Have you seen the new movie with Gal Gadot? It's terrific! So, in homage to the greatest of female superheroes, it's WONDER WOMAN WEEK on She Who Seeks blog!
Because this is who it's all about!
[And I must give a shout-out to Cal's Canadian Cave of Cool from whose blog almost all the images were found that I'll be posting this week. Cal is a tireless advocate of Wonder Woman!]
I wanted to post a video of an eagle playing America the Beautiful with its beak on a little piano but, alas, couldn't find one. So, sorry, this chicken will have to do.
Now, take no nevermind of all my good-natured funnin', my Murrican friends. I know that, in fact, the Bald Eagle, your national symbol, is a noble representative of all that is good and worthy and true about the United States of America. And Bald Eagles recognize when those traits are present in its best people by alighting on them in a kind of benediction, a kind of anointing of their leadership, if you will. Bald Eagles are infallible judges of character.
See?
And don't forget that the 4th of July is Captain America's birthday too!
Man, that's a mouthful, isn't it? Today we mark the 150th anniversary of Confederation, the 1867 creation of the modern Canadian state. And in true Canadian fashion, not everyone is thrilled about it.
Many people in Quebec couldn't care less. July 1st is just "moving day" there, when everyone's lease expires and they get a chance to switch apartments.
And Canada's Indigenous people aren't in a particularly celebratory mood either, given that they were here for millennia beforehand, have been treated badly ever since European contact and particularly so since Confederation.
But still, some of us want to party. And some of us *cough, cough* are old enough to remember Canada's 100th anniversary in 1967. We had a remarkably similar maple leaf logo for that party too.
Anyway, I was ten years old in 1967 and Centennial Year was a really big deal at our school. We had to sing Bobby Gimby's "Ca-na-da" song constantly. We had to colour endless copies of the Centennial logo. And they forced us to memorize all the provincial/territorial flags and official flowers! You name me one Canadian kid these days that knows that info -- go on, just one! Can't do it, can you.
Gawd, are your ears bleeding now? Sorry.
And, like every school, we had a Centennial Pageant celebrating our multicultural heritage. Of course, in those days, that basically just meant French, English, Irish, Scottish, Chinese and Ukrainian, at least on the prairies where we lived. I don't remember Indigenous heritage even being mentioned in that school pageant. Wow, eh? Those were insensitive days.
I played the role of CANADA in the pageant. That's me with the flag crown, white choir gown and red-lettered "Canada" sash at the back by the map, waiting to come forward to the front of the stage after the Ukrainians were finished dancing. I assume I had to recite some patriotic little speech or something but quite frankly, I don't remember now. Hey, it was 50 years ago, cut me some slack! All I remember are those friggin flags and flowers.
So now, Happy Canada 150 Sesquicentennial, my Canuckian siblings! Today My Rare One and I are going downtown to Churchill Square to take in some festivities and go to the Art Gallery of Alberta, all of which are free today. We're not above saving a few bucks, you know. Later, if we can stay awake until 11:00 pm, we'll watch the fireworks in the river valley from our friends' balcony.
I basically focused on the past in this post, didn't I, rather than on the present or the future. That's because I know damn well that I won't be here for the Canada 200 Bicentennial in 2067 and it kinda makes me sad. These festivities are making me feel my age.
But hey -- *perking up* -- I might possibly make it to the Canada 175 Dodransbicentennial in 2042 if I live to be 85! Keep a happy thought for me, everyone!
THANKS TO EVERYONE for your witty, touching and perceptive comments and insights all month long! It was a pleasure to read them, as always. So, go on -- help yourself to a BIG slice of yummy rainbow cake as my thanks to you! It's NOT as many calories as you might think, HONEST!
No?
Oh c'mon then -- at least have a CUPCAKE! You can walk THAT off later, EASY.
No?
REALLY, I don't know WHO you think you're kidding with all that "Oh no, no, no, I couldn't POSSIBLY" nonsense.
Look. I'll lay it on the line. My spies are EVERYWHERE and tell me EVERYTHING. So all I've got to say is . . . .
And what BETTER way to celebrate fierce queens than with this video of my fave Ginger Minj's barnburner rendition of "I Am What I Am" from the musical La Cage Aux Folles? No lip syncing here, that's her real voice! Filmed at the 2016 Trailblazer Honors Gala, this was performed in tribute to Harvey Fierstein (seen in various tearful reaction shots throughout the video). He starred in the original Broadway production of that musical and is one of our community's most enduring stars and activists.
Great rainbow flag motif too from the combined colours of the queens' dresses -- Ginger Minj (red), Alyssa Edwards (yellow), Alaska Thunderfuck (blue), Phi Phi O'Hara (green) and Tatianna (purple).
But wait, there's more! . . . Introducing the latest American drag sensation . . .
