On the Rag, Vol. 656

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

Grab: Dan Slater and Zoë Badwi bring people together

A&U: Dr. Huan Vinh Dong works to make healthcare and HIV awareness accessible to everyone 

HotSpots: Stonewall Pride 2021 is on!

DNA: Tommy Lorans on a secluded beach 

Between the Lines: Calvin Thompson was planning his funeral. Today, he’s helping those ‘worse off than me.’

Retro Rag:

While cleaning and packing, I came across these two items I had set aside: That's a 1999 Metrosource magazine -- from which I learned about NYC's gay tennis league when I first moved here -- and something called Fluffier, which speaks for himself ...

Song of the Day: 'Just Another Dream' by Cathy Dennis

Always loved Cathy Dennis's early '90s singles -- "C'mon and Get My Love," "Touch Me (All Night Long)," "Too Many Walls" and especially today's SOTD, all Top 10 hits in the U.S. But it wasn't until she popped up on MTV Classic led me to her Wikipedia page that I remembered she must be a very wealthy woman these days, having also written Kylie Minogue's "Can't Get You Out of My Head," Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl" and Britney Spears's "Toxic," among many other smashes. 

 

P.S. How beautiful does she look here?!!!

Page 1 Roundup (04/30)

The Daily News: De Blasio envisions ‘Summer of New York City’ with full reopening from Covid lockdowns on July 1

The Conversation: Gay wage gap: it’s linked to discrimination -- and is bad for economic growth

Thrillist: The world's oldest LGBTQ bookstore is still a Toronto icon

Reuters: Lithuanian artist uses homophobic messages to raise money for LGBT causes

Hot Slut of the Day: 7 Up’s dnL!

New York Post: Zach Wilson is living his best life with these NFL Draft selfies

Two people shot while dining at Peter Luger Steak House in NYC

The Hill: Alabama governor signs bill to remove anti-LGBTQ language from sex education curriculum

Buffalo News: Madeline Davis, 80, trailblazing gay and lesbian activist and historian

GCN: Henrietta Hudson is returning with a new look

The New York Times: After a year of loss, South America suffers worst death tolls yet

Biden, in Georgia to promote economic agenda, visits Carter

‘Fat Ham’ review: A queer, black ‘Hamlet’? Ay, there’s the spice rub.

The Washington Post: FBI warned Giuliani, key Trump ally in Senate of Russian disinformation campaign targeting Biden

The Wall Street Journal: AstraZeneca struggles with data needed for Covid-19 vaccine’s approval

Unusual Supreme Court majority rules in favor of Guatemalan who entered U.S. illegally

If you can make New York cheesecake in Japan, you can make it anywhere

Hot Cat of the Day: Know you place

Morning Wood

Mask4Masc

 

This one's hard to top, but a few more sexy masked men BELOW.

Thursday Ad Watch

Some personal news to share: After 23 years in my humble Chelsea abode -- and with some prodding by my main squeeze and live-in lover -- I am moving this weekend to a charming apartment in a tidy prewar building on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. As you might imagine, I have been through the gamut of emotions -- it's hard for me to say goodbye to the place my brother Bill helped me find way back when, the site of so many milestones and life-altering events having lived here longer than anywhere else in my life. But Damian and I are giddy about building a life together in a new and nicer setting, and are excited to live near the park(s) and to explore a whole new neighborhood. Packing has been a bit overwhelming, but so far the only regret I have is that I didn't hire these Roadway Moving boys for the big day. See what I'm talking about BELOW!

Song of the Day: 'Windy' by the Association

I love a tweet that hits the nail on the head! 

 

Note: I own every Beach Boys album. I love the album on which "Wendy" appears, "All Summer Long." That song never entered my mind once while listening to the Association -- and I don't think the average music fan could pick it out of a lineup. 

Page 1 Roundup (04/29)

The Daily News: Sad Rudy Giuliani promises ‘live statement’ after FBI raids his NYC home -- then is a no-show

GCN: More than 400 U.S. companies call for passage of federal LGBT protections bill

Asbury Park Press: 'Not all princes fall in love with princesses': LGBT children's book sequel hits shelves

Cosmo: The best LGBTQ dating apps

MetroWeekly: President Biden urges passage of Equality Act, tells transgender Americans 'your president has your back'

New York Post: Let me guess: Now 'Jeopardy!' contestants are playing 'the circle game' on national television

NewNowNext: Elliot Page cries 'tears of joy' in sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey

WION: Tokyo 2020 president visits Pride House Tokyo to call for LGBT awareness

James McCarville: 'Wokeness is a problem and we all know it'

Boy Culture: You won't believe former O-Town singer Ashley Parker Angel's bod

The New York Times: Biden offers sweeping agenda and touts democracy

3 indicted on federal hate crime charges in Ahmaud Arbery shooting

An Alameda police officer used his knee to pin down Mario Gonzalez for 2 minutes 50 seconds

The Washington Post: A gay man was targeted for his rainbow house idea. Dozens responded by helping him paint the colorful stripes.

Michael Collins, ‘third man’ of the moon landing, dies at 90

The Wall Street Journal: The U.S. cities where airlines see the most growth

Want a peek at post-Covid life? Check out Gibraltar

Hot Cat of the Day: Harvey is very suspicious of all the boxes in his home ...

Morning Wood

Tweet Nothings

My sister said she’s not getting the vaccine so I am going to change my HBO Max password 😌

— Josh Biggs (@biggsjrt) April 28, 2021

Vax Appeal

 

Erik Bottcher is vaxxed and ready to serve his community. Watch BELOW.

Wrestle Wednesday

 

How do we arrange a match between him and the guy BELOW?

Song of the Day: 'You're Makin' Me High' by Toni Braxton

I wasn't familiar with this video so it took me a while to realize why Damian was glued to the TV when it came on. Yowza. 

Page 1 Roundup (04/28)

 

The Daily News: Driver charged with killing NYPD cop in drunken Queens crash breaks down in tears outside precinct

Reuters: Anti-LGBT discrimination damages Eastern Europe's economic growth

JTA: Yeshiva University students file lawsuit to get LGBTQ student club recognized

Greg in Hollywood: Former news anchor Blake McCoy, wearing a skank tank, writes: 'Them who gossip, judge, lie and are happiest when other people are at their lowest'

Diffuser: Blondie albums ranked in order of 'awesomeness' -- with a surprise Number One!

Boy Culture: He's lucky you don't need a license for guns that big

New York Post: CDC announces updated Covid-19 mask guidelines

BosGuy: World Naked Gardening Day is May 1

DMN: For No. 2 Air Force post, Biden picks Gina Ortiz Jones, gay Iraq vet who nearly won W. Texas congressional seat

UPI: Department of the Air Force to study barriers for LGBTQ, Native American personnel

GCN: Biden administration reminds federal court of obligation to protect trans inmates

Goffroad: Unarmed gay black man Isaiah Brown shot multiple times by police; shooting was ‘completely avoidable,’ bodycam footage released

The New York Times: CDC eases outdoor mask guidance for vaccinated Americans

Live your gay millennial pandemic fantasy in Stardew Valley

CBS News: Nice to see that our children’s minds are in the best possible hands

The Washington Post: Police unions are pure evil

A New York Post story about Kamala Harris triggered conservative outrage. Almost all of it was wrong. Now the reporter has resigned.

The Wall Street Journal: Chess grandmasters obsess over gambits, endgames -- and chairs

Tracksuits -- like those worn by Run-DMC -- are back in style

My mom added me to her bank accounts before she died. Am I legally or morally obliged to disclose these accounts to my siblings?

Hot Cat of the Day: Would you believe this cutie -- Sonic the Bengal -- was standing in front of our apartment building yesterday?!!!!

Morning Wood

 

"My friends call me THE CHEST."

Cut and So?

 

Organized religion had nothing to do with mine -- here it's simply called being an American, and I'm not even remotely bitter about the petty theft. But I would pay money to see someone walk into a synagogue wearing this obnoxious shirt! 

Tennis Tuesday

 

More of Gabriel Navarro in Delio Dietz underwear BELOW.

Song of the Day: 'Hungry Like the Wolf' by Duran Duran

Watching MTV Classic has been such a reminder of the ebbs and flows of the (onetime) Fab Five. They started off rather intriguingly with singles like "Planet Earth," "Careless Memories" and "Girls on Film." Found world success (in large part because of Music Television) with "Hungry Like the Wolf" and "Rio." Then released some of the lamest material of their career ("Is There Something I Should I Know?," "The Reflex," "Wild Boys") at the peak of their popularity -- only to follow it up with some of their strongest ever ("Skin Trade," "Ordinary World," "Come Undone," "Electric Barbarella." 

As was the case back in the day, "Hungry Like the Wolf" is still in heavy rotation on MTV (Classic), so it got me reading up on the classic hit, which I was surprised to learn not every adores. (Damian was only 5 when it was released and it holds no place in his heart.) 

Although apparently it was revealed a million years ago on MTV's "Storytellers," this sure jumped out at me:

The lyrics were inspired by "Little Red Riding Hood," and the repeating of the word "do" at the end of each verse takes its melody from the instrumentals in Gordon Lightfoot's song "If You Could Read My Mind."

Simon LeBon: 

OK, the song in question is “If You Could Read My Mind Love, What a Tale My Thoughts Would Tell)” by ... and I want to say James Taylor -- but it isn’t it’s by someone else whose name’s just gone completely out of my head. Anyway there’s this bit in the verse, in fact the “what a tale my thoughts would tell” bit and it matches up almost perfectly with the doo-doos in "Hungry Like the Wolf” well not exactly, 'cause that’d be plagiarism, now wouldn’t it?

I have two reactions: 

A.) I don't hear any similarities between "Hungry Like the Wolf" and "If You Could Read My Mind."

and 

B.) I don't hear any similarities between Gordon Lightfoot and James Taylor -- and I should know!

P.S. Who remembers when the Durans competed against Spandau Ballet on "Pop Quiz" and the former had no problem recognizing every obscure Spandau song but Spandau was stumped by ... "Hungry Like the Wolf"?!!!!!!!!

Page 1 Roundup (04/27)

 

The Daily News: NYC Correction captain charged with criminally negligent homicide in hanging death of inmate she said was just ‘playing’

NBC New York: Gay couple reflects on baby found abandoned in subway station 21 years ago

Boy Culture: Why be normal, when you can be special? From the heart and mind of Ryan O'Connell, 'Special' returns to Netflix on May 20

Reuters: U.S. Supreme Court spurns case over California LGBT rights-related policy

Matthew's Island: 15 wet models at the beach

New York Post: NYC is so 1970s, minus the legendary art and music scenes

GCN: New York City Council passes intersex education bill

Connect FM: ‘The Simpsons’ producer says LGBT podcast led to gay actor replacing Hank Azaria as gay character

KFGO: Cameroonian LGBT activist champions imprisoned transgender women

Greg in Hollywood: In honor of Carol Burnett’s 88th birthday, some of her memorable variety show comedy sketches

The New York Times: U.S. population over past decade grew at slowest rate since 1930s

Which states will gain or lose seats in the next Congress

Daniel Kaminsky, internet security savior, dies at 42

Helen Weaver, chronicler of an affair with Kerouac, dies at 89

The Washington Post: Supreme Court to hear gun-control case next term on carrying weapons outside home

The Wall Street Journal: Simon & Schuster employees submit petition demanding no deals with Trump administration authors

 iOS 14.5: A guide to Apple’s new app-tracking controls

Who Nds th Lttr E? Scottish fund manager Aberdeen tries Abrdn instead

Hot Cat of the Day: Stories of animal cruelty are too much for me to bear. But kudos the Queens sanitation workers who saved this little cutie! 🙏

Morning Wood

 

Separated at Birth: Terri Alden and Jerri Blank?

Damian and I recently (and sort of inadvertently) starting watching "Three's Company." There's no substitute for the Chrissy years, but we found that the Cindy era held up quite well. (Her klutz routine wasn't quite as one-note as I remembered and Jenilee Harrison's comic timing is quite impressive for a newcomer.) Last night, however, Priscilla Barnes showed up and we made a horrifying discovery that once you see it, it cannot be erased.

+

= Terri Blank

 I know the show is remembered as having recovered nicely with the addition of Barnes -- filling Suzanne Somers's shoes was not easy -- but I've never cared for the Terri Alden character. Janet was already a pill, so it never made sense to add another one in a nurse's uniform. Between Terri's "sexy" baby voice (I don't tolerate baby voices), that horrific going-away party for Cindy when Jack and Larry try to send Terri packing (has there ever been a darker sitcom scene?), and the fact that she was elbowing out a far more likable character, I never got what people saw in her. Will be curious to see if she wins me over the second time around. 

P.S. Does anyone know the dirt on the time Suzanne Somers replaced Priscilla Barnes? Early in production of "She's the Sheriff," a two-page ad was placed in the Jan. 5, 1987, issue of Broadcasting & Cable magazine listing the show under the working title "Suddenly Sheriff" with Priscilla Barnes as the star. Wikipedia says "it is not known exactly when the show's name and casting were finalized," but the after-the-fact irony certainly wasn't lost on me.

Manspread Monday

And an even naughtier spread man BELOW.