Friday, June 23, 2017
365 Groovy Books Worth Reading
From: Deep Dish
95
Smash Cut: A Memoir of Howard & Art & the '70s & the '80s
by
Brad Gooch
2015
Author Edmund White describes this love story about Gooch's relationship with Howard Brookner (1954-1989) as "so glamorous, so sexy, and so devastating" (Brookner directed and co-wrote the 1989 comedy, Bloodhounds of Broadway, starring Matt Dillon, Jennifer Grey and Madonna).
Olivia Newton-John’s 69 Greatest Songs, Ranked!
From: NewNowNext
52
IT’S ALWAYS AUSTRALIA FOR ME
1988
This single was released for the Australian Bicentenary in 1988, and featured on the Australian version of The Rumour
Welcome! Singer & Glee Star Charice Pempengco Announced That He Now Identifies As Jake Zyrus
From: OMG
Congrats to Jake! This is huge! Charice has such a big fan base in the Phillipines and around the globe – it’s important for people to see the proud transformation into who he really truly feels he is! Check out Jake’s first tweets below!
My first tweet as Jake. Overwhelmed. Saw all your love comments and I'm so happy. Finally. I love you, everyone and see you soon.— Jake Zyrus (@jakezyrus) June 20, 2017
I won't let anyone ruin this moment. I won't let anyone ruin my happiness. Thank you to all the beautiful write ups about me.— Jake Zyrus (@jakezyrus) June 20, 2017
Kylie Minogue's 49 Best Songs, Ranked!
From: NewNowNext
32
“In Your Eyes”
I can tell what you’re thinking. My heart is racing, pulsing, and pouncing on this jam, too.
History's 125 Hottest Gay-Porn Stars
From: Boy Culture
 |
| Into the Wilde |
32
Austin Wilde
1983—
One of the most popular of today's actors has to be this biracial beauty. What makes Austin Wilde so special? He has the ability to be a hard-driving top, enough passivity to be a willing bottom, a preppy vibe that suggests you could bring him home to meet your mom, is ethnic, is not so ethnic that he turns off those guys who swear they aren't attracted to anyone with one drop of black blood in them—he's the full package.* Asked about whether there is a "color line" in adult movies, he said:
"Until just recently, I've never dealt with casting, so, like anyone, I can speculate but I can't say for sure. So, maybe I got lucky? I can say that my personality has probably gotten me pretty far. A positive. and outgoing, personality in this industry will usually do you good (take notes new guys that think you're God's gift to porn). Oh, and my dick."
Despite the bravado, I can report he's very nice in person.
Austin's work with Cocky Boys will likely be his calling card, especially all the stuff he does with real-life partner/sex partner Anthony Romero. He's also entrepreneurial, working on Guys In Sweatpants.
*On Twitter, porn star Chase Coxxx took exception to this sentence. His point was that it sounded as if I were praising Austin Wilde for being light-skinned enough to attract non-black gay men who say they are not into black gay men. Nothing could be further from my intention. My intention was not to laundry list positive attributes that make him sexy to me, but—and I felt it was clear—to explain what makes him so "special" that he has such a broad following. (For example, saying someone is versatile might explain why he does more movies than others, but it wouldn't necessarily mean being sexually versatile was better than being exclusively top or bottom.) I feel my characterization of guys who don't like men with "one drop" of black blood in them should make it clear that I find that abhorrent. Look, sexuality is not politically correct and there are no quotas when it comes to making a list of what turns on your dick. But I do find it racist if someone says, "I don't like black guys" or, "I don't like Asian guys" or, "I don't like white guys" because the range of men within those categories is so vast. That said, I did want to clarify because I would not want anyone else to take from my words what Mr. Coxxx did, and in spite of some comments from him with which I strongly disagree, I do thank him for his input and for pointing out what he felt was insensitive.
100 Hottest Out & Proud Celebs
From: OUT
Guillermo Diaz
Actor
Known for playing an affable drug dealer on Weeds and a gay nurse on NBC's short-lived Mercy, Diaz has never shied away from dark and sexy gigs. In an interview with The Advocate in 2012, he described his nude photo shoot in the gay magazine Pinups"
"I'd never heard of the magazine," recalled Díaz, who met Pinups' creator and photographer Christopher Schulz at a party. "I was like, ‘When are you going to shoot me?' And he asked, ‘You want to do it?' I said, ‘Yeah, let's do it. I want to be naked in a magazine.' "
Guillermo Díaz (born March 22, 1975) is an American actor. He is known for films Half Baked (1998), 200 Cigarettes (1999) and Stonewall (1995). He currently stars as Huck in the ABC drama TV series Scandal.
Díaz has made guest appearances on shows such as Chappelle's Show, Law & Order, Weeds, ER, and Girls.
15 Moving Tributes To The Orlando Pulse Nightclub Victims
From: NewNowNext
13
Puerto Rico Unveils First LGBT Monument, Pays Tribute To Orlando Victims
The landmark consists of seven concrete pillars with multicolored mosaics representing the rainbow flag of the LGBT community. The pillars were originally meant to commemorate the one year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage, but now it also in memory of those who died at Pulse nightclub-many who were of Puerto Rican descent.
100 Most Eligible Bachelors, 2017
From: OUT
Roman Sipe
Roman Sipe is a LA-based designer and stylist, who's dressed the likes of Shaun Ross, Taryn Manning, Riff Raff and Nico Tortorella.
Bears Abound! Here Are 99 Hairy Chests We Love
From: OUT
John Travolta
Actor
John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor, dancer, and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter (1975–1979) and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Grease (1978). His acting career declined through the 1980s, but enjoyed a resurgence in the 1990s with his role in Pulp Fiction (1994), and he has since starred in films such as Face/Off (1997), Swordfish (2001), Wild Hogs and Hairspray (both 2007).
Travolta was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for Saturday Night Fever and Pulp Fiction. He won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his performance in Get Shorty. In 2014, he received the IIFA Award for Outstanding Achievement in International Cinema. In 2016, Travolta received his first Primetime Emmy Award as a producer of the first season of the anthology series American Crime Story, subtitled The People v. O. J. Simpson, also receiving an additional Emmy nomination and a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of lawyer Robert Shapiro in the series.
Republicans Included A Sneaky Clause In Trumpcare Bill To Punish Democratic States
From: Washington Journal
Traditional etiquette dictates that regardless of which political party is in power, their agenda should focus on benefiting the entire country. After the election, they are expected to treat all Americans equally. Under Trump, the Republican party has jettisoned this idea. They are actively working to benefit Republicans and penalize Democrats.
The abominable Trumpcare bill was revealedyesterday, and hidden inside it is a special provision that specifically targets blue states.
In an overt betrayal of Trump’s campaign promises, the legislation makes serious cuts to Medicaid. Republicans are placing a cap on the program by only guaranteeing states a set amount of money per patient. Previously, the federal government agreed to help states pay a certain percentage of total medical costs per patient.
The new per capita expenditure is based on each state’s historical spending. Generally, Republican states have lower past expenses, and so under the new bill would receive less money.
To combat this, the GOP has added another rule, stating that a higher than average spending cap in a given state means the federal government can reduce its contributions by 2%. Not coincidentally, the onus of this striation falls largely on Democratic states.
Republicans added an additional rule to help their states. The legislation states that the 2% rule will not apply to any states that have a population density of fewer than 15 people per square mile. Such rural states reliably vote Republican.
Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota are some of the states that meet the cut. It’s a blatant handout to supporters, an effort to exclude Republicans from the 2% net. The only way it could be more overt would be if instead of population density, the exclusion benefit was given to “any states that contributed their electoral votes to a Republican candidate in the last presidential election.”
This rule is shameless, even by modern GOP standards.
The abominable Trumpcare bill was revealedyesterday, and hidden inside it is a special provision that specifically targets blue states.
In an overt betrayal of Trump’s campaign promises, the legislation makes serious cuts to Medicaid. Republicans are placing a cap on the program by only guaranteeing states a set amount of money per patient. Previously, the federal government agreed to help states pay a certain percentage of total medical costs per patient.
The new per capita expenditure is based on each state’s historical spending. Generally, Republican states have lower past expenses, and so under the new bill would receive less money.
To combat this, the GOP has added another rule, stating that a higher than average spending cap in a given state means the federal government can reduce its contributions by 2%. Not coincidentally, the onus of this striation falls largely on Democratic states.
Republicans added an additional rule to help their states. The legislation states that the 2% rule will not apply to any states that have a population density of fewer than 15 people per square mile. Such rural states reliably vote Republican.
Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota are some of the states that meet the cut. It’s a blatant handout to supporters, an effort to exclude Republicans from the 2% net. The only way it could be more overt would be if instead of population density, the exclusion benefit was given to “any states that contributed their electoral votes to a Republican candidate in the last presidential election.”
This rule is shameless, even by modern GOP standards.
Funeral Held for Otto Warmbier, Former North Korean Prisoner, at Ohio Alma Mater
From: NBC News
 |
| Otto Warmbier |
Four years ago, Otto Warmbier stood in front of his graduating class at Wyoming High School as the salutatorian, smiling and chipper even as he lamented leaving the tight-knit community where he grew up.
"Many of us will move far away and not come back for a long time. ... Tomorrow morning we will all belong to another class, another job or another city. No matter where we go or what we do though, we will always have this group here," the then-18-year-old said.
The speech was imbued with a fresh-faced optimism, one that friends would later say was authentically Warmbier, who would go on to attend the University of Virginia and double major in commerce and economics.
On Thursday morning, those classmates and the larger community returned to Wyoming High School to honor Warmbier — and say a final farewell before burying the young man whose five-day trip to North Korea resulted in a 17-month imprisonment that ended in heartbreak.
"When you hear his speech as salutatorian and you hear him speak about where we're going, and where we're going to be and what we're going to do, it is somewhat foretelling," Lauren Wadds, whose children graduated from Wyoming High School, told NBC affiliate WLWT ahead of the funeral. "It brings me peace. That's what brings me peace about Otto."
 |
| Fred and Cindy Warmbier watch as their son's casket is placed in a hearse after his funeral on June 22 in Wyoming, Ohio. Bryan Woolston / AP |
So many mourners turned up at the high school's arts center, with a capacity for 2,500, that the overflow had to be turned away, according to the station. Among those who spoke were his younger siblings, Austin and Greta, and friends.
"The message was taking all of the good things about Otto and paying them forward, if you will," Wyoming High School college counselor Cynthia Meis told NBC News about what was shared inside. "Being adventurous, being kind, being a student of the world, and using his life as an example for how we should all live our lives."
After the service, bagpipes blared as friends wearing blue ribbons carried Warmbier's casket out of the school and into a hearse, headed for the cemetery. Many left the school in tears.
Warmbier had been remembered as a standout at Wyoming High School, where friends and staff said he had a disarming charisma and was comfortable around different groups of students.
He was the captain of the soccer team and taught young children how to swim. He was crowned homecoming king and prom king. He would extol the virtues of rapper Biggie Smalls. And he could quote the TV show "The Office." During his graduation speech, he fondly recited one character's line: "I wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them."
Warmbier's death Monday after his surprise return last week from North Korea remains veiled in mystery.
By all accounts, he was healthy when he first visited the isolated nation in December 2015 as part of a Chinese-based travel tour — a stopover before he was set to begin his study-abroad trip in Hong Kong through UVA's McIntire School of Commerce.
North Korean officials accused him of trying to steal a propaganda banner from his Pyongyang hotel. As he prepared to depart from the airport, officers detained him. He was sentenced in March 2016 to 15 years of hard labor for "hostile acts" against the country.
"I made the worst mistake of my life!" an emotional and tearful Warmbier blurted out during his one-hour trial — although it was not apparent whether his confession was coerced.
 |
| A display of Otto's belongings he had with him while traveling abroad at the funeral service of Otto Warmbier on June 22, 2017. He wore the jacket during his trial. Courtesy of the Warmbier Family |
In the nerve-wracking months that followed, Warmbier's parents said there was no word from their oldest child. They didn't know he was suffering from brain damage, which the North Koreans said came after Warmbier contracted botulism and then took a sleeping pill, putting him in a coma.
Fred and Cindy Warmbier said they worked frantically with the Obama administration and other Washington lawmakers to get their son home. It wasn't until the North Koreans allowed Joseph Yun, the State Department's top official on North Korea, to fly to Pyongyang last week with a medical team and pick up the ailing Warmbier.
The North Koreans later said they released him — one of at least three known Americans detained there in recent years — on "humanitarian grounds." American doctors said they found no evidence of active botulism.
"I'm proud of Otto and the courage he showed by going to North Korea and having that adventurous side to him," Fred Warmbier told reporters two days after his son's return to U.S. soil. "And so, the fact that he was taken and treated this way is horrible, and it's tough to process. But we're tremendously proud of him."
At UVA, Warmbier joined the Theta Chi fraternity. His college girlfriend, Alex Vagonis, said at a vigil held after his death that he "made life all the more beautiful."
"And it was not just my life he made more colorful, but everyone else's," she told the crowd.
Warmbier would have graduated this past May from UVA.
 |
| Mourners attend the funeral for Otto Warmbier. Courtesy of the Warmbier family |
Meis, his high school college counselor, said it was a "stroke of luck" that she got to advise him during his senior year at Wyoming. She was struck by his ability to have mature conversations with adults.
"I've worked with teenagers my entire professional life, and I've never come across a young man as charismatic, as bright and as personable as Otto was," Meis said. "He was willing to set the world on fire."
Hundreds of people filed into Wyoming High School on Thursday to pay tribute to him, including Yun, who helped to free him, and Ohio Sen. Rob Portman. Three miles of the suburban Cincinnati town were lined with white and blue ribbons on the trees and gates.
 |
| Mourners line the street after the funeral of Otto Warmbier on June 22, 2017, in Wyoming, Ohio. Bryan Woolston / AP |
"Each ribbon wrapped around a tree is like an arm wrapping around the Warmbiers," said Gretchen Tash, whose son is friends with Warmbier's younger brother.
The outpouring of love for him and the kinship felt in the Wyoming community led her to tears.
"Otto's legacy is that we get to live on with life," Tash added, "and to do any less than to celebrate it each day would be living it in vain."
PEEP THIS PHOTO SERIES OF NAKED GUYS READING IN BED
From: PAPER
Though he has quite the following in the digital sphere with his popular Instagram account, it's photographer Luke Austin's 60-page printed Mini Beau booklets he's been producing steadily since 2014 that have helped win him his devoted online fan base. Recently publishing his sixth booklet, titled Bed 2 and featuring images of men lounging nude in sun-bathed beds with their favorite books in hand, the booklet series features images of strapping men wearing nothing (or next to nothing) frolicking in the sun-dappled hills of L.A. (Runyon Canyon), posing in women's wigs (Femme) and showing off their rears (Butt). "It was originally just a fun little idea that I never expected it to get as big as it did," says Austin, who posts the booklet images to his Instagram, along with other work and the occasional selfie. "But people really responded to them and its been fun being able to continue the series."
Austin mostly casts friends or guys he's spotted scrolling through social media, only occasionally working with professional models. "I've always preferred shooting the 'regular' guy as opposed to professionals," says Austin, "because there's that little resulting awkwardness that really works in the photo."
Indeed, there's a voyeuristic element to Austin's naturally-lit, unposed images -- particularly in his Bed series, which features strapping, chiseled men in poses that are more vulnerable than macho. "I like softening the macho, and I think it's refreshing to see muscle guys shot like that," says Austin. "The Bed books forced the models to concentrate on reading instead of what their body looked like. There was no posing, no flexing -- just beautiful shots of the naked male body."
Explore those shots and to see more of Austin's images, visit his website at Luke Austin Photo.
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