The Passing of my Favorite Catwoman

I just heard the news. Eartha Kitt has passed away from colon cancer at the age of 81 and the world has become a little less warm.

Some may disagree, but I have always felt Miss Kitt was the perfect Catwoman, you could hear a purr in her voice whenever she talked, and I think she was much better than Julie Newmar, Michelle Pfieffer, or that other one that no one can ever seem to remember the name of.

She was best know as a singer though, and rose from humble beginings in the cotton fields of South Carolina to an entertainment career that spanned more than 50 years, and while she had many other songs to her credit, my favorite was, is, and shall always be "Cha Cha Heels". I hope you all enjoy it, but I must admit I've been wondering something about this song ever since I became involved with the imperial court system. Why has no drag queen that I've seen EVER performed this song???

You Won't Believe This

This is one of those things you hear about happening to other people, but it actually happened to me last night.

I had just gotten back to Stockton from the Sacramento Imperial Court's Christmas fundraiser, and was quite hungry. I didn't have time, or feel like, cooking anything, and I wanted more than just a PBJ, so I stopped at the drive-up at the McDonald's down the street from my apartment. I won't go into what I ordered, because it's not important to the story, but when I paid, and got back my change, I discovered, after I got home, that one of the coins the cashier gave me was a 1963, all silver, Benjamin Franklin head, half-dollar, which, according to what I've seen on E-Bay is actually worth about $10.00.

I'm in a quandary now. Should I keep the coin, or should I take it back and give it to the cashier who gave it to me. Actually, I know what I'm going to do, but I would like your opinions on the matter, so I hope you'll take my survey.

This is related by something I mentioned once before in that "God and the devil is in the details". For some reason, people don't pay attention, and/or they let their own petty concerns cloud their minds. The cashier who gave me the silver half-dollar in my change probably just didn't want to be bothered with it when it came time to close out the drawer, and the person who gave it to her in the first place didn't want to deal with it since (most likely) vending machines don't take half-dollars. A whole string of people trying to palm off something they saw as being to annoying to deal with, not realizing how valuable that which they saw as valueless really was.

That reminds me of a story I read in one of my Taoist books, but I'll save that post for another day.

I am so Frightend

The economy sucks (Well Duh!) but I always took some comfort in having a steady job with the State of California. Yesterday I found out, my job is not that secure anymore.

The Three Great Political Parties of California, The Democrats, The Republicans, and The Governator are all playing a game of chicken over the state budget. The dems don't want to cut spending, the reps don't want to raise taxes, and Herr Schwarzenegger won't sign anything that doesn't include his very own economic stimulus plan. All this means the state will be out of the money to cover it's obligations by March. For me personally it means, at best, two unpaid days off per month, or at worst no job at all.

So, I've been going through my expenses seeing where I can economize. Some of my austerity measures aren't going to be so bad, and I'm looking forward to implementing them, others won't make some people very happy (they don't make me happy), but if I'm going to get through these tough economic times sacrifices must be made (a direct quote from the mass e-mail I received from Herr Arnold).

Some of the money saving measures I will be taking are;

• Get a room mate to share the cost of the apartment, utilities, and food. Sort of like having a boyfriend but without the "Fringe Benefits".
• Discontinue using Nutrisystem. It's been great, and I've lost some good weight, but it's $277.00/month I may not be able to afford.
• Not drive my car any more than absolutely necessary and do more walking. Gas may have come down a lot, but it's still expensive, and the walking will help with my weight loss anyway.
• When I do drive, I need to remember 55 MPH equals 33 MPG.
• When I go to the grocery store, ALWAYS take my reusable cloth bag, that saves $0.05 each time I go to the store.
• Clip coupons whenever possible not only for the products I use, but to trade with others at an old fashioned, 1970s style "Coupon Party".

These are all that I can think of for now, but I'll be sure to post others when they occur to me.

As always, I'll do my best to keep you informed.

Banker's Golden Rule

Every now and then I have flashes of revelation. Epiphanies or insights to aspects of human nature, and I had one such experience today.

Now, I'm not going to go to deeply into religion, and I don't know the chapter and verse of the Bible this comes from, but Jesus once said, at the Sermon on the Mount;

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

This is an ethic of reciprocity known most commonly as "The Golden Rule".

How does this connect to and relate to my great insight?

Ever since The Credit Crunch began, one of the things I keep hearing on news stories about it is how banks are afraid to lend each other money, but are instead hoarding their cash because they don't trust the balance sheets or asset valuations of other banks.

This says a lot about the state of mind of all banks, and reveals a "Banker's Golden Rule" which is;

"Suspect others of trying to do unto you what you would like to be doing unto them if you could."

The more you are suspicious of being cheated by others, the more likely you are to try and cheat others yourself.

In other words, the banks paid caviar prices for baked beans, and hope they can convince other banks that their beans are really caviar.

So, since trust has departed the world for now, and doesn't look like it will be coming back any time soon, everyone in the banking and credit industries have seized up and become so tight, if they swallowed a lump of coal, they'd shit a diamond.

This also puts me in mind of a line in the Bette Midler song The Rose about the one who won't be taken. Bette says it better in the song though, so follow the link.

In A Melancholy Funk

I haven't written about this in a long time, but I'm feeling lonely again.

Part of me needs to work through the funk I've fallen into, and the best way to do that that I know of is to talk about it. To get it out of my system by getting it out there in the world.

Another part of me is afraid to talk about it. Afraid that any potential boyfriend that might be reading this will either think I'm to "high maintenance and needy" or will take advantage of my perceived desperation.

Either way, I'd be screwed, and not in a good way.

Party Almonds

Well, my readers have spoke, and the winning recipe for December's "Recipe of the Month" is an appetizing appetizer.

With Christmas/Hanuka/Ramadan/Tet/etc., etc., coming up, I thought a simple dish that goes over well at parties would be the best choice. So I present to you my Grandma's recipe for "Party Almonds".

PARTY ALMONDS

• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon red or green pepper sauce
• 2 cups whole almonds
• 1 to 2 teaspoons kosher (coarse) salt

1. Heat oven to 325*F. In a 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over low heat; stir in oil, chili powder, curry powder, Worcestershire sauce and pepper sauce. Simmer gently 2 to 3 minutes to blend the flavors.
2. Add almonds; toss to coat and spread in single layer in 15x10x1-inch pan.
3. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, stirring once halfway through the bake time.
4. Pour nuts into large bowl, toss with salt to coat. Spread in single layer in same pan and cool to room temperature.
5. Store in airtight container.

This makes 8 servings of 1/4 cup each.

You can also make this with walnuts or pecans, which my Grandma often did. It was the easiest way to use up the walnuts from the tree in the front yard, the almonds from the tree in the back yard, and the pecans we could find growing wild all over the neighborhood where they used to live.

Oh, what fond memories.

With Thanks to the Owl Empire

This last Thursday, December 4th, 2008, I hosted the monthly bingo game for the Imperial San Joaquin Delta Empire at the Paradise Club here in Stockton, California. We raised $100.00, which is a respectable amount of money, and I would like to thank the Imperial Court of Modesto, California for not only coming out but letting us use their bingo set.

I'm still disappointed though.

When I first began getting involved with the imperial court system a bingo game would fill the entire bar. Bingo games would raise a great deal more that $100, and anything under $400 or $500 would be considered a failure. What happened???

Slowly, gradually, fewer and fewer people came out for the "First Thursday Bingo" games, and the money raised became smaller and smaller, and the majority of people who were at the bar but not playing bingo began mocking the players to show their friends how cool they were.

That happened a lot at this last bingo. Some idiot in the far corner opposite from where I was sitting kept calling out "Bingo!". He didn't even have a bingo card, and kept himself hidden from my view by sitting behind a beam. The first time he called it, I let it slide. The second time, I asked "Do you really have bingo this time or are you just being a dick?" This comment seemed to upset a visiting bingo player from Modesto (To whom I would like to apologize for my language only). The third time the idiot called out "Bingo!" I was fed up with it and said "That wasn't funny the first time you did it and now it's just pathetic." Hey, at least I didn't use profanity this time.

Our bingo games are to raise money for people less fortunate than we (including the idiot in the corner) are. People who are sick or maybe even dying and are lacking in common necessities let alone common comforts.

I guess I'm just getting frustrated, fighting what seems to be a losing battle against apathy. The community we serve no longer seems to care.

And the people who did care and would come out to support their local imperial court chapter, the people who would do the work necessary to raise the money? They don't seem to care much anymore either. They will say "Oh, it's not about the crowns and gowns. It's about the work we do." but with their very next breath they say "Don't you dare take my picture till I'm perfectly posed!" More and more people only want to see and be seen. Fewer and fewer people want to do the work required to get something done, but seem content to lay back and rest on their laurels.

I keep trying, but I don't think I can keep tyring for very much longer.

December's BINGO-4 Days To Go

Only 4 more days till the I.S.J.D.E.'s December bingo game, and have I got something planned for the blackout prize!

What am I donating? A special gift basket I'm putting together myself. It will contain some of my fabulous fudge (guys just love to pack my fudge away), some of my Wesley Toll House cookies, some of my quickly becoming famous applesauce cake (got the recipe from my great-grandmother Julia), a 1 quart jar of homemade cherry pie oatmeal mix, and a 1 quart jar of my specially blended trail mix with dates and raisins.

I like to have the goodies I bake or make as fresh as possible when I give them away, so I started making them today with the fabulous fudge. It's cooling and solidifying even as I type this, and should be ready by Thursday's bingo game. I could put it in the refrigerator and it would be solidified sooner, but that tends to cause it to cool to quickly and get all grainy. No, the slow way is the best way.

Tomorrow (12/1/08) I will be making my "Wesley Toll House" cookies, and Tuesday (12/2/08) the applesauce cake.

I'm really hoping this gets more people out to our December bingo so we can raise as much money as possible for the I.S.J.D.E.'s "From The Heart" this year.

Not much else to talk about at the moment, but if anything else comes up, I'll keep you all informed.

Fucking, Austria

Believe it or not, there is such a place. Don't believe me? Check it out on Wikipedia and on an episode of The Graham Norton Show with Rosanne as the guest.

A little warning though, don't eat or drink anything while watching the YouTube clip. You'll either choke on it or laugh it out your nose. You have been warned.

Bush's Last Days: The Lamest Duck

We have "only one President at a time," Barack Obama said in his debut press conference as President-elect. Normally, that would be a safe assumption - but we're learning not to assume anything as the charcoal-dreary economic winter approaches. By mid-November, with the financial crisis growing worse by the day, it had become obvious that one President was no longer enough (at least not the President we had). So, in the days before Thanksgiving, Obama began to move - if not to take charge outright, then at least to preview what things will be like when he does take over in January. He became a more public presence, taking questions from the press three days in a row. He named his economic team. He promised an enormous stimulus package that would somehow create 2.5 million new jobs, and began to maneuver the new Congress toward having the bill ready for him to sign - in a dramatic ceremony, no doubt - as soon as he assumes office.

That we have slightly more than one President for the moment is mostly a consequence of the extraordinary economic times. Even if George Washington were the incumbent, the markets would want to know what John Adams was planning to do after his Inauguration. And yet this final humiliation seems particularly appropriate for George W. Bush. At the end of a presidency of stupefying ineptitude, he has become the lamest of all possible ducks.

It is in the nature of mainstream journalism to attempt to be kind to Presidents when they are coming and going but to be fiercely skeptical in between. I've been feeling sorry for Bush lately, a feeling partly induced by recent fictional depictions of the President as an amiable lunkhead in Oliver Stone's W. and in Curtis Sittenfeld's terrific novel American Wife. There was a photo in the New York Times that seemed to sum up his current circumstance: Bush in Peru, dressed in an alpaca poncho, standing alone just after the photo op at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, with various Asian leaders departing the stage, none of them making eye contact with him. Bush has that forlorn what-the-hell-happened? expression on his face, the one that has marked his presidency at difficult times. You never want to see the President of the United States looking like that.

So I've been searching for valedictory encomiums. His position on immigration was admirable and courageous; he was right about the Dubai Ports deal and about free trade in general. He spoke well, in the abstract, about the importance of freedom. He is an impeccable classicist when it comes to baseball. And that just about does it for me. I'd add the bracing moment of Bush with the bullhorn in the ruins of the World Trade Center, but that was neutered in my memory by his ridiculous, preening appearance in a flight suit on the deck of the aircraft carrier beneath the "Mission Accomplished" sign. The flight-suit image is one of the two defining moments of the Bush failure. The other is the photo of Bush staring out the window of Air Force One, helplessly viewing the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina. This is a presidency that has wobbled between those two poles - overweening arrogance and paralytic incompetence.

The latter has held sway these past few months as the economy has crumbled. It is too early to rate the performance of Bush's economic team, but we have more than enough evidence to say, definitively, that at a moment when there was a vast national need for reassurance, the President himself was a cipher. Yes, he's a lame duck with an Antarctic approval rating - but can you imagine Bill Clinton going so gently into the night? There are substantive gestures available to a President that do not involve the use of force or photo ops. For example, Bush could have boosted the public spirit - and the auto industry - by announcing that he was scrapping the entire federal automotive fleet, including the presidential limousine, and replacing it with hybrids made in Detroit. He could have jump-started - and he still could - the Obama Plan by releasing funds for a green-jobs program to insulate public buildings. He could start funding the transit projects already approved by Congress.

In the end, though, it will not be the creative paralysis that defines Bush. It will be his intellectual laziness, at home and abroad. Bush never understood, or cared about, the delicate balance between freedom and regulation that was necessary to make markets work. He never understood, or cared about, the delicate balance between freedom and equity that was necessary to maintain the strong middle class required for both prosperity and democracy. He never considered the complexities of the cultures he was invading. He never understood that faith, unaccompanied by rigorous skepticism, is a recipe for myopia and foolishness. He is less than President now, and that is appropriate. He was never very much of one.

WOW! It's hard to believe it's been nine days since my last post, but there it is. Today is November 25th, and my last post was November 16th.

I guess I've been concentrating more on my playing of the "CNBC Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge" contest. I'm doing well enough I suppose. Of the 5 portfolios I'm running, my best performing is up 6.2% since November 17th.

I've taken advantage of Friday and Monday's HUGE upswing to lock in some profits and am now sitting on a butt load of virtual cash. Given the market volatility, I think it wise to have a large cash reserve to take advantage of market momentum.

To any of you who read my blog, only 11 days left to take part in my latest survey and decide what kind of recipe will be posted on my next "Recipe of the Month" on December 7th.

My next survey will relate to a secret fantasy of mine. I wonder how many will vote in that one.

The CNBC Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge

Tomorrow begins the next CNBC Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge, and I'm getting my strategies ready. If you're interested in playing yourselves, follow the link and sign up. It's a fun game, and if you win, 1st prize is $500,000 plus the use of a private jet for one year.

I'm following a very basic strategy for the five portfolios I'm allowed to play for the duration of the 10 week game. My first portfolio will be an investment in the 5 worst performing stocks invested in my real world portfolio. The second is a selection of contrarian stocks I picked using the Yahoo! stock screener. The others are, large cap ($500million or more) momentum stocks, the five lowest priced stocks that have a "buy" rating from the majority of stock investors, and the fifth and final portfolio will be invested in the stocks of regional banks.

I know all of that must sound like so much gobbledygook to most of you, but that's ok. Not everyone is as fascinated by the concept of stock market investing as I am.

I've always been interested in investing. Ever since I was about 16 years old or so and I wanted to invest some of the money I had saved from my paper route in MTV. It was going public, and I thought it was a great opportunity. My mother thought differently though, and since I was under 18, I needed her permission to open a brokerage account. She said no. She told me that MTV was a fad, and if I invested in it, I would lose all my hard earned $500 when it went bankrupt! MTV bankrupt? If she were alive today, I'd ask her if the only reason it didn't go bankrupt was because I didn't invest.

I know the real reason she didn't want me to invest though. If I put my money into the stock market, she would not have ready access to be able to "borrow" it. I often wonder why I just didn't hand her my paper rout money every month, since she was going to end up with it every way. Oh, well.

By the way, I've been following MTV ever since it went public (It's part of VIACOM now). If I had been allowed to invest my $500 back in the early 1980s, what with stock splits, price appreciation, and the huge run up when they got taken over by VIACOM, my $500 would be worth $5,108.98 today. But, am I bitter? ABSOFUCKINGLUTELY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I Just Got a Phone Call

I won't say who it was from, or any details of the conversation, except to say it was basically like every other phone call I've gotten for the last two years. Someone wanted something from me.

Those are the only kinds of phone calls I get any more. If the phone rings, I know someone wants something from me. Either something I have that they want to borrow, or some service they need me to perform.

No one ever calls because they want to do something for me. An invitation to dinner? Come see a new DVD? Go with to see a movie downtown? Nothing purely social, or even just to talk. No one comes over to visit for a game of chess or a cup of tea. Hell, I even keep some bottled beer in my refrigerator for those who want something stronger. Still, nothing.

This Was Disgusting

I just heard this on the news, and I found it totally disgusting. Someone in San Jose is wanted for torturing cats. One poor little cat had to be euthanized because it was in such bad shape after having rubber bands tied around it's paws, tail, and neck.

According to the news report, an award for information leading to the capture and arrest of the sicko responsible has been building up, and is now at $7,000.00. If if found the person responsible, I would ask that the money be donated to the A.S.P.C.A. and the Humane Society. For something like this, it would be wrong to keep the money.

It may not sound like such a big deal to some, I can hear a few people (none of my readers though, I'm sure) saying, "Hey, it's only cats." Well my friend, aside from the cruelty shown to a defenseless animal, serial killers like Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacey, and Jeffrey Dahlmer got started by torturing animals, and if the Tao Te Ching teaches us anything, "It is easier to uproot a tree while it's still a sapling rather than fully grown."

I'm sorry if I sound like I'm ranting, but I am a cat person, and think the person who's been torturing those cats in San Jose has a special place in Hell reserved for them. If their is justice in the afterlife (and I think there is), Bastet will be his/her (but statistically more likely to be a "he") personal tormentor for the rest of Eternity, and if he re-incarnates, he'll come back as a cat.

My First Survey

Well, my first survey is over, and it was overwhelming. My readers are overwhelmingly "Trekkers"! I am no longer alone in my nerdisms.

Now for my next survey. I want to hear from my readers what kind of recipe they (you) want for my next "Recipe of the Month". Do you want an "Appetizing Appetizer" (that category includes soups), a "Meaty Main Dish", a "Veggie Vittles", or a "Delicious Desert"? Let me know and that will be my recipe for December.

In other news, well, their is no other news right now, but if something comes up, I'll keep you informed.

Stop Preaching to the Choir

This is my response to the people who voted against us here in California with Prop 8 (aka Proposition Hate). Hit them where it hurts the most! Hit them in their bank accounts!

While I do believe we should patronize companies and businesses that support our right to marry whom we choose, that's just preaching to the choir. We should let the companies and businesses that don't that we will NOT buy their goods and services, and why we won't.

To find companies that support our rights, I began with the Human Rights Campaign's "Buying For Equality 2008". I will only patronize those companies that score in the green range, send letters of encouragement to those that scored yellow letting them know they are almost worthy of my business, and those that score RED that I won't patronize them, why I won't patronize them, and why my friends won't patronize them.

That's the first step of my response. My second step is to encourage all of you to invest in and buy the stock of the yellow and red companies. Why? The green companies already know what side their bread is buttered on. But if the GLBT community, who's 2008 buying power was estimated at $723BILLION were to acquire 50% plus 1 share of a red company like Cracker Barrel Restaurant's, we can change their corporate policy.

The hard part for many will be the upcoming holiday season. Wall-Mart is a red company, and I will no longer, for any reason, set foot into one of their stores, let alone spend any of my money in one (or even post a link to their web-site). So, with the upcoming Christmas gift buying of the Imperial San Joaquin Delta Empire for the annual From The Heart project, which buys toys, clothes and other gifts for children who are either infected or otherwise affected by HIV/AIDS, I will be suggesting we spend the money we raise in Target. This is one of my favorite parts about being in the imperial court, but I can no longer allow with a clear conscience the money we've raised to be spent in a company that does not support us or our rights. That is why I will suggest we spend our money in Target which is rated green by the HRC.

Anyway, that's my response. If they don't want us to have the right to marry, I don't want them to have my (or your) money.

I'll keep you informed by they way if any of the letters I send to red companies respond with a pledge to become green.

Addendum-This person said it even better than I did with a YouTube Video. GAYS ON STIRKE!

It's Not Over Yet

Well, so far the supporters of "Proposition Hate" have won, and people like me who would like to get married one day, and all the other thousands of gays and lesbians who have already gotten married, are once again show by our so called "superiors" have show us what they think of us.

I've been hearing of court challenges being prepared to deal with the fact that the proposition should not have been allowed on the ballot after being thrown out by the state supreme court. I guess we'll have to wait and see. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I'd like to stay in the USA, and more specifically, California, but if I have to, I'll move to Canada or the United Kingdom, since these countries allow gay marriage, and I speak the language.

I have a plan for what we can do in the event that "Proposition Hate" actually does become a part of the constitution, but I'm still working on the details. When I have it all ready, I'll send out an "Extra! Extra!" for everyone.

Will It Pass or Be Defeated?

I just got back from voting, and the only two items on the ballot I can remember how I voted on are Obama for POTUS, and NO on Proposition 8.

I'm pretty confident that Obama will win, but Prop 8 is just to close to call. I'm hoping it will be defeated though.

Not much else to talk about at the moment, except I hope you'll vote in the poll I'm taking to see if my readers prefer "Star Trek" or "Star Wars" more. Please, vote.

Addendum-It's about 9:15 PM, election night. As I sit here typing this, the hated proposition 8 is winning by a ratio of 55% to 45%, with about 9% of all precincts reporting. I would love to sit up all night to wait for the final results, but I've go to go to bed. Please God(des), if you hear the prayers of gays and lesbians, don't let proposition 8 pass. Please, let me wake up tomorrow to learn that "No On 8" won, and that love defeated proposition hate.

Supplemental Entry-It is now 5:30 AM, 11/5/08, and still no definite word, one way or another on the outcome of proposition hate. I'm still hoping of course that the "No On 8" side wins, but I hate being left hanging like this!

My Condolences to Barak Obama

I would like to extend my condolences to Barack Obama. I have just heard that his grandmother, Madelyn Payne Dunham, 86, passed away after a battle with cancer.

Speaking as someone who lost a beloved grandmother, I know the pain of losing someone loved so deeply, and who played such a big part in forming you into the person you become. It hurts, it hurts a lot.

The day after the election, I plan to send Mr. Obama, who (god willing) will be President Elect on November 5th, a formal letter of condolence to him at his new address of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington D.C.. Maybe some of you will as well.

My Blog; A Guilty Pleasure

I have finally come to accept the fact that none of the apparently many, many people who read my blog will never post a comment, because my blog is a guilty pleasure. Something they enjoy reading, but will not admit to anyone else that they read.

How have I come to this conclusion? Well, I'm seem to always have people coming up to me, or sending an e-mail, telling me how much they enjoy one post or another. If they posted a comment, anyone else reading my blog would know who they were, so they confine themselves to face to face and e-mail comments.

Oh well, at least they're reading me.

Orange-Spiced Sweet Potatoes

With the first major food holiday of the season, Thanksgiving, I thought a holiday themed recipe was called for.

I first made this dish for my contribution to a Thanksgiving I was invited to at a friends house last year, and unlike many of my recipes, my beloved grandmother did not have this in her collection. I got this one from one of the many (and I do mean many) cookbooks I've been adding to my collection. It makes a great side dish for any meal, but of course The Holidays is when it really shines.

Orange-Spiced Sweet Potatoes

• 2 lbs sweet potatoes (or yams), peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine (1 stick), cut into small pieces
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
• Juice from 1 medium orange
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup chopped toasted pecans (optional)

1. Place sweet potatoes, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange peel, orange juice, salt and vanilla in your crock-pot. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours, or until potatoes are tender.
2. Sprinkle with pecans before serving, if desired.
3. For an interesting variation, mash the potatoes, add 1/4 cup milk and sprinkle with a mixture of sugar and cinnamon before sprinkling with the chopped toasted pecans if desired.

I hope any of you who decided to try this dish, rather than the somewhat more traditional candied yams, find it as tasty as my friends and I did.

As always, eat and enjoy.

I Feel Like I'm Letting My Friends Down

I was supposed to help with an I.S.J.D.E. court function today at Club Paradise, but was feeling to sick to do much of anything, and I feel guilty about it, like I'm letting all my friends down. I know none of them feel that way about me, and I don't want them or anyone to think I do think that, it's just something about me. Call it Irish Catholic Guilt if you want.

The sore throat started late Wednesday, and I began taking Theraflu, Traditional Medicinals herbal tea (echinacea), and other hot teas and beverages. My stomach is fine, but I've got a little phlegm, an annoying cough, and sneezing my nose off.

I could deal with all of that, it's not being able to help with the court function tonight that really makes me feel bad. I did do what I could to help though. I normally make the macaroni salad from scratch (a recipe my grandmother clipped out of a magazine from the 1950s), but considering I'm probably covered in flu germs, I got store bought instead. It's a really good macaroni & cheddar cheese salad I got from the deli section of the local grocery store. I hope everyone likes it.

I'm also going to be donating some money toward tonight's function total. I'll be giving Uneke (our ICP and board treasurer) the check at the next court/board meeting.

I should be well enough by next weekend to go to Modesto's Imperial Coronation. Emperor 34, Matthew Cantrell-Lucci and Empress 34 Tequila St. James have worked very hard and their step-down should be fantabulous!

I would like to suggest a new name by the way for Tequila to add to the long (you have no idea) list of names she uses. I think it would be fun to add Mockingbird to the end of the list, that way she would be Tequila Mockingbird ("To Kill A Mockingbird", get it?). What do all of you think?

Inappropriate Pictures For a Vacation

The title of the post says it all, but I feel no remorse. I was on vacation for crying out loud, and you're SUPPOSED to do inappropriate stuff on your vacation. Anyway, I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as the others I've posted from my vacation.

As you can tell, I'm somewhat obsessed with good looking guys, especially their abs and butts.

That 70's T-Dance

My favorite T-Dance of the entire cruise was the (you guessed it) "Classic 70's Disco T-Dance". That was the one I spent most of my time anticipating and preparing for. Here are some of the pictures I took. Enjoy.

My next photo set to be published will be titled "Inappropriate Pictures For a Vacation". I hope you enjoy seeing them as much as I did taking them.

Not Three, Not Two, Butt Juan

These are some pictures I took of Juan (never learned his last name), an Atlantis Events volunteer who was working during the Mexican Riviera Cruise. He was, in my opinion anyway, one (or should that be Juan) of the hottest guys on the Radiance of the Seas, and when you consider how much eye-candy was on board, that's saying something.

The pictures were taken during the three bingo games held during the cruise, and every time the bingo callers would make a "mistake" or have a bingo "accident", Juan would have to take off an article of clothing. It made me wonder if we could get away with something similar at the Stockton I.S.J.D.E. bingo game we hold the first Thursday of the month at Club Paradise. I wonder if we could get Tim the Bartender to be our stripper. I'd do it, but I would want to lose about 80 or 90 lbs first.

Anyway, enjoy, and Juan, if you're reading this, I think you're a great guy and a terrific sport. Good luck in your future endeavors in London, England with your partner and your future career.

The Celebrities I Met

I no sooner boarded the ship when I met Charo. I was giddy at the encounter. I am so gay!

I got another picture with Charo later that evening at the kick-off show. Later I went and bought two of her autographed CDs.

I met Alec Mapa at pre-boarding. He is such a sweet guy, and so funny.

Me with Shan Carr, the greatest lesbian comic in the world!

Me with cabaret star Mat Yee.

Me with drag queen/magician Cashetta.

Me with comic Jim David. I hope the neighbors are enjoying this! (Inside joke.)

I met Miss Richfield 1981 at bingo. The fact that we're both wearing yellow was pure chance.

Cheeta Rivera in concert on the ship. You go Cheeta!

Bruce Villance on stage. I met him later in the dining room, but didn't have my camera. Damn!

Well, those are the celebrities I met on my 2008 Atlantis vacation. More pictures will be coming soon.

Vacation Report-2008

Well, I'm back from my vacation everybody, and I had a fantastically good time! I know I said I would be posting a vacation diary, but I was having so much fun, and so much was happening I just didn't have time. I tried to be everywhere and see and do everything.

I was up Saturday morning (10/18/08) at 2:00 a.m. to finish packing so I could be out the door and on my way to the airport by 3:30 a.m. I arrived early enough that when I was finally able to board the plane, I was able to get a window seat in the front row (normally I like sitting on the isle) and had some great news. Either they're making the seats wider, or I lost more weight than I thought, because I didn't feel squeezed in this time.

Then the bad news hit. I got to the airport in LA and the airline put one of my suitcases on the wrong airplane. I landed at 8:30 a.m., and my second of my two pieces of checked luggage arrived at 12:30 p.m. Southwest took my report and said they would rush my suitcase to the port, and Royal Caribbean said if the suitcase had arrived after the ship departed, they would forward it to our first port of call (Ixtapa), but still, I would have been two days without a change of clothing. Fortunately, my suitcase did arrive before we pulled out of port. Yahoo!

So, after a bit of a rough beginning, my vacation ended up being one of the best times in my life. Pictures will be posted soon.

In Just 12 Hours or So!

In just about 12 hours I'll be getting on the airplane for LAX, hopping on the shuttle-van for LAH, and waiting to board the Serenade of the Seas for my 2ND annual Mexican Riviera cruise vacation with Atlantis Events. I got all my packing done, and now it's time for bed.

Before I go though, please follow the link to the Karaoke Queen (no, not me). I'm just sorry the lighting is so bad. Next time will be better. Trust me though, she really is beautiful.

Deep-Dish Country Apple Pie (AKA The Skipped Recipe)

I just realized, I forgot to post my Recipe of the Month last Sunday, October 5th. I hope you can all forgive my tardiness.

This month is another special diabetic recipe for those who still enjoy desert, but think you cannot have anything sweet anymore, whether it be because of diabetes, heart trouble, or surrendering to the body fascism of the gay community at large.

Deep-Dish Country Apple Pie

• 5 cups sliced Gala apples
• 3 cups sliced Granny Smith Apples
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla (*or optionally; 1 teaspoon vanilla, butter, and nut flavoring)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar substitute
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons diet margarine
• 1 prepared, refrigerated pie crust

1. Preheat your oven to 425*F
2. Combine apples, lemon juice and vanilla (*or the optional).
3. Add flour, sugar, sugar substitute, cinnamon and nutmeg; toss again.
4. Transfer to 9-inch (ouch!) deep-dish pie pan and dot with margarine.
5. Cover with crust, and cut several slits in crust. Bake 50 minutes or until apples are tender. (Cover edges with tin-foil during the last 15 minutes of baking if browning too quickly.)
6. Serve warm or at room temperature. Cover leftover pie with plastic wrap; store in refrigerator.

This makes 8 servings.

Here is a little something extra you might want to try with your pie. I learned this from an episode of "I Love Lucy"; try serving the pie hot, with a slice of cheddar cheese. Yummy!

On a side note, I love "I Love Lucy". She had a voice like the little girl who just found her mother's lipstick. You can hear the twinkle in her voice. Don't believe me? Try watching the next episode with your eyes closed. You can hear the twinkle in her voice.

Have We Bottomed Yet?

Anyone with access to a radio or television, who also doesn't change the station when the news comes on, will know that the DJIA rose over 11% today! Now, the question I, and financial commentators are asking is this, "Have we bottomed yet?"

My answer is quite simply, "I don't know."

My portfolio increased 5.31% for the day, but I'm still looking at a paper loss of 7.5%. In dollars and cents, I had paper gains of $1,463.19, but am still holding a paper loss of $2,353.50.

Add to that the fact that over the next two months is "Earnings Season", when companies tell their investors and the world how much they made or lost. Well folks, I'm predicting good news for the following companies that I'm invested in;

• Heinz (HNZ)
• McDonalds's (MCD)
• Pepsico (PEP)

And I just wish I had been smarter and put some money into a position in Hershey (HSY).

Why am I predicting good news for these companies (which represent 20% of my total portfolio)? Well, they all started coming down as the price of commodities, the raw materials they need to make their products, began going up. To maintain their profit margins, they began a series of price increases, but now, the price of commodities is coming down (FAST), and they have made no move to lower their prices. In simple math, if you sell for $2 what it costs you $1 to make, your profit is $1, but if your cost goes down to $0.75 and you're still selling for $2, you are now making $1.25.

So, if you can, put your money in these stocks. In tough economic times, you can't go wrong investing in companies that make things people eat and/or drink.

Peace.

Modesto's Closet Ball

I meant to post this Sunday, October 12th, but with one thing and another, I wasn't able to. I'm getting closer and closer to my 2nd cruise vacation with Atlantis Events, and I spent most of yesterday either at the gym or shopping for supplies. I'll wait till Friday though before I buy the "supplies" I'll need for special activities so I'll have them nice and fresh.

Anyway, the Modesto Closet Ball, 2008, was a lot of fun, and the new Closet Ball Queen, Missy, looks like she's well up to the challenge. The transformation from Corry (her boy name, and sorry if I spelled it wrong) to Missy (again, sorry if I spelled it wrong) was truly remarkable, though the shaving of the goatee had a lot to do with it. Here are some before and after pictures of Modesto's new Closet Ball Queen;

Corry as a boy.

(He's the one in the white tank-top t-shirt)

Introducing Missy!

Like I said, the transformation was truly remarkable!

The entertainers were all fantastic, but I do have to say, Mama Cantrell should have done the "Let Me Entertain You" song from the musical "Gypsy". The dress she was wearing was a dead ringer for the one that Natalie Wood wore in the movie. Don't get me wrong, her performance was fantastic, I just thought the other would have been a better one, especially since the one dress strap kept slipping down (though in the movie, Gypsy removed it on purpose).

Very Cold, Very Small Comfort

Just over 1 year ago yesterday, the DJIA reached it's all time high peak of over 14,000. As of yesterday, the main market average is down nearly 40%, below 9,000 points for the first time in 5 years.

Here is my very cold, very small comfort; my portfolio is down just about 11%. I'm down like everyone else, and everyone else is down like the rest of the market. But my stocks are down only 11% vs. 40%.

The only thing I have to look forward to is the dividends I will be earning on the stocks I have invested in.

I've decided to cut a large number of my expenses (IE "EXTRAVAGANCES"), and use the extra cash to pay off my credit cards. I can no longer afford to live as I have been living. So, no more membership to TitanMen.com, no more "short car rides" within Stockton (riding my bike will be better for me anyway), and I won't be going out of town anymore for imperial court functions unless I get at least one other person who agrees to go with me, and only then if they agree to share the cost of the gasoline. Sorry folks, no more free ride with Wesley, unless of course we have to stay overnight, and you agree to pay for the hotel room (I want to be fair after all), and if you agree, then back out at the last minute, I won't go, and, if we go some place out of town, and then you try to back out of an agreement to share expenses (EX. you pay the hotel expense, I pay for the gas) I am quite willing to strand you in a far distant city. I will no longer be taken advantage of or taken for granted by anyone.

I am NOT giving up cruise vacations however! If you say that makes me selfish, F**K YOU!

Side Note: For those of you who are wondering why I didn't actually spell the F-word, I didn't want to have to put up the block you would need to click to confirm entry into the blog. That, and with over 300,000 words in the English language alone, I have never been one for using the same 4-letter ones over and over again. It shows a limited mind.

Message In a Bottle

Let me ask you a question. Have you ever written a message in a bottle and thrown it into the ocean or a river or lake? You send out that message, and wonder if anyone will ever find it, and if you will ever hear from them if they do.

Once, when I was younger, I put a message in a bottle. It was a line from a movie I had seen where the central plot point was a lonely young woman who would go to the beach every day, and throw a bottled message into the ocean. Every day for two years (if I remember the movie correctly.

Each message was the same. Her name, her address, and the following;

"There is in certain living souls
A quality of loneliness unspeakable,
So great it must be shared
As company is shared by lesser beings.
Such a loneliness is mine; so know by this
That in immensity
There is one lonelier than you."

I've come to realize that's what my blog posts are sometimes. Each one is a message in a bottle, and each time someone posts a comment, it's like getting a response to that message that you never really thought would come, but one that you kept hoping for anyway.

Yes. I'm feeling lonely. I feel lonely a lot, and treasure each comment on my blog, each private e-mail I receive, each phone call, kiss or embrace. They all come so seldom, occur so infrequently, that I try to prolong the experience as long as I can in order to store up the memories so they will last me a long time. Because who knows when the loneliness will be broken again, if ever.

Could I Be Psychic???

On Monday I got a horrendous ass-chewing from my boss because it was thought a $10.00 imbalance in an account in my office was my fault. I still get chills up and down my spine when I remember the look on my bosses face and the words he said to me.

Well, last night (or should I say this morning) after I went to bed, I had a dream that the senior accounting technician in my section found the $10.00 we had been looking for, and for some reason it was found in her purse. It was a very strange dream since it wasn't an actual $10.00, but an account imbalance.

Well, today, about an hour after we all started working this morning, looking for "MY" mistake, she realized it wasn't my fault at all! The missing $10.00 wasn't missing at all, she only thought it was because SHE had entered the wrong number in the computer spreadsheet, from an account SHE is personally responsible for. So, in a sense, my dream came true. She did find the $10.00, and while it wasn't in her purse, it was in something she has jurisdiction over. How freaky is that?

By the way, for those who were wondering, she did apologize to me, in a sense. Her exact words were, "I'm sorry, but you have made mistakes like this before." How gracious of her to point out a past error of mine to excuse an error of hers that could have gotten me fired.

Our boss, by the, way hasn't said jack-diddly about the whole entire affair, but he did have enough sense of shame for the way he spoke to me to not be able to look me in the eye when he had to talk to me, and an embarrassed flush turned his normally fair complexion positively pink whenever I caught him looking at me. I don't know what it is exactly, but for some reason fate always seems to feed the people who treat me unjustly a large amount of crow before to long.

I would tell some of the people who are treating me badly outside of work to learn from this, but they wouldn't listen anyway. No one ever listens to the words of the prophet till it's to late and learn that nothing is more expensive than regret.

Speaking of prophets by the way, the dream I mentioned that came true (in a sense) wasn't the first time it has happened. It happens quite a bit, though I don't realize the significance of the dream till later. I've decided therefore to try harder to remember my dreams in the morning, and maybe post them here on my blog. Maybe one of you will make the connection for one of my dreams.

Peace.

16 Days Till My Vacation

Well, the title says it all. Only 16 days till I start my vacation, and only 17 days till I'm on a cruise ship with over 2,000 other gay men. This will be my second trip with Atlantis Events.

I don't know if I'll be able to do much blogging while on vacation. The internet connection is a little wonky while at sea, and I may be to busy having a butt-load (no pun intended) of fun to find much time for posting, but whenever I'm able, I'll be posting updates of a "Cruise Vacation Diary, 2008: Day #". I got the idea from a style of posting used by fellow blogger and porn super star Steve Cruz.

Not much else to talk about at the moment, so I'll leave it at that, except for one little thing. To all you artists and aspiring artists out there, I have a paraphrased quote from Pablo Picasso. "Creating art is just another way of keeping a diary." Art can be anything you put your whole self into, not just sculpture or painting. Art can be writing a poem, cooking a meal, taking a picture, or pressing a leaf into a photo album. I'd love to hear from you all about what kind of art you create. Post something about it in the comments section. It's not difficult to do. Hey, even that can be art :)

Peace.

Welcome To Xanadu

I had a good time at Club Paradise last night. It may not have been the Folsom Street Fair (that I really, really, REALLY wanted to go to), but it was still a fun evening.

I love a salty rim!

I also wanted to upload a video of myself singing karaoke at Club Paradise, but my performance was a tad over the 100MB limit. So, here is a little link to Xanadu on YouTube. Enjoy.

Salmon Cakes with a Creamy Caper Chive Sauce

My grandparents would go up to Fort Bragg, California every year from about the middle of July to the end of August. It was practically an article of faith for them that was done for two main reasons. One, it was an escape from the triple-digit heat of summer in Stockton, and two, my grandfather loved deep-sea salmon fishing.

My grandfather was a great fisherman, and that 6 week period provided 1/3 of ALL the meat they would eat for an entire year. My grandparents would freeze and smoke some of it, but they canned most of it.

Now, for this recipe you don't need any of my grandmother's famous canned salmon (I used the last of that 4 years ago), but you can use any store bought variety, and it will taste almost as good (grin). So, here is my grandmother's recipe for salmon cakes with a creamy caper chive sauce. It is heart healthy, diabetic friendly and very, very tasty.

SALMON CAKES with CREAMY CAPER CHIVE SAUCE

• 2 slices whole wheat bread
• 2 large egg whites, slightly beaten
• 1 can (14 3/4 oz.) sockeye salmon, drained, bones and skin discarded
• 2 tblsp chopped fresh chives
• 3/4 to 1 tsp "Old Bay" seasoning
• 2 tsp canola oil
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 2 tblsp drained capers
• lemon or lime wedges (optional. Be creative and use both)

1. To prepare fresh bread crumbs, tear bread into pieces; place in bowl of food processor. Process until finely minced.
2. Place in medium bowl, and stir in egg whites.
3. Break salmon into small chunks; add to bowl of breadcrumbs with 1 tblsp chives and seasoning. Mix well.
4. Shape into 4 patties about 3 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick.
5. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot.
6. Add salmon cakes, cooking 3 to 4 minutes per side or until golden brown.
7. Meanwhile, combine sour cream, remaining 1 tblsp chives and capers in small bowl. Mix well.
8. Serve salmon cakes with caper sauce and lemon or lime wedges (or both if you're creative like me).

This recipe makes 4 servings.

As always, eat and enjoy.

The 856 Resteraunt

Yesterday, after work, I went to a restaurant I hadn't been to in a very long time, and I am so glad I went.

The restaurant is "856", conveniently located at 856 West Benjamin Holt Drive, Stockton, California, and owned by the Davis brothers, who also happen to own Club Paradise.

For my dinner, I had the beef barley soup, the Italian roasted half-chicken with seasonal vegetables, and for desert, the creme brulee.

I found the soup very tasty, but did think it could have used maybe a touch more pepper. Yes, I know you can always add more pepper when they bring your soup, but the hallmark of good cooking is that you don't need to add extra seasonings.

The chicken was mouthwateringly delicious, but I found myself wishing I had an extra stomach (though I know some of you might think I already do) because another diner at a nearby table was having the chicken shish kabobs that were the evening special, and if the aroma was any indication, they would have been even better.

The highlight of the meal was the creme brulle' I had for desert. I had it once before at this restaurant, and if possible, it was even better this time! My 2nd favorite part of this desert dish is making the first break in the glazed sugar covering which is one of the signatures of the desert. My favorite part is eating it.

The service I received was phenomenal by the way. It seemed that if my server Nicole, or the cook Benny, even had the slightest idea I wasn't pleased, they redoubled their efforts to make my dining experience a pleasurable one. They succeeded fantastically.

All in all, I would have to give my evening at 856, on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, a 10.

I endorse, recommend, and implore you to do yourself a favor and go to this restaurant. Your taste buds will thank you.

Right and Wrong

I was sort of right about the financial markets today. At one point, the DJIA was down about 127 points before rebounding for a gain of over 121 points.

Most commentators seem to be of the opinion that the rebound was caused in part by the legislature agreeing to continue talks about the $700billion bailout, or as Jim Cramer calls it, "Invest In America".

In other (almost) news, I went to a nice restaurant after work tonight. I'll be posting a review in the morning.

Friday, Bloody Friday!

Today is not going to be pretty, and if this were Sunday, I'd say it would be a "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" to rival any in history.

After the deal was struck, and the market surged up nearly 300 points for the day (over 400 at one point), nervous "no-nad" republicans decided it might be "fun" to rebel against their democratic allies (and their own President) and derail the economic, $700Billion Bailout Rescue Plan, that Jim Cramer likes to call "Invest In America".

Now, as I write this the DOW futures are down 193 points, NASDQ futures are down 40 points, S & P futures down 26 points, oil down $1.98. There is some good news though (insert sarcasm here), gold futures are up $11.20.

Cash is, it would seem, king, and at the moment, makes up nearly 50% of my total portfolio value, and I have adjusted the prices for my automatic buy orders down an average of 10%. I'm thinking if the market comes down as much as I think it will, I can increase my positions in my top ten stocks (see Bloodbath Monday!!!) that have not already maxed out at my $2,500 limit.

I'm just wondering one thing now. How long will it be before Pat Robinson or one of his right wing, Christian fundamentalist (re crazy morons) say that the current economic crisis is the result of God's displeasure over the abomination of gay marriage. Frankly, I'm surprised they haven't said it now. They were quick enough to do it after 9/11.

Bottlenecks and Rubbernecks

I got caught in a traffic jam today. It wasn't because of an injury auto accident, it wasn't because a tomato truck tipped over, spilling it's cargo of tomatoes all over the I-5, and it wasn't even because the California Department of Transportation closed all but one or two lanes for highway repair. No, it was because EVERYBODY wanted to slow down and look at a car that had been pulled over to the side of the road for some reason. I can only imagine what traffic would have been like if it had been part of an accident or if a highway patrolman was giving the driver a ticket or something. It was caused by "rubberneckers"!

I see this a lot. People seem to have a pathological need to stop and look at auto accidents on the highway, and I know some of the reasons why. They want to see blood, guts, gore and body parts. They want to be able to tell their friends and co-workers, if the accident makes the evening news, "I was there! I'm a witness! I saw it all!" Some of us have lives people. Are your lives so empty, you have to attach yourselves to some sort of event, just for the sake of bragging rights?

Another type of traffic jam I'm frequently caught in is the result of bottle necking. That's when people aren't paying attention while driving and get to close to their exits before they realize what they've done, and rather than just take the next exit they slow down, curse all the other drivers coming up behind them who won't stop to let them over, cause others behind them to slow down to nearly a dead stop, and make their exit. To those who may be guilty of this, let me say "You are not the center of the world!".

Here is a little trick I'm going to share with you all. If you are three or more exits away from the one you need to take, drive in the leftmost lane whenever possible, when you are two exits away, start moving from the leftmost lane to the next lane to your right, and when you have passed the exit before your exit, get into the rightmost exit lane! It's that simple people.

I'm sorry (but not much) for sounding so angry, but I was in a rubberneck jam today and was nearly 15 minutes late for work, and I left for work 30 minutes before I had to be there, which normally gives me 15 minutes of relaxation time in the break room before I have to start my day.

In other news, I started a chain e-mail today. It contains a file photo of the picture of a rose I took while at Bob and Nate's wedding in Oroville. For those of you who delete my e-mails, here is the picture. I love roses. They remind me of my grandmother who adored them. Enjoy.

Bob & Nate's Wedding

For those of you who were unable to make it to Bob and Nate's Wedding, here are 12,000 words worth of pictures to describe for you how wonderfully happy Bob and Nate looked on their specail day.

Bob, Nate, I wish you all the best, and many happy years in the future.