The Column of Life

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 ...

With the Sun’s light comes fresh energy and renewed vitality. Especially after a hard time, we can once again see the beauty of life and the interconnectedness of all things. By shining, the Sun shares its happiness with others. The message is clear: as we approach the light: enjoy this wonderful life. 

It is with great sadness that I spread the word that  Spencer Squeaky Cox , a true hero and one of the sweetest people, has died. A founding member of the Treatment Action Group immortalized in this year's How To Survive A Plague, millions of people are alive today, living with HIV because of his work. The gay world is completely different because of his work. If you did not know Spencer, honor him by seeing this film and understanding how he helped change the world. Such a sweet man. If he had done nothing at all it would still be as great a loss. ~ Jeff Campagna

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you, Governor.  To all the families, first responders, to the community of Newtown, clergy, guests — Scripture tells us:  “…do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away…inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.  For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.” We gather here in memory of twenty beautiful children and six remarkable adults.  They lost their lives in a school that could have been any school; in a quiet town full of good and decent people that could be any town in America. Here in Newtown, I come to offer the love and prayers of a nat...

Embrace your children

It's that time of year when light is celebrated in some form or fashion. Today's feature is put aside in honour of tradition. The tradition honoured is that of neo-paganism Hence, the post from two years ago: The Immaculate Conception (Feast Day: December 8 th ) is one more nod of Holy Mother Roman Church in the direction of Goddess Worship. Non-Catholics and Catholics alike tend to believe that it has to do with Jesus Christ rather than his Mother but that is not the case.   Mary, the Gate of Heaven was according to dogma in the Roman Apostolic Tradition conceived without the taint of original sin, that very human burden passed on to the other children of Eve. It is no accident that mariologists and other theologians refer to her as the New Eve. She is by virtue of her motherhood and the absence of sin as called Co-Redemptrix which doesn’t make her a stage door mother precisely but does place her very close to the divine level like her son and his Father.   The religious...

From her second solo album. La Springfield "Dusty-fied" this song, rendered a hit by Joni James, tweaking the vocal delivery and even the lyrics. The young Dusty could get righteous with the best of them, channeling Inez Foxx's "Mockingbird" to a tee, for example. I think this shows the edgy nuance she could apply to a song. It is indicative of what deep subtle soul is all about. Go here for a review of Forever Dusty currently at New World Stages in New York. The reviewer seems to have a good perspective about what Dusty is all about: "In vocal terms Ms. Smith is adequate and occasionally almost convincing. But the smoky sensuality, the breathy vulnerability, the naked emotionality of intonation and phrasing, and the raw white-soul edge that distinguished Springfield at her best are in short supply. And when Ms. Smith tacks a blustery big finish onto Son of A Preacher Man" she’s in direct defiance of an artist who never had to oversell."

  The Bottom Line   Bluecoat American Dry Gin is an aromatic gin with a bouquet designed for a defined palate. This is derived from the "secret" blend of all certified organic botanicals, a list which includes the required juniper berries, along with an American citrus peel selection, sweet orange and lemon peel. The result of Bluecoat's small batch process is a divinely pure and natural-tasting gin that makes a fine cocktail base. (from About.com) 

PrincePumpkin's Butterscotch Squares 
This is from the old Purity Flour Cookbook from the 1940's. 1/4 cup sweet butter
 1 cup brown sugar
 1 large egg
 3/4 cup sifted flour
 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (just throw some in)
 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract Optional : 1/4 cup walnuts or any kind of unsalted nut Pre-heated oven 350 One generously greased 8 "x 8" pan (use shortening to grease the pan, it burns at a higher temp...)
* 1. Never use an electric rotary mixer for this recipe. Better it is poorly mixed (and just moistened) than beaten to death. 2. Melt butter in a saucepan on low heat and while warm, add brown sugar and blend thoroughly. 3. Cool to lukewarm and add unbeaten egg and then beat mixture well by hand with a wire wisk. 4. Mix and sift flour, baking powder, salt, and then add to first mixture; then add vanilla and optional nuts. 5. Spread the mixture evenly like fudge into the greased pan. ...

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...

Maple Lemon Oatmeal Cookies Rolled Oats, two cups Whole Wheat Flour. one cup Shredded Coconut, unsweetened, one half cup (or 1/3 cup more flour) Baking Powder,  3/4 teaspoon Raisins, one cup Almond Slices, one cup Chia Seeds, three teaspoons Maple Syrup. 3/4 cup Ripe Bananas, two large mashed Vanilla extract.a splash Sea Salt Coconut Oil. one half cup The juice and zest of one small lemon Zest of 1 small lemon                 Preheat the oven to 375 * F. 1. Mix the first 6 ingredients together. 2. Gradually add all other ingredients. 3. Using a large spoon, place drops of cookie dough on parchment paper-covered cookie sheet, about 1 inch apart. 4. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the tops begin to brown.

                Virgin Olive Oil, one teaspoon Yellow Onion, one, medium, diced Garlic, two cloves, minced Quinoa, one cup, uncooked Chicken or Vegetable stock, three cups Peas. one quarter cup Prosciutto, two ounces, cut into thin strips Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper Pecorino, Asiago, Reggianito or Parmigiano for grating 1.Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Sautê  the onion and garlic until the onion is translucent, about three minutes. 2.Add the quinoa and cook for another three minutes. Add one cup of the stock, using a wooden spoon to occasionally stir the grains. 3. When the liquid has mostly evaporated (about ten minutes), add the remaining stock. Continue cooking and stirring until the quinoa is tender (but not mushy) and most of the liquid has evaporated; the risotto should be moist, but not soupy. 3. At the last minute, add the peas and prosciutto an...

"Dusty Springfield's  Son of a Preacher Man  had been languishing on oldies radio playlists somewhere between The Hollies'  Bus Stop  and Petula Clark's  I Know A Place . The weight of Springfield's shift from the pop act behind  I Only Want To Be With You  and  Wishin' And Hopin'  to the deep soul sound of her 1969 release  Dusty In Memphis  was a faded footnote in a Timi Yuro or Carly Simon biography. If Adele's  Rolling In The Deep  marked the bitter end of a "rubbish relationship," Springfield's backyard walks with young Billy was its giddy, sexy, optimistic beginning. Once the mono-tracked version of  Son Of A Preacher Man  appeared in  Pulp Fiction , it pushed that film's soundtrack into the Billboard 200, saved one of Tarantino's trademark scenes and introduced a generation of dorm room and house party regulars to female blue-eyed soul." A wonderfiul article right here .

Cheyenne Officially on YouTube here .

Dance, Gay Romance: VIDEO

Hey! If you are a wrestler named Pinkie Sanchez, this is where you belong.

About a year ago, I posted about William Gedney and his trips to Kentucky in the 1960's and 1970's.  Gedney died of AIDS in 1989, so I thought it was fitting on World AIDS Day to have a look at a few more of his photographs from those visits.