Gay Thursday: Men Together

The Wednesday Word Comes From Brian Gaskill via Steve Rogers

"...And for all the characters he has played, for the assumed egos of television actors, Gaskill is as down-to-earth and honest as it gets. In jeans, a black hoody and motorcycle boots, a shadow of a beard, Gaskill looks like Jersey, like a character in a Springsteen song on the sidewalk in front of the Basie."

Go here for more.

Come meet and greet Brian at the fundraiser on May 11, 2011.

Tuesday Talent II: Farley Granger, Goodnight Sweet Prince

In the midst of switching his focus from movies to theater and television, Mr. Granger also made the film he would later say he was most proud of: “Senso” (1954), by the Italian director Luchino Visconti, in which Mr. Granger played an Austrian military officer. “Working with Visconti was a unique thing,” he recalled, “and that was a difficult role.” …But Mr. Granger, who described himself as bisexual, also had relationships with Leonard Bernstein and Arthur Laurents. His longtime partner was Robert Calhoun, whom he met while doing a National Repertory Theater tour of which Mr. Calhoun was production manager. He died in 2008. Asked about his preferences in the 2007 Times interview, Mr. Granger said, “I’ve lived the greater part of my life with a man, so obviously that’s the most satisfying to me.”

Go here for his obituary in The New York Times.

A truly unique and very beautiful man ...rest in peace, Dear Heart.

Tuesday Talent: Annie Solstad

Thank you, Annie

Monday Musing: From the Archives

One Muscle Matchmaker Blind Vice: Furrowed Frank is such a mainstay in
contemporary entertainment, visible everywhere on screens big and
small. 'Course, many a pop culture aficionado insists what F2 does is
definitely not entertainment, but it is. Indeed, the dude's whole life
is as meticulously written as his hair is coiffed. And that ain't just
my big-hair Texas exaggeration shootin' off, trust. Here's how F2's
love life plays out, for ince. Oh, and need you even guess? Yes, bien
sûr, F.F. is a closeted gay man, do they not make any other kind in
this biz any more? I swear, I really do think we're regressing since
the time of Rock Hudson and that ersatz marriage to his secretary. I
mean, get real. Andy Dick and his dubious hangers-on are practically
the only friggin' tier of boy-swingin' guys to come clean, save a few
souls like T.R. Knight, who was forced outta the closet, anyway. Look,
Furrowed had a b-f for a while, all fairly discreet 'n' stuff, never
really got out there that much in the gay-sniffing zeitgeist that's so
increasingly prevalent...our apologies if this Vice department's only
expedited that dynamic, but I think it would have happened anyway.
Now, F2 and his man have busted up. And since since Frank is under
such tremendous pressure to perform before his mouthwatering public,
Franky-poo's needs must not go unmet, correct? Furrowed's trainer sure
seems to think so. The big ol' cut and ab-perf hunk has taken it upon
himself to procure dates for Furrowed. And the damn guy's straight!
But that doesn't stop him from interviewing potential exquisitely
muscled men on the floor of the gym where he trains F.F., usually
beginning with a query such as, "How would you feel if a big celebrity
found you attractive and wanted to go out with you?" Initial response
is key here. If the boy's dark eyes (as they almost always are, as Mr.
F loves him some Latino lovin') light up instantly, that's usually a
signal to go to the next step, which is either making the intro right
there on the gym floor, or an almost immediate dinner or coffee setup.
See, F ain't got much time. We could blame it on his pressing and
highly visible work schedule, s'pose, but that wouldn't really be
accurate. More to the nooky-crazed point would be that Frank is much
more interested in moving on to the next bulging find his trainer
procures for him--rather than getting to know any of the fixed-up
fellas, at all. How long will it be before one of the quickly
discarded dudes gets supersteamed and goes to the tabs, we wonder? Not
very. AND IT AIN'T: Justin Timberlake; Ty Pennington; Alec Baldwin



Just hazarding a guess, on the above. If it is Dwayne, it's great for the fantasy life, but a bit low down on the down low for him. Onward and upward in keeping with the Sports and Entertainment motif on this day for lovers, gay and otherwise, Towleroad (and You Tube) has been pilfered for (1) Bruce Weber's portrait of John Cena, which, while he may not be gay, would make many a homosexual appreciate him more than they do already.



(2) It is followed by an advert appropriate to the theme. Well, that it may be appropriate or not is a moot point in these parts, but it beats the hell out of any Super Bowl commercial in recent memory. Thanks again to Towleroad for pointing it out (and You Tube for making it available)

Another Scott Herman Sunday

We can't say enough good things about Scott Herman



Visit: www.scotthermanfitness.com where you can see what Scott does these days. You can also find his training videos on YouTube.




There is a lot more to him than fitness.



Come say hello to this genuine human being at Love Out Loud VI on May 11, 2011 at Prohibition.






Go here to make a donation to our AIDS Walk New York team.

Go here to catch up on the event.

Thank You and Goodnight Beefcake

Major Saturday Beefcake Foreplay

Saturday Beefcake Pasta Recipe

Rotini with Lamb and Asparagus

Asparagus, thin, ends trimmed, one pound (500 grams)
Kosher salt
Rotini pasta, one half pound (250 grams)
Canola oil, five tablespoons, divided
Lamb Tenderloin, sliced on the bias, one and a half pounds, (750 grams) 1/4-inch thick
Garlic, five cloves, sliced thin
Green Peppercorns, crushed, two tablespoons
Scallions, one bunch white and green parts, sliced thin
Black pepper, freshly ground
Chicken stock, one cup fresh or low-sodium canned chicken broth
Soy sauce, two tablespoons




1. Fill a large bowl with water and ice cubes. In a large wok, bring about 2 quarts of salted water to a boil. Cook the asparagus until tender-crisp, 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Transfer the asparagus to the ice water to cool. Cut into 2-inch lengths and set aside.




3. Add more ice cubes to the bowl, if necessary. Bring the water in the wok to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente, about 11 minutes. Transfer to the ice water to cool. Drain and set aside.
4. Empty the wok and wipe it dry. Place over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and swirl to coat the bottom. When the oil is hot, add half of the lamb and stir-fry until rare, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
5. Add 2 more tablespoons of the oil and swirl. Stir-fry the remaining lamb until rare and transfer to the plate.




6. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the wok and swirl. When the oil is hot, add the garlic, peppercorns, and scallions.
7. Season with salt and pepper and stir-fry until soft, about 2 minutes. Return the lamb to the wok, then add the asparagus, rotini, and stock.
8. Stir-fry until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the soy sauce and stir to blend. Adjust the seasoning, if necessary. To serve, divide among 4 individual pasta dishes.

©2011 Ming Tsai adapted from Simply Ming One-Pot Meals

Another Saturday Beefcake McDermott Moment

Your Gregory Nalbone Saturday Beefcake Moment

Thank you, Sam Devries. Come say hello to Gregory on May 11th. He and his musical mentor are cooking up something special.

Saturday Beefcake Brunch

Croque Madames

(Challah Grilled Cheese with Smoked Salmon and Preserved Lemon--4 servings)
from Eric Ripert

8 thin slices Challah
6 ounces aged Emmentaler, Gruyère, or other Swiss cheese,
thinly sliced
6 ounces Smoked Salmon, thinly sliced
1 scallion or few chives, thinly sliced
1 piece preserved lemon, finely chopped, or finely grated
zest of 1 lemon
Freshly ground black pepper and Kosher salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
Preheat the oven to 400°.




1. Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil. Lay out the 8 slices of bread in pairs on a flat work surface.
2. Arrange a thin layer of cheese on four slices of bread and a thin layer of smoked salmon on the remaining slices.
3. Sprinkle a few slices of scallion, some preserved lemon, and black pepper on the salmon.




4. Place the cheese halves onto the salmon to form sandwiches and press down to compact.
5. If desired, cut off the crusts to form perfect squares. Butter the tops of the sandwiches and sprinkle with a little salt. Flip buttered side down onto the prepared baking pan and butter the remaining side. Sprinkle with salt.
6. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the bread begins to brown.
7. With a spatula, push down gently on the sandwiches to further compact, but don’t push so hard that you force the cheese to ooze out.
8. Flip the sandwiches and bake for another 5 minutes or so, until the second side is evenly browned.
9. Remove from the oven and let sit at room temperature for 2 to 3 minutes so the cheese firms up a little — but don’t let them sit long enough to harden, or you’ll never get them off the pan.
10. Lift off and let cool for another minute before cutting diagonally into quarters to serve.

Your McDermott Midmorning Beefcake Moment

Another Glorious Beefcake Morning: Wake Up!

Friday Feature: Tom Degnan Loves Out Loud

You gotta love a guy who loves the Phillies. OK? The eldest of three siblings, Tom Degnan, who was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania grew up outside of Cherry Hill, New Jersey. A self-proclaimed sports fanatic, he was on the track team in high school and briefly considered trying out his athleticism at the collegiate level while attending Notre Dame, but he ended up majoring in finance, instead. "There was a short window— very, very short window — where I thought about actually walking on to the track team for hurdles," he told Soap Opera Digest. "You realize that all the kids who play varsity sports are bigger, faster, stronger than you so that wasn't going to fly!" It wasn't until Degnan took a theater class—just to fulfill a requirement, no less—that he discovered his passion for the stage. In 2008, Degnan went on to attend Case Western Reserve University, where he received an MFA in Theater. After a couple of small television appearances, Degnan was tapped to play mysterious war veteran Riley onAs the World Turns in 2009. Riley was revealed to be Margo's son, Adam, who had been presumed-dead in a bombing in Afghanistan.In November 2010, Degnan joined the cast of One Life to Live in the highly sought after recast role of Joey Buchanan (initially believing he'd lost the part to Josh Kelly, who plays Cutter). Degnan has also appeared on The Good Wife and is currently in a band with his former As the World Turns co-star Billy Magnussen (ex-Casey). We are proud to have him take part in Love Out Loud VI. This event only gets better every year and Mr. Degnan proves it. Thanks to Soap Opera Digest for the biographical information. Love Out Loud VI takes place on May 11, 2011 at Prohibition at 503 Columbus Ave (84th) from 6 to 9 pm. Come out and say hello to Tom and more than a few of his colleagues.

Gay Thursday: Men Together