Morning Glory: Glenn Kauffman

My pal Danny sent me these pictures. I'm not really sure who this guy is, but I've never seen someone look this hot in white boxers before, so I had to share ...

The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Michael, Nina and I went to the Paul Weller show at Irving Plaza last night. He was his usual self -- fantastic. That said, though, the whole billing of the show as a Style Council night was more than a tad bit misleading. He came out and did a handful of Style Council classics -- a rocking version of "Speak Like a Child," "Shout to the Top," and "Long Hot Summer" among them -- but then proceeded to perform for a good two hours without one other song by his former band. Don't get me wrong -- he's got a lot of great solo material, and the inclusion of Jam classics "That's Entertainment," "The Butterfly Collector" and "Town Called Malice" (as an encore) were appreciated, but the whole reason his three nights sold out in 5 minutes was because they were billed as individual nights of various stages of his career. During the 20 minutes he devoted solely to TSC I felt like I'd been transported back to high school and was 17 again. And it wasn't just me -- the whole crowd sang along with every one of those songs. It was a magical moment that, for whatever reason, Paul isn't able to fully appreciate.

Great show -- but left me wanting (way) more (of what we paid for) ...

UPDATE: It seems I'm not alone in my disgust. (Krucoff)

RELATED: The Whole Point of No Return (my preview)

The Whole Point of No Return

Tonight is a very special night for me here in the (212). You see, back in the summer of '85, my friend Nina and I had tickets to see The Style Council at Pine Knob in Clarkston, Mich. In high school, the two of us were just obsessed with Paul Weller and everything he was about. The shoes, the sweaters, the bangs (oh, and the music!) -- we ate it all up. Even though we knew The Jam would ultimately be his legacy, in some ways his new, more pretentious, jazz cum white-boy Teddy Pendergrass wannabe music suited where we were in life (know-it-all 17-year-olds) much better. Then tragedy struck when Nina's parents ended up scheduling the family vacation back to the homeland, Austria, at the same time as the concert. We were devastated, but my hopes were still alive when my (non-fan) friend Mark (doing his best Mick Talbot opposite my Paul Weller, below, circa 1985 Toronto) ended up agreeing to go with me in Nina's place -- only to have the band's entire U.S. tour scrapped. The Style Council disbanded five years later and Nina and I were forced to swallow the bitterest pill of never having heard those classic songs performed live.

A couple years later Paul Weller began putting albums out on his own. Although I appreciate his solo work, it's got a completely different feel from his two previous bands and has never been my favorite. I've seen him live once or twice -- and Nina's seen him seven times -- over the years, but you were lucky if he performed more than two Jam songs, much less any TSC.

Jump ahead to 2006. Word comes out that Weller is doing a few gigs in New York and Los Angeles -- only there's a twist. He'll do one Jam night, one Style Council night -- and one solo night. Nina and I did everything we could to go all three nights -- but all hell broke loose and tickets were gone almost instantly (they're now going for an arm and a leg on eBay). As fate would have it, though, Nina was able to get tickets for one night: The Style Council!

So tonight we will try to prove that you can go home, as we right a 22-year-old wrong. And that Nina flew in from Chicago for this very special occasion makes it all the more special, both of us ready to speak like a child ...

UPDATE: The Boy Who Cried Wolf (review)

Morning Glory: Bedroom Eyes

Bedroom eyes ... bedroom everything.

Love Me, Love Me

Besides the big concert tonight, my friend Nina has been spoiling me in myriad of other ways. First off, she showed up on Sunday bearing lots of gifts, including the fabulous new Edie Sedgwick book, "Edie: Girl on Fire" (it's filled so many great, never-seen-before photographs) and a box of Fannie May chocolates from Chicago. Then today she returned from a walk around town with candy and cookies from Jacques Torres and pork with chives and spicy beef bings from The Bing Lady. (When I just went to look that one up Google wanted to know if I meant "the big lady" ... thankfully my gym routine is back in order.)

Later in the afternoon we had a light lunch at my favorite little British cafe Tea & Sympathy in the West Village. "Six Feet Under" star Lauren Ambrose was also eating there with her 12-day-old son, Orson, and husband (a poor man's version of Vincent Gallo) in tow.

We finished off the day with a late showing of "Notes On a Scandal." Although it was every bit as over-the-top as the trailer had indicated, we both enjoyed it quite a bit. The performances were stellar -- and the dialogue was hilariously sharp and tight. Above else, what an unusual film ...

'Love Allergy' by Kenneth M. Walsh (Instinct magazine)

So pardon me while I get all geeky telling you about some exciting news: I have my first personal essay published in the new issue of Instinct! (Since my career switched more toward editing, my most-recent bylines were for The Arizona Republic years ago.)"The Boyfriend or the Cat" details what happened when my then-boyfriend developed an allergy to Troy (that's the star himself on the right page). Although it's a silly little piece, it was quite a nightmare when the whole thing happened. (Anyone who reads this blog knows how that one turned out!)

(click to enlarge)

If you're interested in reading the piece, pick up a copy at your local newsstand. The extra pictures of J.P. are worth the price of admission -- although my favorite surprise from the issue is after the jump.

I wasn't even sure that the story was running in February, but because of all of the hoopla surrounding "Survivor" hunk J.P. Calderon's coming out, I ended up seeing a leaked photo of the cover last week and noticed my cover line. Thrilled, Michael and I spent the last week popping by every magazine store in Manhattan (to no avail) until we were nearly exhausted. Last night, Michael and my friend visiting from Chicago, Nina, showed up unexpectedly at my work with a copy they had just found in the West Village. It was really cute of them to be so spontaneous and surprise me like that. I was all teeth all night at work.

Page 1 Consider (01/29)

The Full Monty: Michael and I finally saw "Little Children" over the weekend. If I hadn't already made my "Best of 2006" list, it would have definitely been on there. Forget Kate Winslet for best actress, though. What about Phyllis Somerville for her brilliant supporting role? And how sexy is that Patrick Wilson??? Next up for the Prom King? The thriller "Passengers." (FilmAsylum)

Jesus Gets Campy: My pal Jack E. Jett recently interviewed the real-life director of Jesus Camp, Becky Fisher. Warning to my gay readers: reading this will reveal to you the real reason you're a homosexual. Read it here.

Bully Pulpit: Bills that would require school boards to establish anti-bullying programs have passed key committees in Florida and Iowa. (365Gay)

Some Hillraiser:I feel like there are many reasons why I should be really into backing Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for president, but something about that Illinois accent still bugs me. (WP)

Bad Medicine: Is T.R. Knight leaving "Grey's Anatomy"? (Scoop)

Sketchy Details: A teacher in Yonkers, N.Y., has been barred from classes for having his seventh-grade pupils draw male genitalia on the blackboard during health class, school officials say. The teacher, whose name was not made public, was assigned to administrative duties and the superintendent says he will ask trustees to fire him. So if he'd had them draw male and female genitalia, would he have been given tenure? (AP)

Levi's New Motto: If you can't beat 'em, sue 'em. (NYT)

Note to Self: When you're fleeing the cops it's probably a good idea not to flip them off and lose control of your vehicle. (DailyMail)

WeaveWeb of Deception: Did you see Tyra Banks in People magazine bragging about how "hot" she feels at 162 pounds? Apparently the National Enquirer got some none-too-flattering pictures of her cellulite-encased legs on a beach, so she figured an airbrushed People magazine spread was the best way to prove that she's OK with how she looks now. The cover line says YOU CALL THIS FAT? ... but what it should say is YOU CALL THAT HAIR? (People)

Change of Heart? Legislation to legalize civil unions has been filed in the Hawaii state legislature. but how far it will advance it unknown. The bill, written by local LGBT civil rights activist Bill Woods-Bateman, does not have a sponsor. But the measure does have one key supporter -- Debi Hartmann, who led a successful campaign back in '98 that led to the state banning gay marriage. I'm afraid to find out what's up with this one. (365Gay)

Morning Glory: Mystery Men

No names required ...

Brian Joubert: Practice Makes Perfect

Brian Joubert of France captured his second title at the European Figure Skating Championships on Thursday after starting the day in second place following a shaky short program. He reclaimed the title he won in 2004 and was followed by Tomas Verner of the Czech Republic and Kevin Van Der Perren of Belgium. I guess all of that practice really paid off ... (Eurosport)

Roger That

I stayed up to watch the men's final live from Melbourne and was on the edge of my bed throughout the first set. Neither player was playing as well as they had been, but there were still a lot of exciting points. Fernando Gonzalez eventually found himself with two set points while serving for the set. On the second one he missed a makeable forehand winner down the line, and when Roger Federer came back to eventually win the set in a tiebreaker -- and 5 a.m. rolled around -- I ended up turning off the TV and going to sleep. Sure enough, Federer ended up winning a straight sets -- taking home his 10th major, but at least it was more of a match than the semifinals. Needless to say, Roger is simply the best.

A Cut Above the Rest

In what has been deemed a "stunner" but was really not that much of a surprise to anyone who knows the Williams family history, Serena Williams blew top-seeded Maria Sharapova off the court last night, in just over an hour, to walk away with her third Australian Open crown and eighth major. Has any other player in the history of tennis gone two years between winning titles -- much less Grand Slam titles? Serena truly is a legend in her own time. Serena says her late sister, Yetunde, was the driving force behind her convincing win. (NYT)

Morning Glory: Brody Jenner

I finally got around to watching the first two episodes of Season Two of "The Hills." It was the perfect blend of Hollywood and Whine, but what a treat to see that Lauren "LC" Conrad has been fixed up by Heidi with none other than dreamboat extraordinaire/ex-Mr. Kristin Cavalieri himself, Brody Jenner. Michael and I sat through the whole thing and then both looked at each other in shock. Michael finally said what needed to be said: "He is so adorable." Indeed.

More adorableness after the jump. --->

Page 1 Consider (01/26)

Girl Gone Wild: So it seems wacky Anne Heche left her latest husband for her hunky "Men in Trees" costar James Tupper. He's married with children too, so it's perfect (you know how the straights are). I'll bet Ellen Degeneres will be having schadenfreude for breakfast for the rest of the year. (ContactMusic)

Off Limits: During a sit-down interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Wednesday, Vice President Dick Cheney got a little bitchy when asked what he thought of conservatives who are critical of his lesbian daughter Mary having a baby. The grumpy veep said any questions about the topic -- you know, politics -- were "out of line." At least he didn't shoot him in the face. (M&C)

Rhimes & Reason: Kudos to "Grey's Anatomy" creator/executive producer Shonda Rhimes for finally breaking her silence on the Faggotgate scandal that has shaken her hit series to the core. For the bosses in a situation like this to not immediately condemn workplace discrimination sends a very bad message to not only the people who work there, but to all people facing a hostile work environment. I really respect the way Rhimes -- who is black -- avoided portraying this as a gay or race issue, but a diversity issue. Here's what she had to say: "I speak for all the executive producers here at 'Grey’s Anatomy' when I say that Isaiah Washington's use of such a disturbing word was a shocking and dismaying event that insulted not only gays and lesbians everywhere, but anyone who has ever struggled for respect in a world that is not always accepting of difference." Rhimes added that she was working "within the Grey’s family as well as with ABC and Touchstone Television to address the issue in a way that underscores the gravity of the situation while giving us all a foundation for healing. We applaud and encourage Isaiah’s realization that he needs help and his subsequent choice to seek immediate treatment for his behavioral issues." (AH)

Clouded Judgment: A new study show that a certain type of brain damage can cure smoking addiction. I thought it was the other way around. (NYT)

God Said Ha: Nancy Pelosi's daughter Alexandra is a documentarian who recently set her lens on evangelicals for her new HBO special, "Friends of God: A Road Trip With Alexandra Pelosi." In an exclusive Q&A the new mom tells The Advocate what she unearthed -- and what Ted Haggard is really like. (This is gonna be good.) (Advocate)

Bar Code: The North Carolina State Bar filed additional charges of ethics violations Wednesday against embattled Durham District Attorney Michael B. Nifong, the original prosecutor in the sexual assault case against three Duke University lacrosse players. (WP)

Move On Up: Openly gay journalist Jonathan Capehart will join The Washington Post's editorial board next month. Capehart has been a national affairs columnist for Bloomberg News, a policy adviser to Michael Bloomberg's New York mayoral campaign and a deputy editorial page editor at The Daily News. As an editorial writer at the News, he earned a Pulitzer Prize in 1999. (FishbowlDC)

Skin Deep: When Clinique made its debut in 1968, the cosmetics brand altered America's beauty landscape by using scientific language and clinical iconography at a time when highly perfumed, elaborately packaged creams dominated department stores. But now Clinique has gone one step further in aligning itself with therapeutic imagery by opening the new Clinique Skin Wellness Center at Weill Medical College of Cornell University in Manhattan (talk about product placement). I can remember the first time I was old enough to buy whatever I wanted -- so I marched straight over to Dillard's and bought the entire Clinique for Men line that came in those snazzy gray containers. I spent the next three months breaking out covered in zits like I had never had even as a teenager -- and switched back to plain old bar soap in the shower. My skin has been clear and healthy ever since. (NYT)

Splendor in the South Lawn: The legendary Elizabeth Taylor thinks Hillary Rodham Clinton has what it takes to be commander in chief. The actress announced Thursday she'll give $2,300, the legal limit, to the New York senator's presidential campaign. (AP)

No Dream, It's Not Over: The world breathed a collective sigh of relief when it was announced that Crowded House was reuniting for a world tour. Well, a few people did. (Reuters)

RIP: Anthony Castro, a Southern California teen who came out to his high school football and wrestling teams, was killed in a car crash over the weekend, OutSports.com reports. Castro was 19. (365Gay)

The Andy Roddick Massacre

Last night's performance by Roger Federer against Andy Roddick was nothing short of astonishing. I watched a huge number of Pete Sampras matches over the course of his career, and I don't remember ever feeling so completely awestruck like I did last night. I guess I forgot to mention in my earlier post that Federer is one of the main reasons tennis is getting me excited again ... and the Serena Williams vs. Maria Sharapova final (can you believe it?!!!) promises to be just as fun.

Read: An Entertaining Rout

Morning Wood: Aurelien Roulin

My friend Danny turned me on to model Aurelien Roulin. I found very little about this handsome man on the Internet, so I'll just let Aurelien do the turning on from here.

More photos after the jump --->

Page 1 Consider (01/25)

Lezzies Beware: Celestia Anne Heche and her husband, cameraman Coley Laffoon, are separating after five years of marriage, her spokeswoman said Wednesday. The couple have a 4-year-old son, Homer. No reason was given for the split, although witnesses recently saw the couple arguing at a Chili's in Woodland Hills when Heche was screaming at her hubby, "You made a Laffoon out of me!" (If you're reading this, Coley cutie, give me a call. I hear you also play for both teams.) (AP)

Bah, Bah, Backdoor Sheep: When you make it your life's work to explain why about 8 percent of rams seek sex exclusively with other rams instead of ewes, you're kind of asking for trouble. That's exactly what Dr. Charles Roselli, a researcher at the Oregon Health and Science University, got. (If only they could have been straight-acting sheep.) (NYT)

Serena's Balls: My brother Bill e-mailed me this: "Serena Williams, athlete extraordinaire, can do everything else on a tennis court, but getting the ball from a ballkid is a complete mystery to her -- if the thing isn't tossed to her exactly right, she gets startled and has to jump out of the way, or it konks her on the head, or she misses it and it hits her foot and they have to try again." Bill's definitely right about this, and merrily Serena goes along stunning everyone by advancing to the Australian Open final beating Nicole Vaidisova in straight sets. Unbelievable. (TennisX)

Blinded by Love: I am just dying to see Dan Klores' new documentary, "Crazy Love," which is in competition at the Sundance Film Festival. The film examines a contorted love affair between Burt Pugach, a 32-year-old lawyer when the liaison began in the late 1950s, and the woman he pursued, a much younger Linda Riss. After initially falling in love things soured and Riss moved on eventually becoming engaged to someone else. Pugach began stalking her; he then hired three men who threw lye in her face, leaving her blind. During 14 years in prison for the crime, he remained obsessed with Riss, sending her letters and eventually persuading her to meet him after he was released in 1974. The two were married that year, and are still married today. And I thought flying to the Virgin Islands to stalk Derek was crazy ... (NYT)

Cold Case Files: A white former sheriff's deputy who was once thought to be dead was arrested on federal charges Wednesday in one of the last major unsolved crimes of the civil rights era -- the 1964 killings of two black men who were beaten and dumped alive into the Mississippi River. The break in the 43-year-old case was largely the result of the dogged efforts of the older brother of one of the victims, who vowed to bring the killers to justice. Nice police work ... are you ready A&E's "Cold Case Files"? (AP)

Rehab Abuse: Following in the recent footsteps of Mel Gibson and Mark Foley, Isaiah Washington, the embattled star of ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," has begun (the requisite) counseling related to his recent homophobic remarks. He hired new PR flacks and is doing what he needs to do to put this self-inflicted wound behind him, but aren't people who really need rehab starting to get offended by this type of quick fix to foot-in-mouth disease? (MSNBC)

Page Nix: Nine months after Jared Paul Stern, a contributor to New York's premier gossip column Page Six in the Post, himself became tabloid fodder, federal prosecutors have dropped the extortion case against him. The burden of proof for these types of crimes must be impossibly high, because this story became Page 1 news around the world because the whole shakedown of supermarket magnate Ron Burkle was said to be have been taped by an undercover FBI agent. What more do you need? (Reuters)

Shipwrecked: I read on my friend Johnny's blog that LOGO is canceling "Noah's Arc" after just two seasons. I have to admit that I shied away from this show when it first debuted (I thought it was a heavy drama set in the '80s about a guy's AIDS-related complications), but when I finally stumbled upon it I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw. What on earth does a network like LOGO have that could possibly be better than this, anyway? (Johnny)

Couldn't Kerry Less: All I can say is thank God. (AP)

Like a Virgin: Ever wonder how Madonna fared the very first time she performed live? Now you don't have to. (Hint: "Everybody" is a great song and this broad's already a pro.) Watch it here ---> (WOW)

Colt Studio Turns 40

It seems I'm not the only manlover turning 40 this year: good ole Colt Studio is also celebrating the big milestone, so I've posted PG-rated versions of some of their photo highlights -- with unedited versions for you to celebrate in private with after the jump. --->

You may recall I had my own Colt man incident in the San Fernando Valley back in the day ... (read here)

The photos are taken from the new hardcover book called "Colt 40."

Tennis See

My obsession with tennis began at the 1977 U.S. Open at Forest Hills. Looking back it seems fitting that the circuslike event dominated by coverage of an ice maiden, a teenybopper, and a tranny would seal the deal. That was nearly 30 years ago, and I have to say that since Steffi Graf's retirement in 1999, my interest in the game has waned considerably.

Cut to this year's Australian Open. Suddenly I find myself really into it again. It doesn't hurt that I really love all four of the men's semifinalists (and that they're all pretty easy on the eyes), but the women -- who had once been my bread and butter -- have managed to get me into it again too. Serena Williams is blowing my mind this time around; watching Vera Zvonareva cry because she's winning against "the pretty one"(!) is priceless; having Martina Hingis back just feels right; and as much as I know I shouldn't, I kinda like that pretty one, Maria Sharapova.

So as we reach the end of this year's first Grand Slam event, I'm suddenly feeling my obsession kicking back into gear. I'm already looking forward to Paris in the spring ...

Morning Wood: Jason Van Oijen

I love getting Tetu magazine because with everything written in French, I don't have to feel guilty about skipping the articles and only looking at the pictures like sexy cover boy Jason Van Oijen ... (I know how to say ooh la la!) (Photos by Felix Larher)

More photos after the jump --->

Page 1 Consider (01/24)

Ida Slapter: All these years I thought Paige Turner was the greatest drag name ever. I was wrong. (VirtualVallarta)

Tranny Worship: Workplace difficulties can arise for trangendered persons in nearly all professions, but what about those who are called to work for God? (Newsweek)

Child's Play: How do you get grown men to stop pissing all over the place? Give them a "target" in the urinal. (Truth or Fiction)

The Lost Years: The president wants Americans to give his Iraq plan "a chance." Um ... what were the past FOUR years? (MSNBC)

Get Carter: Former president Jimmy Carter flew north to Brandeis University to speak on Tuesday of his hurt at the personal attacks by some American Jews that followed publication of his latest book, "Palestine Peace Not Apartheid," which urges Israel to turn away from a policy of creating "Bantustans" on the West Bank. (WP)

Close Call: ABC news anchor/dreamboat Chris Cuomo was unhurt Tuesday after the convoy of military police he was riding with in Iraq was struck by a roadside bomb. Some of the soldiers suffered minor injuries in the attack, ABC said. The convoy of four heavily armored Humvees was going to check a report of a burning vehicle in northwest Baghdad when booby-trapped bodies left by the side of the road exploded. (AP)

Recreational Boners: The AIDS Healthcare Foundation is suing Pfizer Inc. for promoting its impotence drug Viagra as a lifestyle and sexual enhancement tool. The organization told Reuters that Pfizer's marketing has encouraged risky behavior and a surge in HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. In a draft of legal documents, the California-based nonprofit said, "Pfizer has created and contributed to the perception of Viagra as a safe, sexy, lifestyle, recreational drug, to be frequently used regardless of the degree, or even existence of [erectile dysfunction]." This seems a little bit like having your cake and eating it, too. Just because there are companies that produce guns doesn't mean you have to shoot. (Advocate)

Getting Slavvy: Croation Water Polo, anyone? (Towleroad)

RIP: Doug Blasdell, one of the trainers on Bravo’s reality show "Work Out," was hospitalized over this weekend and died unexpectedly on Monday. He was just 44. No word on the cause of death. I lost interest in that series pretty early on, but I do recall him being one of the nicer people on it. May he rest in peace. (AfterElton)

J.P. Calderon: Confessions On a Runway

Confessions On a Runway: Sexy "Survivor" John Paul ("J.P.") Calderon is set to officially "come out" tonight on "The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency," when he lands an Instinct magazine cover on one condition: that he is a gay man. JDMA is on Oxygen Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET. (That issue of Instinct is special for another reason, too. Check back later in the week to find out why.) (OhLaLaParis)

More photos after the jump --->

Related: "Love Allergy" by Kenneth M. Walsh (Instinct magazine)

Morning Wood: Ben Kirby

(DNA photos by Paul Scala)
Recent DNA cover man Ben Kirby is one sexy Brit.

Lots more photos, including his full DNA#83 spread, after the jump. --->

Learn more about Ben via Connex24.7, ModelMayhem and L.A. Muscle.