Ahhh...the day after Thanksgiving...Bloated bellies, over-saturated taste buds with too much turkey, pie and liquor, the echoes of voices of extended family who you don't see very often still ringing in your ears, and enough leftovers to cover your tupperware lunch for the next two weeks...Ahhh...what a holiday.

Here's hoping you all had an amazing Thanksgiving Day and continue to have a great holiday weekend.

This was a pretty introspective Thanksgiving for me. It was the first time in my life that I didn't sit down to a table with my mom, dad and sister. Crazy schedules, new marriages and geography proved to be too hectic and complicated to get around but the sentiments for all of us stayed exactly the same this year.

As everyone takes a step back to think what they are thankful for there is so much, for me, there is one thing that I am SO thankful for...my family. When my father went into surgery in July we were all scared, hopeful, anxious, wait...did I say scared? It was really a life altering moment for of us. To see our family come together and all four of us have so much strength and unity was absolutely amazing. I have to admit it wasn't until this moment this I really understood family.

Spending time/taking care of my dad over the next months was again wonderfully life altering. To be able to give back to the people that have allowed me to have this crazy, adventurous life was a privilege. It's an interesting time when your parents begin to look to you for assistance and help and I am so thankful that my dad and my fam came through this stronger than ever.

So whatever you are thankful for this year, how little or how great, enjoy it with your friends, family and your loved ones.

Happy Thanksgiving!

-W

GROOM WITH A VIEW!



Ok, well I'm not at all getting married...it's just a shameless plug for the new film I did last summer coming out this spring (Groom with a View) and the view from my hotel room here at Niagara Fallsview Casino and Resort. It is absoloutely amazing. I'm practically in the Falls! Let me know if any of you want to come out. I have two beds. :)

xx,

-W

Hey All!

Finally an election that we progressives can walk away and smile about. Are voters really waking up to realize these crochety old men do NOT have our best interests at heart? I can not think of any better example then the bitch slap that Californians delivered to Arnold Schwarzenegger last week.

To watch a supposed moderate conservative completely change his political strategy to pander to the base, and I do mean BASE, of the Republican party was just amazing. To see it fail so miserably was even more amazing. This strategy worked in 2000 and it worked in 2004 but just like the extremists in the Republican party, it's tired. I really get the sense the tide isn't only changing in more progressive states but is changing country wide. The Govern-ator has hurt California and I am so thankful to everyone who voted with their minds and conscience this election not just lumping themselves with a candidate because of party lines.

Not too much new to report here. I'm gearing up for a press trip to Niagara Falls on Wed. I can not wait. There's just something so 50s retro about it and I've always wanted to go.

We'll be taking another XTOURS trip December 9th-11th. There are still spaces available so if you like the outdoors and are in the So Ca area...

best,

-W

Hey All!

This is a post for every California voter. Today is a big day when it comes to sending the Governator a messageabout how he's been running this state and his "newly" rightwing stance on most issues. It really is amazing how in two years how much this man has changed. I received the most brialliant email last night from my friend Josh. It breaks down the propositions to simple, understandable terms.

Make your voice heard today! VOTE!!!

-W

*******************************

This is for my California voting friends. ;) Here is the result of a discovery/debate party me and some friends had yesterday and what we've understood from our research. This is what we've gathered. Excercise democracy and PLEASE remember to vote tomorrow!!!

Prop 73: No
WAITING PERIOD AND PARENTAL NOTIFICATION BEFORE TERMINATION OF MINOR'S PREGNANCY.
no back-alley abortions, thank you very much.

Prop 74: No
PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS. WAITING PERIOD FOR PERMANENT STATUS.
fire and re-hire teachers so you can pay them nothing? no thanks.

Prop 75: No
PUBLIC EMPLOYEE UNION DUES. RESTRICTIONS ON POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS. EMPLOYEE CONSENT REQUIREMENT.
effectively destroy the effectiveness of a large union representing public employees? sorry, this isn't communist china.

Prop 76: No
STATE SPENDING AND SCHOOL FUNDING LIMITS.
giving the governator the ability to screw schools? screw you arnold.

Prop 77: No
REDISTRICTING.
the people/legislature should determine how districts are formed. period.

Prop 78: No
DISCOUNTS ON PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.
is this even legal? basically a drug company-sponsored bill. no thanks.

Prop 79: Yes
PRESCRIPTION DRUG DISCOUNTS.
regulates Prop 78 should it pass. this was not a unanimous decision. it would be better if the state weren't subsidizing corp drugs... why not homeopathic drugs, etc? but better this pass and regulate 78 than not.

Prop 80: Yes
ELECTRIC SERVICE PROVIDERS. REGULATION.
help undo some of the damage deregulation caused. also, accelerate the requirements for renewable energy from 2017 to 2010.

If you have any questions please let me know. I'm sending this to as many people as I can... a few hundred. Please forward this on to anyone eligible to vote in California! Email me if you want to know our choices for the SF city election.

Thanks for reading!

Love,
Josh

Holy Crap!

Where to even begin with this story! So I have been working so much lately that I've been a lazy slug. Been missing the gym, cardio, etc...etc... So it's such a beautiful day here in Sunny San Diego I decide it would be nice to run outdoors down at Balboa Park. I've been slaving away on the computer writing travel articles, working on XTOURS.NET and keeping up with business both in LA and NY. I deserved some outdoor time with weather as gorgeous as this.

Well I get myself all together, head down to the Balboa park, park my car, get stretched and am on my way out in the running trails. I am off, immediately the sun is beating down on my shoulders so I take my shirt off to get a little color and enjoy my run without sweating through my XTOURS.NET promo shirt. (see, always marketing ;))

So, I am running and thinking about things when I notice a helicopter over head. I don't really pay much attention but it just whirling about 100 feet over my head. I keep running through the scraggly woods and bushes on the marked running trails and this helicopter is just not going away. I look up and notice it is a police helicopter and it's lowered about 50 feet. Here I am just trying to enjoy some nature on a digitally burned out self and now I have this freakin' copter 50 feet above my head.

I'm thinking, "Am I not supposed to be in this area?? Do they think I'm cruising or something?? Good Lord! I'm just trying to jog!"

Right then I hear a piercing, "GET DOWN! GET DOWN NOW!" screeching from helicopter. I stop and look up confused..."I SAID GET DOWN! GET DOWN NOW!" The female voice crackles. All of a sudden a police officer comes tearing through the bushes, gun drawn, trips and falls, gets back up and comes right at me. I put my hands in the air

"Have you seen a Mexican?!?!" He yells over the whirling of the helicopter.

"No, no...I saw a homeless guy back there about 100 yards but I don't think he was Hispanic."

The cop takes off running down the trail. I just stand there dazed for about 30 seconds when I hear someone else tearing through the bushes. I decided it was probably time to remove myself from the situation.

Haha, WHAT THE HELL! I make it back to the main streets of Balboa Park where I see anywhere between 20-30 cop cars police helicopters and all the news vans. No one can tell me what is going on so dazed I head back home.

That night there was nothing on the news...No mention of Balboa Park...Nothing. Had I imagined the whole thing. Was my first run out in nature in a few weeks too much for my body that I had hallucinated??

Thankfully my mind isn't going. My super sleuth mom found the story at the Channel 7 website here in SD. Turns out it was carjackers who had stolen a car here a the local Costco and led police through a high speed chase ending up at Balboa Park. They abandoned the car and were caught down in the Canyons where I had been running.

Absolutely crazy! And my mom was worried about me living in NYC!!


**Hope you all had an amazing and safe Halloween. I've had some people send in their costumes form Halloween. Absolutely loved 'em. Keep sending them and I'll post my favorite this week.**