News: Key West, Brazil, Beckham Scientology, Wax Cowell

Michael J. Fox will attend George W. Bush's upcoming "State of the Union" address at the invitation of Rhode Island Rep. Jim Langevin, who has been confined to a wheelchair for most of his adult life.

Meet Mr. Brazil 2007.

Heidi Cullen, the Weather Channel's foremost climatologist, says AMS should not approve meteorologists who disagree with scientific theories on global warming: "Meteorologists are among the few people trained in the sciences who are permitted regular access to our living rooms. And in that sense, they owe it to their audience to distinguish between solid, peer-reviewed science and junk political controversy. If a meteorologist can't speak to the fundamental science of climate change, then maybe the AMS shouldn't give them a Seal of Approval. Clearly, the AMS doesn't agree that global warming can be blamed on cyclical weather patterns. It's like allowing a meteorologist to go on-air and say that hurricanes rotate clockwise and tsunamis are caused by the weather. It's not a political statement...it's just an incorrect statement."

While David Beckham bides his time in Spain taking phone calls from Tom Cruise, Victoria Beckham says she wants nothing to with Scientology. "Tom spoke to David for hours about Scientology. He feels it could help to lift him out of the blues over his football career. But Victoria is having none of it. She can’t see the point of joining something like that where you have to donate money."

Diana Ross to be American Idol mentor this season.

Idol frightfest: wax likenesses of Ryan Seacrest and Simon Cowell make their debut.

While some threats to high school gay-straight alliance groups have been quashed in Virginia, they are struggling in gay-friendlier Toronto area.

Focus on the Family has its sights set on Key West Gay Spring Break. (via fundie watch)

Scientists reveal how 1918 flu epidemic killed over 50 million: "Essentially, people are drowned by themselves."

Still on tap for Apple? Widescreen video iPod and tablet Mac.

News: Whitney Houston, Too Much Madonna, Bruno and Borat

73% of New York City's domestic partnership registrations are heterosexual couples.

Welcome back Whitney Houston!

L.A. Times: Studies on whether or not the children of same-sex parents develop differently than those of opposite sex parents are inconclusive, but researchers say the field may still be too young to produce real answers.

Universal pays $42.5 million for Bruno, the Sacha Baron Cohen follow-up to Borat, before the latter has even opened: "With Bruno, Baron Cohen is calling upon another of his comic alter egos, Bruno, a gay fashionista from Austria who fancies himself as 'the voice of Austrian youth TV' and who sashayed from New York Fashion Week to Miami nightclubs in his previous appearance on HBO's Da Ali G Show, on which Baron Cohen also first introduced Borat to American audiences."

Is "spending on the arts" a new campaign-speak euphemism for being gay?

UK mom served with noise abatement order for blasting Madonna tunes.

George Stephanopoulos talks Rush Limbaugh and stem cell research with Michael J. Fox: "You know, it's amazing to — I can't stress enough. I don't want to react personally to these attacks. It's pointless. It's silly. It's like getting in a fight with a bully. What's the point? You're not going to change his mind. You're just probably going to get a nosebleed. So, you know, why bother? But make no mistake, it hurts. And it hurt when — it hurt — it hurt to see the president use the one veto of his administration to strike down this legislation."

Rush Limbaugh Smears Michael J. Fox, Mocks Parkinson's Patients

Here's a wrap-up of the Rush Limbaugh/Michael J. Fox stem cell campaign ad controversy in which Limbaugh smeared Fox, accusing him of acting and exaggerating the effects of the disease.

Clockwise from top left, the campaign ad for Claire McCaskill, Limbaugh's radio rant, MJF's interview with Katie Couric, and finally, maybe the most heinous image of all, a video of Limbaugh physically mocking Parkinson's patients. What a pig.

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Bush's Shameful Stem Cell Veto [tr]