• There's still time to win Tori Amos tickets -- the concert ends tonight at midnight! To enter the contest, leave a comment telling us what your favorite Tori song is. Get over there and put the damage on!
• An update on the Sherman Oaks apartment fire that left one person dead: authorities have ID'd the victim as a 63-year-old man who died at the hospital after receiving second- and third-degree burns.
• There was another house fire in Norco late Friday night, and another fatality: this time a 38-year-old man was pronounced dead of fire-related injuries at the Corona Regional Medical Center.
• Are you wondering what to buy for the mustachioed man in your life? Maybe you'd like to surprise dad or brother with a Keg-A-Que Grill? Chicagoist has some great ideas for fun and unique holiday gifts.
• The LA Times launches "Primary Tracker": it looks pretty cool, but since there's no data to play with yet, we're not really sure how it works.
• OMG YOU GUYS VAN HALEN IS DROWNING!!!! Actually, no, but the pool at Eddie Van Halen's Studio City estate has been filled with mud and debris from a broken water main. School at Harvard-Westlake operated as usual today, although some classes were rescheduled.
• A new Department of Justice gun-ownership database might help to prevent more shooting deaths by tracking criminal records against who owns firearms: "LAPD have identified 110 fugitives, ex-convicts and other offenders who legally purchased guns then later were convicted of violent crimes."
• The Los Angeles Film Critics pick their yearly winners: on the list are "There Will Be Blood" for Best Picture, Marion Cotillard for Best Actress in "La Vie En Rose," and Daniel Day-Lewis for "There Will Be Blood."
• "Single greatest night in sports history"??? Last night's Derby Dolls 2007 Championship Match gets lots of love and a thorough recap from LACityzine.
• If those aren't crazy eyes, I don't know from crazy: Britney Spears stole a lighter from a Sherman Oaks gas station, TMZ has video.

Photo of MBW's Edith Piaf mural by Osmany Rodriguez for the Whiskerino Project more ›

We can't help but laugh at all the media brouhaha over what has come to be known as the "Gay Cowboy Movie" Brokeback Mountain, which snagged (pardon us) an assload of Golden Globe noms this morning, as well as was named "Picture of the Year" and Ang Lee as "Director of the Year" by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association just the other day. Our favorite bite is this item from FishBowlLA that notes

Ang Lee's "Brokeback" has been described as a "gay cowboy movie" in Google News in no fewer than 279 separate headlines, making it officially okay to search for "gay cowboy movie" on Google whilst at work.

Can you say "gay cowboy movie" ten times fast? We think you can. We know we can. Our conversations these days are peppered with "gay cowboy" references, mostly including the subject-verb clause "I love" as a lead in. Our favorite thing has to be from the movie's official website, where you can enter the "Share Your Story" section:

From sold out screening to sold out screening, moviegoers are emerging deeply moved by the humanity and honesty of BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN's extraordinary love story. And they want to talk. Here's a place to share your feelings about the film, the connections you felt, and to share how watching it might have brought back memories of your own. After all, everyone has their own "Brokeback Mountain." Have you ever gone back to yours?

Hmmm. We're guessing this forum's moderator is going to be on their toes fending off the Jesus freaks and homophobes. And, to respond here in our little gay-cowboy friendly forum--If by "Brokeback Mountain" of our own you mean Rawhide, the Gay Cowboy bar at Vineland and Burbank, well, the answer is no, we haven't ever gone back. Once was enough, thank you. more ›