Animal of the Day: The Binturong

The Binturong or Asian Bearcat. It is not actually a bear but belongs to the same family as the civet or genet.

Boy George vs Lady Gaga (Or People In Glass Houses Shouldn't Throw Stones...)

Lady Gaga recently revealed in an interview with Vanity Fair that she occasionally uses cocaine. Not a clever thing to say, not a good message to send out to her fans, but she is a woman who sets out to shock - this is the kind of behaviour people have come to expect from her.

Now Boy George has lashed out at her for pretty much the reasons I have outlined above. But surely he isn't in much of a position to preach?

You might argue that as a recovering addict that Boy George is best informed to speak out about this subject. Then again, George was recently in the headlines after being found guilty of false imprisonment for chaining up a male escort. This is surely a greater crime than recreational drugs use?

I'm not saying that Lady Gaga hasn't done wrong - she has. Some of her fans are young and impressionable. But Boy Beorge is the last person to start throwing stones.

Geraldine 'Jerrie' Cobb

Since my last post was so very shallow, I felt the need to post something a little more highbrow. So here it is; I've chosen to write about one of my biggest heroes.

No, not Wonder Woman (who was my first hero, just as she was for many gay men), I'm talking about Geraldine 'Jerrie' Cobb. Haven't heard of her? Well shame on you!

Jerrie Cobb should have been the first woman in space.

Perhaps I should explain.
Jerrie was born in Norman, Oklahoma, in 1931. She learned to fly her daddie's 'plane at the age of 12. At 17 she had her private pilots license and was paying her way through school by dusting crops and teaching navigation. At 18 she recieved her commercial license, setting world altitude and speed records. She was a very talented pilot and her achievements brought her to the attention of NASA. She was recruited to become an astronaut trainee in 1959, the first woman to be selected for that role.

She helped NASA to select other candidates and they became known collectively as the First Lady Astronaut Trainees (or FLATs). Thirteen women completed the first round of training before NASA decided to pull the plug on their female astronaut training scheme. Jerrie and her team were denied the chance to fly any space missions.

Jerrie didn't let this setback get her down. She went on to set new world records for speed, distance and absolute altitude and has spent over 30 years performing missionary work in South America. In 1981 she was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for her humanitarian work.

And that is why she is one of my biggest heroes; a woman who has rallied against her setbacks and come back stronger.

(The first woman who actually made it into space was the Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova. In 1963 she spent 3 days in space, performing various tests on herself to see how the female body reacted to space flight. It was 19 years before another woman was selected for a space mission.)

My Top 5 Celebrity Crushes

Okay, I admit, I have a big ol' shallow side. Here are the five celebrities I find most drool-worthy.

1) Russell Tovey

(From left to right - Russell Tovey, Lenora Crichlow, Aiden Turner)

Russell Tovey is number one on my list of celebrity crushes. For those not in the know, he plays George Sands in the hit BBC3 show Being Human, the mild-mannered hospital porter who also happens to be a werewolf. He was also appeared on stage and film in film in The History Boys.

My ex recently met Russell and had his photo taken with him. Jealous, me? Well of course!

2) James Masters

Maybe it's the cheekbones. Maybe it's the bad boy vibe (he played Spike in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Brainiac in Smallville and Captain John Hart in Torchwood). Or maybe it's the body.

James Masters pips his Buffy/Angel co-star to the number two spot...

3) David Boreanaz

Oh Angel! I feel a little guilty for relegating you to number three. It has nothing to do with your recent alleged infidelities or your appearance in a Dido video. You have been a real hottie in Buffy, Angel and Bones, always eager to show off your butt, and for that I salute you. But someone has to take third place, which has got to be better than not making the list at all, right? Right.

4) Ben Browder

Ben Browder, star of Farscape (Muppets in Space!) and Stargate SG-1, a vision in leather...

And he is 47 years old. Forty-seven!

I must confess to a certain attraction to his co-star Claudia Black as well - those two are the best case for bisexuality I have ever seen.

5) So I'm cheating here - Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki

The Winchester brothers from horror series Supernatural - I couldn't have one without the other (fnar!).

There should be some honorable mentions for those who didn't make it onto this list. Johnny Depp of course, Lawrence Dallaglio (got to love a rugby player), Nicholas Brendon, Brendan Frasier... too many to mention.

Proposition 8 Overturned!

Just seen the good news - Proposition 8 has been overturned!
Let's hear it for equality!