Recently in Greg's Friends Category

Karen Ocamb, one of the best reporter on LGBT issues around, has shared some touching memories of Paul Newman who died Friday at 83. Here are some excerpts from "Paul Newman Taught Me How To Clean Fish"

It's strange how someone's death can trigger the oddest of memories. When I heard that Paul Newman died - I suddenly flashed to the moment he walked into the house where I was babysitting and said, "Come on, kid - let's clean these fish."

Thank you, Paul Newman. Rest in Peace

Boy, those New Yorkers sure know how to party.

My pal Kenneth Walsh who does the awesome blog Kennethinthe212, got to hang out with Nick Adams and got a photo with him too. I would totally trade my picture with Susan Lucci to have one with that cutie Nick Adams.

You know Nick, he's the Broadway actor who is so studly that when they were appearing in 'A Chorus Line" together, Mario Lopez reportedly insisted that Nick cover up his biceps when they were on stage together,

Kenneth was at a National Underwear Day party so I got this picture of Nick in his underwear off of his Facebook page. You know, in honor the the special day and all.

You gotta go over to Kenneth's blog to see all kinds of photos of guys at the party - wearing only underwear! (BTW, Nick's' physique can be seen in upcoming advertisements for "2xist Underwear.")

The night before I headed to the Balboa Penninsula for an amazing beach house week (I will blog a bit about it later this week), my pal Kenneth Walsh (Kennethinthe212) was in town from New York and we had a blast at The Abbey which was jammed-packed even more than usual. We chatted a bit with Phiipp Karner, one of the hot stars of "Kiss the Bride" who I had interviewed just a few days earlier and snapped a picture with him (that's Kenneth's partner Michael standing far left). Kenneth has blogged some about his trip on his cool site. It was so good to spend some time with this fantastically talented guy who I met just last fall but feel like I've known forever.

I'm sitting here looking at an invitation to tonight's premiere of "Prom Night 2008" and wondering if I'll have time to finish my work and make it there. If I had my old friend Candice Choi still sitting a few desks away, I bet I'd make it. Candice and I tore up the movie premiere circuit like nobody's business about three years ago before she left me for the Associated Press in NYC! Candice would bring her digital camera and get all these goofy shots (That's her, pictured left, licking the Liberty Bell) along with the more traditional standing next to a celebrity snap. She was fearless and would go up to anyone, anywhere, and ask for a picture. My favorite is one of her next to Queen Latifah at the "Beauty Shop" premiere and Latifah had this "Who's this Chinese girl sitting next to me?" look on her face! Classic. I miss Candice as a Hollywood sidekick but she sent me some of these pictures from the premiere of "National Treasure" a few years ago for my Facebook page but I wanna post them here too!

The film's star, Nicolas Cage. Even Candice couldn't get near the Oscar winner since he was surrounded by security and a buncha hangers-on. Candice was pissed!

Candice snapped me with Justin Bartha who co-starred in the film and its sequel. I thought he was hilarious in the movie and told him that night I thought he was gonna be a big star. Candice said I was just being a suck-up...

Here is Candice with Jon Voight who plays Nicolas' father in the movie and its sequel. She looks awfully chummy with the Oscar winning dad of Angelina Jolie but the funny thing is, Candice often didn't even know who a lot of the celebs she posed with were. I'll never forget the time she got a picture with Renee Taylor and then said to me, "Now WHO is she?" She obviously never watched "The Nanny" !!!

Hey, no one can ever say that I don't get wild and crazy in public sometimes!

And finally, here is a photo I really treasure with Olympics Gold Medalists (and married couple) Nadia Comaneci and Bart Conner. About 10 years earlier, I had covered an event for the LA Times where Nadia performed to the Diana Ross song "It's My Turn" shortly after defecting from Romania. I got to watch from the floor of the arena and for some reason started sobbing. Thankfully, it was dark and no one saw me. There's no CRYING in journalism!!!

Anyway, I've had so much fun with these pics that I've asked Candice to send me more and I will share them as "Hollywood Flashback" postings from time to time.

Ron Kaye sometimes used to stop by my desk as I was pounding out a story or blog item and loudly proclaim: "I set you free!"

He knew it, I knew it, everyone knew it.

After two decades in journalism, it was with Ron's staunch support that I launched the Out In Hollywood blog - a gay man's take on all things involving pop culture and whatever else I found of interest. It was the summer of 2006 and my role at The Daily News went from being very enjoyable to being an absolute and utter blast.

Ron encouraged me to break the chains of traditional journalism and to write from my heart. Along the way,. I found my voice.

What a gift.

Ron was excited by the blog's success and talked it up publicly on several occasions and also did so for others who had entered the online world and connected with readers. Then last summer came the cherry on the cake when Ron and managing editor Melissa Lalum gave me a daily column in the paper to make this more of a dream job than I ever could have imagined.

Today was Ron's last day at the Los Angeles Daily News after 23 years. He told us they had been the happiest of his life and that his three years as editor had been heaven. I wanted to publicly pay tribute to Ron here on the blog because without his support, there would not have been an Out In Hollywood and I would have never have been set free!

It is priceless and I intend to honor him by carrying on in this way no matter what the future holds.

To read about Ron's career and his departure, go to DailyNews.com

Before I even get started, let's just get it out of the way: this photo of David Beckham is not just the beefcake shot of the year, it might be the shot of the decade.
OK, let's proceed...

I was at a really swell dinner party the other night and as we were all having wine in the living room after a terrific meal, the subject got to my blog and the beefcake photos I sometimes like to run. Someone mentioned how cool it is that beautiful men are all over the pages of magazines and on the Internet nowadays - you don't have to have a subscription to International Male to get an eyeful. If you don't know what International Male is, I think I might hate you.
Anyway, here are some of my favorite shots of beautiful men in 2007 starting with Christopher Gorham (above) in a brief but very memorable fantasy scene from "Ugly Betty." And then there is the Silver Fox, Anderson Cooper of CNN. I just love that Anderson is showing off his guns more when he';s out in the field and even out and about like in this photo. Is there a sexier combination than a man with looks AND brains?

I just love Mario Lopez's credo: If you've got a great caboose, show it off on Halloween!

Some people say they are a bit tired of seeing photos of Matthew McConaughey running around without a shirt on. I am not one of those people.

This is Justin Chambers, host of "Human Weapon" on The History Channel. Whatta dreamboat.
At 30, Carlos Moya is one of the oldest players on the men's tennis tour. And yet he's playing some of his best matches in years and is still ranked in the top 20. He was once ranked number won in the world and won the French Open in 1998. If you ever go to the Pacific Life Open tournament just outside Palm Springs in March, you can usually see the Spanish hearthrob on the practice courts, shirtless. It's more fun than any match you will see there!

For the too-brief time they were on "Big Brother" this summer, Mike and Nick sure made the show more watchable! Where are they now I wonder?

Football's Brady Quinn is way too young for me...but I'm gonna drool all over him anyway!

Don't ya just love it when pro football's top quarterback embraces his beefcake status? Here is Tom Brady looking beautiful...But even Tom can't hold a candle to the sexiest athlete alive. Here are a few more poses from Mr. Beckham!

Want to give my pal, Johnny Diaz, a little attention for his novel "Boston Boys Club" which I am finally reading and happily absorbed in. Johnny is on a magazine cover which you can learn more about from his Beantown Cuban blog.

And up above, is a video of a reading he did from the book at the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Assn. convention in San Diego a few months ago which is where I had a good time hanging out with him. Terrific guy, terrific writer!

I have never watched "Project Runway." Does that mean I have to turn in my gay card? But I did attend the kick-off party for season one at the now-closed iCandy in West Hollywood. iCandy may have folded, but "Project Runway" keeps on rolling with its fourth season premiere tonight on Bravo.

I am rooting for a very talented designer from Echo Park named Rami Kashou who is an acquaintance of mine and who I've taked to, at length, about his work at the various parties and events I've seen him at over the last few years. Saw him last month at a birthday party for a mutual friend and tried to squeeze some info out of him about the new season but his lips were sealed with Super Glue! Well, they might as well of been.
The only quote I got out of him other than "I can't talk about the show" was what I got off the show's Web site: "I think 'Project Runway' will introduce my work to a bigger audience."

Rami's got a really interesting backstory story which I remember him telling me over brunch once. He was born in Ramallah on the West Bank before coming to California as a young man and attending Brooks College. But he left after a few months to go about it on his own.

He worked in retail including traveling to Europe as a buyer. He kept studying pattern, bought two sewing machines and began to create a collection that was picked up by various notable Los Angeles boutiques. He has dressed celebrities such as Jessica Alba, Fergie, Tyra Banks, Amy Smart, Erykah Badu, Lucy Lui, Tracee Ellis Ross, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Penelope Cruz and Shiva Rose.

His designs have been seen on the pages of In Style, Flaunt, Vogue, Lucky, Elle, Angelino, Interview, People and Us Weekly. Rami was also commissioned to design the costumes for the March 2005 America's Next Top Model add campaign for billboards across the nation.

And the winner is...