01/25/2008
News: NYC Sushi, Hannah Montana, New Mexico, Kiefer Sutherland
Prepare for spring violence: Moscow Gay Pride parade set for May.
Anderson Cooper says "no" to Heath Ledger coverage: “For the last two nights we have reported on actor Heath Ledger. His shocking death is clearly a story a lot of people are interested in, but tonight we will not be reporting more on it. The truth is there is not really anything new to report. The full results of the various tests done on Mr. Ledger will not be ready for perhaps a few weeks and there is very little new information. I have no doubt other networks will spend a lot of time tonight discussing his death and the various rumors about what might have caused it, but I am not a fan of speculation, so unless there is something really new to discuss we probably won’t be covering it anymore anytime soon.”
Teen pop terrorist? 16-year-old boy arrested for plans to hijack a commercial airliner and commit suicide by crashing it into a Hannah Montana concert.
Domestic partnership bill approved by House in New Mexico.
Black/gay rivalry in DNC revealed by email evidence in the discrimination/unlawful termination suit filed by former DNC gay outreach director Donald Hitchcock.
Founder of Minnesota's largest gay rights group stepping down after 21 years: "Ann DeGroot started what became OutFront Minnesota in 1987, and her tenure as executive director saw Minnesota amend its Human Rights Act in 1993 to cover gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people. From 2004 to 2006 she also fought a state constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. That effort, along with caring for her partner during a battle with ovarian cancer, made the 52-year-old DeGroot realize she needed to slow down."
1,000 people turn out to meet Hillary Clinton at gay NYC Hiro ballroom event.
New York Times endorses Hillary Clinton and John McCain.
McCain memory shaky about statements on his proficiency in economics.
Gay UK couple claims Stagecoach bus company discriminated against them...twice: "Mark Craig, 20, and Steven Black, 16, from Old Meldrum in Aberdeenshire, claim that when they attempted to catch the last Stagecoach bus from Aberdeen back to Old Meldrum on January 11th, the driver opened the doors, looked at them, and then closed the doors and drove off...Last October Mark and Steven were on the last Stagecoach bus of the night from Aberdeen to Old Meldrum, when the driver suddenly stopped the bus and demanded they get off, supposedly at the request of a fellow passenger, for sitting with their arm around each other." Stagecoach denies homophobia...
I recently mentioned that the New Yorker magazine was having a cover illustration contest for its annual issue featuring its mascot, Eustace Tilley. You can view all the entries here.
David Beckham's carbon footprint: it's huge like the rest of him, however, it's not so pretty.
Kiefer Sutherland was apparently jonesing to shop during his 48 days in jail.
AP highlights frustration of gay activists over Democratic campaign: ''They've merely settled on what the Democrats have staked out as a safe, consensus position, just far enough ahead of where the party was in 2004 to give a sense of progress but not so far as to threaten Middle America. That's not leadership, it's poll-tested and party-approved pandering, pure and simple.''
Extremely high levels of mercury found in sushi in NYC.
Russian gay activist Nikolai Alexeyev honored with "Hero" award at at International Mr. Gay competition: "This is not just my award, it is an award of all those who courageously fight for LGBT rights in Russia, risking to loose their jobs, to be dismissed from studies, to be harassed, beaten and even killed. Despite all that, they continue to go on the streets of Moscow to fight for equality. They are the heroes who move this world forward. For me to be in Los Angeles, in Hollywood, is dream come true. But to receive an award here is beyond explanations."
Posted 1:07 PM EST by Andy in Anderson Cooper, David Beckham, Democratic Party, Discrimination, Election 2008, Gay Marriage, Gay Pride, Great Britain, Heath Ledger, Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Magazines, Moscow, New Mexico, News, Russia | Permalink
Comments
As far as the DNC story: if you have religious fanatics in your party, you're going to have anit-gay folks in your party. People forget that there are still anti-gay Democrats. During the Civil Rights Movement there were still many anti-intergration/anti-civil rights Democrats--eventually they left and joined the Republicans. Religious conservatives (black or white) may have to leave the Democratic Party.
I'm surprised Pam Spaulding didn't challenge this affair being seen as a "black vs gay" issue. Had Ms Todd been a black Lesbian, she would have been treated the same way by the black religious fanatic politicians in Alabama--maybe worse.
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | Jan 25, 2008 1:23:31 PM
I was randomly on 16th st and saw the huge crowd outside of Hiro, didn't know it was Hill. The carbon trust people are morons they basically described every celebrity and their travel and car buying habits.
Posted by: davey | Jan 25, 2008 1:32:17 PM
I'm confused on the NYT endoresments of Clinton and McCain. The NYT is a left leaning paper, so why endorse a candidate at all when after the primaries they will endorse the Democrat. Why not just endorse one candidate and be done with it?
I welcome your answers but please no conspiracy theories that they endorsed McCain to get a weaker Republican to go up against her.
Posted by: Matt | Jan 25, 2008 1:38:08 PM
since we are discussing heath ledger i found an interesting comment on
http://www.showbuzz.cbsnews.com/ ...tr=HOME_3749059
regarding the possibility that heath ledger had sleep apnea and that taking sleeping pills killed him. i saw a clip from the ellen show he was on at the time of the oscars and he complained of not sleeping and being tired (symptoms). just before he died he complained of the same thing and it was reported that the maid could hear him snoring which is another symptom of sleep apnea. it certainly makes sense to me. i never did believe it was from some kind of intentional overdose or illegal drugs. a sleeping disorder compounded by prescription meds could have done it.
Posted by: the queen | Jan 25, 2008 1:38:57 PM
Props to Anderson Cooper for bringing perspective and reason back to broadcast news.
Posted by: dc8stretch | Jan 25, 2008 1:43:23 PM
Thanks to "The Queen" for the great link and info. and to A. Cooper, as well!
Posted by: virgoboy | Jan 25, 2008 1:57:59 PM
Anderson's right, the media should not be exploiting Heath's death--wait until there are genuine facts to disclose.
Posted by: Matt | Jan 25, 2008 2:02:54 PM
Matt: The NY Times endorsement was for the state's upcoming primary not the general election.
Posted by: GM | Jan 25, 2008 2:09:32 PM
I was talking to my husband and he said imagine when history looks back at this time and sees how sick and twisted people were when you had to have a police barricade at the funeral home where a man lies, a man who made a movie about two men in love and played a gay character, to protect him from the hate of people like phelps & co.
Posted by: the queen | Jan 25, 2008 2:21:38 PM
The Queen:
Your husband is obviously more optimistic about where we will be in the future than I am. Media saturation and our infatuation with celebrity has only gotten worse and will continue to do so...
Posted by: David | Jan 25, 2008 2:30:57 PM
Another reason to love Andy Cooper.
Posted by: Andrew | Jan 25, 2008 2:39:43 PM
Note to The Queen: Tell your husband not to fret about what the future will think about us & celebrity worship. The Campbell Funeral Home has a rich history of famous clients and their followers, none more famous than Miss Judy Garland (1966). The most bizarre event was in 1926 for Mr. Rudolf Valentino. This from wiwkipedia..."An estimated 100,000 people lined the streets of New York City to pay their respects at his funeral, handled by the Frank Campbell Funeral Home. The event was a drama itself: actress Pola Negri collapsed in hysterics while standing over the coffin, windows were smashed as fans tried to get in, and Campbell's hired four actors to impersonate a Fascist Blackshirt honor guard, which claimed to have been sent by Benito Mussolini. It was later revealed as a planned publicity stunt. The New York Graphic printed a ghoulish fake composed photograph on its front cover purporting to show Valentino in his casket, before the body actually reached the funeral home."
I doubt Mr. Ledger's Memorial Services will top that for celebrity worship gone mad.
Posted by: Mark | Jan 25, 2008 3:37:11 PM
thank you mark for your fabulous mini history of the frank campbell funeral home but i think you and david missed the point of my original post which referred not to celebrity worship (which i agree with both of you is forever with us) but to the police barricades being set up to prevent the hateful phelps clan picketing heath ledgers funeral. oddly enough, the thought of heath ledger fans reacting like the garland fans hadn't occurred to me, but anything is possible isn't it?
Posted by: the queen | Jan 25, 2008 4:45:14 PM
Judy Garland died in 1969, not 1966.
And about the sleep apnea, I'm sure that if only because of studio insurance requirements, Heath Ledger received regular physicals and would have been aware of any sleeping disorders and their possible interactions with sleeping medications. I think a more likely explanation is that he had insomnia. It's horrible to have your mind racing and be unable to sleep; I've had it since I was in elementary school, and if I don't take sleeping pills I don't sleep. Period.
Posted by: Paul R | Jan 25, 2008 5:24:47 PM
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