The Column of Life

Soap Operas are an actor's genre. Those who have enjoyed watching since the beginning of time have learned to suspend belief more than any other group of fans. There would be great futility in recounting the many plots that do not withstand scrutiny. It has also been said even by the most ardent supporters that ratings are lower than ever and it looks like they are not about to skyrocket anytime soon. It is a diagnosis by the way that can be applied across the board in Network TV Land. Even the biggest boat in this sea, The Young & the Restless , is not the giant it once was. Still the viewers that remain are the most loyal, because it is an ocean navigated by actors in a character driven world. Those who continue to watch watch because the acting rises above the material. This web log tends to focus on two ABC-TV shows; from that experience it is more than safe to say that the actors therein are among the very talented. There are very few exceptions that prove that rule. There...

Only those who are Italo-American among the readers here would verily understand the above's play on words and meaning. Most who come here would also understand the inherent beauty of Italian athletes wearing Italian underwear. Italian culture, especially that which continues to reside on the European Continent, has consistently had a love/hate relationship with the marginal elements in Society. It's evident in many ways, sometimes in the names given to notable dishes in the cuisine. This web log has already made note of Pasta Puttanesca. Suffice it to say that loose women, remunerated or not, have been revered in a way for centuries on the Italian peninsula, especially in Art, which always imitates life. One need only point to the likes of Musetta and everything the name and the characiter implies. In a similar fashion the rich culture of the Italian peninsula even in the pejorative sense has much nomenclature applicable to those who practice the love that dare not speak its ...

This is Dionne Warwick's version of "One Hand, One Heart" from the Sondheim and Bernstein opus, West Side Story . Make of our hands one hand, Make of our hearts one heart, Make of our vows one last vow: Only death will part us now. Make of our lives one life, Day after day, one life. Now it begins, now we start One hand, one heart; Even death won't part us now. Make of our lives one life, Day after day, one life. Now it begins, now we start One hand, one heart, Even death won't part us no With this heart I will sing to you, Long as the stars have lost their glow And with these hands I'll provide for you. Should there be a stormy sea, I'll turn the tide for you. With one hand, one heart, One hand and one heart. Now it begins, now we start. One hand, one heart, Even death won't part, part us now.

Basic Butter Cream 1 stick/1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 egg yolk 1 lb confectioner's sugar 3 tbsps milk 1 tsp vanilla 1. beat butter with egg yolk in medium bowl until soft 2. beat sugar in alternately with milk and vanilla until spreadable Lemon or Orange Butter Cream : Omit vanilla, add 2 tsps grated lemon or orange rind and substitute 3 tbsps of the appropriate juice for the milk. Mocha Butter Cream : Omit milk and vanilla and substitute 3 tbsps coffee in its liquid form

... and Freddie Mercury, eh? So, last week I made the quip that the "Undercover" show was starting to sound like a drag night, (having covered Britney Spears, Pink, Madonna and Cher in the past months). I guess the comment stuck in some peoples' brains. No, I'm not doing another diva, thank God. (No offense, to you diva lovers, but if Cristina Aguilera or Celine Dion came up, I might have cried). This week features the music of Queen. Ok, there's still a diva element there, but I can handle it. (I don't know if Bohemian Rhapsody can be accomplished on the solo guitar, but Fat Bottom Girls definitely can). Hope you can make it out this Thursday (tomorrow) to Mr. Denehey's, Carmine @ 7th Ave, downstairs, 8:30 PM. ("Flash...AHH AHH, He'll Save the Universe!") Oh, and I will soon be featuring the video for "Kleptomaniac Girlfriend" on my Myspace page. AND The film Lost , starring Dean Cain and featuring my song "June 17th" ...

A drizzle of olive oil and a dash of wine goes very well as a condiment with a steaming minestra like pasta e fagioli straight from the authentic Tuscan kitchen at New York's La Cantina Toscana . It's even better sitting across from CSI's Gerald (the G is hard) McCullouch who acknowledges that the ritual inherited from a maternal grandfather is just right even for something as exceptional as a peasant dish served up just right. Just right is Gerald's attitude about the many porjects he has ahead of him not the least of which is wrapping this season of the hit show of which he has a recurring part. He is refurbishing his new digs in Manhattan and looking forward to some very original film and theatrical work. It is just a small part of what makes him one of this life's better dinner companions. Consider this in the meantime: one of his better known castmates, George Eads was a member of the short lived primetime serial drama Savannah along with Paul Satterfield w...

The plan to have a nice tidy little fundraiser at Prohibition (84th & Columbus) is turning into something quite ... well, eventful. The very talented and fetching Mr. Clay is bringing his entire band into the Big Apple for that day. Their great sounds will fill the air augmented by the participation of old friend Mark Aaron James. Ilene Kristen will join in and it will be the initiation in a way of her weekly appearance at what has by now become a favourite place for many discerning folks. Ilene's weekly jam will be called Block Party . More about that in the near future. here's the link here's Mr. Clay's site.

Pilfering the Internet for appropriate images can be an interesting task, especially when inserting more than one term into the search engine. This site is nothing if not consistent and it seems that themes just fall into place almost by themselves. Looking for Brazilian beefcake and such to go along with this week's recipe, which although discovered in Italy is referred to as Manzo Brasiliano , i.e. Brazilian Beef, brought up photos of young men from Hungary who are practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu or grappling and where many more sights are featured on this site. And where there appears an article with this quote: Jo Join MatBattle.com guest writer Juliana Protásio for a unique female perspective on 'the powerful images of sensuality between men' which comprise the supremely homoerotic phenomenon that is Brazilian submission wrestling. In the meantime it's time to serve up yet another dish: Manzo Brasiliano 1 Ki...

Probably because he's got an enviable fanbase. Visit his site and check out the good people on the message board.

Creamy Chocolate Cheese • 8 ounces mascarpone, softened • 1 teaspoon grated orange peel • ½ cup sugar • ½ teaspoon cinnamon • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 3 eggs, separated • 1 cup melted chocolate or nutella • 1 cup heavy cream or half and half • 1 teaspoon almond extract • 1 unbaked pastry shell, unbaked In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, cinnamon, orange peel and salt; beat well. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in the chocolate, milk, and vanilla. Pour into the unbaked pastry shell. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes. Chill before serving. Serve with whipped cream , if desired.

Hey, So I've celebrated my freedom from slavery during Passover and now it's back to the grind. Tomorrow's, (Thursday), "Undercover" show will feature the songs of another diva, Cher. (These last couple of weeks have felt more like drag shows than songwriting celebrations). None the less, it's been an interesting batch of songs. I will be doing both "old school" and "new school." So, be prepared for "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves," along with "Life after Love." Hopefully, I'll have you, babe, at Mr. Denehey's, Carmine @ 7th Ave, downstairs at 8:30 PM. MAJ

From last year's review "... a very inviting and comfortable locale, i.e. Prohibition, where every night of the week something is going on. When the music isn't live in the early evening, the speakers give forth with recognizable oldies that keep the customers at their tables and at the bar. The bartenders are friendly and accomodating ..." "In warm weather there is outside seating. The key word is comfort and it seems that the two working owner/partners Rich and Ian do their best to make it so ..." "The menu also serves up comfort food, such as fried calamari, chicken fingers, mini-cheeseburgers, tuna tacos and quesadillas that can be enjoyed at the bar and at tables. There is a full menu that can be perused at ... www.prohibition.net " Prohibition has been around for an entire decade. Going there to celebrate will help you understand why.

Xtianity didn't invent the life and death and rebirth cycle. It's part of nature and because it is, that means it's part of just about every major religion. The myth of the death and rebirth of Osiris antedates that of Jesus by centuries. Much of it has to do with humanity's desire for an afterlife. It varies from region to region, sometimes it means to be nothing and everything at the same time. It always involves -- of course -- some sort of transformation. Many Xtians, most notably Mr. Mel Gibson, tend to focus on the suffering of the Messiah. Even recovering Catholics know that Easter, the most important event in the liturgical calendar is a celebration of life. That's why its occurence is tied to the Vernal Equinox and the first full moon following it. How Pagan can you get? Well, not necessarily Pagan but definitely all about Spring and new life. It is the cornerstone of Xtianity, which is why those Catholics run around denouncing both abortion and the death p...

Running around the internet to steal images for our Saturday feature can be very time consuming. There is a lot of available male pulchritude, i.e. in photographs and making a decision just to pick one is very difficult not to mention our committee meetings are pure mayhem with Pookie and Nurse Betty usually uniting on one opinion and, of course, Bernice coming up with cheesecake recipes right and left. Well, she may have a point -- many of the shots are rather cheesey. She still doesn't understand. The older term is cheesecake, perhaps, referring to pictures to get lonely heterosexual men through whatever it is that lonely heterosexual need to get through, usually a war or two. If they were homosexual, they'd be wrestling. Oh, that was yesterday's post. The term beefcake has been attributed to a hollywood journalist's term for pictures of Guy Madison and his bare chest, a treasure to be sure. Anyway that's a post for another day. Well, one discovery we made is that...

A strapping young man was once asked if he liked wrestling to which he responded, "No thank you I prefer heterosexual sports." Now that Chris Klucsaritis, a.k.a. Kanyon, has come out of the closet it continues to beg a question that used to get answered very clandestinely or as part of a gay joke. It's no joke to many gay people. It's practically a lifestyle. In recent years Professional Wrestling played and preyed on the general discomfort with male homosexuality with varying storylines from Gold Dust to Lodi to Chuck & Billy and usually came down on the wrong side of everything. When Klucsaritis decided to come out many fans thought it might be just another story line. It turns out that he's the real deal and spoke about his travails in an exclusive interview in Chicago's Windy City Times' March 29th issue. His story like other coming out journeys needs to be told, especially from the perspective of the macho world of "sports entertainment....

Gerald McCullouch plays a good guy on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and he is just that in real life. It is New York City's good fortune that he has increased the nice guy population here by one having recently set up digs making him bi-coastal like so many of his colleagues. Having dinner with him at La Cantina Toscana on the Upper East Side last February drove that point home. Pookie and Nurse Betty were eager to point out that Gerald's (the "g" is hard) even more fetching in person (or at least in an Italian restaurant) than when captured on celluloid. He finds time for new friends along with new projects, professional and domestic. His website is well worth the visit where the fruit of his labours, especially the movie The Moment After can be viewed: check it out . For the moment we want to thank him a lot for helping us with the fund raising effort for AIDS Walk New York by donating a CSI collectable that we can put on auction on EBAY. Check out item: 760984060...

About 5 years ago in TV Guide there was something delicious from South America from a fine Mexican American dish. Randy Vasquez ought to come back where he belongs or at least where we can see him on a regular basis. He did great honour to the Marine uniform he filled. Here's the dish he brought to TV Guide in June of 2001 along with a picture we stole from his pre-military days on JAG. Peruvian Potato Salad 2 1/2 tbsp peanut oil 1/2 onion, chopped 1 clove of garlic, chopped 1/2 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts, without skin 1/2 cup milk 1/3 cup crumbled ricotta salata [there must have been a Sicilian Peruvian in the kitchen that day] 1 fresh jalapeno, seeded and quartered 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp tumeric 1 1/2 lbs boiling potatoes -- boiled, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch rounds 1/3 lb grilled chicken, diced 1. Saute the onion and garlic in the peanut oil for five minutes. 2. Transfer to a blender 3. Add remaining ingredients except potatoes & chicken and blend until smooth 4. Spoon...

The publishers and staff of POZ magazine and Real Health cordially invite you to an AIDS Walk New York fundraiser on May 17, 2006 from 6 to 8 pm to be held at Prohibition . 503 Columbus Avenue . New York City . 212.579.3100 Rich and Ian of Prohibition have generously set aside so me ti me for us and those who would co me out to support us in this important effort. There will be a $10.00 donation at the door and a two drink minimum for the soiree which will include entertain me nt from Ilene Kristen, Mark Aaron Ja me s, Michael Clay and appearances from so me well known people from around town, Alicia Minshew and Thorsten Kaye not the least among them. RSVP at your earliest possible convenience to : Giovanni Vitacolonna Circulation and Custo me r Relations 212.938.2045 pozteam@pozevent.com giovanniv@poz.com This effort has been a labour of love for all involved. The staff of Smart & Strong and POZ magazine would like nothing more than to make their mark contributing to New Yor...

Look for Mark in addition to his usual haunts to bring his versatile and unique talents to Prohibition (84th & Columbus) on May 17, 2006 for POZ magazine's AIDS Walk benefit. In the meantime Mark has this for us: Hey, Just a quick reminder, I will be doing a free, solo show at the Rockwood Music Hall this Tuesday night, (the 11th) at 7 PM. I am the first performer of the night, so I will be starting right at 7, so don't be late if you want good seats. I will be debuting a new song, so I hope you can make it. Look for the big glass window on Allen Street, between Stanton and Houston. Also, remember there will be no "Undercover" Show this Thursday due to Passover. Two Thursdays from now I will be doing the songs of Cher. (Yes, they are trying to kill me). I will be having botox injections and I will wear a fabulous gown designed by Bob Mackie. Ok, that's not completely true, but still, it should be fun. Thanks for the continued support. You guys rock. MAJ -- C...

There are more than one reason not to become enamoured of Adam & Steve . The good news is that it is an effort written and directed by an openly gay actor and it stars another openly gay actor, Malcolm Gets. Mr. Gets has the honour of being the most antipathetic romantic lead ever on a sitcom. Granted it was on the overwrought Caroline in the City , but that's no excuse. Eric Lutes' often loutish character was much more enjoyable and besides he had great legs, if only he'd kissed his sidekick Andrew Lauer. Not as much as a digression as you might think, but first things first. Mr. Gets gets kudos for being out. Well and very good. The plot device of his character losing bowel control during a one night stand does not. A matter that goes above and beyond Philip Seymour Hoffman 'sharting' in Along Came Polly . Roger Ebert actually reviews the film, which is a fete in that he actually pays attention to an independent gay film. He says this: " I liked, for exam...

Our auctions on EBAY where Chris Meloni has graciously considered to offer a customized autograph for his fans who bid on them have been quite successful. There are two more going on as this is being written. We are grateful to the wonderful fans who have responded and very grateful to Christopher for once again stepping up to help us and POZ magazine.

Colin Egglesfield is such a hard act to follow. It takes a village. Well, maybe not a village but how about ...? And this week's primo piatto before that multiple course entree is a version of the Italian classic named for whores. Not a big stretch. Spaghetti alla Puttanesca 400 grams of Spaghetti 50 grams of sliced black olives (spicy semi-bitter)(pitted and sliced) 50 grams of sweet butter 4 filets of anchovy (chopped and de-spined) 2 cloves of garlic (sliced) spoonful of capers spoonful of parsley 200 grams of ripe tomatoes (sliced into sections) olive oil, salt 1. saute the garlic and anchovy in a bit of oil and the butter. 2. In sequence add the capers, the olives and finally the tomatoes and then let the mixture cook over low heat for 15 minutes. 3. Of course, the spaghetti has been cooking and when it's ready marry it well with the above sughetto . 4. Garnish with the chopped parsley. See last week's first course for how far you can go with this.

from 365gay.com After a thrilling gold-medal performance at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Canadian swimmer Mark Tewksbury should have been on top of the world. He had both the gold and a bronze medal around his neck, he made the cover of Time magazine and he had dozens of lucrative endorsement deals. But never had Tewksbury felt so alone. "I felt like a fraud," he recalls in an interview. The strapping swimmer with the movie-star looks had a secret. He was gay and very few knew about it, not even his family. "Keeping up the image of Canada's boy next door, while feeling a lot like the girl next door wasn't very easy," Tewksbury writes in his new book, Inside Out: Straight Talk from a Gay Jock. The book recounts his childhood in the arm-punching world of jocks, through his first kiss, his ensuing effort to keep his sexuality secret and finally, as he puts it, "home sweet homo." The outspoken athlete, who also won silver at the 1988 Seoul Olym...

First things first. Even New York City has its very own naked cowboy and as far as naked men go, he'll do. Even he, in spite of being an out and about naked man, doesn't go where other men have not ventured: actually where a majority of gay men do not venture. If he wanted to get our attention there were much less scary places to go, Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA album notwithstanding. The Washington Post's report follows: Frist's Southern Hospitality By Al Kamen Friday, April 7, 2006 It was with some trepidation that we opened a most interesting card, which announced on a blue-jeaned cowboy's belt buckle something called the "5th Annual VOLPAC '06 Weekend" in Nashville on April 21-23. Problem was you had to unbuckle the cowboy's pants and look inside to see what this was all about. Seemed a bit too "Brokeback Mountain." Imagine our relief to find only that we were "cordially invited" to the event honoring Senate Maj...

It's not Saturday, but what the hell, have a little beef ...

from 365gay.com Canada's new Conservative government said Wednesday that it is preparing legislation to repeal the same-sex marriage law. The move follows a campaign promise to hold a free vote in Parliament on the issue. The marriage bill was not mentioned in this week's Speech from the Throne - the government's outline of its agenda for the session - leading some LGBT advocates to wonder if Prime Minister Stephen Harper was abandoning his threat. Wednesday, however, Justice Minister Vic Toews said the bill is being prepared and a vote would be held "sooner rather than later.'' Toews pointed to the party platform saying that if the equal marriage law is overturned the government would bring in a second bill limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples. Asked about the marriage issue Harper later in the day said that the bill would not be introduced this spring but likely in the fall. Canadians for Equal Marriage called the Tory plan a mistake. "All indicatio...

Hey, I was surprised that Simon and Garfunkel didn’t bring out much of a crowd. So much for recreating the Central Park concert. The upside being, whenever it’s a small group, the audience usually conspires to make me do something bizarre the following week. Well, “Oops, they did it again.” Sure enough, I’m doing Britney Spears this Thursday. (Evil bastards!) So, if you’ve always wanted to hear me sing, “I’m not a girl, not yet a woman,” now is your chance. A heads up, there will be no “Undercover” show on April 13th due to Passover. Instead, I will be doing a set at the Rockwood Music Hall on Tuesday the 11th at 7 PM, Allen Street b/t Stanton and Houston. I will debut a NEW SONG at this show. (I might give a preview of it tomorrow to offset the Britney songs). I will also be doing my Passover song, “We All Have Our Own Egypts to Leave,” at both shows. It’s like a Passover Seder squeezed into 3.5 minutes without the food. (Doesn’t that sound appealing?) No, really, you’ll like it, even...

Darlene Love & the Blossoms sang back up for the dark knight back in the day: "... I was somehow never offended by his come-ons, maybe because he treated everyone with copious respect. He had nothing but the best around him: chateaubriand, Cuban cigars. I think he had the Dom Perignon on tap. ... I often sat right behind him on his jet, and that was where he gave me some fabulous foot rubs. I would stick my leg up from behind, and he would slip my shoe off then go to work. No words or eye contact would pass between us. When he was finished, I'd pull my rejuvenated foot back and then fall asleep thinking, 'This man has great hands'... [Column's aside: gotta hear Tom sing "With These Hands"] ... and believe me, honey, it went beyond the kind of feeling you get with any good massage or physical therapy. He knew it too. It was almost as if he was playing with me, trying to bring me to a climax. ...

No need to reiterate every thing said here about Mr. Meloni. The Entire staff, Pookie, Nurse Betty, Giano and Bernice -- including her entire family, sisters Esmeralda, Bonita and cousin Bruce-- all adore him unequivocally. He shares his birthday with Billy Dean. They are a year apart. It's those Aries men and their springtime affability. At any rate, to another genuine unaffected and beautiful man -- Happy Birthday!

Complete lack of pretense is not necessarily the best description that fits Billy Dean but it's there. Genuine. Friendly. Sincere. Accessible. As a denizen of the Nashville music scene and a customer at Tower Records West End all those qualities were in evidence. It is also evident in his music and songwriting. Certainly one of the tallest and best looking country troubadors Mr. Dean makes it easy to like him. Performing on Philadelphia's waterfront during Country Music's Adult Contemporary heyday in the early 90s with the likes of Hal Ketchum and Michelle Wright among others on competeing stages Dean held his own and captured the crowd. He knew exactly how to combine his innate attractiveness with his innate talent. A great seducer in that the seducee doesn't realize it until it's a done deal. He played more than one songwriters evening in the round which provided an opportunity to revalidate all of the above in Nashville. He works hard at his craft and tours consi...

Doubling the pleasure. But before the entree is served there is always a first course. Here's one. Spaghetti al Brandy 400 grams of Spaghetti 100 grams of Ham cooked and sliced into strips 50 grams of grated parmigiano 50 grams of unsalted butter a glassful of heavy cream, farmer style 1 small onion, chopped one large slice granny smith apple (mela ranetta), chopped some flour, brandy or cognac, salt, pepper 1. Over a low flame in a casserole with the butter slowly melting add a spoonful of flour and then add the apple and onion together cover and mix from time to time. Of course, you'll have to uncover to do so. 2. In the meantime, start the water for the spaghetti 3. When the onion is well on its way to being cooked spritz it with a bit of brandy. When the brandy is absorbed add the cream and grated cheese. Let it cook over a very low flame for a short time. Then salt and pepper to taste. 4. When the pasta is drained, it is then dressed with this amazing mixture an...