It is, of course, an election year. While many of us are thinking about the presidential election, there are many seats in political office open this year and you can make a difference. Your own level of political action and involvement is personal, of course, and may be decided based on your own priorities, your time and more. You may want to volunteer for a local politician or work through your local gay and lesbian organizations in order to help publicize issues that matter to you. Not only might you want to consider who you’re voting for and who you’re working to get into office, but also the issues, including ENDA, don’t ask don’t tell, marriage legislation and more.

One of the best options for political action this year is to work locally. Working locally is often more motivating, more relevant and can allow you network within your community. You may find that there is a local political group that works specifically on GLBT issues and this can be a good jumping off point. Local activities sponsored by moveon.org can be another possibility within your community. You can also find information about the local organizations for the Democratic Party at democrats.org/local . Conveniently, working with these sorts of organizations on a local level can help you to stay informed about issues that may matter within your community specifically. Often, local organizations need help on the phones, in person, or even with tasks you may be able to work on from home when you have time.

If you live in a small town, are short on time or simply are looking for other options for political activity, there are some great possibilities for GLBTQ individuals. First, sign up for moveon.org to stay informed about political issues. You may even want to donate money if you are able. The Victory Fund at victoryfund.org is another possibility, whether you are looking for political information or would like to offer help to GLBT candidates. Stonewalldemocrats.org is another good source for information and another possibility in terms of donation, fundraising and political action. You may be surprised to find that even in a smaller community you can find ways you can take action, share your views and more.

Stay apprised of the issues in your community and the nation as a whole to make good choices with your time, money, and eventually your vote. Research the candidates and issues thoroughly, take the time to talk to candidates whenever you are able, and make your vote based on who you believe will act to the benefit of the GLBT community. When all else fails, vote for the candidate who will not promote or support legislation harmful to our community.

What issues are you for or against in this presidential campaign? For higher taxes, lower taxes, or a fairer taxing system?  Ending the War in Iraq with Obama or 100 years more of war with McCain?  Politics as usual with McCain? Gay Marriage and Gays in the Military are also some of the issues surrounding the 2008 campaign.

You may also want to examine local issues in some counties where you could be voting on things such as liquor drinking rights, judges, and house property taxes.

You know… Doin’ The Butt song by E.U. just thought of that when I saw this new ad emailed to me from Abercrombie and Fitch today for Back to School.  AnF is known for their controversially sexy books they used to sell in their stores but this year they want to show some bootie.

As if people do not know how to pull their pants down and look thuggish in the back.  Now we need to buy jeans that sag in the rear for us?  It is a hot look but its about time for something else I would think.  I am ready for Jnco’s to come back again because they were so fun to dance in but not the full bell bottoms but more width at the bottom of jeans.  I wished they would quit making jeans so skinny near the ankles.

At first I thought they had accidentally sent me three of the same emails but I guess their marketing department is kind of lazy that they sell the same fashion in the abercrombie kids, Abercrombie and Fitch, and Hollister.  I am not sure why they sent me the smaller a email and I am glad they did not bother to send out a Ruehl today as well I think I got that last week.

But get ready because the new line of back to school starts up this week in all the malls and you will be bombarded with desperate retailers trying to earn your money in a weak economy.   Summer is quickly coming to an end with possible tax free days to shop even if you are not in school.  If I recall AnF was one of the one retailers who did well during the last dot com bust.  They were too HOT to turn down.

Well here we have the different guys in jeans.  The classic Abercrombie is the most seductive with some bare buns showing and the nice V shaped bod showing off the smooth way down to the belt.  The abercrombie denims look more like Jesse McCartney just turned around doing his foot fetish thing again - of course most of their models geared at kids are really like 18.

The Hollister Co. models are strutting some chiseled abs but they are too cool to be in real color because you know they are surfer dudes.  It almost looks more like some wild west shootout than an ad for jeans.  You notice how the boxers go up above the hump on one side and the pants somehow always stay on completely.  We need to work on getting them off a little more.

Summer is a great time for a party, whether you’re planning a backyard barbeque, a pool party or a more formal dinner party. Making sure your party is a success is critical year round, but summer parties bring their own joys and challenges. There are a few critical components to any party. Food, beverages, location, and the guest list can all make or break your summer party. Furthermore, most of us find ourselves entertaining on a budget, and this can add to the challenge. For an overview of summer entertaining tips, see Oprah’s tips .

A casual party can be a great summer choice. Backyard barbeques around the grill are a traditional choice or a pool party if you have one. You might also consider hosting a get together or family reunion at a local lake. You should always keep the temperature in mind, and make certain to provide plenty of cool drinks and shade for an outdoor summer party. A good host will also make certain sunscreen and bug repellent are available. Water safety is an important consideration, especially if children will be attending. Old fashioned summer lawn games can be a fun choice, including options like croquet and badminton. You might consider a sprinkler for the kids for a family friendly event, but do be prepared to have towels and fresh clothes handy for your small guests.

More formal events are common in the summer as well. You may find yourself planning a summer wedding or a baby shower, an afternoon tea or even a formal evening dinner party. Cabanas, gazebos or other shelter, possibly even a large tent for a major occasion, can make the day a lot more pleasant. Formal events in the summer may require extra attention to be certain that your food, centerpieces and decorations can stand up to the heat.

Food is the center of nearly every party. Planning smart summer food for your event or party will help to make sure everyone enjoys themselves. Food should be heat tolerant for outdoor events, seasonal, fresh and plentiful. The summer barbeque is a traditional choice, but cold salads, an array of fresh, light appetizers, or dishes that make the most of fresh, seasonal foods are ideal. For a relaxed casual meal, consider making gourmet burgers or allowing everyone to grill their own shish kabobs. Easy food is often some of the best in the summer. Sales in local stores can allow you to keep your party cost effective, or for a casual family party, consider making it potluck.

Whether you plan a quiet adults only dinner party in the garden or a loud and playful family barbeque, summer entertaining is always fun. Make a pitcher of homemade cherry limeade, iced tea, or margaritas and enjoy spending time with friends and family.

Representations of LGBTQ individuals on television are further and farther between than most of us would like. Not only are there very few gay men, lesbians and other queer individuals on TV, but in many cases when they are represented the representations are not what any of us would prefer. Thankfully, things are improving, and more and more shows are including a more diverse cast.

Often LGBTQ individuals are best represented in reality TV. Networks like Bravo have made shows from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy to Project Runway popular. Recent casts from shows like Top Chef and even CBS’s Survivor have included people who were open about their sexuality. While these shows offered positive representations, others are perhaps slightly more embarrassing, including MTV’s Tila Tequila dating show. LOGO has even recently produced a show featuring Calpurnia Addams, a transwoman looking for love. Programming aimed at the GLBTQ community is offered by the LOGO network and here! TV network. 

Comedies, dramas and other shows, both on air and off, also feature GLBTQ characters. Some of the best are no longer on the air, but included cable shows like Showtime’s Queer as Folk and HBO’s Six Feet Under. Other shows that included great representations of characters and relationships are Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Ellen, and Will and Grace. Showtime’s the L-Word, one of the few shows on TV with a cast of largely lesbian characters is slated for another season. ABC is in the lead as far as characters representing the gay community, especially with shows like Ugly Betty. Ugly Betty features a transgendered female character in a lead role, as well as gay characters in supporting roles.

Documentaries, political commentaries and witty stand up comedy can all be found on LOGO and Bravo, but less commonly on mainstream networks. You will find that more and more networks are making some programming available online, either for free or for a fee with a service like ITunes.

There are some great media resources online if you’d like to keep an eye on possible new happenings in GLBTQ friendly television. Afterellen.com offers a regular look at lesbian and bisexual women’s concerns in mass media, including television and film. After Elton offers a similar perspective with regard to the media and gay and bisexual men. These sites are both entertaining and informative, and may help to turn you on to new queer friendly programming, whether you’re looking for a ridiculous romp in Dante’s Cove or great and serious programming in a drama show.

We had just commented about an article on thebody.com that foreshadowed the rough days ahead for HIV med research.  Today, some sad news comes out that one of the big pharma’s will be pulling out of HIV research.  Roche, a Swiss pharmaceutical company, plans to suspend HIV research “because none of its pending medicines represent significant improvement over existing drugs,” says a company spokesperson.

It is too bad to see one less big pharma involved in saving HIV related deaths.  Let’s hope this brings opportunity to smaller pharma and something positive comes out of this in some way.

The last few years have seen some big name combinations and rollouts of HIV drugs but we are seeing a slowdown in the industry that looks like a well gone dry.  An article written by TheBody.com claims that we are in a big surprise ahead when it comes to any promising drugs in the future.

As for those drugs in human studies, the closest to approval is rilpivarine (TMC-278), an NNRTI for first line treatment being studied against Sustiva. Vicriviroc, Schering’s CCR5 drug, continues to flounder but is still viable. Bevirimat, a maturation inhibitor from Panacos, has been hamstrung by formulation problems. Other drugs we are following are Pharmasset’s racivir, and Avexa’s apricitabine.

The article points to the fact that we need more treatment activists who can work with scientists, companies, and regulators.  This will call more action to more HIV drugs being in the pipeline and hopefully be approved if they are safe.

We need more programs in colleges and more gay community focused on science and getting more involved with the research.  I think alot more can be done to further the HIV research programs and focus on a cure.  As a community effort more money could be given to research and science and/or the treatment activists.  Their could be a crisis ahead if we stop being persistant and pushing for a better treatment or a cure.

If you have not seen the video it is just great.  Cyndi Lauper the person in charge of making this fabulous True Colors tour and leading the cause for gay rights with her speeches and music made an appearance on a CBS Daytime drama.  This is not your ordinary soap opera.  ATWT - As the World Turns has been around for years and barely knew what a gay person was until Luke Snyder showed up on the show (thanks to Lily and Holden Snyder).

I used to watch ATWT with my mother growing up at lunch time every day during school break and really got attached and addicted to some of the characters.  I would have loved to have a Luke on back when I watched the show.  It seemed most gay guys ran off or committed suicide on these shows back then.  Now they are getting more accepted even that pop stars are coming by to help out with their roles.

She sung the new song “into the night” which is  a fun dance song played at many video bars and clubs.  Then she did “true colors” and donated that to Luke and his boyfriend on the show.  It was really touching to see this on daytime tv.

Here is the video from ATWT.  If you have not seen the True colors tour with Cyndi Lauper then you must go see it.  It’s a fairly cheap concert and it supports the HRC and the performers were all spectacular.

The rumors and speclation are both flying all over now that Britney will be filming a video for Madonna’s concert this week.  This is most likely the smaller video clips she does for each short intermission while they are changing the stage around and have the dancers out performing.  A few years ago she did the greatest “shut up” videos to George Bush and to the terrorists leaders and lots of big messages going up on her mega-LCD screens.

This time may be a big diffferent with Britney trying to make a comback her mentor could be lending her a helping hand that really could make her respected again in the music industry.  She could do some opening acts or show up a few shows that are being filmed for HBO or even MTV.  I doubt Britney will be in every show but I bet she could appear in the ones that will be the biggest ones.

You can also expect a big surprise of some sort at this years MTV VMA’s or will Madonna throw anything towards the ratings of the VMA’s since they barely play videos on there anyway.  She will probably save her big concert push for her shows and not deal with the VMA’s but we may find out soon because they air this year on September 7th at 7pm.

The 25th year of the MTV VMA’s will take place at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, CA on movie sets instead of the traditional NYC theatre or the MIAMI AA Center or the Vegas Palms.  You can already start making your predictions now for the the 2008 award show but I am betting on a performance from Madonna, Justin, Britney, and you might even see Michael Jackson come out of hiding for this event!

Madonna’s Sticky & Sweet starts up in Europe in October.