Jerry Curl

Pick Me Up of the Day

2012-02-01T12:48:00.002-05:00

Erasmo Viana as featured on DNA.

Anti-gay bullying ad to air during Super Bowl

2012-02-01T11:02:00.004-05:00

The Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and The Ad Council today announced the award-winning "Think Before You Speak" PSAs during the Super Bowl XLVI broadcast on Sunday, Feb. 5th.

GLSEN will become the first LGBT organization in the country to share its PSA campaign targeting anti-LGBT language among teens with Super Bowl attendees.

Steve Rothaus has the full press release here.

Openly gay Arizona lawmaker to run for Gabby Giffords seat

2012-02-01T10:38:00.002-05:00

The Arizona Daily Star reports: Out gay State representative Matt Heinz of Tucson has become the first Democrat to officially announce his candidacy for the Congressional seat vacated by Gabrielle Giffords.

Heinz said he will be running in both the special election and the November general election. Touting his experience problem solving and creating consensus across party lines in the Legislature and as a doctor at the Tucson Medical Center, Heinz said he’s the best person to fill Giffords’ position. Heinz has served four years over two terms in the state legislature.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about how we can move forward and how we can best honor Gabby’s strength, conviction and leadership,” Heinz said Tuesday morning. “One of the best ways we can do that is by moving quickly and making sure that, in this very short time frame, we get somebody in there to fill that vacancy that is going to carry forward her tradition of common sense, moderate, consensus-building and problem solving.”

Arizona's special election primary is April 17, and the general election is June 12. Giffords has not made any indication of a candidate she'd like to fill her seat.

Good old-fashioned social media

2012-02-01T10:29:00.002-05:00

(Via Jim Romenesko)

Don Cornelius killed in apparent suicide

2012-02-01T10:07:00.006-05:00

Don Cornelius, the legendary host and creator of Soul Train was found dead in his Sherman Oaks, CA home this morning. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ that it appears he committed suicide.

Police offers discovered the body at around 4 AM PT with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

Cornelius was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. He was 75.

Soul Train changed the landscape of television when it debuted in 1971 and ran until 2006. According to an LA Times article, Cornelius’ Soul Train became the longest-running first-run nationally syndicated show in television history, bringing African American music and style to the world for 35 years.

During Cornelius' bitter divorce proceedings in 2009, he told an L.A. judge he was suffering from "significant health issues" and wanted to "finalize this divorce before I die." The divorce was granted in 2010.

Cornelius was arrested in 2008 for beating up his wife. He pled no contest to misdemeanor domestic violence and was placed on 3 years probation. His probation just terminated.

Story is still developing.

Riot police evict Occupy Miami

2012-02-01T09:55:00.003-05:00

US deficit falls slightly to $1.1 trillion

2012-02-01T09:42:00.003-05:00

By Clay Bennett
NBC News reports: A new budget report released yesterday predicts the U.S. government will run a $1.1 trillion deficit in the fiscal year that ends in September, a slight dip from last year but still very high by any measure. A previous estimate was for $973 billion.

The Congressional Budget Office report also says that annual deficits will remain in the $1 trillion range for the next several years if Bush-era tax cuts slated to expire in December are extended, as commonly assumed. The CBO is a non-partisan budget analyst for Congress.

If the CBO estimate for this year's deficit proves accurate, fiscal year 2012 would be the fourth consecutive year of federal budget deficits topping $1 trillion. The shortfall registered $1.3 trillion in fiscal 2011, up from $1.29 trillion in 2010. It reached $1.42 trillion in 2009, the highest ever.

The report is yet another reminder of the perilous fiscal situation the government is in, but it is commonly assumed that little will be accomplished on the deficit issue during an election year.

The study also predicts modest economic growth of 2% this year and forecasts that the unemployment rate will remain above 8% this year. That is based on an assumption that President Barack Obama will fail to win renewal of payroll tax cuts and jobless benefits by the end of next month.

The CBO report projects the unemployment rate will gradually decline to around 7 percent by the end of 2015, before dropping to near 5.5 percent by the end of 2017. Inflation and interest rates will remain low during the next few years.

The new figures also show that last summer's budget and debt pact has barely made a dent in the government's fiscal woes.

The pact imposed $2.1 trillion in spending cuts over 10 years, but the latest estimates predict $11 trillion in accumulated deficits over the 2013-2022 time frame if the Bush-era cuts in taxes on income, investments, large estates and on families with children are renewed. Obama has proposed largely extending them, but allowing them to expire for upper-income taxpayers.

The deficit would require the government to borrow 30 cents of every dollar it spends. Put another way, the deficit will reach 7 percent of the size of the economy, a slight dip from last year's 8.7 percent of gross domestic product.

The CBO report shows that the deficit dilemma would largely be solved if the tax cuts enacted in 2001 and 2003 -- and renewed in 2010 through the end of this year -- were allowed to lapse. Under that scenario, the deficit would drop to $585 billion in 2013 and to $220 billion in 2017.

Congress is expected to extend at least some of those tax cuts by the end of this year.

Romney wins Florida Republican primary

2012-02-01T08:57:00.003-05:00

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney staked his claim to the distinction of being the frontrunner for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination with a win last night in Florida’s Republican primary.

Romney easily won the contest, which was limited to only registered Republican voters, followed by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, the winner of the Jan. 21 South Carolina GOP primary, in a distant second. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum finished third, and Texas Rep. Ron Paul came in fourth.

Romney, in remarks shortly after polls closed, turned his attention back to President Obama and sought to project Republican unity. Gingrich, meanwhile, defiantly vowed to carry on in his presidential bid, all the way through August's Republican convention.

(Via NBC News)

Reflections on last night's Drag Race

2012-01-31T16:28:00.014-05:00

[Editor's note] Let me preface this by saying I know exactly 3 things about drag queens: 1) Priscilla Queen of the Desert 2) Miss Coco Peru and 3) the steps set fourth by Miss Vida Boheme. A fine trinity of Queer Bibledom to be sure.

Well last night, at the behest of some gay pals, I was invited to watch the first episode (of the 4th season) of RuPaul's Drag Race. Bad gay that I am, I haven't really seen much of the previous seasons. Strict TV schedules, like boyfriends, are hard for me to stick to. But I digress...

So last night's episode inappropriately touched my inner gay geek. The opening challenge was to design a drag zombie for what was dubbed the "Rupocalypse".

Of course they were all cool, and fabulous, and brassy. Not least of which Miami's own Latrice Royale. But truth be told, one queen stood out above the rest. Her name? Sharon Needles, AKA:

<-- This bitch.

The scary-lookin' mother fella here before you had me in her corner at first glance. When asked to describe herself, Needles says she's "beautiful, spooky and stupid." She's a fire cracker brimming with talent and a smart mouth-- and scary contact lenses.

Michael K describes her as a "Real Housewife of Silent Hill. Sharon Needles was born one night in Pittsburgh when Courtney Love's favorite heroin-shooting vein busted open and squirted all into the gutter as Marilyn Manson jacked off on a Nina Hagen voodoo doll." I can't add anymore to that. I'm just nodding in agreement.

But don't listen to us. What the hell do we know? Judge for yourself by watching her cast video below:

~~Needles~~ Needless to say, I'm betting it all on Sharon Needles for the big win.

Nearly 500 boys dress as Mahatma Gandhi, break record

2012-01-31T16:22:00.002-05:00

The Daily Mail reports: Dressed in matching skin-coloured caps, round spectacles and grey moustaches, these young children are taking part in a lookalike record attempt like no other.

The 485 children donned matching outfits in honour of Mahatma Gandhi, the iconic Indian spiritual leader who was assassinated 64 years ago to the day.

As well as the peace leader's trademark round glasses and moustache, the boys also sported white robes to mimic his traditional Indian dhoti and shawl, as well as holding walking sticks.

Their march was an attempt to bring alive memories of Gandhi's historic Dandi march in March 1930 which sparked India's independence movement.

More pictures here.

Authenticity of Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man questioned

2012-01-31T16:16:00.004-05:00

Life's Little Mysteries reports: Leonardo da Vinci's drawing of a male figure perfectly inscribed in a circle and square, known as the "Vitruvian Man," illustrates what he believed to be a divine connection between the human form and the universe. Beloved for its beauty and symbolic power, it is one of the most famous images in the world. However, new research suggests that the work, which dates to 1490, may be a copy of an earlier drawing by Leonardo's friend.

Another illustration of a divinely proportioned man — the subject is Christ-like, but the setting is strikingly similar to Leonardo's — has been discovered in a forgotten manuscript in Ferrara, Italy.

Both drawings are depictions of a passage written 1,500 years earlier by Vitruvius, an ancient Roman architect, in which he describes a man's body fitting perfectly inside a circle (the divine symbol) and inside a square (the earthly symbol). It was a geometric interpretation of the ancient belief that man is a "microcosm": a miniature embodiment of the whole universe. Leonardo and other scholars revived this vainglorious notion during the Italian Renaissance.

After decades of study, Claudio Sgarbi, an Italian architectural historian who discovered the lesser known illustration of the Vitruvian man in 1986, now believes it to be the work of Giacomo Andrea de Ferrara, a Renaissance architect, expert on Vitruvius, and close friend of Leonardo's. What's more, Sgarbi believes Giacomo Andrea probably drew his Vitruvian man first, though the two men are likely to have discussed their mutual efforts.

Sgarbi will lay out his arguments in a volume of academic papers to be published this winter, Smithsonian Magazine reports.

More on the research and it's agruments can be read here and here.

Adele announces Grammy performance

2012-01-31T10:54:00.003-05:00

This will be the British pop singer's first live televised performance since undergoing vocal chord surgery in November. Adele broke the news to fans over Twitter today.

Pick Me Up of the Day

2012-01-31T10:52:00.001-05:00

Tommy Dion as featured on Queerty.

Happy birthday Carol Channing!

2012-01-31T10:45:00.003-05:00

--> To commemortate the legendary Carol Channing's 91st birthday, I give you my favorite number from Thoroughly Modern Millie.

Disney’s releases lost song from Lady and the Tramp

2012-01-31T10:37:00.004-05:00

The Wall Street Journal reports: Over the decades, the Disney empire has cranked out a long list of memorable tunes.

But, it turns out, Disney still has some classic songs in the vaults. The coming special edition Blu-ray of the 1955 animated film Lady and the Tramp will feature a song called “I’m Free” that has never been officially released.

If the song “I’m Free” is so good, why did it get cut? According to Disney, Lady and the Tramp went through a long development process that started in the 1930s. At the very beginning, the character that would end up becoming the Tramp had different names (including Boris) and was conceived of as more of a rogue. After his character evolved, ”Lady and Boris” didn't have the same ring to it, so the song “I’m Free” was dropped.

The composition was recently recorded by Marco Marinangeli for the Blu-ray edition. The lyrics are by Ray Gilbert (“Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah”), the music by Eliot Daniel (composer of the theme song for “I Love Lucy”).

Lady and the Tramp will be released on Blu-ray on Feb. 7.

You can listen to an exclusive preview of the song below:

Madonna releases cover art for MDNA

2012-01-31T10:17:00.004-05:00

[Editor's note] On every possible level, this gets a YES! It's a beautifully designed cover. After the tragedy of Hard Candy, I'm glad to see Madonna is back to polished perfection. Love, love, love where this is going.

Madge also appeared on The Tonight Show last night to talk about The Super Bowl, performing live, MDNA, and W.E.

Watch the full interview after the break:

The View ladies discuss outing gay (and dead) celebrities

2012-01-31T10:13:00.001-05:00

The related story can be read here.

Even with a Jonas, How to Succeed has box-office drop

2012-01-31T09:55:00.004-05:00

ArtsBeat reports: After 11 months of strong ticket sales, the box-office receipts for the Broadway revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying fell sharply last week as the actor and musician Nick Jonas took over the starring role of the corporate schemer J. Pierrepont Finch.

According to data released yesterday by the Broadway League, the gross of $682,879 for the standard eight performances was the lowest amount for How to Succeed since early preview performances last March.

How to Succeed took in around $1 million a week for much of 2011, when Daniel Radcliffe played Finch, peaking at $1.9 million recently in his final week between Christmas and New Year’s. The grosses then exceeded $1.3 million during each of the three weeks this month when Darren Criss (Glee) briefly filled the role. Mr. Criss’s solid sales were due in part to the laws of supply and demand, given his limited stint; Mr. Jonas is due to play Finch through July 1.

Late January is also one of the slowest periods for ticket sales; over all, Broadway musicals and plays grossed $17.4 million last week, compared to $19.3 million the week before.

Among the best performers last week was The Book of Mormon, which grossed $1,445,407 – second only to the gross of $1.5 million for Wicked, which is often the biggest draw on Broadway.

The new Broadway production of The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, meanwhile, had its most lucrative box-office revenues last week since performances began in December. Porgy and Bess, which opened to generally favorable reviews on Jan. 12, grossed $921,404, compared to $878,884 for the previous week.

How To Succeed’s Michael Urie and Nick Jonas discuss their bromance

2012-01-31T09:54:00.000-05:00

OK Go make educational video for Sesame Street

2012-01-31T09:42:00.001-05:00

Rockers OK Go are using their viral video expertise to help teach kids about the wonders of color.

The group has created the catchy and educational tune "3 Primary Colors" for the beloved children's program Sesame Street, and will debut a funky new video for the song during the show's February 2nd episode.

Paula Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger & Steve Jones out of X Factor

2012-01-31T09:37:00.004-05:00

--> I didn't watch X Factor, but I'm sorry to read about Paula. She's my kinda cray-cray. Also, that Steve Jones is hella dreamy.

Anyway, the Huffington Post has the story. Updated image via Dlisted.

Occupy DC camps remain as deadline passes

2012-01-31T09:18:00.003-05:00

CNN reports: Defiant but festive, Occupy DC protesters hunkered down early today as a deadline passed for U.S. Park Police to begin enforcing a ban on camping in two Washington parks.

"We're just having a great party," said Occupy DC representative Sara Shaw. "We've camped since October so it's a lot like any other night. We're all staying awake and looking out for each other."

Until now, Occupy protesters have been allowed to remain under a Park Service interpretation that considered the activity a "24-hour vigil."

But on Friday, the National Park Service set a noon Monday deadline for protesters who have occupied the parks for months to remove their camping gear.

Park officials said protesters would be allowed to remain around the clock and keep up tents, so long as one side of each tent remains open at all times so they can see inside.

Early this morning, the scene at McPherson Park was largely quiet. Some milled around, with little hint of police presence.

"It's quiet because it's been a long day," said a person streaming the scene from the park using a wireless Internet connection. "A lot of people are sleeping."

Dozens huddled under what movement members were calling their "Tent of Dreams" -- a large blue tarp draped over the statue of the park's namesake, Civil War Gen. James B. McPherson.

"Let us sleep so we can dream," they chanted.

Blue tents dotted the grounds. "Eviction?? BRING IT!!" read one cardboard sign.

Another sign, scrawled in white paint on a blue tarp, said: "Evicted from home by the banks. Evicted from the tent by the police. 99% has no safe place to rest."

The threat of arrest didn't deter many in the Occupy DC movement. Many braced for a police raid, spurred by rumors on social media. But it never came.

More here.

In related news: Occupy Miami burns eviction notice from Miami-Dade County as sunset deadline looms.

Romney to meet with NBC about Brokaw clip in ad

2012-01-31T09:11:00.002-05:00

Mitt Romney's team plans to meet with NBC to address the network's request his campaign pull an ad attacking Newt Gingrich that uses NBC Nightly News footage from 1997.

"We will sit down with the lawyers and talk to the folks at NBC and make a decision on that front," Romney told Matt Lauer on Today from Jacksonville, Fla., where he is campaigning in advance of today's primary.

"We'll certainly consider that very carefully; obviously, this was not something taken from hidden files, this was on the evening news, so it should hardly come as a revealing piece for people who watch it."

In the Romney ad, then-NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw delivers the news that Gingrich had been sanctioned by members of the Republican Party and had been asked to step down as Speaker of the House. It is one of a series of ads the Romney campaign has employed against Gingrich to slow down his momentum following his victory in the South Carolina GOP primary.

While the ads are apparently working — a new NBC News/Marist poll shows Romney leading Gingrich by 15 points in Florida — NBC has asked for the Nightly News footage to be pulled.

"The NBC Legal Department has written a letter to the campaign asking for the removal of all NBC News material from their campaign ads," said Lauren Kapp, NBC senior vice president for marketing and communications.

Brokaw has also voiced discomfort with appearing in the ad. "I am extremely uncomfortable with the extended use of my personal image in this political ad. I do not want my role as a journalist compromised for political gain in any campaign."

But Romney told Lauer today that he believes the TV ad hits Gingrich where it hurts — and since it is newscast footage, the Gingrich campaign cannot accuse him of distorting his record.

More on this troubling story here.

Romney riding high ahead Florida primary today.

2012-01-31T08:42:00.002-05:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

--> In related news: Voting opened with the latest polls showing former Massachusetts Governor Romney with a double-digit lead over former House Speaker Gingrich among likely Republican voters, after a week of nasty back and forth between the two frontrunners. (Via NBC Miami)

The FunniesElection 2012 Edition

2012-01-30T13:16:00.001-05:00

By Joe Heller

Romney carved a lechón in Hialeah

2012-01-30T12:51:00.004-05:00

The Miami Herald reports: Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney received a warm, Cuban-American welcome -- complete with the requisite lechón -- Sunday afternoon in Hialeah, Miami-Dade County's most heavily Hispanic, Republican stronghold.

Speaking to a crowd of a couple hundred outside Casa Marin, a traditional Hialeah political spot, Romney spoke about his love for his family, the military, freedom and the United States, repeating important themes for older, Cuban-American voters that form the base of Miami-Dade's Hispanic Republican electorate.

"Gifts to people who are fundamentally evil are always accepted and never returned," Romney said, criticizing President Barack Obama's policy toward Cuba, which allowed for more remittances and travel to the island.

The president is full of "excuses" for the stalled economy, Romney said -- and accused his chief GOP primary rival, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, of relying on "excuses" to justify his apparently slowing momentum in Florida.

Before his 10-minute speech, Romney was introduced by his wife, Ann, who spoke about the importance of family, and their youngest son, Craig, who has appeared with Romney all week, speaking Spanish to the Hispanic crowds. "My father doesn't speak Spanish," Craig Romney said in Spanish. "But he does speak the language of the economy."

After the speech, Romney was invited to carve a slow-roasted, suckling pig -- Cuban lechón -- which he did, with a knife and tongs. He posed for photos next to the pig and gave a bite to U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.

If you can stomach anymore of this story, continue it here.

Cher reveals her favorite things, circa 1970

2012-01-30T12:44:00.000-05:00

Edina and Pats for British Vogue

2012-01-30T12:39:00.003-05:00

The Absolutely Fabulous Edina Monsoon and Patsy Stone are the chicest, most stylish campaign stars of the season - and they're not afraid to strike a pose for the cameras in Alexis Bittar's new campaign.

"I am a massive fan! From the first episode I inherited the word 'sweetie' for five years," Bittar told British Vogue. "It got to the point where it was nauseating and I was forced to stop. I have a tremendous respect for their talent. I was beyond excited to meet and get to work with them. On set, it was one of those rare instances in my life where I was totally star struck."

Jennifer Saunders, as her alter ego Edina Monsoon, turned on Stella McCartney's Christmas lights this year - before the British designer popped up in the Ab Fab Christmas special - but Stella opted for the more traditional form of Natalia Vodianova for her spring/summer 2012 campaign.

"How cool was that," Joanna Lumley enthused as soon as the cameras were turned off. "Such a fabulous shoot in the glorious jewellery from Alexis; it was sensational and I am thrilled with the pieces I have from his generous talented hands. Patsy was transfixed by the quality and wants lots more forever. I hope the campaign rocks: I am a fan for life."

You can watch a video of their fab photo shoot here.

Bullied gay teen's suicide note reveals torment

2012-01-30T12:19:00.006-05:00

The Huffington Post reports: A published excerpt from a suicide note and comments made by friends at a memorial service are shedding new light on a gay teen filmmaker who took his own life earlier this month.

San Diego Gay & Lesbian News contributor Melanie Nathan, who attended one of several memorials dedicated to Eric James Borges (known as 'EricJames' to his friends), quotes from the note:

"To my friends you gave me life and love, never think this was your fault," one segment reads. "To Lady Gaga, you have been a fearless relentless proud LGBT advocate..."

The 19-year-old Borges, who worked as an intern for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth advocacy group The Trevor Project, also expresses his gratitude to the organization: “I do not want my passing to reflect poorly on the Trevor Project,” he wrote. “That organization was the best decision I ever made in my life.”

The note concludes: “My pain is not caused because I am gay. My pain was caused by how I was treated because I am gay.”

Borges' "extremist religious" parents, who kicked their son out of their home after allegedly performing an exorcism on him, did not attend the memorial.

Borges' passing left friends and acquaintances confused, particularly as the budding filmmaker had produced an "It Gets Better" video in support of LGBT youth just one month earlier.

Jennifer McGuire, with whom Borges lived after being kicked out of his own home, is quoted as saying, "By the time he got to us -- his real family -- he was so injured and so wounded that the triage we provided wasn’t enough."

You can read Nathan's full, poignant report on the note and the memorials here.

In tragically-related news: The New Yorker has an excellent write up on the Tyler Clementi suicide.

David Beckham's H&M underwear commercial

2012-01-30T12:16:00.001-05:00

It will officially debut on TV during Sunday's Super Bowl, but H&M put the vid up on Youtube this weekend.

(Via HuffPo)

Pick Me Up of the Day

2012-01-30T11:39:00.002-05:00

Russell as featured on Homotography.

Stephen Colbert gets wild with Maurice Sendak

2012-01-30T11:17:00.005-05:00

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

--> These are pretty laugh out loud funny.

New tell-all book reveals sexual exploits of Old Hollywood

2012-01-30T10:53:00.006-05:00

Brooks Barnes writes for The New York Times:

Straight actors who wanted to pay for sex in the 1990s had Heidi Fleiss. Gay ones during the late 1940s and beyond apparently had Scotty Bowers.

His story has floated through moviedom’s clubby senior ranks for years: Back in a more golden age of Hollywood, a guy named Scotty, a former Marine, was said to have run a type of prostitution ring for gay and bisexual men in the film industry, including A-listers like Cary Grant, George Cukor and Rock Hudson, and even arranged sexual liaisons for actresses like Vivien Leigh and Katharine Hepburn.

Now, he’s talking.

Mr. Bowers, 88, recalls his highly unorthodox life in a ribald memoir scheduled to be published by Grove Press on Feb. 14, Full Service: My Adventures in Hollywood and the Secret Sex Lives of the Stars. Written with Lionel Friedberg, an award-winning producer of documentaries, it is a lurid, no-detail-too-excruciating account of a sexual Zelig who (if you believe him) trawled an X-rated underworld for over three decades without getting caught.

“I’ve kept silent all these years because I didn’t want to hurt any of these people,” Mr. Bowers said recently over lemonade on his patio in the Hollywood Hills, where he lives in a cluttered bungalow with his wife of 27 years, Lois. “And I never saw the fascination. So they liked sex how they liked it. Who cares?”

“I don’t need the money,” he continued. “I finally said yes because I’m not getting any younger and all of my famous tricks are dead by now. The truth can’t hurt them anymore.”

Twenty-six years after Hudson’s death from AIDS and more than four decades after Hollywood Babylon was first published, it will come as a surprise to no one that the images the movie factories created for stars of the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s — when Mr. Bowers was most active — were just that: images. The people who fed the world strait-laced cinema like The Philadelphia Story and perfect-family television like I Love Lucy were often quite the opposite of prudish in private.

At the same time, a lot of what Mr. Bowers has to say is pretty shocking. He claims, for instance, to have set Hepburn up with “over 150 different women.” Other stories in the 286-page memoir involve Spencer Tracy, Cole Porter, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and socialites like the publisher Alfred A. Knopf. “If you believe him, and I do, he’s like the Kinsey Reports live and in living color,” said Mr. Tyrnauer, who recently completed a deal to make a documentary about Mr. Bowers.

Full Service at the very least highlights how sharply the rules of engagement for reporting celebrity gossip have changed. The sexual shenanigans of movie stars were a currency for tabloids stretching back to Hollywood’s earliest days, but studios and, subsequently, squadrons of privately hired public relations experts could usually keep all but the most egregious behavior out of the news media. Secrets were kept.

A degree of that still goes on, of course, but it’s much harder to keep details as salacious as the ones Mr. Bowers outlines under wraps. Now all it takes is one pair of loose lips for TMZ to beam all manner of embarrassing information around the globe.
The people behind the memoir, including Mr. Bowers’s agent, David Kuhn, and Morgan Entrekin, the publisher of Grove/Atlantic, insist that Full Service is not a prurient tell-all, but instead provides a window into an erased, forgotten and denied past of Los Angeles. In his pitch to publishers, Mr. Kuhn positioned it as no less than a tale about “the complex and conflicted psychosexual history of America’s soul.”

The rest of the NYT write-up can be read here.

Photo captions: Above, Scotty Bowers after his return from his first posting abroad (1944). Below, Bowers now 88, at his Hollywood Hills bungalow, where he lives with his wife.

Kermit and Miss Piggy fire back at FOX

2012-01-30T10:45:00.003-05:00

You may remember how Eric Bolling of FOX Business' Follow the Money took The Muppets to task last December as an example of how "liberal media" tries to "brainwash our kids" against big business -- specifically big oil. If you don't recall, click here.

Well, at a recent press conference in the United Kingdom to promote the film, the frog and pig fought back.

--> In related news: Kermit delivers a very poignant piece of advice.

Occupy DC faces noon deadline to end camping

2012-01-30T10:38:00.003-05:00

Occupy protesters in the nation's capital were preparing for a noon deadline set by federal park authorities to end camping at some of the movement's last remaining large encampments, with some "surprises" in store, one of the activists said.

The National Park Service said in a flier released Friday that it would begin enforcing regulations prohibiting camping and the use of temporary structures for camping at McPherson Square and Freedom Plaza. Individual violators may be subject to arrest and their property subject to seizure as evidence, the flier said.

Justin Jacoby Smith, a 25-year-old activist with OccupyKSt, said the protesters at McPherson Square had plans for the deadline -- a "tent of dreams" was mentioned on their twitter feed, but he noted: “We’re still sort of keeping the specifics under wraps … we like to have surprises when we can.”

“Today what we’re trying to do is make sure that everyone knows that when you enforce a regulation against sleeping then you can’t dream of a better world, either … when you can’t sleep, you can’t dream," he said. "We’re going to make sure that we still have the opportunity to dream and that the people in this demonstration that have no place else to go are kept safe from the criminalization of homelessness that this order effectively creates.”

Officers would be on site to monitor the situation and try to get protesters to comply, Carol Johnson, a Park Service spokeswoman said on Friday. Compliance entails removing all camping materials and leaving one side of all temporary structures open.

“People can be there 24 hours a day, but they can’t live there, they can’t sleep there,” she said.

“We still do back the First Amendment, and it is their right. It is not their right to camp. And ... we would, you know, support them if they came into compliance and they had a vigil and they had tents that were there for logistical or symbolic purposes,” she added. "They can occupy as a vigil but not camping."

More than 80 arrests have occurred at the two sites, including for public urination, drunkenness, assault and drug use, she noted.

More at MSNBC.

Christina Aguilera sings & drips at Etta James' funeral

2012-01-30T10:27:00.003-05:00

--> Unfortunately, this also happened. XTina just can't catch a break.

Madonna to release new single, video this week

2012-01-30T10:19:00.003-05:00

Towleroad reports: The Madonna Super Bowl/MDNA assault begins this week with her new single “Give Me All Your Luvin’” featuring Nicki Minaj & M.I.A. set for release two days before her Super Bowl halftime performance.

The song was written by Madonna, Martin Solveig, Nicki Minaj and M.I.A, composed by Martin Solveig and Michael Tordjman and produced by Madonna and Martin Solveig.

The image above is the official cover art for the single.

The video for “Give Me All Your Luvin,” directed by Megaforce, is football and cheerleader themed - inspired by her upcoming Super Bowl appearance. Madonna will world preview the video for her new single during American Idol on Thursday. The full video for “Give Me All Your Luvin’” will premiere on Madonna’s YouTube channel on February 3rd at 9am EST/6am PST.

In addition to her reunion with Ray of Light producer William Orbit, other co-producers on MDNA include Martin Solveig, The Demolition Crew, Marco “Benny” Benassi and Alessandro “Alle” Benassi, Hardy “Indiigo” Muanza, and Michael Malih.

Madonna is also scheduled to appear on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno this evening.

Watch Idol's preview for the preview of the video below:

Sh*t Madonna says

2012-01-30T10:05:00.002-05:00

--> I love Charlie Hides and all that he does.

Naked Boys Singing closes after 13 years

2012-01-30T10:04:00.004-05:00

Photo caption: Michael Chapman in Naked Boys Singing in 2007.
ArtsBeat reports: The Naked City got a little more modest this weekend when “Naked Boys Singing!,” the all-male, all-nude musical revue, closed on Saturday night after an almost 13-year run in New York.

Conceived and directed by Robert Schrock, Naked Boys Singing! originated at the Celebration Theater in Hollywood in 1998. The show opened in New York at the Actors Playhouse in the West Village in 1999, with Mr. Schrock also directing. The premise is like any other revue, but naked: actors come out unclothed and spend some 70 minutes singing and dancing to mostly gay-themed numbers about the male form and people who love it.

Still the most unusual performance came when gay nudists bought the entire house one Saturday night. After Actors’ Equity and the city’s board of health signed off, the nudist event was given the green light.

“They all came in and they were all dressed,” said Carl White, a producer and the general manager of the show, (who, along with the crew, was the only clothed person in attendance). “They each had these gallon-sized baggies. The group leader says it’s for their clothes. He disrobes in front of me, puts his clothes in the baggie, slides it under his seat, takes a towel out of another bag, puts it over the seat and sits down. That was one of the funniest things.”

Mr. White said the decision to close Naked Boys Singing! in New York wasn’t because of sluggish box office but because the show and New World Stages “could not make the schedule work."

He declined to discuss how much money the show has made at the box office or through licensing. But Scott Delacruz, the show’s production supervisor, provided some other numbers that you can see here.

--> I've seen the production in its film version and laughed 'til my sides were sore. It was a brilliantly executed, cheeky show-- pun intended.

Obama boosts Al Green song sales

2012-01-30T09:57:00.003-05:00

In silly news: President Barack Obama probably hopes his plans to reform financial aid programs are executed as well as his unintentional initiative to boost the music industry.

After Obama sang the first line of Al Green's “Let's Stay Together” at a January 19 fund-raising event at New York's Apollo Theater, the song got a 490% sales boost, according to Nielsen SoundScan via Billboard.

The video of Obama singing went viral, prompting 16,000 downloads to be sold that week, Billboard reported.

“Don’t worry, Rev. I cannot sing like you, but I just wanted to show my appreciation,” Obama said to Green (who was also in attendance) after his short serenade.

(Via The Marquee Blog)

Screen Actors Guild Award winners

2012-01-30T09:03:00.008-05:00

Photo caption: Cast of The Help

The Hollywood Reporter reports: The biggest and brightest stars of film and television came together on Sunday, Jan. 29 to honor their peers at the 18th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Christopher Plummer and Octavia Spencer took home the evening's first awards for supporting actor and actress, while Alec Baldwin, Kate Winslet, Betty White and the casts of Modern Family and Boardwalk Empire were among the others earning nods during the ceremony. Receiving the night's top honors were Jean Dujardin for best actor in a leading role, Viola Davis for best female actor in a leading role and The Help for best ensemble in a motion picture.

Mary Tyler Moore accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award from Dick Van Dyke midway through the show, taking the opportunity to explain why she chose to use her middle name to separate herself from the six other Mary Moore's already on SAG's roster in the early stages of her Hollywood career.

So much more you don't really need to know about the winners can be read here.

You can see the a complete list of SAG Award winners here.

On a related note: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph and Melissa McCarthy taught the audience how to play the Bridesmaids drinking game. Here's a hint, it involves Martin Scorsese. Read the deets here.

Weekend box office

2012-01-30T08:55:00.000-05:00

Weekend Top Five:

#1 The Grey ($20M)
#2 Underworld: Awakening ($12.5M)
#3 One for the Money ($11.8M)
#4 Red Tails ($10.4M)
#5 Man on a Ledge ($8.25M)

Catching up with Adam Lambert

2012-01-27T16:05:00.006-05:00

Adam Lambert discusses his shady side, “straight-jackets,” nastiness, naked love, party buses, hot Messes, turning 30, finding love & finding his voice.

More at Yahoo! Music here and here.

Matt Bomer to play Darren Criss' brother on Glee

2012-01-27T16:04:00.000-05:00

In perfect casting news comes word that Matt Bomer is in talks to make a guest appearance on Glee as the brother of Darren Criss's character Blaine Anderson, reports TV Line's Michael Ausiello.

Ausiello reveals that the episode that will finally reveal members of the Anderson family will air in April. White Collar star Bomer, who revealed a rich baritone singing voice during the 2010 Kennedy Center Honors, will also appear in Glee co-creator Ryan Murphy's upcoming film The Normal Heart.

(Via The Advocate)

Madison's LGBT community says It Gets Better

2012-01-27T16:03:00.000-05:00

Pick Me Up of the Day

2012-01-27T12:43:00.000-05:00

Diego as featured on DNA.

Twitter to censor Tweets in some countries

2012-01-27T12:26:00.004-05:00

Twitter, according to its official description, promises to offer up the "latest information about what you find interesting." There's now a caveat to that, however: The social media service will offer up the latest information about what you find interesting -- and what your government deems acceptable.

Twitter announced yesterday that the company now has the ability to censor tweets on a country-by-country basis, allowing the popular microblogging site to comply with local governments' request to remove or block certain content.

"Until now, the only way we could take account of those countries' limits was to remove content globally. Starting today, we give ourselves the ability to reactively withhold content from users in a specific country -- while keeping it available in the rest of the world," Twitter wrote in a blog post. "We have also built in a way to communicate transparently to users when content is withheld, and why."

The company noted that it has not yet exercised the option to withhold content from users in specific countries.

Once it does, it will alert its users to censored tweets by replacing the text of the post with a grayed-out tweet that reads, "This Tweet from @username has been withheld in: Country. Learn more." (See screenshot's here.)

In its blog post announcing the changes, Twitter focused on its new ability to remove some tweets. Yet a Twitter Help Center post expanding on this tool noted that the site could also block access to entire accounts. "[I]f you see a grayed-out user in your timeline [...] or elsewhere on Twitter [...] access to that particular account has been withheld in your country," Twitter wrote.

Twitter users have been up in arms about the change, which many see as incompatible with Twitter's professed commitment to openness and a policy that has the potential to undermine Twitter's role in political movements, such as the pro-democracy protests that rocked Egypt last year.

"It's an affront on a free society & could be a PR disaster for Twitter after it's [sic] much praised role in the #Arabspring, tweeted @globalvybe.

Some users are attempting to organize a "#TwitterBlackout" on January 28 and intend to boycott Twitter in protest of the changes.

(Via the HuffPo)

Bette Midler (on Johnny Carson)"Fat As I Am"

2012-01-27T12:22:00.000-05:00

RIP Epstein

2012-01-27T12:15:00.002-05:00

The Clicker reports: Robert Hegyes, who played Juan Luis Pedro Philippo DeHuevos Epstein on 1970s hit Welcome Back, Kotter, has died at 60.

A spokesman at JFK Medical Center in Edison, N.J., told the Star-Ledger newspaper that Hegyes, of Metuchen, arrived at the hospital in the morning in full cardiac arrest and died.

Hegyes' Epstein was one of the Sweathogs, remedial wisecracking students taught by Gabe Kotter (Gabe Kaplan). His character, a Puerto Rican Jew, was known for constantly attempting to pass off notes he would write to try and get out of tests or class, always signing the notes "Epstein's Mother."

Hegyes, already 24 when he started in Kotter in 1975, was just six years younger than Kaplan. Hegyes also worked as a director on the popular show, which ran from 1975-1979 and helped launch co-star John Travolta as a major star.

Hegyes also appeared on numerous TV shows, including The Love Boat, Chico and the Man and NewsRadio, and movies including Bob Roberts and Honeymoon Hotel. He also starred in an award-winning Volkswagen Passat commercial dubbed The Chase.

MDNA teaser: Madonna in the studio with M.I.A. and Martin Solveig

2012-01-27T11:48:00.001-05:00

Towleroad reports: Madonna released a 30-second clip yesterday featuring a studio session with producer/DJ Martin Solveig and MIA, presumably featuring a taste of her upcoming single, "Give Me All Your Luvin", which is out officially next week.

U.S. and France honor Miles Davis and Édith Piaf with stamps

2012-01-27T11:35:00.002-05:00

ArtsBeat reports: Both Miles Davis and Édith Piaf were both maverick, contrarian performers, esteemed even more after their deaths. So it makes sense that they should now be recognized simultaneously with stamps issued in their honor.

The United States and France announced yesterday that both countries would issue separate stamps this year to commemorate the artists and their music.

The stamps show both performers in characteristic poses: Davis, the jazz trumpet player who died in 1991, arched back with his instrument to his lips, and Piaf, the singer who died in 1963, with her hands dramatically extended.

In the United States the stamps will be part of the Forever series, which are equal in value to the prevailing first-class letter rate; as part of the same program the writer O. Henry, the actor José Ferrer, the entertainer Danny Thomas and the magazine publisher John H. Johnson will also be honored this year.

Reaction from admirers of the often-prickly Davis, who is following in the philatelic footsteps of his own hero, Louis Armstrong, could perhaps be summed up with the title of a song that Davis performed in the latter phase of his career: “It’s About That Time.”

Lee Barham, chairman of a jazz celebration committee in Davis’s hometown, Alton, Ill., put it this way: “Before Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley,” both of whom have already been honored with stamps, though not Jackson in the United States, “there was Miles Davis.”

ABBA to release first new song in 18 years

2012-01-27T10:34:00.002-05:00

Rolling Stone reports: ABBA has announced plans to reissue their final album, The Visitors, with a previously unreleased song on April 23rd.

"From a Twinkling Star to a Passing Angel," a demo recorded around the time The Visitors was released in 1981, will be the first new ABBA recording released since the box set Thank You for the Music was issued in 1994.

The new version of The Visitors will also include six previously released bonus tracks and a DVD featuring rare and unreleased footage from the Swedish pop band's archives, including their last-ever live performance on the BBC's Late Late Breakfast Show in December of 1982.

ABBA disbanded in 1982 and have since refused to reunite. The band even declined to get back together for their induction in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.

Millions in SOPA lobbying bucks gone to waste

2012-01-27T09:42:00.003-05:00

CNN Money reports: The controversial anti-piracy bills that attracted tens of millions of dollars of lobbying for and against the proposed laws ironically were killed by free publicity.

"Old" media companies spent huge sums of money in support of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA). Those opposed -- Internet and "new media" companies -- lobbied hard and spent gobs too, though far less than their more organized rivals.

But Silicon Valley had a trick up its sleeve that trumped the millions of dollars more in lobbying muscle and the more established Washington presence of the old media guard: They reached out directly to their users for free.

Google, Wikipedia and others altered their homepages and websites in opposition of the bills last week, making the issue a topic of popular discussion across the country.

"The Internet really flexed their muscles during this fight, and their infrastructure helped them advocate their positions that others don't have at their disposal," said Michael Beckel, money-in-politics analyst at the Center for Responsive Politics.

It helped that the two bills were an issue that the public cared about. The opposition movement was trending on Twitter, and thousands of protesters joined in New York and San Francisco on Jan. 20 in opposition of the bills.

"When you have an issue that is salient, and the public cares about it, the money matters less," said Lee Drutman, data fellow at the Sunlight Foundation, a nonpartisan research organization. "Money matters more when it's a behind-closed-doors issue that hasn't faced much public scrutiny."

Lobbying analysts also note that it's really hard to change the status quo and pass legislation. Silicon Valley had the advantage of playing defense, which is a much better position to be in, experts said. There are so many hurdles to jump before a bill becomes law, so being on the opposition is always a good start.

It may have been painted as a David vs. Goliath fight initially. But the end result proved that the most money doesn't always win in Washington.

Media companies like Comcast), Viacom, News Corp., and Time Warner led the support of the bills, each spending millions of dollars on the issue.

Media lobbyists, including the motion picture, recording industry, cable, and broadcaster associations, also added millions of dollars to the fight, as did credit card firms Visa, MasterCard) and American Express.

Loads of cash were spent by the opposition as well, but most of that came from Google. After the search giant's millions, there was a steep drop off in lobbying dollars, with Yahoo, eBay, Amazon and Microsoft lobbying in the hundreds of thousands of dollars each.

Lobbying totals are only very rough estimates because companies often include multiple bills and issues in their lobbying reports to Congress. But Washington analysts said SOPA and PIPA were among the hottest issues in the fourth quarter.

A total of 145 companies and organizations lobbied the House of Representatives for and against SOPA, while 157 groups lobbied for and against its sister bill PIPA in the Senate, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Despite the big win for new media, experts don't believe that this is the end of lobbying as we know it. The piracy issue was unique in many respects, experts contended. Content providers took a unified stance -- a rarity. And it was an issue that the public rallied behind -- also a rarity.

What's more, Internet companies may need to pick their political battles more carefully going forward. They could risk alienating their users, experts contended.

So even though lobbying wasn't what ultimately did SOPA and PIPA in, it's very much here to stay.

Majority of Americans would vote out every member of Congress

2012-01-27T09:28:00.005-05:00

NBC reports: In a country sharply divided on almost every issue, most Americans agree on one thing: they don’t like Congress.

Fifty-six percent of registered voters say they would vote out every member of Congress if there were a place on the ballot to do so. That’s the highest response in favor of the question since it was first asked in March 2010.

And they say so across the ideological spectrum – with 55% of liberals, 55% of moderates, and 58% of conservatives all feeling the same way.

“We found the one area in which all people in the country agree,” said Republican pollster Bill McInturff, who conducted the survey with Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart.

Combine that with Congress continuing to be at near-record lows in approval at 13% and all members of Congress are at risk, McInturff said.

But there are also warning signs specifically for Republicans.

More people say the GOP has brought the wrong kind of change (31%) in Congress than the right kind (12$). That represents a drop for the GOP from a year ago, right after when they took control of the House as a result of the sweeping 2010 elections. In January 2011, 25% thought Republicans would bring the right kind of change versus 20% who thought they would bring the wrong kind.

Those attitudes are also far worse than right after when Democrats took control of the House in 2006 (42%/15%) and Republicans regained a majority in 1994 (37%/11%).

“People want Congress to get things done, act responsibly and fix the economy,” McInturff said, “and if they don’t,” they could be in trouble. McIntruff added, “These guys are going to be running in a head wind.”

--> This is where the leadership of the two men pictured above has led us; to completely rebuke the inadequate policies and inane bickering of a do-nothing Congress. They've all but guaranteed President Obama's reelection.

Fireworks from Romney and Gingrich in Florida debate

2012-01-27T09:24:00.000-05:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Costa offers $14,460 per person for cruise

2012-01-27T09:06:00.004-05:00

Costa Crociere SpA is offering uninjured passengers ($14,460) (11,000 Euros) apiece to compensate them for lost baggage and psychological trauma after its cruise ship ran aground and capsized off Tuscany when the captain deviated from his route.

Costa, a unit of the world's biggest cruise operator, the Miami-based Carnival Corp., also said it would reimburse passengers the full costs of their cruise, their travel expenses and any medical expenses sustained after the grounding.

The agreement was announced today after negotiations between Costa representatives and Italian consumer groups who say they represent 3,206 cruise ship passengers from 61 countries who suffered no physical harm when the Costa Concordia hit a reef on Jan. 13.

The deal does not apply to the hundreds of crew on the ship, the roughly 100 cases of people injured or the families who lost loved ones.

Passengers are free to pursue legal action on their own if they aren't satisfied with the deal. Some consumer groups have already signed on as injured parties in the criminal case against the Concordia's captain, Francesco Schettino, who is accused of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning the ship before all passengers were evacuated. He is under house arrest.

In addition, Codacons, one of Italy's best known consumer groups, has engaged two U.S. law firms to launch a class-action lawsuit against Costa and Carnival in Miami, claiming that it expects to get anywhere from $164,000 (125,000 Euros) to $1.3 million (1 million Euros) per passenger.

More at the AP.

More sh*t gay people say

2012-01-26T12:51:00.002-05:00

Sh*t gay guys say to straight guys:

Sh*t Grindr tricks say:

Cee Lo Green and LMFAO rumored to join Madonna at Super Bowl

2012-01-26T12:43:00.005-05:00

Cee Lo Green is rumored to be performing with Madonna at the Super Bowl, MTV reports:

According to sources, the singer has asked The Voice judge to perform with her at the February 5 show. The Insider reports that he's been flying to New York to rehearse with the pop icon. The sources add that he will contribute his signature flair to some of her classic tunes.

MIA and Nicki Minaj have already been floated as possible guest performers.

Meanwhile, will.i.am is reportedly saying that LMFAO is performing with Madonna: "I’m going to the Super Bowl this year to see my group LMFAO perform with Madonna. Check that out, Will.i.am Music Group is pretty freaking two for two. One year the Super Bowl the next year another group part of the Super Bowl in collaboration with Madonna. That’s still happening."

In related news: Madonna joins Anderson Cooper today on his daytime show. A preview of that here.

Aphrodite's Men: Kylie's dancers

2012-01-26T11:00:00.003-05:00

The teasers can be seen here.

Pick Me Up of the Day

2012-01-26T10:43:00.002-05:00

Joshua as featured on DNA.

Fukushima's animals abandoned and left to die

2012-01-26T10:36:00.001-05:00

--> Warning: Some images here are graphic.

NASA releases high definition image of Earth

2012-01-26T10:28:00.003-05:00

NASA "Blue Marble 2012" yesterday, a view of the home planet that the agency calls the "most amazing high definition image of Earth."

Unlike the original Blue Marble -- the iconic 1972 photograph taken by the Apollo 17 crew while they were on their way to the moon -- this composite image is made from data collected by the Suomi NPP satellite.

The Suomi NPP collected the data for the image from multiple passes of the Earth on January 4, 2012. The satellite orbits the planet 14 times per day at an altitude of 512 miles.

NASA says the satellite, which was launched on October 28, will collect data for forecasting weather and help scientists better understand climate change.

(Via HuffPo)

Kim Kardashian raises $50K for Trevor Project

2012-01-26T10:16:00.002-05:00

[Editor's note] I've tried to keep the Curl a Kardashian-free zone. However, this news item can't be overlooked:

Whether out of true selflessness or as a public mea culpa following her disastrous divorce, Kim Kardashian has given $50,000 to the Trevor Project, a suicide hotline for LGBT and questioning youth.

Kardashian chose the Trevor Project as her charity of choice for a fundraising event with Cantor Fitzgerald, the New York investment firm that donates money in the name of employees killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Kardashian is reportedly so taken with the Trevor Project, she plans to visit one of the call centers. The reality star, who fell out of favor after her short marriage with [hunky] basketball star Kris Humphries was widely perceived as a publicity stunt, has also contributed to the NOH8 campaign, which raises money for marriage equality in California.

(Via the Advocate)

Elizabeth Warren says It Gets Better

2012-01-26T10:06:00.003-05:00

Consumer advocate Elizabeth Warren, who is running against Republican Scott Brown for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts, also sat down with Jon Stewart to talk about government's role in the private sector and reinvesting in the middle class.

Says Warren: "The people who are sucking up the real resources in this country are the people who can hire the lobbyists, and unfortunately America's middle class doesn't have lobbyists fighting for them."

Watch the Daily Show segments here.

Marriage equality advocates ready for Maine referendum

2012-01-26T10:00:00.002-05:00

The AP reports: Marriage equality advocates in Maine have collected the signatures necessary to bring the issue back to the ballot in 2012 and may announce their decision to do so today.

State lawmakers had passed a marriage bill signed into law by Gov. John Baldacci in June of 2009, but voters narrowly overturned the law a few months later.

EqualityMaine, Maine Civil Liberties Union and the Maine Women's Lobby will announce today whether they plan to deliver the petitions and carry through with a referendum. National gay-rights leaders, for their part, anticipate that a gay marriage campaign will be launched.

Maine is currently the only state in New England that doesn't allow either gay marriage or civil unions.

Starbucks & Google endorse marriage equality in Washington State

2012-01-26T09:59:00.004-05:00

Google and Starbucks have joined a list of companies supporting marriage equality legislation in Washington state, the Belingham Herald reports.

Starbucks said in a statement:

This important legislation is aligned with Starbucks business practices and upholds our belief in the equal treatment of partners. It is core to who we are and what we value as a company. We are proud of our Pride Alliance Partner Network group, which is one of the largest Employer Resource Groups for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) employees in the U.S., helping to raise awareness about issues in the communities where we live and work.

According to Washington United for Marriage, which backs the legislation, Microsoft, Nike and Group Health Plan have already endorsed the legislation.

The marriage equality legislation picked up the 25th and final vote needed in the state Senate for pass the law.

View a list of companies officially supporting the legislation here.

Chuck Prophet"White Night, Big City"

2012-01-26T09:56:00.001-05:00

Towleroad reports: Singer-songwriter Chuck Prophet's new music video is inspired by the riots that ensued after Supervisor Dan White's manslaughter conviction for the assassination of Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone following his infamous "Twinkie defense".

The track is the first single from Prophet's new album, Temple Beautiful.

Adele racks up two No.1’s this week

2012-01-26T09:45:00.003-05:00

ArtsBeat reports: If anyone still doubted the commercial appeal of an old-fashioned soul singer who can channel raw emotion into song, Adele has put those doubts to rest. Not since 1993 has an album remained at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart for as long as her album, 21.

That album finished its 17th week atop the sales chart since its release in the United States last February, selling 95,000 copies last week. That’s the best any album has done since The Bodyguard soundtrack, released in 1993, was on top for 20 weeks, Billboard reported.

A single from Adele’s album, “Set Fire to the Rain,” rose to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 song chart, which measures radio airplay and sales, pushing Rihanna’s “We Found Love,” featuring Calvin Harris, out of the top position that it had held for 10 weeks.

“Set Fire to the Rain” is the third single from Adele’s album to reach the top of the songs chart, along with “Rolling in the Deep” last May and “Someone Like You” in September.

The rest of the Top 10 looked familiar. El Camino from the Black Keys remained at No. 3, though its sales slackened by 20%, and Drake was at No. 4 with Take Care. Rihanna’s Talk That Talk rose two slots to No. 5, and Young Jeezy’s TM 103: Hustlerz Ambition remained at No. 6.

More on this weeks music stats can be read here.

Sh*t Miami people say

2012-01-26T09:39:00.000-05:00

--> The only one missed was "That's so cue...!"

Miami is 2nd rudest city in America

2012-01-26T09:38:00.002-05:00

NBC Miami reports: Believe it or not, Miami is the second-rudest city in the country – according to Travel + Leisure.

In new rankings released as part of its “America’s Favorite Cities” survey, the magazine’s readers deemed the Magic City to be quite rude – even more so than the ugly politics of Washington, D.C. (#3), L.A. (#4), and the smart-mouthing and championship-gloating of Boston (#5).

The magazine’s listing for Miami said that people here are “gorgeous, a little wild, and terrible drivers.”

“While bad weather may explain crabbiness in some cities, Miami can’t use that excuse,” Travel + Leisure said. “Voters are willing to shrug it off, though, as long as they are whooping it up in one of the city’s many loud settings, such as its bar scene or its raucous New Year’s Eve.”

The “capital of crabbiness”? New York.

More of the 35 cities listed on this survey can be seen here.

GOP hopefuls scramble for Florida Hispanic votes

2012-01-26T09:25:00.003-05:00

The New York Times reports: The leading Republican candidates were appealing for the votes of South Florida’s Hispanic voters yesterday, with the campaigns of Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich skirmishing over an advertisement that branded Mr. Romney as anti-immigration.

The Spanish-language radio advertisement by the Gingrich campaign called Mr. Romney “the most anti-immigrant candidate” in the field. That drew a strong condemnation from Senator Marco Rubio, a Cuban-American who is remaining neutral in the race and who said in remarks to The Miami Herald that the advertisement was “inaccurate, inflammatory and doesn’t belong in this campaign.”

And Mr. Romney, addressing the commercial, called himself “pro-immigrant” in remarks before an event sponsored by Univision, the Spanish-language network. “It’s very sad for a candidate to resort to that kind of epithet,” he said.

The Gingrich campaign said it was pulling down the radio advertisement, because, Mr. Gingrich said, “I have great respect for Senator Rubio.” But the back-and-forth highlighted the scramble for votes among Hispanic voters, particularly the Cuban-Americans who are such a force in South Florida’s Republican politics.

People of Hispanic origin make up 22.5% of Florida’s population, compared with 16.3% of the United States population, according to census data from 2010. They tend to vote more with Republicans than elsewhere, although polls from 2008 show that President Obama picked up more than half the Hispanic votes in the state, a contrast to the 2004 election, when a majority sided with George W. Bush.

Mr. Romney, Mr. Gingrich and Rick Santorum all appeared at the Univision event, where Mr. Gingrich faced one of the toughest interviews of his campaign when questioned by Jorge Ramos of the network.

Mr. Ramos noted that in a poll released Wednesday by Univision, ABC News and Latino Decisions, in which Mr. Gingrich was matched against Mr. Obama, a vast majority of Hispanic voters chose Mr. Obama.

“You would lose the general election with these numbers,” he warned.

As the Republicans appealed for votes among Cuban-Americans and other Hispanics, one person who said he was not enamored of the field expressed his distaste: Fidel Castro, the retired Cuban leader whose 1959 takeover prompted the exodus of Cubans to South Florida.

“The selection of a Republican candidate for the presidency of this globalized and expansive empire is — and I mean this seriously — the greatest competition of idiocy and ignorance that has ever been,” he wrote in an opinion piece in state-owned news media. [Ed. note: It's a sad day when Fidel Castro is right on target]

More here.

News roundup

2012-01-26T08:47:00.006-05:00

--> Election 2012: President Barack Obama launched a three-day visit to five battleground states today by pressing State of the Union themes of core American values and having the wealthy pay more taxes.

At an Iowa manufacturing plant that he said represented the kind of job creation needed for the economy, Obama repeatedly drew applause for the apparent central message of his re-election bid -- that the country needs to keep alive equal opportunity for all.

Americans aren't looking for a handout, the president said, but want the security of knowing they can provide for their families, send their kids to college and save for retirement.

"That's all most people want. Folks don't have unrealistic ambitions," he said. "They do believe that if they work hard, they should be able to achieve that small measure of an American dream. That's what this country's about. That's what you deserve."

Later, Obama spoke at a $5 billion factory under construction in Arizona that computer chip maker Intel says will be the most advanced high-volume semiconductor manufacturing plant in the world when completed in 2013.

Standing in front of what's billed as the world's largest land-based crane, Obama called the factory being built "an example of an America that's within our reach" that leads in technology and job creation through investment and innovation.

Obama later heads to Nevada to spend the night. He also will visit Michigan and Colorado on the trip that ends Friday. All five states visited are considered competitive and important to the president's re-election hopes. (Via CNN)

--> Election 2012: President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney are neck and neck in Florida, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.

The poll showed both Obama and Romney at 45%, just months after Romney held a 47-40 lead back in September, and a 46-43 lead two weeks ago.

Obama holds a strong 50-39% lead over former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who along with Romney, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and Texas U.S. Rep. Ron Paul are battling it out in Florida this week ahead of Tuesday's GOP primary.

Santorum trails Obama 49-40% while Paul trails 47-39 percent, according to the poll. (Via NBC Miami)

--> News: Bodies of more cruise wreck victims ID’d

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

--> Health Issues: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will inject $750 million into the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates announced Thursday at the World Economic Forum.

The donation comes in the form of a promissory note, not as cash, which the Gates Foundation said "gives the Global Fund the flexibility and authority to distribute funds efficiently based on immediate needs."

"By supporting the Global Fund, we can help to change the fortunes of the poorest countries in the world," Gates said in a statement. "I can't think of more important work."

At a news conference at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Gates said the funds could be used immediately to "saves lives, whether it is bed nets (to protect against mosquitoes carrying malaria) or TB (tuberculosis) treatment, those are two diseases that don't get perhaps the visibility of the work done in HIV but they are every bit as important."

The investment comes on top of $650 million the Gates Foundation has already contributed since the Global Fund was launched 10 years ago. More at CNN.

Pick Me Up of the Day

2012-01-25T10:55:00.002-05:00

Landon Falgoust as featured on Soul Artist.

Farm boys for Yeo Valley

2012-01-25T10:52:00.001-05:00

Thanks Kristen!

N.J. marriage bill advances, Christie wants referendum

2012-01-25T10:47:00.002-05:00

The Advocate reports: A bill that would legalize same-sex marriage passed the New Jersey senate judiciary committee as expected yesterday afternoon. The 8 to 4 vote cleared the way for the bill to come to the senate floor next month, although Governor Chris Christie renewed his vow to veto the legislation and urged lawmakers to “let the people of New Jersey decide” the issue in a referendum.

Democratic lawmakers introduced the bill two weeks ago with the expectation that it would pass both houses, in contrast with 2010, when the measure died after a 20-14 vote in the senate. Senate President Stephen Sweeney, who abstained from voting two years ago, has since changed his position and become a sponsor of the legislation. He told The Advocate he planned to discuss the legislation with Christie, who could choose to veto the bill or let it become law without his signature, after it passed the senate and general assembly.

However, Christie appeared to foreclose prospects for dialogue when, at the same time as the committee hearing, he announced during a town hall that he planned to veto the bill. The governor said he wanted lawmakers to put the issue before voters in a referendum. A Quinnipiac poll last week showed that a majority (52%) of New Jersey voters support marriage equality for the first time.

"I think this is not an issue that should rest solely in my hands, or the hands of the Senate President or the Speaker or the other 118 members of the Legislature," said the governor, according to the Star-Ledger. "Let's let the people of New Jersey decide what is right for the state."

The remarks represented a departure from Christie’s more open tone of recent weeks. As recently as Monday, a Christie spokesman told The Advocate that the governor planned to allow the legislative process to unfold, and then review it in accordance with a 45-day review period, "just as he would any other piece of legislation.”

Senate President Sweeney responded with a resounding no when a speaker informed the hearing participants of the governor's announcement. His reply appeared to escalate the mounting confrontation between Democratic lawmakers and the Republican governor.

"Civil rights is not to be placed on the ballot," said Sweeney after a speaker interrupted to share the governor's announcement. "It’s to be voted on by the people in this house."

More here.

An etiquette guide to texting while walking

2012-01-25T10:40:00.000-05:00

(Via Towleroad)

Bravo's Andy Cohen to publish memoir

2012-01-25T10:26:00.002-05:00

Fans of Bravo's Andy Cohen will not be surprised to learn that in high school he was voted "most talkative and biggest gossip."

So the title of his new memoir – really a book of stories from his life, he says – is a no-brainer: Most Talkative: Stories From the Front Lines of Pop Culture.

Cohen, the chatty host of Watch What Happens: Live and various Bravo reality reunion shows, gave a very funny dramatic reading from his new book at a promotional lunch in New York Wednesday. Most Talkative is due from Henry Holt on May 8.

He read excerpts that included a childhood car trip from hell (as far as his relatives were concerned, since he didn't shut up for 48 straight hours) and the time a few little lies got in him in hot water with his idol Oprah Winfrey.

Cohen, who grew up gay and loving TV, says his book "begins and ends with Susan Lucci." And he covers his days as a "Jewish go-go dancer," and of course, The Real Housewives franchise.

It's assumed that there will be material from Watch What Happens: Live, where it's fair to say you never know what might happen.

(Via Book Buzz)

D.C. is the most literate city in America

2012-01-25T10:04:00.003-05:00

Book Buzz reports: For the second consecutive year, Washington, D.C. has ranked as the most literate city in the country, according to an annual statistical survey to be released today.

Ranked by Central Connecticut State University President Jack Miller and based on data from number of bookstores, library resources, newspaper circulation and Internet resources, the top 10 for 2011 are as follows:

1. Washington, D.C. (same as in 2010)
2. Seattle (same as in 2010)
3. Minneapolis (same as in 2010)
4. Atlanta (same as in 2010)
5. Boston (up from No. 12 in 2010)
6. Pittsburgh (down from No. 5 in 2010)
7. Cincinnati (up from No. 11 in 2010)
8. St. Louis (up from No 9.5 in 2010)
9. San Francisco (down from No. 6 in 2010)
10. Denver (down from No. 8 in 2010)

Miller says he discovered that "wealthier cites are no more likely to rank highly in literacy than poorer cities."

For example, he notes that Cleveland is ranking second lowest for median family income, data, but based on higher rankings for its library system and newspaper and magazine circulations, it's ranked 13th most literate in the survey.

"On the other hand," he says, "Anchorage, Alaska is ranked 5th in median family income and only 61st in literacy."

He adds that the findings "suggest that, contrary to what many people think, a city's quality of literacy has to do with many decisions that go beyond just how wealthy and highly educated is the population."

Details are posted here.

Apple's $46 billion sales set new tech record

2012-01-25T09:48:00.002-05:00

Apple sold a stunning 37 million iPhones last quarter, twice what it sold in the same period a year ago. iPad sales doubled to a record 15.4 million. Apple moved 5.2 million Macs, the first time Apple sold more than 5 million of its PCs in a quarter. The company also sold 15.4 million iPods during the holiday quarter, which ended Dec. 31.

Apple's stellar quarter generated sales of $46.3 billion, a tech industry record. That's up 73% from a year ago, and it easily topped Wall Street analysts' $38.9 billion median forecast, according to a Thomson Reuters poll.

Apple had $127.8 billion in sales during the 2011 calendar year, putting it neck-and-neck with Hewlett-Packard), the nation's largest tech company. This year, Apple is on pace to become the biggest technology company in the world, measured by revenue, outpacing current global No. 1 Samsung.

The Cupertino, Calif.-based company said its fiscal first quarter profit rose to $13 billion, or $13.87 per share, more than double the profit Apple booked a year earlier.

It was one of the most profitable quarters ever for any U.S. company, trailing only ExxonMobil's record-setting $14.8 billion quarter from the fall of 2008, when oil prices were at an all-time high.

Apple is sitting on most of those profits. It now has $97.6 billion in cash.

More at CNN money.

In related news: Apple is now worth more than Greece.

News roundup

2012-01-25T09:40:00.000-05:00

--> News: In a daring nighttime raid last night, a U.S. Navy SEALs team (the same one that killed Osama bin Laden) rescued two hostages, including one American, who were being held by kidnappers in Somalia.

American Jessica Buchanan, 32, and a 60-year-old Dane, Poul Thisted, were working for the Danish Refugee Council, a Danish relief organization, in northern Somalia when they were kidnapped last October. U.S. officials described their kidnappers as heavily armed common criminals with no known ties to any organized militant group.

The SEALs gathered up Buchanan and Thisted, loaded them onto the helicopters and flew them to safety at an undisclosed location. The two hostages were not injured during the rescue operation and are reported to be in relatively good condition. More at MSNBC.

--> News: Tens of thousands of Egyptians have gathered at Tahrir Square today to mark the first anniversary of the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak with some seeking a new revolt against army rule and others celebrating the changes already achieved.

It is a year since protesters inspired by an uprising in Tunisia took to the streets in Egypt and the January 25 anniversary has exposed divisions in the Arab world's most populous country over the pace of democratic change.

Concerned the generals are obstructing reform to protect their interests, the pro-democracy activists behind the "January 25 revolution" plan marches to Tahrir Square to demand the military council that replaced Mubarak hand power to civilians immediately.

But well-organized Islamist parties which dominated Egypt's most democratic election since army officers overthrew the king in 1952 are among those who oppose a new uprising. More at MSNBC.

--> Election 2012: A new poll indicates that since Newt Gingrich's double digit victory in Saturday's South Carolina primary, the former House speaker's surged among people likely to vote in Florida's Republican presidential primary on Tuesday.

According to a Quinnipiac University survey released this morning, Romney is at 36% support, with Gingrich at 34%, former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania at 13%, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas at 10%, and 7% undecided. Romney's two point margin is well within the poll's sampling error.

But looking just at Sunday and Monday numbers, after the news of Gingrich's big win in South Carolina, the former House speaker has a 40% to 34% advantage over Romney, with Santorum at 11% and Paul at 6%. (Via CNN)

In related news: The GOP candidates are courting Miami today. Of special note: Gingrich is giving a lecture at Florida International University right now, mere feet from my job.

--> Cosmic news: Solar storm could disrupt power grids

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Pictures of the lights can be seen here.

Giffords gets ovation, president's embrace on eve of resignation

2012-01-25T09:34:00.006-05:00

CNN reports: U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords took a few steps into the House chamber and absorbed a 90-second standing ovation before the State of the Union address last night, the eve of her resignation to focus on recovering from her shooting last year.

Giffords, escorted by colleagues including her friend U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, smiled and waved as attendees stood and cheered, with some chanting "Gab-by! Gab-by!"

Her husband, retired Navy captain and former astronaut Mark Kelly, smiled as he watched from his seat near first lady Michelle Obama. As President Barack Obama entered a few minutes later, the president paused at Giffords' seat and gave her a long embrace and a kiss on the cheek.

And when she stood during the speech and applauded Obama's lines, the Arizona Democrat was helped to her feet by a Republican and fellow Arizonan, U.S. Rep. Jeff Flake, who probably wouldn't be standing with Democrats during applause lines otherwise.

"It was the least I could do," Flake told CNN after the address. "It was just an incredible experience to be there with her, particularly after last year, having an empty chair where she should have been. It was just an overwhelming, emotional experience for, I think, all of us."

Giffords plans to submit a final vote on a bill that she and Flake introduced, one that would crack down on drug smuggling at the U.S. border that is conducted by smugglers using ultra-light aircraft.

She will then submit her resignation letter to House Speaker John Boehner on the House floor this morning. According to Giffords' office, Wasserman Schultz will read the letter from the well of the House, and it will end with a statement indicating Giffords will return to public service.

"Every day I am working hard. I will recover and will return and we will work together again for Arizona and all Americans," the letter will say, according to Giffords' office.

UPDATE: Giffords officially resigns from Congress

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

President Obama's State of the Union

2012-01-25T09:02:00.001-05:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Disney cruises heading for Miami

2012-01-24T17:54:00.002-05:00

Disney ships will start sailing out of Miami for the first time next year as the cruise line expands its Caribbean offerings.

Disney Cruise Line announced today that the addition of two new ships led to plans for a second port in Florida in 2013. Cruises will depart from the Port of Miami, as well as from Port Canaveral.

Disney said it is also expanding its European offerings next year with destinations such as Venice, Italy, and the Greek Islands. The Disney Magic will sail from Barcelona, Spain, on European cruises ranging from four to 12 nights.

The Disney Fantasy, the fourth ship in the line, sails for the first time in March. The Disney Dream debuted last year.

The new itineraries can be booked starting Thursday.

(Via AP)

Dynasty divas reunite for Snickers ad

2012-01-24T13:42:00.002-05:00

--> You can watch a behind-the-scenes spot here.

The intentionally boring gay agenda

2012-01-24T13:30:00.002-05:00

Towleroad reports: Beef stew, jigsaw puzzles, vacuuming, and sofa cuddling are among the things that make up The Gay Agenda, a performance art piece from Randy Roberts Potts, the gay grandson of famed televangelist Oral Roberts.

Potts writes: "To present a clear image of what gay domesticity looks like, we will set up a 'home' in each town inside a borrowed storefront. Two men or two women will inhabit the space as a couple for several days at a time, the occupants performing routine tasks: vacuuming the carpet, making coffee, reading the paper, playing cards with friends, ordering pizza, watching TV, etc.. No intimacy beyond what might be acceptable for any heterosexual couple in public will be presented; ie, it will be limited to casual contact -- hand-holding, an arm around each other, a casual kiss hello/goodbye, etc. THE GAY AGENDA AS CONCEIVED SHOULD BE INCREDIBLY BORING TO WATCH."

The project's website is here, and Facebook page here. The Gay Agenda is coming to Oklahoma City on February 10.

Watch a promo video for the project below:

Pick Me Up of the Day

2012-01-24T10:51:00.003-05:00

Max Silberman as featured on Soul Artist.

Air Force Academy cadets are 'Sexy and They Know It'

2012-01-24T10:30:00.004-05:00

Air Force Academy cadets say this LMFAO-inspired video was rejected by AF officials as "too inappropriate to play for the cadet wing" as a "spirit" video for their football game this year against Army (which Outsports notes they won 24-14).

(Via Towleroad)

Underwear mechanics work under the hood

2012-01-24T10:26:00.000-05:00

Anthony Gallo and Chris Whelan by Rick Day
(Via Soul Artist)

Adam Lambert Tweets Trespassing album cover

2012-01-24T10:25:00.005-05:00

--> It's finally here! Adam Lambert tweeted his new album cover for Trespassing last night, adding, "In addition to serving as Executive Producer of TRESPASSING, I'm also Creative Director. @leecherry is my Art Director and Photographer".

The album is due on March 20th!

Watch Adam perform "Better Than I Know Myself" on Ellen last week:

Follies closes without turning a profit

2012-01-24T10:07:00.004-05:00

ArtsBeat reports: More than 216,000 people saw the Broadway revival of Follies by the time it ended its five-and-a-half month run on Sunday. And most major theater critics raved about the production, which added three weeks of performances in response to ticket demand. Yet all of this was not enough to recoup the show’s capitalization and turn a profit, according to Michael Kaiser of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where the Follies revival began last spring.

Some fans of the 1971 musical about old friendships and unhappy marriages, which has a score by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman, were rooting for this Follies to be the one to make money, given that the original Broadway production was a financial flop and the 2001 Broadway revival (by the nonprofit Roundabout Theater Company) had a brief, critically drubbed run.

In an article published in the Huffington Post yesterday, Mr. Kaiser, the president of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., wrote that “while the production did not recoup its full investment on Broadway, it did far better financially than I had planned.” Under the headline “The Lesson of Follies,” Mr. Kaiser added about the revival:

“It also brought more visibility to the Kennedy Center than any other single production in the Center’s history. Time will tell if this visibility contributes to the fiscal health of the Kennedy Center. But for me, ‘Follies’ is representative of the large-scale, ambitious, risky project that arts organizations need to produce if they are to capture the imagination of new and diverse funders and audience members. It also demonstrates the benefits of long-term artistic planning. We decided to produce ‘Follies’ in 2006 — a full five years before the production was mounted at the Kennedy Center. This gave us the time needed to assemble an artistic team and a cast. It also gave us time to find a group of donors who would support this large, expensive project.”

Mr. Kaiser did not disclose the cost of capitalizing Follies, but a spokesman said it was $5.5 million. The Broadway production grossed a total of $19.6 million over about 24 weeks of performances, according to the Broadway League database of box office receipts; the revival’s average weekly gross was about $815,000, while the weekly running costs for the show were about $600,000.

Follies will have a brief run in Los Angeles at the Ahmanson Theater starting in May, starring Jan Maxwell (reprising her Broadway performance as Phyllis) and Victoria Clark (replacing Bernadette Peters as Sally).

AMC theaters to offer cool perks for Star Wars screenings

2012-01-24T09:59:00.005-05:00

ComingSoon reports: The first chapter of the Star Wars saga arrives in theatres for the first time ever in 3D starting February 10, and AMC theatres across the country are celebrating the occasion with plans to make opening weekend one for fans and families to remember.

To mark the return of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace to theatres, now in immersive 3D, kids, collectors and Star Wars fans of all ages will receive an all-new Hasbro Star Wars Fighter Pod with the purchase of each RealD 3D ticket for Episode I, all weekend long, February 10-12 only at AMC theatres.

Additionally, 10 AMC theatres in the United States will host exclusive event screenings in RealD 3D to bring the fun of Star Wars in 3D to life for families and fans. Starting Saturday, Feb. 11 at 11 a.m. local time, select theatres will offer activities, giveaways, and interactive experiences. Fans can expect (while supplies last):

* Exclusive Anakin Skywalker Podracer 3D glasses
* A Hasbro Star Wars Fighter Pods collectible toy
* A LEGO(r) feature area
* Darth Maul face-painting, to reveal your inner Sith Lord!
* Special character appearances for photo opportunities
* Demonstrations of the upcoming Xbox Kinect(tm) Star Wars(tm)

Naturally, none of the 10 participating Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace exclusive event screening theatres are in Florida... See the list here.

Academy Award nominations announced

2012-01-24T09:41:00.006-05:00

Martin Scorsese's Paris adventure Hugo leads the Academy Awards with 11 nominations, among them best picture and the latest director slot for the Oscar-winning filmmaker.

The Artist ran second with 10 nominations, including one for Best Picture

Also nominated for best picture: The Descendants, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, The Help, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, The Tree of Life, and War Horse.

The best actor nominees are George Clooney for The Descendants; Gary Oldman for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy; Brad Pitt for Moneyball; Jean DuJardin for The Artist; and Demian Bichir for A Better Life. Bichir's nomination all but came out of nowhere, as his film has not been widely seen. [Ed. note: Where's Leonardo DiCaprio's nod?!]

The best actress nominees are: Glenn Close for Albert Nobbs; Viola Davis for The Help; Rooney Mara for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady; and Michelle Williams for My Week with Marilyn.

The entire nomination broadcast can be watched here.

The Oscars will be presented Feb. 26 at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, hosted by Billy Crystal and broadcast live on ABC.

News roundup

2012-01-24T08:49:00.007-05:00

--> Election 2012: Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney released tax records yesterday indicating he is paying $6.2 million in taxes on a total of $42.5 million in income over the years 2010 and 2011.

Bowing to increasing political pressure to provide more detail about his vast wealth, the former private equity executive released tax returns indicating he and his wife, Ann, paid an effective tax rate of 13.9% in 2010. They expect to pay a 15.4% rate when they file their returns for 2011.

Romney's 2010 returns show the candidate is among the top 1% of taxpayers. More at NBC News.

--> In related news: Romney took it to Gingrich at last night's Florida debate.

--> News: Crews set to remove oil from Italian wreck

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

--> News: A wave of car bombings hit the Iraq capital today, killing 14 people and wounding more than 70 as violence surges in the country amid an escalating political crisis a month after the U.S. military withdrawal.

At least 170 people have died in attacks since the beginning of the year, many of them Shiite pilgrims attending religious commemorations. The last American soldiers left the country Dec. 18.

Suspected Sunni insurgents have frequently targeted Shiite communities and Iraqi security forces to undermine public confidence in the Shiite-dominated government and its efforts to protect people. More at the AP.

--> Technology Issues: Tablet and e-reader ownership increased by nearly double over the holidays, and more than 1 out of every 4 Americans now has one of the devices, according to a new study.

"The number of Americans owning at least one of these digital reading devices jumped from 18% in December to 29% in January," said the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project in a new report on tablet and e-reader ownership.

"The share of adults in the United States who own tablet computers nearly doubled from 10% to 19% between mid-December and early January and the same surge in growth also applied to e-book readers," which had the exact same increase.

The increase is more than just a run-of-the-mill stat: "In the time we have been doing surveys about the adoption and use of digital technology, we have never seen growth quite like this," said Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project. (Via Technoblog)

Pick Me Up of the Day

2012-01-23T10:00:00.002-05:00

Alejandro Corzo as featured on Major Models.

Think outside the jocks

2012-01-23T09:57:00.001-05:00

--> For your viewing pleasure, Dan Murray on the Australain TV Morning Show in November 2010 showing Sly Underwear 'Think Outside the Jocks'

(Via Kenneth in the 212)

The FunniesElection 2012 Edition

2012-01-23T09:48:00.001-05:00

By Jimmy Margulies

Rick Santorum glitterbombed in South Carolina

2012-01-23T09:40:00.003-05:00

Towleroad reports: Before Rick Santorum departed South Carolina Saturday night, a few Occupy people presented him with parting gifts: glitter and screeches.

As the former senator signed autographs, they glitterbombed him, or almost did (it looks like they might have missed), and were dragged away by security personnel while screaming "occ-u-py, occ-u-py." Santorum was all smiles.

Once the Occufolk were out of the hall -- and well out of Santorum's earshot -- they began chanting "bigot, bigot, bigot."

Video from CBS below:

GLAAD lays off almost a quarter of employees

2012-01-23T09:35:00.003-05:00

The Advocate reports: The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation laid off 11 of its 45 employees last week.

The cuts come against the backdrop of an economy that still has not fully recovered, and nonprofits everywhere continue to face fund-raising challenges. But employees said they didn't see the changes coming.GLAAD cut 11 people from its staff of 45, and a statement from the group assured that "core programs" remain intact, including National and Local News; Religion, Faith & Values; Entertainment Media; and Spanish-Language Media.

Mike Thompson, GLAAD's interim leader, blames the organization's cash shortfall on last summer's weirdness, which led to the departure of GLAAD's president Jarrett T. Barrios:

"It's no secret that GLAAD experienced some real challenges in 2011," Thompson said in a statement to The Advocate. "While the changes that took place subsequent to last summer's tumult were in many ways healthy for the organization, the reality is that the experience had financial impacts for the organization. Our restructuring is reflective of that."

(Via Towleroad)

Deployed Military in Afghanistan say It Gets Better

2012-01-23T09:29:00.002-05:00

Out Air Force service members SSGT Steven Procter, SSGT Shelise Harmon, AT2 Erin Jones, SPC James Velazquez, SPC Curtis Robinson speak for the It Gets Better project from their deployment in Bagram, Afghanistan.

(Via Towleroad)

Tennessee gay teen took his life because of bullying

2012-01-23T09:21:00.005-05:00

--> These get harder and harder to report on. (Via WSMV)