Dead Daddy Dollars

Did you hear the one about the dead sperm donor being forced to pay child support? In 1999 and 2000 a Pennsylvania lesbian couple created two turkey baster babies using sperm donated by the then-living father, a friend. The couple civil-unioned in Vermont in 2002, but broke up in 2006, with one of the women winning monthly child support payments from the other, but losing her request for child support from the sperm donor. This spring the donor died of a stroke. Ruling that he was known to the children (who called him "Papa") and because he'd given them presents of toys and clothing, an appeals court has ruled that his estate must now pay child support to the birth mother.

In most states, sperm donors cannot be forced into parental responsibilities. Not so in Pennsylvania. Keep that in mind, fellows.

Stealthberg

As the leading Republican candidates continue to trip over themselves in a fight to the bottom, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg has quietly relaunched the site he used in his last two mayoral campaigns. Term limits means that Bloomberg cannot be NYC mayor again. When asked if he plans on running for president, he usually waffles between "no" and "not likely". A section on his site contains links to news stories that speculate on his candidacy.

Escaped Bear!

From LOGO's Big Gay Sketch Show:

Re-Busted

He Who Shall Not Be Named is back up to his old tricks.

Literally.
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Less Worried

My mother just emailed me to say that Orlando police have already caught the guy that raped her neighbor. He is the son of another woman on her street. My mom, being the person that she is, is now very upset for the mother of the rapist. I, however, am feeling less worried. Go OPD!

Virtual Big Boxes

Yahoo is closing its online auction site, in a move seen as indicative of the seeming futility of competing with the "Wal-Marts" of the web. The net, once seen as a place where an upstart company could quickly compete, is now dominated by a handful of behemoths who completely dominate their "big box" categories: eBay, Google, Netflix, Amazon, MySpace, iTunes, YouTube. For example, eBay currently gets 98% of all online auction business. Who will be the next big box player on the net?

Poll: Utah, Idaho Full Of Crazies

RELATED: CBS News has fired retired Army General John Batiste for filming this ad:

(Via - Meanwhile.)

I Don't Believe In Reincarnation Because I Refuse To Come Back As A Bug Or As A Rabbit!

New Order has broken up. And if you don't get the headline, you were born after 1986.

Morning View - From 7 World Trade

My neighbor and buddy Dr. Jeff sent me this shot he took during a meeting at 7 World Trade yesterday. Do embiggen.

Oral Sex Increases Throat Cancer Risk

From New Scientist:

"People who have had more than five oral-sex partners in their lifetime are 250% more likely to have throat cancer than those who do not have oral sex, a new study suggests. The researchers believe this is because oral sex may transmit human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus implicated in the majority of cervical cancers. The new findings should encourage people to consistently use condoms during oral sex as this could protect against HPV, the team says. Other experts say that the results provide more reason for men to receive the new HPV vaccine."

Calling HPV more significant a factor for throat cancer than smoking or alcohol, the study indicates that those infected with HPV have up to a 32-fold increased risk for oropharyngeal cancer. One doctor cautions against panic, saying, "People should be reassured that oropharyngeal cancer is relatively uncommon, and the overwhelming majority of people with an oral HPV infection probably will not get throat cancer."

As I mentioned here recently, some doctors believe that the new HPV vaccine could help prevent anal cancer in gay men. This latest finding should encourage you to be tested for HPV. For most gay men, it is too late. Approximately 95% of all HIV positive men are co-infected with HPV and about 65% of HIV negatives have it as well. But you should still find out. If you are HPV-negative, a $300 or so vaccine seems like a pretty good bargain.

Morning View - The San Remo

Built by Hungarian-born Emory Roth, who gave Manhattan dozens of landmarks (the Beresford, the Eldorado, the St. Moritz, and about half of downtown and midtown), the San Remo apartment building went up in 1932. Originally each unit contained an average of eight rooms and 3000 sq. feet but the units were later subdivided. The apartments sell for an average of $20M today.

The San Remo is renowned as the most celebrity infested building in NYC, home to Steve Martin, Steven Spielberg, Dustin Hoffman, Donna Karan and many others. Bono lives in the 6000 sq. foot 27th floor penthouse duplex in the north tower, which he bought from Steve Jobs. Atop the opposing tower resides Demi Moore, in the showplace she bought with Bruce Willis (who now lives elsewhere in the building). The San Remo's coop board famously rejected Madonna's coop application back in the 80's. In the 2004 election, the largest donors to John Kerry's campaign all lived in the San Remo.

Thanks to Farmboy Chris for providing the photo, which he took in January.

Worried

My mother's neighbor was raped yesterday. In a nice little subdivision in a busy neighborhood in relatively idyllic Orlando, the woman was sleeping in her locked home when a man smashed a window and attacked her. My mother, naturally, is completely freaked out. Mom, who is retired and lives alone, is an ardent member of Neighborhood Watch and writes the newsletter for the local home owner's association. The woman attacked is her block captain and helped found the association. The suspect, who stole her car to make his getaway, is a white male in his 40's.

My mother's house has an alarm system which is never turned off. When I visit, I have to disarm the alarm just to retrieve laundry from her detached garage. My voice is on her answering machine so that callers think a man lives in the house. My brother-in-law, a huge athletic guy, is frequently there, which gives Mom some solace that anybody watching her might think a man might be inside. And yet we all worry. She lives in a little cottage on a corner lot with lots of windows. We worry.

We've encouraged Mom to consider moving into a high-rise condo, something with a doorman, something with limited access, but since the grandkids came on the scene, she won't dream of giving up her backyard. And Mom just turned 67, so she is by no means feeble.

Orlando is in the throes of a controversial "tax reform" movement, much like the one that swept California years ago. With the expected reduction of revenues, Orlando will not be able to adequately fund their police department and the needed force increases for a city exploding in population will not occur. My mother justifiably fears that incidents like yesterday's will only increase. But after years of devastating hurricanes, many home owners continue to face skyrocketing insurance policies and they seem willing to trade security for cash.

I don't know what to do, except worry more.
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Tony Blair: Six Weeks Left

A decade after taking over as British Prime Minister, Tony Blair steps down on June 27th. Widely credited for helping move Britain away from socialism towards a vibrant, pro-market economy, Blair instituted welfare reforms, tripled the funding for the national health service, and brokered a truce with the IRA. Today Britain has the world's 5th largest economy and the pound is at its strongest in more than 10 years.

British gays will remember Tony Blair fondly as the man who vigorously and enthusiastically supported gay rights, enacting a national LGBT civil rights law, a civil partnerships law, and a sexual offenders law that treats gays the same as straights. Blair has said that his successes in gay rights are among his proudest achievements.

However, Blair is also known as a lackey of the United States and his decision to support Bush in the Iraq invasion may well be his most lasting legacy. Blair is also the subject of a current criminal investigation regarding "cash for honors", the expression for selling knighthoods and seats in the House of Lords.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown, is considered to be the strongest candidate to replace Blair. If he is named leader of the Labour Party, which is very likely, he will then meet with the queen to be named Prime Minister. Brown wants to distance himself from the Bush administration and has pledged to reduce the number of British troops in Iraq.

Open Thread Thursday

Yesterday the California Assembly passed a bill making it easier for same-sex partners to take the surname of their partners or to create a new surname entirely. The bill must pass the state Senate and by signed by Schwarzenegger to become law. Currently only seven states (including New York) allow a man to take the last name of his wife at marriage. If you could marry your partner, would either of you change your names? If so, who gets whose name and why? And what have you married homos in Massachusetts done?

The Color Of Karma Is Green

The woes never stop for Steven Green, the 42-year old gay mega millionaire New Yorker who was once named as one of the city's ten worst landlords. First, he gets sent to jail for failing to provide tenants with heat and water. In January, Green again made headlines when he lost a high-profile gay divorce case against the man he married in Nantucket in 2005. In February, Green was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for tax evasion and real estate fraud in what is called as one of the largest such cases in Florida history.

And yesterday, Green was struck by a passing car as he walked to his Rolls Royce after partying at Posh in Hell's Kitchen. Green is in critical condition as police look for the driver who fled the scene. Karma is truly a bitch and she drives a Crown Victoria.

RELATED: Green owes the NYC Department Of Housing $2,238,589 in outstanding judgements. Despite his apparent bad attributes, Green is also known as a generous philanthropist for gay causes and sits on the board of the Empire State Pride Agenda, although that may be in jeopardy, the portion of the ESPA's site that lists board members is "under construction." His lawyers have requested that his prison sentence be carried out at a facility that can treat his "chronic alcoholism."

UPDATE: Green's lawyer is telling the press that his prognosis is "good" and that he'll be "up and about shortly."

DC Michelle: Swag Regifter

Our Lady of Randomocity considered this week's supplicants and chose #24, Michelle of Washington DC, who says, "Holy enchilada! I WON swag Tuesday. WhooHooo! Clearly this is karmic reward for sucking it up and doing last minute refreshments last night for the end of year St. Jane De Chantal band concert." Michelle is regifting her prize to a friend in Manhattan and he will be contacted by the folks behind Brand Upon The Brain, now playing at the Village East Cinemas in full-sensory glory: an 11-piece orchestra, five live Foley artists, and superstar guest narrators. Tickets are available here. Congrats Michelle and thanks to The Film Company. Publicists: If you'd like to take part in Swag Tuesday on JMG, please email me.

Shelter Kitty: Week Two

Shelley Winters (her name) loves to begin her day of pigeon stalking in the pre-dawn hours, when the birds start their racket in the airshaft. She's also decided that the best time to play with her squeaky toys in somewhere between 2am-3am, forcing me to hide them before I go to bed. I have to wonder if the downstairs neighbors are going to complain about the all-night galloping. Her least favorite thing is the door buzzer, which sends her flying under the bed. Shelley is a sloppy eater, I'm going to have to find a way to nail down her food bowl, but aside from that and her choice of my bike tires as a scratching post (instead of her scratch pad), she is very obedient. And thus ends the cat blogging. Probably.

Wednesday Linky Love

• My former roommate in SF is a lifer with Sun Microsystem and he hipped me to Kelly Moyer, an openly transgender employee now blogging on their site. Drop by and welcome Kelly to the 'sphere. And props to Sun!
• Farmboy Father Tony riffs on a lifetime of hat collecting.
• Mack Daddy DJ Rich Morel has posted a new podcast which includes some of his new mixes for Yoko Ono and Empulse. Fantastic stuff there. Blowoff, the hottest dance party on the East Coast, is this Saturday.
• Bilerico has a guest post from Democratic Indiana Rep. Joe Donnelly who defends his vote against the Hate Crimes Act, saying he feels the act would be "ineffective". Infuriating.
• Towleroad has sad news about Tammy Faye, who has ceased her ineffective cancer treatments.
• By The Bayou has a great piece about a recent terror alert spawned by Canadian quarters. Now your washing machines are safe from Al-Qaeda.
• Wayne Besen has the story about furniture maker Mitchell Gold's new billboard campaign against religion-based homophobia.

UPDATE: Wayne Besen will be appearing the NYC LGBT Community Center next Thursday, May 17th, to talk about his new book, Bashing Back: Wayne Besen on GLBT People,
Politics, and Culture, which is now available.

It's Still Good!

Researchers at Clemson University have disproved the "five-second rule", showing that food items dropped on various floor surfaces for only 5 seconds still picked up as many as tens of thousands of bacteria such as salmonella.

On surfaces that had been contaminated eight hours earlier, slices of bologna and bread left for five seconds took up from 150 to 8,000 bacteria. Left for a full minute, slices collected about 10 times more than that from the tile and carpet, though a lower number from the wood.

The researchers deliberated contaminated the surfaces though, so those of us with pristine floors don't have to worry. Right? Sigh.

Shoppes Of Wilton Manors

Ernie over at Little.Yellow.Different recently visited Fort Lauderdale, where he took this picture of the marquee of the Shoppes Of Wilton Manors, which I believe is the only all-gay strip mall in the world. (Aside from the SSA office, of course.) Poverello is a thrift shop that benefits HIV/AIDS charities and the rest are self-explanatory. I can recommend Georgie's Alibi as a great place to start your night in Wilton Manors. Their iced teas are killer. The downside is that the massive parking lot is usually completely full.

Peanuts, Cracker Jack, Prostates

From the sports site Bugs & Cranks:

The National League is abuzz over the early performance of the 22-10 Milwaukee Brewers. Apparently, they’re not satisfied to kick ass, they want to be elbow deep in it. The Crew is offering free rectal exams at Miller Park on Tuesday, giving free tickets to men who let Freddie Fingers touch their anus. They need promotions to get folks to the park with the Nationals in town, but I’m not sure Dr. Feely is going to pack the house. You’d think they could at least do this on “seat cushion night.”

Good for the Brewers for promoting rectal health, but the sports blogs are having a field day with this. Asshole Exam Night was yesterday, so sorry for the late notice if you're in Wisconsin. Insert (ahem) your baseball/butthole jokes below.

HOP Denied Festival Permit

After nine months of planning and meeting with neighborhood groups, Heritage Of Pride, NYC's gay pride organization, was denied a permit (PDF) by the city to move this year's PRIDEfest event from its traditional West Village location to Chelsea's 8th Avenue between 14th and 23rd Streets. Heritage Of Pride maintains that the West Village location is "not safe, not accessible, and not acceptable." They will be holding an emergency meeting tonight to discuss cancelling PRIDEfest, which is a separate event from the parade itself. The new location was approved by a coalition of over 60 businesses in the 8th Avenue area.

UPDATE: Last night HOP voted to cancel PRIDEfest if they cannot obtain the permit by Friday. They now plan a post-parade protest in the West Village location where they do have permits.

Gay Partners Residency Bill Before Congress

Legislation was introduced in Congress today that would allow Americans to sponsor their foreign same-sex partner for legal residency, a right currently afforded only to married heterosexuals. The bill is called the Uniting American Families Act and was introduced in the Senate by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and in the House by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY). The bill would add the term "permanent partner" to parts of immigration law that now refers only to the legally married .

HomoQuotable - Jeff Chevalier

"John and I would usually get 1A and 1B seats in Club Class or First Class on British Airways. We would then be given the option to arrive either first or last on to the plane and be personally escorted by Special Services. Despite this, John still felt it a burden to fly commercial. When we did not have 1A and 1B on a BA flight, John would want to know why we didn't get the prime seats. Often it would be someone he knew in 1A, and he took it personally that he had not been given the seat. Once we had no clue who was in the seat and John demanded to know who it was. He would often ask in advance which seats we had and attempt to change them if we didn't have pole position. Only once did he not mind - when we flew to Barbados on Boxing Day 2004 and Mick Jagger was given 1A. He accepted that..." - Jeff Chevalier, escort and former kept boy of British Petroleum head John Browne, ripping his former sugar daddy to the Mail On Sunday. It's a fascinating story of privilege and attitude.

Life Is Short. Get A Divorce.

Message: Why stay with that old hag of yours with hotties like THIS is the world? The above billboard from a Chicago law firm is causing national news, with even an association of divorce lawyers calling it "grotesque, undignified, and offensive." (Because divorce lawyers are such a tender, easily offended bunch.) Whatever you think about the billboard, you have to hand it to its creators, who are facing professional sanctions for "conducting unbecoming" or some such nonsense. Incidentally, the law firm here is headed by a woman and that's her personal trainer's torso on the right.

UPDATE: Chicago officials tore the billboard down yesterday, citing a permit violation.

Liberal's Just Another Word For Gay

Check out Mandy Steckelberg's hilarious new video, Liberal's Just Another Word For Gay, where she channels Laura Bush as a country singer and says, "We can't have no Brokeback White House." Mandy's an actress/singer/voice-over artist/comedian/musician. She also reads JMG, so watch the video and show her some love.

Swag Tuesday

Courtesy of The Film Company, this week's Swag Tuesday booty is two tickets to this Sunday's NYC showing of Guy Maddin's Brand Upon The Brain, a full-sensory silent film experience featuring an 11-piece live orchestra, five Foley sound effects artists and in-person narration by the fabulously eternal Justin (Kiki DuRane) Bond. The coolness factor is almost unbearable.

Justin Bond narrates the 3PM performance this Sunday, other performances feature such superstars as Isabella Rosellini, Lou Reed, and Laurie Anderson. Brand Upon The Brain plays at the newly restored Village East Cinemas and tickets are available here. After leaving NYC, the film (which already been featured at several major film festivals) will tour other cities.

The New York Times: "Guy Maddin's latest astonishment-- has ransacked film history and his own delirious imagination to create a work like none other: a silently shot film about a man who, on revisiting his childhood home, hurtles unto a past where orphan children, coy lesbian lovers, and a mad scientist converge."

If you do not live in the NYC area, feel free to enter anyway as the prize is transferable to your nears and dears here in Gotham. (Hey, you could impress that BMB hottie you've been chasing with your downtown scenester cred.) Enter by commenting on this post, only your first comment counts and as always the winner will be chosen by the Oracle of Randomocity. Publicists: If you'd like to participate in Swag Tuesday on JMG, email me.

Downloading Dildos

Home 3-D printers are coming. Technology exists for the downloading and creation of 3-dimensional objects, created in home printer "easy-bake" ovens and the prices are expected to be within the reach of most home consumers wthin a few years. By then, you'll be able to download the specs for and create a missing cellphone cover, doll part, art object, whatever...as long as it can be created out of powered plastic that can be hardened by lasers, heat, or chemicals.

The first consumer model is coming this year from Desktop Labs at a price of $4995. Prices are expected to drop sharply once mass production is called for. Since the internet is for porn, I can already imagine sex toys being created in this manner, for those too timid to visit their local shop or order direct. Porn stars should be 3-D modeling themselves for "realistic and lifelike" home versions, stat!

Jethro Did It

Police have identified the man who broadcast anti-gay death threats over the Fort Lauderdale International airport intercom as Jethro Monestime, 23, a skycap for Superior Aircraft Services. The Broward County sheriff's department has referred the case to the state to see if criminal charges are applicable. Monestime's job is not under the jurisdiction of the airport authority and his employers would not comment on his employment. The Mayor of Broward County issued a formal apology on behalf of the county, who operates the airport.

A dumbass move, but you have to laugh at his name being Jethro. No offense to any Jethros that read JMG!

UPDATE: The CEO of Superior Aircraft Services personally called the gay couple who heard the announcement to apologize and let them know that Jethro had been terminated. Excellent.

Three Strikes For Poz Texan

In another "third strike" case, a Texas man who videotaped sexual encounters with 131 young men has been sentenced to life in prison for attempting to seduce a 15 year old boy. The man is HIV positive and allegedly never told any of his partners, most of whom with he had bareback sex. The attempted statutory rape charge was the man's third felony conviction, hence the life sentence.

The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of three strikes laws in 2003, despite pleas from the families of those given life sentences for drug possession, shoplifting, burglary and other non-violent crimes. Many states have reserved the three strikes sentence for violent crimes only, but not Texas.

Does a man deserve life in prison for attempted statutory rape of a 15 year old? Even if he's HIV positive and did not disclose? Is trying to seduce a 15 year a violent crime? As for the adults he had unprotected sex with, it takes two to bareback. Those men are responsible for their own actions. This guy is obviously a complete scumbag, and my gut reaction is, "Yeah, right ON, shitcan this fucker for life." But I have to wonder, if this guy wasn't gay and wasn't HIV positive, would he have gotten this life sentence?
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Giuliani & Clinton Tighten Margin

In this week's Newsweek poll, which asks voters to choose in various match-ups between current presidental campaign leaders, the closest race is between the two front runners, Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton, who are separated by only 3 points, with 5% unsure. Obama and Edwards do much better against all three Republicans. Match-ups and results:

• Giuliani 46% - Clinton 49%
• Giuliani 43% - Obama 50%
• Giuliani 44% - Edwards 50%
• McCain 44% - Clinton 50%
• McCain 39% - Obama 50%
• McCain 42% - Edwards 52%
• Romney 35% - Clinton 57%
• Romney 29% - Obama 58%
• Romney 27% - Edwards 64%

I still expect Al Gore to throw his hat in, come fall.

Tainted Love

Ack! Advertising is now fully raping my favorite 80's songs. In the past few days I've heard a JC Penney ad that uses a remake of Yaz's Only You, a Reese's Pieces ad that uses a remake of New Order's True Faith, and some make-up commercial that uses Visage's Fade To Grey. Original versions are not safe either. Witness Chip's Ahoy and Human League's Don't You Want Me. I'm surprised not to have heard Tainted Love in an HIV prevention ad. On the other hand, Kodak's usage of Cyndi Lauper's True Colors was kind of sweet. And what IS that song in Geico's caveman-at-the-airport spot?

Starbucks Riles Wingnuts

The Christian right is mad at Starbucks again, this time for what they call an "anti-God" message on their "The Way I See It" series of cups. The cup quotes a Starbucks customer, who asks, "Why in moments of crisis do we ask God for strength and help? As cognitive beings, why would we ask something that may well be a figment of our imaginations for guidance? Why not search inside ourselves for the power to overcome? After all, we are strong enough to cause most of the catastrophes we need to endure."

There was a similar flap in 2005 when Starbucks featured a "pro-homosexual" quote from Tales Of The City author Armisted Maupin. Pro-homosexual, anti-God. Hmm, too bad I don't drink coffee.

Morning View - Bethesda Fountain

Designed by Emma Stebbins, the first woman to receive a public art commission in NYC, Central Park's Bethesda Fountain was built in 1873. The name is a reference to the biblical Pool Of Bethesda, as it commemorates the Croton Agueduct, which provided New York with its first dependable source of pure water. The fountain played a major role in Tony Kushner's Angels In America and is a favored location for weddings and proposals. The Farmboyz are considering the fountain area for their own wedding.

HomoQuotable - John Amaechi

"Probably 30 of my former (NBA) teammates have my e-mail and my telephone contacts and probably 16 or so of those I was in regular touch with and there are probably 10 people who I have (on instant messenger). And zero - nobody - who's active in the NBA has been in touch with me since the day I came out, despite the fact that most of them knew I was gay in the first place." - Former NBA player John Amaechi, who says that he is otherwise pleased with the reaction from the American public, which he describes as "95% positive."

Central Park Sunday

The last photo is from today's Israeli Day Parade. The Farmboyz and I watched from Fifth Avenue for an hour or so, but after two or three dozen yeshivas had gone by, the thrill was gone. There were some floats, including one bearing the only Israeli WNBA player, but otherwise it was a rather sedate event, as NYC parades go. I did enjoy the mostly black high school marching band that played Sugarhill Gang's Apache, which you should know is considered the "hip-hop national anthem". They were followed by a klezmer band, prompting Father Tony to suggest a fusion klezmer/hip-hop style. "We could call it klezmop!" Oy.

Pre-Olden

In today's On Language column, William Safire is taken to task for having referred to Harrison Ford, 64, as "middle-aged." A reader points out, "If he were literally middle-aged, then he could expect to live to 128." I'm reminded of my 36th birthday, when my mother called with good wishes and to welcome me to middle-age, because the life expectancy for American men was 72. Like Safire's reader, Mom's a realist that way.

Despite Mom's early start, I've only been referring to myself as "middle-aged" for about 3 or 4 years. However, my mom turns 67 today and it still doesn't quite feel right to refer to such an active, vibrant woman as "elderly" either. In his column, Safire mulls "pre-golden" and "pre-elderly" for folks like Harrison Ford and my mother, but tosses them out in favor of "midlife". That doesn't quite feel right. Ford and my mother are not "midlfe". My mom has two middle-aged children, worked for 30 years in the public school system, and lives in a house that she's paid off. That doesn't feel very "mid" anything.

My ex could technically request a senior discount ticket at the movies (although he rather die than ask), still, I'd call him "middle-aged". I guess we're all just kidding ourselves.