“Desperate Housewives” actor part of celebrity coming out train

W Actor Tuc Watkins comes out

Super-hunk Tuc Watkins, co-star of ABC’s “Desperate Housewives” and daytime drama “One Life to Live” has admitted to what until his admission was only speculation; he is indeed gay. The uber-handsome Watkins made the admission while appearing on the daytime talk show “Marie” with Marie Osmond.

Watkins also revealed that he is a proud single parents to twins via surrogate.

“I played a gay man who was married to his husband, who was trying to adopt a kid,” he says, “And in real life, at the same time, I’m a gay single man who was trying to have a kid through surrogacy.”

Watkins was a guest on the talk-fest promoting the relaunch of “One Life to Live” as an online show. Read more, and see a clip from the show, by following this link.

What do you think of the timing of Tuc’s admission? Think it’s a good idea? Weigh in with your comments.

Former daytime TV actor finds solace, solitude in painting and social media

To millions, actor Thom Bierdz is known as the iconic Chancellor heir Phillip Chancellor on the daytime drama “The Young and the Restless.” Bierdz also has the distinction of being one of the first openly gay soap opera actors. But until recently, many had no idea of the real-life drama endured when it was revealed that Bierdz’s brother, Troy, had murdered their mother with a baseball bat in 1989. 20 years later, Bierdz has penned a new book, “Forgiving Troy,” which outlines his journey towards acceptance and forgiveness.

These days, Bierdz enjoys a solitary but fulfilling life in Lake Arrowhead, California exploring another of his passions; painting.  Bierdz was recently interviewed by Melissa Parker of Smashing Interviews Magazine where he discusses his past, his work, and his love for former co-star Emmy-winning actress Jeanne Cooper. You can also learn more about Bierdz, his artwork, his favorite poses (?) and why he’s “only gay for the gay press” by visiting his YouTube channel. He can also be seen as a guest star on the web series “Old Dogs & New Tricks.”

Remember Thom Bierdz from his daytime years? Share your thoughts and memories with us.

 

Gwyneth Paltrow named People Magazine’s “Most Beautiful Woman”

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow

Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow has been name People Magazine’s “Most Beautiful Woman” in their annual beauty issue. The style icon beat out other luminaries such as Halle Berry and Jennifer Lawrence. The magazine boasts that Paltrow possesses a “timeless look,” and was the reason for her selection.

Ironically, in another recent poll conducted by Star Magazine, Paltrow was also vote the “Most Hated Celebrity in Hollywood.” By a landslide…

What are your thoughts? Are you “Team Gwyneth?” Weigh in with your comments.

An open letter to sorority membership sparks concern and outrage

For some, the college experience is enriched by participating in the Greek system. Rushing a sorority or fraternity is almost a right of passage among college freshmen every year. While many have different reasons for rushing, the consensus is that most just want their college experience enriched by what the Greek system promises to bring to their lives. But is it that much of a benefit after all? According to some of the members of the University of Maryland’s chapter of the Delta Gamma sorority, their choice for “sisterhood” may have been misplaced.

In a recent email from an unnamed member of the sorority’s executive board, the young women were called out for being “awkward” and “boring” when mixing with their brothers from “match-up” fraternity Sigma Nu. The expletive-laden memo also calls the women out for spending too much time at events enjoying each others company, and not engaging their male counterparts.

“I do not give a flying f—, and Sigma Nu does not give a flying f—, about how much you f—ing love to talk to your sisters. You have 361 days out of the f—ing year to talk to sisters, and this week is NOT, I f—ing repeat NOT ONE OF THEM.”

The missive has brought some unwanted attention to the sorority, and has even garnered online parodies of the email being read aloud. A request was submitted to the web site Gawker, requesting that the email be removed, or at the least the names of the sorority and fraternity be removed from their accompanying article. To date, their request has not been granted.

What are your thoughts on this email message? Is it a proper message to send to young women? What was your Greek experience in college? We welcome your comments.

Starwood Hotels announce Aloft will soon join downtown Denver hotels

Downtown Denver will soon get a new hip and trendy hotel to add to its roster. Plans were recently announced for a new Starwood Hotels property known as Aloft to grace the corner of 15^th and Stout Street. The Aloft Hotels are geared to a younger, hipper demographic by boasting a more sleek urban aesthetic.

The project will be six-stories high and about 70,000 square feet in size. A below-grade level will include hotel functions and a swimming pool/fitness area. The ground floor will include about 2,000 SF of retail and lobby uses and a porte-cochère with vehicle ingress off Stout Street and vehicle egress via the alley between Stout and Champa. The upper five floors will contain approximately 140 hotel rooms.

The current occupant of the space is a former Burger King. While BK hasn’t occupied the space in many years, a revolving door of food service businesses has opened in the space; only to close shortly thereafter. That building will be razed to make room for the new hotel. Plans for the new hotel have been completed by the architecture firm of Olive Architecture of Raleigh, NC

According to the Aloft web site, the vibe of their hotels is geared towards an experience that celebrates the individual and gives you freedom to control and customize your travel adventure to fit your personal style. While still in the planning stages, the Aloft Denver project is slated for completion in April of 2014.

For more information on this new venture, and to see a rendering of the new structure click here. For more info on Starwood Hotels Aloft properties, follow this link. And tell us, what are some of your favorite hotel spaces or buildings in downtown Denver.

Greek soccer player banned for life for Nazi salute

Greek soccer Player Giorgos Katidis

As difficult as it is to believe, racism still exists in the world. Even in places you wouldn’t believe so. Such is the case of Greece, and particularly of a Greek soccer player who has been banned for life for displaying a Nazi salute after scoring a goal during a match.

Player Giorgos Katidis was banned for life by the Greek Soccer Federation after scoring the game winning goal between his AEK Athens team and Veria. The 20-year old midfielder scored the goal bringing the score to 2-1. But it was his gesture of a Nazi salute that overshadowed his game winning goal, and got the player banned from the game for life.

Greece’s soccer federation said Sunday in a statement that Katidis’ gesture “is a deep insult to all victims of Nazi brutality.”

In his defense, Katidis took to the Twitter-sphere and claimed that he was unaware of the implications his gesture represented. Since making that statement, his Twitter account has been removed from the site.

Learn more about the incident here. What are your thoughts on Katidis’ gesture, and the Greek soccer federation’s response to it? Weigh in with your comments.

 

Li’l Devils Lounge adds new life to S. Broadway bar scene

A new bar has opened up on the S. Broadway corridor. Li’l Devils Lounge has taken over the spot previously occupied by controversial tavern The Barker Lounge. In this story on Examiner.com, new owners Tony Fleith and Justin McConnell talk about revamping the space into a more upscale space, and the challenges of living down the legacy of the past. Fleith also talks about a hope that the bar can bring folks back to the table for discussions…instead of to the nearest smart device.

Check out the article here, and share with us what some of your favorite watering holes are in your local.

The war on words: do you mean what you say when you say it?

In business…and in life, words matter. Do yours?

Let’s face it, words do matter. Not just in business, but in life as well. But when the words come from your mouth, do you really mean them? Do you understand their importance? Check out this article from ProducersWEB on the importance of what we say…and how we say it.

As always, we welcome your comments.

Sports world rocked by two scandals with Olympic ties

It’s been a crazy day in the world of sports. First, the shocking arrest of one of the breakout stars of the 2012 London Olympic Games, runner Oscar Pistorius. Next come claims by a Russian wrestling coach the real reason for cutting the sport from the 2020 Games is all part of the “gay agenda.”

Oscar Pistorius

Oscar Pistorius, the South African runner who made history as the first amputee to qualify for the Olympics, has been formally charged with the murder of his girlfriend, aspiring model Reeva Steenkamp. According to authorities, in the early morning hours on Thursday police were summoned to Pistorius’ residence after receiving a call about a disturbance. When they arrived, they found Steenkamp, 30, dead from four gunshot wounds. A spokesperson for the police in Johannesburg said that there were no other suspects being considered at the time, as Pistorius, 26, was the only other individual in the house at the time.

According to sources, Pistorius claims that the shooting was an accident, and that he thought Steenkamp an intruder. However, the police spokesperson also confirmed that it was not the first time they had been summoned to Pistorius’s home on a disturbance call.

A know gun enthusiast, Pistorius had achieved almost rock star status after competing in the summer Olympic Games last year held in London.  A medalist in the Paralympic Games, Pistorius made history as the first amputee to compete in a traditional Olympic games. In the 2012 Olympics, he reached the 400-meter semifinal and competed in the 4×400 meter relay.

Reeva Steenkamp

Steenkamp was on the verge of stardom as well. The blonde beauty was already the face of cosmetics giant Avon in South Africa, and was set to guest star on a reality show for Jamaican television called Tropika Island of Treasure, this coming weekend. In addition to her entertainment accomplishments, Steenkamp graduated with a law degree from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, ad was an outspoken advocate on the campaign to prevent violence against women.

“WEAR BLACK THIS FRIDAY IN SUPPORT AGAINST #RAPE,” was re-tweeted from Steenkamp’s account just hours before her death.

As for Pistorius, he is being held at this writing awaiting an arraignment and setting of bail hearing on Friday morning. Authorities plan to oppose bail for Pistorius.

Meanwhile, according to Russian sports website R-Sports, Russian wrestling coach Vladimir Uruimagov said that the International Olympic Committee’s decision to remove wrestling from the Olympic line up as a “gay conspiracy.”

“If they expel wrestling now, that means that gays will soon run the whole world,” Uruimagov said, adding that cutting wrestling from the Olympic program was “a blow to masculine origins.”

Russian wrestling coach Vladimir Uruimagov

On February, 12^th, IOC officials announced that they would be cutting the sport from the games starting with the 2020 games. The move has sent shock waves through the Olympic community. The IOC board acted after reviewing the 26 sports on the current Olympic program. Originally speculation was that the Pentathlon would be eliminated. Eliminating one sport allows the International Olympic Committee to add a new sport to the program later this year. The IOC executive board will meet in May in St. Petersburg, Russia, to decide which sport or sports to propose for 2020 inclusion, with the final vote to be made at the 125th IOC general assembly which convenes September 7, 2013 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The news further unsettled Coach Uruimagov, who had a few more words for the IOC.

“It turns out this committee is headed by representative of these minorities,” said Uruimagov clarifying that he meant sexual minorities. “It is necessary for millions around the world who understand that this is a man’s sport and who understand the need to continue the human race to go out and explain their position to the Olympic Committee. We should prove and explain that in any other case there is no future.”

Wrestling combines freestyle and Greco-Roman disciplines. It had 11 medal events in freestyle and seven in Greco-Roman at last year’s London Olympics. Wrestling will now join seven other sports in applying for inclusion in 2020. The others are a combined bid from baseball and softball, karate, squash, roller sports, sport climbing, wakeboarding and wushu; a full-contact sport derived from Chinese martial arts. They will be vying for a single opening in 2020.

As for the location of the 2020 games, the list has been cut down to three. The finalists are Madrid, Spain; Istanbul, Turkey; and Tokyo Japan. A final decision will be made during the September meeting of the IOC.

Share your thoughts on these stories, or any of our blog posts, in our comments section.

 

 

 

A “Just Do It” pep talk for 2013

Fingers crossed for a great year ahead…

We can stand on the sidelines and cheer on others, or we can get into the game and participate! Yeah, I know, but platitudes aside, here is a piece from ProducersWeb that hopefully will light a fire in your belly, and make you want to seize the year by the…(fill in the blank on your own here)