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Showing posts from December, 2006

The Sophisticated Soul of Billy Strayhorn: Song of the Week

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Lush Life by Billy Strayhorn, 1949 I used to visit all the very gay places, Those come what may places. Where one relaxes on the axis Of the wheel of life To get the feel of life From jazz and cocktails. The girls I knew had sad and sullen gray faces With distingue' traces That used to be there, you could see where They'd been washed away By too many through the day. Twelve o'clock tales. Then you came along with your siren song, To tempt me to madness. I thought for a while that your poignant smile, Was tinged with a sadness of a great love for me. Ah yes, I was wrong Again I was wrong. Life, is lonely again And only, last year Everything seemed so sure. Now life, is awful again A trough full of heart could only be a bore. A week in Paris will ease the bite of it. All I care is to smile in spite of it I'll forget you, I will While yet you are still Burning inside my brain. Romance is mush Stifling those who strive. I'll live a lush life in some small dive. And ther

Saturday Beefcake: Lentils, Angels and the New Year

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Jacob who became the father of Israel by virtue of a bowl of lentils, which he'd been preparing, and used to buy his elder brother's birthright (and, by the way, went on to wrestle an angel) filtered that patriarchal event through many centuries so that the food became an Italian New Year's tradition: a required item on the New Year's menu -- Eve or Day, their shape brings to mind tiny coins and people eat them in the hope that they won't want for anything for the coming year. Lentils are very versatile, and, not to mention, nutritious. Therefore, two recipes are offered -- one more traditional than the other along with young gentlemen who seem to be quite versatile themselves. While it wouldn't be right to refer to them as nutritious, it seems they may know a thing or two about nutrition and wrestling angels Zuppa di Lenticchie (Lentil Soup) 2 tablespoons fruity Olive Oil 2 large garlic cloves, minced 1 medium onion, diced 1 small fennel bulb, diced 4 cups c

Van Hansis and the Massacre of the Innocent

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Soap Opera Weekly's latest had a blurb about Mr. Hansis and The Laramie Project, which pointed readers to SoapOperaWeekly.com to read it, but it's a bit difficult to find. This came up, was stolen and is reprinted here: Luke and the Laramie Project By Mala Bhattacharjee As the World Turns ' Van Hansis (Luke) took part in a special reading of Moises Kaufman and the Tectonic Theater Project's play The Laramie Project in New York on Dec. 1. Here, he opened up to Weekly about the project and how Luke Snyder is helping carry forward the legacy of Matthew Shepard, whose 1998 murder in Laramie, Wyo., became a symbol in America’s fight against hate crimes. "I'm shocked that I was asked to be a part of it," admits Hansis. "It's incredibly humbling. One of our publicists, Alan (Locher), called me one day and said, 'Would you like to do a reading of The Laramie Project with Moises Kaufman?' I was like, 'Uh, hell yeah, I would!' Hansis is ha

Massacre of the Innocents

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Today in the Roman Martyrology is the Feast of the Holy Innocents. According to legend, it is when King Herod, the King of Israel, sent out his troops to slaughter all the male babies who might grow up to have ambitions forhis throne. It was his response, according to scripture, to the news that the messiah had been brought to light. It seems that the inspired scriptures of the Judaeo-Xtian tradition once again reverted to a bloody story to get its point across that Yahweh's or Adonai's chosen people were here to take advantage of who they were. One more chapter in the joyous narrative of the Xmas story -- the slaughter of innocent infants. One more chapter in the narrative of those in power taking the lives of others to remain in power -- not unlike waging an unecessary war.

And The Word Was Made Flesh: John the Beloved

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Et Verbum Caro Factum Est et Habitavit in Nobis. And the Word was Made Flesh and dwelt among us. The Word that came forth from God was made Flesh. Exegesis of ancient philosophy and thought places much emphasis on the power of the word. The Word that came from God took form in humanity. That’s what Jesus is supposedly all about: God and humanity as one and the same entity. John, the Beloved Disciple is the attributed author of the above quote which is essential to the Liturgy of the Word in Roman Catholic ritual, and is part of that ritual on Xmas. John was the one whose head rested on the chest of the Lord during the Last Supper. John was the one to whom the Lord entrusted his mother when he was dying. John is usually depicted as a young handsome man. He is the Beloved above and beyond the rest of the disciples. A type of intimacy was attributed to and recorded about John's relationship to Jesus. Let it be said here and now that Jesus Christ, according to the accepted Sacred Gosp

The Tuesday De-Briefing: Not That There's Anything Wrong With That

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In considering the possibilities for the second Tuesday De-Briefing, a distinct possibility was one of the first undergear kings of the post-modern era, the exceptional Jack Scalia, whose lauds have been sung more than once in this WebLog. As Chris Stamp on All My Children , he was a major protagonist as La Lucci's Erica Kane's love interest and, therefore, as such his stay in Pine Valley was all too brief. He was succeeded by Walt Willey when his Jackson Montgomery took over the current male role in the Erica Web. Now it seems Mr Willey is soon to journey down Scalia's path. Willey might have been considered as a candidate, but shots of him in briefs are very difficult to find. It was thought that Scalia's near nakedness might just have to do. It is certain that Mr Scalia is extremely worthy of de-briefing throughout every stage of his life and as yet one more tribute to his worthiness two of his ads are pictured. However, to remain au courant the focus shifted to the

Come Into the Light

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As Above So Below As Without So Within Peace and Merry Be, Giano

Song of the Week

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Winter Wonterland from Darlene Love and Phil Spector once again! What follows is part of Brian Rodger's Xmas Message from last year and the annual gratitude for all he does. How We Do What We Do Brian Rodgers is how we do it. Discovering Brian is one of the best things a body can do. Christopher Meloni discovered that early on when Brian created his award winning official website. Brian has blessed Column of Life with his magic touch. Brian is not only endowed with cyber magic he is only one of the best people in cyber town. The whys and wherefores of a personal relationship can be reduced to the concepts of goodness, kindness, humour and honesty. He doesn't even have to be in the same room with you. The following is his Christmas message: Remember how you used to get long Christmas letters from people detailing what had happened during the year? Well, this is the electronic version. Except it's not really all about me. Honest it's not. Now, you have the option of skipp

Saturday Beefcake: Sweet Things

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The Fiercely Talented NC Winters

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Experiencing NC in person is much like experiencing perpetual motion -- a rather handsome version of said motion, by the way. Creativity and energy go hand in hand within his persona. Having a gallery of his art on the main site was an easy decision to make. Supporting talented young people like Mr. Winters is definitely one of the purposes of this WebLog, among others. NC provided a mini-bio when providing us with the works we've displayed and these two sentences stand out: "My art is figure-focused, as I love observing people; from the personal interaction to the study and love of the human form ... Trying to change the boundary between illustration and what art is considered fine or high has become a key to my art. I feel the terms are outmoded and in need of redefinition. While I don’t have the right answer, I feel obligated to shake up the concept in the pursuit of my message." One of the last missives received from him lets the world know that he's having an a

Ho' Ho' Ho'

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Thank You, Televisionista

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Another Xmas Present from ABC-TV and Brothers and Sisters "Absolute Hunk" Jason Lewis ( Sex and the City ) is joining ABC's Sunday night drama Brothers and Sisters as Chad Berry, a gay soap-opera actor who meets Kevin (Matthew Rhys). Sparks fly when Kevin realizes Chad is closeted and has a girlfriend. We have seen two men (or women) fighting over a woman (or a man) many times on network television. Now, a man and a woman may clash over a man as Brothers and Sisters begins a new storyline on the January 14 episode "Sexual Politics" ABC's official press release describes Chad as being "confused about his sexuality". The guys meet at a gym where Kevin undergoes rigorous "boot camp" style training. The storyline will run over 4 episodes and conclude on February 18 (ABC will air "Brothers and Sisters" reruns on January 28 and February 4). Little is known about the outcome, but Kevin and Chad will have a full-fledged relationship i

A Merry and Peaceful Yuletide to All

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'Tis the shortest day of the year, yet it is out of the darkness that we celebrate and await the light. We are forever on our way.

Doug Savant: Desperate House Husband

Left "Melrose Place" (1992) after six seasons because the network refused to allow the writers to explore his character Matt's love life, and left him with little to do on the show. In 1994, the network and producers cut Matt's kiss on the season finale in 1994 at the last minute after considerable ratings hype. "During my first year on "Melrose," there was a great deal of pressure from the network (Fox TV) for me to out myself as a straight man. The producers of "Melrose" kept telling me I had to say publicly that I was a breeder. They said too many people assumed I was gay. I know the truth of my life, so I didn't have to play the network game. For three years I was the spokesperson for the AIDS rides (yearly cycle-thons) in California. I was flattered that people assumed I was gay. To me, that was an affirmation that I was doing my job."

A Christmas Present from ABC

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Thanks to televisionista.net: The show they thought would never last is coming back on January 7 and it is about to get even better and better. Brothers and Sisters returns as ABC adds 2 installments to bring the total episode order to 24. *On the January 7 episode "Family Day", the Walker family airs its dirty laundry in Justin's rehab group therapy session, and Kitty considers a tantalizing proposition from Senator McCallister (Rob Lowe). The episode airs following an all-new episode of Desperate Housewives ; Tyler Posey returns as Gabriel Whedon. Thanks to recent ABC schedule changes, and as a vote of confidence, ABC will air encore presentations of Brothers and Sisters every Friday at 9pm, starting January 12. This will, hopefully, give an even greater exposure to this remarkable show. Furthermore, the writers of Brothers and Sisters have announced on their ABC.com blog "Bloggers and Sisters" that ABC has extended their total episode order to 24, making t

The Tuesday De-Briefing: Alec Musser

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There is one thing that contemporary daytime drama still gets right and that is maintaining their quotient of fetching young men. For our money, one of the fetchingest is Alec Musser, who has been making the effort for years and it has had some mighty fruition. Pookie, this WebLOg's high tech expert and ever vigilant researcher, discovered some photos from Mr. Musser's past. In honour of Pookie's endeavours and Mr Musser's persistently flawless physique, hereby is initiated a new Weekly feature -- The Tuesday De-Briefing. Mr. Musser is currently starring as Del Henry on ABC Daytime's All My Children . He is a product of SoapNet's so-called reality series, I Want to Be A Soap Star. He came out of the 2005 Season. Suffice it to say, one out of three ain't bad. It goes without saying that there's more here than meets the eye, but who would complain? The show is not using him enough much to their detriment. So, it is hereby respectfully suggested that the

Report from Up North: The Moose is Loose

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... And Pookie tells us: Scottish soldiers forced to share kilts because deal to buy 1 each not finalized Published: Monday, December 18, 2006 | 1:54 PM ET Canadian Press EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) - More than 5,000 Scottish soldiers are having to share ceremonial kilts because defence chiefs have yet to finalize a contract to buy enough to go around, military officials said Monday. The men, who face regular tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, have just 320 kilts among them, or one for every 15 soldiers. Combat troops wore the traditional Highland skirt in battle as late as the First World War, but now the plaid kilts are used as part of ceremonial uniform. New kilts are needed for all Scottish soldiers following the August merger of centuries-old regiments into a single Royal Regiment of Scotland. "A planned deployment of kilts will be agreed with the Royal Regiment of Scotland on a rollout basis with . . . the full program being completed by January 2008," a Defence Minist

Song of the Week: Darlene Love

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From last year's WebLog: Darlene Love continues to make her mark on David Letterman’s yearly Yuletide show with her perennial hit, “Christmas (Baby, Please Co me Ho me )” which made its debut in the watershed year, 1963. It was the year before the arrival of the Beatles and the me mory which serves well brings to mind “Heat Wave,” “Anyone Who Had A Heart,” “Cry Baby,” “He’s Sure the Boy I love,” and “One Fine Day” among so many other hit songs that year. President Kennedy provided the world with its first movie star world leader with his classy First Lady. The Cuban Missile Crisis and The Bay of Pigs Invasion were behind us. Oh it wasn’t idyllic but the young baby boo me rs at least had everything in its appropriate place and were optimistic. Darlene Love was hard at work on what was to beco me a Christmas music stalwart with the above standout original piece. Here is what she herself tells us about its inception in her autobiography, My Na me Is Love : The sum me r of 1963 was

Saturday Beefcake: And the Beef Goes on

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When DNA ran the article and pictorial on Brian Hansen it was his boyish good looks, as in his flawless face, that immediately caught the eye. Yes. 'Tis true. Of course, one should not be deterred from appreciating his other attributes, for it is those that are his bread and butter and can be seen in all their glory in other media. He is, after all, a much sought after porn star. In honour of all his attributes a recipe that could very well be served with bread and butter, unless you are keeping the carbohydrate load to a minimum. According to the Aussie Cattle Council "Australia's beef export trade began in 1880 with a world-first shipment ... from Sydney to London. This trade to the UK grew steadily and peaked with the 15 year meat agreement from 1940 to 1955. As the UK market receded, the US took its place and became Australia's dominant export market throughout the 1960s and 1970s ... In the first half of the 1990s, successive tightening of the restrictions unde

When in New Jersey

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From today's New York Times on the approval of same sex civil unions from the New Jersey Legislature: "The 2000 Census found about 16,000 same-sex couples living together in New Jersey, though the Urban Institute, a research organization, says the true count is as much as 50 percent higher; nearly one-third of them are raising children." The article titled "In New Jersey, Gay Couples Ponder Nuances of Measure to Allow Civil Unions" goes on to say that two couples interviewed say they have no interest in marriage per se. It seems to emphasize the notion that marriage is a religious institution. Perhaps marriage should be banned for everyone and everyone could be equal under the law with civil unions. Render under to God the things that are God's or the gods'as the case may be. This would be legal in Montclair, by the way.

When in Rome: From Yesterday's Page Six

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December 15, 2006 -- BRITISH actor James Purefoy doesn't open up to Out magazine on why he quit halfway through the production of V for Vendetta - but he does open up about his sexuality. Purefoy told the mag that while he's straight, he will "never say never" when it comes to having sex with a man. "Anyone who went to an English [private] school in the 1970s will have had some kind of a gay experience," he said. "You bang 500 adolescent hormonal boys together at exactly the time when they're exploring their sexuality, and don't be surprised if some shenanigan comes out of it." Purefoy is Marc Antony in HBO's Rome

Montclair

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Montclair, a suburban town in Northern New Jersey may very well become the balloon capital of the world should the Altmanesque ensemble feature of the same name become well known. An actual balloon salesman is weaved throughout the narrative expressing praise of the versatile balloon. Montclair , the film, is about the pursuit of happiness if nothing else and the balloon seems to provide the perfect prop and symbol. The cast, under the direction of Mike Ramsdell, with Alecia Hurst, Justin Barrett, Jeremy Schwartz, Bruce Sinofsky, Jenni Tooley, Matt Walton and Chad Benton puts exceptional effort into depicting the connected lives of the suburban town’s inhabitants who in their respective daily endeavours appear to miss the mark sometimes in that pursuit. Matt Walton, who has quickly become one of this WebLog’s favourite talented actors, participates as well as an Associate Producer, and is also a denizen of the Garden State. The private screening with the entire cast and crew in atten