HOLIDAY HOURS

I'll be up at the butt-crack of dawn tomorrow and headed off to Florida to celebrate Christmas with the McKinneys. I'll be partaking of plenty of good food, fine wine, cold beer from Dad's Kegerator Murphy (yes, they named the kegerator), delicious Limoncellos, and a few Manhattans. I'll try to remember through the drunken haze to post the occasional blog entry.

CHRISTMAS COMES EARLY FOR JERSEY GAYS

Its official, New Jersey's governor signed legislation today giving same-sex couples all the rights and responsibilities of marriage allowed under state law, except the title.

When the law goes into effect February 19th, New Jersey will will become the third state offering civil unions to same-sex couples and the fifth allowing some version of marriage. Currently Connecticut and Vermont also offer civil unions for same-sex couples, while Massachusetts allows same-sex couples to marry, and California has domestic partnerships. New York better wake up or an awful lot of disposable incomes might start crossing the Hudson.

For anyone who is wondering why gaining these rights are so important, here is what Civil Unions and Marriages provide to the two people:

"The civil unions law grants same-sex couples adoption, inheritance, hospital visitation and medical decision-making rights and the right not to testify against a partner in state court."

MARY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

Enjoy!

OH TANNENBAUM

On Tuesday I mentioned that Seth & I were going to Christmas party where we would be trimming a giant tree. Well, here is the tree. The picture on the left is of Seth putting some of the first ornaments on the tree.


I took the picture below later in the night using the drunk-vision lens. Yes, that's Seth wearing the infamous tuxedo T-shirt from Scott & Nichole's wedding.

Wii GOT GAME!

By the time I got home last night my local Game Stop was closed so I couldn't but a game for my new Wii. Fortunately, the Wii comes with one game, Wii Sports, which as the title might suggest, is a collection of sports games. I hate sports games. I haven't played a sport video game since playing my parents Pong and yes, I consider Pong a sport.

Setting up Wii was a breaze and I quickly created my Mii. A Mii is a Wii avatar that will appear in some games, such as the Wii Sports games. I was itching to play anything so I slid in that sports disc and started off with tennis. It's probably been about 20 years since I went to tennis camp (yes, I really went to tennis camp) but I've still got a killer serve and impressive back-hand. The Wii's remote senses your movement and can actually distinguish when you are executing a back-hand swing. Next I played a round of golf (I can honestly say I've never typed that sentance before) and followed it up with bowling.

I couldn't believe it but I was actually having fun playing sports games and I owe it all to Wii. While I don't see myself buying Madden Football anytime soon, I'm already looking forward to my next tennis match. Doubles anyone?

SCREAMS OF JOY

This is the commercial I mentioned yesterday (scroll down).

Thanks Adam for sharing this link.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING NEW YEARS EVE?

Attention anyone who hasn't made their New Year's Eve plans yet, boy do I have an idea for you!

Join the folks of Clay's Corner, NC, for the annual New Years Eve Possum Drop! This year's drop will even be broadcast live via WKRK Radio.

For more info, head on over to href="http://URL">http://www.clayscorner.com/index.html

THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR

There is a commercial on TV that shows two kids opening Christmas gifts and screaming with excitement over what they got. That was what I was doing a few minutes ago when my boss gave me my Christmas gift - a Nintendo Wii!!

MIA

You've probably noticed that I haven't been blogging much lately. Sorry about that. I've just been insanely busy with work and all the holiday madness.

Tonight Seth & I have a Christmas party to attend at a friend's apartment who apparently has a tree that might rival the one at Rockefeller Center. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow and promise to get back to more regular blogging.

BEST & WORST OF 2006

It seems like everyone does a Best & Worst of the year introspective around this time of year so I thought we should do one also. Use the comment field of this post to list your best, worst, favorite, least favorite or whatever of 2006. Keep in mind, this isn't a scientific study and we don't have to answer to anyone so if your favorite album of 2006 was actually released in 2005, then list it anyway.

I'll get it started by listing some categories and my picks.

Here are mine:
MOVIES: Best - Grandma's Boy. Worst - MI3.
TV: Best - Big Brother All Stars. Worst - The View
ALBUM: Best - Confessions On A Dance Floor, Madonna. Worst - B'Day, Beyonce.
CONCERT: Best - Confessions Tour, Madonna. Worst - Confessions Tour, (its the only concert I saw)
SURPRISE: Best - Kelly & Adam moving to NY. Worst - Jen moving to Singapore

MOST INTERESTING STORY - Mel Gibson's drunken tirade against Jews.
LEAST INTERESTING STORY - Paul McArtney's divorce.
FUNNIEST ONE LINER - Kharen Jones "Who invited Boss Hog?" (ask Kharen)

So now its your turn. You can nominate your picks for the above categories but please keep in mind, I'm interested in your category ideas also.

MY CELEBRITY STUDDED MORNING

What a day it's been and it isn't even noon yet.

If anyone read my post last week, WHATS ON MY DESK TODAY, you'll recall that I was cultivating an ant farm for an appearance on Live with Regis & Kelly. Well that appearance was today and I just got back to the office.


I met my boss, the Toy Guy, at 7:30 this morning at the ABC studio where Live with Regis & Kelly is shot. We were going over the toys for the Toy Guy's segment with Gelman, the producer, when Regis arrived to say hello. Later I was asked to join Kelly in her dressing room to show her how to work a Spy Camera toy, which she then took on the show during the opening chat section and took pictures of Regis, the audience, and her desk (that one was a mistake, I think). At one point during the show, the Toy Guy and I were in an empty make-up room using a TV to set up a digital makeover toy when Rob Lowe walked in. Apparently we were in his dressing room. He was very excited to see the toy we were working with and wanted his own digital makeover. He looked great after we gave him eye shadow and high arching eye brows.

Next, I had to help Regis & Kelly put on their Happy Feet tap dancing penguin feet and after that, I helped Regis get into an inflatable Superman suit. As the suit's muscles were inflating, he kept shouting "Am I inflating, am I inflating!?" I guess he thought the bulging muscles were his own.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention the other guest on the show - The latest winner of Americas Top Model. She seemed nice and not as tall as I would have expected.

After the show, I snuck back stage to retrieve my ant farm. I'm happy to say the ants did a great job on the show and are now back on my desk basking in their new celebrity. They just got an offer to guest judge an episode of the next American Idol.

TIPS FOR THE HOLIDAYS

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact,
if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. Like fine single-malt scotch, it's rare. In fact, it's even rarer than
single-malt scotch. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories
in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-aholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one
for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make
a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother?
It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a
Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have
nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a
10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size
of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention.
They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or, if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and
one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all
cost. I mean, have SOME standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying
attention. Reread tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

Remember this motto to live by:

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well
preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, totally worn out and
screaming, "WOO HOO what a ride!"

CALLING ALL FORMER JERSEY CITY RESIDENTS

According to New York Magazine, Jersey City is THE new cool place to live. In the article, If You Lived Here, You’d Be Cool by Now, the author talks about the trend of cool neighborhoods moving farther and farther from Manhattan and with Williamsburg already uncool, the author suggests the next prime spot is Jersey City.

Its long but a good read, especially for all of us that used to live and party there. However, for proof that you can't believe everything you read, in interviews with current JC residents, they make an awful lot of comments that we used to make when we lived there regarding the few things the neighborhood needed to really seal the deal. Apparently there is still only one restaraunt on Restaraunt Row (Newark Ave, the street parallel to our old street) and there's still a need for good bars. The article didn't say a thing about that Hard Groove and that has me thinking, "I wonder if Lisa is still there?" Chances are good that Box Car Willy has moved on but I bet How You Do is still there and maybe even MoMohamed.

THIS SHIT IS BANANAS

Did you watch the Billboard Music Awards last night and if yes, why? I tuned in on time to catch a rapper, I have never heard of, give an entirely inaudible acceptance speech followed by Mary J with her standard "Thank you god, thank you Jesus, thank you fans" acceptance speech. That was enough for me to play an episode of I Love Lucy. After Lucy, however, I gave the awards show another chance and was pleasantly repulsed by Denise Richards introducing Gwen Stefani. Stefani performed her latest "song", Wind It Up. I say this as a fan of hers, that song sucks! First of all, it sounded like most of the crap from her last album. I think its the same beat as that stupid Bananas song. Second, it sounded like all of Fergie's songs, which aren't that great either. The only enjoyable aspect of Wind It Up is the Sound of Music sample and that comes from some guy who wrote it like 50 years ago. Please Gwen, go back to No Doubt.

That was enough Billboard for me. Is Billboard Magazine even still in print?

THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO ZZZZZZZZ

Some of you may recall my review of E!'s House of Carters. If you don't, you can read it here or if you are feeling too lazy to click that link, the basic gist is that the show sucks. Just in case you needed another opinion regarding House of Carters crapulence I offer you the following.

Apparently, the show has at least one fan and guess who it is? No, not Heather. It's Britney Spear's soon-to-be-ex husband. Some how this douche-bag has been given his own reality show and he wants House of Carters executive producer, Kenneth Crear, to produce it. Here's the best part, Crear is quoted in Us Weekly with the following statement:

"Kevin came to me because he liked the way I shot the House of Carters series and the way I made Nick Carter look real and trustworthy. I gave people a different perspective of him and made people really respect him."

I don't know who the bigger idiot is here but I know one thing, I will not be tuning in for House of Federlines.

WHATS ON MY DESK TODAY

In a recent post, 'Its A Living' I mentioned some of the more colorful responsibilities attached to my job working for the Toy Guy. This week, I've been cultivating a colony of ants in a new gel Ant Farm. If all goes as planned, these little creepy crawlies will be going from my desk to the set of Live With Regis & Kelly next week. Stay tuned for more information on the ant's upcoming tv appearance.

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS FRIGHTFUL

I don't know about the rest of the country but today in New York City it's hot! According to the TV, it may even get into the 70's. And today isn't just a fluke - its been warm all week.

I took a stroll through Bryant Park yesterday and snapped some photos of the ice (water) skating rink, where the ice was melting so fast that the entire rink had a quarter of an inch deep layer of water over it. Check out my pictures from yesterday and click on a photo to enlarge. The second photo is a close-up of the water rippling across the ice. I'd hate to be skating there and fall over.