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: Dark Knight, Pope, Lawrence King, Madonna Sex Tape

Australia: Pope's apology for clergy abuse not good enough. Clash between pilgrims and protestors after condoms thrown.

The Dark Knight shatters box office records, taking in $153.34 million. Check out the list of records it broke.

Man claims possession of sex tape featuring A-Rod and Madonna.

Obama campaign snubs New Yorker reporter from foreign trip press plane following Muslim cover flap?: "Forty journalists, including such leading correspondents as Dan Balz of The Washington Post, will be aboard his plane for next week's swing through Jordan, Israel, Germany, France and England. The campaign received 200 requests for press seats on the plane. Among those for whom there was no room was Ryan Lizza, Washington correspondent of The New Yorker. The campaign, which was furious about the magazine's satirical cover this week, cited space constraints in turning him away."

Hundreds of dead baby penguins wash ashore on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro.

George Clooney works mustache for Martini.

Australia's first LGBT retirement village to be built an hour outside of Melbourne: "The estate will feature 120 two and three-bedroom apartments, a tennis court, bowling green, open-air theatre and a multi-million dollar leisure centre with a pool, spa, gymnasium, cafe, restaurant, piano room and business centre. Managing director and major shareholder Peter Dickson said the village filled a gap in the market. 'Whether we're in a relationship or whether we're single, we want to be surrounded by friends,' he said. 'I wanted Linton Estate to be different to other retirement facilities and this has now come about.'"

Young, gay, and murdered: Haven't had a chance to dive into this yet, but here's Newsweek's take on the Lawrence King tragedy.

Following registrar Lillian Ladele's lead, a Christian policeman says he's been victimized over his opposition to Gay Pride: "Graham Cogman, a constable with 15 years experience, is taking action against Norfolk Police as he claims he was victimised for refusing to wear a pink ribbon on his uniform to mark a 'gay pride' event, and for questioning the force's stance towards gay men and lesbians."

Human Rights Campaign hires trans woman Allyson Robinson as new Associate Director of Diversity?

Man dies during New York triathlon: "Race director Bill Burke said other competitors alerted medical personnel to the man during the 1,500-meter swim in the Hudson River, and he was unconscious when he was pulled from the water just before 8 a.m."

University of Maryland swimmer Fred Deal is out and proud.

Ian Thorpe: It's a girl!

Chace Crawford hangs with the international spokesmodel for Ralph Lauren’s Black Label for men and POLO Black fragrances at a Polo match in the Hamptons.

Showtime orders up two new series with significant gay content: "The first announced was the tentatively titled thirty minute dark comedy Nurse Jackie, starring The Sopranos’ Edie Falco as an iconoclastic, opinionated, self-medicating nurse in New York City...Greenblatt also announced that The United States of Tara, starring Toni Collette, had been ordered to series. Based on an idea by Steven Spielberg and written by Academy Award-winning writer Diablo Cody, the comedy features Collette as Tara, a suburban mother suffering from dissociative identity disorder (more commonly known as multiple personality disorder). Her various personalities include a rebellious teen girl, a biker, and others that impact in a variety of ways both her husband (John Corbett) as well as her children including out gay teen Marshall."

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Former Aussie Olympian Ian Thorpe in Love with Someone

Thorpe told Australia's Sunday Telegraph: "There is (someone special in my life), but they don't live in this country."

Interesting choice of pronoun.

"He described the relationship as a 'newbie' and said it was going well. Thorpe, who is preparing to travel to the Beijing Olympics to honour sponsorship commitments, has previously been linked to a bevy of women...The 25-year-old's sexuality has also been the subject of speculation, with persistent claims the gold-medallist is gay. However, Thorpe has denied this, saying that the subject was nobody's business."

Previously
Ian Thorpe Extinguishes Olympic Flame, Ever so Briefly [tr]
Ian Thorpe is Still Not Gay [tr]

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Ian Thorpe Extinguishes Olympic Flame, Ever so Briefly

Canberra, Australia was the last leg of the Olympic Torch relay and, as you can see from the video below, the site of demonstrations similar to those around the rest of the world, with vocal pro-Tibet protestors poised to do whatever they could to put out the Olympic flame.

However, as SameSame notes, Australia's most famous Olympian, Ian Thorpe, momentarily did their work for them as the flame was accidentally extinguished briefly by the swimmer. To the dismay of many, however, it wasn't on purpose.

That clip, AFTER THE JUMP...

Previously
Gay Activist Peter Tatchell Detained Amid Olympic Flame Protests [tr]
Ian Thorpe is Still Not Gay [tr]

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News: Hubble, Ian Thorpe, South Park, Sean Hayes, Poland

New York Post theater columnist Michael Riedel questions whether Sean Hayes is "virile enough" to play romantic lead to Anne Hathaway in revival of Promises, Promises.

Britney goes to South Park to escape the paparazzi.

The NYT talks to gay New Yorker Brendan Fay about the Polish President's use of his wedding video: "[Krzysztof W. Kasprzyk, Poland’s consul general in New York] said he did not know why President Kaczynski’s staff members used Mr. Fay’s image. 'Probably they were just looking for a useful picture,' Mr. Karkowski said, 'a visible sign of what he and his followers are against and what, supposedly, his political opponents are for.'"

Huffington Post's Barbara Ehrenreich on Hillary's nasty pastorate: "You can find all about it in a widely under-read article in the September 2007 issue of Mother Jones, in which Kathryn Joyce and Jeff Sharlet reported that 'through all of her years in Washington, Clinton has been an active participant in conservative Bible study and prayer circles that are part of a secretive Capitol Hill group known as the 'Fellowship,' aka The Family.' Sean Hannity has called Obama's church a 'cult,' but that term applies far more aptly to Clinton's 'Family,' which is organized into 'cells' -- their term -- and operates sex-segregated group homes for young people in northern Virginia. In 2002, writer Jeff Sharlet joined the Family's home for young men, foreswearing sex, drugs, and alcohol, and participating in endless discussions of Jesus and power.

There's a new wolfman in town.

Australian Olympian Ian Thorpe against boycott of Beijing Olympics over Tibet crackdown.

The gay divide in doctor's advice: " Gay men are much more likely than straights to consult a medical specialist, while lesbians are more reluctant than heterosexual women to go to a family doctor -- if they even have one. The study for Statistics Canada found 29% of gay men consulted a medical specialist in a one-year period compared with 19% of heterosexual men."

Barack Obama gets his own plushy doll.

Ted Haggard escort Mike Jones told to keep his pants on in Naked B4 God: "In sharing his story, Jones drops tidbits about not just Haggard, but Paula Woodward, the TV reporter he first talked to (and who was in the audience at the premiere) and Peter Boyles, on whose radio show he went public. And on opening night, he also dropped his shorts around his sneakers — showing his jones as he demonstrated how he would massage Art. But that was before someone suggested to director Michael Dempsey that the full-frontal nudity that had been part of the play when it debuted in California might violate Denver ordinances."

Hubble telescope detects first-ever organic molecule on a planet orbiting another star: "Hubble found the tell-tale signature of methane in the atmosphere of the Jupiter-sized extrasolar planet HD 189733b. Under the right circumstances, methane can play a key role in prebiotic chemistry – the chemical reactions considered necessary to form life as we know it. Although methane has been detected on most of the planets in our Solar System, this is the first time any organic molecule has been detected on a world orbiting another star."

Hugh Jackman isn't the only X-Men cast member enjoying the beach in Sydney.

The Daily Mail looks back on Sir John Gielgud's men's room arrest: "And so, despite his brand-new knighthood, one of the most celebrated men of the times found himself that October in a Chelsea lavatory well-known as one of London's favourite pick-up joints, looking for his usual evening's entertainment. But this time, his eye lighted not on a fellow member of the underground homosexual community, but on a plain-clothes policeman."

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News: Peru Meteor, Katherine Heigl, Grey Gardens, Brett Somers

Katherine Heigl's fiancé may one day repeat the words of Princess Diana: "There were three of us in that marriage."

Aussie Olympian Ian Thorpe cleared of doping charges leveled on him in May 2006. Investigator: "The evidence available does not indicate the use of performance-enhancing substances by Mr Thorpe. He has no case to answer."

Diamondback Prison in Oklahoma accused of hiring "homosexual predators" as prison guards.

Animated NYC subway map showing the construction of subway lines in sequential order.

MSNBC's Keith Olbermann hospitalized following emergency appendectomy: "Mr. Olbermann’s appendix apparently ruptured Wednesday, but he wrote it off as a stomach ailment and soldiered on. Though still feeling ill, he nonetheless reported for work Thursday night, when he anchored MSNBC’s analysis of President Bush’s prime-time address on the war in Iraq. It wasn’t until Friday afternoon that he decided it was time to seek medical attention, according to an MSNBC spokeswoman." Get well, sir.

CASTING ABOUT: Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange to star in film version of Grey Gardens for HBO films. Jake Gyllenhaal and Tobey Maguire in negotiations to play Brothers.

Match Game regular Brett Somers dies at 83 after battle with stomach and colon cancer.

New York Times to end paid content service "TimesSelect" at midnight Tuesday: "The Times said the project had met expectations, drawing 227,000 paying subscribers — out of 787,000 over all — and generating about $10 million a year in revenue. 'But our projections for growth on that paid subscriber base were low, compared to the growth of online advertising,' said Vivian L. Schiller, senior vice president and general manager of the site, NYTimes.com. What changed, The Times said, was that many more readers started coming to the site from search engines and links on other sites instead of coming directly to NYTimes.com. These indirect readers, unable to get access to articles behind the pay wall and less likely to pay subscription fees than the more loyal direct users, were seen as opportunities for more page views and increased advertising revenue."

Meteor that struck Peru on Saturday causes mysterious illness among villagers: "Residents complained of headaches and vomiting brought on by a 'strange odor,' local health department official Jorge Lopez told Peruvian radio RPP. Seven policemen who went to check on the reports also became ill and had to be given oxygen before being hospitalized, Lopez said. Rescue teams and experts were dispatched to the scene, where the meteorite left a 100-foot-wide (30-meter-wide) and 20-foot-deep (six-meter-deep) crater, said local official Marco Limache. 'Boiling water started coming out of the crater and particles of rock and cinders were found nearby. Residents are very concerned,' he said." More...

Scissor Sisters' Ana Matronic lashes out at lenient sentence given to UK gay bashers who attacked her friend in July 2006: "I am really horrified and disgusted that, in particular, the one person who instigated this attack did not get sent to jail. She seems like a true menace and someone who is quite capable of doing this type of thing again. I was really shocked when I found out what had happened."

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Ian Thorpe is Still Not Gay

Ian Thorpe, seen here attending the World Swimming Championships in Melbourne over the weekend, told Good Weekend magazine that speculation about his sexuality began when he was a teenager and was an attempt to smear him:

"I became a gay icon when I was 15, which was a little bit weird. When I was 17, everyone had started that speculation about me, though I didn’t hear about most of it. I don’t have a problem with being a gay icon, it’s not a big deal to me. But I think the gay speculation, along with when I was accused of taking drugs in 2000, was an attempt to pull me down from the top. Some people think it’s an insult to say, ‘Oh I think he’s gay’, but I don’t take it that way. I’m not gay. I’m lucky that within myself I don’t care enough to get worried or upset over it."

Australian website Same Same reports that the magazine asked Thorpe, hypothetically, if he were gay, would he come out? Said Thorpe: "I have no idea, because I’m not gay. I don’t think anyone should have to be asked that question. You don’t have to come out and declare you’re straight. It shouldn’t be a big deal today, but people still get hang-ups over it."

The swimmer also dismissed comments that his fashion choices put his sexuality into question: "Guys are just guys, girls are just girls, all of us are different. Some guys are more in touch with their feminine side, interested in design and quirky things, some are blokey blokes."

Thorpe, who announced his retirement last November, attended the World Swimming Championships in Melbourne over the weekend as an observer, not a participant. He's currently preparing to produce and host a series of shows on Australia's FOX network on climate change and environmental issues.

Ian Thorpe: I'm Not Gay [same same]

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Ian Thorpe: Gay Rumors No Big Deal [tr]

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Ian Thorpe Leaves Models Gasping

Where do Olympic swimmers go after they retire?

Ian Thorpe made a surprise guest appearance as a judge on Australia's Next Top Model...

"Gasps were heard from the bevy of beauties who discovered him on the judging panel alongside Alex Perry, Charlotte Dawson and Jez Smith during the weekend filming of the catwalk contest. It is understood the preened and buffed fashion plate 'had a fantastic time' working on the show, lending his extensive advertising and sponsorship experience to the 'know your product' theme of the episode."

And Ian does love his fashion.

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Olympic Swimmer Michael Phelps: Ahead by a Hair

USA Today takes a fresh look at swimmer Michael Phelps now that Ian Thorpe has retired and cleared the way for Phelps to dominate in the pool.

Now I thought most swimmers shaved to achieve better aerodynamics underwater, but Phelps was rocking a brand new handlebar porn-stache at the Southern California Swimming Grand Prix last month.

From USA Today: "With the recent retirement of Australian great Ian Thorpe, the path to that title is clearer, although fellow U.S. Olympian Klete Keller contends Phelps 'already passed' Thorpe. 'To really have a legacy that (Phelps) may be individually proud of, he's going to have to do it over more than one Olympics,' three-time Olympic gold medalist and NBC swimming commentator Rowdy Gaines says. Like Phelps, three modern-era male swimmers have had one dominant Olympics apiece: Thorpe, with three golds and two silvers on home soil at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney; Matt Biondi, with five golds and seven overall medals in 1988; and Mark Spitz, with seven golds at the 1972 Games."

And, of course, Spitz worked the porn-stache better than any swimmer in recent memory. I smell victory.

You may have missed...
Ian Thorpe: Gay Rumors No Big Deal [tr]
Sportrait: Michael Phelps [tr]

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News: Gaysted, McFly, Grace Kelly, Molly Ivins, Al Franken

Columnist Molly Ivins has died of cancer at 62: Tribute: "But there was more to Molly Ivins than insightful political commentary packaged in an aw-shucks Southern charm. In the coming days, much will be made of Molly's contributions to the liberal cause, how important she was as an authentic female voice on opinion pages across the country, her passionate and eloquent defense of the poorest and the weakest among us against the corruption of the most powerful, and the joy she took in celebrating the uniqueness of American culture -- and all of this is true. But more than that, Molly Ivins was a woman who loved and cared deeply for the world around her. And her warm and generous spirit was apparent in all her words and deeds."

Princess Stephanie of Monaco says her late mother Grace Kelly would have approved of pop star Mika's chart-topping song referencing her: "He is very talented and handsome and I'm sure my mother would have liked the song very much." Said Mika of the icon: "The song is all about identity and what people expect of me and how I'm perceived. I think Grace Kelly was a rebel and I liked that about her, rather than actresses like Audrey Hepburn or Sophia Loren." (more on Mika...)

Aussie Olympian Ian Thorpe and Lachlan Murdoch team up to fight AIDS in Papua New Guinea: "Thorpe says the disease threatens to wipe out up to 30 per cent of PNG's future workforce. 'We've listened to what the local interests are, to what's required here,' he said. 'It's wonderful to be able to see Australian businesses and PNG businesses coming together.' The business coalition launch raised close to $1 million in pledges."

African LGBT leaders angry that British activist Peter Tatchell and his group Outrage! are getting into their business.

Brit boyband McFly takes it off in the new Attitude.

Gaysted: "Heterosexual people getting so wasted, they slip into seemingly gay acts. The loose definition: It is when you are soooo drunk (wasted) and dudes start dancing with you and you just sort of go along with it and then they start putting their arms around you and you just kind of keep rolling with it because you're drunk and you sort of think the dude is being your dancefloor bro, but then when you sober up you realize that the situash is sort of weird. when this happens, you tell your friends, 'dude, i got so gaysted last night.'"

Vogue editor-at-large Andre Leon Talley gets ready to offer fashion commentary on Oscar's red carpet.

High school wrestler from Valentine, Nebraska who spread Herpes to 24 guys on 10 different teams at a wrestling meet in late December not likely to have a valentine this year. (via deadspin)

Al Franken to run for U.S. Senate from Minnesota: "In a statement, Minnesota Republican Party Chairman Ron Carey said he was confident Minnesotans 'will reject Franken's divisive, scorched-earth attacks.' The state Democratic Party declined to comment. Should he win the Democratic primary in Minnesota, Franken would take on Republican Norm Coleman (news, bio, voting record), a first-term senator who is among the Democrats' top targets. Coleman declined to comment Wednesday."

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News: Wal-Mart, Wombs, Alan Cumming, Gay Bullying

Did Indonesian black magic practitioner curse Bush and entourage? "First, daughter Barbara had her purse burgled right out from under her cute perky little nose, while the Secret Service looked on. Second, two motorcycles in Bush's motorcade crashed yesterday, leaving three officers injured and one in serious condition and finally, top White House official and acting Director of the White House Travel office, Greg Pitts, was beaten and burgled yesterday outside of a Honolulu night club."

Amazing pictures from inside the womb of elephants, dolphins, dogs...

American Family Association calls off Thanksgiving boycott of Wal-Mart after company caves and changes policy language. Retailer says it "will not make corporate contributions to support or oppose highly controversial issues unless they directly relate to our ability to serve our customers." Wal-Mart does say they will still support gay rights groups on specific issues like workplace equality: "Going forward, we would partner with them on specific initiatives. ...As to opposed to just giving blanket support to their general operating budget."

Judge: Police were right in telling Wisconsin man to get his anti-gay signs off of freeway overpasses.

Alan Cumming to receive honorary degree from the University of Abertay in Dundee, Scotland for his contribution to film and television and his work to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS.

A few Ian Thorpe good-bye press conference pics...

Davis, California high school taking stand against homophobic bullying. Principal to student body: "Some of you sitting in this audience today have said mean things to others. Or you have stood by and watched others say things to hurt someone. We all must take a stand against every kind of taunt, every kind of slur or put-down ... whether that is because of race, or because how much money someone has, because their family is different or because of their gender, or religion, physical appearance or the country they come from, or because of their sexual identity. Anti-gay sentiments are probably the most difficult problem facing us."

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Ian Thorpe Retires from Competitive Swimming

Australia's most successful Olympic athlete, Ian Thorpe, announced at a press conference on Tuesday that he would quit competitive swimming:

"As of 2:53 on Sunday afternoon I decided I would not be swimming the world championships. I also made a very difficult decision that day that I am actually going to discontinue my professional swimming career. I'd been working towards this decision for quite some time. I'm a 24-year-old, and I'm only just 24 as well. I'm young enough to still see the new challenges and be able to accept them within my life. I'm also old enough now that I realise all of these accomplishments that have got me to this place in my life. I also know there is a lot of people out there that want me to keep swimming. I only hoped that I wanted to swim half as much as other people want me to."

The announcement came of something as a surprise, as "Thorpedo" had previously said he wouldn't be retiring until 2008, after the Beijing Olympics.

However, Thorpe has not competed in a major event since the Athens Olympics. His return to the pool after the Olympics was hampered by a glandular fever that kept him down for months. He recently spent a long sojourn in Los Angeles, where he moved to escape media scrutiny, but found that difficult as well.

Added Thorpe: "One other thing happened in LA, as I got physically fit, my mind also got fit, I started asking a lot of questions. And I started to look at myself as a person. That begged another question: What would my life be without swimming? It's been a security net for me. But what it's meant is I haven't balanced out my life the way I should. So I realised I had to prove other things and let swimming take a back seat at this stage. I'm looking at a next phase, and that next phase means I am realigning the most important thing for me to do. Swimming falls somewhere short, which is never the way it used to be."

He also said a return to competitive swimming was unlikely: "I won't rule it out, I never rule anything out, but it's not going to happen. It's emotional because I see my entire swimming career flash before my eyes. I've had a great career. It isn't the best time to be walking away from the sport but it's my time."

You may have missed...
Ian Thorpe Back to Stroking It in Sydney [tr]
Ian Thorpe: Gay Rumors No Big Deal [tr]
Ian Thorpe Under the Magnifying Glass [tr]
Ian Thorpe's Hollywood Hills Home
Is Olympic Swimmer Ian Thorpe a Label Queen? [tr]

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Ian Thorpe Back to Stroking It in Sydney

The Australian Olympian is back in training mode, emerging from the water in Port Hacking, just south of Sydney. After a sojourn in Los Angeles, Thorpe is looking to get back in competitive shape. The swimmer was criticized while in L.A. for what some saw as a lazy, extravagant break. Says his former coach: "It doesn't matter what anyone says, the public will expect him to be at the top."

And if anything can get him there, it's those long arms and gigantic feet.

Perhaps you missed...
Ian Thorpe: Gay Rumors No Big Deal [tr]
Ian Thorpe Under the Magnifying Glass [tr]

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News: Bob Ney Guilty, Bush Lifts Hastert, Brand Beckham Fades

Another one bites the dust. Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) pleaded guilty to conspiracy and making false statements in the Abramoff influence-peddling scandal: "He acknowledged taking money, gifts and favors in return for official actions on behalf of Abramoff and his clients." Congressional leaders said they would expel Ney unless he steps down on his own.

David Beckham dropped as face of Police Sunglasses, replaced by Antonio Banderas: "Antonio was seen as more of an alpha male. The brand was more keen to have a personality which meant more to US audiences."

Michael Jackson drags himself out in a bonnet and heels.

Chicago Gay Games souvenirs to be sold to public in effort to close $200,000 budget shortfall.

Ian Thorpe is back in Australia, and he's hungry, say coaches.

Bush appearance gives life to Dennis Hastert. Prez: "Before I liberate the speaker so he doesn’t have to stand up here for that long, Speaker, I want to say this to you. I am proud to be standing with the current speaker of the House who is going to be the future speaker of the House.”

Hartford, Connecticut sees surge in gay population. City now ranks 10th in the nation: "Next door is a gay man, diagonally across the street is another gay male couple, down the block to the right is another lesbian couple. This is a very rich, diverse community." It's up in Iowa too.

March against hate crimes takes place in Glens Falls, New York to honor the memory of Mathew Shepard.

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News: Posh and Katie, Gay Depression, Prince Charles Praise

Following a court ruling that said a same-sex Rhode Island couple can marry in Massachusetts, the Providence-based lesbians did just that: "Becker's mother, Marjorie, stood near the women, reminding them to hold their bouquets at their stomachs, not their chests. Her father, William, couldn't stop saying how proud he was of his daughter and soon-to-be daughter-in-law. 'It's rare that you can change the world,' he said."

Lost stars Dominic Monaghan and Evangeline Lilly to marry.

Stepford Wives unite: the mirror has two faces.

Olympian Ian Thorpe is back in Australia after his three-month stay in Los Angeles. Thorpe had wanted to spend some time in the United States to escape the media glare but ended up getting just the opposite.

Taiwanese Survey: "Almost 13 percent of homosexual college students are suffering from severe depression and are three times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual counterparts."

Prince Charles praises the late openly gay priest Harry Williams in foreword to a newly-published book of his essays, Living Free: "Harry Williams proved to be a star; a man of intense humanity and warmth whose humour and originality created an aura of approachability. His courageous willingness to open up his inner soul and being and to speak from the heart about his own experience of the vicissitudes, complications and agonies of life struck a powerful and immediate chord with huge numbers of undergraduates."

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News: Ian Thorpe Stroking, Noah's Ark, The Heterosexual Agenda

Barack Obama ready to run for President in 2008? "Among a few prominent Democrats, the conversation has changed from 'we wish he would' to 'we hear he will.'"

Gay Australian sheep farmer and Big Brother contestant David Graham launches his political career.

Gay marriage dealt defeat in California, as appeals court rules ban on same-sex marriage does not violate constitution: "We conclude California's historical definition of marriage does not deprive individuals of a vested fundamental right or discriminate against a suspect class," the court said. "The time may come when California chooses to expand the definition of marriage to encompass same-sex unions. That change must come from democratic processes, however, not by judicial fiat."

Justin Timberlake goes all Brokeback on us.

Chris Morgan, gay UK powerlifting champion, is first gay athlete to attract sponsorship from a major brand, Umbro.

The Swimming Whisperer: In bid to revive career, Aussie Olympian Ian Thorpe working with "renowned stroke technician."

Matt Lucas and David Walliams open their Little Britain stage show to a packed celebrity audience: "We'll have played to about a million people and done 200 shows by the time we've finished here in London; and then next year we're taking it to Australia. It's tiring, but when you hear people's laughter and applause it energises you and that's a great feeling."

British fusspot in trouble for anti-gay Noah's Ark remarks: "I imagine now it would be illegal to only have animals of the opposite sex!"

Exposing the myths of the heterosexual agenda...

Ashton Kutcher covets Brad Pitt's body: "I went and saw 'Troy', I was with my wife and with a friend, and every time Brad came on he was like naked or whatever, they were like, 'Ohh', and I'm like, 'I'm right here, I'm sitting right next to you.'"

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News: Al Gore, Manatee, Shirtless Matt Lauer

TIME poll: Not-running Al Gore trails Hillary Clinton by five points for Democratic nomination.

Shirtless Matt Lauer photo has tongues wagging across the internet.

Most New Yorkers support gay marriage, but not by a clear majority: "When you talk about Democrats who vote in New York's primaries, you're talking about a very liberal subset of the general population so for gay marriage not to muster a majority among these liberal voters is significant."

Are the struggle for gay rights and the black civil rights movement comparable struggles? One USA Today contributor thinks so: "The fight for gay rights is like our civil rights struggle, however, and it's hypocritical for groups that have had to fight long and hard to win their own constitutional rights to turn around and try to deny them to the next group. We're seeing this in the descendants of immigrant groups that were despised and vilified during their early days in this country, and that now want to deny recent immigrants the means to become lawful citizens. This hypocrisy was apparent to me as I was growing up in a black Baptist church. I routinely heard ministers condemn gays from the pulpit, even though half the male choir members, the choir director, the flower arranger and plenty of other male church members were obviously gay. The church would have had difficulty functioning without them."

More manatees...now one spotted off Rhode Island!

Oz gays ask, why do we want Ian Thorpe to be gay? " Maybe because we need have a need for some good, solid gay role models. Young gay people have a very limited range of international celebrities who are out and who model to them what it means to be same sex attracted. They have Elton John, tired, old, flambouyant and grumpy with a hair transplant, they have George Michael, who says random toilet sex is ok even though he is in a "committed" relationship. Darren Hayes recently came out and he certainly does make a good role model for young guys who have ambitions of becoming pop stars, what about those who don't relate to that?"

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Ian Thorpe: Gay Rumors No Big Deal

Ian Thorpe gave an interview to Australia's Foxtel channel over the weekend in an effort to quell allegations that he is fat, unfit, and "enjoying too much of the company of Hollywood superstars including Heath Ledger, Michelle Williams and Joel Edgerton."

Of course he's not going to be in perfect shape — he's been ill and injured. Thorpe suffered from glandular fever earlier this year and recently fractured his hand. The Olympian says he trains 40 hours a week but also that he thinks about quitting every day: "Over the last couple of months, I toyed with the question of quitting virtually daily. I love training, I love racing, but you know the things that come with it -- the unwanted attention, all of these things that affect my family. They get to you and it does affect you. You know, I start to question is this actually worth it, is it what I want, because I can't turn it off and I can't get away from it."

Thorpe said that although he moved to L.A. to avoid media scrutiny and get some privacy, that hasn't happened, and paparazzi await his every move. No comment on whether he's adopted the approach of his compatriots in dealing with them.

Foxtel's reporter couldn't help asking about ongoing speculation regarding Thorpe's sexuality, which he responded is no big deal:

"People can think whatever they want to think and people will tell you black and blue that I am gay. There is no basis for what they are saying. It's no big deal because that doesn't affect any part of my life. I don't care what people are saying in that regard because it doesn't mean when I get in my car I worry about what's going to happen today or am I being followed. It's not embarrassing."

Thorpe has also discovered one of L.A.'s culinary delights, the In-N-Out Double-Double burger, protein-style (wrapped in lettuce leaves rather than a bun). Says Thorpe: "It's really, really good. If anyone comes here, go and have it..."

We'll agree with that. Meanwhile, U.S. rival Michael Phelps won five gold medals at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships over the weekend, breaking world records in the 200m IM, 200m butterfly and 400m freestyle relay.

Last week, he told Ian Thorpe to bring it to the world swimming championships in Melbourne next year: "I just hope he wants to get back in shape because if I am going to be world champion, I have to beat the best and Ian is a champion."

A few more shots of Phelps and his teammates from the Pan Pacific Championships after the jump...

Neil Walker and Phelps.

Phelps, Ryan Lochte and Peter Vanderkaay.

Thorpe - Me, LA and gay rumours [herald sun]
Phelps in Record-Breaking Form [news24]

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Ian Thorpe Under the Magnifying Glass

Australian Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe, who recently bought a million dollar home in the Hollywood Hills, is being targeted by media in Australia who say the swimmer is neglecting his career and settling into a life of socializing and Slurpees. They're worried his competitors might get an edge.

Said The Age: "Out of the pool he has immersed himself in businesses including jewellery, fragrances, underwear and bottled water. But he has not competed for two years, having battled glandular fever, and in that time his weight has fluctuated dramatically."

Eh, seems like a lot of speculation to me. Who wouldn't look a bit out of shape next to maybe the hottest photo you've ever taken? But to Thorpe's credit at least they're still interested in talking about him. Let the boy take a moment to paint his nails and have an iced coffee. When he starts to show up in photos like this, then worry.

Is L.A. Life Thorpedoing Thorpe's Golden Career? [the age]
Thorpe Fat Claim Puzzles Officials [the age]
Coach to Chew Fat with Thrope in L.A. [smh]

Previously
Ian Thorpe's Hollywood Hills Home [tr]

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Ian Thorpe Grows a Beard

Isn't it strange how half the celebs run from the glare of the paparazzi, not wanting the media to know anything about their relationships, and some of them issue press releases detailing every item on their agenda?

"It had been one of the nation's most questioned relationships but now it's official - Ian Thorpe and Lee Furlong are truly an item. Despite countless earlier red-carpet denials of a romance, Furlong is looking more like the future Mrs Thorpe. Thorpie's former 'just good friend' has reunited with the international swimming star and this week jetted home from a two-week holiday at his new $2 million mountain retreat in the Hollywood Hills."

Yes, truly an item. I think the facial hair looks great.

Previously
Ian Thorpe's Hollywood Hills Home [tr]
It's All About the Uniform [tr]
Is Olympic Swimmer Ian Thorpe a Label Queen? [tr]

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The News: Michael Phelps, Al Reynolds, Amazing Race...

Chicago man charged with misdemeanor battery and a felony hate crime after punching man following an admission that he was gay.

Swimmer Michael Phelps snatches world No. 1 ranking from Ian Thorpe.

REPORT: Al Reynolds, Jr. has visited a "high-profile" divorce lawyer.

Amazing Race 10 teams announced, including gay couple Tom and Terry from NYC: "This feisty, fun-loving couple has been together for over two years. Their playful nitpicking is constant, but it always ends in shared laughter. This energetic couple is hoping the Race will prove to them they have what it takes to stay together." (via reality blurred)

Pink News takes a look at Palestinian refugee rentboys in Lebanon: "Tarek comes to the Corniche once or twice a week, where he sits alone most of the night. He lives with his parents, and says they don't know. 'I don't come with my friends any more; I don't think they know. I don't want them to know. If I see someone here I know, I move.' His secrecy is helped by the fact that his parents don't ask him where he goes at night, 'They see I have money and they don't have to give it to me.'"

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Ian Thorpe's Hollywood Hills Home

Aussie Olympian Ian Thorpe has set up home in the Hollywood Hills, purchasing a $1.17 million pied-a-terre above Sunset Boulevard. The Advertiser caught him descending from it in a private elevator: "The brown 1970s timber home with a large balcony has valley views and can hardly been seen from the dirt road below or neighbouring houses. Thorpe's super secure mountain retreat is surrounded by trees and the swimming champion has chosen a very private neighbourhood to call home with trees, lifts, fences and walls protecting the well-to-do residents from prying eyes. Despite its secluded location, Thorpe's home is just a short drive from the nightlife of West Hollywood."

Thorpe recently bought in L.A. because he wanted a new place to get in shape and perhaps get a new perspective on his business ventures, which some say are languishing. Said the Thorpedo: "I'm just here to train. I'm just doing my thing."

You may have missed...
Ian Thorpe to Retire in 2008 [tr]
It's All About the Uniform [tr]
Is Olympic Swimmer Ian Thorpe a Label Queen? [tr]

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