An Unlikely Duet

Lately I've been listening to some old, fave CDs from my collection, such as Elton John's 1993 album Duets. On it, he sings various songs with a wide and sometimes rather improbable assortment of musical partners like Tammy Wynette, Bonnie Raitt and Gladys Knight.

But the most unlikeliest duet of all is with the (now late) great singer-songwriter and ladies' man, Leonard Cohen. Talk about a contrast in style and voices! The two sing a bluesy Ray Charles hit from the 1960s called Born to Lose. Not only does this song choice humorously reinforce Leonard Cohen's (entirely undeserved) reputation as a horribly depressed and depressing singer, it inadvertently provides a delightfully homoerotic subtext to an otherwise innocuous old song.

If you've never heard this before, you're in for a treat! Enjoy!

Happy Australia Day!

Sparing no expense, today this blog is celebrating the National Day of Australia!

This year, there's even more reason to celebrate because Australia has just recently recognized the right to same-sex marriage -- yay!

One insufficiently appreciated fact about Australia is that it is a world leader in engine, vehicle and fuel technology --

Of course, we all know about the weird and wonderful animals that are found only Down Under!

How did they get there?

There's the platypus, of course. It's a little-known fact that Canada's national symbol had a hand (or some other body part) in its creation. You're welcome, our Commonwealth cousins!

And Australia is just full of crocs, we all know that!

Kangaroos are, of course, everywhere too!

They cause mayhem on the roads. Kind of like moose in Canada.

And who doesn't love those cute 'n adorable koala bears?

Uh-oh, another misconception shattered?

Oh no, could koalas be co-opted for the purpose of evil?

Luckily, getting koalas to actually do anything might be a bit of a problem. Duuuuuude!

Perpetually smashed? Let's all move to Australia and join them!

Scotland Forever, Och Aye

Robbie Burns Day is this Thursday so you know what that means! Yes, it is once again time to celebrate all things Scottish on this blog! But I'm afraid my Scottish meme pickins are pretty slim this year --

Yup, that's it. Three little memes. I'll just have to pad out the rest of this post with whisky memes! That works well enough in this context, I'm sure you agree.

The Inside Scoop

Donald J. Trump‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump

Reason I canceled my trip to London is that I am not a big fan of the Obama Administration having sold perhaps the best located and finest embassy in London for “peanuts,” only to build a new one in an off location for 1.2 billion dollars. Bad deal. Wanted me to cut ribbon-NO!

8:57 PM - 11 Jan 2018

Hahahahahahaha, a likely story! Seriously, here's the REAL reason that Trump's state visit to London has been cancelled . . . .

She. Is. Not. Amused.

Maybe I'll Take Up Needlework Again

I learned how to embroider when I was 12. On a set of pillowcases, I embroidered a lovely pair of kittens playing among multicoloured daisies. Then later in my 30s, I took up cross-stitch. I embroidered towels, a baby bib and an amazingly beautiful baby blanket, if I do say so myself. But I gave up cross-stitch when I decided it was too sedentary a hobby and that I really needed to do something more physically active for my health.

I quite enjoyed doing counted cross-stitch, but I did find the range of available patterns to be very off-putting. They all seemed to be either appallingly cutesy and juvenile, or barf-inducingly sentimental, or uber-Christian-religious in nature. Sometimes all three at once!

However, a lot can change in 30 years . . . .

The contemporary "craftivist" movement has now inspired a whole new generation of subversive and/or feminist cross-stitchers to do relevant, humorous, ironic embroidery suitable for our day and age! Now, tell the truth, wouldn't any one of these pieces look delightful on your wall or on a cushion?

Good thing I saved all my embroidery floss, hoops and needles, isn't it? I feel inspired!

**Late-Breaking Addition to this Post!**

Dezzy of Hollywood Spy suggests adding this magnificent piece of cross-stitch art! And of course HRH approves!

Meanwhile in the Canadian Arctic . . .

DAMN! Wish I'd had this gif last week for my Mega Bear Blowout post!

Hey, is that Obear Wan Kenobi? Or perhaps Luke Icewalker?

Kissy Face!

It's a trip down memory lane today, folks! Here's an old photo of Her Royal Highness and me, taken around 10 years ago if I remember correctly. I believe I was making kissy face noises at her. Awwwww!

EDITORIAL COMMENT by HRH:

Don't believe a word of that bushwa from Debra She Who Seeks -- the woman was in fact nagging me. Nag, nag, nag, that's all she ever did.

"Don't claw the furniture!"

"Quit hounding me for food!"

"Stop barfing up hairballs on the carpet!"

"No pooping outside your litter box!"

Believe me, the following course of action crossed my mind more than once --

Only my super-feline powers of patience and self-control kept her alive. She still doesn't realize how close she came . . . . 

Mega Bear Blowout!

Okay, okay, all you GAY guys who read my blog, CALM DOWN, I don't mean THOSE kind of bears. No, I'm talkin' REAL bears of which we have many in Canada, including grizzly bears, black bears and, of course, polar bears. Today I'm clearing out my accumulated STASH of bear jokes and memes. So that's why this post is a MEGA BEAR BLOWOUT!

And speaking of being killing machines, this next meme is actually TRUE. That's just being a GOOD NEIGHBOUR in northern Manitoba --

Here's some HANDY ADVICE for your next camping trip!

While you must be CAREFUL around bears, there's no need to be PARANOID.

Bears don't ALWAYS want to kill you, of course. Sometimes they want to PROTECT you.

And bears are not STUPID, you know. They can actually be QUITE DEEP.

They have the SAME kind of problems as everybody else.

A little known fact is that bears enjoy CONSTITUTIONAL DEBATE on the issues of the day.

They have bears in RUSSIA too. In fact, bears are Russia's national symbol. But thanks for NUTTIN, bears say. It just means they HAVE to let Putin ride them like horses.

Well, let's end this post on a more POSITIVE note, shall we? Here's a photo of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with two baby pandas. Hard to say which one is CUTEST, isn't it?