News: Brian Urlacher, HIV, Sasha Fierce, Napping, Vladimir Luxuria

Christian right launches 'Protect DOMA' site designed to build opposition in minority communities to the repeal of the Defense Of Marriage Act: "All of the photos and quotes on the main page are from black and Latino people, including the notoriously closeted Mexican-American actor Eduardo Verastequi. Funded by the Alliance for Marriage Foundation, the site's list of their board of directors is a who's who of black, Latino, and Asian religious leaders, as well as one Muslim imam. The logo for the Hispanic Evangelicals Coalition is on the main page." Divide and conquer, indeed.

You never know when there's a security camera around.

Obamafy yourself, become a Fairey.

Sasha Fierce does the "Single Ladies" moves for Meredith Vieira...

Obama team denies it will delay repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell": "An Obama transition team spokesperson, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the decision on how to approach repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” which prohibits gays from serving openly in the military, would be made after more experts have joined the Obama administration. 'These decisions will not be made before the full national security team is in place,' the spokesperson said. The Washington Times reported last week that two people who have advised Obama’s transition team said the president-elect “will not move for months, and perhaps not until 2010” to repeal the 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell' law, which Congress passed in 1993."

Napping boosts 'sophisticated' memory: "Indeed, scientists increasingly are focusing less on sleep duration and more on the quality of sleep, what's called sleep intensity, in studying how sleep helps the brain process memories so they stick. Particularly important is 'slow-wave sleep,' a period of very deep sleep that comes earlier than better-known REM sleep, or dreaming time."

Don't get too close to Valentino. He may rub off on you.

Italian transgender former MP Vladimir Luxuria wins "Celebrity Island" reality show: "The 43-year-old served in parliament for two years as a member of the Refoundation Communist Party before losing his bid for re-election in April. Over the past six weeks Luxuria, whose real name is Wladimiro Guadagno, has been a star on reality TV, trying to survive living on the beaches of Honduras with other celebrity 'survivors'. In the end viewers picked Luxuria as their favourite. 'I admired his capacity to defy the prejudices of his companions,' said Giorgio Gori, the show's producer."

Iran sees rise in sexually-transmitted HIV: "Sexually transmitted HIV infections are on the rise in Iran and the Islamic Republic is setting up telephone hotlines to help fight the problem, a senior official said in comments published on Tuesday. Injecting drug users are the main risk group in Iran, which is on a heroin smuggling route to the West from Afghanistan, but officials are also concerned about the number of people who are infected with the AIDS virus through sexual contacts." Well, Ahmadinejad knows who he can't blame.

Former South African President Thabo Mbeki's crimes against humanity.

WHO researcher: HIV could be eliminated within decade "if all people living in countries with high infection rates are regularly tested and treated."

Britney Spears announces first dates on tour....

Brian Urlacher's wife demands the Chicago Bear stop painting their toddler son's toenails and dressing him in pink: "The mother, Tyna Robertson, threatened to block Urlacher from seeing the boy if the beefy linebacker kept up the alleged effeminate antics."

Hate vandalism at Skidmore College in upstate, New York: "An upstate college is investigating a possible hate crime after anti-gay sentiments and other vulgarities were written outside the school's Center for Sex and Gender Relations. Skidmore students say the vandalism is the latest in a series of similar incidents at the private liberal arts college in Saratoga Springs."

Former Project Runway finalist Daniel Vosovic has four roommates, and they keep their Lower East Side apartment very clean.

British police officer fired over anti-gay emails: "Norfolk police said Graham Cogman, 49, had been dismissed after a misconduct hearing yesterday. He faced disciplinary action for sending emails to colleagues quoting biblical texts and condemning homosexual sex, police sources said. He forwarded details of a group offering to 'cure' homosexuality, the sources said."

So is he or is he not?

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News: Burundi, Ted Haggard, New York, Blood, Savannah, Chris Brown

Regulator: New York insurers must recognize same-sex couples married out-of-state.

East African Republic of Burundi criminalizes homosexuality.

Real life butt bandit arrested in Nebraska.

Disgraced pastor Ted Haggard wants the spotlight back: "While his exact plans remain unclear, Haggard is unmistakably making himself a public figure again, nine months after his former church said he walked away from an oversight process meant to restore him." And he wants money.

Beyoncé brings her "Single Ladies" to the American Music Awards. No Shane Mercado cameo though.

Eric Bana is Nero.

Spire to be placed atop Trump tower in Chicago.

Daniel Radcliffe talks about his man parts and the 'David and Goliath' effect.

Stunning and sad screenshot of messages left by observers of the kid who killed himself over his webcam last week.

NASA: First test of 'interplanetary internet' successful: "...human intervention is still required to schedule communications sessions for orbiters and landers...A new method would automate and streamline this process by sending data through an interplanetary 'internet'. Just as data is sent from one point to another on the internet via a linked network of hubs, or nodes, spacecraft scattered throughout the solar system could be used as nodes to transmit data through space."

Bill to eliminate discrimination against gays in taxes, social security and health approved by Australia's senate: "The bill will go to the House of Representatives for final approval this week, along with another bill to allow a person to benefit from their same-sex partner's superannuation. This bill passed the Senate last sitting week. The bills come on top of changes already enacted to grant gay people access to the federal family law courts on property and spouse maintenance matters after a relationship breakdown."

Sarah Lawrence College upholds ban on bloodmobile over FDA's anti-gay policies.

Savannah Morning News profiles local couple of 34 years, John Naylor and David Grice, who were married under the wire in California.

A Q&A with Sam Trammell of the just-finished (for this season anyway) True Blood.

The Boston Globe

Chris Brown wants to duet with Madonna.

Kathy Griffin to return to D-List for fifth season: "It’s going to be more celebrity oriented. [It's] the way that American Idol sort of started as a singing contest and then every week you expect to see the mentors. I have some really good guest stars coming on the D-List this year.”

SURVEY: 80% of South Africa's populace homophobic. "The study, conducted by Ben Roberts and Vasu Reddy, found that between 2003 and 2007 more than 80% of the population consistently felt that sex between two men or two women was always wrong. It also found that gays and lesbians were characterised as 'un-African' and that intolerance towards homosexuality was prevalent."

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Single Ladies

Shane Mercado, whose spot-on rendition of Beyonce's "Single Ladies" has earned him over a million views on YouTube, was asked to do the routine for The Bonnie Hunt Show in front of the video backdrop and his story was the subject of a recent CW11 news segment.

Suddenly everyone wants to be a "Single Lady", even Cubby from 96.1 The Beat in Charlotte (above, right). Even the big girls are doing it.

Watch all the clips, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Music News: Chinese Democracy Debuts In, Gets Judged By The Online Community, Plus Beyonce, Britney Spears, Take That, Alesha Dixon

Robbie Daw presents a weekly pop music update here on Towleroad! Robbie runs his own site called Chart Rigger.

Last night the official Guns N' Roses MySpace page began streaming Chinese Democracy—an album, as we've been reminded at every opportunity by the media, that is 17 years in the making.

You can't help but think the soaring expectation for something "revolutionary" after the waiting period alone has set this album up for disappointment from the get-go.

So whether you're a fan, could never stand GNR or are just morbidly curious, here are some entertaining opinions from the web:

From EW.com: "And the verdict? Mixed! Gone is the Sunset Strip guitar grime of Appetite for Destruction, replaced by an army of ProTools-packing shredders, three ''digital editors,' and a dude responsible for choral arrangements. This is unapologetically huge music, not fit for tiny iPod earbuds... We can't wait to hear what he does next — hopefully sometime before President Chelsea Clinton takes office in 2025."

NME reader whatawasteoftime: "17 years to make, 2 minutes to download off bittorrent, five minutes of laughing then one second to bin it. What a joke this album is..."

Stereogum reader try maturing: "If you're over 30 and didn't wear all-stars in high school, you will get a kick out of four or five of the songs. It sounds dated -- and GNR should sound dated. It could have been a lot worse. And if you don't believe that you can hang yourself with your white belt."

London's Times Online: "Anyone looking for clues that may shed light on the gestation of Chinese Democracy would be well advised not to get their hopes up. While distant strings circle around a discourse of plunking ivory and elemental powerchords, the final song 'Prostitute' sees [Axl Rose] concede, 'It seemed like forever and a day,' before beseeching his audience to 'be kind, I’ve done all I should.'"

NME reader aphexbin: "Its utter shit. Ive heard it and can confirm its utter shit.Youll only like it if your a massive guns and roses fan and miss the sound of axls voice on record- which to be fair, was the only positive thing I can think to say about it."

AbsolutePunk.net user Sikbeat37: "...the guitar solos are sick, the orchestration in 'Madagascar' and 'Prostitute' is actually pretty cool, and songs like 'Better' and 'Riad N' The Bedouins' do well in reaching back to the classic GNR sound that made them famous."

Rolling Stone: "To him, the long march to Chinese Democracy was not about paranoia and control. It was about saying 'I won't' when everyone else insisted, 'You must.' You may debate whether any rock record is worth that extreme self-indulgence. Actually, the most rock & roll thing about Chinese Democracy is he doesn't care if you do.

Stereogum reader Ash: "I would rather listen to Third Eye Blind."

A FEW CLIPS FOR THE WEEK:

BEYONCE: "If I Were A Boy/Single Ladies/Crazy In Love" medley on Sunday's final episode of MTV's TRL

BRITNEY SPEARS: Recording "Womanizer," saying she married for the wrong reasons in MTV's For the Record.

TAKE THAT: U.K. Marks & Spencer's Christmas ad.

ALESHA DIXON: Music video for her current U.K. Top 10 hit, "The Boy Does Nothing."

THE WEEK'S NEW RELEASES:

Beyonce's third solo album I Am...Sasha Fierce, containing the hits "If I Were A Boy" and "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)."

Dido's Safe Trip Home, her third LP overall, and first one in five years.

American Idol winner David Cook's self-titled debut.

New Zealand electropop/rock artist Ladyhawke's self-titled debut, now added to U.S. iTunes.

Nickelback's Dark Horse.

Simon Cowell's operatic quartet (read: classed-up boy band) Il Divo's The Promise.

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #378

LISTEN TO ME! I'M THE CANDIDATE: McCain can barely contain his anger, this morning on the Early Show.

MOVE ON: Move on gets its moose on. This ad will air in states before and the day of Sarah Palin's visits there.

MCCAIN RALLY: McCain supporters chase anti-Muslim McCain supporter away from rally.

SINGLE LADIES: Somebody's a Beyoncé fan.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here.

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News: Robyn, 'Ex-Gays', Jack Spade, AXM, Madonna, Atlantic

Palin as President.

British gay mag AXM goes web-only.

ABC News on oral sex and throat cancer: "Men are 35 percent more likely than women to develop HPV-related oral cancer, according to the study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. But both men and women are susceptible. While scientists don't know yet how sexual orientation factors into the equation, they know the No. 1 risk factor is a high number of sexual partners."

Madonna lashes out at "emotionally retarded" Guy Ritchie at concert.

Trial underway for "gay gang" accused of spreading HIV at sex orgies: "The three accused, all HIV-positive, are charged with drugging gay men at sex orgies, raping them, and injecting them with blood contaminated with HIV. They are aged 39, 49 and 50. The three, including a nurse, are accused of intentionally spreading the deadly virus at sex parties they promoted on the Internet. They face charges of aggravated assault, rape, and illegal possession of drugs and face up to 21 years in jail."

Justin Timberlake looking for a hole.

GOP congressman Tom Davis jokes about pro-Obama voter suppression.

Pentagram on their redesign of The Atlantic: "In the end, the redesign team came back to a nameplate that was an adaptation of a design that had appeared on the magazine for more than 35 years in the mid 20th century...The designers weren’t tempted by its nostalgic characteristics; rather, they were struck by how it managed to look both contemporary and timeless. Based on the 18th century typeface Bodoni, it featured an italic A that was distinctive and perfectly captured the idiosyncratic character of the magazine."

Killings and hate crime trigger public meeting in Portland, Maine.

Bamboo Nation: An Open Letter to My Gay Friend; or Gay Marriage Is Not About Marriage. "I've been looking over our online chat transcript from last night to see if I was overreacting when I decided to abruptly end our conversation. With the benefit of hindsight, I can say that I acted rationally and, in addition, I am deeply disappointed in you."

Florida Governor Charlie Crist: GOP may be exaggerating voter fraud in Florida. "Gov. Charlie Crist said Wednesday that he has confidence in Secretary of State Kurt Browning, who says there's only been a scattering of isolated incidents. Crist said in the closing days of any campaign 'there are some who sort of enjoy chaos.' There may be more of that going on than fraud, he said."

She Is: Beyoncé to release double> album.

London Times article on "ex-gays" which Wayne Besen of Truth Wins Out says is one of the best he's read: "Ridgecrest Retreat is a white, antiseptic blot in the blue-green Smoky Mountains in North Carolina. Masquerading as one of the hundreds of 'homosexual strugglers' who visit the Exodus campus, I arrived here after registering online for six days of evangelism psychotherapy."

Robyn goes "Cobrastyle".

Accessory brand Jack Spade to launch men's fashion line: "The Claiborne-owned brother label to the $90 million Kate Spade brand has also tapped former Paul Smith and Original Penguin alum Cuan Hanly as its new vice-president and general manager. Hanly, who has been on board for four weeks, is charged with spearheading the new men’s collection and enhancing Jack Spade’s retail plans. First on Hanly’s to-do list has been the creation of a capsule collection of men’s outerwear, shirts and sweaters for spring 2009."

Top Ten Kristen Wiig moments on SNL.

Michael Lucas and his partner Richard Winger to be married.

Is the T-Mobile G1 an iPhone killer?

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News: Madonna, Tokyo, Al Gore, Mr. Black, Beyoncé, Zac Efron

London chaplain Peter Mullen says he was joking that gays should have "sodomy warning".

Madonna: "Sarah Palin ...I'll kick her ass" - video. Near the end...

Democrats rent digital billboard to broadcast questions to Sarah Palin during rally.

A drag queen: Beyoncé ponders what it would be like if she were a boy.

Zac Efron graduates to the cover of EW.

Russian President Vladimir Putin puts out another piece of propaganda to show what a tough macho guy he is.

STUDY: Circumcision makes little difference against HIV protection in gay sex. "The study's authors wrote that circumcision appears to provide 'not statistically significant' protection from HIV in men who engage in anal sex with other men. The researchers said however that more research may be necessary to quantify the amount of protection -- or lack thereof -- provided by circumcision."

Same-sex marriage foes in Arizona are really disgusting.

White House goes pink.

The 'Bruno' pranks: How long can Sacha Baron-Cohen keep it up?

New York's hot gay nightlife destination Mr. Black is cursed — it's shut down again. However, Mr. Black's Stuart Black left a message on the club's Facebook group last night, saying, "Hey Kids, expect a major announcement from yours truely in the next few days, as DJ Gant Johnson would say, i love my 'stunts', and this one will floor you.........careful of whispers in dark corners, they are never true.............."

Nude pandemonium strikes Tokyo's Imperial Palace as a Spanish tourist decides to take a skinnydip in the palace moat.

Obama attends post-debate fundraiser at Al Gore's Tennessee home: "Organizers said between 300 and 350 donors attended the event that raised about $900,000. Obama spoke mostly about his admiration for Al and Tipper Gore in his four-minute speech to guests who had paid at least $2,500 each to attend. 'One simple commitment and pledge that I'll make to you: That should we have the great honor of serving as president and first lady, that these are a couple of people we will be continuing to consult,' Obama said of the former Democratic vice president."

Old photos have surfaced of the first Mr. Gay UK Anthony Morley, who I reported back in May had killed his lover and possibly eaten him. Yesterday I mentioned that the trial over the grisly murder had begun. Here's a shot of Morley posing the night of his Mr. Gay UK win, with Dannii Minogue.

Gyllenhaal parents split...

Two transexuals beaten and raped in Minsk, Belarus: "After clearly enjoying the humiliation they put the transsexual men through, the bullies threw them naked and beaten to the staircase; their belongings followed closely. The neighbours who came out at the noise just laughed with what happened and called the guys «jerks», «faggots» and basically used all the foul language at them. The pair of raped and beaten men, who wish to change sex, did not revert to the local police because of the fear that the law enforcement officials would adequately respond to the situation."

Pet Shop Boys and Xenomania pen tune for Girls Aloud.

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News: Prop 8, Google, Tony Kushner, Gay Places, Sarah Palin

Urgent: Marriage equality supporters in California lag in fundraising. "According to the most recent campaign contribution reports from the California Secretary of State, supporters of the anti-gay marriage November ballot measure have raised $16.2 million in their effort to pass Proposition 8. Opponents have brought in $10.8 million, which is still a sizable chunk of money. But Dale Kelly Bankhead, who signed the email as campaign manager of 'No On 8,' writes, 'We must match what is raised dollar for dollar with the right wing; if we do not, we are at serious risk of losing this November.'" No on Prop 8 (site).

Josh Brolin has a daddy complex.

UK's Independent lists five most improved places for gay tolerance, five worst places to be gay, and ten best places to live if you're gay.

Sarah Palin just an "average hockey mom" who wears $2500 Valentino jackets and tans in her own home.

New York State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos appears at PAC fundraiser for Log Cabin Republicans, reiterates opposition to same-sex marriage, promises legislation targeting bullying: "'Sometimes the media will say, ‘What are you doing here?’ You’re Republicans and I’m proud of you for being Republicans and I’m proud of being a Republican and standing here with each and every one of you,' he added. The appearance of a Senate majority leader was unusual. Mr. Skelos took over as majority leader this summer from Joseph L. Bruno, who in his 14 years in the post appeared at only one prominent event held by a gay group — a 2006 lobbying event held by the Empire State Pride Agenda."

White privilege, McCain/Palin, and the Kenyan witchhunter.

British footballer Frank Lampard needs to brush up on his make-up skills.

Google to place servers on ships at sea? "A Google patent application filed two years ago but published this fall is getting some new attention because it's just too interesting to ignore. The patent (link) is for putting data centers on ships at sea and harvesting the energy in waves for power. The biggest benefit for the company, though, could come from changed legal and tax status by placing the ships outside of national jurisdiction. It's a thought both fascinating and frightening, although it also may end up as just another crazy patent filed for the sake of filing it."

Angels in America playwright Tony Kushner to receive first Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award: "The award, which which comes with a cash prize of $200,000 will be announced on Wednesday. The award was created 'with an eye toward attracting talented playwrights and bolstering the status of their profession.'"

Australian Labor MPs slam push for marriage equality: "Responding to AME’s renewed marriage push, Labor MP Anthony Albanese – the Federal Member for Grayndler – lashed out at the group, calling their campaign 'ridiculous'."

V: Tyra Banks channels Miss Ross?

Beyoncé plays cop in new video.

Australian HIV infections surge: "New cases of HIV in Australia rose by almost 50 percent in the past eight years, as gay men and immigrants infected overseas spurred the number of people with the virus to a 14-year high. The number of new infections increased to 1,051 in 2007 from 718 in 1999, and are at the highest level since 1993, according to the National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research annual surveillance report today. Almost 70 percent of cases in the five years through 2007 were among gay and bisexual men."

Daniel Craig in a sling.

Tom of Finland exhibit visits Liverpool.

Wisconsin Catholic church's music director fired because he's gay: "He says his supervisor fired him this summer after worshipers complained he was too open about his sexual orientation. 'He said having an openly gay male employed at the Church is a scandal,' said Philyaw, recounting the conversation. 'I felt betrayed. But I'm not bitter.' The Madison Catholic Diocese declined an interview request citing their policy of not discussing personnel issues. Philyaw says he's never had any problems at work before and claims the Church knew he was gay when they hired him. Still, employment lawyers there's nothing illegal about what happened."

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News: Michael Guest, Gay Music, Jim McGreevey,

Gloria Steinem: Sarah Palin is Phyllis Schlafly, only younger.

Prescient LIFE cover from 2004 features Tina Fey and John McCain.

Sorry boys: Michael Phelps gets some ass in Vegas.

The Polaroid picture is back for the digital age.

Former ambassador Michael Guest launches international gay rights group: "The openly gay Guest is a paid adviser to the Council for Global Equality, which will have its first meeting in Washington, D.C. on September 23. The council, whose Web site is slated to go live this month, is a collaboration between LGBT and straight groups that work on human rights internationally. 'Its purpose is to make the United States government and the State Department stand up for global LGBT human rights,' explained Guest..."

Alan Ball draws Blood.

McCain cancels Habitat for Humanity event: because it has to do with houses? "How could McCain maintain his sense of press victimization against the backdrop of people building homes for people who look forward to being able to one day say, 'I know exactly how many homes I own! One! Just the one!'"

"Community organizers" respond to vicious Palin attacks.

Concerned Women for America's 'scary' gay wedding graphic.

Radar: Why do gays hate black music? "...the gays are afraid of urban-ness, and the gay culture is dominated by the white gays. And that is boring and a problem, particularly because it shows the lie of calling something a gay community when the "community" isn't actually one, and it's not one because there's the rich gays and the poor gays and never shall they meet except on Craigslist."

OUT presents The 100 Greatest, Gayest Albums (of All Time)...

Michael Moore releasing new film for free on internet.

Gay high school proposed in Chicago.

Dina Matos McGreevey offers to drop claim that she duped him into marrying her if he pays her the $109,000 a judge says he owes: "Dina Matos' lawyer John Post said the fraud claim filed by his client will be dropped if McGreevey makes full payment and agrees not to appeal the judge's divorce ruling. That drew an immediate rebuke from McGreevey lawyer Steve Haller, who said, 'we will appeal or not appeal at our own discretion.' A private meeting with the judge in the case is scheduled for Monday."

Beyonce wants to be 'iconic'.

OUT OF TOUCH: Cindy McCain's first night "power slicker" outfit at the RNC cost $300,000.

Sweet new promos for The Office!

Subway sandwich shop fires meat handler for handling meat (site nsfw).

FLASHBACK: Homophobic comic book from the 80's.

REVERSE: Distant object found orbiting sun backwards. "An object in the icy Kuiper belt has been found orbiting the Sun backwards, compared to most other objects in the solar system. It may help explain the origin of an enigmatic family of comets typified by Comet Halley. The new object, called 2008 KV42, lies in the Kuiper belt, a ring of icy bodies beyond Neptune. Its orbit is inclined 103.5° to the plane of the Earth's orbit, or ecliptic. That means that as it orbits the Sun, it actually travels in the opposite direction as the planets."

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News: Autoerotica, Cristiano Ronaldo, Mandals, Bertrand Delanoe

There may be a ruling soon on Wisconsin's same-sex marriage ban.

Autoerotica: Washington man has had sex with more than 1,000 cars.

In 2000, McCain said he'd be too old to run in 2008: "Well, in 2004, I expect to be campaigning for the reelection of President George W. Bush, and by 2008, I think I might be ready to go down to the old soldiers home and await the cavalry charge there."

'Save California' group says issuing marriage licenses to gays is the moral equivalent of gassing Jews: "Ask your county clerk if they were a Nazi officer during WWII and had been ordered to gas the Jews, would they? At the Nuremberg trials, they would have been convicted of murder for following this immoral order." UPDATE: Group edits alert.

Winehouse out, Beyonce in to record James Bond theme.

Gay rights activists condemn Gambia leader's announcement that he plans to kill all gays: "Carey Johnson of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Council said the comments were 'disgraceful'. 'What president Jammeh fails to realise is that there are a significant population of Gambians who are gay, and he has no right to ask them to leave,' Mr Johnson said. The speech was 'doubly disgraceful' because The Gambia is the host country for the African Commission on Human and People's Rights, he said. ...'Jammeh has a long history of homophobia,' said British gay rights activist Peter Tatchell. 'If he tries to carry out these threats, international aid donors are likely to withdraw their support, and foreign tourists will stay away in droves, thereby damaging the Gambian economy,' he added."

Britney Spears is in the recording studio again working on follow-up to Blackout.

Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoë takes first steps in journey that could lead him to the presidency: "In the introduction to a book of interviews, outlining a market-oriented and even Blairist future for Socialism in France, M. Delanoë hinted strongly that he would run for the leadership of the Parti Socialiste in November and probably seek the party's presidential nomination in four years' time. He was ready, he said, to "invest my convictions and energy in my country" if 'democracy and the Socialist Party call on me... to act'."

Will TV's first gay superhero Thom Creed soon make his way to your living room? "It's not campy either — it's not The Gayest American Hero. He just happens to be gay. It's just one of the many things he wrestles with."

Folks in New York's Union Square try on the season's gayest mandals.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United win the Champions League trophy!

Homophobic attack in Portsmouth, UK: "Two men have been attacked by a gang in what police described as a homophobic incident in Portsmouth city centre. The men, aged 41 and 20, were walking in Guildhall Square when they were attacked by two men and a woman who were part of a large group. One of the men received grazes to his chest and back and the other sustained a black eye and a sore neck."

Black bunny captures Provincetown's imagination.

Richard Dreyfus to play Cheney to Josh Brolin's Bush in Oliver Stone's W.

Marketing director for sperm bank catering to gays and lesbians files sexual harassment lawsuit: "In a lawsuit filed in New York, Scott Glasgow says he was pressured into sharing a bed on company trips with his boss, Growing Generations CEO Stuart Miller. The lawsuit also claims that Miller sent Glasgow pictures of himself shirtless, wearing bondage attire and holding a whip, and forced Glasgow to perform in drag on a company trip."

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Amy Winehouse Dominates 50th Annual Grammys

The 50th Annual Grammy Awards were handed out last night, dominated by Amy Winehouse who picked up five of the six awards for which she was nominated, including "Song of the Year" for Rehab. Winehouse was beat by Herbie Hancock for "Album of the Year" however. Kanye West also scored big with four wins.

My favorite performance of the night was probably Tina Turner's duet with Beyonce (top), although Winehouse's performance from a studio in London (below, with her acceptance speech) came in a close second.

Said Winehouse, upon winning "Record of the Year": "Thank you to everyone at Island, my mum and dad. This is for my Blake (her husband Blake Fielder-Civil currently in custody), my Blake incarcerated, and for London because Camden Town is burning down..."

(clips via dlisted)

Grammy winner list, AFTER THE JUMP...

Winners at Sunday's 50th annual Grammy Awards:

Album of the Year: "River: The Joni Letters," Herbie Hancock.

Record of the Year: "Rehab," Amy Winehouse.

Song of the Year: "Rehab," Amy Winehouse (Amy Winehouse).

New Artist: Amy Winehouse.

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical: Mark Ronson.

Pop Vocal Album: "Back to Black," Amy Winehouse.

Female Pop Vocal Performance: "Rehab," Amy Winehouse.

Male Pop Vocal Performance: "What Goes Around...Comes Around," Justin Timberlake.

Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals: "Makes Me Wonder," Maroon 5.

Pop Collaboration With Vocals: "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)," Robert Plant & Alison Krauss.

Pop Instrumental Album: "The Mix-Up," Beastie Boys.

Pop Instrumental Performance: "One Week Last Summer," Joni Mitchell.

Traditional Pop Vocal Album: "Call Me Irresponsible," Michael Buble.

Alternative Music Album: "Icky Thump," The White Stripes.

Rock Album: "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace," Foo Fighters.

Rock Song: "Radio Nowhere," Bruce Springsteen, songwriter (Bruce Springsteen).

Solo Rock Vocal Performance: "Radio Nowhere," Bruce Springsteen.

Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals: "Icky Thump," The White Stripes.

Hard Rock Performance: "The Pretender," Foo Fighters.

Metal Performance: "Final Six," Slayer.

Rock Instrumental Performance: "Once Upon a Time in The West," Bruce Springsteen.

Rap Album: "Graduation," Kanye West.

Rap Solo Performance: "Stronger," Kanye West.

Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: "Southside," Common, featuring Kanye West.

Rap/Sung Collaboration: "Umbrella," Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z.

Rap Song: "Good Life," Aldrin Davis, Mike Dean, Faheem Najm & Kanye West, songwriters (J. Ingram & Q. Jones, songwriters) (Kanye West Featuring T-Pain).

Country Album: "These Days," Vince Gill.

Country Song: "Before He Cheats," Josh Kear & Chris Tompkins, songwriters (Carrie Underwood).

Female Country Vocal Performance: "Before He Cheats," Carrie Underwood.

Male Country Vocal Performance: "Stupid Boy," Keith Urban.

Country Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals: "How Long," Eagles.

Country Collaboration With Vocals: "Lost Highway," Willie Nelson & Ray Price.

Country Instrumental Performance: "Throttleneck," Brad Paisley.

R&B Album: "Funk This," Chaka Khan.

R&B Song: "No One," Dirty Harry, Kerry Brothers & Alicia Keys, songwriters (Alicia Keys).

Contemporary R&B Album: "Because of You," Ne-Yo.

Female R&B Vocal Performance: Alicia Keys.

Male R&B Vocal Performance: "Future Baby Mama," Prince.

R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals: "Disrespectful," Chaka Khan, featuring Mary J. Blige.

Traditional R&B Vocal Performance: "In My Songs," Gerald Levert.

Urban/Alternative Performance: "Daydreamin'," Lupe Fiasco, featuring Jill Scott.

Dance Recording: "LoveStoned/I Think She Knows," Justin Timberlake, Nate (Danja) Hills, Timbaland & Justin Timberlake, producers; Jimmy Douglass & Timbaland, mixers.

Electronic/Dance Album: "We Are the Night," The Chemical Brothers.

Bluegrass Album: "The Bluegrass Diaries," Jim Lauderdale.

Traditional Blues Album: "Last of the Great Mississippi Delta Bluesmen: Live In Dallas," Henry James Townsend, Joe Willie "Pinetop" Perkins, Robert Lockwood Jr. & David "Honeyboy" Edwards.

Contemporary Blues Album: "The Road to Escondido," JJ Cale & Eric Clapton.

New Age Album: "Crestone," Paul Winter Consort.

Contemporary Jazz Album: "River: The Joni Letters," Herbie Hancock.

Jazz Vocal Album: "Avant Gershwin," Patti Austin.

Jazz Instrumental Solo: "Anagram," Michael Brecker, soloist.

Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group: "Pilgrimage," Michael Brecker.

Large Jazz Ensemble Album: "A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina)," Terence Blanchard.

Latin Jazz Album: "Funk Tango," Paquito D'Rivera Quintet.

Latin Pop Album: "El Tren De Los Momentos," Alejandro Sanz.

Latin Rock or Alternative Album: "No Hay Espacio," Black:Guayaba.

Latin Urban Album: "Residente O Visitante," Calle 13.

Tropical Latin Album: "La Llave De Mi Corazon," Juan Luis Guerra.

Mexican/Mexican-American Album: "100 (Percent) Mexicano," Pepe Aguilar.

Tejano Album: "Before the Next Teardrop Falls," Little Joe & La Familia.

Norteno Album: "Detalles Y Emociones," Los Tigres Del Norte.

Banda Album: "Te Va A Gustar," El Chapo.

Traditional Folk Album: "Dirt Farmer," Levon Helm.

Contemporary Folk/Americana Album: "Washington Square Serenade," Steve Earle.

Native American Music Album: "Totemic Flute Chants," Johnny Whitehorse.

Hawaiian Music Album: "Treasures of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar," Various Artists, Daniel Ho, George Kahumoku Jr., Paul Konwiser & Wayne Wong, producers.

Zydeco or Cajun Music Album: "Live! Worldwide," Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience.

Reggae: "Mind Control," Stephen Marley.

Traditional World Music Album: "African Spirit," Soweto Gospel Choir.

Contemporary World Music Album: "Djin Djin," Angelique Kidjo.

Polka Album: "Come Share the Wine," Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra.

Gospel Performance: "Blessed & Highly Favored," The Clark Sisters; "Never Gonna Break My Faith," Aretha Franklin & Mary J. Blige (Featuring The Harlem Boys Choir). (Tie.)

Gospel Song: "Blessed & Highly Favored," Karen Clark-Sheard, songwriter (The Clark Sisters).

Rock or Rap Gospel Album: "Before the Daylight's Shot," Ashley Cleveland.

Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album: "A Deeper Level," Israel and New Breed.

Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album: "Salt of the Earth," Ricky Skaggs & The Whites.

Traditional Gospel Album: "Live -- One Last Time," The Clark Sisters.

Contemporary R&B Gospel Album: "Free to Worship," Fred Hammond.

Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: Love (The Beatles) George Martin & Giles Martin, producers (Apple Records/Capitol Records).

Score Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: "Ratatouille," Michael Giacchino, composer.

Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: "Love You I Do (From Dreamgirls)," Siedah Garrett & Henry Krieger, songwriters (Jennifer Hudson).

Musical Show Album: "Spring Awakening," Duncan Sheik, producer; Duncan Sheik, composer; Steven Sater, lyricist (Original Broadway Cast With Jonathan Groff, Lea Michele & Others).

Musical Album for Children: "A Green and Red Christmas," The Muppets.

Spoken Word: "The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream," Barack Obama.

Spoken Word Album for Children: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," Jim Dale.

Comedy Album: "The Distant Future," Flight of the Conchords.

Instrumental Composition: "Cerulean Skies," Maria Schneider, composer (Maria Schneider Orchestra).

Instrumental Arrangement: "In a Silent Way," Vince Mendoza, arranger (Joe Zawinul).

Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s): "I'm Gonna Live Till I Die," John Clayton, arranger (Queen Latifah).

Engineered Album, Non-Classical: "Beauty & Crime," Tchad Blake, Cameron Craig, Emery Dobyns & Jimmy Hogarth, engineers (Suzanne Vega).

Remixed Recording, Non-Classical: "Bring the Noise (Benny Benassi Sfaction Remix)," Benny Benassi, remixer (Public Enemy).

Surround Sound: "Love," Paul Hicks, surround mix engineer; Tim Young, surround mastering engineer; George Martin & Giles Martin, surround producers (The Beatles).

Classical Album: "Tower: Made in America," Leonard Slatkin, conductor; Tim Handley, producer; Tim Handley, engineer/mixer (Nashville Symphony).

Orchestral Performance: "Tower: Made in America," Leonard Slatkin, conductor (Nashville Symphony).

Producer of the Year, Classical: Judith Sherman.

Engineered Album, Classical: "Grechaninov: Passion Week," John Newton, engineer (Charles Bruffy, Phoenix Bach Choir & Kansas City Chorale).

Opera Recording: "Humperdinck: Hansel & Gretel," Sir Charles Mackerras, conductor; Rebecca Evans, Jane Henschel & Jennifer Larmore; Brian Couzens, producer (Sarah Coppen, Diana Montague & Sarah Tynan; New London Children's Choir; Philharmonia Orchestra).

Choral Performance: "Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem," Simon Rattle, conductor; Simon Halsey, chorus master (Thomas Quasthoff & Dorothea Roschmann; Rundfunkchor Berlin; Berliner Philharmoniker).

Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (With Orchestra): "Barber/Korngold/Walton: Violin Concertos," Bramwell Tovey, conductor; James Ehnes (Vancouver Symphony Orchestra).

Instrumental Soloist Performance (Without Orchestra): "Beethoven Sonatas, Vol. 3," Garrick Ohlsson.

Chamber Music Performance: "Strange Imaginary Animals," Eighth Blackbird.

Small Ensemble Performance: "Stravinsky: Apollo, Concerto in D; Prokofiev: 20 Visions Fugitives," Yuri Bashmet, conductor; Moscow Soloists.

Classical Vocal Performance: "Lorraine Hunt Lieberson Sings Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs," Lorraine Hunt Lieberson (James Levine; Boston Symphony Orchestra).

Classical Contemporary Composition: "Made in America," Joan Tower (Leonard Slatkin, conductor; Nashville Symphony Orchestra).

Classical Crossover Album: "A Love Supreme: The Legacy of John Coltrane," Turtle Island Quartet.

Short Form Music Video: "God's Gonna Cut You Down," Johnny Cash.

Long Form Music Video: "The Confessions Tour," Madonna.

Recording Package: "Cassadaga," Zachary Nipper, art director (Bright Eyes).

Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package: "What It Is!: Funky Soul and Rare Grooves (1967-1977)," Masaki Koike, art director.

Album Notes: "John Work, III: Recording Black Culture," Bruce Nemerov, album notes writer.

Historical Album: "The Live Wire -- Woody Guthrie in Performance 1949," Nora Guthrie & Jorge Arevalo Mateus, compilation producers; Jamie Howarth, Steve Rosenthal, Warren Russell-Smith & Dr. Kevin Short, mastering engineers (Woody Guthrie).

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News: Tina Turner, Galveston, Matt Foreman, Best Buy

Gays and lesbians in Washington state ask for divorce rights: "Supporters of the legislation unveiled Tuesday say it seeks to provide financial security for same-sex couples by establishing community property rights, probate protections and joint responsibility for debts. Murray, who is one of a handful of openly gay lawmakers in Olympia, say gays and lesbians seek not only the protections, 'but we are also asking for the responsibilities that go to marriage.' Senate Bill 6716 and House Bill 3104 also would provide domestic partners end-of-life rights, nursing-home visitation, veterans benefits and spousal testimonial privileges that married couples enjoy."

Best Buy quickly takes advantage of Heath Ledger's death: "A small sign, created by the company’s finest 1998-era laser printer, informs its customers that they should 'Remember a Great Actor Through Great Performances', tastefully suggesting that customers — who may not have even been aware of his passing — grieve the only way they know how: By reliving the romantic hijinx that is 10 Things I Hate About You."

Tina Turner and Béyonce to duet at the Grammys.

Matt Foreman to resign from National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, to lead Gay & Lesbian Program at the Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund: "I will always love the Task Force, our work, our board, and our staff. Having served for 18 years as the executive director at three LGBT organizations, I’m incredibly privileged to be able to continue to work in and for the movement in a new role at the Haas, Jr. Fund. I have no doubt that the Task Force will continue to be the uncompromising progressive voice of the LGBT movement and to thrive and help lead our community to complete equality.”

Republican Fred Thompson drops presidential bid: "Today I have withdrawn my candidacy for President of the United States. I hope that my country and my party have benefited from our having made this effort. Jeri and I will always be grateful for the encouragement and friendship of so many wonderful people."

Madonna, Marilyn Monroe, and Shakira team up for Super Bowl commercial.

In new online game, user assumes role of presidential candidates and then shoots his or her opponents in the halls of the White House: ". While the ammo is paintball, the game on the highly trafficked miniclip.com site allows kids to train a rifle scope on six presidential aspirants and squeeze off a hail of shots (which are accompanied with a rat-a-tat sound). The game, 'Presidential Paintball,' features six candidates in the crosshairs: Barack Obama; Hillary Clinton; John Edwards; Mitt Romney; John McCain; and Rudy Giuliani (it seems the game was developed before the ascension of Mike Huckabee). If a candidate wins a head-to-head confrontation, he/she advances to a new shootout, which occurs in various White House settings, including outside the Oval Office."

Brad Renfro had a son nobody knew about.

Galveston, Texas opens LGBT visitors center.

David Beckham makes UNICEF trip to Sierra Leone.

New poll reveals attitudes toward gay people and sex in Britain: "18 percent of those surveyed consider gay relationships are always wrong, while 32 percent see homosexual sex as always or mostly wrong. Moreover, four in 10 people (42 percent) think gay male couples are not as capable of being good parents as heterosexual ones -- although three in 10 (31 percent) believe they are."

Sydney lawmakers begin dealing with the homophobic violence issue that plagues their city: “We’re not blaming any specific person for this, but violence is obviously a complex issue and we need to be using all opportunities to raise it. It’s got to be policies on the ground. Clearly the local council needs to work with police, but there’s a real role for it in changing what that entertainment precinct is used for. It’s quite a different place during the evening than during the day time. We support the measures to bring back the shops people need – fruit and veg, butcher, etc."

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Music News: The Eagles Leave Britney In The Dust, Plus Ex-Boyfriends, Darren Hayes, Sheryl Crow, Prince, Justice, Peaches

Please welcome Robbie Daw, who will be penning weekly music posts for us here on Towleroad! Robbie runs his own pop music site called Chart Rigger.

In the 11th hour (i.e., today), Billboard and Nielsen SoundScan came to an agreement to revise the music publication's chart rules to allow albums sold exclusively at only one retailer to be eligible for entry on Billboard's charts. This spelled a certain doom for Britney Spears' #1 debut. Although Blackout sold about 290,000 copies -- far lower than the 350,000 projection made by Billboard last week -- she was still expected to capture the top position on the album chart.

However, at the same time, The Eagles Long Road Out Of Eden became available last Tuesday at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club outlets, and went on to sell 711,000 copies over the course of the week. With the revised chart policy, the classic rock band's first studio album in 28 years easily beats Britney to #1 on this week's Top 200.

Regardless of whether Blackout had debuted on top or not, the writing for Britney seems to be pretty much on the wall. Her last studio record, In The Zone, racked up sales of 609,000 in its first week four years ago -- more than twice the sales of Blackout. Of course one could argue that illegal downloading has only increased since that time, causing music to sell less now more than ever. But take into consideration that Carrie Underwood's Carnival Ride -- the previous chart-topping album -- managed to move 527,000 copies its first week out.

Blackout has received a lot of goodwill and swell reviews in recent days, but perhaps Britney's shenanigans really have finally caught up with her, as America has clearly moved on to other sweethearts.

San Francisco-based pop punk trio Ex-Boyfriends (pictured left) "are looking for bands that like to take long walks on the beach, cuddle for hours on end, watch Merchant Ivory films and love taking it up the a**."

Darren Hayes is back in the U.S. to do several gigs and Miami's White Party, and he may be hitting a Borders near you.

Beyoncé to sing "Somewhere Over The Rainbow," while Carrie Underwood takes on "The Sound Of Music."

Turns out only two out of five listeners paid for the one million downloads of Radiohead's In Rainbows, but that's necessarily a bad thing.

Sheryl Crow releasing "environmentally conscious" new album in February.

Prince threatens his own fans with legal action, but they're ready for their day in court.

Peaches, Justice, 2 Live Crew and Jason Bentley to have a Hard New Year's Eve in L.A.

THIS WEEK'S NEW RELEASES:

New singles from Kylie Minogue (