Guiding Light: Nola and Vanessa - You Cow!

Back in the early 1980s, Guiding Light featured a delicious rivalry between blue-blood Daddy's girl Vanessa Chamberlain and poor former bad girl Nola Reardon. Vanessa and Nola abhorred each other though that didn't stop Vanessa from doing the nasty with Nola's brother Tony. Things got even more complicated when Vanessa's father Henry took an interest in Nola's mom, Bea, who ran a boarding house on Seventh Street in Springfield. Then, Nola fell in love with the mysterious Quint McCord, who was eventually revealed as Henry Chamberlain's illegitimate son and, thus, Vanessa's half-brother.

In 1983, Nola and Quint got engaged and a lavish engagement party was held at the country club to celebrate the couple's engagement. And wouldn't you know it that Nola and Vanessa both showed up for the party wearing the same exact dress! The two headstrong women soon got down and dirty in a vicious cat fight. This clip features lots of weddings from Guiding Light's run. The Vanessa/Nola smackdown starts at the 3:45 mark.

The Light Dims: The End of Guiding Light

Today, August 11, 2009 marked the filming of the very last episode of the daytime soap opera, Guiding Light. The finale will air on CBS on September 18, 2009. Guiding Light premiered on radio back in January 1937 and then began airing on television in June 1952. 72 years! What an amazing run!

As Guiding Light draws to its conclusion, I plan to honor this amazing show by blogging about the actors, actresses, and storylines that have touched viewers' hearts over the years. So many amazing actresses: Beverlee McKinsey, Tina Sloan, Ellen Parker, Kim Zimmer, Cynthia Watros, Mary Stuart, Charita Bauer. And outstanding actors: Chris Bernau, Grant Aleksander, Jerry VerDorn, Peter Simon. And captivating storylines: Nola Reardon's wild antics, the deaths of Bert Bauer and Maureen Bauer, Reva Shayne's escapades, Annie Dutton's reign of terror, Abby and Rick's love story.

72 years. Countless memories.

I hope you join me in the weeks ahead as I remember the greatness of this legendary television institution. As Meta Bauer (played by the late Mary Stuart) shared one holiday episode:

There is a destiny that makes us brothers.

None goes his way alone.

All that we send into the lives of others.

Comes back into our own.

LIVESTRONG Challenge

In April 2003, just a few days shy of my 40th birthday, came news that would forever change my life: I was diagnosed with melanoma. Nonetheless, I was fortunate. First, my partner Eric noticed the lesion on the bottom of my foot and told me. (Due to surgeries, I am unable to see the bottom of my foot without the aid of a mirror.) Had Eric not seen the lesion and said something, there is a very good chance I wouldn't be here composing this page right now. Second, my melanoma was caught early. Now, six years have passed and the cancer has not returned.

I don't bemoan my circumstances and my diagnosis back in 2003. Rather, I'm truly grateful because it opened my eyes to the beauty, the fragility of life. It made me realize I need to pursue the dreams of my heart TODAY, not tomorrow. And that's what I've been doing. My diagnosis spurred me on to the dream that has always been on my heart: the desire to write. I've gone back to school, gotten my Master of Fine Arts in creative writing, gotten some fiction published, received and been nominated for writing awards, had over 30 arts and entertainment features published, written a play and a novel, started some new short stories, and begun work on a children's book. And, frankly, all because of my encounter with cancer in 2003.

My life has been enriched immeasurably. And I feel the need to give back. And what better way than the LIVESTRONG Challenge. So, this August, I'll be participating in the LIVESTRONG Challenge. My goal: complete the 10-mile bike ride. I'm stoked and can't wait!

To find out more and help support this cause, check here.

My Published Writings (as of July 2009)

MOVIE REVIEWS (Edge Publications)

Breakfast with Scot

Dead Mary

Elvira's Movie Macabre: Maneater of Hydra, The House that Screamed

Elvira's Movie Macabre: Gamera, Super Monster, They Came from Beyond Space

Freeheld

Showgirls (New!)

Two Weeks

The Windy City Incident

BOOK REVIEWS (Edge Publications)

A Boy's Own Story

Adrift in the Land of Plenty

Assembly Required: Notes from a Deaf Gay Life

The Distance Between Us

Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys

Greetings from the Gayborhood: A Nostalgic Look at Gay Neighborhoods

The Great Cock Hunt

My Parachute is Beige: The Cubicle Dweller's Guide to Getting By

The P'Town Murders

Q Guide to Classic Monster Movies

Q Guide to Gay Beaches

Q Guide to Soap Operas

The Slow Fix

Uncle Bobby's Wedding

MUSIC REVIEWS (Edge Publications)

Dave Koz, At the Movies

Dave Koz Greatest Hits

Howard Sings Ashman

The Kinsey Sicks, Sicks! Sicks! Sicks!

This Place I Know, Stephanie J. Block (New!)

TELEVISION REVIEWS (Edge Publications)

Prisoner: Cell Block H

INTERVIEWS/PROFILES (Edge Publications)

Dina Martina

Philadelphia Gay Men's Chorus

FICTION

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Parlor Nominated for a Pushcart Prize and the storySouth Million Writers Award

To Hell and Back, Toasted Cheese

Mother's Day Weekend

Well, Eric and I have quite an eventful weekend planned. First, on Saturday, we're taking our love bug, Sir Mulder, to see his "girlfriend" -- Dr. Jennifer Cromwell -- for his regular check-up. Herding a cat to take him to the vet sure ain't a pleasant task.

Then, later on Saturday, two movie classics will be meeting as we take a jaunt to Atlantic City to attend a concert. The movies? Driving Miss Daisy and Steel Magnolias. The folks involved? Me, Eric, and our friends Carol and Deb. I'll be taking on the role of Hoke, played by Morgan Freeman in Driving Miss Daisy, as I play chauffeur to three ornery southern broads. My other half will be taking on the role of the elderly Miss Daisy (played by the late Jessica Tandy in the film). I guess it's fitting since Eric will be celebrating the big 5-0 this summer. Our friend Deb will playing Ousier, the snarky, ill-tempered broad from Steel Magnolias (played by Shirley Maclaine in the movie). And Carol will be playing Clairee, played by the wonderful Olympia Dukakis in the film. I'm sure we'll all be spouting Steel Magnolias dialogue as I drive them to AC.

And the concert? Why, of course, we're going to see the one and only The B52s, my all-time favorite band. This is probably my 16th Bs concert. They're the best. It's going to be an awesome night! I first saw The B52s back in September 1992 in Holmdel, NJ. Since then, I've traveled the nation to see them: California, North Carolina, Maryland, Massachusetts, Colorado. Eric and I ran into The Bs' Kate Pierson and Fred Schneider in a bar in Colorado back in 2002 and an MTV VJ hit on me. But that's a story for another blog post.

Then, on Sunday, we're heading north to New York City with Eric's sister Chris, Chris' daughter Elisha, and Eric's niece Stephanie to see Wicked on Broadway. We're all in for a treat. It's an awesome show. And the incomparable Nicole Parker is playing the role of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West.

After that, I'm onto four days of work and then Provincetown, Massachusetts for 8 days. It's a well-needed vacation!

And coming up in the days ahead: blog posts about my mom, my love of The B52s (including some scoopage on that MTV VJ), and posts about what I consider heaven on earth: Provincetown.

Celebrating Sitcoms: Part 4 - Back to Gilligan's Island

In 1965, that popular hot spot known as Gilligan's Island welcomed a popular American rock band called The Mosquitoes, who showed up on the little island for a little rest and relaxation. The castaways thought that the motley group of mop-top musicians were their salvation and, at last, a way off the island. But The Mosquitoes (Bingo, Bongo, Bango, and Irving) weren't so willing to leave the peaceful island to return to the mainland.

So the castaways devised a scheme to get off the island, a scheme that involved music groups. The men's group couldn't carry a tune at all but the women, oh, how the women could sing! Mary Ann, Lovey Howell, and Ginger formed a group called The Honeybees and sang a most groovy and hip song called "You Need Us." So, sit back and listen to The Honeybees singing. And remember, a diamond needs a ring, a prisoner needs a cell, and a queen needs a king.

And two final things:

Members of the music group The Wellingtons played some of The Mosquitoes in this episode. During Gilligan's first season, The Wellingtons sang the series' theme song.

And I'd like to pose that age-old question to those reading this blog: so whose the hotter babe? Ginger or MaryAnn? Or maybe daffy Mrs. Howell?

Celebrating Sitcoms: Part 3 - The Flintstones

When Eric and I started dating back in October 1995, I mentioned to him about one of my all-time favorite episodes of the sixties animated sitcom, The Flintstones. It was an episode that Eric had never seen and he was a bit incredulous that the episode even existed and that perhaps it was all part of my fertile imagination. But then, one day, while we were in the local video store, I meandered through the family section and came across a collection of episodes of The Flintstones. And there it was! That elusive episode! So I rented it and that night, we holed up in my apartment, a very young Mulder cuddled between us, and watched the video.

So...what was so special about this episode? Well, the episode, titled "No Biz Like Show Biz" (which first aired in September 1965) was all about the Flintstones' daughter Pebbles and the Rubble's son Bamm-Bamm as the infants, who couldn't even talk, embarked on a music career. The episode was quite memorable and featured the infants singing a cute little ditty titled "Let the Sunshine In." And here's a clip of the little tykes singing that catchy tune. So check it out and sing along. And remember three important things, lessons that will make your lives much, much better:

• Mothers never lose and fathers never win
  
• When you are unhappy, the devil wears a grin
  
• Just open up your heart and let the sunshine in!