What's the buzz?

The Beehive

by Richard Lawlor  (with help from some queen bees)

Dolly Parton's 9 to 5 Headed To Broadway
She won't be recreating her original film role, but gay icon, Dolly Parton, is headed to Broadway with a new musical based on her hit film, 9 to 5. "Doralee Rhodes" has penned more than 20 songs for the show scheduled to open in May of 2009.  Read More

New Artistic Director For  Maine Gay Men's Chorus

The Maine Gay Men’s Chorus has announced that Arthur (Art) Kenne has accepted the position of Artist Director.

“Art comes to MGMC with an extensive musical background. We are pleased that he has accepted this new adventure with the Maine Gay Men’s Chorus and we look forward working with him as we enter our 17^th season”, says Andrew Johnson, President of MGMC.

Art’s first event with the Maine Gay Men’s Chorus was the Pride Concert in June 2008 while serving as Interim Artistic Director. He will lead the chorus as Artistic Director in the 17^th season’s holiday concert, to be held at the Williston West Church in Portland on December 11 – 13, 2008. The kickoff rehearsal for the holiday concert is Wednesday, September 3, 2008, at 7pm – Williston West Church, 32 Thomas St., Portland. No audition required.

CAST ANNOUNCED FOR PORTOPERA’S “Roméo et Juliette”
Roméo et Juliette, the renowned French composer Charles Gounod’s operatic interpretation of the legendary Shakespearean tragedy, has long remained one of France’s most prized operas. PORTopera will present this classic opera on July 24 and 26 at Portland’s Merrill Auditorium. The roles of the famed star-crossed lovers in PORTopera’s production will be played by Gaston Rivero (Roméo) and Jennifer Black (Juliette).

Uruguay-born tenor Gaston Rivero, finalist and prizewinner at the 2007 Montserrat Caballé International Singing Contest, was described by The New York Sun as a “true Italianate tenor” with a “beautiful, arresting voice.” Rivero made his professional opera debut in 2004 with Opera Orchestra of New York, and has recently performed the roles of Don José in Carmen with the Knoxville Opera and Alfredo in La Traviata with Palm Beach Opera among many others. He sang as Romeo earlier this year for Opera Carolina.

American lyric soprano Jennifer Black, who completed the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program in 2008, will play Juliette. A native of Houston, Texas, Black was recently awarded a 2008 Opera Index Award. She made her Santa Fe Opera debut as Micäela in Carmen during the 2006 summer season and returned there for her role debut as Mimi in La Bohème in the summer of 2007. The Santa Fe New-Mexican called her performance as Mimi, “gleaming and glorious, with wonderful nuances of light and shade and complete dynamic control” and referred to her arias as “meltingly sung.” The Denver Post wrote, “The evening's revelation was soprano Jennifer Black …. She lit up the stage as Micaëla, with her pleasingly dulcet voice highlighted by nice, rounded tones and an adroit sense of phrasing.

                                                                    Read The Entire Cast

Hotel Earns Fifth AAA Four Diamond Award
Spectacular service, gleaming surfaces, guest services that respond to guests’ every need, and above all, attention to detail, helped the Portland Harbor Hotel earn its American Automobile Association (AAA) Four Diamond Award for the fifth year in a row, a title the hotel has earned since its second year in operation. Portland Harbor Hotel is the only hotel in Portland to receive the AAA Four Diamond Award.

Hotel General Manager Gerard Kiladjian spoke of the credibility and reputation this award brings, “By receiving the AAA Four Diamond Award for the fifth year in the row, we have truly established ourselves as the premier hotel in the Portland area. It is a designation we take very seriously, and we work hard year round to maintain this level of excellence.”

AAA evaluates hotels based on exterior grounds, public areas, room décor and ambiance, guest room amenities, bathrooms, housekeeping, management, and guest services. Hotels must excel in all areas to be considered for the Four Diamond Award. AAA Diamond Ratings represent a combination of the overall quality, the range of facilities, and the level of services offered by a property. Only 3% of hotels in the US have a four diamond designation. Learn more at portlandharborhotel.com.

Subaru Owners: Are You Ready For Your Close-Up?

Subaru and the Logo Channel have teamed up to produce a series of short portrait documentaries called “Real Momentum Profiles”, featuring real Subaru owners. We are looking for gay men and women who own Subarus and who lead interesting, inspirational and involved lives. In the documentary, we will explore how your work, hobbies or passions benefit yourself and those around you.

This could be about any part of your life — your family, job, travel or other unique experiences or passions — as long as you have something interesting/inspiring to share.  For more information, check out their questionnaire:                                               View as HTML   Download  

Magazine Names Planet Dog One of America's Best Places to Work 

Portland-based Planet Dog has been named one of America's Best Places to Work in 2008 by Outside magazine. The values-led designer and developer of innovative dog products is being recognized as one of the best employers in the country by providing a great work environment that also promotes environmentally friendly business practices and offers a work/quality of life balance for employees.

The program was created by Outside magazine in partnership with the Outdoor Industry Association and Best Companies Group to find companies that make it possible for employees to balance productivity with an active, eco-conscious lifestyle. The magazine conducted thorough surveys based on benefits, compensation, job satisfaction, environmental initiatives and community outreach programs designed to identify, recognize and honor the best employers in the country.

The extensive, year-long process identified non-profit and for-profit organizations with at least 15 employees working in the United States. Planet Dog is one of 30 companies that have been selected in three categories: small (15-49 employees), medium (50-249) and large (250 +).

With 44 employees (not including the 30 dogs that accompany them to work every day), Planet Dog has been ranked second in the small-sized company category.

Decorative Concrete - Where form and function come together.

Couple In Trouble With Cayman Police for Kiss

365gay.com reports that a gay couple from Massachusetts was detained by police after kissing on the dance floor of a popular club on Grand Cayman.

Aaron Chandler, 23, and his boyfriend, both from on Amherst, Massachusetts, were holidaying with the boyfriend's sister and brother–in–law on the Caribbean island. The four had gone to the Royal Palms and joined about a dozen other couples who were dancing. At one point Chandler kissed his boyfriend. A patron approached the men and berated them.

"He asked us not to do that," Chandler told the Cay Compass newspaper. "He said, 'you shouldn’t be doing this here'.

The couple ignored the protest and kept dancing.  Chandler, who is a member of the National Youth Advocacy Coalition, then planted another kiss on his boyfriend.

"I do display affection when I’m with my boyfriend, publicly," Chandler told the paper. "It’s never anything most people would consider obscene however; usually it’s in the form of holding hands or a quick kiss."

An off-duty police officer intervened after the second kiss.

"He told me he did not want me to show public displays of affection," Chandler said. "He said it was against the law for two people of the same sex."

As the four Americans were preparing to leave the club Chandler kissed his boyfriend again. At that point "The officer grabbed my wrist and told me he was placing me under arrest," Chandler told the Compass.

A second police officer arrived at the scene and the two men were taken to the George Town police station. After several hours in a holding room they were released without any charges laid.

Chandler said that police attempted to get them to promise not to kiss again in public while on the island.

Whether they could have been charged is questionable.

Following complaints in several British territories in the Caribbean the UK Parliament passed a law in 2000 requiring the islands to abide by British law that decriminalized homosexuality.

But a police spokesperson told the Compass that two Cayman laws - the Penal Code and the Towns and Communities Law - could have been used to lay changes on the grounds that same-sex kissing in public caused distress or a disturbance to another member of the public.

Chandler, meanwhile, has filed official complaints with the Cayman Department of Tourism and with police.

Diva Behind Bars

To protest the arrest of the character Susan Lucci plays on All My Children, ABC Daytime aired  a "Free Erica Kane" rally complete with a performance by boy band B5. (Hence the Che Guevara-inspired poster above.)

B5 even wrote a song called "Erika Cain" (typos included) with diva La Lucci's viewing from behind bars joined by a bevy of inmates right out of your favorite All-Girl prison B-Movie.

This is not, of course, not Erica's first stint in The Big House. Click Here to read her rap sheet.

Sea Dogs' History Captured in New Book

Sotos was an intern in the Sea Dogs Souvenir Store in 2000.  As a freelance writer, Sotos has contributed baseball stories for various teams such as the Cleveland Indians and San Francisco Giants.  Her other work has appeared in magazines such as Cleveland Sports Monthly, Entertainment Today, Filmfax, and Bend of the River.

Babs Bows Out of Anniversary Concert for Israel

Israel says Barbra Streisand has pulled out of a celebration of the country's 60th anniversary next month.

Streisand was one of the celebrity guests set to appear at a Jerusalem convention hosted by Israeli President Shimon Peres beginning May 13.

She was to perform a rendition of the Hebrew prayer Avinu Malkeinu, or "Our Father Our King."

Peres' office said Tuesday that Streisand has now announced that she will not be coming. It says she gave no reason for the cancellation.

CNN's Quest Busted After-Hours in Central Park

CNN International's business travel specialist, Richard Quest, was arrested early Friday morning and booked on a misdemeanor charge of drug possession after police found him wandering around Central Park at   3:40am - way past the park's curfew.

According to reports, Quest had a rope around his neck that was tied to his genitals -- and a sex toy in his shoe. 

Police were escorting Quest out of the park when he voluntarily told them, "I have meth in my pocket." He was then searched and indeed, was holding a small amount of methamphetamine in a Ziploc bag.

CNN had no immediate comment.

Can Anybody Find Me Some Jewelry To Love?

According to Gigwise.com, a jewelry line has been launched inspired by the late, great QUEEN frontman Freddie Mercury.

Titled "Made In Heaven: The Freddie Mercury Collection", the series features gold and silver pendants and rings, plus there’s even some leather cuffs. Each piece contains the word "Love" and comes complete with a "Made In Heaven" tag — the title of the band's 1995 album which features some of Mercury's final recordings he made years earlier shortly before he died of AIDs.

The collection has been designed by top jewelry designer Udi Behr, and a piece won't come cheap with prices ranging up to $20,000.

KEY NAMED One of
                        “TOP 50 COMPANIES FOR DIVERSITY”  

Key has made DiversityInc's Top 50 in four of the past five years, and also was selected by the magazine as one of its “most noteworthy companies.”

DiversityInc recognized CEO Henry Meyer for diversity leadership. In particular, Meyer was praised for chairing Key's diversity council, meeting regularly with employee-resource groups and holding leadership positions with several organizations aimed at multicultural groups, including the NAACP.

“Chairman, President and CEO Henry L. Meyer is a longtime diversity champion,” states DiversityInc's Web site. “Key has mandatory diversity training for its employees and gets a perfect score for communicating its diversity commitment on its Web site.”

"As a bridge between our workplace and the marketplace, diversity draws on dimensions of people that broaden our perspective of ourselves, and our colleagues and customers," says CEO Henry Meyer. "Expanding the diversity of our board and workforce increases our depth of talent and overall ability to perform."

Market Has No Love For WGME

The Hannaford supermarket chain says it's pulling advertising from Portland CBS affiliate, WGME-TV.

Get Sauced With The Real Italian
Portland-based Amato’s has expanded its “Real Italian” offerings by adding a brand new collection of Super Premium San Marzano jarred pasta sauces.  (Cultivated in the rich volcanic soil in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius , vine-ripened San Marzano Tomatoes are world-renowned for their unsurpassed flavor and sweetness.)

The new line, which will supplement their traditional jarred offerings of Pasta, Marinara and Pizza Sauces, will be sold in all Hannaford and Shaw’s supermarkets beginning this month.  As always, the sauces will also be available for purchase in any Amato’s location.

Dancing With The Stars' "Mango"
We bees couldn't agree on whether Steve Gutenberg's recent spin across the ballroom was funny, awkward... or even homophobic in nature.  Judge for yourself...

"It's none of your beeswax..."
At an event on Butler University's campus Tuesday afternoon, a student asked Chelsea if the infamous Monica Lewinsky scandal had damaged Mama Hillary's reputation.  Chelsea paused and answered with poise,  "Wow, you're the first person actually that's ever asked me that question in the, I don't know maybe, 70 college campuses I've now been to, and I do not think that is any of your business."
Read On...

A 90120 Spinoff?
Holy Peach Pit, The Hollywood Reporter says that the most popular ZIP code on television is coming back.

The CW is developing a contemporary spinoff of Aaron Spelling's seminal 1990s teen soap "Beverly Hills, 90210."

"Veronica Mars" creator Rob Thomas is in talks to pen the project, which has been put on the fast track by the network. Details about the spinoff -- including which if any of the characters on the original series will make the transition to the new show -- remain sketchy. CW is expected to make a decision whether to order a pilot by the end of the month.

The spinoff is being produced by CBS Paramount Network TV, which absorbed original series producer Spelling TV two years ago. Sources said "90210" creator Darren Star is not involved.
 

Gilligan's Mary Ann Busted
Dawn Wells, who played Mary Ann on "Gilligan's Island," is serving six months' unsupervised probation after allegedly being caught with marijuana in her car.  She was sentenced February 29 to five days in jail, fined $410.50 and placed on probation after pleading guilty to one count of reckless driving.

Under a plea agreement, three misdemeanor counts -- driving under the influence, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance -- were dropped. On October 18, Teton County sheriff's Deputy Joseph Gutierrez arrested Wells as she was driving home from a surprise birthday party that was held for her.

Patrick Swayze Diagnosed with Cancer
Patrick Swayze, who starred in Dirty Dancing and Ghost, has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, his doctor says.

"Patrick has a very limited amount of disease and he appears to be responding well to treatment thus far," Dr. George Fisher says in a statement. "All of the reports stating the time frame of his prognosis and his physical side effects are absolutely untrue. We are considerably more optimistic."


The actor's rep adds: "Patrick is continuing his normal schedule during this time, which includes working on upcoming projects. The outpouring of support and concern he has already received from the public is deeply appreciated by Patrick and his family."

Swayze, 55, started his career as a dancer before turning to acting. His breakout role was as a Catskills dance instructor opposite Jennifer Grey in 1987's sleeper hit Dirty Dancing. He also starred opposite Demi Moore in the 1990 blockbuster Ghost and as a drag queen in 1995's To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar.              

Get well soon, Vida Boheme...                                   Read More
 

Idol Contestant Was Stripper At Gay Night Club

"American Idol" contestant David Hernandez once entertained audiences by removing his clothes instead of singing tunes, a manager at a male strip club in Phoenix told The Associated Press.

The 24-year-old finalist from Glendale, Ariz., once worked as a stripper at Dick's Cabaret, appearing fully nude and performing lap dances for the club's "mostly male" clientele, club manager Gordy Bryan said Monday. "He had the look and the type that people like, so he made pretty good money here.   Read More
 

Jack Nicholson's TV Ad Endorses Hillary Clinton Using Classic Film Clips
Watch It Here!

The Writer's Strike is over,
 but when do your favorite shows return?

Click Here To Find Out
 

King, Mellencamp Team for Musical

Stephen King has written the script for Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, a stage musical scored by John Mellencamp

Described  as ''a sultry Southern gothic mystery with a blues-tinged, guitar-driven score,'' the story is about the deaths of two brothers and a young girl and the legend that grows out of the tragedy. The concept came from Mellencamp, who said he heard the tale years ago in his hometown of Seymour, IN.

The production will open at Atlanta's Alliance Theatre in April 2009 with the aim of an eventual Broadway run.

Photog Moser Launches New Website

Gay Fun's friend, Jo Moser, has launched a spiffy new website spotlighting her diverse and delightful photography.

Based in Portland, Jo splits her time between California and Maine and enjoys working in New York, Boston and in Europe. She's shown her work from coast to coast and participate with a number of organizations that focus on food and community, mental health, and breast cancer.

Moser has been looking at the world through a camera since the age of seven.

"I have always been fascinated by people and their relationships to one another," says Moser. "Engaging with people of all ages in a multitude of settings inspires me."

Visit the new site at jomoser.com

A Late (But Accurate) Valentine

Too Risqué For The Tubes

A 16th century nude has proved too risqué for London's Underground train system, with officials banning an ad featuring a painting of the Roman goddess Venus for fear it could cause offence. London's Royal Academy of Arts chose the painting Venus (pictured) to advertise its upcoming exhibition on 16th century German painter and printmaker Lucas Cranach the Elder. However, a promotional poster for the show destined for the city's subway system was rejected by London transport officials. "Millions of people travel on the London Underground (subway system) each day, and they have no choice but to view whatever adverts are posted there," a spokesman said.

Naked Cowboy Sues Naked M&M

Times Square fixture and tourist attraction, The Naked Cowboy, whose real name is Robert Burck, is suing Mars Inc. for $6 million for dressing an animated M&M in Burck’s signature outfit and broadcasting it on a video billboard. While not quite a doppleganger, the animated M&M is reportedly dressed in a white cowboy hat, boots and briefs for several seconds of a nearly five-minute video that also features the candy in street scenes and as city icons, including King Kong and the Statue of Liberty.

“My initial response was like, ‘Wow that’s cool,’ ” said Burck, 37. “The artist seeks to create the world in his own image. Obviously I was overjoyed . . . . It took years for people not to say that’s a stupid idea. . . . All I’ve got is my underwear. It’s the most brilliant thing that’s ever been created from a marketing perspective. You can’t stop it.” Mars declined to comment to the Post.

                                                                        Will the jury be hung? Read on...

   Spielberg Drops Out of Olympics

US film director Steven Spielberg has withdrawn as an artistic adviser to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

In a statement, he accused China of not doing enough to pressure its ally Sudan to end the "continuing human suffering" in the troubled western Darfur region.

"I find that my conscience will not allow me to continue business as usual," said Mr Spielberg. At least 200,000 people have been killed and two million forced from their homes in the five-year conflict. In a statement, Mr Spielberg said: "At this point, my time and energy must be spent not on Olympic ceremonies, but on doing all I can to help bring an end to the unspeakable crimes against humanity that continue to be committed in Darfur."

He said: "Sudan's government bears the bulk of the responsibility for these on-going crimes but the international community, and particularly China, should be doing more."

Now You Can Smell Like Tom of Finland
Fragrance might not be the first thing you generally associate with the erotically charged Tom of Finland foundation, but the organization is getting into the game nonetheless with an eponymous new fragrance developed in collaboration with Etat Libre d'Orange (the same company behind the delightfully titled new women's fragrance, Don't Get Me Wrong Baby, I Don't Swallow).

According to Women's Wear Daily, the Tom of Finland fragrance which was concocted by perfumer/composer Antoine Lie, contains notes that feature crumpled leaf, suede, metal, pepperwood, iris, vetiver, tonka bean and musks and is envisioned to "smell like a guy coming out of a shower. He's clean, but not. And he puts on leather pants." Sounds sexy.

The quirky new scent will retail for around $100 and be launched in the Paris-based Etat Libre d'Orange store, online at www.etatlibredorange.com and exclusively in the U.K.'s Harvey Nichols at the end of February. By June the scent is expected to be rolled out exclusively in Canada at Holt Renfrew and in the U.S., among other countries.

Fox's Gibson's Tacky Heath Ledger Torment

Winning (yet again) the ultra-insensitivity award for bad taste, Fox News host John Gibson mocked Heath Ledger after his death Wednesday.

Here's what went happened on his show according to BGay.com (with thanks to Perez Hilton):

After playing an audio clip of the iconic quote, 'I wish I knew how to quit you' from Ledger's gay romance movie Brokeback Mountain, Gibson disdainfully quipped, 'Well, he found out how to quit you.'

Laughing, Gibson then played another clip from Brokeback Mountain in which Ledger said, 'We're dead,' followed by his own, mocking 'We're dead' before playing the clip again.

Gibson called Ledger a "weirdo" with a "serious drug problem" and suggested that Ledger killed himself because he had "a serious position in the (stock) market" or perhaps "watched the Clinton-Obama debate last night. I think he was an Edwards guy, cause he saw his Edwards guy was just completely irrelevant."

Click here to listen to the audio of John Gibson's shameful handling of Heath Ledger's death.

New Film Brings Castro Street Back

The Bay Area Reporter reports that some old haunts return to Castro Street, like the fabled Toad Hall bar – now part of Walgreens – and Milk's old camera shop – now the home of gift store Given – as the filmmakers recreate the streetscape from the days when Milk reigned over the area as the "mayor" of Castro Street.

"We want to dress this neighborhood the best we can like the 1970s," said Jonathan Shedd, the film's location manager. "We hope to create a feel that works."

Cars from the era will be parked on the streets, awnings and street signs of businesses postdating that time will be changed and even the historic Castro Theatre will be brought back to its old glory.

Directed by openly gay, Oscar-nominated Gus Van Sant, and starring Bay Area resident Sean Penn as Harvey Milk, the movie will depict Milk's rise from political agitator to successful candidate in the 1977 supervisor race and end with his assassination inside his City Hall office a year later.

Merv's Grave Humor  
You have to love Merv Griffin's warped sense of humor. The talk shot host, game show creator, successful  businessman (and yes, BISEXUAL)  died in August ,2007, but has as left an irreverent message for those who visit his Hollywood grave.

His headstone reads: "I will not be right back after this message."

New Bond Movie Named

The title was revealed to reporters Thursday at Pinewood Studios outside of London, where the movie is being filmed.

Daniel Craig is returning as Agent 007. He picks up where 2006's "Casino Royale" left off, with Bond contemplating revenge after his betrayal by his true love, Vesper Lynd.

Filming began at Pinewood Studios earlier this month. Location shooting is planned in Austria, Italy and Panama. Judi Dench returns as the MI-6 boss M and Mathieu Amalric ("The Diving Bell and the Butterfly") plays the villain. Additions to the cast include Ukrainian actress Olga Kurylenko as mysterious Bond girl Camille.

New American Gladiator Is Former Gay Porn Star
Gay porn company Colt Studios has issued the following statement:

"Yes, it's true...  COLT Man Elian Cortez who appeared in front of Jim French and COLT's cameras a few years back is making his debut primetime appearance on the all-new and revamped American Gladiators show as Militia..."

"Militia" used to go under the name Elian Cortez when he worked in the gay adult industry under the name. His real name is Alex Castro.

His Official Gladiator Bio says: Height: 6'3" Weight: 220

"The 6-foot, 3-inch, 220-pound Gladiator targets his opponents with tactical precision. With an impressive arsenal of skills at his disposal, he is well equipped for any operation and will do anything to complete his objective. Once Militia has you in his sights, you'd better have a plan, or the game is over.

American Gladiators, which is hosted by former wrestler / reality show star Hulk Hogan and Muhammad Ali's daughter Laila, premieres on NBC January 6, at 9/8c.

Does anyone else hope the Writers Guild settles that strike soon?
 

Beckham's Battle of the Bulge
Is it real (or is it Memorex?)

The Armani ad that features David Beckham’s crotch on display has raised a few -  eyebrows (to say the least). Since the shots  show a rather considerable bulge (and airbrushing can be a celeb’s best friend) rumors started to spread that David had a little help from the digital penis enhancement fairy.

Taking time from her busy Spice Girl reunion, wifey Victoria Beckham has come to her soccer stud husband's defense. She assures us that the underwear campaign for Armani is all David. 

“I’m proud I still have a really good sex life with David. He is very much in proportion. He does have a huge one, though. He does. You can see it in the advert. It is all his. It is like a tractor exhaust pipe!”

We can't make this fluff up!

Pope Declares Gay Marriage Threat to World Peace
In the true spirit of the holiday season (NOT)  Pope Benedict XVI said in a statement Tuesday that abortion, birth control and same-sex marriage are threats to world peace, on the same level as nuclear arms proliferation, environmental pollution and economic inequality. 

In a 15-page message for the World Day of Peace, which will be observed Jan. 1, the pope links sexual and medical ethics to international relations and presents the nuclear family as the "first and indispensable teacher of peace" and the "primary agency of peace."

"Everything that serves to weaken the family based on the marriage of a man and woman, everything that directly or indirectly stands in the way of its openness to the responsible acceptance of new life ... constitutes an objective obstacle on the road to peace," the pope writes.

God bless us everyone...

Dirty Santa Shut Down
"You want me to eat what?!?"

Microsoft Corp. has shut down Santa Claus' Web privileges after it found out that the automated jolly man it created for instant messaging with kids was talking naughty, not nice.

Last year, Microsoft encouraged kids to connect directly to "Santa" by adding northpolelive.com to their Windows Live Messenger contact lists. The Santa program, which Microsoft reactivated in early December, asks children what they want for Christmas and can respond on topic via instant messaging, thanks to a bit of artificial intelligence. Microsoft's holiday cheer soured this week when a reader of a United Kingdom-based technology news site, The Register, reported that a chat between Santa and his underage nieces about eating pizza prompted Santa to bring up oral sex.

One of the publication's writers replicated the chat Monday. After declining the writer's repeated invitations to eat pizza, a frustrated Santa burst out with, "You want me to eat what?!? It's fun to talk about oral sex, but I want to chat about something else." The exchange ended with the writer and Santa calling each other a "dirty bastard."

Microsoft spokesman Adam Sohn said the company's engineers tried to clean up Santa's vocabulary, but even after making changes to the software, the company wasn't comfortable keeping Santa online. "It's not like if you say, 'Hello Santa,' he's going to throw inappropriate stuff at you," said Sohn. In this case, he said, Santa's lewd comment was sparked by someone "pushing this thing to make it do things it wasn't supposed to do."

We've got your "Ho, Ho,Ho..." right here.
 

No Wedding Bells for Queen Latifah and Gal Pal

Queen Latifah denies rumors that she has proposed to her long-time personal trainer / girlfriend Jeannete and that the couple are soon to be hitched.

Two weeks ago, Mediatakeout.com claimed that Queen Latifah and her longtime girlfriend Jeanette Jenkins got officially engaged. The site said that the two had been in a relationship for more than 4 years before finally deciding to make it official.

When Latifah was in Chicago recently to promote her upcoming film The Perfect Holiday, the Chicago Sun-Times asked her about the rumors. Latifah said,  "When you're famous these days, it's just part of the deal -- unfortunately. People will make up all sorts of things that are not true...There ain't gonna be no wedding."

Portland Pier Deal Finally Done
Who says that the holiday season isn't a time for miracles?

After repeated attempts to choose a developer for the Maine State Pier, those wild and wacky members of the  Portland City Council have voted 5-3 in favor of Portland-based Olympia Companies.

Ocean Properties, of Portsmouth, N.H., was the other firm vying for the $100 million project, but in the end, councilors said, it came down to Olympia’s design over Ocean Properties’ funding.

A number of previous votes ended in ties.

The seven-acre development will include a mega-berth for cruise ships, a hotel and office and retail space.

Is Foster's Silence of the Loins Over?

Is Jodie Foster on the road to finally "coming out."

Surprising everyone (and then again , no one) on Tuesday, Jodie Foster, 45, thanked "my beautiful Cydney who sticks with me through all the rotten and the bliss" when she accepted the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award at the 16th annual Women in Entertainment Power 100 breakfast.

Characterizing herself as a "professional" and a "gentleman," Foster admitted: "I always feel like something of an impostor. I don't know what I'm doing. I suppose that's my one little secret, the secret of my success."

Siegfried & Roy Positioning Themselves For Comeback?

Four years after retiring, illusionists Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Horn say they may just reappear. The German-born performers' long-running "Siegfried & Roy" production ended in October 2003 when Horn was critically injured on stage by a tiger.

"A good magician never lets the cat out of the bag," Horn told the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Friday for a story about the pair's possible return to show business. "Act surprised when you hear about it."

The tiger sank its teeth into Horn's neck and dragged him off stage in front of a horrified audience at The Mirage, ending one of the most successful casino shows in Las Vegas history.

Siegfried, 68, said retirement has had its hurdles.

"The stage is my life. It took some adjustment. I was really not ready for it," he said.



Siegfried said he marvels at Horn's dedication to his recovery regimen, which includes daily rehabilitation and trips to a gym three times a week, including games of racquetball.

"It cheers me up," Siegfried told the newspaper. "All the doctors say what he's doing now is impossible. I've always said, 'I am the magician and Roy is the magic.' And Roy shows me every day the magic - the magic of life."

Horn and Siegfried remain convinced that the tiger, Montecore ,sensed Horn was having a mini-stroke and was dragging him to safety, rather than attacking him.
 

Familiar "Face" One Of The Senator Craig Sex Accusers
The name of one of the men that has come forward to tell The Idaho Statesmen that he had a sexual relationship with Senator Larry Craig  may seem a bit familiar. Remember Mike Jones? He's the self-confessed male hustler who almost single-handedly brought an end to the ministry empire of the most-reverend Ted Haggard.

Jones, 50, told the Statesman that Craig paid him $200 to have sex with him on a night between November 2004 and March 2005. Jones said he recognized Craig only after he became a big story in August.

"Once I saw Larry Craig do his news conference, that's when I go, 'My God! That guy came to see me.' "

Read what Jones said happened
 

Jane Rule, Pioneer Lesbian Author, Dead
Novelist Jane Rule, whose life and work were a combined statement in support of social equality and personal generosity, has died  of liver cancer at her home on Galiano Island, B.C. She was 76.

Rule was equally known for her fiction and for her status as a lesbian role model.  Learn More About This Breakthrough Author

The Season's Best Stocking Stuffer?

Senator Larry Craig has been a very, very bad boy this year. In June he was arrested for Lewd Conduct after hitting on an undercover police officer in an airport Men's Room. In September resigned from the Senate, then in October decided not to resign.

Now, just in time for the holidays, a New York toy company has created the talking Larry Craig "I'm Not Gay Doll."

The Craig Action Figure stands about 12" tall and wears a t-shirt emblazoned with his declaration: "I Am Not Gay." His limbs are bendable, so you can put him in all sorts of poses... even the famous "wide stance"!
Best of all... when you press the button he delivers a portion of his Press Conference...

"Thank you all very much for coming out today. I will read a statement: 'I am not gay. I never have been gay."

Sorry kids, it may be an action figure, but you have to provide the foot tapping yourself. (Batteries are not included.)

MORE THAN A NUTCRACKER, SUGAR PLUMS AND RIBBON CANDY
       It's that time of year again and the Portland Ballet is sharing some fun Victorian Nutcracker  Facts

Costume Specifics
•       1,080 Feet of Tulle for Primary Dancers in Tutus
•       73 Costume Changes in every performance

Cast
•       87 Cast Members
•       40 Dancers on Pointe
•       34 Paid Professional Dancers

Roles
•       26 Roles in Party Scene
•       27 Roles in Battle Scene
•       10 Roles in Snow Scene
•       70 Roles in Act 2

Accessories
•       40 Pairs of Pointe Shoes
•       320 Feet of Ribbon for Pointe Shoes
•       1460 Bobby Pins used in each performance

Portland Ballet’s Victorian Nutcracker, with the Portland Ballet Orchestra, will be at Merrill Auditorium in Portland on Saturday, December 8 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, December 9 at 2 p.m. Tickets are available through PortTix, www.porttix.com or 207-842-0800. Tickets can also be purchased Monday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m., at the box office on 20 Myrtle St.

Learn more by reading All Things Dance, The Companion.info's interview with
Eugenia O'Brien, Artistic Director of Portland Ballet Company.
Read The Interview

 

Soap Hunk Fired For Playgirl Spread

Gay Bar Strip Pix Surface

Soap star Marcus Patrick was recently fired from his role as Jett Carver on the popular daytime drama Days of Our Lives amid rumors   the decision came after he posed nude for the September issue of  Playgirl magazine. (He also play Jamal Cudahy on All My Children in June 2006, but asked to be released just three months later.)

Just as the story was hitting the streets, pix surfaced of Patrick in an earlier incarnation working hard for his money as a stripper at the West Hollywood gay bar, Micky's.

(The photos may be from some time back as West Hollywood bar Micky's has been closed for renovation since August.)

No Rose For You... "Bachelor" Chooses No One
Men... can't live with 'em.. .have to live without 'em.

That is if you're one of the two finalists in this season's TV train wreck, ABC's The Bachelor.

Viewers who tuned into the finale expecting certified hunk Brad Womack to choose his future betrothed, instead found him soundly rejecting both ladies.

He chose not Jenni, the perky dancer for the Phoenix Suns...  He chose not small-town girl De-Anna.  He chose instead to exit stage right to a life of solitude (yeah, sure) as his search continues.

We bees can't help wondering if the whole ending was a total punk on the ladies (and audience.) We did after all find out  earlier in the season that Brad had a twin brother.  Maybe the truth will come out at the "After The Final Rose" airing this week! In the meantime, we keep thinking about twins.


Matt Damon is People Magazine's 2007 "Sexiest Man Alive"

"You've given an aging suburban dad the ego-boost of a lifetime," Damon, 32, told PEOPLE when informed of the award , explaining why he couldn't possibly accept the crown. 

"That erfectly demonstrates many of the reasons we chose him in the first place: irresistible sense of humor, rock solid family man, heart-melting humility," PEOPLE writes.

Find Out Who Else Made The List!  Sexiest Men Alive 2007

 

Project Runway’s fourth season is set to go and, judging from previews, it is going to be its gayest , sexiest and most informative ever.

On its website, the future fashionistas are asked to choose their one big “Fashion Must.” They range from  “A fantastic shawl or scarf.”, “A bright-colored anything”, “An amazing jacket or blazer”, to our very favorite: “A sugar daddy!”
That’s the “Must” for Jack, 38 from Seattle. Make it work!

Mormons Exposed: And We Don't Mean Mitt

The 2008 elections are less than a year away, but we bees have uncovered some other Mormons vying for your attention.

Meet the holy men of Mormons Exposed,  twelve of the more than 50,000 missionaries are currently serving full-time missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (otherwise known as the Mormon Church). They are also currently serving as pin-up boys for a new 2008 calendar.

Their two-year missions have taken them around the globe to third-world countries to help the poor, teach English, build schools and homes, teach people about Mormonism and feed the hungry.

We're hungry... We're hungry. And, oh, how we've sinned... we've sinned!

Oh, the humanity...

Hundreds of bottles of Jack Daniel's whiskey, some of it almost 100 years old, may be unceremoniously poured down a drain because authorities suspect it was being sold by someone without a license.

"Punish the person, not the whiskey," said an outraged Kyle MacDonald, 28, a Jack Daniel's drinker from British Columbia who promotes the whiskey on his blog. "Jack never did anything wrong, and the whiskey itself is innocent."

So, This Is Soda...
 Jones Soda Company, the Seattle-based purveyor of offbeat fizzy water, said Friday that it was shelving its traditional seasonal flavors of turkey and gravy this year to produce limited-edition theme packs for Christmas and Hanukkah.
Spread Christmas Cheer with their limited edition Jones Soda Christmas Pack featuring Christmas Ham Soda, Christmas Tree Soda, Egg Nog Soda and Sugar Plum Soda. The gift pack also includes "1 very cool stocking stuffer. "
Spread Chanukah cheers with a Jones Soda Limited Edition Chanukah pack. Flavors are: Latke Soda, Apple Sauce Soda, Chocolate Coins Soda and Jelly Doughnut Soda and each gift box includes "1 completely functional dreidel."

Just in case you were wondering,  all products are certified kosher and contain  zero caffeine.

But how do they taste with rum?

Dueling Dynamos?
Can't we all just get along? Access Hollywood is reporting that two legendary Hollywood heartthrobs went head to head on Friday night as George Clooney and Fabio were involved in a bizarre encounter at a Beverly Hills restaurant.

As George was dining with girlfriend Sarah Larson and another man at Madeo’s, Fabio was at a nearby table with a group of friends, who began taking photos of themselves at their table. However, when George suspected it was his table that was the camera’s target, he flipped off the photographer as a picture was being taken.

Fabio then approached George’s table to explain that he was having a charity dinner for the 11-99 Foundation and that his guests were only taking pictures of each other.

“The women and I were taking pictures of us together only. The women were not taking pictures of George. Out of courtesy, I even went over to George’s table to explain that to him. I just feel badly that it ruined the night of these women who paid to support charity. I am thinking of something to make it up to them,” Fabio told Access.

A source told Access that during the incident Fabio told George that he could teach him some manners. This happened prior to the altercation between the two men. A few expletives were exchanged by both men before they had to be physically broken up.

My... its going to be a long writer's strike.

Bigger Movie Choices for Southern Maine

Maine's first IMAX movie theater will open in Saco next fall.

Officials from Zyacorp Entertainment announced that the existing Cinemagic theater complex on U.S. Route 1 would be renovated to include the IMAX system as well as two new auditoriums, bringing the number of screens to 15.

The Saco IMAX will be the second in New England for Zyacorp, the company that operates Cinemagic Stadium Theaters. In July, the company opened an IMAX as part of a 15-screen theater in Hooksett, N.H.

She's Having His Baby
The Associated Press reports that Jennifer Lopez told Miami concertgoers Wednesday night that she and husband Marc Anthony have a baby on the way.

After her announcement, Anthony kissed Lopez's belly. "I didn't know she was going to talk," he said.

Lopez, 39, did not say when she was due to give birth.

Lopez and Anthony married in 2004.

Designer Roberto Cavalli confirmed, perhaps inadvertently, that Lopez was pregnant in October.

Asked what types of clothing he designs for celebrities, the fashion designer told People magazine: "Well Jennifer Lopez, at this moment, she requests something very special because she is waiting for the baby."

"It is so complicated because every week she is getting bigger," Cavalli said.

Lopez and Anthony married in secret in 2004.


Lewiston Company Sells Popular Vodka Line
The Lewiston based company, White Rock Distilleries has sold its popular Three Olives Vodka line. The company that purchased the line is New York based Proximo Spirits, which bought it for an undisclosed price.

White Rock's president and CEO says the sale will improve the company's finances and ensure stability of its workforce.  White Rock launched its Three Olives brand in 1999. Since then, sales of the product have soared from less than 50,000 cases a year to more than 600,000 cases.

Three olives is distilled in England and bottled in Lewiston. White Rock will continue bottling Three Olives for at least the next two years.

Meet TV's New "Knight Rider"
NBC has found the star of  their new Knight Rider series:  All My Children's Justin Bruening will play the lead as Michael Knight's son (Knight of course was originally played by Germany's most popular rock star, David Hasselhoff, who also got his career jumpstarted on a daytime soap).  

Bruening joined the cast of All My Children in July, 2003, playing the role of Jamie Martin. His  character recently left  Pine Valley to work in medical clinics in Africa. Knight Rider is expected to be added to NBC's regular schedule.
 

Polls shows Americans think Hillary Clinton
                            would make "The Scariest" costume

Hillary leads in a poll which asked people  which major 2008 presidential candidate would make the scariest Halloween costume.

Thirty-seven percent in an Associated Press-Ipsos survey this month chose the New York senator, the front-runner among Democratic presidential contenders. Fourteen percent selected former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who leads Republicans in national polls.No other candidate exceeded 6 percent.

We bees think that Giuliani has this contest won hands down (and wig on). Who can forget his drag debut?

(And it wasn't even Halloween.)

One Life To Live is a drag!
The ABC daytime soap, One Life To Live,  has gone to the queens... literally. A plotline this week has school teacher, Marcie, on the run from the feds and that evil-doer, Todd, (the actual biological father of her adopted son, Tommy.) In a scenario right out of  La Cage Aux Folles , its American sister, The Birdcage, not to mention, Connie and Carla, Marcie hides out from her pursuers as a Drag Queen.

Her able assistants, a bevy of beauties play by actors, Charlie Kevin (Brandon), Andre Wood (Clarence), Benjamin Howes (Harvey), Randy Roberts (Cher, pictured above), and Jason Zmbos (Liza Minnelli).

Hot monkey love on Pine Street?
The boxes seem to be flying out the door of Bonobo, Portland's hip new pizza joint in the ever-so-trendy West End. The wood fired pizza restaurant opened its doors the evening of the August First Friday Art Walk in the same location that once was home to Supreme Pizza.

So what exactly is the restaurant named after? According to SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, the bonobo is one of the last large mammals to be found by science. The creature was discovered in 1929 in a Belgian colonial museum, far from its lush African habitat. A German anatomist, Ernst Schwarz, was scrutinizing a skull that had been ascribed to a juvenile chimpanzee because of its small size, when he realized that it belonged to an adult. Schwarz declared that he had stumbled on a new subspecies of chimpanzee. But soon the animal was assigned the status of an entirely distinct species within the same genus as the chimpanzee, Pan.

"The old taxonomic name of the chimpanzee, P. satyrus – which refers to the myth of apes as lustful satyrs – would have been perfect for the bonobo," according to research professor, Frans B. M. de Waal. "The species is best characterized as female-centered and egalitarian and as one that substitutes sex for aggression."



Waal continues, "Whereas in most other species sexual behavior is a fairly distinct category, in the bonobo it is part and parcel of social relations – and not just between males and females. Bonobos engage in sex in virtually every partner combination (although such contact among close family members may be suppressed)."

Yes, it's true, according to writer, Natalie Angier. "Bonobos use sex to appease, to bond, to make up after a fight, to ease tensions, to cement alliances. Humans generally wait until after a nice meal to make love; bonobos do it beforehand, to alleviate the stress and competitiveness often seen among animals when they encounter a source of food."

We bees thinks it gives a whole new meaning to "Would you like extra cheese on that?"

Would you like a slice? Or the whole pie?

Sock Run Down By Britney Is Sold!
TMZ.com reports that the lucky winner is Leo Freedman of memorysuppliers.com! Frredman will receive the tire-tracked sock worn by TMZ cameraman Rick, when Britney Spears ran over his foot in her Pumpkinmobile Benz -- and TMZ is donating the $585 to the Children's Defense Fund, in her honor! Leo said, "Our goal is to support a good cause and make people smile at the same time."

"This is the most infamous sock in the history of hosiery," according to the website. "Few, in fact, no other cotton sock has achieved so much notoriety in such a short time. The only other white cotton sock so close to greatness was worn on the, ahem, nether regions, of Red Hot Chili Peppers singer Anthony Keidis -- and has been lost to history. "

 

Dissed By The Dish 

Hours after Matt and Danelle Azola returned from their honeymoon this week, they had to evacuate their home in Ramona, Calif, just ahead of a wildfire. Their home was destroyed, and they set about dealing with the endless string of details that disaster leaves behind. One of those details was to cancel the Dish Network.

Danelle Azola described the exchange in a TV interview: “I called there to let them know that our house was destroyed, to cancel all the stuff, and the first thing they asked me was if I had a chance to grab their receiver for the satellite dish. And I told them no, that was the last thing that was on my mind. So then they told me I would have to pay the $300 for the receiver. … I asked to have the bill postponed until we got reimbursed from our insurance and she said sorry, you have to pay it as soon as you get your bill in the mail like any other normal bill."

It seems that the Dish Network doesn't carry The Kindness of Strangers channel.

Geffen Opens Inn to Fire Fighters
In the wake of the horrific fires in Southern, California comes word that entertainment giant (and GLBT centurion), David Geffen, hasn't forgotten about the emergency workers trying to control the situation. According to Variety, the film and music mogul has opened his Malibu Beach Inn to firefighters and rescue workers - for free.

Queer Eye's Kressley Set For New Reality Show
Fashion expert Carson Kressley will now be using his well-honed skills on a new reality TV series set to begin in early 2008.

A Statuesque Kylie Minogue?
 

GayNZ.com reports that A UK tabloid newspaper story that a group of gay men have applied for planning permission to erect a statue of pop singer Kylie Minogue in a London street is news to Westminster City Council.

The Daily Star ran the story under the headline "Kylie Gets A Gay Statue," which reported that "Kylie Minogue's loyal team of homosexuals" have applied for planning permission to have a statue of the singer erected in Old Compton St - the gay heart of London's Soho area. A spokesman for Westminster council told PinkNews.co.uk: "We have received no record of this planning application."

Even if the story is not, as assumed, a publicity stunt designed to promote Ms Minogue's latest project, a documentary film of her latest tour called White Diamond, it is highly unlikely the council would allow a statue of the 39-year-old Australian to be erected anywhere in Westminster.

Central London has one of the highest concentrations of statues in the world.
One thing that is set in stone... Minogue's new album comes out the first week in November. 



Meredith's Brokeback Slip of the Tongue
Take 22 seconds to watch Meredith Viera's slip of the tongue on Friday's (10-19-07) Today Show interview with Brokeback Mountain Star, Jake Gyllenhaal.             Click Here          
 

"I am not a gay priest, I only play one on TV..."
The story broke on a Sunday, so in case you were at church... here's The Italian Job for you... Monsignor Tommaso Stenico has told the Associated Press that he is, indeed, the Vatican official suspended after being caught on camera during an elaborate "To Catch A Clergyman" sting conducted by a private Italian television network. The network hired a man to contact a handful of priests on the Internet and then secretly film their meetings.

Caught on TV, although he was anonymous, Stenico was reportedly identified by his voice and his office in the background. In addition, he is allegedly heard to say that he doesn't believe homosexual sex is a sin.  In an interview with La Repubblica, Stenico said he was only pretending to be gay as part of his work: he's as a top (aren't they all?) psychotherapist with a Vatican watchdog group, the Congregation of the Clergy.

"It's all false; it was a trap. I was a victim of my own attempts to contribute to cleaning up the Church with my psychoanalyst work," La Repubblica quoted Stenico as saying.

Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said that the monsignor had been suspended pending a Vatican investigation. No sex was alleged to have occurred,  but in the Catholic Church while homosexual tendencies are not considered a sin, homosexual sex is.

While a spokesman said the case is being handled "with the utmost reserve," you have to know that somewhere behind the walls of a private Vatican office, another official is breathing a sigh of relief: "Hey, it couldn't have been worse... He could have been caught with an underage decoy."

"I made some sweet tea for you, Father... Would you pour me a glass while I put my clothes in the dryer?"

Clay To Play The Great Gay Way
What do you do when you're a star and everyone questions your sexuality? What do you when Kathy Griffin makes it a centerpiece of her Vegas act? What do you when the internet is abuzz with stories that you've been caught with your pants down in Men 4 Men sex chat rooms? What do you do when even your fans (aka Claymates) question your bent so much they file a class action suit for "misrepresentation"?

Well, if your Clay Aiken, you butch it up and head to Broadway to star in that bastion of testosterone, Musical Theatre!

That's right! According to Playbill, Aiken is coming to Broadway to join the cast of the Tony Award-winning musical Monty Python's Spamlot in the role of Sir Robin ("The lad who wants to be a Knight, but needs help in the bravery department"). Seems an ideal role. You have to be brave to come out!

David Hyde Pierce as Sir Robin in the original Broadway production of Monty Python's Spamalot.
Footnote: Pierce officially came out soon after ending his Spamalot engagement.



Congrats to our friend, Lou Demers! 
Maine Coast Properties has announced that Demers achieved top producer status for the company for the month of September 2007.  That means Demers had the greatest number of monthly transactions, which also resulted in the highest value of per-agent sold real estate for the company in September.

Demers, a full-time Realtor since 1997, brings a decade of real estate sales experience to Maine Coast Properties.  In addition to assisting his clients with buying and selling real estate, Demers extrapolates real estate sales data for the Portland market on a monthly basis and posts the statistics along with a “current market conditions” blog at www.joslyndemers.com.

A Night At The Derby
We bees had a bonecrashingly grand time one recent Saturday when we attended a Maine Roller Derby (MRD) game at The Portland Expo.
Sure, we expected scenes reminiscent of the old televised Derby matches, but were pleasantly surprised by just how thoroughly entertaining the evening was.  What else can you expect when you have gals on wheels with names like Fist City Kitty, Goldie Headlocks, Graceless Kelly,  Kat A Clysmic and Morgue N. Scarechild (MRD) versus the likes of Andy Nihilate, Blooderfly, Hurt Vonnegut, Piss 'N Mona and Kookie Kutteroff (Western Mass Destruction of Northhampton, MA.), you've got an unprecedented type of girl-on-girl action.

Maine Roller Derby is Maine's first and only women's flat track roller derby league. The league began its formation in March 2006, and began practicing on skates in early June 2006. Skater-owned and -operated, they currently have a roster of nearly 30 hard-hitting, fast-skating, heart-breaking skaters. MRD follows the rules of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (www.wftda.org), and is one of many leagues across the nation that have embraced the quickly-growing sport of roller derby as it is skated on a flat track, as opposed to the old days of banked-track competition.

MRD's website describes the players:  We’ve got: 

• Girlie-girls and women who wouldn’t be caught dead in a skirt or stockings
• Lifelong athletes and women who’ve never touched a sport in their lives
• Tattooed beauties and landscapes of virgin skin
• Short girls, tall girls, big girls, small girls
• Moms, girlfriends, wives, and joyously single women
• Straight girls, gay girls, and anything in between
• Loud-mouthed firecrackers and quiet, reserved badasses...The list goes on and on...

The game we attended boasted an enthusiastic, wildly diverse audience six hundred plus and came complete with a warm-up rock band, a lesson in Roller Derby 2007 for Dummies and, thankfully, a beer section!

Of special interest to our gay male friends: the gathering proved to be a great night for man-watching. Many men in attendance could be considered (as the announcer had described one of the MRD players), " An impressive piece of athleticism!"

Of special interest to all who attend, as a sign said, "Track Side Seating At Your Own Risk."

The last match of the Portland Fall season is Saturday, October 6 at 6 PM when MRD takes on Albany All Stars.

Big Nomination for Madonna, Donna Summer
Madonna can really party now. She's received a coveted nomination to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Madonna joins rocker John Mellencamp, the rappers Beastie Boys and premier dance acts Donna Summer and Chic among the nine nominees for the hall. The other nominees are rap pioneer Afrika Bambaataa, literate songwriter Leonard Cohen, the original British Invasion combo The Dave Clark Five and surf rock instrumentalists The Ventures.

The five leading vote-getters will be inducted in the annual ceremony March 10, 2008, at New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

.

New York Nomination for Mimi Imfurst
Mimi Imfurst, a former local drag queen who still has her high heels planted firmly in Portland dirt, has been nominated by the NYC gossip website, GaySocialites.com as "Most Talked About Drag Queen". She shares the honors with Acid Betty, Bianca Del Rio, Epiphany,  Sherry Vine, and John Travolta as Edna Turnblat in Hairspray.

Mainers can get a chance to see what all the buzz is about: Mimi's schedule to appear at two shows this Fall at STYXX nightclub in Portland (Sunday, October 7 and Sunday, November 4.)

Call Me McChocolatey

One day before the premiere of ABC's Grey's Anatomy spin-off Private Practice, Taye Diggs sat down with Ellen DeGeneres to discuss his new series and what it's like being the new kid on the doctor's block. See highlights below!:

Ellen: "All right so there’s McSteamy, McDreamy, is there going to be a McSomething for you? Are you going to have a nickname?"

Taye: "I think they’re trying to steer away from all of those nicknames to try and give us our own style. I always thought if they did go in that direction I could be McChocolatey."

Ellen: "Well, from now, you will always be McChocolatey to me. That’s what I shall call you."
 

Invisible condom a visible con

An Australian businessman who claimed to have invented a spray that acts as an "invisible condom" faces fines of up to $400,000 for misleading his investors.

The corporate regulator yesterday obtained orders in the Federal Court of Australia declaring that Ravi Narain's former employer Citrofresh International had engaged in misleading conduct in contravention of the Corporations Act.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission's proceedings against the organic anti-bacterial product company Citrofresh and Mr Narain arose from two "misleading" statements to the Australian Stock Exchange dated September 27 and 29, 2005. Click here to read the full article
 

Emerson Launches Angelic Website
Artists, photographer and our favorite lesbro about-town, Doug Emerson, held a recent First Friday Artwalk gathering to celebrate the launching of his new online gallery, www.EmersonAngels.com.

The website features a stunning collection of Doug's photographs of statuary, in particular, angels.

Check it out!
                                                                                    R. Silvernail photos

Before he went to the dogs
We found this 2001 picture of now disgraced NFL quarterback, Michael Vick.

Outsports.com wrote at the time, "Michael Vick, quarterback
Vick, 20, from Virginia Tech, is expected to be the top pick in the NFL draft. At least from this shot we like what we see.
In ``shirts and skins'' we want him to be the latter (Editor's pick 04/19/01)

THE RUSTIC OVERTONES “LIGHT AT THE END” THE TOP CD FOR 4 WEEKS AT BULL MOOSE

PORTLAND, Maine – Maine and New Hampshire fans just can’t get enough of The Rustic Overtones. Bull Moose announced today that sales of The Rustic Overtones new CD Light at the End has been at the top of the stores’ sales charts for 4 weeks, making the CD a record-breaking release for the independent ten store chain. 

“Light at the End has outsold White Stripes’ Icky Thump, otherwise the biggest rock album of the summer -- and they’ve done it in half the time too.  White Stripes has been out twice as long,” said Chris Brown from Bull Moose. “Most CDs top the chart for a week or two before another CD comes along to take its place.  For any artist, especially a local one, to sustain this level of interest and support is extraordinary. Then again, we are talking about The Rustic Overtones.”

Other summer highlights that Light at the End has surpassed in sales include: the soundtracks to Hairspray and High School Musical 2 as well as new releases from Prince, Smashing Pumpkins, and T.I.

The Rustic Overtones, formed in Portland, Maine, is a seven piece band featuring guitarist and lead vocalist Dave Gutter, drummer Tony McNaboe, trombonist Dave Noyes, baritone saxophonist Jason Ward, bassist Jon Roods, alto saxophonist Kyan Zoidis, and Spencer Albee on keyboards and piano.

In 1994, the Rustic Overtones released their debut album, Shish Boom Bam, under the Ripchord Records indie label. That was followed up by Long Division in 1995, My Dirt EP in 1996, and Rooms by the Hour in 1997. In 1999, Rustic Overtones signed with Arista Records and released the Volume Up EP.  In 2001, they released Viva Nueva for Tommy Boy records. Rustic Overtones' music is full of energy that is carried by guitar solos and intricate horn work. The style is a mix of pop, funk, jazz, rock, and whatever else might feel good to the musicians at the time of recording.

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