The day after

Show me your dirty fingers!

Thankfully, I didn't have a hard time voting yesterday. Me and my family arrived really early, so the lines were still orderly and the heat was not as suffocating. It took me about 10 minutes in line and less than five minutes actually shading the circles. When the PCOS machine successfully read my ballot I actually said "YAY!"

All in all, I think the automated elections went pretty well. Hearing the results a day after the elections* are held is going to take some getting used to, but it's an adjustment that I'm willing to work on.

* To non-Filipino readers: It used to take a WEEK (or more) before a winner could be declared.

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The Rentboy

The other news story that I really, really love is the tale of "The Right Wing Christian and his Rentboy", which is getting even more coverage as "Lucien" has come out and shared his story with media outlets.

Here he is on Anderson Cooper 360, talking about how he was paid $75 an hour (Really? That low?) to "spend eight hours a day and eat two meals with Rekers a day".

Interesting sidenote that Gawker points out:

"Lucien" told blogger Joe My God that "Well, I do have to get up early for an interview. You know that guy, the gay reporter on TV?" Yesterday Lucien was on Anderson "That gay reporter" Cooper's show.

"Lucien" also says that Rekers told him that he has already hired rentboys before.

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I wanna have me some Swiss...cheese. Ehem.

Switzerland just held its annual Mr. Switzerland competition. I will now look forward to this every year as if it were Christmas.

This heat is getting to me

As most of my f-list is in the same boat as I am, I am pretty sure that I don't need to expound on how utterly uncomfortable the temperature is right now. I feel like every inch of my body is sweating, which really isn't all that unlikely.

At least I can be thankful that the campaign period has already stopped -- there are no more roving vehicles blaring stupid campaign jungles making an already bad day even worse. It feels like my neighborhood has not been this quiet for a very long time.

I only have two candidates left on my shortlist for President, but up until now I am still completely undecided. Here's to hoping that I will get an epiphany at the voting precinct tomorrow and hopefully cast a vote for the best leader our country can have under these circumstances.

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Here's a few more updates on George Rekers, the Christian right leader who was caught with a rent boy while returning home from vacation.

THe rentboy, whose real name is apparently Jo Vanni Roman (Did he come from a different solar system?), says that Rekers favored the "long stroke". What is the "long stroke", you ask? Let me quote Mr. Roman.

"...a complicated caress "across his penis, thigh... and his anus over the butt cheeks," as the escort puts it. "Rekers liked to be rubbed down there," he says."

This would be mildly arousing if Rekers didn't look like this. And wasn't a hypocritical homophobe.

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Finally, for those interested, here's Gawker's how-to guide to hiring a rent boy.

No, I won't talk about politics

Instead, I will be talking about Bug Hall. Actually, more like posting pictures.

In case you don't remember him, he played Alfalfa in the 1994 Little Rascals movie.

He looked like this back then.

This is what he looks like now.

Yes, that is his peen.

I sincerely hope that I have ruined your childhood now.

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Also, there's this: A Christian right leader was caught with a rent boy while returning home from vacation.

His excuse: The rent boy was merely acting as a "travel assistant" who helped him carry his luggage around since he just had "surgery". Do notice that in this photo, rentboy is not carrying any bags at all.

And just for fun, a photo of the rentboy with a list of his...uhm...services.

I see Mr. Rekers has a thing for twinks.

Here's what you get if you hire said rentboy:

"Massage, good times, Travel, escort for days, nights and weekends, My name's Geo. 20 year old, 5'9'', 130 pounds, 28'' waist size,8x6" UNCUT, VERSATILE, NICE ASS. Puerto Rican, fair/light-Skin, blond hair, blue eyes and athletic/muscular built. I'm a college guy, masculine, educated, really easy-going, great to get along with, can hold a conversation and passionate You could just say I love to have a good time. Very clean, professional, HIV and Disease FREE. For a sensual meet or companionship. Will do anything you say as long as you ask ;D Repeat encounters are always more exciting for me and make it more casual and comfortable for you as well. Call or text anytime."

"Weight: 132lbs (60kg), Height: 5' 9" (175cm), Body Hair: Smooth, Build: Lean/Swimmer, Eye Color: Blue, Hair Color: Blonde, Foreskin: Uncut, Cock Size: Large, Safe Sex: Always Safe, Sexual Position: Versatile, Sexual Orientation: Bisexual, Drugs: Non-Drug User, Smoking: Non-Smoker, Ethnicity: Latino, Languages Spoken: English, Spanish, Tastes / Specialties / Fetishes: Vanilla, Leather, Anal, Oral, Shaving, Spanking, Role Playing, Kissing, Toys, Feet, Talents: Modeling, Go-Go Dancing, Stripping, Massage, Travel Companion, Tour Guide, Interpreter."

His rates are $200 to $300 a day, so that's $3,000 or P150,000 for the whole vacation. For that much money, I hope he did a lot of "luggage lifting".

Possibly groundbreaking things

There was a big fire yesterday, as most of you know. It was so big, you could see the smoke all the way from our office building.

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Work was really exciting today, as we just finished a photoshoot with Rica Paras, who along with Justine Ferrer made Philippine television a much friendlier place for transfolk.

Rica isn't just fun to have around, she's fiercely intelligent as well. She was very articulate during the interview and held nothing back, and was game with anything that we asked her to do.

And to see how people would react to her! We shot some of the photos at a high school near the office, and male and female students would follow her around and had no qualms at all telling her that they loved her. It was such a beautiful thing to watch.

Another great thing: When this issue goes out, our paper will be the first one in the country with a trans person featured prominently on its pages. At least as far as I know.

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Gay teen worried he might be Christian. I quote:

""I don't know what's happening to me," Faber admitted to reporters Monday. "It's like I get these weird urges sometimes, and suddenly I'm tempted to go behind my friends' backs and attend a megachurch service, or censor books in the school library in some way. Even just the thought of organizing a CD-burning turns me on."

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Pope says gays endanger humanity. I won't even bother with you, Papa Razzi.

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Channing Tatum's meat is well done. I quote once again:

"Channing Tatum's penis is gross. It looks like a hot dog that's been left too long on the grill. The tip is hot-pink, singed, and shriveled. It appears angry. And it's painful to view. My penis hurts just from looking at it. Movie stars tend to be vain, by nature and profession, but Chan—that's what everyone calls him—does not mind one bit showing me his sad, withered wiener. 'It was the most painful thing I have ever experienced in my life,' he says, flipping through photos on his iPhone until he lands on a grainy snapshot of a scorched member. His scorched member. 'I'm good . . . now,' he says with a grin. 'Now my penis is fantastic! One hundred percent recovered. Put me back in the game, Coach.'"

Holiday homophobia, pregnant weightlifters, and pretty books

The holidays are just around the corner, and while that may mean a less stressful workload for most people, I'm not sure I can say the same for those of us in the office. Things haven't slowed down at all with regards to work, and we're not even sure if we're going to get Christmas off. I'm hoping for the best, though.

It's that same work week crunch that's prevented me from putting anything up on the blog until today. Throughout the past two weeks I've amassed quite a number of open tabs, some of which I've already had to discard because the news is stale already.

There is also the fact that nothing really exciting is going on with my life. I was supposed to go to a party yesterday, but my ride had to leave before I could leave the office. So there's that.

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As most of you guys know, reviewing books is part of what I do at my job. When I first started doing this, I was given instructions not to be so hard on local authors, especially when they were just starting out. Through the years, I've been given more freedom to write what I really think of a book, and I'm immensely thankful for that.

Being free to sat what I want does have its drawbacks: Saying a book sucks balls is bound to get a reaction from the author. Thankfully, I've only had one author go after me because of a bad review, and her points weren't very good ones at all.

Besides, the irate author I got is nothing compared to Candace Sams, who I believed is often referred to as "Crazy Lady". Her book, Electra Galaxy's Interstellar Fellar is given a one star review on Amazon and she goes nuts. I would recommend following Making Light's suggestion and "Remember to click on all the links that say Customers don’t think this post adds to the discussion. Show post anyway.'"

Trust me, it's an absolute trainwreck. The only thing I have to complain about is that Sams flounces away after page 19.

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"White Horse, Gold Dragon", written by "Lan Pam Thi"

The author name is in quotes because it turns out that "Lan Pam Thi" doesn't actually exist, or at the very least, didn't even write the book. This wouldn't normally be a problem, except the book won a prestigious literary prize in the Czech Republic.

Read the full story over here.

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Homophobe and notorius money-grubber Oral Roberts is finally dead.

He has this to say about gay sex: "The waste matter comes out of the body as poison, and he penetrates that part of the body in homosexuality. It's not to be put in the mouth of the man, or the mouth of the man or the woman…. It is the male organ, penetrating the vagina of the woman, the male and the female."

Here's a great response from one of the commenters on Gawker: "Isn't it fascinating how these folks like Mr. Anal Bob really seem to have the most vivid imaginations as far as what the sex lives of so called sinners are like?

A gay guy is like, 'yeah, I thought this guy was attractive, we went back to his place and had sex.'

Oral Dick here thinks like 'he drooled long spindles of saliva across his chest as he took the hard veined, throbbing penis across his moist lips, into the cavernous wet mouth, suckling the tip with his tongue, aching, throbbing, praying to the heathen gods for the seeds of sin to splatter his wide eyed eyes with hell fire. This is wrong. Insert penis in vagina. Ejaculate. Rinse. Repeat. Amen.' Ugh. Rest in a world without heaven or hell because neither exists, dumb fuck. Peace out!"

Also, what kind of evil parents would name their kid "Oral"? I mean, REALLY.

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In other gay news, you can now get gay married in the District of Carolina. New York may have been a disappointment, but at least there is still some progress being made.

Which is more than I can say for the Comelec, which rejected Ang Ladlad's appeal to be allowed to run for party list. Here's hoping that the Supreme Court comes up with a much more favorable ruling.

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A weightlifter in Chile gives birth during practice while a dad in England delivers a baby using Google.

Sometimes I love the world.

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PRETTY.

I am so happy that I haven't completed my collection of Nabokov novels, because that means I can still get to buy these beautiful editions. You can find the rest of the covers here.

Where my gay boys at?

As I never forget to remind everybody who knows me every single day of the week, I am a gay virgin who can't drive. (Bonus points for those who can catch the movie reference in that!) There isn't really anything wrong with that -- I think I lead a very good life even without a little man on man action on the side.

And I certainly don't think the people who do engage in the buttsex should stop doing it just because I'm not partaking in any of it. Have all the buttsex that you want, I heartily approve of it. If all of this happens within the context of a loving, monogamous relationship, then definitely all the best to you.

I just find it frustrating that in light of recent douchey events, combined with the fact that every "straight tripper" and "bisexual" within 10 feet of me is engaging in the nasty, that there isn't much of a ruckus about the recent Comelec ruling. If you're enjoying some gay loving, I think it's only fair that you be expected to take part in some fighting for that gay loving you're enjoying.

Maybe I should have expected it -- they can't even call themselves gay when they are so obviously enjoying some hot and nasty gay sex. I just thought that there would be at least some faux!outrage online, and not from the usual outlets. This should mean something to you, no matter how you label yourself. What is happening here is your fellow HUMAN BEINGS are being deprived rights that everyone else now enjoys. If it can be done to them, if YOU let it be done to them, who's to stop them from doing the same to you? Even if you're totally "not gay" at all. As in not even one tiny bit.

Die in a fire, Comelec

Comelec rejects Ang Ladlad party list on grounds of immorality. This happened days ago, but I don't think there's a statute of limitations as to how long a blogger can heap abuse on a bunch of blowhards.

Because really, Comelec. REALLY.

"Older practicing homosexuals are a threat to the youth."

This is what we've come to now? Dredging up the gay = pedophile argument? Have you commissioners not been watching the tabloid news that you all seem to love to death? Most of the child molesters are straight male relatives. Fuck that, our favorite child-raping congressman is a flaming heterosexual. It is absolutely stupid to scream "pedophilia" when gays are involved and not do the same for the straights.

Goddamit, I'm too sleepy to discuss this more eloquently. Fuck you very much, Comelec.

Of virgins and anal economics

From the same woman who brought us Enchong Dee is a gay comes a delightful assessment of John Lloyd Cruz' character in the newest Star Cinema offering "In My Life", which is incidentally the "big gay movie" around these parts right now.

I quote (paraphrase is more like it, since I don't have a copy of the tabloid with me right now):

"Nagulat ako nung sinampal ni John Lloyd si Vilma. Pero bakla nga pala 'yung character niya, so hindi siya gentleman." (I was surprised when John Lloyd slapped Vilma. But then he plays a gay character, so he's not a gentleman.)

Yes. Really. Those words were indeed printed. On actual paper. For everyone to read. Im'ma take off my weave and cut this bitch.

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Now, that James Franco? He seems like a guy who knows how to deal with the gays. He was in Milk, after all. And he's taking up Queer Cinema at NYU.

How queer is Queer Cinema? Here's a sampling of the syllabus:

Week 1: “You Don’t Know Dick: The Courageous Hearts of Transsexual Men” (1997 documentary)

Week 2: “Mom’s Apple Pie: The Heart of the Lesbian Mothers’ Custody Movement” (2006 documentary)

Week 3: “Loads” (12 minute film from 1971)

Week 7: “Bottom Values: Anal Economics in History of Black Neighborhoods” and “When are Dirty Details and Scenes Compelling? Tucked in the Cuts of Interracial Anal Rape,” both readings pulled from Kathryn Stockton’s book, “Beautiful Bottoms, Beautiful Shame.

I am especially interested as to how Anal Economics and Interracial Anal Rape is going to work out.

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A radical discovery from the Values Voters Summit in Washington DC: All pornography is homosexual pornography.

To quote one of the Gawker commenters: "My 12-year-old self wishes that were true."

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Read the agenda, virgin!

A 56-year-old declares to everyone that she is still a virgin, as part of testimony for a hearing about sex education. Unfortunately, the hearing was held the day before.

I am loathe to admit it, but I feel like I am looking at what I will be like when I am 56.