Nothing like a Sunday stroll through a cemetery. What a history lesson! Why just today, while visiting Marilyn Monroe’s crypt, I learned that the man buried above Marilyn Monroe, Richard F. Poncher, was such a fan that he requested to be turned upside down so he could face Marilyn for eternity. That much of a sycophant I ain’t. And while celebrity grave hopping, I run into another Marilyn fan. His name is Emanuel Emanuele. We got to yakking and he tells me that he has [...]

BREAKING NEWS: The illustrious award-winning reporter, Ruby Comer, has turned the tables on TV news producer, Deepak Saini, and scores another memorable scoop. The twenty-seven-year-old journalist, reporter, and anchor, Deepak Saini, who hails from San Jose, California, is currently burning the midnight oil (he reports to work at 11 p.m.) at CBS affiliate KELO-TV in Sioux Falls, South Dakota—brrr, that sounds cold! His show, KeloLand, airs from 5–7 in the morning. What a wretched hour for this old broad! Miss Ruby is no early bird. [...]

by Ruby Comer Help is on the way, my cupcakes. Several years ago aids2031 was established and its members are pulling out all the stops. Supported by such organizations as the Gates Foundation and amfAR, this UNAIDS initiative is scanning over the past thirty years of the epidemic to see what worked and what didn’t. They’re addressing today’s budding challenges and creating a long-term view, so that by the year 2031—the fiftieth anniversary of the discovery of AIDS—this pandemic won’t exist. They’ve recently published a [...]

by Ruby Comer The Plaza is the place! This is my home away from home. It has all the amenities of my camp in L.A., and more. There’s a swimming pool, a spa, a golf course, a fitness center, and best of all, housekeeping service. The rooms are condo-size with stoves, patios, skylights, and some provide stunning views. And this is peachy—they provide a flashlight to find your way in the desert night and to better see the remote control (yes, this old broad needs [...]

by Ruby Comer Next to Judge Marilyn Milian (from The People’s Court) and reruns of The Golden Girls, my fave program on the telly is CSI, the original one. I mean, c’mon, who’s more delicious than weapons expert, Bobby D? He’s dreeeeamy! For ten years I’ve watched his puss and every time he’s on-screen my hot flashes get hot flashes. I nearly swooned when I learned that he was going to be at the AIDS Walk. Of course I’m speaking about actor Gerald McCullouch, who [...]

by Ruby Comer After reading Portrait of an Addict as a Young Man, by Bill Clegg, I had one pressing question. So I set out to get it answered. This memoir chronicles Bill’s hellish descent into the underworld of crack addiction. Though he seemed to have it all—a prestigious job as a New York literary agent, an apartment on 5th Avenue, a longtime partner, and close friends and colleagues—his life become an endless whirl of scoring hits and having sex, which lead him to poverty [...]

by Ruby Comer Congratulations! Hooray for you! You did it! We shout these words passionately at the riders of the AIDS/LifeCycle 9 closing ceremonies in L.A.’s Veterans Memorial Park. They’ve traveled on bikes for seven days from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Some are teary-eyed, some are dressed in drag, and some are singing as we cheer them on at the finishing line. There are riders in all shapes, sizes, and ages. This year the eldest was an eighty-one-year-young woman. The energy and atmosphere is [...]

by Ruby Comer It’s 106 degrees outside and my tush is on fire! My beloved ’69 classic, Mother Lincoln, is blowing her AC at full tilt, but she’s losing the fight. I just revisited the Palm Springs Art Museum, a wonderful treasure trove of art. The latest exhibit is “Colors of The West: The Paintings of Birger Sandzén.” Birger’s haunting landscapes and use of brilliant colors are mesmerizing. Now on Indian Canyon Drive, I’m headed to the nearest health food store to pick up some [...]

What a journey! In 2001, German comedian and entertainer Hape Kerkeling, trekked 500 miles on foot through the Pyrenees of northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela. Legend has it that apostle St. James walked the same route and is buried in the ancient town. The trek is a thousand-year-old tradition. Hape (a derivation of his birth name, Hans Peter) documented his travels in the delightfully engaging book, I’m Off Then. He also recalls his visits to an AIDS ward in the early days of the [...]

Ruby Comer raps with advocate and radio host Princess Kasune Zulu