Purchased this year's tree at our favorite tree spot, a giant lot at the Present Perfect Nursery in Pasadena. Great selection, negotiable prices and they load it up and tie it down for you. I have to say I also love the giant, faintly evil-looking fiberglass Santa that presides over the place.

Once we got the tree home, Philip set to putting the lights on - with the caveat that he was only to put one string in each extension cord socket slot and not double or triple up with piggybacked light sets (last year he managed to MELT a couple of extension cords with the intense heat). Jeannette stopped by to return a stepladder she had borrowed, so we set her to work putting on the ornaments. By the time we finished, I started feeling achy all over and my sinuses started to collapse...

And now, direct from Rick's Cooking School we have a photo essay on Thanksgiving meal prep. First, brining the free-range turkey in buttermilk, salt and herbs:

Making fresh cranberry-orange-ginger relish:

Baking a chocolate pecan pie:

Preparing the stuffing:

Stuffed and buttered bird:

Preparing the Green Bean and Artichoke casserole:

Preparing the Corn Souffle:

Turkey after roastng:

Finished Corn Souffle:

Finished Green Bean and Artichoke Casserole:

Finished dishes:

And the end result:

WOW! I triple-love the 120-foot Sea Serpent balloon that appeared in the 1938 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade! Via design:related.com.

As if last night's events weren't weird enough, there was tonight:

First, we ordered pizza and made the mistake of trying to watch "Rosie Live." OMG, so, so very horrible I can't even begin to convey the epic failure: Rosie's endless off-key warbling, a singing and dancing appearance by walking corpse Liza Minelli, Alec Baldwin whispering into Rosie's cleavage, gay jokes by Clay Aiken, a striptease dance by Jane Krakowski who sang about White Castle burgers and Crest White Strips. Truly a disaster...we bailed at the 30-minute mark. I know she's one of my people and I'm supposed to support her, but damn, it was so bad. As my friend Jeannette would say, "I can't take that ride."

So then there was the fire we lit in the fireplace - first of the season, given the cold wet weather we had today. The chimney flue was open, but I guess not all the way, because after 90 minutes of crackling flame enjoyment, the house started filling with smoke. We tried to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher to get some relief, but the blasts of retardant just made more smoke and the log in the fireplace was still ablaze. We were about to calll the fire department when Philip hit on the idea of trying to carry the log outside. He got a bucket, I doused the flaming log with retardant, and he was able to pick it up with tongs and get it into the bucket. He ran outside with it and put it out with the garden hose. The house was filled with acrid smoke - we had to open up all the windows and doors and use box fans to help blow it outside.

Can I tell you about the bizarre and frustrating events of this evening?

I got home from work and greeted my hungry and thirsty dog. While fetching him some water at the sink, the cookbooks, mixing bowl and weight scale that I have on the top shelf of the baker's rack in my kitchen all flew off and came crashing down on me. (turns out Philip had taken away his grandmother's recipe box, which had been holding the books up, causing a chain reaction fall.) Startled, I left the tap running in the sink while I bent down to pick up the mess. That's when I noticed that there were torrents of water gusing from the undersink cabinet. The drain pipes under the kitchen sink had spontaneously seperated and I spent an hour putting them back together and tightening them up (badly bruising my hand in the process).

Then the holiday groceries that I had ordered online (to avoid the pre-Thanksgiving madness of the crowded store) arrived. After the delivery guy left, I noticed that the order was completely screwed up - many items just not there, others substituted with unacceptable replacements (requested ears of fresh corn appeared as a bag of frozen kernels, pickled spiced ginger instead of ginger root). So, I changed my wet shirt and headed to the grocery store. The parking lot was madness, I had to swerve to avoid being hit by a massive SUV. Once inside, shoppers were frantic, some spinning in full circles with their shopping carts in the aisles, some screaming and yelling. I saw a dazed-looking 80-ish year old woman get hit with a huge trolley of frozen turkeys that toppled onto her (she just walked away and I encountered her staring blankly in another aisle). Bought a baked apple pie, the missing ingredients for my Thanksgiving meal and headed home.

Unloading the groceries in my driveway, I became aware that there were scores of police cars, firetrucks and ambulances barreling through the neighborhood. Police helicopters with search lights were flying low and noisily overhead. It sounded like the neighborhood was under seige. Found out later that there was some kind of spontaneous block-long brawl on the street two blocks south, with people smacking each other around with baseball bats and chains. Nice!

Once Philip got home I recounted my evening. He took one look at the apple pie and said, "You're not going to like this." Through the window of the still-sealed box, we could see flies zipping all around insde. Clearly they were getting an early start on their Thanksgiving dessert.

I have a proposal for a new chain of hotels - "Comfort Sleep" let's call it. Because your fellow travelers are selfish pigs who don't care about the noise and filth that they generate, this concept will boast several innovative features to ensure your comfort:

• Triple insulated walls, ceilings and doors.

• Decibel meters on guest room doors - each slam over 70 dB after 8:00 pm and before 10 am will result in an automatic $25.00 charge to the offender's guest bill.

• Security cameras will cover every inch of the hallways, and any voices raised above 70dB after 8:00 pm will trigger automatic photography of the offenders. Pics will be posted on screens in the lobby and on in-room television channels, with mocking caption phrases superimposed a la "Blind Date."

• Ambient noise channels on in-room televisions will have black screens and sound selections such as "Ocean Waves," "Babbling Brook" and "White Noise."

• Parents allowing children to run amok at any time of day will be immediately arrested and charged with disturbing the peace. Additionally, parents placing a diapered baby in the swimming pool will be immediately arrested and charged with creating a public health hazard.

• In addition to regular housekeeping, rooms will be sanitized by blasts of UV light from devices embedded in walls and ceilings.

• TV remotes will be sprayed with Lysol by housekeepers after each check-out. Lysol cans will also be provided in each bathroom.

• Hallways will be monitored and patrolled to immediately remove used room service trays - no more having to look at a gnawed chicken bone and half a glass of Merlot as you head back to your room.

• Air conditioning and heating controls will be independent in each room and will be guaranteed to take the room to whatever temperature the guest desires, no matter what the weather is like outside. Want to run the a/c in winter or the heat in summer? No problem, your wish is our command!

Philip and I had a fab time at the matinee performance of "Xanadu" at the La Jolla Playhouse yesterday. The play is great, great fun - a terrific spoof of the beloved 80's film flop, filled with lotsa laughs and all of the terrific ELO / Olivia Newton John tunes that I grew up with. Elizabeth Stanley is an excellent Kira - she's got great big expressive eyes, wonderful comic timing and a perfectly horrible Aussie accent. Max von Essen is very, very funny as the dopey Sonny, even though his thighs aren't nearly as impressive as those found on Broadway's Cheyenne Jackson. Much of the parody (and its very gay sensibility) seemed to be lost on the senior citizens that comprised 80% of the audience, though - they sat stony-faced and silent through much of the 90 minutes, and especially didn't like the jokes about Andrew Lloyd Webber and Southern California. No matter. I had a huge dopey grin on my face the entire time and Philip had a blast. Can a stage version of "Can't Stop the Music" be on the horizon??

Domestic Partnership benefits? Oh yeah, they mean to take those away too.

It was only a matter of time until the backers of Florida's Amendment 2 proved exactly how dishonest they were during their lie-filled campaign against domestic partnership benefits in the state - despite saying it would have "no effect on benefits" and it was "only about one thing - marriage."

David Caton, executive director of the religulous Florida Family Association (one of the groups that backed Amendment 2), says he will push for a change to the Hillsborough County Charter in 2010 to preemptively ban same-sex domestic partnership benefits for county employees. That's right, banning all benefits. This is exactly what the gay community warned would happen and the amendment backers swore wouldn't. Wanna visit your partner in the hospital or get them on your health insurance? Fat chance if the FFA has their way.

Isn't lying a sin?

Via Pam's House Blend.

The facts are these:
I learned today that one of my favorite shows, "Pushing Daisies," was canceled - 410 days, 18 hours and 52 seconds after its premiere. And they are going to leave us with a cliffhanger on the last episode. Feh. This was just a matter of time, the writing and art direction were far too clever for middle-America. Bring on another night of "Dancing With the Stars!"

"In the first two weeks since the election, President-elect Barack Obama has broken with a tradition established over the past eight years through his controversial use of complete sentences, political observers say.

Millions of Americans who watched Mr. Obama's appearance on CBS's '60 Minutes' on Sunday witnessed the president-elect's unorthodox verbal tick, which had Mr. Obama employing grammatically correct sentences virtually every time he opened his mouth.

But Mr. Obama's decision to use complete sentences in his public pronouncements carries with it certain risks, since after the last eight years many Americans may find his odd speaking style jarring.

According to presidential historian Davis Logsdon of the University of Minnesota, some Americans might find it "alienating" to have a president who speaks English as if it were his first language."

Andy Borowitz via Huffington Post.

Loving this song...!

Barbara Eden's Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms
24 large mushrooms
2 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
4 tablespoons grated Romano cheese
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 tablespoons bread crumbs
4 ounces crabmeat, rinsed and tossed
with 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 1/2 teaspoons cognac
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Remove mushroom stems. Combine 2 tablespoons of the Romano cheese with remaining ingredients in a bowl; beat with mixer for 5 minutes. Fill mushrooms with a 1/2-inch crown left on top.

Lightly butter a large baking sheet and arrange stuffed mushrooms with a space between. Bake 10 minutes. Remove mushrooms from oven; sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons Romano cheese. Heat broiler.

Place mushrooms under broiler until cheese is melted and golden brown. Oh, Master!

For those hard-to-shop-for types on your holiday gift list, may I suggest:

From the Los Angeles Times:

"The California Supreme Court agreed today to review legal challenges to Prop. 8, the voter initiative that restored a ban on same-sex marriage, but refused to permit gay weddings to resume pending a ruling. Meeting in closed session, the state high court asked litigants on both sides for more written arguments and scheduled a hearing for next March. The court also signaled its intention to decide the fate of existing same-sex marriages, asking litigants to argue that question.

Today's decision to review the lawsuits against Proposition 8 did not reveal how the court was leaning. The court could have dismissed the suits, but both opponents and supporters of Proposition 8 sought review to settle legal questions on a matter of statewide importance. Some legal challengers also sought an order that would have permitted same-sex couples to marry until the cases were resolved, a position opposed by Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown and Proposition 8 supporters. Only Justice Carlos R. Moreno voted in the private conference to grant such a stay."

So...we have to wait at least four months before we have a ruling. And should the judges rule in favor of same-sex marriage, religionists plan to target them for recall:

"...opponents of gay marriage have warned that they will work to oust any justice who votes against Proposition 8, a threat particularly palpable in a year when voters in other states have booted six state high court justices after campaigns by special interest groups."

Damn the minorities! Yay! Mob rule!

The following companies donated to YES ON 8:

AES Corp.
Affiliated Computer Services
AgReserves
American Express
Avista Corp.
American Express Company
Azul
Beneficial Financial Group
Bonneville International Corporation
Black & Decker
Brigham Young University
Cadence Design
Cornerstone Realty Income Trust Inc
Corvis
Central Pacific Bank
1-800-Contacts
Cygnus Inc.
Diebold
Dell Computer
Deseret Management Corporation
Dionex
Downey Savings and Loan
EarthShell
El Coyote Restaurant
Fisher-Price, Inc
Five Star Quality Care, Inc.
Franklin Covey
Hillenbrand Industries
Headwaters, Inc.
Heinz Asia/Pacific
Hollywood Entertainment (Hollywood Video)
Host Marriott (Marriot Hotels and Resorts)
Iomega
JetBlue
JP Realty KeyCorp
Knight Transportation
Kroger Foods (Ralphs and Albertsons)
K-Swiss Inc.
La Quinta Properties, Inc (La Quinta Hotels)
Micrel Semiconductor
Micro General
Merit Medical Systems
Monaco Coach
Microsemi Corp.
Myriad Genetics
Novell
NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
NuSkin
Oil States International
Oakley
Priceline.com Inc.
Phelps Dodge Corp.
Ryder Systems
SkyWest Airlines
Specta
Sunrider International
Swift Transportation
Tropical Sportswear
Williams Companies, Inc.
Zions Bancorp

Radio Stations:
Chicago KTMX-FM and WCLR-FM
Dallas KAAM-AM, KZPS-FM and KAFM-FM
Kansas City KMBZ-AM and KMBR-FM
Los Angeles KBIG-FM
New York WNSR-FM
Phoenix KMEO-AM/FM
Salt Lake KSL-AM
San Francisco KOIT-AM/FM
Seattle KIRO-AM and KSEA-FM

Wow, Diebold is not a shock, but Fisher-Price? Sigh. I've already shredded my AmEx cards and it looks like no more grocery shopping at Ralphs - I wonder what the Tesco position on equal rights is? I love Fresh n' Easy and will gladly shop there instead.

Wow, today's anti-Prop 8 protest in downtown Los Angeles was the tonic my disheartened soul needed. How thrilling to be in such a throng of supporters! We had rousing speeches from the mayor, city attorney and others - and were cheered on by Matt Lucas from "Little Britain," Ricki Lake and Xena herself, Lucy Lawless. Pic above featuring Barry, Dudley and Philip is from my camera. Pics below from the Associated Press (!) including one of Philip and I with the signs and "Defend Equality" t-shirts we made last night.

Apparently the telephone connections between California and Florida haven't been working since election night. That seems to be the reason why my family hasn't called to express any kind of concern about the voters taking away my civil rights a week ago. Also, they haven't heard anything about it on the news.

Keith Olbermann eloquently spoke out about Prop 8 and the meaning of marriage on tonight's "Countdown."

A bunch of Oxford researchers have compiled a list of the Top 10 Most Irritating Expressions in the English language:
10. "It's not rocket science" 9. "24/7" 8. "Shouldn't of" 7. "It's a nightmare" 6. "Absolutely" 5. "With all due respect" 4. "At this moment in time" 3. "I personally" 2. "Fairly unique" 1. "At the end of the day"

And can I please add a few?

“Perfect storm” "Do the math” "Keep me in the loop" "Awesome!!"

"According to Government Technology, engineers at the University of Washington have developed contact lenses with integrated circuitry. Although the lenses have only been tested on animals, researchers are working on having electronic lenses overlay a display over a person's visual field without impairing sight. Researchers hope that the lenses, once completed, will allow users to zoom in on distant objects and see useful facts. Future applications might allow drivers and pilots to see their direction and speed projected across their view or to surf the Web without a monitor. The circuit components would be powered by integrated solar cells and a wireless radio-frequency receiver." via The Huffington Post

Wow-wee! The future promised in the 1970s is finally here!

Excerpt from IRS tax law:

"In general, no organization, including a church, may qualify for IRC section 501(c)(3) status if a substantial part of its activities is attempting to influence legislation (commonly known as lobbying)."

Mormons, much? http://www.mormonsstoleourrights.com/

Next Saturday, November 15, in cities all over the country. 10:30 am Pacific / 1:30 pm Eastern.

Jake lounging in the backyard yesterday afternoon.

"The most revealing statistic from the Proposition 8 exit polls is not, as many have argued, that 70% of African Americans voted for it (African Americans constituted only about 6% of the electorate, so to blame Prop 8's passage on black people is to miss the statistical boat by a mile). Rather, we should be focusing on the fact that 61% of voters under 30 voted against the measure, regardless of their race. Break that statistic down further, and you'll see that opposition was strongest among voters under 24. The older the voter, the more likely he or she was to have supported the amendment.

In other words, the generation that will inherit the politisphere strongly favors equal rights for all citizens. The sun is setting on those who would bar their neighbors from participating in our institutions on the basis of race, creed, or sexual orientation.

Ironically, the election that brought us Proposition 8 also brought us the most compelling evidence that discriminatory measures like Proposition 8 have a short life expectancy. As Judith Warner noted in her eloquent editorial yesterday, the people for whom race loomed largest in this election tended to be older folks. Sure, young Americans with a sense of history (ourselves included) were deeply touched by the symbolic importance of Obama's victory. We cried a bit, sang a bit, shouted and danced around a bit. But race has just never been as big a deal for us as it was for people of our parents' generation.

So it will go with the struggle against marital discrimination. We shall overcome this, too. The last word will belong to the young people who stood up overwhelmingly against Proposition 8. That doesn't take away any of the sting for the people whose lives have been affected by this ugly turn. But perhaps the inevitability of victory will give strength to those who carry on the fight."

- Todd Palmer and Rob Pringle, via The Huffington Post

From the Los Angeles Times: Demonstrators take to the streets by the thousands Thursday at the Mormon temple in Westwood to protest against Proposition 8. Philip went to the protest last night in West Hollywood with 15 of his co-workers.
Keep hope alive.

There's a day of hope
May I live to see,
When our hearts are happy
And our souls are free.
Let the new day dawn,
Oh, Lord, I pray.
We'll never get to heaven
Till we reach that day.
Give the people
A day of peace.
A day of pride.
A day of justice
We have been denied.
Let the new day dawn,
Oh, Lord, I pray...
We'll never get to heaven
Till we reach that day.

"Til' We Reach That Day" - Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens

All the presidents' heads. From PatrickMoberg.com.

Proposal One: I am all about PROTECTING MARRIAGE. All for the SAKE OF THE CHILDREN. Because children need a MOTHER AND A FATHER and a REAL FAMILY, right? Therefore, I propose a ballot initiative that would make divorce a felony. That's right, get hetero married all you want, but if you endanger the CHILDREN and the FAMILY by getting a divorce or even consider a "trial separation," you go directly to prison. Minimum five-year term. Gay Americans will be collecting signatures for our petition to get this on every state ballot at all cocktail bars, stage musicals and hair salons effective immediately.
Proposal Two: All children's' Christmas presents from their gay aunts and uncles will now be donations in their name to the equal rights organizations of our choosing. As will their birthday presents, wedding presents, graduation presents, and everything else we gay people give going forward, until parity is achieved.
Proposal Three: All gay people will make it their mission to go out and marry the oppositie sex daughters and sons of Proposition 8 supporters. Hey, loveless hetero marriage - it's legal! We will then make it our mission to ensure that their lives are horrible and disastrous for decades to come.

From the Los Angeles Times today: "Bob Knoke, of Mission Viejo, Amanda Stanfield, of Monrovia, Jim Domen, of Yorba Linda, and J.D. Gaddis, of Yorba Linda, celebrate returns for Proposition 8 at an Irvine hotel."

Why are they SO happy? Wow, depriving others of their civil rights must be quite a heady thrill. Jesus would be so proud of them and their accomplishment, no?

UNBELIEVABLY overjoyed and happy that America elected its first African-American President last night, but that exuberance has been dampened because a fear-mongering church has been able to pass a piece of legislation that writes hate and discrimination into the California Constitution. Ahhh, the old one step forward, two steps back adage, eh? Sigh.

Wow! Wow! Wow!

From the New York Times: "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?"

Halloween may be over, but the thought of permanent same-sex marriage on the books is frightening some California residents. From the Orange County Register: Peggy and Terence Carey of Fullerton adjust wind-blown signs after placing 54 'Yes on 8' signs on their front lawns.