The Column of Life

Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Lloyd Richards, known for his well-wrought mid-century melodramas, which often starred Margo Channing, has died at 95 at his home just two hours north of New York City. Mr. Richards was born in 1915 in Lawrence, Kansas. After completing his doctorate in English at the University of Iowa, he worked at the drama desk of the Chicago Tribune before serving with distinction in the Office of War Information (OWI) during World War II. His first major success on the New York stage, Lightning Strikes Terry Jones , premiered at the Lyceum Theater on April 13, 1946 and remained there for the next two seasons. The bittersweet domestic comedy, starring Jose Ferrer, Judith Evelyn, and, in a rare legit appearance, Helen Lawson, won Richards instant acclaim. In his Times review, Brooks Atkinson found Richards to have "an uncommonly fine ear for both the sordid nonsense and the dogged temerity of married life," and called the play "an astonishingly fresh...

These pics appeared in late 2005. The post headline here was "Not Anderson Cooper" These showed up on the 'net with varying info as to the identity of Mr. Martin's companion. Just a matter of fact tribute to homoerotic beauty. Thank you, Mother Nature. Homoerotic beauty notwithstanding ... Martin's coming out is a bigger deal than many in the life imagine. The biggest impact is probably in the Latino Community. Thank you, Mr. Martin. You are blessed to be who you are.

The main site has three versions of the song "Ain't That Peculiar" Marvin Gaye's original and the remakes by Rita Coolidge and Marthe Reeves http://www.column-of-life.com/lower.html -- a veritable paean to masochism. Honey you do me wrong but still I'm crazy about you Stay away too long and I can't do without you Every chance you get you seem to hurt me more and more But each hurt makes my love stronger than before I know flowers go through rain But how can love go through pain Ain't that peculiar A peculiar ality Ain't that peculiar baby Peculiar as can be You tell me lies that should be obvious to me I've been so much in love with you baby til i don't wanna see That things you do and say are designed to make me blue It's a dog gone shame my love for you makes all Your lies seem true But if the truth makes love last longer Why do lies make my love stronger Ain't that peculiar Peculiar as can be Ain't that peculiar baby Peculiar ali...

From Model Mayhem: After touring the entire state of Queensland, Australia, in the model/dance extravaganza FASHION WITH FLAIR at the ripe age of 18, Tristan Hamilton began his film career at the Academy of Film & Television, on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. After which Tristan moved to the state of Victoria where he passionately dived into the art of filmmaking with his first public screening, the short, Discoballs in 2000... He joined forces with good friend and collaborator, Nicholas Verso to work on Verso’s first feature film Max A Cautionary Tale (2003) as Production Manager and actor. Tristan has also appeared in various low budget films in various roles, magazine editorials, dance party posters and won the 2004 Melbourne Mid Summa Festival Opening Night Talent Quest miming to Kelis’s "Milkshake" song! Dadd y's Boy saw the return of this unique and fun-filled filmmaker in 2006. The queer short film had great success in the local and international Gay...

One fine taste treat!

Penne pasta, half pound Extra Virgin Olive Oil, three tablespoons Garlic two cloves, minced 1 1/2 pounds thin Asparagus, thin, one and a half pounds, trimmed, cut into one inch pieces Salt and Pepper to taste Grape Tomatoes, two cups Peas, fresh, one cup, shelled Chicken stock, one half cup low sodium Parmesan, one cup grated 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves 1. Cook pasta until tender but still firm to the bite 2. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. 3. In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. 4. Add the asparagus, season with the salt and pepper, and cook for three minutes until slightly soft. 5. Add the tomatoes and peas. Cook for two minutes. 6. Pour the chicken stock into the pan and bring the mixture to a simmer. 7. Cook until the tomatoes start to burst and the stock is reduced by half, about three minutes. 8. Transfer the asparagus mixture to a large serving bowl. 9. Add the cooked pasta and...

Bell Peppers, red, ripe Garlic, three cloves. minced Extra Virgin Olive Oil, three tablespoons Oregano, one half teaspoon Basil, fresh leaves, sliced Sea Salt, to taste 1. Place the peppers on a baking sheet and broil 6 inches below a medium flame (a gas oven is best but an electric oven may still be used on the broil setting). 2. Roast peppers for about 10 minutes, turning frequently to prevent burning, until the skins blacked and blister on all sides. 3. Remove peppers and place in a brown paper bag, rolling up the open end to seal tightly. Let stand for 10 minutes. This will make the skins easier to remove. 4. Remove the skins, stems and seeds. Slice lengthwise into 1/2" thick strips (or halves, if desired). 5. Place peppers in a jar or bowl (if using right away); add garlic, olive oil, oregano, basil, and salt. Mix well. Serve either warm or cold.

If you're still in bed this will get it, er, you up.

From Lauren: Ok, so I know it is Easter Sunday...but really, isn't the celebration over by 4pm anyway? After the brunch and the Easter egg hunt, what do you have planned? How about coming down to The Canal Room at 8pm to see a sneak peek of a brand new idea of a show that I am developing with Eric Anderson and Fred Lassen I will also be starting off the evening with a concert featuring a butt load of Jason Robert Brown tunes as well as a few new songs thrown in the mix. Not to mention duets with my terribly funny and hot husband Alan Campbell, the beautiful and E belting Julia Burrows, the owner of one of my favorite voices Michelle Kinney, the original guitar hero Gina Stewart, and taking off his roller skates for a rare appearance as himself—the hunky and golden piped Max von Essen. Have I said too much? Oh, good. You also don't wanna miss out seeing the premiere performance of The Freakers Ball , with Matt Caplan, Daniel Bogart, Asmeret Ghebremichael, the father and so...

We need a few more like him. They like him over at AfterElton . Go figure. A tease: Probably best known for his role as Guillermo on Showtime’s hit series Weeds , the thirty-four-year old Diaz has also played a punk rocker, a drag queen, and a surfer just to name a few of his many roles. And it's that ability to slip in and out of so many varied characters that likely ensures the out and proud New York City native will be working for many years to come. AfterElton.com recently caught up with Diaz to talk about his new movie, his role on Mercy and much more.

Main Entry: 1con·sti·tu·tion·al Pronunciation: \-shnəl, -shə-nəl\ Function: adjective Date: 1682 1 : relating to, inherent in, or affecting the constitution of body or mind 2 : of, relating to, or entering into the fundamental makeup of something : essential 3 : being in accordance with or authorized by the constitution of a state or society = "a constitutional government" 4 : regulated by or ruling according to a constitution = "a constitutional monarchy" 5 : of or relating to a constitution = "a constitutional crisis" 6 : loyal to or supporting an established constitution or form of government from www.carinsurancerates.com Mandatory Car Insurance Laws - Fines and Penalties for Not Insuring Your Auto? The United States of America is the land of the free, home of the brave. For the most part, people have the liberty to do whatever they want, so long as their actions don’t hurt others. Everyone knows that eating fast food is unhealthy, but we don’t have la...

It's no wonder that Richie Herschenfeld of Prohibition is in a constant good mood. Look who he comes home to: The support coming from the entertainment industry in these efforts to help those with HIV and AIDS has been very gratifying. The event on May 12th promises to be the biggest and brightest event yet. We are honoured to have Alicia Minshew there for this annual meet and greet. Go here for photos of the lovely Miss M

Those of us in the plush Column of Life offices are nothing if not obsessive freaks. Here's more Dusty music. Dusty was not only a prime interpreter of the pop aria, she was also damn good at hyperbole. She claims to have fallen into a heap when she heard Pino Donaggio's " Io Che Non Vivo ," which eventually became her biggest hit, "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me." She also claims to have driven off the road upon hearing "West End Girls" on the car radio. What is true about her is her unfailing love for music of many types and her penchant for turning a song, any song, into her own. The Pet Shop Boys only wanted her to "dustify" their very catchy song, which she did marvelously on the second rendition of the chorus.

Geekosystem.com has this to say: According to The Hollywood Reporter ’s 'sources,' Chris Evans has been formally offered the part of the first Avenger. This would entail starring in up to three Captain America movies, any Avengers movies, and certain cameos in other Marvel Universe movies. Solid job! What’s the hold up? Well, Evans has already agreed to a role in What’s Your Number? a romantic comedy that beings filming this summer. This might cause scheduling conflicts with a Captaib shoot. If you’re trying to remember where you know Chris Evans from, it’s because you probably do. He was the Human Torch in both ill-executed Fantastic Four movies. Playing the roles of two different Marvel heroes is unlikely, in this case, to cause conflict. I don’t think anyone would mind if they scrapped the current FF franchise and started over again. DNA was pondering who might be touted as the super hero. Scott Herman put these shots up. As far as we are concerned -- OK, Chris Eva...

It's what we do (or did as the case may be.)