Police and fire investigators are probing a blaze that heavily damaged the popular Montreal after-hours club Stereo. CTV News is reporting that the fire broke out just before midnight on Thursday and that the arson squad was brought in. Apparently, suspicious materials were found on the scene of the club, owned by legendary DJ David Morales that has been part of the Montreal gay village dance music scene since 1998.

No suspects have been named and no one was injured. Damage is estimated at $500,000 and the extent of damage to the club’s revered sound system is not yet known.

As abOUT nears its fabulous fifth anniversary, we feature some of the most memorable stories from our pages so far. This month, we go back to our June 2005 Pride Edition for our most hilarious interview ever as resident bitch Sum Bitchy Queen interviews the original Bunny With An Attitude - It’s Happy Bunny. 

There I was, notebook in hand preparing for the exclusive interview with a fabulous A-list celebrity. This seemingly cute, fuzzy bunny storms out of the makeup trailer, prances over to me, looks me up and down before flashing a big whisker-to-whisker grin. Oh, this is no ordinary, run-of-the-mill rodent. This  is a creature with which I can truly identify. The creation of writer/artist Jim Benton, It’s Happy Bunny has become a gift-store phenom that’s kicking the world in the ass one novelty item at a time. Before I even asked the first question, this rising star casts off the line that forever captured my heart. “You suck, and that’s sad.” (more…)

It appears the battle for the Democratic nomination is virtually sealed up in Barack Obama’s favor.

Admittedly my perspective is that of an informed politico, not a voter, but were I eligible to vote, I would not be voting for Obama in the general election. This is for no other reason than his political record, as thin as it may be, is far too left wing for my liking. I am not the dyed-in-the-wool type for any party, even in my country. I’m just being up front about that.

My advice though to my American friends and neighbors is: Do everything you can to find out as much as you can about Obama before you vote for him. And, yes, do the same about McCain. Don’t just listen to THEM, but find out from other sources. Most importantly, demand to know what kinds of administrations you will be getting. Demand specifics. Do not settle for less. (more…)

It’s down to the final four on American Idol. Normally, I’d be giddy about my Tuesday and Wednesday night fix, but this year, not so much.

The only one left standing with true, raw talent is Dave Cook. He won’t win. He’s the Daughtry of this season or Melinda Doolittle from last season - too damn good for his own good. It’ll be the two little “teen hearthrobs” battling for the title in a couple weeks. Snore! As if American parents needed any other reason not to give their teenage daughters cell phones.

I give Idol credit, it has had a good run. Unlike The Apprentice which was a one-off that was beaten to the ground in its own pompousness. But Idol is done. The real talent gets booted off in the earlier shows and the winner is becoming a joke. Hence why the last winner to become a big star was Carrie Underwood.

Maybe if it gets cancelled, Ryan Seacrest can get some sleep. Girlfriend’s looking like hell these days!

Confession, confession! I don’t watch Brothers & Sisters. I know I should. I really do. But I can never remember it’s on. Well thanks to the magic of YouTube, I got to see the much ballyhooed proposal between Scotty and Kevin.

How dare they give another Brokeback Mountain moment. That movie was laughable and my cattiness and bitchiness carried me through until the sight scene and the embrace, then oh-oh, boom, instant sap. This proposal video did the same thing. We’re still working out the bugs of posting YouTube videos on here, but for now here’s the link. Guess I must remember that should I watch this show again, I’ll have a tissue nearby.

Watch the proposal here.

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And just for the flipside of he coin. So they said it wouldn’t last. Quel surprise, they were right.

Former Dead or Alive singer Pete Burns and his partner Michael Simpson have split after 10 months of civil partnership. And girlfriend’s BITTER! Sounds like she got spun around like a record baby, right round, round round.

“‘I learned the hard way. It’s a total joke,” Burns said of civil partnerships that he once said he was somewhat optimistic about. Burns apparently found out the 40-year-old Simpson was sleeping around behind his back and now he’s disillusioned about the whole monogamy thing.

That is so last year!

‘There’s a lot of promiscuity in the gay community,” she told the Daily Mail. “I don’t understand why they take that union. How low is their self-esteem?

“I view marriage as a sacred institution. I think two men naturally are predators. Gay relationships are a commercial break, not a whole movie. The relationships I’m aware of, apart from one … it’s as though there’s some kind of emotional inadequacy or narcissism, where they feel emotionally inadequate and need more validation, from either a father figure or a mirror image of themselves. “I’m not condemning it, I think it needs researching and help…Would I get married again? If somebody knocked me on the head with a nine-inch nail-studded plank or drugged me with benzodiazepine … No, no, no.”

Must say, dear readers, the older I get, the more I kind of agree with her. Bitter seems to go better with age than the sweet.

But hey Miss Burns, go out and get yourself something nice now … and a Brand New Lover.

First of all, I promise I won’t write about the U.S. election for at least a week after tomorrow’s primaries in Indiana and North Carolina. It just has my interest right now. Or maybe I just need to get laid, who knows?Over the last several weeks, I have been reading several of these left-wing political blogs that happen to run by gay people - John Aravosis, Andrew Sullivan, Mike Rogers, etc. Now, it’s no secret that I have little use for far-left activist types any more than I have any use for far-right activist types. That of course is why gay blogger Vince Desnomme labelled me last year as a “self-hating queer” because I identified my politics as leaning toward small-C conservative.

What strikes me most about these political blogs is that they are all highly charged with venomous and virtiolic rhetoric. What’s posted on these sites, from the bloggers themselves and the commentors, goes well beyond the so-called attack ads that the campaigns launch, into the downright nasty accusing Clinton of being a life-long liar, calling her a bitch, accusing her of being spineless and weak because she wouldn’t dump Bill’s ass after the Monica Lewinsky thing. Then there’s postings about a four-year-old frivolous lawsuit by someone who raised funds for them that has been repeatedly dismissed as it makes its way up the judicial chain and most recently a doctored video from a 1993 documentary that they claim condemns Indiana voters as “white niggers.” Can someone please tell me what the hell they mean by that? (more…)