THE WHEELS OF justice do indeed turn slowly.

Way, way back in May 2007, there was something of a hoo-ha when the location of the CocoDorm was exposed on national television. The hack, er, I mean reporter, said: "It's a normal South Florida neighbourhood. Families live here, kids play here, there are renovated homes, even a Catholic church - all in the shadow of the new Miami." There are renovated homes! Good god. That's an astonishing fact. I can use that in awkward conversations. The reporter goes on, "In this house... we discovered they're operating a hardcore, live internet sex business. Cameras installed in rooms, where customers around the world can pay to watch the men who live here have sex with each other."

That's my favourite bit of the clip "...have sex WITH each other." Yes, WITH each other, kids. The reporter emphasises that important point with just the right measure of disgust. He probably practised in front of the mirror.

The authorities were spurred into action, notices were filed, legal briefs flew about, and Shorty J's briefs continued to come off - INSIDE the Dorm. Yes ladies and gentlemen, they came OFF.

This unhappy tale of bigotry and haters has a happy ending though, with various blogs, including SGL Café and MOC Blog, today reporting that Flava Works successfully sued the City of Miami.

So the men inside the Dorm can continue to have sex WITH each other, for the benefit of you, I, and all humanity.

God bless America.

Previously - CocoDorm: The Seige!

Elsewhere - SGL Café: FlavaWorks: The House Next Door Prevails

VideoContent - NBC 6: The House Next Door

THERE AREN'T MANY openly gay artists in the music industry, and fewer still openly gay black or Asian artists. Hardly any of them gain mainstream success.

(As an aside, I'd argue that an openly gay black artist is more likely to be successful than one who is white. Kele Okereke, lead singer of Bloc Party, gets away with it; his sexuality goes seemingly unnoticed and passing without comment. Here's the thing. One of my closest friends is particularly fond of aggressively pursuing seemingly straight white boys - in particular, macho, working class lads like builders - and using his black thug boy persona [laced with charm] to first befriend them, and then slyly seduce them. I don't necessarily approve - it's the predatory homosexual cliche, and the obsession with "turning" a straight boy maddens me - but nevertheless it's an amusing spectacle to witness unfolding. These straight white boys are intrigued, confused and probably flattered by something that's totally alien to them...)

One openly gay, black artist who gained mainstream success in the 90s was David McAlmont, notching up hits as the voice of McAlmont & Butler. His solo career has been less successful, but generated one of the most gorgeous, and important albums of the decade, A Little Communication.

Before that lush, lost classic, there was his collaboration with David Arnold. It's gorgeous. McAlmont's voice is gorgeous. And oh boy, in this video, McAlmont is gorgeous. The camp is turned up to the max, and fem is redefined. And the lips, my God, the lips... Simmering masculinity and heaving pecs have their place, but sometimes you just want a sleek, pouting fem boy in a white catsuit to get wild with.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Diamonds Are Forever...

Click HERE to view video content.

Previously - Discographic: Nothing Like The Rain

THIS IS SO CUTE I had to let you in on it.

Dusty Abell has created this comic menagerie of 70s, mostly American, sci-fi fun. Doctor Who takes centre stage, but I wonder how many Americans recognise the show's icons? And strictly speaking its not a 70s show as such, having been born in 1963.

It's a shame that the Liberator, Orac and Servalan are absent - but I don't think Americans ever took to the nihilistic soul of Blake's 7...

More of Dusty Abell's work here.

Via Maybe It's Just Me.