Sporting Goods: Andy Roddick

Andy Roddick wallpaper by Greg Jelinek.

Forever Young?

How depressing, how utterly unjust, to be the one in your social circle who is aging least gracefully: In a laboratory at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, Matthias is learning about time’s caprice the hard way. At 28, getting on for a rhesus monkey, Matthias is losing his hair, lugging a paunch and getting a face full of wrinkles. Yet in the cage next to his, gleefully hooting at strangers, one of Matthias’s lab mates, Rudy, is the picture of monkey vitality, although he is slightly older. Thin and feisty, Rudy stops grooming his smooth coat just long enough to pirouette toward a proffered piece of fruit. Tempted with the same treat, Matthias rises wearily and extends a frail hand. “You can really see the difference,” said Dr. Ricki Colman, an associate scientist at the center who cares for the animals.

Both New York magazine and The New York Times have weighed in on the restricted calorie diet phenomenon recently. Research is starting to show that cutting back on the food you eat just may be the secret to keeping young and beautiful (if you wanna be loved) ... (NYT)

Trick or Treat

Happy Halloween!

Eric Dane and John Stamos: 'Wedding Wars'

Pinch me, I'm dreaming ... Jake in Progress and McSteamy in an A&E television movie about gay marriage? The only way this could be hotter is if they were getting married ... look "Wedding Wars" on Monday, Dec. 11 at 9 p.m. ET.

Page 1 Consider (10/31)

Lost in Love: We all knew Brad Pitt had lost it when he fell under the spell of that freak of nature Angelina Jolie. Nonetheless, even she can't be held accountable for this stupidity ... (VanityFair)

Hot Sauce, White Sauce? An argument that started over cutting in line at a popular Middle Eastern food vending street cart turned deadly when one man stabbed the other to death, police said. With fried balls involved, it was bound to happen ... (NYDN)

Church of the Poison Mind: Why do men hate going to church? There's not enough swearing and Internet porn. Solution? A macho man church that "lets guys be guys" (good Lord). (Newsday)

Step by Step: Looking healthy, curvy and strong, Whitney Houston was flawless as she made her return to the spotlight in old Hollywood glamour, donning blonde locks and an asymmetrical black Armani gown in what has to be considered one of the greatest comeback attempts of all time. (You go, girl!) (AH)

Is This a Good Idea? Male Contraceptive Halts Development of Sperm (MNT)

No Agenda: When everything you touch turns to shit Karl Rove sends you out to bash the gays: "For decades, activist judges have tried to redefine America by court order,'' President Bush said Monday in Statesboro, Ga. ''Just this last week in New Jersey, another activist court issued a ruling that raises doubt about the institution of marriage. We believe marriage is a union between a man and a woman and should be defended." (AP)

Stonewall Tactics?

Last week I wrote about the drama going on over on the set of "Grey's Anatomy," in which star Isaiah Washington is said to have choked Patrick Dempsey in a fit of rage while screaming "I'm not your little faggot" -- an apparent reference to Dempsey pal and co-star T.R. Knight. Like many people, I was disgusted that Washington was not fired immediately, and was even more disgusted and outraged that the mainstream media refused to report what really went on, instead opting to refer to it as an "onset scuffle." Now that I see Us Weekly(!) is reporting on the situation I think it's safe to say that this story has no legs.

"Grey's Anatomy" is on ABC, part of the Disney/Touchstone empire. Obviously the big shots over there don't want anything to jeopardize their No. 1 show , but I can't help but wonder if they actually have the power to keep the press from telling all or if people -- gays included -- really just don't care. Sadly, my guess is it's the latter.

Sporting Goods: Sean Considine

Sean Considine of the Philadelphia Eagles sure is a hunk, but the real show seems to be in the backround ... click here to see what all the fuss is about. (Via OhLaLaParis)

John Wilson Remembered

I attended a beautiful memorial service for John Wilson yesterday evening on the top floor of The New York Times Building. The place was overflowing with people -- and emotions. John's partner, Dick Poirier, gave a beautiful little speech (there wasn't a dry eye on the house) followed by a number of John's friends and colleagues, plus a sweet thank you from John's mom. A fitting farewell to a man who touched many people's lives. These are some photos from the memory book that I think really capture John's sweet spirit. We miss you. More remembrances can be found at johnwilsontimes.com

Niece & Nephew

My niece may only be 3 weeks old, but you didn't think my sister was going to miss a chance to make her an Ally cat, now did you? Super AJ seems to approve ...

Adam Vinatieri: He's Got Legs

He knows how to use them.

I would have loved Jake Plummer and the Denver Broncos to put an end the Colts' perfect season, but it's hard not to like it when Adam Vinatieri makes the 11th hour winning play for Indianapolis. (NS)

Previously: Sporting Wood: Adam Vinatieri

Sporting Goods: Dmitry Tursunov

Dmitry Tursunov wallpaper by Greg Jelinek.

Visit Dmitry's ATP blog here.

Page 1 Consider (10/30)

Boom Boom Room: I've never been a huge fan of blond guys -- let alone strawberry types. Yet for some reason I've always had a thing for six-time Grand Slam winner Boris Becker (he's just so big). Boris was photographed in San Antonio at Friday's Spurs game and even just shy of 40 he's still got it. (If only I could get him alone in a restaurant coat closet for 30 seconds.) (WFAA)

Iraqi Dance Troupe: And you thought the kids in "Footloose" were daring. (NYT)

Serial Monogamy: A raft of television dramas -- "Lost," "24," "Heroes," "Prison Break" -- demand total commitment from their viewers. Who has that kind of time? (NYT)

Falling on Deaf Ears? The governing board of Gallaudet University revoked the appointment of the school's incoming president Sunday, giving in to the demands of students, faculty and others whose protests have kept the nation's premier school for the deaf in turmoil for the past month. Now I don't know all the facts about this particular woman, but for the life of me I cannot understand this overall movement/controversy. Students at the university accused Jane K. Fernandes of not being "deaf enough" for the job (even though she was born deaf!) and are also angered at technological advances like cochlear implants and more effective hearing aids that they feel are an assault on deaf culture and deaf identity. They feel correcting deafness is akin to saying there's something wrong with being deaf. Um, I understand what you're getting at, but ears are designed to serve a purpose -- and deaf people's ears are not serving this purpose. If you don't want to hear then I certainly don't think you should be forced to. But is it wrong for people who want to? I try to look at it this way: Being deaf and being gay are hardly comparable, but if there were suddenly technology that allowed gay people to become straight and if someone wanted to do this, would I be think it's wrong or insulting? I honestly would say no. (And if they're unattractive, so much the better.) (WP)

Movie Night: Michael and I saw "Running With Scissors" on Saturday. Having heard so many negative things about the film adaptation of Augusten Burroughs' bizarre memoir of the same name I was pleasantly surprised by how entertaining it was. Annette Bening is terrific as his delusional slash psychotic mother, and Joseph Cross does a great job as Augusten, never coming across as a complete victim or hero throughout this harrowing tale of abandonment and mental illness. Adaptations are never easy, but in some ways I liked the film better than the book. By having to edit the story down to make it work as a film, it got rid of a lot of the repetitive things from the book, which in turn made a single Bible dip and a single hair trauma funny and fresh. The reviews are all over the map, but I enjoyed it. (WP)

Big Brother Is Watching

My nephew, AJ, welcomes his beautiful new little sister.

Amy Sedaris: Hostess With the Mostess

Did you catch Amy Sedaris' totally awkward appearance on Martha Stewart this week? Martha went from being the funnest person cracking up at everything Amy said one second to wondering if Amy was completely mocking her the next -- and back every five seconds. It was classic television.

Amy was there to promote her new book, "I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence."

Village Voice interviewed her recently about the book. This is an answer I hope Madonna reads:

Q: On the back you've dedicated the book "from one artist to another."
A: That's a joke. I think it's funny when people refer to themselves as an artist -- I'll tell you if you're an artist or not. I think entertaining is very artistic and creative and giving. I don't think you have to be naturally artistic to do it, even if you are just catering an event. You need to be good at telling people what you want. You have to be a good Mr. Slate, a good foreman.

Check out the rest of Amy's funny Q&A with the Village Voice here.

Alex's Run for a Reason (This Sunday!)

Just a reminder about something I wrote about a few weeks ago. There's still time to participate and/or donate to this worthy cause. Thanks! kw

While my family rejoices the birth of my sister's new baby girl, I'd like to get serious for a moment and tell you a little bit about Alex. She was the adorable daughter of a woman I used to work with. On Feb. 5, 2006, Alex never woke up. To this day the cause of her death is still unknown. The sudden, unexpected loss of 22-month-old Alexandra Richardson has motivated her parents, Brian and Danna Richardson, to organize the fundraising event Alex's Run For A Reason in honor of their little girl.

(Alex Richardson and Kevin Walsh)

The event will raise money for research into Sudden Unexplained Death in Children. SUDC is "the sudden and unexpected death of a child over the age of 12 months that remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation is conducted." We've all heard of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). My parents lived through the horror of losing my eldest brother Kevin to it when he was 2 months old back in 1960 (it was called "crib death" back then). I often think of my brother I never knew and hold him close to my heart. Yet even with this in my immediate family, I'd never heard of such a thing occurring in children who are older than infants. When I first heard that little Alex had died, I assumed that they would eventually figure out she had a heart condition or a brain aneurysm. I was wrong. It's because of this -- and my enormous sympathy for the Richardson family -- that I wanted to shed some light on this little-publicized topic.

Here are the details:
Sunday, Oct. 29, at Newbridge Road Park -- Bellmore, N.Y.
Registration will begin at 8:30
2 Mile Family Fun Run/Walk will begin at 10 a.m.
Children's Activities: Will take place in the playground area of the park and will include, games, music, face painting, children'’s entertainers and so much more.
Refreshments: Light breakfast will be provided to all registered participants.
Raffle: A variety of prizes will be raffled off. Raffle tickets can be purchased the day of the event between 8:30 and 11 a.m.

For complete information about the event click here.
You can register online here.
For information about SUDC, click here.
For information about SIDS, click here.
Even if you can't attend, you can make a tax-deductible contribution online here. (It's the perfect time to make that end-of-the-year donation before tax time.)

Proper research is the only way to ensure that there aren't future tragic deaths like those of little Kevin and little Alex.

Morning Glory: Taylor Kitsch

Yesterday I mentioned one of the (many) highlights of the show "Friday Night Lights" was the actor Taylor Kitsch. I think these photos of the British Columbian model-turned-actor tell you everything else you need to know ...

Visit Taylor's official site here.

Visit the unofficial site here.

Previously: Friday Night (Hi)Lights: Scott Porter, Zach Gifford and Taylor Kitsch

Page 1 Consider (10/27)

It's a Boy! Arizona Cardinals QB Matt Leinart and USC (non-lesbian) basketball player Brynn Cameron welcomed a son on Tuesday. Cole Cameron Leinart was born at 9:33 p.m. in California, and weighed in at 6 lbs., 7 oz. Leinart's tech-savvy coach, Dennis Green, said his up-and-coming QB was excited about becoming a father."He'll whip out and show you the pictures with his modern technology on his phone, fax, whatever you call that thing," he said. I'd say it was Matt's tendency to whip things out that got him into this situation with his ex-girlfriend, but word has it that all parties are tickled pink. (No word on whether the kid's a lefty like his old man.) (AZ Republic)

You're Ugly -- Vote for Me! Following the wildly inappropriate and unprofessional comments what's-his-name made about his opponent, Hillary Rodham Clinton, in the New York Senate race, The Times takes a closer look at plastic surgery -- and how it's clearly more important than the issues facing our country. (NYT)

Discontinued Model: For the eighth time in recent years, model Naomi Campbell has been accused of physically assaulting someone. Whatever happened to three strikes and you're out? It's time to lock this stupid bitch up and teach her a lesson. (NBC)

StopSexPredators.blogspot.com: The gay rights group Human Rights Campaign announced Wednesday that one of its employees was responsible for creating the blog that first published the e-mails sent to teenage male pages by former congressman Mark Foley. The employee, who was acting independently of HRC, was reportedly a junior staff member hired in September to assist in organizing HRC members in Michigan, was shitcanned for his actions (I'm not entirely sure why), but I say bravo to him. (Advocate)

Mario Lopez: Ultimate Bat Boy

See what else Mario Lopez is swinging over at OMG blog.

Photo Flashback: 1975

Here's a photo of me, my little sister, Jennifer, and our cousin Sara Elizabeth Kearney. We were in D.C. for my mom's cousin Susan's wedding around Christmas time that year, and here we are on the staircase of my Aunt Dianne's townhouse in Herndon, Va. This was the last time we ever saw Sara. Her dad (my Uncle Patrick) was (bitterly) divorced from Sara's mom shortly thereafter, and everyone lost touch with that part of the family. If by some strange chance you see this, Sara, or your brother (Sean) sees it, I'd love to hear from either of you.

(Notice my beloved Oscar Mayer wiener ring on my right hand. A few summers later I lost that ring while swimming in the Atlantic Ocean on a visit to my great aunt and uncle's place in Rehoboth Beach, Del., and it nearly destroyed my family's summer vacation!)

Girls Gone Reunited

What a shame that Estelle Getty couldn't be there too. (photo)

Morning Glory: Alessandro Calza

(Click to enlarge photos)

I first recall seeing sexy Italian Alessandro Calza's photos on one of those gay muscle Web sites years ago. My friend Jay and I both thought he was way too hot to be a real person on there. (We later discovered that Alessandro has his Web site, chock full of pictures of himself, so then we figured he was some type of model.)

Tonight I discovered the four photos above -- stills from a new film he's starring in called "Ciao." (I guess this means he's a model/actor/dancer/sing-- ... well, you know how it works). Alessandro describes the project this way: "I finished working in Dallas on a little supercool indie movie called CIAO from director Yen Tan and producer Jim McMahon. It is not exactly 'Brokeback Mountain 2,' lol, but maybe kind of a Gay 'Lost in Translation.'"

You can watch the movie's trailer here -- it looks really interesting. From what I can gather, it's about a man who comes from Italy to visit another guy he met on the Internet, only the guy he's set to meet dies suddenly in an accident right before he arrives, so he ends up spending time with one of that guy's friends (perhaps a boyfriend?). I'm speculating on the "bizarre love triangle" plot, but one thing is for sure: Alessandro's love affair with still cameras translates beautifully to the silver screen. Visit director Yen Tan's "Ciao" blog here. Visit Alessandro's Web site here.

Page 1 Consider (10/26)

Good-Looking Asshole: Talk about a turnoff. Jeff Suppan is scheduled to pitch for the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 4 of the World Series. But the hunky slugger's time on the mound will not be his only appearance on baseball fans’ television screens. As he pitches in tonight's game, Suppan will also appear in a campaign ad urging Missouri voters to reject a stem-cell measure. (Church-fart-married-to-a-lesbian QB Kurt Warner and plastic-surgery-victim Patricia Heaton also spew misinformation in the spot.) Listen up, Jeff: stick with sports and leave the science to people with half a brain. I hope Michael J. Fox shows up at Busch Stadium and takes a swing. (NYT)

Almost Doesn't Count: A closer look at New Jersey's "pro-gay" ruling shows there's a still no equality for the gays, even in one of our nation's more socially liberal states: "Those who would view today’s ruling as a victory for same sex-couples are dead wrong," said Steven Goldstein, the chairman of the gay-rights group Garden State Equality. "Half-steps short of marriage -- like New Jersey’s domestic-partnership law and also civil union laws -- don’t work in the real world." I'm afraid he's right. Massachusetts was the only state to come out and say anything short of word-for-word equality would be relegating gays to a separate class of people. Will New Jersey pull a Vermont on us? Only time will tell. (WP)

(More) Sins of the Father: It seems Mark Foley's priest was about as prolific with the altar boys as Foley was with the pages. Here comes the lawsuits. (AP)

Absolute Beginner: People either lover her or hate her, but I think Roseanne Barr's landmark blue-collar television series, "Roseanne," is the best family sitcom to ever air. Where one goes from there isn't always pretty, but she's still working and making people laugh. Love you, Rosie! (AP)

Hot House: Disgraced Florida Republican Rep. Mark Foley made friends with a wide circle of teenaged House of Representatives pages, then singled out "hot" boys to write to, according to reports. The Washington Post claims to have identified four more former pages who said they were sexually solicited by Foley, who has resigned since the scandal broke last month. Um, I don't really see the "story" here. What did they expect him to do? Hit on the hideous guys? (PinkNews)

Long Live the Factory: In time for the holiday season, nearly 20 years after his death in February 1987, the marketing of Andy Warhol is in full flood. "We’re seeing Warhol energy peeking out from everywhere," said Robert Lee Morris, the jewelry designer and a former member of the artist’s circle, who has brought out a line of jewelry with Warhol motifs like the dollar sign and the Brillo logo. "We are witnessing all the ways that his reach has extended into the moment." Warhol’s mercantile essence, both high and low, is distilled in carpets and coffee mugs, calendars and greeting cards, T-shirts, tote bags and a style of Levi's wax-coated jeans called Warhol Factory X, for $185. To judge by all the merchandise, Warhol is being positioned as the next Hello Kitty. There will even be a Warhol Pez dispenser. Imagine his jaw popping open to disgorge a mint. It is "the fulfillment of Andy’s fantasy about business art" said Jeffrey Deitch, the art dealer and former Warhol associate. "I think he would have been amazed to see what has developed." (NYT)

Back to the Gym: Bravo announced yesterday that it has picked up a second season of its lezzie docudrama series "Work Out." Production on six episodes is set to begin next month in Los Angeles. The show will continue to follow Jackie Warner, owner of Sky Sport and Spa in Beverly Hills, as she builds her business and deals with personal issues (like her crazy girlfriend Jerri Blank Mimi. I lost interest after the first episode last time, but Bravo promises the second season will feature her team of trainers, including some new blood, so perhaps it's worth another shot. (Reuters)

(Sex) Change of Heart? A tranny is speaking out against her doctor claiming that she was pressured into having sex-reassignment surgery. He said the doctor was "too nice" about it and she couldn't say no. Couldn't say no to years of hormones, living as a woman and having your dick cut off? I find this hard to believe. (PinkNews)

Spare Tire: Could the high price of gas be what it takes to get Americans to lose some weight? (WP)

TGI Friday Night Lights

A couple of people have written to find out why I hadn't followed up on my purported interest in Kyle Chandler's new high school football drama, "Friday Night Lights." A few things conspired to keep me from watching it the past few weeks, but as of last night I'm all caught up on the four episodes that have aired to date.

Despite my enormously high expectations and the hype surrounding it, I was not disappointed one bit. In fact, it somehow managed to be better than I expected. (For those who aren't familiar with the book or movie of the same name, it's about the trials and tribulations of a new coach coming to work in a small West Texas town that lives and dies by its high school football). I immediately fell in love with Coach's wife, Tami. She brings a much-needed balance to the show's hypermasculine storyline For the life of me couldn't figure out where I knew the actress who plays her from then I finally figured out that she's Connie Britton, who was wonderful as the wife wronged Molly in Ed Burns first film, "The Brothers McMullen." The girl who plays their daughter is great too.



Taylor Kitsch (on sofa) as bad boy Tim Riggins is about the hottest guy on primetime television, and the gal who plays good girl cheerleader Lyla Garrity (Minka Kelly) is a very impressive young actress with incredible range. Zach Gilford as backup QB Matt Saracen -- the kid with way too much on his plate -- is also a standout (as well as a cutie, below).

Zach Gilford, above.

Kyle Chandler and Taylor Kitsch have a heart-to-heart in the rain.

Having gotten a semi-late start watching the show you can only imagine my horror when I read in The Washington Post that it's already "ratings starved" and in danger of being canceled (has this ever not happened with a show I've watched? (See "The Comeback" and "Sons & Daughters" and so on.) I spoke to a couple of people who have watched it and they all agree that it's "very well-done," yet many of them said they weren't completely "into it" yet. Despite America's obsession with sports (particularly football) it was ironic to me that many of them -- straight men at work, no less -- cited a lack of interest in the football aspect of the show. Go figure -- I've read that NBC is "standing by" the show for now and even giving it a special airing on Monday night after one of their bigger hits. Check it out and let me know what you think. (WP)