TowleTech V.103

You may have heard of a little game called Grand Theft Auto IV. Its sales topped $500 million in its first week in stores.

What you may not know about GTA IV is that it has a gay theme (see video clip, right, via via GuyTVBlog).

Jockohomo writes: "No, big bruiser Niko Bellic is not gay but rather disturbingly plays a homosexual lothario on an online dating site to lure a gay Irish American mobster. Damn, my ears perked up regarding the gay sequence, but surprise the play is handled brilliantly and with a great deal of humor thanks to acclaimed screenwriter Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, The Last Boyscout and The Long Kiss Goodnight). Per usual players can choose not the complete certain missions; i.e. main character Niko benefits later from a friendship formed with the gay mobster. Remember you’re playing an apocalyptic adult game where no demographic remains unscathed. While GTAIV walks a precarious line I have to give Rockstar Games props for not defaulting to the usual homophobic sequence filled with stereotypes."

Mobile phone manufacturer HTC this week launched the Touch Diamond, an iPhone like Windows Mobile device that has been lauded for its looks. Cool Hunting writes: "All the most important functions are accessible from the home screen using a simple gesture based touch interface; the graphics and animation are gorgeous. While the faceted physical design is innovative, its little nuances, like turning the phone over to silence an incoming call, that make this a device worth noting."

Bluetooth sensors could soon be implanted in people at risk of a heart attack: "If the 'in-body network' recorded that the person had suddenly collapsed, it would send an alert, via a nearby base station at their home, to a surgery or hospital."

You'll never win: study finds that the number of fat cells in your body will never change.

Military may be using electronic insects for surveillance by the end of the year: "British defence giant BAE Systems is creating a series of tiny electronic spiders, insects and snakes that could become the eyes and ears of soldiers on the battlefield, helping to save thousands of lives. Prototypes could be on the front line by the end of the year, scuttling into potential danger areas such as booby-trapped buildings or enemy hideouts to relay images back to troops safely positioned nearby. Soldiers will carry the robots into combat and use a small tracked vehicle to transport them closer to their targets. Then they would swarm into the building and relay images back to the soldiers' hand-held or wrist-mounted computers, warning them of any threats inside. BAE Systems has just signed a £19million contract to develop the robots for the US Army."

Meet the world's first bionic sea creature: "Two years ago Winter was the dolphin that could not swim. Instead of powering through the water with a flick of her tail, the bottlenose could barely waggle from side to side. She had lost her tail in a crab trap at just two months old and was found floating in distress off the coast of Florida."

The AP has launched a news service geared for the iPhone: "The service will deliver local news from participating member newspapers and national and international news from AP. The reports will be organized by ZIP code. Google Inc., Yahoo Inc. and others also offer news services tailored for mobile devices, but Jeffrey Litvack, global product development director for AP, said the Mobile News Network would offer easier access to local news stories. Apple offered guidance on how to best tailor the service to the iPhone but has no formal role with the product, Litvack said." The iPhone also this week got its first photo-sharing site: Natuba.

Are you ready to unibike? " The electric Uno is the brainchild of 18-year-old Canadian Ben Gulak who spent several years developing the bike, which is controlled entirely by body movements. The machine actually has two wheels, side-by-side, and uses gyroscopic technology to stay upright. It moves in the direction the rider leans - and the more you lean, the faster you go. Ben claims that the bike could help beat pollution and he was inspired to design it after visiting China and seeing all the smog there."

To the moon, you! NASA has invited aeveryone the opportunity to place their name in a database which will be put on a microchip and put aboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, spacecraft. It's scheduled to launch in late 2008. It's for all practical purposes a novelty, although if the probe happens to be hijacked by aliens, at least they'll know how to address you. Submit your name here.

Perhaps the only people happy about this news are the makers of Propecia: Men living in polluted areas more likely to go bald. "The scientists believe toxins and carcinogens found in polluted air can stop hair growing by blocking mechanisms that produce the protein from which hair is made. Baldness is known to be hereditary, but the new research suggests that environmental factors could exacerbate hair loss."

TOWLETECH GUIDE TO THE TUBE:

BLACKBERRY 9000: A crackberry review of the newest BlackBerry device!

A DO-IT-YOURSELF PARTY BUTTON: Just what everyone needs, a party at the press of a button.

THE ATLAS DETECTOR: An animated explanation of the world's largest Hadron collider, which later in 2008 will be used to learn about the basic forces that shape our universe, creating microscopic black holes by colliding protons, and perhaps determining the origins of mass. Heavy stuff.

HEART BEANS COFFEE GRINDER: Coffee grinder that moves in sync with your heartbeat to "induce an experience of intimacy with the process of making coffee." Why? I have no idea.

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Mayor Bans Moldovan Gay Pride Parade

That first-ever Moldovan Gay Pride parade I posted about earlier has been banned by the mayor of the nation's capital Chisinau.

Organizers sent out a notice earlier today, part of which read: "It is already sixth time that a peaceful LGBT demonstration is banned in Moldova, despite pressure and criticism of the Council of Europe, European Union and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. From the police, city hall and mass-media we have learned that a number of groups is planning violent attacks on pride participants. We believe that the unlawful decision of the city hall was designed to shift the responsibility for any victims of this violence from local authorities and the police to pride organizers. The actions of the Chisinau city hall and the police are in violation of the European Convention for Human Rights and the Universal Declaration for Human Rights, to which Moldovan is a signatory, as well as other international human rights obligations of the Moldovan state. It is also against the European Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, which Moldova has aspirations to join."

Many plan to march anyway, in defiance of the order.

Previously
Moldova Kicks Off Pride Festivities with Symbolic Gay Marriage [tr]

(thanks, rex)

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #287

CINDY MCCAIN: Because she's "not the candidate" she refuses to release her income tax returns...ever.

TWISTER: Recent footage from a tornado that whipped through Leighton, Alabama.

DOGGIE HERO: Woof!

IF I WAS A TERRORIST: A new video from James Pence.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here.

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News: Myanmar, Eddie Cibrian, Coldplay, Hung, Shia LaBeouf

Dutch gay couple have been foster parents to over 100 children.

Even though the death toll could exceed that of the southeast Asian tsunami, the Myanmar government has refused U.S. aid: "The junta not only wouldn't allow U.S. aid planes to fly in badly needed supplies, they also continued to refuse visas to United Nations relief teams trying to get in to make sure the aid gets to the victims. Despite the military clampdown, reports of the horrendous toll the storm was taking on Myanmar's people began trickling out."

Sick: Kardashian sisters make a joke out of Myanmar/Burma situation, record PSA while trying on closet of dresses.

Is Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" single stolen from French pop starlet Alizée? Listen and you be the judge.

Alexander Payne signs on to direct HBO dark comedy Hung, about a man with a huge endowment: "'Hung' revolves around a well-endowed man who is plodding along in middle age as a struggling father and high school coach. The character was once a high school sports legend, and his luck returns when he figures out a way to use his best asset. 'Think of him like Spider-Man,' Burson told Daily Variety last month. 'He's an average guy who gets in touch with his innate superpowers.'"

Turkey's gay magazine Kaos GL just published its 100th edition.

Washington University students, PFLAG in uproar over school's decision to award anti-gay, anti-feminist crusader Phyllis Schlafly an honorary doctorate at May 16 commencement.

Queercents has 10 money questions for DNC Treasurer Andrew Tobias. On political contributions: "Politics is tacky and all the awful things it is — but you can’t have democracy without politics, and politics requires money. That said, it’s wonderful how the balance of power is shifting away from the $500,000 and $5 million contributions (now illegal) — and even the $28,500 contributions (the current annual max to a federal political party like the DNC) — to the potential for millions of $10 and 25 and $100 and $250 contributions over the Internet."

Porn police pair on patrol at Seattle gay bars: "'We have judges, attorneys, police officers, who all come in here because it's a safe place for them,' said [Seattle Eagle manager Keith] Christiansen. 'This kind of attention [from the police] has cut my business in half.' Back in 1998, Christiansen says he went before the liquor board and asked for permission to display his posters. In spite of the law, he says, they let him do it. But because of an increase in enforcement in the area and, Christiansen says, the fact that O'Neill and Gallagher are new to the neighborhood, that era of tacit acceptance has ended. 'This is a whole new breed of people,' he said. 'They don't understand what the Hill is about.'"

Eddie Cibrian on Ugly Betty: hey, coach.

Four openly gay candidates seek seats in Georgia General Assembly.

Isaiah Washington pissed that ABC is using his photo in Grey's Anatomy promotion. Rep: "Isaiah has no plans to go back to Grey's Anatomy ... That being said, we were more than a little surprised that ABC used his likeness in a promo for the show, and indeed advanced his character's storyline. Mr. Washington's attorney has contacted the Screen Actors Guild and ABC as to the appropriateness of that action."

Shia LaBeouf and Andy Samberg play in the bushes.

Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute announces massive grant to fund gay leaders: "The David Bohnett Foundation has teamed with the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute (GLLI) to help the organization sponsor lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender public officials in attending one of the nation’s most prestigious mid-career executive development programs — the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. The program, to be named the David Bohnett Gay & Lesbian Leadership Fellows, is being funded by a $500,000 grant to GLLI."

Time's 100 most influential honored.

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Keith Olbermann on McCain and John Hagee

Finally, the MSM is getting on McCain about John Hagee and McCain's pastors. Thank you, Keith Olbermann.

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

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A Brothers and Sisters Gay Union Preview

That's one fine looking couple.

[[WARNING: SPOILERS]]

USA Today visited the set of the big Brothers and Sisters commitment ceremony and collected quotes from some of the regulars.

Matthew Rhys, on the wedding cake topper: "Is it a man and a woman? Oh, it's two men. Fantastic. There were jokes made that they wouldn't be able to find two men, so they'd have to doctor the woman by adding a moustache. It's all very progressive, evolved and about time."

Rhys on the ceremony and wardrobe: "Luke and I were rehearsing who was to stand where, which would put one of us in the woman's position, and a few comments were made. And neither of us was going to wear a white suit while the other wore black."

Calista Flockhart: "It's a milestone, and I was really quite pleased that I got to be a part of it."

Rob Lowe: "It's pretty romantic in there."

Chad Lowe, who was visiting the set: "I'm here to witness history."

Balthazar Getty on Dave Annable's character being best man: "Dave's been locked in his dressing room, crying."

Annable: "Balthazar couldn't handle not being best man."

And here are some additional SPOILERS: "the liberal-leaning show does attempt to recognize those who oppose gay marriage by introducing Scotty's disapproving parents, who skip the ceremony. That volatile relationship is expected to be explored in Season 3. Another possibility: children.

Luke Macfarlane: "Kitty makes a speech about Scotty and Kevin building a family, which hopefully is foreshadowing."

Executive producer Monica Breen: "They will be a family. Kevin deserves a stable relationship in the same way that Kitty, Sarah and all the others deserve it. He will be facing many questions in his life — but now he has someone to share that with."

And if you missed it, last week's proposal, AFTER THE JUMP...

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