samhexum

I never stopped to think about the phrase 'you're out of your cotton pickin' mind' until a few recent news items made me realize why it would be offensive to African Americans.

Get into a lukewarm shower, then gradually increase the cold water so your system isn't shocked by a rush of cold water, and keep increasing it slowly until it gets as cold as you can take. After the shower, let yourself air-dry. You'll feel much cooler & it lasts a while.

Broadway musical “Chicago” has launched an investigation after friends of a cast member claimed he killed himself because he was “bullied” by the show’s directors. Pals of Jeff Loeffelholz — who had been a member of the cast for 22 years — started a campaign called Justice for Jeff after Loeffelholz committed suicide, claiming that the production’s director Walter Bobbie and musical director Leslie Stifelman wanted Loeffelholz out of the long-running production but that his contract wouldn’t allow them to fire him. The group claims that the pair put Loeffelholz, a standby member of the cast, through a tortuous rehearsal on June 22 in an attempt to get him to quit the show, forcing him to sing the same song over and over and telling him, “You always do it wrong.” The campaign’s blog, Justice For Jeffrey, claims that the account was based on notes that Loeffelholz made after the incident. Loeffelholz died a week later, on June 29. Now Page Six has learned that the producers of the show have hired attorney Judd Burstein to look into Loeffelholz’s situation. In a statement, Burstein told us, “The producers of ‘Chicago’ are devastated by Jeff Loeffelholz’s death. The producers are taking this matter very seriously, and are fully committed to finding out exactly what transpired. To that end, I have been retained to conduct an exhaustive investigation on an expedited basis.” Bobbie added: “I am saddened by Jeff’s tragic passing, for him and for his family.” Stifelman didn’t get back to us. A Broadway insider told us it’s behavior that is known too well on the Great White Way. “No one can directly blame anyone for something like suicide, but this treatment is kind of like an old-school Broadway scenario where there seems to be a disposable amount of talent that allows people to treat people like this,” said a source. “When you’re loyal to a show like that, it’s not celebrated. It can actually make you unhireable. It’s a strange thing.”

How could you omit 21 JUMP ST?

Yankee radio announcer John Sterling has called every game since 1989. He's very much a "love him or hate him" figure, best known for his (showy, overly planned, ego-driven) home run calls, which almost always include "It is high... It is far... It is gone!"*** even when it's a low line drive barely over the wall. His call for Giancarlo Stanton includes a line in Italian, even though Giancarlo ain't Italian. Annnnnyhoo... July 4th was his 80th birthday, and as a tribute, TV announcer Michael Kay (Sterling's former radio partner) called a Stanton home run Sterling-style: *** When it was announced during spring training in 2000 that his wife was preggers with triplets, the joke going around the press box was that he'd name them High, Far, & Gone.

Kim Kardashian isn’t the only celebrity whose hair has sparked accusations of cultural appropriation. While Kardashian has persisted in wearing Fulani braids in spite of criticism that she’s appropriating a hairstyle created by and for women of color, it remains to be seen how Zac Efron will respond to the backlash he’s getting over his new dreadlocks look. The actor, who typically wears his brown hair short, shared a photo on Instagram showing off his new dreadlocks. Efron’s caption read “just for fun,” though it’s possible the hair makeover is tied to a film role. It’s a dramatic new look for Efron — but many people don’t see it as “fun.” The 30-year-old star is being slammed by some fans for appropriating a black hairstyle. Another point of contention is that, when worn by black people, dreadlocks can be met with racially charged negativity. “This is so racially insensitive,” read one comment. “Cultural appropriation ain’t fun,” another commenter added. “We love you, just please don’t cultural appropriate — cut those off before they cancel you,” pleaded a disappointed fan. The uproar over Efron’s hair prompted many to defend the star and his hair, arguing that dreadlocks were up for grabs for any race. “It’s a hairstyle, who cares,” wrote one commenter. “People will bring race into anything these days. If you have to bring color into a conversation then maybe you should look in the mirror and question your own values.” “It’s just hair!” added another supporter. “He’s not doing it for a cultural or political reason, just like when Kim had her cornrows. It’s just a hairstyle — get over it and have fun with your life.” Efron isn’t the first white male celebrity to get flak for having dreadlocks. Justin Bieber received similar backlash when he dabbled with the ’do in 2016.

I didn't change the title of this thread. Was it offensive the way it was? Libelous?

Trump offers $1 million to Elizabeth Warren's charity of choice to prove Native American heritage with DNA test Trump dangled a $1 million donation to Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s charity of choice if she takes a DNA test and it proves her purported Native American heritage. He also managed to throw in a cringeworthy #MeToo joke in the process. Trump mused that he would buy a DNA test and throw it at her should he face off with the Massachusetts lawmaker during a 2020 presidential debate — and she brings up the claim. “We have to do it gently. Because we’re in the #MeToo generation, so I have to be very gentle,” Trump said, mocking the wave of ousting male harassers in the entertainment industry. “We will slowly toss (the kit) hoping it doesn’t injure her arm.” Trump’s revitalized attack of Warren was met with mixed applause, groans and cheers during an energetic campaign-style rally in Great Falls, Mont., Thursday. “I will say, ‘We will give $1 million to your favorite charity — paid for by Trump — if you take the test and it shows you’re an Indian,’ ” Trump said, imagining himself in a debate with the rumored Democratic presidential contender. “Let’s see what she does. I have feeling she will say no, but I will hold that for the debates,” he said. Warren and her claim of Cherokee and Delaware Indian heritage during a 2012 Senate run has been a repeat target of Trump’s volatile attacks at rallies and on social media. She cited family stories, rather than DNA testing or documentation to prove her ancestry. Trump has often ridiculed Warren with the nickname “Pocahontas” since May 2016. He said he would apologize to the 17th century Native American woman for giving Warren the nickname, but not Warren herself. Warren fired back after Thursday’s rally. “While you obsess over my genes, your Admin is conducting DNA tests on little kids because you ripped them from their mamas & you are too incompetent to reunite them in time to meet a court order,” Warren tweeted. “Maybe you should focus on fixing the lives you’re destroying.”

Off-Broadway’s long been the place to discover fresh faces. Now and then, along comes something cheekier: a dashing derrière. That last belongs to Trey, the young hottie of the Roundabout Theatre Company’s “Skintight.” Idina Menzel, in a rare, non-singing role, plays Jodi, the divorced daughter of a gay, fashion-designer father — but even that “Frozen” star is eclipsed by the twin moons of Jodi’s dad’s 20-year-old boyfriend. Especially when Trey sits down beside her, and the only thing coming between the sofa and his greatest asset is a jockstrap. It’s a showstopper, for sure. As playwright Joshua Harmon has Trey say, “It’s so weird, cause like, I never do nothing for my ass, you know, in the gym or whatever … It’s just naturally this way.” Trey may not have to work at it, but Will Brittain, the 27-year-old actor who plays him, sure does. “I wanted him to look like a cornfed country boy,” says Brittain, “so you want to look your best.” He says the past six years he spent as a personal trainer between acting jobs helped him prepare for just that. Between shows at the Laura Pels Theatre — in pants, a T-shirt and a khaki baseball cap — Brittain sounds a lot like Trey does, his speech a soft, Southern drawl punctuated by some “yes, ma’ams.” He comes by it naturally, having grown up in a small town in Texas. And while he’s played the boy toy before, in the 2013 film “A Teacher,” Brittain says Trey is a lot smarter than he looks. His director agrees. “The role is more complex than that,” director Daniel Aukin tells The Post. “I don’t want to give too much away, but over the course of an evening, Will brings a depth and intelligence to the part that is remarkable.” So are the weekly workouts that go with it. Although no one asked Brittain to buff up for his off-Broadway debut, he says he was determined to make Trey the chiseled object of desire “Skintight” tells us he is. Luckily, says the actor — who lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Bianca, a former ballerina he met at college — the NYC apartment building he’s staying in has a gym. “I do upper-body work Monday,” he says. “On Tuesday, I run sprints, and on Wednesday, I do abs for an hour — that’s the worst day ever!” He says he does some heavy lifting on Thursday, a bit more upper-body work on Friday and goes for a run on Saturday. And Sunday? “Sunday, I lay on the couch and do nothing,” he says, smiling. “Maybe get a massage!”

Off-Broadway’s long been the place to discover fresh faces. Now and then, along comes something cheekier: a dashing derrière. That last belongs to Trey, the young hottie of the Roundabout Theatre Company’s “Skintight.” Idina Menzel, in a rare, non-singing role, plays Jodi, the divorced daughter of a gay, fashion-designer father — but even that “Frozen” star is eclipsed by the twin moons of Jodi’s dad’s 20-year-old boyfriend. Especially when Trey sits down beside her, and the only thing coming between the sofa and his greatest asset is a jockstrap. It’s a showstopper, for sure. As playwright Joshua Harmon has Trey say, “It’s so weird, cause like, I never do nothing for my ass, you know, in the gym or whatever … It’s just naturally this way.” Trey may not have to work at it, but Will Brittain, the 27-year-old actor who plays him, sure does. “I wanted him to look like a cornfed country boy,” says Brittain, “so you want to look your best.” He says the past six years he spent as a personal trainer between acting jobs helped him prepare for just that. Between shows at the Laura Pels Theatre — in pants, a T-shirt and a khaki baseball cap — Brittain sounds a lot like Trey does, his speech a soft, Southern drawl punctuated by some “yes, ma’ams.” He comes by it naturally, having grown up in a small town in Texas. And while he’s played the boy toy before, in the 2013 film “A Teacher,” Brittain says Trey is a lot smarter than he looks. His director agrees. “The role is more complex than that,” director Daniel Aukin tells The Post. “I don’t want to give too much away, but over the course of an evening, Will brings a depth and intelligence to the part that is remarkable.” So are the weekly workouts that go with it. Although no one asked Brittain to buff up for his off-Broadway debut, he says he was determined to make Trey the chiseled object of desire “Skintight” tells us he is. Luckily, says the actor — who lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Bianca, a former ballerina he met at college — the NYC apartment building he’s staying in has a gym. “I do upper-body work Monday,” he says. “On Tuesday, I run sprints, and on Wednesday, I do abs for an hour — that’s the worst day ever!” He says he does some heavy lifting on Thursday, a bit more upper-body work on Friday and goes for a run on Saturday. And Sunday? “Sunday, I lay on the couch and do nothing,” he says, smiling. “Maybe get a massage!”

k... a... r... s... kars 4 Kris...

That'll do. I've reached the age where that is more important than the other way around.

A hero dad was mauled to death by a polar bear in Canada as he tried to protect his children from the charging carnivore. Aaron Gibbons, 31, was on a family outing Tuesday evening to Sentry Island, a popular hunting and fishing spot in Nunavut, when a polar bear started running towards one of his kids, family members told local outlets. “He was enjoying his day with his children,” Gordy Kidlapik, Gibbons’s uncle, told The Globe and Mail.“They were surprised by a bear that started to stalk or charge toward one of his children.” So the brave dad put himself between his kids and the Arctic ursine. “He told his children to run away to the boat while he was putting himself between the bear and his children to protect them,” Kidlapik said. The elementary school-age kids sprinted to the family’s boat, where one of the girls called for help on their radio. “We actually heard the call for help,” said Kidlapik. “It was terrible to listen to.” The grieving uncle said Gibbons probably had a rifle with him as a precaution — because the island is known to have bears — but Royal Canadian Mountain Police said he didn’t have the weapon on hand. The beast was shot and killed by another adult on the island, police said. Community members in the 2,500-person hamlet of Arviat, about 6 miles from the island, mourned the loss of Gibbons. “We are still in shock but we are resilient and we will go on and continue as a community,” Eric Anoee, Gibbons’s cousin, told the CBC. “Definitely Aaron died a hero, he protected his children,” Anoee said. Investigators are looking into what prompted the attack, in order to prevent another tragic incident from happening. The last death by a polar bear in Nunavut was 18 years ago in Rankin Inlet. Polar bears roam freely near the community, typically in October and November — but can also be seen in the summer and springtime, said John Main, a representative for Arviat North-Whale Cove. “It’s a fact of life for us living here now,” said Main. “It’s always something that people are mindful of and it’s always something that I think people are concerned about in terms of the risks.” Trick-or-treating has even moved indoors at community centers because of the threat. In 2010, a polar bear patrol program was launched to monitor the community’s perimeter by WWF-Canada, and the organization said it has also decreased the number of bears that have to be killed. The Department of Environment and Climate Change said that in 2016, 205 bears were deterred by the program, 29 relocated by conservation officers and four killed in defense of life and property. “We’re in bear country and Inuit long ago up to today have co-existed with polar bears,” said Anoee. “We have the utmost respect to these animals and it’s hard sometimes, but we manage.”

At least three poachers who broke into a rhinoceros reserve met a gruesome fate when they were mauled to death by a pride of lions, according to a report. The hunters were torn to shreds by the big cats at the Sibuya Game Reserve in Kenton-on-Sea, South Africa, where staffers on Tuesday discovered bloody body parts, including a head and limbs, the Daily Express reported. “The lions are our watchers and guardians and they picked the wrong pride and became a meal,” said Nick Fox, 60, who owns the reserve. “Whilst we are saddened at any loss of life, the poachers came here to kill our animals and this sends out a very clear message to any other poachers that you will not always be the winner.” A helicopter was called in to search for more poachers but none were found. “We found enough body parts and three pairs of empty shoes which suggest to us that the lions ate at least three of them but it is thick bush and there could be more,” Fox said. Also recovered were hunting rifles and axes — proof that they were after the threatened species. “They were armed with high-powered rifles with silencers and an ax for the horns and wire cutters and sidearms and they had enough food with them to last for many days,” noted Fox. “They were clearly intent on killing rhinos and cutting off their horns.” Police were working on determining exactly how many were killed and whether they’ve struck before. “We do not know identities but firearms have been taken by the police and will be sent to the ballistics laboratory to see if they have been used in poaching before,” said police spokeswoman Capt. Mali Govender. Poachers have broken into the popular 30-square-mile reserve in the Eastern Cape before. In 2016, three rhinos were killed when poachers sneaked into the park, shooting them and cutting off their horns. Nine rhinos have been killed with high-caliber hunting rifles at Eastern Cape reserves so far this year.

A former fire captain in Illinois convicted of drugging and raping a probationary employee in a videotaped attack has been sentenced to 36 years in prison. David “D.J.” Dunn, a former captain for the Savoy Fire Department, apologized to the 22-year-old male victim during his sentencing hearing in Urbana on Tuesday, saying he would “give anything” to take back the events that took place during a going-away party at his home in April 2017, the News-Gazette reported. Dunn, 44, was preparing to leave the state to take a job as a fire chief in Alaska prior to the assault, in which prosecutors said he incapacitated the already intoxicated probationary employee with a dose of ketamine, an anesthetic sometimes used to induce loss of consciousness. Assistant State’s Attorney Troy Lozar said Dunn administered the dose in one of two empty IV bags containing saline solution given to the probationary employee under the guise of preventing a hangover. Dunn also slipped an erectile dysfunction pill into the victim’s drink earlier that evening, Lozar said. “This was a plunge into one of the darkest crimes a person could commit on another human being,” Lozar said, adding that Dunn even videotaped the sexual assault. A judge echoed Lozar’s take, calling the attack “reprehensible and horrible” before sentencing Dunn to 36 years in prison: two 15-year terms and a six-year stretch to be served consecutively. Dunn, who was convicted of aggravated criminal sexual assault, criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse, had faced up to 67 years behind bars, according to the newspaper. Dunn’s attorney, Tom Bruno, said he intends to file a motion asking for the lengthy sentence to be reconsidered. The victim recalled during his victim impact statement how satisfying he surmised it would’ve been to kill Dunn after being raped by him, but “death is too easy a punishment,” he said. Instead, the victim said he wouldn’t let shame stop him from seeking justice and sending Dunn to prison for several decades. “If I wasn’t your first victim, I will be your last,” he told Dunn. Dunn’s sisters, meanwhile, testified on his behalf, saying the former Boy Scout and altar boy was not known to be a heavy partier. One of the women said she believed Dunn was asexual and was prescribed testosterone two years ago to boost his low levels, leading to physical changes. “I know that he would never intentionally hurt anyone,” Mindy McNeal testified.

A northeast Queens lawmaker’s initiative giving seniors free access to transportation has expanded. Councilman Paul Vallone and Selfhelp Community Services announced that their transportation program — which was previously only offered to seniors in northeast Queens — will open up to seniors across the borough. The program officially launched on Jan. 2. Seniors throughout Queens can call the Clearview Senior Center at 718-224-7888 from 9 a.m. to noon to schedule their rides to and from medical appointments. Rides are limited to two long distance or four local trips a month per person. The expansion was made possible by a $10,000 grant awarded to Selfhelp Community Services by the City Council’s Queens Delegation. The program will conclude at the end of the grant funding. The transportation program first launched in northeast Queens with a pilot in April, followed by a full launch in November. Funded by Vallone, it allowed seniors living in the 19th City Council District, which covers sections of Flushing, Whitestone, College Point, Douglaston and Bayside, to schedule rides to and from medical appointments through the Bayside Selfhelp Clearview Senior Center. Queens seniors face a lack of affordable and reliable transportation options, the councilman noted. “When I launched this program I hoped that it would grow and expand beyond just northeast Queens, and now that is starting to become a reality,” Vallone said. “Seniors in our city, many of who live on fixed incomes, are already faced with enough hardships such as rising property taxes, costs of living and stagnant funding for critical services. The last thing they should have to worry about is how they’re going to get to the doctor.” Selfhelp, in partnership with Vallone, also recently secured a $15,000 grant to expand the Virtual Senior Center (VSC) to the entire borough. The program allows home-bound older adults to connect with the larger community using technology. Seniors can take interactive, real-time classes in topics ranging from art history to weight training. Over 40 classes are typically offered per week in English, Mandarin, Korean, and Russian. Find out if you or someone you know is eligible for VCS by calling 718-559-4460. “Continued support from government is key to enabling older New Yorkers to stay connected to the communities they call home,” said Sandy Myers, vice president of external relations and communications for Selfhelp Community Services. “Our transportation program, in partnership with Four Two’s, will help address one of the most significant challenges faced by older residents of Queens: the lack of accessible and reliable transportation in parts of our city.”

Nia Vardalos‘ big fat marriage is over. The star and her husband of 25 years, Ian Gomez, have called it quits. Nia, 55, who rose to fame as the creator and star of the movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” and its sequel, filed for divorce on Tuesday in Los Angeles,reports E! News. She listed their separation date as June 29, 2017, and cited irreconcilable differences as the cause for divorce. “We’ve been respectfully separated for a lengthy period of time. Our relationship became a friendship so the decision to end the marriage is completely mutual and amicable,” the soon-to-be-divorced couple shared with the site. “It is our hope that decency will prevail on the reporting of this story which will soon be yesterday’s news. Thank you for respecting our privacy.” While there aren’t too many available details, Vardalos requested joint legal and physical custody of their daughter, Ilaria Gomez, whom they adopted at age 3. Gomez, 52, is also an actor with a lengthy resume. He’s starred in “Cougar Town” and “The Drew Carey Show.” He most recently completed a run on “Living Biblically” and two episodes of “Fresh Off the Boat.” It’s unclear if either will be requesting spousal support. Requests for comment from both Vardalos and Gomez’s teams weren’t immediately returned.