t worry if you got your shot early. In most states, vaccinated residents are being entered automatically from states’ immunization databases.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 64% of adults in the U.S. have received at least one dose of an approved vaccine. President Biden set a goal in early May to reach 70% by July 4.
Joints for Jabs, shots for shots, donuts for vaccine cards … Meet people where they're at, get ppl what they want and need, minimize the moralizing and applaud ppl getting protection from this very deadly and often debilitating COVID virus. https://t.co/9AHIWLwUPX
— Kim Sue (@DrKimSue) June 8, 2021
Nope, it wasn’t me.
One winning ticket was sold in South Carolina for Tuesday night’s record-breaking Mega Millions jackpot worth $1.6 billion.
The winning digits were 5-28-62-65-70, with a Megaball of 5.
The lone winner can choose to be paid over 30 years (nope), or take a lump sum that would come to about $905 million. After taxes, that would come to around $543,000,000.
This was the largest jackpot in Mega Millions history surpassing a $1.586 billion Powerball jackpot that was shared between three tickets in 2016.
The next Mega Millions drawing, which will occur on Oct. 26, will offer a jackpot worth a paltry $40 million.
Why even buy a ticket for that?
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| Steve Raider via Instagram |
Some news items you may have missed:
• Model Steve Raider’s prescription for a happy life, “A smile a day,” accomplishes his goal; at least on my end 🙂
• Powerball announced that a single ticket sold at a convenience store in Chicopee, Mass., was the winner of Wednesday night’s $758.7 million jackpot, the second-largest lottery prize in U.S. history. Can you imagine? I can 🙂
• India’s Supreme Court has ruled that privacy is a “Personal Liberty guaranteed in Article 21 of the Constitution.” The ruling has implications for several other issues, including sexual rights and freedoms for LGBTs.
• The city of Athens, Ohio joined Cincinnati, Columbus, Toledo, and Dayton in banning the dangerous and discredited practice of “conversion therapy” on minors.
• For 12 hours, MTV Australia is replacing its regular lineup with an automated message urging Aussies to make sure and sign up for upcoming marriage equality mail-in vote.
• Anderson Cooper calmly and methodically offers this epic takedown of Donald Trump’s lies and attempts to rewrite history at his rally in Phoenix earlier this week.
“Last night, what we saw was all about him.” @andersoncooper is #KeepingThemHonest https://t.co/qrJwn4DIKF https://t.co/mxW27jiBEb— Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) August 24, 2017
CNN host Don Lemon also offered his take on the Trumpster’s speech: “a total eclipse of the facts” and “without reason.”
I didn’t win – did you?
Three states — California, Florida and Tennessee — sold winning tickets for the monster $1.58 billion Powerball lottery, according to California lottery spokesman Russ Lopez.
There was no immediate information on who the winners might be.
The winning numbers were 08, 27, 34, 04, 19 — and Powerball 10.
With no winning numbers for last night’s record-breaking Powerball lottery, the fever increases as we head to Wednesday night’s drawing which COULD produce the world’s first lottery billionaire.
The largest lottery win to date was in 2012 for $646 Million.
According to reports, Americans spent more than $68 billion on lottery tickets last year.
State lotteries claim to be good for education and the general wellbeing of citizens.
But are they? (Spoiler alert: No.)
Watch as this dad sits his two sons down to share big news – he quit his job because he has just won 15 million Danish Kroner ($2.7 million dollars.)
But he takes his time. At first he says he won a small amount, then he keeps increasing the amount until he reaches the true winnings.
How would you feel if your spouse or parents told you they won the lottery?
(Make sure the closed captioning is turned on for English subtitles)