The Column of Life

In the New Year, may your right hand always be stretched out in friendship, never in want.

OZ creator, Tom Fontana, holds Meloni and his committed work ethic in high esteem: “As an actor, Chris is passionate, daring and courageous. In the five years we made OZ he never once flinched at doing anything I asked for in the scripts. That included kissing co-star Lee Tergesen [Tobias Beecher]. Having kissed Lee Tergesen myself, he should have got hazard pay. The man is such a dedicated artist. He didn’t care if his character was likable or sympathetic. He never worried that his fans would confuse the real Chris with the guy in prison. What can I say about this man? Well, he literally stuck out his dick for me. His fearlessness inspired me to explore the depths of Keller’s soul and take bigger risks with Keller’s libido. More importantly, Chris’ fearlessness pushed me to write the Keller-Beecher gay relationship storyline as honestly and fully as I was able. He wanted to tell the truth, fuck the consequences.” Back in the early years of this so-called decade and the latter years ...

Main Entry: an·gel Pronunciation: \ˈān-jəl\ Function: noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English engel & Anglo-French angele; both from Late Latin angelus, from Greek angelos, literally, messenger Date: before 12th century 1 a : a spiritual being superior to humans in power and intelligence; especially : one in the lowest rank in the celestial hierarchy b plural : an order of angels — see celestial hierarchy 2 : an attendant spirit or guardian 3 : a usually white-robed winged figure of human form in fine art 4 : messenger, harbinger 5 : a person like an angel (as in looks or behavior) 6 Christian Science : inspiration from God 7 : one (as a backer of a theatrical venture) who aids or supports with money or influence From Brian's MySpace Page: Born in Hawaii and raised in New Jersey, Brian Gaskill graduated from the prestigious Acting Conservatory at SUNY Purchase. Upon graduation, Brian performed in The Lion in Winter at The Cleveland Playhouse, co-starring Tony Award win...

It is our fond hope that One Life to Live continues its creative spark in 2010 and for many, many years to come!

For the Feast of the Holy Innocents a Van Hansis redux from 2006: 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 Kaufma...

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...

Sean Patrick is hardly an Italian name, but just like photographer Ed Olen, we know something exceptional when we see one and Sean Patrick is as good as any Italian main course. Pollo Alla Canzanese 2 small chickens, about 3 pounds each cut into 6 to 8 serving pieces 1 tbsp of kosher salt 2 sage leaves 4 bay leaves 3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced 12 whole cloves 2 sprigs fresh rosemary 24 black peppercorns, crushed 1 small diavoletto [“little devil”] – dried hot red pepper two ¼ thick slices of prosciutto, diced ¾ cup dry red wine 1 tbsp minced fresh parsley 1. Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl, sprinkle with the salt and cover with cold water and let stand for 20-30 minutes. 2. Rinse the chicken and place in a skillet into which the pieces can fit in one flat layer. Add the sage, bay leaves, garlic, cloves, rosemary, peppercorns, red pepper, prosciutto and wine. 3. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring once or twice, until the chicken is almost tender, 30 to 35 minutes....

One can only hazard a guess regarding Anthony Catanzaro's Italian origins. Sicily may quite possibly be part of it. There's no doubt that many would like to call one thigh "Xmas" and the other "New Year's" and would love to come visit between the holidays. Something Sicilian: Cucidati / Cucurreddi Pasta Frolla: 4 cups all-purpose flour 2/3 cup sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces 4 large eggs Fig Filling: 12 ounces (about 2 cups) dried Calimyrna figs 1/2 cup raisins 1/3 cup candied orange peel, diced 1/3 cup whole almonds or pine nuts, chopped and lightly toasted 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch pieces 1/3 cup apricot preserves 3 tablespoons dark rum 1 teaspoon instant espresso coffee granules 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves Egg wash: 1 large egg, well beaten with 1 pinch salt Frosting: Confectioner'...

Time to look ahead and enjoy what's in store.

Here are two posts from the past: Gay love is good because all Love is good in spite of what some of the ignorance on Oprah's message board purports. Go here . If you believe in a benevolent God, which is what the Xtian god is supposed to be, the smiting and the fire and the brimstone is of an unevolved era, a bygone era when Hebrews were slaves to the might Pharoahs. You may have noticed that it's no longer the case. Jesus Christ never mentioned it in the New Testament. The Old Testament writings come from another era. They are writings not unlike the thinking of terrorists. Yes, homosexuality is a gift from Creation. Homosexuals feel just as good about what they do as non-homosexuals, maybe even better about it, because we have learned to celebrate it. In the days when one saw hope for conventional, global religions reaching out to real people and making an impact on the real world, there were two publications that were de rigueur for the progressive, professional Xtian: You...

Another annual post, more or less: As Above So Below As Without So Within Peace and Merry Be, Giano 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 relatio...

Loaded is the first play by HIV positive playwright Elliot Ramon Potts. Both of the characters in this very intimate play are HIV positive. Brandon Voss over at The Advocate seems to be quite unhappy with the characters Potts created. At least one of them is someone not worthy of rooting for, but his every move and numance is quite understandable. That's because Kevin Spirtas who interprets 47 year old Patrick in this play puts his heart and soul into it. This is a true post-modern work in a world after AIDS. Not every gay character needs to be someone cut out of an after school special. Gay people are human beings. Potts and Spirtas bring Patrick to life informing us that there are many similar people out there. While the drama leaves the observer with nothing to hold on to, so to speak, there is a sense that if Patrick and Jude could be reached out to, a third person might help them understand or get across. That's a lot like real life. A good actor makes you want to enter ...