Dressing Up and Dressing Down - I think I'm probably glad that John was out of town during the toy gun incident on Capitol Hill today. But how come only some versions of the reports include the fact that the gun was carried in by aides of Rep. Shimkus? By the way, the Capitol wasn't the only place where Halloween costumes created confusion today.

Week Minded - Well, what newly proclaimed week by the White House could generate more interest for Beaverhausen readers besides Marriage Protection Week? Why Protection from Pornography Week, of course! I know that none of us would ever intentionally visit sites containing such filth, but just in case, you might want to download the American Family Association-approved filter to prevent temptation.

Practical Jokes and Truckers Caps - Our buddy, and future-stepfather extraordinaire, Ashton Kutcher is back with a whole new season of Punk'd AND That 70's Show.

Remembering Matthew, Revisited - There's a bewildering, enraging twist to the five year anniversary of Matthew Shepard's death, a rememberence already noted by John. Fred Phelph's followers have proposed a monument in Casper, Wyoming to "remind" visitors that gays are sinners who go to hell. What creates an issue is that the town currently has a statue commemorating the ten commandments in a public park, opening up issues of free speech. But, as of tonight, it seems like the town has chosen to relocate the ten commandments monument to a plaza, which hopefully should clear up some of the murky issues of free speech and prevent a monument to the capacity for human hatred and intolerance.

Please... What eez "tee-vee schedule"? - Among the trends I'm not concerned about is the increasingly fickle nature of prime time television scheduling, noted by the AP. Who cares if networks juggle their lineups and replace and shuffle programs willy-nilly? Average viewers may be frustrated, but as long as the arrangement becomes fixed with enough lead time that TiVo knows when to record, I'll continue to watch at my leisure.

Like Oz on the Gridiron - I'm trying to catch up with ESPN's controversial behind-the-scenes NFL miniseries Playmakers. I'm hoping to catch the drift the show's minor plotline having to do with a closeted gay player. Dan Petronijevic plays No. 83 Thad Guerwitcz, a pretty boy receiver with a big secret -- a jealous boyfriend who can't deal with the player's need for cover girlfriends and gaybashing trash talk. This fictionalized Esera Tuaolo is no sweetheart, although he doesn't stand out on a team full of drug addicts and wife-beaters. I've got some doubts about the way the player's relationship with his boyfriend is played -- anyone dating a pro football player would surely understand their boyfriend's predicament. Still, the reliance on attractive beards and homophobic bravado does ring true, just as in the real-life story about a current gay NFL'er recently discussed on OutSports. All in all, Petronijevic is plenty cute enough to keep my TiVo-fast-forwarded interest for a bit longer. Stay tuned because the big "outing" episode is this week.

Silver Lining - Not that you can say anything good about the infernos (inferni?) engulfing California's hills these days, but at least they've put the CDF firefighter back in the news. Woof. Pity you just missed the unveiling of your local Sacramento FD calendar down at Albertson's, Ben.

More tales of a life ruined via the "send" button - Our contact on the Hill belatedly shared this Peter Chung-esque e-mail faux pas with the Beav. Apparently, an unlucky Senate intern by the improbable name of Kelly Tripplehorn found his July 2003 kiss-off letter to his girlfriend shared among co-workers who thought it amusing enough to send all over the Senate and House, with predictable effect on his employability. For background, here's the Roll Call article.

Lessons Learned - It's usually a bad idea to order a Cosmopolitan after midnight on a school night, even if you are at the Four Seasons for an after-party with Lily Tomlin.

Donor Interference - Princeton was on NPR the other day, but not for a good reason. It seems that a wealthy benefactor wants a very hefty chunk of our endowment (over $500 million) back. As this WaPo explainer relates, the Robertson family that underwrote the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs (Woody Woo in local parlance) says the institution isn't doing enough to send its graduates into government service. Since this was the stated purpose of their 1961 gift, the Robertsons think they have the right to get their money back and have sued. The school retorts that public service is broader than the federal bureaucracy: "Given a choice between stamping passports at some U.S. consulate and, say, working for an international agency establishing health clinics in Tajikistan, most students would hop an airplane to central Asia." Eh, we politics majors always thought the WWS'ers were tools anyway, but the plaintiffs sound like spoiled rich kids to me. Can't we all just get along?

Extinctathon - I just finished reading a lovely, uplifting book about the end of the world via bioterrorism. It's Margaret Atwood's latest, Oryx and Crake. Largely written before 9/11 and the anthrax mailer, the book's eponymous villain is not a Muslim extremist but rather a bored, hyperintelligent biotech geek who decides that humanity's done with and splices together a genetically superior race as a hobby. While many aspects of the story are intended as satire against capitalist technocracy run-amok, as Richard Posner put it in his review for The New Republic: "There have always been Crakes; only now they are much more dangerous, and there are more of them. And the more scientific brainpower that is deployed to fight them, the more scientists there will be who, like Crake, know how to use technology to commit terrorist acts of appalling magnitude." Cheery thought for a Monday.

Woofball - UVa's quarterback Matt Schaub's roommate and "best buddy" on the football team is a hunky wide receiver named Ryan Sawyer. The 6'2" 200-lbs. receiver (now sporting the shaggy look) had an excellent game in today's homecoming against Troy State and was featured in the post-game interviews. Nice to get some recognition for such a hottie.

Shag Bracelets - What would that old killjoy Scalia think of youngsters playing a game of "Snap" with their jelly bracelets? A blast from the past (1980s) re-popularized around the millenium, these colorful bangles have developed into the straight youth equivalent of the hanky code. Originally meant to indicate mood, different colored bracelets can be "snapped" by a suitor to indicate what type of sexual interaction he wants. Kinky!

Charmed, I'm Sure - Why do I think it's a very safe bet that the Mitchell household is not "far more obsessed with hottie Alyssa Milano, star of WB's Charmed, than with K Street"? For all the clamor from Beltway insiders about the series, the truth, as the WaPo tell us, is that no one is watching. I am an HBO subscriber, and I haven't watched, but we've got our own political drama going on for free here in Sacramento. What do you say for yourselves, Washingtonians?

Paul Broussard - Thanks to Schroeder for forwarding this to us, and my apologies for not blogging on it sooner. Earlier this month, parole was denied to two men convicted of killing a gay man in Houston in 1991. I have to admit that I was unfamiliar with the case before reading the most recent developments, and so I had to do a little research about what had happened to Paul Broussard. His mother, Nancy Rodriguez, has now become active in the crusade for victim's rights. I wonder if case would have generated more publicity and more public sympathy in a post-Will & Grace, post-Matthew Shepard era.

Cosmetic Changes - These days it's not just Andrew Jackson who's getting a makeover. The Brawny paper towel man has a new look, following a contest to find the face to define the brand. (Thanks, Poliguy for the link, and congrats to Jimbo for choosing a winner.) For more fun, take the poll on the AJC website or else try to dig up some dirt on Mario Cantacessi before The Smoking Gun does. (Yes you can still download a screensaver of the contestants.)

Family Portraits - I'm sure we can all agree that there are many debate-worthy issues surrounding the case of Terri Schiavo -- euthenasia, rights of the disabled, how to define quality of life and many others. However, more interesting to me than the legal aspects or medical ethics is how this family became so divided and at war about the decision. Why couldn't agreements be reached? I haven't been able to find much background on the situations that have led up to the legal battles being reported on this week. I think that understanding the family history could help to contextualize the issues now up for debate and legislation as a result of the publicity of the case.

Potent Portables - Speaking of wireless carriers, when can I expect AT&T to pony up some sweet deals so I don't change my number? Given my past customer service experiences, I'm not holding my breath.

Civic Pride - Well, you know you've really arrived when you get a Claim Jumper with its gargantuan portions, eh?

Sushi Memo - So John, as a law firm insider, what was your take on the "sushi memo" story in the NYTimes? This incident is a bit reminiscent of the DC summer intern with the misdirected sushi email, eh?

A Love Story - David and Liza are back in the news, with a new $10M lawsuit alleging alcohol-fueled violence against blameless, defenseless David Gest. It's always so sad when love between a gay man and his diva wife doesn't work out. Oh wait, "Been There, Done That," huh, Liza?

Metrosexuals in Training - Adolescent boys are jumping onto the Adonis complex with greater frequency, the WaPo reports. These tweens and teens are hitting the gym early and often, trying to become as buff as Abercrombie & Fitch coverboys. John, don't you think it's about time for a scholarly investigation into the aspirational body image role models of young cubs-in-training?

Living on the Hill - I missed this nice positive WaPo article about good things happening in our new neighborhood, but I wanted to share now that I've found it.

Why Verizon Sucks - This Slate hatchet job gives you four reasons (including a nifty new Internet telephony program), and I'd like to add a few more grievances:

Competition Killer - I long had a problem with the way our local phone company (the super-Baby Bell created when Bell Atlantic merged with Nynex) rode roughshod over competing DSL providers in our area. My first broadband connection was through Concentric, later XO Communications. When we moved to Arlington, I had Northpoint. In both cases, Verizon (who owns the bottleneck central offices) created the worst headaches by taking intolerably long to set up service. It's no wonder that these companies either went bankrupt or no longer provide home DSL. Of course, here on Capitol Hill we had no choice but to get Verizon's own brand of DSL service, which was hooked up in no time. Hmm.

Cable Scrambler -The history of cable TV service in the District is nightmarish, but the root of the problem can be traced back twenty years to the political deal that gave -- you guessed it -- Verizon the sole right to design, construct and control the system's distribution facilities. Years later District Cablevision still gives terrible service, even though Comcast took over the franchise, buying itself a whole bunch of problems in the process. Things have gotten somewhat better for people who can choose the competing service of Starpower. Since they're not available on the Hill, however, Jamie and I have become reluctant satellite TV customers here in the urban heart of the nation's capital.

Wrong-way Wireless - Verizon's mobile unit (a JV with Vodafone) may be the largest wireless provider in the USA, but it is consistently behind the curve on deploying the latest technology when it comes to phones and features. GSM isn't necessarily the better technology (neither was VHS), so there's no reason the CDMA phones offered by Verizon and others can't be just as cool and advanced. But apparently Verizon can't streamline the distribution channel to all us eager consumers, which leaves a backlog of ugly, unsophisticated phones on their shelves.

Back in 1996, the much ballyhooed Telecommunications Act was going to change the way we all communicated by opening up the broadband/wireless/landline industries to competition. The Baby Bells never wanted it to happen, and since then they've done a superb job of stifling innovation and keeping the US stuck in low-gear while the rest of the world passed us by. Think of it as the revenge of Ma Bell's kids, and Verizon is the biggest bully in the bunch. Want to hear what I think about Microsoft? ;-)

It All Started in Bilbao - Ben, are you going to make it to the new Walt Disney Hall in LA next time you are home? Seems like these days everyone's gotta getta Gehry. The critics are raving. Ours in DC is still many years off, you lucky devils.

Crazy Like a Fox - Is John Allen Muhammad stupid, or smart, to be taking over his own defense? I think he might be pretty smart -- after all, a jury that winces all the way through a trial over the defendant's stupid mistakes may just be more likely to spare him the lethal injection at the end. Keep up with the latest from the WaPo in their special report here.

The last stand for the stand-alone boxes? - Industry analysts are calling this Christmas the last for "stand-alone" digital video recorder boxes, a la TiVo, according to this NYT article. The biggest challege: cable boxes with DVR functionality built-in will really put the pressure on the makers of separate components. (No wires to connect!) Comcast is already testing models with capabilities rivaling TiVo OS 4.0's Home Media Option. But maybe, just maybe, our buddies in Alviso, California have a plan. They are already putting TiVo-branded DVR technology inside the next must-have TV gadget, the DVD-burner. (So long, VCR.) As enticing as such bleeding-edge devices are, I am still waiting on the only new TiVo I'd be willing to buy, the long-promised HDTiVo. And waiting... And waiting...

Catching up on related news, the rumored split between TiVo and Rupert Murdoch, the new owner of DirecTV, appears to be greatly exaggerated.

Not Exactly Britney and Madonna - But what's a little love among teammates?

Reichen Would Go - In honor of this month's Advocate cover hotties (aren't Chip and Reichen's 15 minutes up by now?) here's news from the movement to let gay troops serve openly: According to Gay & Lesbian Service Members for Equality, gay soldiers in Iraq have come out to their compatriots and nothing bad happened! (Question: Is GLSME just another front for UC-Santa Barbara's Center for Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military?) Read the PlanetOut press-release-as-news-report for "more."

Just leer back at 'em - John Aravosis's weekly rant against homophobes and Republicans contains this humorous aside: "This is my favorite photo from the weekend's protest of Lynchburg's gay pride. When even anti-gay wackos are 'metrosexual' hotties, you know you've won :-)" Way to snap, Johnny!

Heretics in the Temples - Hey Ben, what do you know about Stanford conservatives? For a Bay Area school, Leland's university has produced a number of notables on the right. Of course, you've got the Hoover Institution, which has been home to such hawks as George Shultz and Condoleezza Rice. On the gay marriage front, our buddy Stanley Kurtz hails from S.U. I just wonder because my anti-gay nemesis Princeton Prof. Robbie George is in Washington today to give a talk at the white-shoe firm of Covington & Burling this afternoon. (I'm going to the gym instead.) There was a write-up about him in the Alumni Weekly's current issue. Maybe my college roommate Rob can send him my best next time he visits the George homestead in West Virginia.

The Sizzler Factor - Are same-sex couples closer to their married straight counterparts or to footloose singletons a la Carrie Bradshaw and friends? This Business Week article about "Unmaried America" lumps Jamie and me in with the SATC girls. In general, that also seems to be the point of David Frum's anti-gay marriage piece in today's WSJ. Responding to Andrew Sullivan's challenge to conservatives on this issue last week, Frum basically argues that gay marriage will inevitably lead to a proliferation of quasi-marriage legal arrangements (some more like marriage, some less) which will be available to, and hopelessly confuse, straight people. Most importantly, the "50 different buffets" of legal choices will fool especially women into accepting a marriage-like arrangement that doesn't adequately provide for the proper up-bringing of the kids. And this is all the fault of us gays, but mostly it seems for accepting a status less than that of true marriage.

What's in a name? (Part 2) - Tangentially, I saw where the William & Mary gay alumni association had created something called the Richard Cornish Endowment Fund to purchase of gay and lesbian literature for the school library. Who was this Richard Cornish, you ask? Well, it seems Cornish was an the first person tried and convicted of sodomy in the thirteen colonies, way back in 1624. After martial law was imposed by the royal governor in 1610, the story goes,

The first person to be executed was Richard Cornish, a ship's captain accused of sexually assaulting his indentured servant, William Cowse. The charge, as chronicled in the minutes of the Virginia court, sounds today like a case of sexual harassment - Cornish wanted to have sex with Cowse, who refused and then was given extra work. On the basis of the testimony of another crewmember who overheard Cornish proposition Cowse, Cornish was tried and hanged. Two men who publicly objected to the execution as unjust received punishments of their own - standing on the pillory and having their ears cut off.

The objectors seem to have believed Cornish was set up by the "rascally" Cowse, but we can imagine that buggery wasn't so rare among the young and all-male Virginia Company settlers. Thus began the long and sordid history of sodomy laws in the Commonwealth and the other colonies, leading up to their final demise under SCOTUS's 2003 Lawrence ruling.

What's in a name? (Part 1) - I see that the Lesbian and Gay Immigration Rights Task Force, Los Angeles has changed its name to Immigration Equality. This on the heels of several state organizations going through a similar renaming -- Virginians for Justice recently became Equality Virginia and Equality California is the former California Alliance for Pride and Equality (CAPE). Do I note a trend here? Am I right to suspect HRC is behind this, given the similarity in the logos?

Love in Time of War - I hope I get a chance to see the short feature film Yossi & Jagger sometime. It's about a wartime gay romance between two officers in the Israeli army (who happen to be pretty cute, in my opinion). I hear it's an interesting perspective on social pressures that come to bear on the men despite Israel's liberal attitude about gays in the military. Even though the film avoids making any political statements about the Palestinian question, that hasn't stopped your typical gay leftist outrage at anything Israeli.

Haven't we covered this before? I thought the meme had sunk in by now that if you're gay, you should have a damn hard time supporting Yasser Arafat and his jihadi henchmen. You're missing out if you haven't yet read the stories about the intolerable treatment gay Arabs receive from Palestinian government and society -- so bad that many youth risk it all to seek relative safety living on the lam in the land of their "enemies," the Israelis. Not that the Palestinians are much worse than other Arab countries when it comes to mistreating gays.

Much Ado - Give a regulator a TiVo and what do you get? Government-regulated TiVo. The FCC, computer makers, broadcasters and the entertainment industry are in another wrangle over whether any device that can record digital TV would have to be built with special circuitry to protect copyright holders. Taking the long view, none of these technological measures are going to matter in the end. Remember how excited people got about the V-chip? Does anyone even realize they've got one in every TV set these days? Exactly. Methinks we'll care about as much about the "broadcast flag" in 10 years.

Hey, don't give up, Sacto - USAT investigates what it takes for mid-size cities to be hip. Meanwhile, DC continues its agonizingly slow efforts to revitalize itself as a residential choice for young urbanites with a new plan for the SW waterfront. (Yay, mixed-use lifestyle center!) Here's an idea -- how about if we do something to eliminate the sickening smell from the fish market if you want people to move there. As Jamie noted, Pike Place Market it ain't.

You Ask - We Respond - A Cap Hill staffer who shall remain nameless wanted some B-haus analysis of the Rush Limbaugh drugs affair. It all kinda reminds me of the brief hoo-hah about professional nag William Bennett when it was revealed he had a gambling problem. Conservatives are people with problems too? Who knew? Of course, the reason we don't cut guys like these any slack when they reveal their failings is because they don't do anyone else the favor. It's the counter-golden rule: Do unto others as they've been doing unto you for years. I really should ask my mom what she thinks, since she gets most of her political analysis from the big fat idiot.

Oh, and leave it to Drew to argue that Rush was better at what he did because he was high all the time. Shyah, dude. Of course, if I had to make any serious comment about this inherently comedic subject, I'd say that painkillers seem to be a real danger out there. Some of them get damn close to heroin in physiological effect, and they are "almost" street legal. We all know people who've been on them and at least joke about wanting to get more after the medical need is gone. I think it's worth it to learn a lesson from the fall of Rush, even if you can't bear to offer him any wishes for a prompt recovery.

Linguistics Today - The Washington Post has -- with some fumbling -- embraced the term taikonaut (my favorite) to describe China's first astronaut. The NYT did not, unfortunately, follow suit, while the BBC put it in a sidebar. (I don't think the version the Chinese are pushing -- yunhangyuan -- is going to catch on any time soon. It almost sounds kind of dirty, doesn't it?) Here are some links to some cool pictures of the secret Chinese launch center -- so much for cloak-and-dagger.

Catch and Release - The Times-Picayune does the Queer Eye thing in reverse. A mildly amusing story, but really I think the subtext belies the author's main objective. The truth is there's just nothing all that "straight" about a "guy's night out" that any semi-literate queer theorist can't deconstruct, especially in the French Quarter. No wonder the bartender at Coyote Ugly could spot the makeover subject from a mile away. I bet every night she's got boys in there who, once sufficiently liquored up, slip down the block to Bourbon Pub or Oz. Laissez les bon temps rouler, y'all.

All Rhodes Lead to... - Sounds like there may be some trouble in the on-again off-again romance for Rhodes scholars Ian Klaus and his girlfriend, Stanford alumna and current McKinsey consultant, Chelsea Clinton. (Pointless trivia: Chelsea nearly ran over my college roommate Netty during a bicycle incident in front of Meyer Library.)

And who knew that Ian founded "Bears and Cubs," a service organization which brings Washington University athletes into the community as both tutors and coaches? WOOF! ;-)

When Fratboys Attack - News comes to us of a melee at Princeton's neighbor to the north, Rutgers, located in beautiful New Brunswick, New Jersey. It seems two fraternities and the wrestling team got involved in the fight, which left two students with bad head injuries after someone started swinging a baseball bat. The injured students belong to an "unofficial" fraternity called Squam, who had squared of against members of Sigma Pi after denying the fratboys entry into their party. Reactions on campus were what you'd expect, while University officials have suspended three wrestlers, senior Kenneth Rodriguez and sophomores Christopher "Shrek" Gornick and Justin Smigelsky. The bat-wielding attacker was Rodriguez's brother Jonathan, a former Rutgers student who was set to re-enroll. Talk about a motley crew of thugs, Ben! Not exactly your 311 Boyz, eh?

Rated G for Gore - Will that ever elusive twenty-something TV market tune into a channel programmed by policy wonk and one-time presidential contender Al Gore? Apparenty Al is set to spend other people's money on acquiring the moribund Newsworld International and reposition it for the MTV crowd. Hey, they're going after the right target audience, but I can't imagine the any amount of hip-hop theme music could possibly be enough to fake the jaded Generation Y into caring about current events. I'm a bit shocked to discover DirecTV actually carries this channel -- how's that for value-added programming? I guess I'll have to tune in after the sale and see if it lives up to the buzz.

Consumer Culture - There's a bit of disagreement when you read these two articles about personal spending. Slate talks about the brand name cache of Starbucks coffee, BMW cars and Godiva chocolates for the middle class to outwardly demonstrate status while Salon informs us that really it's not lattes that are sending Americans into bankruptcy. Guess maybe Suze Orman's advice about buying stocks instead of your daily latte wouldn't matter that much after all...but it sure did sell her a lot of books!

The Slate article offers the hypothesis that "everyone is willing to pay more for something...so long as it speaks to a longing in the soul." So, gentle reader, what is your precious commodity?

One Cherrific Night - This is our last goodbye, it's true. I'm telling you.

Yes, you guessed it. Jamie and I went with the gang to the MCI center Friday night for the Cher Farewell Tour 2003. I hadn't been to a major concert production like that since the Metallica tour in 1997. (How's that for a juxtaposition?) Unfortunately, there were no sweaty musclecubs with shaved heads moshing shirtless to "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves." Rather there were many older straight couples reliving the heady days of their 1970's youth alongside the obligatory squealing throngs of "flamboyant gentlemen." We even got to give our own cheer when Cher acknowledged us, but I think she should have done more to thank all the fag hags present and -- shockingly enough -- the many lesbians in the crowd. (I guess they were there to support Chastity's mom.)

It was a big weekend for the homos in DC -- what with Cher, plus the HRC National Dinner (guest speaker Rep. John Lewis, ooh!), Madonnarama at Velvet and a day-off on Monday. Alas, Jamie and I were homebodies except for the big trip down memory lane with Jack McFarland's favorite star.

Unlike so many divas, it's hard not to like Cher -- she's very down to earth and personable and knows how to poke fun at herself. No wonder she's got whole new generations of twenty-something fans, like our very own Timmy, who reports that Living Proof was the best concert ever. It certainly was a spectacle. Easily as theatrical as any Broadway musical, this one-woman show provided a lot of entertainment (for a lot of money).

Even with very elaborate costuming and lights it all went off without a hitch. The long delays between sets were bearable given all the work done to reset the stage and re-outfit the performers. We were kept entertained by the videos and the erotic antics of her dancers. Unfortunately, opening act Cindy Lauper was replaced in DC with comedian Tommy Drake, who outlasted his welcome by at least 25 minutes.

The theme of the show was a greatest hits retrospective, with lots of old footage and a heartfelt homage to the late Sonny Bono. While there were almost no changes from the NBC TV edition of the show it was, all in all, a pleasant way to spend an evening, in the company of similarly appreciative friends. If you live in one of the cities remaining on this, Cher's final tour, check it out. Otherwise, buy the DVD -- you won't miss anything.

Very Nice - Well, if Trading Spaces isn't your cup of tea, John, maybe this twist would make you watch: The Russian version of the show, where old Communist furnishings are traded for pseudo-designer interiors.

The Next Joe Millionaire - What to do when the whole country knows the surprise twist of your dumb reality show already? Find some stupid foreign chicks! And those stupid foreign chicks are damn lucky, cuz look at the new hot Joe Millionaire boy--his name is David Smith and he's a cowboy and dang, he sure is purdy. Start lining up the KFC commercial cameos now!

Level with Us - Why bother to talk about the issue of recognizing gay marriage, when you can just tear down the church instead?

Comic Gold - Be sure to set the Tivo...Gray Davis is finally going to show his softer side by presenting the Top Ten list on Letterman.

Wall Street Blogables from Jamie - Ben, the Nielsen TV ratings people appear to be missing you from their count. The WSJ reports that the six major broadcast networks have experienced a "surprising" 12% drop in viewership in the critical 18-to-34 age group for the new fall television season. The article goes on to discuss the graying of network prime time. I was shocked at the median age of viewers: the typical Must See TV viewer is 46.2 years old! ABC actually clocks in at a relative spritely 43.6 years old, while CBS continues to be the favorite among the Matlock crowd with a median of 53.8 years.

In other WSJ news, the paper takes a look at waiting list retailing, a phenomenon that's growing more common at even relatively down-market stores like Banana Republic. Apparently, offering limited supplies of even heavily marketed product is deliberate as "retailers and makers drum up interest for certain fashions -- then make a point of keeping production low." Still, it's hard to see how a big chain makes more money (that's the point, right?) from having less inventory. No wonder Gap, Inc. is still in a tailspin.

Remembering Matthew - Five years after it put "The War Over Gays" on its front cover, Time Magaine has a nice retrospective on Matthew Shepard's murder and the changes in gay life in Wyoming since 1998. Arguably the biggest story out of Wyoming in a generation, Shepard's killing, the reaction of the Laramie community and the trials of his attackers Russell Henderson and Aaron McKinney attracted major media attention and continuing coverage from the likes of CNN, the NYTimes and Salon.com. Of course there was Fred Phelps, countless pundits, the vigil on Capitol Hill and the writing and performance of The Laramie Project. For a look at how the anniversary is playing in Wyoming itself, see the Star-Tribune and the Tribune-Eagle.

The Time article makes the connection between Shepard's death and the founding of the Republican Unity Coalition, a factoid I had never seen before, but I suppose it makes some sense. Wyoming is so thoroughly GOP that even the pro-gay voices are likely to be conservatives. I'm not sure what Casper councilman Guy Padgett's political affiliation is, but that's a cute photo of him and his boyfriend in the magazine. It will be interesting to see what fallout there is from his coming out in a national newsmagazine.

Futurama - The Washington Post profiles Metro's flirtation with the automated lifestyle of tomorrow. No, not a suicide booth but instead a self-cleaning public toilet. Apparently this is a big deal to some people. I suppose it's nice to have these things around, but certainly don't plan to make a habit of using them.

On the other hand, I would like to see more Redboxes -- a space-age convenience "store" concept, from McDonald's of all people. The first of these Euro-trendy vending machines was set up locally in Adams-Morgan and they're popping up all around now. Here's the WaPo explainer (courtesy of Mindfully.org). Even Metro is considering installing them, although it's not at all clear that Redbox and Metro would get along, considering the transit police's zero-tolerance of McDonald's food in the subway.

"Really, if I had an opportunity to shoot Britney Spears, I think I would" - And who can blame Maryland's first lady for that sentiment? Apparently the lovely Mrs. Ehrlich was dismayed by the formerly wholesome popstar's new sex kitten image and its effect on impressionable young girls. (The best part of the article is the typically Reuters-esque jab at Kendel's conservative husband, "a first-term governor who launched a failed bid this year to strengthen Maryland's penalties for gun-related crimes." Get it?)

Red California vs. Green Kolliforneeya? - San Francisco sure loved Gray Davis, but their 81% "no" vote (highest in the state) wasn't enough to beat the overwhelming pro-recall vote in the heartland and LA suburbs, according to this map from the Secretary of State. Looks like even Gray's neighbors in Sacto wanted him out.

Fame and Fortune, Here We Come? - Maureen Ryan muses in the Chicago Tribune about high profile bloggers getting snapped up to write for glitzy traditional media outlets. Hmm, I better make sure my tails and topcoat are drycleaned if Ben and I are heading for the bright lights.

Inexcusably Indulgent - This is exactly the sort of post I hate. Generally speaking, I'm not a fan of the LiveJournal online diary type of blogging, a conversation I've had with Scott many times. But I'm in a great mood today and so I've decided to buck my own rules. It's a beautiful day here in Sacramento--sunny and in the low 80s--with the promise of a calmer autumn with the results of the recall, whatever they may be, announced soon. The big meeting I was staffing is over, I got myself a cute new haircut, and bought a new pair of workout shorts last night. Then today, I sat outside, reading my new book and enjoying a delicious "Fall Recall" sandwich of sliced grilled chicken, cranberry chutney and cheddar on a toasted ciabatta plus a cup of chipotle corn chowder (sans the cilantro garnish, ick) from Pluto's. I guess I'll wait until tomorrow to start the South Beach diet.

Revenge of the Butterfly Ballot - As a graphic design groupee who owns all of Edward Tufte's books, I enjoyed this Slate article discussing fatal design flaws in the very layout and typography of the California recall ballot. Check it out and see the examples of improved ballots redesigned by graphical experts.

The Fat Lady Is Singing - Sadly, all of our rumormongering has been confirmed: Reichen and Chip are a couple no more. See the in-depth interview Reichen gave to Metro Weekly for even more background on why the marriage didn't work out. But would anyone care to speculate on the real reason? My hypothesis: a too-short courtship combined with the pressure of hooking up with too many hot star-fuckers. But, I think it's time to move on...hopefully the next Amazing Race will shake things up. Any guesses on what sort of teams the new version might include, John?

Nate Berkus Alert! - He was back on Oprah yesterday, along with Vern Yip of Trading Spaces. Speaking of, did you catch the $100,000 episode, giving new life to the tired old series? The new Home Depot endorsement deal was less than subtle, but gave them something new to do. Fifty grand per house PLUS they get free Sony swag? I need to talk to the new neighbors about submitting an application.

Poison Control - Jamie and I were talking the other day about the closing of a local public school after students dispersed liquid mercury throughout gym, cafeteria, hallways and several classrooms. There doesn't seem to have been any malicious intent; the kids were just fascinated with the stuff which they pilfered from the science lab. Regardless, doesn't the reaction seem extreme? We've got three-hour screenings for every student and ongoing building cleanup that could take weeks. I don't remember the EPA locking down my high school whenever the kids would get their hands on some fun chemicals -- but then we also had peanut butter for lunch. Oh, how times have changed.

Shoring Up the Base - So Karl Rove (er, George Bush) has proclaimed Marriage Protection Week. Here's a link to the White House's statement at the United States Department of Faith. (Oh, damn, that's not it, here's the real link.) The proclamation is a sop to the usual suspects on the right wing -- who seem to have found renewed vigor in their stand against unholy gay marriage.

I have to wonder though. Is it just me or does the claim that Lawrence was a new Roe ring hollow? There may be something visceral in the reactions of many homophobes to gay PDA, but it hardly has the same impact as aborted fetuses. Maybe plenty of people have a hard time agreeing with gay marriage, but could more than a handful possibly buy the rhetoric that it would mean the end of civilization? I hope not, but the amount of political energy flowing into the "marriage protection" project is impressive. After a summer of remarkable gains, we probably shouldn't rely on social inertia to keep the backlash at bay.

Apocalypse Soon - Barbra has a blog? (In which she misspells Gray Davis.)

Knight's Tale - It was only a matter of time, but the official repeal effort is underway for California's new but not-yet-implemented law expanding domestic partnerships.

Recall Mania Nearly Over - You'll notice we haven't been posting too much on the recall lately. That is, in part, because the election is already over for me...we live in a mail ballot precinct and as such we're forced to vote absentee. Without risking the sanctity of my secret ballot, let me say that I've already cast my votes, but I think it's likely a lock for Gov. Schwarzenegger. But I thought it would be approrpriate to give a quick wrapup to the circus that is the recall before it's all over. Sorry, McClintock.

Almost There - Well, the solution to all of California's problems is at hand with tomorrow's gubernatorial recall. By the by, did I detect a bit of sarcasm in this morning's Marketplace report, when they chose to profile clowns as an industry suffering from the Golden State's economic woes?

In The Navy - The name "Sea Blade" is too homosexual to be used on a new Navy warship, USNWR claims. Pentagon officials apparently cited the Washington Blade as an example of the gay-ocity of the name, to the bemusement of that paper's editors. Who can blame our stalwart fighting seamen? The Navy is pretty gay to begin with, and unmanly names sure don't help. It only makes it worse that we homos have an annoying habit of "ruining" decent words. Just ask the University of Hawaii's football team, the (formerly Rainbow) Warriors.

So much nicer than the savagery of the jungle, ja? - A tragedy has befallen the beloved tiger-taming duo of Gunter und Ernst -- er, uh, Siegfried and Roy.

Slam Dunk? - When the Supreme Court ruled in its landmark Lawrence case this summer, one case in particular seemed likely to see an immediate positive impact from the decision: Limon v. Kansas.

The State of Kansas had obtained a conviction against Matthew Limon for committing consensual oral sodomy on a fourteen-year-old who was incarcerated in the same reform school as Limon. Matt had just turned 18. Unlike the Texas law overturned in Lawrence, Kansas criminalized sodomy and statutory rape for both gays and straights. However, Kansas also has a "Romeo & Juliet law" which lessens the penalty for consensual sex crimes between two teens if the younger teenager is between 14 and 16 years old; the older teenager is less than 19 years old; the age difference is less than 4 years; there are no third parties involved; and the two teenagers are members of the opposite sex. If Limon's liason had been with a girl, he could have received no more than 15 months in jail -- possibly only probation. However, because of the discriminatory nature of the Kansas law, Limon was sentenced to 17 years in prision with five years of supervised release. Despite the manifest cruelty of this result, appeals to the highest state court were of no avail. Such was life when Bowers v. Hardwick was the law of the land.

The unfortunate Mr. Limon finally hit a patch of good luck when his lawyers filed their petition of certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court. Limon v. Kansas was pending before SCOTUS when it decided Lawrence, and on the day that ruling came down, the court vacated the decision of the Kansas Supreme Court upholding Limon's sentencing and ordered a reconsideration in light of the holding in Lawrence.

It's a reflection of the entrenched nature of anti-gay sentiment that prosecutors are continuing to fight for Limon's incarceration. They filed a brief arguing that -- despite Lawrence -- the state's discriminatory Romeo & Juliet law was justified, apparently because youth need greater protection against gay teenagers than straight ones. You can read the ACLU's response to that b.s. here. The state has done all it can to muddy the waters of this case, but given the sweeping language of Lawrence, I'm thinking I'd be willing to take this one on a contingency fee basis. In truth, attacking the disparate effects of a disciminatory criminal law is much easier than getting the law overturned in its entirety (as was famously accomplished in the Lawrence ruling). Here, the appellant is only asking to get the same punishment as straight people, not to be let off scot-free. How can the court fail to agree?

P.S. This isn't the only work the ACLU and others are doing to finish the work started in Lawrence. See this article about efforts to overturn the military's sodomy law, Article 125.

Hot Underage Thugs - While we at Beaverhausen are outraged by the actions of the 311 Boyz, we can't help but be a *tiny* bit turned on by the meanlooking guys who formed a gang (same link without pictures is here) in an upscale part of Las Vegas. With thanks to Brian for the recommendation.

Let's Down 'Em! - It's been an age since Beaverhausen revisited the Flight 93 saga, but this morning's front pager at NYT reminded me of our prior infatuation. We don't really see the anti-aircraft batteries deployed around the District these days, but apparently from this story we learn they're still there. And here I had almost forgotten our status as terrorist target number one.

Like Father, Like Son-Daughter - What a bizarre (and seriously deficiently reported) story about a transgendered woman involved in legal wranglings over the Hemingway estate. Here's an old Advocate article that clears the air.

This gives me an opening to express some of my views about the "T" in LGBT. It's always made me feel a bit uncomfortable to find myself lumped, as a gay person, together with those who seek to reassign their gender. Sure, I understand how gays and trans-people have a similar desire to get society off their backs when it comes to how they want to live. But it seems to me that the experience of being gay and that of feeling "trapped in the wrong sex" couldn't be more different. Psychoanalyze me as you will, but I've never wanted to be un-male. Quite the opposite. I'm attracted to men but not because I think I am (or should be) feminine in any way.

As a political project, one could in theory classify both gays and T*s under the radical label queer, but the activists who do so are attempting to hijack my identity in the service of their campaign against social norms. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not really all that revolutionary, so that doesn't sit well with me. In any event, I support the transgendered cause of liberty and freedom, but not because we're alike, but because it should be the birthright of every citizen.

Candid Cell Phone - This week, the Wall Street Journal warned us about the danger of cell phones with cameras built in. Fearing a spy-cam scenario, some gyms are banning camera phones in their lockerrooms. Not only that, but at a recent party given for her by Rolling Stone, Britney Spears "demanded that the 250 people who attended the bash put cellphones into little padded envelopes left at the door. The fear: that an amateur paparazzo could use a cellphone camera to beam her image from the party to the Internet within seconds."

People are also using their camera phones to both commit and fight crime, from snapping a shot of a robber to "digital shoplifting" -- using camera phones to 'quietly snap a photo, say, of an interesting recipe out of a cooking magazine" at a bookstore.

The people doing this must get much greater image quality than I do. Taking an action shot is impossible...I generally just sneak a pic of a hot guy here and there. If only stupid AT&T Wireless made it easier and cheaper to send pictures I would have taken more at the Folsom Street Fair.

Big Spender - Just in case you're prone to forgetting, let Mindy Paige Davis Page give you a personal reminder about Trading Spaces $100,000 supershow this Sunday night.

The Onion Imitates Life - At my high school, the administration had long allowed the seniors a walled-off locker room of their own -- furnished with collegiate-style disposable furniture and equipped with a stereo and other typical trappings. Needless to say, many shenanigans ensued behind the closed door to the senior lounge. I can't remember any specific incident that broke the camel's back, but when my class's turn arrived to take over the fabled lair, we found the wall demolished. What had been a dark, mysterious refuge for upperclassmen had been turned into a simple exposed alcove whose every activity was plainly visible from the corridor. My classmates gnashed their teeth over this denial of our birthright, but to no avail.

I tell this story to refute the notion that The Onion doesn't contain deeper truths. Just like their article about my 11th grade U.S. History teacher.

We Don't Want No Stinkin' Equality - Echoing the division at UVa between the Out on Rugby queers and the Greek Men's Club gay fratboys, the leftists at Harvard have decided the school's mainstream gay student association is too assimilationist and have struck out on their own. Let's hope, however, that gay Virginia students know better than to waste their time attacking each other.

New Rules - Coming on the heels of the post about Sacramento earlier this week, I hope that this post will inspire, engage and enrage readers to comment.

"You know, the rest of America feels about California the way the rest of the world feels about America. They hate us because we do what we want." That's just a part of the monologue delivered last week on the HBO show, Real Time with Bill Maher by the comedian. The full text about the Golden State appears below:

You know, the rest of America has been having quite a laugh at California’s expense lately. But let’s remember this: California has a lot of people. And the reason it does is lots of other people in other states saying, “Fuck this, I’m outta here!”

And then those people come here to California, and people ask them, “Don’t you miss the winters?” No, strangely enough, I don’t. Much the same way I don’t miss slamming a car door on my hands.

Make fun of California, but if it weren’t for California, East Coast rappers would have to shoot musicians from Branson. If it weren’t for California, there’s be almost no TV, and you’d have to come home at night and actually talk to your family.

You know, the rest of America feels about California the way the rest of the world feels about America. They hate us because we do what we want. They think we’re too blessed and too free, and it makes them nuts in the dreary hovels of Kabul and Tikrit and Lubbock, Texas.

They pray to their threadbare gods that we’ll get what we deserve. But it won’t happen. Because you never know what we’re going to do here next. We elected Ronald Reagan and Jerry Brown. We’re home to Disney and Hustler, the Partridge Family and the Manson Family. We can drink a Mudslide and a Sex on the Beach during an actual mudslide while having sex on the beach!

Our farms feed the world, and Calista Flockhart lives here.

We invented surfing and cyber-porn and LSD and the boob job. And if we didn’t, we would have. We have oranges, free oranges, everywhere. What grows on the trees in Scranton, fucker?!

We have a real hockey team named after a hockey team in a movie! Our Indian casinos could kick your Indian casinos’ ass. We give our illegal aliens driver’s licenses. And we have a guy running for governor who digs group sex.

Would anywhere else in America trade places with L.A. or San Francisco in a piss-soaked New York minute? You bet they would. Because I don’t recall anyone ever writing a song called “I Wish They All Could Be Rhode Island Girls”!

Geeky UK Sci-Fi - A follow-up, of sorts, to John's Battlestar Gallactica post. Doctor Who is coming back! The long-running BBC series was a staple on PBS stations in the 80s, and I was a loyal fan. For those of you not familiar, the Doctor was a Timelord who had a "ship" that could allow him to travel throughout time and space, often accompanied by a companion (usually a sexy-but-sweet girl). The key to the multi-decade run of the show was the concept that the Doctor could "regenerate;" that is, if the body he lived in was near death (or the actor playing him didn't renew his contract) he could change into a new body.

So that's the background, but just who is involved in this resurrection? That's where the pseudo-controversy is coming in: it's Queer As Folk UK creator Russell T. Davies. Will the new incarnation of the Doctor be gay? Stay tuned.

Out With It - National Coming Out Day is a little more than a week away. To celebrate, let's note a couple high profile outings this week: Boston Herald sportswriter Ed Gray and Hong Suk Chon a Korean television star who seems to have pretty much introduced the concept of coming out to his nation.

The Fire and Brimstone Candidate? - Ben, the more I hear about your hometown state senator, the more horrified I become. Yesterday morning, NPR ran a story about how gubernatorial candidate Tom McClintock has become the star du jour among social conservatives nationwide. Now there's this LA Times article (free registration required) about the aide who wants the United States to be a theocracy.

So much for my needing to be defensive about Virginia's politicians -- or for believing California's were somehow more progressive. While we all know Tom McC can't actually win, he has so far refused to bow out in support of the Governator. Did you see how the Traditional Values Coalition -- your local version of our Christian Coallition -- has actually launched attack ads against gay-friendly Ahnuld? That says a lot about how powerful the lunatic right-wing is within GOP politics, especially in California. While liberals might take some comfort that the bible-thumpers would rather lose than see a socially liberal Republican get power, moderates should decry the highjacking of centrist politics by extremes on either side.

Sizable Salary - As previously noted, the Fab Five weren't making all much much for their initial 13 episode run on Bravo. Well, it looks like they'll not only get a bump in salary for the next season, but producers have been commissioned to make-better another 40 straight guys, and to hit the road, with locales outside the NYC metro area. And with endorsement deals, I think the quintet will be pretty comfortable for a while.
Let's motor!

P.S. Anyone catch the hilarious pictures of Ellen Degeneres and Carson Kressley posing together in Instinct? I haven't been able to find any online images, but they're priceless.

Curve Appeal - The fastest growing franchise of any kind is a new take on the gym aimed exclusively at women: Curves. I think the next market niche needs to be the unripped homosexual. We're not all Kyans and Rupert Everetts, right? And it seems like even the muscleboys are leaving the chest hair natural these days, so we can use every advantage we can get. Do I have your support, dear readers?