News: Taxes, Ken Livingstone, Titanic, Milo Ventimiglia, Scientology

On tax day, a reminder of how the U.S. inflicts extra financial burden on gay citizens.

The last meal on the Titanic, which went down 96 years ago today. Researchers have a new theory behind the sinking — rivets.

ABC's Jake Tapper calls attention to the "Compassion Forum" appearance of Clinton and Obama at Messiah College, which I posted about last week. One of his readers asks, ""Shouldn't Democratic presidential candidates, both of whom are explicitly on the record as being in favor of gay rights, avoid schools like this as assiduously as previous generations of politicians were urged to avoid Bob Jones University? How can politicians appear at a college that espouses these ideas and then turn around and court the gay community at the same time? How can the two leading Democratic candidates appear on stage at this college and not be questioned by the press about the hypocrisy of appearing there?"

Kentucky GOP Rep. Geoff Davis on Obama: "I’m going to tell you something: That boy’s finger does not need to be on the button. He could not make a decision in that simulation that related to a nuclear threat to this country." Davis apologizes...

The gay Navy lieutenant from Melrose Place, Jason Beghe, escaped the clutches of Scientology and now he's speaking out on video: "It’s very, very dangerous for your spiritual, psychological, mental, emotional health and evolution. I think it stunts your evolution. If Scientology is real, then something’s fucked up."

Lack of support from London Mayor Ken Livingstone leaves 2008 International Gay & Lesbian Football Association World Championship with a funding shortfall: "Peter Tatchell of Outrage! described as 'scandalous' the lack of any funding or support from City Hall. 'Ken Livingstone is organising billions of pounds for corporate mega events like the 2012 Olympics but can’t give a few thousand pounds to help host the gay football world championship.'"

A really mean box of jelly beans, which I'm actually really curious to taste.

Project Runway is getting not one but two spin-offs on Lifetime: "The first of them doesn't have a title yet, but Weinstein said it will look at the Project Runway world through the eyes of the show's models. The second, dubbed Project Pygmalion, is a makeover series that will turn its winner into a high-society socialite."

Somebody got carried away at the tattoo parlor.

Rick and Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in the World wins big at Italian animation festival: "Cult hit half-hour show about three gay couples in the fictional 'gay ghetto' of West Lahunga Beach took the Pulcinella nod for TV series of the year. The Pulcinella for TV series for all ages went to RAI Fiction’s 'Acqua in bocca' (Water and Bubbles), about two fish in a tank and their interaction with an Italian family, from helmer Guido Manuli."

Milo Ventimiglia dreamt of being a fighter pilot.

GYM bar in NYC to open up its locker room.

Queerty talks to author Scott Heim about his new novel We Disappear: "There were all these different disappearances in the book–including Scott Heim the writer disappearing into Scott the character—I liked this idea of readers not knowing where one starts and the others begin. There are a lot of things in the book that are total fiction. The danger of doing this blurring is when people do read this as a memoir."

Tom Cruise and David Beckham to buy a soccer team together?

A townhouse in New York's West Village transformed, part of New York magazine's excellent new occasional real estate section, Vu.

Fight to allow gay blood donors heats up in Scotland.

Judicial Watch calls on FEC to investigate Elton John's Hillary Clinton benefit concert: "Recent news reports suggest that Hillary Clinton and Hillary Clinton for President have accepted an in-kind contribution from a foreign national, Sir Elton John, in contravention of federal electon laws. On behalf of Judicial Watch and its supporters, I hereby request that the FEC investigate this matter."

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News: Virgin Galactic, MRSA, Mary Oliver, Israel, Chace Crawford

Opponents of anti-gay marriage amendment in Florida declare war: "Jon Kislak, a prominent South Florida businessman and chairman of Florida Red and Blue, a statewide bipartisan committee, said they will form a 'truth squad' to tell how much damage the proposal could have on Floridians."

Jason Chambers, host of The History Channel's Human Weapon, wants to know if anyone is up for a little tea-bagging?

The Uk's Guardian looks at the MRSA scare.

Genre editor Neal Boulton back with a woman? Source: "I have been living off and on in New York unbenownst [sic] to Neal for one year. Let it be known that I am not homophobic because I, like his wife Claire, and his entire secret troupe of girls, were never in the dark that he was blatently [sic] bisexual. However, what annoys me is that he is the Editor In Chief of a gay men’s magazine and blatently [sic] goes around like he did the other night at The View (a gay bar in Chelsea) making out with women (a red headed one this time) who come on to him without a care in the world (to the suprise [sic] of the bartender), yet stands up and writes in his editor’s letter that he is gay!"

Milo Ventimiglia grows (or tries to grow) a strike beard.

New website launches for religious gay community in Israel: "Itay, one of the founders of the site, explained to Ynet that this new website is innovative in its approach to homosexuality and religion. 'Up to now the only website catering to the religious gay community was atzat-nefesh (www.atzat-nefesh.org), which was basically run by straight people that publicly stated that a religious person cannot be gay. They tried to ‘turn’ gay religious people straight, which is something that we know cannot be done. We try to help people reconcile their religious beliefs and their sexual orientation,' he explained. The founders of the HOD site, young religious individuals themselves, founded the site as part of an overall larger agenda to not only remain part of the religious community, but to reach out to the religious world and attempt to garner its acceptance."

Does Daniel Day-Lewis' milkshake bring all the boys to the yard? Defamer thinks so...

Seattle poetry fans go wild for Mary Oliver: "Poet Mary Oliver's appearance Monday at Benaroya Hall is the fastest sellout in the 20-year history of Seattle Arts & Lectures. It is sparking ticket action on the local Craigslist, where tickets to rock concerts and sports playoffs are regularly bought and sold, but rarely to poetry readings...The Northwest may just be the epicenter of popularity for Oliver, a reclusive, 71-year-old poet from Provincetown, Mass., who is known for her direct, positive verse set in the natural world. She has won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, but her work is not the dense verse favored by academia."

Anti-gay conservative Alan Keyes blames Massachusetts' same-sex marriage 'fiasco' squarely on Mitt Romney.

Bishop of Liverpool issues apology for opposing gay cleric.

Ryan Phillippe: Just call him arms.

Civil partnerships slow in the UK: "The honeymoon appears to be over for gay weddings after the number of homosexual couples getting "married" plummeted by more than half last year. Figures from the Local Government Association show the number of single-sex civil partnership ceremonies fell by around 55 per cent during 2007, the second full year such unions were permitted. Gay community leaders, however, dismissed the dramatic fall as a 'normalising process'. They said the introduction of civil partnerships in late 2005 prompted a flurry of marriages involving longstanding homosexual couples keen to make their relationships official. Ben Summerskill, chief executive of the gay rights group Stonewall said: 'There was a big pent up demand from couples in long-term relationships to form civil partnerships, which is why so many did it early on after the law changed. A tailing-off would be logical.'"

Virgin Galactic mogul Richard Branson thinks 'space tourism' will quickly morph into practical continent-hopping: "Virgin boss far from starry-eyed about his pending trip into the fringes of space...insists he did not have a lifelong dream to become an astronaut. Instead, he is keen on understanding a technological advance he predicts will produce important spin-offs. He believes there's no reason technology similar to that used by Galactic will not eventually be used for sub-orbital flights between continents. Instead of cruising back down to the same place, passengers will be able to go to another spaceport on another continent."

Chace Crawford and Pete Wentz and a whole lotta ironed hair.

Gay and lesbian couples line up for domestic partnership registrations in Oregon: "Couples exchanged rings, toasted each other and broke into cheers Monday as other same-sex pairs emerged from the red-brick Multnomah County Building waving certificates declaring them newly registered domestic partners. It was the first day of registration in Oregon after U.S. District Judge Michael Mosman lifted a temporary injunction imposed pending resolution of an argument over petition signatures. The ruling on Friday made Oregon the ninth state to approve spousal rights in some form for gay couples."

BBC radio presenter Nigel Wrench charged with drugging, raping another man.

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John Barrowman, James Marsters and Milo Ventimiglia Mix it Up

[[SPOILERS]]

UK Torchwood details, after the jump...

John Barrowman's Captain Jack locks lips with James Marsters' Captain John in the upcoming episode (JAnuary 16) of Torchwood in the UK.

Barrowman recently hit out at closeted actors, telling UK's The Stage: "If it (being gay) has been a problem, no-one ever told me so. I know people who lie about being gay because they think it will affect their work chances. That is just sad."

In December BBC2 promoted the new season of Torchwood as well as the imported U.S. drama Heroes by staging an imaginary phone call between Captain Jack and Milo Ventimiglia's Peter Petrelli.

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Zachary Quinto: This Naked, Steaming Hero Will Not Be Ignored

Zachary Quinto is so not allowing the producers to let Milo Ventimiglia show him up in shirtless Heroes beefcake scenes. But who's to complain? This from the latest ep.

Of course, given the props — white towel and a generous amount of sweat — this could have been a cutting-room-floor scrap from the ill-fated season of So NoToriOus.

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(image source)

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News: Barack Obama, iPhone, Vermont, Minke Whale, Charmin

Poll shows Barack Obama pulling ahead of Clinton in Iowa: "Most Democratic likely voters in Iowa, 55 percent, say they're more interested in a 'new direction and new ideas' than in strength and experience, compared with 49 percent in July -- a help to Obama, who holds a substantial lead among 'new direction' voters." And Obama struggles with spin...

Smartypants with iPhone tries to use method in latest Apple commercial to ask why plane hasn't taken off yet and gets read by pilot: "If the passenger with the iPhone would be kind enough to use it to check the weather at our alternate, calculate our fuel burn due to being rerouted around the storms, call the dispatcher to arrange our release, and then make a phone call to the nearest Air Traffic Control center to arrange our timely departure amongst the other aircraft carrying passengers with IPhones, then we will be more than happy to depart. Please ring your call button to advise the Flight Attendant and your fellow passengers when you deem it ready and responsible for this multi-million dollar aircraft and its passengers to safely leave."

Guardian gone: Now, everybody will be squeezing the Charmin.

Latvian government minister and newspaper owner praise international anti-gay group Watchmen on the Walls pledge fight against homosexuality at "human rights' conference, slam Arnold Schwarzenegger for "teaching homosexuality" to children.

18-foot-long Minke whale discovered swimming lost, 1,000 miles up the Amazon river: "Environmentalists are now considering the best way to transport the mammal from the Tapajos River, where it was last seen, back out to the Atlantic Ocean. 'It is in good condition,' veterinarian Milton Marcondes from the Brazilian Humpback Whale Institute told the Associated Press. 'We couldn't do a blood exam, so we don't know how it is doing internally, but we gave it antibiotics as a precaution.' He added that it would be easy for the whale to become ill as a result of the stress of being so far from its natural habitat."

South African guesthouse owner turns away gay guests: "We are certainly not gay-friendly, this is a Christian household. We have never had a gay couple staying in the house and we prefer to keep it that way. We hereby cancel this order and exercise our right of admission."

Popstar Azis continues to stir the pot in Bulgaria with racy magazine cover: ""I am ready to do anything for a high rating for my show! As you can see from the pictures, I sold my body, or as we say it, got a tuning." (NSFW)

British police officer among men nabbed in restroom sex sting: "The officer, who has not been named, was fined 13 days' pay following an investigation into 'cottaging' at toilets on Harrison Drive, Wallasey. Six people have been charged under the Sexual Offences Act - two have pleaded guilty, four are awaiting trial. Another 32 people, including the officer, were issued with cautions over the incidents."

Tom Cruise angered by publication of fatsuit photos.

Milo Ventimiglia thinks it's time to get mysterious for Nixon Watches.

Gay and lesbian Ohioans "eager" for Governor Ted Strickland to test limits of laws surrounding state's same-sex marriage ban.

A visit to the virtual queer red light district (nsfw).

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS hit hard by stagehand strike.

Same-sex marriage supporters get vocal in Vermont: "More than 20 people testified before the Vermont Commission on Family Recognition and Protection at its public hearing at Lyndon State College, and throughout the 90-minute session, only two people stood up to speak against same-sex marriage. This was the second forum held by the 11-member commission and the second time that a strongly supportive audience turned out. Major anti-gay groups in the state are boycotting the hearings. Joseph Gainza of Marshfield floated one theory on why gay marriage has not become a divisive topic during the hearings: Most straight Vermonters, including him, noticed that the sky did not fall down after the Vermont Legislature legalized civil unions for same-sex couples seven years ago. 'The change came and you realized that nothing in your life has changed,' said Gainza. 'The only difference is that your neighbors have some rights they didn't have. And none of your own rights were taken away in the process.'"

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News: South Korea, Seattle Bingo Drag, Richard Simmons, UFOs

An entire blog devoted to men who look like old lesbians.

Porn star (link NSFW) who won Mr. Gay Argentina draws attention to legitimacy of Mr. Gay competition: "In the United States, gay porn is often looked upon as representing the gay community in a negative light, but other countries like Argentina have less hang ups about allowing their community to be represented by someone who has participated in the industry. For most naysayers, the problem isn't so much that a porn star will be representing a country at the competition as it is about the validity of the competition itself...The organizers say they are "looking for all types of guys, from gym-bunny to math geek with a passion to lead," but the math geeks seem to have taken a much further back seat to the gym bunnies... like perhaps on a different bus."

GLAAD President Neil Giuliano on the proliferation of same-sex commitment announcements: "Today, every state in the union and Washington, D.C., has at least one paper with an inclusive policy for their weddings and celebrations pages -- for a combined national circulation of over 37 million in nearly 900 outlets, reaching almost 75 percent of total newspaper readers."

Christina Aguilera or pregnant drag queen?

Drag queen host no longer welcome at Seattle's gay bingo. Thom Hubert: "As a drag queen, if I stuck to this stuff by the letter, why, I’d have to wear a black robe and stand behind a podium and just read the numbers out. The contract said, ‘the host will not act in a flirtatious manner, will not wear reveailing clothing, will not make sexual gestures or comments.’ How could any drag queen appear or perform under these guidelines?"

As promised, North Carolina Baptists vote to expel Myers Park church for welcoming gay congregants and not trying to change them: "The liberal church of 1,970 members became the first to be kicked out under rules passed at last year's meeting that said any Baptist church that affirmed or endorsed homosexual behavior would be considered 'not in friendly cooperation with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina.'"

Eight cows in Utah attempted to make a break for it when the trailer they were in pulled in to a McDonald's restaurant. Lt. Kevin Burns: "They didn't like their future."

What's an episode of Heroes without some additional Milo Ventimiglia skin scenes.

Gay activists in South Korea request international support: "They want to mobilise international support for the restoration of sexual orientation as a protected category in the proposed anti-discrimination legislation (ADL) recently drafted by the Ministry of Justice."

Richard Simmons brings Jennie Garth to tears on Dancing with the Stars (video).

NYU's plans for a campus in the United Arab Emirates angers LGBT students: "Now, a month after administrators announced plans for the university's first full-fledged satellite campus, some students have raised questions about the partnership, saying it is at odds with NYU's support for rights for lesbian gay, bisexual and transgender students. NYU has a reputation for being one of the U.S.'s most gay-friendly schools; the Princeton Review has ranked it 'Most Accepting of the Gay Community' two years in a row. At a town hall meeting last week, two students sharply questioned NYU president John Sexton about the plan and voiced their concerns about LGBT students at NYU Abu Dhabi. U.A.E. federal law does not outlaw homosexuality outright, but it does define 'acts of homosexuality' as illegal, said Simon Pearce, the director of strategic communications for Abu Dhabi's Executive Affairs Authority."

19 former pilots and government officials call on United States reopen investigations into UFOs: "We want the US government to stop perpetuating the myth that all UFOs can be explained away in down-to-earth, conventional terms."

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Milo Ventimiglia Hosed Down on Heroes

[[SPOILERS - MINIMAL]]

Heroes has really been a Milo Ventimiglia softcore porn serial this season. First the naked bondage scene, now a group viral decontamination hosedown.

How many more homoerotic situations can Milo Ventimiglia end up in on Heroes. The only answer I can come up with to that question is....damn writer's strike!

The full sequence, after the jump...

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News: Herbert Muschamp, Utah, Dexter, Britney Spears,

Russian gay activist Nikolai Alexeyev to speak in Chicago on Saturday at Matthew Shepard March.

Noted Broadway actor George Grizzard dies at 79: George Grizzard, a versatile actor who achieved his greatest renown on the stage, playing everything from Shakespeare to Shaw, from Neil Simon to Edward Albee, died yesterday in Manhattan. He was 79 and lived in Manhattan. His death, at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, was caused by complications of lung cancer, said his partner, William Tynan, who is Mr. Grizzard’s only survivor."

New York Times architecture critic Herbert Muschamp dies after cancer battle.

Prosecutors will seek the death penalty for Harlow Raymond Cuadra and Joseph Manuel Kerekes in the January slaying of gay porn producer Bryan Kocis: "Prosecutors said they have two legal reasons to put the two Virginia Beach, Va., men to death in the slaying. One, they said, is the men killed Kocis while perpetrating another felony. In this case, the other felonies are robbery, arson, theft and criminal conspiracy, the prosecutors said. Two, they said, is that the men created a grave risk to other people while committing the killing."

Harvey Fierstein reinvents A Catered Affair.

Republican state Senator Jeannemarie Devolites Davis and Democratic challenger J. Chapman Petersen battle for the gay vote in Virginia: "Davis is fighting for her political life against what all agree is an overwhelming Democratic advantage. As a result, her race with Petersen at times looks more like a nomination fight between progressive Democrats than a Virginia general election. Davis talks often of her support for greater gun restrictions and increased transportation funding. And in front of some audiences, she talks about her belief in gay rights."

More Milo all tied up.

Pianist Marc Peloquin premieres work based on gay sadomasochism: "Its rigor, its rugged insistence and its almost painful pianistic difficulties bring to my mind the intensity of the S-M experience."

University of Utah Pride Week images censored by school in agreement with the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Resource Center for being overtly sexual.

A group of San Diego clergy protest at City Hall over the city's support for overturning same-sex marriage ban: "The group was led by Bishop Roy Dixon from Faith Chapel Church of God in Christ, Pastor Timothy Winters of the Bayview Baptist Church and Bishop George McKinney of St. Stephen's Church of God in Christ. They touted the 2000 passage of California's Proposition 22, which defined marriage as between a man and a woman only."

Director Q. Allan Brocka (Eating Out) documents the recent art gallery opening of "Just Britney".

Michael C. Hall's Dexter returns for second season with record-breaking ratings: "Showtime’s 'Dexter' returned with a vengeance Sunday, becoming the cabler’s first series to score more than 1 million viewers with a premiere seg. Skein’s second-season opener snagged 1.09 million eyeballs at 9 p.m., a whopping 67% above the serial killer drama’s 2006 series premiere. More impressively, seg was up nearly 40% over the show’s 2006 season average of 624,000 viewers, according to Nielsen data." Dexter is great. If you have a chance to watch it, do.

Second death twist in mysterious case of NYC club icon Dean Johnson.

Britney Spears is not a Chris Crocker fan: "She thinks he's creepy and that all his videos are an obvious attempt at fame. She finds it insulting and difficult to watch."

Ubisoft, makers of a Scrabble game for the Nintendo DS, has apologized after some users became offended that the game contained the word "lesbo" as an allowable word choice: "In the game there is a 'junior' version that omits offensive words, but lesbo is not considered an offensive word in the Scrabble dictionary. Ubisoft merely apologized if offense was caused, they are not pulling the game."

Finding a letter from Joan Crawford in the trash.

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Milo Ventimiglia: Friday Afternoon Hero Worship

How about a bit of Milo Ventimiglia for your Friday afternoon? This is a new promo shot from Heroes and it looks as though the workouts have been paying off.
(image source)

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Hero in Chains: Milo Ventimiglia [tr]

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News: Project Runway, Mars vs Iraq, Wes Anderson, Humanity

The Project Runway designers are here! (Bios)

David Beckham rushes back to England after his father suffers a near-fatal heart attack.

''It will take months and years to really see" if Episcopal vote on exercising restraint with regard to gay clergy and same-sex relationships will mend the rift in the Anglican church, according to church leaders.

Milo Ventimiglia's booty makes appearance in new film.

Darren Hayes releases new video for "Me, Myself & I" but his Attitude magazine cover story is nowhere to be found.

Hotel Chevalier, Wes Anderson's 13-minute prequel to his upcoming film The Darjeeling Limited, is now available for download on iTunes.

Fishing Polar Bear spotted for the first time in two centuries: "The Inuit people of the Arctic have always known about it. But no outsiders have witnessed it for 200 years: a polar bear fishing. Not by scooping the fish out of the water like a brown bear - but by plunging in and swimming...Last August, researchers based in Iqaluit, Canada, watched an adolescent polar bear swimming in a river estuary packed with charr, a relative of salmon, that was migrating upstream. It caught about one fish an hour, swimming and peering into the water, then diving. In the two days they saw the bear, it caught three charr and three sculpin, a spiny fish that lives under rocks - which the bear seemed to lose enthusiasm for eating."

Clergy members in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley have come together to urge the Supreme Court to overturn the state's ban on same-sex marriage: "Ahead of what is widely expected to be the next major state Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage, reverends, pastors and rabbis met at St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran Church in North Hollywood to announce they would file 30 amicus briefs, formal documents intended to persuade courts on an issue. The religious leaders, who were joined by 90 civil-rights organizations across the state that also filed briefs, are hoping to influence the court's decision on an upcoming review of a lawsuit seeking to overturn the ban on gay marriage."

The money the U.S. has spent in Iraq could have funded 11 independent missions to Mars.

A map of humanity.

Researchers: Is Alzheimer's memory loss due to a previously unknown third form of diabetes? " Now scientists at Northwestern University have discovered why brain insulin signaling -- crucial for memory formation -- would stop working in Alzheimer’s disease. They have shown that a toxic protein found in the brains of individuals with Alzheimer’s removes insulin receptors from nerve cells, rendering those neurons insulin resistant. (The protein, known to attack memory-forming synapses, is called an ADDL for 'amyloid ß-derived diffusible ligand.') With other research showing that levels of brain insulin and its related receptors are lower in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, the Northwestern study sheds light on the emerging idea of Alzheimer’s being a “type 3” diabetes."

Texas student suspended for wearing John Edwards T-shirt to school.

Elton John defends seized Nan Goldin photo: "The photograph exists as part of the installation as a whole and has been widely published and exhibited throughout the world. It has been offered for sale at Sotheby's New York … and exhibited in Houston, London, Madrid, New York, Portugal, Warsaw and Zurich without any objections that we are aware of."

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Hero in Chains: Milo Ventimiglia

Season 2 of Heroes premiered last night, and may be of interest, particularly if you'd like to indulge your Milo Ventimiglia bondage fantasies.

For those of you who care, a look at Ventimiglia's distant past.

(image source, source)

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Milo Ventimiglia Dives into Men's Fitness

Ready for the new season of Heroes?

Since we're on a magazine roll today (must be that post Labor Day push), here are a couple shots of Milo Ventimiglia from the new issue of Men's Fitness.

He tells the mag: "Right after I got back from shooting Rocky [in December 2005], I looked in the mirror and said, ‘OK, I’m not a teenager anymore.’ I still looked young but I didn’t have a baby face. It was kind of a critical point, careerwise, where I needed to start going for the roles that were older. So I tried to get my physique to match and become more of a man."

He may have put on some muscle, but it doesn't appear that baby face is gone quite yet.

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News: Bush Lyme Disease, Timbaland, Brad Womack, Zac Efron

Minneapolis bridge hero turns down photo-op with Bush: “He was just, like, ‘Nope.’ ”

Meet TV's newest Bachelor Brad Womack.

Recently-out Australian Idol contestant Anthony Callea dreaded interviews with the gay press when he was in the closet: "...it wasn't just me dreading it, it was the record company and management as well. I found out down the line a lot of the gay-press requests to do interviews were rejected before they ever got to me. Obviously they were being protective. I did an interview with a gay mag at the start of the year and the first question was "Are you gay?" It was funny because I'd done a day of media training two days before that. The woman doing the training said: 'That will never be asked as the first question.' I phoned her and said 'You were wrong. How much did we pay you?'"

Timbaland talks about his recent collaborations with Madonna: "There's this one song, we taking it back to 'You must be my luck-eee starrrr!' ... Remember 'Ugly' by Bubba Sparxxx? I got a beat similar to that. The hook is no words. It's saying stuff named after coffee — all these different names for coffee — is the hook. ... The name of the song is 'La, La.' Pharrell did a hot one for her too called 'Candy Shop.' She's off the chain."

Watching the new Watchmen movie: "The story primarily takes place at the end of the Cold War, the late 80s, but also looks back at the history of its alternate universe to see how superheroes would have changed our history. One of the caped crusaders we meet during those flashbacks is Hooded Justice, one of the first masked men to arrive on the scene who, it turns out, was also gay. So far, Hooded Justice hasn't been cast and hasn't been mentioned in discussion of the film. I hope that doesn't mean he won't appear in the movie. While Hooded Justice isn't one of Watchmen's essential characters, he plays a key role in establishing the bigotry and violent tendencies of another character, The Comedian."

Milo Ventimiglia's break-out-of-something role.

White House reveals Bush was treated for Lyme Disease a year ago.

Woman goes into labor during American Idol audition: "This Tuesday, at the show's Dallas tryouts, one hopeful contestant sang her way straight from the stage to the hospital. Antoria Gillon tells Usmagazine.com, 'I went up to sing a 702 song called Get it Together in the middle of Texas Stadium in front of producers. And then I started to go into labor.' But the determined Texan didn't let the contractions get to her. Gillon, who had been waiting in line since 2 a.m. the night before explains, 'I kept singing. One of the judges gave me her seat! I told her I had been there all day, and nothing was going to stop me from singing. I hadn't been there all day for nothing!' After she completed the song, Gillon was taken to the nearby Medical Center at Lancaster, where she gave birth to a son."

Gay or Zac Efron? (warning: site NSFW)

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News: Milo Ventimiglia, Sim City, Chile, Kodak, Mars Oceans

Police pursue leads in murder of New Orleans gay activist Robin Malta: " Malta was beaten to death Monday morning, between about 5 a.m. and noon, said John Gagliano, chief investigator for the Orleans Parish coroner. Malta's body had begun to decompose because of the intense heat inside the apartment. Investigators found him inside the apartment lying face-down, shirtless, with a "sexual object" in his mouth, said two officers familiar with the investigation. Several kitchen stove burners were on, said the police sources. Malta had been beaten severely, apparently struck in the head "more than 15 times" with the metal leg of an ironing board, said the two officers. Malta's home showed no signs of forced entry and was not ransacked, said NOPD spokesman Lt. Bruce Adams."

Vast oceans on Mars, gone for more than 2 billion years, revealed: "Two major shorelines exist on Mars, each thousands of miles long — one remaining from the older Arabia Ocean, and another from the younger Deuteronilus Ocean."

2007 is the hottest year recorded thus far.

Batman's new outfit is missing the package and the nipples.

Bear Grylls' survival series Man vs. Wild returns tonight.

Skinheads in Chile in campaign of cyber-attacks against leading gay rights organization Movement for Homosexual Integration and Freedom (MOVILH) accompanied by threatening emails to the Santiago Times: "First and last warning. We fight against dangerous scum: MOVILH. First the hacking, next the theft of (MOVILH’s) database. Now comes the best part. We’re going to turn everything on its head in the Plaza de Armas. Faggots dressed as women dancing in front of children are dangerous. They can kiss and fuck if they want to, but they shouldn’t confuse men for women."

Marlon Brando, Christopher Plummer top Best Week Ever's list of the 12 manliest musical performances ever.

Sim City societies are on their way: "While building your potential hub of the next global superpower, you'll have the new factor of "social energies" to consider, and how you set up your city to manipulate these will dictate the sort of place it is to live in. Depending on how you juggle social factors such as industry, wealth, obediance, knowledge, devotion and creativity within your building schemes, you will have the ability to generate or consume social energy as you see fit, ensuring that your citizens either skip merrily along with the sparkly-eyed, optimistic gait of 1950s sitcom characters, or trudge meaninglessly through a miserable Orwellian nightmare, existing only to serve the state."

Jonathan Rhys-Meyers back again for another season of The Tudors.

Israeli gay activist Sa'ar Netanel receives dozens of death threats after Jerusalem police give ok for gay pride parade: "Netanel said in an interview to Israel Radio that the expressions callers used were 'not Jewish,' and included direct threats to kill him as well as other things he 'preferred not to repeat.' When asked if he had faced these kinds of threats in the past, Netanel replied that while he has been sent threatening letters and even been targeted by phone, this was the first time his number had been posted on the Internet. He said he believed the police were looking into his complaint."

Milo Ventimiglia offers up a few 'come hither' looks.

New York: New viral fan spot for the iPhone.

Birth grandmother of Australia's first gay adoption speaks out: "We just made the choice and I'm glad we made that choice and I don't care what anyone out there says. You know, it's not a matter of being gay or not. It's a matter of being in the best place and the best parents. And that's what these guys are."

Brooklyn teenager indicted for fatally stabbing man because he was gay: "Omar Willock, 17, was charged with murder in the second degree as a hate crime, said Charles J. Hynes, the Brooklyn district attorney. Mr. Hynes said Mr. Willock is charged with stabbing Roberto Duncanson, 20, after shouting antigay remarks. Mr. Hynes said Mr. Duncanson tried to walk away, but Mr. Willock stabbed him four times."

Meet the body behind Fantastic Four's Silver Surfer. I wonder if he gave them permission to use his nuts?

Kodak said to be developing camera that nearly eliminates the need for flash photography: "The world's biggest maker of photographic film says its proprietary sensor technology significantly increases sensitivity to light. Image sensors act as a digital camera's eyes by converting light into an electric charge to begin the capture process."

The website has been launched for Adam Sandler and Kevin James' comedy I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry in which they play firemen who pretend to be gay in order to receive domestic partner benefits.

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Rosie O'Donnell Blamed for Emergence of the "Man-Bob"

Rosie can't catch a break, can she? Nor can men who choose "emasculating" haircuts, apparently.

TMZ turns its sights on the latest hair-don't sported by Jared Leto, Milo Ventimiglia, Pete Wentz, and AFI's Davey Havok.

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Milo Ventimiglia, Once More with Feeling

Part two of the Milo Ventimiglia Flaunt photo shoot.

Ventimiglia recently spoke to CanMag on what it was like shooting with Sylvester Stallone in his role as Rocky's son in Rocky Balboa: "The emotion, I can tell you, looking into Sly’s eyes when we were doing that scene, he was right there, man, he was right there and I’d be damned if I wasn’t going to give it right back to him."

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Milo Ventimiglia Flaunts It

Heroes' Milo Ventimiglia, who plays the spawn of Rocky Balboa in the sequel which seems to be receiving quite a nice reception, shows off a few scratches for Flaunt magazine this month. Check a video interview of Milo here. Two more shots after the jump...

(source, source)

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