They say summer is over, but it sure doesn’t feel like it. Everything has changed in our world’s weather, and Mother Nature is pissed! We’d better heed the advice of former Vice President Al Gore … we all need to take the issue of global warming seriously.

San Diego is proud to host the 2006 national convention of Pride at Work from Thursday, Sept. 7, to Sunday, Sept. 10, at the San Diego Hilton Resort on beautiful Mission Bay. There will be workshops, plenary sessions, business meetings and a gala banquet.

San Diego is very proud to host the GLBT and GLBT-friendly people of our nation’s labor union movement. It’s all about worker justice and equality.

For more information, visit www.prideatwork.org.

San Diego’s annual “gay Academy Awards” are set for Sunday, Dec. 10, and will benefit The Center, APICAP and the Imperial Court.

The Nicky Awards have been a San Diego tradition for more than two decades, and this year there will be major changes to make them more fun, fast-paced and entertaining. The 2006 Nicky Awards will end at 10:00 p.m. sharp, not midnight!

So mark your calendar for one of our community’s most exciting nights, the Nicky Awards, on Dec. 10.

For more information, phone (619) 692-1967.

Since his election, many of you have been questioning me about when Mayor Jerry Sanders will name his GLBT advisory board, especially after Update newspaper reported that he would not name one and I then corrected that false information in one of my columns.

The truth is the mayor has not appointed any advisory boards (Latino, veterans, etc.) because right now we all know he is spending endless hours on our city’s financial crisis.

Yes, we have had a GLBT advisory board under Mayors O’Connor, Golding and Murphy, and we will have one under Mayor Sanders. But let’s all be patient, as he hasn’t even been in office a year yet.

In the meantime, Mayor Sanders has been very visible in and supportive of our community, and has many respected gay people on his staff.

It may have been a holiday, Labor Day, this past Monday, but our hard-working City Attorney Mike Aguirre was still holding meetings, etc, and he and I stopped by the ever-popular Lei Lounge for a bite to eat (Mike loved the food, naturally).

While most of our conversation was “off the record,” I can say it was a productive meeting.

I’ve known Mike Aguirre for more than three decades, and there is a side of him that I wish more people had a chance to know. While, yes, he has some “rough edges,” these are not easy times for our city, the council, our mayor and, yes, our city attorney.

There is a move among many civic and community leaders to get all parties involved to work better together.

Thank god Rosie O’Donnell is on “The View” now, because the show was beginning to go to hell in a hand basket. Star Jones is about as missed as a pimple on your ass.

“The View” comes on every day at 10:00 a.m. on Channel 10, and our Rosie is back in full force: funny, honest, blunt and so witty.

On her debut show this week, Rosie did not shy away from her lesbian lifestyle one inch. She even introduced her longtime lover and talked about that ugly “lesbian haircut” (her words) she used to have!

Welcome back, Rosie. We missed you!

Recently, the popular mayor of Palm Springs, my good friend Ron Oden, was in San Diego and stopped by Flicks on a Monday night when I was hosting the Dating Game. He and I had a good talk before I hit the stage.

As many of you know, Mayor Oden recently lost a Democratic primary election for the state Assembly, a race I feel he should have won. He lost by just a few hundred votes.

I am very disappointed in the Legislative LGBT Caucus, which did not endorse or raise any money for Ron.

Mayor Oden has served Palm Springs well for almost a decade on the city council and is the first gay man and African-American to be elected mayor. I am disappointed that the GLBT community did not rally around his candidacy 100 percent. He would have been a great voice for us in our state capital.

If you look up “hero” in the dictionary, you’ll find a picture of Steve Bolinger, the founder of DIG, a nonprofit charitable organization that provides vegetables and micro-gardens in Africa for those with HIV/AIDS.

On Saturday, Sept. 16, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at Lei Lounge, there will be a big party benefit for DIG, which everyone is going to.

So stop by and enjoy great food and a unique silent auction of authentic African art, crafts and photographs. Your official hosts will be Michael Mack and Big Mike. See you there!

Good news for my longtime pal (he is like a son to me) Supervisor Bevan Dufty. He is looking like a solid winner in his campaign for re-election, and is facing only token opposition.

Bevan is considered by political polls to have the best chance in the future of becoming the first openly gay mayor of San Francisco. He will also become a father in a few months.

I’ll be heading up to San Francisco in a few weeks for some official business and to see how his campaign is going.

By the way, did you know that when popular Mayor Gavin Newsom leaves the city, he almost always names Bevan Dufty acting mayor?

As many of you may remember, former New Jersey Governor James McGreevey resigned after a scandal concerning an affair with and political favors given to his gay lover.

The former governor is now separated from his long-suffering wife and has a new boyfriend. But the talk of the publishing world is the former governor’s memoir, entitled The Confession, which will be out this month.

I got an advance copy and, boy, does this handsome 48-year-old ex-gov tell everything, including cruising for sex at truck stops and in bookstores, etc. Bravo to McGreevey for being honest and for now being out and proud of who he is and has always been: a gay man who was a good governor.

I happen to live in Normal Heights and, let me tell you, there haven’t been any decent restaurants in this area until now. Thank god A La Française Café & Bakery (3416 Adams Ave.) has opened. It’s a classy, beautiful café and bakery that prepares its goods fresh every day in those good old European ways.

This fabulous café is open for breakfast and lunch (7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.), and is already attracting crowds. Now you have a reason to eat in Normal Heights!

My handsome waiter was Nick, and he was attentive and fast.

I give A La Française five stars.

For more information, visit www.alafrancaise.com.

Well, contrary to rumors, I’ve always rented and have never really lived in any near-luxury apartments. These past years, I’ve lived on a street that I’ve nicknamed “Drive-By Shooting Lane.”

At any rate, the other day my bathroom ceiling caved in on me, and revealed the possibility of mildew, spores, etc. (I live right above a Laundromat).

While my landlady and manager are being nice and cooperative, the landlady’s apartment general manager is being rude, nasty and very ugly… enough to almost give me a heart attack.

I do want to thank attorney Bruce Abrams, attorney Rick Kerman, Big Mike, and Tom and Bob for helping me during this difficult time.

Needless to say, I have to move, but I’ve learned a lot about how big management does not treat people fairly.

It seems even high-profile publisher and a philanthropic local business owner have to do the “little things” in life you think other people might be doing for them. On the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, Gay & Lesbian Times publisher Michael Portantino, Michael Rood and Hamburger Mary’s/Baja Betty’s owner Chris Shaw went on a boating excursion and to water ski when the boat stalled in the middle of the bay! (They were not on Chris’ boat, obviously.) Talk about a picture: Chris Shaw and Michael Portantino swimming ashore, towing the boat as luxury liners passed them. Oh, sailor?

Go see handsome Chris St. Pierre at Planet Beach Mission Valley at 10450 Friars Rd., by the San Diego Brewing Company near Mission Gorge. If you clip out this page and bring it into the tanning salon, Chris said he will waive the membership fee and you will receive an additional $10 off monthly memberships.

Chaps Inn, a fabulous hotel in Palm Springs, is the premier resort in the area for leathermen and bears, and the accommodations are great! The rooms are up to date and clean, and the inn offers king-sized bedrooms and full-sized refrigerators, as well as deluxe suites. All rooms have ceiling hooks for slings. Slings are available for rent for $15 a day.

Chaps Inn is located at 312 Camino Monte Vista in Palm Springs. There’re no other hotels in Palm Springs like Chaps Inn! Visit their Web site, www.chapsinn.com, for more information.

Redwing Bar & Grill, located at 4012 30th St. in North Park and now owned by Sarah Critchlow, is a great place to catch a Chargers game on the flat screens or sing karaoke on Wednesday and Saturday nights. The new outdoor patio bar and grill makes for a great afternoon or late evening hangout with the boys, and on Fridays features $1.50 domestic beers from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. followed by $2 you-call-its from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m.

There are $2 well drinks every day until 6:00 p.m.

Dutch Burman, the newest bartender, is fun, outgoing and gives great service. His energy is nonstop and along with his great smile and good looks he keeps the bar fun and exciting. Dutch works Sundays and fills in when needed.

Call the bar at (619) 281-8700 and make sure to say hi to Dutch.