Wed Sep 24, 3:23 PM ET

UNITED NATIONS - Michael Douglas had to field questions Wednesday about the financial turmoil shaking world markets from reporters recalling his role in the 1987 film “Wall Street.”

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080924/ap_on_en_mo/people_michael_douglas

The cable news era is now complete.

Journalists can no longer distinguish between reality and fantasy.

“Strong countries and strong Presidents talk to their adversaries. That’s what Kennedy did with Khrushchev. That’s what Reagan did with Gorbachev. That’s what Nixon did with Mao. I mean, think about it: Iran, Cuba, Venezuela — these countries are tiny compared to the Soviet Union. They don’t pose a serious threat to us the way the Soviet Union posed a threat to us. And yet we were willing to talk to the Soviet Union at the time when they were saying, ‘We’re going to wipe you off the planet.’ And ultimately, that direct engagement led to a series of measures that helped prevent nuclear war and over time allowed the kind of opening that brought down the Berlin Wall.”

Now watch McCain’s new ad:

Egregious. Outrageous. This isn’t just twisting the truth — it’s lying.

The individual citizen posited by the court is defined as prior to his or her sexual orientation. He or she exists as a person before he or she exists as straight or gay. And the right under discussion is defined as “the opportunity of an individual” to choose another “person” to “establish a family” in which reproduction and children are not necessary. And so the distinction between gay and straight is essentially abolished.

Churches may pick and choose for whom sacraments are appropriate — but a civil right is just that…a civil right.

The Christianists are up in arms, of course, putting forth Proposition 8 to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry and calling it “Armageddon.”

What I love are the rationales given for the change, which was dictated by a member of the Politburo:

“This is in the national interest. It is the image of our national music, national culture. Especially the entrance of our national flag; this is an extremely important, extremely serious matter,” Chen Qigang, the event’s general music designer, explained to a Beijing radio station.

One more reason to love America.

“I was able to get a sense of his soul.”

Birds of a feather…

The GLBT Historical Society is seeking donations for a new office at 18th and Castro, right near my old San Francisco stomping grounds. As gays in California begin to marry and otherwise assimiliate, the old “gay culture” seems kind of…quaint. Time for a museum.

Pity Matt Yglesias has nothing more interesting than Invasive Species Blogging for the debut of his new blog…although the comments are a hoot!

NewFilmmakers NY is at Anthology Film Archives, located at 32 Second Ave (at 2nd Street), New York, NY, 10009. Call 212-505-5110 for more info.

A buncha my cool friends and neighbors are featured, as well! And Ted Quinn will be at the screening, live and in person!