New Hampshire became the sixth U.S. state to legalize gay marriage today after Gov. John Lynch signed the measure into law, even though he says he personally opposes the practice.

After rallies outside the Statehouse by both opponents and backers of the law in the morning, the last of three bills in the package went to the Senate, which approved it 14-10 this afternoon.

Cheers from the gallery greeted the key vote in the House of Representative, which passed it 198-176. Surrounded by gay marriage supporters, Lynch signed the bill about an hour later.

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Forty years ago, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn in New York City resisted police harassment that had become all too common for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Out of this resistance, the LGBT rights movement in America was born. During LGBT Pride Month, we commemorate the events of June 1969 and commit to achieving equal justice under law for LGBT Americans.

LGBT Americans have made, and continue to make, great and lasting contributions that continue to strengthen the fabric of American society. There are many well-respected LGBT leaders in all professional fields, including the arts and business communities. LGBT Americans also mobilized the Nation to respond to the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic and have played a vital role in broadening this country's response to the HIV pandemic.

Due in no small part to the determination and dedication of the LGBT rights movement, more LGBT Americans are living their lives openly today than ever before. I am proud to be the first President to appoint openly LGBT candidates to Senate-confirmed positions in the first 100 days of an Administration. These individuals embody the best qualities we seek in public servants, and across my Administration -- in both the White House and the Federal agencies -- openly LGBT employees are doing their jobs with distinction and professionalism.

The LGBT rights movement has achieved great progress, but there is more work to be done. LGBT youth should feel safe to learn without the fear of harassment, and LGBT families and seniors should be allowed to live their lives with dignity and respect.

My Administration has partnered with the LGBT community to advance a wide range of initiatives. At the international level, I have joined efforts at the United Nations to decriminalize homosexuality around the world. Here at home, I continue to support measures to bring the full spectrum of equal rights to LGBT Americans. These measures include enhancing hate crimes laws, supporting civil unions and Federal rights for LGBT couples, outlawing discrimination in the workplace, ensuring adoption rights, and ending the existing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in a way that strengthens our Armed Forces and our national security. We must also commit ourselves to fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic by both reducing the number of HIV infections and providing care and support services to people living with HIV/AIDS across the United States.

These issues affect not only the LGBT community, but also our entire Nation. As long as the promise of equality for all remains unfulfilled, all Americans are affected. If we can work together to advance the principles upon which our Nation was founded, every American will benefit. During LGBT Pride Month, I call upon the LGBT community, the Congress, and the American people to work together to promote equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2009 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to turn back discrimination and prejudice everywhere it exists.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

BARACK OBAMA

by Michael Moore

I write this on the morning of the end of the once-mighty General Motors. By high noon, the President of the United States will have made it official: General Motors, as we know it, has been totaled.

As I sit here in GM's birthplace, Flint, Michigan, I am surrounded by friends and family who are filled with anxiety about what will happen to them and to the town. Forty percent of the homes and businesses in the city have been abandoned. Imagine what it would be like if you lived in a city where almost every other house is empty. What would be your state of mind?

It is with sad irony that the company which invented "planned obsolescence" -- the decision to build cars that would fall apart after a few years so that the customer would then have to buy a new one -- has now made itself obsolete. It refused to build automobiles that the public wanted, cars that got great gas mileage, were as safe as they could be, and were exceedingly comfortable to drive. Oh -- and that wouldn't start falling apart after two years. GM stubbornly fought environmental and safety regulations. Its executives arrogantly ignored the "inferior" Japanese and German cars, cars which would become the gold standard for automobile buyers. And it was hell-bent on punishing its unionized workforce, lopping off thousands of workers for no good reason other than to "improve" the short-term bottom line of the corporation. Beginning in the 1980s, when GM was posting record profits, it moved countless jobs to Mexico and elsewhere, thus destroying the lives of tens of thousands of hard-working Americans. The glaring stupidity of this policy was that, when they eliminated the income of so many middle class families, who did they think was going to be able to afford to buy their cars? History will record this blunder in the same way it now writes about the French building the Maginot Line or how the Romans cluelessly poisoned their own water system with lethal lead in its pipes.

So here we are at the deathbed of General Motors. The company's body not yet cold, and I find myself filled with -- dare I say it -- joy. It is not the joy of revenge against a corporation that ruined my hometown and brought misery, divorce, alcoholism, homelessness, physical and mental debilitation, and drug addiction to the people I grew up with. Nor do I, obviously, claim any joy in knowing that 21,000 more GM workers will be told that they, too, are without a job.

But you and I and the rest of America now own a car company! I know, I know -- who on earth wants to run a car company? Who among us wants $50 billion of our tax dollars thrown down the rat hole of still trying to save GM? Let's be clear about this: The only way to save GM is to kill GM. Saving our precious industrial infrastructure, though, is another matter and must be a top priority. If we allow the shutting down and tearing down of our auto plants, we will sorely wish we still had them when we realize that those factories could have built the alternative energy systems we now desperately need. And when we realize that the best way to transport ourselves is on light rail and bullet trains and cleaner buses, how will we do this if we've allowed our industrial capacity and its skilled workforce to disappear?

Thus, as GM is "reorganized" by the federal government and the bankruptcy court, here is the plan I am asking President Obama to implement for the good of the workers, the GM communities, and the nation as a whole. Twenty years ago when I made "Roger & Me," I tried to warn people about what was ahead for General Motors. Had the power structure and the punditocracy listened, maybe much of this could have been avoided. Based on my track record, I request an honest and sincere consideration of the following suggestions:

1. Just as President Roosevelt did after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the President must tell the nation that we are at war and we must immediately convert our auto factories to factories that build mass transit vehicles and alternative energy devices. Within months in Flint in 1942, GM halted all car production and immediately used the assembly lines to build planes, tanks and machine guns. The conversion took no time at all. Everyone pitched in. The fascists were defeated.

We are now in a different kind of war -- a war that we have conducted against the ecosystem and has been conducted by our very own corporate leaders. This current war has two fronts. One is headquartered in Detroit. The products built in the factories of GM, Ford and Chrysler are some of the greatest weapons of mass destruction responsible for global warming and the melting of our polar icecaps. The things we call "cars" may have been fun to drive, but they are like a million daggers into the heart of Mother Nature. To continue to build them would only lead to the ruin of our species and much of the planet.

The other front in this war is being waged by the oil companies against you and me. They are committed to fleecing us whenever they can, and they have been reckless stewards of the finite amount of oil that is located under the surface of the earth. They know they are sucking it bone dry. And like the lumber tycoons of the early 20th century who didn't give a damn about future generations as they tore down every forest they could get their hands on, these oil barons are not telling the public what they know to be true -- that there are only a few more decades of useable oil on this planet. And as the end days of oil approach us, get ready for some very desperate people willing to kill and be killed just to get their hands on a gallon can of gasoline.

President Obama, now that he has taken control of GM, needs to convert the factories to new and needed uses immediately.

2. Don't put another $30 billion into the coffers of GM to build cars. Instead, use that money to keep the current workforce -- and most of those who have been laid off -- employed so that they can build the new modes of 21st century transportation. Let them start the conversion work now.

3. Announce that we will have bullet trains criss-crossing this country in the next five years. Japan is celebrating the 45th anniversary of its first bullet train this year. Now they have dozens of them. Average speed: 165 mph. Average time a train is late: under 30 seconds. They have had these high speed trains for nearly five decades -- and we don't even have one! The fact that the technology already exists for us to go from New York to L.A. in 17 hours by train, and that we haven't used it, is criminal. Let's hire the unemployed to build the new high speed lines all over the country. Chicago to Detroit in less than two hours. Miami to DC in under 7 hours. Denver to Dallas in five and a half. This can be done and done now.

4. Initiate a program to put light rail mass transit lines in all our large and medium-sized cities. Build those trains in the GM factories. And hire local people everywhere to install and run this system.

5. For people in rural areas not served by the train lines, have the GM plants produce energy efficient clean buses.

6. For the time being, have some factories build hybrid or all-electric cars (and batteries). It will take a few years for people to get used to the new ways to transport ourselves, so if we're going to have automobiles, let's have kinder, gentler ones. We can be building these next month (do not believe anyone who tells you it will take years to retool the factories -- that simply isn't true).

7. Transform some of the empty GM factories to facilities that build windmills, solar panels and other means of alternate forms of energy. We need tens of millions of solar panels right now. And there is an eager and skilled workforce who can build them.

8. Provide tax incentives for those who travel by hybrid car or bus or train. Also, credits for those who convert their home to alternative energy.

9. To help pay for this, impose a two-dollar tax on every gallon of gasoline. This will get people to switch to more energy saving cars or to use the new rail lines and rail cars the former autoworkers have built for them.

Well, that's a start. Please, please, please don't save GM so that a smaller version of it will simply do nothing more than build Chevys or Cadillacs. This is not a long-term solution. Don't throw bad money into a company whose tailpipe is malfunctioning, causing a strange odor to fill the car.

100 years ago this year, the founders of General Motors convinced the world to give up their horses and saddles and buggy whips to try a new form of transportation. Now it is time for us to say goodbye to the internal combustion engine. It seemed to serve us well for so long. We enjoyed the car hops at the A&W. We made out in the front -- and the back -- seat. We watched movies on large outdoor screens, went to the races at NASCAR tracks across the country, and saw the Pacific Ocean for the first time through the window down Hwy. 1. And now it's over. It's a new day and a new century. The President -- and the UAW -- must seize this moment and create a big batch of lemonade from this very sour and sad lemon.

Yesterday, the last surviving person from the Titanic disaster passed away. She escaped certain death that night and went on to live another 97 years.

So can we survive our own Titanic in all the Flint Michigans of this country. 60% of GM is ours. I think we can do a better job.

Fabulous 70s fashions for men:

Don't fret, it's "durable press!"


With one easy piece, it's easy to maintain your look!
And I believe he has TWO neckchains!


These slacks are truly the ultimate in 70s chic.
Why bother with a shirt that's open to your navel when you can just go without?

Get the door, it's Domino's. (Via thisiswhyyourefat.com)

Ahhh 1977, when Top 40 was SEXY!

Words or support from the Poet Laureate, who recently phoned New York state Sen. Shirley L. Huntley (D-Queens), asking that she support marriage equality:

“I would ask every man and every woman who’s had the blessing of having children, ‘Would you deny your son or your daughter the ecstasy of finding someone to love?' To love someone takes a lot of courage. So how much more is one challenged when the love is of the same sex and the laws say, ‘I forbid you from loving this person’?”

Sen. Huntley says that while she enjoys Angelou's poetry, her opinion on same-sex marriage is unchanged. “If they gave me a million dollars, tax free, I just wouldn’t vote for it.”

The literal translation of Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart" video. Turn around, bright eyes, Arthur Fonzarelli's been cloned.

The California Supreme Court has upheld Proposition 8 by a vote of 6-1. However, the 18,000 same-sex marriages performed before Proposition 8 took effect will remain valid. So I guess Philip and I are still married, although that feels like little comfort at this point. Moments after the decision was handed down, hundreds of people outside the California Supreme Court began chanting "Shame on you, shame on you." The decision virtually ensures another ballot measure fight over marriage in the state, and now there's talk that archconservative Ted Olson will take up a federal case challenging Prop 8.

Just back from our 7-day Inside Passage voyage. Long review and the whole damn story to follow...short review: had a great time and Alaska is amazing!

My mother and I in 1963. Other than the palm tree, you would never know from how bundled up I am that this was taken in South Florida!

Circa 1977: Hubby works on his Apple ][ while his wife looks on adoringly. Look at that TV set-style monitor! You can tell this was a very hip couple - his turtleneck, her butcher-block countertops, KitchenAid and that oh so subtle print of an apple on the kitchen wall. They probably had a wine barrel-style hot tub in that California backyard, too.

Philip's pottery show at Xiem Clay Studio's ceramic art fair went tremendously well this weekend. His live demonstration of bowl throwing drew a lot on onlookers - people loved his work and he sold many of his beautiful pieces. He did a terrific job and I was very, very proud of him!

(Photo via grickily's photostream on Flickr.)

Crazy Foam, basically an aerosol can of sudsing bath soap, was beautifully packaged in fabulous colorful cans that dispensed shaving-cream-like foam through clever orifices in the top. Oh, how I cried and wailed for a parent or guardian to purchase can after can of this stuff for me. The cans were adored with generic fun designs in the late 60s, but by the early 70s they were (less cleverly) transformed into superheroes that inexplicably foamed at the mouth.

My husband Philip will be selling his beautiful pottery at a ceramic art fair this weekend. If you are in town, stop by and say hello...his pieces are tagged with the recession in mind, so grab a one of a kind piece for a great price! He will be doing a live demonstration of bowl throwing on Saturday. Here's some examples of Philip's work that will be on offer:

Governor John Baldacci has signed a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in Maine, making it the fifth state to green-light gay marriage. Gov. Baldacci made his announcement within an hour of the Maine Senate giving its final approval to LD 1020. Baldacci, who has opposed same-sex marriage in the past, said in a statement:

"In the past, I opposed gay marriage while supporting the idea of civil unions. I have come to believe that this is a question of fairness and of equal protection under the law, and that a civil union is not equal to civil marriage. Article I in the Maine Constitution states that ‘no person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law, nor be denied the equal protection of the laws, nor be denied the enjoyment of that person’s civil rights or be discriminated against.’ This new law does not force any religion to recognize a marriage that falls outside of its beliefs. It does not require the church to perform any ceremony with which it disagrees. Instead, it reaffirms the separation of Church and State. It guarantees that Maine citizens will be treated equally under Maine’s civil marriage laws, and that is the responsibility of government. Even as I sign this important legislation into law, I recognize that this may not be the final word. Just as the Maine Constitution demands that all people are treated equally under the law, it also guarantees that the ultimate political power in the State belongs to the people. While the good and just people of Maine may determine this issue, my responsibility is to uphold the Constitution and do, as best as possible, what is right. I believe that signing this legislation is the right thing to do."

Via grainedit.com comes a strange yet compelling board game called "Loto de Socorrismo," in which players are seemingly rushed to the hospital after suffering all kinds of disasters, including catching fire and inducing vomiting. Fun for the whole family!

Terror on the 103rd floor: Chicago's Sears Tower plans to open a glass-bottom Skydeck in June. Visitors to the 4-foot "Ledge" walkway will step into glass enclosures that extend 4.3 feet beyond the building. Beneath their feet in dizzyness-inducing splendor will be Chicago, 103 stories below, with an inch and a half of glass between person and pavement. Woo-whee!

You don't see him much these days, but Reddy Kilowatt was a cartoon character that acted as corporate spokesman for electricity in the United States for some six decades. Something about his jagged edges of electricity really scared me as a kid. Every year in elementary school we were given comic books warning of the dangers of flying your kite too close to power lines, and those pamphlets never failed to frighten the crap out of me.

From CBS News: "Forty-two percent of Americans now say same sex couples should be allowed to legally marry, a new CBS News/New York Times poll finds. That's up nine points from last month, when 33 percent supported legalizing same sex marriage."

This was my first bike, the Screamer Spyder from Sears. Note the big tire in the back and small one in the front, as well as the butterfly handlebars and 5-speed stick shift. I got it for my sixth birthday - well technically no, since on my birthday I sat patiently on the sidewalk all day waiting for the Sears delivery truck that never arrived. So I waited all day in the Florida heat the next day,and still the gleaming machine didn't arrive. This went on for two weeks.
Once it did appear, I was thrilled and the time lost to the inept delivery man quickly turned to joy. I proudly rode it to the first day of school in 1969, and it was promptly stolen. It turned up a couple of years later, quite bashed up and worse for wear, in a local police department auction that my stepfather was clued into...but my gleaming masterpiece had been tainted by some petty thief and I never rode it again.

I took a fun little trip to the Emergency Room on Wednesday morning after experiencing chest pain and numbness in my left arm all night. After spending the night for observation with many tests (including getting radioactive isotopes injected into my veins, thank you very much) my heart appears to be fine, but the weird painful symptoms persist. Some observations:

• The rubber mattresses now being used on hospital beds gather your body heat and reflect it back at you. And you sweat. A lot.

• The food delivery might be called "Room Service," but it's still sucky hospital food.

• Do they REALLY have to wake you every hour during the night to take your blood pressure? It's 2009, can't this be automated?

• People over six feet tall are too long for gurneys.

• They don't call it a "Cardiac Stress Test" for nothing.

• ALL firefighters and EMTs arriving in the ER are HOT.

From Jane Lynch, a hilarious parody of that horrible right-wing-sponsored "Gathering Storm" video. Lots of cool cameos - watch!

It's official: A face lift and a bucket o' Botox has tranfromed whiny, aging serial complainer Rupert Everett into Rachel Maddow.

Finally got around to watching a recording of the premiere episode of CBS' new slasher series "Harper's Island." And yeah, it was sorta violent in a watered-down "Saw" kinda way, but really not as gory as the reviews led me to believe, with the more sedate moments about as cheesy as an episode of "Melrose Place." All I have to say is, what the heck is up with the hair styles?!? Most of the men had this shag thing going on, and seriously, it's a look that's kinda played out. And if geeky-adorable groom Christopher Gorham (really, his character's name is "Henry," AGAIN?) is not the killer, I will eat a bug.

Even though I was technically too old to be playing with this when it came out in 1974, the Playskool Holiday Inn playset that my little brother owned frequently served as the backdrop for the innumerable melodramas and comedy sketches that I dreamt up when I was a kid. Scenes were played out in the lobby, restaurant and of course the bedrooms, whose placement one over the other served as the basis for hilarious comedy. The cast included a white shaggy dog, as I remember. Endless fun when paired with Playskool McDonald's - those workers behind the counter were actually evil automatons!

Via blog.deleteyourself.com.

This map, based on the calculations of the brilliant (and spookily accurate) Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight.com, shows when we can expect gay marriage to finally be legal across the United States. See you at the big party sometime between 2021 and 2024, that is if the world hasn't ended by then.

From the Associated Press:
White House invites gay families to Easter event

"The White House is allocating tickets for the upcoming Easter Egg Roll to gay and lesbian families as part of the Obama administration's outreach to diverse communities. Families say the gesture shows that the new Democratic administration values them as equal to other families. And for many, being included in the annual tradition — dating to 1878 — renews hope that they will have more support in their quest for equal rights in matters such as marriage and adoption than under the previous administration."

Talk about being on a roll! Washington DC's City Council has voted unanimously to recognize same-sex marriages performed in states where such unions are legal. Once the D.C. city legislation is given final approval by the city council, it is subject to review by the federal Congress...possibly setting up a battle royale with conservative members of the House and Senate.

Wow...Vermont approved marriage equality today! By a vote of 100-49, the Vermont House of Representatives overode Governor Jim Douglas' veto, making Vermont the fourth state where same-sex marriage is now legal. And significantly, Vermont is the first to do so legislatively.

If you know who these people are then we shared a common experience in the late 70s and early 80s. It was a daily ritual for me after coming home from school. Come September, the show will go off the air after 72 years.

Iowa's Supreme Court legalized gay marriage Friday in a nanimous and emphatic decision that makes Iowa the third state - and first in the nation's heartland - to allow same-sex couples to wed.
Reaction from the conservative right: "OH MY GOD, NOT IOWA!!!"
Sarah Palin's "Real America" just got a little more "real," wouldn't you say?

Now THIS looks like a prime candidate for a disaster film! "The Hotelicopter" boasts 18 luxury-appointed rooms, wireless, and even room service. The flying hotel will making its 14-day maiden voyage this summer. My wish list for the first passengers: Bronson Pinchot, Barbara Eden, Sherman Hensley and Ernest Borgnine.
Update: Apparently an April Fool's joke, and a good one!

I've been looking forward to this sequel to the epic Victorian Steam-punk tale "The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters" for quite some time. Now that I finally have it in hand, I'm trying not to devour it too quickly.

Yeah, it's a genuine "Snuggie."

Filming has begun on Fox's American remake of "Absolutely Fabulous," starring Kathryn Hahn and Kristen Johnson.
This is not Pats. This is not Eddy. No way. Not now, not never.

So legally-married gay folks will not be counted in the 2010 U.S. census. According to an article in the Long Beach Press Telegram:
"Census takers will ask same-sex couples who live together to define themselves as 'unmarried partners,' as they did in 2000 before some states - currently only Connecticut and Massachusetts - allowed gay marriage. 'This is all about the numbers. This not about lifestyle or anything else,' says U.S. Census spokeswoman Cynthia Endo. The omission of gay marriage and sexuality questions on the census bothers some gays and lesbians, who argue that a proper accounting would give them the same visibility as minorities, who gain political power when their numbers increase. 'I am a sociologist and census data is very important to our existence, and I don't like it when they leave things out, it causes an undercount,' says Sharon Raphael, 67, who teaches gerontology at Cal State Dominguez Hills. 'Certain numbers of us are not out, and when they hide us under these general descriptions ... it just makes us more invisible.'
Ahhh, the equality in America continues.

On last night's episode of "Family Guy," Peter was injected with the gay gene - and viewers were treated to every silly swishy, sissy gay stereotype in the book. But the underlying message was that homos are fine just the way we are, thank you very much, and attempts to change us are doomed to failure. Totally tasteless, rude and hilarious.

Watched some movies over the weekend that we chose to bypass in theaters:

Capsule review: Typically horrible writing and directing from the shockingly untalented Kevin Smith. Simply peppering a script with curse words does not a comedy make.

Capsule review: Typically horrible acting from the shockingly untalented Michael Cera. Simply acting befuddled and staring into space does not a comedy make. (Also, wherever Kat Dennings came from...she should go back there.)

Michael Jackson held a press conference in London yesterday to announce that he will perform live in a concert series this summer. Before retiring. For good. If we're lucky.

Unfortunately I don't think today's Supreme Court hearing on the validity of Prop 8 went very well. I thought a lot of the oral arguments made on behalf of the No on 8 side were tentative and embarrassingly awkward. California Deputy Attorney General Krueger seemed completely out of his league, stammering and adding "ya know" into every other sentence. Mercifully, Chief Deputy Attorney Therese Stewart from San Francisco was articulate, assertive and held her own against repeated grilling from Justice Joyce Kennard. And, you have to admit that Ken Starr earned his Yes on 8 salary today, even though he was almost condescending in his replies to the bench. It seems that Justice Kennard is poised to reverse her earlier vote in support of marriage equality, swinging the court to a 4-3 vote against us. I don't think things bode well for the ruling, expected in the next 90 days.
From the Los Angeles Times:
"The California Supreme Court appeared ready today to vote to uphold Proposition 8, the November ballot measure that banned gay marriage, but also seemed ready to decide unanimously to recognize existing same-sex marriages. During a three-hour televised hearing in San Francisco, only two of the court's seven justices indicated a possible readiness to overturn the initiative. Chief Justice Ronald M. George noted that the court was following a different Constitution when it approved gay marriage last May. "Today we have a different state Constitution," he said. Justice Joyce L. Kennard, who usually votes in favor of gay rights, voted against accepting the revision challenge to Proposition 8 but said she would hear arguments over the validity of existing same-sex marriages. Kennard said during the hearing that 'Prop. 8 did not take away the whole bundle of rights that this court articulated in the marriage case.'"

Via Robert Gammon, East Bay Express:
"The much-anticipated showdown over gay marriage in front of the state Supreme Court is now only hours away. The live telecast of the historic hearing is set for 9 a.m. Thursday. In most East Bay locations, it will be broadcast on cable channels 26 or 78. Or, you can watch streamed live on calchannel.com. So, will the Supremes bow to the will of the people and uphold Prop. 8, thereby keeping gay marriage illegal? Or will the court do the right thing, and overturn the measure, and reinstate its historic ruling from last year, legalizing same-sex nuptials?
The court doesn't have to publish its ruling for 90 days, but it should be apparent which way the justices are leaning at the hearing. Experts say the one to watch is Chief Justice Ron George. A moderate, George wrote last year's decision allowing gays to marry. He's also considered a swing vote, and usually sides with the majority."

Via manticoremoustache.blogspot.com

Where ya gonna go after wading in feces, seeing your mother burn alive, getting beaten, shot at, electrocuted with a car battery, seeing your friend's eye gouged out with a spoon and watching as the love of your life agrees to have sex with your bully of a brother?

I cannot wait to read this:

OMG: Beyonce gave Hugh Jackman a glimpse of her bare breast at the Oscars…thereby fulfilling every schoolboy's fantasy of singing and prancing to hail the return of the musical, with makeup flawless, while holding the "Single Ladies" singer in his arms. Via Edith Zimmerman at BuzzFeed.

Just the cutest thing ever, via: jp.msn.com

Seems like it's all the rage in the UK to rip your pants off in anger. Oh, those Brits - always setting the bar higher for us in The Colonies! Can't wait for this trend to hit our shores!
From The Sun, February 18:
A pilot furious at being searched before flying dropped his pants and exposed himself to security staff, then raged: “Do you want to search this?” His flight had to be cancelled as police were called and the pilot was quizzed — but not arrested.
Thirty-seven passengers on the Swiss International Airlines flight from London City Airport were delayed for two hours yesterday as the row erupted.
A source said: “The pilot was asked to take off his shoes and belt like everyone — but completely lost the plot.
“He pulled down his trousers and pants to completely expose himself, then turned to the security guard and asked angrily, ‘Do you want to search this?’”
The incident happened at the East London terminal’s downstairs security gate, which is not used by the public.
The source said: “All pilots have to go through these procedures so no one can understand why he reacted the way he did. Perhaps he was having a bad day.” From The Sun, also on February 18:
A pensioner stripped to his underpants in a Tesco store in a row over a lottery ticket. Norman Matthews, 68, accused an assistant of not giving him his tickets and change after he handed over £10 for two £1.50 lucky dips and a £2 scratchcard.
The girl insisted she had done so and he was banned for a day from the store in Addlestone, Surrey — which later admitted the error and gave him a £10 voucher.
Norman said: “I stripped to prove I had no ticket or change. I did it for the principle, not the money.”

Map of potential high-speed rail built by the stimulus package. Seems a bit east-coast-centric, but can it really be that the U.S. is going to be a progressive, forward thinking nation, moving our transportation grid into the 21st century? OMG!!!! How I love our new president!

iPhone-lovin' technology geek that I am...I still can't take this ride. Who at your next cocktail party would want to be stuck with the calculator icon??

Because when you're thinkin' fun, you're thinkin' North Kansas City!

Our new custom-built sofa with the fabric we agonized over for days finally arrived this morning at 7:30. The overstuffed chair and ottoman is big enough for two:

A burlesque musical that's neither splashy or racy, with mostly lifeless performances and less-than-memorable tunes. It's as if "The Drowsy Chaperone" were put through a Xerox machine that's running dangerously low on toner.

The ePride Guide is a soon-to-debut website and accompanying iPhone app from Indigo 501 Creative that will allow users to access ratings on gay-friendly businesses in a specific location and/or category. Ratings, which will use a red-yellow-green stoplight system, will be pulled from national databases and local equality organizations. Users can leave feedback on a listing to discuss their own experience with a business or to debate a given rating.

I don't remember seeing "Flesh of Christ" as a choice in the Crayola box, even in the deluxe 120-count size.

Every time I see House Republican Leader John Boehner I think "Tan Vampire."

A wooden box. A cloggy shoe. A dry flower. An old bet buckle. A photo of Twiggy. A sea shell. A wicker bird. Glue them all together and it's "Decoupage!" The hilarious cable access talk show originally aired in 1990, starring the fabulous Summer Caprice played by Craig Roose. So grab a can of Sego and watch...as Summer would say, it's a real "kick!" So happy to find clips on YouTube...dang, the Internets are amazing.

"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.

The Courage Campaign's new video attached to their initiative to invalidate Proposition 8 made me shed a few tears. It's really, really good

Walter Martin and Paloma Munoz create amazing art inside snow globes. The incredible scenes inside the glass orbs take many forms, from surreal to tragic. They are freakin' fantastic.

www.martin-munoz.com.

Here's thrilling audio from the cockpit of US Airways Flight 1549 — just after the birdstrike, but before dropping into the river. The last thing you hear Capt. Sully say is “We’re going to be in the Hudson,” which leaves the poor air traffic control guy deeply confused.

Brenda Dickson, the original Jill Foster on "The Young and the Restless," welcomes you into her home for a fun fashion show! Meet her cat, her dog, and even go into her closets! It's very dramatic! Well hello!

A clip of the fabulous "Barbra!," a public access cable show that I was obsessed with back in the late 80s. Made by Andre Dupuy with Barbie dolls and a omnipresent laugh track, it was just as good as most of the network sitcoms of the time..."Wings" anyone? Barbra's cousin Milke has come from Germany to live in sunny Los Angeles, and chaos ensues. As Milke would say, "OooPaaLaa!!”

CBS has ordered a new series from the producers of "Top Chef" that places lovelorn singles into arranged marriages. The show introduces four adults who are anxious to get married but have been unsuccessful in their search for a spouse. Their friends and family select a mate for them, the newly paired couple exchange vows, and the series follows their subsequent marriages. The rest of the details for the project, whose early working title is "Arranged Marriage," are being kept under wraps.
So...you can be hetero-wedded on national TV to a STRANGER that you don't have any emotional attachment to and still receive the full rights and privileges of marriage? And that isn't a "threat to the sanctity of marriage"? Praise the Lord!

This is Johanna Sigurdardottir. She was sworn in as Iceland's prime minister today, making her the world's first openly gay premier and the first female ever to assume the post in Iceland. Sigurdardottir, 66, took office less than a week after the Cabinet resigned amid fallout from Iceland's financial collapse. A former flight attendant (!) who entered politics via the union movement, Sigurdardottir was minister of social affairs and social security in the outgoing Cabinet, which resigned Monday. Iceland has been in political turmoil since October, when its currency, stock market and leading banks collapsed amid the global financial crisis.

A map of Heaven, created by Charlie Gower. Oddly, Heaven is a lot like Disneyland.

Hmmm...McDonald's or marijuana - which is more harmful?

I was a huge fan of novelizations when I was a kid - I remember being especially fond of the ones you could buy from Scholatistic Books, which were sold directly to kids in their classrooms. Dang, how many times did I read "Herbie Rides Again?" Love these fake ones! You can view the whole series here.

A flow chart for writing your own Star Trek episodes, designed by Stephanie Fox. Via io9.com.

All interested parties have now entered their respective briefs in anticipation of the March hearing by the California Supreme Court regarding the legality of Proposition 8. The "No on 8" side contends that Prop 8 is invalid for three reasons:

• It had such a drastic impact on individual rights that it amounted to a revision of the Constitution, not merely an amendment. A revision can be placed on the ballot only by a two-thirds legislative vote or by delegates to a constitutional convention.

• It violated the constitutional separation of powers by stripping the courts of their authority to protect a minority group from discrimination.

• It eliminated "inalienable rights," those protected by the Declaration of Rights in the opening clause of the state Constitution, without a compelling reason. That argument comes from Attorney General Jerry Brown, who reversed course after defending the previous marriage law before the court.

A ruling is expected within 90 days of the hearing, and it'll be the final word on marriage equality in California until one of the opposing camps puts it back on the ballot again.

In other news today, a California federal court denied the request of Prop 8 backers to block access to the names and addresses of 36,000 people who donated money in support of the marriage ban. The court upheld the state's 35-year-old Political Reform Act, which makes the identities of those giving $100 or more to ballot initiatives or political a matter of public record.

Really, crap like this has got to stop.
There's a yet another uninspired remake of a classic film coming down the pike - apparently some jackass producers have decided we need a new version of "Bonnie & Clyde," this time starring Hilary Duff and Kevin Zegers. Uh yeah, right.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, when Faye Dunaway was told about it she said, ''Couldn't they at least cast a real actress?''

In honor of the upcoming bloated and overhyped non-drama that is the "Super Bowl": Snack Food Stadium

Ingredients: The Field: 1 Pound of Guacamole 15 Oz. Queso Dip For The Steelers End Zone 15 Oz. Salsa For The Cardinals End Zone 2 Oz. Sour Cream for the Field Lines The Players: 15 Vienna Sausages Helmets - 3 Oz. Sharp Cheddar Cheese The Goal Posts: 1 Slim Jim for Each Goal Post 1 Oz. Monterey Jack Cheddar To Anchor (each) The Stands: 58 Twinkies 1 Pound of Bacon 1 Bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos 1 Bag of Cheetos 1 Bag of Corn Tortilla Chips 1 Bag of Chex Mix The Blimp: 20 Oz. Football-Shaped Summer Sausage (optional) TOTAL CALORIES: 24,375 TOTAL GRAMS OF FAT: 1,285 Via holytaco.com.

Emily Wick's "The Fifty United States and Their Mottos," Via Two Eyeballs.com. "By and By" is the motto of the State of Washington?

From the UK, the Joy of Pepsi...

One of my primary sources of entertainment in the late 60s and early 70s - the View-Master stereoscopic viewer from GAF. Hey, this was before cable, VCRs and DVD players! I had tons of disc packets, begging my aunt and uncle to buy me one each time we paid a visit to Sears in the Hollywood Mall. While most kids had reels of nursery rhymes and Peanuts, of course I owned this instead:

But I also had other esoteric titles like:

...and I always coveted (but never owned) the grand prize: the Talking View-Master!

Now available for pre-order from Amazon. Racist? Tasteless? Cool? You decide.

The apparent source of the ginormous hat that Aretha wore to the inauguration:

Still can't believe it.
My favorite part of his inaugural address:
"To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West -- know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy.
To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist."
I really like this photo by Ron Edmonds of the Associated Press:

Furnace Creek Inn Dining Room, Death Valley National Park:
Glamourous woman and dashing man are escorted to their seats.
Patron: 'People in L.A. probably think they are getting out of town by going to Death Valley."

Scotty's Castle Parking Lot, Death Valley National Park:
Tour Group Member: 'See there? It pays to be a bullshitter once in while."
(Death Valley Scotty was a notorious con man, depicted in the guided tour as a rakish, fun-loving companion to the true builder of the "castle," life-insurance magnate Albert Johnson.)

Furnace Creek Inn Dining Room, Death Valley National Park:
Patron: 'Is this salmon fresh?" Waiter: "No, it's frozen. Given our location, it would be virtually impossible for us to serve fresh fish." Patron: "What a disappointment."

Philip and I took a little road trip to Death Valley this weekend, despite me being horribly sick with a cold virus for the fourth time in as many months. I can't believe we've lived in California for more than 25 years and have never traveled to this amazing place. The vistas were awe-inspiring. Great to go in the winter, when temps are a pleasant 74 degrees. Had a lovely time at the Furnace Creek Inn, especially soaking in the 82-degree pool filled with water from the nearby warm mineral spring:

Lots more pics in the photo album in my Travels section.

Wow! And they all survived!

Make. It. Stop.

Normally not a huge fan of Reverend Al Sharpton, but occasionally he gets it right:
Via PageOneQ:
"I am tired of seeing ministers who will preach homophobia by day, and then after they're preaching, when the lights are off they go cruising for trade...We know you're not preaching the Bible, because if you were preaching the Bible we would have heard from you. We would have heard from you when people were starving in California--when they deregulated the economy and crashed Wall Street you had nothing to say. When [accused Ponzi scammer] Madoff made off with the money, you had nothing to say. When Bush took us to war chasing weapons of mass destruction that weren't there you had nothing to say. But all of a sudden, when Proposition 8 came out, you had so much to say, but since you stepped in the rain, we're going to step in the rain with you."
- Rev. Al Sharpton, speaking at the Human Rights Ecumenical Service at Atlanta's Tabernacle Baptist Church.

Continuing my recent obsession with all things Steve Coogan, I watched "Hamlet 2" last night. Loved the uncomfortable humor, very much in the vein of Alan Partridge. And wow, "Rock Me Sexy Jesus" with help of the Gay Men's Chorus of Tucson?! Can't understand all the mixed reviews - all I can think is that those critics just didn't get it. Very, very funny.

Grim news: the December unemployment numbers came out today, and things are worse than feared. The nation's unemployment rate rocketed to 7.2 percent in December, the highest level in 16 years, as nervous employers slashed 524,000 jobs. The labor market is expected to remain weak as mass layoffs continue. For all of 2008, the economy lost a staggering net total of 2.6 million jobs. That's the most since 1945, when nearly 2.8 million jobs were lost. Who's feeling it? Construction (101,000 jobs lost in December), manufacturing (149,000), professional and business services (113,000), retailers (67,000), leisure and hospitality (22,000).
Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy year ahead...

Ah-haaa! I've been re-watching the exploits of Alan Partridge, the fictional radio and television presenter hilariously portrayed by British comedian Steve Coogan. A parody of both sports commentators and talk show presenters, the character has appeared in numerous radio and TV shows and specials which chronicled the rise and fall of his career during the 1990s. I popped in the uproarious Christmas special "Knowing Me, Knowing Yule" during the holidays and now I am compelled to revisit Alan and his fall from grace. Steve Coogan is brilliant and deserves to be a big star around the world, and definitely should not be appearing in badly-executed films with Jackie Chan.
Alan Partidge captured the camp fun of ABBA years before "Mamma Mia!" came into existence:

Lentil and Bacon Soup (via Serious Eats and "Charlie Trotter Cooks at Home")
Ingredients 1/2 pound bacon, roughly chopped 1/2 cup yellow onions, diced 1/2 cup carrots, diced 1/2 cup green lentils 1 quart chicken stock 1/4 cup scallions, thinly sliced salt and pepper
Directions 1. Add about three-quarters of the bacon to a large pot. Cook over medium heat until the fat has rendered and the bacon has slightly crisped up. Dump in the onions and carrots and cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. 2. Drain any excess fat. Then add the lentils and half of the stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 40 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. Pour in the rest of the stock, season with salt and pepper to taste, and increase the heat to medium. Cook for 10 minutes. 3. Meanwhile, cook the rest of the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove pieces and drain on a paper towel. 4. Pour some soup into a bowl and top with some sliced scallions and crispy bacon.

You've probably already seen this, but I just heard about it...Beyonce's "Single Ladies" mashed up with a performance of the Bob Fosse-choreographed "Mexican Breakfast" by Gwen Verdon on "The Ed Sullivan Show." Genius!

Saw this five-disc (!) DVD set in Best Buy yesterday. Are these really our nation's "funniest comedians?" What about George Carlin? Lenny Bruce? Joan Rivers? It seems to be a bunch of really old footage, and if you look closely at the back of the box, you will find that it includes performances by such marginal comedic talents as Jenny Jones, Rhonda Shear and Bob Zany. Uh, yeah. Funny.

How the heck did I miss this?!? From the Daily Mail, November 2008:
"An air hostess helped land a jet carrying 146 passengers after the co-pilot had an apparent mental breakdown over the Atlantic Ocean, investigators revealed today.
The UK-bound plane made an emergency diversion to Shannon Airport, in Ireland, last January after the Air Canada flight officer began a ‘rambling and disjointed’ conversation, said an official report.
Another attendant suffered wrist injuries as the crew forcibly removed the co-pilot from the cockpit controls and restrained him in a seat in the cabin.
The captain of the Boeing 767 from Toronto to Heathrow asked staff to seek out any trained pilots onboard. One of the female cabin crew came forward saying she had a commercial pilot’s licence and was asked to take over in the co-pilot’s seat."
Karen Black would have been proud!

Watched some movies over the weekend that we chose to bypass in theaters:

Capsule review: Psychotic fun.

Capsule review: If you think Ricky Gervais is even remotely amusing, you will laugh out loud. (Proviso: You must also be able to bear the presence of Tea Leoni, which I realize is difficult for some people.)

We had a lovely New Year's Eve. Philip and I had a terrific dinner at Maison Akira, a French-Japanese fusion restaurant in Old Town Pasadena. My five-course fixed-price meal included a green asparagus flan, miso-marinated sea bass and a Kobe Steak in a Marchand du Vin sauce. The elegant room, which features plush draperies and fireplaces, was filled with balloons and streamers, and the staff was warm and welcoming. We thought parking in Old Pasadena might be a problem, with all of the yokels camping out on the streets for days in anticipation of the Rose Parade passing by on New Year's Day. It was a white-trash carnival all right, with ice coolers, bonfires and air mattresses on the sidewalk for miles:

There was even someone blowing a tuba every 90 seconds. I felt sorry for the apartment dwellers directly above. Later at home, Barry and Dudley came by and we watched Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin in Times Square while consuming some killer punch I made (champagne, Grand Marnier, cognac, orange juice, lemon juice and triple sec). New Year's Day I made a meal consisting of Chipotle-Orange Pulled Pork sandwiches, homemade black beans, and homemade cole slaw. Was fun until the kitchen sink backed up and we had to call Mr. Rooter to come out to snake the drain pipe. Mr. Rooter said he couldn't get the access cap to the drain off, and it would cost us $2500 to replace the pipes under the kitchen. Philip told Mr. Rooter that he was crazy and to hit the road - we got a plumber out today that got the cap off and the drain cleared for $80. Sure hope 2009 is a good year for us all.