RINO REMINDER - HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Senator Lamar Alexander is the traitorous senator from Tennessee who voted to confirm the racist judge, Sonya Sotomayor. Never again will I vote for Lamar Alexander. He is not up for re-election until 2014, but I intend to post this reminder each and every month until then. I hope he either resigns or they run a true conservative against him in the primary. I challenge my fellow bloggers to do the same if you have RINO's in your state that need to go. I may add my other senator, Bob Corker, to this reminder. I'm waiting for him to cross the aisle again and work with Dimocrats.

It is with sadness that I have added my congresswoman, Marsha Blackburn to the RINO Reminder list. She voted for the BOEHNER bill and has voted to raise the debt ceiling, thereby COMPROMISING and selling us out to the Dimocrats and the establishment Republicans. I have let congresswoman Blackburn know that I am looking forward to voting for a primary challenger against her in 2012. I hope there is one.

GREAT CELEBRATIONS TO WELCOME 2012

TO WELCOME NEW YEAR 2012
CELEBRATIONS AROUND THE WORLD

http://www.bbc.co.uk - A multi-million dollar firework display heralded in the New Year in Sydney, while the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, was illuminated in colours in a similar display in Dubai.  Celebrations have also been taking place in Europe, with crowds gathering in many cities to count down to 2012.  In London, around 250,000 gathered to watch fireworks over the River Thames.  Revellers in Spain greeted the New Year by eating 12 grapes in time with the chimes at Madrid’s central Puerta del Sol clock in a national tradition, while hundreds of thousands partied in Berlin to live music in the landmark Brandenburg Gate. In Tokyo, people released helium balloons in front of the Tokyo Tower at midnight with notes attached listing their hopes for 2012.

Many wished for a better year, following the earthquake and tsunami that brought devastation to the north-east of Japan in 2011.  A downbeat tone was reflected in the new year’s message of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who said 2012 would be more difficult than 2011, but hoped Europe’s debt crisis would bring its member states closer.  In France, President Nicolas Sarkozy, issued a similar warning, but tried to remain upbeat.  Thousands of people gathered in Red Square in Moscow to witness a firework display at midnight.  In Madrid, thousands of people gathered at six indoor “macro-parties” the authorities had organised in big venues across the Spanish capital.  In Brazil, revellers enjoy a fireworks display on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro, while hundreds of thousands gathered at New York’s Times Square for the ceremonial ball-dropping at midnight.

A New Year can be a time for new beginnings. New Year’s resolutions are one way to make changes in our life; however, proclaiming a resolution for the upcoming year is something many of us do but very few of us stick with.  Some experts say resolutions are worth it if you make them realistic and have an action plan to stick with them.  So, cheers to you and best wishes for a Happy New Year full of service to the Lord which will allow you to keep and renovate your vows.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

We use the pretext of the New Year to take new energy in the service, since the devotee is always renewing his vows. In fact, in each moment he does so, because frequently the mind proposes to him to leave his vows. Therefore there is continuous renovation of vows.  This is a special moment that we use for singing more Hare Krishna. ... So now it is about having a heart. We still have not developed it yet, but Bhakti is for this. It is like people who go to the gym to develop muscles, or who go to the stock market to get more money, but we perform Bhakti to get more heart.  Well, my greetings and my best wishes. A big hug to all of you, and thank you very much for being occupied in your service which bless my life and the whole world.

Śrīla Atulananda Ācārya :
“Resolutions for a New Year”
http://www.atulanandadas.cl/
http://vrindanews.com/chat/newyear.html

Signing Off for 2011

Well this will be the final post from the GROUCH for 2011. In just a little while I'll be headed out to play a New Years gig with the MORBID STRANGERS. Y'all be careful out there and don't drink and drive. Stay safe and I'll see you next year!

New Bar Refaeli Hot wallpaper, picture 2011

 New Bar Refaeli Hot wallpaper, picture 2011 New Bar Refaeli Hot wallpaper 2011New Bar Refaeli Hot photo 2012

New Anna Sophia Robb Actress picture wallpapers

 New Anna Sophia Robb Actress picture wallpapersNew Anna Sophia Robb Actress picture wallpapers

The year 2011 is fully for Kate Middeton.

2011 has been momentous for news of revolutions,toppled dictators, dead public figures, scandals and expensive natural disasters. With all these world-changing events, it can't be easy to forget on the part of Princess Kate Middleton.

The newly minted Duchess won the heart of both Prince William and the world, with her easy grace and shiny — so shiny! — hair. She was runner-up for Time Magazine’s Person of the year (“The Protester” won), and was recently named 2011’s best-mannered person (The worst? Kim Kardashian.) Her uterus even made our year-end list of what’s in and out, replacing her sister Pippa’s posterior as the royal body part fueling national speculation.

But mostly, we just envied the way she looked, the dresses and hats she wore and the ease with which she adapted to her new role in the public eye. When it comes to fashion, the Duchess hasn’t made a single misstep. Here are some of her most memorable looks.

2011: A Year of Outfits

With 2012 just around the corner, I thought I'd take a look back at some of my favorite outfits from the past 12 months.I rang in the new year with a blogger swap :) That gorgeous Betsey Johnson number on the right was a part of my haul. While it hasn't made another appearance on the blog to date, seeing it in my closet makes me smile.February was a tough month for me, full of decisions to make

CHINESE FIND CANCER-CAUSING FUNGI IN FOOD

NEW CHINA FOOD SAFETY SCANDAL
IN MILK, COOKING OIL AND PEANUTS

Shanghai (Reuters) - Chinese food safety regulators in the southern city of Shenzhen have found carcinogenic mildew in peanuts and cooking oil, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Friday.  The cancer-causing substance, called aflatoxin, triggered public concern this week after milk giant Mengniu Dairy said last weekend its Sichuan plant had destroyed products found by a government quality watchdog to contain it.  Aflatoxin occurs naturally in the environment and is produced by certain common types of fungi. It can cause severe liver damage, including liver cancer.  Fungi and the aflatoxin they produce can infect crops before harvest or during harvesting and storage. The tainted crops then enter the foodchain either directly, or indirectly via animal feed, so milk, eggs, and meat can sometimes be contaminated with aflatoxins.

Xinhua reported that the Shenzhen market supervision bureau had said it found up to 4.3 times of the permitted level of aflatoxin in peanuts sold in two supermarkets and one frozen food store, and up to four times the allowed level of aflatoxin in cooking oil in four restaurants.  On Thursday, food safety officials recalled cooking oil produced by three companies in the southern Guangdong province because they may contain excessive levels of aflatoxin.  These incidents are the latest in a string of safety scandals to hit China’s food industry in recent years. In 2008, at least six children died and nearly 300 000 became ill in China from drinking powdered milk laced with melamine, an industrial chemical added to low-quality or diluted milk to give misleadingly high protein readings.

Chinese authorities have detected a cancer-causing toxin in peanuts and cooking oil that was only recently discovered in milk, in China’s latest food safety scandal.  Fungi and the aflatoxin they produce can infect crops before harvest or storage. Aflatoxin can enter the foodchain via animal feed; so after animal consumption of tainted crops, milk, eggs, and meat can be contaminated with it.  Despite so many risks, there are still people who wonder why it is not advisable to eat eggs and meat.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

The Gaudiya Vaisnava object to meat eating because they consider animal slaughter a merciless act. ... To the extent that one is involved in merciless acts, one will be checked from making significant spiritual progress. ... Eat simply. Eat to live; don’t live to eat.  Bhagavad-gita teaches that a sattvic diet is best for spiritual life in general. Sattva refers to the quality of goodness, which is said to be illuminating. A sattvic diet is vegetarian, one that avoids overly spicy foods as well as onions and garlic, because these foods are said to excite passion (rajas). Meat, fish, and eggs are products of unnecessary violence and are considered unclean. Above all, one should eat in gratitude and service to God.

Śrīla Bhakti Vedanta Tripurari Mahārāja :
“When Invaders Destroy the Deity”
Śrī Caitanya Sanga - Vol. V, No. 24 - October 30, 2003
“Guru-Pranali and the Current of Spirituality”
Śrī Caitanya Sanga - Vol. V, No. 27 - December 7, 2003
http://swami.org/  -  http://swami.org/pages/sanga/current.php

Harvey Prince giveaway winner

Congratulations Tamari! I will contact you soon and hope you enjoy your Harvey Prince fragrance! Thank you so much to everyone who took part in this giveaway! If you didn't win, no worries, there are more giveaways to come!2011 is already coming to an end, 2011 was a great year and I hope 2012 will even be better. I hope you all have a great New Year's Eve and I will be seeing you in 2012!

2011 $tevie Awards

Good Afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen,

It’s that time of year again… time to hand out the world’s most prestigious awards. Forget the Academy Awards, the Nobel Prize, the Medal of Honor, all those other cheap trinkets out there… tonight, we celebrate the past 12 months with…

The 2011 $tevies

So as you know, about five years ago, I stumbled upon this stupid questionnaire back when MySpace was relevant & have been doing it ever since… but it’s a good little template for self-reflection… and reflection on the year that was 2011. For your viewing pleasure, I’ve also added links so that you can go “back into time” and witness some of these events if you would like. No need to thank me, just pay it forward. Aside from that though, I’m being extremely lazy this year… and I’m not even going to present my own awards. That’s right, I run this b**ch… and I’ve decided to ask some of my friends to help me out. More like tell them that they’re going to help with absolutely no explicit written or implied verbal consent of using their likenesses or caricatures. Allow me to introduce & turn the festivities over to our host for the evening… Mr. Adam West…

“Good evening. I’m… not exactly sure why I’m here. (laughter from the crowd) No, I’m serious. I have no idea who this $teve guy is. We met at a convention a few months back allegedly, he gave me a call & asked me to host an awards show. He went on & on about how he loved my work with the old Batman TV series & Family Guy… but is this a TV awards show or something? And why am I dressed up in this outfit? Doesn’t he realize that was nearly a half century ago? Get with the times, man. Anyway, apparently all of the presenters know why they’re here… and apparently I almost lost this gig to Robocop… so without further ado, ladies & gentlemen, allow to introduce our first presenter… Miss Megan Fox… grrrrrrrrrrrrrr…”

DRINKING BUDDY OF THE YEAR: “I know that you’re probably expecting Lindsay Lohan to present this award… but she’s no longer on speaking terms with $teve. So instead, I will be stepping in to present… as whenever Brian & I need suggestions on how to keep the spice alive in our relationship, Dr Love is always willing to prescribe. This year’s award offers some stiff competition. I mean stiffer than I made most of the planet when I checked under the hood in Transformers but completely misdiagnose the type of engine that I was looking at. Seriously, if you weren’t staring at my tits & waist, you would’ve caught that… but our script supervisor didn’t. Did we even have one of those on that movie? Anyway, this year’s nominees for drinking buddy of the year are… the 4-time reigning champion & Vegas odds favorite Bubbles for her roles in EPIC Jew Night, Brunches, & Random Rendezvouses (hold for applause during scenes of bottomless mimosas); Jackie D for her roles in EPIC Jew Night, Six Weeks of Cohabitation, LA Road Trip, Shots Across America & Vegas Birthday Bash (role scenes of Jackie D beating the beat up to roaring ovations); and The Wingman of his roles in Vegas Winter Getaway & Mayan Riviera Cruise (clanks clamor from the audience as wrist bling strikes raised chalices to a flurry of “Woot WOOT!!!”). All worthy nominees indeed… but as the Scottish poet Duncan McLeod once said, ‘There can only be one’ and that one is… (turns around to shake her bottom with the accompanying drum roll, continuing as she slowly turns around to read the card) come on, you knew as soon as I stepped out here that it was going to be Bubbles! Congratulations!”

LIFETIME SERVICE AWARD (longest friend): Now for our next presenter… Mr. Timothy Tebow. “Good evening ladies & gentlemen, thank you for having me here. It is such a great honor to be here presenting awards for my good friend $teve. I know our own friendship has been tested over the years when I decided to play for the Florida Gators & then drafted by the Denver Donkeys, but it’s not about where you are, but who you are… and $teve & I have always believed that, though our travels have taken us all over the world & back again. The Lifetime Service Award is a particularly distinct honor to present because of those principles… and my own lifetime service to my best friend, my Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. We all may take ridicule for the friends that we keep, whether it’s from parents, other friends, TV critics, bosses, and maybe even your own self-doubts. What’s important is that there’s the underlying Love that helps you through the tough times… and keeps your bond strong… and that as you walk through life, you know that they will be there for you in your time of need… as you will do whatever it takes for them. It is with that in mind that I present to this award to Isaiah, $teve’s friend since the 2nd grade… and 49ers fan who is pleased as punch that his friend lives in San Francisco so that he can get some good tickets for when the Broncos come into town to come from behind in the 4th quarter & eek out a victory in overtime as is God’s will. Congratulations Isaiah! Thank you and praise Christ!” SPREECH!!! (Fun fact: “Spreech” is a word popularized during the Vegas trip last month that is a combination of “Speak!” and “Preach!” with a dose of “Amen!” to form into a super exclamatory “SPREECH!!!”)

NEWCOMER AWARD: To present this award, please welcome Mr. Don Knotts. “Why hello there everybody! It’s been a long time since I was in front of a crowd like this. Some say it’s because I haven’t had a hit show since I was Mr Furley on Three’s Company. Others say it’s because my expert comic timing is lost on today’s youth & all they want are dick & fart jokes. Still others say its because I’ve been literally dead for over five years now. Regardless, this next award isn’t about me… or $teve’s love for my whackadoo films… but rather who has recently come into his life for the prestigious Newcomer Award. Why would he ask me to do this? Probably because a lot of the nominees are ladies that he’s lived with over the past year… and it’s apparently too soon to have John Ritter’s ghost out here. Without further ado, the nominees are… his stunning current & former roommates Jackie D, Carmen, Nurse, Pixie & Batgirl (her name changed cuz I forgot what it was before)… and just to include a gentleman… his neighbor J-Mo. And the award goes to… Jackie D!!! What’s that? She’s joining us via satellite? What does that even MEAN? Whooooa… this new technology is crazy. I’m going back to Heaven with Suzanne Sommers’ career…”

“WHAAT??? DUDE! I was gonna be all hurt that you didn’t give me that drinking buddy award… because seriously? Come on. But that was before I knew this one was coming up! Thanks homey! MAKEIT MAKEIT RAIN RAIN… it was great being your roommate & I’m glad we can still chat and whatever even though I’m living in Philly… having to go to the Jersey Shore to have fun. WHAT? That sh*t cra… but I’m looking forward to future adventures & road trips & the like. I gotta get my passport so that we can hit up Amsterdam! Also, I’ve apparently gotta step my Game up so that I can get the drinking buddy thing next year. Make it LE-GIT!!! And if I don’t get it… then you can kiss my a$$ a$$ a$$ a$$ a$$ a$$ a$$ STOP!!! Now make that mutha f**ka Hammertime!!! OOH OOOOOH OOH OOOOOH!!!”

SONG FOR 2011: Thank you for those stirring words, Miss D… and now, ladies & gentlemen, please welcome to the stage, the true king of hip hop, Mr. Jay-Z. “Big ups to Brooklyn, what? Haha! You crazy for this one, $teve. Asking me to come on up here & present because you’re tired of giving me all these awards. Every time I drop an album it always makes its way here… but you’re trying to show some Love for other artists out there… and I feel that. WATCH THE THRONE!!! That’s why I put my hand to my heart… it means that I feel ya… cuz Game recognize Game & you lookin’ familiar. This year’s award goes to Foster the People for their song “Pumped Up Kicks” which talks about serious issues of teenage angst in such a way that you can’t even understand the verse because it’s so scratchy & sang into a coffee can… but then the hook comes around & you don’t even realize what you’re singing until it’s too late. You gotta love it. It’s a thuggish ride-or-die song hidden behind a catchy cheery backdrop. I been singing about these foolish children out in the streets needing to recognize my heat for years… but you don’t see politicians trying to bring down these popsters, now do ya? That sh*t cra… Congratulations to all of our winners, afterparty at 40-40 the Sinner’s Dinner, and to all you haters out there trying to play with Jigga, you only get half a bar – F**k yall n**gas!!!” (drops mic & walks away)

MOVIE FOR 2011: H’whoa! That sh*t was tight, Jigga man! Haha! That reminds me of when I was answering the Riddler to help save Gotham from a giant question mark falling from space. I’m still not sure how he was able to do that but… there’s a lot I don’t understand about movies… but to help us is our next presenter, Mr. Quentin Tarantino. “Ok’y ok’y ok’y, so my buddy $teve & I are hanging out watching movies one day… and he asks me to do this presenting thing about what HE thought… was the best movie of 2011. True true, I didn’t have anything to throw into the mix this year because… well, you know how us geniuses are, he said with all humility. Next year though, I’m gonna rob these f**king awards shows BLIND with Django… but I digress, I’m switching to the next reel when I haven’t even start this one. Frankly I just going to say it. I didn’t care for this year’s batch as much as years past… but there’s an added element because I’m basically going off what my man $teve has seen. See, he waits for the Netflix unless it’s an absolute must see for him or usually somebody else who wants to go with somebody. He hasn’t seen these highly toughted movies like Drive or Hugo or a lot of these f**king sequels like Harry Potter or X-Men because… well, he just hasn’t. He hasn’t even seen the Muppets and he LOVES those guys. He was really excited for the Planet of the Apes one too… but yeah, hasn’t seen a lot of them… but Drive sounded like his kinda sh*t being named after Steve McQueen & all... but it ended up being pretty slow. However, this year’s winner… is ‘The Fighter’ starring Marky Mark & Christian Bale about the true life story of Micky Ward & his brother… as well as the bond of family, and an underdog story in every sense of the term. I know he couldn’t stand those Boston accents though. Probably drove him up the wall. Next year’s gonna be tough though, $teve! You’re going to have to pick between my movie… and Batman. There can only be one of us… and we usually sweep these things… I hope you’re up to making a tough choice. I mean hell… this year’s winner had Batman in it. You may have a problem… but I understand since you haven’t seen a lot of ‘em yet. Just remember, I have Sam Jackson on speed dial.”

VIDEO GAME FOR 2011: Thank you Quentin, but Mr. Jackson is actually our next presenter. Welcome to the show! “(struts to the stage) Good evening ladies & gentlemen. This evening we have heard from distinguished members of society, stars & stage & screen… and the ghost of Barney Fife. So it is with great honor that I present the winner for… seriously, what the f**k is this? Does anybody really give a damn what you thought was the best video game of the last 12 months? Or EVER? F**K YO MUTHA F**KIN’ VIDEO GAMES!!! You think Life is a game? Tell ‘em Earl Simmons…”

“It is NOT a F**KING GAME!!! ARR ARR!!!”

TV SHOW FOR 2011: I honestly couldn’t have said it better myself. Ladies & gentlemen, television star Peter Dinklage. “Good evening again, ladies & gentlemen. I’m here on behalf of the HBO series ‘Game of Thrones’ to take this award back to the studios. Not because we’ve necessarily won it… but because I’m just going to f**king take it… and there’s not a damn thing that any of the other shows can do to stop me. I don’t see the gang from Sunny in Philadelphia coming to take it from me! Nor the cowardly serial killers from Showtime or any of those comedians with their own shows. I WISH that Whitney would show her face around here. I would smack the smug right off her face. Nobody watches your show. No matter how much they try to jam it into our eyeballs. The mere glimpse of you makes my bowels wretch with disgust. So I am taking this trophy back to my estate… and yes, on my little horse… and if you have any problem with that, then you can take it up with my friend Khal Drogo, whose basically what Conan the Barbarian should have been. Ta-ta…”

HALLOWEEN COSTUME: Oh-ho! Well, there you have it! Now to present our next award, movie star Mike Myers. “(Silence, with the exception of a faint background chiming of infamous horror music)” Well, it seems that Mr. Myers has a little bit of stage fright. I thought that we were getting the guy from Austin Powers but… oh well, would you mind if I were to present this award? “(Silence)” Thank you! This year’s costume goes to… Waldo!!! Thankfully also a man of few words...

RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR: Next, please welcome to the stage, Ms. Jenna Jameson. “Hi everybody, I have no idea why I’m up here to present the award for Restaurant of the Year… but I’ll bet it’s because I have a buffet of goodies… and this year’s winner is… Wicked Spoon Buffet at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. I’ve eaten there during the Adult Expo. Great selection… and the food isn’t bad either. Two cocks up! WAY up! And besides… who doesn’t like a little naughty spoon action when they’ve been a bad girl?”

BOOK OF THE YEAR: Giggidy! (clear throat) Thank you Ms. Jameson. Next up, we have the actual author of Pimpology: The 48 Laws of the Game, Mr. Pimpin’ Ken!!! “Good even’n pimps & b**ches. I’m glad that my words could reach such a rising young playa like Dr Love. You see… the Game is to be sold, not told… and I wanna give a special shout-out to The Wingman for purchasing these nuggets of knowledge for my man to not only read, but take to heart. Now, some y’all haters out there talkin’ sh*t like… Why come I can’t write a book? That n**ga Ken don’t know what he rappin’ about. That boy soft on his b**ches. Well let me tell you somethin’ mutha f**ka! This is how Pimpin’ Ken roll… mo’ b**ches than a train & I makeit makeit rain rain… (throws handfuls of Benjamins into the crowd) Skee skee skee mutha f**kas!!! Buy the book!!!”

BIGGEST DOUCHEBAG AWARD: Thank you… and now our last presenters, the former star of Crossing Over / alleged psychic John Edwards & star of Ghost Adventures, paranormal investigator Zach Bagans. “Good evening!” “Good evening!” “Zach, I saw this coming… you know, that we’d be on stage tonight… but I was hoping that you could fill the rest of us in on what award we were presenting.” “Well John, I’m not sure why… but luckily I have my buddies here with cameras to find out… oh and there’s a letter here on the podium. Let’s see. T-t-t t-heee… t-heee… what’s this word?” “The.” “Really? Weird.” “Here, I’ve got it… the award for biggest do… douchebag? For the last time, I’m not a douche!!! I can talk to dead people, okay? F**k you guys!” “Ah, that sucks! You got the douchebag award?” “Hahaha, you got it too!” “What? Why?” “I don’t know… let’s read the teleprompter. You wanna take this one?” “Yeah but… you go first. I gotta… check my batteries in my digital recorder.” “Alright then, John Edwards is just a douche because he uses the methods of hot & cold reading to convince people that he can talk to dead people & makes money from it. Though you can’t hate him for trying to make a dollar, he’s still a douche to the nth degree. Oh come on!” “What does it say about me?” “Zach Bagans hosts a decent show with a decent idea of searching for scientific evidence of spirits & contact with the ‘other side’ but unfortunately… the host is a total douche & its difficult to watch the show and listen to him speak… constantly & stupidly… and still thinks he’s hot sh*t in a champagne glass when he’s cold diarrhea in a Dixie cup. Yeesh!” “Oh man, that’s cold. I’m getting hairs standing on the back of my neck.” “Wait, there’s more… Great show though sometimes you have to REALLY try to fill the full hour… all I’m saying is let somebody else talk who knows what they’re talking about or at least kind of funny. Congratulations, Zach!” “Congratulations, John.”

Congratulations, douches! Now we’ve reached the point of the show where we welcome out to the stage, the guest of honor… for a little reflection on this past year… and looking forward to 2012. Ladies & gentlemen, please welcome… the Man… the Myth… the Manotaur… Dr Mookie Love… aka $teve!!! (Roaring applause, fireworks, panties flock to the stage)

“Thank you! Thank you so much for coming out! Can I get a woot woot for our fantastic presenters? (Hold for applause) They were great. They truly went above & beyond what I paid them… which is in the mail. Well, thank you all for yet another great year. 2011 was a monumental year, I think for all of us. We saw major changes & power shifts in the Middle East, the passings of some of international douches from Bin Ladin to Gadhafi… and everybody’s favorite little dictator Kim Jong Il. We’ve lost good friends, made new ones, highs & lows all around, new experiences, both good & bad, and so I figured that I would just take over a few of these awards because… seriously, who else is going to answer some of these? For example…”

BEST RELATIONSHIP: Hmm… let’s see, who was my best romantic relationship with this year? Yeah… obviously not a whole lot to talk and/or brag about on this one… so your mom works. It was definitely the best for her.

WHO DID YOU SPEND VALENTINES WITH: Well, on official Valentine’s Day, I watched “Mortal Kombat” with Jackie D & had a few beers… but the weekend before was EPIC Jew Night with Jackie D, Carmen & Bubbles as well as a bunch of drinks at the Tipsy Pig & the Cellar. Not a bad time at all… a lot better than the previous year when I almost had to beat down some disrespectful teenagers in Old Sac. I’d much rather be getting crunk with a bunch of sexy ladies.

BEST DECISION MADE THIS YEAR: Moving to San Francisco! You may have noticed… but I really like it here. Granted, I liked it in Tahoe too… except for maybe the abundance of snow (which I apparently wouldn’t be burdened with right now) but there’s just so much to see & do here… and so many fantastic people that I meet… and I’m actually able to make a little money to save or use on vacations… and I still have the perks of living in a national park… with great roommates… and a great job… and I’m close to one of my best friends Bubbles… and honestly I could probably do without Gretchen… but I’m glad that she’s around… and there’s so many festivals, concerts, museums, sporting events, basketball leagues, softball leagues, different neighborhoods to explore, great restaurants, the ocean, and places like Tahoe, Monterey, Yosemite, Big Sur, Reno, Half Moon Bay, San Jose, even Oakland… they’re all nearby to be explored still too.

PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR: For 2012, I’m planning on getting out there more & meeting new people… and for God’s sake maybe go on a date or two. Seriously, it dawned on me just now… that I haven’t really been on a date since Tahoe. Well… you can kind of count my roommate Nurse going to dinner with me on my 30th birthday… or her date that I was on when we went to Sharktoberfest… but yeah, nothing really of an even semi-romantic intent in nature for quite some time. Why? Ladies love me… and I love the ladies. So that’s at the top of the list. I’ll elaborate a little more on this with the Resolutions…

STUPIDEST IDEA WHEN DRUNK: Okay, so upon further review… on St Patrick’s Day, I apparently DID spill a pint of ale all over Bubbles. This was confirmed by J-Mo… and that guy was dead sober the whole time. What was the idea associated with it? Well, apparently A) it was my idea to have one more round before we left the Final Final, and then B) it was my idea to hand my beverage to Bubbles… or set it down next to her or something… I don’t know, apparently I was already halfway to the bar to get the round… and that’s when we all left. Yeah… blame it on the a-a-a-a-alcohol, baby.

BIGGEST CHANGE OF THE YEAR: Well once again, I guess it would have to be the zip code. What is this the 3rd or 4th year in a row? First Denver, then back to SLC, then Tahoe, then to here… but hopefully I can stick around here in the Bay for a while. Like I said before, I like it here. Let’s see, what else has changed… the altitude, the humidity, the roommates, the weather, the smell of eucalyptus as opposed to pine, the lack of parking, all relatively small but make up for this new land of adventure.

HIGH POINT OF THE YEAR: I’d have to say that the high point of the year was my 30th birthday getaway last April / May. Two weeks away from work (that I’m still feeling the unworthy brunt of from fellow coworkers, but f**k ‘em in the ear) and spending it with loved ones like my mom, grandmama, stepdad, the Wingmans & Filly… in some of my most loved places like New Orleans and… a boat that takes me around the world. Beautiful sights, fantastic beverages (seriously, cashew wine, where do I get this stuff?), amazing adventures, good times all around. There’s a rumor going around that the next trip may be either a South American cruise down towards the Panama Canal… or jetsetting over to Amsterdam… but we shall see. Easily the high point of 2011!!!

LOW POINT OF THE YEAR: Coming back to work / reality afterwards? Ha-ha! Thankfully there wasn’t a whole lot of low points this past year. My great-step-grandma passed recently… and that sucked… but she was well into her 90’s and had been suffering from Alzheimer’s & other ailments for years… so the real sad part was that my great-step-grandpa was a widower & I’m sure it’s been rough on him. Family & friends have had their health scares… let go from their jobs & finding employment elsewhere… and the worst I can think of off-hand is the thing on my cheek, which was nothing. All-in-all, not a bad year if that’s the worst of it.

BEST HOLIDAY: What can I say? This man loves Christmas. A month of Mariah Carey & Bing Crosby on the radio, Jimmy Stewart & Bill Murray on the TV, people smiling everywhere you go, shimmering lights, parties for really no reason other than to party, a week away from work to go home & see the family, a bunch of free sh*t that you’ll rarely use, what more could you ask for? The details of this year’s adventures are broken down here… but yeah, I heart Xmas.

REAL REAL RESOLUTIONS:

• Date Dammit! – I’ve got all this good lovin’ to give & nobody seems to want it… how could this be? My guess: Poor marketing on my part


• Learn Another Language – Spanish or Mandarin? Maybe both, but I’ve almost got enough saved up to finally get a laptop that’ll actually work so that I can do Rosetta Stone
  


• Up Mountain Dew – I’ve tried regulating it… but the answer may just be cold turkey, old friend. Gonna give up soda all together but obviously Dew & grape soda are the biggest culprits.


• Get Back Into Ballin’ Shape – I’ve been doing a lot better since getting the gym membership & joining the basketball and softball leagues, now if I could just eat better…


• Remember JJ – I still haven’t forgotten about ya… though you’ve probably forgotten about me


• Use My Passport – Sorta used it on the cruise… but this b**ch needs stamps


• Write a Children’s Book – I think it’s time that I took a weekend, sat down, & really focused my efforts on making that children’s book with my brother that I’ve been thinking about for years. Also, maybe a few writing exercises so hopefully I can get some of that JK Rowlings / Stephanie Meyers money. Fellow great $teve, Stephen King would approve!


• Don’t Sweat the Small Sh*t – Work bugs me from time to time, parking tickets ruin my weekend, sport league lockouts make my blood boil… but you know what, I’m gonna be alright. Just live well & do your thing, dawg.


• Look for the Next Step – I like to think that I’ve been doing that… but in all honesty, it seems like I’ve just been going day by day… especially this last year. Too busy to look ahead most of the time. However, I’m 30 now. I need to really think about the future & making that next step into an actual career instead of hourly daily labor. Or find ways to get that mutha f**kin’ money… can you dig it?


• Survive the Apocalypse – Though San Francisco seems to be the epicenter of every disaster in movies from X-Men to Rise of the Planet of the Apes to Towering Inferno to The Birds to Mission: Impossible to whatever, I plan on surviving Mad Max style. Be prepared!
  

Anyway, it’s been another great year… thank you all for joining today’s ceremonies… and I wish you a happy & healthy 2012 and beyond. Have a great year everybody!!!

Christmas 2011

Good Afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen,

Here’s a brief summary of my Christmas vacation back to Utah… please enjoy…

Tuesday

Work was the usual… but afterwards, I met up with Carmen & her roommate for a party celebrating the first night of Hannukah complete with plenty of their friends, great food & spinning the dreidel. I don’t mean to brag… but I kinda walked away with the most kisses that night… Hershey’s Kisses of course, as was the currency of dreidel… but still. I may have also met a very nice future prospect for my new year’s dating resolution. HOLLA!!! After that, I packed for my trip to Utah…

Wednesday

Went to work again, full day… then Super Shuttle to Oakland airport and just before midnight made it into SLC basically go to sleep. Nothing really to tell about this day other than big ups to my stepmom for picking me up at the airport… and damn Utah is much colder than San Francisco. I had to pull out the old Tahoe gear… and there really wasn’t much snow at all, just cold. Apparently it’s been a problem with the ski resorts here in the West.

Thursday

Met up with my mama for lunch at Garcia’s restaurant in Layton near her work. Fun fact: When I was a young’un we would go to Garcia’s all the time for great Mexican food at a great price… but it wasn’t until I was a teenager that I realized that it was Garcia’s as opposed to “Gracias!” Why? Well, I was told as a kid that’s how you say thank you in Spanish when they bring you your dinner… so I would say it to them… and it’s just two letters switched. You know how kids are. Anyway, we had a good lunch. Also, if you’re wondering what I got my mom for Xmas… I got her exactly what she wanted… Peanut M&Ms and ammo for her gun. You’ll notice that the guns are a running theme for this Christmas for some reason. I have a redneck family.

After lunch, I met up with my brother at his house (where else?) and played with the niece & nephew for a bit as he tried to show me all the new games & gadgets that he had… and stuff on the internet. We also watched “Cowboys & Aliens” starring Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford & Olivia Wilde. For those of you who don’t know, it’s basically just what it sounds like… cowboys fighting aliens back in the Old West. However, if you attempt to watch it with my brother, which I did, he will tell you throughout the entire movie while you’re trying to watch it, that it’s based on true events… and there is evidence that even the outlaw Jesse James wrote in his journal that he shot at a flying demon bird and it made a “ping” sound when he did… and then he’ll go on to tell you that he believes we’re all experiments of aliens and such for several hours… even after you’ve asked him to stop talking a few times so that you can watch the movie. He means well… but has absolutely no social skills whatsoever. Oh… and the movie was actually better than I expected too… from what I could tell. I’d say check it out if you’re interested. It’s not award winning but… Bond & Indy are in it with a dash of Olivia Wilde.

Later that night was a movie that I was really excited about called “Drive” starring Ryan Gosling. From what I was told, it was a movie about a guy simply known as Driver (Gosling) going around on a vengeance-fueled killing spree, which sounded right up my alley for a guilty pleasure. However, it was nominated for awards… so I figured that was BS. Well, it’s about a stunt driver / mechanic / wheelman who gets involved in a robbery, the bad guys threaten a girl & her son who he met a few weeks earlier, and so then he goes around killing them. However, it’s not nearly as exciting as it sounds. There are very long-paused awkward conversations… the soundtrack is something out of Grand Theft Auto 80’s techno… but all in all, I enjoyed it for the most part. Not sure about a few things in the movie… and it’s VERY violent so make sure the kiddies are put to bed… and I have NO IDEA why the director is being tabbed to do “Wonder Woman” as his next project… but yeah, still a pretty good movie, though it does tend to drag a bit. I highly recommend it if you think you can stand that.

Friday

My aunt Faye babysat the kids so my brother, dad, stepmom & I went to see “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol” starring Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner & Simon Pegg. This 4th installment find Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his team in the midst of an international incident where the Kremlin blows up… and they are disavowed. To clear their names, save their backsides, and keep the world from falling into nuclear war, they alone can bring down the bad guys. It’s an action movie… with plenty of intrigue & comic relief from Simon Pegg… so yeah, I’d say give it a shot… but anything else would give away about the movie.

That night was my Mom’s family Xmas party, which always boasts well over a hundred attendees (my mom is one of 17 kids… and they’ve pretty much all got grandkids by now) so it’s quite the spectacle. I met up with a lot of my relatives that I obviously rarely see… and it was good fun. I even got a pretty sweet present… Buck Shot Shotglasses. I told you guns would be a theme of this trip…

Later that night, my brother & I watched “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” starring James Franco & John Lithgow. The story is an extreme prequel to the “Planet of the Apes” series and goes into how apes came to take over Earth (spoiler alert if you’ve never seen any of the movie before). A young scientist (Franco) is trying to find the cure for Alzheimer’s to help his ailing father (Lithgow) and the rest of the world. When a few promising experiments go wrong, the company if forced to terminate the ape subjects… but he sneaks out a baby ape to raise & teach on his own, naming it Caesar. Caesar turns out to be supersmart thanks to the serum he’s been working on… but then the trouble begins. Caesar doesn’t want to be a pet. He also injured a neighbor who was messing with John Lithgow & was put in a horrible ape sanctuary or whatever… and basically, he tries to escape. Honestly, the movie was pretty f**king awesome. I really liked it. The subtle facial features of Caesar (portrayed by Andy Serkis from the LOTR trilogy & King Kong) and just the story in general was done very well. I highly recommend it.

Fun Fact: My brother said something that was basically a new “stupidest thing I’ve ever heard my brother say” award winner. Now, my bro has said some stupid sh*t in his life… and done even worse. Previous winner was a few years ago before he even had kids to watch, but basically just loafed at home all day. He once complained to me “Why doesn’t anybody hang out with me during the week when I have nothing to do?” My response was basically, “Ugh… seriously? Most people work during the week (you dumb bastard).” There have been stupider but that one always stood out to me. However, this one blew it completely out of the water. Okay… so after we watch the Apes movie, he says to me something along the lines of “You know, humans are actually the most like fish of any animal in the animal kingdom.” That statement paused me in my tracks. Read it again if you have to. My interest was peaked. “Wow. Please. Explain that to me.” He went on to tell me how we are like apes (only about 99.99% genetically), our skin is most like pigs, and a few other things having nothing to do with fish… so I asked him, “You realize… that you said that humans… are most like FISH, right? Like… fish… in the ocean? Not apes or pigs?” “Yeah?” “Okay, so how?” He went on to explain that because we swim in the ocean… THAT is why we are most like fish… because apes, pigs, dogs, reptiles, etc won’t go swim in the ocean or traverse somewhere outside of their habitat. “Well… not to burst your bubble, bro… but neither will fish. They just swim in the ocean… as do dolphins, whales… and seals & walruses when they’re not on the beach.” “Well yeah but… still… we’re most like fish because of that.” Sigh… your logic is flawed… and I honestly thinks that of all the animals in the animal kingdom, we are LEAST like fish. I gave you a chance to correct your response… but there you go. I don’t know, what do you think? Are we more like fish because… I don’t know, they’re the only other animal with schools? Even if the meanings are completely different? I worry for those kids sometimes…

Saturday – Christmas Eve

C-Rock came over with his daughter Sara, who I hadn’t seen in a probably four years. She’s nine now & lives in Texas with her mom, but was with her dad for the holidays. She seemed like any other nine-year old… playing with her Nintendo DS and such. It was great to see her though… and hang out with C-Rock for a while.

After they stopped by, my brother took me Xmas shopping for MY gift at Best Buy. He ended up getting me “Assassin’s Creed 2” saying that it’s a good game but he also bought “L.A. Noire” which is a detective game set back in 40’s Hollywood. We ended playing it for a few hours and it seems like a pretty cool game. You investigate crime scenes, get involved in a few shootouts, put puzzles together, drive nice old cars, read peoples faces to determine whether they’re being truthful or not (I’m much better than my brother at that aspect of the game BTW) but yeah, pretty cool for the first few levels that we played.

That night was my stepmom’s family party… and it was a lot like the usual… so I’ll spare talking about it & here are the pictures from the Nativity Story… enjoy…

Kairi as Mother Mary...

Vinny as an angel...

Family photo from a few years ago...

back when I had glasses apparently

Sunday – Christmas

Christmas night, I slept on the couch next to the Christmas tree… so the kids woke me up and I responded with “Oh my gosh! Where did all these presents come from? That Santa must be a ninja wizard of some sorts!” My mom & stepdad came down at 7 AM for Christmas at my brothers…

"Thunder, thunder, THUNDERCATS!!! HOOOOOO!!!"

Then we went to my dad’s for Christmas brunch there at 10 AM with my stepsisters…

Then I went to my mom’s to finish up Christmas there with my Aunt Pat & cousin Alicia…

Quick question: Forget all the vanilla with a dash of pine...

but what exactly does Black Ice smell like? Death?

We also had a nice dinner with the family up at my mom’s… and that’s where I spent the night. I also got to read bedtime stories to the kiddies… and Vinny even got to snuggle with Uncle $teve which he was really excited about. I know that may sound weird… but hey, he’s a kid… and he loves his Uncle $teve. Ain’t no NAMBLA / Penn State stuff going on. Just good times with the family…

Monday

Lazy day up until we met up with Aunt Pat to take the kids to see “Alvin & the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked” starring Jason Lee. The chipmunks are lost on a deserted island, the Chipettes are there too, and a crazy lady on a Cast Away kick… great for kids. Only really redeemable part was David Cross’ character Ian who is actually kind of funny at times. “Look, I once saw Snoop Dogg start a fire by rubbing two carrot sticks together, I think I know what I’m doing.” Yeah… chipmunks.

Later that night, I didn’t have control of the movie selection, so we watched some made for TV thing on Netflix called “Golden Christmas 2” which starred the mom from Wonder Years and a bunch of nobodys, though the main girl was hot (why she’s in the movie). Basically, it’s about some dogs, some people, a past relationship, they bump into eachother, “Is this fate?”, throw in a few teenagers, sage-like advice from old neighbors, “I should just tell him”, new fiance’s a b**ch, blah blah blah. You know how it ends… and I didn’t even tell you the story. What could possibly get this movie out of my head?

Yeah, I next picked the “He-Man & She-Ra Christmas Special” which… so horrible… but it has all the usual ridiculousness of Christmas specials combined with the ridiculousness of the He-Man AND She-Ra cartoons… including Skeletor playing a Grinch… and a few Earth kids for good measure… and Santa Claus. Yeah, it’s what you would expect. Merry Christmas, Eternia!

Tuesday

The kids made me breakfast & then we painted...

I met up to have lunch with K-Fish at Taggart’s in Morgan again… great food & we caught up on the past few months. Then hung out with my brother for a few before meeting up for sushi with Lilie, the Mad Scientist & JL Clyde… again catching up on going-ons & enjoying some finely prepared culinary treats. I was even around for an electronic cigarette break that apparently lasts over an hour, unlike standard cigarette breaks… but simply a great day to catch up with friends before the new year. I really miss those guys & gals… but hey, it just means that we can visit each other when we get a chance.

Wednesday

We woke up & drove out to the desert for some shootin’ with my dad, bro & C-Rock. There were a plethora of weapons to choose from… and I honestly hadn’t fired anything in a decade… so yeah, good times… and apparently I’m a pretty good shot for a first time. Here are some pictures…

After that, it was basically the flight home through a disease ridden airport & being a little under the weather the past few days because of it. Yay! Anyway, that was Christmas. Big thanks to all of my wonderful family & friends out there for making this yet another exhausting & exciting trip!!! I miss & love y’all madly!!! See ya next year if not sooner…