Latest News Roundup - October 2009
Saturday, October 31, 2009

BOO! Church St Halloween pics and video

Gazillions of people packed into the Church-Wellesley neighbourhood of Toronto tonight to celebrate Halloween.

Check out our haunted photo gallery here. And our video below.



 

  

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Friday, October 30, 2009

Daily Roundup: Last-minute Halloween ideas!

Halloween's tomorrow and you haven't got a costume yet?  Me neither!  Sure, we could just go as ourselves -- since gay people are apparently scarier than Paranormal Activity -- but if you want something a bit flashier, here's some last-minute ideas:

Scary Costume:  Joe Jackson

Michael's father is a bigger monster than Frankenstein!

Superhero Costume:  Elton John 

  

I hope I can pull off such acrobatic moves when I'm 80!

Political Costume:  An egg

A Colorado initiative insists that ovum should have the legal rights of a person.  In 2012, Sarah Palin will become president thanks to the new voters in the produce aisle:

Sexy Costume:  The Chinese Fruit Bat

An environmental blog writes, "Prepare to enter the fascinating world of fruit bat fellatio." Oh scientists, you had me at hello!

Party Costume:  Yet Another South Carolina Family Values Republican

Damn, these right-wingers know how to party -- in a cemetary, no less: 

 
Drag Costume:  Matthew Shepard as Dolly Parton

Judy reveals that she knew her son was gay after young Matt went out as the Backwoods Barbie three years in a row.  That is both the cutest and most bittersweet thing I've heard all week.

Movie Costume:  Brokeback Mountain 2 

Jake's appearing on Sesame Street and the jokes just write themselves, don't they?

However you decide to dress this Halloween, have a safe and happy weekend!

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Thursday, October 29, 2009

Daily Roundup: Make me smile

It feels like there's been no shortage of bad news this week.  The death of Chris Skinner.  The Winnipeg bathhouse arson.  The passing of former Whistler, BC mayor Ted Nebbeling.  The thought of losing The Hidden Cameras to Berlin.  And then...this completely appalling baptism footage:

 
I hate to break it to the padre here but I too was baptised as a child and, well, look how that turned out!

So I'm not going to let another dime-a-dozen religious homophobe get me down.  At times like this, I like to focus on the little things -- a few random bits that made me smile and hopefully you too:

-- Three words, people:  Ecuador transgender makeovers!

-- The over-the-top delight of the Palm Beach Sugar Daddy Ken Doll. My Earring Magic Ken's been so very lonely!

-- Levi Johnson's veiled threats to blab Sarah Palin's secrets.  We joked about wanting to see what's in his pants; who knew we'd now want to see what's in his mind?

-- Actor Forbes March finally confirming what soap opera fans already knew: gay teen couple Luke and Noah are so tragically bland because they're forced to be

-- The Ooh La La guys are showing off the new Abercrombie & Fitch catalogue.  I may hate the clothes but I love the models who don't wear them:

-- Michael Bublé insisting he's not that "clean-cut" Canadian kid by revealing that he smokes pot and was once pegged as gay.  Ooooh...badass!

-- "A Tragic Video History Of Male Nudity In Science Fiction [NSFW]," the amusing list that reminded me how hot Russell Crowe looked in Virtuosity

-- what, you thought I'd forget to mention Obama finally signing that hate crimes bill into law?  A great day for our American friends!

-- and finally, another hit of silliness from late-night comic Craig Ferguson.  Sure, I posted his last dance number just a couple weeks ago but this one is just as hilarious and really, really, really gay: 

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Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Police lay charges over fatal Winnipeg bathhouse fire

Winnipeg police have charged a man with two counts of manslaughter in connection with a deadly bathhouse fire earlier this month, reports the CBC.

Justin James Rosdobutko, 25, was arrested Tuesday. He is in police custody.

Two men died as a result of the Oct 11 fire at Winnipeg's Aquarius Bath. The first victim was identified as Steven Yablonski, a 23-year-old Winnipegger and popular drag queen. A vigil for Yablonski drew hundreds to the burned-out bathhouse on Oct 12. The second victim was later identified as Robert Clark, 62, of Saskatchewan.

Aqaurius Bath on Oct 11, hours after the fire. (Kaj Hasselriis photo)

Police told the CBC that there is no indication that the two men were targetted. Police also said that there is nothing to suggest the fire was a hate crime.

Authorities estimate the fire caused $500,000 in damage to the builiding.

Read more:


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Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Daily Roundup: Music to my ears

As the same-sex marriage debate heats up in Washington DC, New York blogger Joe Jervis posted some hilariously awful footage of one particular Bible-thumping loon and said:

"Yes, she is horrible, but I don't know when I've laughed so hard. Somebody please remix this lady."

Well, I'm no DJ, Joe, but -- with huge, huge apologies to the Pet Shop Boys -- here's mine (turn on the annotations for the amazing Gallery Guy):

 
Yeah, I'd best leave the mixing up to the professionals, like Canadian electropop group Dragonette, who recently squeezed into a little CBC Radio studio to perform a number:
 
 
In other music news, out American Idol Adam Lambert just revealed the cover art for his forthcoming CD:
 
 
 

He's certainly getting a reaction. The Queerty blog yelled, "We love you Adam, but no. NO. NO!"  Entertainment Weekly said, "it’s a little more, um, out there than the pensive-yet-ultimately-benign images we’ve come to expect from Idol runners-up."

Many others have pointed out the obvious glam links to early David Bowie and/or Michael Jackson but let's face it -- your average Wal-Mart shopper is going to see only this:

 

But hey, it's no more outré than the great gay T-shirts American Apparel is now selling.  Lambert deserves a big pat on the back for putting himself out there like that -- hopefully his sales won't be as disastrous as the movie that will carry his theme song:

 
And finally, no music Roundup would be complete without this ridiculous number from The Brave and the Bold, the new Batman cartoon that, in last week's (musical!) episode, featured Neil Patrick Harris as the villain.  For geeks and show queens alike, it's purrrr joy!
 
 
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The Roundup

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Andrea Houston
andrea.houston@xtra.ca

Natasha Barsotti
natasha.barsotti@xtra.ca

 


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