Miss America Wrap-Up!

Here she is, Miss America, Caressa Cameron from Virginia. 

Now, my regular readers know what a pageant queen I am, but I am pissed and disappointed in Miss America for having that vile, lothsome Rush Limbaugh as a judge this year.  Apparently they didn't act on my strongly worded letter to the President of the Miss America organization because Rush was there.  I seriously thought about not watching, but I decided that zit on the the anal wart of society wasn't going to take this away from me. 

Once in, I almost called a halt to it when Gretchen Carlson of Fake News started introducing the judges.  But, she was Miss America in 1935 or something so I'll give them that one.  Besides, she looked fat in a hideous green dress that looked like her grandmother stiched it up on her Singer flip and sew. 

On with the pageant!  Here are my random thoughts, jotted down as Wes and I watched. 

Can this please be the last show with I Gotta Feeling from the Black Eye Peas as a theme song?  Please?  What's next for the song, laxative commercials? 

Mario Lopez must have made a deal with the devil to be so insanely cute. 

Opening dance number to, you guessed it, I Gotta Feeling.  These girls are obviously not dancers.  Hate the sandals. 

They're introducing themselves and some of them are doing it in a cute way:

Miss Alaska:  "I can't see Russia from my house."

Miss Florida:  "Tim, I'm single!"  You'd have to be a virgin for Mr. Tebow.  Can you meet that standard?

Miss Georgia: "I went to the Masters and didn't meet Tiger."

Miss Kentucky:  "Home of mah husband, George Clooney."

Miss New Jersey:  "I know The Situation."

Miss South Carolina:  Something about a horse in a bathtub.  Sigh.  Should have stuck to "Hi y'all."

"Prize package from our friends at Amway."  When did that start?  How far this pageant has fallen.

Mario is introducing his lovely co-host Clinton Kelly, host of What Not to Wear.  He is hot, imho.  I also assume he's gay, but when he hosted the Backstage at Miss America show before the pageant, he made a comment about recently getting married.  Surely he means married like Wes and I are married, right?  I mean the host of a fashion make-over show and Backstage at Miss America?  Anybody have any info? 

Moving on...They're choosing the top 15 and the first three are "America's choice."  Huh?  The last one will be the contestant's choice.  How complicated do you want to make it?  Anyway, the top 15 are being announced with a brief video clip letting you get to know them. 

Miss Oklahoma likes candy.  Whatever.

Miss Arkansas wants to pay for law school.

Miss Kentucky wants to do something big with her life.

Miss Tennessee said something but I forget.

Miss Colorado loves ice cream.  Come on, she hasn't had any butter pecan since she was three years old.   

Miss California

Miss Indiana

Miss Hawaii

Miss Louisiana

Miss DC

Miss New Mexico IS "that IT girl."  Subtle.

Miss Virginia

Miss Texas, about damn time!  

Miss Nebraska, really?  Nebraska?  No South Carolina, no Alabama, no Mississippi and they pick Nebraska?  Shit, people. 

Now, the girls pick one more, but first our reigning Miss America, Katie Stamm makes an appearance in a dress that is "a tribute to our military."  Um, okay.  Can we get on with things now?

The girls pick Oregon.  She's totally cute. 

Swimsuit is next.  I check out the thighs and marvel at the lack of shame and the miracles of waxing.  Who walks gracefully and who walks like she was born pushing a plow? 

Now, there's another elimination and Oregon, Indiana and Arkansas get the shaft. 

Backstage, Clinton Kelly is talking to some former Miss Americas including Lynda Meade, who was Miss America when I was born.  She's here for her 50th anniversary which is impossible since I'm not even close to 50.  She looks amazing, though.

Evening gown is on.  Miss Oklahoma stumbles a bit, but it's OK.  Miss California believes true beauty radiates from within.  Profound.  Miss Texas slipped.  Get it together Miss Texas! 

Talent is next, my favorite part!  Miss California is in a tutu.  Always a good choice.  Miss Virginia is belting out Listen from Dreamgirls.  Beyonce could learn a thing or two from her.  DC and Texas sing opera with mixed results.  New Mexico sings from West Side Story, very nice.  Miss Lousiana plays piano. 

Miss Kentucky is singing and she has the biggest mouth I've ever seen.  Seriously.  It's like a giant Amazonian snake has unhinged it's jaw and is going to swallow us all up.

Miss Hawaii does the hula and is my favorite.  Lovely.

Buh bye Oklahoma and Colorado.  No talent competition for you.

It's on to the questions and they're unbelievably lame.  Each one should have been asked about same sex marriage!  Wouldn't that have been fun?  They could have brought out Clinton Kelly as a visual aid.

It's time!  Final five!  Texas is eliminated.  Crap.  Ditto Nebraska.

Fourth runner-up:  Miss freak mouth Kentucky!

Third runner-up:  Miss Louisiana!  I kind of liked her and besides, Louisiana has never won.  Too bad.

Second runner-up:  Miss Tennessee!

First runner-up:  Miss California!

Now, Miss Virginia is standing there with New Mexico and Hawaii.  One of them will win and the others, well, won't.  New Mexico has never won and I really like her.  Mario has the winner...it's...

MISS VIRGINIA, CARESSA CAMERON IS YOUR NEW MISS AMERICA!

Her mother is crying her eyes out!  It's pandemonium!  Caressa Cameron is beautiful and talented and smart.  Great choice! 

DA/DT Repeal is Happening! Eventually...Maybe

Remember when President Obama promised to repeal Don't Ask/Don't Tell this year?  No, not the first time, that was 2009.  I'm talking about the second time, when he promised to repeal it before the end of 2010.  Remember when the White House started backing off that almost immediately?  Well, it appears that the Pentagon is serious and it's really, really going to happen!  Really!  We're not kidding this time!  Just as soon as we study it for a few more fucking years so we can ruin a few more hundred soldiers' before we give in to you dirty queers.  I'm paraphrasing.  On Tuesday, Secretary of Defense Gates is expected to announce "a special investigation into how the ban can be repealed without hurting the morale or readiness of the troops."  This will take most of the year "and even longer to implement." 

Because we really need more studies.  It's not like this law has been studied to death or anything. 

"Lifting the ban poses some emotional questions that go to the heart of the military's command structure and the trust relationships within military units. Among them: Will U.S. troops and leaders tolerate openly gay members in their midst? And if they don't, what should the Pentagon do about it?"

In other words, how do we reverse an official policy of discrimination that openly encourages homophobia throughout the ranks without soldiers saying "what the fuck, Sarge?  I thought we were supposed to hate them?"

The entire basis of DA/DT has always been the presumption that soldiers have a right to be bigoted.  That's it.  All that "unit cohesion" bullshit was made up out of whole cloth by Pentagon lawyers trying desperately to find a straight-face argument for legal challenges. 

I've got an idea, why not repeal the bankrupt law now and expect soldiers to act like professionals?  For those who don't, enforce the UCMJ.  You might find out that young soliders today aren't nearly so freaked out by the spectre of gayness than the frightened old pantywaists in the Pentagon.  Oh wait, maybe that's the problem.

Hillary Leaving After First Term

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has told PBS that she is leaving the Obama administration at the end of the first term.  Tavis Smiley asked her if she could see herself continuing in her position if Obama is re-elected and she said  "No, I really can't.  The whole eight (years), I mean that would be very challenging. But I... don't want to make any predictions sitting here."  She also said she is "absolutely not interested" in running for president in 2012.  She said her plans include  "going back to private life and spending time reading, and writing, and maybe teaching, doing some personal travel." 

Obama Backing Off DADT Already...Again?

Check out this tweet from Americablog's Joe Sudbay quoting Eugene Robinson:

"On Hardball, Eugene Robinson said he heard this morning from somebody in WH that DADT repeal probably wouldn't be this year."

This was 12 hours after the President promised repeal "this year."  Don't hit your head on the exhaust pipe as we get thrown under the bus again.

"We Don't Quit, I Don't Quit"

Stirring words from President Obama who reminded me of candidate Obama in 2008.  Where has he been hiding for the past year?

I watched the whole thing last night, but was too buzzed from the SOTU Drinking Game to write about it until now.

He did a good job of laying out the positive things he's done for the economy, although Harry Reid really should have stifled that yawn on the "2 and a half million Americans are working today thanks to the stimulus." line.  He also did a good job of reminding Americans that he inherited this shit from those bozos sitting on their hands.  I was a bit surprised by the new commitment to nuclear energy and the proposed spending freeze feels like a stunt and a capitulation to failed Reaganonics.

I liked his shaming of the Republican culture of no.  "Don't delay or obstruct on every single thing just because they can."  "Just saying no is not leadership."  Of course, Mitch McConnell kept a Dubya-style smirk on his face the whole time and Boehner, as usual, looked like he overdid the Mary Kay.  Several times, McCain and his BFF Lindsay Lohan Graham gabbed like schoolgirls. 

It was interesting that the GOP sat on their butts without applauding anything at the beginning.  They didn't applaud tax cuts, sticking it to the banks, or any obvious Republican-bait.  Toward the end, however, there was some scattered applause from their side, here and there, as Obama became more and more inspiring.  I don't think this signals a new Republican shift into bi-partisanship, but maybe their iron discipline isn't quite as solid as I thought.

Certainly the big news for us was the announcement that he will end Don't Ask/Don't Tell. 

"This year I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are — it’s the right thing to do."

Great words.  Glad to hear it.  I've heard it before.  I'll believe it when it happens.  Americablog pointed out that he gave us a timetable, "this year" and that he said "repeal" instead of "change."  Maybe this is progress?  I'm cautiously optimistic. 

Joe from Joe.My.God noted that the Joint Chiefs sat there stone faced when the announcement was made.  Of course, it's appropriate for them to avoid reacting to the President's speech.  The military is supposed to be scrupulously non-partisan, right?    Here they are:

   Now, here they are when the President got tough with Iran's nuke program:

Oops.  Forget your military bearing, gentlemen?

I thought it was completely inapproprate for the President to criticize the Supreme Court before the American people.  It showed disrespect for the Court and for separation of powers.  It was also inappriate for Samuel Alito to react to it, shaking his head and mouthing "not true."

If you missed the speech, here's the whole thing. 

Ugly Betty Cancelled

I'm officially never watching network TV again.  ABC is pulling the plug on Ugly Betty.  It will cease production at the end of this season.  I think this has been a great season and they finally moved it back to Wednesday from the Friday graveyard.  I just hope Justin comes out and gets a cute boyfriend before it's all over.  That "I'm not gay" episode made no sense to me at all.  On the up side, maybe Vanessa Williams will finally win that Emmy she's been tragically denied.  Hey, being on a cancelled show worked for Kristin Chenowith.    

Son of Michael Douglas Going to Jail

Cameron Douglas has pled guilty to various drug charges in New York.  The charges include heroin possession and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine.  The 31 year-old faces a minimum 10-year sentence. 

Zelda Rubenstein: 1933-2010

I reported earlier that Zelda Rubenstein, better known as Tangina in the Poltergeist movies, was hospitalized and not expected to live.  She has now gone into the light.

Go check out The Advocate's video interview with Zelda in which she talks about her ground-breaking AIDS activism.  

Brian Batt Not Coming Back to Mad Men

Openly gay actor Brian Batt will not be coming back to Mad Men because his character, Salvatore, was discovered to be gay (or, more accurately, because he wouldn't put out for the Lucky Strike guy).  According to the article, Batt apparently hasn't gotten the final word yet.  What a shame.  I'm sure this reflects the reality of being gay in 1960s America, but a writing team that creative could have come up with something.  I believe the viewers at least deserve to find out what happened to Salvatore instead of leaving us hanging with that last scene of him talking on a pay phone by a cruising park.

Johnny Weir Superstar

Did you see Johnny Weir's new show on the Sundance channel last night?  Be Good Johnny Weir is a glitter explosion like you've never seen before.  I love him.  He's fearless and the only true individual in figure skating, maybe all of sports.  Watch it:



Bonus, Johnny strips down to his briefs at every opportunity and his body is rocking.  If you're into that sort of thing.

Answering the Lies of the Right

We all know the ugly lie that gay men are child molesters.  Rob Tisinai takes it apart.  

Beau Biden Will Not Run for the Senate

Delaware Attorney General and Joe Biden's son Beau will not run for his dad's old Senate seat despite being damn hot.  Do you think he's ever done a Cosmo layout?  Anyway, this leaves the race without a single strong Democratic candidate to run against Republican Rep. Mike Castle.  Will Joe Biden's seat follow Ted Kennedy's and become a GOP pick-up?  If only someone in Delaware could provide some insight...

Lt. Gov Andre' Bauer: "Don't Feed the Poor, They'll Breed."

Remember totally heterosexual South Carolina Lt. Gov Andre' Bauer?  He's running for governor on the shit-kicker platform.  In a campaign appearance where he was talking about free school lunches, he said parents should be required to do something in return for the "hand-out."  To illustrate, he said the following:

"My grandmother was not a highly educated woman, but she told me as a small child to quit feeding stray animals. You know why? Because they breed," Bauer said, according to the Greenville News. "You're facilitating the problem if you give an animal or a person ample food supply. They will reproduce, especially ones that don't think too much further than that. And so what you've got to do is you've got to curtail that type of behavior. They don't know any better."

Talk about poor people "breeding" to an audience of South Carolina rednecks and the message is clear.  You can hear the full audio here.  Here's a local news report:

Monday's Man: Evan Lysacek

American figure skater Evan Lysacek just qualified for the Olympic team with a silver medal at the Nationals.  It was something of an upset for him to come in second, but he now has a shot at Olympic gold.  Nice nipple. 

He's totally cute working the scruff and hoodie.

He's been linked with women including figure skater Tanith Belbin.  Hmmm.  Whatever, I'll be pulling for Johnny Weir in Vancover, anyway. 

SAG Madness!

The SAG awards were last night and the results mirrored most of the other awards shows this year.  Jeff Bridges, Mo'nique and Christoph Waltz continued their juggernaught.  The interesting win was Sandra Bullock for best actress for Erin Brockovich The Blindside.  She and Meryl Streep both won Golden Globes and they tied at the Critics' Choice Awards, but last night Bullock won outright.  The SAGS are a great predictor of the Oscars, although it doesn't always hold true.  Two years ago, Julie Christie won the SAG and Marion Cotillard won the Oscar.  All this makes Best Actress the only interesting race this year.  It's looking more and more like Julia Roberts vs. Ellen Burstyn in 2001. 

Remember when I said Sandra Bullock would be nominated but Meryl Streep would certainly win?  Forget I said that.  

Jean Simmons, 1929-2010

From Film Experience comes news that Jean Simmons has died at the age of 80.  The lovely British actress was nominated for an Academy Award twice and starred in such classics as Elmer Gantry, The Robe, and Guys and Dolls.  In later years, she starred in major mini-series including North and South and The Thornbirds.  She is survived by two daughters, Kate and Tracy who she named for Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy.

How to Make Basketball Ugly

Really, really ugly.


The Augusta Chronicle, the daily paper in the city where I was born, is reporting that a new whites-only basketball league wants to expand to The Garden City.  The Atlanta-based All-American Basketball Alliance wants to get started in June and:

"Only players that are natural born United States citizens with both parents of Caucasian race are eligible to play in the league,"

The league will emphasize "fundamental basketball" instead of "street ball played by people of color."  

Thankfully, the mayor of Augusta, Deke Copenhaver, said 

"I could not support in good conscience bringing in a team that did not fit with the spirit of inclusiveness that I, along with many others, have worked so hard to foster in our city."

The athletic director of Augusta State University laughed at the idea and said "it gives you an idea of the sickness of our society."

Shocker of the Day

John Edwards has admitted fathering a child with Rielle Hunter.  The world says "no shit."  Now go away, you're bothering us. 

Democrats F-Up Another One

Pretty-boy Republican Scott Brown has been elected to fill Ted Kennedy's Senate seat.  Goodbuy Democratic super majority.  I guess shaking hands doesn't seem so icky now, does it Martha?  Despite all the weeping and wailing and knashing of teeth, this doesn't have to mean the end of health care reform.  After all, the Dems still have a bigger majority than George Bush ever had.  The difference is, the Republicans are disciplined and the Democrats are a bunch of pussys.  It's time to find your balls, folks, forget all this bi-partisanship bullshit and play hardball.  It's either that or hand America over to the teabaggers.  Your choice.

UPDATE:  Senator Jim Webb, Democrat of Virginia and Rep. Barney Frank, Democrat of Massachusetts both issued statements within minutes of Coakley's concession saying further voting on the health care bill should wait until Brown is seated.  In other words, health care is done, let's stop trying.  That's my interpretation, you can read them for yourself.  Sen. Webb's statement is here and Rep. Frank's statement is here.  I think it's interesting that these two tough-guy politicians both spoke out so soon. 

So, we should sacrifice health care on the blessed alter of bi-partisanship.  That's a brilliant strategy.  After a year of ugly dithering, start over so the democrats can go into the mid-terms with exactly zero major legislative accomplishments.  At least, that will be the public perception.  What reason does that give anyone to vote for a Democrat?
 

Golden Globes Wrap-Up!

Jon Hamm grew a beard.  I didn't notice anything else.

"Anderson Cooper Should Be the Next Spiderman"

My husband told me that at dinner last night after watching marathon CNN/Haiti coverage.

"Why do you say that?" I said.

"Because, number 1, he would look great in the suit and number 2, he flies around the world doing good deeds.  Just watch:" 



Then he said "Anderson needs to be careful going out in areas with so many thugs."

"Yeah, and not the sort of 'thugs' he runs into at his boyfriend's gay bar."

Quote for the Holiday

"How does one determine when a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law, or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas, an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality ..." - Martin Luther King Jr.

Via Andrew Sullivan

Osage Over Globes

OK guys, brace yourselves.  I didn't watch the Golden Globes last night.  Instead, the hubby and I went to see August Osage County with Estelle Parsons at the new Winspear Opera House.   It would be an understatement to call that a smart choice.  The play was amazing.  If you haven't seen it and it comes to your town, just go.  Estelle Parsons has the energy of a 25 year old and her performance was astounding.  She, and the entire cast, seemed drained at the curtain call.  I'm sure an actor can't do something so intense and just shake it off, and yesterday there was a matinee also.  It's 3.5 hours long.  It had been described to me alternatively as a very dark drama with a little humor and a a dark comedy with a lot of humor. I would tend toward the latter, although it really defies any drama/comedy categorization.  Maybe it's because we're both from fucked-up southern families (are there any other kind?) but we both loved it and sat up half the night talking about it.

I DVRed the Globes and will probably write something about it tomorrow.  A winners list can be found at Joe.My.God.

Blindsided by the Blind Side

The hubby and I went to see the new Sandra Bullock film The Blind Side over the weekend.  I did not expect to like this movie.  He wanted to see something uplifting and God knows the previews looked uplifting, so we went.  I wasn't that into it because I was expecting big dumb black kid rescued by the beautiful white people who becomes a pro football player.  It seemed a bit 1965 to me.  I wasn't completely wrong, but in it's execution, The Blind Side rises above.  I'll explain.

The movie is based on the true story of professional football player Michael Oher who was, in fact, adopted by a white family in Memphis.  Oher (Quinton Aaron) is not a big dumb black kid, but rather a boy who had a horrific childhood and closed himself off from the world until Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock) took an interest in him and he slowly discovered his intellegence and talents. 

As the story opens, a man (the only positive black character in the film other than Oher) takes his son and "Big Mike" to a tony Christian academy and talks the coach into getting both of these kids into the school.  The man has been allowing Big Mike to sleep on his sofa.  We learn through flashbacks that Big Mike's mother is a crack addict.  The boys are admitted and we never see the man or his son again until high school graduation.  Shortly thereafter, Leigh Ann sees Big Mike walking down the street on a freezing cold night in short sleeves and short pants. She determines that he has no place to stay (what happened to the nice man with the sofa?  We never find out) so she takes him to her huge Republican mansion and let's him stay with her family.  He becomes a part of the family and never leaves.  The Tuohy's adopt him, hire a tudor (Kathy Bates, terrific as always) and he slowly starts to thrive.  Along they way, they learn he hates being called "Big Mike" and prefers Michael.  Leigh Anne's husband is played by Tim McGraw who was actually very good.  Who knew he could act?  Naturally, I wanted him to take his shirt off at some point, but he never did. 

This movie is not flattering to black people.  That's an understatement.  The only other black characters are a bitch-on-wheels who works for the NCAA (in a dramatic twist that feels hyped up and false) and Michael's old crowd from the projects who are a bunch of pimps 'n hos with drugs, guns and quart bottles of malt liquor.  The scene when Michael goes back to the projects (and it was inevitable that he would) feels like some sort of out-of-control Wayans Brothers skit without the humor.  His birth mother, the drug addict, is portrayed with a great deal of humanity by Adrianne Lenox, but she isn't sure who his father was.   Maybe this was the truth of his life, but this movie makes white people feel very good about themselves.   The sold-out matinee crowd was mostly middle-aged white ladies with well-tended hair. 

This is definitely a red state movie and there probably are not a lot of sold-out matinees in New York or LA.  The Tuohys are not in-your-face Christian people.  Leigh Anne likes her red wine and her BMW and you never see them go to church (although a scene at some upscale First Baptist with the large black teenager entering with a white family could have been fun).  But, it's clear that they're Republicans (Kathy Bates has the funniest line in the film regarding their politics), they're rich, and they send their kids to a Christian Academy. 

What keeps this movie from becoming some sort of mawkish Focus on the Family informercial are the performances of Sandra Bullock and Quinton Aaron.   When reviewers call Bullock Oscar-worthy, they're right.  So is Aaron.  Their performances feel real and honest and make you realize that this is all a true story.  They have great mother-and-son chemistry and you can feel their love and affection grow.  Bullock fully gets the no-nonsense Southern gal she's playing (and I've known so many just like her).  She also gets the accent.  I can detect a fake Southern accent at 90 paces and hers is soft and natural.  I quickly forgot this was Sandra Bullock on screen and stopped expecting her to take a pratfall or give us a goofy laugh.  She became Leigh Anne Tuohy, a woman who talks the talk and walks the walk.   

Sandra Bullock's year feels very much like Julia Roberts' award season in 2000.  Each had a hit romantic comedy that was a sort of comeback followed a serious drama in which she was surprizingly good.  The drama was an unexpected hit based largely on her star power.  Lots of Oscar buzz ensued.  OK, I don't really expect Sandra Bullock to beat out Meryl Streep at the Oscars, but I would be shocked if she didn't get a nomination. 

Project Runway is Back

I know I might be the only person who's excited by Project Runway's return after last year's lackluster season, but I'm hopeful that this season will be better.  After last night's premiere, I'm still hopeful, but not convinced.  Here are my thoughts.

The best thing about it is the return to New York where the show belongs.  I love LA, but some things need to be in NYC.  We should have Michael Kors and Nina Garcia every week instead of a parade of lame guest judges who don't get the show.

Speaking of lame guest judges, last night's was Nicole Ritchie.  How very 2005 of them.  I'm sure House of Harlow 1960 will take the fashion world by storm.  

Last night's challenge was, what's the word?  Boring.  Basically, the designers were told to make something.  That's it.  No vegetables, no trash, no plus-size moms, just make something.  Oh yeah, they had to grab all the Mood fabric they could from a set in Central Park.  How innovative.

Product placement gone wild!  The Bluefly.com accessory wall is back complete with the naked girl serving sushi.  They've added the Brother sewing room to the Garnier hair salon and the L'Oriel make-up room.  Plus, they have HP touch pads for the designers to use "if you choose."  Now, every sketch comes complete with the HP logo in the corner.  The prize package has something to do with HP and Intell, but my mind can only absorb so many products in a span of five minutes so I didn't catch it.

 

Lots of tres gay guys and cool gals.  My favorite so far?  You guessed it, pageant queen Anthony!  He's the guy who brought "all of Georgia" in his gigantic suitcase.  He's a man after my own heart, even if he does prefer Miss USA to Miss America.  After that bizarre tumor dress, he may not last long.

Jeanne Marie Cacciatorri or whoever cried three times in the first 20 minutes.  Seriously girl, get a grip.  You're not that important.

Emilio won!  Wait, who was he again?  What did his dress look like?  Whatever.  I thought Seth Aaron would win despite the most awkward double name since Lauren Brie.  Memo to Seth Aaron - if you're 38 and dress like you're 22, you're going to look like you were laid off from middle management and became a TGI Friday's waiter.

Amy is from Plano and Mila is from Dallas so of course I must love them.  They didn't really have a chance to make a big impression last night.  Give them time. 

 Did Jay really mean to have poofs coming out of his model's crotch and hips?  Yet, it was Christiane who went home?  I'll bet she could have done some amazing work had she been given more time on the show. 
  
I'm kind of loving Ping Wu.

Monday's Man: Maradona Robello

The hot Indian actor is starring in what has been billed as Bollywood's Brokeback Mountain, Dunno Y.  Here he is getting steamy with co-star Kapil Sharma: 

The poster is hotter.  Much hotter:

Looks like a must-see.  Here's the trailer:

She Doesn't Have to Dumb Herself Down

Watch Joy Behar and her panel's take on Sarah Palin's first day on Fox "News."

Rue McClanahan Suffers Stroke

From New York Lazy Circles Bureau Chief Doug comes the sad news that Rue McClanahan has had a stroke.  You may recall that she was hospitalized in November for heart by-pass surgery.  Apparently it occurred shortly after the surgery and she has been in a nursing facility undergoing rehab.  Keep her in your thoughts and prayers. 

Shark Eats Man

In South Africa, a gigantic shark has eaten a grown man in front of numerous witnesses.  The man was standing about chest deep in the water off beautiful Fish Hoek near Cape Town when a shark the size of a mini-bus grabbed him and ate him.  Seriously.  Here's a witness' Twitter post:

"Holy shit. We just saw a gigantic shark eat what looked like a person in front of our house," witness Gregg Coppen posted on Twitter. "That shark was huge. Like dinosaur huge."

Another interesting passage in the article:

"Skinner was reportedly on holiday in Cape Town for the month to attend the wedding of his partner's daughter. His partner was at the beach with him."

Business partner or domestic partner?

I've been to Fish Hoek.  It's a stunningly beautiful place and it's now mid-summer so I'm sure the beaches are busy.  The ocean's not a swimming pool, people.  It's the wild.  Click here for video that I can't embed.  You can also click here to read a description of Fish Hoek as "one of the safest" beaches for "bathing and bodyboarding."  They might want to update the site.

Via The Slog

Happy Birthday Luise Rainer

Somehow I missed this, but yesterday was Luise Rainer's 100th birthday (note to self, check Film Experience more often).  Rainer, of course, was the first person to win back-to-back Oscars, for The Great Ziegfeld in 1936 and The Good Earth in 1937.  She only spent five years in Hollywood, but she left an indelible impression.  Click here to read a terrific recent interview about her fascinating life.  As she said:

“My God, one’s life-span is so very short.”

How to Help in Haiti

By now you've all read about the horrific earthquake in Haiti.  One way to help is to text "HAITI" to 90999 to automatically donate $10.00 to Red Cross Haiti relief.  It will be charged to your cellphone bill. 

Divorce Rates Higher in States With Marriage Bans

According to Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight.com, divorce rates tend to be higher in states that have enacted damndable constitutional amendments preventing gays from marrying than in those states that have not.  In Massachusetts, the divorce rate has declined 21% since 2003 and is the lowest in the nation.  It seems that marriage equality is good for marriage. 

Don't expect NOM or Focus on the Family or any of the other haters to acknowledge the divorce gap.  The notion that they are fighting to save marriage from us dirty queers is a pleasant-sounding lie.  They could care less about the institution of marriage.  They're fighting to make sure we don't have rights. 

Miep Gies: 1909-2010

Miep Gies has died at the age of 100.   For two years, Gies and her husband Jan hid and sustained Anne Frank, her family and others; eight in total.  She is credited with saving Frank's diary.  All of this was done at incredible personal risk.

Prop. 8 Trial Opens

The Prop. 8 trial opened yesterday.  Ted Olson's opening statement is set forth in its entirety here.  An excerpt: 

The State of California has offered no justification for its decision to eliminate the fundamental right to marry for a segment of its citizens.  And its chief legal officer, the Attorney General, admits that none exists.  And the evidence will show that each of the rationalizations for Proposition 8 invented by its Proponents is wholly without merit.

It's a brilliant opening statement well worth reading.  Olson and Boies are the best of the best in the legal profession.  I'm cautiously optimistic about this case because we're in such good hands.  Excellent coverage of the trial can be found here, here, and here,  

Check out Olson's answer when the judge asked why this case should be in court at all:

That’s why we have courts, to protect those who are discriminated against, when their children can’t go to school because of their skin color. We would not need a constitution if we left everything to the political process. We’d just let the majority prevail and that’s a good thing about democracy, but it’s not so good if you are different, new. It causes gays and lesbians unrelenting pain. We have the courts to take our worthy, upstanding citizens who are being hurt to be protected by the courts. That’s why we are here today.”

Concise, accurate, brilliant.  

The Conservative Case for Marriage

Ted Olson, former Solicitor General in the George W. Bush administration and half of the legal team bringing the lawsuit challenging Prop. 8 has written a strong article for Newsweek laying out the conservative case for marriage.  An excerpt:

Americans who believe in the words of the Declaration of Independence, in Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, in the 14th Amendment, and in the Constitution's guarantees of equal protection and equal dignity before the law cannot sit by while this wrong continues. This is not a conservative or liberal issue; it is an American one, and it is time that we, as Americans, embraced it.

Read the whole thing.  It's worth your time.

Monday's Man: Ryan McDonald

Some guys claim that they're not into redheads.  I think model Ryan McDonald might change your mind.  He's obviously naturally ginger.  Click on Ryan to make him bigger. 

Picture source. 

I know I usually include several pictures of my Monday's Man, but seriously guys, with one this hot, do you really need any more?  What's that?  Yes, yes, YES?  OK, go see his recent Fantastics Mag shoot. You can see lots more of him, clothed and unclothed.  Click here, Probably NTSW unless you work at an extremely liberal place.  Or in fashion. 

Icepocalypse 2010 Continues

I took this picture on my Plano Housewife Power Walk yesterday afternoon (a joke locals will get).  It's in front of a grand old house owned by some gays, kind of a local landmark.  Yes, it's a frozen fountain.  It actually got a bit above freezing yesterday, thus the walk, and today it's supposed to soar to 43!  Break out the Catalina Swimwear, contestants!

Maybe They Didn't Believe in Fairies Strongly Enough

Watch this community production of Peter Pan go from bad to worse:



Via the Slog

Ron Reagan on Republican Amnesia

I've never listened to Ron Reagan on Air America, but maybe I should start. 

Indiana Jake and the Tomb Raiders of the Caribbean

Here's trailer for the new Jake Gyllenhaal epic.  It looks like the lamest, most over-blown movie since he outran falling temperatures in The Day After Tomorrow, but it stars His Jakeness so you know I'll be there opening day.  

Quote of the Day

"What the Jews were to the right in the 1920s, the gays are in the 2010s. Unpleasant, dispensable, and if possible, wiped out."

-Andrew Sullivan


Read the entire post here. 

Arctic Freeze in Dallas

Dallas is experiencing the coldest weather in 20 years with an Arctic front that moved in last night.  We began the day with some delightful freezing drizzle and gusty winds bringing the wind chill to a crisp 0 degrees (the picture above is from 10:45 AM).  The actual temperature was 28 at sunrise and dropping.  By the time I walked the dog (Wes' dog that Wes wanted yet I was walking him in the freezing drizzle.  I am a SAINT), it was 24 with 45 MPH wind gusts.  Trevor loved it but then again, I wasn't wearing his fur coat.  The good news?  There is no good news.  It may not get above freezing until Sunday afternoon.

To think I moved to Dallas because it's a large urban area in a warm climate.

The Gate Agent Was "Pre-Menstrual"

Watch Joan Rivers on her airport nightmare. 

Scott Lively's "Nuclear Bomb"

Scott Lively  is the "Christian" missionary who was one of three Americans participating in the March 2008 anti-gay conference in Uganda that preceded the gay genocide bill.  He claims to oppose the law, yet hear his words spoken in Uganda.  He has bragged that his words constituted a "nuclear bomb."  This clip is beyond anything you ca imagine.  He teaches that we are all serial killers who were responsible for the Rwandan massacre.  He says the Rwandan murderers were macho and gays are macho therefore gays were "probably" responsible.  Seriously, that's the depth of his analysis.  He presents himself as the world's foremost expert on homosexuality.  Judge for yourself, if you have the stomach for it.  



Is is any wonder that Ugandan politicians were inspired to kill gays?  Lively knew exactly what he was doing and he got the result he wanted.  Read much more at Box Turtle Bulletin.

New York Times on Uganda Gay Genocide

The New York Times continued it's sudden discovery of the Uganda gay genocide bill with an excellent editorial in today's edition.  An excerpt: 

"Now the three Americans are saying they had no intention of provoking the anger that, just one month later, led to the introduction of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009. You can’t preach hate and not accept responsibility for the way that hate is manifested."

It's Not So Complicated

The hubby and I caught up on our movie watching over the weekend.  We saw Nine, A Single Man, and It's Complicated.  We enjoyed all three.

Nine was pretty darn fabulous.  Who knew Judi Dench could sing and dance?  I loved seeing Sophia Loren on screen, even if they didn't give her much to do.  Nicole Kidman was incredibly beautiful.  Penelope Cruz seemed to be having fun, Marion Cotillard was pitch-perfect, Fergie practically stopped the show, and I even liked Kate Hudson.  I thought it was a beautiful merging of stage to screen.  If you're a show-tune queen like me, go see it.
A Single Man was overwrought at times (the Psycho sign?  We get it, he's stressed), but Colin Firth's performance ripped my heart out.  It's wonderful to see a movie that honors a gay relationship and treats it with respect.  If you're in a shallow mood, go see it for Julianne Moore's fabulous 1962 hair, make-up and gown.  With a cape! Tom Ford is brilliant. 

It's Complicated was typical Nancy Myers fare.  A woman of a certain age with a stunning house, fascinating career, enviable girlfriends, and glowing skin is strangely unfulfilled.  During a white wine fueled gabfest with Mary Kay Place and Rita Wilson, she reveals that she hasn't gotten laid in years and oh my God have you tried the bruschetta?  Suddenly, she's being pursued by two terribly attractive men, one who forsakes a young babe to bang our old girl repeatedly and another who woos her sweetly.  Who will she choose? 

My disbelief ceased to be suspended during a scene with Meryl picking flawless tomatoes from her breathtaking vegetable garden.  We're supposed to believe that this single empty-nester with no apparent domestic help juggles a booming career, a huge home that she is expanding, and affairs with two men simultaneously all while maintaining the most amazing vegetable garden since Kathy Griffin visited Suzanne Somers?  Maybe I think about these things too much.  Watch it on DVD on some rainy afternoon when you're depressed and need a light pick-me-up.

I see a lot of movies.  Maybe I should write about them more often.  What do you think?

Sally Kern wants to Restrict Divorce

Remember Sally Kern, the Oklahoma state representative who said the "gay agenda" was a bigger threat to America than terrorism?  She has introduced a bill in the Oklahoma House to restrict divorce.  Under her proposed law, incompatibility would not be allowed as a basis for divorce when there are minor children of the marriage, the parties have been married 10 years or longer, or either party objects to the divorce.

Hey, at least she's consistent.  There aren't many save-marriage-from-the-evil-homosexuals crusaders who actually look at heterosexual marriage.  It will be very interesting to watch how the far-right elements in the Oklahoma House (and there are many) react to a bill that puports to restrict their rights, not just those of the dirty gays.  I'm sure Maggie Gallagher and NOM will speak out strongly in support of it. 

Happy New Year from Jason Statham

I just came across this picture of Jason Statham vacationing in St. Barts over the New Year holiday.  I don't think I have to explain why I posted it.  And yes, that's his gorgeous female companion's flawless ass in front of him.

Via Dlisted

"They Set a Fire They Can't Quench"

The New York Times has finally published an article about Uganda's proposed gay genocide law.  Today's article profiles four American religious fanatics (my term) who's 3-day conference in Uganda on the "hidden and dark gay agenda" sparked the murderous law.  The four Americans are Scott Lively who has written books on preventing children from becoming homosexual, Caleb Lee Brundidge, who calls himself "ex-gay," and Don Schmierer, a board member of Exodus International.  Naturally, the all claim to feel really, really bad and believe they were tricked by the Ugandans.  Read the article and decide for yourself. 

Monday's Man: Scott Evans

I guess you could have guessed this one based on my last post.  Scott is the one on the right, without the shirt.  He's kissing Brett Claywell in a groundbreaking daytime gay sex scene.  If you want to linger on this picture a bit and sigh, go ahead.  We'll wait. 

Scott Evans is, of course, a One Life to Live star and brother of Chris Evans.  The towel suits him, don't you think?  Good genes in the Evans clan.  I wonder if I can get an invitation to a family reunion? 

Oh yeah, and he's openly gay.  He looks damn good dressed, too. 

One Gay Life to Live

In case you haven't been keeping up with the Soaps, One Life to Live has a gay story line featuring Scott Evans (brother of Chris) and Brett Claywell.  They finally consummated their love.  I haven't watched a soap in a long time, but I may have to start tuning into this one.  I thought it was sweet and loving and beautifully done: 



Via Towleroad.