It's that time of the year again. But what is there to say about my friend, atpotch, that I haven't already in previous birthday entries? Toby is one of the brilliantest people I know. He's funny, wise, and deeply kind. He also knows more about football, cricket, and Bob Dylan than anyone else I've ever met. In his honor, today I will be eating one of every kind of Drake's Cake and a bagel with lox. I might also just write a fan letter to Lena Olin, review an entire season of Joss Whedon's next show, join a choir, and drink a bottle or two of wine.

Toby, I hope you're having a wonderful day with George. And keep an eye out for the mail, in the next week or so. Love, Rob.

My new, exhaustive review of the latest Sandra Bullock flick, The Proposal, is up at http://www.robwillreview.com!

Just did a search of "gay" on Amazon, and at least on the first page, not a single anti-gay book popped up.

The hits were:

1) Murder Most Gay - a gay murder mystery, it looks like
2) A link to another page of Gay and Lesbian fiction
3) Strings Attached - gay fiction
4) The Joys of Gay Sex
5) Unmasked: Erotic Tales of Gay Superheroes
6) Every Frat Boy Wants It - gay erotica
7) Bennington's Place - gay erotica
8) A Secret Edge- gay fiction
9) Country Boys: Wild Gay Erotica
10) The Gay Man's Kama Sutra
11) The Tin Star- gay fiction
12) The Big Penis Book

#2 links to a page full of gay novels of all sorts.

The apology may never have been fully satisfactory, but they do at least seem to have fixed the problem.

Speaking of which, after reading this blog entry by Joel Derfner, I'm really tempted to order this book right now. Bah! Stupid economy.

...this does make me happier with them. Still not thrilled with them. But cautiously happier...

From AfterElton.com:

Logo (our parent company) has teamed up with Amazon for a co-branded LGBT Amazon store (check out the banners and section on the main movie store page) for June, Gay Pride month. It's the first LGBT store of its kind within the retail giant, and is a gesture that may be appreciated by those who are still smarting from their flubbing of gay tags earlier this year.


Fr

Ok, I'll give Obama credit where credit's due. I am majorly impressed now...

****

http://www.towleroad.com/2009/06/barack-obama-issues-lgbt-pride-month-proclamation.html


BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION

Forty years ago, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn in New York City resisted police harassment that had become all too common for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Out of this resistance, the LGBT rights movement in America was born. During LGBT Pride Month, we commemorate the events of June 1969 and commit to achieving equal justice under law for LGBT Americans.

LGBT Americans have made, and continue to make, great and lasting contributions that continue to strengthen the fabric of American society. There are many well-respected LGBT leaders in all professional fields, including the arts and business communities. LGBT Americans also mobilized the Nation to respond to the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic and have played a vital role in broadening this country's response to the HIV pandemic.

Due in no small part to the determination and dedication of the LGBT rights movement, more LGBT Americans are living their lives openly today than ever before. I am proud to be the first President to appoint openly LGBT candidates to Senate-confirmed positions in the first 100 days of an Administration. These individuals embody the best qualities we seek in public servants, and across my Administration -- in both the White House and the Federal agencies -- openly LGBT employees are doing their jobs with distinction and professionalism.

The LGBT rights movement has achieved great progress, but there is more work to be done. LGBT youth should feel safe to learn without the fear of harassment, and LGBT families and seniors should be allowed to live their lives with dignity and respect.

My Administration has partnered with the LGBT community to advance a wide range of initiatives. At the international level, I have joined efforts at the United Nations to decriminalize homosexuality around the world. Here at home, I continue to support measures to bring the full spectrum of equal rights to LGBT Americans. These measures include enhancing hate crimes laws, supporting civil unions and Federal rights for LGBT couples, outlawing discrimination in the workplace, ensuring adoption rights, and ending the existing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in a way that strengthens our Armed Forces and our national security. We must also commit ourselves to fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic by both reducing the number of HIV infections and providing care and support services to people living with HIV/AIDS across the United States.

These issues affect not only the LGBT community, but also our entire Nation. As long as the promise of equality for all remains unfulfilled, all Americans are affected. If we can work together to advance the principles upon which our Nation was founded, every American will benefit. During LGBT Pride Month, I call upon the LGBT community, the Congress, and the American people to work together to promote equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2009 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to turn back discrimination and prejudice everywhere it exists.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

BARACK OBAMA

Bite me, Obama.

9 to 5 on Broadway is FUCKING AWESOME.

Dolly Parton's score? FUCKING AWESOME.

Allison Janney? FUCKING AWESOME.

The direction, the script, the choreography, the costuming? SEE ABOVE.

The Tony committee ROBBED this show of a multitude of nominations. It actually makes me really upset to think about.

So instead I'll just focus on how FUCKING AWESOME it is.

There will be a more coherent, less expletive-ridden review tomorrow.

ETA Seeing that it's Powder's birthday this weekend, and I'll be out almost all day for the next two days, the second day of which I'm seeing The Toxic Avenger musical off-Broadway, it might be till Monday till I can post both theatre reviews...We shall see...

Everybody go to iTunes right now and download the Glee pilot. It's free! If you saw it already and loved it, it's a great way to voice your support. If you haven't, you need to see it! So, go, download!

FYI, it is coming back as a mid-season replacement, but on the bright side, they apparently no longer need to trim any cast members...

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Fall-TV-NBC-1006185.aspx

...has inspired me to seek out Data's poem to his beloved cat, Spot, on-line. Ah, good times...

"Ode to Spot" by Lieutenant Commander Data

Felis catus is your taxonomic nomenclature,
An endothermic quadruped, carnivorous by nature.
Your visual, olfactory, and auditory senses
Contribute to your hunting skills and natural defenses.
I find myself intrigued by your subvocal oscillations,
A singular development of cat communications
That obviates your basic hedonistic predilection
For a rhythmic stroking of your fur to demonstrate affection.
A tail is quite essential for your acrobatic talents.
You would not be so agile if you lacked its counterbalance.
And when not being utilized to aid in locomotion,
It often serves to illustrate the state of your emotion.
Oh Spot, the complex levels of behavior you display
Connote a fairly well-developed cognitive array,
And though you are not sentient, Spot, and do not comprehend,
I nonetheless consider you a true and valued friend.

NBC has decided to pull Kings from its schedule for now. They're going to burn off the remainder of the episodes this summer, from June 13-July 25. Not surprising but disappointing nonetheless.

http://news-briefs.ew.com/2009/04/nbc-exiles-king.html

Did everyone see the woman from Britain's Got Talent doing "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables yet? That might be the single best thing I have ever seen on YouTube.

In case you haven't yet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luRmM1J1sfg

ABC's going to be airing the final episodes of my beloved Pushing Daisies, Eli Stone, and Dirty Sexy Money!!!

Details here: http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2009/04/finally-abc-to.html

This morning, Powder and I surprised ourselves by going to NY ComicCon. We actually hadn't been planning on it, and then, on a whim, there we were. I actually can't say either of us enjoyed it much. It was so overcrowded and badly run that we felt like we were being assaulted on all sides by crowds of people, and it was impossible to tell where lines ended and started.

Still, 2 cool things:

1) I got to see the cast of Dead Like Me signing autographs, including George, Reggie, Mason and the new Daisy. Unfortunately, the line was just too long for me to get on it myself. Still, mighty cool. Also, interesting fact to note: Callum Blue (Mason) is taller than Powder. And Powder's over 6'4".

2) I went to Eve Myles' Torchwood panel, and was extremely pleased to discover that she is one awesome, personable, funny lady. Actually, in that hour, I came to like her more as a person than Gwen, who can be a complicated person to like. She teased the new upcoming mini-season, Children of Men, and I'm really too tired to type too much up now, but the highlight of the whole event was probably when she revealed that John Barrowman farts all the time. Oh, and the sweetest revelation of all was when she was asked who was the best kisser on the show, and she said that it was Kai Owen, who plays Rhys. Awwwww! She also talked about the show itself, and had some very touching things to say about how overwhelmed she was the first time she entered the Hub set, to the point that she left the set and cried, because of how much work everyone had put into it (and her voice was actually cracking as she described it), how much of an honor it is for her to introduce her hometown, Cardiff, to the world each week, how quiet it was on set during this season, without Burn Gorman and Noako Mori there, and also had some wonderful insight about Gwen's questionable actions in S1.

And we're going back tomorrow, as we got the 2 day package before realizing what a nightmare it was in there. But on the plus side, we're going to see Amber Benson give a panel on her new book tomorrow! Cool, eh?

ETA Regarding the Dollhouse panel, of course, I'd love to go see Joss and Eliza, but I was on a very unpleasant line for almost 2 hours just for Eve Myles, and if it was that bad for her, I don't even want to think about the nightmare that trying to get into the Joss panel will be. And while everyone's there, hopefully the rest of the place will be slightly less crowded.

From Ask Ausiello at EW.com:

Question: Is there any news on anything Pushing Daisies related? -- Eric

Ausiello: Yes, there are three new developments -- and, believe it or not, all of them are positive!

1) I'm told Warner Bros. will definitely be releasing a season 2 DVD.
2) After undergoing a major post production tweaking, the series finale is now a loose-end-tying-up extravaganza.
3) And the inimitable Ellen Greene is in talks with Heroes to return as Sylar's mom during May sweeps.

Please no BSG spoilers. I probably won't be watching the episode until tomorrow or the next day. So if you do happen to know who the final Cylon is, please don't tell me!

Dear Friends,

I am very pleased to make an announcement that has been in the making for a number of months now. I haven't discussed it here, because my partner and I were working on details, legal and otherwise. But now I am proud to present the grand opening of Powder and my freelance commercial writing company, Striking Prose, Inc.!

We are located on the web at http://www.strikingprose.com. Please peruse the site, and if you happen to know of anyone who might be in need of our services, I would greatly appreciate you forward them our link.

Thanks so much from the bottom of my heart,
Rob