Pumpkin Pie: The New EGGO Waffles

Well it didn't take long for another conglomerate to jump on the shortage bandwagon after Kellogg's announced a shortfall in waffle making.

The holidays may not be so sweet this year.

Nestle — which sells nearly all the canned pumpkin in the U.S. — says poor weather hurt its harvest, creating a potential shortage of its Libby's pumpkin pie products through the holidays.

The company said heavy rains made it nearly impossible to pick its pumpkins during this year's harvest. The longer the pumpkins sit in the muddy fields, the more they deteriorate. As a result, the company announced this week that it would not pack any more pumpkins for the season -- which means it may be hard to find its canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie filling product until next year's harvest.

Nestle is the largest national brand for canned pumpkin products, with 80 to 90 percent of the market, the company said.

The taste of pumpkin pie never tasted better than when it was forbidden by the forces of Mother Nature.

EGGO Waffles: The New Rice

Remember when the media went crazy about a year ago reporting that there was a rice shortage? And every fool ran out and bought rice just because they were afraid they wouldn't be able to get any even if they didn't like rice? And how, oddly, no stores really reported that there was any problem getting rice?

Now it's EGGO waffles.

Kellogg Co. says there will be a nationwide shortage of its popular Eggo frozen waffles until next summer because of interruptions in production at two of the four plants that make them.

The company's Atlanta plant was shut down for an undisclosed period by a September storm that dumped historic amounts of rain in the area. Meanwhile, several production lines at its largest bakery in Rossville, Tenn., are closed indefinitely for repairs, company spokeswoman Kris Charles said in an e-mail.

It will take until the middle of 2010 before shelves around the country are stocked at pre-shutdown levels.

So how many fools do you think are going to run out and buy a couple of boxes "just in case"? Come on. They're fucking frozen waffles. And they aren't the only frozen waffles.

Hunk-A-Lot Hump Day: Joseph Fiennes

Colbert Goes Off On Rhode Island Governor

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My Hero Of The Week On CNN

My Hero of the Week from last Friday, Will Phillips, was on CNN:


Good for him!

Rosie, Kelli, And Marriage Equality

Remember when everyone was bitching about Rosie O'Donnell's lack of participation in the Prop 8 campaign in California. How they all said she needed to do more, to contribute more, to be visible more???

Well now it all makes sense.

On her Sirius Satellite radio show, O'Donnell suddenly admitted Carpenter had moved out of their home two years ago. The reason for the big reveal? A pressing psychic and a long-haired chihuahua.

And, when asked who "sometimes looks after her," [the dog] O'Donnell explained her four children all fight over caring for the pup, which she got three days after Carpenter left. "What happened [was] when Kelli moved out two years ago, I got the dog. Because I wanted another child or something to love. And I got the dog."

Wonder where everyone is with their public apologies for all the crap talk and pressure they put on her?

Douche Bag Of The Week: Miss Ladyfingers USA

From Queerty:

The Carrie Prejean Morality Tour just keeps getting better and better! Having played the victim card on The View and dared to call Larry King "inappropriate," she's returned to familiar territory: defending her stance on homo marriage.

"People who say I hate gays and lesbians are, in a polite way, ignorant," says a young woman who identifies Sarah Palin as her role model. "I think they don't see that just because someone doesn't agree with redefining marriage that they hate you—I've never said that I hated gays. I have friends who are gay. I have hairdressers who are gay. I live in California—that's the most liberal state there is. I am not afraid of gays. It's just a personal opinion. They have an opinion; I have my own opinion. Why is my opinion not valid?"

It is valid, Carrie. Just like your interpretation of Biblical Scripture, as told to Christianity Today: "No, I don't think there's anything wrong with getting breast implants as a Christian. I think it's a personal decision. I don't see anywhere in the Bible where it says you shouldn't get breast implants."

Well we did hear, in Proverbs 31:30, that "Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."

It's one thing to think I don't deserve the same rights as you. It's quite another to help promote legislation by speaking out and attending crazy-ass fundraisers. What don't you get, dumbass?

Boo hoo, it's just you? The big bad liberals are attacking a conservative woman? Remember what the NRA did to Rosie O'Donnell when she went off on Tom Selleck about gun control?

[h/t to Joe.My.God. for the name in the title.]

Hero Of The Week: Will Phillips

Via Huffington Post via Queerty via Arkansas Times:

Will Phillips, an elementary school student who refuses to say the pledge of allegiance in school because of discrimination against gay people, says "I've always tried to analyze things because I want to be lawyer," Will said. "I really don't feel that there's currently liberty and justice for all."

After asking his parents whether it was against the law not to stand for the pledge, Will decided to do something. When the other kids in his class stood up to recite the pledge of allegiance, he remained sitting down. The class had a substitute teacher that week, a retired educator from the district, who knew Will's mother and grandmother. Though the substitute tried to make him stand up, he respectfully refused. He did it again the next day, and the next day.

A columnist for the Arkansas News has stood up for Phillips against his angry substitute teacher. Predictably, fellow students have taunted the kid and called him a "gaywad," but he says he doesn't see his quiet act of protest ending any time soon.

My Thumb Sideways: MIchael Jackson: This Is It

Starring: Michael Jackson, Michael Jackson
Co-Starring: Michael Jackson, Michael Jackson

First off, I'm not a HUGE Michael Jackson fan. I really like most of his faster tempo pop songs but don't care for the longer, slower ballads. Unfortunately for me, it seemed that most of This Is It was focused around these slower songs.

The movie is a documentary featuring the low-production-value rehearsal footage for MJ's "This Is It" shows in London. Filmed at the Staples Center in L.A., it chronicles the details required to put on a huge production. What we see is monotonous, boring, and uninspiring. We never get the payoff of the final versions of the production numbers. No final dress rehearsals with costumes, pyrotechnics, or glitz and glamour. The songs are never sung from start to finish.

I think they are promoting this movie a bit like Truth or Dare but it isn't like that at all. In that we see Madonna behind the scenes but we also get some character development of the dancers and then see the live performance. Imagine going to see A Chrous Line without the final One number.

What I Liked
• You get to see how much work and practice goes into these huge productions and why ticket prices are so high.
• MJ practices everything and I was amazed that all of the dance steps are developed and practiced. They are not freestyle.
• It was good to see him again.

What I Didn't Like
• Most of the featured songs are ballads that they practice over and over. And over.
• He's still wearing the tape on his fingers.
• No final, full production songs for the payoff.
• There was no moonwalk, even during the Billie Jean rehearsals.

What I Learned
• As his production crew said after his death, you can see that he is very skinny but isn't in danger of physical exhaustion. I'm more convinced that his death was an accidental overdose of a combination of sleep aides.

This movie gets my thumb sideways. You'll love it if you're a hard core Michael Jackson fan who can't get enough of listening to his CDs from start to finish. I thought it was boring.

Thank You On Veterans' Day

I want to take some time to remember our Veterans today. While this country is far from perfect, it is those (and their families) who have made the ultimate sacrifice that allow us to criticize it freely.

After Pearl Harbor, my father didn't seek deferments so he could stay home. He practically ran to the recruitment office so he could sign up and fight for our country. Brave men from a great generation. To the families who also made sacrifices, I salute you. To my grandmother who worked in a munitions factory to support the war and who kept the Christmas tree up until April in the hopes that my father would come home to enjoy it, I appreciate your service.

I could spend this entire post complaining about "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." But you know what? I can (and do) do that the other 364 days of the year. Today is for the Veterans. Thank you.

Hunk-A-Lot Hump Day: Brian Joubert

TV Monday On Tuesday: Dancing With The Stars

Mya has been one of the front runners from the start of the season. Consistently excellent. I'm not a fan of Dmitri, though, after he trash talked his partner Holly Madison (one of Hef's three blonds chicks) last season.

Candlelight Rally For Marriage Equality

Tonight I went to the Lighting the Way for Equality candlelight vigil in support of Marriage Equality held at the capitol in Albany, NY. In my estimation, there were around 400 people in attendance. A great turnout on a November-balmy (60˚) night.

It was covered by the local television affiliates WRGB-6 (CBS), WTEN-10 (ABC), and WNYT-13 (NBC). They're using the story as a teaser for the 11 o'clock news.

After rallying on the east steps, the group made a circuit around the capitol building, then returned to the steps. There was a clever twist to a familiar chant:

Caller: What do we want?

Crowd: Marriage Equality!

Caller: When do we want it?

Crowd: Tomorrow!

The crowd was reminded to contact their state Senators to encourage their support. We need to get the Senate to bring it to a vote and to pass it like they've already done in the Assembly. Proponent Governor Paterson has been pushing it through and said he'll sign it!

The couple here in the front/center are straight and holding a sign supporting their lesbian daughter. Supportive PFLAG parents rock!

UPDATE 11/10/09 7:45 PM
The Associated Press is reporting that: New York's governor is pushing state lawmakers to consider a bill to legalize same-sex marriage bill next week after his effort to force a Senate vote appears all but lost. Gov. David Paterson is placing the bill on agendas for special sessions on Nov. 16 and 17. Senate Democrats said the bill wasn't likely to be considered during Tuesday's special session.

Paterson is urging a vote even if the bill he strongly supports fails. The Democrat says putting senators on the spot for their position is better than inaction while forces try to muster the votes behind the scenes. New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms, which opposes the bill, says the failure of a vote Tuesday is a crushing blow to the advocates.

The Middle East Peace Talks

The New York Times op-ed columnist Thomas Friedman eloquently says what I've been thinking for a while. I just said to my brother the other day, "Why are we the ones that have to make peace between Israel and the Palestinians? Why doesn't anyone else care enough to do it? We've been at it long enough. Let the Russians do it for a while."

Every time I see the Israelis building another settlement in an area that everyone knows is disputed, I just want to scream. We should provide humanitarian aid, in equal $ amounts, to each side and suspend all military assistance.

Read Friedman's article here.

Saturday Sh!ts & Giggles: Mario Cantone

Face (Brow) Lift Friday: Christopher Walken (Age 66)

Election Day Results

The results in Maine felt like a kick in the stomach. The fact that people are able to take away my rights, let alone actually do so when given the chance, makes me angry and lowers my general opinion of my fellow Americans.

Here are the races I mentioned that I thought were worth watching:

• Proposition 1 in Maine: Passed. Same-sex marriage repealed. When does the lobster boycott begin?

• Referendum 71 in Washington: Passed. Same-sex couples get all state's rights except word "marriage." A victory, but still separate but equal.

• Repeal of ENDA-ish Ordinance 1856 in Kalamazoo, MI: Defeated. Kalamazoo affirms that LGBT people are worthy of equal rights and protections under the law.

• New York's 23rd Congressional District: Democrat Bill Owens won. Sarah Palin backed Conservative and admitted Glenn Beckian Doug Hoffman lost in the traditionally Republican district. Far right politics doesn't play in New York.

• Governors in New Jersey and Virginia: Republican Chris Christie defeated Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine in New Jersey. Far right Republican Bob McDonnell defeated weak Democratic candidate R. Creigh Deeds in Virginia.

• Mayor in Houston: Openly Lesbian City Controller Annise Parker, one of the top two vote getters, will face a run off against former city attorney Gene Locke.

• Mayor in Chapel Hill: Openly Gay Mark Kleinschmidt won.