Towleroad Guide to the Tube #520

LOL: Hillary Clinton on John Bolton.

SANCTITY: Florida woman puts hit out on her fiance, gets nabbed.

THE DIVA LEAGUE: Drag queens do "Disturbia" on America's Got Talent.

ROBOT: The latest from the Japanese.

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Freed Journalists in Emotional Return from North Korea

The plane carrying Bill Clinton and freed Current TV journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee arrived in Burbank this morning and talked about their ordeal in North Korea, expressing deep gratitude to the strangers who supported them since they were seized in March.

Clinton secured the release of Ling and Lee yesterday. They had been sentenced to 12 years hard labor in North Korea in June. Ling told the crowd at the airport that she was surprised when she saw PResident Clinton but knew at that time that everything was going to be okay.

Video of the plane arrive and Laura Ling's remarks, AFTER THE JUMP...

U.S. Journalists Seized in North Korea Released to Bill Clinton

Former President Bill Clinton's trip to North Korea was apparently the the result of a diplomatic effort that began as soon as the two U.S. journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee of Current TV, were seized almost five months ago, the L.A. Times reports:

"[The negotiations] have been spurred on by the administration's hope that they might lead to a resumption of gridlocked disarmament talks, according to people close to the process. The goal was a specific deal: If the United States showed respect by dispatching a high-level emissary to Pyongyang, the North would release journalists Laura Ling and Eun Lee, who were arrested along the border with China on March 17. 'This has been an orchestrated diplomatic process, carefully calibrated in both capitals,' said a person who has been close to the exchanges since they began. He asked for anonymity because of the diplomatic sensitivity of the issue. The mission appeared headed for a successful conclusion today, as North Korean media announced that the regime would release the two women, who were expected to join the former president in a flight back to the United States."

Clinton, former Vice President Al Gore,  Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, and former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Donald P. Gregg all volunteered to be the emissary, but Clinton was chosen.

It was reported that the journalists had been sentenced to 12 years hard labor in June.

Three CNN reports on the diplomatic triumph, AFTER THE JUMP...

News: Striking Poses, Roasting Rivers & Unhappy Day Campers

Via Out.com: London's National Portrait Gallery opens "Gay Icons," an exhibit filled with celebrated people "who may or may not be gay themselves" from all fields. Joe Dallesandro (pictured above), k.d. lang, Quentin Crisp and Andy Warhol are among the icons chosen by Waheed Alli, Alan Hollinghurst, Elton John, Jackie Kay, Billie Jean King, Ian McKellen, Chris Smith, Ben Summerskill, Sandi Toksvig and Sarah Waters. The show runs through October 18.

The Jonas Brothers are quitting music? Seems like this might be a ruse to buy a magazine. In this case, Time Out New York's July 9—15 issue. Which happens to have four unique collector's-edition covers of the Jonases shot by Dan Hallman.

Sarah Palin might not be running for president so much as for kingmaker. But if she did decide to run for president, despite turning off the left and the middle, she's got 7 in 10 Republicans willing to vote for her—even after abruptly quitting as governor of Alaska.

Outfest kicks off tomorrow, and Greg In Hollywood recommends the romantic comedy Make the Yuletide Gay.

UnXXXciting: Porn actress Savanna Samson is dispirited by the lack of good scripts lately. Cheer up, at least every year is the year of the woman in that genre and every role is meaty.

Kim Jong Il showed up at a tribute to his late father looking like he is about to join him at any moment.

Mug Shotz: Laverne & Shirley star Eddie Mekka ("Carmine"), 57,  bagged for DUI. It's a bad week for '70s sitcom-star sobriety.

Scenes from a Mall: Footage shot in 1990 at various Los Angeles malls sped up and set to music. More interesting that it sounds.

Popular Tyler Perry actor gets outed by an ex. Fans and haters react at Media Takeout.

In the wake of his wake, Michael Jackson's catalogue continues to moonwalk out of stores. (And 82% of the sales were physical albums.)

Kathy Griffin will host a roast of Joan Rivers. "I will be roasting Joan with more gentleness and tenderness than her latest chemical peel."

Oscar Mayer—yes, that one—has died at 95.

Over 60 kids from the Creative Steps Day Camp were kicked out of The Valley Swim Club because they were black. When the black children arrived (they'd paid nearly $2,000 to join) and entered the pool, the white children got out, said one of the parents. "I heard this lady, she was like, 'Uh, what are all these black kids doing here?' She's like, 'I'm scared they might do something to my child,'" reported Dymire Baylor, one of the children asked to leave. Pool attendants reportedly admitted minorities are not allowed at the club, and in a statement, the president of the club said, "There was a concern that a lot of kids would change the complexion...and the atmosphere of the club." P.S. This happened in 2009.

North Korea Behind Cyber Attacks?

North Korea, until now content to threaten to blow up the United States and recklessly test missiles, might be moving into a more aggressive phase. According to South Korean intelligence, "North Korea or pro-Pyongyang forces" are behind cyber attacks that knocked out American and South Korean government sites. China is also a suspect.

Affected sites include those at the Treasury Department, Secret Service, Federal Trade Commision and Transportation Department, and all the issues occurred over the long holiday weekend. A good time to test one's abilities, when one's opponent is watching fireworks and eating barbecue.

The attack's effects lasted for days, indicating remarkably sophisticated hacking.

South Korea is "one of the world's most wired countries." Nearly every home (95%) has high-speed Internet access.

News: Michigan, Kris Allen, Boston Gay Bars, Kathy Griffin

3GS: Apple releases follow-up to iPhone. 3G now $99.

GALLUP POLL: 58% of conservatives favor gays in the military.

 Tween Idol.

Kris Allen signs record deal, discusses album.

Pat Steadman, first out gay man in the Colorado senate, sworn in.

Proposition 8 protest in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Faces of Us: "a photo campaign created with the purpose of bringing the fight for LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) rights to the National spotlight. The campaign is still small, but growing, and shows the faces and identities of members of the LGBT community and allies who care about these issues."

Gay porn actor Timothy Boham (aka Marcus Allen) murder trial goes to jury: "Twenty-eight-year-old Timothy Boham testified Thursday that Denver businessman John Kelso committed suicide and that they had planned to make it look like a robbery for life-insurance purposes. But prosecutors say Boham shot Kelso during a robbery and a police detective testified this week that Boham confessed to the killing."

Two U.S. journalists sentenced to 12 years hard labor in North Korea.

Is the gay bar scene in Boston finished?

Kathy Griffin's My Life on the D List returning tonight at 10 pm: "Since 'D-List' premiered in 2005, Griffin’s career has moved in a different direction. So she thought her show should, too. 'It’s kind of silly to make the show about what it was four years ago, which was I can’t get a job, I’m going to go do stand-up at gay rodeo,' she said. 'It’s a very different place than I was in four years ago.' So this season, Griffin visits, among others, Lily Tomlin, Paula Deen, T.I., Gloria Estefan and Paris Hilton to get a glimpse into their lives."

Male model fix: Christopher Fawcett.

Signature collectors begin drive to recall Portland Mayor Sam Adams. Organizer Jasun Wurster: "This is a positive, non-partisan and intelligent campaign that is comprised of very talented volunteers who are solely focused on holding Sam Adams accountable for his civic transgressions."

Images from a cocktail party held by the New York Times in honor of same-sex couples that have made their wedding announcements in the paper.

Snow falls in North Dakota in June.

Cristiano Ronaldo exposed?

Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway reuniting on screen for Love and Other Drugs.

Michigan shift in public opinion on gays called 'seismic': "In October 2004, a Glengariff poll showed 24% of Michiganders supported marriage rights for same-sex partners, and only 42% supported legal recognition of civil unions. In the new poll, support for same sex marriage was 46.5% and for civil unions 63.7%. Forty-eight percent of state voters said they opposed adding marriage rights, the only one of nine gay rights issues not winning majority support."

UK Catholic mother launches legal battle after son is placed with gay foster parents. Catholic church says adoption rights for gays amount to child abuse.