The Column of Life

Sometimes good things just happen when least expected. Today this came to the POZ website about something special that is happening in a genre where the special character driven stories are few and far between: As you know, there is a lack of HIV positive characters out in daytime or primetime tv (or in the movies), so the responsible portrayal of one is fantastic. As was mentioned in your magazine in January this year, Kimberly McCullough has returned to General Hospital to breathe life back into the soap. General Hospital has written a compelling and unique storyline for her HIV+ character Robin Scorpio, who is starting a relationship with a love interest, Patrick Drake (Jason Thompson). Just recently, Patrick was exposed via a cut in surgery to an end stage AIDS patient. The show highlights her [ Robin's ] drug regimen, the protection they take in their sex life, her insecurities in having the disease, his fears of commitment and loss, his and her health scares, and potentially ...

Sometimes it happens that blessings are right there when least expected even on an Upper West Side street in the early Summer and then twice on the same day. That's how easy it was to befriend Ilene Kristen. That's how easy it was to open a door to what would become something special. When Ilene is friend to you, the very least to be expected is refreshing honesty and straightforward creative expression. One can only bless her for being there. And she is there when you need her. So let those who can keep her before our eyes so that creative expression can be further shared and achieved. Happy Birthday, Starshine!

Some other girls are fillin' your head with jive So now you're acting like you don't know that I'm alive Love, you better wake up, yeah, before we break up And you lose me, little me The one who really loves you Susie only wants you until the day That she'll again have her true love who's far, far away So love, you better wake up, yeah, before we break up And you lose me, little me The one who really loves you Ginny only wants you 'cause she thinks she has to have ev'ryone Minnie only wants you 'cause she thinks that hurting me would be fun Oh, oh, oh, silly Lilly, ya know she doesn't really want you with a love that's true In fact there's no other girl in this whole wide world who can love you like I do They get tired of you and they're gonna put you down Then they ain't gonna want you hangin' around So love, you better wake up, yeah, before we break up And you lose me, little me The one who really loves you (written by Smo...

If there is a drawback to growing up with an Italian heritage, it would be hard to find. The language is beautiful and one of the oldest in the world. Italians are the original Latins; after all Roma and Latium is the cradle of the language that influenced Western Europe and eventually much of the New World. Being identified with pasta is not too shabby of a stereotype. One would be hard pressed to come up with a better instant anti-depressant. It was with great pleasure to witness the pasta craze of the 80s and Elisa Celli's ensuing book with an exceptionally sane reducing diet, The Pasta Diet . Its concept is universal: a sensible and enjoyable diet is the trick to good living. Elsewhere in this very useful and unfortunately out of print book, La Celli speaks of the nutritional virtues of pasta and, consequently, pasta salad and with pasta as the symbol of parental nutrition, it can only be good news. Pasta salad, nonetheless, is best in warm weather. Celli tells us, as would an...

There are more than a few good things about I Think I Do . The presence of Lauren Velez in the cast is definitely one of them. LOGO is currently broadcasting Brian Sloan's film and it's a great reminder that Lauren can stand out in an ensemble and never more so as part of the cast of OZ as Dr Gloria Nathan. There is a tendency to focus on the prisoners of OZ , who were by and large bigger than life characters. The main female characters were no slouches either given that they were played by the likes of two powerful hispanic actresses. Lauren also has every right to be proud of her role in I Like It Like That. Many adjectives that would be used to describe her on a personal level would be mere understatements but warm, passionate and articulate will have to do. It is a unique pleasure to be in her company. She's been doing some episodic television and will be starring in Serial later on this year.

There was a time when cold pasta was anathema in Italian culture on either side of the Atlantic. In the Western Hemisphere there was macaroni salad that inhabited Delicatessen coolers but that was hardly what has now become part of creative cuisine here and there. Pasta salad soon not only entered the main stream, it became de rigueur in many summertime meals. Attitudes change. People grow. Cultures evolve. Hot Summer evenings in decades past were uneventful with stagnant air in and out of doors. Soon electric fans came along. Then air conditioning migrated from pharmacies and cinemas into homes where, often, naked men made love to each other. So many things that were not acceptable made their way into everyday life. What follows is a pasta salad to satisfy the coolest of men following a highly evolved cool Summer's evening entertainment. Pasta Colonna 500 grams fruit (seedless white grapes cut in halves and/or chopped dried apricots) 500 grams cooked pasta integrale (whole grain)...

Okay, start with a great place like Prohibition owned by two of the friendliest guys on the Upper West Side, add a great staff with the young and fetching Tristan, the two beautiful Michelles plus a rocking band fronted by Rosalinde Block and Ilene Kristen who was celebrating her birthday early and you have the makings for a memorable SRO evening. There were two events that could only enhance that experience. One was the relating of a kindness by Ilene Kristen to the dying friend of a friend that involved a trip across State lines and a visit to enliven the spirits of a long time fan. No surprise here. Ilene is simply one of the good guys. The other was the appearance of another good guy, Forbes March, who was there to express birthday wishes to his friend. Those who know Forbes well will readily say that he has a big heart and is a genuine soul. Speaking to him about his family and his life experiences can only validate what is obviously true. On the external level there is a smile t...

... became a couple. Chris, it seems, at least accepts himself as gay and has ordered Mike out of the apartment. Coming attractions have Chris outing the Probie to his mates at the Firehouse. Is there no room in this world for a bi-sexual Probie? Yes, there has been much discussion about whether such creatures truly exist. Perhaps bi-sexual is really a euphemism for sexual confusion. The confusion seems to come from Leary and Tolan trying to do too much all at once with their plots and moving them along too quickly. Chris & Probie would have a lot to deal with even if one of them weren't so confused. There seem to be some deleted scenes or Tolan/Leary have a lot of faith in their viewing audience to make the transition without accompanying scenes. At least Paula, the one woman gay converter, wasn't around. You know, the girl last week who said she was capable of turning gay men. Someone responded by saying, "What does she think we are -- pancakes?" While Probie is...

What The World Needs Now Is Love, Sweet Love and a bit more Cher. Bacharach to the Future: I want to salute Cher, who has all my respect and my love for not only what she has done, but the way she has done it. Her campaign for "Operation Helmet" - done quietly and putting the cause, not herself, out front - is great. She has chosen this issue of trying to eliminate any more of the head and brain injuries our military in Iraq sustains by explosive devices because their helmets aren't good enough to protect them. "Operation Helmet" is a non-profit public service organization that provides our troops with upgrade kits to make their helmets safer. Go here to read more about what Burt has to say about Cher and the state of this weary world at HuffingtonPost. Maybe she can't turn back time, but Cher can help turn back some of the unnecessary pain and suffering.

Well, New York just wouldn’t be New York without Sister Ilene Kristen. It’s her birthday quite soon and she will be celebrating it on the Upper West Side at Prohibition. It can’t be said often enough: to know her is to love her and as our mini-tribute once again our song of the week is her “Flesh & Blood” which just may be considered her signature piece around here. It’s more than likely that much of the music on Monday at Prohibition will come from Rosalinde’s songbook, but Ilene’s participation will be noteworthy and exceptional as usual. Well, it’s her birthday, maybe Ilene will bless us with one of her creations. Talk about heaven and angelic choirs!

Hi, it’s me again. Early last evening I went looking for the other members of the blog and couldn’t find them anywhere. Bernice often escapes from her attendants so that wasn’t unusual, but for Giano and Brian both to be missing was really strange. Then I realized that if they weren’t around no one would have a blog entry for today. It was all going to be up to me. You can’t fool this moose twice. I may not have been ready for the last time, but now I could prepare. So I spent last night gathering all my information, writing and rewriting, getting the wording just right. I searched the internet and found the greatest pictures. I didn’t get much sleep but when I was done it was perfect. A masterpiece if I do say so myself. But this morning when I arrived to open the blog I found a note stuck to the front door. Dear Pookie You know we love you, but please don’t post your own work without letting one of us see it. We had complaints last time. You frightened both the children and...

Ah, the versatile eggplant, it can make friends with so many of its mates on the plates and in the oven or on top of the stove. It’s like a bad girl, it can go anywhere. But also something like a good girl in that it can take you to heaven, if not go there exactly. It can be manipulated and used in so many different ways in that it absorbs the flavours and textures of just about any spice that comes near. Mediterranean culture is enamoured of the vegetable’s capability and just about every cuisine associated with the Sea has a standout recipe for it. In some traditions it is sliced and peeled lengthwise into very thin pieces, salted liberally and then pressed for 20 minutes to a half hour to let it weep so that the bitterness is alleviated. That may good advice for some rapidly aging homosexuals as well, or it may be good advice for anyone who is experiencing the rapidly aging thing. Anyway, once the eggplant is no longer bitter it should be wiped clean. The next step is to drench the ...

Some are right here in New York, New York according to Yahoo News: As many as 25,000 customers are without power in Queens and Mayor Michael Bloomberg estimated that translates to 100,000 people without power during some of the hottest days of the summer so far. On his weekly radio show, the mayor said he was "annoyed" by the inaccurate initial estimates from Con Edison because "we might have thrown more resources into the area." "The sad thing is, this shouldn't have happened," Bloomberg said. "We don't know why, but the most important thing — make sure nobody dies or gets hurt and then help Con Ed to get it back up." "And then we'll go and try to figure out why and point fingers and beat people over the head and all that sort of thing," added the mayor. Con Edison said its revised number followed a block-by-block cable inspection in northwest Queens on Thursday night. It said previous estimates came from the number of cust...

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With Bernice, our intrepid New York correspondent, stranded somewhere beyond the borders of Manhattan – let us hope that she isn't naked like another member of this blog because if she is, the power outage should be the least of New Yorkers' worries – it falls to me to lead the charge today. There are so many possibilities. Should I add a recipe to the growing collection? Hmm, perhaps not since I doubt many people would be interested in my speciality - paté de Spam with pond growth garnish. I know. An erudite discussion of some facet of gay culture. No, it's too hot for that and besides, that's what Brian *tries* to do. How about a poem? There once was a man from Nantucket Who . . . Now, how does that go? OK, guess not. Why don't I tell you about my day at work. Then again, it's too early in the evening to put people to sleep. I could always dip into the pool of naked men. No, wait, I don't think that came out the way I meant it. However, since Bernic...

Anyone growing up in a bona fide Sicilian family on either side of the Atlantic can attest to the fact that what usually passes for Sicilian pizza has very little to do with what came out of their families’ ovens. The square pizza therein was delicate with a tomato sauce that tasted like love. There are more than one commercially available credible Sicilian pizzas on the East Coast. Also Sicilians are not by any means the only purveyors of square pizza, but for now the nomenclature is theirs. Astoria, Queens seems to be noted for its Greek American community more than the others there. It should be noted that the Italian American community there is in full force as evidenced by the recent jubilation over Italy’s World Cup victory, not to mention, it’s where Tony Bennett comes from. It’s time to let the world in on a great place that is noteworthy for the righteous quality of its delicious, delicate square pizza: Rizzo’s Pizza. It’s not quite as spacious as Nick Scotti’s and Domenick ...

One of the beauties of Contemporary Gay Culture, or maybe post-modern homosexual culture is that there is an intellectual cum sensual approach to everyday life that allows a baby boomer to encapsulize the experience with photos from an Australian magazine along with a poem written during the Beat Era in San Francisco. There are worse things one could do than being naked in New York reading California poetry and looking at Australian photography (from Lewis Payton). A Poem For the Old Man God love you Dana my lover lost in the horde on this Friday night 500 men are moving up & down from the bath room to the bar Remove this desire from the man I love. Who has opened the savagery of the sea to me. See to it that his wants are filled on California Street Bestow on him largesse that allows him peace in his loins. Leave him not to the moths. Make him out a lion so that all who see him hero worship his thick chest as I did moving my mouth over his back bringing our hearts to heights I n...

From TVGasm Recap: "Probie makes the craziest suggestion of all, saying they should buy those new Halligans and saw that they were promised last year. You know something that would actually help their firefighting. He also wants some of the cash to redecorate the bunk room - nothing crazy just some new throw rugs and some sharp new linens - you know to really brighten up the place. He saw some great things on While You Were Out, the other night. " Emphasizing once again that Siletti is the most redeemable of the bunch. "The Probie is going to have to work late tonight to cover for the comatose Sean, so he calls his wife, the Lumberjack, to tell him he won't be home for dinner. The Lumberjack seems really pissed off that he's getting stood up and Probie, God bless him, innocently apologizes. You think it's just another, Lenny and Carl moment between the two of them and it's going to be funny like last week's "faggot fight." But you see, the L...

“Give a butch roar or a girlish shriek, I don’t mind who does what, sort it out for yourselves!” – Dusty Springfield Dusty was born an O'Brien into a Catholic family in 1939 London but there is a lot more to her than that. She was furnished with a lot of soul which came forth in many of her recordings. "Live It Up" was recorded in New York City in 1964 and written by Leon Huff, a stalwart of the music of Philly, who would eventually co-produce Dusty's second Atlantic album, A Brand New Me , as a precursor to the Philadelphia International Sound. Dusty's 60s recordings, especially, were derivative of Classic RnB, but she had no intention of eclipsing it. Instead she celebrated it. Martha Reeves with whom she had a special relationship says as much in the BBC documentary Full Circle . In fact, "Live It Up" is reminiscent of the Vandellas' "Dancin' In the Street." Dusty's vocal is inspired and inspiring. It's a song, much like ...

"Having sex in Cyprus is the easiest thing to do,” says A, a 42-year-old man living in Nicosia. “If you’re so inclined, you could spend 24/7 just having sex with other men.” Read the rest here

As Good As Gay And, it is well known, Gay is Good. Genre magazine's recent cover story makes good on Ryan Carnes' recent forays into gay portrayal. It's good to root for Ryan. As any Aussie might tell you rooting and Ryan seem to go hand in hand. Thank you, YOuTube. When Pookie was asked if this clip was too risque, he responded, "No, but you may want to put a warning with it. Although most visitors to your site are far from shockable "

Rick Wolfmier returns in an image that is reminiscent of many a Greco-Roman god and brings to mind the Mediterranean Sea which can be spectacular this time of year. The Mediterranean, as every educated person knows, is the cradle of civilization from Asia Minor to Iberia to the shores of North Africa and Italy with the jewel of the Mediterranean, Sicily. The United States is neither the first, and for that matter, the only "melting pot" in the World. The Mediterranean isles have long been a cultural cocktail. The beauty of New York in North America is that it is a monument to cultural diversity housing not only all those cultures that have originated in the Mediterranean but many others. Very close to CoL's favourite night spot is another bright spot with a friendly staff, tasteful decor and delicious Mediterranean cuisine by the name of Zeytin at 85th and Columbus. Check out their menu at www.zeytinny.com. Anissa Helou wrote a book on Mediterranean Street Food and the...

It's no secret that at least one of our correspondents made the acquaintance of this young man at an appropriate time on the streets of the Naked City. He belongs here and if, the powers that be use their powers for good, Alec, some day soon, should be on the road to his true goal. Thank you, Soap Opera Digest , for pointing him out one more time. Hanging out with his on screen nephew can't be a bad thing. Both of them are not only physical perfection but also no slouches in the acting department. Chances are their fans won't be let down.

Last evening's beach boys are back. They seem to be quite popular and it's best not to laden them with too many words. Just enjoy. Scott Cunningham in his Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs talks about tomatoes, although some argument can be made that tomatoes are not precisely herbs, the explanation of their powers seem particularly appropriate right now: "When a tomato is placed on the windowsill ... it repels evil ... in the garden [the plants] are protecitve, since the yellow flowers and bright red fruits scare off evil. The tomato, when eaten, has the power of inspiring love." Any Italian knows That's Amore! Our friends through the last two days seem to be the juiciest tomatoes of them all: capable of being protective as well as inspiring love.

... But love goes where our rosemary goes, therefore, we're giving you a recipe and some male flesh anyway. It is the day dedicated to Hermes, Mercury, Woden and it's all about communication. The men here seem to know something about communication. They are true sons of Hermes. Rosemary is that herb powerful enough to protect against bad times and certainly against something so simple as retrograde Mercury which now courses through the astrological sky. Among its magical uses, beyond powerful protection, the departed gay wiccan, Scott Cunningham tells us this about rosemary: "... it has long been used in love and lust incenses and other mixtures ... the powdered leaves wrapped in linen cloth and bound to the right arm dispel depression and make the emotions light and merry." Looks like the gentlemen are somewhat light and merry. They are Mike Betts and Rick Wolfmier from a 1980 pictorial. Those who know good food also know this useful herb. Here follows a warm weathe...

The full moon of July 10-11 was at its peak at 03:03 GMT which meant that Prohibition's Block Party started at the Full Moon's peak around 21:00 EDT. The highest of all the musical points were Ilene Kristen's rendition of the Holland-Dozier-Holland classic "Heat Wave." Vandellas, eat your hearts out. The rendition was straight from heavenly sensual music central. And the word dwelt among us. By the time The Word is Love was given forth by Rosalind and friends, Prohibition reached that level of heavenward joy that makes it unique among West Side locales. All were welcomed into the Church of Rock, Roll and Be Yourself. Walt Willey from All My Children and John Paul Lavoisier were among the parishioners. Look for more information in the future about Rosalinde Block's CD and how to get one. Murray "Magic Fingers" Weinstock was on hand to lend his hands. Check him out at www.dogtunes.com

How many deaths are too many. I don't often speak of this, but frankly the reason Canada is in Afghanistan, that NATO will be in Afghanistan, for years to come is because George Bush and his delusional pack of fools decided to leave the job half-done. Iraq needed to be freed, so leave the bulk of the work in Afghanistan to others and start another war. This one based on useless intelligence (if it can even be classified as such) and half-truths. I'm sure the Iraqis are enjoying their freedom. No, wait, that's not what has happened, is it? And despite the propaganda from the US administration and their allies, it's a real possibility that it will never come. How many more years? How many more deaths? You might have been able to ask Cpl. Boneca for his opinion, but instead you'll have to let what he told others speak for him. The disgrace is that no one, from our mealy-mouthed Prime Minister down, seems to listen. From CBC Reservist was disillusioned with milit...

It's more than likely that one of One Life to Live's brighter interpreters will be on his way. Before he does here's a tip o' the old hat in his direction from Soap Opera Weekly a couple of years back. (Click on article twice to read up close.)

Keep in mind tomorrow evening that there are special people performing at a special locale on a special evening, because Rosalinde's CD will be available. Prohibition on these Monday soirees has become that place where creativity rules. Two lovely singers. Great songs. Exceptional musicians. Go. Enjoy. Monday, July 10th 9PM. No Cover.

A moment of cultural chauvinsm is permitted now and then. Today with Blue on Blue should be great fun. Should Italia win, residents of the boroughs will gird their loins for the ensuing celebrations. Here's hoping that the thighs have it!

Una Furtiva Lagrima Gaetano Donizetti (Lyrics byFelice Romani) Una furtiva lagrima Negli occhi suoi spuntò. Quelle festose giovani Invidiar sembrò. Che più cercando io vo? Che più cercando io vo? M'ama. Sì, m'ama. Lo vedo, Lo vedo. Un solo istante i palpiti del suo bel cor sentir! I miei sospir confondere per poco a' suoi sospir! I palpiti, i palpiti sentir! Confondere i miei co' suoi sospir! Cielo! si può morir, di più non chiedo, non chiedo. Cielo! si può, si può morir, di più non chiedo, non chiedo. Si può morir, Si può morir d'amor English translation: A furtive tear appeared in her eyes. It seemed to envy those cheerful youths. What more should I be looking for? What more should I be looking for? She loves me; yes, she loves me; I see it! I see it! For just one moment to sense the beatiing of her beautiful heart! To mingle my sighs just a little with her sighs. The throbbing, to feel the beats of her heart! To mingle my sighs with hers! Heavens, I co...