Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Broadway’s Longest Running Performer George Lee Andrews to Exit 'Phantom'



from VJ Brendan's World In New Orleans by VJ Brendan Thompson
Broadway’s longest-running single show performer George Lee Andrews to exit 'Phantom'



Sean Connery may have played James Bond seven times. Jerry Orbach starred in 274 episodes of Law & Order. Yet, neither can equal the stamina or patience of George Lee Andrews, who’s appeared in a single Broadway musical, Phantom of the Opera, for 9,382 performances in just over 23 years. Now, after playing four different parts, he’s finally ready to say goodbye, announcing yesterday that Sept. 3’s evening performance will be his last.

The 68-year-old, Milwaukee-bred Andrews has been with Phantom since its opening night on Jan. 26, 1988, and originated the roles of Don Attilio and Passarino in the musical’s show-within-a-show. Back in 2010 he took a three-month leave from the production to star inParadise Found in London. In a fitting turn, he hands over his current Phantom role as opera manager Monsieur André to his son-in-law, Aaron Galligan-Stierle (Ragtime), who begins his stint on Sept. 5. Also joining the cast are opera singer Christian Šebek (as Piangi) and Sister Act’s Kevin Ligon (as Firmin).




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Groupon VP Quits Unexpectedly — Sign of Trouble?



from TheBlaze.com - Stories by Becket Adams
Groupon CEO Andrew Mason
After having served for only two months as the vice president of global communications at Groupon, Bradford Williams has decided to vacate the position. His exit from the company is indicative of the overall struggle Groupon has experienced in what may be an ill-fated attempt to go public.
According to Business Insider, Williams abandoned the company because of “the way that [it] has responded to its critics during the ‘quiet period’ ahead of its initial public offering.” However, several other elements may have attributed to his hasty departure.
Williams declined to comment other than to say, “We mutually decided it wasn’t a fit.” A representative of Groupon reiterated his sentiments by saying that they “mutually agreed to part ways.”
Since first filing their papers with the SEC, publicly outlining their financials, and announcing their intention to go public, Groupon has become something of a whipping boy in the press.
First, critics complained about Groupon’s unorthodox accounting metrics (which seem to count marketing spending as a capital cost) and have accused Groupon of operating “like a Ponzi scheme” (an operation that pays returns to separate investors, not from any actual profit earned by the organization, but from their own money or money paid by subsequent investors).
The Ponzi accusation is given credence because of three factors: a) Groupon has publicly disclosed that it is losing approximately $100 million per quarter, b) they have a net negative balance of $230 million, and c) they are using later investors’ money to pay off earlier investors.
Second, Groupon has caught a great deal of criticism because, aside from appearing to operate like a Ponzi scheme, it has disclosed what would appear to be a paucity of capital. However, it is not completely broke. Presumably, it can raise capital in the private markets if its IPO is further delayed but its “cash cushion” relative to its liabilities is miniscule—and the gap between the two is quickly growing.
According to Business Insider, as of June 30, Groupon had $680 million in current liabilities–bills the company has to pay. Meanwhile, Groupon only had $376 million of current assets with which to pay them (composed mainly of cash and receivables).
Third, Groupon’s Superbowl ad did it no favors and became a PR nightmare that involved weeks of retractions.
Fourth, and last, some of the negative attention Groupon has received is because of a memo released by the company’s CEO and cofounder Andrew Mason that, surprise, surprise, found its way to the internet.
Among the things stated in the memo are, “Revenue is growing like gangbusters,” and “NO, dammit, Groupon is not running out of cash.”
According to the memo, Mason claims that Groupon’s marketing should be counted as a capital expense because it gets people to sign up for Groupon emails and then they can be “harvested”: it is a onetime expense instead of a continuous expense like most marketing.
The memo continued: “At some point, Groupon is going to stop spending so damn much on marketing,” “All of Groupon’s rivals suck,” “Groupon’s new businesses are crushing it,” and “Groupon’s team is awesome.”
This leaked memo may have violated SEC’s “quiet period” rules, which are intended to prevent scams.
Furthermore, according to a source familiar with one view of the situation, the CEO’s decision to write and send this memo is indicative of the kind of decision-making at Groupon that led Williams to walk away.
Says that source: “Andrew and [Williams] didn’t agree on a lot—[they had] different views on lots of things.”
“Do the math. [Williams] walked out of there last Wednesday. The first thing [Mason] did was send out that memo—which [Williams] would have advised strenuously against.”
Whatever the reason for William’s swift exit from the company (whether it was the questionable accounting, their fledgling finances, their unconventional management style, etc.), one thing is clear: public criticisms and investor’s concerns must be addressed if Groupon has any desire to be a major player in the public market.




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15 products made unintentionally offensive by careless sticker placements.



LISTS 















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New Spiritual Gay Version of Amazing Grace by Singer Nhojj



from Best Gay News Magazine by Gay Travel and Gay News
Recorded by OUTMusic Award winner Nhojj. Directed by OUT 100 nominee Kirk Shannon-Butts. This new version of "Amazing Grace" expands the innate power of this hymn to affirm the LGBT community and support Gay Marriage.

It represents a step forward for homosexuals in reclaiming their spiritual lives and healing wounds. This is the first time a well known Christian hymn has been used in a music video to express the "rightness and godliness" of same gender love -- portraying a male interracial couple exchanging marriage vows and living in a loving committed relationship. Filmed in the historic St. Mark's Church, one of the oldest churches in New York City. 

"It's the story of two people finding each other and recognizing the love their hearts share," Nhojj says.  "I truly believe God is love and so wherever love is God is."  
Homosexuals who seek church families are now being openly welcomed by a new breed of progressive ministers.  There are thousands of LGBT affirming congregations throughout America and the world, and many are part of large denominations like Baptist, Lutheran, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Unity, United Church of Christ, Methodist, Metropolitan Community, Episcopal, Dignity (a group within the Catholic Church), and Brethren/Mennonite.  With gay marriage legal in 6 states including New York and our nation's capital, the number of gay affirming congregations is bound to grow.

Son of a fundamentalist minister, Nhojj grew up in Guyana.   He held onto feelings of shame and internalized homophobia until he became an adult and attended therapy group sessions while at NYU.  The conversations lead him to rethink his childhood experiences and learn new ways of living life - honestly and openly.  In 2005, Nhojj toured churches throughout London, Toronto, the Caribbean, and the USA. The recipient of 2 OUTMusic Awards, Nhojj is the first black male to receive an OMA and the first Out artist to reach #1 on the MTV Music chart with a gay music video - "Love."
 
"Love is the most fundamental of all human conditions and the most important."  Nhojj concludes, "We all deserve to love and be loved."
Recently the United Church of Christ Cathedral of Hope added Nhojj's "Amazing Grace" music video to the homepage of their website. 
 
Pastor John Shuck at First Presbyterian Church in Elizabethton, TN blogs "Here is a beautiful video.... Nhojj affirms life with welcoming, hopeful and transforming words."
 
Pastor Martha Spong at UCC North Yarmouth Congregational Church, ME writes "Amazing Grace: a beautiful video... I'm bowled over by the beauty of the images and his music."  
 
Controversial "MadPriest" Reverend Jonathan Hagger at the Church of England writes in his blog, "Amazing Video" and recommends Nhojj's affirming article as "a superb testament to God's rainbow creation."

Follow Nhojj
http://nhojj.com 
http://twitter.com/nhojj 
http://youtube.com/nhojjmusic
http://facebook.com/nhojjmusic


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Military Prepares for 'DADT' Coming Out Day



from Towleroad News #gay by Andy Towle
the military publication Stars and Stripes today talks about what will happen with closeted servicemembers once the ban is lifted at the end of September, and interviews a few of them anonymously about whether they will some out or not:
OutserveWhen the “don’t ask, don’t tell” law is repealed next month, gay troops will be able to serve openly without fear of dismissal for the first time in U.S. military history.

But whether most will come out or keep their personal lives secret remains unclear. Gay troops’ careers will no longer be threatened by law, but many worry that the macho culture of the military might not be fully ready for those revelations.
And when that day comes, the troops will have something to read:
OutServe Magazine will hit store shelves at Army and Air Force bases on Sept. 20, the day the Pentagon plans to formally end enforcement of the “don’t ask, don'tI tell” policy that bans gays from serving openly.

The publication is published by OutServe, a group of secretly gay active duty service members that says it has hundreds of members currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The magazine, which began publishing in the spring, is currently available in limited supply at some public meeting areas and military physicians offices, the group said.



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Russian Cannibal Lured Victim Over the Internet



By Julie Bolcer

Murmanskx390 (Wikimedia Commons) | Advocate.com
A young Russian chef in the city of Murmansk fatally stabbed and then proceeded to cut up and eat a male victim he met online and invited home.


The English Language Russian news agencyRIA Novosti reports on the crime in the Artic region, where investigators say the 21-year-old defendant was motivated by a desire to eat human flesh. He sought his victim under the guise of arranging a sexual encounter online because he believed that such a person would be more discreet.


"According to preliminary information, one of them was seeking a sexual partner,” said Murmansk Investigation Committee chief Fyodor Bludenov, according to RIA. “The accused explained later that such people are not open, and they prefer to hide their contacts.”


The mother of the victim contacted police this month and authorities located the accused by investigating her son’s contacts. The defendant faces up to 15 years in jail, but he must first undergo a psychiatric examination to determine if he is fit to stand trial.




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Woman Embarrassingly Buys $180 Block of Wood Thinking It’s an iPad



from TheBlaze.com - Stories by Jessie Abrams
“Spectacularly stupid.”
That’s what Gawker is calling Ashley McDowell, the woman who bought a block of wood with an Apple logo on it, thinking it was an iPad.
Two men approached McDowell in a South Carolina McDonald’s parking lot and told her they had a special deal on new iPads. They wanted $300 for their specially-painted block of wood, but when McDowell only had $180, they decided to make the deal anyway. It wasn’t until McDowell got home that she realized her super cool new gadget was really a wooden block.


There’s more.
After McDowell realized her mistake, she called the police  and they actually launched an investigation into the duplicitous scammers. McDowell claims that the men told her they bought the iPads in bulk and were selling them at a discount.
But the craziness doesn‘t end with McDowell’s less-than-prudent purchase or the police investigation. The crooks are bonkers, too. They took the time to paint a screen and a couple of fake icons onto the block of wood they sold in a taped-up FedEx box. They may be good artists, but if anyone asked to open the box it’d be pretty hard to pass a block of wood off as the sleek (not wood) new tool, even with the most accurate of painted-on icons. It’s probably a better idea to keep people from opening the package in the first place.
A warning to all the bargain hunters out there: If you swipe the screen of your new iPad and get a splinter, you may have gotten duped. In addition, a general caution to not make purchases from guys who approach you in McDonald’s parking lots.



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Transgender Teen Girl Attacked in Seattle



By Diane Anderson-Minshall

An assault on August 16 in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood has left a transgender teenage girl with a serious head injury and emotional trauma. According toMyBallard.com, Tiva Anderson was attacked by an unidentified woman about 10 blocks from a skate park popular with area youth. 

"I don't want to see you around the skate bowl anymore,” the attacker yelled before hitting Anderson with a bat, according to the police report filed on August 20. The victim sustained a subdural hematoma and a portion of her skull had to be removed for treatment of the injury.

Anderson’s parents, Cindy and Tad Anderson, told My Ballard that their daughter is expected to make a full physical recovery. However, her parents say she’s emotionally fragile since the attack.

“She has learning disabilities that can make it hard to interact with her, and she is transgender (biologically male but considers herself female and sometimes dresses that way),” the parents wrote in an email to neighbors. “It probably should have been obvious to us a long time ago, but this turns out to be a dangerous combination. Transgender people are the most likely to be harassed and Tiva is particularly vulnerable due to her limited social skills.”



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Separated At Birth ! ? ! ?



from VJ Brendan's World In New Orleans by VJ Brendan Thompson
Lady Gaga and Ralph Macchio
Lady Gaga and Henry Winkler



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Alexander Skarsgard and Stephen Moyer Suck for the Crew



from Towleroad News #gay by Andy Towle
Skarsgard
BlackBook describes some horseplay on the True Blood set in a new interview with Alexander Skarsgard:
Before the cameras begin rolling, Skarsgård walks up to his mark in the center of the room, Moyer kneels in front of him—his character is picking something up off the ground when the shot begins—and the director watches them from his chair in front of a camera monitor. While waiting in their places, Skarsgård looks down at his costar and says dryly, “It looks like he’s sucking me off,” to which Moyer responds by bobbing his head vigorously. Skarsgård closes his eyes and starts moaning with the intensity of a slash-fiction hero, after which Moyer stands up and wipes imaginary fluids from his mouth with the back of his hand. He scans the crowd and after taking a slight bow says, “And the Emmy goes to… ” A crew member whispers to no one in particular, “Now that’s what I call ‘Action.’




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G-male





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DailyGaypon.com



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The X Factor 2011 Auditions Emmanuel Kelly FULL





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You Are Putrid And Depraved



from Joe. My. God. by Joe
The Advocate reports that the El Paso Times has published a full-page ad from a local Catholic priest who istotally washed in the gentle redemptive blood of Jeebus.
"Engaging in depraved and unnatural sexual acts will lead directly to the ruin of both the homosexual's body and soul," [Father Michael] Rodriguez writes. "Our very anatomy cries out against the lie that homosexual acts are 'ok.'" Rodriguez closes his screed by saying we live in a "godless society" that condones homosexuality. "Reflect, first there are (a) individuals committing mortal sins of a homosexual nature; next, evil extends its tentacles to (b) society as a whole accepting homosexual and homosexual activity as 'normal"; and finally, iniquity's victory is all but sealed when (c) laws are enacted which impose the putrid homosexual ideology on everyone, while those who, rightfully resist it, are ridiculed, attacked, and persecuted," Rodriguez writes. 
Oh, look! Here are all the contact details for Father Rodriguez! 



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Billboard Of The Day



from Joe. My. God. by Joe
Richmond, Virginia's Gay Community Center has revived a billboard campaign first seen in 1987.
Each day tens of thousands of travelers traveling south on Interstate 95 and east on Interstate 64 will see this message of inclusion as they pass the Gay Community Center of Richmond. Perhaps some will learn. Perhaps some will come out. Just as in 1987, Richmond will be reminded that LGBT people are woven into the fabric of the city. 
Hit the above link for more about the billboard and its history. 



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