#lenny epstein

[succikko-draws]

I think it would be funny if they were besties and stopped caring about their job

[queering-the-order]

Oh woah she's bisexual he didn't know that!!

I think Haezel has slept with almost everyone in the science department and it would be unfair that the women didnt get to experience her strap game

Also i live for Bak and Lenny being besties and Lenny being so Hot Butch Lesbian that she most Certainly will sleep with Madeg too

[greensparty]

Movie Reviews: Blink Twice / Greedy People / Between the Temples

How is it I got to review three movies this week and Simon Rex is in two of them!?!

Blink Twice

Zoe Kravitz has been on my radar for quite sometime. The daughter of both Lisa Bonet and Lenny Kravitz began acting and one of her earliest roles was in Neil Jordan's The Brave One, which I worked on for a few weeks when it was in pre-production. All the haters who were quick to call her a nepo baby clearly didn't see her performances on Californication season 4, Mad Max Fury Road, Kimi, or The Batman. But what really blew me away was her leading role on the 2020 TV adaptation of High Fidelity. They took the male lead of the book and movie and adapted it to be a female record store clerk dealing with relationships and it ended up being one of the best TV adaptations in a long time. Now she has made her directorial debut with an original screenplay she co-wrote with Blink Twice opening this week.

movie poster

In this psychological thriller a cocktail waitress Frida (Naomi Ackie, Star Wars Episode 9 and Master of None) shares a moment with tech billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum, Kravitz's real life fiance), who invites her and her friend Jess (Alia Shawkat) to his private island for some partying. His cronies on the island include Christian Slater, Simon Rex, Haley Joel Osment, Levon Hawke and Geena Davis. But soon, the party gets mysterious and there's more questions than answers.

I am going to try my best to review this without spoilers, but overall I felt this was a missed opportunity of a movie. There was a clear canvas to comment on Jeff Epstein-types, abuse of power, cancel culture and in the end it only scratched the surface. This is clearly a movie that is bowing at the altar of Get Out. I felt like Kravitz wanted to make a Get Out approach to #MeToo, but unlike Jordan Peele's masterpiece where it was equally funny and scary, this wasn't enough of either. The cast was mostly wasted and wasn't given the chance to shine as much as they have in other movies. The big exception is Adria Arjona, who plays Sarah one of the models on the island with Frida. After an unbelievable lead role in Richard Linklater's Hit Man (read my review here), she stole the entire film here. This is clearly her It Girl star-making year! I hope Kravitz can go further in her next film she directs as she is talented and this isn't by any means bad, it's just not as good as it could be.

For info on Blink Twice

2.5 out of 5 stars

Greedy People

What got my attention about Greedy People before I even saw it was the cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Himesh Patel, Lily James, Uzo Aduba, Traci Lords, Tim Blake Nelson, Simon Rex, and Joey Lauren Adams. Wow - all of them in one movie! Directed by Potsy Ponciroli, Greedy People is being released by Lions Gate this week.

movie poster

In the small beach-side town of Providence, NC a cop Will (Patel) is about to start his first day on the police force with his new partner Terry (JGL). Will and his pregnant wife Paige (James) have just moved to the area trying to start a clean slate and get away from their past. Then, on a house call, a murder occurs and both Will and Terry stumble upon a large amount of money. I can't give away much more beyond that without getting into spoilers. But there's a lot of people in the town who have more than meets the eye and secrets of their own including Wallace (TBN) the local fishing company czar, the masseur (Rex), and the police chief (Aduba) trying to piece together whodidit.

So much about this movie felt like it was bowing at the altar of the Coen Brothers, most notably Blood Simple and Fargo. But unlike Blink Twice bowing at the alter of Get Out, Greedy People took a page from it's inspiration of what worked most: in Blood Simple it is constructed so that we, the audience, see everything that is happening but each character believes something different is happening and/or unaware of the truth. Ponciroli clearly studied that and modeled this the same way. There's a lot of movies that rip off the Coen Brothers and doing it as good as them is not that easy. The tropes of their movies (inept criminals, mixing comedy and crime, scene-stealing supporting characters, etc) are all here. But much of the time some of these supporting characters feel like they are placeholders, there to add mishaps and setbacks rather than being a real character. Some are simply thrown in, i.e. Joey Lauren Adams who is fantastic and is barely in it other than complaining about a speeding ticket. But then you have some really cool action sequences and an actor like JGL who made this so much more than it probably was on the page. For a crime comedy, this doesn't hold a candle to Coen Brothers, but it's better (and more fun) than it has any right to be!

For info on Greedy People

3 out of 5 stars

Between the Temples

Movies about religious leaders who have lost their faith are usually very serious, i.e. First Reformed. But there's something new and fresh about the subject when it's played for laughs and the funny parts are really funny, and serious parts very effective. After premiering at this year's Sundance Film Festival where it was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize, Between the Temples has been a film festival darling that Sony Pictures Classic is releasing this week.

movie poster

Cantor Ben Gotlieb (the always great Jason Schwartzman) is grieving his wife who died in the last year, works in an Upstate NY synagogue where he is losing his voice and lets Rabbi Bruce (comedy genius Robert Smigel), and he lives with his mothers (Caroline Aaron and Dolly de Leon). He's losing his singing voice and his motivation. But after a drunken haze, he's helped by his grade school music teacher Carla O'Connor (Carol Kane). Shortly thereafter, Carla asks Ben to train her as she'd like to finally get a bat mitzvah. The two form an unlikely friendship. Oh - and Ben is also being set up with Gabby (Madeline Weinstein), the daughter of Rabbi Bruce.

This is a movie that clearly studied 70s cinema. The cinematography is very in-line with grainy handheld character studies of the 70s, but not in a some retro "hey look at me - ripping off the 70s with 2024 technology" kind of a way, but more in an honest and pure way of how they would have made this in 1974. There are veiled references to similar films like Harold and Maude (and just a little bit of The Graduate), but the thing that made this movie way better than I expected is the cast. Kane has not been this funny since she was beating up Bill Murray in Scrooged. Schwartzman has mostly been doing supporting roles in ensemble films, so his leading role is a good reminder to audiences of why he was the lead in Rushmore and the underrated Bored to Death. But it's frenetic energy director Nathan Silver shows: a sweet human connection one minute, a can't-even-watch LOL cringe-fest the next. This is exactly the kind of film where it made a bit of a splash and now I'm really excited to see what the director is going to do next!

For info on Between the Temples

3.5 out of 5 stars

[daggerzine]

The White Label Promo Preservation Society Vol 2: more flop albums you ought to know (by Sal Maida, Mitchell Cohen & Friends) (Published by Hozac)

Holy moly there is a volume 2! Just as I was finishing up the first volume of this terrific tome out comes volume 2, once again presented by the fine folks at Hozac Books.

You see the subtext, more flop albums you ought to know….and yes, we have another umpteen albums crammed into the nearly 400 pages brought to you by Mssrs Maida and Cohen. You’ll see platters here that you never knew were flops, ones by the likes of the Beach Boys, the Kinks, Gun Club, David Johanssen, Willie Nelson, the Violent Femmes, Talk Talk, and the like.

They break the book up into 5 parts, spanning the years 1963-1989 (part one is 1963-1967, part two is 1968-1970, etc), and while there are plenty of old favorites written about, there are also plenty I've either never heard or never heard of.

Some of the contributions include folks like Don Fleming, Pat Thomas, Eva Gardner, Dan Epstein, Mike Stax, Bob Merlis, Ira Robbins, Lenny Kaye, Phil King, Rebecca Turner, and plenty more. This volume, just like its predecessor, is a stone-cold hoot and a terrific read. One that you can pop open and turn to virtually any page and come up with some entertaining gold. I say both volumes need to be in your collection.

www.hozacrecords.com

[rainingmusic]

Tom Petty - It's Good To Be King

[mahosoda]

I’m gonna do some sweathog headcanons, and probably Laverne and Shirley headcanons too! Romantically and platonically!! Please give me ideas!!

What I do:

Vinnie Barbarino x Y/N

Juan Epstein x Y/N

Arnold Horshack x Y/N

Freddie Washington x Y/N

Laverne Defazio x Y/N

Shirley Feeney x Y/N

Leonard Kosnowski (Lenny) x Y/N

Andrew Squiggman (Squiggy) x Y/N

Topics I can do:

Fluff

Comfort

NSFW (maybe)

Angst

P.S: I do not condone any sort of abuse for these headcanons, this includes physical, emotional, rape or any other abuse known.

So yeah! If you want just go on and ask me for a topic!

[newagesispage]

                                                              FEBRUARY             2021

 PAGE RIB

 The contents of someone’s bookcase are part of their history, like an ancestral portrait. –Umberto Eco

*****

The world is about to change with Biden and Harris in office. It is great to have Harris in there. More women in power is so important. Women don’t think with their dicks. I mean, a pussy likes to fuck just as much but we can also get some work done. Men are rarely as good at multitasking.  The inauguration went off with high security after the Trump insurrection. 5 were killed as the traitors stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 but Biden still became the President on the 20th. Hooray for Pastor Raphael Warnock and Jon Osoff in Georgia for taking the Senate. We are off to an interesting start with Merrick Garland nominated for AG.** Janet Yellen is the 78th US Treasury secretary and the first woman!**John Kerry is the envoy for climate and Pete Buttigieg is up for secretary of transportation. ** Biden reversed the ban on transgender troops, stopped the Muslim ban and signed many other executive orders.

*****

Kudos to Bill Maher for giving out  his Baldy award and talking about Henry Waxman. And I was glad to see Waxman mention it and the many others who do the hard work, the real work of running this country.

*****

Elon Musk is now the world’s richest person.

*****

Did ya see the Wendy Williams night on Lifetime?  I have known friends and family with her behavior, this complete lack of self- confidence and yet completely self -absorbed. Yes, she was married to a jack ass and she can be entertaining but whew.. high drama.  I learned one thing.. Her Father and brother are HOT!!

*****

Neil Young sold stake in 50% of his song catalogue to Hipgnosis songs fund in Britain.

*****

John Mulaney is in rehab.

*****

The Little things with Jared Leto, Denzel and Rami Malek was tops at the Box Office.

*****

Olivia Wilde and Harry Styles?? Ooh la la!! What a beautiful couple!!

*****

Thank you Cleveland Browns for all the hope!!** And..C’mon Packers.. U should have won that!!** Seahawk Chad Wheeler was arrested for domestic abuse.

*****

Think before you speak, read before you think. –Fran Leibowitz

*****

The Zodiac killer cipher was solved by amateur codebreakers David Orandak in Virginia, Jarl Van Eycke in Belgium and Sam Blake in Australia more than 50 years later.

*****

Rebel with Katey Sagal looks pretty good.

*****

Richard Lewis will not be in season 11 of Curb due to his many surgeries. Miss ya Richard!!

*****

Elliot Page has filed for divorce from Emma Portner.

*****

In the ‘some things never go away’ category, there are new shows coming of V.C. Andrews and the Great Gatsby.

*****

Dylan McDermott is joining Christopher Meloni in Law and Order: Organized Crime.

*****

Cigarette sales are up.

*****

Crayola is recycling old markers at colorcycle. Never throw away markers again! Less Waste!

*****

Days alert: The big reveal FINALLY came on Days about Gwen from Peoria. She thinks she is Jack’s daughter! It looks like the DNA will prove it. The plot will thicken as Laura returns with a secret and bad things happen to her. Susan Banks is also back and gets in the middle of a couple of stories. I am always glad to see Ivan but unfortunately Vivian is close behind. The twins story should come to a head. Please don’t push Rafe and Nicole together!! Word is that Patch and Kayla will remarry on their old anniversary of Valentine’s Day!! Best of all, Ciara is back and has thoughts of Romeo and Juliet. Find her Ben, before you get close to Claire.

*****

Tom Brokaw has retired from NBC after 55 years. I remember when he retired from the news desk way back when.

*****

Ex- Chester county Sheriff Carolyn Welsh has been charged with stealing from a K-9 unit charity.

*****

Succession has added Sanaa Latham, Jihae and Linda Edmond.

*****

People are filling in for Robert Costa on Washington Week while he is off with Bob Woodward writing their book.  Yamiche Alcindor was a great host!!!!

*****

Some last headlines and thoughts and facts about the end of the worst Presidency in our history. Let’s hope this is the last of the news about the Traitor in chief except for paying for his crimes. Unity does not mean there are no consequences for criminals. Make no mistake Trump and some of his followers are criminals. **Here are a few things I ran across: Vanilla Ice played Mar A Lago for NY Eve.** After the riot many rats started to jump ship like Elaine Chao, Hope Hicks and Betsy Devos. The American Federation of Teachers reaction to Betsy Devos resignation: “Good Riddance.”** Mo Brooks had told the crowd, “Take names and kick ass.” Plans for a Sen. Hawley book were scrapped.** Adam Kinzinger of Illinois was one of the first to call for the 25th amendment that never happened.** People are trying to get to the bottom of the Riot with questions like, “Who paid for the buses?” ** These types of people are the reason we can’t have nice things. **  Scary Clown is off Twitter for good. Funny how it took Senators, companies and voters so long, 2 weeks before he leaves office to make him a pariah. Trump was too dangerous for twitter but not for the nuclear codes?? ** To anyone complaining about a private media co. kicking Trump off their platform: Think of twitter as a Christian bakery and Trump as a wedding cake. _William Cusack**The riot proved that blue lives really don’t matter to them.** U.S. rep for Colorado Lauren Boebert was given $70,500 by Ted Cruz just as he asked for a probe into Netflix. Her husband, Jayson was arrested for exposing himself to a minor and for domestic abuse.** Trump was impeached again.** “Republican colleagues broke down in tears saying that Republicans are afraid for their lives if they vote for this impeachment.- Congressman Jason Crow.** Mike Pompeo cancelled his European trip after Luxemburg’s foreign minister and top European union officials declined to meet him.**232 was the number of votes to impeach him and the number of electoral vote in his loss to Biden.**Trump’s interior secretary had his own flag** Trumps EPA guy made super- secret phone calls in his own phone booth and had 24 hour security.** Toby Keith and Ricky Scaggs received the National medal of arts. ** The Supreme Court tossed out a lawsuit claiming that Trump violated the emoluments clause. ** Dominion voting systems sued Rudy.** Trumps impeachment lawyers, Butch Bowers and Deb Barbier quit. Word is that they refused to say the election was stolen. The new team seems to include Bruce Castor who would not prosecute Bill Cosby and Epstein’s would be lawyer David Schoen. That sounds about right.

*****

Hey Manson didn’t stab anyone. Incitement is a real crime. –Michael Mckean.

*****

ABC News President James Goldston has resigned.

*****

Everyone is talking about the SNL Krasinski/Davidson kiss.

*****

The NRA is bankrupt.

*****

Lenny Kravitz paid tribute to his Godmother, Cicely Tyson.

*****

Colbert could take a tip from Larry King. Ask simple direct questions and let the interviewee talk. We are watching to hear what they have to say. The beginning of the show is the host’s moment so shut up later!!

*****

R.I.P. Dan Dettman, Floyd Little, Pierre Cardin, Phyllis Mcguire, George Gerdes, Joan Micklin Silver, Carl Panzram, Gerry Marsden, Tanya Roberts, Kerry Vincent, KT Oslin, Tommy Lasorda, Michael Apted, Dave Creek, Jamie O’Hara, Dr. H. Jack Geiger, William Link, Neil Shehan, Joanne Rogers, Duke Bootee, Phil Spector, Don Sutton, Siegfried, Sheldon Adelson, Larry King, Ved Mehta, Bruce Kirby, Cicely Tyson and Cloris Leachman.

[tabloidtoc]

In Touch, September 7

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Prince Andrew in the trial of the century 

Page 1: Contents 

Page 2: Who Wore It Better? Sarah Paulson vs. Grace Elizabeth, Bella Hadid vs. Naomi Scott, Jennifer Lahmers vs. Jeannie Mai 

Page 4: Tale of the Tape -- Princess Diana vs. Kristen Stewart vs. Elizabeth Debicki whose most scandalous moment was a steamy sex scene with Tom Hiddleston in The Night Manager 

Page 5: Mystery of the Week -- Todd Chrisley aging backwards, Number of the Week -- 4,000,000 final sale price of the LA-area home used for exterior shots of the Golden Girls house which was $1M over asking price thanks to a bidding war, Winner of the Week -- Ariana Grande knocks Rihanna out of the top spot for most-streamed female artist on Spotify, Loser of the Week -- Games of Thrones as Charles Dance who played Tywin Lannister admits he would sign the petition for the final season to be remade because it disappointed a lot of people 

Page 6: Crib of the Week -- Priscilla Presley is parting ways with her home of over 45 years

Page 8: Up Close -- Justin Bieber on a bike and holding his newborn niece Iris 

Page 10: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson with daughters Jasmine and Tiana, Pink surfing, Anthony Anderson celebrates his recent 50th birthday by visiting his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame 

Page 11: Kendall Jenner 

Page 12: Adam Sandler playing basketball, Jill Zarin and daughter Ally Shapiro with their tie-dye masks

Page 13: Katy Perry gets shot out of a cannon in her video for Smile 

Page 15: Nina Dobrev and boyfriend Shaun White have fun in the sun in Tulum, Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox play pool 

Page 16: Hair Highlight Reel -- Kaia Gerber goes pink, Lili Reinhart goes bright blond, Lady Gaga goes green, Joe Jonas goes platinum blond 

Page 18: Pet Causes -- Lenny Kravitz and his dogs Leroy and JoJo Dancer, Miranda Lambert poolside with her dog, Mark Ruffalo celebrates International Cat Day, PLEASE ADOPT, DON’T SHOP 

Page 20: Chris Pratt and son Jack on a hoverboard 

Page 22: Cover Story: The Jeffrey Epstein sex scandal continues to haunt Prince Andrew who may be forced to testify in Ghislaine Maxwell’s explosive upcoming trial 

Page 26: Jennifer Garner vs. Ana de Armas -- inside their nasty feud -- Jen clashes with Ana over what’s best for Ben Affleck 

Page 28: Scott Peterson escapes death row -- in a bombshell decision the convicted killer gets a second chance 

Page 30: Khloe Kardashian’s plastic surgery obsession -- her desire to look prettier will never end 

Page 31: Devastated Lori Loughlin in prison for the holidays 

Page 34: The Big Interview -- Meredith Vieira opens up about the late Regis Philbin and her long and varied career 

Page 38: Beauty Buzz -- good hair day -- Rosie Huntington-Whiteley 

Page 40: Entertainment 

Page 42: Animal Overload -- my dog looks like Angelina Jolie 

Page 44: Double Take -- Alex Trebek on the set of Jeopardy! 

Page 46: Horoscope -- Virgo Zendaya turned 24 on September 1 

Page 48: Last Laughs 

[mentallystill]

[ID= First image is a post from magnetothemagnificent which reads:

I know it's fun celebrating Trump's (hopeful) downfall, but let's remember that the synagogue of the judge who approved the warrant to raid Mar-A-Lago had to cancel their Shabbat services out of fear for the congregation's safety this past week.

Already, MAGA truthers are being riled up to blame The Jews for what happened, and as this case continues, please bear in mind the reactionary backlash that follows, and look out for the safety of the already marginalized groups who are affected by it.

It is accompanied by a link to the following article from the Forward written by Louis Keene and Madeline Fixler. All images following the first one are of this article.

Title: Judge who approved Trump search warrant attacked for Synagogue involvement. Retired Met Lenny Dykstra is lobbing insults at a judge whose prior work for Jeffrey Epstein's employees raised eyebrows.

The judge who approved the search on former President Donald Trump's Mar-A-Lago estate was attacked Tuesday for his synagogue involvement by a retired Major League Baseball player. By Wednesday, an online mob was making violent antisemitic threats against him.

Judge Bruce Reinhart, a former prosecutor who had previously been criticized for representing former employees of Jeffrey Epstein related to his sex-trafficking scandal, appears to be on the board of a South Florida synagogue. Trump loyalists eager to question the legitimacy of the FBI raid seized upon that detail.

What began with Lenny Dykstra, a retired New York Mets legend, questioning the nature of the Conservative synagogue's Judaism, spilled over onto right-wing social media platforms and message boards, where users published the judge's name, address, and personal information. Threats have been directed at Reinhart's children and supposed family members as well.

On Thursday, a synagogue member told the Forward that the synagogue's beachside Shabbat service had been canceled - at the behest of the Palm Beach Gardens police - "because of the social media hate." The synagogue's spiritual leader planned to lead services over Zoom instead.

One user on 4chan, an online message board known for racist activity, wrote: "About that Judge that signed the search warrant... Bruce Reinhart once quit his job as a U.S. Attorney to work for Jeffrey Epstein." Another responded writing, "That is a k***. And a pedophile... He should be tried for treason and executed."

"I see a rope around his neck," wrote a user on the separate pro-Trump message board formerly called The Donald, according to Vice News.

Reinhart was sworn in as a magistrate judge for the Southern District of Florida in 2018 after a decade in private practice. He had previously been a prosecutor at the U.S. Attorney's office for the Southern District of Florida. A Bruce Reinhart is listed on the current board of trustees on the website of Temple Beth David, a synagogue in Palm Beach Gardens.

The synagogue did not immediately respond to inquiries on Tuesday afternoon.

There is an image of a police officer and a secury officer near the top of the article. It is captioned: US Secret Service and Mar-A-Lago security members at the entrance of former US President Donald Trump's house at Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, US, on Tuesday, August 9, 2022. /end ID]

Note about this ID, there are portions of the screenshots from the article I cannot read. That said, these portions are images of tweets that seem to be described in the parts of the article that I can read.

We need to protect Jewish people, always but especially now. We need to keep them as safe as we can.

"Jews control-"

Ssh. Stop.

A Rabbi can't even control their congregation long enough to get everyone to be quiet during their Shabbat speech, what makes you think Jews have the power to control anything???

[mrepstein]

Q: There doesn’t seem to be much in the way of documentation, as far as what kind of touring y’all did. Did the Electric Prunes do any package tours?

LOWE: We did tours all over. We were on the Beach Boys tours a few times. Brian Epstein brought us to Europe. our manager was Donovan’s American manager. His name was Lenny Poncher. Somehow, we got plugged in with him and Brian Epstein. Supposedly, Brian Epstein really liked us.”

- Jim Lowe of the Electric Prunes interviewed by Here ‘Tis magazine, 1997

[brajeshupadhyay]

Republicans are tentatively set to move their party to Jacksonville

While the move is still being finalized, the decision to uproot major chunks of the convention from its planned home in Charlotte is another example of Trump disruption, in this case as he casts aside public safety advice and the spirit of a signed contract between the RNC and Charlotte to host the convention there. The president has made clear since a tweet blast on Memorial Day that he was only willing to appear at an event with the pomp and circumstance he enjoyed before the pandemic.

On Wednesday, Trump repeated his criticism of North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D), who has insisted that the Charlotte gathering follow public health guidance. In remarks at the White House, Trump said he had “no choice” but to move the convention’s highest-profile events.

“We’ll see how it all works out, but the governor doesn’t want to give an inch,” Trump said, describing Cooper as “a little backward.”

A spokeswoman for the governor reiterated that his concern was public safety.

“State and local partners have been willing to work together with the RNC on a scaled- down event with health and safety measures, but it wouldn’t be responsible to guarantee a full arena as the RNC has demanded,” said Cooper spokeswoman Dory MacMillan. “State officials will continue to support health and safety aspects of any activities that do remain in North Carolina.”

The quadrennial political meetings, which draw tens of thousands of delegates, officials, media and others in the political orbit, typically set the tone for each political party ahead of the final sprint to the general election. Democrats, facing the same public health dilemma, moved their convention from July to August and since have indicated they will probably opt for a scaled-down convention and are considering doing virtual events.

Guidelines from Trump’s own administration, along with advice from medical experts, make it clear that large-scale events, particularly ones held indoors, can facilitate the spread of the highly contagious novel coronavirus.

Trump, however, told Cooper in a telephone conversation on May 29 that “we can’t do social distancing.” While Republicans offered to do testing at the Charlotte event, they balked at mandatory use of masks and limiting the number of people allowed into the arena where Trump would speak.

The RNC still plans to hold some smaller meetings in Charlotte, and Trump probably would visit the city at some point between Aug. 24-27 when the convention is scheduled, according to a person familiar with Trump’s plan who like others interviewed was not cleared to speak publicly. Republican officials are hoping that will shield them from any liability for moving an event that they are contractually obligated to hold there.

The RNC’s executive committee voted Wednesday to reuse its 2016 platform to avoid requiring delegates to debate and vote on new policies, according to a person familiar with the decision.

“This is going to be a little bit of a different convention because we have right now 75 days to move the celebration portion to a different city,” Republican Party Chair Ronna McDaniel said Wednesday on the Salem Radio Network. She also said she has not gotten any sleep for the past two weeks, since Trump threatened to move the convention via his tweet. “It’s been quite a feat — if we can get this done,” she said.

While McDaniel said it’s “premature” to confirm the new location, three GOP officials briefed on the plan said the RNC has settled on Jacksonville, and one person familiar with the discussions said an announcement about the shift could come as early as Thursday.

Downtown Jacksonville includes three different stadiums, including the covered 15,000-person-capacity VyStar Veterans Memorial arena that was once home to the city’s ice hockey team.

Trump and RNC officials had expressed concern that Democratic officials in North Carolina were working against them for political reasons. In Jacksonville, Trump will have partisan allies in the city and state governments.

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, a Republican who was formerly chair of the state party, did not respond to a text message seeking comment. Aides to the mayor also declined to comment. Jacksonville City Councilman Tommy Hazouri, a Democrat who will take over as council chairman this summer, said he was supportive of the mayor’s efforts to secure the Republican convention.

“We have always been the little train that could. That’s how we got the football team, that’s how we got some of the businesses that have been here,” Hazouri said, referring to the city’s NFL franchise, the Jacksonville Jaguars. “But you still have the issues in front of you no matter what the city — and that is the coronavirus, and you have always a safety issue.”

He said he expected external funding to help shoulder the costs to the city and had faith in the mayor to work out a health plan that would prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the community.

“We can’t do it at the expense of making sure that our own streets and public safety is protected,” he said. “What you don’t want to do is open a Pandora’s box.”

Duval County health officials have been consulting with the city to plan any large events, according to Samantha Epstein, the county’s public health communications director.

“The Department would work with local officials to ensure that all the appropriate measures are being taken with regards to COVID-19 based on the current CDC guidance,” Epstein wrote.

Federal health officials have said that risk of transmission increases at large, in-person events where it is hard for people to remain at least six feet apart. Experts have said that the more people someone interacts with at a gathering and the longer that interaction lasts, the higher the risk.

The CDC guidelines recommend canceling “community wide mass gatherings” when there is “minimal-to-moderate level of community transmission” of the coronavirus — a standard it does not define — and recommend that people over the age of 65 and those with certain preexisting health conditions avoid attending any events with more than 10 people.

But the guidelines also give community leaders discretion to set the cutoff threshold for the size of events “based on the on the current circumstances the community is facing and the nature of the event.”

According to the Florida Department of Public Health, Duval County has identified 1,776 coronavirus-positive residents, with the rate of diagnosis showing no clear direction in recent weeks. There were 208 positive cases identified in the first nine days of June, compared to 251 cases in the nine days before and 183 cases in the nine days before that. There have been 296 hospitalizations in the county from the disease and 55 deaths.

Last month, the CDC issued a report warning about “superspreader” events where the coronavirus might be highly transmissible in certain settings. That report described a choir practice in Washington state in March at which one person ended up infecting 52 other people, including two who died.

“Members had an intense and prolonged exposure, singing while sitting 6-10 inches from one another, possibly emitting aerosols,” the report said. The infections probably took place during a 2½ -hour choir practice attended by 61 members.

Convention delegates tend to be older than the voting public, presenting another problem for Republican organizers. The median age of delegates at both the Republican and Democratic conventions in 2008 was 54 years old, with only 7 percent of Democratic delegates and 3 percent of Republican ones under the age of 30, according to a 2016 study by the American Enterprise Institute using CBS News polling data.

One potential hitch in moving the convention festivities is hotel space: Duval County has about 18,000 hotel rooms, according to Patty Winters, a spokeswoman for Visit Jacksonville, the city’s tourism bureau. Neighboring counties have another 10,000 rooms, Winters said.

In 2005, when the city hosted the Super Bowl, five cruise ships docked at St. Johns River to add about 3,500 hotel rooms needed for the event. Amid the current pandemic, which spread rapidly on cruise ships, it’s unlikely that the RNC would use that solution. Instead, officials are looking at resort areas such as Amelia Island to the north.

Officials in Charlotte were expecting up to 50,000 people under the original setup, although only about 20,000 would have fit into the arena that the GOP had planned to use for major speeches.

Garrett Dennis, a member of the Jacksonville City Council and a Democrat, identified another drawback of hosting the convention: the potential to aggravate what he described as already fraught race relations in a city that is about 30 percent black.

Under the current schedule, Trump would accept his nomination on Aug. 27. In Jacksonville, that is the 60th anniversary of Ax Handle Saturday, when a mob of 200 white people chased peaceful civil rights protesters with ax handles and baseball bats. Events to commemorate that anniversary are already planned in a park not far from where Trump would accept the nomination.

“We’ve had unrest as relates to police and shootings; we have a high murder rate. And so we have our own problems that we’re dealing with right now,” Dennis said. “To have this event here, and coronate someone who is not tolerant of minorities? Our city is already fragile as it relates to racial relations. And for that to happen, our city might crack.”

Lena H. Sun contributed to this report.

The post Republicans are tentatively set to move their party to Jacksonville appeared first on Sansaar Times.

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[jerryepstein]

Jerry Epstein and Maestro Leonard Slatkin on stage at Walt Disney Concert Hall following an LA PHIL rehearsal. Lenny's parents played chamber music with Jerry's mom Lily Mahler Epstein, a violinist, in their home when he was a child. Lenny's father, Felix Slatkin, was the violinist, conductor and founder of the Hollywood String Quartet, and his mother, Eleanor Aller, was the cellist with the quartet. (March 3, 2004). Photos by Rebecca Dru Jerry Epstein's Stories are all written and edited by Rebecca Dru @druified ©2019 Rebecca Dru All Rights Reserved . . . #LAPHIL #classicalmusic #Jerryepstein #violists #Musician #43yearsinthelaphil #mylifeasamusician #performance #waltdisneyconcerthall #concert #Maestro #famousconductor #orchestraconductor #LeonardSlatkin #storytelling #documentary #recordkeeper #dailystory #instastory #History #druified #rebeccadruphotography (at Walt Disney Concert Hall) https://www.instagram.com/p/B21sm3FAD1O/?igshid=a1pr1424cvip

[thetomhanksmovieblog]

#4. That Thing You Do!

(PG, 1h 48m, Comedy/Drama/Music, 1996)

Now for a movie I will never run out of praise for. Wholesome and rewarding, a local boy band’s miraculous skyrocket to fame in 1964 finds its perfect tempo while paying cultural homage in the Tom Hanks directed-and-acted one-of-many-ones hit wonder, That Thing You Do!. In a word? Refreshing.

Cool cat Guy Patterson (Tom Everett Scott) just wants to play drums. Long after the glazed ‘n’ dazed customers have left and the books have been cooked at his family’s appliance store in Nowhere, Pennsylvania, Guy retreats to the basement with his idol Del Paxton on vinyl to sit on his throne and deal out rhythm like only a boy desperate to make it big can. Here, there is no housewife wanting to buy a washer, here, the only record needle Guy deals is back to the top of his most prized album, Time to Blow. On his throne, he is king; on his throne, Guy Patterson is Spartacus.

Drummer needs a band, right? (I’m a musician - drummers’ll tell you they don’t.) Guy gets his break when he sits in with local band The Wonders. Chad, the original drummer, broke his arm playing leapfrog over a parking meter. But actually though! I love that scene. It’s half of the band looking all serious, meanwhile Chad and the bass player are jumping over meters like a bunch of no-good scally-wagging top-poppers. The other thing about the bass player was how long it took me to realize that he does not in fact have a name beyond the bass player. When credited, he’s referred to as T. B. Player - the bass player?? The world may never know.

The Wonders start playing locally, cut some records, sign a deal, life is good. Then, the true big break arrives - The Wonders have caught the attention of Mr. White (Tom Hanks), who is looking to sign the boys to the Play-Tone Galaxy of Stars and launch the band into true orbit.

Ambitiously filling the roles of director, writer, and co-star, Tom Hanks crafts a masterpiece of timing and dialogue in That Thing You Do!. He wastes not one iota of script, each line either serving to develop the characters, crack a joke, advance the plot, or do all three at once. Each character is distinct in terms of conversation and affect, from funny Lenny (Steve Zahn) to brooding Jimmy (Jonathon Schaech) to even the purposefully faceless bass player (Ethan Embry). Each Wonder is a boy you know, or a person you have been. In a way, we all spend time being ‘the bass player’ at some point.

The expertly timed dialogue reflects Tom Hanks’ Hollywood tenure and proximity to all the big writers. The script also highlights Hanks’ own wit and experience growing up in Southern California. You could watch this with your parents and see them recognize the show playing in the background at Patterson’s Appliances. Mr. White coaches the boys before each performance with a tagline familiar to any musician that there is no time for idling around and letting the audience grow cold or letting the applause die out: “you unplug and you run!”. Mr. White is always quick to offer the boys compliments on their looks, too; whether in black suits or red suits, they look great no matter what.

Fay’s (Liv Tyler) shining one-liner is her break-up with Jimmy, who has been two years too arrogant to see the true devotion before him which he can only imitate in his songs. Some may snub Tyler’s emotionless delivery, but it’s the flatness of her voice and stillness of her face that shows the exhaustion of loving without return: “shame on me for kissing you with my eyes closed so tight.” You tell ‘im, Fay.

Fictitious jazz legend Del Paxton’s words of wisdom to Guy ring true not only for any musician, but any person looking to hold the present together beyond honest capability. As Guy watches his one-hit wonder band fizzle out as if in a supernova, Paxton reminds Guy how impermanent the glitz before him is: “bands come and go, but you gotta keep playing.” 

How relatable is this for you? I was in two bands in college, and each had the right people in the right place at the right time. My rock orchestra saw its fifteen minutes when we had the chance to open for Heart until our set got rained out. Summer ran out, and I had to go back to school. My old time band saw a hint of traction on the contra dance circuit before the day we all had graduated and were slingshot far, far away from each other. The gigs were good and the memories greater. As I know for me and I’m sure for all of them, I’ve just had to keep playing. In no way does the passage of time or accumulation of distance diminish the value of what we had. Like 1964, the year had to end at some point.

Speaking of 1964, while at the College of Wailing and Mayhem, I took a four-credit course in my senior year on the music of The Beatles. I kid you not. Easily the most engaging and knowledgeable professor I had the pleasure to study with. That Thing You Do! did its homework in paralleling The Beatles, not counting obvious references in the script. Like The Beatles, The Wonders lose their original bass player and replace their original drummer. Both go for a name pun: before Mr. White changed their name to something less confusing, it was The Oneders (the oh-NEE-ders??). For both bands, their hit break-through single was a slower song made great by sneakily speeding it up (see “Please Please Me”). Some say Mr. White has a male lover in the extended edition to mirror Brian Epstein, manager of The Beatles, but my copy of the movie leaves all of that to the imagination.

As if this movie isn’t enough fun to watch, you can tell it was a fun time to make. Reading through the list of actors and cameos, Tom Hanks was clearly throwing a block party for his family and friends and just wrote it off as filming. Even Bryan Cranston appears for a moment, and Hank’s wife Rita Wilson plays the waitress at the jazz club.

Possibly the most thrilling scene is when the boys hear their single on the radio for the first time. Wherever each Wonder is in Erie, they’ve got their ear tuned to the local AM waves. The very second when they hear the first bar of Guy’s drum beat, they all flock to the appliance store, tripping over themselves, running to be together, basking in the pure ecstasy of the moment. The dream that each of them had visions of, Jimmy and Lenny and Guy and Fay and the other one, all saw a glimpse of it eclipse with reality when, for maybe two minutes, they ruled local air. There is jumping and crying and screaming. There are moments like these in everyone’s life, like getting into college, or getting engaged, or watching your garden bloom in the full sun of spring for the first time. The Wonders are hitting a milestone, maybe one they thought they would not see. They start something big, and it’s only the first of many. We know how the story ends, but in that moment, they can’t even dream of waking up. Anything could happen.

P.s. -- go see “Baby Driver” before it leaves the theater! It’s a good time.

P.p.s. -- even if you don’t find yourself watching this movie, you’ve at least got to give the single a shot!

[tashrow]

2019 CBCA Book Awards

2019 CBCA Book Awards

The Children’s Book Council of Australia has announced their 2019 winners and honor books for the CBCA Book of Year Awards. Here they are:

THE BOOK OF THE YEAR: OLDER READERS

Between Us by Clare Atkins

HONOURS

Lenny’s Book of Everything by Karen Foxlee

Small Spaces by Sarah Epstein

  THE BOOK OF THE YEAR: YOUNGER READERS

His Name Was Walter by Emily Rodda

HONOURS

Black Cockatooby Carl…