TOO FUNNY!

TO BE WORSHIPPED!

Granny girl goes straight for the men! Too adorable but I'll bet she means business and could turn them all out!

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT!

As you march, cheer, dance and party today, please don't forget the tremendous historical significance of this day. Gone With The Wind was published on June 30th 1936. I'M KIDDING! But on this day in 1964, President Johnson signed the Civil Rights act which outlawed racial segregation. And while the Supreme Court handed down a ruling on marriage this week that gays love, that same Supreme Court ruled against minority voter rights just a day or two before. So don't think that our government isn't badly broken because they managed to get one thing right. If we truly cherish equality, then people of every race, gender and sexual persuasion deserve it and we need to fight for it. Equality for all is worth fighting for and we're still a long way off. Too far off to be in 2013. I think we need to pinpoint which forces DO NOT want equality for all and denounce them! You can't fight an enemy that you can't even recognize... As always, Bill Maher has a fascinating take on it which includes Trayvon Martin and Paula Deen in the mix.

NOT VERY LADYLIKE!

NEW VIDEO BY MISS GUY FEATURING DEBBIE HARRY

LADY GAYGAY IN NYC

Nice to see Gaga back in action. No matter what anyone says about her, she is a real singer with the vocal power to thrill. That isn't a given with today's crap pop divas like Britney, J-Lo, Ke$ha and Nicki Minaj, many of whom barely sing a note. Or write much. Also of note is Gaga's new nose. She got a good one while she was trimming down. It kept the feeling of her old nose but just tamed it. The make-up and hairstyle are also very flattering. Which takes away from the nationalistic propaganda song choice. But at least she isn't pumping up her old cause celebre--gays in the military.

HILARIOUS AND HATEFUL!

DRAG QUEENS HAVE A MESSAGE FOR YOU!

Also, here's RuPaul's marriage equality message: And mine!

!!!

GOOD MORNING!

TONIGHT!

Bun-Bun in the NY Times tv listings today. Which makes a nice change from the Craigs List listings I normally am appearing on. If you have HBO, please check out The Out List premiering at 9:30 tonight!

THE OUT LIST ON HBO: PREMIERES 6/27 AT 9:30PM EST

MANILA LUZON, IVY WINTERS AND ME

Manila Luzon, Ivy Winters and Lady Bunny interviewed on Huffpo Live--all about drag. And I wasn't kidding about wanting to give the host a lesson in tucking. Check it out! VIDEO: HUFFPO

HMMMMM...

Now that we've had a few days perspective on the Paula Deen thing....I wonder what's been more hurtful: the racist not very self-aware comments of a diabetic fry cook know for using lotsa butter or the rotten policies of our first president of color? The latest thing that has the Congressional Black Caucus outraged at Obama is that not one of his 61 high level openings was black.

PAULA!

CUCKOO!

HAHAHAHA!

CHER: A WOMAN'S WORLD

Cher is performing at the Pier Dance at NYC's gay pride to promote her latest record. I do like Cher, but even a diehard Cher fan/friend of mine had to admit that A Woman's World is not her best tune. I wonder if that's the reason it hasn't taken off or if it might have more to do with her newfound intimacy with her fans on twitter. She's on twitter a lot and fans can get their daily dose of her posting "no make-up" pics and even political rants. But before social media, if you wanted a dose of the diva you had to tune in to her TV show, see her live or buy her record. Now that fans don't have to buy the product to stay in touch with their idol, I wonder if that could be a factor in why the song didn't hit hard. Maybe she's just a little older and is taking her time with the promo? Or maybe it's just not a great song. But it does seem odd that she would wait so long to release something and not pick a winner when she finally does.

NEW DOCUMENTARY ON THE CONTINENTAL BATHS AT BAM 6/28

"Continental opened deep in the basement of New York’s majestic Ansonia Hotel in 1968, advertising the gleaming emporium as akin to “the glory of ancient Rome.” This legendary gay bath house, with a host of amenities including a sauna and swimming pool, a cabaret nightclub, the first light-up dance floor à la Saturday Night Fever, an “orgy room,” and K-Y jelly in the vending machines, was a notorious beacon of hedonism, but it also proved integral to the gay liberation movement of the pre-AIDS era. Hosting a bevy of now-legendary performers such as Cab Calloway, Gladys Knight, the Pointer Sisters, Patti Labelle, and most famously, Bette Midler (aka Bathhouse Betty), with Barry Manilow on the keys, the Continental shuttered after just seven years.--- Ingram tells the club’s colorful story in this extraordinary documentary." MORE: BAM

SUMS IT ALL UP: THE HIPPIES WERE ALWAYS RIGHT!

RENTS GOING UP!

The moneybags and their cronies in the government are determined to make NYC a huge ,sprawling bore that creative people can't afford to live in. The rent is already too damn high! And it's already at a point when I don't think creative people from around the world consider moving here as much due to the astronomical rents. If enough artsy people are now driven out by rising rents in a recession, I sure hope you enjoy bankers singing karaoke. That and Disney are all the entertainment you'll be getting. MORE: NBC

SNEAK PREVIEW OF MY NEW DANCE SINGLE TAKE ME UP HIGH OUT 7/1!

Get More:

FROM MICHAEL MUSTO'S NEW COLUMN

"A genital wookie unto herself, Lady Bunny is the big-haired legend who created the fabled drag fest Wigstock and taught the gender bending basics on RuPaul's Drag U. On the release of her rollicking new dance song called "Take Me Up The Highway"—I mean “Take Me Up High”--I asked the Lady a low question about her sex life. Has her TV exposure given her more access to pinga—or at the very least an occasional dimple fuck? "RuPaul's Drag U's main audience was women," responded Bun-Bun, "and I'm not trying to hook up with them." [Let's pause here while my jaws drop. Kidding.] "So while the show gave me national exposure, it wasn't so intense that I couldn't still put out an ad on Craigslist without being recognized." Thank God—no one wants some ravenous oral action to remind a trick of an old lipsynch routine. But even with relative anonymity, an out-of-drag queen doesn't always get to call the sexual shots, it turns out. Bunny relates that "in a particularly slutty moment, I had two guys over recently. One said he had a foot fetish and asked me to put on some high heels. I explained that my broken toe was still healing and suggested low-heeled, beige, Church Lady pumps the size of shrimp boats. Both guys went limp and simultaneously said 'Not those heels!' " Yikes. They should have remembered the old adage, “You know what they say about guys with large pumps….” As for her high-stepping song, Bunny said she released it because the music biz is in a tailspin and desperately needs the help right now. Bunny’s over “the formulaic pop crap as America's taste sinks lower and lower, 'Gangnam Style' and 'Harlem Shake' being particularly offensive. But I finally decided to stop bitching and create some music of my own." And if people say “Take Me Up High” sounds like '90s house, Bunny's thrilled because that happened to be a more open, experimental era when people didn’t just trot out their dancing shoes for Top 40. "Bring back the underground!" she exults. And oversized beige pumps!" MORE DISH: OUT.COM

I USED TO REHEARSE!

NEW VIDEO FROM BUN-BUN!

BELIEBERS AND ICONA POP FANS TO THE FRONT!

I'M WASHING MY HAIR TODAY

HMMMM...

BY ONE OF THE FEW CONGRESSMEN I RESPECT, ALAN GRAYSON

"In George Orwell's novel 1984, "Big Brother" is the dictator of Oceania. No one knows whether Big Brother is a real person, or simply the personification of the dictatorship. Big Brother spies on every citizen through "telescreens." Everyone is reminded constantly, "Big Brother is Watching You." Let's compare that to the recent revelations about the Orwellian-named National Security Agency (NSA), an arm of the U.S. Department of Defense. News reports in the Guardian and the Washington Post have uncovered a secret court order dated April 23, 2013, issued to Verizon. Verizon is the largest cell phone company in America. The court order requires Verizon to give to the NSA "all call detail records or ‘telephony metadata' created by Verizon for communications (i) between the United States and abroad; or (ii) wholly within the United States, including local telephone calls. " "Call detail records" are records of who you called, when you called, and how long you spoke. The court order in the news reports is classified, and it's marked "Declassify on: April 12, 2038." There is no reason to think that the NSA singled out Verizon. So that implies that the NSA is collecting records of every telephone call that you and I make, even local telephone calls. In fact, Edward Snowden, the whistleblower who worked at the NSA, told reporters that he could get the records for the calls from the President's own personal cell phone. The NSA has not denied that it is collecting call records on every America. On the contrary, the NSA sees nothing wrong with it. I see three fundamental problems with this: This is worse than the proverbial "fishing expedition"; this is like putting the entire ocean through a sieve. It makes a mockery of the Fourth Amendment's requirement that government searches be "particular." This assumes not only that everyone is guilty until proven innocent, but that everyone is guilty. The Fourth Amendment limits searches to cases of "probable cause," meaning that a prudent and cautious person would reasonably believe that the search will yield evidence of a crime. Obviously, most phone records have absolutely nothing to do with the commission of any crime. Providing this information to the Department of Defense violates the fundamental principle that our military does not operate on American soil, against American citizens. That principle has been embodied in law since the 1870s. From this perspective, providing this personal call record information to DoD is no different from providing it to the CIA - another agency that is not allowed to operate on US soil. The news reports also reprinted five pages from an NSA PowerPoint presentation about the NSA's "Prism" program. According to that NSA presentation, the NSA collects information "directly from the servers of these U.S. Service Providers: Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, PalTalk, AOL, Skype, YouTube, Apple.""What information?", you may wonder. This information, according to the NSA presentation: "E-mail, Chat-video, voice, Videos, Photos, Stored data, VoIP [Voice over Internet Protocol], File transfers, Video Conferencing, Notifications of target activity - logins, etc., Online Social Networking details [and] Special Requests." The PowerPoint presentation in the news reports is classified, and it's marked "Declassify On: 20360901" (Meaning Sept. 1, 2036.) The plain meaning of this, in the context of the presentation, is that the NSA is pulling unlimited amounts of e-mails from Microsoft's hosted Hotmail accounts, e-mails from Google's hosted Gmail accounts, search records from Google's search servers, private "friend" communications from Facebook's servers, the content of telephone calls from Skype's VoIP service, etc., etc. Regarding the Prism program, despite what the presentation specifically states, the NSA contends that it cannot actually collect information directly from the servers of all those internet service providers. The NSA also has put out that it collects such information (e-mails, photos, call content, etc.) only for foreigners not residing in the United States. Honestly, I don't know how the NSA could do that in any reliable manner, because Google, Microsoft, Facebook and all the others have no way of knowing your citizenship or your residence. But that's what the NSA is saying. The bottom line is that the NSA evidently is getting call information on virtually every phone call by virtually every American, it is definitely getting the e-mails and call content of foreigners, and it may or may not be getting the e-mails and call content of Americans. So is Uncle Sam actually Big Brother? I won't dwell on the convoluted intimate relations that would be necessary to make your uncle also your brother. Rather, as noted above, the essence of Big Brother was that "Big Brother is Watching You." Uncle Sam isn't physically observing you at all times - that much is true. But if Uncle Sam is receiving information about every phone call that you make (as the NSA concedes), and Uncle Sam has access every other electronic communication of yours, including your e-mails and web browsing and storing it all (which the NSA disputes), then yes, Big Brother is Watching You. I think that it's wrong, and it has to end. As do the 13,000 people in 24 hours who signed the petition supporting our legislation at www.MindYourOwnBusinessAct.com. Because we can't protect our freedom by destroying it. I understand that there may be some people who see no problem in the Department of Defense monitoring their communications. I also understand that there are some people who have been so traumatized, so terrorized, by terrorism that they are willing to give up all of their freedom - all of everyone's freedom - for the promise of some safety. I am not one of those people." Click here for freedom: http://MindYourOwnBusinessAct.com/

CORNIEST JOKE EVER?

Researchers for the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority found over 200 dead crows near greater Boston recently, and there was concern that they may have died from Avian Flu. A Bird Pathologist examined the remains of all the crows, and, to everyone's relief, confirmed the problem was definitely NOT Avian Flu. The cause of death appeared to be vehicular impacts. However, during the detailed analysis it was noted that varying colors of paints appeared on the bird's beaks and claws. By analyzing these paint residues it was determined that 98% of the crows had been killed by impact with trucks, while only 2% were killed by an impact with a car. MTA then hired an Ornithological Behaviorist to determine if there was a cause for the disproportionate percentages of truck kills versus car kills. The Ornithological Behaviorist very quickly concluded the cause: when crows eat road kill, they always have a look-out crow in a nearby tree to warn of impending danger. The conclusion was that while all the lookout crows could say "Cah", none could say "Truck."

HILLARY, MY ASS!

Can't even believe what I've just heard on MSNBC, which is supposedly the liberal or democratic-leaning news. Chris Matthews' opening segment is on Hillary 2016. She hasn't even announced that she's running, yet that's their top story. Maybe because so many of us are so dissatisfied with Obama right now--that SWITCHEROO--they dangle the notion that times will be better once Hillary is in office. An office which she currently isn't even running for. Things will be better--in three years with Hillary, which is kind of a way of saying "You know Obama isn't going to improve this tanking country in the couple years he has left as a lame duck." So let's forget Obama's failures as these talking heads put forward the notion that Obama needs Hillary to continue his agenda as sort of a third Obama term. His agenda of what? Failure, reaching across the aisle to people who hate him, half-assed insurance reform which is a gift to the hideous insurance companies, abandoning unions, spying, drones and abandoning core democratic positions on things like his standing offer to cut social security and so that the rich can stay that way? I don't want that to continue. Do you? Then another talking head claimed that while Hillary mainly has the same policies as Obama, she would campaign as farther to the right from the president. She'd defend her indefensible vote in the Senate to attack Iraq and this would somehow gain her the support of the ignorant racist voters of Appalachia? (I guess many voters from this region are prone to distrust any woman who isn't baking biscuits while pregnant by her uncle so she has to be extra tough on defense if she wants to win.) Wouldn't that be great? Obama, who used the Tea Party as an excuse to move further and further to the center to the point where he's a moderate republican, will have an heir apparent who'll go further to the right? That's it--the democratic party is officially dead. May I remind you that it's the blue dog democrats who Hillary thinks are her ticket are the type of bribed-to-the-hilt blue dog/corporate democrat which killed the single payer option which would have created meaningful insurance reform, which killed gun background checks on guns (which 91% of us wanted) and which kill every other type of progress that democrats want. "Oh, but Hillary will let gays get married!" And if that's your only issue and you care nothing about the way this tanking country due to the current crop of democrat's party, then she may go to bat for gay marriage. Or promise to. If her Appalachian base wants her to. She has no principles other than winning and then reneging on campaign promises. Just like Obama. Time to see this corrupt party for what they are, ditch them and go independent. Just then, some breaking news interrupted MSNBC's idiotic analysis. Syria has crossed Obama's red line and the US will be taking action there. Few of us know what's going on in Syria or care but any excuse for war. What a perfect transition to a hawkish democrat like Hillary to become president. The Nobel Peace prize-winning Obama will have already gone to war in Syria. So we won't be thinking about foreclosures, unemployment, absurd tuitions and insurance costs and cutting benefits. Just military victory for America--in a war with Syria that concerns no one in the US. We just voted Obama into office because he was supposedly drawing down from the wars that we're sick of when we can't afford nation building at home. We're scrambling to make ends meet and they want to gallivant around the globe creating more war which will result in terrorists like the perpetrators of 9/11 and the Boston Marathon bombers retaliating against us for generations. Democrats: I know that Republicans are worse--but do Democrats sound like they're capable of doing what you want and need?

DUELING BANKHEADS ON THE BBC!

A MILESTONE IN MY CAREER!

AT LEAST BUSH DECLARED HIS WARS. WITH DRONES, OBAMA DOESN'T HAVE TO.

BUN-BUN ON SKRUFFF.COM

Bun-Bun interviewed on new dance single TAKE ME UP HIGH, Sex And The City, Drag Race and the new face of drag, an overall changing NYC and the recent slew of gay bashings. Interviewers take note: when you give me good questions, I give you good answers! EXCERPT: Skrufff: You famously appeared in Sex in the City: how much impact did that appearance have on your life? Lady Bunny: “It was fun but the bit part with one line didn’t affect me much. I never even got the channel that it was broadcast on. It was amusing, though, because around 75-100 drag queen extras were in the scene. Many of them felt that they’d like to be movie stars. But after waiting 13 hours in July heat to finish that one scene with no drinks, drugs or dicks to chase, I think many of them may have adjusted their aspirations towards legitimate show biz that day.” MORE: SKRUFFF.COM"

A SCREAM!

ANTI-TEEN PREGNANCY ADS IN CHICAGO

I think they are very effective.

WHAS11

HEE HEE!

NO KOOK LIKE A SAN FRAN KOOK!

GREAT DIET MAKES YOU LOSE ONE HAT IN ONLY 27 DAYS!

EVEN MONA LISA'S TWERKIN'!

SHE'S A GOOD EGG

A girl hurled organic eggs at Simon Cowell to protest the negative effects he's had on talent in the music biz. Good on her! "Reality TV talent shows are not the way to discover the next Beatles, or to nurture talented musicians and entertainers. The people who seem to benefit most from talent shows are the judges." MORE: GUARDIAN

CENK IS RIGHT: OBAMA IS A LIAR

WANT FAIRER ELECTIONS? THEN SHUT UP OR DO SOMETHING LIKE SIGN THIS!

Our chances of winning big fights for Wall Street reform, Medicare for All, and other issues go dramatically up as the incentive for politicians to court special-interest donors goes down. Tha's why, today, 8 progressive organizations pushed forward together on a strategy to achieve real campaign finance reform -- right at a critical moment when Nancy Pelosi is deciding whether to throw her weight behind a strong reform bill. Can you co-sign our letter to Nancy Pelosi signaling that we support publicly-financed, citizen-funded elections for Congress? See the letter and become a supporter of citizen-funded elections here! Right now, behind the scenes, a special task force appointed by Nancy Pelosi is negotiating which campaign finance reform proposal House Democratic leaders will put their full weight behind. Two bills under consideration would create the right incentive system -- rewarding congressional candidates who court regular people and only raise donations up to $100 or $150. Grassroots donations would be matched approximately 5 to 1 with public funds, plus these candidates would receive some additional public money. A far weaker bill under consideratoin would give a taxpayer subsidy to big-money donors! We told Pelosi we cannot support that. Please let Nancy Pelosi know that Americans need her to support a strong citizen-funded elections bill that gets politicians to court regular people. BOLDPROGRESSIVES

BELLA!

NOT SO BELLA:

HUGH JACKMAN AND TOM CRUISE FOR WALMART?

These celebs love Walmart so much that they travel to endorse them for free? Do they actually shop at Walmart? Someone is lying here. Also Jennifer Hudson, Mariah Carey, Ben Stiller, Kelly Clarkson and Justin TImberlake. Celebrities praise Walmart management at shareholders meeting MORE: MSNBC

FASCINATING!

GRRRR.

I love the Obama apologists lining up with excuses to defend him from the wide scale spying that's just been revealed. One is: "Whatever he needs to do to keep us safe." We attacked Iraq for no reason and destroyed that country over the course of 8 years. The US is the world's biggest terrorist organization, so they aren't going to protect you from terrorists. Another excuse is that "The spying was going on during the Bush era." Then you should have opposed it then if you care so much about the great American freedoms you'll be waving a flag for in a month. Of course the government was spying on us prior to Obama taking office. Some would say he's taken the spying further than Bush, despite his claims do do otherwise. But what the heck--sometimes you have to seize a moment of public awareness and horror to actually get something done with our pitiful government. Like Sandy Hook, where the nation watched in horror as kids were gunned down it school. As horrific as it was, it underlined the need to get something done on gun control now. However, our government wasn't able to seize that moment and even get the the easiest of Obama's proposals done: background checks. Funny how Obama is known for waffling and reaching across the aisle to people who obstruct the government and not using his bully pulpit much. But when it comes to spying on us, drones, cutting Social Security and other programs which are crucial in a recession, this man is a highly effective dynamo!

BLAST FROM THE PAST

FUN ARTICLE ON DEBBIE HARRY

"Debbie never had children, although she has spoken in the past about the possibility of adoption. “No, not adopting,” she says now, before joking: “Stealing, perhaps! Stealing other people’s children – kidnapping, yes!" MORE: FABULOUSMAG

CAN'T BLAME IT ON THE RAIN

I thank my lucky stars that XL's Hot Mess was packed last night even in that dreary rainstorm. And Harmonica Sunbeam was hysterical as guest host. Sample banter: "Hi sir, where are you from?" "I'm from White Plains." "Why do you have to immediately bring race into it? I don't say I'm from Black Harlem."

HEE HEE!

Johnny was doing his math homework & saying: 2+5, the son of a bitch is 7. 3+6, the son of a bitch is 9... His Mom : What are you doing? Johnny : I'm doing math homework. Mom : This is how your teacher taught you? Johnny : Yes Infuriated, Mom asked the teacher the next day - 'What are you teaching my son in math?' Teacher : Right now, we are learning addition. Mom : Your teaching them to say 2+2, the Son of a bitch is 4? Teacher after laughing : What I taught themwas, 2+2, The Sum of Which is 4.

PLEASE SIGN

IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO THIS: DOES THE GOVERNMENT REPRESENT US OR NOT? AND IF WE DON'T WANT THEM SPYING ON ALL OF US, THEN THEY AREN'T REPRESENTING US WHEN THEY DO IT. The revelations of spying on telephone customers are extraordinary -- but it gets even worse. The government is spying, in real time, on all Internet users. From the Guardian: The National Security Agency has obtained direct access to the systems of Google, Facebook, Apple and other US internet giants, according to a top secret document obtained by the Guardian. The NSA access is part of a previously undisclosed program called PRISM, which allows officials to collect material including search history, the content of emails, file transfers and live chats, the document says. This could be the new normal. If we don't act, the NSA will have succeeded in securing access to all of our private data and activity online. Click here to fight back. Let's put it plainly: It has been conclusively demonstrated that the government is spying on millions of Americans, without meaningful oversight, and without the assent of the very people -- all of us -- whom our government is supposed to represent. The top secret document obtained by the Guardian also lists Microsoft, Yahoo, YouTube, Skype, and AOL as providers of user data to the NSA's PRISM program. Click here to call for an immediate investigation into the government's enormous and unprecedented surveillance of our internet activity. Those who have defended the government's enhanced cyber surveillance powers in the past argued that the NSA would have to get the consent of internet companies to obtain electronic communications -- but PRISM totally circumvents that, by giving the NSA direct access to the companies' servers. What does all this mean? It means anything we do on the internet can be (and has been) monitored by the federal government. We must not lie down as the NSA and the federal government eviscerate our privacy rights, invading and surveilling our every move. Click here to demand an investigation. MORE: DEMANDPROGRESS

HONOR A LEGEND: MARSHA P. JOHNSON

AND WHILE WE'RE AT IT...

SMART YOUNG MAN--JUST IGNORE THE MANIC FIDDLE JAM

ICONA POP: A NEW LOW FOR POP?

I hate a lot of pop music and am not usually the most lyrically-oriented person anyway. And pop hits aren't usually Shakespeare, anyway. But you must admit, repeating the same verse three times is a new low in Icona Pop's smash. People love it, though. They don't care, they love it! I got this feeling on the summer day when you were gone. I crashed my car into the bridge. I watched, I let it burn. I threw your sh*t into a bag and pushed it down the stairs. I crashed my car into the bridge. I don't care, I love it. I don't care. I got this feeling on the summer day when you were gone. I crashed my car into the bridge. I watched, I let it burn. I threw your sh*t into a bag and pushed it down the stairs. I crashed my car into the bridge. I don't care, I love it. I don't care. You're on a different road, I'm in the milky way You want me down on earth, but I am up in space You're so damn hard to please, we gotta kill this switch You're from the 70's, but I'm a 90's b*tch I love it! I love it! I got this feeling on the summer day when you were gone. I crashed my car into the bridge. I watched, I let it burn. I threw your sh*t into a bag and pushed it down the stairs. I crashed my car into the bridge. I don't care, I love it. I don't care, I love it, I love it. I don't care, I love it. I don't care. You're on a different road, I'm in the milky way You want me down on earth, but I am up in space You're so damn hard to please, we gotta kill this switch You're from the 70's, but I'm a 90's b*tch I don't care, I love it. I don't care, I love it, I love it. I don't care, I love it. I don't care, I love it, I love it. I don't care. I love it.

HA!

ALARMING SHOP CLOSURES ON 14TH STREET AND 7TH AVENUE

I went for a walk to buy some stationery and was shocked to see that Staples' 14th Street location had closed. Another large block of stores had shut down further up the block--if Chase Bank, Subway and Duane Reade weren't already within one block of this, I'm sure they'd eat up these vacancies instantly. Around the corner even McDonalds had closed! So you mean chains like Staples and McDonald's can't even afford Manhattan rents? I thought the trend was for mom-and-pop stores to close and for chains to open up in those locations as soon as they were vacant. But I guess even chains are having tough time selling reasonably priced items. I wonder what sort of overpriced crap new owners will need to sell to make a profit in this increasingly less convenient neighborhood. Cigars? Designer clothes? Belgian fries? 14th Street used to be prized as a bargain hunter's paradise with shoppers from all boroughs snapping up inexpensive clothing, luggage and electronics. At least there is a small urgent care facility now open to fill a tiny part of the huge void left by St. Vincent's closure, but emergencies don't stop at 8PM when this place locks it's doors. It feels more and more like Manhattan is geared towards tourists rather than actual New Yorkers. I watched this happen on Miami Beach with dread. When grocery stores, bodegas and dry cleaning stores start closing, the dearth of things that people actually need on a daily basis is not only inconvenient, it's a terrible sign for the health of the neighborhood. Is it just rampant greed of the landlords? It seems like some of them would care to foster a neighborhood rather than just keep raising the rents to the point where even national chains can't turn a profit. If they can't, no one can. So let the new business ventures close--then they can raise the rents again.

OKAY....

ESTHER WILLIAMS PASSES

My mom loved her, and she enjoyed being a "Latin wife." As I do! That's why I have a new Latin "husband" every night! EW.COM: After her 1962 marriage to Fernando Lamas, her co-star in Dangerous When Wet, she retired from public life. She explained in a 1984 interview: “A really terrific guy comes along and says, `I wish you’d stay home and be my wife,’ and that’s the most logical thing in the world for a Latin. And I loved being a Latin wife – you get treated very well. There’s a lot of attention in return for that sacrifice.” A VIDEO TRIBUTE: AND COUPLE SPOOFS: CAROL BURNETT: SLIPPERY WHEN WET

PAMPER YOUR PENIS!

Separate your penis and scrotum with this revolutionary underwear! Now they don't have to stick together anymore! MORE: GEARX

JEREMY SCAHILL'S DIRTY WARS PREMIERES IN NYC TOMORROW!

This eye-opening documentary lays bare the dirty little secret of America’s War on Terror: all bets are off, and almost anything goes. Drone strikes, night raids and government–condoned torture occur in hidden corners across the globe, generating unprecedented civilian casualties. Investigative reporter Jeremy Scahill traces the rise of the Joint Special Operations Command, the most secret and elite fighting force in U.S. history, exposing covert ops, unidentifiable fighters who act with impunity and “kill lists” where no target is off-limits. MORE INFO/TIX: IFCCENTER

I'VE ONLY HEARD ANN-MARGRET'S VERSION

But I prefer this arrangement!

BANK ROBBERS

Tax-payers still bailing out banks and getting nothing in return except ROBBED! Every year, New York spends $7 billion on corporate subsidies in the name of job creation1 – and over $500 million of it ends up subsidizing big banks. Our investment in the big banks was supposed to create thousands of good jobs and generate tax revenue desperately needed for our schools and public services. So, what are we seeing now? Layoffs and broken promises. Chase intends to lay off 4,000 New York workers even though they have received well over $200 million in public subsidies from New York City.2 Bank of America pays its tellers just $11 an hour, even though it received $92 million from New York City and State.3 Merrill Lynch failed to deliver the 6,000 jobs it promised despite receiving over $22 million in public subsidies.4 SIGN: ALIGNNY.ORG

AS MORE AND MORE STATES MAKE WEED LEGAL...

"Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder continue to fight the War On Weed as if Nancy Reagan were in charge. Or Harry Anslinger, for that matter. This fight has been very quiet, for the most part -- Obama has given no major speeches touting his crackdown on marijuana -- but it has been a fierce one nonetheless. When Obama was first elected president, he promised his administration would set "science-based" policies and allow states with medical marijuana laws to experiment without federal interference. He has broken both those promises, to be blunt (no pun intended). The Department of Justice has taken a very hard line indeed, even in states with legalized medical marijuana. Which is why marijuana advocates are so worried about how Obama and Holder are going to react to Colorado and Washington legalizing marijuana. Nobody really knows what Obama and Holder are going to do. And (not to be annoyingly repetitive) after five whole months we're all still waiting to find out." Don't you love it when a supposed Democrat is less progressive than Colorado? Maybe he's taking $ from the private prisons now who want to keep jailing pot smokers. Even though he's not running for anything, he still needs the money to...continue his failed policies after he's gone? MORE: HUFFPO

PITIFUL!

Blacks way more likely to be arrested for weed than whites, though statically whites use weed a little more. Might this concern a president of color who once smoked weed? Nope! Helping his own people might be too controversial and impede Obama's future attempts to peddle bullshit like cutting Social Security and other shit no one wants except his corporate masters. Maybe Obama will have another "epiphany" on this like the one he had on gay marriage. And then do nothing about it. Funny things, those epiphanies. MORE: GAWKER.COM

REPUBLICRAT

For those of you who thought that Obama's second term would be when he brought it on home for the progressives he turned his back on in his first term, DREAM ON! He campaigned on no cuts to Social Security. Now true democrats like Grayson have to fight him to keep Social Security intact--which the whole country wants to do. Democrats are fighting the president's budget--so what party does that make Obama a part of? The one you didn't vote for. The one that wants to cut Social Security or anything else to prevent the rich from paying their fair share. REAL CLEAR POLITICS: Alan Grayson Opposes Obama's Budget: "The President Has Offered Something Up In Return For Nothing" Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) objects to the Social Security and Medicare cuts: “The president has offered something up — in return for nothing.” And on whether Obama’s proposal represents an effort to compromise with Republicans so that tax hikes can pass, Grayson says, “You can’t equate cutting Social Security benefits, cutting Medicare benefits, breaking the promise that we Americans have made to ourselves … you can’t equate that with having millionaires and billionaires and multinational corporations finally pay their fair share of taxes.”

A NEW EPIDEMIC!

NEW YORKERS: GET ON THIS OR LITERALLY EAT SHIT!

IF GMOS AREN'T POISON, WHY ARE THEY FIGHTING NOT TO LABEL THEM? WHO NEEDS CONSPIRACY THEORIES? YOUR GOVERNMENT IS ACTIVELY CONSPIRING TO TRICK YOU INTO EATING FRANKENFOODS. I have bad news. An Assembly Member just caved to industry pressure and tried to kill a bill that would require labeling of genetically engineered (GE) food. The shocking part? Earlier that day, Assembly Member Dennis Gabryszak was one of the bill's cosponsors! This kind of cynical politics represents all that is wrong in Albany. Can you stand with me today and demand that the legislature bring this bill to the floor? New Yorkers have a right to know what's in the food we're eating. Until late yesterday afternoon, Assembly Member Dennis Gabryszak supported this right. His cowardice under pressure from the biotech industry is a stark reminder of just how powerful companies like Monsanto are. We may never be able to compete with the industry's money, but we have something they don't: the will of the people. Don't let Monsanto and their sellout allies in the Assembly win. Demand a vote on GE labeling in New York today. SIGN: CONVIO

RARE NYC APPEARANCE BY THE TRULY OUTRAGEOUS CHRISTEENE TONIGHT!

CHRISTEENE has been characterized as being a sexually infused sewer of live rap and vile shamelessness, capable of adapting amazingly well to all styles of music. Attempts at gathering personal information on CHRISTEENE concerning age, origin, race, religion and even gender have proven fruitless, leaving the public to rely primarily on a highly stylized collection of music videos released through the singer's collaborative efforts with award winning filmmaker and cinematographer, PJ Raval...who remains silent on the subject of their relationship. It is noted that CHRISTEENE commands a stage presence of furious intensity accompanied by a strict regiment of hardcore dance and destructive choreography. The singer's impressive sound arsenal showcases a wide range of musical appreciation and mastery ranging from Electro to R&B, Hip Hop to Dub Step, with titles including 'Fix My Dick', 'Tears From My Pussy', 'African Mayonnaise' and 'Bustin' Brown'. These songs, written by the artist, offer an intimate and fascinating glimpse into the private and sometimes heartbreaking experiences of this talented nightmare. Reports from live shows describe scenes involving butt plugs tied to bouquets of balloons being released into the air from CHRISTEENE's arse, intimate and bizarre confessionals over tea, backup boys in handmade Panda masks urinating on canvas sacks containing the singer, and a DIY anti-fashion wardrobe styled from the forgotten scraps of society. Appearing alongside CHRISTEENE are two sexually distinct Backup Boyz, T-Gravel and C-Baby, along with accompanying DJ/ music producer, JJ Booya, rumored to be the entertainer's third cousin. Multiple sightings of CHRISTEENE have been documented in AUSTIN, TX – South by Southwest 2010/11, Queerbomb, Homoscope. SAN FRANCISCO – Folsom Street Fair, Trannyshack, Bearracuda, SomeThing, Hard French, Homo-a-go-go. LOS ANGELES – Bears in Space, Shits n Giggles, Big Fat Dick, The Wildness. NEW YORK CITY – The 'F' Word, Greenhouse. PORTLAND – Blowpony/ Portland Pride. NEW ORLEANS – The Hook Up w/ Big Freedia, Bearracuda. PARIS – 'Spotlight Club' w/ fashion designer Rick Owens and Michele Lamy. STOCKHOLM – 'Slick' at the Sodra Teatern. BERLIN – Ficken 3000. The singer's music videos have been showcased in the film festivals of: Rooftop Films, Paris Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, CFMDC's Queer City Cinema's Tour "Wide Open Wide", Homo-a-go-go, Prince George lesbian and gay film festival, Regina gay and lesbian film festival, and the International Short Film Festival/ Detmold…to name a few. It should be noted that CHRISTEENE's music, media and live shows have cast an unprecedented net over a demographic including married men, dykes, queers, single women, bears, fraternity brothers, motor hogs, and people of the medical profession; clearly signifying a rapidly growing pandemic on popular culture as we know it. The debut album from CHRISTEENE, 'Waste Up, Kneez Down', is set to be released in early 2012, fresh off the heels of the EP 'Soldier of Pleasure', which is currently on sale at christeene.org. TICKETS: TICKETFLY

YUCK!

CREEPY OBAMA CONTINUES TO SHRED OUR CIVIL LIBERTIES--AND AS A CONSTITUTIONAL LAWYER HIS ACTIONS ARE PARTICULARLY DISGRACEFUL. BREAKING NEWS - MINUTES AGO: The Guardian's Glenn Greenwald reports that the government is monitoring millions of Americans' phone calls "indiscriminately and in bulk – regardless of whether they are suspected of any wrongdoing." Sign our petition demanding that the House and Senate Judiciary Committees immediately investigate this government surveillance. A leaked government order reveals that the Obama administration is getting every domestic phone record of every Verizon customer. But not just Verizon customers are being spied on -- we all are. "The numbers of both parties on a call are handed over, as is location data, call duration, unique identifiers, and the time and duration of all calls," reports The Guardian. It's simply unacceptable. When the executive branch conspires with big corporations to violate the privacy of Americans, it's the job of the legislative branch to investigate. Can you sign the petition demanding that Congress investigate and reveal its findings to the public? SIGN: BOLDPROGRESSIVES FROM THE GLENN GREENWALD FOR THE GUARDIAN: I wonder why the US news won't be reporting on this? Because the gov't controls our news! "The document shows for the first time that under the Obama administration the communication records of millions of US citizens are being collected indiscriminately and in bulk – regardless of whether they are suspected of any wrongdoing. The secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (Fisa) granted the order to the FBI on April 25, giving the government unlimited authority to obtain the data for a specified three-month period ending on July 19. Under the terms of the blanket order, the numbers of both parties on a call are handed over, as is location data, call duration, unique identifiers, and the time and duration of all calls. The contents of the conversation itself are not covered. The disclosure is likely to reignite longstanding debates in the US over the proper extent of the government's domestic spying powers. Under the Bush administration, officials in security agencies had disclosed to reporters the large-scale collection of call records data by the NSA, but this is the first time significant and top-secret documents have revealed the continuation of the practice on a massive scale under President Obama. The unlimited nature of the records being handed over to the NSA is extremely unusual. Fisa court orders typically direct the production of records pertaining to a specific named target who is suspected of being an agent of a terrorist group or foreign state, or a finite set of individually named targets. The Guardian approached the National Security Agency, the White House and the Department of Justice for comment in advance of publication on Wednesday. All declined." MORE: GUARDIAN

MICHAEL MUSTO'S NEW COLUMN ON OUT.COM

I believe he will also start a new column on Gawker, now that he's left the Village Voice. READ: OUT.COM

ROB THE POOR TO GIVE TO THE RICH

DEMOCRATS ARE REPUBLICANS NOW AND NEITHER PARTY SUPPORTS THE POOR/WORKING CLASS OVER THE CORPORATIONS WHO BRIBE THEM TO SHIT ON ALL OF US. DEMOCRATS BLOCKING FOOD STAMPS IN A RECESSION--OH SORRY!--"RECOVERY" IS SHAMEFUL. AND OBAMA SETS THE STAGE FOR THIS BEHAVIOR BY TRYING TO CUT SOCIAL SECURITY, VETERANS' BENEFITS AND ANYTHING ELSE HE CAN FOR HIS STUPID GRAND BARGAIN/GRAND SWINDLE. "Please join the Campaign for America’s Future by signing our petition to the 28 Senate Democrats who last week voted to cut food stamps—demanding they put low-income families ahead of corporate welfare. Click here to sign. On May 21, the U.S. Senate blocked an amendment to reinstate $4.1 billion for food stamps. But we can’t just blame GOP obstructionism. Twenty-eight Democratic senators joined all voting Republicans in putting corporate welfare for a handful of crop insurance companies ahead of low-income families struggling to make ends meet, by voting down this amendment. As House Republicans push even more draconian cuts to food stamps, now is the time to take a stand. Please join the Campaign for America’s Future by signing our petition to the 28 Senate Democrats, demanding they put low-income families ahead of corporate welfare." SIGN: OURFUTURE

TEE HEE!

PLEASE SIGN

Did you post something about supporting the troops on Memorial Day? Nice sentiment, but that facebook post isn't doing much. It isn't helping the fact that the health care they were promised is in danger of being cut and taking longer for them to access, that many vets end up homeless and that as many as 1 in 3 women in the military are raped. 97.5% of these rapes aren't punished and women are too scared that they'll lose their job if they even report it. So if you can do more than wave a flag on Memorial Day, it would help the troops a lot more if you signed this petition. Unless you support military rape, of course. "Remember when conservatives in Congress held a hearing on birth control and didn't allow a single woman to testify?1 Yesterday, the Senate held a hearing on the national crisis of sexual assault in the military--and didn't hear from one single survivor of sexual assault. The Senate committee invited 2 supporters of reform and 18 opponents--a dangerously lopsided ratio that doesn't reflect public opinion.2 Déjà vu all over again. The problem of sexual assault in the military is not a new one. And it's getting worse--a recent Pentagon report found a 30% increase in sexual assaults over the past year. The military has tried to curb assault before, but obviously it hasn't worked. Less than 5% of reported assaults are ever prosecuted.3 Survivors and advocates are clear: We need to take prosecution out of the chain of command. When the Senate holds a hearing where opponents outnumber supporters 18-to-2, and not a single survivor is asked to tell her story, it's just a sham. Opponents of reform have stacked the deck against the best solution to this problem: Taking these cases out of the chain of command. There's a big national spotlight on the issue of military sexual assault right now--everyone from the President, to members of both parties in Congress, to military leaders knows it's a problem. If we show the Senate how outraged we are that they are ignoring survivors, we can push them to pass real reform. Can you sign the petition demanding the Senate invite testimony from servicewomen who have survived sexual assault in the military? Sign the petition. At the hearing, most members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff all argued against taking sexual assault cases out of the chain of command. They even said that before this year, dealing with rape in the service wasn’t a priority.4 But if members of Congress or military leaders have any doubt about the severity of this problem, all they need to do is listen to the survivors. Here are just a few stories from UltraViolet members who have lived through it: I am a Navy vet. I was raped while on active duty by another service member.... He was convicted. I was told he got 10 years. I learned much, much later that he served under two. MY career was put on hold during the prosecution, while he continued to work, going to the base club, doing everything that he normally did. I had to fight for every scrap I could get to not have my career stagnate. The stigma followed me into the fleet. What I intended to be a career ended early because the environment was impossible. It is time we protect our young women who are willing to put themselves in harms way for this country. They expect the attack from without. They are never looking out for the one from within. -A. As a physician who has worked in a VA primary care clinic, I encountered a significant percentage of female patients who were survivors of sexual assault during their military service. Many of these women never made official reports of the assaults. Those who did report sexual assault often found their commanding officers responding with in-action, intimidation, and sometimes, with sexual harassment or assault. -W. I was gang raped when I was in the military so many years ago. I never told anyone until recently. Please do what you can to intervene in this crime! We are no longer quiet! -L. These stories are heartbreaking, and they definitely make the case for Congress to act now. Sadly, they are only a few of thousands. In 2012 alone, more than 26,000 sexual assaults occurred.5 And it’s no wonder, with scandal after scandal revealing that the very people in charge of stopping these horrible assaults are committing them themselves.6 If the Senate is serious about solving this problem, they need to stop stacking their hearings with people who oppose legislation to fix it and start listening to servicewomen who have been affected by it. Can you sign the petition to demand that the Senate listen to the testimony of survivors of military sexual assault? Sign the petition. Thanks for speaking out." http://act.weareultraviolet.org/sign/military_survivors?referring_akid=471.211796.ML6QSR&source=facebook

OOH, LA LANCE!

Bun-Bun will debut a new original song on Lance Bass's Sirius OutQ radio program at 7PM tomorrow. "Listeners and fans are welcome to participate by calling 866-305-6887. For those who don't subscribe to Sirius, a free online trial is available at www.Siriusxm.com." Please call in and harass me! Or at least check out the tune! Lance is probably gonna try to have me, so I will be a little nervous.

PLEASE SIGN IF YOU AGREE!

My petition, which is to Congress, asks the following: Support HR 198 - Repeal of the Authorization for Use of Military Force - legislation that will reexamine and ultimately repeal the flawed blank check authorization to the president to wage war, anywhere at any time. Now is the time for the U.S. Congress to repeal the overly broad 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force. On September 14, 2001, I was the sole member of either house of Congress to vote against the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force. That misguided resolution is a blank check for war. It has been used to justify activities, such as warrantless surveillance, indefinite detention and the lethal use of drones, that fly in the face of our constitutional values. I am convinced that military engagement with no end in sight actually undermines our long-term national security. This is not who we Americans think we are or who we want to be. This is why I have introduced legislation - HR 198 - that will reexamine and ultimately repeal the flawed blank-check Congressional authorization for the president to wage war anywhere at any time. My bill already has more than a dozen congressional co-sponsors. But a public show of support for this effort is critical now as Congress is getting ready to consider whether to continue the blank check for the executive branch to wage endless war. That's why I'm asking you to sign on as a citizen co-sponsor. Click here to learn more and add your name to my petition to Congress, to ask them to repeal the blank-check authorization of war by supporting HR 198. Thank you for your support. Rep. Barbara Lee SIGN" CREDOACTION

WHAT A BIZARRE MODEL!

AIDS TURNS 32

HUFFPO: AIDS at 32: For Whom the Bell Tolls (32 Notables Share Their Stories) My contribution to this: "Of course I'm delighted that new drugs have largely stopped making AIDS a death sentence, but to see young people who apparently think of these drugs as a cure is horrifying. HIV transmission is treated casually -- or even as inevitable -- and I don't understand my friends who are getting tested every few months. Doesn't that prove that they aren't practicing safe sex? We do know how to prevent HIV transmission, so why aren't we doing it? Are we even talking about AIDS enough? One young friend of mine didn't even know that the disease can have a decade-long incubation period during which symptoms don't show. The younger generation didn't watch their friends waste away as my generation did, so they don't know the horrors firsthand. Infections are up among youth as they actively seek out barebacking. And it saddens me that looks-obsessed gay men may have come to the conclusion that there isn't much point in living when you're old and no longer desirable. I hope we are more than that and, as the great Larry Kramer points out, we should value each other's humanity more. We aren't just pieces of meat with an expiration date after which we become trolls. We're supposed to be a community." I URGE YOU TO CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE SUBMISSIONS BY JACKIE BEAT, PETER STALEY, GREG LOUGANIS AND MORE: HUUPO

JOAN RIVERS TURNING 80!

Simon Doonan thinks Joan's 80th birthday should be celebrated as a national holiday. I agree! Here's why: SIMON: I reached out to Joan this week to find out how she was dealing with her impending octogenarianship. Sidestepping any mentions of adult diapers, she reassured me that everything was just great. She is getting used to the fact that, whenever she climbs into a limousine, “a line of black town cars falls in behind me with their lights on.” Regarding her actual birthday cake, she already has a strategy: “I don’t plan to blow out my own birthday candles, as I'm scared the plastic in my face will catch fire.” READ THE REST: SLATE.COM

LYPSINKA AND JACKIE HOFFMAN IN STAGED READING OF ONCE UPON A MATTRESS: JUNE 17

Lypsinka as an evil queen? And the hilarious Jackie Hoffman in a staged reading of Once Upon A Mattress? Don't miss this reading on June 17th. Tix selling out fast! MORE INFO/TIX: PLAYBILL

RALPH NADER ON DEMOCRACYNOW.ORG

RALPH NADER: "It is not too extreme to call our system of government now 'American fascism.' It’s the control of government by big business, which Franklin Delano Roosevelt defined in 1938 as fascism," Nader says. "We have the lowest minimum wage in the Western world. We have the greatest amount of consumer debt. We have the highest child poverty, the highest adult poverty, huge underemployment, a crumbling public works — but huge multi-billionaires and hugely profitable corporations. I say to the American people: What’s your breaking point? When are you going to stop making excuses for yourself? When are you going to stop exaggerating these powers when you know you have the power in this country if you organize it?"

NICE NEW DANCE MUSIC!

HAR-DE-HAR!

PICTURE MOMMY DEAD (1966) FULL MOVIE!

WHI IS MICHELLE FUNDRAISING WITH NO CLEAR AGENDA?

HUFFPO: Michelle Obama DNC Fundraiser Speech Interrupted By LGBT Protester "Obama's main thrust in her speech was to urge donors to stay engaged and back the president's agenda, even though there's no presidential election coming up." READ THE REST: HUFFPO

ANNA AND PAT CLEVELAND FOR ZAC POSEN

Kabuki Starshine's make-up on Pat and Anna Cleveland. A very chic mother daughter duo, both with terrific figures, faces and attitude. But I can't get with Anna's greasy, short bangs--with an evening gown? Really? VIEW ALL: WWD

LIST OF MONSANTO PRODUCTS TO NOT BUY!

VIEW

FUN VIDEO, POOR SONG

ADVENTURES OF A SENIOR SLUT!

This fool was trying to get cute by responding to an email and calling the guy "daddy." Too bad that I wasn't fully awake yet and that ol' d is right next to the f key. I'll bet he's never been called Big Daffy before! And now you see why I need those reading glasses I wore into the shower yesterday.

WOW! LOVING THIS DUO ON A SUMMER DAY!

GOOD MORNING!

RARE PHOTO OF A PEACOCK IN FLIGHT

ANYONE BUT QUINN!

MORE EDITH BUNKER APPRECIATION!

As Edith Bunker, Jean Stapleton was a comic genius. But her dramatic scenes were also so powerful. I sobbed whenever Archie did her wrong because everyone loved Jean's lovable dingbat character so much. But remember the tears of triumph that ran down our cheeks when Edith had had enough of Archie's insensitivity and finally stood up to him? Women's lib was still reaching middle America and it came slower to older generations like Edith. So when this traditional character under her bigoted man's thumb snapped and Edith took Archie to task or even left him, the whole country rejoiced. It was a combination of a dynamite script with beautifully drawn characters given to skilled actors who illuminated our changing society--with laughs. I don't keep up with a lot of current TV after wasting the time to check out several "must-see TV" programs in recent years and being completely disappointed. But if there is anything approaching All In The Family's level of genius on TV today, please let me know! A show where you hang on every word, admire the brilliant delivery and in the end, move closer to a greater understanding of the human condition. And I'll begrudgingly check it out. (And will probably end up blaming you for wasting my time.) For you youngin's who wonder what all the fuss is all about Jean Stapleton dying, here she is in action. Television wasn't always dominated by Kim Kardashian, hoarders and cupcake competitions.

TODAY'S CUTE CAT PIC

WE'RE HAVING THE WRONG DIALOGUE ON HEALTH CARE

NATION OF CHANGE: The real health care battle in this country isn’t the one being fought over the bill everyone now calls “Obamacare.” In fact, it’s not a battle between Republicans and Democrats at all. The real battle is the one millions of Americans face every day as they struggle to pay medical bills that now average nearly $10,000 per year – if they’re “lucky.” The United States is now the only developed nation on Earth where the average family with insurance pays more for health care than it does for groceries. MORE: NATIONOFCHANGE

R.I.P. JEAN STAPLETON

She was the rare superstar who could make you howl with laughter and break down in tears with her lovably ditzy Edith Bunker character on All In The Family. In one half hour. It's called a good script and talented actors, folks. And you won't see it much on TV today. For me, Edith really symbolized the national sinking in of women's lib. A traditional women under the thumb of her bigoted husband, Edith occasionally found the strength to stand up to Archie. And the nation tearfully rejoiced. Or I did, anyway.

JUST WHAT WE NEED: RELIGIOUS POLICE?

A group of hasidic thugs harass a biker in Brooklyn. Shocking footage. Can we let Westboro Church get their own police, force too?

HAVE YOU PRANCERCISED TODAY?

AND HERE'S THE REMIX FEATURING KAREN FINLEY!

SELLING KIDS, A LOVELY BYPRODUCT OF PRIVATE PRISONS

A corrupt Pennsylvania judge convicted for selling kids for cash to private prisons--for three decades! "In the private prison industry, longer sentences earn more money from the state. Since 2003, Ciavarella received millions of dollars in bribes for condemning minors to maximum prison sentences. In one case, Ciavarella sentenced a 10-year-old to two years in a detention facility for accidentally bottoming out his mother’s car." MORE: INTELLIHUB

BILL MAHER IS ALWAYS RIGHT

WEAR ME OUT!

Check out the brand new Lady Bunny t-shirt by Deryck Todd! VIEW: DERYCK TODD