News: Mormons, Roy Scheider, Art Heist, Suicide Blog, Millionaires

Writer's to vote on agreement to end Hollywood strike: "The Writers Guild of America moved swiftly Sunday toward a resolution of its three-month-old strike, with guild leaders deciding to recommend a tentative contract to members and ask them to vote on a quick end to the walkout. By calling for separate votes on ending the strike and accepting the new three-year deal, the union cleared the way for the entertainment industry to return to work almost immediately. Membership meetings will be held Tuesday in New York and Los Angeles to allow writers to decide whether the strike should be brought to a speedy end, said Patric Verrone, president of the guild’s West Coast branch."

Jaws police chief Roy Scheider has died at the age of 75 (photo via slog).

Millionaire Matchmaker Patti Stanger says the next season of the Bravo show may focus on gay millionaires: "There would have to be a gay person at the helm to consult with me. But attraction is attraction. When a guy comes in and he's flamingly queeny and he goes for butch, you can't give him another queen. Somebody wants their car door opened. Somebody wants to be called back. Somebody wants someone to pay the bill. It's not about the sexuality. You have to be able to hear what attracts somebody. The gay community has a lot of money because there's no second decision maker. They don't have an ex-wife or children. But what they're saying to me is that there's a whole subset of the gay community, where people are hooking up for real love. And that's why they want marriage."

"Spectacular" art heist in Switzerland sees theft of four paintings worth $163.2 million: " The robbery...occurred Sunday at the E.G. Buehrle Collection, one of Europe's finest private museums for Impressionist and post-Impressionist art, police said. Three masked men who entered the building with pistols are still at large. A police statement said the three robbers wearing ski masks and dark clothing entered the museum a half-hour before closing Sunday. While one of the men used a pistol to force museum personnel to the floor, the other two robbers went into the exhibition hall and collected the four masterpieces. The men were about 5 feet 9 inches tall and one of them spoke German with a Slavic accent, the police said. They loaded the paintings into a white vehicle parked in front of the museum. Police, asking for witnesses to come forward, said it was possible that the paintings were partly sticking out of the trunk as the robbers made their getaway."

Atonement wins "Best Film", Daniel Day-Lewis "Best Actor" at BAFTA's. Full list of winners here.

Sensing softening of attitudes, gay Mormon group Affirmation requests meeting with new church president Thomas Monson. Assistant executive director David W. Melson: "I would like for us never again to have gay individuals, particularly our young people, being told that they are not welcome in the church they grew up in."

Paris Hilton's film The Hottie and the Nottie bombed at the box office this weekend. To mark the occasion, her publicist Elliot Mintz showed up to her pre-birthday party as the Nottie.

Attention, artists! The South Carolina Gay and Lesbian Pride Movement is seeking theme and logo submissions for its 2008 Pride celebration.

Aussie cricket team hits gay bar: no photos please.

CBS News host Bob Schieffer cuts "Brokeback Mountain" reference from tribute song to Sumner Redstone in wake of Heath Ledger's death: "Singing 'Mr. Redstone' to the tune of 'Mr. Goldstone' from the musical 'Gypsy,' Mr. Schieffer sang about the boss splitting up CBS and Viacom in 2006. 'You are the guru, and who would know but you what a little change in Viacom's name would do. Have an éclair, Mr. Redstone, buy some networks, make a movie, play a tune. Take a break now, Mr. Redstone, 'cause another deal will come along real soon.'...In the recorded version though, there was no claim that 'I don't understand this interlude.' Instead, Schieffer says, 'I ain't some Brokeback Mountain dude.'" Funny how we respect the dead more than the living.

Woman plans to kill herself in 90 days, and she's blogging about it.

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Swiss AIDS Experts Issue Shock Statement on Unprotected Sex

The Swiss National AIDS Commission was criticized by North American and European health experts yesterday after it released a statement saying that it was okay for some HIV+ people to have unprotected sex with negative partners.

"The Swiss National AIDS Commission said patients who meet strict conditions, including successful antiretroviral treatment to suppress the virus and who do not have any other sexually transmitted diseases, do not pose a danger to others. The proposal, published this week in the Bulletin of Swiss Medicine, astonished leading AIDS researchers in Europe and North America who have long argued that safe sex with a condom is the single most effective way of preventing the spread of the disease — apart from abstinence. 'Not only is (the Swiss proposal) dangerous, it's misleading and it is not considering the implications of the biological facts involved with HIV transmission,' said Jay Levy, director of the Laboratory for Tumor and AIDS Virus Research at the University of California in San Francisco."

The Swiss health experts based their statement on inconclusive U.S. studies showing that transmission depends on viral load in the blood.

The World Health Organization dubbed the new Swiss 'rules' an experiment: "The World Health Organization said Switzerland would be the first country in the world to try this approach. 'There is still some concern that you can never guarantee that somebody will not be infectious, and the evidence I have to say is not conclusive,' said Charlie Gilks, director of AIDS treatment and prevention at WHO. 'Many countries in western Europe would regard this as an interesting experiment,' he said, adding it was unlikely they would follow suit anytime soon. 'We are not going to be changing in any way our very clear recommendations that people on treatment continue to practice safer sex, including protected sex with a condom, in any relationship,' Gilks said."

In related news, scientists are hopeful about new ways they might target dormant HIV: "he AIDS virus has hideouts deep in the immune system that today's drugs can't reach. Now scientists finally have discovered how HIV builds one of those fortresses — and they're exploring whether a drug already used to fight a parasite in developing countries just might hold a key to break in. Researchers have long struggled unsuccessfully to attack what they call reservoirs of dormant HIV, and the new work is in very early stages."

AIDS experts: Unprotected sex OK for some [msnbc]

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Gay Newlywed Swiss Tenor Hugues Cuénod Turns 105

Playbill Arts reports that gay Swiss tenor Hugues Cuénod celebrates his 105th birthday today.

According to PA, Cuénod "was a member of Nadia Boulanger's madrigal group, sang in the world premiere of Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress, played one of the animals in The Cunning Little Vixen for Simon Rattle's Glyndebourne debut, and made his own Metropolitan Opera debut at age 84."

Now that's a life lived fully. And not only that. Cuénod legalized his 20-year relationship with 64-year-old retired Swiss civil servant Alfred Augustin in a civil union ceremony earlier this year.

Said Augustin: "It was a logical decision, especially at this age! Most people were happy for us, though a few promised us 15,000 years in hell." He also noted that although he is no longer very mobile, "Hugues still likes to go riding in the car, especially with the top down so he can let his long white hair blow in the wind."

Cuénod told the Associated Press about his birthday plans: "I will probably stay in bed. I won't do anything special."

What's his secret for living to such a ripe old age? Cuénod told Swiss Agency ATS: "It's not my fault, I didn't do anything for it! I'm in good health, I'm lazy and I have a [dear] friend to look after me."

We should all be so lucky. Happy Birthday Hugues Cuénod!

The World's Oldest Living Tenor Celebrates His 105th Birthday (And He's a Newlywed, No Less!) [playbill arts]

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News: Paula Abdul, Apes, Wiimbledon, Lost, Cristiano Ronaldo

Algerian AIDS crisis hampered by ignorance, misunderstanding: "In Algeria, where
AIDS spreads mainly through sexual contact, 10 million free condoms are waiting in warehouses of the national pharmacy but there are no takers."

Cristiano Ronaldo does a little thumb-sucking on holiday.

USA Today's Pop Candy blog has compiled the 20 most interesting comments/theories they received about Lost on their forums.

Nine U.S. tennis players, Andy Roddick, James Blake, Vince Spadea, Justin Gimelstob, Amer Delic, Robert Kendrick, Sam Querrey Michael Russell, and Robby Ginepri, wiped out in first round at French Open: "It's the first time at any Grand Slam tournament since the 1973 Australian Open that no man representing the United States will play in the second round of singles -- and it's worth noting that no Americans entered that Australian Open."

Paula Abdul whines about her former publicist, gay PR guru Howard Bragman: "I do a call-in every week for OK! Magazine on 'American Idol.' Because of my brilliant job, they want to do a cover on me. I'm being told by Howard Bragman that I'm too old and no one will ever want to do a cover." Bragman responds: "I'm not going into it. I'll stand by my reputation if she'll stand by hers."

Researchers converse with the apes: "The research we conduct here powerfully informs people about the nature of great ape intelligence. We know that humans and great apes share far more than they differ. I think we have to recognize that. If that does not compel us to preserve great apes in the wild, I don't know what can."

Tom Ford doesn't want you to fit into his suits.

Live Journal deletes hundreds of sex-themed discussion groups: "Some deleted LiveJournal communities went by names like childlove and little_children (a community permits multiple LiveJournal users to post entries, while an individual account is limited to one user). Others, however, broadly fall into the category of science fiction, fantasy or user-written 'fandom' stories--and it is those that have sparked the outcry."

Wii tennis pros alert! The first 'Wiimbledon' tennis tournament will soon be taking place in Brooklyn.

Call him sir: David Beckham to be knighted?

Swiss politicians condemn homophobic posters.

Former View host Debbie Matenopoulos weighs in on the Rosie/Elizabeth feud: "The kind of discussions that occurred between Elisabeth and Rosie are real discussions that happen in this country. The View was the only place on TV where open, heated debate happened. By airing debates like that, regardless of who gets offended, it helps the country move forward. It forced people to question their own beliefs and, perhaps, open their eyes to other possibilities. Being polite and complacent doesn't create change. No one is discussing the fact that the fight was less about politics and the war and more about Elisabeth not having Rosie's back, as a friend. Politics aside, by not defending Rosie, Elisabeth was basically saying 'I don't repect you or our relationship. That had to hurt. That was someone feeling betrayed by someone she considered a friend."

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Man Cons Swiss Paper into Publishing Fake Gucci Ad...of Himself

Ever dream of seeing yourself in a fashion ad? In some places, you can now do it yourself.

A man in Switzerland created this fake Gucci ad, featuring himself, and phoned the Swiss weekly SonntagsZeitung, booked the $50,000 ad for Sunday's edition, and told staff at the paper to bill Gucci, which they did.

According to the AP, the ad was booked too late for staff at the publication to check if the ad was valid (and it's not clear if they would have anyway, since the man told the weekly he was with Gucci) so the two-page spread went to press and Gucci was billed.

Christoph Zimmer, a rep. for the weekly, said "We've spoken to Gucci and apologized for the mistake. We're going to try and get the money back from this guy, but we don't rate our chances."

The man's name was not reported to the media, but he's supposedly under investigation for other forms of fraud. At least they've got a good idea what he looks like.

Swiss Newspaper Falls for Prankster's Fake Gucci Ad [ap]

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A Real Ski Bum: Rainer Schoenfelder

Rainer Schoenfelder, an Austrian skier and sometime pop star, lost a bet with his physiotherapist who had been treating him for neck and back pain. He told his therapist that if the pains subsided by Wednesday, he'd ski down Switzerland's Lauberhorn in the altogether.

Well, his pains subsided and was forced to hit the slopes wearing yellow boots, an orange helmet, and gloves, catching the attention of, well, just about everyone, including a nearby photographer.

Said Schoenfelder: "Somehow I didn't notice the photographer. It was an internal bet and of course the whole thing wasn't planned for the public. I am happy, though, that the pains have eased up and that it was not cold when I honored my debt."

Austria's head ski coach Toni Giger didn't have a problem with it: "I have no problem with nudity in general. I haven't seen the pictures but no one was hurt. ... This was typical Schoenfelder behavior."

I'm sure Schoenfelder's glad that he didn't take a spill.

After the jump, Schoenfelder's ski run...

Click photo for full (NSFW) image.

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News: Daniel Craig's Manhood, Liver, Semen Hazing, Firefighters

Dame Judi Dench on co-star Daniel Craig's one-eyed trouser snake: "It's an absolute monster! Maybe I shouldn't have said that. How uncouth of me!"

Ryan Phillippe ready to sow his wild oats again.

Human liver the size of a one pence coin grown from umbilical cord tissue in a British lab.

Pentecostal pop star-turned-preacher to fund defense of Scottish firefighters who refused to hand out pamphlets at a gay pride event: "They were concerned 'on religious and practical grounds' about the prospect of appearing in uniform alongside the marchers, some of who dressed as nuns or priests wearing stockings and suspenders. All nine were given written warnings for failing to take part and were ordered to attend 'diversity training' courses. Brian Herbert, the watch manager and the most senior member of the group, was demoted and had his salary cut by pounds £5,000." UPDATE: Firefighter appeals rejected...

Massachusetts football players to be charged with indecent assault and battery for pre-season football camp hazing in which they tossed semen from a cup onto their victim.

On your bike, son! Prince William misplaces his gun: "He was so concerned that he spent two hours pedalling around on a friend's bicycle in a desperate bid to find it." May cost him top honor at Sandhurst...

Surge in Swiss HIV rates troubling: "In Switzerland three out of every 1,000 people are living with HIV/AIDS. Over the years better prevention has reduced infection rates among drug users and immigrants, but since 2000 new HIV infection rates among gay and bisexual men have continued to rise. In 2005, 49.3 per cent of all men diagnosed as HIV-positive were gay or bisexual, whereas they represented 36.5 per cent in 2004. And by the end of 2006, the Federal Health Office expects 300 new cases. Yet according to the authorities this is a phenomenon that other western European countries are also having to come to terms with."

How does Ricky Martin get in great shape? Zumba: "Zumba is a Latin high energy exercise routine created by Beto Perez that combines aerobic interval training with latin style dancing."

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Gay Chic: From Subculture to Mainstream

If you happen to be in Zurich, Switzerland, you may want to stop by an exhibit at the Museum of Design running through July 16th that shows how style and aesthetics from gay culture are affecting advertising, fashion, mass media, films and pop music. If you're not going to be in Zurich, you can watch the six-minute movie here.

Gay Chic [gridskipper]

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Swiss Soccer Widow Bait Now Online

The Swiss Tourism ad I posted about last week, targeted at women whose husbands may be preoccupied with football during this summer's World Cup, is now online. Aside from the hunky men and the brief glimpse of German football star Michael Ballack, I love the fact that the male Reuters reporter gets all giddy about the parade of beefcake. Says Reuters' Ben Fajzullin: "Could be more exciting than the event itself!"

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