Gung Hey Fat Choy!

Today is the Lunar New Year, so welcome to the Year of the Rooster, everyone! Gung hey fat choy!

What can we expect in a Rooster Year? According to Susan Levitt and Jean Tang in Taoist Astrology, the Year of the Rooster is:

. . . a time of practical endeavors, conscientiousness, hard work, and discipline. Politically conservative police states gain power, and law and order are championed.

Oh my!

Because I was born in 1957, my astrological sign is Rooster too! Hopefully, that should mean 2017 will be an especially good and benevolent year for me. Hey, any other Roosters out there?

And finally -- to guarantee good luck and prosperity for the upcoming year, be sure to exchange a small coin with a friend today -- click here for details of this fun little ritual!

Happy Robbie Burns Day!

Och aye, it's time again to celebrate whisky, kilts and bagpipes!

Apparently, "whisky" is an old gaelic word for "the water of life" or "soup of the day" or something. Whatever!

Here's some upscale, value-added whisky soup!

Be sure to brush your teeth afterwards . . .

. . . because you never know when you might be called upon to kiss a half-naked man in a kilt. But why are this guy's hands so white?  Did he wash them too soon after the spray tan was applied?

This is the Scottish pipe band known as the "Marilyn Monroe Highlanders."

Oh, those nimble fingers! *wink*

This brings a tear to my eye . . . .

Oh, thought I couldn't work superheroes into this post? Think again!



I think we can all tell who the winner is here!

Meanwhile in Canada

While the eyes of the world are riveted on the USA, what's going on up here in the Great White North?

1. Why We Recycle

It took a group of neighbours in Calgary 3 years to save 600 milk cartons so they could build this multicoloured ice igloo. Even local teenagers helped in the teamwork by hauling wheelbarrows of snow for the mortar. Like good Canadians, the neighbours recycled the milk cartons afterwards and bought a bottle of hooch with the refund money to make hot toddies for the igloo's housewarming party.

2. No Problem, Just Rename It "Moby Private Part"

An ongoing Vancouver lawsuit concerns a condo corporation that is refusing to allow a local fish 'n chips shop named after Moby Dick to operate in the building's restaurant space. The condo board objects to the "offensive word" Dick in the restaurant's name, which it says will  harm the building's image and lower property values. Guess they don't know that the great white whale's moniker is really based on the short form of "Richard," eh? What a buncha dicks!

3. And Finally . . . .

That's it for now, everyone. Keep your stick on the ice!

Postscript

I just had to add this P.S. to my last post "Farewell, President Obama" because it's TOO friggin' funny!

Oh Captain America, you crazy patriot.

Farewell, President Obama

In my opinion, Barack Obama is a true example of all that is good and worthy about the United States. He is intelligent, principled and a class act. I admire him tremendously.

History will judge him well, I believe. And it will also be appalled by the unprecedented level of hideous personal and institutional racism that was directed at him during his administration by some Americans and the Republican Party.

It will be a while before America sees his like again.

Who Doesn't Love Pizza?

I figure that enough time has elapsed since January 1st that I can now safely post about this topic. Is anyone still following their New Year's Resolution diet? If so, I apologize in advance for the following photos. As for everyone else -- nom nom nom!

Just remember . . . .

So go big or go home!

Be like this brave little girl!

Incorporate pizza into all the important moments of your life!

Isn't it so precious when pizza first arrives?

The truly committed, of course, make pizza their lifestyle.

However, don't go overboard!

But if things do get out of hand, here's some free legal advice.

Pizza party at my place!

Mandalas Puzzle

Do you like doing jigsaw puzzles? Personally, I don't have the patience to sit and figure them out, but My Rare One does. It's one of her Christmas traditions each year to put together a puzzle over the holiday season, so I always buy her one for that purpose.

This year I got her a black-and-white jigsaw of mandalas. The puzzle was hard to do because there was no help or guidance from a colour scheme.

Here she is putting in the final piece!

Then she had the fun of colouring it with markers! Yes, this puzzle is part of the "adult colouring book" craze that is still apparently going strong. So it was kind of "two gifts in one!"

Ta da! Completed!

Now that it's coloured, it would be much easier to put together a second time, if she ever decides to do it again.

[Photos by My Rare One, December 2016]

An Inspired Cat Adoption Commercial

They even included that Sarah McLachlin song, LOL!

Happy Ukrainian Christmas!

Under the old Julian calendar used by the Orthodox Christian Church, today is Christmas Day! But on the Canadian prairies, we simply call it Ukrainian Christmas because Ukrainians are the single largest group who mark the occasion here.

My Rare One and I celebrated Ukrainian Christmas Eve last night. Long-time readers may recall that My Rare One is a pureblooded Ukrainian-Canadian. All four of her grandparents came straight from the Ukraine in the early 20th century to farm the Canadian prairies. Now, me, I don't have a single drop of Ukrainian blood. But I am a major Ukrainian wannabe.

Although my culinary skills do not extend to preparing the traditional twelve meatless dishes that Ukrainians are supposed to eat on Christmas Eve, I did manage to make homemade borscht and buy some perogies and lemon meringue pie. Meh, close enough!

I gave My Rare One a copy of this lovely artwork for her annual Ukrainian-themed Christmas gift --

This is the Slavic Earth Goddess Mokosh, as interpreted by the renowned artist and scholar of the Divine Feminine, Thalia Took of Amused Grace. To paraphrase Thalia's description of this Goddess on her website --

Mokosh was a member of the old pantheon of Kiev, where She had a statue in Her honour. She is associated with water and weaving. A traditional embroidery pattern (depicting a woman between two horsemen) is said to depict Her. Mokosh is sometimes shown in such embroideries with upraised arms holding a bird in each hand.

Mokosh is wearing a sarafan, a traditional cone-shaped dress, over an embroidered blouse with horsemen on the sleeves and a Ukrainian flower crown or vinok on Her head. The vinok has wheat, poppies (which traditionally grew as a weed in the wheat fields of the steppes), and flax flowers which allude to Mokosh's role as Weaving Goddess. The blue drops of Her earrings and necklace, as well as the long flowing blue ribbons, are symbolic of water.

The background is based on Slavic folk paintings. Her name is in Cyrillic lettering in the manner of an icon.

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate today!

O Canada! Blogathon 2017

Hey, everyone! Are you a fan of Canada’s many contributions to TV and movies pop culture? Here's your chance to geek out on Canadiana! And you don't even have to be a Canuck to participate!

The O Canada! Blogathon 2017 runs from February 3-5, 2017. It will look at the way Canadian people, subjects and settings have shaped cinema and TV. You can expound on any Canadian film, TV series or production that has subject-matter relating to Canada, anything prominently set or shot in Canada, or adapted from a Canadian writer. Or you can talk about your favourite Canadian actor, director or other pop culture star of the past or present.

Contributions can take any form and be via blog, YouTube channel, podcast, tumblr or whatever. If you're interested, sign up for the blogathon over at Kristina's blog, Speakeasy. All the rules of the blogathon are there too. I've already put down my name! My blog post will discuss My Winnipeg, director Guy Maddin's love/hate art film about his home city and my old stomping grounds.

My only problem was narrowing down the potential topics to just one, LOL! I could yap on this topic forever!

A Fresh Start for Almost Everyone

So, what New Year's Resolutions are our favourite SUPERHEROES making this year?

And Cap resolves to FINALLY pop his cherry!

Of course, January 1st is NOT a Fresh Start for Super VILLAINS because they NEVER make New Year's Resolutions in the first place. Right, Loki?

Care to share what YOUR New Year's Resolutions are? Hmmm?