Alice Walker on Howard Zinn

Novelist Alice Walker was one of Howard Zinn's students at Spelman College in Atlanta back in the early 1960's. She's written a moving goodbye to her friend and former teacher, who died this past week.

Walker wrote of the impact that Zinn had on her both as a professor and as an activist:

'Howard Zinn was magical as a teacher. Witty, irreverent, and wise, he loved what he was teaching and clearly wanted his students to love it also. We did. My mother, who earned $17 a week working 12-hour days as a maid, had somehow managed to buy a typewriter for me and I had learned typing in school. I said hardly a word in class (as Howie would later recall), but inspired by his warm and brilliant ability to communicate ideas and conundrums and passions of the characters and complexities of Russian life in the 19th century, I flew back to my room after class and wrote my response to what I was learning about these writers and their stories that I adored. He was proud of my paper, and, in his enthusiastic fashion, waved it about. I learned later there were those among other professors at the school who thought that I could not possibly have written it. His rejoinder: “Why, there’s nobody else in Atlanta who could have written it!’’

It would be hard not to love anyone who stood in one’s corner like this.

Under the direction of SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) many students at Spelman joined the effort to desegregate Atlanta. Naturally, I joined this movement. Howie, taller than most of us, was constantly in our midst, and usually somewhere in front. Because I was at Spelman on scholarship, a scholarship that would be revoked if I were jailed, my participation caused me a good bit of anxiety. Still, knowing that Howard and others of our professors, the amazingly courageous and generous Staughton Lynd, for instance, my other history teacher, supported the students in our struggle, made it possible to carry on. But then, while he and his family were away from campus for the summer, Howard Zinn was fired. He was fired for “insubordination.’’

Yes, he would later say, with a classic Howie shrug, I was guilty.

..........................

I was Howard’s student for only a semester, but in fact, I have learned from him all my life. His way with resistance: steady, persistent, impersonal, often with humor, is a teaching I cherish. Whenever I’ve been arrested, I’ve thought of him. I see policemen as victims of the very system they’re hired to defend, as I know he did. I see soldiers in the same way.'

The end of Walker's piece, where she mentions the plans she and Zinn had for upcoming get togethers and events, and then writes of what is clearly a very personal loss for her, left me with tears in my eyes.

Nicholas Rodriguez Article

We haven't seen Nick on One Life to Live since the New Year's Eve episode, when the truth came out and he moved out of Kyle's room. We did get a mention of him a week or two ago, when high school senior Langston mentioned some writing advice that her teacher, Mr. Chavez, had given her. You may recall that Nick was a teacher at the high school in addition to being an activist.

The mention made me hopeful that we'll be seeing him again before long, but in the meantime I've been getting my Nicholas Rodriguez fix in with his web series Then We Got Help!, which I completely love. If you haven't watched the series yet, check it out. It's very funny.

The New York Daily News had a nice piece on Nicholas a few weeks ago. I always love hearing about behind the scenes stuff that shapes what we see onscreen, so I found this especially interesting:

Rodríguez, whose mom is white and whose father is Mexican-American, said that when he arrived at the auditions for “One Life to Live,” the show’s executives were looking to cast a white, all-American type, whom they were going to call Griffin. Dark-haired and brown-eyed, he didn’t know what he was doing among the dozens of blue-eyed blonds.

He got the part, though he was told that he was clearly not a Griffin.

“So they changed my character’s name to Nick Chávez,” he said. They even added a middle name, Roberto, while shooting the marriage proposal scene, because, Rodríguez explained, the actor playing Kyle suggested that drawing out his acceptance — “Nicholas Roberto Chávez, I would be honored to marry you” — sounded that much sweeter.

I really hope we'll be seeing Nicholas back as Nick on the show soon. I'd like to see some sort of follow up to what happened with his bashing. The last we heard, the court date for his attackers had been moved up and he was going to be testifying. It would also be very interesting to see a story revolving around being a very publicly out gay man teaching in a high school. There is plenty of story still to tell with Nick!

As for Nicholas, be sure and check out his video interview for the In Bed With series at Out.Com, too! You'll totally fall for him, if you haven't already.

Kish: Something Wicked This Way Comes

Today's Kish scenes started with Oliver standing guard outside Stacy's door and Kyle showing up with some breakfast for him. After Fish told Kyle that he was sweet for surprising him like that, Kyle replied that he hoped Oliver still thought so after he got in Stacy's face again about the baby's paternity.

Fish told Kyle that they'd been over this already- why would Stacy tell Schuyler the baby was his if she wasn't sure? Kyle astutely pointed out that Stacy had something on Schuyler, that he'd lose Gigi if she found out the truth. Didn't Fish want to know if he was about to become a father?

Oliver said that he'd never even thought about being a dad before and Kyle told him that maybe he should start. Fish told his boyfriend that it wasn't the time or the place to be discussing whether or not he wanted to have kids, and Kyle asked when the right time would be, when Stacy's child graduated high school?

Fish told him to stop, that everything was just hypothetical so far. They were interrupted by Stacy and Rex at that point, and Kyle made a hasty exit, directly followed by Rex. Once they were alone, Stacy asked Oliver what the lover's quarrel she and Rex had just walked in on was all about and he told her that Kyle wasn't convinced that the baby was Schuyler's.

Stacy reiterated that she was completely sure Schuyler was the father, but Fish reminded her that she'd had sex with him just a few days after she'd been with Schuyler. How could she be sure? Stacy claimed that a woman just knows, that she'd felt something that night with Schuyler, and then she proceeded to claim that medical technology is so advanced these days that they can practically pinpoint conception down to the minute, and her doctor had confirmed the day she'd been with Joplin was indeed the big day.

Stacy told Fish to relax and do his happy dance, he wasn't going to be a father. The only baby daddy her child was going to know was Rex. Fish bought all of this a little too eagerly, I have to say, but I can't really blame him. The alternative is pretty scary, after all.

Oliver admitted to being relieved, saying that after so many years of being in the closet he was finally with Kyle and having an unplanned child could really put pressure on a relationship.

Meanwhile, at the hospital, Kyle unwittingly witnessed Schuyler's reluctant theft of a prescription pad so that he could get Stacy the meds she'd need to induce labor a month early. Kyle wanted to know if Schuyler was sure that he was really the father of Stacy's child.

Without reveling Oliver's involvement, Kyle asked Schuyler how he could be so certain when he knew that Stacy had also tried to sleep with Kyle himself. Who was to say she didn't sleep with someone else to increase her odds of getting pregnant? Before they could discuss it any further, Kyle was paged and had to leave. It seemed for a moment like Schuyler might actually be considering the possibility Kyle had raised, but then he filled in the prescription pad for Oxytocin.

Later, Kyle called Fish and told him that he'd just assisted in an appendectomy in which they were complications. Though they didn't lose the patient, the experience made Kyle realize that he wouldn't know what to do if he ever lost Oliver. Fish assured his boyfriend that he wasn't going to be losing him, and Kyle apologized for their argument. Fish apologized, too, and told Kyle that he'd talked to Stacy again and she was sure the baby wasn't his.

On his end of the phone, Kyle's facial expression indicated exactly what he thought of Stacy's statement, but he told Oliver that he was glad he'd talked to her again. Fish said that he was, too, and that he just wanted their lives to be about the two of them for awhile.

Uh oh, that was very ominous. I always get nervous when a character on a soap tells a loved one that they don't know what they'd do if they ever lost them. It usually means that something bad is about to happen to said loved one!

There's plenty of reason to worry about Oliver's safety. Mitch Laurence and his henchwoman Nurse Charles have kidnapped his biological daughter Jessica Buchanan and have a crib all prepared in his lair for Stacy's baby, a.k.a. The Chosen One or The Prince of Peace, if you will. Mitch informed Jessica today that she'd be the child's mother. Oliver could be the only thing standing between Mitch and the baby when he comes for it. Gulp!

A Few Thoughts on the State of the Union

It's still a bit shocking, after eight long years of George W. Bush, to tune in to a Presidential address and come away from it moved by the President's eloquence. There is no doubt that President Obama is a wonderful speaker who can alternate between a relaxed and amusing moment and soul stirring rhetoric with ease.

I have to admit that I enjoyed the way he hammered the failings of the Bush Administration and the Republican Congress by pointing out the massive Deficit that he inherited from the supposedly fiscally conservative right.

The freeze on Government spending he declared for 2011 really worries me, though, as does the fact that in spite of what the President said tonight, the Democrats seem to be backing off Health Care reform once again out of fear for their jobs.

I have been gravely disappointed over this past year with this administration's lack of action on any of the campaign promises the President made to LGBT Americans. Tonight, he once again brought up ending the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy so that LGBT Americans can serve openly in the armed services.

It was a brief line in the speech, but I for one will be paying close attention to see if this time he will live up to what he promises:

"This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are."

No mention was made about his other campaign promise to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act.

The other moment in President Obama's speech that really pleased me was when he addressed the heinous decision made last week by the Supreme Court which will allow corporations or anyone else to spend as much as they like on political campaigns, sounding a death knell for any chance at real Campaign Finance Reform in this country.

"Last week, the Supreme Court reversed a century of law to open the floodgates for special interests — including foreign corporations — to spend without limit in our elections. Well, I don't think American elections should be bankrolled by America's most powerful interests, or worse, by foreign entities. They should be decided by the American people, and that's why I'm urging Democrats and Republicans to pass a bill that helps to right this wrong."

I've never seen a President take on a Supreme Court decision during the State of the Union before, but it certainly needed to be addressed. Watching Justice Alito sourly shake his head and grumble under his breath while those around him stood to cheer was icing on top of the cake.

The end of the President's speech was certainly stirring, but then so were the campaign speeches. The first year hasn't been very promising, but there is still time for this Administration to turn itself around. I'd like nothing more than to see President Obama become a great leader and really bring about change for the better.

Rest in Peace, Howard Zinn

I just read the sad news that author and historian Howard Zinn died today at the age of 87. Reading his book A People's History of the United States completely changed my way of looking not only at my own country and everything I'd been taught in school, but at history in general.

As big of an impact as it had on me, though, I wouldn't call it my favorite of Zinn's works. That honor belongs to his own personal history, his memoir You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train. If you haven't read anything of Zinn's and are daunted by the size of A People's History (which you really shouldn't be, since it's a very engrossing read), start with this memoir, which details Zinn's time as a pilot in World War Two and his teaching days in the south during the Civil Rights movement, his anti-war efforts during the Vietnam War and much, much more.

Zinn's voice was an incredibly important one and while his work will live on, I'm truly sorry that he won't be around to write and speak out any longer about what's happening now or about all that's still to come.

Nuke Day: Ironically, Justice is Blind

We started off in the hospital parking garage, where Reid and Kim had just had their little accident. Bob and Luke both rushed to Kim's side, while Reid began to pointlessly honk the horn of his (or rather, Luke's) car as if that would make them all get out of his way.

Luke called the police while Bob wanted to take Kim in for tests and she insisted she was fine. Reid had apparently decided to walk to the airport, or maybe hitch a ride, but Luke stopped him, telling him that he'd caused an accident and wasn't going anywhere.

Reid insisted that all of this was Luke's fault, not his, because of the whole kidnapping, private jet, surgery that most people wait a year for thing. Kim told Luke to just let Reid go, but Luke informed a newly arrived cop that Reid had just caused an accident and was trying to flee the scene.

Reid, referring to the cop as Officer Fife and condescendingly explaining to him what a neurosurgeon was, told him that he had patients who needed him waiting in Dallas and had to go. When the cop asked for his license and registration, Luke explained that the car was his and that Dr. Oliver had snatched the keys and taken it without his permission.

The cop handed Reid a summons and then, after he tossed it aside, told him he was taking him in to the station. Luke watched the whole thing with a huge grin of his face, clearly enjoying every minute of the show. After Dr. Oliver was gone, Luke picked up the summons and read the charges to Bob & Kim: driving with an expired license, operating a stolen vehicle, attempting to leave the scene of an accident, and resisting arrest.

Meanwhile, Noah was asking a nurse to get him his discharge forms. When she said she'd give them to his boyfriend, Noah told her that he wasn't waiting for Luke, he just wanted the forms and then a cab to get himself out of there. Great boyfriend, huh? I'm starting to really dislike Noah most of the time.

Luke returned before Noah could make his getaway, though, and found him trying to button his shirt. Luke tried to help, but Noah knocked his hands away, telling him that he could do it himself. Noah also told his boyfriend that he'd called a cab and needed to get away from Luke.

Ouch! But Luke was surprisingly calm and told Noah that he knew this was frustrating but that it might help if Noah didn't take everything out on him. Finally! I've been waiting for Luke to stop being Noah's emotional punching bag ever since the senseless lashing out began.

Noah claimed that he was just being honest and that Dr. Oliver had been his one shot at getting his sight back. Luke told Noah that Reid was an arrogant jerk and that Luke didn't believe that he was the only doctor who could help Noah.

When Luke reminded Noah that he was just trying to help, his boyfriend railed at him, saying that his idea of helping was taking him back to his Mommy's house and making sure his socks matched for the rest of his life. He added that he'd lost his one shot because Dr. Oliver hadn't been able to stand being around Luke.

Luke demanded to know how Noah could turn this around on him, and Noah said that this was what he was stuck with. Luke said that he himself didn't feel stuck, in spite of what Noah thought, but Noah said that he wasn't the same person that Luke fell in love with and that things had changed.

Luke took Noah's hand and said that he was right that things would never be the same, but that Noah was still the man he'd fallen in love with. Noah said that he wished he could believe Luke as much as Luke believed himself.

I'm sorry, but at the moment the Luke and Noah scenes are either painfully repetitive and boring, or they're making me hate one or both of the guys and leaving me wondering why they're even together in the first place.

I'd like to see them apart for awhile. Noah was much more watchable in his scenes with Maddie and Hunter last week, and Luke's scenes with Reid are burning up with potential and with chemistry. When they're together, though, Luke and Noah are starting to feel like scenes I'd fast forward through if they were any other characters.

Meanwhile, Reid was already before a judge (the legal system works fast in Oakdale, unless they're dealing with a crime that matters, like a serial killer stalking the teens of the town or when someone has been kidnapped by their wacko Grimaldi cousin and her gay twin brother/boyfriend) and was holding nothing back as he informed the judge that the doctors in the town had gone to clown college and that the cops were dumber than rocks.

Reid asked for his cell phone back so that he could book the next flight out of 'this town that time forgot' and the Judge informed him that he'd just revealed himself to be a flight risk. He ordered that Reid be held in custody until his trial, which was scheduled for the next month.

At that point, Dr. Bob Hughes showed up in court and asked to approach the bench. Addressing the Judge by his first name (which caused the usual snide comment from Reid), Bob told him that Kim had been in the car that Dr. Oliver hit.

While Bob tried to get a word in edgewise, Dr. Oliver kept interrupting with accusations of cronyism and of Bob trying to make the accident sound worse that it had been, until Dr. Hughes finally told him to do himself a favor and keep his mouth shut.

Bob told the Judge that Reid's skill as a surgeon was in direct proportion to his ego and that people could use his help. Dr. Hughes suggested that the Judge release Dr. Oliver to Bob's recognisance so that he could practice at the hospital in Oakdale under Bob's guidance while awaiting his trial.

Wait, an arrogant big city doctor sentenced to practice in a small town for damages caused in a minor auto accident? Isn't this an old Michael J. Fox movie called Doc Hollywood? Maybe next month, when Noah's eyes are all better, they can do a plot where our Mr. Mayer gets a job in the mail room of WorldWide and then sets himself up as an Executive on the sly! (Secret of My Success? Anyone?)

Back at the hospital, Luke and Noah were finishing up the paperwork to get Noah discharged. Noah said that he wasn't going to spend the rest of his life at Lily's place and Luke said that he wasn't, either, and that while they'd had to give up their mythical apartment, they'd get another one, equally mythical, when they were ready.

At that point, Reid stormed in, asking Luke if he was proud of himself and saying that he was stuck in 'OakHell' for a month because of him. Luke rather smugly told him that if he needed to get a surgery fix in during that time, Noah's case was still available. Dr. Oliver started to say that he wasn't taking Noah's case, but Luke chirped out that they'd call him for a consultation and then wheeled Noah away before another word could be said.

I like that Luke is starting to give as good as he gets when it comes to Reid. I love watching these two go round for round.

Rest in Peace, James Mitchell

I've written before about the relatively small number of openly gay actors on daytime television. At the moment, there are only two out gay men acting on soaps, both on One Life to Live, and neither is actually on contract: Scott Evans, who plays Fish, and Nicholas Rodriguez, who plays Nick.

The Young and the Restless boasts the only out lesbian cast member, Clementine Ford, though if we count Lea Delaria's recurring role as Madame Delphina on One Life to Live, the number goes up to two. Ford is the only out actor or actress working in daytime with a contract.

Of course, there are plenty of actors and actresses in daytime whose sexuality is more or less an open secret, people who are widely known to be gay but who have never officially come out of the closet. These are people who don't hide their sexuality with fake relationships with the opposite sex, but who never address the issue publicly, either.

Earlier this week, actor James Mitchell passed away at the age of 89. Mitchell spent the last thirty years playing All My Children's Palmer Cortland.

Mitchell was one of those actors who never publicly discussed his sexuality, so I was surprised to read in the Associated Press article about his passing that his death had been confirmed by his longtime partner, Albert Wolsky, an academy award winning costume designer. Their relationship was also mentioned in The Advocate.

It's not surprising that Mitchell never opened up to the public about his sexuality. He was from a generation that largely remained closeted their entire lives, even to those closest to them. On top of that, he worked in a medium where almost all of the younger gay actors are still staying in the closet today, forty years after Stonewall. Some are even actively hiding their sexuality, rather than just not discussing it at all.

From what I know of him, Mitchell at least had the courage to live his life openly with the love of his life at his side, and that's no small thing.

I have never been a regular viewer of All My Children, but the few times I have tuned in over the years and seen Mitchell's work, he always seemed to have a sly, amused air about him that made me think that Palmer would probably be one of my favorite characters if I watched the show.

I know he'll be greatly missed by all the fans of All My Children. Rest in peace, James.

(Belated) Nuke Day: It's Not Brain Surgery! Oh, Wait...

Yesterday was another Nuke day on As the World Turns. Their scenes opened with Dr. Oliver returning to Noah's room at the hospital to launch a full on snark fest towards everything from the food in the hospital cafeteria to how white bread and self satisfied a place Oakdale is.

The bottom line was that Reid wanted to do Noah's surgery as quickly as possible so that he could get the hell out of town. I figured that the show would treat brain surgery as casually as, say, a fake green card marriage, so I have to admit that I was completely surprised when Luke got all logical, pointing out that Noah had already had something to eat and couldn't go under anesthesia for twenty four hours, not to mention the fact that Dr. Oliver didn't even know anyone at the hospital yet.

Reid's view was that a brain was a brain and the rest didn't matter. Yeah, that's the attitude I'd want from my brain surgeon! Luke told Reid that Noah wasn't ready, but Noah declared that he was calling the shots and had been ready since the day of his accident.

So much for logic. Reid found the Chief of Staff, Dr. Bob Hughes, and filled him in on his needs ("You! You look important. I need...") Bob was understandably nonplussed by this, but Luke quickly introduced the two, leading to Reid snarking at Luke "Of course you're on a first name basis." Love it!

Luke wanted Noah to think about things a bit more before rushing into the surgery and was not pleased with Reid for pressuring Noah because of his own time constraints. Dr. Oliver pointed out that Luke had certainly been in a hurry when he'd 'kidnapped' him and forced him to come to Oakdale.

Bob, overhearing this confrontation, took Reid aside and told him that his Chief in Dallas might put up with his arrogance, but that he wasn't about to sign off on the surgery until Noah had thought all the consequences through. Reid accused Bob of coming to this decision because Noah's boyfriend was a family friend,"Or maybe a donor?"

Bob told Reid that both 'the patient and his partner' were under informed and scared to death, and that Dr. Oliver was going to have to take the time to reassure them before he had Noah sign the consent.

Don't mess with Dr. Bob! Reid went back in to see Noah and Luke and informed Noah that there were serious risks, including death as Luke pointed out, and nothing could be guaranteed, but that if Noah wanted his sight back, Dr. Oliver was the best man for the job.

Noah said that he wanted to have the surgery and when Luke pointed out again that he didn't have to do it that very day, Noah said he needed to get his life back. Luke told him that he had his life, but Noah said that it was A life, not His life and Luke reluctantly helped Noah sign the form.

After Reid left to get things prepared, Luke and Noah had a heart to heart talk that felt more like the real Luke & Noah than anything we've seen for ages.

Luke: How scared are you?

Noah: Very. Not as scared as I am of being blind the rest of my life.

Luke: Well I'm not going to let that happen. You believe me don't you?

Noah (actually touching Luke for a change): I'm starting to.

At that point, Luke and Noah shared their first kiss in some time, which was sweet and yet awkward since it was Noah's first kiss as a blind man. It was interrupted by Reid's return to take Noah off for surgery.

Luke was nervously pacing in the hospital hallway a short time later when Bob and Kim Hughes suggested that he take a walk with them, since there wouldn't be any news for hours. Luke had just agreed when Reid came out of the O.R. and informed him that there was bad news. I thought the half sick, half terror stricken look on Luke's face as they faded to commercial was a nice touch on the part of Van Hansis.

Reid informed Luke that he'd checked out Noah's latest scans as he was scrubbing in and realized that there was more vascular involvement than he'd thought. Noah would need multiple surgeries with IV drug therapy in between, and that was more of a commitment than Dr. Oliver was willing to make. On top of all that, he informed Luke that he'd have his office bill him for his time that day.

Luke protested that Dr. Oliver hadn't done anything and Reid reminded him that he'd been forced to come and that his time was valuable: just ask any of his many patients waiting for him back in Dallas.

Luke didn't know how he was going to tell Noah about this, since he'd been counting on the surgery. Bob and Kim suggested that it would at least be easier for Noah to hear it from Luke. Uh, have they met the new Noah? Or heard that expression about killing the messenger? After Bob and Kim left, Reid returned to ask if Luke had got him a car for the airport yet.

Luke was suddenly in Dr. Oliver's face, telling him that he wasn't going anywhere until he'd helped Noah. Reid told Luke that he'd only give Noah a 20% chance of getting off the table if he did operate since he needed months of surgery.

Luke snapped that Reid that he wasn't using the Grimaldi jet and could find his own way back to Dallas. Reid sneered that Luke was taking his toys and going home since he didn't get what he wanted and told him to have a nice life. The pissed off look on Luke's face was priceless, not to mention hot! These two have intense chemistry together. I love it.

We didn't see Luke actually tell Noah the bad news. Instead, we arrived in the middle of the conversation, with Luke urging Noah not to give up hope just because Dr. Oliver couldn't operate. As expected, Noah lashed out at Luke and blamed him for blackmailing Reid, saying that it wasn't that he couldn't operate, it was that he didn't want to because of Luke.

It's funny how Mr. Morality, who had such a problem with Luke after he stole the election, had no qualms about threats and blackmail the other day when it seemed to have benefited him! His tune has certainly changed now.

Luke said that this wasn't over, but Noah ordered him out of his room. To his credit, the way that Jake Silbermann sort of curled into something resembling the fetal position after he told Luke to go away was a nice touch and did make me feel bad for him.

Out in the hall, Luke discovered that Reid was unable to get a commercial flight to Dallas due to bad weather. Luke asked him to at least stay and explain to him and Noah what they could do to make this better, even saying that they could get a place in Dallas.

Reid: I don't know how to make this clear to you. I'm not taking your boyfriend's case. I'm done. So quit ordering me around like I'm one of your servants. I don't need your money, it doesn't impress me.

Luke: Well then what will?!

Reid: Your car.

Luke: What?

Reid: You're driving me to the airport. Come on.

Was I the only one who thought, just for a second, that Reid was going to make Luke an indecent proposal? Something like "Be my love slave and I'll help your boyfriend." Their chemistry was off the charts in this scene.

In the oddly empty parking garage, Luke (who looked really cute; Van always looks great all bundled up in winter outdoor scenes, like those he had last year on the hospital roof between Luke and Noah) told Reid that he wasn't driving him anywhere, that he had to stay and help Noah.

Reid said that he was tired of Luke's command performance and that no matter how rich Luke was or how used to getting his way, it wasn't happening this time. He took Luke's keys and told him that he could pick up his car at the airport.

All during this scene, too, I kept waiting for Reid to kiss Luke or something. There's just this strong vibe between them.

Luke jumped in front of the car, leaning against the hood, but Dr. Oliver wasn't about to let that stop him. He started forward anyway, making Luke jump aside, and causing Reid to miss the fact that Kim Hughes was backing out of her own parking spot. Fender bender!

Both parties seemed fine, but clearly Dr. Oliver's trip back to Dallas is going to be delayed. That was all for Friday's show, but I have to say that for the first time in quite awhile, I pretty much enjoyed all of the Nuke scenes. Or, maybe I should say the LuReid scenes? Oluke? Luliver?

The chemistry between Van Hansis and Eric Sheffer Stevens has me on the edge of my seat in a way that I haven't been with this show for a long time. More please!

Kish: Stripper Showdown

Today's Kish scenes picked up at the moment where yesterday's ended, with Fish asking Kyle if he was saying that the baby could be his. It shouldn't come as any surprise that Oliver was freaking out just a little bit at this point.

Kyle suggested that Fish treat this like a police case: what would he do if he had a bunch of evidence that could mean different things? Fish said that he'd track down every lead to try and figure out the truth. Kyle, being strong for Oliver's sake, said that they'd do exactly that and figure out the truth together.

Fish wondered aloud how this could have happened, noting that he'd slept with Stacy once (I guess he meant once that night, since we all know that he slept with her early last year, too) and Kyle pointed out that it could have been a lot worse.

When Fish wondered how things could possibly be worse, his boyfriend pointed out that he'd slept with someone without protection. Oliver protested that he'd been wasted and Kyle asked if that was supposed to make it okay. Fish rather lamely added that Stacy had told him it was all taken care of. How, he asked rhetorically, could he have been such an idiot?

Kyle and Fish went over the details again and confirmed that the timing was exactly right for the baby to be Oliver's, but Fish hopefully pointed out that Stacy had also slept with Schuyler and who knew how many others, since she was 'trolling for baby daddy'.

Fish thought the baby had to be Schuyler's since it didn't make any sense for Stacy to have told him it was if that wasn't true. Kyle reminded Fish that Stacy only does what's good for Stacy and wondered why Schuyler would cover for her with Rex.

Fish: Kyle, I don't know what to believe. All I keep thinking is that I could have a baby.

Kyle: I know.

Fish: What am I going to do?

Kyle: I know what we're not going to do is panic.

Fish: I think it might be too late for that.

Kyle: Listen to me. We're going to deal with this together. Okay? No matter what we find out.

Fish: Okay.

I loved this scene! I thought it was fantastic how Kyle just calmly let Fish know that he's there by his side, no matter what, and that Oliver is not going to have to deal with all of this alone. You could see Fish just calm down a little as he looked into Kyle's eyes. These two are so amazing together.

Kyle asked Oliver what their first step should be, how they should deal with a 'lying, scheming bimbo' and Fish said they had to do it head-on.

They did so by showing up at the Buchanan mansion, where Stacy and her partner in crime Kim (who is currently living with her boss/potential sugar daddy Clint Buchanan) were in the middle of talking about who would get custody of the baby if something happened to Stacy and Rex thanks to Mitch.

Stacy told Fish that she didn't need any protection while she was at the mansion and Kyle chimed in, saying that what she needed was an 'ass whuppin'. Stacy and Kim were outraged and Stacy demanded to know for what, exactly, her ass needed to be whipped.

Fish: For telling me that's not my baby inside you when you know damn well it could be!

Fish asked Stacy if the baby was Schuyler's or his, but Stacy reminded him that he'd been wasted the night they spent together and claimed that they'd never actually had sex. Fish pointed out that she'd told him they had the next morning.

Stacy: Oh, come on Oliver! You've known me long enough to know that just because I say something doesn't mean it's the truth!

Fish said that he knows when he's had sex with a woman and Kim piped up, telling him that he wouldn't know his way around a woman with a GPS. Ha! I love Kim. She's the only good thing to come out of this Stacy Morasco mess. Although to be honest, Stacy herself hasn't irritated me nearly as much lately as she used to.

Stacy said that it didn't matter what had happened that night because the baby was Schuyler's. Kyle asked how she could know that when there was nothing on her chart about a CVS. After receiving three rather blank stares, Kyle explained that it was a fetal paternity test.

Kim ordered the guys out, saying that the stress wasn't good for Stacy or the baby, but Kyle told her that if they left without proof of paternity, they were going straight to Rex and Schuyler.

Kim: You'd better go see your friend Roxy, Kyle. Your roots are showing.

Kyle: What's that supposed to mean?

Kim: Once a blackmailer, always a blackmailer. You really give gays a bad name.

Kyle: You and Stacy ain't exactly doing strippers and sluts any favors, either.

Love it! It's awesome how Kyle is the one who is taking the lead on this, fiercely protecting his man. Plus, he's really hot when he gets all worked up!

When the women weren't forthcoming with any more info, our guys started to leave, heading for Rex and Schuyler as promised. Kim stopped them by saying that Kyle would be the one who suffered if they said anything.

She told them that her boss, Clint, had hospital board members in and out of his office all the time and she'd make sure they found out exactly how Kyle got his information. Stacy offered Kyle a reminder that using patient information for blackmail was against the Hippocratic oath.

Fish and Kyle were speechless, leaving a triumphant Stacy to utter the immortal words "Check and mate, bitches."

Kyle started in about all the people Stacy was hurting, like Rex and Roxy, who thought the baby was their family, and then told Stacy that she was putting herself and the baby in danger by letting Mitch Laurence believe it was his grandchild.

Kim decided that it was time to call security to have the guys thrown out, but Oliver said that wouldn't be necessary. After the guys went outside, Kyle said that he was still going to go to Rex and Schuyler, that they couldn't let Stacy get away with this.

Fish didn't want Kyle to risk his career, but Kyle said that Stacy possibly being pregnant with Oliver's child was more important than anything else. Fish refused to let Kyle throw away his future for something they weren't one hundred percent sure about and said that they'd have to wait until the baby was born, at which point they could get a paternity test.

Kyle asked if Fish could wait that long and Oliver said he could, but that they'd have to keep quiet in the meantime while he protected Stacy and what could be his child.

Pretty awesome scenes today! I loved the Stacy, Kim, Kyle, and Oliver confrontation and I love how there for each other Kyle and Fish are. Most shows would have used the baby as a road block for the new relationship, but it really seems like it's bringing Kyle and Fish even closer together.

Kish: Revelation

We opened on an awkward moment at Oliver's place, where Rex was giving Fish a huge wad of cash for services about to be rendered (minds out of the gutter!), completely oblivious to the fact that across the room Kyle and Stacy were each trying to quietly kill the other using only their eyes.

Rex apologized to Kyle for cutting into his time with Fish, but Kyle said it wasn't a problem and then snarkily added that he wouldn't want anything to happen to Stacy. Ms. Morasco got a phone call from her partner in crime at that point and took it out in the hallway, sans protection. I'd have loved it if Mitch Laurence and Nurse Charles had popped out of the apartment across the hall and grabbed her!

Kyle asked Rex if he was sure he could afford round the clock protection for Stacy, and Rex said he'd do anything to protect his child. Kyle looked appropriately weighed down by his knowledge of Stacy's secret.

Once they were alone, Fish was going on about the money he was making from this job and how he could afford to buy Kyle that new phone he wanted. Aww! Kyle told Fish to keep the money in a tone that clearly said "I want no part of it" and Oliver asked him what was wrong.

Kyle said that he felt bad for Rex and Fish agreed, saying that he wouldn't watch Mitch Laurence coming after his kid, either. (Seriously, enough already writers! We get it!)

Kyle noted that in addition to psychopath Mitch, there was also sociopath Stacy to consider. Oliver came to her defense, sort of, by saying that she's not all bad and that he can see why Rex was drawn to her, that she can be seductive.

Kyle: Says the gay man.

Fish: Okay, I wasn't always gay! Okay, I was always gay, but I had my faux hetero moments and, you know, Stacy definitely took advantage of my confusion.

Kyle: Wait, are you saying you slept with Stacy Morasco?

Well, I guess Kyle and Oliver hadn't had this particular conversation yet after all. I thought at first that they might have had it offscreen, but once Schuyler filled Kyle in on the extent of Stacy's machinations and Kyle wasn't worried about the timing, it was pretty obvious that they hadn't talked about Fish's fling with Stacy yet.

Needless to say, Kyle was a little freaked out by this news and Oliver pointed out that Kyle knew he'd slept with women in the past. Kyle asked when Oliver had slept with Stacy and Fish told him about getting drunk at last year's Go Red Ball on Valentines day and going home with her. Although, I'm pretty sure that he wasn't actually drunk that time. It seems to me that he was feeling dejected over Layla not paying attention to him at all during the Ball and that Stacy basically just grabbed him and had her way with him.

Kyle seemed relieved that it was that far in the past, but asked if that had been the only time. Fish admitted that there had been one other time, the night before he came out. Poor Kyle looked like he was about to pass out over the implications of the timing.

Kyle sat Fish down and asked him to tell him everything that had happened between him and Stacy. Oliver was understandably taken aback by this, but Kyle asked him to humor him. Fish recapped the whole getting drunk after his confrontation with Layla/seeing Kyle with Nick thing, and sleeping with Stacy afterward. Kyle realized that it was the same week that Stacy had tried to seduce him.

Fish assured Kyle that he'd been tested after sleeping with Stacy and was totally clean. I'm glad they addressed that, by the way, since unprotected sex is always potentially dangerous but soaps tend to gloss over any risks involving heterosexual partners to tell accidental pregnancy or doubtful paternity storylines. Kyle assured Fish that being tested wasn't the issue here.

Fish: So then what's the problem? You can't think that I'm not committed to you or that I'm not actually gay?

Kyle: I know that you're gay. Okay, I knew before you did. And I know you love me. I love you, too.

Kyle proceeded to tell Fish about what he'd overheard between Schuyler and Stacy at the hospital, and about Stacy losing Rex's child and deciding to find someone else to get her pregnant again.

Fish: Schuyler.

Kyle: Actually, she came to me first.

Fish: Are you kidding?

Kyle: I'd helped her with some scams in the past. I guess I just drew the line at having sex with her.

Fish: Yeah, but I didn't. (a look of realization crosses his face) Oh, my God.

Kyle: Look at the timing. Stacy loses Rex's baby and in the course of a week she tries me, no dice, Schuyler, and then you. Bingo, she's pregnant.

Fish: So you're saying that the baby could be mine.

Brett Claywell and Scott Evans both did an excellent job today. Brett was great with projecting the almost physical weight that Kyle has been under since finding out Stacy's secret, and once Kyle realized that the baby could be Fish's, he came across as almost shell shocked.

As for Scott, he nailed Fish's reaction to the news, which seemed to be "I've totally screwed up my life" mixed with a dash of terror. It's probably scary enough to find out you're unexpectedly about to become a parent, but to realize that you're going to be tied to Stacy Morasco and the mess that is her very existence for the rest of your life... yikes!

I especially love that the show didn't have Kyle drag out keeping the secret. As soon as he realized Fish could be involved, he spilled the beans.

Great stuff, I can't wait to see what happens next! Fish is no Schuyler Joplin, so Stacy's secret isn't going to be under wraps much longer. The best part is that now that Fish knows, we've officially heard our last annoyingly clueless "If the baby were mine" comment!

Nuke Day: The Doctor Is In

Today's Nuke scenes on As the World Turns opened with Luke pacing the floor, waiting for the celebrated Dr. Oliver to call him back regarding Noah's case. Noah himself was sitting on the sofa, complete with his blind man's walking cane. At first I wasn't sure if it was really Noah because he didn't seem to be arbitrarily lashing out at Luke at all, but then I realized that he was probably just on a break.

After Lily came in and helpfully supplied the news that Dr. Oliver's waiting list was a year long, the man himself finally called Luke's cell phone. After mentioning that Luke had called his office about three dozen times, Dr. Oliver wasted no time in being a complete jerk, first sneering at Oakdale itself as if it were some hill town in the Ozarks, and then telling Luke that he wouldn't be taking Noah's case because it 'bored him to tears'.

Wow. That was kind of awesome. Dr. Reid Oliver is an arrogant jerk and yet somehow I want him to get into Luke's pants as soon as possible!

After Dr. Oliver hung up on Luke, our Mr. Snyder assured Noah that he wouldn't be giving up and neither should Noah. Lily suggested finding another doctor, but Noah told her that there was no one else who could do what Dr. Oliver could do.

Noah was clearly discouraged and now that he isn't acting like Rage is his middle name, I feel for the first time like we're seeing our Noah dealing with this, rather than someone else who happens to have the same name and face but a completely different personality.

Lily took Luke aside and pointed out that there was no one who knows how to call in a favor like his dear old Bio Dad Damian. Luke headed for Damian's office, keeping Noah in the dark about his intentions so that he wouldn't get his hopes up.

Damian suggested offering Dr. Oliver more money, but Luke had already tried that. Damian then said that Luke should make the good doctor 'an offer he can't refuse' instead. With Damian looking on proudly, Luke called Dr. Oliver back and bluffed about having his medical license revoked with documented proof of just how often he'd bent the rules in the name of healing people. The doctor immediately folded, asking Luke what he wanted.

You know, if I were Luke I'd be worried about entrusting my boyfriend's health to someone who gives in that easily to a very vague threat like that. It might just make me wonder what medical mishaps the guy was worried about covering up.

Luke, of course, had no such worries (that would require a bit of intelligence and common sense, something this pod person version of Luke is lacking at the moment) and told Dr. Oliver that he had his father's jet waiting at the airport to bring him to Oakdale so he could examine Noah.

Damian told Luke how proud he was of him, while I mourned for the real Luke, lost the day that he inexplicably decided to go to work for his biological father.

There was some small vestige of the old Luke remaining, though, as he expressed guilt to Damian for the way he'd just blackmailed Dr. Oliver. Damian told him that the end justified the means and that you do anything you have to when you love someone.

When Luke later filled in Lily about his actions she was far from pleased. By that time, though, Luke seemed to have had enough of Damian's Kool Aid to be comfortable with having threatened someone.

Meanwhile, Noah's ex girlfriend Maddie showed up to talk to him about a new Vlog she's doing about relationships for an online newspaper. He greeted her with bitterness and self pity turned on full force, but Maddie didn't let him push her away or wallow in his feelings and suggested going out for something to eat. I'm so happy that Alexandra Chando is back in the role of Maddie, by the way. I always liked her and she and Jake Silbermann seem to have very good chemistry together as onscreen friends.

Noah, Maddie, and Maddie's co-worker/potential love interest Hunter had lunch together at Al's and Noah was actually relaxed, smiling, and having fun for a change. Afterward they went somewhere to listen to really loud music, which was supposed to be about testing Noah's other senses to see if they were actually heightened, but which really didn't make any sense at all, unless they expected Noah's head to explode from being able to heard loud music more loudly than the non-blind do.

Later, at the hospital, Luke and Dr. Oliver came face to face. Luke acted as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened between them, but the doctor wasted no time in saying that he hoped Luke would choke on the big silver spoon in his mouth and proceeded to add that most people wait their turn for his services, rather than thinking the blue blood in their veins made them more deserving.

Wow, it's even hotter when Dr. Oliver insults Luke to his face! I'm not sure why it's so hot seeing this guy being rude to Luke, but it really is. The Nuke storyline has been bogged down in boredom for so long, and the introduction into the story of the wet blanket that was Mason did absolutely nothing for it. I really think Reid Oliver could shake it up, though, and make it watchable again.

Many a great soap relationship has started with one or both of the people actively hating the other. I think I could get behind a Luke/Dr. Oliver pair up. You definitely get the feeling that the arrogant doctor would enjoy taking the spoiled rich boy down a peg or two, which makes for some interesting chemistry between them.

Anyway, Noah finally showed up at the hospital and Dr. Oliver pulled him into an examining room for fifteen minutes alone, which sounds kind of naughty but probably wasn't. When Dr. Oliver came back out he told Luke that he didn't like him, but that Noah hadn't asked for this, so he'd help him on the condition that he never has to see Luke again once he's restored Noah's sight.

Luke agreed to the deal and then Dr. Oliver got a bit creepy and said that Luke had better agree, since Reid was the one who'd be cutting open Luke's boyfriend's head.

Luke went in to see Noah and told him what he'd done to get Dr. Oliver to come to Oakdale. I expected Noah to be upset by Luke resorting to blackmail, but instead he thanked him and they had kind of a nice moment, I guess, not that they touched or kissed or did anything but stand there and awkwardly smile at each other.

That was all for today. I'm liking the introduction of Reid Oliver, hating the way Luke is being written, but feeling better about the way Noah was acting today, both with Luke and definitely in his scenes with Hunter and Maddie.

Kish: Baby Mamas and Bar Fights

Today's Kish scenes picked up where we left off on Friday, with Fish having just told Kyle that he was going to be protecting Stacy and her unborn child. Oliver noticed right away that something was bothering his boyfriend and asked him what was wrong.

Kyle said that he hated that Mitch Laurence was threatening Stacy's baby, but Fish could tell that something else was upsetting him. Kyle admitted that he'd found something out at the hospital but that he couldn't tell him what it was because of doctor patient confidentiality.

Fish understood and told Kyle that there would be stuff from police investigations that he wouldn't be able to share either.

The two had just settled back on the sofa and Oliver was about to help Kyle forget the bad day he'd had when Fish's phone rang. Rex was calling to ask Fish to come over and baby mama-sit Stacy for an hour while he ran some errands. Poor Oliver said that he'd just got off (he meant from work, of course, though if Rex had just called a little later...) but Rex promised to double his rate if he'd do it.

Fish apologized to Kyle but explained that it was extra cash and he was helping to keep a baby safe. Kyle seemed frustrated but understanding.

At Stacy's place, Oliver promised to guard Stacy like the baby was his own child. It was cute at first, but they're really starting to over do having people make unwitting references to the baby being Oliver's.

As soon as he was alone with Stacy, Oliver opened with a reference to the last time he was at her place, but Stacy shut him down, reminding him that the two of them hooking up that night was a big mistake and never happened.

Fish rather adorably said that if he'd known she was pregnant, he'd have been too afraid to touch her. He was in the middle of asking if that could have hurt the baby when they were interrupted by Stacy's friend Kim. Oliver went out in the hall to stand guard and leave the women to their scheming.

I'm not quite sure why exactly, but Scott Evans seemed even hotter than usual in this scene, not to mention downright adorable as Fish bumbled along, making awkward conversation with Stacy.

Meanwhile, Kyle headed to Rodi's, where he was just in time to break up a very one sided food fight between Roxy, Gigi and Schuyler. Kyle's BFF wasn't taking too kindly to seeing the woman her son loves making out with the new man in her life, so she bombarded them with whatever drinks and food she could get her hands on at the bar until Kyle broke it up.

You have to love Roxy!

Kyle took Roxy to a table and bought her a drink, but not before he told Schuyler that he thought he'd earned the treatment that Roxy had just been dishing out.

Roxy and Kyle had a very sweet conversation about how Kyle has Roxy's back, but then it got awkward when Roxy brought up the fact that if Stacy wasn't carrying Rex's child, Rex and Gigi never would have broken up.

A guilty Kyle went back over to the bar and confronted Schuyler again, telling him how Roxy was over there talking about a grandchild that wasn't even really related to her. Kyle told Schuyler that he had to tell the truth and Schuyler claimed that he would when it was the right time. He then twisted the knife a bit by saying that he was just trying to stop someone he loved from ending up with the wrong person and that Kyle knew what that was like.

Funny, I don't remember Kyle lying and scheming to make sure Oliver didn't end up with Layla. I'm really starting to hate Schuyler at the moment, I think they're ruining the character by having him keep this secret. It just doesn't make sense.

Oliver returned to his apartment, his babysitting shift over, and Kyle was knocking on the door before he could do more than set down his gun. Kyle said that he was glad Oliver was home in one piece and added that whenever Fish is on the job, he just feels glad when he comes home safely.

Oliver pointed out that this was 'just security work', which seems awfully naive to me in this case. I certainly wouldn't want to be standing between Mitch Laurence and something he's determined to have! It's not a very safe place to be.

Fish went on to say that he can't let anything happen to Stacy's baby and that it's weird that even though the child isn't his, he understands how a parent feels. Again, they're way over doing these references! It's a very minor quibble, but I don't think references like this add to the dramatic tension at all. Just let Oliver be shocked when he finds out the news, we don't need all these ironic comments along the way!

That was it for Kish today. Stacy is determined to induce labor a month early, on Valentine's day, so that her delivery date matches up with when she originally got pregnant by Rex. This means that our guy Oliver could be a daddy by this time next month. I'm still hoping Kyle and Fish end up raising the baby together, though I'm not sure they're really at that stage in their relationship yet.

The Future Looks Bright

I usually avoid spoilers, but when I saw a headline hinting at Glee's Kurt getting a boyfriend on the show, I had to know more!

Show creator Ryan Murphy gave Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello a hint of what the near future will hold for some of the characters, including Kurt Hummel, and it sounds fantastic:

“We just announced we’re doing a nationwide search for the season 2 cast, and [a boyfriend for Kurt is] one of the three roles that we’re adding. And we’re going to make them a power couple. We’re not going to do the whole hiding in the shadows thing. We’re going to make them popular, and out and proud and glamorous. Like prom king and king. We’re doing the opposite of what’s been done.”

How awesome does that sound? I can't wait to see this. We've come so far from the first gay teen who was a regular character in primetime! Jack McPhee's one kiss per season and barely there storylines were a mere decade ago on Dawson's Creek, but it seems light years away from the gay teen power couple we'll soon be watching on Glee.

The rest of Murphy's preview was pretty exciting, too, so check it out. I just wish we didn't have to wait until April for new episodes to begin airing.

Very Random Thoughts on the Golden Globes

The 67th Annual Golden Globes aired tonight and I decided to jot down some thoughts while I watched the show. No doubt they'll be completely random.

First off, I love Ricky Gervais, I think he's incredibly funny. I've been a fan since I saw his series Extras, but I have to confess that I haven't yet watched his more famous show, The Office (or the American remake of it). Anyway, I thought his opening tonight was very funny.

Of course, part of the fun of the Golden Globes is scanning the crowd for the wide variety of celebrities from TV and movies. It always looks like such a fun night, as opposed to the Oscars where you know the fun doesn't start until the show is over.

I spotted David Burtka, partner to Neil Patrick Harris, right away while the camera was lingering on Keifer Sutherland. David is such a cutie!

Lea Michele's category, Best Actress in a Television Comedy, was one of the first presented and as much as I would have liked her to win for Glee, I do think Toni Collette is amazing in The United States of Tara and deserved a win. I still have issues with her show being considered a comedy, though. I think it's a drama with comedic elements.

I really wanted Neil Patrick Harris to win Best Supporting Actor. I think John Lithgow is awesome in pretty much everything he does (I haven't watched him on Dexter), but Neil is so overdue for a win!

I completely teared up when they showed Michael C. Hall in the audience during Lithgow's acceptance speech and he was wearing a stocking cap because of his cancer treatment. He was fantastic in Six Feet Under and I really hope he beats this.

I was glad to see him win for Best Actor in a Television Drama, too, and when the little voiceover informed us that he'd been in Cabaret on Broadway it was news to me. I've never heard him sing, but now I want to!

Seeing Ryan Kwanten in the audience makes me think I really do need to watch True Blood, if only for the shallowest of reasons! I was fast forwarding past something and stopped and backtracked to see who that beautiful man I'd just caught a glimpse of was.

Speaking of unexpected glimpses of hot guys, Juliana Margulies' husband is a total hottie! I don't think I'd ever seen him before tonight, but I'd certainly like to see more of him!

I can't believe Sigourney Weaver lost again for Prayers for Bobby! She really deserved the recognition.

Alec Baldwin just beat Matthew Morrison for Best Actor in a TV Series Comedy or musical. I like Alec Baldwin, but it seems like he's already won plenty of awards for 30 Rock. Matthew looked very hot, though, and it was nice to see his Glee co-stars behind him in the crowd, cheering him on. There have been far fewer shots of the Glee cast than I expected tonight, given how popular the show is. Maybe NBC doesn't want to promote it more than they have to?

I love Zachary Levi. I wish he was nominated instead of just presenting. I'm glad Chuck is finally back for its third season. Between Zachary and Ryan McPartlin, Monday nights are hotter than ever.

I've been seeing Taylor Lautner's face everywhere for months, especially at work with all the endless Twilight merchandise we carry, but tonight was the first time I'd ever heard him speak. I know there are countdown clocks out there for all the people waiting for him to be legal, but he just comes across like a kid to me. His voice sounded like that of someone who hasn't quite hit puberty yet.

I really need to see (500) Days of Summer. Have I mentioned what an incredible actor I think Joseph Gordon-Levitt is?

It sucks that they chose a presenter from Gossip Girl and it wasn't Ed Westwick! Chace is very pretty, but he can't hold a candle to Ed for sheer sexiness.

How could Jane Lynch not win for Best Supporting Actress??!? Recount! Seriously, that's the one award I really felt certain Glee would win tonight. I'm very disgruntled, probably more so because Chloe Sevigny has always been one of those people that I find incredibly irritating for no particular reason.

Jane looked fantastic, and I can only hope that she'll have better luck at the Emmys and at next year's Golden Globes. I'm sure this won't be her only nomination for playing Sue Sylvester!

How hot does Matt Damon look? I know that's a given, of course, but the man seems even sexier now that he did over a decade ago when I fell for him completely in Good Will Hunting. How is it possible that he keeps getting better with age?

Leonardo DiCaprio still looks good, for example, but I'd definitely pick Leo from The Beach over the Leo of today. I'd chose current Matt over Good Will Hunting Matt without a second thought, though.

Sorry, my casually jotted down thoughts seem to run towards hot guys more than anything else. What can I say?

Oh my God, how much do I love Ricky Gervais for his Mel Gibson introduction?! That was awesome! Best joke of the night. Wow! It helps that I loathe Mel Gibson, of course.

Glee won for Best Comedy!!! Yes!! There was much shouting for joy in my apartment, which is particularly sad since I'm watching by myself. It was so great to see the cast on the stage together, looking so happy.

I didn't really have much to say about the rest of the awards. I haven't seen any of the nominated films in the Comedy or Drama categories, which says a lot about my movie going habits these days. Once upon a time, I practically lived at the movie theater on weekends, but for the last two years in a row I've seen a grand total of two films per year on the big screen. The saddest part is that last year my two choices were real winners: Friday the 13th and Wolverine. Yikes!

I really just prefer to wait and watch films through Netflix these days. It's certainly cheaper that way, though I do miss the excitement of the big screen experience.

Well, The Golden Globes have come and gone. Next stop, The Oscars, where I'll try (and fail) to be less random in my observations.

Kish: Baby Drama

We picked up right where we left off yesterday, with Rex asking Fish to protect Stacy and the baby while across town Kyle overheard Schuyler saying that the unborn child was his, not Rex's.

Fish asked Rex if he was sure that Stacy was telling the truth about Mitch coming after her, given her track record with honesty. Rex assured him that it was true, but Oliver turned down the job, saying that he barely got to spend any time with Kyle as it was between his job and Kyle's med school schedule.

Fish said that he'd ask around the station and see if any of the other guys were interested, but Rex laid on the guilt, pointing out that with the new police commissioner being in Mitch's pocket, Rex couldn't trust just any cop. He needed Fish, whom he knew was trusted completely by John and Bo.

In the end Oliver agreed to help out, which was inevitable since he's too nice of a guy to say no to helping someone in need, especially once Rex played the 'You're our only hope' card.

At the hospital, Stacy demanded to know what exactly Kyle had heard and he admitted to knowing that Schuyler was the father of her child, not Rex. Schuyler rather pathetically tried to come up with a believable cover for that statement being just metaphoric, but Kyle told him he was a terrible liar and suggested he take some lessons from Stacy.

Kyle called them out on what they were doing to Rex and on Schuyler not 'Man-ing up' and taking responsibility for his child, and told them that Rex's mother was a good friend of his.

Stacy warned Kyle to keep quiet and not mess everything up for her, first by throwing his own shady past in his face and reminding him that he had no moral high ground to stand on, and then by saying that doctor patient confidentiality prevented him from telling anyone.

Schuyler, Kyle's fellow med student, picked up on that latter point and reminded Kyle that he'd already been kicked out of med school once and was on shaky ground if he breached patient confidentiality. Kyle wondered aloud what had happened to Schuyler, who had once seemed like such a stand up guy. Yeah, I've been wondering that myself, Kyle. On a shallow note, it was hot seeing Kyle get all up in Schyler's face like that!

Kyle told them both that he wouldn't say anything and stormed off, but Stacy still didn't trust him, especially since she'd gotten him into so much trouble over the past year and felt like he might want to use this information for revenge.

Schuyler went after Kyle and apologized for coming on so strong. He told Kyle that he hadn't slept with Stacy willingly and when Mr. Lewis scoffed at this, Schuyler filled him in on Stacy drugging him and on her desperation to get pregnant again after losing Rex's baby.

The pieces fell into place for Kyle, who told Schuyler that Stacy had tried to seduce him, too, and at least he now knew why. It was a good thing, Kyle said, that he was gay and had turned her down flat.

Kyle still didn't understand why Schuyler was going along with the lie, but agreed not to say anything because for once, he was happy with his own life and it was none of his business what Stacy or anyone else did. Right after Schuyler walked away, Rex went by Kyle in the hallway and I thought I detected a flash of guilt on Kyle's face. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out the next time he's with Roxy.

Oliver called Kyle to ask to see him after work, saying that he had something he needed to run by him. Kyle was at Oliver's door in no time and they kissed as if they hadn't seen each other in days instead of since that very morning. Oliver told Kyle that he wanted to apologize in advance and then explained that he was going to be very busy over the next month, since he was moonlighting for Rex to keep the baby safe from Mitch Laurence.

Oliver noticed the strange look on Kyle's face and asked him what was wrong, and that's where we left things for today.

I hope Kyle doesn't keep quiet for too long. Does doctor/patient confidentiality really apply when the person is not your patient and you're not actually a doctor yet?

On another note, I thought that Markko's over the top jealousy today after he walked in and saw Langston sitting innocently next to a shirtless Ford on the sofa was the perfect contrast to the scene with Kyle, Oliver, and Ford yesterday! It really highlighted the maturity of Oliver and Kyle's relationship, as opposed to the insecurity on the part of Markko, who after all is a college freshman in his first serious relationship. The contrast between the two scenes was very well done.

Something More on Y&R?

The gay characters and stories that were featured last summer on The Young and the Restless were more or less dropped by fall.

Here's a quick recap, if you've forgotten: Philip Chancellor III returned from the dead after twenty years and revealed to his family that he'd faked his death because he was gay and hadn't felt that he'd be accepted. At the same time, Victor Newman's scheming son Adam felt that his lawyer, the openly gay Rafe, was getting too close to uncovering Adam's crimes, so he pretended to have feelings for him, even going so far as to hook up with him to keep him from learning the truth.

There were rumors that a Philip and Rafe pairing was in the offing, but then the show wrote Philip out and Rafe went back to occasional appearances in his capacity as a lawyer, with no hint of a love life. Adam, meanwhile, moved on and is now married to his former sister in law, even though he also secretly took her child and let her think it was dead.

I was a bit bitter over the way that the stories were handled on Y&R, especially after co-head writer Scott Hammer made the following statement at the end of the summer:

"At this point, we are not doing a gay story, and we never actually were doing a gay story. What we were playing with Rafe was the lengths to which Adam will go to accomplish his goals. And what we were really seeing was that he would stop at nothing. And, at this point, I don't see a future for Rafe and Adam."

Still, I knew that the adorable Yani Gellman was still appearing as Rafe now and then, and after I read that Thom Bierdz would be returning to the role of Philip in early 2010, I wondered if there might be a pairing between the two after all and started keeping a closer eye on things.

On today's show, Rafe and Billy Abbott met for drinks. Billy was digging for dirt on Adam for a story he's writing and knew that something had gone on between Rafe and Adam. After telling Billy that, as a lawyer, he'd worked with lowlifes and sociopaths galore but had never met anyone as devious as Adam, Rafe said he'd like to see Billy bring Adam down.

Rafe mistakenly thought that Billy had already found out that he and Adam had been involved and proceeded to open up on the matter.

Billy: Look, I'm going to need the whole story if I'm going to nail this guy.

Rafe: I don't even know the whole story. I was getting close, though, and he knew it. That's the only reason it happened Billy.

Billy: Uh huh.

Rafe: He played it perfectly. Reluctant, unsure, the whole time just reeling me in.

Billy: So it was a con?

Rafe: See, nobody gets that! Heather thinks it was my idea, she still barely even talks to me.

Billy wasn't sure what Adam's ex girlfriend had to do with anything and Rafe explained that she'd been jealous over the time he was spending with Adam.

Billy: Yeah, but you were his lawyer.

Rafe: No, not by this point. You can't get involved with a client, you'd get disbarred.

Billy: (after a few speechless moments) You... you and Adam.. you were.. um.. you were.. you were... you were involved, involved? Like-

Rafe: You said you knew!

.......

Billy: You're telling me that Victor Newman's son is a bisexual?

Rafe: No.

Billy: He's gay?

Rafe: No. It was an act.

Rafe went on to explain that he'd been getting too close to uncovering the truth after his aunt was falsely accused of gaslighting Ashley, that Adam had proceeded to distract him until suspicion shifted to someone else, at which point Adam's feelings for him had suddenly vanished.

Billy wondered how big Adam's secrets must be if he'd be willing to go to such extreme measures to keep them quiet. Rafe was a bit offended, but Billy asked if Rafe would ever consider sleeping with a woman to save his 'own little ass' and Rafe agreed that he'd never do that.

It wasn't much, but now that Billy knows about the affair and plans to expose it, there could be more going on with this story in the near future. I'd certainly love to see more of Rafe, though I'm probably getting my hopes up for nothing given this show's track record with LGBT stories.

Kish: Built Ford Tough

Fish was featured on yesterday's One Life to Live, but I didn't write it up since there wasn't much going on. Both Fish and Layla were worried about their job security with a crooked new Commissioner running things at the police department. They were also concerned about being able to afford their apartment if they both lost their jobs.

Enter Ford, the new hottie in town. He met Cristian and Layla last week at the gym when he tried to pick up Layla and then stuck around to work out and compare muscles with Cristian. Yesterday he showed up to keep a gym date with Mr. Vega and while Cristian was getting ready Ford got the news that his graduate housing at the University had fallen through.

Cristian, Fish, and Layla offered Ford the third bedroom in the apartment, since Cristian and Layla are practically sharing a room now anyway, and he accepted their offer.

On to today. Fish came out of his room to find Ford wearing nothing but a very skimpy pair of black boxer briefs. The look on Oliver's face was priceless as he took in the incredible hunk standing before him. What a way to start the day! Seriously, if I were Oliver, between Ford and Cristian parading around shirtless, I'd never leave the apartment!

It got even better when Ford told Oliver that his back was bothering him and asked Fish to crack it for him by "grabbing hold and squeezing really hard." Fish, looking a bit nervous and yet eager at the same time, wrapped his arms around Ford from behind and was mid-squeeze when Kyle walked in the door.
Fish spun around, taking Ford with him, so that they were both facing Kyle, and then put his new roomie down and backed off, looking incredibly guilty. I'm not sure who I was more envious of in this scene, Scott Evans or David Gregory! I'd happily have filled in for either.

Fish said that he'd thought Kyle was starting his obstetrics rotation at the hospital that morning and Kyle explained that he'd had some time before he had to be at work, so he decided surprise Oliver with breakfast. Kyle dryly noted that now he can see what Oliver does in his spare time.

Fish introduced Ford as his new roommate and Ford explained that he'd been offered the third room at a very cheap price. Kyle thought this was great, since it meant that Ford could afford to buy himself some clothes. Ha! But, seriously, shut up Kyle! There is no clothing budget for the character of Ford and that's how it needs to remain.

Fish: You see, Ford hurt his back.

Ford: And Oliver cracked it for me.

Fish: That's all.

Ford: I feel a lot better. That's a great guy you got here.

Kyle: Yeah, that's why he's my boyfriend.

Ford: Relax, bro, I'm straight.

Kyle: Yeah? (to Fish, after Ford has walked away) I feel like I've heard that one before.

Kyle said that he'd never known that Fish was a chiropractor and that he couldn't wait for him to crack his back. Fish assured Kyle that nothing had happened and that there was no reason to be jealous. After joking that 'the lady doth protest too much', Kyle assured Oliver that he was just having some fun with him.

Fish: Listen, this is all pretty new to me, remember?

Kyle: Okay, well, something else you need to know is that it's okay to look.

Fish: I don't want to!

Kyle: Are you kidding me? Your new roommate, he's kind of hot.

Fish: (sarcastically) Oh, is he? I hadn't noticed.

Kyle: Did you also notice he looked pretty ripped, too? Because I did.

Fish: Yeah, well, you're not so bad yourself.

Kyle: Aw, thank you.

Fish: And the only guy for me. Listen, I don't sleep with straight guys.

I really liked that they've put Ford in close contact with the Kish story, which I didn't see coming. Most shows would have kept him strictly in contact with the two characters he's destined to be in a triangle with, Langston and Markko, but I've always loved how all the stories on this show are perfectly blended together. Nothing exists in an isolated story bubble, whereas on most of the other shows, that's how everything works!

As for jealous Kyle, he definitely gave Ford a 'hands off my man' vibe, which was funny to see, but I liked that he trusted Oliver completely and wasn't really uptight about his boyfriend now living with two hot guys. Both Kyle and Fish have been incredibly mature about their relationship, which is nice to see. Still, I was hoping to see a tiny bit of jealousy from Kyle, and I think we did get that in his interaction with Ford.

I also loved that Kyle told Oliver that it was okay to look, because I think Oliver would honestly have felt like even looking could be a betrayal, and yet how can you not look at someone like Ford?!

While Ford went on to parade his hot bod for Langston, first in work out shorts, then in a towel, and finally in just a pair of jeans (like I said, the clothing budget for actor David Gregory is perfect just as it is!), Oliver gave Kyle a ride to the hospital, where Kyle got in one last tease about Ford before they parted. These two are seriously adorable together!

That was all for Kish, but the Stacy baby story is starting to come into play more now that she's just a few months away from delivering. Rex, who thinks he's the baby daddy, asked Fish today to moonlight as protection for Stacy and the baby, since Mitch Laurence tried to kidnap Stacy with the intention of raising his 'grandson' in his own image among his followers.

As if it weren't enough that Fish is about to become involved in protecting an unborn child he doesn't know is his, at the end of the episode Kyle walked in on his fellow med student Schuyler declaring to Stacy that she was carrying his child, not Rex's!

FYI, Schuyler found out that Stacy wasn't as far along as she was claiming to be and to stop him from telling everything to Rex and Gigi, Kim and Stacy told him the baby was his and that he'd lose any chance of being with Gigi if she found out. Schuyler keeping this secret has never felt true to his character to me, I have to admit, especially since he knows that Stacy drugged him to get him into bed. Gigi would have understood that! Of course, Schuyler and Stacy never actually slept together, because even in his drugged haze he realized that it was Stacy and not Gigi he was with and kicked her out.

Now, Kyle was the first one that Stacy tried to seduce in her effort to get pregnant again after she miscarried Rex's baby. I'll never forget his now classic line "My people flirt too!" after he told a disbelieving Stacy and Kim that he was gay.

I'm assuming that Kyle knows that Fish slept with Stacy again right before he decided it was time to come out, though he may not. We haven't seen that conversation onscreen, but it doesn't mean that it hasn't happened. If it hasn't, my guess is that it will be taking place in the near future.

Either way, Kyle now has enough pieces of the puzzle to slowly start putting together the realization that Oliver is about to become a father. It will be interesting to see how long this takes and how it all plays out. Our boys are staying right in the mix of things story wise and I love it!

Thoughts on the GLAAD Nominees

Yesterday, the nominees for the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards were announced and I was very pleased with several of their choices.

In the film categories (there's one for Wide Release and one for Limited Release), I've only actually seen one of the ten nominated films (I Love You, Man; I've had a thing for Paul Rudd since I saw him in The Object of My Affection!) so I don't really have an informed opinion. However, based simply on the fact that I loved the book so much and can't wait to see the film, I'm hoping A Single Man wins in the Wide Release category.

For Outstanding Drama Series, they've nominated Brothers & Sisters, Grey's Anatomy, Mad Men, Skins, and True Blood. I've never seen Mad Men or True Blood, so I can't speak to either of those shows.

I loved the first two series of Skins, even though gay character Maxxie wasn't really given a leading story in the first series. Still, his brief hook up with lead (and otherwise completely straight) character Tony during their trip to Russia was a pretty cool direction for the show to take, demonstrating the fluidity of sexuality and being something you'd never see happen on an American show. In the second series, Maxxie did have more to do, but he still never got a serious onscreen romance.

I believe the GLAAD nomination is for the third series, though (I've never watched the show on BBC America, but I think that's what they're currently showing), and I was only able to endure the first episode of that before tuning out forever. The nearly complete change in cast was just too jarring and I couldn't connect with any of the new characters.

Grey's Anatomy? I watched the first season on DVD and about half of the second season in real time, and that was about half a season too much in my view. As a rule, I avoid cop shows and medical shows, since they're always so predictable and depressing. I broke my rule for Grey's Anatomy because I'd heard so many good things about it, but it quickly became everything I hate about such shows.

There weren't any LGBT characters when I was watching and I haven't followed any developments since, so I'm not sure exactly what it has been nominated for.

Which brings us to Brothers & Sisters, a show that I have followed since the beginning. I love Kevin & especially Scotty, so I guess they would be my choice to win, though even Brothers & Sisters is feeling pretty tired and almost too depressing to watch these days.

Maybe I really do need to start watching True Blood like I've been told I should!

For Outstanding Comedy Series, GLAAD has nominated three shows that I love against one another: Glee, Greek, and The United States of Tara. Modern Family and Beautiful People, neither of which I've seen yet, round out the list.

Looking just at their LGBT representation, it's hard to pick between the three shows. The United States of Tara has gay teen Marshall, who is completely accepted by his family and who had a love interest in a confused minister's son (who ended up making out with one of Marshall's mom's other personalities).

Glee has Kurt, of course, who came out to his friend Mercedes and to his father and was accepted by both. I especially love the relationship between Kurt and his dad.

Greek has gay frat brother Calvin, who has been out since the first season and who faced some difficulties in the beginning with his brothers over his sexuality. Most recently Calvin has started a relationship with Grant, his closeted roommate in the frat.

The show also features Calvin's ex, Heath, who is a brother in a rival frat and who is also out to his brothers. Heath was completely accepted from the moment he came out, but other than his on again, off again relationship with Calvin, he hasn't had much of an onscreen love life.

This past season it also featured sorority girl Rebeca questioning her own sexuality after a kiss with a visiting sorority alum.

It's really hard to pick which show is the most deserving of recognition. I'd be happy with any of them winning.

GLAAD also nominates individual episodes that deal with LGBT issues on shows without regular gay or lesbian characters. Supernatural, one of my favorites shows, was nominated this year for their episode entitled 'The Real Ghostbusters' and I really would like to see them win for this.

The episode was very meta in that lead characters Sam & Dean went to a Supernatural fan convention. On the show, their adventures have been published in book form by a character who turned out to be a prophet. These books, which no one realizes are based on a real Sam & Dean, have a cult following.

The episode was a way for the show to deal with its own fans in a tongue in cheek way and it was very funny. The LGBT element came in the form of Barnes and Damien, two of the geeky Supernatural fans who attend the convention, role playing as Sam and Dean.

They quickly realized that there were very real ghosts threatening the lives of their fellow convention attendees and ended up stepping up and helping to save the day, because it was 'what Sam and Dean would do'.

At the end of the episode, when Dean was saying his goodbyes to the characters and asked how they knew each other, they revealed that they were partners, which made an earlier moment when Damien turned back to save Barnes instead of running off to save his own life, and the encouragement they gave each other during the fight, stand out all the more.

I've never seen any of the other nominees in this category (two episodes of Private Practice, an episode of The Listener, and an episode of Parks & Recreation), but Supernatural is a show that has always playfully acknowledged their gay fans (as well as their female fans who write endless slash fiction stories about Sam and Dean, or Jared and Jensen) and this episode gave us gay characters who were not only different from most gay characters we see on TV, but also ended up risking their lives and heroically saving the day.

For Outstanding TV Movie or Mini-series, I don' think there can be any real competition. Prayers for Bobby should win, hands down. Pedro wasn't a bad film, but Prayers for Bobby was better. I haven't seen the Torchwood mini-series or An Englishman in New York.

Outstanding Daytime Drama: need you ask? One Life to Live is far superior (not only as a show overall, but in their gay storyline, which is what the award is for) to the other three nominees: As the World Turns, Guiding Light, and All My Children. In fact, if there was an overall category to award the best LGBT Media Representation in all of film and Television, Kish should win for their love scene on New Year's Eve alone.

Adam Lambert was nominated for Outstanding Music Artist for his album For Your Entertainment. He's nominated against Lady Gaga, Gossip, Otep, and Brandi Carlile, and in my admittedly biased mind, he's the clear choice.

AfterElton was nominated for Outstanding Digital Journalism Article for Bret Hartinger's excellent "Why Can’t You Just Butch Up? Gay Men, Effeminacy, and Our War with Ourselves".

There are several other categories, as well, so check out all the nominees.