The economy is going to tank with numbers like 7-7-7 and the divas are collapsing.  Cher recently had to cancel 4 shows in Vegas this past week and weekend.  I could not find any news clips that told me exactly what happened but we know she was so ill the doctor told her she could not perform last week.  We were supposed to attend her show Saturday night which was canceled at Caesars Palace Colosseum.  So far they have lost millions from the canceled show.  Cher is expected to be back Tuesday, September 30.  Hopefully she is well and will be back in business.

Janet Jackson has also been hospitalized after falling ill before a concert.  It looks like a bad start to October for Diva shows.  Let’s hope they both get well and can start putting smiles on our faces again…. Lord knows we need it after loosing money with the market collapsing.

Ok, this stuff normally happens in threes so Madonna you better take care of yourself too!

We spoke a few weeks ago about a few changes we thought were needed with gay.com network and some magazines such as XY.  We noticed that Gay.com has been advertising they are doing something big in the next few weeks and we are eager to see if and how their network will improve.  Hopefully, they have integrated some easier chatting that takes up less computer memory and space on our monitors.  Their current chat was annoying and it was hard to discretely do any socializing on gay.com from work which is where most online activity takes place.

Gay.com has so much potential to be a good place to chat and hook up and could keep us from having to log into adam4adam, manhunt, dlist, romeo, myspace, facebook, craigslist, and all the other social networking and gay and lesbian hookup sites.  Let this be the change that is needed!!

You will not be able to log into your chat today or check on personals or even view the site while they are upgrading the system.  Although, they claim they will be back shortly there is no real time of when they will return.  This could leave lots of lonely gays and lesbians stranded on a Sunday with nothing to do =)

Dear GAY.COM, PlanetOut.com, and PlanetOutInc.com visitors,

We have a brand new gay.com coming this fall! We’re upgrading chat, adding new features and giving everything a sleek new look.

In order to get there, we’re busy performing a system upgrade right now. We expect to be online shortly. Please check back soon!

In the meantime please visit mr gay.com 2008 and our blogs: Gay TV Blog, Gay Sports Blog, and Behind the WebSite: The GAY.COM Blog.

Premium members: If you have any questions or need to reach our customer care team during this time, please email us at premiumservices@gay.com.

Thanks and we look forward to bringing you a new GAY.COM very soon!

Your friends at GAY.COM, PlanetOut.com and PlanetOutInc.com

Ok, first of all National Coming Out Day is not until October 11th.  Why is it that we have Clay Aiken, Lindsey Lohan, and a McCain staffer all being outed this week.  One week of so many outings that we could fill up an entire gay pride parade with all the celebrities coming out.

The most exciting with the mainstream media of course is Clay Aiken.  Maybe because of that fight on the View? or because of the fact he just looked so gay on American Idol that no one could believe that hes straight no matter what the poor kid tried to do.  Nothing wrong with that Clay we all know your a bottom.

What about Lindsey Lohan coming out?  Well this seems to be timed with her new album coming out soon with a song about being ‘bossy’ or something.  So she is the butch one?  Samantha Ronson might be the bossier one she is the DJ and might like to be more in charge.  Kudos to them for coming out and looking so juicy together.

But what about this latest buzz of a coming out parade going on with the gay blogs and OutQ Sirius radio announcers.  The Yahoo Buzz will be clicking soon like a tap dancer like lesbians on parade when the world finds out that McCain has worked with a gay man for over 17 years.  If Mark Buse is gay it will show hipocracy once again with the McCain Palin ticket.  Everything going on in their campaign is coverups and lies and this is just one of them.

I do not think that people should be outed though.  I feel it is vindictive and no ones business who someone has sex with even if they are in a high office.  This of course unless they are being a hipocrite.  No ones personal lives should be in front of the media or to anyone unless you tell them yourself.

But boy do we have a big story on our hands just in time for national coming out day 2008!

All you see in the media is younger people coming out. You hardly ever see the stories of older couples coming out or single gay or lesbians who have had to hide for job security, religion, or other reasons.

While coming out is nearly always a scary proposition, coming out well after adolescence or college can be especially challenging. Younger people may worry about coming out to family and friends, but as you age, your social ties change. You may have to come out to a spouse, children, and co-workers. Your worries, concerns and questions around coming out may be entirely different than those of a younger person.

Be smart about coming out. Make sure that those closest to you hear from you, and not from the local gossip channel. While you do not need to send your cousin Betty an announcement card, your parents, siblings and closest friends should be told directly. Much of the time, co-workers and your boss can wait. Depending upon your age and social network, you may find that it is more or less accepted. Consider telling a dear, trusted friend early on in the process to have a support system available. You may find that there are those in your life you simply choose not to tell, and this is also valid, especially if they are not apt to hear otherwise.

One of the most difficult situations for gay and lesbian individuals coming out as adults is telling a spouse. Regardless of the stability of your marriage, coming out will pose significant challenges to your marriage and nuclear family. If you have already made decisions about your marriage, you should be open and honest about these with your spouse. You may be unsure about what you want. Consider seeing a therapist experienced in helping couples deal with these transitions. Some people opt to stay in their marriages, acknowledging their sexuality. Others hope for a peaceful dissolution of their marriage.

Telling children also poses a number of challenges. Younger children are typically quite accepting. You may wish to consider becoming active in a local gay and lesbian parenting group to allow your children to see families like yours. Address concerns as they arise and be aware of any possible social issues that may come up for your children. Older children and adult children may feel angry, betrayed or confused. They might also simply have already known or thought they knew. You may find family counseling helpful to smooth over these relationships if need be during this time.

There are some great resources about coming out as an adult, ranging from thirty something to a senior. A recent documentary, Out Late, offers a number of coming out stories from older Americans. More information is available at bulletin.aarp.org/yourworld/reinventing. More tips on coming out in adulthood can be found at sexualityandu.ca/adults/. If you have children, or are the adult child of a gay or lesbian parent, colage.org may be of assistance.

National Coming Out Day is October 11.

Today is a great day because we see on the front cover of People magazine we see a true American Idol holding a baby. This baby will be raised by Clay Aiken who just happened to come out of the closet with this issue of People. This not only looks good for gays who are struggling to raise children on their own but for those hoping to adopt. It sets a wonderful example and we are very proud of Clay Aiken.

I thought this would be a great time to talk about Gay Adoption.

So you’re a grownup now, and mom’s nagging for a grandchild? Perhaps that biological clock is getting louder and louder or you and your partner have simply decided it’s time to bring a child into your family. Without the convenience of compatible biology, adoption is the option chosen by many gay and some lesbian couples. What are the legalities of adoption in your state? What should you know about the adoption process?

The challenges of adopting as a gay couple vary depending upon the state in which you live. In some, you may find that the adoption process, even through the state, is relatively easy. Do keep in mind that in some states, single gay parents can adopt, but the couple cannot adopt. Second parent adoption may be allowed or not. These issues all pose significant challenges to gay individuals. Gaylife.about.com provides a state by state breakdown of adoption laws. Keep in mind that laws do change frequently, and a knowledgeable and friendly social worker can be your best aid in this process.

Adopting through the state foster care system is a popular choice in states that allow this option. This is the most affordable form of adoption, and the child you are adopting often is truly in need of a loving family. You do need to consider your own willingness to adopt an older child, one with special needs, or one of a different race if choosing to adopt through the state.

If you are aiming for a private adoption, you, like any adoptive parents, will need to consider your comfort level with birth parents, and register with an agency in the hopes that a birth mother will choose you as a family for the child she is carrying. Obviously, you should be certain to seek out an agency that welcomes gay adoptive parents.

Today, many heterosexual couples choose international adoption. Unfortunately, this option is only available to gay families if they are willing to be closeted, and adopt from a country that allows for single parent adoptions. If their state then allows it, the second parent may adopt via second parent adoption laws once the international adoption is complete.

As a single parent, a gay individual may use tax credits and deductions afforded by the state and federal governments for adoption; however, as with all things, without the benefit of a marriage license the overall costs for adoption for a gay couple may be higher than they would if for a heterosexual one.

I keep reading that the cure to most diseases and illnesses is to eat better foods and obtain a better diet (and of course exercise).  Suzanne Sommers came on Fox the other day talking about her interviews with Doctors saying that a big problem today is that people down poisons such as Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi.  The chemicals in these diet soft drinks have proven to do damage to our bodies and we should stay away from them.  Drink Teas instead of Diet colas and eat more whole foods.

Fall and Winter bring the cold and flu season and you should build up your immune system in advance.  Replace all your sodas with Tea and all your sugary foods with foods that support your system.  Even eating Salmon with Omega 3′s helps out much more then eating Tilapia which has Omega 6′s which are not as beneficial as the 3′s.

Dr. Weil, you know the bearded man that looks damn wise, has came out with an amazing food pyramid.  He wants us to eat 4-5 veggies a day minimum and 4-5 fruits a day.  Veggies I can do since I love salads and tomatoes but not so sure about the fruits but I will try.

I see he is putting the dark chocolate at the top of the food pyramid… reaching for it now.  No really ill set it back down it says sparingly.  Red wine… I hope that Vodka counts some but I am sure it does not.  How about a cup of wine and 4 shots of Vodka and a call to Dr. Weil in the morning?

The Doc mentions Whole Soy foods.  But he points out that you cannot use imitation meats or the isolated soy protein in place of these whole soy foods.  Time to make a trip to Whole foods and figure out what the heck these Whole Soy foods are that are not those.  They are basically Soy Milk or Soy Nuts.

He speaks of Tea and how it reduces inflammation.  The article also notes that people should buy quality tea.  One thing with eating right is buying quality everything.  Maybe purchase it all at Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s to make sure you are getting good foods.  I drink Sweet Leaf Green Tea made in Austin, TX from someones grandmother and sometimes drink Honest Tea White which comes in a quart or something.  You also must correctly brew it if you buy the tea bags to get the health benefits.

My hippie friends will love this.  Dr. Weil says you can eat unlimited shrooms.  This being cooked mushrooms in the variety of wild or Asian.  Hmm I wonder why he stresses not to eat them raw?  I really like portobello mushrooms and he wants us to minimize consumption of these.

The top doctor also recommends brown and wild rice, pasta Al Dente, black beans, and spreads such as hummus.  He also sells his own supplements on the chart consisting of Vitamin C and other nutrients to help you get your numbers higher that day in goodies.

Eating less in inflammatory foods can make you look better with less acne and inflamed skin problems such as eczema or dermatitis.   With that and so many health conditions that can be lessened by eating anti-inflammatory foods then why not?

Does Alaska Govenor Sarah Palin support gay rights?  Well according to an article in the Anchorage Daily News she sort of does.

Gov. Sarah Palin vetoed a bill Thursday that sought to block the state from giving public employee benefits such as health insurance to same-sex couples.

Sen. John McCain’s VP pick Sarah Palin was not exactly backing gay marriage with this veto.  Palin supported the 1998 constitutional amendment on gay marriage.

There are lots of things we do not know about her until the upcoming debates she will have with Joe Biden.  We will learn more then but it does not look like shes much of a gay rights advocate even though she supposedly “has good friends that are gay.”  She still has to keep her day job and I doubt she an keep that Republican name tag if she starts going up against the religious right.

How about this pic on the left of Sarah Palin.  Well actually its an entertainer at Charlie’s Chicago but it sure looks like the VP pick.  The fake Sarah Palin may be more gay rights friendly and be a true maverick.  And why is the VP pick called an Alaskan Maverick anyway? What exactly has she done that she has not flip flopped on – she even flip flopped on the bridge to nowhere!