It's a story we've heard a million times. We see it tv. It's become passe. Old news. Married men sleeping with their nannies. Didn't Jude Law get in trouble for that?

Move over nannies! It's all about the MANNY now!

Holly Peterson - along with bestfriend and first-cousin Jay Peterson - recently shot a promotional video for Holly's book, The Manny. The premise: upper Eastside NYC cougars who hire muscle-bound mannies to help around the house (also known as amusing the "Mrs" of the household while the "Mr" is away at work) and raising the children.

The Manny is in stores now..

Check out the promotional video for the book below.

I was driving up N. Water Street the other day when I saw a billboard for Broadway Across America. Included on this billboard was an ad for Disney's The Lion King which will be performed at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts.

I was quite excited. (Yes, I know I'm "special" - but I originally was a Musical Theater major!!) The last "Broadway" show I saw in Milwaukee was RENT. That show was amazing...all six times!

The Lion King won the 1998 Tony Awards for Best Muscial and Best Costume Design of a Musical amongst other awards...

The Lion King will run February 3rd - March 2nd, 2008. Tickets go on sale six to eight weeks before the first show. I'll certainly make sure to add this to my social calendar in February....

Catch a sneak peek at some clips from other Broadway perfomances of The Lion King below....

Alright, so I just returned home from seeing the midnight showing of Harry Potter 5. For loyal fans - the ones that actually read the books - you should thoroughly enjoy the movie. Even those folks that just check out the films but don't read the books you should enjoy the film as well.

Despite leaving out large chunks of the film - I understand the book was HUGE - but some great things were overlooked. The battle in the Department of Mysteries could have been extended. The Weasley Boys also made a swamp - not a firework show. But, in all it was great.

The surprise highlight of the film though is LUNA LOVEGOOD. She's great. Perfectly cast. Evanna Lynch is superb! When she was just 14, Lynch beat out 15,000 other girls at the open audition in London.

I give it three thumbs up!

PLANETOUT GOING BELLY-UP?
PlanetOut Inc. has recently announced they will close their international offices in London and Buenos Aires. "While we plan to continue serving our global audience, we made this decision to streamline our business operations and reduce expenses," said Karen Magee, chief executive officer, PlanetOut Inc. PlanetOut was saved from bankruptcy by the Microsoft Mogul, Bill Gates, when his company, Cascade Investment LLC, invested $26.2 million in the struggling company. PlanetOut also owns The Advocate, Out, and Gay.com - among others.

MILWAUKEE BLACK GAY PRIDE
The organizers of Milwaukee's Black Gay Pride recently announced that Jennifer Holiday will be their national entertainer. The festival is put on by Charles "D" Productions and will run from August 12-19, 2007.

MINNEAPOLIS TO GET LGBT CENTER?
OutFront Minnesota is currently in discussions with Minneapolis City Council Member Lisa Goodman about the possibility of developing a LGBT community center on property known as the "meter farm" at 15th and Nicollet Avenue South. OutFront Minnesota is the state-wide LGBT equality organization but does not have a "community center" location in Minnesota.

"WE'VE COME A LONG WAY BABY": GAY PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
On August 9th the U.S. Presidential candidates will face-off in the first-ever Gay Presidential Debate. The debate will take place in Los Angeles and is being organized by LOGO and the Human Rights Campaign. The debate originally excluded Sen. Mike Gravel because he hadn't raised enough money but now Sen. Gravel will be included - among Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, Chris Dodd, Dennis Kucinich and Bill Richardson - and the debate will be expanded to 90 minutes.

SAD BECKHAM WATCHES HIS GALAXY LOSE TO MEXICO
David Beckham watched his Los Angeles Galaxy team lose 3-0 to the Mexicans Tigres UANL. Becks, who hurt his ankle playing for England versus Estonia in the Euro 2008 qualifying match last month, watched the game from a corporate hospitality suite with his ankle iced. Beckham is scheduled to make his Major League Soccer debut on Saturday when he laces up with his new Galaxy teammates in the Home Depot Center.

MORE TROUBLE AT PLANETOUT?
PlanetOut Inc. - which was recently saved from bankruptcy by Bill Gates - has announced that they will lay off 15% of their workforce. PlanetOut employed 273 employees including staff in their London and Buenos Aires offices. The restructuring will happen in the 3rd quarter of 2007.

SELMA HAYEK WORLD'S SEXIEST CELEBRITY
A new internet poll that included 3000 celebrities has ranked Selma Hayek as the sexiest celebrity. Hayek took 65% of the votes followed closely by Jessica Alba. The median age for the sizzling celebs was 36.

THRIVING & GAY IN LEBANON
A new story by National Public Radio unveils the thriving gay life in Lebanon in a country where homosexuality is illegal.

GAY ACTIVISTS WIN SODOMY VICTORY IN HONG KONG
Hong Kong's highest court unanimously ruled that two men who engaged in anal sex in a parked car should not be subjected to the country's maximum penalty of 5 years in prison. This decision by the high courts 5 judges is being exalted as a huge victory for Hong Kong's LGBT community.

Chief Justice Andrew Li noted that the law unfairly targets gays & lesbians and does not criminalize the same behavior for heterosexuals.

I GOT A CRUSH ON GIULIANI: Taking a page from Obama Girl - the Venetian Princess brings us her version of "Crush." The video is a collaboration with the talented JackDanyells who came up with the concept.

I'VE GOT A CRUSH ON FRED THOMPSON'S POLITICS: Written and recorded by James Kole.

I'VE GOT A CRUSH ON HILARY DUFF: So it's a bit outside of politics here - barely - but this video by the adorable Scott Cain is immensely enjoyable.

I'VE GOT A CRUSH ON OBAMA: From the girl that started it all here is Obama Girl's video starring Amber Lee Ettinger.

1st EVER QUEERS TO CUBA TOUR
A group of LGBT North Americans will make history on December 27, 2007 when they will begin an 8-day tour of Cuba. The group will enjoy the rich cultural experiences and meet with leaders working for sexual dignity in Cuba. "As a gay, I feel safer in Cuba than in Canada or the States. Soon island queers will enjoy greater rights and freedoms than their counterparts in the USA," said Marcel Hatch, coordinator of Cuba Education Tours of Vancouver.

UGLY BECKHAM BETTY
Victoria Beckham will make a guest appearance on the second season of Ugly Betty. But, the real reason Victoria got the cameo? The cast wanted David to show up on set.

GAY COUPLE JAILED FOR KISS
Arcigay, Italy's LGBT civil rights orgnization, has called for a "national gay kiss-in" at the Coliseum on August 2 after a gay male couple was arrested for kissing in front of the the historic monument. The two men shared a kiss and were immediately rushed to a police station, detained, and charged with lewd conduct. The price for the kiss: the two men could face up to two years in prison.

JAPAN TO GET OPENLY GAY PARLIAMENTARIAN?
Japan's LGBT community is anxiously awaiting the results of Kanako Otsuji's campaign which, if elected, would make Otsuji the first openly gay person in Japan's parliament. Otsuji was also the youngest person to get into the Osaka Assembly when she was just 28.

MORE SAME-SEX COUPLES ALLOWED TO WED
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has recently announced that same-sex couples from New Mexico will be allowed to marry in Massachusetts. New Mexico joins Rhode Island to be the only other state whose gay residents can marry legally in Massachusetts.

BECKHAM'S DEBUT SETS ESPN RECORD

David Beckham's much hyped debut with the Los Angeles Galaxy led to an estimated 1.5 million viewers, according to ESPN. The Saturday game was the largest audience for an ESPN telecast involving a Major League Soccer team.

GYLLENHAAL TOPS HOT 100 LIST
My baby daddy, Jake Gyllenhaal, topped AfterElton.com's Hot 100 List. The list was compiled and selected by gay male readers. This list is different than People's "Sexiest Man Alive" as witnessed by the dismal performance of George Clooney (recently named "Sexiest Man Alive").

Other hot stars who made the list: Chris Evans, LL Cool J, Gale Harold, T.R. Knight, Darryl Stephens, Gael Garcia Bernal, and Cillian Murphy. The list was rounded out at the bottom by Zach Braff.