Out Spotlight XXXVIII

Today's Spotlight is a Campus Edition.

Fraternity from the Latin word frater - for brother, meaning brotherhood.
Fraternities have roots back to ancient Greece and Rome, but today are best know for as social organizations for undergraduate at North American colleges and universities.

While the GLTB community has gained acceptance on most college campuses, acceptance in the conservative Greek system has been slower. It is said that 10% of men in traditional U.S. fraternities are gay — but that almost all of them stay in the closet for fear of reprisals from the brothers with whom they share their house and brotherhood. But with the increasingly larger number of teenagers coming out in during high school , they are arriving on college campuses expecting the social environment to accommodate their sexual orientation and that includes a fraternity experience for some. This is creating a new need for another house on fraternity row. The out and proud gay fraternity. "There are now perhaps two dozen gay fraternities around the country — with half of them springing up in just the past five years — at schools such as the University of South Alabama and Kent State University." (Time Magazine)

The 28 men at Gamma Lambda Mu at Florida International University (F.I.U.) are doing that just that and overcoming a lot of barriers. Not only are they trying to establish a openly gay fraternity at a university with predominantly Latino student population, they trying to show their fellow students that they are just another organization on campus, and trying to get a national charter.

Creating openly gay fraternity within a student population born into a culture in which the mystique of machismo still thrives, isn't easy. Mario Campa, co founder of Gamma, a Cuban American, says he has yet to tell his father he is gay. "Many [Anglos] come out with the support of their families," says Gamma Lambda Mu member Jorge Casas, 22. "Hispanic culture is a bit harsher."

"That isolation, Gamma men say, makes having a gay fraternity — a surrogate family and support group in which their sexuality is accepted — even more essential. 'I never had any gay friends growing up,' says a shy F.I.U. student whose family rejected him after he came out. Gamma Lambda Mu, he says, 'is a different and very positive experience for me.'

The Gamma men have taken pains to spell out the precise limits of their bonding: brothers, their bylaws say, may not date one another. They feel chastity rule is necessary, to prove to their schoolmates that gay men can come together in the spirit of service and camaraderie and not for sex. "People think [a gay fraternity] is an orgy," says Campa. "It's not." Gay frats still have to work to "give the impression that we are just another organization" on campus.

"Gamma Lambda Mu is hoping to affiliate with Delta Lambda Phi, the national parent gay fraternity in Washington, which advises its chapters on how to offer peer counseling, AIDS education and access to online resources for gay men. But first Gamma Lambda Mu must win the approval of F.I.U.'S interfraternity council when it votes on the new fraternity's charter application. The school's president, Modesto Maidique, backs the move, as does the head of the interfraternity council."

Co-editor of Out on Fraternity Row, Shane Windmeyer suggests that such groups can serve as a defense against the kind of hate crime that struck Matthew Shepard, the gay University of Wyoming student who was beaten to death off campus in 1998.

That's not to say the Gamma men are not aware of their differences and have a sense of humor about them. The slogan they've printed on its T shirts reads LET'S GIVE 'EM SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT.

Hanging on to Summer

"Austin you cover Friday's since its "Austin Fridays" what ever the hell that is. Austin Fucking Fridays? "

"Brian, you do Saturdays. Cause it's not Brian Saturdays."

"And I'm going to blog within a blog about the Kierkegaardian knight of faith while listening to some Floyd and watching West World."


"David... uh what does this have to do with OMG's JFC Discussion?"

"Brian, don't even try."

"What is he even talking about?"


Just don't look directly at him and give him that concentrated look on your face and he'll stop either in a hour or when next his flashback happens.

Come and join in with others as we try to figure out what Milch was talking about in the series and take a closer look at the first episode of John From Cincinnati.

A special Friday Evening - Saturday discussion - September 19th and 20th.

Goosey Goosey Gander

He's got more names than a rapper, and now you can add Father Goose to the long list of names for Austin. But what kind of nursery rhymes would he be telling?

Maybe?

Gray goose and gander,
Waft your wings together,
And carry the good king's Prince
Over the one-strand river

Jakey Jakey pudding pie
Kissed his boy
And made him shy
When the paps came out to play
Jakey Jakey smiled away


Give it your best shot.


But would he be snoozing before he finished the book?

History Making

Today is a monumental day in US history so for all OMG'ers outside the US please indulge us. We may ask this favor 2 more times, so mark your calendar for day in November and one in January 2009.

Today Barack Obama accepts the Democratic National Committee's nomination as the Democratic candidate for the 2008 US Presidential election. Obama will be the first African American Presidential candidate from a major party in the history of the United States. His speech and acceptance falls on the 45th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech .

It was that speech were Dr. King raised the public consciousness of the civil rights movement. He campaigned for the civil rights and racial equality, it became more than just racial equality it became equality for ALL people. And the need is still there today.

Change comes, and the need for change continues. It must continue. There are days when we want change to happen faster and sometime we forget how far we've come, when look ahead and see how far we have to go.

It took one hundred years for Martin Luther King to come before the nation after the Civil War, and less than half that to have Barack Obama running for the highest office in the United States. Change takes time, and this still much change to do. The barriers are coming down faster and faster every day.

It is participating the system of the electorate that help bring those leaders and legislation to make changes. It is a civic duty wherever you are around the world, to participate help shape the world we live in through the leadership we elect. It is not the only responsibility we have as world citizens to bring change but one that must be at the top of the list. What will you do?

It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores
and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.
Yes we can. Yes we can.
It was the call of workers who organized;
women who reached for the ballots;
a President who chose the moon as our new frontier;
and a King who took us to the mountain-top and pointed the way to the Promised Land.
Yes we can to justice and equality.

We know the battle ahead will be long,
but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way,
nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change.
We want change!

- Barack Obama

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'" Rev. Martin Luther King

Video: Yes We Can

Back to the Beginning

...and baby makes three

Dear Ted:
Please don't be like Toothy himself when asked a tough question. Just give a simple answer. A yes or no will do. No beating around the bush or skirting the issue. Is there a Baby Tile?
—Tom, Mt. Laurel

Dear Gay Shooter:
Yes.

Mr. Peabody & His Boy Sherman

"Sherman set the WaBac machine to Montreal November 2002"

"Why Mr. Peabody?"

"To see where it all began my boy, to see where it all began."

"What began?"

"Toothy Tile"

"Hey Mr. Peabody?"

"Yes Sherman, my boy."

"What was going between them?"

"Well Sherman, looks like they were falling hard. "

"Like Galileo and rocks?"

"No Sherman, not like rocks."

"Wasn't he supposed to fall for the girl."

"Simplistic answer from a simple boy. The answer is you fall for who you fall for. "

"Hey Mr. Peabody, did Austin steal Jake's coat and keep it?"

"We'll have to see."

"Mr. Peabody, did they think that they would be here six years later?"

"Sherman this is the WABAC machine, I can't predict the future. "

"How does a Tooth and a Goose have a baby?"

"Sherman that's a story for another time and another channel"



And you just can't make this stuff up moment:

Remember Destiny's story about the women in the nail salon talking about the friend of her husband who worked on TDAT, and had a new movie out called Traitor, well Jeffery Nachmanoff has another project. He's a co-writer on Prince of Persia.

Nachmanoff on His Next Project

He's finished helping write the Jake Gyllenhaal-led Prince of Persia and surely has other scripts on the horizon, but what about Nachmanoff's next directing endeavor? While he hasn't gone blockbuster big with Traitor, he has aimed pretty high and challenged himself right out of the gate. I'm definitely interested what he does next, but it looks like we don't have an answer what that might be just yet.

Nachmanoff: "I don't know. I'm looking for something that I can also get excited about as this project… something that I feel is as ambitious and thought-provoking, but also entertaining for an audience. I haven't found exactly the right thing. Obviously, The Day After Tomorrow and Prince of Persia are on this really big Hollywood scale — I don't think that's probably what I would go to next as a director. But, I like good story-telling. And maybe, like Guy, who's done every type of movie you can imagine… I would aspire to have such a varied career. It's harder for a director to have as varied career as an actor, because you just don't get as many at-bats. And, frankly, it's hard to come up with the ideas for a new movie. But, I guess I would make any movie that I would like to go see."

Here's the interview.

Stone Cold

Via cellphone (hands free of course - not breaking any laws, officer )

Am I on speaker phone? Ok good, now you just listen and drive I'll do all talking.
We have some good news and some bad news. Well you know that Jake is in Morocco working, and you've been seen around town with Atticus instead. Yeah yeah good coverage. Well Atti has come down with tail drop and got a little crazy with some "Paw"ty mix and is spending some down time out away from the cameras.

Now don't worry, don't worry, we've gotten this taken care of.

Think strong, rugged, sharp chiseled features, big, totally makes you look like the tiny wisp of a thing you are, well known worldwide, instantly recognizable. Sounds good right?

Won't say much. Will go along with anything. Use to all the cameras, believe me.

Sounds perfect don't worry. Now go, go get ready. Think fun fabulous fearless. Maybe a little Sporty Spice.

Jake? Jake's fine with this, actually he suggested it.

Just meet at the usual meet up place we use around 10:30 do little stroll and then you can go. It'll get picked up for the 3 o'clock east coast media deadline, promise you'll get three mentions, yes yes the movie too and we'll throw Jake's name. Later. (click, dial tone)

"Scarlett?!? Well I thought you were gonna be taller."

"And if you had a hand I wouldn't need this would I?"

Dog Days of Summer

Hollywood has a love affair with pets and you can see why. They give them something that they can't buy or find. Unconditional love. Doesn't matter if the scripted sucked, or they screw up filming and it cost the studio more money, they don't ask for autographs, they don't want pictures, they don't care if they've gained weight or wearing the latest trend. They don't ask to crash in your guest room for a few months, or drink all of your OJ. Ok so maybe they might chew up your shoes, or forget that they go outside for bathroom breaks, and that dead bird mouse or mole they dropped on the carpet, come they're just trying to give you a gift.

Their pets have seen them at their most personal, the highs, the lows, the anger and frustration, their weakness and insecurities. They've seen all their bad habits, seen them first thing in the morning and they still love them. They don't need a big box office return, or an award before they will spend time with them. They make them happy on the down days, they are there to right beside them on the great ones.

Such loyalty is a rare thing in Hollywood. Who else is as loyal? In Hollywood, come on let's just talk for the rest of us too and it doesn't matter one bit if you're never going to famous, they love you like you are.

So some Atticus and a little Boo Hey! today. He is missed. Asked in a interview about Boo, Jake responded.

Many of your fans are wondering if you still have Boo, your puggle? We haven't seen him in a while.

(After a pause and a sigh of what sounded like lament, looks to the floor and responds) I don't have my puggle ... I don't have my puggle.



Some think Boo went to the big doggie park, and some think that Jake found another home that could give Boo the amount of attention and time puggles need. What do you think?

Out Spotlight XXXVII

Today's Spotlight is Candis Cayne.Candis is the first transgender actress to have a recurring role on a prime-time network television series in the United States.

Candis was born Brendan was born as Brendan McDaniel in Hawaii. Raised in Maui by her parents teachers at private school in Hawaii, she was raised in a loving supportive, nurturing, artistic environment. A classically trained dancer, she left high school moving to LA and getting a job on a cruise ship for a few months to raise money for a move to New York. Once in New York, she started performing as 'Candis Cayne' at Boy Bar, a gay bar in early 1990s New York City and participating in Wigstock, the annual drag festival in the East Village. Her participation in Wigstock led to her being asked to do choreography for To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, and led to a role in the movie Stonewall. She began transitioning in 1996. In 1997 Candis co-starred in the RuPaul music video A Little Bit of Love with fellow drag icon Jazzmun. She also appeared as the lead role in the 1998 independent film Mob Queen. She worked with RuPaul again in 2007 , in a movie called Starbooty. In 2007 she also landed the role of Carmelita, a transsexual who is having an affair with married New York Attorney General Patrick Darling (played by William Baldwin), in the serial drama Dirty Sexy Money.

Candis was the 2001 winner of the Miss Gay Continental U.S.A. national pageant for transgendered people.


She and her husband DJ Marco have been together since 2003 and have one child.


Candis Canye profile
**Link Fixed**
Great personal profile of Candis talking about herself and her life.

Candis at NY Pride 2008


SPECIAL OMG OLYMPIC MOMENT

CONGRATULATIONS MATTHEW MITCHAM ON WINNING GOLD.

OMG Olympic Event

For the past two weeks OMG has brought a unique perspective to the traditional Olympic games, Jake & Austin style. But before this closing ceremonies, it's now time for you to come up with your own Olympic style games with a Jake & Austin twist. Up for the challenge? What would get them up on the medal stand? And how many golds do you think they can get? What OMGer will capture the spirit of the OMG the best: "Citius, Altius, Fortius"- "Faster, Higher, Stronger"?


A couple from this Olympic minded mind:

Olympic Auto Texas Twister - Combining wrestling, rhythmic gymnastics and the vault in a parked car. Of course done in the spirit of the ancient Greeks.

Olympic Hide and Seek - Someone hides while the paps, press, fans worldwide try to seek. Extra degree of difficulty for size ( smaller, the higher degree of difficulty), duration, style, and risky maneuvers.

Ok... On your marks, get ready, get set , Go.....

Wait don't shoot.

Turnabout is fair play, tit for tat and all that.

How can there be pics of Jake yesterday sans shirt and not today? Austin somehow finds a role, or maybe just loses his shirt between rehearsal and actual filming, that has him end half dressed. No apologies, cause this would make anyone misspell and use bad grammar.
Casting head shot
Wait I need to get to get this off before the camera start to roll
Hmmm Yes, that's better. It says so much more about the internal struggle of the character.
Of course it's all about my dedication to my craft. What else would it be?

OMG Olympic Moment
Triathlon
The first triathlon was held on Fiesta Island, California, USA in 1974 as the San Diego University Track Club ventured into new forms of instilling interest in their training programme while inventing “cross-over training” at the same time.

As the ultimate endurance test, triathlon requires athletes to excel at the three “classic sports” of swimming, cycling and running.

The sport requires intense training and discipline at the elite level; many people participate in triathlons because it fits in with a healthy lifestyle. They’re able to train while still pursuing careers and families.

Triathlon made its Olympic debut at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney after it was awarded full medal status six years earlier at the IOC congress in Paris. The international popularity of triathlon really started to grow after its inclusion on the Olympic programme. By 2003, ITU’s World Cup circuit expanded to 18 races in 14 different countries.

OMG's take. These two have mastered all three of these sports as we have seen. Of course the most famous Triathlon is the Ironman. Who do you think would get that title?

Off His Chest

Jake's newest look for Prince of Persia is not without discussion and debate, pro and can. But is it all that new? Looks a little similar to his Jarhead look. What is more interesting is to see how many thought this happen overnight. Some say he pumped up just now, some claim it came from the juice. It does seem that he can thin down and bulk up for roles more now than before ransforming from his thinned down look of Zodiac to a little more mature physique and from Rendition to now . Look back a couple of summers ago he was looking just as broad, just not as toned as now.

One thing, it does looks like Jake was pulling some creative camouflaging during the Nailed shoot. His bigger dress shirts and slightly ill tailored suits did make him look like the congressman, the extra few pound rounding out his face, also hid what was going on underneath. Did you notice that despite heat there where a lots of long sleeves to cover up off set too? Might have though it was because of the sun, but now we know it was not to show off the work in progress. But white tee's don't lie, and during Nailed you could start to see that he was working on. The muscle was there he just step it up into high gear dropping more than a few lbs, and really toning up.

Some like it, other don't. It may stay it may go. An actor has to be versatile and adapt to each an every role. When stories about Jake playing Joe Namath first came out last fall, most could not picture him in the role of a pro football quarterback. That was the biggest arguments in the sports side of things. What about now? You think he could hold his on in training camp and not get flattened, does he have the build now to play Namath?

Well one thing we do know he has the legs to pull off Namath's famous pantyhose ad now don't we? ; )



OMG Olympic Moment
Handball

The first played towards the end of the 19th century in Denmark, Germany and Sweden. Recognition of field handball based on the games of "Raffball" (snatch ball) and "Königsbergerball" (Konradhe modern game of handball was Koch, 1846-1911) occurred at the turn of the century. G. Wallström introduced Sweden to the sport of "handball" in 1910.

After the men's game debuted on turf football fields at the 1936 Games in Berlin, the European-based sport next appeared in its present indoor form in 1972 at Munich. A women's division opened in 1976 and it has become one of the most highly attended Olympic sports.

OMG's Take .

Tweedy Bird

Insomnia, X files message boards and a lot of Diet Coke lead to some interesting snippets that may tell more about Fencewalker.

Chatter began about about Fencewalker, pretty much then referred to as Chris Carter's secret project, the beginning of May, six weeks before the Hollywood Reporter mention. Debate was that it was for extras for the second X-Files film's DVD or that they were already filming the 3rd X-files film. A lot of that was prompted because rapper Xzibit is the newest X-files. But it was Xzibit himself that confirmed that the was filming Fencewalker in an interview in May. From the way X refers to it look like Fencewalker is a separate movie and later this was confirmed by the Reporter.

It does look like a semi ? autobiographical movie for Carter but no one is sure how much or how little it is. In fact not many people know what its about all. But it does look like another retro run for Austin, another late 70's - early 80's.

It has been discovered that Carter and Ten Thirteen Productions did in fact register the domain fencewalkernovie.com.

The boards said filming start the beginning of May and wrapped end of July beginning of August. A lighting crew member from the project had dates on his myspace confirmed that time line.

Now about Austin. Still not sure how he plays into this story line but a couple of thoughts. And maybe a little about why he caught Chris Carter eye. Surfing has been a part of Chris Carter's life more in his past than in the present, including a stint as a writer for a surfing magazine, but he still surfs some. Somehow you can see Chris Carter watching John from Cincinnati can't you? And actually understanding it.

Could Austin play a surfer in Carter's past ? Or there's this, could this be Tweedy's (Austin) place?


As with any Chris Carter project guess it's just a "have to wait and find out", isn't it?

OMG Olympic Moment
Fencing

Take the romantic, swashbuckling epics of Errol Flynn, add some rules, protective clothing and an electronic scoring system, and you have fencing at the Olympic Games. Two rivals stand opposite each other and feint, lunge, parry and riposte until one scores the required number of hits to win.

Evolved from the ancient form of combat, fencing is one of only four sports that has been featured at every modern Olympic Games. It was the first to include recognised professionals in a medals competition after modern Olympic Games founder Pierre de Coubertin arranged special events for professional fencing "masters" in the original 1896 and 1900 competitions.

The clothing has become so protective, though, that officials modified masks a few years ago to return a "human face" to the event. Fine, but for intense reality, the 1924 team foil competition still wins: After the Olympic Games, an Italian and a Hungarian settled a scoring controversy with a real duel.

OMG's Take. Jake should be a pro with the Saber after his summer of PoP. Wonder if he's passing on along some tips to Austin?

Secret Agent Men

Alright you two you need new identities.

Here. You are now Secret Squirrel and Morocco Mole, got that?

Yes Double Q!

You two will fight crime and evil enemy agents, paparazzi and the rest of Hollywood using your cunning and all of your nifty spy gadgets, including a machine gun cane, a collection of guns kept inside Secret's coat, and a variety of devices concealed in your hat SS. Don't take the hat off too much SS, or you identity will be revealed by your distinctive ears.

Yes Double Q.

Morocco Mole keep your glasses on, keep those well know eyes covered or you identity will be blown.


Yes Double Q

Your objective is to battle your recurring arch-enemy, Yellow Pinkie but don't forget about that master criminal Hy-Spy, look out for his hookah a sure sign Hy-Spy is near.

Look Secret the hideaway off the coast, no one will find us there.

You're right Morocco. We need to time put our heads together and figure out a plan.

Double Q?

Yes.

My hat is kind of small.

Sorry MM those are standard size your head must run large.

Double Q are sure this will work? I mean SS and MM, aren't kind of like GG and TT? And this purple hat with my yellowish fur does that seem a little Awful Truth to you?

I don't see a problem with it. Are you saying I'm not Double Q?

Well.... now that you mention it you seem more TC to me.

Top Cat, Secret?

Ahem, we'll just go with that.


And if I press this button Secret what happens then?



OMG Olympic Moment Twofer Tuesday

Weightlifting

An ancient sport as old as mankind, embodying the most direct manifestation of human strength, weightlifting has not only flourished, but also developed into a modern sporting discipline for the 21st century. The apparent simplicity of lifting the barbell from the ground and over the head in one or two movements is deceiving. Weightlifting requires a combination of power, speed, technique, concentration and timing. Super heavyweight lifters normally claim the title of World’s Strongest Man or Woman. However, kilo per kilo, the lightest weightlifter is often the strongest. Men’s weightlifting was on the programme of the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. Women participated for the first time at the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000.

OMG's Olympic Take. From the looks of it, it looks like Jake has done some serious weightlifting in the few months to pump up the volume for Dastan. Anyone knows that you can weight lift alone, you always need a good spotter. ; )

Wrestling

If the Olympic Games are a history of mankind, wrestling is the prologue. When the ancient Games of the Olympiad were born, wrestling already was an ancient game. Widely recognised as the world's oldest competitive sport, wrestling appeared in a series of Egyptian wall paintings as many as 5000 years ago. When the Games began in 776 BC, more than two millenniums later, it included wrestling, and, in the years that followed, wrestling featured as the main event.

The sport would return in a similar role when the Olympic Games returned after a 1500-year absence in 1896. Organisers, seeking direct links to ancient times, found a natural in the sport that had enjoyed popularity across much of the ancient world, from Greece, Assyria and Babylon to India, China and Japan. They resurrected Greco-Roman wrestling, a style they believed to be an exact carryover from the Greek and Roman wrestlers of old.

In Greco-Roman wrestling, the wrestlers used only their arms and upper bodies to attack. They could hold only those same parts of their opponents. It worked nicely from a historical perspective, but another breezier style was sweeping across Great Britain and the United States by then. Known as "catch as catch can", it had become standard fare - and popular professional entertainment - at fairs and festivals in both countries.

In 1904, the Olympic Games added the second wrestling event and called it "freestyle". Now, wrestlers could use their legs for pushing, lifting and tripping, and they could hold opponents above or below the waist.

OMG's take. Leaving that all up to guys, leaving it all up to you. ; )

More PoP to Ponder

Is this the real Prince Dastan? Actually is it the first Prince. No this is not like the Russian history story of the False Dimitri and the Czars of Russian. This is world of games vs. movies. Yuri Lowenthal is the man most have heard in their games, and his biggest role was the Prince of Persia Sands of Time. He was not cast in the voice in the sequel Warrior Within but from fans was brought back as the Prince in the third game Warrior Within.

Now Jake is cast as the Prince for the movie but Yuri would like to be a part of something he voiced. For many he is the prince. Gamers are asking for help. "What you do not know is that Yuri has been trying to get a small role, or even a cameo in the film, but has had no luck as of yet. It may be too late to help, but that doesn't mean we (the gaming community) shouldn't at least try. I am asking that you post on forums, send a letter (or email) to the studio, or sign the petition that I started. Anything is better than nothing and this man deserves all the support in the world."
Check out more about this and the petition in the gamers community here.

Is there room for two princes in this picture?

And not to stop the PoPing today. Here is an interview with director Mike Newell about his vision of PoP. An adventure romance. Michael Bay was previously attached to PoP and would have made a very different movie. But you really can't explode a lot in 6th century Persia. But with Newell you can see the direction Bruckhemier was heading. Big adventure for the gamers, men, and kids, but a romantic storyline for women. Newell has done some great love stories as it were, and has handled big productions as well. You can see shades of Lawrence of Arabia, not trying to match the classic but the influences of it woven into the adventure. Everyone says this is going to be big, and from the sounds it is coming with the bigger expectations.




Seems like Jake has swept many of his fans off their feet in the past. Can he do it again as the dashing and daring prince?

Standing Up Standing Out

The worlds eyes are turned to Beijing looking toward the athletes and their achievements, but maybe the need is to look at the people who live there. There are only a handful of athletes from more open countries who are out at these Olympic games versus a larger LGTB community that is existing under Chinese rule.

Today's Out Spotlight focuses on the LGTB community in China. Despite being counter to the conformity that Chinese government demands of their citizens, these individuals are living their lives and building a LGTB community to support each other.

Common Language is a magazine written, published and distributed through their postal system when gay literature and movies are banned by their government. They have a camp each summer a gathering to come together, to be better activists. Who realized that there would be LGBT library and a LGBT center in a nation that to outsiders seems intolerant to homosexuality. It shows that there are people who are standing up to their government, and living the lives they want to have.

So today's spotlight is about those people, taking risks and living their lives.

OMG Olympic Moment
Swimming

"My will to live completely overcame my desire to win."

That was the reaction of 19-year-old Hungarian Alfred Hajos after he won the 1200 metres freestyle at the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. He won by being the first swimmer to reach shore after a boat had left everyone in the icy waters of the Mediterranean.

Olympic swimming has come a long way, to temperature-controlled 50-metre pools, wave-killing gutters, lane markers designed to reduce turbulence, and status as one of the Games' glamour events. It is far removed from those early days.

There were the venues, from the Bay of Zea in 1896, to Paris's River Seine in 1900, to a 100-metre pool constructed inside the athletics track in 1908. Then there were the events, from a 100-metre race for Greek sailors in 1896, to underwater and obstacle races in 1900, to a "plunge for distance" in 1908. That event involved a standing dive, with contestants then remaining motionless for 60 seconds, or until their heads broke the surface - whichever came first.

Of course today the world is celebrating the incredible athletic accomplishment of Michael Phelps who won 8 gold medals in a single Olympics, breaking the 36 year achievement of 7 golds by swimmer Mark Spitz in the 1972 Munich games.

Congratulations Michael!

OMG's Olympic take. Austin seems to have been born in the water, mentioning in interviews that he was on waterskis before he could walk, and in the water when a few months old. Seriously someone should just check to see if he has webbed feet. And if they ever do a remake of The Man from Atlantis , casting agents should just look no futher. Now Jake and swimmming? Well that's more to do with the suits than that the water. Before the new high tech racers, swimmers were know for their speedos. And Jake is famously known on a dare to go into a store, strip down put one on and just walk out of the store when he was younger. Yeah someone did have a chat with the mall cops for that one.

Dance this mess around

Sometimes you just need to dance. Stop . Get out there and just put it all behind, forget all everything from the week, the month, the summer, the year. Just dance it out bitch.

And this dance flashback.

From August 2006

Jake in NYC

The actor recently hit New York City hot spot Butter, where he made his way to Jamie-Lynn Sigler's booth, and with a Corona beer in hand, he rocked out to Fergie's "London Bridge." Later, he started dancing with one of the Sopranos star's brunette friends. The two whispered and laughed with each other for the rest of the night and, at one point, she plopped herself on Gyllenhaal's lap. Before leaving with Sigler at around 3 a.m., the pal and Gyllenhaal whipped out their cell phones and started typing numbers. They also exchanged a long hug good-bye.

That didn't end the fun for Gyllenhaal, who danced to Madonna's "Like a Prayer" (even doing a bit where he crossed himself) and did the limbo with a few women. So, how low can he go?

Jake's new skills for PoP ... money's that boy can go low low low. And Austin.....?

OMG Olympic Moment
Gymnastics

A perfect fusion of athletics and aesthetics, gymnas sports of the Olympic Games. Mixing strength and agility tics ranks among the definingwith style and grace, the high-flying acrobats have provided many of the most breathtaking Olympic spectacles of the past quarter-century.

Gymnastics has a long, proud history. The sport can be traced back to ancient Greece, where such skills featured in the ancient Olympic Games. Ancient Rome, Persia, India and China practised similar disciplines, mostly aimed at preparing young men for battle. The word itself derives from the Greek word gymnos, meaning naked - dress requirements for athletes in those days were minimal, to say the least.


OMG's take. Strength Agility Style Grace. Says it all about these two.

Thought it was going to be the naked thing huh.

Overcoming Obstacles

While you're watching the Olympics and cheering on Olympians like Michael Phelps and Phil Dalhausser, you don't know true challenges out of the athletic venues they face. I want to talk to you about a serious challenge many face every single day and are suffering in silence. Long Arms Syndrome. My name is Austin Nichols, and I have Long Arms Syndrome (LAS).

It is a life long condition and there is no cure. Misunderstood by many they don't understand why we shed our shirts so much. But think about if everything you tried on was too short in the arms.

I was a normal kid, my arms might have been a little long but not too bad, but then overnight I grew and found myself with arms that were too long for anything. Self confidence is hard when you are 14 but try it when your arms stick 3 inches longer than your shirt sleeve.

Too short pants get called highwaters, but there is no name for our shame.

So what can you do? Besides a life time in short sleeve shirts?


Rolling the sleeves up

Rolling down French cuffed shirts



Accessories to draw attention away from too short sleeve




Sleeveless tee's








Interesting photo poses








Just trying to look casual on a date







In the end when your wingspan is more than approaching over 80 inches (that's almost 203.2 cm) you just give up and lose the shirt.



Of course special occasions you might be not be able to so have to go with something custom made.



So the next time you slip your arm in your sleeve when you get dressed, stop and take a moment and be thankful you do not suffer like LAS like others do.

Paid for by the Long Arm Syndrome Group.

OMG Olympic Moment
Tennis

When Irishman John Boland traveled to Athens for the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, he had no idea he would return home with the gold medal in tennis. But then, he had no idea he would compete either - he went as a spectator.

Times have changed dramatically for Olympic tennis since then. Today's Olympic tennis players include some of the highest-profile athletes in the world. Accustomed to five-star hotels and high-stakes prize money, at the Olympic Games they will bunk in the Olympic Village and compete for nothing but a gold medal.

Tennis was dropped from the Olympic program after 1924 amid turmoil over such issues as where to draw the line between amateurism and professionalism, and it didn't return as a medal sport until 1988. Today, Olympic competition includes men's and women's singles and men's and women's doubles.

OMG's take. How could we ever forget tennis, crisp whites to show of the athleticism of the player, and how sounds of exertion are perfectly acceptable in public.