In the post-Giuliani era, it's tough for a gay man in Times Square and seeking a little lovin' to know what to do with himself. The Gaiety closed last year, the buddy booths are fewer and further between, and, hell, there isn't even a good diva on Broadway at the moment. (Patti LuPone as Mrs. Lovett just doesn't seem to count.) So it's a good thing that Viacom, your friendly neighborhood media conglomerate, is stepping in to fill the void. Reports a tipster (who curiously submitted this via Armani-clad brother Defamer):

A blogebrity too shy to publish this on his own site passes along a strike-specific advertising message from a website of which he's apparently a member. (Long ago, he assures us. Accidentally! Just to see! Really!)

• Arianna: "The qualities I look for in a man are the qualities I look for in a blogger: passion, relentlessness, risk taking, and a light touch." [Esquire]
• Mags remake Katie Couric's life. Because she could never afford to do it on her own, of course. [WWD]
• Valerie Plame is a MacGuffin, says Frank Rich. [LA City Beat]
• Ford cannot say no to the gay mafia. [NYT]

See, it's not so much that a New York State appeals court yesterday overturned a Manhattan judge's February ruling that would have allowed gays to marry. (That was, alas, to be expected.) It's more the language that was used in upholding the status quo. No "we're sympathetic but the court overstepped its bounds"; no "it's fundamentally unfair but a matter that must be left to the legislature." Oh, no. Instead it was grafs like:

Yes yes yes. We also saw the Times article today about how people get grumpy when they're hungry (who knew!), and we also saw the article's third paragraph:

Huge news today from the Jewish Telegraphic Agency:

Not to step on Fishbowl's toes too much here, but did you catch The Daily Show last night? The middle-of-show taped bit was a Jason Jones segment on New Jersey's recent search for a new state motto. ("We'll win you over," for which a marketing firm charged $280,000, was deemed unacceptable.)

With the American Music Awards right around the corner, we had some Anna Nicole Smith on the mind. One year after her unforgettable Kanye West introduction, would we still "like her body?" Did "freakin' geeenius" Kanye ever get around to making her "beautiful dueeet"? We want updates! Luckily, Page Six has the latest:

Out magazine will release its annual "Out 100" issue Tuesday, "which honors annual significant contributions to gay life," but the NY Daily News had a sneak peek at this year's list of interior decorators, reality show contestants and has-been actresses noteworthy honorees:

We were realizing that it's been far too long since we checked out the e.e. cummings dadaism of Rosie O'Donnell's blog, so we reset our expectations to free verse and navigated our way to Rosie.com, where we were shocked to find this:

• Aaron Brown's problem is that he's "erudite and droll and low-key," says Jon Friedman. Would that we all had such problems. [MW
• Jay-Z considers buying The Source, perhaps. [WWD]
• Right-wing stooge put in charge of public-broadcasting corporation forced to step down. In celebration, Bert and Ernie invite Tinky Winky over for a hot three-way. [NYT]
• One good thing is coming from the glut of celeb mags: A price war. Celebrity Living now retails for only 25 cents, at which point it is only barely overpriced. [NYP]
• Joan Lunden and David Hartman return for a GMA 30th-birthday party, which purely coincidentally falls on the first day of November sweeps. [USAT]
• Sexy Jon Fine loves grumpy old adman George Lois. Also, he thinks he's full of shit. [BizWeek]

And we always thought they were effeminate and fastidious.

If a waxed, muscular arm happens to whip the cigarette out of your lips the next time you light-up, do not be alarmed. Towleroad reports of a new campaign sweeping through our fair city's streets called Last Drag. Mission: get The Gays to quit smoking:

Trick or treat! Or neither. We're flexible that way. Truth be told, we always found Halloween a little overrated, conjuring up images of beer-battered Bridge N' Tunnel hordes at the West Village parade disguised in such creative costumes as 'Mets fan' and 'person wearing rubber mask,' and barking things like "Yo, Enhgela! Check out awl da quee-uhs!" in our ear. But don't let our candy-baggage ruin your fun. Get out there! Get wasted! Get laid! (And here is a hilarious guide to costumes that won't help you do that. Warning: the banner ads feature big boners and are not safe for work.) Just be extra careful, folks: the number of chicks with dicks increases exponentially on All Hallow's Eve.

You don't say.

And another study shows that blacks sometimes face racism.

Dear Men's Health forum...

Lesbians in the WNBA? Say it ain't so!

Many readers wrote in to protest that we had not devoted enough attention to yesterday's remaindered Anderson Cooper essay on gray hair. In our defense, it's from August of 2003. Though the fact that it was originally published in Details did pique our interest. When we checked our vast glossy back-issue library, we found the original, pre-CNN version of the essay. Excerpts are presented here:

The Post reports: