Wednesday 30 June 2010

Thanks for Celebrating Pride Month With Me!


Well, my 2010 GLBTTQ Pride Month Blog Fest concludes today. Thanks, everyone, for celebrating Pride Month with me! I appreciate all the many comments left on all the posts. Some made me smile or laugh out loud! And yes, some made me laugh so hard I peed. Others touched my heart with the personal stories you shared. Several brought a tear to my eye at the hardships endured by you or GLBTTQ family members.

Youse guys are da best!

Tuesday 29 June 2010

Yay Iceland!

Earlier this month, Iceland became the ninth country in the world to enact legislation making civil marriage legal for same-sex couples. Fittingly, the parliamentary vote occurred during Pride Month. And, in a real first, the vote was unanimously in favour. Iceland also has the distinction of having the world's only openly lesbian prime minister, Johanna Sigurdardottir (who just married her own partner under the new law).

The nine countries in which same-sex civil marriage is now legal are the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa, Norway, Sweden, Portugal and Iceland. Who will be number ten?

Monday 28 June 2010

So THAT'S What He's Up To These Days


I think there was more than a "bromance" between Frodo and Sam, too.

Sunday 27 June 2010

Sunday Sermon


Ain't that the truth. Wishing everyone a welcoming spiritual community today and every day!

Friday 25 June 2010

Smokin'


Both my parents smoked when I was a kid. Living in a blue haze was just our unquestioned reality. When I turned 18, I started smoking too. A stupid decision, I know, but there you go. I smoked for 15 years, a pack-and-a-half a day. Once I read an article which said that your degree of addiction could be determined by how long a time period elapsed before you had your first cigarette after getting out of bed in the morning. Getting out of bed? When my alarm went off, I would roll over, grab my smokes off the bedside table and light up. *aaaaaahhhhh* After that, I might think about starting my day.

Occasionally I contemplated quitting but I never tried it. Everyone said quitting smoking was too hard. Nearly impossible, in fact. "Harder to kick than heroin," they all said.

Twenty years ago today -- June 25, 1990 -- I had some day surgery performed in hospital under general anesthetic. Waking up in the recovery room, I rather groggily saw a man standing by my bed. He introduced himself as Dr. So-and-So, my anesthetist. "Gee," I thought to myself, "what a nice guy to take the time to be here when I wake up." Then he leaned over me and yelled in my face, "YOU'RE GOING TO DIE IF YOU DON'T QUIT SMOKING!" Apparently, my breathing was seriously compromised while I was out and they had to shove a bunch more tubes down my throat to keep my airways clear.

I quit smoking right then and there, cold turkey. I was told not to smoke for 3 days anyway because my throat was like raw meat from inserting the tubes. So I just kept on extending that period indefinitely. And I didn't use the patch, nicotine gum, hypnotism, acupuncture or anything like that. I just kept on resisting one cigarette -- the next one.

Was it tough? Sure. Was it the toughest thing I've ever done in my life? Absolutely not. Actually, I'm kind of pissed off at all those people who said it was impossible to quit smoking. Believing them held me back. If I'd known it was so doable, I'd have quit years earlier.


Thursday 24 June 2010

Pride Pancakes


Okay now this is carrying GLBTTQ Pride just a bit too far, people! Get a grip!

Actually, the purpose of these pancakes is not to celebrate Pride -- they are simply part of a new phenomenon called "rainbow food." Eye-poppingly fluorescent food is apparently the Latest Big Thing Among Foodies, according to an article I read earlier this month in The Globe and Mail. Bakers are throwing entire bottles of food colouring into their recipes for cupcakes, cookies, bagels and anything else they can think of. Some say these rainbow foods may be a "festive backlash to the current movement toward natural, unprocessed and unadulterated fare." But one woman hit the nail on the head, I think, when she said that rainbow food is "the kind of stuff that would really delight you as a child but as an adult kind of horrifies."

Wednesday 23 June 2010

Don't Piss Us Off!


In the words of Rita Mae Brown (Sappho's Reply) borrowed from Plato (The Symposium) -- "An army of lovers cannot fail."

Tuesday 22 June 2010

We All Know At Least One


Another contribution from GLBTTQ culture to The World . . . the Galaxy . . . the Universe! Whatever did we call drama queens before that term was invented?

Monday 21 June 2010

Today is Summer Solstice!


We are one with the infinite Sun
Forever and ever and ever!

Every Summer Solstice, my Rare One and I like to sing this chant as we walk around our back yard and garden. We drum to the plants and trees, encouraging them to take full advantage of the longest day of the year. The Green Man supervises us from His spot on the little garden shed.

One year a neighbour heard our drumming and inquired about it a few days later. She subsequently came to my drumming circle a few times but (being a devout Christian) I don't think my emphasis on the Divine Feminine sat all that well with her.

But who knows what may grow from Summer Solstice drumming!

Sunday 20 June 2010

Happy Father's Day

Do you know this saying? "Any Man can be a Father, but it takes a Special Man to be a Dad."

Well, it takes an even more special trans man to be a Dad and carry the pregnancy too!

Happy Father's Day to Thomas Beatie and all you other traditional or not-so-traditional Dads out there!

Saturday 19 June 2010

Fabulous Blog Award!


Fabulous Faerwillow over at ~serendipity~ thinks MY blog is fabulous too! *mwah* *mwah* Air kisses to you, darling! We simply must do lunch and take in a show some time!

However, to earn this award, I have to reveal . . . *gasp* . . . five of my addictions! Unfortunately I don't have glamorous addictions to clothes, shoes, martinis and men like the Sex and the City girls, so perhaps my Fabulous Blog Award will be revoked . . . but oh well, here goes --

Hello, my name is Debra and I am an addict. I admit that I have no power over my addiction to:

1. Blogging (well duh, obviously!)

2. Cats (again duh, obviously! Just read my blog!)

3. Diet Coke (but at least I don't put a Mentos in my mouth at the same time)

4. Collecting Goddess statues (it just sort of . . . started. And now I can't quit!)

5. My Rare One's luuuuuuv and kisses (gimme, gimme, gimme!)

Phew! Now I'm all confessed out! *wink*

When I was thinking about who in turn to nominate for a Fabulous Blog Award, one name above all others leapt immediately to mind:

Mary/mxtodis123!

She has several fabulous blogs and maintains each one regularly (an astounding feat of diligence)! Her blogs are all beautiful to look at and every one of them conveys thoughtful and meaningful information and insights on an astounding variety of spiritual and life-affirming topics:









Plus, Mary/mxtodis is an addictions counsellor so she knows all about that topic too! Clearly, she was born to win a Fabulous Blog Award!

Friday 18 June 2010

Love Those Weiners!


Enjoy your weekend -- time to BBQ!

Thursday 17 June 2010

The Sky is Falling! The Sky is Falling!


Yes, this pie chart pretty much illustrates our experience since legalizing same-sex marriage here in Canada. Kind of anti-climactic, really!

Wednesday 16 June 2010

There's One in Every Crowd


It's true -- We Are Everywhere! Ha ha, believe it!

Tuesday 15 June 2010

Thank God for Bigots!


In the 1990s, I was quite active in Winnipeg's GLBTTQ community where I learned and honed some valuable political organizing skills. A long-time gay rights activist with whom I worked had a favourite saying which I heard over and over again. Every time some bigot would shoot off his or her mouth in the media or otherwise commit some ignorant act towards our community, he would smile gleefully and exclaim "Thank God for bigots!"

And he genuinely meant it too. In his view, bigots give our community the greatest (unintentional) gift of all -- a free platform for media attention and political visibility which we can use to counteract their hateful ignorance and advance our own cause. Each instance of bigotry is, in fact, a wonderful opportunity for us to respond in the media with reason and common sense. If not for bigots, how else could we ever hope to have a chance to educate the public on such a large scale?

So in that spirit -- Thank You Bigots for your (continuing) role in advancing equal rights for the GLBTTQ community!

Monday 14 June 2010

Super Model of the World


No one works the Catwalk like RuPaw! Sashay! Chantez! Oooo yeah, baby, you're the queen of them all!

Sunday 13 June 2010

Cats Against the Oil Spill

My cat may be named "Her Royal Highness" just like those British toffs, but she is absolutely furious about the British Petroleum drilling debacle in the Gulf of Mexico. And she is not alone. Cats everywhere are adding their yowls of outrage against BP Oil and its collaborators who made this environmental disaster possible.

For example, cats have produced this biting satire of evil BP Oil executives. Recognize yourself, Tony Hayward?



And Keyboard Cat, the musical scourge of all losers, made a special video appearance to play off all the politician collaborators of Big Oil. "Drill, baby, drill" -- where are you now?



Kittehs, yu show us hoomans teh way! May Ceiling Cat bless yu all!

Saturday 12 June 2010

Spoofs of "Come As You Are"

Remember the gay McDonald's ad from France that I posted last Saturday? Well, here's a couple of hilarious spoofs of it that made me laugh beaucoup!

First, the American version of the ad (complete with French subtitles) --



And now, the Iranian version ---



I bet that brings a tear to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's eye, the bastard!

Friday 11 June 2010

Brokeback Mountain Revisited


Ooooo, hot mouse-on-mouse action! Yowza!

(This concludes our three day homage to Brokeback Mountain -- thanks for your patience!)

Thursday 10 June 2010

Brokeback Mountain Sequel


Where can I get the DVD! Yeah, baby, yeah!

Wednesday 9 June 2010

Brokeback Mountain

For your viewing pleasure, here is the classic gay movie Brokeback Mountain re-enacted by bunnies in 30 glorious seconds of Bun-o-Vision --



Want to check out more Bun-o-Vision movies? Click here!

Although Brokeback Mountain is set in Wyoming, the movie was in fact filmed here in Alberta around Calgary, Canmore and Kananaskis. So when you see that beautiful mountain scenery on the screen, think Canada!

Tuesday 8 June 2010

Bible Lessons


Not to mention its endorsement of misogyny and polygamy. Praise ye the word of the Lord.

Monday 7 June 2010

Home Again

So Her Royal Highness is now home again with me. No more "Madame Zara." Her footloose and fancy-free gypsy lifestyle -- gone. No more "Lady Zaza." Celebrities, paparazzi and luxury -- gone. Reality rules once more. Cold, hard reality.

HRH is finding it hard to adjust. She pouts, she demands, she gets worked up. Tantrums occur. Then she mopes. But what can I do? She must re-learn what it means to be an ordinary suburban kitty.

Here's a typical day --





In many ways, it's like having a teenager around the house. *sigh* I hope she settles down soon.

Sunday 6 June 2010

Versatile Blogger Award!


Thanks so much, Inannasstar at Ramblings of a Domestic Goddess and Cora at The Postulations of an Iconoclast, for giving me a Versatile Blogger Award! Both of you are such versatile bloggers yourselves -- covering all sorts of interesting topics and viewpoints -- that I'm especially honoured to receive this from you!

The rules are:
1. Thank the person(s) who gave the Award to you and link to their blogs.
2. Share 7 things about yourself that others may not know.
3. Nominate up to 15 other versatile bloggers who you recently discovered and who you think are fantastic (and link to their blogs too).
4. Let them know about the Award!
(Rules are flexible, in case you're not good with rules!)

So, seven things about myself . . . hmmm . . . okay, here are seven favourite things of mine (at the moment):

1. Movie (freely admitted): Casablanca -- "The Germans wore grey. You wore blue."

2. Movie (shamefully admitted): You Don't Mess With The Zohan -- I despise Adam Sandler in every movie but this one.

3. TV show (freely admitted): Kingdom -- from Britain, starring the fabulous Stephen Fry.

4. TV show (shamefully admitted): Judge Judy -- I love it when she rips people a new one.

5. Movie star (freely admitted): Meryl Streep -- who doesn't love her?

6. Movie star (shamefully admitted): Keanu Reeves -- I honestly do think that he's a good actor!

7. Comic (both freely and shamefully admitted): Stephen Colbert -- even though he called Canadians "maple syrup sucking ice-holes."

Whew! Now here's my list of versatile and fabulous blogger nominees. All of them I have just recently (or fairly recently) started reading so if you're looking for some good new blogs, check them out!


Annie's Hearth at Annie's Hearth

Beadwright at Beadwright

Ricky Shambles at Cause for Concern

City Wiccan at City Wiccan

Rayna M. Iyer at Coffee Rings Everywhere

Twain12 at Eye in the Sky

The Frog Queen at Frog on the Pumpkin


Little Messy Missy at Little Messy Missy




young-eclectic-encounters at young-eclectic-encounters

Saturday 5 June 2010

"Come As You Are"

Hey, here's the French McDonald's ad that has caused Bill O'Reilly of Fox News to get his knickers all in a twist! "Do they have an al-Qaeda ad?" he asked. Moron.


Of course the ad has been subtitled in English for our viewing pleasure. But it's interesting that, right at the end, the background music is revealed to already have English lyrics (!) although the idiom is not quite right and the words are sung in a French accent -- "I'm going on my road." Maybe fake English lyrics make the commerical extra chic in France, I don't know?

(Plus, sometimes another commercial creeps in at the end. I'm not quite sure how that happened? They keep changing too. Oh oh.)

Friday 4 June 2010

Ooops, who HASN'T this happened to?


Have a great weekend, everyone! *wink*

Thursday 3 June 2010

Cutie Pie!


Well, I'm one already and let me tell you -- YES, WE ALL LOOK THIS GOOD AT 50! Or at any other age, for that matter.

Wednesday 2 June 2010

Yes, We ARE Everywhere!


And don't for one minute think we aren't, because we know better!

Tuesday 1 June 2010

June is Pride Month!


My favourite time of the year is here -- GLBTTQ* Pride Month! Time to celebrate All Things Queer! Many of my posts in June will be dedicated to a light-hearted celebration of Pride, so woo hoo! Get out your rainbow paraphernalia and let the party begin!

*Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Two-Spirit Queer, for those of you who read that and thought of another set of initials --WTF? -- instead.