Remains of the Day (11?30)

Baseline: Players get creative with off-season drills

Instagram: Doubles and Speedo enthusiast Max Mirnyi calls it a career

Beyond the Baseline: Mary Carillo looks ahead to 2019 season, new Davis Cup format

The Randy Report: Mike Pence's World AIDS Day speech filled with misinformation, no mention of LGBTQ community

Dlisted: Starbucks doesn't want you watching porn at its stores

Gay City News: Data measured new ways shows further HIV declines in New York City

Gothamist: Shirley Chisholm is finally getting a statue in NYC

Towleroad: The Wall Street Journal identifies Russian president as "Vladimir Trump," internet says no correction necessary

The New York Times: How a lawyer, a felon and a Russian general chased a Moscow Trump Tower deal

Instagram: Steve Grand's fuschia banana hammock is a real show stopper in Puerto Vallarta

New York Post: Justin Gimelstob facing slew of bizarre violence accusations

Outsports: Film "Man Made" puts trans male bodybuilders in the spotlight

Boy Culture: Matt Rettenmund fleshes out his fascination with getting older and death, especially among the famous

The Daily News: Ricky Martin dons Lakota war bonnet, photo trounced off Instagram

BosGuy: Thank God It's Furry Friday (and he's in a tiny bathing suit)

The Washington Post: Michelle Obama's "Becoming" is the best-selling hardcover book of the year

Instagram: Karolina Pliskova releases her own calendar(!)

OMG Blog: Cameron Dallas's bubble-butt in a Speedo will start your weekend off right

On the Rag, Vol. 535

A weekly look at what's making news in the gay magazines:

HotSpots (Florida): Randy Rainbow returns to Fort Lauderdale

Between the Lines (Detroit): A 2018 World AIDS Day analysis

Metro Weekly (D.C.): For World AIDS Day, Us Helping Us executive director DeMarc Hickson talks about sex, stigma, and the need for education

Grab (Chicago): Mike Ruiz's Bullies and Biceps 

QX (London): Guide to World AIDS Day

San Francisco Bay Times: The National AIDS Memorial is a living monument to all people touched by the insidious disease

DNA (Australia): How to top .. from the bottom up!

Gay Times (U.K.): Jake Borelli gives his first interview since coming out 

Adelante: Is the cover man one of the gift ideas?

GCN (Ireland): The sex issue 2018

Dallas Voice: Marking World AIDS Day

Song of the Day: 'Hold You Tight' by Tara Kemp

It's always a relief when you go into a store and the young people working there aren't playing horrific music. Like when Damian and I went into the Verizon on 8th Avenue in Chelsea last weekend and this gem came on. The cute clerk informed me that they listen to I Heart Radio's '90s station, which explains why "Love Will Never Do Without You" preceded it!

Page 1 Roundup (11/30)

The Daily News: Trump Organization reportedly wanted to give Vladimir Putin the $50 million penthouse of Trump Tower Moscow

How much the borscht just thickened: The Trump-Russia connections are getting impossible to explain away

Face transplant patient reveals his new look

Arizona man accidentally shoots himself in groin at Walmart after gun slipped out of his waistband, but sadly lives

Towleroad: British MP reveals he is HIV-positive in moving speech ahead of World AIDS Day

Three now under arrest for robbery, assault, kidnapping of gay man they promised sexual encounter

The Randy Report: Photographer charged with drugging male models to fulfill "straight guy" fetish

Out: Rita Moreno returns to "West Side Story" to star in Spielberg's remake

The New York Times: Racial fairness in gun rights stirs a debate

 What's stronger than a blue wave? Gerrymandered districts

Buzzfeed: Ivanka Trump was in contact with a Russian weightlifter who offered a Trump-Putin meeting -- and I'd overlook collusion to spend time with THIS ONE!

Page Six: Tiffany Trump is quietly dating a wealthy scion from Nigeria, one of the nations her father slammed as a “s - - thole country.”

The Washington Post: Investigators have evidence that Donald Trump was in close contact with his lieutenants as they reached out to Moscow and WikiLeaks -- and that they attempted to conceal their activities

"We will be in Moscow": The story of Trump's 30-year quest to do business in Russia

USA Today: James Comey challenges GOP congressional subpoena as 'partisan harassment'

The State: Volunteer at South Carolinna megachurch sexually assaulted at least 14 preschool boys, lawsuit says

Time: Parents who lost children in school shootings find comfort in a group no one wants to join

The Wall Street Journal: This season's guilty pleasure -- binge-watching Hallmark Christmas movies

Morning Wood

I'm just going to cut to the CHASE.

Remains of the Day (11/29)

Metrosource: How I accidentally slept with a gay Catholic priest

The Randy Report: Michael Cohen pleads guilty, says he lied about Trump's knowledge of Moscow project

TV Line: Taylor Kitsch to star as drug dealer in drama series in the works at HBO

The Hill: Wrestling enthusiast Jim Jordan ends hopes of leading Judiciary for House GOP

Back2Stonewall: Trent Reznor is to Ted Cruz what Bruce Springsteen is to Chris Christie

Unilad: Argos is selling "Half Christmas Trees" for people with naughty cats

Greg in Hollywood: Nadal, Zverev say Dmitrov is the best-looking player on the tour

Hot Slut of the Day: Moments perfume by Priscilla Presley

Beantown Cubano: Johnny Diaz completes another Turkey Trot then makes a shirtless selfie to celebrate

Towleroad: Older gay men discuss their sex habits in a hilarious game of "Never Have I Ever" (watch)

Fred Goudon: Watch the making of the 2019 French firefighters calendar and see a teaser for the French sportsmen calendar

The Daily News: Woman furious after Southwest employee mocks daughter's name, "Abcde" (I'm with the employee)

BosGuy: Another sexy vintage gay couple (1970s or '80s?)

The Washington Post: Democrats block House GOP plan for food stamp work requirements as Congress cuts deal on massive farm bill

OMG Blog: Nico Tortorella shows off his ample derriere 

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Hot Cat of the Day: Always amazed by cats' agility ...

Signs of Life on Chelsea's 8th Avenue

Some good news from the evanescent gayborhood. No sooner did the beloved (by others) Rocking Horse Cafe unceremoniously close up shop, Jack's Wife Freda opened in the old home of Mary Ann's at 16th and 8th. Damian and I had brunch there on Sunday and were pretty impressed. The food has a slight Mediterranean flair to it, but not to a fault. 

For instance: The rosewater waffles were fairly straightforward but came with fruit and Greek yogurt.

 Damian had the (Maya's) breakfast bowl, with scrambled eggs, red quinoa, kale, spaghetti squash, grilled tomato and avocado (that he gave to me because it's the ONLY food he doesn't like). They also have fairly traditional eggs Benedict, steak and eggs, and a variety of salads and sandwiches. Dinner leans a little more Mediterranean, with steaks, lamb, fish, Peri-Peri chicken, mussels and so on. 

The dining room is bright and airy ...

And the beardy host/manager type is an added bonus ...

... running around in slim-fit chinos and just being generally adorable.

Across the street is a new location of Ample Hills Creamery. It's the wrong season for ice cream, but we've been to the Gansevoort shop and liked it. Should mention both Jack's and Ample Hills are "chains," but local ones that have their roots in the city. (My beloved Westville started as a single location in the West Village and is now a "chain," too)

And since I'm keeping score, should mention that Sam [sic] Deli & Juice Bar on 8th between 17th and 18th -- which briefly housed the "Splash" sex shop before it moved upstairs and rebranded itself "Rainbow and Triangle" [sic] and now "Sexy Boutique" -- closed a couple of months ago, adding yet another abandoned storefront to the Avenue of Broken Gay Dreams. The place grossed me out because it doubled as a deli and "smoke shop."

And now from east of 8th comes this bombshell: In the old home of Radio Shack on the corner of 23rd and 7th -- just a stone's throw away from Crunch gym -- is a new Taco Bell Cantina! I've never been to one of those so I'm not sure if this is bad news -- that they only have that bullshit menu where everything has cilantro -- or even worse news -- where they have the original menu that I love so much! Damian despises fast food and will divorce me if it's the latter ... we barely survived that time I ordered Arby's.

Song of the Day: 'Between You and Me' by Betty Who

Latest from the Aussie singer-songwriter. 

Page 1 Roundup (11/29)

The Daily News: Three top NYCHA execs lied about inspections right after public outcry over 2015 elevator death: DA

 Woman whose charred remains were found in a wooded Staten Island park likely doused herself with gasoline and set herself ablaze: police

New Jersey man charged with murder of brother, sister-in-law and their two young kids before setting fire to cover tracks

Accused Queens rapist whose penis was bitten by victim, surrenders

Vanity Fair: Nearly half of Sundance 2019’s features were directed by women

New York Post: Desperate blowhard makes another idle threat

Prep school grad in sex assault case asks for new trial

Sonja Morgan to make her improv comedy debut

The Washington Post: In a historic rebuke of Saudi Arabia and Donald Trump’s handling of the fallout over journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s killing last month, a decisive majority in the Senate voted to advance a measure to end U.S. military support for the Saudi-led war

USA Today: Rockefeller Center tree lighting: Diana Ross, Tony Bennett and other things you missed

Richlyn Group: John Oates is coming to a venue near you

The New York Times: Hakeem Jeffries emerges as new face of House Democrats

Les Moonves accused of forcing 'Showgirls' actress to perform oral sex on him during meeting

For deaf tennis player, sound is no barrier

The Wall Street Journal: Forget about your washboard abs, the hottest workout is for your fingers

Morning Wood

This one's for Damian, who has erased my skintone insecurities by only liking men this pasty or paler! 

As a kid I remember thinking Matthew Broderick in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” was the only one who could pull this off.

Remains of the Day (11/28)

Facebook: When Cher showed up at "The Cher Show" on Broadway

The New York Times: Democrats nominate Pelosi to be speaker but with significant defections

Instagram: Dorothy Hamill has nothing on corrupt cutie Aaron Schock

The Washington Post: Serial killer Samuel Little says a 1972 unsolved Maryland case is among 90 he got away with, police say

Witchrot: Best band breakup ... EVER!

Towleroad: Man abducted, beaten, robbed and stripped in homophobic attack after arranging hookup on Instagram

The Daily News: A younger El Chapo has "Saturday 'Stache" potential

Boy Culture: Here's a tush you won't want to miss

The Randy Report: Gus Kenworthy helps hot college student be "fearless" in coming out

Instagram: Fabio Fognini is now an underwear model

New York Post: Passenger says Delta pilot used Grindr to hit on him during flight

Metrosource: Penny Arcade strolls down memory lane in new stage show

Dlisted: The tragic fairy tale of the sad ginger prince "imprisoned" in an opulent palace

Gr8er Days: Oscar-winning director Bernardo Bertolucci dies at 77

Greg in Hollywood: Mario Cantone laments death of "Sex and the City 3," dishes on Aretha and reads from Wendy Williams memoir

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Hot Cat of the Day: Ice tease ...