What the Cluck?

Double Award Whammy!

Earlier this month, Serenity Raven of The Domestic Pagan blessed me with not ONE, but TWO blog awards -- count 'em, TWO!! Thanks so much, my dear -- I am doubly flattered! If any of you don't already know Serenity Raven's fabulous blog, just click on the link and check it out!

I am going to pass along both these awards to all the very inspiring bloggers with lovely blogs who demonstrate such good taste by reading my blog! Yes, that means ALL OF YOU! *mwah* *big slurpy kiss*

Where, Oh Where is HRH?

It's been over 2 weeks since the Cat Olympics ended in London and yet my cat Her Royal Highness has not returned home. I've been worried sick but today an email from her finally arrived --

Hello, human. You'd better sit down before reading this. You won't BELIEVE where I am at the moment. Right after the Cat Olympics ended, news reached us CATletes about misbehaving cats being PERSECUTED in Russia. So in defence of my feline kind, I headed to the former Soviet Union to see what I could do to help. Wouldn't you???

Turns out that the "Pussy Riot" we had heard about is really a feminist punk rock band who sang a song in public dissing Putin. And they got ARRESTED for it!

AND I DID TOO when I joined a protest outside the courtroom! The Pussy Riot girls and I all got sentenced to 2 years in prison. IT'S AN OUTRAGEOUS TRAVESTY OF JUSTICE! But luckily, I have friends in high places. High places indeed.

Mr. Whiskervitch, who I befriended at the Cat Olympics, is working hard to convince his human to release us all from jail. He is going to crap in Putin's shoes every morning for as long as it takes until the message gets through. But secretly, I have my doubts whether Putin will break. He IS a former KGB agent, after all.

So in case Mr. Whiskervitch fails, I need ALL THE CATS who read this blog to write letters to Amnesty International condemning our imprisonment by the Putin regime and calling for our IMMEDIATE RELEASE! I know I can count on you, feline compatriots!

Love, hugz and purrz, Political Prisoner #1136.

[Photo of Pussy Riot by photojournalist Mikhail Metzel of AP]

Why I Love the Sedin Twins: Reason #3

Because Henrik and Daniel Sedin support the You Can Play Project, an organization dedicated to eliminating homophobia in sports. Currently, the televised ad campaign is focused largely on hockey but the project is applicable to all other sports too.

As stated on the You Can Play Project website: Locker rooms should be safe and sports venues should be free from homophobia. Athletes should be judged on talent, heart and work ethic, not sexual orientation. 

I'm impressed that the Sedin Twins are willing to publicly take a stand against continued homophobia in sports. There are still lots of professional players who won't.

Why I Love the Sedin Twins: Reason #2

Because maybe they're really triplets!?!

The guy on the left competed on the Swedish badminton team at the recent London Olympics. His name is Henri Hurskainen. Many sports commentators noticed that he's a dead ringer for the Sedin Twins.

But Henri is 25 and the Sedins are 31, so they can't be triplets. But perhaps Henri is a long-lost younger brother? I guess only Mom and/or Dad Sedin knows for sure . . . .  But if nothing else, these guys' resemblance sure demonstrates the prevalence of similar traits in the Swedish gene pool, doesn't it?

Tomorrow -- Reason #3 -- the best one of all!

Why I Love the Sedin Twins: Reason #1

Because they have a good sense of humour, as demonstrated in this 2007 NHL promo ad . . . .



(For all you Murricans and other furriners, a loonie is a one-dollar Canadian coin and a toonie is the two-dollar coin.)

Tomorrow -- Reason # 2 -- a deep dark (or at least ginger) secret?

Why I Love the Sedin Twins: Intro

Two of my favourite NHL players are Henrik and Daniel Sedin, 31-year-old twin brothers from Sweden who play for the Vancouver Canucks. Henrik (centre) is the Canucks' captain. Daniel (left wing) is the Canucks' alternate captain.

In addition to their NHL careers, they won Olympic gold medals with the Swedish National Team at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.

Apart from the excellence of their hockey play, there are 3 specific reasons why I love the Sedin Twins. Tomorrow -- Reason #1 -- hint: music is involved.

National Bad Poetry Day

EVERYONE needs to celebrate National Bad Poetry Day today.

"Forsooth, why?" asketh thou, in your best Shakespearean manner.

Because for every good poem in the world, there's a million bad ones. Even among great poets, their lifetime's work will consist of a few good poems and a lotta crap. If they're lucky, they'll hit the jackpot and write maybe one or two poems of true genius which will live forever, never becoming archaic or outdated.

And then, of course, there's the rest of us poor Joe Average schlubs who put poetic pen to paper and write nothing BUT bad poetry.

So in honour of National Bad Poetry Day, here is my contribution to the Canon of Crap. I have posted this before but it is sufficiently redolent to justify a repeat posting. Pardon me while I clear my throat prior to declaiming my deathless masterpiece (*ahem*) --

bad poet's dilemma

can i use this word
without irony

"bootylicious"

hmm, no

© Debra She Who Seeks 2008

All Hail the King

Remember the terrible shock 35 years ago today when Elvis died so unexpectedly at the young age of 42?

What has always most fascinated me are the conspiracy theories which started to circulate shortly afterwards: Elvis is not really dead. He faked his own death so he could live a simpler life out of the limelight. Elvis lives! Even now, all these years later, there's still reported sightings of Elvis every once in awhile, somewhere or another in rural America.

The other fascinating aspect of the Elvis legacy is the thriving tribe of Elvis impersonators: amateur, professional, dead serious, tongue-in-cheek. These "Elvi" tour with tribute shows, parachute out of planes, perform weddings in Las Vegas, enter contests, go to international conventions, you name it. There are even female Elvis impersonators.

I have often thought that the powerful reaction of Elvis fans to his death has much to teach us about the origins of Christianity, if we are open enough to consider it. Were the adoring fans of Jesus equally unwilling or incapable of accepting his death? As with Elvis, some of those fans reported post-mortem sightings of Jesus. Others soon began to imitate Jesus in clothes, words and lifestyle. His "brand" grew immensely after death too. Raked in billions eventually. Jerusalem and the Vatican -- which do you think is Graceland?

Moon Goddess Attends the Olympics

I love how the Olympic Rings were suspended from Tower Bridge in London. It will be an iconic image for years to come, I'm sure.

At the beginning of August when the moon was full, some clever photojournalist got this fabulous shot of a new ring --

I like to think that it is an Olympic salute from the Greek Goddess of the Moon, Artemis, Herself one of the original Olympian deities. Plus a notable athlete and archer as well.

Wake Up, Sleepyheads!

Monday is perfect for posting this tribute to coffee because that's when we're all sleepy, tired from the weekend or just plain old hungover (and no, there's no particular reason why I'm thinking now of you party-hearty guys Barfly, Bryan, Brandon and Workingdan . . . ).

So pour yourself a big cuppa Joe, everyone, gulp it down and then go out there and have a good day, dammit!

Olympic Glory At Last!

She's done it, everyone! Here is this morning's email from Her Royal Highness at the London Cat Olympics --

Hello, human. VICTORY IS MINE! On the very last day of the Games, I have finally won a GOLD MEDAL! Here's a picture of me wearing it -- don't I look like a true champion?

And, best of all, I won it in the MOST prestigious event in the whole Cat Olympics! It took every fibre of my being, every ounce of my self-discipline and control, every last drop of my feline training, but I performed better than any cat in the world . . . .

Okay, yeah, technically I also had a partner -- some cat from Ontario or somewhere -- BUT REALLY IT'S ALL ABOUT ME, GLORIOUS ME!!!

Now I can simply sit back and just let the cat food commercials, flea collar ads and other endorsement contracts roll in! I'll be purring all the way to the BANK!

Luv, hugz and purrz from your Gold Medal Cat

Well! All I can say about this, HRH, is --

Chariots of Fur

My cat, Her Royal Highness, is a true champion. She never gives up! Here is today's email from the London Cat Olympics --

Hello, human. The track and field racing events were held today. This might surprise you, but cats can actually be quite lazy creatures who don't want to exert themselves all that much. So getting together a field of CATletic competitors can sometimes be a challenge . . . .

But of course I was very keen to race -- still hoping to win a medal! Here's a shot of me in action . . . .

Not every cat is motivated by medals, however . . . .

But, no matter what the incentive, NO KITTY ALIVE could catch the Jamaican feline flash, Puss-ain Bolt . . . . What a superstar!

Long story short, I just missed the podium by a WHISKER! But I'm not discouraged. My best event is coming up on Friday and I have a good feeling about it.

Luv, hugz and purrz from your cat, HRH.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

Today is the 67th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. When we were in Japan this spring, we visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and Park located at Ground Zero (also called the Hypocentre) where the bomb hit.

I chose to spend my time there outside, exploring the large and beautiful Memorial Park which was full of trees, flowers and families picnicking under the cherry blossoms. The park both memorializes the dead and expresses Japan's hope for a nuclear-free world of everlasting peace.

This is the memorial cenotaph to the victims who died that day --

This is the famous Industrial Promotion Hall which alone miraculously withstood the blast despite being only 160 metres (175 yards) from the Hypocentre. It has been left in ruins to remind people of the bombing.

The building is now often simply called the A-Bomb Dome.

This burial mound in the centre of the park is a mass grave of the cremated remains that were able to be recovered from Ground Zero. It is protected by a fence and surrounded by flowers, lanterns and peace prayer sticks.

There are many profoundly moving statues in the park. I will do other posts about them at another time. Today I will simply post a photo of the park's statue of Kwan Yin, Goddess of Mercy and Compassion.

[All photos by Debra She Who Seeks]

Olympic Cattitude

Here's today's email from Her Royal Highness at the London Cat Olympics --

Hello, human! I bet you think this event is kayaking, don't you? WRONG!!

It is, in fact, the extremely demanding, skill-testing feline Olympic event called "Bossing Around Humans." The CATlete rides in the kayak where it's nice and dry and must, using only meowing (no teeth or claws), make its dim-witted human paddler manoeuvre the boat through a series of obstacles.

An American kitty won the Gold in this event. You can see from his face what a bossy and determined CATlete he is.

American fans are the noisiest ones here too.

Actually, I didn't even enter this event because my bossiness skills are not yet at the elite level needed for international competition. Expect a LOT MORE practising in this area when I get home, human. Right now I'm reading the best training manual on the market -- "Fifty Shades of Meow." So when I say "jump" from now on, by the Goddess Bast, you'll JUMP!!!

Luv, hugz and purrz from your cat, HRH.

Cats Will Be Cats!

Here's the latest email from my Olympic CATlete, Her Royal Highness --

Hello, human. Today I excelled at gymnastics. Unfortunately, so did every other cat at the Games. Gymnastics is EVERYONE'S best event.

I was grace itself on the balance beam . . . .

My pommel horse performance had no equal . . . .

And yes! Perfect dismount!

But @#$%!! ribbon gymnastics did me in and dashed my medal hopes -- damn you, ribbons, why must you be so FUN????

Don't lose hope for me yet! I'm trying my best and I just KNOW that I will win a medal sooner or later!

Luv, hugz and purrz from your striving kitty HRH.