Gas prices have sent subway ridership surging, and with those extra people comes extra litter, and therefore, extra rats. And according to amNY, the latest swarm doesn’t appear much bothered by human presence. “People have seen them sitting on benches,” said Andrew Albert, an MTA board member and chair of the NYC Transit Riders Council, of the underground rodent problem. …

Newly released documents confirm that the late famed chef Julia Child worked as a low level spy during WWII, something she alluded to in her 2002 autobiography. Before she mastered the secrets of French cooking, Julia Child was enrolled in the school of espionage. The famous chef let slip the story of her war-era spying in a 2002 autobiography, but …

A nice surprise: Ten New York Republican Senators have introduced legislation to the State Senate that will ban homophobic bullying in schools. The ‘Safe Schools for All Children Bill’ calls for training to help teachers identify and respond to bullying and places the responsibility of keeping tack on bullying cases with schools. The bill also includes protection for transgender students …

Built in 1951, the Lever House is considered the “quintessential and seminal glass box International Style” skyscraper. So says Wikipedia. While I understand its historical place in architecture, I find the Lever House just as deadly dull as the bazillion copies that followed. After falling into disrepair towards the end of the last century, there was a major renovation beginning …

Chinese gold medals won in women’s gymnastics are coming under question as proof has emerged that star competitor He Kexin is only 14 years old. In 1997 the minimum age for competing was raised to 16. Just nine months before the Beijing Olympics, the Chinese government’s news agency, Xinhua, reported that gymnast He Kexin was 13, which would have made …

John McCain says it’s OK for his veep to be pro-choice, like Tom Ridge, but not OK for him to be pro-gay, like Michael Bloomberg. “I think it’s a fundamental tenet of our party to be pro-life but that does not mean we exclude people from our party that are pro-choice. We just have a–albeit strong–but just it’s a disagreement. …

It’s been 24 hours and so far not a peep about the McCain/Manhunt story in the MSM, despite the story headlining virtually all gay and progressive blogs and forums. I did find mention in Ben Smith’s column at Politico.com, but nothing from traditional media so far. (Image Via – Michelangelo Signorile)

Hillary Clinton will be on the official nomination ballot at the Democratic National Convention. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s name will be placed into nomination at the Democratic National Convention, a symbolic move approved by the Obama campaign in an effort to soothe a lingering rift with Clinton supporters. The decision was reached this week, according to Democratic officials, and will …

Five years ago today at 4:10PM, New York City lost power for 30 hours. After some mild panic in Midtown that the situation was terrorism-related, I went home to my then-apartment on Bleecker Street where my roommate and I sat on the fire escape and read by his leftover menorah candles. Days later we learned that apparently we were the …

Travel company Olivia Cruises has begun taking deposits on the world’s first all lesbian housing development in Tuscon, Arizona. Olivia Communities will be a 334-unit resort-style living community in Tuscon, Ariz. Although anyone can purchase a home, the company is targeting lesbians. “My whole vision of this has always been about creating community and creating a place where we can …

From Will Farrell’s Funny Or Die. Some funny bits, but it goes on about two minutes too long. Good ending, though. (Via – Dan Savage)

The number of progressives demanding that Barack Obama not choose Evan Bayh as running mate is growing, as many point out that Bayh was instrumental in building the Democratic consensus to support the war in Iraq. Increasing speculation about the vice-presidential prospects of Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana is stirring strong interest among backers of Senator Barack Obama and not …

Performance artist Mini Karimi wants help: On September 6th, I am staging a large performance art piece that requires 6-8 hundred people recreating the parade scene from Ferris Bueller at the Deitch Art Parade in Soho. I am recruiting secret agents in the audience of the parade to mimic the extras in the movie as my Ferris float approaches. In …

Good news only. Brag, boast.

About 28 seconds of attacking McCain, then the tag line. “Barack Obama: the middle class first.” Is it just me, or is there a new ad from both sides about every 12 hours?

At 21st Street and 11th Avenue, I noticed some gay graffiti at the top of the building that housed the previous incarnation of the NYC Eagle, which leatherated on that corner for 30 years, 1970-2000.

Barney Frank and Tammy Baldwin might be getting some company in Congress. Entrepreneur Jared Polis, the first openly gay candidate for Congress from Colorado, won the 2nd Congressional District’s Democratic primary on Tuesday night. The race was defined by record- breaking campaign funding and vitriolic attacks in its waning days. “This election cycle, a lot of barriers are being broken,” …

Arkansas Democratic Chairman Bill Gwatney was shot today in the party’s Little Rock offices and is in critical condition. A gunman entered the Arkansas Democratic Party headquarters Wednesday and shot the party chairman, who was hospitalized in critical condition, authorities said. The gunman asked to speak to the party chairman, Bill Gwatney, and fired three shots at the office near …

Since I now follow Rich Morel’s chart successes the way I used to track Donna Summer’s, I must mention that this week Morel has his seventh #1 Billboard dance hit with his remix of Yoko Ono’s Give Peace A Chance. At 75 years old, Ono is the oldest person to have a dance chart number one, of which this latest …