Lynchburg: Country Roads, Take Me Home

Lynchburg: Evelyn's Flowers

Lynchburg, Va.: On The River James

Happy Birthday, William Levy!

HAPPY 32ND BIRTHDAY TO THE SEXIEST MAN ALIVE, WILLIAM LEVY, on August 29!

Travelin' Man

Southward I go today, to see the folks & family in Lynchburg, Va. My diddy turns 89 in December and my mammer is 86, so it's always good times to saturate myself with the parents.

While I'm gone, posts may be intermittent, as I hope to take some time away from the webbie. No, really. Have a swell week, cool cats. *

Sunday Summer Sunset Serenade

Taken from my rooftop in Brooklyn Heights, facing the interpass between the Hudson and East Rivers. Sunday evening just before 8 o'clock. No digital enhancing, just god's smile. *

Even The G.O.P. Loathes Romney: Charlie Crist Endorses Obama

When even members of the Republican party back away from support of contender Mitt Romney, you know this guy is the ultimate loser. Former Florida Republican Governor Charlie Crist has come out with a strong endorsement for Barack Obama. In an opinion piece for the Tampa Bay Times, he speaks out in favor of the current President, as Gawker reports.

"I'm confident President Barack Obama is the right leader for our state and the nation," Crist writes. "I applaud and share his vision of a future built by a strong and confident middle class in an economy that gives us the opportunity to reap prosperity through hard work and personal responsibility. It is a vision of the future proven right by our history."

Crist currently has no party affiliation, after shaking his hands clean of the Republican party in 2010. He acknowledges that the current party "has failed to demonstrate the kind of leadership or seriousness voters deserve."

With a G.O.P. platform that continues to pitch so far to the extreme right on issues essential to women, immigrants, seniors, students and gays, I'm amazed anyone in the United States truly believes Romney is going to set the economy straight and continue to move social issues into the 21st Century. Hmm, I suppose that just leaves embittered old white guys, right? *

The Ultimate Reunion: After, Gulp, 40+ Years

My very first best friend in the world was Angie Fontana. My family had just moved into a new house in Lynchburg, Va., the week before my 5th birthday, and I became fast friends with the younger girl who lived two houses up the street.

We shared the most important thing in the world at the time: "The Partridge Family," often nestled next to each other, side by side, in my diddy's recliner, watching "The Brady Bunch" at 8 p.m. on Friday, followed by the adventures of Keith and the gang.

Angie and her family—her parents and older brother and sister—moved to St. Louis by the time I was 10 or so, and sadly we lost touch over time. In fact, it wasn't until the early 1990s when I was living in Washington, D.C., that we reconnected for a quick lunch in the city. Man, oh, man, was Angie a beautiful woman. And by that time, I had come out... the connection was robust, albeit hasty.

Fast forward, geez, another 20 years! Despite that brief encounter—before email and Facebook—we managed to lose each other again. By this point, Angie was living in Florida and I soon relocated to New York. And then, out of nowhere, she found me earlier this week, sent a quick email, which I followed with a long gush... and now, by god, I hope to hell we never lose each other again.

Funny, every July 14, all of my life, I remember Angie's birthday... It has stayed in my lil' noggin for forty-plus years. Now... at last... I hope to be able to CALL Angie on her birthday. This is one of those moments that is a rare gift, a rush, a thread to the deep past... and boy, it's making me one happy fellow.

Ironically, on Tuesday, I'm returning to Lynchburg to see the folks, who now live not even a mile from the house that I grew up in and where Angie lived up the street. You can bet I'll do a drive-by, and will likely pause, smile and maybe even muster a fond tear. It's good. *

THE SMOKING NUN'S ANNUAL POLL: Want More, Want Less?

It's time for The Smoking Nun's annual poll, asking our 800+ readers a day what they come here for. Pop culture? More music? New York? Hot guys? Vintage NYC? Photography? None of the above? Who gives a fuck? Please add your comments to this post—and check your responses on the poll at the top right. Please.

I'll be happy to weigh in first... I'm even damn weary of so many hot guys pics... It's not what I came here for. Gay is good, politics is a necessity when talking about equality. NYC's Mayor Bloomberg will continue to be a haughty douche for the next year... but I about wore myself out with Speedos during the Olympics.

Talk to me. Please take a moment and give me your two cents, won't you? *

CELINE DION GOES GAGA IN PHOTO SHOOT For 'V' Magazine!

Celine Dion has become a topless Las Vegas showgirl! The 44-year-old's first non-promotional photo shoot in six years for V magazine is definitely out of character. Or so it seems...

"I’m like this in my real life," Dion tells the chic pub. "Usually there’s always a reason when I do a photo shoot, there’s not the opportunity to go crazy. In the house, in my normal life, we are always playing. It doesn’t seem this way on stage, but I’m playing a lot."

She also sang praises to Adele during the shoot taken at her Florida home with photographer Sebastian Faena. "I think her whole image is very good. The way that she is will definitely help the new generation of girls accept themselves."

Celine adds that Adele has the potential to bring change to the risks of show biz: "I have always been scared of the industry. I was just in shock when Whitney's life had been taken because of drugs. It's a big loss for all of us."

And she credits her success to maintaining the same person on and offstage: "I've been an open book all my life, and I think that's why people like me. For me to tell someone that my husband had cancer, that we were struggling to have kids or whatever we've gone through, talking about my life lets people know the real me. I've been criticized for it, but I'm not forcing myself to be the person that you see."

 I say Celine looks damn good in the risque shoot! And as always, the legs, the legs! The V Travel Issue hits newsstands August 30. *Publicity gone wild! Love it.

Smoking Nun's WILLIAM LEVY ULTIMATE FANS: 50,000+ Page Views!!

The Smoking Nun launched a sub-blog on March 26, 2012: William Levy Ultimate Fans, which we bill as the most comprehensive English-language William Levy fan site on the Internet. I am thrilled to announce that as of today... after less than five months... the webbie has surpassed the 50,000 mark in page views.

We launched the site as Will began his run of ABC's Dancing With the Stars, which propelled him to American fame via a People magazine cover. And look at our sexy hero now: He had a role in VH1's sensual Single Ladies and will make his Hollywood film debut in an upcoming role in a Tyler Perry flick, as well as musings that he would be the perfect male lead for the film version of William Grey.

If you haven't checked it out yet, what are you waiting for? William Levy Ultimate Fans is here! *