You may remember Florida Republican state legislator Bob Allen's arrest last month after he allegedly asked to perform oral sex on a cop and give him $20 in a restroom at a public park. (Fittingly, Allen had been the author of a piece of legislation entitled the "Lewd and Lascivious Behavior Act," which would have prohibited public masturbation, whether or not there was consent between two adults. It failed.)

He's been maintaining his innocence throughout the proceedings, and the release of a new taped statement yesterday reveals just how despicable this guy is, claiming he was intimidated by the other party:

"This was a pretty stocky black guy, and there was nothing but other black guys around in the park," Allen, who is white, told police in a taped statement after his arrest. Allen said he feared he "was about to be a statistic" and would have said anything just to get away.

Wow. Apparently, "anything" includes paying to give blowjobs. To get away from the scary black men. Can he get any lower?

Last month, in an apparent slip of the tongue, a soccer team manager inferred on Brazilian televison that a star athlete on Sao Paulo's soccer team is gay. Says sports blog The Offside:

An apparent slip of the tongue on-air by a soccer club manager may lead a pro player in São Paulo, Brazil, to bring civil and criminal charges. José Cyrillo Jr., a manager with the Palmeiras team, answered a question on the “Debate Bola” TV program about rumors that a player from rival São Paulo was arranging a national television interview to come out.

Asked if the unnamed player was from Palmeiras, Cyrillo responded, “No, Richarlyson was almost with Palmeiras.” Richarlyson has now asked an attorney, Renato Prata Salge, to review video of Cyrillo’s interview to determine his legal options.

It's caused a national stir. And now, some ridiculous comments by a Brazilian judge in response to the case are adding more fuel to the fire.

Ever since I saw the new Phantom Of The Opera, I've been a fan of Emmy Rossum's. (She boinked Jake Gyllenhaal in The Day After Tomorrow and splashed around in Mystic River and Poseidon, too.) Apparently the talented (and opera-trained) Rossum's gearing up for a singing career. Unlike many of her actress-turned-singer contemporaries, Emmy writes her own music and it's, well, good!!

Our pal, sweet Perez-el, has posted one of her songs on his blog, and I can't stop listening. It's like Enya with uplifting lyrics (and (slightly) fewer ethereal moans).

Emmy's MySpace has some samples of her other songs, too, and she's got an EP available on iTunes. Give 'em a listen and let me know what you think. Should we go after her for the mag?

An interesting story in the New York Times today: A study conducted by a demographer at Queens College reveals that, in major metropolitan areas, women in their 20s of all educational levels make significantly more money than men in their 20s. In NYC, they make 17% more; in Dallas, they make 20% more. Here's a passage:

In 1970, all New York women in their 20s made $7,000 less than men, on average, adjusted for inflation. By 2000, they were about even. In 2005, according to an analysis of the latest census results they were making about $5,000 more: a median wage of $35,653, or 117 percent of the $30,560 reported by men in that age group.

However, nationally, women still make less than men as a whole. That doesn't stop us from loving the image of a bunch of 20-something power women who are getting ahead in the big city while their male counterparts sit around on their butts. Unfortunately, the story also goes on to say that this may not be a first-wave of an lifelong trend; usually, as women advance in age and their careers, they fall behind men in earnings.

We know it's been spreading around the blogosphere like a bad rash, but it's just too juicy not to post here as well: a few keen-eyed porn bloggers have made the connection between the hottie coverboy of the upcoming FDNY firefighter beefcake calendar, Michael Biserta, and the legendary-dicked guy (Warning: NSFW) on the "Guys Gone Wild" video. You know, the one who a bunch of trashy girls convince to get naked and then gasp as he proceeds to wrap his willie around his wrist like a watch.

After viewing the video of the Today Show where each of the firefighters introduces themselves, and hearing that lovely Staten Island brogue, we're convinced. We just wonder what his nickname is in the firehouse...