Sadly, this scenario is little more than a rouse in NYC... Rainy, gray and cloudy. There will be no picnics here today.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Happy 4th Of July Holiday Picnicking!
Sadly, this scenario is little more than a rouse in NYC... Rainy, gray and cloudy. There will be no picnics here today.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Model Perfect: Sean O'Pry For Aldo 's Summer 2011 Ad Campaign
Sean O’Pry, born in Kennesaw, Ga., is the second most successful male model in the world (behind Baptiste Giabiconi). In June 2009, he was deemed the world's most successful male model by Forbes. GQ named him 2007's Man of the Season.He has appeared in ad campaigns for Calvin Klein, Giorgio Armani, D&G, Gianfranco Ferré, H&M, Marc Jacobs, Armani, Lacoste, Dsquared2, American Eagle, Bottega Veneta, DKNY, Fendi, GQ, Dazed & Confused, Barneys, Uniqlo, Bloomingdale's, Belstaff, D2, Arena, Diesel, Gap, JOOP! & Numéro Homme. Currently, he is the male face of Aldo's Summer 2011 campaign.
A sprinkling of O'Pry's magazine covers...
Typical Of U.S. Media: DSK Convicted Before Facts Are Gathered. And Now We Know... His Accuser Is A Hooker, Liar And Serial Schemer
It never made much sense that Dominique Strauss-Kahn, a high-powered politico and potential 
presidential candidate in France, would sexually assault a hotel maid, mosey down the elevator to have lunch with his daughter and show no signs of ill at ease, instead of fleeing the "scene of the crime."
Unfortunately, it's an everyday occurrence for the U.S. media to jump at the first tasty morsel of a scandal, without considering that there are two sides to every egregious charge.
With DSK already deemed guilty in the court of public opinion, he was forced to resign as head of the International Monetary Fund, while his near shoe-in opportunity to become France's next president was decimated. Meanwhile, he was forced to post $6 million in cash bail & bond, remaining on house arrest in Manhattan for six weeks following the attempted rape charge.
As we now know, his accuser is a serial liar, schemer—and a hooker. The 32-year-old cleaning lady accused Strauss-Kahn of chasing her through his hotel suite, yanking down her pantyhose, grabbing her breasts and knocking her down, then forcing her to perform oral sex. She claims she suffered bruises and torn ligaments in the "attack."
This week, the woman admitted to a laundry list of fraudulent schemes. She made up a story about being gang raped and beaten in her homeland of Guinea to enhance her application for political asylum in 2004. She cheated on her taxes, misstating income so she could live in a low-income apartment. She claimed someone else's child as her own dependent on tax returns to get a hefty refund. She banked $100,000 for a boyfriend imprisoned in Arizona for drug dealing.
And worst of all, she lied about what happened after she had sex with the French politico. Instead of fleeing to a hallway, she cleaned another room, then tidied his suite before conjuring the idea to cash in—and contacting a supervisor.
Days after Strauss-Kahn's arrest, she phoned her drug dealer pal and told him, "Don't worry, he has a lot of money"—recognizing the American media would side with the "victim" before any modicum of evidence or impropriety had been presented.
Several years ago, Celine Dion's husband Rene Angelil was accused of fondling a woman in a hotel. Not only did it never occur, but she was revealed as a chronic schemer. That didn't stop accusatory headlines from potentially destroying his reputation.
Likewise, there's the recent high-profile case in New York of a woman so drunk that she blacked out, who accused a cop of raping her. It was tried in court and not one iota of evidence pointed to anything of the sort. While the accused police officer was found innocent after weeks of testimony, a cadre of angry women picketed, demanding "justice" for the accuser!
Unfortunately, the U.S. media is unlikely to recognize that it is ultimately to blame for fostering an environment where preposterous stories like these are taken at face value. And it diminishes the credibility of real instances of sexual assault, thanks to dishonest people realizing that a simple allegation of "he disrespected me" is going to engender sympathy for the "victim."
The truth is a mere afterthought to a juicy headline. The U.S. should be ashamed of itself.
presidential candidate in France, would sexually assault a hotel maid, mosey down the elevator to have lunch with his daughter and show no signs of ill at ease, instead of fleeing the "scene of the crime."Unfortunately, it's an everyday occurrence for the U.S. media to jump at the first tasty morsel of a scandal, without considering that there are two sides to every egregious charge.
With DSK already deemed guilty in the court of public opinion, he was forced to resign as head of the International Monetary Fund, while his near shoe-in opportunity to become France's next president was decimated. Meanwhile, he was forced to post $6 million in cash bail & bond, remaining on house arrest in Manhattan for six weeks following the attempted rape charge.
As we now know, his accuser is a serial liar, schemer—and a hooker. The 32-year-old cleaning lady accused Strauss-Kahn of chasing her through his hotel suite, yanking down her pantyhose, grabbing her breasts and knocking her down, then forcing her to perform oral sex. She claims she suffered bruises and torn ligaments in the "attack."
 |
| DSK: Finally freed from house arrest. |
This week, the woman admitted to a laundry list of fraudulent schemes. She made up a story about being gang raped and beaten in her homeland of Guinea to enhance her application for political asylum in 2004. She cheated on her taxes, misstating income so she could live in a low-income apartment. She claimed someone else's child as her own dependent on tax returns to get a hefty refund. She banked $100,000 for a boyfriend imprisoned in Arizona for drug dealing.
 |
| Guilty before any modicum of evidence is gathered... |
Days after Strauss-Kahn's arrest, she phoned her drug dealer pal and told him, "Don't worry, he has a lot of money"—recognizing the American media would side with the "victim" before any modicum of evidence or impropriety had been presented.
Several years ago, Celine Dion's husband Rene Angelil was accused of fondling a woman in a hotel. Not only did it never occur, but she was revealed as a chronic schemer. That didn't stop accusatory headlines from potentially destroying his reputation.
Likewise, there's the recent high-profile case in New York of a woman so drunk that she blacked out, who accused a cop of raping her. It was tried in court and not one iota of evidence pointed to anything of the sort. While the accused police officer was found innocent after weeks of testimony, a cadre of angry women picketed, demanding "justice" for the accuser!Unfortunately, the U.S. media is unlikely to recognize that it is ultimately to blame for fostering an environment where preposterous stories like these are taken at face value. And it diminishes the credibility of real instances of sexual assault, thanks to dishonest people realizing that a simple allegation of "he disrespected me" is going to engender sympathy for the "victim."
The truth is a mere afterthought to a juicy headline. The U.S. should be ashamed of itself.
Friday On The Town At Hell's Kitchen Vynl With Cookie, Pook, et al
Amy and I have been friends for more my than half my life... so that's a good 15 years now, right? 
[drum beat] We've known each other since my 20s in Washington, D.C., when I was surrounded by a wondrous group of closely knit, bonded-at-the-heart pals. I look back ever so fondly on that decade.
Even better, whenever I see Amy
post millennium (she now lives in San Fran), we pick up right where we left off. She's about the coolest mom I know and has a shimmering positive spirit.
Friday night, we gathered at Hell's Kitchen kitsch eatery Vynl with Pook and his man Rich, Amy's hot squeeze Christian and her son Michael, for good eats and many laughs. I'll see them all again for the 4th, when we convene in Hoboken for fireworks.
[drum beat] We've known each other since my 20s in Washington, D.C., when I was surrounded by a wondrous group of closely knit, bonded-at-the-heart pals. I look back ever so fondly on that decade.Even better, whenever I see Amy
post millennium (she now lives in San Fran), we pick up right where we left off. She's about the coolest mom I know and has a shimmering positive spirit.Friday night, we gathered at Hell's Kitchen kitsch eatery Vynl with Pook and his man Rich, Amy's hot squeeze Christian and her son Michael, for good eats and many laughs. I'll see them all again for the 4th, when we convene in Hoboken for fireworks.
July 2011 Manscape I: The Beautiful Face Of Model Justin Gaston
We first mentioned Justin Gaston as "One To Watch" way back in December 2008, in the early days of 
The Smoking Nun. Two-and-a-half years later, the model has matured from a pretty boy to quite the fetching young man. With the 4th of July just around the corner, he's definitely setting off fireworks here.Born in Louisiana, Gaston moved to L.A. to pursue a career in modeling—with a high-profile
side-step as a contestant on reality show Nashville Star and, inexplicably, as the boyfriend of Miley Cyrus.To date, he has modeled for such underwear and clothing brands as Hollister, 2xist and International Jock, attracting the attention of renowned photographer Bruce Weber, in addition to many other well-known fashion photogs.
On the cusp of 21, Gaston enjoys playing guitar, singing, using hair care products in his beautiful locks and dreaming about other boyz who like to prance around in their undies. [Note: Some elements of this bio may be ever so slightly exaggerated.]
Friday, July 1, 2011
Adweek Closes Pride Month With List Of The 50 'Gayest Ads Ever'
Adweek closes Gay Pride month with a cheeky look at the "50 Gayest Ads Ever," from around the world. For whatever reason, the vast majority focus on the weary "hot lesbian" theme, although to their credit, the mag's editors were assisted by GLAAD's Commercial Closet.* Here's one from 1999 that's awfully cute (left), if not amusingly dated, for Sony's Mini Disc.
* Heinz, 2008, proudly out and yet adorable. Sadly, after 200 complaints, the company yanked it off the air.
* Absolut Cut, 2006. Another that uses gay innuendo as fresh comedy.
* Virgin Atlantic, 2004. Gay but cutely inoffensive for queasy straights (right).
Below, Levi's, 2007. Arguably the best if not among the most ubiquitous. Sexy but still cute.
In Da House: Voiceover With Gene, Din Din With Donna
It was a busy day in Brooklyn Heights Thursday. Following the three-hour reading and rap session of Ayhan's musical Gods, with eight singers, writers and creatives participating, we hosted longtime buddy Gene to record voiceovers for a series of radio spots he is airing at his second home in Hawaii. 
Next up: Vegetarian dinner for main squeeze Donna, with fresh corn on the cob, spiced potatoes and a bountiful salad. Summer's here, and the eatin's good!
Next up: Vegetarian dinner for main squeeze Donna, with fresh corn on the cob, spiced potatoes and a bountiful salad. Summer's here, and the eatin's good!
Dumbass Arrested For Driving Drunk On Highway... In A Golf Cart
A Brooklyn dumbass has been charged with driving while intoxicated 
after cops nabbed him merrily cruising along an upstate New York highway while allegedly drunk—in a golf cart.A trooper pulled over Franscisco Rosendo, 45, on State Route 55 in the town of Liberty and smelled booze. It also turns out that Rosendo does not have a driver's license.
He was charged with Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated and Aggravated Unlicensed Operation.
The bozo was arraigned in the Town of Liberty Court and remanded to Sullivan County Jail on $10,000 bail. No word on whether Rosendo was wearing plaid pants.
NYC Image Of The Day: Howard Johnson's Times Square, 1959-2005
The closing of Times Square's long-lived, beloved Howard Johnson's restaurant in 2005 was a modern 
tragedy, symptomatic of then-Mayor Rudy Guliani's obsession to whitewash the face of the nabe into a chain-filled tourist-friendly destination. Thus: All of yesteryear's electronics shops, low-rent adult movie theaters and local restaurants have been shamefully supplanted by the likes of Applebees, Red Lobster, Forever 21 and Sephora. 
The Howard Johnson's at 46th Street & Seventh Avenue opened in 1959 and retained much of its original charm until its well-publicized demise July 8, 2005, when the building (right, which also housed gay burlesque theater Gaity) was sold for redevelopment. At one time, New York offered 10 HoJo's restaurants, serving comfort food & cocktails to city dwellers. The Times Square locale was the last in NYC.
The four-story, mid-19th Century building that housed Howard Johnson's sat empty for three years, until developers began one of the city's richest deals ever, with a sky-rise tower and American Eagle taking ownership of a 26,500 sf three-level glass box, worth $300 million for a 15-year lease. Included is a 250-foot tall sign along the building's exterior.
Below, Howard Johnson's also was present in NYC with a highrise motor lodge at 51st Street & 8th Ave., featuring "300 oversized, air-conditioned rooms, all with color TV. Free parking (subject to $2.00 charge for each additional in-and-out service.) Famed Howard Johnson's Restaurant and Cocktail lounge." Today, the building has been overhauled and is a Hampton Inn. 
The corner of 46th and Seventh Avenue today... zzzzzz....
Howard Johnson's, RIP...
Editor's note: This is perhaps my favorite New York Vintage post to date. I began researching this in April, collecting pictures and historical details, at last getting it all polished up. I went to the Times Square HoJo's during a visit to NYC with my friend Laura in the late 1980s. To this day, I scowl when I pass the block and see what it has become, in the name of progress.
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