Trailer Park Sandwich

It's been almost 5 years since I last blogged about my beloved Trailer Park Boys but, to recap, here's a partial repost:

I know I come across as, like, kulcherd and edumacated and shit like that, but it don't stop me from fuckin' LOVING the Trailer Park Boys. Ricky, Julian, Bubbles -- they're fuckin' Canuckian HEROES, you know, so fuck off you fuckin' McKenzie Brothers, eh? Everyone on that TV show may be a fuckin' foul-mouthed dope addict, alcoholic, petty criminal or skank, but that's just fuckin' LIFE, okay? Half my shit-faced relatives could be Trailer Park Boys and the other half only THINK they're better. And I also just fuckin' LOVE that sweet Randy, even if he has a big hairy gut and trades blowjobs for cheeseburgers. You do what you fuckin' have to do to fuckin' survive in this fuckin' world, you know?

Sadly, the Boys are off TV now but they've moved onto the internet. So watch out! Plus they have their third feature film coming out this Spring! Can't wait.

And now they've teamed up with the Epic Meal Time boys to teach all you Yanks about how we eat in Canada! FUCK YEAH! Watch and learn!



Does this count as a foodie post?

I am so proud of Alberta!

In 1998 when I moved from Winnipeg to Edmonton, all my lesbigay friends were horrified, absolutely horrified, that I would even consider moving to Alberta. In those days Alberta was quite rightly regarded as the most homophobic province in all of Canada. It was the kind of place that lesbigay people moved away from in droves. And I must admit that I did have a sinking feeling and a knot in my stomach when I drove across the Alberta border and left behind all my Manitoba legal rights and protections.

But you know what I discovered about redneck Alberta? The province wasn't completely wall-to-wall bigots, it was just waaaaay behind the times -- about 20 years behind. I figured Alberta would have to catch up eventually. And it did. Kicking and screaming all the way, of course, but still.

Which brings me to the point of this post. This month for the entire duration of the Sochi Olympics, many provincial legislatures and municipal governments across Canada flew the rainbow flag to show their support of Russia's LGBTQ community and its struggle for equal rights. And Alberta enthusiastically joined right in! Here's the rainbow flag at the Alberta legislature in Edmonton:

And at Edmonton City Hall:

And at Calgary's Old City Hall:

Well! Who would have ever thought this day would come? I am so proud of Alberta right now!

I've considered myself an Edmontonian for many years, but even after 16 years of living in this province, I've been reluctant to call myself an Albertan. In my mind, I have always been a Manitoban who lives in Alberta. I was never fully convinced that my queer self truly belonged here.

But you know what? I'm going to call myself an Albertan from now on.


[Credits: Alberta sign: website here; Legislature photo: Daveberta; Edmonton photo: CBC; Calgary photo: Calgary Sun]

What a Great Olympics!

So, the Sochi Olympics are over. Canada is "brimming with pride and medals" says The Globe and Mail and it's right -- 10 gold, 10 silver, 5 bronze for a total of 25. In weighted medal rankings, that puts Canada third behind Russia and Norway. Here's a few photos of some favourite Canadian athletes in victory:

1. Justine and Chloé Dufour-Lapointe (gold and silver in skiing)

2. Charles Hamelin (gold in speedskating)

3. Dara Howell and Kim Lamarre (gold and bronze in ski slopestyle)

4. Mikael Kingsbury and Alex Bilodeau (silver and gold in men's moguls)

5. Patrick Chan (silver in men's figure skating)

6. Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir (silver in ice dance)

7. Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse (gold in women's bobsled)

8. Jennifer Jones Rink (gold in women's curling)

9. Team Canada (gold in women's hockey)

10. Brad Jacobs Rink (gold in men's curling)

11. Team Canada (gold in men's hockey)

In Canada, we're a little shy about gloating, but we can do it if we have to:

Oh, who the hell are we kidding?

[Photo credits: 1. John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail; 2. EPA/How Hwee Young; 3. John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail; 4. Ed Kaiser/Postmedia News; 5. AP/Ivan Sekretarev; 6. CBC.ca; 7. CP/Jonathan Hayward; 8. AP Photo/Wong Maye-E; 9. Brian Snyder/Reuters; 10. Robert F. Bukaty; 11. John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail]

Unbidden

                                 You who have been absent from me
                                 For so long

                                 You come to me now
                                 Electricity races beneath my skin

                                 The refiner's fire once more consumes me
                                 Unbidden


                                                © Debra She Who Seeks 2014


                                 [Internet photo found here]

How to Make Curling Even MORE Exciting

If only HRH were still here -- she'd take up this sport in a flash!

Mother Russia

To further celebrate the ongoing Sochi Olympics, here's some all-in-good-fun Russian LOLs for your viewing pleasure! First up, the history of Russia in 4 words:

Oh, so THAT'S how the Bolsheviks did it!

Soviet realism at its finest:

This next one is sad but true. Che Guevara must be rolling in his unmarked grave. (Okay, okay, I know he wasn't Russian but close enough, eh?)

And hasn't poor old Lenin fallen on hard times these days?

Oh oh, boys, whatever you do, don't look in a mirror at the reverse image of those badges! You might have to arrest yourselves!

And last but not least:

My Favourite Olympics Commercial

I like how this Bell ad shows the varied everyday settings in which Canadians across the country are watching the Sochi Olympics. My faves include the guy scraping his windshield at 0:29 and the hockey players who shmush up against the plexiglass at 0:45! Love the high-energy Russian folksong too.



And oh yeah, don't miss the gay male couple kissing in celebration at 0:24! Just for you, Putin!

Trying My Hand at Writing a Legal Drama

Crown Prosecutor: If it please Your Lordship, this is a sad and tragic case. Debra She Who Seeks stands before you today accused of the offence of being willing -- nay, eager -- to wear, contrary to the law of good public taste, any or all of these outrageously tacky t-shirts as pictured recently on the internet:

I file as Exhibit "A" this incriminating photograph taken in June 2013 at the City of Hamilton in the Province of Ontario. In it you can quite clearly see that the accused publicly wore, in the presence of two or more witnesses, her favourite cat t-shirt of a similar kind and nature as the offending t-shirts in question.

The accused's criminal proclivities being self-evident, I submit therefore that you have no option but to convict the accused of bad fashion sense and questionable judgment. Milord, the Crown rests.

The Court: Counsel for the defence, you may present your case.

The Defence: We are in no position to offer any evidence in rebuttal, Milord. Res ipsa loquitur -- "the thing speaks for itself."

The Accused: Hey, WTF am I paying you for, asshole? I'm being railroaded here -- railroaded, I tellz ya!

The Court: Order! Order in the court! Guards, taser the accused!

Some time later, after the accused regains consciousness, the Court renders judgment:

It's Valentines Day!

Well, February 14th is here again. Some people love it, some people hate it. So I've made a point of gathering a selection of LOLs specially tailored for each side of the great divide.

For those of you who like the holiday: Happy Valentines Day!

For those of you who hate the holiday: Die, Valentines Day, Die!

And just one last word to the wise for anyone celebrating today. The only thing worse than taking your valentine for dinner here . . . .

. . . would be something like this:

Oh Tretyak, my Tretyak

My Rare One and I really enjoyed watching the Opening Ceremonies from Sochi on Friday night. The biggest thrill for me was seeing Vladislav Tretyak light the Olympic Flame.

Who the hell is Vladislav Tretyak? Every Canadian (of a certain age) knows!

Here he is, young and handsome, in 1972. Oh, I had such a crush on him! (What? I was 15 years old and under the mistaken impression that I was straight like everyone else. Gimme a break.)

Yes, he was the Soviet Union's goalie in the 1972 Canada-Russia Hockey Summit Series. It was the first time West and East had ever met on the ice. To hear Canadian politicians and sportscasters tell it, the series would determine who won the Cold War plus the fate of the entire Free World. Canada arrogantly thought the series would be a piece of cake and we'd send the Russkies home with their tails between their legs. But it didn't work out that way at all. The Russians damn near won the series. It was only Paul Henderson's goal in the dying seconds of the final game that gave Canada the series win. The whole thing was ridiculous, really.

Anyway, I was also a fan of Alexander Yakushev who was the Soviet Union's leading scorer. Very tall and craggy looking. And you know what? Since that series, I've always had a thing for both Slavs and Roman noses.

And you know what else? My Rare One has a cute Roman nose and is Ukrainian so yes, I'm in lesbian heaven now.

Backseat Driving Bickersons

This clip makes me laugh the guilty laugh of self-recognition. Bickering Thor and Loki remind me way too much of My Rare One and I sometimes when we're in the car together. I'll leave it up to you to figure out which is who.

Sochi Winter Olympics

So the Sochi Olympics start today. My Rare One and I will watch the Games for the next couple of weeks and cheer on our country as always. Go for the Gold, Canada!

I don't support boycotting the Sochi Games. Yes, Russia's attitudes and laws about homosexuality are wrong and hateful. Russia's oppression of its LGBTQ community is rightly condemned. But you know, our western attitudes and laws were exactly the same 50, 30, even 20 years ago. And there are still many haters in our countries who would gladly return to those days. How self-righteous are the countries of North America and Europe really entitled to be? A boycott would allow us to feel good but would undoubtedly provoke a prolonged and violent backlash against the Russian LGBTQ community. That community faces the same lengthy uphill battle as we did for rights and respect. But countries can only be changed from within and by their own people. Russians themselves must fight the good fight to create modern attitudes. I do not doubt they are capable of it. Some day the Russian bear will proudly wear rainbow colours too.

Most elite athletes train for their shot at Olympic glory practically their entire lives, from childhood on. Such athletes are at the peak of their performance level for only a very short time. It is not fair to them to take away what may be their only window of opportunity to win an Olympic medal. If the 1936 Olympic Games in Hitler's Germany could proceed, so can these. And who knows -- maybe the Sochi Olympics will produce its own Jesse Owens who will confound the haters!

But you know what? The Olympics have always been a little gay, both in ancient times --

-- and today as well, LOL!



Oh, so THAT'S why the Double Luge event is so popular!

And the Award for Impeccable Grooming goes to . . .