Tuesday, March 25, 2008

ALL IN THE FAMILY FEUD
Cue the Banjo, y'all... Clinton/Jolie/Obama/Pitt are Related!

Weirdest.News.Ever.

Somebody took a big piss in the gene pool - that's the only reason I can think of to explain the latest findings by the New England Historic Genealogical Society. Barack Obama, Brad Pitt, Hillary Clinton & Angelina Jolie are all related. Yup, kinfolk they are. Can you see the resemblance like I can?



No? Not so much? Alright, how about the striking similarities between the ladies...




If those photos aren't enough to convince you this story is true, here are the remarkable details as reported tonight by Associated Press:
This could make for one odd family reunion: Barack Obama is a distant cousin of actor Brad Pitt, and Hillary Rodham Clinton is related to Pitt's girlfriend, Angelina Jolie.

Researchers at the New England Historic Genealogical Society found some remarkable family connections for the three presidential candidates — Democratic rivals Obama and Clinton, and Republican John McCain.


Clinton, who is of French-Canadian descent on her mother's side, is also a distant cousin of singers Madonna, Celine Dion and Alanis Morissette. Obama, the son of a white woman from Kansas and a black man from Kenya, can call six U.S. presidents, including George W. Bush, his cousins. McCain is a sixth cousin of first lady Laura Bush.


"You'd think with all that singing talent in the family she'd be able to carry a tune," Clinton's senior adviser Philippe Reines said. "But now it makes much more sense how she snagged a Grammy."


Clinton won for best spoken word Grammy in 1997 for "It Takes a Village." Obama also won a Grammy in that category this year for the audio version of his book, "The Audacity Of Hope: Thoughts On Reclaiming The American Dream."


Genealogist Christopher Child said that while the candidates often focus on pointing out differences between them, their ancestry shows they are more alike than they think.

"It shows that lots of different people can be related, people you wouldn't necessarily expect," Child said.

Obama has a prolific presidential lineage that features Democrats and Republicans. His distant cousins include President George W. Bush and his father, George H.W. Bush, Gerald Ford, Lyndon Johnson, Harry S. Truman and James Madison. Other Obama cousins include Vice President Dick Cheney, British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill and Civil War General Robert E. Lee.

Obama often jokes about his cousin Cheney at campaign appearances.

"His kinships are across the political spectrum," Child said.

Child has spent the last three years tracing the candidates' genealogy, along with senior research scholar Gary Boyd Roberts, author of the 1989 book, "Ancestors of American Presidents."

Clinton's distant cousins include beatnik author Jack Kerouac and Camilla Parker-Bowles, wife of Prince Charles of England.

McCain's ancestry was more difficult to trace because records on his relatives were not as complete as records for the families of Obama and Clinton, Child said.

Obama and President Bush are 10th cousins, once removed, linked by Samuel Hinkley of Cape Cod, who died in 1662.

Pitt and Obama are ninth cousins, linked by Edwin Hickman, who died in Virginia in 1769. Ben LaBolt, a spokesman for the Obama campaign, declined to comment on the senator's ancestry.

Clinton and Jolie are ninth cousins, twice removed, both related to Jean Cusson who died in St. Sulpice, Quebec, in 1718.

The New England Historic Genealogical Society, founded in 1845, is the oldest and largest nonprofit genealogical organization in the country. [source]
This whole thing is utterly fascinating. Actually, it's effin' crazy! The comment from Clinton's adviser about how Hillary "snagged" a Grammy is hilarious.
And yes, Hillary Clinton might be a distant cousin of Madonna, but I think, in all seriousness, I'm *much* closer to Her Madgesty because I once received an email from someone who has met Madonna. So, surely that, like, makes me, like, totally way closer to Madonna than that coat-tail ridin' senator from New York state. I mean, My God, woman - is it not enough that Bill Clinton props up your validity in the public eye? Do you hafta go and use Angelina Jolie AND Madonna to prop y'all up even more? Sheesh.

As Shirley MacLlaine's character Ouiser Boudreaux said in Steel Magnolias, the whole thing is "too twisted for color TV". Whatever that means...

On the New England Historic Genealogical Society website, 17 pdf's are posted, each of which traces the exact lineage of each connection cited in their findings. For example, if you're wondering (like I was) exactly how Hillary and Madonna are related, you can view those specific branches of their family tree.

So, as interest in Brad and Angie endures, as does the seemingly twisted machinations of two U.S. senator's campaigns, all we really have to fall back on is the fact that "one big happy family" couldn't be more true/less true/true at all.

To help digest it all, have a look at some family photos. First, the Jolie-Pitts:



Next, the equally-happy Clinton family...






Saturday, March 15, 2008

MADONNA'S HARD CANDY LOOKS SWEET
Shades of Erotica?

Madonna's new album cover has been revealed - take a peek:



Kinda reminds me of the outfits and poses we saw Madonna in circa 1992-ish when Erotica and the SEX book were released. And that's A-ok!
Here's a few more pics that have been put out there in lead up to the release of Hard Candy on April 29.



The next one here is tooooooooootally amazing...



I'd be very happy if I look exactly like her when I'm only a few months away from turning 50.

For Madonna, with age comes not only more and more beauty, but also alot of wisdom. Later this year, she's gonna be part of a huge roster of artists performing at the World Peace One concert. I can't wait to see it. Check this out to find out more about World Peace One. It's your world too, after all.




Tuesday, March 11, 2008

MADONNA ENTERS ROCK 'N ROLL HALL OF FAME-BOTS



Madonna was inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame last night in a ceremony at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City.
I think something about returning to the USA has brought out the Stepford Wife in our Material Girl.

Perhaps it's the east coast weather that caused Madonna to strike this particular pose at the ceremony where she was inducted by the always-yummy Justin Timberlake.

Wouldya just look at that picture for a few seconds...

...that is NOT the face of someone who should be writing children's books. Don't get me wrong, anyone who knows me knows that I fully love Madonna - always have, always will - but her frightening fembot vibe makes it seem like it'll take more than just Hard Candy to keep her moving forward.

In her acceptance speech, reportedly one of the longest in the ceremony's history, she admitted to once taking ecstasy. Maybe she was re-enacting a chemical stupor when this picture was taken ...


...it definitely appears like something in other than blood is coarsing through her veins.

But the good news is, if you consider her very generous side for a moment then that'll take the edge off of this tres unfortunate pic.

So... check out Raising Malawi while we all rave for Madonna making it into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame the very *second* she became eligible. That's some lucky star, eh?

Friday, March 7, 2008

VANCOUVER'S NEXT GAY TOP MODEL
And the Winner is… AARON!

BOOYAH!
Aaron is THE man – he’s Vancouver’s Next Gay Top Model. Congratulations you handsome, first-ever Gay Top Model, you. You Deserve It!



He's obviously the one on the left. Look at how totally adorable the expression on his face is... The other two contestants, Rhys in the middle and Dustin on the right, well... me thinks they were not feeling too adorable at that point :-(

Last night was the live show/final event of Vancouver's Next Gay Top Model. Live in the heart of Vancouver’s Davie Village, hundreds & hundreds & hundreds of the cool kids took their goodies down to Celebrities, one of Vancouver’s largest night clubs and last night’s venue to support Friends for Life and witness the crowning of Vancouver's Next Gay Top Model.

And congrats to the rest of the Top 12 for their confidence and courage to go all the way.

The packed crowd watched all 12 contestants all night long as they sashayed & shantayed on the catwalk to hoots & hollers, screams & cheers, applause & appreciation from the impressive and obviously-impressed crowd of curious onlookers.

And yes, there was a swimsuit portion of the evening. And… yes… that portion was good.

And you know what else? Okay, this might seem like a totally obvious statement, but ALL the guys in Vancouver's Next Gay Top Model are REALLY good looking. Honestly, each guy is actually better looking in person than in the great photos and video we’ve seen of them on YouTube or on GayTopModel.com.

I found Darren, Peter, Tyrone & Christopher to be *particularly* swoon-worthy. I do honestly now think that Vancouver has 12 super-hot dudes that everyone else should take a second look at ;-)

Not only does each possess hotness for days (and weeks and months and years), but these lads def had their cookies in for a workout or two during the competition. The Top 12 had bodies ripped up like Michael Jackson’s application form to be a Big Brother.

SEER-EE-US-LEE-RIPT, I tell you. Kinda makes me think I should stop planting potatoes on the sofa.

I cannot imagine the challenge of going through a competitive experience like this one. I’m sure each contestant went on a roller-coaster ride of feelings and emotions since the first audition back in January – excitement, anticipation, anxiety, doubt, disappointment, relief, satisfaction, pride, courage, and just plain ‘ol happiness… all while appearing as not just gay top models, but also role models for Vancouver’s entire community, not just the gay community. Last night’s event was packed with gay and straight guys and gals enjoying the show and having a lot of fun.

Back to our Gay Top Model Aaron, here’s some pics & vids of Gay Top Model Aaron so you can enjoy his hotness...





No question, he's a hottie. And it was really quite adorable how he embraced his boyfriend after he was announced as the winner.

Okay, so now you gotta check all the stuff in his prize package. This boy's gonna have ALOT of good times ahead of him - this loot is the shiznit:
Courtesy of AussieBum, the winner of VNGTM will receive a return paid trip to Australia and go on a shopping spree inside the head office of AussieBum taking home new designs yet to be released. For the period of five days, the winner will participate in the AussieBum annual 'Outback Adventure' traveling to the famous Northern Territory and the world heritage site of Kakadu. He will join the AussieBum crew, as well as other international models, to actively participate in a shoot - whether that is behind the camera or in front of it. The shoot will take place in Darwin, after flying from Sydney, where 4WD cars will be the transport to reach Kakadu National Park where the team will stay. A helicopter is being used for aerial filming. A visit to some remote communities of Indigenous tribes and coming face to face with Australia's most dangerous wildlife, including swimming with crocodiles and shooting in the spectacular virgin forests. It will be an incredible 5 days in the most rugged and spectacular landscape in Australia. Afterwards, a drive back to Ayres Rock (Alice Springs) before returning to Sydney. The entire journey will be filmed for AusBum TV and broadcast on various outlets worldwide.
Courtesy of GayWhistler the winner of VNGTM will enjoy a two night adventure package at the Residence Inn by Marriott in one of the world's best resorts: Whistler.
Barely Legal Motorsports will provide a trip for 2 on their Alexander Falls Tour - This 3 hour adventure will take the winner and friend into the backcountry of the Callaghan Valley, home to the 2010 Nordic, Alpine, and Cross Country events. The tour ventures into the Madely Canyon with stops to take in the view of the 141 ft high Alexander Falls, Powder Mountain Glacier, and the beautiful and picturesque Madely Lake.
After this great adventure winners take in a Yummy Scrummy Carrot Vitamin Body Wrap, courtesy of Solarice Wellness Spa. This ultimate body treatment starts with a Vanilla or Mango Sugar Polish to exfoliate followed by a carrot vitamin masque blended with a light scent of clove & vanilla. A neck and foot massage follow and lastly, winners receive an all natural vanilla body butter massage.
The first-ever title winner of Vancouver's Next Gay Top Model will become an ambassador representing Vancouver at the 2008 Mr. Gay Canada.
The winner will also receive a prize package including:
AussieBum - all-access wardrobe and accessories
Bare Elegance MedSpa - $200 gift certificate
BRIDGE MAGAZINE - cover story (photo-shoot + article)
Decadance Designs - a painted portrait by local artist Dmity
DOUBLE-TAKE 2 - Fashion Portfolio photo-shoot.
Flaming Angels - Cutting Edge Vancouver Designer Outfit
Model & Talent Search Canada - entry to MTSC's Vancouver '08 event being held at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre Hotel, March 28-30, 2008.
PRIAPE - $300 clothing gift-basket
Rocky Mountaineer Vacations presents the winner and guest with a Glacier Dome round-trip on the Whistler Mountaineer.
Shell's Salon Spa - Couples Theme Room Package (includes massage for two, muscle-relaxing soak in hydrotherapy tub, rock waterfall shower cleansing body wash; followed by a glass of wine and a gourmet light lunch. (source)
Not only does the trip Down Under sound tooooooooootally amaaaaaaaaaaazing, but I'm a wee bit envious of the Priape gift basket since I got some jeans there and they are fab.
Also, I went on the Whistler Mountaineer glacier dome to Whistler last summer and it is, by far, one of the finest luxury experiences you can have in the Vancouver and Whistler area.

The Live Show
Vancouver's Next Gay Top Model was alot fun to watch with alot of great entertainment. Perhaps a little too much entertainment? Perhaps a little too much delay before the winner was announced? I overheard folks in the crowd who were bummed out that the show took so long to present the actual models because several other acts started the show & several acts performed in-between each appearance of the models. Perhaps these interludes could have been shortened or less frequent.

Unfortunately, by about 1am, the venue was half-empty. That might be a symptom of Gay Top Model progressing to its climax at a pace not acceptable to the majority of spectators
who clearly paid to see a show, but did not stick around to see the end of that show. I went to the see Gay Top Model with a group of 8 friends. By the time it was over, only 4 of us remained. While that was their own decision to leave early, I did feel bad for everyone involved in putting on the show, especially the Top 12 contestants and, ultimately, the winner who obviously worked really hard to perform for a live audience. I doubt they did it just to finish up to a half-empty house. That said, the show was fun and I still think it really was a terrific idea in the first place.
Hopefully, if there's another Vancouver's Next Gay Top Model, the live event will be tighter and less focused on other acts & presenters and more focused on showcasing the models. They were why everyone was there, after all.
Also, instead of showing the contestants speak on video, it would have been great to hear them speak for themselves, live, during the show. You know... something along the lines of "I want world peace" woulda done the trick :-)

Friends for Life is the beneficiary of all the ticket proceeds. As I understood it, a sell-out show was targeted to raise $10,000 for this very deserving charity. Well done to all the good folk who bought tickets because your hard-earned money really is going to support a terrific organization. Find out more about Friends for Life here.

One last item - a very interesting note came at the end of last night's show when it was announced that the next great event Vancouver can look forward to is... The Bachelor.
Um, make that The GAY Bachelor!

Can. Not. Wait.


Wednesday, March 5, 2008

VANCOUVER'S NEXT GAY TOP MODEL
One Day to go...

There's only one more day until Vancouver meets its Next Gay Top Model!

Thursday night is THE event and to get us through in the meantime, the VNGTM website has once again been updated with lots of great new photos of the contestants and their audition process. Here’s some fun pics of all the guys early in the competition, going through the trials and tribulations of the selection and audition process.





Ok, so yesterday I reported on the standings of our contestants after one of their “tasks” was completed – the Video task. If you missed that report, check it out here. It also includes a link to watch a short video from each contestant.

As promised, today I’ve got more *inside info* with a new report on standings after another task was finished… the Valentine Event featuring all the boys showing off themselves *and* brand new aussieBum Valentine Boxers. As you know, aussieBum is a major sponsor of this superb charity event.

Before we get to the standings, let’s take a look at the event and some of our contestants in their aussieBum finery.

The Valentine's Day event was worth 5% toward each contestant’s final score going into selecting the Top 3. The criteria to meet to win a full 5% score included:
Preparation for a public event
Runway walk in public
Overall presentation and pose
bility to contend with media and audience
And, photo shoot with aussieBum Valentine Boxers.

For the Valentine Event, 7 judges participated in the final score. With nearly a FULL 5% score, two guys tied with a top score of 4.45% - congratulations to Darren and Chad. Here they are:


Unfortunately, contestant Mark ran into some obstacles and he lost some score as a result, ending up with the lowest score of 2. Here’s Mark’s pic (and we wish him LOTS of luck with additional scoring opportunities because he's got tons 'o potential to do really well)



And somewhere in the middle of the scoring results from the Valentine Event were Tyrone and Pierson. Have a look a these guys…




Vancouver's Next Gay Top Model is being staged:
#1 – for fun!
#2 – to support Friends for Life!

Here’s where you can educate yourself about Friends for Life.

See ya tomorrow night!

THE RETURN OF WHITNEY HOUSTON
IT'S NOT QUITE RIGHT, BUT IT'S ALMOST OK


So last weekend I tooooooootally went on a spontaneous Retro-Whitney-Binge. I kinda, sorta re-discovered some old skool Whitney Houston tracks that still kinda, sorta kick ass.

I realize that statement is gayer than the JC Chasez & Chace Crawford recent public bonding session at the Academy Awards viewing party in support of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, but really... some of Whitney's old tunes still sound really good.

Example? Queen of the Night. And, Step By Step. Not to mention All The Man That I Need and All At Once. Good tunes, good times.

Check out how great she looks now in this new photo posted on Whitney's official website...



Not bad, eh? I'm really glad things are looking up for Whitney Houston and fortunately, it also looks like her emergence from Bobby Brown's crack-shack ain't just a phase, either.
I say that because IMDb is reporting (via WENN) that in a couple of months, she'll make her return when she hits the stage to perform at one of the UK's highest-profile annual charity fundraisers. Here's the scoop:
Whitney Houston is set to make her live comeback in London on May 8. Organizers of the Caudwell Children's Legend Ball in Battersea have revealed they've booked the diva for a charity show. Charity founder John Caudwell tells Britain's Marie Claire magazine, "We are thrilled to have an artist of Whitney's caliber to headline the event." The comeback concert isn't a big surprise - Tina Turner came out of retirement to perform at the charity's 2007 gala, which helped Caudwell raise over $2 million for disabled children. Houston is currently recording a new album with her mentor, music mogul Clive Davis, who claims the comeback project will be released in November (source).
According to the Caudwell Children website, the charity event will also feature cinema legends Jane Russell, Piper Laurie, Angie Dickinson, and Tippi Hedren.

That sounds fantastic! I'd love to be there to see all the legends lap up the attention. For old time's sake, let's have a quick look at these ladies...

Here's Tippi Hedren in an ancient, autographed publicity photo promoting her starring role in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds. What a creepy movie! Those birds had far more than just crackers on their minds.



Next, we have Piper Laurie pictured in her classic role portraying the evil, twisted Mother in Stephen King's 'Carrie'. "Pray for strength, Carrie - you're weak and backsliding - pray for strength!" Piper Laurie said those lines with a timeless and chilling determination. Her character in Carrie made Mommie Dearest look like June Cleaver.



On a slightly-lighter note, here's Jane Russell in her "hay"day - nothing like a roll in the hay with a pistol at your side. Sexy!



And, the fabulous Angie Dickenson who paved the way on tv for other female cop heroines like Cagney & Lacey.



Ah, it's fun to reminisce ain't it? Ok, back to the Whitney Houston performance coming up in London, England. It certainly ain't no cheapie affair. Tables for 10 people are going for 10,000 pounds! (that's about $20,000 in Canadian/U.S. dollars).

I'm looking forward to seeing the inevitable video of how it all goes down - best 'o luck to Whitney as she prepares to hit the 'ol comeback trail.

BTW - Here are the aims of Caudwell Children. It seems like a really great organization:
To make donations to specific child cases of sickness, specialised medical requirements and dying wish holidays, and to buy or build a property to aid children/children's charities.
Check out the Caudwell Children website here.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

VANCOUVER'S NEXT GAY TOP MODEL
Video Thrills and Modelling Stars


We're getting really close to the big day. Vancouver's Next Gay Top Model will be presented to the adoring masses Thursday night (March 6) at a super-glam shindig in the tender heart of Vancouver's big 'ol gay West End.



The venue is Celebrities. Usually just a dance club, Thursday night it's the site of Vancouver gay history in the making. 12 contestants will become 1 winner.

Have you met them yet? Check out their YouTube channel to watch short videos of each contestant introducing himself to you.

I'm QUITE tickled to offer you some *inside information* on how these videos were produced and, most importantly, how the contestants measured up against each other in this task which is judged and scored. The score from this task is a percentage of a final score used to determine the Top 3 contestants in the Vancouver's Next Gay Top Model final event on Thursday.

The instructions given to models were as follows: Create a "commercial" for yourself; Keep it as simple as possible; Maximum length of 10 seconds; Minimal scripting; Actual product placement forbidden. Twelve "judges" voted and their average scores were tabulated...

Christopher had the highest score for this task. Good for him! Here's the #1 video hottie...


Unfortunately, things didn't turn out quite so well for Rhys who is going to have to work harder. He was awarded the lowest score in this video task. I think Rhys has lots of potential though, and I like his tatoos. Maybe they'll get him a little further along in another task ;-) Here's Rhys...



Somewhere in the middle of the range of scores, 3 contestants all tied with the same score. Shall we refer to this as a "Menage-a-Score"? Those 3 are Patrick, Micah, and Peter.



There's a certain "je ne sais quoi" about Peter. I like him. He was very natural on-camera when the contestants appeared on Shaw TV's Urban Rush talk show last week. I hope he gets higher scores on other tasks.

Speaking of which, my next report on Vancouver's Next Gay Top Model will let you in on how all the boys did recently on the Valentine Event task where they got to show off their goodies in awesome, new aussieBum boxers. A tantalizing thought, n'est-ce pas?

If you wanna grab tickets, you should do it pronto - they're selling like beefcakes. Pick 'em up at Little Sisters Book & Art Emporium - all ticket proceeds go to charity. That's right... Vancouver's Next Gay Top Model was created entirely to support the Friends for Life society which assists people with life-threatening illness.

I encourage you to take a few seconds to learn more about Friends for Life here.

Monday, March 3, 2008

A TASTE OF MADONNA'S HARD CANDY

Well kids, just as I had hoped/predicted a few days ago, today we can thank our friend the TripleDub for bringing Madonna's new single to our ears earlier than the previously planned end-of-March release date.


A French radio station, FG, premiered Madonna's brand new single, Four Minutes. And now we can hear it online. The song features Justin Timberlake and was produced by the ubiquitous Timbaland.

Take a listen to FOUR MINUTES by clicking right here.

Now that I've heard it, I gotta say I like the track. It's a totally new sound for Madonna, but not entirely new for the producer. As you listen to it, you'll hear some of the trademark beats and tweaks that are all over Timbaland's other productions. But that's not necessarily a bad thing - I actually like Timbaland's music, too.

The point here is this... it's BRAND NEW MADONNA MUSIC!
Dance your ass off, bitches!

And while you're listening to it, read up on Madonna's Raising Malawi project here.

OPRAH & DREW GIVE IT UP BIG TIME!

Today on Oprah, the special guest was the always Fab & Flawless Drew Barrymore. I've loved Drew ever since E.T. She's one of the most real people to come out of Hollywood. Not that I know her personally, but it's easy to see how real she is anytime you watch and listen to an interview with her.

Hot on the heels of last night's tv premiere of Oprah's Big Give, Drew appeared on Oprah Winfrey's talk show to make a BIG announcement. The past few years she's been working with the United Nations in Africa to help feed those who live there. Today she stood up and presented a personal cheque to the World Food Program for $1,000,000.


Drew Barrymore's boyfriend, actor Justin Long, was also in the audience for the taping of the new episode. And, her best friend, actor Cameron Diaz phoned in live from the set of a film in Los Angeles. Here's a few more pics from the Oprah show:

[photos courtesy oprah.com]

Drew Barrymore is 100% sweetheart. She and Justin Long seem to be perfectly matched. Here's what they said about each other while on the show:
"At some point, you decide who you want to be," she says. "You grow up. You make different choices and changes in your life. This relationship is great. It's healthy, it's productive, and it's supportive. It's full of humor and a lot of fun."
Justin says there's more to Drew than a beautiful face and sense of humor. "She's the most compassionate person I've ever met," he says.
Aw, ain't that sweet? She's so cute, I tooooooootally love her. Now, here's a bit about how Drew Barrymore came to be the compassionate person that she is...

Drew says she has been passionate about philanthropy for years, but when she turned 30, she realized she wanted to do something that spoke to her heart. "I didn't want to just do it for the sake of doing," she says. Soon after her birthday, Drew read something in The New York Times that inspired her to take action. The article discussed African school feeding programs funded by the World Food Program (WFP), the world's frontline organization in the fight against hunger. Every year, this United Nations agency helps feed more than 70 million people in nearly 80 of the world's poorest countries.
After learning more about the WFP, Drew says she called the United Nations and volunteered to go on a mission. In 2005, she made her first humanitarian trip to Nairobi, Kenya, where she toured impoverished slums and met starving children. Drew joined the fight against hunger, and in 2007, she returned to Kenya to see the school feeding programs in action. (source)
And now a bit more on the World Food Program...
The World Food Program (WFP) is the largest international food aid organization in the world and the United Nations' frontline agency in the fight against hunger. Every year, WFP feeds an average of 90 million people in more than 80 of the world's poorest countries. With some 400 million hungry children in the world, Drew, an Ambassador Against Hunger for the WFP, has decided to push the plight of hungry children to center stage to ensure that more receive food and stay in school. While in Kenya, she visited Nairobi's Kibera slums, home to more than a million people.
To read more about Drew Barrymore's appearance today on Oprah, click here.

To find out how to donate to the World Food Program, click here.

Way to go, Drew - looks like she's not an angel just on the big screen anymore.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

THE DIS-PLEASURE PRINCIPLE

Since it's Sunday, I feel I must praise baby Jesus for CNN (Celebrity News Network). Otherwise, our lives would be devoid of watching the great Larry King getting his groove on with Janet Miss Jackson earlier this week. Behold:



I hadn't thought of Larry King as a "struggling Jew" until he called himself one. Hmmm... I hope this sudden interest in choreography doesn't mean he's going to show up on Dancing With The Stars.

BTW - the new single "Feedback" from Janet Jackson was playing on the video screen behind them. The more I hear that song, the more I really like it. Yee-haw, I think Janet Miss Jackson is in "control" once again.

When he's not producing television more cringe-inducing than Steve Carrell's character on The Office, did you know that the Suspender'd Wonder and his Larry King Cardiac Foundation are pumping out good vibes in the fight against heart disease? Here's a bit about what they do:
The Larry King Cardiac Foundation has embraced an ambitious goal. We can, and we will, “Save a Heart a Day.”
Our vital support network of physicians, hospitals, medical device companies and pharmaceutical companies have joined us in this landmark commitment to bring critical care to people who have simply run out of options.
Saving lives, healing families, strengthening communities, one patient at a time … a heart a day.
Check out the Larry King Cardiac Foundation here.

Saturday, March 1, 2008

ELLEN DeGENERES=BIG, HUGE HEART

I've seen Ellen DeGeneres perform live a couple of times and I totally ... totally ... laughed my ass right off on each occasion - totally worth the ticket price, totally worth my time, totally love the Ellen.

Next, I'd really like to attend her talk show, live and in-person (and hopefully not from the Riff-Raff room either, thank you very much ;-) On her Friday broadcast she got rather emotional while talking about a teenager in California who lost his life after he asked another boy at school to be his Valentine. Here's the story as reported by People:
Ellen DeGeneres took a rare political stance – though she was careful to call it a personal stance, because, she said, "this is important to me" – on her show scheduled to air Friday, regarding the murder of 15-year-old Lawrence King, shot in the head on Feb. 12 by a classmate in a suburban Oxnard, Calif., junior high school.
King was killed because he had asked another boy to be his Valentine, DeGeneres reminded her audience about the news story that sent shockwaves across the country.

As the 50-year-old show host, emphasized, "To be gay you can get killed for it ... we need to change the message." (To see the clip from her show, click here.)
Choking back tears, she added, "Larry is not a second-class citizen. I am not a second-class citizen. It is okay if you are gay."
DeGeneres said the country must change the subtext of hatred aimed at certain groups as is found in jokes, movies, speeches and other elements of the culture. "All of it is unacceptable," she said. "Laughing at someone because he's gay is just the start of it."
Noting that change is on the minds of people this political season, DeGeneres said, "We can do it with our behavior ... Fight hate."
Here's the video - it's only a couple minutes (give it 10 seconds for the color to normalize).

I feel like I kinda want a few moments to myself after seeing that. It's just astonishing that shit like this still goes down in our world. Remember the Sally Jessie Raphael talk show in the 90's? What happened was, one of the male guests expressed his crush on another male and was then murdered by the homophobic bastard he had a crush on.

UPDATE: Just a quick thx to an anonymous Gimme Never Gets reader who correctly pointed out that the TV talk show referred to in the above paragraph should have been The Jenny Jones Show. The guest who lost his life was Scott Amadure. Sunday, March 9 is the 13 year anniversary of Scott's tragic passing and I will take a moment on March 9 to remember this man and I hope that his family has peace and that Scott's soul rests in peace for all time.

I just don't know about that kind of insanity. I'm totally with Ellen on this one. Gay people are NOT second class citizens. There is NOT an excuse for homophobia. There is NOT an excuse for raising your child to be homophobic. There is NOT an excuse for YOU if you do not accept human beings as we are all individually born to be. There IS hope.


For me, hope is helped by humour. Take a look at this video of Joe Solmonese of the Human Rights Campaign being interviewed on Comedy Central's The Colbert Report.
I'm not the biggest fan in the world of Stephen Colbert, but I do sometimes appreciate his shtick. Thanks to the brilliant humour in this clip, maybe some more people will be able to understand that when they hate on others they only hate on themselves.
Really, watch this! It's hilarious and I know that if you're even just a little bit like me, you'll laugh too because it's funny and because it cleverly reinforces the truth we all know.



You can learn more about Human Rights Campaign, here.

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