The Official Schedule

Sixth Annual Lowell, Joey, Lauren, and Brad Thanksgiving Extravaganza
November 21st-November 24th

Arnold Schwarzenegger:
America’s Favorite Hearthrobenegger

Wednesday, November 21st Special Pre-Festival Event

7:45pm Committee Gala at Cabrera’s
9:00pm Bedtime for Bonzo

Thursday, November 22nd

8:00am Committee Walk to Starbuck’s Coffee
9:30am Pumping Iron
11:00pm Thanksgiving Preparation
2:00pm Total Recall
4:00pm Dinner and Kindergarten Cop
6:00pm Conan the Barbarian
8:00pm True Lies
10:00pm Deconstructing Harry – Honorable Mention
12:00am Predator – Late Night Showing

Friday, November 23rd

8:30am Breakfast
10:00am Junior
12:00pm Turkey Luncheon and The Running Man
2:00pm St. Elmo’s Fire-VIP screening
4:00pm Stay Hungry
6:00pm Closing Reception and Cocktail Hour
7:00pm Closing Dinner and The Terminator
9:00am Terminator 2
11:00am Jingle All The Way

*Thanksgiving meal includes: turkey, candied sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, broccoli rice casserole, stuffing, cranberry sauce, rolls, and pumpkin pie.

*Cocktail hour includes: beer and wine.

*Closing reception dinner includes: home made turkey potpie.

T-Giving Heartthrobenegger Makes Successenegger

The night begins, the night ends, and the smell of anticipation graces the apartment as the 6th Annual Lowell, Joey, Lauren, and Brad's Thanksgiving Extravaganza takes off. This year's honored guest, Arnold Schwarzenegger would be proud. Despite travel complications, the San Diego Party arrived safely in Pasadena just in time for the opening Gala, which was relocated to Cabuero's Mexican Cuisine. A full house of guests arrived and were greeted by a heartfelt and motivating introductory speech by Lowell. Things got a little emotional, but the mood was quickly lightened by the opening monkey movie "Bedtime For Bonzo", which boasted a versatile performance by former U.S. President and California Governor Ronald Reagan. The film shed light into the early beginnings of the monkey movie genre, with Bonzo playing himself. But the night did not end there. No. Lowell had left a little surprise on the table which turned out to be a the pearl of the evening. "How The West Was Won", a documentary featuring Arnold's race for the Governor's chair brought the night to thoughtful close and wet the whistles of participants for the main event to come. After hours, the committee adjourned at The Hat for hot pastrami sandwiches.

A Case for the Brothers Baldwin

Baldwin Duos
1. Bio-Dome (Stephen Baldwin + Pauly Shore)
2. Backdraft (Billy Baldwin + Kurt Russell)
3. Mulholland Falls (Daniel Baldwin + Nick Nolte)
4. The Hunt for Red October (Alec Baldwin + Sean Connery)

Additional Movies
1. The Usual Suspects (Stephen)
2. The Departed (Alec)
3. The Squid and the Whale (Billy)
4. Born on the 4th of July (Daniel, Billy, & Stephen)

Additional TV Shows Staring the Baldwins
1. Saturday Night Live
2. Friends
3. Family Ties: Stephen plays Bobby in “Beyond Therapy” and Daniel plays Holworthy in “Basic Training”
4. Will and Grace
5. 30 Rock

My Official Nomination by Brad Kester

Okay. Some serious changes have taken place recently with the disqualification of not one but two official nominations. Richard Dreyfuss and Dustin Hoffman. I would like to address two things that have offended me:

1) Daniel Radcliffe was not on the updated list of official nominations.
2) There was a biased comment made in the last clause of the last post regarding Arnold Schwarzenegger--a candidate which I have quite sincerely supported for the last year.

With that said, I would like to nominate, officially, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The thesis of my case lies within Schwarzenegger as a human being, not as an actor. A brief history:

1947 - Born Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (no phony actor stage name) in a small town in Austria

1960s - Arnold doesn't like his puny legs because they don't match his massive upper body. He cuts off the legs of all his pants and appears in public this way in order to humiliate himself. He uses the tauntings and ridiculing as motivation to work harder on leg development. He becomes addicted to working out.

1967 - After several European bodybuilding awards, wins his first of five Mr. Universe title.

1968 - Moves to U.S.

1972 - Appears as contestant on The Dating Game.

1974 - After becoming the world's poster child for bodybuilding, recalls in Rolling Stone magazine: "At that point, I didn't think about money. I thought about the fame..."

1976 - Poses nude.

1977 - Stars as himself in "Pumping Iron" with rival bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno.

1978 - Is considered too short to play The Incredible Hulk, and the part goes to Ferrigno.

1979 - Plays a gym instructor in "Scavenger Hunt" with Meat Loaf.

1982 - Gets big acting break in "Conan the Barbarian" alongside James Earl Jones.

1984 - The Terminator.

1988 - In a Playboy interview, he says: "I hate pants." Later that year, turns down lead role in "Die Hard"

1990 - Becomes primarily known as a comedic actor with "Kindergarten Cop." But not before...

1991 - Releasing "Terminator 2: Judgement Day"

2003 - Is sworn in as Governor of California.

Now I would like to address some of my opponents' criticisms that if Mr. Schwarzenneger is the star of this year's T-Giving, we will be stuck watching shoot-em-up actions for three days straight and, hey, that's no way to spend the holiday of holidays. I would agree. Yes, you are right, it is true that Schwarzenegger is known most for his bulging muscles and machismo on-screen attitude and not just as an action star, but the world's most quintessential action star of all time. But my friends, do you not know his reel, have you not typed in the letters of his name into Internet Movie Database?

Twins - comedy
Conan The Barbarian -action
Kindergarten Cop - comedy
Terminator - action
Batman & Robin - adventure
The Running Man - science fiction
Pumping Iron - documentary
Terminator 2 - best action movie of all time
Junior - comedy
Stay Hungry - drama (with Jeff Bridges)
Last Action Hero - action/comedy
True Lies - action (with Jamie Lee Curtis)
Total Recall - science fiction (Oscar nominated)
and...
Jingle All The Way - (with Sinbad) family/comedy/christmas send off


Arnold Schwartzenneger may not have the acting depth of say, Daniel Radcliffe. But my point, opponents, is that what he lacks in acting he makes up for in personality diversity--and this shows in his film collection. He has lived a three-fold life: International Bodybuilding Sensation--Actor--Politician, and a multi-fold film genre life. Any man whose personality ranges deeper than his acting ability, yet maintains a highly successful acting career sounds like the perfect candidate for a Thanksgiving Extravaganza.

A hero, a jokemeister, a governor. Make the right choice. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Setting the Record Straight

So here is the deal.

Currently in Pasadena the annual October Caucus is being held with the veteran T-giving members. There have been many screaming matches, arm wrestling, and even a crying session by the always over emotional Lowell Frank. We have come to a consensus concerning the recent nomination of high caliber nominations. Some ground rules must be made.

First: no Oscar winners. Lowell’s infatuation with, and desire to touch, Mister Holland’s Opus (of which Richard Dreyfuss won an Oscar) obviously blinded him to the reality of what he was doing.

Second: discussion of caliber must happen before future nominations.

Third: Brad is allowed the final nomination. After that nomination, no more nominations are allowed to be made. Both Richard Dreyfuss and Dustin Hoffmann will be dropped from the list. All previous nominations will be considered for this year’s festivities.

So, after much discussion, here is the list of nominees for the 2007 T-giving film festival:

1. Kurt Russell
2. Demi Moore
3. The Baldwin Brothers
4. Brad Kester’s Official Nomination (unless Kester’s nomination is Schwartenegger, in which case he will be immediately kicked off the committee and banned from all future T-giving Starbucks trips)

Nominees for Honorable Mention:
1. Charles Groden
2. Gary Busey
3. Christian Slater

America's Favorite "Little Big Man"

Over the years we have had a consistently strong group of candidates, but this year outshines them all. First, my wife did me proud by nominating Demi Moore. Then Lowell nomiated Richard Dryfus. And now I add a third...Let me introduce him. He is a family man. He understands the pain of the mentally hanicaped. He's versed in the the writings of Nietzsche and Kierkegaard. He knows the minority stuggle. He knows what it's like to be a woman. I'm proud to OFFICIALLY nominate "America's Favorite Little Big Man" - DUSTIN HOFFMAN!

Am I the only one who remembers the first Thanksgiving Miracle, when Lowell poured salmon dip into his pants, saying, "Who wants an appetizer?" ?

Can We Re-Nominate?

Another Order of Business

To the committee:

We have been invited to a dessert exchange with our fellow neighbors (the Dewitt-Goudelocks). 1) Are you interested? and 2) Any thoughts for dessert?

I'm not sure if I should even bring this up officially

This is a miniature post just to let everyone know that, even though there was a brief scare, I have been approved to have Thanksgiving off from work and will be joining the entire weekend event as scheduled. Thank you.

Moore female input than you bargained for...

That's right guys. Hillary is in the running for the democrats, and Demi is in the running for Thanksgiving. I knew that one day I would be inspired to nomimate a woman for this honored position, and so I will let my nominee's very best and very worst work make its own case...

St. Elmo's Fire - a cocaine addicted Moore gives us another excuse to watch an overrated 80's classic
The Butcher's Wife - "it's not about meat, it's about magic" - a tagline like this spells winner
Striptease - because when was the last time we deeply pondered the trials and tribulations of the exotic dancing single mom?
Ghost - the straight man's excuse to get the Swayze you crave

Think about it....

A rebutal to Johnathon Taylor

First of all…why am I carrying this on my back? where is b.kester? more importantly, where is the constantly absent female voice that we all crave? constantly do I crave. rarely am I satisfied. a brief Russell in the wind if you will?

secondly. t-giving is the complete absence of family. that is the point. I almost got teary eyed with j. t. sagawa’s over sentimentality, but quickly realized we are dealing with a mastermind of mind control. The psychologist almost won. he almost brought tears. that conniving sorcerer. but not this time. I checked my emotions at the door, and merely stated that the eighth ink blot did in fact look like a piece of poop. family! family! of all the outrageous claims. you want to talk family? here is what j. t. sagawa does to his family.



with family like j.t. sagawa, who needs family.

Thanksgiving may be about love and affection, memories of splendor, but the t-giving blog has but one purpose…to belittle each other to the point of disdain so we have something to spite each other about come holiday. for what is a holiday with people you unabashedly love? nothing. it is nothing.

For all his faults, I will give j.t. an approving nod, and say that this, the brothers Baldwin may just be the first serious nomination of the season. Not that Radcliff was the worst nomination of the year, but it was. With the Brothers B the possibilities are endless, and the idea, can I say original. Freudian to say the least, or at least Jung at heart.

I will not throw a candidate into the ring, still chewing, mulling over this dare I say brilliant nomination. If it does not garner a win, perhaps a Genius Grant from the McCrther Foundation for this bright young star, a pugilist of psyche to say the least.

And if not Bonzo, what about…

T-Giving is About Family

My dear San Diegans,

Please accept my sincerest apologies. My priorities have been severely out of shape lately and I have neglected the very event that has been so faithful to me over the years...t-giving. Yet, in honor of this great festivity, I refuse to submit myself to complaint and despair. Rather, I give thanks...thanks to the many years of laugher, tears, and inebriating drinks. Oh, the Pabini's were good to us. That necter and Pabst Blue Ribbon combination cannot be beat! I give thanks to the good years (MJ Fox), the dark years (Tim Allen), and to the years ahead (Grodin? Radcliff?). But most of all I give thanks for the FAMILY we have started. And isn't this what it is all about? My brothers, let us remember why we are here, and as brothers, let us move forward to our sixth year with pride. In reverence to this...I believe a nomination is due. But who could possibly represent us with the dignity and respect we deserve? Who would adequately represent the incredible bond we have created?



And don't forget Daniel and Billy!

And the silence Continues?

Here we are, a mere 46 days away from opening night, and the contingency from Pasadena remains silent. No rebuttal. No defense. Not even a timid comment. Well what is San Diego to do? Wait until the night before the festivities? What are we Procrastinating Pasadenites? No we are Straight Forward San Diegans. We know when to get busy. This is a challenge, to the two silent towers posted in the far away Pasadena. The only excuse is if every minute of every day is spent preparing the site for this years festivities. Pine cone wreaths, table top cornucopias, Pumpkin displays of sheer delight, etc. If this is not the case, woe to the neglectors of the t-giving blog.

On other fronts. I will highly commend B. Kester for breaking the all important nudity barrier on the blog. Seeing Radcliff’s naked bottom, oh boy, oh boy. But alas, other than the obvious delight of knowing that the nubile young man has been fully nude on stage, his screen credits stretch only as far as the small pair of briefs that would be needed to cover that aforementioned bottom. Once again, great joke Mr. Kester, good joke.

Pasadena, I implore you to write. This is a dialogue, not a San Diego Monologue. With all of my heart, I implore you.

Also, I am posting a film below for consideration for first night. but there are more to come.

- lowell

The Presence and Depth We'll All Have to Wise Up to Anyway At Some Point, So Let's Be The First

Let me clear the air by saying I'm sorry. I'm sorry to Lowell for not responding to his recent blog efforts. Lowell: we all know you laid your cajones on the line as the first one to speak after a long, uncomfortable tuft in our Thanksgiving blog relationship. Now let's be men, no offense Lauren, and move past this little foul up. I'm sorry.

What we have before us is of the utmost importance. All year long we talk the talk, but now, in this season of brotherhood, thanksgiving, and decadence, it is time to show our true colors. Though Lowell's nomination was ill received I cannot deny that I have secretly yurned for Grodin's presence at the head of our table. The acting wingspan of this Sultan In A Knit Sweater is unimitable, unimaginable, unforgettable. The subtly of his bite and the brutality of his humaness make him stand head and shoulders above his competitors. Who's heart did not leap at the climax of Beethoven when he breaks through the glass ceiling (he does all his own stunts) and exclaims "Give me back my damn dog" ? Yes, Charles Grodin is such an outstanding nomination, I almost can't talk about anything else.

However, there is an emerging actor that demands recognition. Scoffers will scoff, jokers will joke, and even preachers will preach condemnation of this man's controversial films. But this actor is continually proving that he has a presence and a depth that demands the attention of a sophisticated audience. He has charmed us for years. We have watched him mature. And then he took his clothes off and won the praise of critics everywhere. He was a boy heart throb and now he is the man of the future, and I suggest we be the first to usher in his reign. Hail Daniel Radcliffe.

Let's Get it Started, Let's Get Retarded

As you know, I am a huge black eyed peas fan.

As you also know, the festive and most important holiday season is upon us. That is right, official nominating season begins, as always on the 19th of September, a mere 63 days away from opening festivities at the annual Joey, Lauren, Lowell, and newly added Brad Thanksgiving Extravaganza.

Perhaps this is only me, but i have very little to look forward to, so this is literally and figuratively, even imaginatively, the highlight of my year.

So I will throw a hat into the ring. I will mark the official begining. Mind you, in no way am i "pulling a slater" or "Kuffing Up" as we saw with the sad but overly eager nomination of everyone's favorite 5th place nominee Christian Slater. This is the real deal, no more "Swartzengering" around. Let us see what we can "Russell" up here by moving away from the past. Hmm, someone debonair, someone mysterious, someone, so enigmatic that vomit has never even thought of exiting their mouths, yes, this someone has been around for ages, has spanned every genre, has bantered America to ecstacy with their own talk show. I will no longer delay, but will only list a few of the winning films, then post a beauty shot of the man, the myth, the grail we seek.

Clifford
Beethoven
So I married an Axe Murderer
Midnight Run
Beethoven's 2nd
Heart and Souls
Dave
Grown-Ups
and perhaps his best work
The Great Muppet Caper

A man whose dry, yet slightly creamy sarcasm cuts this deep deserves nothing less than the spotlight, or at least the guest of honor position.



That is right, The Venerable Charles Grodin. Point, Set, Match.

No more movies for T-Give, only Broadway plays about CATS

Big Star in a Little Festival

Who could say no to these blond locks and gentle smile? I smell a winner. And by the way, Brad, the salmon dip is officially outlawed by majority vote. Our apartment reeked of canned fish and liquid smoke for the rest of the winter. Bad news.

The Most Honorable Honoree

Even though I don't have a vote in this year's T-Giving nomination, I would like to use my first official blog to endorse Bruce Springsteen as this year's Guest of Honor. I was going to suggest The Boss as the actual Nomination, but I don't think he has enough quality film titles to carry the entire weekend.



Now, there have been over 60 films that have used a Springsteen song on its soundtrack, many of which suck (i.e. Canadian Bacon or Night at the Roxbury). Therefore, the films that should be used for T-Giving are those that I would call "Springsteenian". In order to be "Springsteenian", a film must meet the following criteria: a) Bruce wrote a song specifically for the film; b) The film popularized a Springsteen song, therefore making the two synonymous with each other; or c) Bruce actually makes an appearance on-screen.

Through this filter, we have four movies: 1) Dead Man Walking; 2) Philadelphia; 3) Jerry MacGuire; 4) High Fidelity. Collectively, the first three of these films were nominated for 13 Academy Awards (two of which were won by Bruce, for Original Music). The fourth -- High Fidelity -- should have garnered Bruce a nomination for Best Supporting Actor. In addition to the accolades, these films have a variety of genre (comedy, romance, drama) and can provoke intellectual/ethical debates about topics such as the death penalty, homosexuality, love, music, etc. Best of all, making Bruce the Guest of Honor would ensure Joey and Lauren get at least one Cusack movie to watch.

If you make Bruce the Guest of Honor and add these films to the T-Giving lineup, it will not only pay homage to the greatest song-writer of all-time, but it will free you up to take a risk with the actual nomination ... if the nominee fails, Bruce can salvage the weekend by giving you at least four quality films to enjoy.

I would like to rile things up:

Lowell - you stink.
Joey - you are a coward.
Lauren - you're pretty good at dr. mario, but you are married to a coward. which is dishonorable.
Mark - you brought jerry kester's name into the blog, which should be commended.
Brian Bassett is a butt-patter.

All of you are duded-up, egg-sucking gutter trash.



+



+

BRAD KESTER

=

TRUTH

A Letter of Apology

This letter is written in sincere apology to Mr. Keaton. My response was written in a fit of rage at the scathing remarks made about Christian Slater. Mr. Keaton, I am sorry to have involved you in the obvious conflict between myself and Mr. Michaelson. That said, I do not appreciate the outlandish remarks made by Mr. Frank. All who attend the T-Giving festivities know that a shared presidency is needed now more than ever. Should we actually give Mr. Frank the dictatorship he is so eagerly vying for, we may lose the fun, laughter, and freedom we have worked so hard to build over the past five years. Can you even imagine the world that he would create? Say goodbye to your salmonball Brad. Mr. Frank would never even let you walk through the door. Given this, I suggest that a unified movement begin that calls for the true democracy that the T-Giving festival was built upon. Do not be swayed by the propaganda of the adult toddler! While he is a most needed member on the T-Giving board, he should not have all the power. Be warned.

Sincerely,
J. Toshiro Sagawa

Vengeance

I'm in, oh glory, I'm in! After being locked out of this blog for so long, I am emerging like Captain Planet from hybernation to reak vengeance upon all of you polluters who have corroded my name with the TRUE LIES of false nominations. And to those of you who have cursed the almighty salmon dip--which is everyone of you--I spit on you and I kick you in the privates. I am the ERASER, I am the real mccoy, I am the coux de gras.

Now that my temper has been cleared, I would like to take a moment to recognize Lowell's tremendous efforts in assembling this blog. What a great idea, and what a great execution on web design. I am thoroughly excited. Furthermore, I am excited for this year's fast approaching festivities. I have been spending my mornings in quiet medition, reflecting on the past two years and searching for answers to the next big question: who will be next. I have left clues as to my nominee for the primary elections.

I would still like to see RoboCop make a warranted appearance, and I think I may have found a solution:

An Unforgivable Travesty

I will do a post. Although the esteemed, however often misguided joel toshiro claims that the real action is in the commenting, I still prefer a post. It looks more like the blog is being updated. This being said, I will vigorously attack what has been said in the comment section. Mr. Michaelson's additions by the way add so much, that I couldn't ask for more.

I will reprimand J.T. (joey) for his gross miscalculation in grouping the honorable and beloved michael keaton with tim allen (the low point of t-giving history) and guttenburg, who may have an honorary title as first official t-giving seat of honor reciepient, but let's face it, was only a powerless figure head. But how J.T. can you lump the Keat with them, how i ask, with pain furrowing in my brow. Have your forgotten the effortless handling of four complex roles in Multiplicity? Have you overlooked the soul stirring speaches in Gung-ho? Have you neglected to recall the way his bleached tips glistened in the icy cold of Jack Frost. Oh J.T., how could you. there should be some sort of suspension for such blasphemous slander. It isn't as if Keaton himself whispered into the impressionable young lad attending for the first time, "next year bring a salmon dip" that, now that, would be unforgivable.



Note: rumor has it the busey nomination was a hoax. Brad claims he did not post this. What could this be a false post? I like it, what better way to rile up the troups than to pose as a clever imposter. Whoever did this is surely brilliant, Kudos.


-lowell

My official Nomination by brad kester

and the salmon dip is going to replace the turkey this year.

The Early Bird Catches the Worm

Albeit showing your cards early in the game can often be a tragic mistake, it is hard to resist the temptation when you've got such a great hand. What can I say? Christian Slater is a great candidate for this year's festivities. Here's just a few things to contemplate... 1) contemporatly relevance (The Good Shepard), 2) connection to fred savage (The Wizard), 3) knowledge of skateboarding (Gleaming the Cube), 4) inspiration (Tucker: The Man and His Dream), 5) the wild west (Young Guns 2), and 6) music anarchy (Pump up the Volume). Hey, at least it's better than Bronson Pinchot and much better than than the salmon dip. Sorry Brad. That was a low blow.

And So It Begins

Well,the blog has been set up. who knows how often we will use it, but let me first say I am excited that talks have already begun for the planning of the 2007 extravaganza known as Thanksgiving. We have come so far that not only has a blog been started, but we have four official members. I will say as a founding member that I welcome Brad Kester to the 2007 board of trustees and am glad he has voting rights. This being said I think we all realize that his votes for Schwarzenegger, Culkin, and Pinchot will most likely have little or nothing to do with the actual elected star, but more likely will have more of a Pat Buchanan effect, and just skew the results and hurt the main contenders.

This aside, we do have rumors, almost official rumors of an early nomination. Joel T. Mueller-Sagawa has thrown in the early hat, which we all know is the first mistake of nominating honorees. the first official nomination of the 2007 Joey, Lauren, Lowell, and Brad Thanksgiving Extravaganza is none other than the bad boy mayor of heart throb city Christian Slater.

Hopefully this blog shall be used to mainly trash talk, belittle each other, and make fun of smoky salmon dips that are forever banned at any future Thanksgiving celebrations.

-lowell