The Column of Life

The response "... You and the donkey you rode in on" must have come from Jesus Christ's bittersweet triumphant entrance into Jerusalem on what it is allegedly Palm Sunday. Well, maybe that's not the origin of that saying. It seems that Jesus the Christ might have made a bigger splash charging into Jerusalem on a stallion or some such -- but there's this Judaeo-Xtian penchant for humility, a sado-masochistic approach to life which might end up in torture and crucifixion. Still Xtianity's basic tenet and dogma is Resurrection and New Life -- something like eating chocolate which for many does provide a sense of well being. Therefore, in honour of the Chocolate Jesus and the upcoming sacred season of the celebration of new life here is a recipe for some absolutely revitalizing chocolate mousse. Just sinful. He might have done better to ride into Jerusalem with a little orange brandy flavoured mousse if not exactly mounting one. The press around this time of the C...

Geez Louise! Jesus has been depicted in the most grotesque manner since time immemorial. Lest we forget the plastic Jesus adorning dash boards. Or the gross Sacred Heart with his heart's blood literally flowing from a crown of thorns around it. It was Seder when the man himself said "Take and eat, for this is my body." Christians of the Eucharistic and Apostolic traditions believe in either consubstantiation or transubstantiation. Religion doesn't get more goofy than that -- eating a piece of bread believing it to be God. Okay, so maybe Cavallaro took it a step further and with a bit of wry humour -- a chocolate Jesus at Easter time. OK, forget about the antioxidants, it's a tastier treat that goes a little deeper than Cadbury and all that. Yes, and it's a Jesus with genitals. He is the Son of God and is both God and Man according to many -- men have genitals -- just in case no one noticed, the good artist put them on display and made them edible. When a commu...

It's no wonder that Richie Herschenfeld is in a constant good mood. Look who he comes home to: This, from a recent Soap Opera Digest : It had to happen eventually. Kendall ’s surrounded by children, her own, her sister’s, Ryan’s and Annie’s, Babe’s and JR’s. And these children absolutely adore her. In fact, Shane (Little A stand-in) loves Minshew, 32, so much that he almost wailed with dismay when he saw she wasn’t in her dressing room, ‘cause he wanted to play and show off his Buzz Lightyear Valentine’s Day card he made for her. Firmly in a committed, loving relationship with boyfriend Richie (Thorsten Kaye/Zach introduced her to his best friend, and the rest is history), Minshew can’t help but muse on what it’d be like to marry and expand the family unit. She’s not quite in the family way mentally, but she’s close, able to see her fantasy life as a blend of marriage, kids and career. Kaye’s been pushing us to do it already, laughed Minshew. If she ever did, it would have to be w...

A post from last November: The fake outrage from Mr Bush and company last week over Mr Kerry's mistake re: Iraq was worthy of something Vince McMahon might have scripted for a scenario worthy of WWE. It only masked the real outrage that most people feel about this horror and how in reality the powers that be exploit those who may believe that their choices are limited and that signing up might just expand their horizons as depicted in the disturbing adverts with young men trying to talk their parents into letting them go into the army, and none more so than the young black man telling his mother, "It's time for me to be the man." Put aside that it is a poorly written line and reflect on what it says to young people and what the army allegedly does for them. Galway Kinnell's poem, Another Night in the Ruins from 1966 speaks of his brother's death. 1 In the evening haze darkening on the hills, purple of the eternal, a last bird crosses over, ‘flop flop,’ ad...

Alec was the original subject for a de-briefing when terrific photos of his modelling undergear were discovered. Go here Musser is an original in more ways than one -- well, not so much that he wanted to parlay his modelling career into acting. His look is unique and he has a wry humour about him and doesn't seem to take himself too seriously. The little time viewers get to see him bring Del Henry to life, he brings to it classic All My Children best portrayed by Michael E. Knight in his Tad Martin persona. That Alec gets little screen was the reason his first de-briefing was called for. Well, there were other reasons, obviously. So, now here he is in the June issue of Men's Workout and there is no mention of who he is. Yo! What's the use of de-briefing this fine man if you don't let the world know who he is. OK, it is shamelessly shilling for him -- not to his knowledge -- still it lets the rest of you know that this beautiful creation of a man is out there. So, once...

Back in 1984 when David Zard booked John into Italy for dates in Bologna and Milano, never mind that at one of the venues The Cure outsold Elton [where are they now?], Elton was sitting in the backseat of the limo with his then manager John Reid and was fit to be tied when he realized that both Reid and Zard had failed to inform him that he was performing in a tent as opposed to a venue with real walls. There was a combination of fear, awe and amusement as Elton bounced all over Reid and the back seat exclaiming, "It's a tent! It's a tent!" Elton bounced all over Zard backstage as well. The concert, nevertheless, went off without a hitch. The entourage was another story -- there were more hitches than one could keep track of. There is no one like him -- the true Queen of England, gloriously reigning. Happy 60th!! Thank you, EJ, for all you do to combat AIDS.

... and their embarassment of riches:

bears stealing and reprinting: His hair is slicked back in a way that accentuates the new fullness of his face. At the hotel, Mr. Gore's perma-smile folded his narrow eyes into slits as he milled his way into a ballroom. Afterward, he accepted his customary standing ovation, slipped out a back door and into the back of a Lincoln Town Car, looking almost presidential. The above quote from a front page New York Times article on Al Gore's trip to Congress last week possibly might hold a small bit of interest to students of the Times. It's got a familiar whiff about it: There's something nicely cynical in its elegant Timesian construction. After all, it's authors, Mark Liebovitch and Patrick Healy (it takes two to be cunty sometimes), manage to make fun of both the weight and the man's mission in one smooth little dispatch, which is always a good trick. Never mind that Gore's having a sort of astonishing second act, never mind that he's probably right on ju...

Oh, People [Andy Goldmark; Bruce Roberts] If we are one big happy family, no one would have to beg to eat. If we live in a world of dignity, no man would have to live on the street. If I tell you you're a part of me, there's no need for disbelief. Here is my hand, to let you know that what we dream we all can hold. Apart we are weak together we're strong. Oh, people we are writing this song. We're all living these words together forever. There's no reason we can't live and be one Build the world that we want together. For as long as you stand here by me we'll live on. Think of all the possibilities that the eyes of a child can see. Think of all the opportunities that float right by you and me. Take my hand and we will know all that we dream will be our own. Apart we are weak together we're strong. Oh, people we are writing this song. We're all living these words together forever. There's no reason we can't live and be one Build the world that...

30-year old Wildfire hunk Eric Winter begins his 2-episode guest starring stint on ABC's Brothers & Sisters on April 15 in episode #19 entitled "Game Night". It is not clear what went wrong with his character, Jason McCallister, the gay brother of Rob Lowe's Senator McCallister, who... ...was originally conceived as Kevin Walker's serious romantic interest in a multi-episode arc. Now it seems his storyline which begins with the first date that turns into a complete disaster may last much shorter than the one of Jason Lewis (Chad) who did not exactly click with all of Brothers & Sisters fans. The actor is involved in a Hugh Jackman produced pilot for CBS called Viva Laughlin! also starring Melanie Griffith, 24 's D.B. Woodside (the assassinated President), Twin Peaks' beauty Madchen Amick and Jackman himself. If the pilot is picked up Winter may not be able to return to Brothers & Sisters. Oddly enough, it appears the producers have also cha...

Continuing with love for all things Italian, three hearty dishes are presented today that should satisfy. Stufato di Peperoni e Cipolle Onions, 6 white, sliced Extra Virgin Olive Oil 4 Yellow and Red Bell Peppers, cubed 2 Green Bell Peppers Mint, 2 sprigs, chopped Coriander, 2 sprigs chopped Parsley, 2 sprigs chopped 1. Place the onions in a deep and wide pan, add about a quarter cup of the oil and cook over medium heat until the onions wilt. 2. Add the peppers, salt and pepper. Fold in coriander and and mint. Cover. cook over medium to low heat for about thirty minutes until there is little liquid remaining in the pan. 3. Garnish with the parsley. Melanzane al Forno Eggplants, four Extra Virgin Olive Oil Tomatoes, seeded and diced Basil leaves, four, torn Mint Sprigs, 4 chopped Marjoram Sprigs, 2 chopped Italian Parsley Sprigs, 2 chopped Balsamic Vinegar Preheated Oven 375F 1. Cut off the eggplant stems and slice in half lengthwise 2. Score the flesh in a criss-cross pattern, salt and...

The campaign goes on; the campaign goes on strongly. Elizabeth and I talked about this … Basically, as I mentioned earlier, we’ve been confronted with these kind of traumas and struggles already in our lives. And we know from our previous experience that when this happens, you have a choice: You can go cower in the corner and hide or you can be tough and go out there and stand up for what you believe in. And both of us are committed to the cause, we’re committed to changing this country that we love so much. And we have no intention of cowering in the corner.

Congratulations to the cast and crew of freshman hits Ugly Betty and Brothers & Sisters , major blockbusters Desper ate Housewives ... and Boston Legal which all made the cut for the 2007-2008 season.

Hi. I'd like to announce the arrival of Aidan Lee St. John into the breathing world. He appeared at 4:03 a.m. on Wednesday the 21st, weighing in at 7 lbs 5.2 oz. He is happy and healthy as is his mother. And although he has no job and still lives with his parents, he seems like a decent enough chap. And I couldn't be more pleased. Love, Trevor St. John, Father

... following the Vernal Equinox to welcome Spring when a young man's fancy is just that. A sturdy, yet beautiful, flower

Acknowledging once again the penchant for men named Chris in these parts, it is also acknowledged that a Chris of whom more needs to be seen is professional wrestler, Christopher Daniels. While the ever popular and hard working star has changed his look over the years, one persistent quality is his panache and charisma. He is the Fallen Angel and has built a ring persona that capitalizes on the thin line between canonized dogmatism and wicked, wicked ways. Daniels seems a cut above the typical pro grappler -- less true these days -- in that he seems to have a brain, i.e. he's articulate, to coin a phrase from Senator Biden. He is appreciated in all of his incarnations and calling for his de-briefing would only make the world somewhat more entertaining and definitely sexier.

The Polish government is to ban discussions on homosexuality in schools and educational institutions across the country, with teachers facing the sack, fines or imprisonment … President Lech Kaczynski, [alleged closet case] the twin brother of the prime minister, has given his support to the law, claiming that the future of the human race is dependent on discrediting homosexuality in the classroom During a visit to Ireland last month, he said: "If that kind of approach to sexual life were to be promoted on a grand scale, the human race would disappear." … "I am embarrassed to hear of such a proposal," said Robert Biedron … "Poland is like an island drifting away from the rest of Europe ... don't we already know this kind of language from not so distant history?" During a gay campaign march through Warsaw last year, members of the League of Polish Families youth wing threw stones and bottles at the participants and shouted: "Euthanasia for gays, c...

One candidate for the nomination seems to be sayng and doing all the right things and as the Iraq conflict enters its fifth year it might be opportune to repost his editorial from the Washington Post which appeared in November of 2005. When something is wrong, it must be acknowledged as such, especially when well over 60,000 human beings have died because of it. Violence is a disease that afflicts humanity. The Right Way in Iraq By John Edwards Sunday, November 13, 2005 ; B07 I was wrong. Almost three years ago we went into Iraq to remove what we were told -- and what many of us believed and argued -- was a threat to A me rica . But in fact we now know that Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction when our forces invaded Iraq in 2003. The intelligence was deeply flawed and, in so me cases, manipulated to fit a political agenda. It was a mistake to vote for this war in 2002. I take responsibility for that mistake. It has been hard to say these words because those...

Bruno Gattolin a native of La Spezia was enamoured of all things American -- to be more specific, all things Gay American. Being able to speak Gay American was one of his goals and when he met anyone who was fluent in that dialect, he fell head over heels. La Spezia is situated just below the resort villages of the Cinque Terre. Walking along the mountain path around Manarola one of the villages of the Cinque Terre (the 'Five Lands')with two other Italian men made reaching the point where one could see only sea and sky from a ledge literally breath taking. While many would have been taken by experiencing beauty first hand such as unalderated nature and three Italian men the acrophobic among us might be frozen in fear. The admonition was not to look down while making way back to the sea to enjoy a picnic and it was very important not to think about heads going over heels. It is a blessing to be able to recall the picnic looking out toward the Gulf of Genoa and the eventual devou...