News: Spy Satellite, Jack Mackenroth, Huckabee, Indiana Jones

Pentagon will shoot down disabled satellite before it poses danger to Earth: "U.S. officials said Thursday that the option preferred by the Bush administration will be to fire a missile from a U.S. Navy cruiser, and shoot down the satellite before it enters Earth's atmosphere. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the options will not be publicly discussed until a later Pentagon briefing. The disabled satellite is expected to hit the Earth the first week of March. Officials said the Navy would likely shoot it down before then, using a special missile modified for the task."

Does Mike Huckabee have a new job shilling soup for Campbell's?

Check out the brand new trailer for the new Indiana Jones flick which has something to do with aliens and Roswell, New Mexico.

The Year of Paper: Documentary on three couples and their first year of marriage airs tonight in San Francisco. "First-time filmmakers Kelly Rouse and Nikki Parker explored the lives of three couples - two men, two women and a heterosexual pair - during their first year of marriage. The resulting film... goes into the history of marriage as well as the lives of the subjects. The filmmakers interview scholars, legal experts, clergy and activists from both sides to understand what marriage means in America today."

More Wentworth: A preview of the Prison Break finale.

Obama's delegate lead shifts focus of Clinton campaign: "With every delegate precious, Mrs. Clinton’s advisers also made it clear that they were prepared to take a number of potentially incendiary steps to build up Mrs. Clinton’s count. Top among these, her aides said, is pressing for Democrats to seat the disputed delegations from Florida and Michigan, who held their primaries in January in defiance of Democratic Party rules."

Senior DOJ official who authorized waterboarding now says it's illegal.

Nick Yordi, former starting quarterback for Wartburg, College in Waverly, Iowa in court on disorderly conduct charge for anti-gay slur: "The trial was scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. at the Bremer County Courthouse. Nick Yordi, a sophomore from Solon, was arrested for yelling those slurs at another student on campus October 9th, 2007. Yordi has pleaded not guilty, and has played in two football games since his arrest." GLAAD: "According to the Wartburg Trumpet, Yordi was 'charged under a section of the Iowa Code that prohibits making abusive epithets or threatening gestures which are likely to provoke a violent reaction by another.' Wartburg College President Jack Ohle addressed the school Oct. 22 through e-mail and wrote, 'Understandably, matters that come within the college’s purview are dealt with immediately and privately with the parties affected through a prescribed process and according to the student handbook, honor code and the appropriate faculty and staff handbooks.'"

Former gay Arizona Rep. Steve May to get back into politics, running for seat vacated this year by Rep. John Shadegg: "This is a great time for a Republican like me to get into the Republican Party to bring it back to the values that win."

Who knew the Hilton family still had up-and-coming drunk drivers?

Project Runway's Jack Mackenroth talks to HIV+ magazine: "I think people have become apathetic--because you can see people like me. I look really good. I take really good care of my body. I think I look good for my age. And I certainly look good for someone who's been HIV-positive for going on 18 years. But don't let that fool you. Having HIV is still not fun. I have to take my pills wherever I go. It's still not a picnic. I run into people all the time who are like, 'Well, you don't look sick.' What the hell does that mean! That's so stupid! Young people now aren't educated like they used to be. I think it's really shocking. I had a partner die. He was 250 pounds! He was a huge, hulking guy. He never found a regimen that worked for him. He constantly had intestinal problems. We were out on Fire Island, and he said, 'I don't feel good.' We went back to New York, he checked into the hospital, and he was dead two weeks later."

Chippendale dancers visit The View.

Va-jay-jay chat: Meredith Vieira giggles nervously as Jane Fonda drops the word c*nt on TV.

Legislation floated that would allow same-sex married couples to divorce in Rhode Island: "The state's highest court ruled in a 3-2 decision in December that a lesbian couple who married in Massachusetts could not get divorced in their home state of Rhode Island. Supporters of the bill say it makes no sense to require people to remain married when they have no desire to do so. But the legislation is expected to face opposition from Gov. Don Carcieri and many other lawmakers."

Gay couples share their stories of romance.

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News: China, Fabio, Antarctica, Oprah, Dame Edna, Scotland, Britney

Teen gay bashes straight couple after mistaking short-haired girlfriend for a man: "The boy, 16, has been charged in juvenile court with the assault, occurring after asking the man and his girlfriend if they were 'two gay guys.' They then became "f$%^ing gay bastards" as they were thrown to the ground, punched and kicked on a busy Dublin street."

Nightmare Garden: Actor from British children's TV series claims on-set injury and anti-gay harassment: "Isaac Blake claimed he suffered an injured pelvis while wearing the chunky brown and pink costume to entertain millions of viewers as one of the three Tombliboos. The 28-year-old said he had to go to hospital and was forced off work for a week after being made to bend over for long spells for closeup shots while wearing the suit. At an employment tribunal, Mr Blake, a trained dancer, also alleged that he was discriminated against and verbally abused for being homosexual. He claimed a colleague called him a 'bitch' and a 'faggot' but when he made a formal complaint he was told to 'shut up and get on with it'."

OWN: Oprah Winfrey gets her own network! What an appropriate name for it.

Judge orders MSNBC to include Dennis Kucinich in Las Vegas debate today.

Kennith H. Burns, founding member of pioneering L.A. gay rights group Mattachine Society, dies at 81 of lung failure: "In 1953, when McCarthyism was strengthening its grip on the national consciousness, Hay and other Mattachine leaders with communist ties were ousted and Burns assumed a prominent role in the organization. The society moved in a more conservative direction during Burns' tenure as Mattachine president in the mid- to late 1950s. Along with other Mattachine leaders, including Harold Call and Don Lucas, he urged members to temper their public image and assimilate into society. 'We must blame ourselves for much of our plight,' Burns said during this period. 'When will homosexuals ever realize that social reform, in order to be effective, must be preceded by personal reform?'"

Fabio offers up Details on George Clooney West Hollywood catfight: "He laid a hand on me, so it would have been self-defense if I had beaten him down. I could have fucked him up. Oh my god, I could have beaten the shit out of him. I was so pissed off. Right then, I could have knocked him over and beat him. I could have punched him in the face while he was on his back. That's how you really hurt someone—their face can't amortize the punch so it takes, it takes the whole impact."

Dame Edna ill, ordered to rest for six months...

Stuart Ellanson, an inmate serving life sentence for murder of gay man gets 15 additional years for holding a dental technician hostage at the prison: "He held the woman captive in a storage room in the prison's health complex for about five and a half hours before releasing her. He was then arrested. Ellanson is serving a life term for murder as a hate crime in the stabbing death of a man in Superior in 1991. The criminal complaint said Ellanson told investigators he killed the man because he was gay."

MELTING: Antarctic ice loss jumps 75% in a single year.

Britney SNAPS (4:13), and picks up a British accent while doing so.

Outsports looks at the aquatic side of Project Runway's Jack Mackenroth: "'Swimming just came fairly naturally to me, and I really enjoyed it,' said Mackenroth, now 38. And he was very good at it, too. He has three All-American titles and set a national record at the 2006 Gay Games in Chicago in the breaststroke leg of the 4-by-50 meter medley relay. Also in 2006, he finished 12th in the 50-meter breaststroke at the Masters World Championships in Stanford, Calif. 'Swimming has been rewarding,' said Mackenroth, who played soccer and baseball as a youngster and now admits that he, 'was hopeless at all of the other sports.'"

China Daily looks at what gays face in that country: "The more you try to oppress sex, the more resistance will rise up." Time takes a look too.

Scotland's hate crime laws to be widened to include sexual orientation, gender identity, and the disabled: "It aims to strengthen the law to protect disabled people and those from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered communities by extending statutory aggravations to cover crimes motivated by malice or ill will towards victims."

RESEARCHER: Heterosexual couples have something to learn from same-sex couples: "In a series of studies Green conducted with Michael Bettinger and Ellis Zacks, lesbian couples were found to be emotionally closer than gay male couples who, in turn, were found to be emotionally closer than heterosexual married couples. 'It all comes down to greater equality in the relationship,' Green said in a statement. 'Research shows that lesbian and gay couples have a head start in escaping the traditional gender role divisions that make for power imbalances and dissatisfaction in many heterosexual relationships.' Heterosexual couples could learn from gays couples about sharing housework and childcare, using softer communication in conflict and having more nurturing behaviors toward one another and their children, the researchers conclude."

The Gawker job interview.

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News: Sean Penn Badgley, Scottsdale, Hello Kitty, Giorgio Armani

Sean Penn: The future Harvey Milk ends his 11 year marriage.

Penn Badgley: hot and bothered.

Censorship debate continues surrounding the BBC's dubbing, and then undubbing of the word "faggot" from The Pogues' Christmas tune "Fairytale of New York". Times Online: "The present consensus is with MacGowan – that there is nothing wrong with using the word 'faggot' in this context. Lighten up, you Milly Tants. My unfashionable counterview is that there is something very wrong in using it, that Radio 1 was right in its original decision and should have shown more balls and stuck by it. 'Faggot' is a term of anti-gay abuse; in this song it is most definitely an insult...To say that you’re offended these days is to risk being accused of being humourless; of not getting the joke. It’s the same risk you run as a woman who is offended by the endless parade of breasts in magazines such as Nuts. The new casual homophobia is couched as a perfectly acceptable, knowing joke, and coincides with a general feeling that gays have had quite enough equality: equal age of consent; civil partnership ceremonies (but not marriage). That we are getting a little too big for our boots."

First shots of Edward Norton as Bruce Banner in The Incredible Hulk.

Fashion designer and Project Runway contestant Jack Mackenroth talks to NYC's HX magazine about his reaction to Sarah Jessica Parker on the show and his cameo in the upcoming Sex and the City movie, among other things: "When I watched [the reaction] back I was like, 'I am so gay.' Which is fine. I embrace the gayness. I’m super-gay. I’m a big ol’ queen...[The Sex and the City cameo] was completely unrelated. A friend of mine knew the person that was casting the extras, so he called me up and said they needed a gay guy with a good body, and I was like, 'Alright!' But she’s super-nice and totally genuine. It was very painful for her to do the critiques because she doesn’t like being mean."

Fans swarm Giorgio Armani as he visits his NYC Soho Armani Exchange store: "Everyone rushed him and started asking for autographs. It was mayhem."

Hello Kitty for Men, coming soon.

Scottsdale, Arizona bar owner converts to a gay nightclub after year-long dispute over the banning of a transgender patron: "Owner Tom Anderson (pictured on right, with co-owner brother Ted) said he made the transition in an effort to 'change Scottsdale.' The city saw a number of high-profile anti-gay and hate crimes this year, said Sam Holdren of Equality Arizona. Anderson made headlines last year when he banned a transgender woman from Anderson's Fifth Estate after female customers complained about transgender patrons using the women's restroom. The woman, Michele DeLaFreniere, filed a discrimination complaint with the Arizona Attorney General's Office."

A theory on Rednecks vs. Gay Marriage: "...if we are trying to explain (but not excuse) why the churchgoing divorcees oppose it, the answer is that they see homosexuality, married or not, as non-traditional. The churchgoing divorcees are not asserting their family virtue, logically conceived, but their family virtue as traditionally defined. It is the traditional definition of family virtue that prevails in the communities where the churchgoing divorcees are trying to ingratiate themselves, as a way to compensate for and cover their fractured family lives."

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News: Ivri Lider, Provincetown, Anderson Cooper, Aurora Borealis

Provincetown police to receive civil rights training following negligence over several hate crimes that have occurred at the tip of Cape Cod. Police Chief Warren Tobias reportedly remains unwilling or unable to communicate with victims and LGBT anti-violence advocates: "At a committee meeting last week, Provincetown acting Police Chief Warren Tobias said he would not seek input from those who complained this summer, such as the Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project in Boston and off-Cape resident Richard Hall." Here's a refresher...

Hunk du Jour offers up a lengthy interview with out Israeli singer Ivri Lider. Lider: "I think famous people coming out is an extremely important thing that helps to change lots of peoples' views. It also helps a lot of young people who are dealing with their sexuality and the feelings of being isolated and alone in the world. With regard to Israel, or at least Tel Aviv, you could probably call it one of the gayest cities in the world. For most people here, it's just not an issue."

John Kerry urges military working on investigation into slain Arghanistan lesbian soldier Ciara Durkin's death to work faster: "The Durkin family has waited patiently for more than two months for a final report on Ciara’s death. This incredible family deserves answers, without delay, so that they can begin to find some closure."

Minneapolis church and others take stand: No heterosexual marriages until same-sex marriage is legal. Reverend: "If you feel that gay and lesbian people are loved and credited by God, then how can we continue to discriminate against our brothers and sisters?"

Scientists discover energy source of Aurora Borealis: " New data from NASA's Themis mission, a quintet of satellites launched this winter, found the energy comes from a stream of charged particles from the sun flowing like a current through twisted bundles of magnetic fields connecting Earth's upper atmosphere to the sun. The energy is then abruptly released in the form of a shimmering display of lights, said principal investigator Vassilis Angelopoulos of the University of California at Los Angeles."

Suck it Jesus, Kathy Griffin's My Life on the D-List just got renewed: "Official word from Team Kathy, EMMY award winning My Life on the D-List has been renewed for a forth season. But this just isn't any renewal. Instead of six episodes, try ten on for size."

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams refuses to allow Bishop Gene Robinson or "turn-coat" Martyn Minns to attend next year's Anglican Lambeth Conference.

The harrowing career of Anderson Cooper: the newsman must evade both chest-beating gorillas and Kelly Ripa.

Christian video site GodTube bans the word gay, yet allows 'fag' and 'dyke'.

Madonna to be inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with Leonard Cohen, the Ventures and the Dave Clark Five.

Gay British Stonewall volunteer receives prestigious Diana award: "I'm so proud to receive the Diana Award. When I was bullied for being gay there was no one I could talk to and when other young people told me about their experiences of homophobic bullying, I knew I wasn't alone. I was determined to set up a youth group where people like me in my local community could share their experiences and offer each other support in dealing with the bullying we faced."

Bring Jack back: Project Runway fan starts campaign to bring back Jack Mackenroth, who left the show this week after developing a staph infection. If you missed his Flashdance parody, don't.

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Jack Not Letting Project Runway "Shocker" Get Him Down

Since some of you may not have seen last night's Project Runway, I'll post comments AFTER THE JUMP... [[SPOILERS]]

As you may or may not know, Jack Mackenroth, who has talked previously on the show about the fact that he's been living with HIV for 17 years, left Project Runway last night because he developed a staph infection called MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), which he explains (via a clip from gratz industries) more fully on his site:

"It’s also sometimes referred to as the 'superbug,' as the combination of natural selection and over-prescribed antibiotic treatments has created a bacterium that’s stronger than anything we have to fight it with. (See? And you thought you were just tuning in to hear about darts and pleats.) Translation: the thing is as tough to kill as that shape-shifting metal robot in Terminator 2. There are two strains of MRSA, one you typically get in hospitals where lots of people are sick and lots of people have open wounds, and one found in communities where sick people and wounded people aren’t usually in the room next door. Strangely, it’s the communal variety that’s the most dangerous. We don’t know from the brief clip which strain Jack has or where he got it, but if it’s the communal variety there’s more of a danger other people working in very close proximity could get infected."

Jack talks about the episode in an interview on Bravo Outzone:

"I announced it to the cast. Everyone cried, and then I literally dropped my scissors and went to the hospital. I was in the hospital for five days, and I had to have an IV of a really hardcore antibiotic -- twice a day for five days. The good thing about this is that if you catch it quickly enough, it goes away as quickly as it comes. It was weird, as soon as they give you the antibiotic, you kinda feel fine. I was kinda sitting in the hospital like 'Ugh, I’m bored.' And they did actually have to go in, and a plastic surgeon cut open the inside of my mouth because they had to drain all the stuff. It was really hardcore. For about a month afterwards I had a little bit of nerve damage actually. I could feel a little tingling in my face, but that’s all gone now. So then, I think I came back about a week later just to do my exit interview stuff. … When you see me talking on the show, in (last night's) episode, when my face is not swollen, that’s after I’ve already come back from the hospital. I kinda just want that to be clear just because I know a lot of people are saying, 'I hope you’re OK.' I know a lot of people think the show happens in real time. But just so it’s clear – I’m fine."

Anyway, kudos to Jack for handling the episode with candor and grace and educating a lot of people about living with HIV in the process. Jack is a fan of Towleroad and sent along the photo at the top of this post last night just after the episode aired.

He also wanted to share the following video with you. Jack's definitely not letting this exit get him down. I have no doubt we'll be hearing more from him. In the words of Tim Gunn, "Carry on."

Jack: Dating, HIV, and The Everyday Woman [bravo outzone]
Jack Mackenroth [blog]

Previously
Jack Mackenroth Offers Insight into Dale Levitski Reality Romance [tr]
Real Reality Couple: Jack Mackenroth and Dale Levitski Dating [tr]
Project Runway: Jack Mackenroth Makes it Work [tr]

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Jack Mackenroth Offers Insight into Dale Levitski Reality Romance

Project Runway's Jack Mackenroth, who revealed his positive HIV status on last week's episode of the show, offered some clarification on his blog as to his new boyfriend Dale's negative HIV status in order to clear up misconceptions about HIV and rumors on the internet.

Said Jack on his blog: "I guess there are a lot of rumblings in the blogosphere about me and Dale and some concerns about our different HIV status. First I think its interesting that people just assume he is HIV negative–which he is. Just an observation. Anyway–I feel the need to address the issue since I am so open about my status. First of all safer sex is VERY easy to practice and doesn’t detract from the experience in any way. Beyond that if you are educated about HIV then you know that there are a myriad of things that two people of different HIV status can do sexually with no risk. I’m not going to delve into our sexual proclivities but all is good on the Jack/Dale front. Furthermore my viral load is undetectable which means that when they do a blood test they are unable to find any virus in my blood. That low level of HIV is due to the medication I take and regularly monitoring my status. This combined with safer sex practices allows two people with different HIV status to have a full, healthy relationship. I would also like to add that in the past I had 2 boyfriends for two years each and both of them were and are still HIV negative. Thanks!"

Me and Dale [jack mackenroth]

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Real Reality Couple: Jack Mackenroth and Dale Levitski Dating [tr]

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Real Reality Couple: Jack Mackenroth and Dale Levitski Dating

Bravo's reality shows are cross-breeding. Project Runway's Jack Mackenroth and Top Chef's Dale Levitski are dating, according to Bravo's OutZone.

Jack told them: "It's very baby steps. I really like him a lot. And geography is a bit of an issue, but we'll see where it goes. I like him a lot. I assume he likes me a lot. Unless he's lying...(laughter)... He's adorable. I like keeping it incestual, keep it in the Bravo family."

Said Dale: "Yeah, we randomly met over Myspace. And then we bumped into each other at the OUT100 party and clicked. He's hilarious. We're just gonna roll with it and see what happens. And he's cute as %&#@. We have the same sense of humor. We giggle a lot, and you know, anytime you end up going through the Bravo-reality-show...we just looked at each other and said, 'yeah...'"

To be completely Bravo cliché about it, let's watch what happens and hope they can make it work, otherwise Dale may have to pack up his knives and go.

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Project Runway: Jack Mackenroth Makes it Work

Congrats to Jack Mackenroth for making it work on Project Runway last night. While we were impressed by both Jack's candor about his HIV status and the ensemble he put together for Tiki Barber, we were also impressed and intrigued by the human transportation device he introduced in the show's first moments.

See after the jump...

It wasn't until later in the show when he ditched the "manbag" that we realized - oh, Christian's just helping him getting his workouts in. Nice job Jack!

Aside from a couple of outfits, those were some of the worst looks I have ever seen on that show. Queerty has a nice wrap-up of Jack's moments.

(top image by Frank Louis)

Previously
Project Runway Kicks Off Season with Lincoln Center Preview [tr]

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News: Michael Bublé, iPod, Domenico Nesci, Jack Mackenroth

NYDN Widdicombe: Calvin Klein gets it in the rear from Donna Karan.

Tila Tequila contestant "Italian stallion" Domenico Nesci to get his own show. But first, he might want to wash the soap out from under his arms. Of course we could do it for him.

Girls Gone Wild creator Joe Francis claims abuse in jail: "His attorneys allege on the day he was supposed to be transported to Reno, Grady County guards made him dispose of his commissary — food, clothing and hygiene products — as well as his bedding and blankets for the move. 'While waiting in line to be transported to a bus, one of the guards instructed him to step out of the line. He was told that he would be ‘going nowhere' and ordered back to his cell. Francis had already given his entire commissary away and had no bedding or blankets. The commissary could not be replaced for days,' his attorneys wrote in one legal filing. 'Mr. Francis again and again begged for a blanket,' they wrote in another legal filing. 'It was then that guards threatened to strip him and strap him naked to a chair, with only a hole for defecation, for 48 hours. Grady County jail officials were enjoying torturing Mr. Francis so much that, at one point, they even refused to turn him over to the U.S. Marshal.' The sheriff laughed at the accusations."

Philadelphia Mayor John Street presided over the same-sex commitment ceremony of Ryan Bunch and Michah Mahjoubian as anti-gay protestors waited outside City Hall. Mahjoubian: "As head of the city of Philadelphia, he lends legitimacy to what we've done today and that was important for us to do that in front of our friends and family." Our previous report here.

Apple's iPod acts propelling previously unknown musical acts to stardom.

Documenting the Project Runway attack of Carrie Bradshaw.

Christian bookstores ban new Bible study guide that challenges anti-gay New Testament translations.

Chubb joins major companies Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., Merck & Co., Ernst & Young LLP, and Toronto-Dominion Bank in offering on-the-job workplace-discrimination training to their employees: "Other employers include sexual-orientation issues in general training on inclusiveness, Mr. Peoples says. All told, 41% of 255 big companies surveyed by the Human Rights Campaign, a nonprofit advocacy group for gays in the workplace, offer some kind of training that touches on sexual orientation."

No, that wasn't the F-word you heard in the movie Enchanted, although it might as well be.

Seattle's Lifelong AIDS Alliance free condom illustration sending the wrong message: "An image of condom packet walking hand-in-hand with a rock of crystal will not reach men that are currently using crystal—most of whom abuse crystal meth to annihilate their inhibitions and engage in casual unprotected anal sex—while communicating to men that aren’t using crystal that they can 'safely' use the drug and 'FUCK without fear.'"

Follow the link for, I guess what you would call, a Bublé butt.

British Cabinet split over proposed hate incitement laws: "...despite strong backing from bodies such as Stonewall, the campaigning group for gay rights, the proposals have caused controversy and been condemned as a threat to freedom of speech, including from some prominent homosexuals."

Female medical assistant suing doctors group on Long Island after she allegedly refused to cover for a physician she says had sex with a younger male patient in an examination room: " Grundfast, an orthopedic specialist, 'told me he had a sexual affair' with the man, sometimes having sex in the examination room, sometimes elsewhere, Lloyd said. The doctor 'told me he bought a wig and lingerie, so [the patient] could envision he was a girl' when they had sex, she said."

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Project Runway Kicks Off Season with Lincoln Center Preview

[[SPOILERS]]

Project Runway held a runway preview yesterday at Lincoln Center, featuring fashions from this season's designers.

USA Today posted a report on the show. Said Tim Gunn: "This is the first season I've said any one of the designers is talented enough to win the entire season. Once we have a really seasoned, experienced professional designer (on the show), unless we tried to have an even playing field, we have unfair advantages. This is a very even playing field as we start out. And as we progress, watch what happens."

Above, a clip from the first episode, featuring the introductions of the season's designers. Below, a video of the runway event at Lincoln Center. The designers aren't tagged on screen but you can see the slide on the wall corresponding to each designer's fashions.

Project Runway premieres one week from tonight, at 10 pm. The full Lincoln Center show, after the jump...

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

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News: Prince Harry, Radiohead, Oscar Wilde, Robo-Bugs, Paris Hilton

Florida Rep. and men's room-frequenter Bob Allen's trial begins on November 5th.

Matt Leveson, a 20-year-old Sydney man who went missing after a night of partying, is feared murdered: "The wildlife welfare officer, a regular at the club, was thought to be going home to Cronulla. His family reported him missing when he failed to show for work the following Tuesday. He had also stopped answering his phone. Two days later Mr Leveson's green 1999 Corolla hatchback was found dumped outside a public toilet at Waratah Park Reserve, Sutherland. Police said evidence suggested he did not park it there. They believe he 'met with foul play'."

Funeral held in Ireland for lesbian soldier Ciara Durkin, slain mysteriously in Afghanistan. The investigation into her death is ongoing.

Radiohead fans pissed at poor sound quality of In Rainbows digital download: "The sentiment among many fans seems to have gone from admiration for the group's willingness to let the consumer decide how much to pay for the new album to anger over the low quality of the downloads — and dismay over the band's manager's statement that the you-choose-the-price downloads were just a promotional tool for the release of the physical CD."

POLL: Oscar Wilde is Britain's greatest wit.

Paris Hilton heading to Rwanda on charity mission: I'm scared, yeah. I've heard it's really dangerous. I've never been on a trip like this before. I love having everything documented. It shows people what everyday life is like for me, how hard I work. There are a lot of misconceptions about me."

Jack Mackenroth, set to compete in the upcoming Project Runway season, denies a rumor that he was booted from the show because of a staph infection: "'He says he was the fifth designer voted off,' says the snitch. 'He is claiming that this was at least part of the reason he was booted.' Mackenroth, who had signed a confidentiality agreement, denied spilling the beans when contacted by Bravo. 'People will say things about me whether they know me or not,' he said in a statement released through Bravo's PR. 'Those were not my words and are fictitious.'"

Is the government employing high-tech robo-bugs at anti-war rallies?

Same-sex couples from Australia seen heading to the U.S. in increasing numbers on the quest for designer babies: "IVF pioneer Dr Jeffrey Steinberg said an increasing number of gay and lesbian Australians were visiting his Californian fertility centre to begin a family and side-step Australian law that prohibits surrogacy. 'We see about two or three gay couples from Australia each month and that's about a five-fold increase over the last two years,' he told The Sunday Mail. Dr Steinberg said between 75 per cent and 80 per cent of same-sex couples who came to him for treatment decided to choose the sex of the baby, using the controversial IVF procedure and embryo screening known as Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis."

The NYT looks into the mysterious death of gay club icon Dean Johnson: "After Mr. Johnson did not show up for band rehearsal on Sept. 27, his friends called the Washington police and finally got an answer. Mr. Johnson’s body was in the city morgue; it had been there for a week. As details of his death surfaced, the mystery around it grew. Four days earlier, the police had found the body of another man, Jeremy Conklin, 26, at the same apartment — that of Steven S. Saleh. Mr. Conklin had been pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, said Inspector Rodney Parks of the Washington police. For Dean Johnson, whose heyday in the 1980s mirrored the rise and fall of New York’s bohemian downtown club scene, and who rarely kept the salacious details of his life private, it seemed an inconceivable way to go. The apartment Mr. Johnson died in was at the end of a nondescript hallway on the second floor of a stately building — a distant cry from the East Village nightclubs where he and the naked go-go boys under his command once reigned."

Prince Harry cheers on English rugby at the World Cup. Unfortunately, no nipple-licking.

Who had sex with Alan Cumming?

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