I think this is the first year I didn't post something on Thanksgiving! It had become something of a tradition for me. Oh well.

Part of the reason for the lack of posting was that I was busy roasting a friggin' turkey. First time, and it came out...pretty good. Next year will be perfect, barring unforeseen disasters.

The other reason I didn't post was that, as it turned out, I was starting to come down with a little bug that day. It started with a slight cough, which by Friday was becoming more assertive, and by Saturday was here to stay. It was weird though--the cough never got horrible, and I didn't have any other symptoms other than feeling totally drained of energy. It was that energy drain that got me and kept me home from work yesterday and today. Bleh.

Today's the first day I've started to feel like I'm getting back on feet. I have no idea what I just rode out; it could very well have been a minor bronchitis relapse from my mega-illness two years ago. I've read that can happen.

At any rate, after two days in bed, I decided to see what's going on in the rest of the world. Of course, I'd heard about Obama's Afghanistan plan, and I have a theory about all this, but I'll save that for another post. In the meantime, news from New York.

Fantastic.

Alan Van Capelle, executive director of the Empire Pride Agenda, a leading proponent of the bill said, "We certainly know who are [our] friends." He's not kidding. True colors are starting to shine through:

But Sen. Eric Adams, D-Brooklyn, challenged lawmakers to set aside their religious beliefs and vote for the bill. He asked them to remember that once even slavery was legal. [They should add, "...and the Bible was used to justify it."]

"When I walk through these doors, my Bible stays out," Adams said....

"That's the wrong statement," Diaz countered later. "You should carry your Bible all the time."



Seriously, though. Go join the Taliban already, Mr. Bible.

Here's my unsolicited opinion: the gay marriage movement needs to make this about money, not ethics. Money is what motivates revolutionary action, sorry to say. New York just screwed up big-time, because they've just alienated all the money-generating homos in Manhattan to start thinking it's time to move to Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, or even...Iowa. Iowa, New York! Des Moines will soon become the new fashion, arts, and music capital of the United States, generating hundreds of millions in revenue that would have otherwise gone to you. I'm being silly of course, but my point is serious. Make it about money.

On the other hand, I can guaran-god-damn-tee you that if you just wait 10 years, gay marriage will probably be legalized by a landslide. How do I know this? Because of a little video my friend Alex sent my way yesterday (slightly NSFW):



This is a clip from the hot new CRPG out there right now, Dragon Age: Origins. Now, I take my RPGs the old-fashioned way, thanks, but my understanding of this game is that it is totally sweet. Alex is giving it rave reviews, certainly, and I really haven't heard anything against it from any other sources. My understanding is that part of its appeal is the wide-open possibilities for interacting with the game's characters. And that can include seducing certain characters, which then leads to a steamy "cut scene". And that it is possible to seduce a dude.

This is monumental. Computer gaming is traditionally dominated by white middle-class teenagers and young adults. Not the most gay-friendly audience. And here's a game featuring man-on-man action, and it's still netting rave reviews from that core fanbase. Talk about a sea change!

(And yes, I realize the man-on-man action was probably not an advertised feature of the game, but the fact that the game's developers had the cajones to put it in there, so to speak, means they felt the market was ready for that sort of thing, and I tend to agree.)

So yeah, this was the final confirmation to me that that predicted generational/cultural shift has occurred. Oh sure, there are plenty of teens and young adults out there who are as bigoted and homophobic as the next Bible-thumping New York State Senator, but the balance has shifted methinks.

Of course, all these open-minded children could grow up to be just like their Pappies:



You know, I listen to something like that, I've just got to counter-balance it somehow...restore my pride and patriotism, you know?



Ah, that's better.



And since it's been a while, how about some more random pics?



(I'm still digging my girl group boxed set. One of the best musical acquisitions in recent memory.)

Rather than sending out a bunch of CD mixes this year, I'm posting my annual Xmas mix for all to share and enjoy.

Most of the songs on this mix come courtesy of links posted by the inimitable missannethorpe, so if you enjoy it or hate it, be sure to give her partial credit!

Click on the happy Santa pic to download the ZIP file (approx. 58MB). As usual, an M3U file is included--just download the tracks, then drag the M3U file into your iTunes/Winamp/whatever and enjoy!

Since I seem to have developed a habit of writing a post every Thanksgiving, I figured I'd keep the tradition alive for at least one more year.

( Not a whole lot to report this year, I think )