Main Entry: ap·pall
Variant(s): also ap·pal \ə-ˈpȯl\
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): ap·palled; ap·pall·ing
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French apalir, from Old French, from a- (from Latin ad-) + palir to grow pale, from Latin pallescere, inchoative of pallēre to be pale — more at fallow
Date: 14th century
intransitive verb
obsolete : weaken, fail
transitive verb: to overcome with consternation, shock, or dismay: we were appalled by his behavior

synonyms see dismay

Where is Sasha Cohen when you need him?

Grow up, people. If you need to clutch your pearls over something, think of how many people are brutally murdered everyday. Just start there and your list would be endless regarding far, far worse things. 

 


Good things can happen to good people and those who know Michael Emery are hoping just that. He can be seen from time to time on All My Children and One Life to Live, most recently as an arresting officer—and arresting is the operative term for this young man. This some time competitive body builder has theater and film among his credits: Private Wars, All’s Fail, One Night in New York, Doris’ Mouse Earrings, Diamond in Da Ruff, Halfway There, Hamlet, Don’t Drink the Water, Guys and Dolls, Giggle Bound, Peculiar Passion, and Love & Humor among them. It would seem that this good guy likes to keep himself very busy as if he si taking this acting business very seriously.

We also want to keep him busy and keep him gainfully employed on the best Soap Opera on television these days, One Life to Live. We want him to keep up the good work.



Here’s the contact information:

Frank Valentini
Executive Producer, One Life to Live
ABC Daytime
56 West 66th Street
New York, NY 10023

frank.valentini@abc.com

OLTL Direct Comment Lines:
(NY) 212-456-3338
(NY) 212-456-7777
OR (LA) 818-460-7477

Michael Emery, Actor's Reel from reels4artists on Vimeo.

Visit the official website. 

 


John Pagano is one of those singers who needs to be heard live to be truly appreciated. Even the videos posted here although stupendous do not do the man justice.



It was the consensus last month at h.wood for POZ's AIDS Walk fund-raiser that John is exceptional talent.



We want to bring him back to New York in 2010. We want him here and out loud.



 

 

...You've got to accept that there is a love that exists between men which is neither obscene nor degrading, but is as powerful and as profound, and as fruitful, as that love which bears children. The love that men have for other men, as men, may be beyond some people's power of comprehension. But it has a subtlety and a flexibilty, a power that creates order. (David Storey) 

 
 

 

OK, we're going to avoid making the analogy about the sun rising and all that. Suffice to say if this young man is good enough for DNA via Model Mayhem, he is certainly good enough for our main course. Ah, to be the platter that he is served on!




 

 

If you're going to have a re-do it might as well be this little ditty. Any excuse to have pics of those who only have thighs for you.

Pollo alla Birra di Giovanni [working title]

Chicken Thighs, six
Newcastle Brown Ale, twelve fluid ounces (355 ml)
Red Onion, one medium, thin slices
Garlic Cloves, four, whole, peeled
Lemon Rind, from an entire lemon
Basil, dried, to taste
Coarse Salt, to taste.
Broccoli di Rape, one bunch, about 500 grams (one pound, ends removed, ready (mondati)




1. Brown the thighs in a deep sauce pan. Turning them from time to time.
2. Salt to taste. Oh, what the hell, throw some black pepper in there.
3. Add the garlic and lemon. Toss the pan to get the ingredients distributed evenly.
4. Add the basil. Toss and distribute.
5. Then add the beer. Turn the heat up and bring to a brief boil. Then simmer.
6. At this point the recipe can go in one of two directions, both delicious. You can cook it down to a sauce or you can reduce it even further making the resulting sauce thicker and richer. The onion caramelizes quite nicely in the Newcastle. You could also remove the thighs at this point.
7. If you're going the sauce route, throw the broccoli on top of the mixture and cover. The greens pick up an almost sweet counterpoint to their natural bitterness. Cooking them to personal level of tenderness. When you've finished, remove the rind.
8. The difference in time for the two versions varies from twenty to thirty minutes.
9. The sauce version would be perfect for rice or pasta perhaps adding some peas.


It makes for a batch of delicious thighs. 

 


Although Levi's johnson didn't make an appearance, he's cute enough for us. It is hoped that he made a wheelbarrow full of money. It may not be bad at all that he helped save Playgirl. There's absolutely nothing wrong with semi-naked men, especially if they wear their nakedness well. Besides, that this photo shoot irritated Sarah makes it all worthwhile. You betcha! 

 


It's been too long since we've featured this delicious morsel of a man.



There is a way to take him with you so to speak. Click here.

 

 


Last summer in the July/August issue POZ featured this Mediterranean inspired dish from Asata Reid, a.k.a. "Life Chef." Seems to be more of a cold weather dish and can also be adapted to include pasta. Either way it's hearty and tasty.




Whole Wheat Couscous with Chick Peas

Whole Wheat Couscous, one half cup
Lemon, zest, juice of one medium
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, one tablespoon
Onion, one, small, diced
Garlic, two cloves minced
Butternut Squash, halved and sliced
Sweet Red Bell pepper, seeded and diced
Spinach, fresh, two cups, roughly torn
Tomatoes, 250 grams, diced (half pound)
Chick Peas, cooked, 250 grams, (half pound)
Paprika, smoked, one teaspoon
Oregano leaves, two tablespoons chopped
Coarse Salt and Ground black pepper




1.Cook couscous according to package directions, stirring in lemon juice before covering to steam. If using whole grain pasta, toss with the lemon juice while still hot.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet or large pot and sauté onion and garlic for about two minutes.
3. Add squash, bell pepper, tomatoes and chickpeas then cook about 5 minutes more.
4. Season with smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
5. Stir in oregano leaves and spinach.
6. Fluff couscous with a fork, sprinkle with lemon zest and black pepper, pour the mixture on top and serve immediately. (Or toss with pasta.)




Original recipe and others can be found here.



These images are of Jonathins Tether.



No way to know if Jonathon is Mediterranean or inspired by it. He is at any rate both tasty and hearty.

More eye candy here. 

 


Bright eyed, Bushy tailed!


 

 

 

 
He is feaured here often because he does all the right things. From his interview with Fangoria he responds to a question about coming out publicly and what it has done or not done to his career: David Moretti is back for his third season starring as Thom Etherton in The Lair. Once a nice, young journalist, now a vampire’s BF, Moretti has been put thru the ringer courtesy of The Lair’s frequently naked, fetishistic bloodsucker cult. Bonus points for Fangorians: Turns out Moretti is also big fan of the mag.

... A lot of people in the industry are deathly afraid of rocking the boat and making outside-the-box decisions—extremely ironic for an industry based on creativity—like working with an openly gay actor, especially in a “straight” context. So when they see my résumé and interviews I’ve done, they definitely shy away to an extent. The old-school ideal is ever-present in their minds. We need a few of the big A-listers who we all know are gay to just come out already and help move everything along. If Mary Jo in Alabama is forced to deal with the fact that her favorite action star has a “special friend” off screen and just might enjoy the musical stylings of the Dreamgirls soundtrack, things will finally start shifting. Until then, mainstream America will still not accept gay actors playing straight, and actors who are not hiding themselves will have limited opportunities. My goal is to be who I am and have people eventually realize I’m just like them—and my sexuality doesn’t mean anything in my professional life. I’m an actor. I play make-believe for a living. And that includes playing straight.

 

 





Some folks are scratching their heads, wondering why Mr. Franco took a gig on General Hospital. Well, if it was good enough for Elizabeth Taylor, why not another classic beauty. We already liked his resume' a lot. There is something to be said for a man, an actor, who does something for more than just the usual reasons.





Main Entry: 1ex·pe·ri·ence
Pronunciation: \ik-ˈspir-ē-ən(t)s\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin experientia act of trying, from experient-, experiens, present participle of experiri to try, from ex- + -periri (akin to periculum attempt) — more at fear
Date: 14th century
1 a : direct observation of or participation in events as a basis of knowledge b : the fact or state of having been affected by or gained knowledge through direct observation or participation
2 a : practical knowledge, skill, or practice derived from direct observation of or participation in events or in a particular activity b : the length of such participation: has 10 years' experience in the job.
3 a : the conscious events that make up an individual life b : the events that make up the conscious past of a community or nation or humankind generally
4 : something personally encountered, undergone, or lived through
5 : the act or process of directly perceiving events or reality




 

 


 

 

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
The Word - Skeletons in the Closet
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor U.S. Speedskating

 

 


Once upon a time there was a very interesting film with Joe Pantoliano and Donovan Leitch, titled The In Crowd. It makes a valiant effort in re-creating the subculture of Philadelphia in the 1960s. It chronicles some of the dances and music that were peculiar to the place and time. It wasn’t all Beatlemania. Here’s a comment from its Imdb.com entry:

I'm Philadelphia born and raised and I always come back to watch this movie at least once a year or more..."Perry Parker" of course, is a dead on replica of legendary Philly DJ Jerry Blavat...and I always loved how this movie sweetly and simply evoked the early 60's music and culture....(especially Wendy Gazelle's patient and loving depiction of Donovan Leitch's potential girlfriend) And any Philly baby boomer has to have warm feeling when they see the Peter Boyle cameo in which he portrays his own father, a much beloved local children's TV host.

And yes, this movie needs to be released on DVD.



It was a unique period in time. One of the songs in the movie is the Olympics’ “Mine Exclusively” – there was actually a dance that went along with it called “The Disco Spin.” What made Blavat extraordinary among his contemporaries is that he played classic R’n’B much like the songs chosen for this week. He took his listeners to a different place. The cool teens responded at least for a while. They populated dance halls like Wagner Ballroom and Chez-Vous with dances like the one already mentioned plus the Wagner Walk, The H&H (aka The Crossfire), The Slop, The Bristol Stomp, The Discophonic Walk and The South Street. When Bandstand went main stream, Blavat and his yon teens stayed off the beaten path remaining something of a musical delicacy. Blavat may have wanted to go national as well with his syndicated show The Discophonic Scene, but it stayed put.




It was the kind of experience that united white ethnic teens and black teens in a racially diverse city like Philadelphia. The Philly of those days has completely disappeared. The music’s still here and sometimes it can help recall the soul of the time and place.



The teens back then and there lived within the confines of a working class city with traditional values regarding family as well as a powerful mob presence. The music was something that wasn’t cross generational.



Pictured: A contemporary male model with a discophonic crotch.

The three songs on the site were dance, turntable hits of the era: Philly's own Orlons with "Spinnin' Top," Marvelous Marvin with "One More Heartache," and Junior Walker's "Tune Up." As Hy Lit used to say, "Enough to make you eat the grapes off the wallpaper." 

 
We are internet challenged these days. It's an opportunity to reflect on where we've been. This web log is going on five years now. Here is a post from the very first day. My, how times have changed at One Life to Live;

Perhaps it’s a viewer’s own pretense to expect daytime drama to rise to the occasion of the depiction of gay people consistently and realistically since lately there has been much to be desired in the depiction of everybody no matter their sexual orientation, skin colour or gender.

Many viewers, it is suspected, have had a desire to see gay people integrated into the canvases of various afternoon serials. In the past, All My Children, One Life to Live and As the World Turns have made valiant efforts in that direction. During those memorable moments in Daytime TV history, the creative quotient was much higher than one might find in this not so memorable moment of the genre’s history.

Those stories centered around acceptance of gay people and AIDS while leaning toward the goodliness of the gay character and sometimes the not so gay characters involved in their lives.

Mark Dobies as Daniel Colson

One Life to Live is currently at the tail end of a story involving a closeted, murdering politician, Daniel “Ted” Colson portrayed by Mark Dobies.

When Dobies came to the show his role was non-contractual and he was there as a prop to the long suffering Nora Gannon Buchanan. Colson was portrayed as an abusive, alcoholic father who had ambitions for Nora’s ex-husband’s position as the District Attorney and, as fate would have it, a position that would make him the boss of Nora’s other ex-husband, Police Commissioner Bo Buchanan. Nora and Daniel ran against each other for the position.

Colson’s is/was a character that seemed to be placed in any position that the current writing committee found necessary. Soon he was sober and ready to change his life. He and Nora were dating. Wait, then he was involved peripherally in the great baby debate as a pawn of Adam Chandler which emphasized his higher political ambitions when all of sudden he did the right thing and decided not to lie for the powerful Chandler family. Shortly thereafter he not only wants to marry Nora in a hurry but also wants to railroad his son’s love of life, Jennifer, into jail for the murder of Paul Cramer who set above baby case in motion; none of which was adequately explained unless mere political ambition can set in motion all of those things all at once. Colson, of course, became guilty of murdering the blackmailing Paul Cramer and eventually Jennifer Rappaport when she realized what he had done.

It seems de rigueur these days that daytime serials play fast and furious not only with facts but also with consistency of character development. Characters who hover about in the gray areas are the most interesting, so it isn’t necessary that characters be cast in either black or white. Gray is just fine for the Dorian Cramers and Erica Kanes of those worlds, although at times their claim to consistency can be quite tenuous. The aim of TV Executives, Show Producers and Head Writers is to achieve long lasting ratings. They are failing miserably.

The character of Daniel Colson has changed a lot since its inception mostly as a prop in order to recouple the Nora and Bo characters which is an alleged long term ratings boost. It has almost nothing to do with Colson’s homosexuality, which was a May Sweeps stunt for a short term ratings boost. Dobies is a trooper and the industry should do the man justice for his character’s being all over the plot driven map and the actor’s acquiescence. It is a fond hope that he continue to be gainfully employed. He did very well with what he was given. He was taken out of that gray area and was put in the very black, unredeemable area.

In Soap Opera Digest, Vol. 30, No. 21 in Thumbs Up! & Thumbs Down! “One Life to Live: The Daniel Dilemma” an editorial states:

"OLTL’s decision to make psycho murderer Daniel a closeted gay man who kills people to hide his sexual preference is somewhat disturbing. We probably don’t need to add to some individuals’ already rampant fear of gay people with a story about a guy who would kill the love of his son’s life and trick an innocent woman into marrying him just to mask the fact that he sleeps with men."

What is shocking in the first place is that an editor would use the word, 'preference' re: a person’s sexuality. What is also shocking is that suddenly Soap Opera Digest became a supporter of positive gay images on Soap Operas. There is a positive gay character in this story, unfortunately it is a character portrayed as naïf and unknowing whose motivations are not fully explained. If the so called Soap Press truly cares about the state of gay characters on Daytime TV, perhaps actually brokering for well written characters is what it should be up to.

All the positive proclamations and posturing come from heterosexual female characters on the show further emphasizing Colson’s downfall as a plot device for the saintly Nora to exclaim that homosexuality is not a disease. Thank you very much, but the American Psychiatry Association told us that over thirty years ago with all due respect to Hillary Bailey Smith who, also a trooper and very good actress who has endured turning Nora into the eternal victim. Is this the same woman who ran against Colson for District Attorney?

The trailing of Colson to a New York gay bar was not as comical as it might have been. Belief had to be suspended because it is very unlikely that a paranoid closeted public individual would go to a gay bar in Chelsea. Belief had to be suspended because it is unlikely that his very young lover, also very recently out of the closet, would take him to a gay bar for a special night out. Belief had to be suspended that the Police Commissioner with his snitch would go to a city outside his jurisdiction to find Colson drinking in a bar. It was enjoyable only from the standpoint of watching Woods and Lavoisier work together. Unfortunately it was in a contrived situation.

Disney, ABC-TV’s parent company, is a gay friendly company and survived, so to speak, a Baptist Church boycott; it is, therefore, difficult to follow GLAAD’s lead in boycotting ABC. GLAAD endorsed the highly flawed Bianca Montgomery character and story on All My Children. It’s easy, a cheap shot if you will, to paint ABC and even the ubiquitous Brian Frons bogeyman with a homophobic brush. GLAAD gave an award to its positive depiction of Marcie’s brother's woes. It somehow got lost that her brother’s sexuality and Mark’s for the matter were all about Marcie.

Returning to basics it is better to say that whoever is writing at ABC-TV about a variety of subjects is not doing a good job*. It’s as simple as that. Ratings, at least in this case, are at an all time low in an ever increasingly competitive television market because the product is ever increasingly inferior. It has been a cliché for years to belittle Soaps because of their style and plot devices, and unhappily they remain in that rut. Those who continue to watch are those who are obsessed with the continuity of the story telling and often watch with the motivation of following a plot to its logical conclusion as evidenced by the tiny ratings spike that the baby switch story on All My Children engendered. It is looking more and more like that’s about as good as it gets. Those who are inevitably loyal to the storytelling are not necessarily as fierce in their loyalty as they once were.

The issue is not as some allegedly progressive editor in the so called Soap Opera Press might call rampant homophobia, but rather if the story is told well with all its elements in place. The Daniel Colsons of the world are real. Al Pacino gave a memorable performance in Angels in America as did James Woods in Citizen Cohn of a public figure who persecuted his own kind and died of the “gay cancer” which came to be known as AIDS. Jon Stewart has said something to the effect of if you want to meet gay men go to the anti-gay buffet. Just follow recent news events. Of course, it is seldom that these individuals resort to murdering their sons’ girlfriends, but is a fictional story. Governor McGreevey, although a day late and a dollar short in his “I-Am-A-Gay-American Speech” is the least despicable of all the possible self-loathing gay men in government who persecute their own kind. The persecution takes on many forms. It is useful to call to mind the AIDS activist slogan, Silence=Death. Colson’s story might have been more believable had it gone along the lines of those who take out their self-loathing in anti-gay public policy.

A recent real life story out of Columbia, Missouri has a closeted gay policeman allegedly murdering his young male lover. The judge in the case was quoted as saying that the case had more to say about the officer’s state of mind rather than Columbia’s which would have been accepting of having a gay officer on the force. Perhaps the Colson story will say the same thing about the state of mind of the community of Llanview, Pennsylvania. It should be hoped that Rick Santorum (R-Pa) is not their Senator.

So, what is needed are writers who are aware of the human condition and know how to express it. What the genre needs are actors and characters who can give us pathos. It doesn’t necessarily have to be original, very few creative efforts are. It is the expression that need be unique. The originality within this framework has to be devoid of knee jerk liberalism. The story of someone like the character that Daniel Colson turned out to be should be told; his young lover Mark’s story and his coming out needs to be told, but not through Marcie eyes – through his own.

Daniel Colson is a tortured individual who was an abusive, alcoholic father but was also driven to aspire to public office for all the wrong reasons. He was somehow able to win Mark who for all intents and purposes is a good person. Why does Mark love Daniel? Why does Daniel love Mark?

Nora can be applauded for reminding us in the middle of her own hysteria that homosexuality is not a disease. The disease is that Daniel brought himself to this precipice. Now we can begin.


Yesterday’s episode saw Daniel’s admission of guilt and his departure for Statesville Prison.

Frank Valentini, the Executive Producer of One Life to Live was recently quoted as saying that Marcie’s brother resolves the issues with his homophobic father in a special Father’s Day episode. That will bear some regard and we’ll do our best to do that justice.


Giano


*A notable exception may be John Loprieno. When his name appears on the writing credits, some characters seem more articulate and believable. 

 

Giano has yet to return, so once more I have delved into the archive to save his bacon . . . or wonton.




Kimberly Roots is appreciated in these parts as a very important member of the Fourth Estate [look it up]. Her boyfriend is a prince of a man. Someday they will be married. Ms. Roots is always very mindful of being healthy and she passed this great recipe on to Column.



Cooking spray
Olive oil, two teaspoons
Green Cabbage, shredded, [or cole slaw mix: shredded green cabbage and carrots] one and a half cups
Carrot, shredded, one half cups
Garlic cloves, two, minced
Scallions, two, minced, divided
Soy sauce, low-sodium, one quarter cup plus two teaspoons
Wonton wrappers, twenty-four
Sesame oil, one teaspoon
Oven at 350F



1.Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Add cabbage, carrots, garlic and one minced scallion.
4. Sauté until cabbage wilts, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in two teaspoons of soy sauce.
5. Place wonton wrappers on a flat surface.
6. Drop vegetable mixture by teaspoonfuls onto center of each wrapper.
7. Moisten edges of wrapper with wet fingers, fold over one corner to make a triangle and press sides together to seal.
8. Transfer filled wrappers to prepared baking sheet and coat surface with cooking spray.
9. Bake until wontons are golden brown, about fifteen minutes.
10. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine remaining one quarter cup of soy sauce, remaining minced scallion and sesame oil. Mix well and serve with wontons.
11. Yields four wontons and 1 tablespoon of dipping sauce per serving.



And accompanying this recipe are pics of someone else who is ever mindful of good health, Jessie Pavelka, late of Diet Tribe. Kimberly appreciates being in good company. 

 
It appears that Giano has wandered off again. Perhaps he's had a relapse after his night out with the Terrible Three. So I did some digging in the beefcake archive and look what I found.





Jessie is good enough to be the entree anywhere anytime. Seems like he has a new fitness show coming up on Lifetime some time soon. He's one of those people who looks like they could make a go of something like that. We don't know him but somehow we want him to succeed.

 

 






Rise and shine it. 

 


World AIDS Day 2009 December 1st Cleve Jones will be speaking at Hudson Valley Community College—for those in the New York State Capital Region. A once in a lifetime event, Mr. Jones will be at the Bulmer Telecommunications Center 6:30pm to 8:30pm.

Jones’s career as an activist began in San Francisco during the turbulent 1970s. He worked as a student intern for pioneer gay rights leader Harvey Milk following his unprecedented election to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. (Jones is portrayed by Emile Hirsch in Milk, the 2008 Academy Award-winning film.) Jones conceived the idea of the AIDS Memorial Quilt at a 1985 candlelight memorial for Milk, who was assassinated in 1978, and created the first quilt panel in honor of a close friend, Marvin Feldman, in 1987.

This event will include a slide show with photos by Dona Ann McAdams and live music: Brian Melick on Udu drum at 6:30 p.m. as well as the talk by Cleve Jones, beginning at 7 p.m.

Call: 518.629.8071; 518.629.7171; 518.629.8071 for more information. 

 


All that can be said is that the excellent actor who brings Dr. Greg Evans to life on One Life to Live assuredly has an "across the board" appeal. He brought that appeal to The DL Chronicles. He is not a doctor but he plays one on television ...



 

 

Main Entry: hand·some

Function: adjective
Inflected Form(s): hand·som·er; hand·som·est
Etymology: Middle English handsom easy to manipulate
Date: 1530
1 chiefly dialect : appropriate, suitable
2 : moderately large : sizable: a painting that commanded a handsome price
3 : marked by skill or cleverness : adroit
4 : marked by graciousness or generosity : liberal: handsome contributions to charity
5 : having a pleasing and usually impressive or dignified appearance

synonyms see beautiful




No secret in these parts that there is much affection here for the star of The Lair. Being honestly himself is what Moretti does best. Handsome is as handsome does and all that. Photographer Collin Stark seems to have captured the essence. Click here for more Collin. Stay here to enjoy his photographic vision of the handsome Mr. Moretti.



Moretti says, "Best photographer I've worked with by a long mile." There you have it.