Towleroad writes that young Clay Aiken just got off a five-day UNICEF mission to war torn Afghanistan. Of the trip, Aiken says:

As a former teacher I recognize that spark of hope and excitement all children possess when given the opportunity to learn. Rebuilding schools, training teachers, providing essential supplies and teaching materials are just some of the advances UNICEF and its partners have made to keep that hope flourishing.

Any one word for this picture, readers?

• So, Italian PM Romano Prodi's handed in his resignation over some bullshit - apparently he wanted expand the US military base northern Italy and send more troops to Afghanistan, but some colleagues thought that the price too high. That doesn't constitute quitting, we don't think. But is sure is a convenient death for that gay marriage bill, huh? [BBC News]

• Meanwhile, things are a fright down over in Tanzania. Apparently there's a man-raping bat demon on the loose and the only way to stop it's by getting lubed up and sleeping with a bunch of men. Actually, we may have found our next travel destination... [BBC News via Can O Whoop Ass]

• From man-raping bat demons to soul-sucking brain zombies: the cinematic backdrop for The Georgraphy Club author and known homosexual, Brent Hartinger's latest title: Split Screen: Attack of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies. We haven't read it, but we're down for pretty much anything that involves zombies. [AfterEllen Blog]

• In other soul-sucking brain zombie news: Howard K. Stern. [TMZ]

• Despite all these crumbling governments and ghoulish monsters, there's still more Oprah on Ellen Promotional Madness! (Co-Starring Steadman.) [YouTube]

• At least Guantanamo's got something going for it: Gaytanamo. [Gay Porn Blog]

• Oh, right, we forgot about yesterday's weirdness: that spiteful exchange between Simon Cowell and Ryan Seacrest. You kids can fill in the blanks, we're sure. [IHT]

• UPDATE: Don't forget to come get drunk with us at the Jimmy Im endorsed, eastern bloc housed Goodtimes. Details after the jump...

[Read On ...]

Considering the government's not down with gays in the military, it seems a bit queer that the State Department has picked openly gay police officer Scott Oak of Missoula, Montana, to head-up a training mission in Afghanistan (the other war). As part of his mission, Oak will provide civil and human rights training to Afghanistan's struggling police force.

He first caught the national eye last year when The Washington Blade wrote about his work as Missoula's gay liaison officer and the fact that Logo planned to make a documentary about his experience. Though some of his friends worry about potential danger, Oak's more concerned with the long-term effects:

Ideally, I think that by going over there and helping out as a civilian instructor it will make for a smoother transition and allow America to pull out of there more quickly...

I want to go experience another culture without breaking my commitment to public service. I think I'll be fulfilling that by helping to build a police department kind of from the ground up.

While we wouldn't be packing up for Afghanistan to help a beleagured security force, we certainly tip our hat to Oak. Watch out for the Taliban, though: fresh reports cite a rejuvenated core and renewed fight for control.