Ted Casablanca's column "The Awful Truth" is all kinds of fun. (Does anyone really know who Toothy Tile really is?) Like this interview with Superman Brandon Routh:

We chatted with Brandon Routh at the Zack and Miri Make a Porno premiere in H'wood, the naughty Kevin Smith flick where Bran-hon plays Mr. Mac Guy Justin Long's boyfriend.

So, B.R., what's the biggest difference between playing J.L.'s [gay] lover as opposed to playing the man of steel?
"Lots of things," said Routhie. "No tights, no cape. It was a chance for me to do a comedy...I always wanted to do more."

So how much would it take for you to do full frontal in a film?
"Thankfully, I have not even had to think about entertaining that question."

Fun stuff followed up with something even better:

When my friend, journalist Janet Kinosian, interviewed Martin Luther King's widow, Coretta Scott King, shortly before she died, J.K. asked her not only how would King himself have felt about gay rights and civil rights being on the same level, but how did she feel:

"I don't see how you can separate human rights and the rights of all people, no matter what their sexual orientation is," King reverently said to Kinosian. "They have the same rights as I, and those of us who are privileged need to support [them] because it elevates everybody."

Gay Power is power!

Tom Toles, copyright 2008 Universal Press Syndicate

Social Populism vs Economic Populism

Christopher Buckley on The Daily Show

Democrats could dominate Congress after the election. "The Senate map, for the Republicans, is an ugly mix of tough circumstances, plain bad luck and troubled candidates."

Rising unemployment could signal higher foreclosures in 09

James Kotecki will make your ears bleed, but we have to listen to this so we know how NOT to be.

In an article in the Columbia Spectator, Columbia History Professor David Eisenbach talks about his new book "Gay Power." Eisenbach is straight. Really and truly straight. So why would a straight man write a book called "Gay Power?" He's already a step ahead of you:

When I began writing it, I tried explaining to everyone that historians had neglected gay history and my book would be a significant contribution to the field of United States history in general. But even the most open-minded people were baffled. I could see them thinking, “why would a truly straight guy be interested in gay history?”

A knee-jerk reaction lives in all of us when we hear something like this. We all, gay and straight, think he must be one of those old-fashioned gays who can't face reality. We instinctively feel bad for him and better about ourselves. But Eisenbach has an answer that should make us sit up and take notice: "Why would a straight guy care about gay history? My answer became the central argument of my book: the gay rights movement liberated and transformed straights as well as gays."

He is saying that we gays are part of something larger. He outlines the fight for gay rights the same way another historian would frame the fights for other civil rights:

For decades comedians, politicians, and journalists reinforced negative gay stereotypes of the homosexual as either the silly fop or creepy pervert. But in the early 1970s, gay activists pushed the media to present positive images of gays. Almost every sitcom suddenly aired a “special episode” featuring a likeable gay character who revealed his homosexuality but, in the end, was embraced by the entire cast. Millions of Americans heard the message: “If the cast of Alice can accept a homosexual, so should you!” . . . For better or for worse, the gay rights movement was an American Revolution that transformed our political and social landscape. And so my fellow straight Americans, if you want to understand the country you live in today ... read your gay history.

So many of us have been calling for our leaders to see that we are as important as everyone else, that we matter as much. We're part of all that's going on even when we are told we're not, and our standing up for each other matters. We should thank Eisenbach for reminding us.

Maybe William Shatner will be invited to George Takei's first anniversary?
Chicago is on the ball. Homeless shelters to get gay training. Between this and the gay high school, Obama's home state shows us how it's done.

The illusion of movement in these colored circles is just an illusion. No, really. They aren't moving.

You missed you some Maddow today? Don't worry because we have your Rachel Maddow in GQ!

Patti Labelle at Splash last night

Obama on SNL?

The Road, starring Viggo Mortenson and based on the brilliant book by Cormac McCarthy, has been moved to 2009.

People growing up watching black and white television dream in black and white. I don't know if I buy this or not, but if it's true, I'm looking forward to 3D TV even more.

Pink interview: "I wanted being a performer to change my life, but I didn’t want to let it change who I was."



I'm not an expert, but I don't think this is how this game is played.

Yes, I know Project Runway is over, but if you're looking for the last little bit of PR juice, the boys over at Project Rungay have reviews of the Final Three's Final Collections.

"We honestly assumed that Korto was going to win based on the editing of the last episode and we're going to admit that we would have been a little upset if she had. We think her collection was beautiful and dramatic but we also felt it suffered from some problems that in our opinion disqualified her from the win. We felt it was second place, but a very close second place." Check out Korto's full review: Part 1 and Part 2.



Here is Part 1 of Leanne's. Plus, Project Rungay interviews Leanne. "We got a chance to do a phone interview with the warm and funny Leanne Marshall the other day. The funny thing was she was having some trouble with her phone and stepped outside to get better reception, which resulted in her yelling 'Thank you!' every couple of minutes to passersby offering their congrats." Check out the interview here.

Via 5 Star Men, Inder Bawja, 23-year-old model from India.

Click thumbnails to enlarge.

Via Daily Kos:

An exciting, recent fossil find suggest Texas was a hotbed of primate evolution 45 million years ago. Unfortunately, as the Texas Freedom Network has been blogging for months, recent history suggests Texas is leading the rest of the nation backwards in our understanding of science in general and evolution specifically.

The Young Earth Creationists just aren't having it, though. Their, uh, version of a scientific theory is being put in the ring with Science. Dentist, op-ed contributor, Young Earth Creationist, and head of the Texas Board of Education Dan McLeroy has written an especially optimistic piece for The Waco Tribune. Mr. McLeroy writes:

All we must do to maintain science’s credibility and to decide if there are weaknesses in the evolutionary hypothesis is 'to use evidence to construct testable explanations' and see where the evidence leads. Let the best scientific explanation win.

Someone is totally gonna get hurt.

An excerpt from her CNN interview.

I have been racking my brains for the past month trying to come up with the permanent name (and address) for my blog. I've been wanting to name it so it sounds like a bar, since a bar/lounge has been the metaphor I've been building the entire site around (The Media Bar, The Info Lounge, Audio Espresso, Quick Shots, Sidewalk Sale, Bar Snacks), but I haven't been able to come up with anything that I love.

So, I turned to the internet for some inspiration. I mean where else is there, right? I decided to utilize the collective creativity of a billion voices. I wanted to harness the synergistic tension that comes from so many interconnected minds. I needed to rely upon the technological revolution that is reshaping not just the sharing of information but information itself.

I came across a site with members who recommended bar names. Here are their recommendations:

my friend and i have long dreamed of owning a bar called Hammer Time. any time we hated our jobs and our lives, we'd just sit on the couch in our apt and drink beer and talk about what we'd have at hammer time.

i've always thought that "spuyten duyvil" sounds cool. i was just googling it to check the spelling, and found that it's owned by the same people that own "fette sau" -- also another cool name (restaurant though, not bar).

There is a place in the midwest somewhere, not quite sure where; has the name "The Stumble In". I for one, think that is an amazing name.

My bar is going to be "The G Spot."

Male Strip Club: The Package Room

How about "The Flatulent Bear?" It has more syllables and sounds more interesting than "The Drunken Bear." It would have this hand-carved wooden sign that looked like a bear leaning over and turned to me and asked what I wanted saying "Pull My Paw!"

If I had a friend who wondered wistfully what we'd drink at "Hammer Time," I'd lean over and punch him in the fucking face. And then I'd drag him him out of my apartment by his hair while saying, "That's what you're having at Hammer Time!"

Help me. Somebody. Please

Time Magazine has a quick overview of the gay marriage battle in California and other states.

Two weeks to go, and already the fight over the constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage in California is the costliest campaign about a social issue in U.S. history. Spending by both sides has topped $50 million, and the figure is growing. Most of those dollars have poured in since May, when the California Supreme Court turned what had been a slow-moving ballot initiative into a white-hot controversy by issuing the most sweeping declaration of fundamental gay rights to be found in U.S. law. Not only must gays be allowed to marry, the Republican-dominated court said, but it also flatly outlawed nearly any kind of discrimination against them.

Also, check out the video of Lorie and Anne Mary Franks who were among the first to wed under California’s new law.

Joe Zaso, the hot and kinda scary but really smart horror actor, chats up some "True Blood" with the guy from AfterElton's Blood Work vlog:

In this week's Blood Work vlog, I'm thrilled to welcome horror himbo Joe Zaso (Barricade, Nikos the Impaler). Actually, he technically welcomes me, after last week's pecan-pie-inspired fugue sends me out into a raging storm with nothing but a candelabra to light my way. Regardless, Joe is kind enough to let me warm my bits beside his raging fake fire, and we take the opportunity to discuss this week's extra-sexy episode of "True Blood."

Check it out the video after the jump. (Just an FYI -- the player starts automatically. I'm working on getting it to not do that.)

Oh, and there are a bunch of very naked pics of Mr. Zaso floating around out there. They're not in this post at all (this post is very safe for work), but I thought you'd like to know.

In a world where religion is used as a weapon against equal rights, there might be an answer.The British Humanist Association is attempting a new bus campaign in London promoting atheism. The copy? "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life." Via the Guardian:

There's no doubt that advertising can be effective, and religious advertising works particularly well on those who are vulnerable, frightening them into believing. Religious organisations' jobs are made easier because there's no publicly visible counter-view to refute their threats of eternal damnation.

The atheist bus campaign aims to change this. In addition to the slogan, the adverts will feature the URLs of secular, humanist and atheist websites, so that readers can find out more about atheism as a positive and liberating alternative to religion.

Richard Dawkins, who will match all donations raised for the campaign by The British Humanist Association up to a maximum of £5,500, says, "This campaign to put alternative slogans on London buses will make people think – and thinking is anathema to religion."

Bill Maher is gonna love this.

Pink News reports that the decision to create a LGBT High School in Chicage to combat high dropout, homeless, and suicide rates among LGBT youth has been delayed until next month.

Arne Duncan, Chicago's head of public schools, has outlined plans for a possible gay high school. Duncan's goal is to create a school where "half the students are LGBT and all students would have an interest in social justice." He said:

"If you look at national studies, you see gay and lesbian students with high dropout rates, studies show they are disproportionately homeless," he said. "I think there is a niche there we need to fill."

The school would be called the Pride Campus of Social Justice High School, and would accommodate 600 students.The school's curriculum would promote learning about gay and lesbian “heroes” such as writers Gertrude Stein and James Baldwin. Planners hope for the school to open in 2010 if the Chicago Public Schools board allows the establishment to go ahead.

This is in start contrast to that silly article in The Advocate, "The Cost of Being Gay." Pink News report also calls for Obama to directly address the crisis facing LGBT youth in America.

Wake Up With These:

The New York Times:
The Front Page, 10-22-08
TimesTalk with Maya Angelou

NPR Tell Me More:
Stories: 1) Survey: Black Voters Key to Election, Swing States 2) 'Bradley Effect' And The Obama Presidential Bid 3) Rude, Public Courtships And Other Ethical Matters 4) Explaining Race-Tinged Presidential Bid To Kids

NPR Fresh Air:
Stories: 1) Krugman On The Financial Crisis And Public Spending 2) B.B. King Offers 'One Kind Favor'

Audio player after the jump. Or click here to launch the player in a new window so you can browse while you listen. Or, head over to The Media Bar and listen there.

Click below to jump the the full size players, or click here to launch them in a new window. Or just pull up a chair, hang out, and watch them in The Media Bar.


Daily Song:
The Standard Model "In This Driveway"

Television:
Crazy Stephen Baldwin talks about his SNL Palin shout-out, his brother, his crazy book. (3:43)

Movies:
Big Business: The reunion in the bathroom (2:23) "God, it's me. With a bad haircut."

Politics:
Stephen Baldwin talking crazy on Larry King. (9:41)

Music Video:
Adele - It's going to be another Adele because she is just so good. Be sure to listen to Adele sing "Melt My Heart To Stone" and "Right As Rain" after "Chasing Pavements." Each song is really beautiful. Just click the "more" button after each performance. And try watching it in fullscreen mode by clicking on the little TV on the player.

Click below to jump the the full size players, or click here to launch them in a new window. Or just pull up a chair, hang out, and watch them in The Media Bar.

Daily Song:

The Standard Model "In This Driveway"

Television
Crazy Stephen Baldwin talks about his SNL Palin shout-out, his brother, his crazy book.(3:43)

Movies

Big Business: The reunion in the bathroom (2:23 "God, it's me. With a bad haircut."

Politics
Stephen Baldwin talking crazy on Larry King. (9:41)

Music Video
Adele - Be sure to listen to Adele sing "Melt My Heart To Stone" and "Right As Rain" after "Chasing Pavements." Each song is really beautiful. Just click the "more" button after each performance. And try watching it in fullscreen mode by clicking on the little TV on the player.