Jack Mackenroth Creates Gigantic Chocolate Wonder Woman

Project Runway contestant Jack Mackenroth, Butter's pastry chef Zac Young and America's Next Top Model winner Jaslene Gonzalez collaborated for an entry in a superhero-themed chocolate fashion show for some big chocolate convention that happens in New York every year.

Mackenroth and young decided on Wonder Woman. Says Jack: "What mini-gay didn’t want to be Lynda Carter in the 70’s? Please. I’ve been practicing my Wonder Woman transformation spin since I was 3."

The results, as you can see, were sweet.

One more shot, and Jack's explanation of the ensemble, AFTER THE JUMP...

Via Jack's blog:

"The assignment was to create a superhero costume out of chocolate, which I soon found was much easier said than done. I’m all about going big with runway designs so I wanted a FIERCE model. I immediately though of Jaslene Gonzalez from America’s Next Top Model because I knew she would work the runway and she sort of embodies Wonder Woman 2008. And HONEY–she did not disappoint. Logistically working with chocolate in a fashion context was a nightmare. Chocolate is not flexible and most superheroes are covered in spandex. Not cute. In the end I made the bodice and the leotard out of a base fabric and we covered the bodice in white chocolate paillettes that were sprayed with red cocoa powder and edible glitter. We velcroed white chocolate stars to her leotard and all over her belt, headband and cuffs. She had chocolate earrings and stars on her boots. Her hair was a massive wig and perched on top of her head was a white chocolate “invisible” jet surrounded by chocolate shooting stars. It was a delicate dance between wanting to get her outfit completed and doing it fast enough so it didn’t melt into a puddle of hot cocoa before the show."

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David Beckham Wants You to Eat His Fishsticks

David Beckham launched his own line of healthy food, GO3, today at Wembley Stadium:

"The brand will be sold around Wembley Stadium during games in a bid to convince sports fans to abandon unhealthier fast food such as burgers and hot dogs. The meals boast their content includes that all important Omega-3 oils, wholewheat and vegetables."

That's some good eatin'.

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Elton John on What He Would Have Named His Ben & Jerry's Flavor

Elton John talks to GQ about Broadway musicals, his musical career, his alleged feud with singer Lily Allen (That was just such nonsense."), collaborating with the Killers, and the Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavor, Goodbye Yellow Brickle Road, which benefited his AIDS foundation on the occasion of his first-ever concert (above) in Vermont.

Said Elton of the cool collaboration: "We were trying to find someone who came from Vermont that was famous, and Ben and Jerry came top of the list. They were so helpful and so great, and it was a delicious ice cream. I wanted to call it Fudge Packer.…"

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News: David Blaine, Brazil, Tim Gunn, Arctic Gas, Taser Death

Barack Obama and John McCain's joint statement on the economy.

Ian Thorpe dabbles in painting.

"Ex-gay" Alan Chambers to lead simulcast rallies for Prop. 8 at churches via satellite.

This doesn't look like a "suspended" campaign to me. Also, this morning, "while McCain says he was meeting with key advisors and becoming increasingly concerned about the financial crisis facing the country -- he was actually holding a special meeting with Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild, the expat international financier who once supported Hillary Clinton but now is supporting McCain because she thinks Obama is 'elitist'.

Clay Aiken still a working dad.

Pepsi grants $500,000 to PFLAG. Exec director Huckaby: "PepsiCo has provided PFLAG with an enormous gift, and an unparalleled opportunity, to demonstrate the power we have to create change, no matter where we are, or who we are. Because of the Foundation's generosity and commitment, we now have the resources to produce materials for our chapters to use in their communities, and to create critically important conversations, in every corner of our country."

SICK: NYPD tasers chemically imbalanced naked man on ledge, who falls to his death.

Britney Spears wigging out again.

Study supports gay adoption: "...findings by a nonpartisan adoption group being released Thursday conclude that gays and lesbians are an important resource for children awaiting adoption. There is near "universal professional consensus" that these applicants should be judged on their qualifications, not sexual orientation."

Polish men get community service, fine, for anti-gay threats, assault: "The pair downed vodka with the couple, also Polish, before turning nasty, Bradford Crown Court heard last Thursday...Prosecutor Dave MacKay said the gay couple, from Keighley, asked the defendants to help move some of their property. All drank vodka together and Klodzinski and Szofer began making homophobic comments. Klodzinski, of Holker Street, Keighley, shouted: 'I kill gays,' the court heard. Both he and Szofer, of North Street, Keighley, were told to leave but they returned to break a window and hurl plates at the couple. One of the men was punched in the face by Szofer and kicked on the knee by Klodzinski."

Two big Broadway shows are getting the old heave-ho...

A McDonald's hamburger from 1996: how it looks today.

David Blaine completes Central Park hanging stunt.

Tim Gunn does an interview with Time Out and talks about his favorite New York moment: "We had just wrapped the taping of Project Runway season two. Season one had aired, and there were mixed reviews in the industry, including a fair amount of snarkiness about whether it was a quality program. On Bastille Day 2005, I was in my office and received a call from Lauren Zalaznick telling me we had been nominated for an Emmy. I went screaming down the halls to see the producers, who were a floor below me, shouting at the top of my lungs, 'We’ve been nominated for an Emmy! We’ve been nominated for an Emmy!' I remember it vividly. And one of the things I was most pleased about was, 'Take that, Seventh Avenue snarkiness. Take that!'"

Brazilian gay rights group Arco-Iris launches petition drive in support of law criminalizing homophobia.

Travolta to play secret agent in new Luc Besson film?

Little Britain USA is on its way...

Scientists: is melting of the arctic ice cap triggering a methane timb bomb? "Underground stores of methane are important because scientists believe their sudden release has in the past been responsible for rapid increases in global temperatures, dramatic changes to the climate, and even the mass extinction of species. Scientists aboard a research ship that has sailed the entire length of Russia's northern coast have discovered intense concentrations of methane – sometimes at up to 100 times background levels – over several areas covering thousands of square miles of the Siberian continental shelf."

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News: Al Franken, Basketball, Ralph Lauren, Big Macs, Maryland

Bush renews hunt to capture Bin Laden before November election.

Matt Damon: Sarah Palin pick is "like a really bad Disney movie."

Man claims to have eaten 23,000 Big Macs since 1972 — VIDEO.

Payoff: Alaska National Guard to Lieutenant General Craig Campbell receives promotion from Palin after going from critical to complimentary of her experience as governor. The Next Cheney?

Episcopal bishops of San Francisco and Los Angeles to oppose ban on same-sex marriage: "The Right Rev. Marc Handley Andrus, Episcopal bishop of California, and the Right Rev. J. Jon Bruno, Episcopal bishop of Los Angeles, are scheduled to join other faith leaders and gay couples Wednesday in speaking out against Proposition 8. The measure, which would amend the state constitution to limit marriage to unions between a man and woman, is also being opposed by individual churches and clergy through a group called California Faith for Equality. Their work is designed to counter the huge organizational and financial push the amendment is receiving from leaders of the Roman Catholic and Mormon faiths."

Drag queen dies during performance: "Chip Doran (a.k.a. Ilene Alloverya) was 55 years old - a retiree and former Dallasite who relocated to Austin and drove to Dallas for the Labor Day weekend fundraiser."

Ralph Lauren has put his name on a set of limited-edition balls: "Sales of the balls benefit the LeBron James Family Foundation (which, among other initiatives, supports fitness programs for kids). But unless your name is, say, Jay-Z, Andy Roddick, or Charlie Rose, you're not going to be able to buy it—the balls were produced for an invite-only shopping event at the Polo Mansion tonight."

South Africa sees first gay divorce.

Elbow wins Mercury Music Prize: "The five-piece group took the £20,000 award with their fourth album, The Seldom Seen Kid. The judges called it 'an epic rock record - triumphant, heartbreaking, unerringly melodic and life-affirming'. This year's 12-strong shortlist was dominated by glamorous young females, including R&B star Estelle and 19-year-old singer-songwriter Adele, and established acts such as Radiohead and Robert Plant."

Kylie Minogue says she'd have gone gay for Tallulah Bankhead.

Al Franken wins Democratic primary in Minnesota race for U.S. Senate.

Marijuana shows promise in fighting superbugs: "...researchers tested five major marijuana ingredients termed cannabinoids on different strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a "superbug" increasingly resistant to antibiotics. All five substances showed potent germ-killing activity against these drug-resistant strains, as did some synthetic non-natural cannabinoids, they say. The scientists also showed that these substances appear to kill bacteria by different mechanisms than conventional antibiotics, making them more likely to avoid bacterial resistance, the scientists note."

Chris Evans is the pits.

Maryland Court of Appeals strikes gender identity ballot referendum that would have repealed law forbidding discrimination.

Elton John scraps Lily Allen collaboration after onstage tiff: "The pair, who hosted the awards together, exchanged insults and slurs, culminating in Elton telling Lily he could 'snort her under the table'. Elton now says the spat has put him off collaborating with the 'Smile' singer. 'I was thinking about asking her to tour with me and maybe even do a duet. Obviously that won't be happening,' he told the Metro."

Choir in Fiji distraught at having to perform at a wedding demonstration where a female stood in for the groom, thus making it look like it was a gay wedding.

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Elton John Gets Ben & Jerry's Flavor: Goodbye Yellow Brickle Road

Ben & Jerry's wanted to salute Elton John for finally playing the state of Vermont (he's apparently played in all 49 other states) so they have created an ice cream flavor based off one of his greatest classics:

"The limited-batch ice cream, made from 'an outrageous symphony of decadent chocolate ice cream, peanut butter cookie dough, butter brickle and white chocolate chunks,' is a take-off on his 1970s album and song 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.' It will be available from July 18 to July 25 in the company's Vermont scoop shops, with proceeds going to the Elton John AIDS Foundation, officials said Tuesday."

He'll play Vermont on July 21. His Top of the Pops "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" performance from 1973, AFTER THE JUMP...

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David Beckham to Launch His Own Brand of Bottled Water?

David Beckham may alter his deal with Pepsi to launch his own brand of bottled water, according to a source at UK tabloid The Mirror: "David Beckham has had a fantastic relationship with Pepsi - it's one of the longest running contracts in its history. But after 10 years he feels there are other things he could do. He is a global brand in himself and there is more scope for him to promote his own products. He has an idea for creating a range of healthy products, including water. That's something PepsiCo might develop with him. David is keen to go down the healthy route to keep in with his sporty image. And Pepsi is desperate to keep him. So who knows..."

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Heinz Gayonnaise-Gate Update

As of this posting, 6,346 people had signed the petition to reinstate the Heinz Deli Mayo ad.

Yesterday, the UK gay rights group Stonewall launched a boycott of Heinz products.

Truth Wins Out's Wayne Besen and the American Family Association's Randy Sharp debated the ad on CNN's Headline News. Dan Hill, a business marketing analyst, chimed in as well.

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

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As Heinz Boycott Begins, 1,500 Sign Petition to Reinstate Ad

Following yesterday's calls for a boycott of Heinz by Stonewall's Ben Summerskill in The Guardian over its pulling of a Deli Mayo ad that features a male kiss because of 200 complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority, an online petition was set up by Sam Bannister asking Heinz to reinstate the ad.

The petition reads: "We petition Heinz to reinstate its Deli Mayo TV advertisement following complaints from 200 people as to its 'offensive' and 'inappropriate' content. We feel that the decision to withdraw the advert is wrong in the face of a small number of narrow-minded individuals. By doing so, Heinz have given the impression that they would prefer to cater for the homophobic than the free-thinking, and the decision has provoked upset, brand distrust and outrage among the LGBT community and outside of it. Do not bow down to these homophobic individuals."

As of this writing, the petition had received nearly 1,500 signatures.

Nigel Dickie, a spokesman for Heinz UK, told The Independent that the decision to pull the ad was made form "consumer feedback" and not because of the complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority: "Heinz is a global company and we respect all universal rights. The advertisement was intended to be humorous, not designed to cause offence to anyone. Clearly it failed in its intent to amuse and that is why we took the decision to withdraw it."

The ad, if you missed it, AFTER THE JUMP...

Previously
Gay Rights Leader Slams Heinz for Pulling Gay Ad [tr]
Heinz Deli Mayo Ad Pulled in UK [tr]
Heinz Deli Mayo is Perfect for all Kinds of Homes [tr]

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Gay Rights Leader Slams Heinz for Pulling Gay Ad

Ben Summerskill, head of UK gay rights group Stonewall, has slammed Heinz for pulling its Deli Mayo advertisement, saying the company has insulted a broad base of gay consumers to appease a few vocal right-wing Christians. Writes Summerskill, in the Guardian:

"Any nod at all to the very existence of homosexuality might be enough to have Mary Whitehouse twitching in her celestial bathchair, but the Heinz peck broadcast last week had not even been shown in front of the children the ad is claimed to have upset. (The Deli Mayo it promotes is so unhealthy that Heinz is not allowed to advertise it during children's programmes.) And while Heinz's decision to withdraw the ad might be seen by them as an easy way to palm off 200 fundamentalist Christian complainants, it seems to have been made under the quaint impression that it will cause no offence to Britain's 3.6 million lesbian and gay consumers. Or any of their friends. Or families. Or colleagues. It also seems to have been made mindless of the impact it will have on Heinz's lesbian or gay staff, or graduate recruitment programme. Do young people nowadays really want to work for a business so demonstrably out of touch with the way we all live now?"

Summerskill also said he hopes gays and lesbians will stop purchasing Heinz products.

Previously
Heinz Deli Mayo Ad Pulled in UK [tr]
Heinz Deli Mayo is Perfect for all Kinds of Homes [tr]

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Heinz Deli Mayo Ad Pulled in UK

So much for progress. The Heinz Deli Mayo ad featuring a "mum" who was replaced by a New York Deli Chef as well as a gay kiss has been pulled from the airwaves in the UK after receiving more than 200 complaints:

"The Heinz Deli Mayo ad has been pulled after less than a week on air after viewers complained to the Advertising Standards Authority that it was 'offensive' and 'inappropriate to see two men kissing'. Other complaints include that the ad was 'unsuitable to be seen by children' and that it raised the difficult problem of parents having to discuss the issue of same-sex relationships with younger viewers. 'It is our policy to listen to consumers. We recognise that some consumers raised concerns over the content of the ad and this prompted our decision to withdraw it,' said Nigel Dickie, director of corporate affairs for Heinz UK."

It's just horrible to see two grown men in a nurturing environment who obviously care for one another, showing the proper way to bring up children.

The ad, if you missed it, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Bill O'Reilly Doesn't Want Gender-Blending on His Sandwich

Since Bill O'Reilly's drawn to just about anything gay, particularly if it contains a kiss, the UK's new Heinz Deli Mayo ad I posted on Monday of course didn't escape his notice. O'Reilly's guests didn't buy Bill's bellowing that it was gay, gay, gay, and just seeing a New York Deli guy in the kitchen. But that fine line it rides is, of course, the genius of the ad.

I've clipped the O'Reilly segment, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Heinz Deli Mayo is Perfect for all Kinds of Homes

Heinz has just premiered an ad in the UK for its Deli Mayo which features a New York deli chef in the kitchen preparing lunch for the kids and the other parent as they head off to school and work.

Heinz's new ad agency AMV BBDO told The Guardian "that the concept behind the campaign is that the product tastes so good 'It's as if you have your own New York deli man in your kitchen'".

And the households that some of those kitchens are in just happen to be gay. Watch how quickly the ad's concept is twisted from one kind of messaging into another.

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Florent Says Good-Bye

Florent, the legendary meatpacking district bistro/diner, gets a eulogy from Frank Bruni in the New York Times.

It's an institution. Here's a photo essay I did on it a while back. I'll be sad to see it go. If you happen to be in New York before June 29, pay a visit.

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News: Ted Kennedy, Bacon, Jason Giambi, Gloria Gaynor, HIV

Senator Ted Kennedy diagnosed with malignant brain tumor: "Doctors for the Massachusetts Democrat say tests conducted after Kennedy suffered a seizure this weekend show a tumor in his left parietal lobe. Preliminary results from a biopsy of the brain identified the cause of the seizure as a malignant glioma, they said. His treatment will be decided after more tests but the usual course includes combinations of radiation and chemotherapy."

New York Daily News provides New York Yankees with shipment of gold lamé thongs after revelation that Jason Giambi wears one when he is in a batting slump.

Jean-Claude van Damme holds flexing show on balcony at Cannes.

25 years ago today, the HIV virus was identified in France.

David Archuleta took Brooke White to his fake prom, but he also had other offers: "[David] Cook also asked if he could dance with me — that was a little awkward. So I said no."

Judge reopens Okeechobee High School lawsuit over gay-straight alliance: "U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore dismissed the case last month, saying the club's founder, Yasmin Gonzalez, no longer was affected by the school's decision because she has graduated. But Moore reversed the decision Friday, saying Gonzalez still has a stake in the case because she seeks nominal monetary damages. The judge also allowed current student Brittany Martin to become a plaintiff in the case against the school board of Okeechobee County. 'We are absolutely elated,' said Rob Rosenwald, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, which represents the students. 'I know that the students at Okeechobee High School are very excited that their rights will be vindicated.'"

Dina Matos McGreevey says Jim McGreevey didn't whore himself out enough after becoming famous: "The nation's first openly gay governor could have become a talk show host, pursued a movie deal or otherwise cashed in on his fame after a sex scandal forced him from office, a lawyer for his estranged wife argued Monday."

Gloria Gaynor on being born again: "I had a backlash from gay fans for a tiny period. Because they didn't understand where I was coming from. Now they recognise that my beliefs are my beliefs and that I have no opinions separate from the Bible. There are areas that we agree to disagree on. It's as simple as that. I don't have a problem with them having their beliefs, because my feeling is that God gives each and every one of us the right to not even believe in him. So who am I to try to take that away from somebody? I will always try to share my faith with any person who is willing to listen. When I feel a wall go up, we can talk about something else ... and I will pray for you."

Apparently the only thing good about The Happening coming out are the Mark Wahlberg Men's Health photos that come with it, and even those leave a bit of skin to be desired.

The California Assembly passes bill 45-23 marking May 22 as Harvey Milk day. It now moves on to the senate.

Chocolate-covered bacon, anyone?

Newly appointed Italian minister for equal opportunities and former Miss Italy contestant and television showgirl Mara Carfagna refuses to back a gay pride march because, according to her, it's pointless and gays no longer face discrimination: "Homosexuality is no longer a problem, at least not the way the organizers of these demonstrations would have us believe. Gay pride's only aim is official recognition for homosexual couples, on the same level with marriage. I cannot agree to that. Gone are the times when homosexuals were declared mentally ill...Today there is such a thing as integration into society."

Is 90210 really America's favorite zip code?

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Chelsea's Food Bar Closed

NYC blog Eater reports that as of this morning, Eighth Avenue's long-lived gay eatery Food Bar has been shuttered...

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Is Dale Earnhardt Jr. a: Big Mo'?

No, but his candy bar is.

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News: Edible Martini, Prince Harry, Food War, Goldfrapp, Alzheimer's

Illinois state senator Dave Koehler proposes legislation legalizing civil unions in that state. Koehler: "This is going to be controversial because people are going to try to get all other kinds of issues about the morality of being gay. I hope that can stay to the sideline, because that's not the full intent of this bill. This bill is merely to recognize there are long-term committed relationships that right now do not have the law behind them."

Meet the edible martini: looking pretty good about now.

The History of War told through food, quite literally.

Britain's defense chief pulls Prince Harry from duty in Afghanistan saying media coverage puts him and his fellow soldiers at risk: "Air Chief Marshal Jock Stirrup, chief of the Defense Staff, said he decided to withdraw the prince after senior commanders assessed the risks, the Defense Ministry said in a statement. Harry, third in line to the British throne, has been serving on the front line with an army unit in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province since mid-December. He was originally due to return to Britain within weeks, but 'the situation has now clearly changed,' the statement said."

David Beckham hits South Korea to show off a shiny new phone.

John Stamos takes a kayak break in Hawaii.

UPenn students urge university to examine how FDA's ban on blood donation from gay men conflicts with the school's anti-discrimination policies: "Despite a national blood shortage, millions are prohibited from donating by the Federal Drug Administration's lifetime ban on men who have had sex with men (MSM) since 1977. The FDA argues that this type of sexual activity puts them at a higher risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases that could be then transmitted through blood transfusions. After a controversial, lengthy debate, the Blood Donor Discrimination Proposal passed by a margin of 17 to 9 with three abstentions, College senior and UA chairman Jason Karsh said. When Lambda Alliance first raised the blood policy issue at a University Council meeting last March, the UC never followed up, said Wharton and College junior, UA member and DP columnist Lisa Zhu, who coauthored the proposal on behalf of the UA. The proposal is an attempt to revive the University-wide debate and "pressure the administration to reevaluate their stance," said Karsh."

The Feeling's Dan Gillespie-Sells covers the new issue of Attitude.

A look at the new Goldfrapp album, Seventh Tree.

LGBT Latinos unify in support of Obama.

Janet Jackson hopes her drag queen kicks Madonna's drag queen's ass.

More rumors surface about Florida Governor Charlie Crist's sexuality: "I just wish he would come out and admit it. That would be a great thing if he did."

Anti-gay marriage group in Iowa which staged demonstration at the Supreme Court accuses lawmakers of holding up proposed amendment banning gay marriage: "Several legislative leaders quickly denounced the group's claims, calling their tactics hateful. 'I have a problem when people say, 'We are good, they are evil,' House Majority Speaker Pat Murphy, a Dubuque Democrat, said in response to the group. 'The bottom line is, I believe that every person should be treated with dignity and respect in this state.'"

Could Alzheimer's Disease be cured with a 'reset button' for the brain?

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News: Karen Carpenter, Egypt, Jason Rae, Tuxedos, Michelle Obama

The Advocate talks to Jason Rae, at 21 the nation's youngest superdelegate: "I have not yet come out to my parents. I’m realizing that tonight I may just want to call them and talk to them. I’ve been waiting for the right moment, and now just might happen to be that right moment."

Karen Carpenter's home in Downey, California soon to be in the path of the wrecking ball? Fan: "This house is our version of Graceland. When they photographed the 'Now & Then' cover here in 1973, the house was instantly immortalized."

HIV arrests widen in Egypt: "The latest arrests took place after police followed up information coerced from men already detained, HRW said. The Egyptian interior ministry has not responded to the allegations. In a joint press release, Amnesty International and HRW warned that Egypt's efforts to prevent the spread of the deadly virus could be seriously damaged by the arrests. 'This not only violates the most basic rights of people living with HIV. It also threatens public health, by making it dangerous for anyone to seek information about HIV prevention or treatment,' said Rebecca Schleifer, who works on HIV/Aids issues at HRW."

Beef recall: 143 million pounds. "'Because the cattle did not receive complete and proper inspection, Food Safety and Inspection Service has determined them to be unfit for human food and the company is conducting a recall,' Schafer said in a statement. A phone message left for Westland president Steve Mendell was not immediately returned. Federal officials suspended operations at Westland/Hallmark after an undercover video from the Humane Society of the United States surfaced showing crippled and sick animals being shoved with forklifts." Here's the video. Warning: images are extremely disturbing.

Lindsay Lohan recreates Marilyn Monroe's nude "last sitting" for New York magazine. (warning: NSFW)

Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, and Jude Law will all take over in Heath Ledger's final role.

Jake Gyllenhaal steps out of seclusion.

ABC picks up spec comedy from Will & Grace creators Kohan and Mutchnick: "The untitled sitcom follows two men — one straight, one gay — who are lifelong best friends and business partners. The pair have to balance their relationship when they each find romantic partners at the same time. This show is probably loosely (but likely) based off of the longtime friendship and working relationship between Kohan, who’s straight, and Mutchnick, who’s gay."

Washington House passes measure expanding benefits to domestic partners: "The measure adds domestic partners to sections of laws where previously only spouses were mentioned, including areas referring to probate and trusts, community-property and homestead exemptions, and guardianship and powers of attorney. The underlying domestic-partnership law, passed last year, already provides hospital-visitation rights, the ability to authorize autopsies and organ donations, and inheritance rights when there is no will."

Fleshbot liveblogs the GayVN (adult film) awards at the Giftcenter in San Francisco. (warning: site NSFW

UK arsonist sentenced to 10 years for lighting gay couple's home on fire as they slept: "Sonny Lockwood, 20, targeted his victims, Nicholas Hughes and Peter Cameron at their home in North Downs Crescent, New Addington, in retaliation to the pair testifying against him at an earlier Asbo hearing."

Newsweek: Who is Michelle Obama?

Oscar Men's Fashion Watch: "Fashion is reaching back to the classic look of old Hollywood and giving it a modern, sexy twist. Thanks to designs like Dior Homme's with its skinny cut, men look slimmer in luxury fabrics such as lightweight wool. This year, expect to see '60s-inspired velvet dinner jackets in rich purples or blues. There will be vests and regular ties instead of bow ties."

Five Anglican leaders to boycott once-a-decade world Anglican summit because the Episcopal church ordained a gay bishop: "Friday's announcement came from Archbishops Peter Akinola of Nigeria, Emmanuel Kolini of Rwanda, Benjamin Nzimbi of Kenya, Henry Orombi of Uganda and Gregory Venables of the Southern Cone, which is in South America. 'There is no serious space for those of an orthodox persuasion ... to be themselves or to be taken seriously,' the archbishops said in a statement. They lead some of the largest or fastest-growing Anglican provinces in the world. 'The gathering will be diminished by their absence, and I imagine that they themselves will miss a gift they might have otherwise received' by attending, Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said."

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News: Ferras, Facebook, Mariah Carey, The Nation, Polaroid

I had forgotten that AfterElton was doing a "Gay People's Choice Awards" contest but was extremely pleased to wake up this morning and find out that Towleroad won an award for favorite blog. Thanks to all of you who put in our name for this. It's much appreciated! Check out all the other winners HERE!

Sweet Jesus! Lightning strikes Christ the Redeemer in Rio.

Hillary Clinton 2008 bid hinging on Ohio and Texas. Superdelegate: "She has to win both Ohio and Texas comfortably, or she’s out. The campaign is starting to come to terms with that."

Mariah Carey names new album E=MC².

Facebook is the Hotel California. You can check out any time, but you can never leave. "Even if users terminate their membership, pictures of them posted by others remain online. But users can't really quit, anyway. Like guests at the Hotel California, people who check out of Facebook have a hard time leaving. Profiles of former members are preserved in case people want to reactivate their accounts. And all users' digital selves can outlive their creators. As the company's "terms of use" explain, profiles of deceased members are kept "active under a special memorialized status for a period of time determined by us to allow other users to post and view comments."

First all-Black production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof hits Broadway.

Victory Fund intern is nation's youngest Superdelegate!

If you aren't aware of Ferras yet, you will be soon. His single "Hollywood is Not America" has been licensed by American Idol as the song that's played when the losers hit the road after they're voted off the show. "Bad Day" made Daniel Powter a household name when he was a relative unknown. NewNowNext interviews Ferras about his expectations for the future, and, of course, his love of the gays.

SPOILERS: Wentworth Miller gets wet.

Florent files suit over extending restaurant lease. Judge: "I know this restaurant–Florent is a great place."

Can sugar substitutes make you fat? "Animals fed with artificially sweetened yogurt over a two-week period consumed more calories and gained more weight — mostly in the form of fat — than animals eating yogurt flavored with glucose, a natural, high-calorie sweetener."

Dolce & Gabbana's yummy new entree.

Digital Age: Polaroid exits film business. "Polaroid chief operating officer Tom Beaudoin said the company is interested in licensing its technology to an outside firm that could manufacture film for faithful Polaroid customers. If that doesn't happen, Polaroid users would have to find an alternative photo technology, as the company plans to make only enough film to last into next year. Polaroid has already quietly halted production of instant cameras. "We stopped making commercial-type cameras about 18 to 24 months ago, and we stopped making consumer cameras about a year ago," said Beaudoin."

John Barrowman's parents put him in a trash bin to shut him up.

The Nation endorses Barack Obama: "This magazine has been critical of the senator from Illinois for his closeness to Wall Street; his unwillingness to lay out an ambitious progressive agenda on health care, housing and other domestic policy issues; and for post partisan rhetoric that seems to ignore the manifest failure of conservatism over these past seven years. But as Christopher Hayes argued in our cover story last week, Obama has also exhibited a more humane and wise approach to foreign policy, opposing the Iraq War while Hillary Clinton voted for it, and has been a reliable progressive ally over the course of his career. While his rhetoric about "unity" can be troubling, it also embodies a savvy strategy to redefine the center of American politics and build a coalition by reaching out to independent and Republican voters disgruntled and disgusted with what the Bush era has wrought."

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Ann Coulter Dines at Gay Restaurant in West Hollywood

The Huffington Post's Rick Jacobs hit West Hollywood's Murano over the weekend. The restaurant, owned by lesbian night club owners Robin Gans and Sandy Sachs and gay club promoter Jeffrey Sanker, is a popular new gay eatery. So Jacobs was understandably floored to see none other than Ann Coulter, known for her Falwell-praising gay hate, her "faggot" slurs, and her hobnobbing with "ex-gay porn star" Marines, feeding her piehole among WeHo's finest.

We contacted Jacobs, who offered Towleroad the photographic evidence (above).

Writes Jacobs in the HuffPost: "Notorious people have the right to dine where they please. I also think that they have to eat their own cooking. It's quite simple, really. If a person makes her money by being famous and that person has an addiction problem, she has the right to privacy to solve that problem. But if she proclaims her sobriety to get out of jail and then shows up at a bar, she has to expect that her public might inquire as to her truth. You can't have it both ways: sober for the police and the press; publicly drunk for real. In time, you are caught in the lie. It's one or the other, fame or privacy...How many adolescents in mid-America have heard Ms. Coulter saying they are 'faggots,' subhumans who should die, just so she could eat dinner at a gay-owned establishment and pay with blood money? How many lives have ended so that Ms. Coulter can giggle and guzzle in West Hollywood? I do not believe in bothering famous people when they are out in public. But Ann Coulter created her fame and fortune by cultivating a persona of hate. She has to be called to account. Next time, I hope the folks at Murano or any other public establishment will just say no to the Ann Coulters of the world. Let Ann Coulter eat her own cooking. I doubt she can stand the taste of what she dishes, but it's worth letting her try."

Read about Jacobs' entire experience here:

Ann Coulter: On the Gay Circuit in West Hollywood [huffington post]

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Larry Craig Chosen for Induction into Idaho Hall of Fame

You may have heard that a group in the famous potato state has chosen to induct its senator, Larry Craig, into the Idaho Hall of Fame.

The AP reports: "The nonprofit Idaho Hall of Fame Association picked Craig in March, months before he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct after a Minneapolis airport police officer accused him of soliciting sex in the men's restroom, the organization's board chairman said. 'Larry Craig has made a great contribution to Idaho over the period of 20-some years. At the time it was considered, this other matter had not come up,' Harry Magnuson told The Spokesman-Review newspaper Saturday. But some Republicans said the honor is inappropriate now. Kootenai County Republican precinct committeeman Phil Thompson said Idaho Hall of Fame officials should consider at least postponing the induction. 'Maybe in 10 or 15 years we can think of this hall of fame stuff. Now is not the time,' he said. 'It's a sad day to be a Republican.'"

But whatever will be served as hors d'oeuvres at the induction ceremony?

Might we suggest a recipe donated to the Congress Cooks cookbook by Senator Craig himself: the Super Tuber.

It's made (you can't make this stuff up) by shoving a hot dog into a hole in a potato.

Says Craig of the starchy delight: "Super Tuber is a great snack that uses one of my favorite vegetables: The Idaho Potato. Of course, I suppose any type of potato could be used, but I cannot guarantee that a Super Tuber made with anything but a true Idaho potato would taste as good."

Photo of the super tuber via slog.

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Former Top Chef Contestant Gay Bashed at Long Island Bar

Season two Top Chef contestant Josie Smith-Malave was attacked at Partners Bar in Sea Cliff, New York over Labor Day weekend as she, her sister, and a friend were patronizing the establishment, her lawyer Yetta Kurland reports.

Kurland says the incident should be investigated as a hate crime.

According to the New York Daily News, "Kurland said the trouble started when the women went to Partners bar in Sea Cliff over the Labor Day weekend for a drink and began dancing together. Smith-Malave's sister is straight. Bar employees escorted the women out a side door after other patrons began making nasty remarks and the mood started getting ugly, Kurland said. Kurland said as many as 10 'young adults' followed the women out, circled them, screamed anti-gay slurs, spit on them and then punched and kicked them. A camera belonging to one of them was stolen, she said. Nassau police said they were investigating, but had made no arrests."

Newsday reports that "the women, who had been on Long Island to attend a friend's birthday party, suffered bruises, and one received injuries to her head. One of them had a camera taken in the attack.

Said Kurland: "They were together for an end-of-summer visit, minding their own business, when these people went after them, and we can't stand for this."

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An Unidentified Christopher Ciccone Spices Up Top Chef

On Top Chef last night, two competing teams had to throw together a restaurant, decorations and all, in 24 hours.

What you may not have noticed, because he was never identified, was that one of the patrons was designer Christopher Ciccone (brother of Madonna, of course, who is incidentally celebrating her 49th birthday today).

We think Christopher Ciccone should appear as a judge on every episode, because, like Simon Cowell, Ciccone does not mince his words when it comes to judging what's put before him.

First the decor:

CHRISTOPHER: The chef should know better than to put a scented candle on the table. (putting it on the floor and covering it) And it's dead now. And I need a new napkin.

Then the food:

CHRISTOPHER: It wasn't the best lamb. The meat wasn't cooked properly. I thought it tasted like metal.

DALE: Like metal?

CHRISTOPHER: And if that's a vegetable medley, I'm a monkey.

DALE: I will let miss Sara know.

Top Chef needs to be shaken out of its stupor a little bit, and a biting, straightforward critic like Ciccone could be the perfect ingredient.

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News: John Stamos, AIDS and HIV, Megan Mullally, Jerusalem

The state of the AIDS epidemic is currently getting worked over in the blogs. Andrew Sullivan, who reiterated his theory in a recent issue of The Stranger that 1996 was the end of AIDS, has inspired a strong reaction from Gabriel Rotello responding to Sullivan's claims in The Huffington Post. Sullivan, in turn, has fired off another reply.

Producer of new Stephen Fry documentary called HIV and Me says that interviewee George Michael won't get tested: "George says he does not believe in tests. He says he finds the wait for results too harrowing and that he hasn’t had a test since at least 2004 due to his fears it might be positive."

CNN opinion poll reveals shifting attitudes about the nature of homosexuality: "Fifty-six percent of about 515 poll respondents said they do not believe sexual orientation can be changed. In 2001, 45 percent of those responding to a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll held that belief. In 1998, according to a CNN/Time poll, the number was 36 percent. In addition, 42 percent of respondents to the current poll said they believe homosexuality results from upbringing and environment, while 39 percent said they believe it is something a person is born with -- a close division that reflects the national debate over the issue. However, those numbers are greatly changed from the 1970s and '80s, in which fewer than 20 percent of Americans said a person is born homosexual. In a 1977 poll, the number was 13 percent." Another new poll reveals that young Americans are leaning left...

Megan Mullally will play the role popularized by Madeline Kahn in the new Mel Brooks stage musical Young Frankenstein to open on Broadway this fall.

Protests by ultra-orthodox Haredi jews against this year's gay pride in Jerusalem cost the city $100,000. city council member Saar Netanel: "It is impossible that tax payers in Jerusalem bare the brunt of the illegal protests carried out by the haredi