News: Alfred E. Neuman, HPV, The Killers, Sarah Palin, Hate Crimes

Hate crimes down in 2007, except for those based around sexual orientation. Anti-gay bias crimes saw an increase of 6%.

Top McCain adviser calls Palin "a whack job."

This gallery contains nearly 100 parodies of the famous Shepard Fairey 'Obama Hope' poster. But the artist told BoingBoing that by far his favorite is the cover of the current issue of Mad magazine: "I loved Mad as a kid. I think Mad’s satire heightened my understanding of irony and hypocrisy. I’m very excited to be a part of Mad’s history."

New video: Christina Aguilera thinks she's Catwoman now.

Sarah Palin's favorite consignment store 'Out of the Closet' served with "cease and desist" order from The AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which runs a thrift store by the same name in California and Florida: "We are grateful to Governor Palin for bringing the infringement of AIDS Healthcare Foundation's trademark on our eighteen year-old 'Out of the Closet' name to our attention. In addition to raising funds for the care and treatment of thousands of people with AIDS in the US and around the globe, several AHF 'Out of the Closet' sites also serve as free HIV and STD testing centers..."

Cindy Crawford does Amy Winehouse for Halloween.

In June 2007 I reported that Gus van Sant and Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black had attached themselves to Tom Wolfe's book The Electric Kool Aid Acid Test, for a feature film. FOX Searchlight has now picked up the project.

Joe Lieberman: McCain "will live to 85, at least."

The first track-by-track review of the new Killers album, Day & Age.

Lance Bass fights Prop 8 battle in guyliner.

90210 star Dustin Milligan says no to gay jokes: "My personal views on homosexuality and bisexuality and sexuality in general are so far from the dark place where these kinds of hateful terms come from and are not at all reflected accurately by such a statement. Especially now, when same-sex marriage is such a big issue in the US, I feel the days when jokingly calling someone a 'homo' or saying 'that's gay' are simply over." (via afterelton)

Nobel Laureate Dr Harald zur Hausen urges HPV vaccine for boys.

HELP: Im a gay married Mormon in the closet...

Gay MP in the UK attacked as he delivered balloons to his parents on their 50th anniversary: "Adam Price, the Plaid Cymru MP for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, and a friend were treated in hospital after the assault by four youths in Worcester on Saturday. Mr Price's spokeswoman, Heledd Fychan, said he received facial cuts and was unable to attend the party. 'A gang of youths set upon him randomly. They had no idea who he was. It was an unprovoked attack. He is a bit battered and bruised and has a black eye, but no broken bones.'"

Three Democratic operatives on what Obama needs to do to close the deal.

Jonas Brothers to make film debut in movie about farting dog.

Government orders Atlantis Dubai to free whale shark.

Matt Damon stumps for Obama.

London getting a new gay theatre: "...that's what's happening in Victoria, where the Shameless theatre company is taking over the 50-seat fringe theatre above The Stag pub in Victoria and rebranding it as the Above the Stag Theatre. Artistic director Peter Bull says the company plans on plays and musicals, focusing on new work loosely based around gay themes. The inaugural production will be American Briefs, a series of short works by US-based playwrights..."

UK Sunday Observer: 24% of British think gay sex should be criminalized?

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Killers Get 'Human' with New Single

There's a warning on the YouTube site that this'll likely be pulled soon, so listen now. While I was secretly hoping for a Human League cover, I definitely give this a thumbs up.

Listen, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Music News: Brandon Flowers...Mr. Right-Side?

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

Given that Andy's in Denver covering the Democratic National Convention, this seemed like the right week to take a bit of a political turn with the music column. But don't worry—I ain't about to start preaching.

Instead, I wanted to focus on part of an interview British rock journal NME ran last week with Killers' frontman Brandon Flowers. It's an article that likely won't get much press on this side of the pond. But it's one that's bound to raise an eyebrow or two.

First off, I like The Killers. Over the past year, I've mentioned them numerous times in my Towleroad music column, most recently talking about their upcoming third album—due out in November—which features Madonna collaborator Stuart Price on knob-twiddling duties.

It was four-and-a-half years ago when I first caught the Las Vegas-based band open for Morrissey here in L.A. at the Wiltern. It was just before Hot Fuss came out, and that being the year of the tenth anniversary of Kurt Cobain's death, on some small level I felt like I was hopping on an up-and-coming band's wave before it crested and crashed, the way I never got to with Nirvana.

Between L.A., Long Beach, Cleveland and Austin, I caught The Killers live half a dozen times in the years following that first show. When I started Chart Rigger in 2005, a large number of that first year's posts were  devoted to a bit of fanboy crushing on Brandon Flowers.

That said, my music blogger pal Paul in the U.K. mailed me the latest copy of NME, on which Flowers adorns the cover, last week. When it arrived, I tore open the package, laid back on my bed and began reading.

When I finished, I couldn't help wondering about what we truly expect of our idols and our icons. We read magazines, watch their movies, listen to their music, buy their books—all in an effort to get some inside glimpse into what they're really like, how they really feel and think.

But are we pleased when we hear Madonna comparing John McCain to Hitler? Did we really need to read Chris Ciccone reminiscing about toweling off his sister's naked body? Should the Dixie Chicks just  shut up and sing?

And does it really matter that eyeliner-happy, mischeviously ambigious devout Mormon Brandon Flowers might lean a little to "the middle"? Who knows—maybe more of us lean toward the middle than we care to admit.

Anyway, after the jump is an excerpt from James McMahon's interview with Flowers in the August 23, 2008 issue of NME.

NME: Can I ask you some personal questions?
BRANDON FLOWERS: (Pause) OK...

NME: It's an election year in the U.S., so it seems appropriate to ask you about the time you said you were "sympathetic to George Bush."
BF: Yeah. I said that, but I don't think that now. I'm in the middle with my beliefs, like everyone else.

NME: I think it's quite rare to meet someone in a rock 'n' roll band who says their politics are "in the middle."
BF: Well, I acknowledge that I'm different to people in most bands. In what way? I don't want to talk about it. I think that's enough of a statement in itself.

NME: I leave that alone then...
BF: (Brandon is oblivious to NME's statement) I think a lot of people in bands do it because they're artists and they're supposed to be on the left.

NME: I think the argument is that rock 'n' roll is supposed to be counter-culture and so it's rare for people within it to have conservative views.
BF: Yeah, I understand it all, but I am who I am and I've spent a lot of time trying to work out who I am and I always come back to the middle. I know as a singer in a band I should veer towards the left, but I don't.

NME: So which way will you vote in the election?
BF: I don't know. It could go both ways.

NME: Really?
BF: Yes.

NME: How do you feel about Obama?
BF: (Pause) I don't think people want to hear The Killers talk about this stuff...

NME: I do. In an election year and with you being American, I think this stuff is unavoidable.
BF: I'm excited about him...I don't know. I think too many people jump on the train and I don't want to be one of those people. I like his ideas. I like the idea of what he represents. In a lot of ways.

NME: How do you feel about McCain?
BF: (Long pause) Everyone has good and bad points about them.

*****

"Do you think it's weird that I'm down the middle?" asks Brandon loudly in the direction of his PR. She looks dumbstruck. I'm baffled by his sudden outburst. Brandon repeats the question. "In my politics? Do you think it's weird that I'm down the middle?"

Minutes later, in the kitchen, The Killers' manager is wagging his finger at Brandon Flowers and forcibly reminding him—and anyone else within earshot—that "you don't ever talk about politics."

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News: Giant Bug Fossil, Lourdes, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Egypt

The reason for Jonathan Rhys-Meyers recent arrest for drunk and disorderly behavior in Dublin revealed: his mother's death.

Fossil of world's largest bug discovered: "Found in a German quarry, the claw is 46cm (18ins) long, suggesting the sea scorpion was 2.5m (8ft) long - almost two feet longer that it was previously thought the aquatic creatures grew to. Because land-based scorpions and spiders are believed to have descended from the sea scorpion, scientist believe the discovery means that they also may have been even bigger than had been believed."

Oprah contestants go apeshit over her favorite things - video.

Bush pushing through regulations that will further restrict the ability of HIV-positive people to enter the United States: "This is a big disappointment, given the rhetoric of the Bush administration that the US was making it easier - because the new regs simply add more heavy burdens for the HIV-positive traveler."

Gloves are off. Clinton mocks Obama over foreign policy experience: "Voters will have to judge if living in a foreign country at the age of 10 prepares one to face the big, complex international challenges the next president will face. I think we need a president with more experience than that, someone the rest of the world knows, looks up to and has confidence in." Obama shoots back: "Dick Cheney and Don Rumsfeld have spent time in the White House and traveled to many countries as well, but along with Hillary Clinton they led us into the worst foreign policy disaster in a generation and are now giving George Bush the benefit of the doubt on Iran. The real choice in this election is between conventional Washington thinking that prizes posture and positioning, or real change that puts judgment and honesty first."

Dennis Quaid and Cedars Sinai speak out: Quaid twins tragedy "preventable".

Canadian Polar Bear "harvest" risks population collapse: "In Canada, government hunting quotas encourage killing male polar bears over female ones. The theory is that, because females rear the bear cubs, losing one female polar bear will have a more serious impact on the population's ability to sustain its number. As a result, at least two thirds of polar bears killed in Canada each year are male, according to a separate study that will appear in a forthcoming issue of the journal Wildlife Biology. Research has shown that the policy has significantly reduced the ratio of males to females in polar bear populations across the Canadian Arctic."

Madonna's daughter Lourdes offered part in new Harry Potter film.

Facebook automatically opting in its users to privacy-violating pyramid scheme for its partners?

"Ex-gay" therapy hits Egypt.

Please don't let Santa shoot Brandon Flowers.

Crews mop up oil spill at San Francisco's gay beach.

Two groups of scientists announce they are able to create embryonic stem cells from ordinary skin cells: "The breakthrough marks the beginning of a new era for stem cell biology and could be the end for cloning as an alternative way to produce stem cells. One expert said cloning was now 'dead in the water'. Using the new technique, scientists were able to 'rewind' adult cells back to their embryonic state. The process paves the way for stocks of stem cells that can be turned into any of the 200 or so tissue types in the body."

Lance Bass kicks off the holidays at Bloomingdale's.

Outrageous: U.S. Military demanding that wounded vets give back their signing bonuses because they are unable to serve out their terms due to injury.

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #185

REPEAL 377a: Singaporeans rap to get folks energized about repealing the section of the nation's penal code that criminalizes gay sex.

ANN COULTER: Her recent appearance on Donny Deutsch's "The Big Idea", in which she says "We just want the Jews to be perfected. That’s what Christianity is. We believe the Old Testament but ours is more like Federal Express. You have to obey laws. We know that we’re all sinners." (source: media matters)

STACY HEDGER: Get in the way back machine and watch this pageant contestant toot out a thrilling trumpet solo to the theme from Star Wars! (source: dlisted)

THE KILLERS: Teaming up with Lou Reed on new track "Tranquilize". (source: arjan writes)

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here!

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News: Brazil, The Killers, Embryos, San Diego, Britney Spears

Elton John and Madonna make up after years of feuding: "At an awards show in 2004 Elton John famously said, 'Madonna, best fucking live act? Fuck off! Since when has lip-synching been live? That's me off her fucking Christmas card list but do I give a toss? No.' And that comment started their pepaw feud which ended last night when Elton introduced Madonna. Elton said, 'This is a moment you thought you would never see.' Then they hugged, bumped vaginas and Madonna said, He had 'written a grovelling apology and offered to join the Kabbalah.'"

Junior: Brazil to get national gay magazine in the mold of OUT and Tetu to run quarterly. MIB: "The magazine developed by the guys from Mix Brasil is fun, informative, nicely edited, and most important, groundbreaking at a certain level. There are references to international publications here and there, such as an editorial I have seen before at Genre originally shot by Mr. Oppesidano, but that is natural and will probably happen until Junior finds its own identity and connects to its reader. There is also beautiful photography and editorial work: the feature on Brazilian dancers is superb, and so are the pictures of 18-year-old newcomer Lucas Pitione, who also graces the cover of the first issue."

AfterElton takes you through Torchwood, the BBC America sci-fi featuring John Barrowman.

Young Democrat born to gay lawmaker and partner in Seattle.

Mayoral candidates to address gay community in Auckland, New Zealand.

Scientists win approval for human-animal hybrid embryos: "The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority published its long-awaited public consultation on the controversial research yesterday, revealing that a majority of people were "at ease" with scientists creating the hybrid embryos. Researchers want to create hybrid embryos by merging human cells with animal eggs, in the hope they will be able to extract valuable embryonic stem cells from them. The cells form the basic building blocks of the body and are expected to pave the way for revolutionary therapies for diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and even spinal cord injuries."

CLIP: The Killers, Live from Abbey Road: "The entire episode will be broadcast on Thursday, September 6 at 10 p.m. EST on the Sundance Channel. It will also include acoustic sets by Gnarls Barkley and The Feeling."

Britney Spears' parenting abuses targeted in sidewalk installation in front of swank West Hollywood eatery The Ivy.

San Diego City Council split 4-4 over offering support to gay marriage case before the California Supreme Cour.

DC-based gay activist Cheryl Spector dies after battle with Leukemia.

Anderson Cooper covers the Jena Six story: "For those that are just hearing about this for the first time, 6 high school students are facing felony attempted murder charges for a fight that ended a series of incidents in Louisiana. A day after a group African-American students asked to sit under a "whites-only" tree in the courtyard, three nooses were hung from the tree in response. Over the course of the next few months, a wing of the school was burned, black students were beatened and threatened, and the District Attorney was called in to quell the violence. What the DA did next should be shocking to most, and shows just how far we have to go to see real racial equality in America."

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News: Amy Winehouse, David Vitter, Tooth X-Ray, Roger Mahony

A biting pain: X-Ray reveals that a rugby player's incessant headaches were caused by an opponent's tooth which was lodged in his forehead.

Didn't get to this yesterday, but over the weekend the NYT published a look at the rural retreat of political strategist David Mixner: "Inside, the cheerful rooms are filled with artwork and memorabilia, including antiwar posters and newspaper clippings. One sculpture consists of the faces of friends who died of AIDS, molded in Lucite and lighted from behind with neon. He never turns it off. 'It’s my eternal flame,' he said. His other eternal flame is the computer screen. Mr. Mixner’s main activity these days is blogging — his site, davidmixner.com, offers a mix of political discourse, arts criticism and folksy commentary on day-to-day life in Turkey Hollow. 'People will stop me on the street in New York and ask me about Attila and Kate,' he said, referring to the deer mentioned in many of his postings. Not that he has forgotten about politics. 'I have more political influence here than I did living in the city,' he said."

Arctic Monkeys, Klaxons, Amy Winehouse, Maps among those on shortlist for Britain's Mercury Music Prize.

Britney Spears inspires melee at Le Deux nightclub in Hollywood: "A girl was heard screaming and calling Britney a 'whore' and telling Britney to 'go back home to her babies.' This, in fact, actually upset a ton of people! A bunch of girls started attacking this girl and they actually pulled her weave out! Me and my friends were soooo scared man!"

Surreal: Rue McClanahan, Jeff Stryker, Bruce Vilanch, and Seattle drag queen Dina Martina performed a scene from Gone with the Wind last night at Ryan Landry's legendary variety revue Showgirls in Provincetown. Can we get a video please???

Elton John to build massive gallery at his British estate to house the more than 2,500 works of art in his collection.

Aaron Eckhart on his revelation about gay people: "I’ll always remember. I was working in a restaurant in California with a guy who was gay, and I asked him, 'What do you feel when you look at a guy?' And he said, 'Well, Aaron, what do you feel when you look at that girl over there, and she’s beautiful and you really want to be with her?' That’s when I got it: It’s the same thing."

Kenneth Walsh pages through the latest issue of L'Officiel Hommes.

Landmark gay rights case underway in Canada: "The controversy stems from a letter written by Boissoin, then a Red Deer youth pastor, that was published in the Red Deer Advocate in June 2002. In it, Boissoin wrote 'my banner has now been raised and war has been declared' against those who are part of the 'homosexual machine.' 'From kindergarten class on, our children, your grandchildren are being strategically targeted, psychologically abused and brainwashed by homosexual and pro-homosexual educators,' he wrote. 'Your children are being warped into believing that same-sex families are acceptable; that kissing men is appropriate.' Boissoin went on to attack gay activists as 'spreading their psychological disease,' saying they were 'just as immoral as the pedophiles, drug dealers and pimps that plague our communities.' 'Where homosexuality flourishes, all manner of wickedness abounds,' he wrote."

"Pro-family" Republican Senator David Vitter, who was discovered to be a client of the 'D.C. Madam', apologizes, saying he never had relationships with prostitutes.

Following $660 million settlement, Cardinal Roger Mahony apologizes to sex abuse victims: "There really is no way to go back and give them that innocence that was taken from them. The one thing I wish I could give the victims ... I cannot."

The Killers' Brandon Flowers has a son.

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News: White House Emails, Mystery Clouds, Beckham, T Rex

White House says it "lost" five million emails. What a crock. Case begins to get "quite interesting".

Scientists to study increasing number of mysterious "night shining" clouds they say could be related to global warming: "The clouds were first observed above polar regions in 1885 – suggesting they may have been caused by the eruption of Krakatoa two years before. But in recent years they have spread to latitudes as low as 40°, while also growing in number and getting brighter."

Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Madison) to join celebration marking 25th anniversary of Wisconsin becoming the first state to approve gay rights legislation.

Anti-gay pastor Ken Hutcherson says yes, he does have the videotape that shows his trip to Latvia to hobnob with anti-gay forces was as a "special envoy" sanctioned by the White House, but no, he's not going to let anyone see it.

Rufus Wainwright talks Brandon Flowers again: "I do relate him to a sort of Brando character - somewhat conservative but yet volatile and also extremely handsome. But also highly sensitive. So it's just a good old gay fantasy."

Movin' on: Reichen Lehmkuhl guides new beau before the flash bulbs at Red Line premiere.

New York's meatpacking district has been designated "historic".

Leaving for L.A.: David Beckham planning male-only going-away bash.

Confirmed: Tyrannosaurus Rex's closest modern relative is the chicken. "The analysis shows that T-rex collagen makeup is almost identical to that of a modern chicken - this corroborates a huge body of evidence from the fossil record that demonstrates birds are descended from meat-eating dinosaurs."

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News: Brandon Flowers, Rudy Giuliani, Genetic Cleansing, Brazil

Rudy Giuliani's gay talking points.

Rufus Wainwright claims Brandon Flowers is salty, and perhaps a bit stale: "I don't know [Brandon] that well, but I wrote this song about him which is kind of hilarious - it says he tastes like potato chips in the morning."

Gays with money stopping the Rick Santorums of tomorrow: "a group of rich gay philanthropists...quietly joined forces last year, under the leadership of a reclusive Colorado technology mogul, to counter the tide of antigay politics in America that has generated, among other things, a succession of state ballot initiatives banning gay marriage. Carroll had sponsored such a bill in Iowa and guided it to passage in the state House of Representatives, the first step toward getting it on the ballot."

Trent of Pink is the New Blog" survives plane fire drama over the Mojave Desert!

The real War on Christmas: Thomas Kinkade painting to become holiday movie.

Illinois parents protest school panel featuring gay students talking with freshman students about their experiences: "'We have a great deal of pride in the program and don't feel we are overstepping any boundaries that [most] parents would feel are inappropriate,' [assistant superintendent Suan] Hebson said. But Ellen Waltz, a Deerfield mother of eight, said the climate has changed so much that students who believe that homosexuality is immoral and violates their religious beliefs are now the ones being bullied."

Southern Baptist wingnut calls for genetic cleansing of original sin.

Thousands protest Bush arrival in Sao Paulo, Brazil. And Brazilian reactions to the U.S. president, then and now: Clinton vs. Bush.

Fans freak to meet Jackson.

Obama and Clinton battle for Chicago: "Mike Bauer, for example, decided to use his years of fundraising experience and contacts in Chicago's gay community to raise money for Obama. He helped with Obama's first fundraiser after the campaign's official launch last month -- a huge Chicago event that Bauer says was intended to make a statement. 'Clearly there was a desire, an intent, by the Obama campaign to hit the ground first in Barack's hometown,' he said. 'It was important, both for financial reasons and psychological reasons, to show that he has tremendous support from the people who know him the best.' Bauer said he knows several of the presidential candidates and decided to help Obama after a personal request from the senator. Obama contacted him around Thanksgiving to discuss a possible run for president and seek Bauer's support if he did run."

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube: #87

 

 

MARRIAGE IN MAINE: Gay and lesbian couples in Maine talk about their long-term relationships and desire to get married.

VALENTINE'S DAY ACTION: On the 14th, the Off-Broadway Show The Big Voice: God or Merman held a symbolic same-sex wedding ceremony at the Actors' Temple, NYC with the New York Gay Men's Chorus.

I WILL SURVIVE: Promo for Oprah's upcoming appearance on Ellen February 22.

READ MY MIND: Video for the Killers' Pet Shop Boy-produced single.

Check out our other guides to the Tube here!

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News: Brandon Flowers, Yale Tennis, Grant Show, Nigeria

Yale tennis team under fire for alleged initiation activites: "During dinner on Nov. 10, team members wearing women’s underwear and fishnet stockings posed as members of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and entered several residential college dining halls, where they sang and danced on tabletops, students who saw the incident said. The witnesses said the team’s initiates had signs on their backs that read, 'I’m a fa**ot. Insert Here.' The captain of the men’s tennis team could not be reached for comment last night, but Director of Athletics Thomas Beckett said his department is investigating the incident."

Brandon Flowers wants to read your mind!

Gay man jailed in Nigeria for wanting sex with a man; tells court: "It is the work of Satan but I promise that I will not do it again."

Jonathan Plummer, the ex-husband of author Terry McMillan, says he plans to write a tell-all about the couple's bitter marriage and divorce. Said McMillan: "He is like a f***ing Duracell, and I want him out of my f***ing life, and he won't let me out of his life. I can't live like this."

Isn't it time gay people were part of the marriage discussion?

Scientology leaders have reportedly dubbed Tom Cruise the religious sect's "Christ" figure: "Tom has been told he is Scientology’s Christ-like figure. Like Christ, he’s been criticised for his views. But future generations will realise he was right."

Pop phenom Mika ships in Freddie Mercury's piano for acoustic recording of "Grace Kelly": "He felt totally inspired. He felt the spirit of Freddie surround him and Mika said he felt more creative than he ever had."

Former Melrose Place hunk Grant Show offers another dude his services on Dirt...

Lance and Reichen on the outs? Malkin: "The latest from the slopes of Sundance has it that they've called it quits. This is not the first time that the lovebirds of eight months have broken up. This time around, Bass showed up solo at last night's Blender Sessions party at Tao. Later on, a source spotted him sulking at a party at the Village at the Lift's Heineken Lounge. Bass left the bash around midnight after hanging there for a measly twenty minutes, the party-goer says. Another source reports that Lemkuhl is still in Park City, but has told friends he is cutting his trip short. He says he wants to get on the earliest flight out tomorrow morning."

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News: Matthew McConaughey, Circumcision, Alabama Sex Sting

2006 is Britain's warmest year since records began: "All of the 10 warmest years in Britain have occurred in the past 18 years, except the fourth hottest, when in 1949 the year's mean temperature reached 10.62C."

Matthew McConaughey appears in public wearing shirt.

Circumcision cuts risk of infection by HIV in half: "Previous research has suggested that circumcision is beneficial, but the new trial is 'definitive,' according to Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which cosponsored the study with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. 'It's not a magic bullet,' said Dr. Kevin De Cock, director of the World Health Organization's department of HIV/AIDS, but it has the potential to prevent 'many hundreds of thousands and perhaps millions of infections over coming years.'"

David Geffen offers $2 billion for the L.A. Times. Paper continues to seek offers...

Acquitted Huntsville, Alabama man speaks out about sex sting in public park: "For months I lived a nightmare that I hoped to wake up from, but I didn't wake up from it. I did not and have not ever gone there for the purpose for sexual contact," he said. "My family and those people who know me know that I could not do and did not do those things I was charged with. People are going to believe what they want to believe. There is no anger in my heart for anyone. There is forgiveness in my heart, okay. I think he was wrong. I know he was wrong. And a jury of 12 people decided he was wrong."

Spoof video superintendent Richard Mitchell, who this fall in an extraordinary lapse of judgment posted a remixed video of rookie teacher interviews on a school district website, has filed a sexual orientation discrimination complaint with Chicago's Cook County, claiming he wasn't fired because of the video, but because a school board member encouraged others to conspire against him because he's gay.

STUDY: Gay marriage would mean an additional $100 million in yearly revenue for businesses in New Jersey.

Read My Mind: Pet Shop Boy fan Brandon Flowers sends next single to the duo for remix.

A Ford Mustang...station wagon?

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Good Boys Get to Sit on Brandon Flowers' Lap

I'm usually not a huge fan of holiday music by rock bands but the new Killers single "A Great Big Sled" is an exception, and it benefits the (RED) campaign.

Said guitarist Dave Keuning: "We came up with the song during a soundcheck. We often use our sound-checks to write new material, as they're the perfect time to spend half an hour noodling away, and Brandon and I decided that it would be great to do a Christmas song. There haven't been that many Christmas songs by rock bands. I mean, you've got John Lennon's one ["Happy Xmas - War is Over"], and a handful of others. But we felt there was something else to be played, and started cooking up some ideas. We recorded it during a day off work a week ago."

"A GREAT BIG SLED" — The Killers [itunes]

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News: Anderson Cooper, Dreamgirls Feud, a Killers Christmas

"New York, New York, it's a helluva town": Broadway songwriter and actress Betty Comden dies at 89. "Comden and [Adolph] Green wrote for nine films including the musicals 'Singin' in the Rain' (1952), 'The Band Wagon' (1953), 'It's Always Fair Weather' (1955) and 'Bells are Ringing' (1960)...Among the songs written by the Comden and Green team were 'Just in Time,' 'The Party's Over' and 'Make Someone Happy.'"

All About Effie: Beyoncé and Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls feud. (My review)

The Killers set to release Christmas tune "A Great Big Sleigh" on December 5. Flowers: "There are some great Christmas tunes that have been recorded over the years from the likes of George Michael and John Lennon. Sometime you forget. You get so caught up in business and being an adult that you forget to have fun and enjoy things and be nice to people."

Time offers up their list of the top 100 most influential albums of all time.

Princes William and Harry to hold Diana concert at new Wembley stadium next year to mark tenth anniversary of their mother's death: "It is understood that the Princes hope that by celebrating their mother's life on what would have been her 46th birthday, the sting will be taken out of August 31 - the date on which she died in Paris. Because next year is the tenth anniversary of her death, they are aware that the date is bound to resonate publicly more than ever."

All My Children to introduce transgender character who will make the transition from man to woman: "The character, a flamboyant rock star known as Zarf, kisses the lesbian character Bianca and much drama ensues. The storyline begins with Thursday's episode of the daytime drama."

Big week for gay rights in Brazil: Discrimination law passed, gay adoption allowed, a campaign against homophobia funded, and a big step toward civil unions in Sao Paolo.

Page Six reports on the CNN anchor and the boy from Ipanema: "Anderson Cooper was friendly at a Brazilian airport on Friday. 'Hi, I'm Anderson,' he said to the 'attractive' man standing next to him at the flight connection monitors in the Salvador terminal, a spy told The Post's Braden Keil. The 25ish fellow was wearing a tight T-shirt, cut-off shorts and an earring. According to our witness, the unshaven, solo-traveling CNN star chatted for 20 minutes with the stranger before the fellow had to say goodbye and board his flight to Rio."

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News: Coming Out Day, Capote, Killer Alcoholics, Bermuda

It's National Coming Out Day! Judy Shepard has a message about the importance of coming out. HRC has produced a video. OutZoneTV has posted a whole bunch of celebrity coming out stories. Film Experience Blog honors the out and proud members of the entertainment industry. Queerty is showing a series of clips based on coming out. AOL's Worth Repeating features a few of HRC's celebrity "Talk About It" snapshots. We here at Towleroad will continue to cover the downfall of hypocritical congressmen toppled by the staggered-out-of-the-closet Mark Foley.

AfterElton looks at the latest film to delve into the world of Truman Capote, Infamous, in which Brit actor Toby Jones locks lips with Daniel Craig, and says even for those who've seen Capote, this is worth watching: "Although major events in the films, as well as selections of the dialogue are similar, Capote is a fascinating and eccentric enough subject to more than justify both films. Infamous provides further insight into Capote's personal relationships, especially the close and controversial relationship he fostered with one of the two killers, Perry Smith."

Hip-hop artist Nick Cannon enters the fashion biz.

Bermuda church promises not to gay bash at upcoming multi-church service after complaints from Anglicans: "Part of the agenda for this service seems to be to target particular members of our society, homosexuals, in a way that is deemed inappropriate."

The day-to-day booze schedule of The Killers revealed.

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Brandon Flowers on Developing a Killer Image

The Observer sits down with Brandon Flowers to talk about The Killers' new album Sam's Town, and the band's changing image, described as "Hollywood to Deadwood":

"The tuxedos, pastel jackets, eye-make up and skinny Dior-meets-New Romantic stylings that marked the Killers out as a different kind of American guitar band? Consigned to the great rock'n'roll dressing-up box in the sky. They've been replaced by facial hair, bootlace ties and waistcoats."

It's a change not lost on one of Brandon Flowers' idols, Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant, who recently said, 'When I see someone like Brandon Flowers who has the appetite, and possibly the talent and looks, to be a star, I find that enthralling. I'm worried, though - and I hope he's reading this - that he's grown a beard. It means he's saying, 'I'm not pop. I mean more than that.'"

Flowers assures Tennant in the interview that the new album won't disappoint, particularly a track tipped for the third single called "Read my Mind" described as Morrissey meets Springsteen. Flowers calls it an homage to 'the good old days, the honest men, the restless heart, the promised land, the subtle kiss that no one sees ... I used a bunch of cliches that are dying and that were good to have around. In 50 years I don't think you're gonna look back at 2006 and say 'the good old days'. But when you talk about the good old days [of] the Fifties, there really was something good about it. Whereas right now it's like we're creeping closer and closer to hell!'"

"We haven't lost the pop sensibility," Flowers declares, responding to the Pet Shop Boy. As far as the facial hair goes, Flowers declares "I think we're embracing a bit more of our own culture. It's fun - it's all a part of getting ready for a show. Just like it was when it was a more glamorous-looking version of the Killers."

(photo source: mediaeater's flickr page)

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News: Ptown Swim for Life, The Killers, McConaughey

Jacques lu Cont's remix of The Killers "Mr. Brightside" was one of my favorite remixes of the past couple of years, so I was excited when presented with his remix of their latest track "When You Were Young", although it's an "edit" version. I look forward to hearing the full track.

300 swimmers brave the chilly waters of Provincetown harbor in 19th annual Swim for Life...

Ex-New Jersey Governey James ("My truth is that I am a gay American") McGreevey set to hawk book on Oprah Winfrey show: "The book traces his life through two failed marriages, his rise to the governor's office and the sudden, public implosion of his political career in 2004. McGreevey was accompanied to Chicago for the taping by his partner, Australian financial adviser Mark O'Donnell. The two share a home together. A state senator who was interviewed as part of the program says the old McGreevey was very guarded and concerned with how he would be perceived, while this McGreevey has accepted who is he and is authentic." The show will air September 19th, the day the book is released.

The BFFs are back together and rooting for Texas.

Episcopal Bishops convene in New York to decide future of church after long division instigated by installation of gay Bishop Gene Robinson: "The participants have agreed not to speak to the media until a resolution is reached but Church insiders say they believe the two factions will agree to a 'two-church solution' for the American branch of Anglicanism - one that would allow the two sides exist, separate but equal. Conservatives say that in effect there are already two churches under the Episcopal roof. They want a special 'commissary' to be appointed to look after them who would be equal to the Presiding Bishop in America."

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News: Aiken Bush, Meat Rack Art, The Killers

Anti-gay harpy Ronda Storms breezes through the Republican primary in Tampa's Hillsborough County.

Drag isn't just a gay thing. Some straights take it very seriously. A visit to Casa Susanna, a 60's retreat for crossdressers in the Catskills: "These men had one foot in the mainstream and the other in the margins. I’m fascinated by that position and their paradox, which is that the strict gender roles of the time were both the source of their anxiety and pain, and also the key to escaping that pain."

Tim Burton shot the latest video for The Killers upcoming single, appropriately named "Bones".

Clay Aiken to serve Bush: "The White House says Aiken is in line to be named to the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities."

From greaser to hair hopper! John Travolta as Edna Turnblad.

The Wire kicks off its new season this Sunday on HBO. Michael K. Williams, who plays a "modern day Robin Hood" who happens to be gay, talks to AfterElton about how his character's sexuality is just one part of a larger masculinity issue he hopes to challenge with his portrayal: "We (black men) can't communicate to each other, so we acquaint everything with being a man [and] show no emotion and nothing weak. You know, a man can't cry, a man can't show vulnerability and we definitely can't be gay. … We are still working on that as a black community. To love ourselves and to communicate with each other and accept each other and our differences. We are still calling an educated brother with proper diction an Oreo cookie. What I am saying [is], it is a lot deeper than the gay issue."

One photographer looks for art in Fire Island's famed Meat Rack.

Clive Davis says Whitney Houston is on verge of comeback but warns fans "against fans having unrealistic expectations about the album's music production and lyrics."

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News: Current TV, Man on the Moon, Mammoths

Al Gore's Current TV not looking so dumb following the recent smash success of YouTube: "Even after critics saw that the ex-vice president and Democratic Party fundraiser weren't crafting a left-wing network, few in the change-averse world of television could understand why anyone would tune into Current's programming motif: three- to seven-minute videos created by emerging filmmakers, citizen journalists and the most rank of amateurs -- the viewers themselves." The SF Chronicle reports that Madeleine Smithberg, co-creator of Comedy Central's The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, will launch a new show on the channel this fall. We'll be watching.

Original footage of first moonwalk has been lost: "While the television broadcast seen by 600 million people in July 1969 is preserved for posterity, the original tapes from which the footage was taken have been mislaid in the vast archive of the United States space agency NASA. The footage could transform our view of the Moon landings, offering images far sharper than the blurred, grainy video shown around the world. It could also lay to rest the conspiracy theory that the landings were faked on a Hollywood soundstage. Despite its iconic status, the television footage was the equivalent of a photocopy of a photocopy. It came from a camera that had been pointed at a black-and-white monitor. The image on the monitor, in turn, had already been stripped of much of its detail."

Attack of the giant Pete Wentz.

Cut the fat: new camera has "slimdown" setting. Company spokesman: "Who hasn't looked at a photo of themselves and wished they could airbrush off a few pounds? Our Gadget Angels team set out to find user-friendly technology which could make this a practical, affordable reality for everyone."

Swing dancer Benji Schwimmer steps up to win FOX's So You Think You Can Dance.

Project Runway's Michael Knight: I'm not gay.

A short preview for the upcoming Killers video "When You Were Young".

Scientists on the hunt for mammoth sperm to restore the 27,000-year-old creatures to the earth: "With access to the mammoth’s genetic code, and with frozen sperm recovered from testes, it may be possible to resurrect an animal that is very similar to a mammoth. The mammoth is a close genetic cousin of the modern Asian elephant, and scientists think that the two may be capable of interbreeding."

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