Afternoon Headlights (10/26)

Man-nequin of Your Dreams: Want to know more about the outfit that's putting out a calendar of big-hosed FDNY hunk Michael Biserta? Apparently there's plenty more where he came from. (OnDisplayMen) ((They even have a personal trainer division and a modeling division! ))

Brownie Points: As if its reputation hadn't already been permanently soiled by Hurricane Katrina, FEMA has now admitted that it staged a phony news conference about assistance to victims of wildfires in Southern California, complete with self-congratulatory answers from FEMA's deputy administrator, Harvey Johnson. (FEMA has since issued an apology.) The White House's take on it was predictably nonchalant: "I don't think that there was any mal-intent," Dana Perino said "It was just a bad way to handle it, and they know that." God help us all. (AP)

Lady Bird Johnsons: Bird watching and cruising for sex -- is there a difference? (ChicagoTrib)

Eye on Deception: A CBS blog has a great interview with the Idaho Statesman reporter who's been in the eye of the Larry Craig storm for the past couple months. In it, Dan Popkey, who had been covering Craig for years and also conducting his own background investigation regarding allegations of sexual misconduct by the senator, talks about his discomfort with being the face of his newspaper on a story that he feels has significant impact on society (are you reading, Log Cabin Republicans?): "This story is a very big deal, but not only on a political level. I think it has enormous cultural consequences. And I hope that there will be some positive change because of it. I think that some people who may have had closed minds about whether a gay person can serve well in a high office … they might have their minds opened as a result of this. I've talked to many people about this, and maybe I’m being naive. But I think the stakes are awfully high here. Not just for the Senator. Not just for his family. Not just for Idaho. But for the whole culture when it comes to how we think about what qualifies or disqualifies people from serving in office, people who otherwise are capable of serving. And I don’t want to screw this up. (Public Eye)

Craig's List: Speaking of which, who hasn't had sex with Larry Craig? (Wonkette)

Justice Delayed: About f**king time this kid who had consensual sex with another teen got out of jail. What a complete travesty. (AP)

Kings of Queens: Two boys at a high school in Northern California were named Homecoming Princes at Davis Senior High School's junior class prom. Lai-San Seto, advocacy coordinator for the San Francisco-based Gay-Straight Alliance Network, said the Davis homecoming election is not the first case of gay students bucking tradition. But it remains far from the norm, Seto said. And usually by the time she hears about such things, they've become a controversy within their community. "It's a sign that LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) people are getting recognized everywhere," she said. "LGBTQ are considered vital members of the school community and are able to participate in school events in the same full way that their straight fellow students are able to." (Herald)

Suicide Blond: Some are questioning whether Owen Wilson's decision to open up in an online forum is the real deal or nothing more than a PR ploy. (ABCNews)

N.Y. Law: Sullivan & Cromwell said Thursday it had reached a settlement with a former associate, Aaron B. Charney, who sued the New York law firm earlier this year for sexual orientation discrimination. "Aaron Charney and Sullivan & Cromwell have resolved their differences in connection with all pending disputes between them," a spokesman at the firm told the New York Law Journal. A quiet end to a high profile case that was filled with twists and turns and had the legal community on the edge of its seats forever even though no one looked half as good as Harry Hamlin. (NYT)

Justice Outlook: Attorney General nominee Michael Mukasey expressed disagreement with the current Department of Justice policy around LGBT recruitment and Gay Pride activities and said he will treat gays better. (PageOneQ)

60 Candles: Read all about Hillary Clinton's birthday soiree that Ben Widdicombe didn't invite me to. (Gatecrasher)