A day after the devastation in the south there's looting in Louisiana and mayhem in Mississippi and I have to say if one were going to shoplift then right after a major disaster such as Katrina would be the time to do it. Just beware of the cops with the shotguns ordering people to drop their loot.

The first great new show of the tv season is Fox's Prison Break, or as I like to call it, this year's 24. It follows structural designer Michael Scofield and his plan to get himself put away in the same maximum security prison as his brother. Michael's brother is played by hunkalicious Dominic Purcell who was on the short lived tv show John Doe. Purcell's character, Lincoln, was convicted of killing the Vice President's brother. No, not the v.p. of GMC, the v.p. of the free world. All of the evidence pointed to his guilt but Michael is certain there's been a cover up and that Lincoln was framed. Once inside the prison, Michael starts his plan in motion. The show features, in just the first two episodes, a riot, the shooting of a bishop, and the chopping off of a characters pinky toe with garden shears. It should be interesting with twists and turns galore and a conspiracy that may go right to the top of the U.S. government. Helping Michael and his brother is lawyer Veronica, who was once romantically involved with Lincoln. Oh, and there's one more snag: Lincoln is set to be executed in 90 days. I don't think it's a coincidence that Purcell's character is named Lincoln (possibly after our 16th president).

Don't cross us: Since 1983 the Red Cross has prohibited any man, who's had sex with another man since 1977, from giving blood. Now comes news that gay friendly churches and organizations in Ohio are refusing to host bloodmobiles. Also gay tolerant volunteers who might otherwise help out with such efforts such as disaster relief are starting to turn against the Red Cross. Australia and the Netherlands are backing away from the prohibitive policy. The testing of blood has come a long way since 1983 and I think it's time the Red Cross stopped the discrimination. A whole population out there is being denied permission to give blood in a nation where blood shortage is a common occurrence. Kudos to other countries that are realizing the absurdity of prohibiting gay men from giving blood. It's just like all of the other nations around the U.S. that are granting same sex couples all of the rights of marriage that different sex couples have. Maybe, as a country, we are still in the dark ages.

Enjoy your day but not in the dark,

paul