Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Ottawa - Home of Thug-Hop (Straight Up)
Why is everybody so confused about Ice Cube - I saw him. I know him not from his music but rather his films Boyz N the Hood, and those other ones about the barbershop (talk a lot of crap, golden pearls of wisdom ensue), and "Friday" et al (smoke a lot of weed, hilarity ensues). All popular movies. By the way, I have not actually seen the ones about the barbershop nor the ones about "Friday".
But when I called people tell them about Ice Cube the general reaction was "Who?", or "Isn't that the guy from Law & Order (no), or my favourite which was, "Don't you mean Ice Tray? Isn't his real name Ice Tray?
Why is everybody so confused about Ice Cube - I saw him. I know him not from his music but rather his films Boyz N the Hood, and those other ones about the barbershop (talk a lot of crap, golden pearls of wisdom ensue), and "Friday" et al (smoke a lot of weed, hilarity ensues). All popular movies. By the way, I have not actually seen the ones about the barbershop nor the ones about "Friday".
But when I called people tell them about Ice Cube the general reaction was "Who?", or "Isn't that the guy from Law & Order (no), or my favourite which was, "Don't you mean Ice Tray? Isn't his real name Ice Tray?
Amazing Race All-Stars
I enjoy this show and yet I am leery of a compilation of the truly fun and the truly annoying contestants of yore. Add to that mix, the truly "who"?
Kevin & Drew - never heard of them! I was only tuning in near the end of season one, and watching the addictive badness of team Flo (was that even season one??? God no, I just looked it up - they were season THREE!!).
Oswald & Denny - again, who? OK, I guess I wasn't watching too closely in season two either.
John Vito & Jill - What the fuck? Who? Now come on, I did too watch season three.
Uchenna & Joyce - Now here's some people I remember, and I remember that they won. And Joyce had to shave her head and she cried, but she looked really good anyway.
David & Mary - Very memorable couple from Kentucky whose eyes were completely opened to Americans of different cultural backgrounds, gay Americans, and not to mention that big blue marble itself and everyone else who lives on it.
Charla & Mirna - So, so, so rude and intolerant and ignorant. And I could not care less that Charla is a "little person"... she was brutal as a player and completely charmless as a human.
Rob & Amber - The game show veterans are back, and while it will be a little amusing, I was more interested by the more regular folk who were cast in the last show.
Teri & Ian - Never heard of them, but they're old folks, and old folks tend to be betrayed by their trick knees, wonky backs and general befuddlement.
Eric & Danielle - They are lovers who met in season nine and have now formed an all-star team. I thought Eric was gay, dude? And to be honest, I cannot even recall who Danielle was.
Joe & Bill - Gay old dudes from season three about whom I have not a clue.
Dustin & Kandace - Rock! The beauty queens were such a solid team. I am glad to see them back.
I enjoy this show and yet I am leery of a compilation of the truly fun and the truly annoying contestants of yore. Add to that mix, the truly "who"?
Kevin & Drew - never heard of them! I was only tuning in near the end of season one, and watching the addictive badness of team Flo (was that even season one??? God no, I just looked it up - they were season THREE!!).
Oswald & Denny - again, who? OK, I guess I wasn't watching too closely in season two either.
John Vito & Jill - What the fuck? Who? Now come on, I did too watch season three.
Uchenna & Joyce - Now here's some people I remember, and I remember that they won. And Joyce had to shave her head and she cried, but she looked really good anyway.
David & Mary - Very memorable couple from Kentucky whose eyes were completely opened to Americans of different cultural backgrounds, gay Americans, and not to mention that big blue marble itself and everyone else who lives on it.
Charla & Mirna - So, so, so rude and intolerant and ignorant. And I could not care less that Charla is a "little person"... she was brutal as a player and completely charmless as a human.
Rob & Amber - The game show veterans are back, and while it will be a little amusing, I was more interested by the more regular folk who were cast in the last show.
Teri & Ian - Never heard of them, but they're old folks, and old folks tend to be betrayed by their trick knees, wonky backs and general befuddlement.
Eric & Danielle - They are lovers who met in season nine and have now formed an all-star team. I thought Eric was gay, dude? And to be honest, I cannot even recall who Danielle was.
Joe & Bill - Gay old dudes from season three about whom I have not a clue.
Dustin & Kandace - Rock! The beauty queens were such a solid team. I am glad to see them back.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Smoking a Tampon is So Money
Yeah, we've all been there. Also, how the hell much coke is that on that dude's chest? AND, doesn't that coke dude look like skinny post-Rudy John Favreau?
Yeah, we've all been there. Also, how the hell much coke is that on that dude's chest? AND, doesn't that coke dude look like skinny post-Rudy John Favreau?
Hey Faggot, Stop Fictionally Raping that Child Actress
I don't even watch Grey's Anatomy but this Isaiah Washington person called some other dude in the cast a faggot (outing him, which you are not supposed to do), then this Isaiah person denied it on TV (using the word "faggot") and is now... in treatment? What on earth? Treatment FOR WHAT? Being a jerk? How about just saying "I'm sorry, that was rude and insensitive. I shan't do that again."
And Dakota Fanning's mom being criticized for allowing Dakota to act in the rape scene in her new movie Hounddog... What kind of logic is this? This child is working professionally, the story is fiction, all stories aren't all happiness. Hasn't anyone ever seen Bastard out of Carolina? YIKES... Jena Malone was about 12 years old when this was made. The film has highly disturbing scenes of abuse, and one of the rape of "Bone" (Jena). It's not like a disturbing scene has never before been filmed using a child actor...
I don't even watch Grey's Anatomy but this Isaiah Washington person called some other dude in the cast a faggot (outing him, which you are not supposed to do), then this Isaiah person denied it on TV (using the word "faggot") and is now... in treatment? What on earth? Treatment FOR WHAT? Being a jerk? How about just saying "I'm sorry, that was rude and insensitive. I shan't do that again."
And Dakota Fanning's mom being criticized for allowing Dakota to act in the rape scene in her new movie Hounddog... What kind of logic is this? This child is working professionally, the story is fiction, all stories aren't all happiness. Hasn't anyone ever seen Bastard out of Carolina? YIKES... Jena Malone was about 12 years old when this was made. The film has highly disturbing scenes of abuse, and one of the rape of "Bone" (Jena). It's not like a disturbing scene has never before been filmed using a child actor...
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
The Slow Burn of Unhappiness
Sad news, Nick and I are separated. For me it's been a long time coming and we are more or less doing fine. I am at peace with the decision. We have just started to tell our friends this week.
I'm happy to talk about it with friends and answer questions. Some people are shocked when they hear (like Nick's parents) and others are not really shocked. Everyone's sad. We're sad but doing ok. We still love each other a great deal and this is amicable. Nothing really bad happened, nothing terrible. It's just one of those things: for me, a slow burn of unhappiness.
People who know us well can tell that we are truly great friends. We just need to be apart.
A lot of people, quite naturally, have asked about living arrangements and the animals, because our animals are such a big part of our lives. Nick is moving out soon-ish and taking the cat with him. I am staying in the house and keeping the dog. Whenever one of us is out of town the other will look after both animals. That's about all for now.
Sad news, Nick and I are separated. For me it's been a long time coming and we are more or less doing fine. I am at peace with the decision. We have just started to tell our friends this week.
I'm happy to talk about it with friends and answer questions. Some people are shocked when they hear (like Nick's parents) and others are not really shocked. Everyone's sad. We're sad but doing ok. We still love each other a great deal and this is amicable. Nothing really bad happened, nothing terrible. It's just one of those things: for me, a slow burn of unhappiness.
People who know us well can tell that we are truly great friends. We just need to be apart.
A lot of people, quite naturally, have asked about living arrangements and the animals, because our animals are such a big part of our lives. Nick is moving out soon-ish and taking the cat with him. I am staying in the house and keeping the dog. Whenever one of us is out of town the other will look after both animals. That's about all for now.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Lady Surgery
I had surgery yesterday at Women's College Hospital. It was basically looking at my uterus from the inside and out and removing a small bump from the inside. I was there at 8:30am, questioned, stripped naked, weighed and put into the usual hospital togs. Then I met with the anesthetist and then the head OR nurse. She walked me to the OR with her arm around me. Everyone who had a close look at me commented on my tan.
It was a lot like when I had my knee done, except it took longer I think (2 hours).
What they did was cut a hole in my belly button and fill up my gut with C02 gas. This inflates the cavity so that the organs are not all resting on each other as much. Then they put in a small camera and look all around my uterus outer surface. The doc was looking for dips or dimples that would indicate a down-pointing growth on the other side, making the inside heart-shaped. Then they removed the camera, sucked out the gas (mostly), and taped me up. Next up was an internal through the cervix. The scope this time has an electrical current thing on the end which they can use to scape away bumps on the inside to make the surface flush. A dimple on the outside would have indicated a septum on the inside. They have to be careful removing bumps and septums because that could puncture through.
It is strange to be put out and then wake up two hours later in a different place completely out of it. I wonder how they get you to wake you up? Again, it was someone saying my name very loudly into my face, but is that it? A couple of hours in recovery and then about an hour in surgical day care. Then my oldest friend came to collect me around 3:30pm, which was really the best part of the day. She also picked up my tylenol 3 script and some cans of coke.
I am sore and wearing sanitary napkins the size of Bolivia and peeing blood. Also, A LOT of people saw me naked yesterday. Of the many nurses I encountered, several were male. Oh yeah, and my usually / mostly flat tummy is puffy out, like to the size of 4 or 5 months pregnant. The gas is supposed to dissipate over the next few days. AND apparently the business that they did in my gut affects the nerve endings in my shoulders and they said I would have sore, tinge-y shoulders, and I do! Weird!
I had surgery yesterday at Women's College Hospital. It was basically looking at my uterus from the inside and out and removing a small bump from the inside. I was there at 8:30am, questioned, stripped naked, weighed and put into the usual hospital togs. Then I met with the anesthetist and then the head OR nurse. She walked me to the OR with her arm around me. Everyone who had a close look at me commented on my tan.
It was a lot like when I had my knee done, except it took longer I think (2 hours).
What they did was cut a hole in my belly button and fill up my gut with C02 gas. This inflates the cavity so that the organs are not all resting on each other as much. Then they put in a small camera and look all around my uterus outer surface. The doc was looking for dips or dimples that would indicate a down-pointing growth on the other side, making the inside heart-shaped. Then they removed the camera, sucked out the gas (mostly), and taped me up. Next up was an internal through the cervix. The scope this time has an electrical current thing on the end which they can use to scape away bumps on the inside to make the surface flush. A dimple on the outside would have indicated a septum on the inside. They have to be careful removing bumps and septums because that could puncture through.
It is strange to be put out and then wake up two hours later in a different place completely out of it. I wonder how they get you to wake you up? Again, it was someone saying my name very loudly into my face, but is that it? A couple of hours in recovery and then about an hour in surgical day care. Then my oldest friend came to collect me around 3:30pm, which was really the best part of the day. She also picked up my tylenol 3 script and some cans of coke.
I am sore and wearing sanitary napkins the size of Bolivia and peeing blood. Also, A LOT of people saw me naked yesterday. Of the many nurses I encountered, several were male. Oh yeah, and my usually / mostly flat tummy is puffy out, like to the size of 4 or 5 months pregnant. The gas is supposed to dissipate over the next few days. AND apparently the business that they did in my gut affects the nerve endings in my shoulders and they said I would have sore, tinge-y shoulders, and I do! Weird!
And The Rest...
You know when you stay at a hotel and you people watch and see the same people over and over again? And you sometimes give them names based on how they look or behave? Here's a partial list from Cuba.
The Italian Man-Boy - I'm pretty sure this is the guy who started the fighting in the disco that spilled out into the Lobby Bar. He was constantly cutting in line at the beach bar, roving behind the bars trying to serve himself, or on his phone screaming at someone (che fa?!). He was probably in his 40s and sort of good-looking but in a creepy, skinny way.
The Mayor of Shawinigan - important-looking French Canadian guy with large entourage.
Music Teacher from L'ecole Rene Levesque - small, meek-looking French Canadian guy with lots of white shaggy hair styled into a short mullet. His wife, who had a tight curly perm, was la boss of that relationship, obvs.
Oblivia - completely clued out woman at the buffet, nationality unknown. Everytime I spotted her at the buffet she looked baffled, like she didn't know where to begin. I am not sure she even knew she was in Cuba.
The Big Ragu - big fat French Canadian dude of the Tony Soprano variety with a large entourage of pre-teen children. He was very fond of his red golf shirt. Frequently seen leaving the buffet carrying covered plates of food.
Italian Richard Ashcroft - his doppelganger! Always surrounded by hot women!
You know when you stay at a hotel and you people watch and see the same people over and over again? And you sometimes give them names based on how they look or behave? Here's a partial list from Cuba.
The Italian Man-Boy - I'm pretty sure this is the guy who started the fighting in the disco that spilled out into the Lobby Bar. He was constantly cutting in line at the beach bar, roving behind the bars trying to serve himself, or on his phone screaming at someone (che fa?!). He was probably in his 40s and sort of good-looking but in a creepy, skinny way.
The Mayor of Shawinigan - important-looking French Canadian guy with large entourage.
Music Teacher from L'ecole Rene Levesque - small, meek-looking French Canadian guy with lots of white shaggy hair styled into a short mullet. His wife, who had a tight curly perm, was la boss of that relationship, obvs.
Oblivia - completely clued out woman at the buffet, nationality unknown. Everytime I spotted her at the buffet she looked baffled, like she didn't know where to begin. I am not sure she even knew she was in Cuba.
The Big Ragu - big fat French Canadian dude of the Tony Soprano variety with a large entourage of pre-teen children. He was very fond of his red golf shirt. Frequently seen leaving the buffet carrying covered plates of food.
Italian Richard Ashcroft - his doppelganger! Always surrounded by hot women!
Thursday, January 18, 2007
A Small Taste of Cuba
As you know, I was recently in Cuba. Not the "real" Cuba, but a resort.
The resort is brand spanking new. It's on Cayo Santa Maria on one of the nicest beaches I have ever visited. I love the beach!! I was on it everyday, never at the pool. The beach is probably 4 miles long and I dunno how wide but wide and deep enough to be well away from the vegetation with plenty of room for all to spread out and walk around, play catch, volleyball etc. Compared to the beach at Cayo Coco, much wider. The ocean... the ocean. It was warm, azure blue, and you could walk out for a long time. There was no seaweed, sea critters or beach debris. The sand was like icing sugar - powder white and cool on the toes.
As we drove in from the airport I noticed there was no garbage around anywhere. Cuba is pristine in this area. Everything in and out of the resort was so very clean. There are new roads everywhere. The airport is small and stupid but is currently being enlarged. On the way to the resort dogs, cattle and goats walked freely all over the roads. There were people in those old fashioned cars (not many though), on decrepit bikes, and trotting along in horse-and-buggy.
It was about 28 degrees everyday, but at times quite windy. During my stay the resorts’ guests were almost 100% French CDNs and Italians. This cultural mix sometimes was a little volatile. One night there was a big brawl that started in the disco and then escalated when the resort management decided to shut down bar service early. Fisticuffs! Tabernacle! Putana!
The food was lovely but as they say, not fancy like at a Mexican 5-star or on a cruiseship. There was an abundance of well-prepared, fresh food all the time. There were some unusual things... like boiled cabbage at every meal (?), and blood sausage at every breakfast! But this was in addition to at least 10 other kinds of veggies served at any given time, and maybe 4 types of sausages / bacon, etc. at breakfast.
Although the resort was new some things did not work. There were "rolling brownouts" everyday. And the "Ciber Café" was mysteriously short of computers. There was just one computer that worked but harkened back to 1990's velocity in its plodding dialup. However, on my second-to-last day some newish-looking computers were being installed and the buzz was that they were faster.
The room TV was a shaky contraption with the brand name of "CHANGCHONG" (I am not joking), complete with THREE Chinese channels (but there were no Chinese people anywhere about)! There were plenty of Cuban channels, Rai, a German channel, and a few American cable channels but no American network channels.
Each time I entered the room and put my keycard in the power slot, the TV automatically turned on to the music channel. This was fine, except when you have a rolling brownout basically every night (sometimes at 4am or 5am, etc,) and the TV blares on when the power returns...it’s a little jarring.
There was no clock radio or phone directory in my room. And sometimes the phones did not work to Canada. My blackberry which Rogers assured me would work, didn’t; however, all the Italians’ cell phones worked. Lucky, angry Italians!
I booked a massage at the resort next door. The dude that did it used about 10 times the amount of oil my normal massage therapist Cathy would use. OK, whatever. And also he didn't "kneed" me so much as energetically rub the crap out of my skin (more surface and less deep tissue). And then when I was on my back... he massaged my breasts. It was ok. It was professional and part of the treatment. How do I know? I just know. It was on the up-and-up, and it lasted like, 2 seconds, and wasn't pervy at all. But still! He messed with my junk!
The bathroom had a bidet. Hee.
One of my favourite things, aside from the beach and other obvious holiday goodness was that at the resort next door there was a colony of cats near one of the dining rooms. I played with them. There were kittens and friendly cats aplenty. Friendly cats just make everything better.
My other favourite thing was the lobby bar. There was live entertainment every night, mostly centred around a plinky out-of-tune grand piano. Though there was once a trio of dudes who did a haunting Spanish rendition of Hotel California. Awesome. And the lobby bar had the best café con leche I've ever; and mojitos with plenty of mint, and beautiful Spanish wines and cava any time.
As you know, I was recently in Cuba. Not the "real" Cuba, but a resort.
The resort is brand spanking new. It's on Cayo Santa Maria on one of the nicest beaches I have ever visited. I love the beach!! I was on it everyday, never at the pool. The beach is probably 4 miles long and I dunno how wide but wide and deep enough to be well away from the vegetation with plenty of room for all to spread out and walk around, play catch, volleyball etc. Compared to the beach at Cayo Coco, much wider. The ocean... the ocean. It was warm, azure blue, and you could walk out for a long time. There was no seaweed, sea critters or beach debris. The sand was like icing sugar - powder white and cool on the toes.
As we drove in from the airport I noticed there was no garbage around anywhere. Cuba is pristine in this area. Everything in and out of the resort was so very clean. There are new roads everywhere. The airport is small and stupid but is currently being enlarged. On the way to the resort dogs, cattle and goats walked freely all over the roads. There were people in those old fashioned cars (not many though), on decrepit bikes, and trotting along in horse-and-buggy.
It was about 28 degrees everyday, but at times quite windy. During my stay the resorts’ guests were almost 100% French CDNs and Italians. This cultural mix sometimes was a little volatile. One night there was a big brawl that started in the disco and then escalated when the resort management decided to shut down bar service early. Fisticuffs! Tabernacle! Putana!
The food was lovely but as they say, not fancy like at a Mexican 5-star or on a cruiseship. There was an abundance of well-prepared, fresh food all the time. There were some unusual things... like boiled cabbage at every meal (?), and blood sausage at every breakfast! But this was in addition to at least 10 other kinds of veggies served at any given time, and maybe 4 types of sausages / bacon, etc. at breakfast.
Although the resort was new some things did not work. There were "rolling brownouts" everyday. And the "Ciber Café" was mysteriously short of computers. There was just one computer that worked but harkened back to 1990's velocity in its plodding dialup. However, on my second-to-last day some newish-looking computers were being installed and the buzz was that they were faster.
The room TV was a shaky contraption with the brand name of "CHANGCHONG" (I am not joking), complete with THREE Chinese channels (but there were no Chinese people anywhere about)! There were plenty of Cuban channels, Rai, a German channel, and a few American cable channels but no American network channels.
Each time I entered the room and put my keycard in the power slot, the TV automatically turned on to the music channel. This was fine, except when you have a rolling brownout basically every night (sometimes at 4am or 5am, etc,) and the TV blares on when the power returns...it’s a little jarring.
There was no clock radio or phone directory in my room. And sometimes the phones did not work to Canada. My blackberry which Rogers assured me would work, didn’t; however, all the Italians’ cell phones worked. Lucky, angry Italians!
I booked a massage at the resort next door. The dude that did it used about 10 times the amount of oil my normal massage therapist Cathy would use. OK, whatever. And also he didn't "kneed" me so much as energetically rub the crap out of my skin (more surface and less deep tissue). And then when I was on my back... he massaged my breasts. It was ok. It was professional and part of the treatment. How do I know? I just know. It was on the up-and-up, and it lasted like, 2 seconds, and wasn't pervy at all. But still! He messed with my junk!
The bathroom had a bidet. Hee.
One of my favourite things, aside from the beach and other obvious holiday goodness was that at the resort next door there was a colony of cats near one of the dining rooms. I played with them. There were kittens and friendly cats aplenty. Friendly cats just make everything better.
My other favourite thing was the lobby bar. There was live entertainment every night, mostly centred around a plinky out-of-tune grand piano. Though there was once a trio of dudes who did a haunting Spanish rendition of Hotel California. Awesome. And the lobby bar had the best café con leche I've ever; and mojitos with plenty of mint, and beautiful Spanish wines and cava any time.
Known Drug Takers, Indeed
From Today's Page Six. I really don’t understand what’s the deal with Sienna Miller? She just looks like every other skinny big-toothed blonde we ever went to camp with or who went to Queen’s, and then became an anorexy-looking occupational therapist. And she was Jude Law’s whatever, leave-his-wife-for skank, and then, oops, he slept with the nanny on her... You know what? Jude Law is so fugly and combs his hair with spiral cut ham. They are both too flaming thin and seem to smoke cigarettes at a pace which says to me that they are making up for all of us who DON’T smoke. GAAAAAAAAAHHH!
From Today's Page Six. I really don’t understand what’s the deal with Sienna Miller? She just looks like every other skinny big-toothed blonde we ever went to camp with or who went to Queen’s, and then became an anorexy-looking occupational therapist. And she was Jude Law’s whatever, leave-his-wife-for skank, and then, oops, he slept with the nanny on her... You know what? Jude Law is so fugly and combs his hair with spiral cut ham. They are both too flaming thin and seem to smoke cigarettes at a pace which says to me that they are making up for all of us who DON’T smoke. GAAAAAAAAAHHH!
Ragtime Machine
Not to be mean but occasionally I have a little laugh at my team Ragtime because it's so new and different (so many players are off having babies) that it's like we all got into a time machine and went back to 2002.
Not to be mean but occasionally I have a little laugh at my team Ragtime because it's so new and different (so many players are off having babies) that it's like we all got into a time machine and went back to 2002.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
New, For 2007
A lot of changes are coming for me this year. Starts and stops. People, places, things. Doing more for me. And travels. I have decided to attend Burning Man, as a representative of the Green Party of Canada. I used to worry that I wasn't arty enough to particpate, but now am thinking, who the fuck cares whether I attend or participate "enough"? I'll work on this as the year progresses. As it stands now I'm going to buy a single ticket in about two weeks, book a flight to LA, book a rental car and just do it. In the meantime I will figure out how to become a burner and read about other people's experiences. Yahoo!
A lot of changes are coming for me this year. Starts and stops. People, places, things. Doing more for me. And travels. I have decided to attend Burning Man, as a representative of the Green Party of Canada. I used to worry that I wasn't arty enough to particpate, but now am thinking, who the fuck cares whether I attend or participate "enough"? I'll work on this as the year progresses. As it stands now I'm going to buy a single ticket in about two weeks, book a flight to LA, book a rental car and just do it. In the meantime I will figure out how to become a burner and read about other people's experiences. Yahoo!
