15 Years Ago Today

Aaron Schock's Totally Not Gay Tampa Adventure

Super-fit, not-gay Illinois GOP Congressman Aaron Schock really loves super-fit Paul Ryan (in a totally not-gay way).  Watch him tell a local reporter how the two conservative bros start their day working out and showering together:

h/t Kenneth in the 212

Then there's this exchange between non-gay Aaron and totally gay Michelangelo Signorile:

It's totally inappropriate to ask if he's gay!  So he reacts like any heterosexual guy would and declares that he's straight!  Oh wait...

Finally, TMZ caught up with the Men's Health cover boy strolling through Tampa's gayborhood.  He thinks Paul Ryan should show off his hot bod more!  Me too!  Be sure to Go here to watch the video and check out the stores and rainbows in the background.  Maybe Aaron was saying in a neighborhood B&B?

 Was he shopping for some Andrew Christian undies in that cute little gay wear shop?  With his ripped body, he could totally work a pair of Almost Naked Sports Briefs.  Maybe he was shopping for a little gift for his work-out buddy?

Then again, maybe he was just looking for a relaxing massage?

  According to Joe.My.God, that business in the background with the huge rainbow banner is the Ybor Resort and Spa.  I'm sure it's just a place where regular guys go to loosen up.

Clint Eastwood and Invisible Obama At the GOP Convention

The mystery speaker was revealed to be Clint Eastwood!  He brought along invisible Obama to sit in an empty chair next to him. Invisible Obama even responded!


via Joe.My.God

Maybe this wasn't really Clint Eastwood playing himself.  Maybe he was in character from Gran Torino.

Invisible Obama now has 34,000 followers according to Andrew Sullivan.

The President's sharp response:

No one will remember Romney's speech.  Everyone will remember Clint Eastwood's performance art.  

MItt's Speech to America

Mitt Romney has released a portion of tonight's speech early.  Here it is [with a bit of editorial comment]:

To the majority of Americans who now believe that the future will not be better than the past, I can guarantee you this: if Barack Obama is re-elected, you will be right. I am running for president to help create a better future. A future where everyone who wants a job can find one. Where no senior fears for the security of their retirement. An America where every parent knows that their child will get an education that leads them to a good job and a bright horizon. And unlike the president, I have a plan to create 12 million new jobs. It has 5 steps. 

First, by 2020, North America will be energy independent by taking full advantage of our oil and coal and gas and nuclear and renewables.  [We will destroy the environment].

Second, we will give our fellow citizens the skills they need for the jobs of today and the careers of tomorrow. When it comes to the school your child will attend, every parent should have a choice, and every child should have a chance.  [We will destroy public schools].

Third, we will make trade work for America by forging new trade agreements. And when nations cheat in trade, there will be unmistakable consequences.  [We will destroy the unions].

Fourth, to assure every entrepreneur and every job creator that their investments in America will not vanish as have those in Greece, we will cut the deficit and put America on track to a balanced budget.  [America is not Greece, but I assume you're all fucking stupid].

And fifth, we will champion SMALL businesses, America’s engine of job growth. That means reducing taxes on business, not raising them. It means simplifying and modernizing the regulations that hurt small business the most. And it means that we must rein in the skyrocketing cost of healthcare by repealing and replacing Obamacare.  [Meaningless fucking bullshit].

Rick Santorum on Men's Hands

I'm sure Rick Santorum thought his "hands" speech was brilliant, but I thought it was hysterical that Frothy couldn't shut up about touching men's hands.  Big hands.  Thick hands.  Dirty hands.  Men's hands.  


via Joe.My.God.

Quote of the Day

"This is what a cold civil war looks like:  Making shit up entirely to create an illusion of reality.  No engagement; no real argument; no actual debate.  Just fantasy."  

--Andrew Sullivan on Artur Davis' speech last night at the Republican convention.  He could have been commenting on the entire night of speeches.  

GOP Convention Tweet of the Day

"GOP attendee ejected for throwing nuts at African-American CNN camera woman + saying 'This is how we feed animals.'"  

--David Shuster of Current TV.  At least the nuts thrower was kicked out instead of given a speaker slot.                                                                    

Quote of the Day

"Mitt Romney was born on March 12, 1947 in Ohio, Florida, Michigan, Virginia and several other swing states.  He emerged, hair first, believing in America, and especially its national parks.  He was given the name Mitt, after the Roman god of mutual funds, and launched into the world with the lofty expectation that he would someday become the Arrow shirt man."

-Conservative New York Times columnist David "who know I was funny?" Brooks in a must-read column called "The Real Romney."

GOP Candidate: Unwed Motherhood is "Similar" to Rape

Just in case you thought Paul Akin with his magic uterus theory was an outlier, along comes Pennslyvania's Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate Tom Smith to remind us how bizarre ideas about women, rape, and reproduction have become deeply entrenched in the Republican Party.  Mr. Smith was asked about Akin's comments and said that he disagreed with them.  But he couldn't just leave it there.  From The Huffington Post:

"Pressed by a reporter on how he would handle a daughter or granddaughter becoming pregnant as a result of rape, Smith said he had already 'lived something similar to that' in his family.  'She chose life, and I commend her for that,'  he said.  'She knew my views.  But, fortunately for me, I didn't have to...she chose they way I thought.  Don't get me wrong, it wasn't rape.'  When a reporter asked Smith to clarify what kind of situation was similar to becoming pregnant from rape, the candidate responded, 'having a bay out of wedlock.'  He added 'Put yourself in a father's position.  Yes, it is similar.'"  

Matthew Mitcham: Roaming in Rome

Out gay Olympic gold medalist has some fun in Rome:

Monday's Man: Ben Cohen

After last week's primped and plucked Hollywood pretty boy, I thought a real man was in order.  British rugby star and straight ally/gay right activist Ben Cohen was an obvious choice.

Ben's Stand Up Foundation fights bullying.  

A Mother's Pain and Blame

The New York Times has a powerful story of Tyler Clementi's mother Jane, and her life since her son's suicide in 2010.  Tyler came out to his parents just two days before leaving for Rutgers and his father took it well, but his evangelical Christian mother peppered him with questions like "how do you know" and "who are you going to tell."  Tyler texted a friend that his dad was "very accepting" but "Mom has basically completely rejected me."  Jane didn't believe that she rejected him because she and her husband wouldn't stop letting him come home and would continue paying for college, but Tyler obviously felt differently.  Today, Jane no longer attends her church and is trying to come to terms with her own role in her son's tragic death.  The article is well worth a read.

Neil Armstrong: 1930-2012

One of the soaring figures of world history, Neil Armstrong, has died at the age of 82.  A statement from his family said the death resulted from cardiovascular procedures.  I, along with everyone else on earth with access to a TV set, clearly remember watching Armstrong become the first human being to set foot on the Moon on July 20, 1969 and hearing his utter the famous words "That's one step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind."  Described as a quiet and unassuming man, Armstrong sought to live as private a life as possible after his Moon walk, serving as an associate administrator of the space program, a university professor, and a corporate director.  At the time of his death, he lived in Indian Hills, Ohio, his native state.  He is survived by his wife Carol and two sons from his first marriage, Eric and Mark.    

Jake! Live!



If you can stop gazing into Jake's piercing eyes for just a moment, the New York Times article is worth a read.

Two of my favorites are coming together:  Jake and New York theater.  His Jakeness is making his New York stage debut in the off-Broadway production of If There is I Haven't Found It Yet, which is described as a "dark comedy about an overweight British girl and her family."  Jake, who can set a brick wall on fire just by leaning against it, will be playing the "charmingly roguish" Uncle Terry. Previews begin tonight, so check out The Roundabout Theater Company for tickets.

h/t LC NY Bureau Chief Doug.      

SAY YES!!!

Playgirl has offered Prince Harry a million dollars to pose nude.

via Boy Culture.

Dan Savage vs. Brian Brown: The Video

Several months ago, Brian Brown, chief spokesbigot pit bull angry white guy for NOM, challenged Dan Savage to a duel debate, anytime, anyplace.  Naturally, Dan promptly took him up on it and invited Brown and his wife to dinner at his home in Seattle.  Brown declined for his wife so as to protect her from the Sodomites, but accepted for himself.  I haven't watched it yet because I can't bear to hear Miss Brown's self-righteous whining, but I will.  

The Royal Scepter

Did you ever want to see Prince Harry naked?  Now you can, thanks to TMZ.  It seems that the prince was playing an innocent game of strip billiards in Vegas and someone had a camera phone.  Isn't that always the way?  There are more pictures at the link including his Imperial Bum. Oh yeah, if you'd like to see him getting wet with Ryan Lochte, click here.

Shirtless Boys Against Romney

You really need to watch this:


From Full Frontal Freedom.

Phyllis Diller: 1917-2012

Fang is in mourning.  Groundbreaking comic Phyllis Diller has died at the age of 95.  Phyllis was out there making us laugh when stand-up was a man's game and she broke the glass ceiling for generations to follow.  She was a trained pianist and mother of six whose friends thought she was funny, so she gave it a try at San Francisco's Purple Onion in 1955.  Countless TV and club appearances later, she gave her last performance on Jay Leno in 2007.  She was the queen of the one-liners, usually at her expense.  She said she looked like someone who worked as "a lampshade in a whorehouse" and called herself "the Elizabeth Taylor of The Twilight Zone."  Check out this nice tribute to a funny lady:
     

Condi and Darla Tee Up

The Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters Tournament, has invited women to join for the first time and they are former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and gazillionaire financier Darla Moore.  The club has been under fire for years for it's all-male policy and speculation intensified this year when IBM named Ginni Rommety as CEO.  Club membership has always been incredibly selective and limited to masters of the universe like the IBM chief, not, as if commonly believed, famous golfers.  Arnold Palmer, for example, is one of the very few pro golfers to be extended membership, reportedly due to his business success instead of his status as a golf legend.    

Avid golfer Rice's credentials are certainly well known.  Darla Moore's are less so.  She is a hugely successful banker and financier.  She is vice president of the investment firm Rainwater, Inc and, as such, dismissed future Florida Governor Rick Scott from Columbia/HCA in the wake of the Medicare scandal.  She is also a noted philanthropist having given vast sums to her alma mater (and mine), The University of South Carolina which named the business school after her.  When Tea Party fave Nikki Haley became governor, she dismissed Darla from the University's board of trustees despite her extraordinary contributions to the school.  I guess I know who she didn't support in the governor's race.b Moore still lives in the family home in Lake City, SC, although she and her husband keep homes in New York, Charleston, and California.

Hmmm.  She fired Rick Scott and pissed off Nikki Haley.  I think I like Darla!        

Monday's Man: Josh Henderson

We saw the finale of the new Dallas series and all I can say is at least they had the good sense to get the resident hunks out of their shirts as often as possible.

  

This is Josh front and center, flexing his abs for the camera and giving us his best Zoolander stare.   Actually, Sue Ellen's the sexist one in the picture, but Josh ain't bad.   

Josh's John Ross Ewing is far more interesting that that goody-goody cousin of his, Christopher.  Besides, Jesse Metcalf's body is just too pumped, plucked, and perfect for my taste.    

He's no Danell Leyva, but the iPhone pic's nice, nonetheless. 

Legally Loving

“As I fully support everyone’s right to freedom of speech and belief, MY belief is that hate and bigotry is wrong. That is MY first amendment right. I choose not to support an organization against the equal rights of any group of people– especially my beloved gay community… whom without I would not have a career, a livelihood, creative fulfillment, any good shoes,taste, music, a stylist, a publicist, a producer, a writer, a director, a choreographer and two of the greatest friends a gal could ask for. I knew there was a reason I always liked beef better than chicken anyway.  I will never forget that love I have received from the gay community and I hope to give them back that love in equal measure.”

--Laura Bell Bundy, star of Legally Blonde on Broadway, responding to the Chic-fil-a kerfluffle.  Love her.     

Chelsea For President

It looks like Chelsea Clinton is considering politics.  In the past, when asked if she was interested in a political career she always said no, but in a recent interview with Vogue, she said this:

"Before my mom's campaign I would have said no. Not because it was something I had thought a lot about but because people have been asking me that my whole life," Clinton, speaking of her mother's unsuccessful 2008 presidential bid, said in an interview for the September issue of Vogue. [snip] "If there were to be a point where it was something I felt called to do and I didn't think there was someone who was sufficiently committed to building a healthier, more just, more equitable, more productive world? Then that would be a question I'd have to ask and answer."


In other words, she's totally considering politics and I'm totally for it.  She also talked about her many gay friends and their role in changing her father's position on marriage.  Overall, she came off as super-smart and thoroughly charming.  Read the whole thing here and don't miss the spectacular Mario Testino photos.    

Top Paul Ryan Search Terms

Romney's VP pick Paul Ryan is reportedly a fitness fanatic with a ripped body, but I don't find him attractive in the slightest.  Jon Stewart once said that if Eddie Munster grew up to be a JC Penney catalog model, he would look like Paul Ryan.  That's about right.

In the interest of good journalism, I searched "Paul Ryan Shirtless" and hit images.  This is what I got:

Via The Twist. Actually, their photoshopping might just be sexier than the real thing, which you can now see on TMZ and JMG.   

Maybe this is the look he's going for with all those P90X workouts.

Happy Left Handers' Day!

Mark Spitz:  Southpaw.

August 13th is the day to celebrate lefties!  Did you know that there is a correlation between left handedness and intelligence? Creativity?  Good looks?  Gayness?  General all-around fabulousness?  Did you know that Presidents Obama, Clinton, G.H.W. Bush, Reagan, and Ford were all left-handed?  Left handers are over-represented in the arts and, oddly enough, competitive swimming.  One in four Apollo astronauts and four of the five designers of the Mackintosh computer were all lefties.  And me.  

Helen Gurley Brown: 1922-2012

Pioneering feminist and editor Helen Gurley Brown has died at the age of 90.  An outspoken advocate for women's sexual freedom, she wrote the groundbreaking Sex and the Single Girl at the age of 40 and was named Editor in Chief of Cosmopolitan three years later. She transformed the magazine from a rather dull women's rag into a sexually frank and hugely successful publication.  She was ousted as editor of the US edition in 1997, but remained Editor in Chief on the masthead of all 59 international editions.  Reportedly, she came into work every day until quite recently.  She was married to film producer David Brown for 50 years until his death in 2010.

Ms. Brown claimed that women could have it all:  "love, sex, and money," and apparently she did.  She was the first to say "good girls go to heaven, bad girls go everywhere," and advised women "don't use men to get what you want in life, get it for yourself."  Terrific advice, I'd say.

Monday's Man: James Magnussen

In what may be my final Olympic Man Candy post, I present Australian silver and bronze medalist in swimming, James Magnussen:

A swimmer with body hair?  Who knew?  This is James Magnussen pre-shave.  

Pretty amazing post-shave, I must say.

Marvin Hamlisch Dies Suddenly

Marvin Hamlisch died yesterday at the too-young age of 68 after a short illness.  No other details have been released.  This is such a shock because I just recently saw him perform with Michael Feinstein and the Dallas Symphony.  In fact, Hamlisch was scheduled to travel to Nashville this week to work on a musical adaptation of The Nutty Professor, which he was composing.  During his career, he won three Oscars, four Emmys, four Grammys, a Tony, and the Pulitzer Prize.  His great achievements include the scores for The Way We Were and A Chorus Line.  It's impossible to encapsulate his extrordinary career in a blog post, so I'll  I'll refer you to his official biography on his website.  Here is a scene from his masterpiece:
   

Blog Break

I must take a break from blogging for the remainder of the week, but never fear, I leave you with this picture that I call Insanely Hot Meets Ridiculously Cute:


Danell Leyva and Matthew Mitcham, together at last.



Your Daily Dose of Adorableness

Watch ridiculously cute Olympic gold medalist Matthew Mitcham perform "Family Guy" on his ukulele:



Last week, he released a clip of himself performing "Single Ladies" on his uke, but he wore a shirt.  This week's clip is way better. 

Monday's Man: Danell Leyva

Yeah, I know I've posted a lot about Danell Leyva.  Sue me.  When I saw this video of his photo shoot with
 Lifestyle Miami I realized I hadn't posted nearly enough.  Bonus points if you speak Spanish:


 And here's the result of the photo shoot:

.

The only American man to medal in gymnastics this year is certainly a champion.

More results of the hot photo shoot here.

Fox News: Gabby Not Patriotic Enough Because She Wore Pink

Watch this only if you have a high tolerance for utter stupidity:



This is why people who watch Fox "News" are pissed off all the time.

Gabby is Golden!

Gabby Douglas just won the gold medal in the women's individual all-around gymnastics competition.  She made history as the first American woman ever to win both the team and individual all-around golds in the same Olympics.  Russians Victoria Komova and Aliya Mustafina took silver and bronze, respectively.  American Aly Raisman came in fourth.  Only two women from each nation could advance to the finals.     

Quote of the Day

"I have never felt so alien in my own country as I did today while covering the restaurant's supporters.  The level of hatred, unfounded fear and misinformed people was astoundingly sad.  I can't even print some of the things people said."

--Mark Krzos, a reporter for Fort Myers News Press who covered the Chic-fil-a story in his town.

50 Hottest Olympians

Here's the list.  It's hard to argue with a list that includes sailor Julio Alsogaray from Argentina:

Brazilian swimmer Marcelo Chierighini:

And, of course, Slovenian swimmer Peter Mankoc.  Yep, that's his name:

See the other 47 here and see if you agree.  Who are your favorites?