The Column of Life

The Arab News {English Language Mideast Daily} GEORGE W. Bush looks to be heading for anywhere but a “place in history” as a further blow to his administration is landed with the resignation as majority leader in the House of Representatives, albeit temporarily, of key ally and Capitol Hill presidential enforcer, Tom DeLay … What is so striking about this turn of events is how inexorably, the “straight-talking” neoconservative message of the Bush White House is being exposed as anything but straight and the “no-nonsense” policy on terror anything but sense. USA Today: It's unclear whether DeLay's indictment will taint Republicans next year. A USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll in April found that 38% had an unfavorable opinion about DeLay. But nearly as many, 35%, had never heard of him or had no opinion of the then-majority leader. Voters don't need to know who DeLay is for Democrats to make gains in 2006, Dartmouth University political scientist Linda Fowler said. "The only m...

Dear Friends, On May 15th, over 45,000 walkers came together for the 20th AIDS Walk New York to raise $6 million for GMHC! The event was a huge success, thanks to all your hard work and dedication! We have another event coming up on Saturday, December 3rd, called Move Against AIDS: a five-hour dance-a-thon. Move Against AIDS is a fundraising dance event with appearances by celebrity hosts, and live musical performances from today’s hottest DJ’s and recording artists. My name is Lindsay Edgar and I’m the new Volunteer Coordinator. Many of you know that volunteering for Move Against AIDS is a fun opportunity to make new friends and get involved with the community. Our first mailing is Tuesday, October 4th. Please join us for this fun and important evening! We also need help with the following: Cocktail Hour – every Monday through Thursday from 6:00pm to 9:00pm Phone Bank – every Monday through Thursday from 6:00pm to 9:00pm (beginning October 17th) ...

André Boisclair remains the frontrunner in the race to elect a new leader of the Parti Québécois. Boisclair admitted he used cocaine in the years during which he was a PQ cabinet minister, between 1996 and 2003. "What I want to tell you is I made mistakes, things I regret. Yes, I consumed. I can't be clearer than that". Despite the revelation it apparently has not hurt his chances to take the leadership nor has the fact that he is an openly gay man. Now, before you dismiss this as a backwater issue, the PQ have held power several times in the last few decades, only being defeated in the last election by the Liberals, and appear to be poised to win again. The worry, of course, is that the PQ remain committed to Québec's separation from Canada and will move on that again. Perhaps that's the culmination of the separatist cocaine dream. The question remains whether or not wider society within Québec is as tolerant of "non-conformist" behavior as the membersh...

Take Me Out By Cliff Froehlich ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch 09/24/2005 Matthew Montelongo as Toddy Koovitz and Philip Anthony-Rodriguez as Darren Lemming in The Rep's Off-Ramp production of "Take Me Out." (J. Bruce Summers) A baseball allusion is unavoidable: The Rep's expansion franchise, Off-Ramp, opens its inaugural season with a winner - the theatrical equivalent of an error-free game pitched to near-perfection and highlighted by detonations of dramatic power. Designed to showcase works too ambitious for the intimate Studio but potentially too provocative for the stodgier members of the Rep's Mainstage subscriber base, the new series has scouted well, signing a Rickey Henderson-quality leadoff hitter in Richard Greenberg's "Take Me Out." The 2003 Tony winner as best play, "Take Me Out" initially appears focused on a single, narrow issue - the ramifications of major-league player Darren Lemming (Philip Anthony...

REP. CHRISTOPHER SHAYS/(R) CONNECTICUT: I want to know how you coordinated the evacuation. MICHAEL BROWN, FORMER FEMA DIRECTOR: By urging the governor and the mayor to order the mandatory evacuation. SHAYS: And that's coordinating? BROWN: What would you like for me to do, congressman? SHAYS: Well, that's why I'm happy you left because that kind of, you know, look in the lights like a deer tells me that you weren't capable to do the job. BROWN: I take great umbrage to that comment, congressman. Bernice, our ubiquitous correspondent, was down in DC looking for "that fetching John Roberts." She gets him confused with John Kerry's running mate -- she has been known to say that all good looking white men look alike, so it doesn't really matter to her. She did, while down there, stop into the wrong committee hearing and heard the above exchange. Her response? Well, now she figures that if "Brownie" is taking it, she wants the same medication for he...

Tower Records Lincoln Center and Faust Harrison Pianos present ANY WEDNESDAY AT TOWER RECORDS, a series of live free performances celebrating the best in cabaret, jazz and Broadway performers every Wednesday evening at 6:00 p.m. For October, our theme is performers paying tribute to legendary stars. Oct. 5: Cabaret performer Valerie Lemon presents her delightful show that pays tribute to Jane Froman, the legendary star of Broadway, radio, and recordings, whose life story was recalled and Hollywoodized in the Susan Hayward vehicle "With a Song in My Heart". Now hear her true story and remember her music. We will be dark on October 12 in honor of the Yom Kippur Holiday. Oct. 19: International performer Karen Koehler recalls the career and songs of Marlene Dietrich. Karen does not imitate Marlene, but offers her own interpretations of the great song catalogue associated with this immortal screen star. Also on October 19, ANY WEDNESDAY features its first "double feature...

Seems like in the wonderful world of television this week can be declared Mark Valley Week. He is most assuredly a welcomed addition to Welcomed Distractions. He is in the very good company of Jesse Metcalf and Cristian Solemino, which incidentally brings up one reason for declaring this his week. Both he and Solemino will be featured on Cable TV this weekend. Solemino, as previously mentioned in the Footballers’ Wives recap on BBC America and Valley in Soapnet’s initiation of broadcasting all 13 episodes of Pasadena , the short lived night time serial. Tuesday evening saw Mark reunite with the co-star of The Next Best Thing , Rupert Everett where they played potential boyfriends. The two best things about Next Best Thing were Valley as fantasy fodder and that it was the late John Schlesinger’s last fling as a director which made it at the very least a valiant effort. Mark Valley’s presence on Boston Legal is certainly part of its valiant effort to up the ante on welcomed distraction...

from 365gay.com Ontario's health minister says gays and lesbians in the medical field should consider moving to Canada. George Smitherman touted the province to delegates at the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association's annual conference in Montreal. Most of those attending the convention were American, and in a keynote address the openly gay cabinet minister said that doctors dissatisfied with life in the US should think about a move - especially if they want to marry. "Many of you work in States where progress of this type is measured in baby steps at best, and sometimes not at all," Smitherman said. "And some of you live and work in States where the fight is actually not to lose ground. And yet you keep at it, day in, day out, and for that you have my gratitude, my respect, and my undying admiration." " ...thousands of gay couples have been married in Canada, happily and proudly joining the millions of other couples in this country and around the world...

Cindy Adams had this to say: September 26, 2005 -- THE biopic "Capote" is getting big- time major p.r. It's getting heavy- duty thumping for star Philip Sey mour Hoffman to cop an Oscar for his brilliant turn as Truman Capote. These days, whatever newspaper you're wrapping your fish in has a profile on him and this movie. The only soul not fazed by the surrounding huff and puff is Mr. Hoffman himself. Like, for instance, he was to shoot a Rolling Stone layout. The magazine wanted it in Capote's own one-time home. That's in Brooklyn. Philip's made 25 films … His face is known, right? So you'd think they'd go from Manhattan via stretch limo with a bar inside, right? That's what the publicity people for the magazine, the publicity people for the picture, the publicity people for Philip thought, right? Wrong. He schlepped his whole group — assistant, staff, makeup person, whatever and whoever — onto the subway. It seems that Hoffmann is one of thos...

September 28: BILLY PORTER The explosive Broadway star will be presenting highlights from his live album AT THE CORNER OF BROADWAY + SOUL. The sold out concert was preserved by Sh-K-Boom Records, but you can experience this energetic performer live at Tower. We hope you'll join the growing audiences for these concerts. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Bart Greenberg, Vocal Department Product Specialist, at Tower Records (212-799-2500 x195).

Charisse Davis is proof positive that Native New Yorkers can be classy and pleasant. Her recent recording I Fall is a collection of original material that exhibits her smokey delivery that is reminiscent of other class acts but her style is all her own. She is a go-getter with the right amount of aplomb, but her true strength lies in her talent. Her first professional job was at the age of six, when she sang on jingles for Wonder Bread & St. Joseph Aspirin”. Other jingles followed which lead to participation in a Sesame Street album. At age 11, she traveled to Ghent, Belgium to perform in the role of Scipio in Gershiwn’s Opera Porgy & Bess She attended Lincoln Square Academy for the Performing Arts, and was in the band “Jamilah” which also boasted Keith Sweat as a member. They were frequent performers at The Apollo as an opening act for major recording artists. A single “I Can’t Face The Rain,” was released on the Zakia record label. Her performances have been enjoyed by N...

Sheehan Arrested During Anti-War Protest By JENNIFER C. KERR, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - Cindy Sheehan, the California mother who became a leader of the anti-war movement after her son died in Iraq, was arrested Monday along with hundreds of others protesting outside the White House. Sheehan, carrying a photo of her son in his Army uniform, rallied with other protesters in a park across the street from the White House and then marched to the gate of the executive mansion to request a meeting with President Bush. The protesters later sat down on the pedestrian walkway in front of the White House — knowing they would be arrested — and began singing and chanting "Stop the war now!" Police warned them three times that they were breaking the law by failing to move along, then began making arrests. One man climbed over the White House fence and was quickly subdued by Secret Service agents. Sheehan, 48, was the first taken into custody. She smiled as she was carried to the...

Fathers are pleading, lovers are all alone Mothers are praying--send our sons back home You marched them away--yes, you did--on ships and planes To the senseless war, facing death in vain Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive) Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive) Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive) Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive) Turn the ships around, lay your weapons down Can't you see 'em march across the sky, all the soldiers that have died Tryin' to get home--can't you see them tryin' to get home? Tryin' to get home--they're tryin' to get home Cease all fire on the battlefield Enough men have already been wounded or killed Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive) Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive) Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive) Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive) Turn the ships around, lay your weapons down (Mothers, fathers and lovers, can't you see them) O...

It comes out best if images of Jesse Metcalf in his underwear are recalled. ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 1 large Spanish onion, chopped into ¼ inch dice 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 tablespoon dried ½ medium carrot finely shredded 28 ounce can peeled whole tomatoes, crushed by hand with their juices Salt to taste Heat the oil in a three quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot and cook five more minutes until the carrot is quite soft. Add the tomatoes and juice and bring to a boil stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer for thirty minutes until the sauce is as thick as hot cereal. Season to taste with salt. This sauce keeps for 1 week in the refrigerator and up to six months in the freezer.

In a world gone mad there are a few welcomed distractions: Jesse Metcalf in his underwear on Desperate Housewives and, of course, the intense Cristian Solemino on Footballers’ Wives. Next Saturday when the opportunity to catch up on Season 2 presents itself on BBC America have some comfort food along with it. The versatile eggplant is exactly that because it welcomes and absorbs all the flavours that surround it. Two Summers ago, New York magazine printed some wonderful recipes from the best chefs in the city and this Caponata Recipe from Mario Batali of Babbo provides one of the best distractions as well as comfort. Caponata is a Sicilian dish which varies from province to province in the jewel of the Mediterranean. The presence of the cocoa in his recipe means that it probably originated in Palermo. Caponata Mario Batali 8 servings ½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 large Spanish onion, cut into 1-inch diced pieces 3 tablespoons pine nuts 3 tablespoons dried currants ½ to 1 teaspoon re...

Thousands rally against Iraq war Saturday, September 24, 2005; Posted: 4:08 p.m. EDT (20:08 GMT) WASHINGTON (AP) -- Opponents of the war in Iraq marched Saturday in a clamorous day of protest, song and remembrance of the dead, some showing surprisingly diverse political views even as they spoke with one loud voice in wanting U.S. troops home. The surging crowd, shouting "Bush out now" and "Peace now," marched in front of the White House and then to the Washington Monument in an 11-hour marathon of dissent. They were young people with green hair, nuns whose anti-war activism dates to Vietnam, parents mourning their children in uniform lost in Iraq, and uncountable families motivated for the first time to protest. President Bush himself was out of town, monitoring hurricane recovery efforts from Colorado and Texas. The protesters shouted for his impeachment. "We have to get involved," said Erika McCroskey, 27, who came from Des Moines, Iowa, with her youn...

from Friday's Daily News: Briefing Where, oh where, is Bianca? President Bush treated White House reporters to a decidedly goofy moment yesterday, when he kept demanding the whereabouts of the junior Bloomberg News correspondent during a mini-press conference at the Pentagon. "Bianca?" Bush inquired, looking down at a list of White House press poolers (notably Bloomberg reporter Bianca Davie). "Nobody named Bianca? Well, sorry Bianca's not here. I'll be glad to answer her question." While Vice President Cheney and other high officials smiled supportively, Bush explained: "Just trying to spread around the joy of asking a question." More official smiles. The President wouldn't give up. "Are you Bianca?" he asked another young woman. "No, I'm not," the woman answered. "Anita - Fox News." Bush responded with determination: "Okay. I was looking for Bianca. I'm sorry." Yesterday, I, too, had trouble...

She appeared at Tower Lincoln Center on September 22, 2005 and 'wowed' the participants during the Q&A by her sheer presence and her absolute pleasantness. Besides, anyone who records music forbidden by the Vatican [some things never change] deserves our attention. Cecilia Bartoli Champions "Opera Proibita" “A new CD by Roman mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli is always an event…she is a singing actress of virtually boundless range.” — Wall Street Journal “Everything I’ve learned from living in Rome I find in this music: the continuous movement in the architecture, the dramatic play of light and shade that only a southern climate can create, the majesty of the ruins of the Forum, the sinuous curves of water in the fountains, the sound of voices in the ancient alleys, the pleasure of eating ice cream on hot days, the sense of the infinite you get from watching the Tiber flow by and, especially, the joy of discovering something new that you’ve never noticed before.” — ...

Our Manhattan correspondent, Bernice Clifton and her sisters are loyal followers of All My Children but have been disappointed lately in the quality of the story telling except for that lovely to behold, Mr. Musser. Also, being patriotic American citizens while living within that fine line that divides reality and fiction Bernice et al. were thrilled to hear the President of the United States calling for Bianca, Erica Kane’s lesbian daughter and hapless victim in the baby fraud story line, who is now living in Paris. The President was holding a press conference in Galveston when he looked up from the podium and asked: “Uh, Bianca Nobody named Bianca? Well, sorry Bianca’s not here. I’d be glad to answer her question …” Bernice was prepared to write a letter in support of the President’s quest for Bianca for she, too, wanted to answer all Bianca’s questions and try to get her back on the failing show. Esmeralda Clifton on the other hand thought perhaps it was the name of another hurric...

In celebrating life, it is also important to remember and accentuate what those who have come before have left behind. Most of the time it is some aspect of culture, that which defines the expression of life, or death as the case may be. It is that time of year. We are getting nearer to all All Souls. ‘Tis, therefore, just about time to celebrate the Soul. James Arthur Baldwin: “I would like to use the time that’s left to change the world, to teach children or to convey to the people who have children that everything that lives is holy. I hope to suggest the possibility of a new vocabulary, of a new morality by way of looking at the world.” Mr. Baldwin was much of what was not acceptable to some yet he went above and beyond being acceptable and simply lived who he was. That dichotomy makes him a contemporary saint. He lives on in his expression. David Linx declared: “Jimmy taught me that everything can be achieved, that madness can be chased, that hatred can be banned , and that love s...

Take equal parts daylight and night time pour them into a day and you get an equinox. There are two a year. This one is Autumnal – six months ago it was Vernal. Then again it depends on where a body lives. South or North of the Equator then what you call the Equinoces changes conversely. Be that as it may it is a time of year when the Earth’s abundance is celebrated, be it Spring or Fall depending on which side of the Looking Glass one finds one’s self, i.e. North or South of the Equator. It is a time to celebrate the Goddess as the giver of life. The RC Church usurped this ancient tradition by celebrating the Virgin Mary’s nativity this month on September 8th, a vestige of ancient fertility rites. The Harvest Moon actually took place last weekend. It is when and where it is time to celebrate the Earth as Mother. True and natural religion has to do with celebrating life and the mysteries surrounding us. It is exactly the reason that Cindy Sheehan is an important symbol for all of thos...

From the National Center for Victims of Crime: Overview Society is becoming increasingly aware of male rape. However, experts believe that current male rape statistics vastly under-represent the actual number of males age 12 and over who are raped each year. Rape crisis counselors estimate that while only one in 50 raped women report the crime to the police, the rates of under-reporting among men are even higher (Brochman, 1991). Until the mid-1980s, most literature discussed this violent crime in the context of women only. The lack of tracking of sexual crimes against men and the lack of research about the effects of male rape are indicative of the attitude held by society at large -- that while male rape occurs, it is not an acceptable topic for discussion. Historically, the rape of males was more widely recognized in ancient times. Several of the legends in Greek mythology involved abductions and sexual assaults of males by other males or gods. The rape of a defeated male enemy was ...

The other great piece of news for afficionados of the music of the 60s is now that Cameo-Parkway Records have finally seen the light of day recently in the form of a box set, October 11th will see the release of greatest hits packages of its major stars, among them and none more anticipated than Dee Dee Sharp’s. Dee Dee’s best work there was not of the top ten and rarely the top 40 but the woman can sing the grapes off the wallpaper. Like her contemporary Darlene Love, Ms. Sharp might have reached heights worthy of her talent had all the elements been set in motion. Furnished with gospel infused vocal talents her voice burns brightly on more than one noteworthy “single” that are finally available on compact disc. One is a collaboration with her one time spouse Kenny Gamble, “I Really Love You,” another is the Northern Soul gem, “Deep Dark Secret” written by Ed Rambeau, cited below in “Big Town Girls” and the third is a knock down version of “To Know Him Is To Love Him.” While “Mashe...

I'm explaining to a friend via email about Brokeback Mountain and brought up the quote about it being a "gay Gone With The Wind". Her reply, after we've had a serious conversation: Thanks..this sounds like a movie to watch for. But I do have a question.. There isn't anybody in this "birthing a baby" is there :-) And of course I, never being at a loss for words: Dunno. Probably one of the sheep. OK, to clarify. They're cowboys, but they're minding sheep on a desolate mountain in Wyoming. Wyoming. Where men are men, and sheep obviously don't need to worry.

There is always life Italian style. Viva Italia! Oliviero Toscani's Italian ad campaign. Wanna buy a sofa? A voglia!

Well, Cindy Adams finally caught up with the rest of the world. Why is "it" still something that can only be referred to euphemistically? The mind boggles that in this day and age that a woman of a certain supposed sophistication would go where so many less sophisticated women have ventured? September 19, 2005 -- THE Renée Zellweger-Kenny Chesney 20-minute marriage that ended with a charge of "fraud" and a request for annulment rather than divorce? Hollywoodniks very very very close to one of them say the reason could well be hubby's lifestyle choices. "Lifestyle choices" indeed. Kenny, honey, please let us in on your dirty little secret.

Sometimes good things happen to good people and in these parts there was much jubilation for Bobby Cannavale’s Emmy. He is obviously a person who knows how to make lemonade. He has risen to the occasion more than once and perhaps this award also included his turns on OZ and Six Feet Under . People do notice and Mr. Cannavale is worthy of notice. He is doubly blessed in having both Italiano and Puerto Riqueno heritage. It has been said that the gods have a sense of humour. This time it looks like they just have good sense. Honourable mentions to James Spader, Felicity Huffman, S. Epatha Merkerson, Doris Roberts and Patricia Arquette, not only because she is the mother of Thomas Jane’s baby, but also because she mentioned Katrina’s victims and the soldiers that need to get back home. It had nothing to do with a television show about which little is known.

October is a great month for all of those attached to what has been called the Girl Group Sound, that which captured the hearts of AM Radio listeners in the early 60s and culminated in the rousing success of the Supremes. There were, of course, other cultural heirs or heiresses as the case may be, such as Labelle, The Pointer Sisters, TLC, Destiny’s Child, Sister Sledge et al. The Girl Group Sound, however, had a mini-era all its own between Elvis Presley, Chapter One and Beatlemania. It could be speculated that the Kennedy assassination had strong cultural implications for the USA and it certainly paved the way for the British Invasion. In 1963 there were great gems like "One Fine Day" by the Chiffons, "Heat Wave" by Martha and the Vandellas, "Da Doo Ron Ron" by the Crystals among many others. Phil Spector, Motown, Cameo-Parkway and the Brill Building writers all did their best to maintain the music. Obviously it was music sung by young women who had tr...

From Arianna Huffington: Karl Rove, President Bush's top political advisor and deputy White House chief of staff, spoke at businessman Teddy Forstmann's annual off the record gathering in Aspen, Colorado this weekend. Here is what Rove had to say that the press wasn't allowed to report on. On Katrina: The only mistake we made with Katrina was not overriding the local government... On The Anti-War Movement: Cindy Sheehan is a clown. There is no real anti-war movement. No serious politician, with anything to do with anything, would show his face at an anti-war rally... On Bush's Low Poll Numbers: We have not been good at explaining the success in Iraq. Polls go up and down and don't mean anything... On Iraq: There has been a big difference in the region. Iraq will transform the Middle East... On Judy Miller And Plamegate: Judy Miller is in jail for reasons I don't really understand... On Joe Wilson: Joe Wilson and I attend the same church but Joe goes to the wacky...

Giovanni’s Room was written in 1956 and owning the Dell Paperback 1964 edition provides a looking glass not only into the world as it once was for gay men but also what it meant to be an adolescent, necessarily closeted, homosexual. Fortunately it was a moving story written by a gifted and sensitive man. James Baldwin wrote the story but did not speak literally to the black experience, but rather he spoke of a young white expatriate struggling with his sexuality. David, the narrator finds himself in Paris of the 1950s. It is a France, a Europe struggling with the new postwar American arrogance. It is, as always, a love/hate relationship. It is reciprocal. David comes from McCarthy’s United States of Xenophobia, but boiling right underneath it is James Dean sensual, rebellious America on the verge of bursting forth with the Rock’n’Roll Era. An America it might be said on the verge of dealing openly with its sensual dark side. David already traumatized by a teenage experience which sta...

“But people can’t, unhappily, invent their mooring posts, their lovers and their friends, anymore than they can invent their parents. Life gives these and also takes them away and the great difficulty is to say Yes to life.” … from James Baldwin, Giovanni’s Room

Spreading my wings To the art of love As weary my soul Could you be my goal Would you carry on high Both our dreams A place where time is Completely aware All your teardrops are mine too Into one sea they'll melt Their existence is not new Always will remain Let's spread our wings To the art of love And then praised is the spirit To give David Linx and James Baldwin

Yes, the New York Times is great reading material and a source for inspiration. This paragraph is from last Thursday’s article on The Toronto Film Festival: One of the most justly anticipated and authentic selections in the festival were Ang Lee’s “Brokeback Mountain,” his adaptation of the E. Annie Prouix short story. Referred to as the “gay cowboys” movie and pegged by at least one wag as a “Gone With the Wind” for gay men, the film stars Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhall as cowboys who, in the early 1960s, begin a love affair that spans more than two decades and survives various wives and girlfriends, among other obstacles. Althoug Mr. Lee tends to make his West look as postcard-pretty as a Marlboro advertisement, he does right by his stars and, in a crucial supporting role, the undervalued Michelle Williams. Mr. Gyllenhaal’s sensitive portrait will be no surprise to his admirers; Mr. Ledger’s wrenching performance is the stuff of Hollywood History Tfl.org has a fan listing for the...

Massachusetts Rejects Bill to Eliminate Gay Marriage By PAM BELLUCK Published: September 15, 2005 BOSTON, Sept. 14 - In a sign that the legalization of same-sex marriage has changed the political landscape in Massachusetts, the legislature soundly defeated a proposed constitutional amendment on Wednesday to ban gay marriage and create civil unions, an amendment that lawmakers gave preliminary approval to in a raucous constitutional convention last year. Wednesday's 157-to-39 vote by a joint session of the House and Senate partly reflected the fact that some legislators now consider same-sex marriage more politically acceptable, after a largely conflict-free year in which some 6,600 same-sex couples got married and lawmakers who supported it got re-elected. The vote also reflected some lawmakers' reluctance to pass a bill that could either withdraw rights from already married couples or create a class of married gay men and lesbians and a class of those unable to marry. Inde...

We love to reprint the ever brilliant Ms. Dowd: A Fatal Incuriosity By MAUREEN DOWD Published: September 14, 2005 I hate spending time in hospitals and nursing homes. I find them to be some of the most depressing places on earth. Maybe that's why the stories of the sick and elderly who died, 45 in a New Orleans hospital and 34 in St. Rita's nursing home in the devastated St. Bernard Parish outside New Orleans, haunt me so. You're already vulnerable and alone when suddenly you're beset by nature and betrayed by your government. At St. Rita's, 34 seniors fought to live with what little strength they had as the lights went out and the water rose over their legs, over their shoulders, over their mouths. As Gardiner Harris wrote in The Times, the failed defenses included a table nailed against a window and a couch pushed against a door. Several electric wheelchairs were gathered near the front entrance, maybe by patients who dreamed of evacuating. Their drowned bodies...

“David’s mixes are so amazing. He can blend anything together,” says superstar DJ Manny Lehman of his Madtizzy brethren. “He is a human Metronome.” As the original Circuit DJ, David Knapp has assumed many similarly flattering characterizations during an illustrious career that has spanned two decades. Often referred to as The People’s DJ because of his unique ability to make each crowd feel like it’s the most important party he’s ever played, David is truly there for the audience as much as they are there for him. In the midst of South Beach’s rebirth in the early 90s as the inevitable international nightlife mecca, David Knapp graduated from the University of Miami Law School and passed the Bar Exam. While he could have easily pursued a lucrative career practicing law, he instead decided to follow his passion for music. And he hasn’t looked back once yet. An early gig at Boomerang (later known as Groove Jet) led to a career-defining residency at Kremlin. It was during his time at the...

Air America provides an outlet for the progressive person these days, the progressive person who lives an ordinary life and needs to have an expression for frustration or have someone else express it. That being said there are more than a few difficulties with it. Hearing Jerry Springer apologize for his anger after he expresses it is more than annoying, but still one wants to agree with the cause of his anger and its expression. But, Jerry, why poop all over it? Ms. Rhodes is and will probably always be shrill. Hurricane Katrina at least afforded her an appropriate venue for her rants. Mr. Franken and Ms. Garafolo afford the best opportunities to find kindred spirits. Mark Riley and Marc Maron start out the day with Morning Sedition. These wacky irreverant guys make it sound as if one has been lost in a progressive locker room. Never more so than Monday morning when David Poland spewed forth his review of Brokeback Mountain from the Toronto FIlm Festival. Poland started out by expre...

... and then there are fortunate sons. Those who live in the White House who could give a rat's ass and don't know whether to wind their asses or wipe their watches and then there are those who take their good fortune and become Anderson Cooper: An Anchor Who Reports Disaster News With a Heart on His Sleeve By ELIZABETH JENSEN Published: September 12, 2005 The CNN anchor Anderson Cooper strikes a pose in the September issue of the men's magazine Maxim, modeling a sharp black suit set off by his prematurely gray hair. A stylized jumble of broken television sets is piled high beside him. Skip to next paragraph It is a very different Mr. Cooper who has captivated CNN viewers in the two weeks since Hurricane Katrina crashed ashore. The jumble of broken stuff is there, but it is real remnants of homes and lives washed away. Mr. Cooper's heart-on-his-sleeve demeanor has been anything but slick and packaged. The 38-year-old anchor has dressed down officials in interviews w...