-Fell in love with Pink's high wire act at the Grammys this year. Have to say the first half of the program really knocked my socks off. Bravo to the producers.
-Hard to believe that in the President's new budget well over $192 billion will be alloted for Iraq and Afghanistan (including money for the surge) while only $100 billion has been budgeted to create jobs for millions and millions of unemployed Americans. As we used to say back home, "That just ain't right!"
-Alan Cumming celebrated his 45th birthday doing what he does best: helping others. Alan had people contribute to the American Red Cross for Haitian relief in honor of his birthday. Rumor has it that there was a wicked Tupperware party at his home with his partner artist Grant Schaffer.
-The Daily Kos poll in New York has incumbent Senator Kirsten Gillibrand leading former Congressman Harold Ford in the primary by 41% to 27%. Wonder how those Wall Street bonuses that Ford received will help finance his race? Did they use Tarp funds to pay him?
The New York Senator got a major boost when Empire State Pride Agenda's CoChair, Frank Selvaggi, gave Gillibrand his personal endorsement this past weekend. He joins almost every openly gay and lesbian elected official who endorsed her on Friday.
-Continuing with Gillibrand, she guested on Rachel Maddow's MSNBC program last night, charming and poised and forceful, talking about her personal drive for repeal of "Don't Ask Don't Tell" and the debate in Washington beginning today on the merits (and staggering lack thereof) of this horrific policy that has discharged over 13,000 imminently qualified gays and lesbians since 1993. As we all await with great anticipation the Defense Department's announcement,the Williams Institute estimates that there are 66,000 members of the gay, lesbian and bisexual community serving today in the United States Armed Forces. Since passing, DADT has cost the taxpayers up to a half a billion dollars.
-Building up to the announcement about DADT today, there have been a number of good pieces including Nathaniel Franks of the Palm Center calling the policy a "colossal failure." Also Jake Reitan wrote a stirring piece for The Huffington Post entitled "Ending Don't Ask, Don't Tell This Year." Check them out.
-What were the worst movies of last year? Hollywood's "Razzies" came out which anoint the 'Worst Movie of the Year.' This year's collection of celluloid shame includes TRANSFORMERS 2, G.I.JOE, LAND OF THE LOST and ALL ABOUT STEVE. Measure them against the Oscar nominations which were to be announced early today.
-Speaking of lists, GQ magazine published their annual "Most Stylist Men" edition for this year singling
out such dapper dressers as Anderson Cooper, Johnny Depp, David Beckham, Daniel Day-Lewis and Brad Pitt. A fine list, but where was Matt Lauer who is perfectly dressed everyday?
-Iceland has claimed the title of the best environmental nation in the world. The United States is 67th after dropping almost twenty positions from last year.
-Hard to believe we are already chatting about hurricane season! However, the forecasters are saying that El Nino is expected to decrease by summer and that means a major hurricane season. According to the Colorado State forecasters, the names used could go all the way to P for Paula.
-Smooth jazz legend Dave Koz was a judge at this past weekend's "Miss America" pageant. Lucky Dave got to spend an entire week with another judge...Rush Limbaugh!
-Kate Michelman with Frances Kissling penned "What Tim Tebow's Super Bowl Ad Can Teach Us" for The Washington Post. They wrote:
"So here's our Super Bowl strategy for the choice movement. We'd go with a 30-second spot, too. The camera focuses on one woman after another, posed in the situations of daily life: rushing out the door in the morning for work, flipping through a magazine, washing dishes, teaching a class of sixth-graders, wheeling a baby stroller. Each woman looks calmly into the camera and describes her different and successful choice: having a baby and giving it up for adoption, having an abortion, having a baby and raising it lovingly. Each one being clear that making choices isn't easy, but that life without tough choices doesn't exist. "
-Richard Branson is once again on the cutting edge and this time not in space but in the deep blue sea. Luxist.com reports that the entrepreneur as created a new submarine! This modern day Jules Verne "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" contraction is available on Branson's "Necker Island" for $25,000 a week.
-Author Larry Kramer has sent out an important email asking his friends to support the Gheskio Clinic in Haiti which does outstanding work in HIV/AIDS. You can make your donation by clicking here.
-Openly gay candidate Steve Pougnet held a very successful fundraiser at the ever so hot Ace Hotel in downtown Manhattan. Mayor Pougnet of Palm Springs, CA is challenging Republican incumbent Mary Bono for Congress. If you haven't seen the Ace Hotel's happening bar and restaurant you have missed a real event.
-Dare we hope? Researchers are claiming a major breakthrough in the battle against HIV/AIDS. See the Reuters article to get the entire story.
-Life continues to get harder for Florida Governor Charlie 'is he or isn't he' Crist. The moderate Republican governor is facing a hard tea party right wing challenge from former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio for United States Senate Crist is now behind Rubio by 12% according the new Rasmussen Reports Poll.
- Speaking of Florida, a majority of its citizens don't want more refugees coming to their shores by 55% to 43% according to the Quinnipiac University poll.
-Just when you thought the rich couldn't be any more obscene, along comes the world's largest yacht which is being designed by Emocean Yacht Design. At 656 feet it surpasses the current record holder of 541 feet called the Eclipse. Here is how Luxist.com describes the yacht:
"The monstrous but attractively styled vessel features a drive-in garage, two 98-foot day boats, helipad and hanger, a 100-ft. swimming pool, nightclub, casino, games room, two-level cinema, three beach clubs, a health spa, and 10 VIP rooms, 22 guest suites and a private owners deck accommodating a total of 45 passengers, along with 70 crew. Even at that size she'll be impressively fast, with a planned maximum speed of 28 knots, a cruising speed of 20 knots and a range of 6,500 nautical miles at cruising speed. No price has been mentioned yet but expect it to clock in at well over $500 million."
