Thus speaketh the Education President.

It’s a well-known story, but lets relive it, shall we? During one of his first debates, when asked who his favorite philosopher was, George W. Bush replied — but, of course — "Jesus." The questioner, as we recalled, was visibly stunned: "Could you … well, elaborate?""Jesus!" repeated Bush with a curt nod of his head as if to give notice that he was putting a period at the end of a finished answer. Again the staggered moderator tried, "Y-yes … ?" The lips of the candidate pursed all to one side in a peevish smirk before George finally saw his way home. "Because," he said with a majestic lift of his chin, "He changed my heart!" (read the full article)

What a long, strange trip it’s been.

In Part 1 of our interview with Rich Merritt, he told us how he landed on the cover of the New York Times Sunday magazine under the headline "The Shadow Life of a Gay Marine." But coming out in the Marines was relatively easy, he contends, compared to coming out had he stayed put at Bob Jones University, a notoriously backward Bible University in South Carolina.

Luckily, he had gotten expelled from BJU (an ironic acronym considering how homophobia was worn there as a badge) for, of all things, dancing with girls and listening to rock ‘n’ roll! How Merritt went from Marine to porn star to Atlanta attorney is all spelt out in his new memoir Secrets of a Gay Marine Porn Star. Nightcharm editor John Calendo picks up his interview with the author right as he’s about to join the Corps. (read the full article)