Summer Music Series: Song 4

I am sick and my allergies are getting the better of me.


Not a great time to do homework. Especially over Canada Day weekend.

As a bit of a premature celebration, song number 4 in this series is a little gem by Vancouver band Said the Whale, titled "Lucky," with a video featuring members of the band frolicking in the kind of romantic summer that only really comes from books. And old paintings.

With the dawn we rose aloud.

The game of all games

ONE MORE DAY.


Until this:

I work Saturday but I'm going to PVR this shit and then watch the fuck out of it.


My predictions? Considering USWNT won against Japan 4-1, I'm going to be hopeful about the Canadian team and say they're going to beat us 3-1, with Baby Horse getting two, Wambach getting one and Sincy scoring the single for Canada.


I really want to see CanWNT put up a good fight, as the CONCACAF final was quite disappointing for us. This is our last game against the best team in the world before the Olympics in London. We need to start playing to our full potential, something I feel that CanWNT has failed to do in their matches so far this year. 


I really am terrible at watching USWNT v.s. CanWNT games though. It's the one time my true bisexuality takes over my sports viewing and I get confused with not knowing which team to root for. On the one hand, you've got fucking Christine Sinclair the best fucking soccer player on the planet, then on the other hand you've got someone like Abby Wambach who is a powerhouse record goal breaker.


And I'm sitting here all Memento-like going  WHAT'S MY NATIONALITY AGAIN? WHAT DOES IT SAY ON MY PASSPORT??!!


No shame, no shame. 


Besides, how can there be with Megan Rapinoe wearing shorts like these?

I feel like this is the kind of game I'm going to have to rewind every 30 seconds and re-watch because I'm too distracted staring at her. 


ERMAHGERD ONE MORE DAY GUISE.

Those proud Americans

So it's pride month in the US of A. My facebook dash is exploding with pictures of people getting things pierced and getting tattoos done and licking things and drinking in the sun and making out with pretty much anything they can get their hands on.


I must say, I am a tad bit jealous.


Today, I nearly got attacked by four dogs in an alley. 


I walked the other way, scared like a shitless boss.


Yep, that's it.

Summer Music Series: Song 3

Ladies and gentlemen, it is sunny and hot today in Vancouver. I'm going to enjoy this while it lasts and take a walk to the library.

Song number 3 in this series is "Island In The Sun" by Weezer.

We'll be playing and having fun.

An observation

Just when you thought a person was so attractive that they couldn't get any more attractive....you see them hold a cute animal. 


THEN EVERYTHING CHANGES.

Bonjour l'été, et comment ça va?

Summer is officially here. Vancouver is officially muggy.

What to do now? Still waiting for the weather to improve? Still waiting for that one pay check that could afford you the first flight to Honolulu? Why be bored while you wait? You live in one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Let's explore it!

Here's my list of things to do in Vancouver over the summer.

ATTRACTIONS

Coo over some baby animals at the Vancouver Aquarium.

Visit the Da Vinci exhibit at Science World (running from April 28th to September 3rd).

Have a donut, ride some roller coasters and watch an animal show or two at the Pacific National Exhibition and Playland.

SPORTS (for when hockey is not around)

Cheer on the Vancouver Whitecaps FC at BC Place (matches from March 10th until October 27th).

Check out the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Women (matches from May 13th until July 15th).

Enjoy a ball game with the Vancouver Canadians on Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium (games from June 21st until August 26th).

FOOD

Have a gelato at Bella Gelateria on West Cordova.

Buy goodies and eat goodies at the Richmond Night Market (from May 8th to October 8th).

Pick up some seafood at the fishing boats along Steveston Fishing Village.

Share a poutine or war at Belgian Fries on Commercial Drive.

Visit the food carts Downtown.

OUTDOOR/NATURE

Brave the Grouse Grind.

Go on a forest adventure at the Capilano Suspension Bridge (Cliffwalk pictured).

Take a stroll around Burns Bog.

Walk along the grey sands of White Rock Beach.

Get sunburnt at the Vancouver Pride Parade and Dyke March (August 5th).

MUSIC

Buy tickets to Summer Playland Festival 2012 (July 6th until 8th).

Camp out like a hipster up in Squamish for the Live At Squamish musical festival (August 24th until 26th).

Take a date to the Vancouver International Jazz Festival (running June 22nd until July 1st).

Be cultural at the Vancouver Francophone Summer Festival (from June 14th until 24th).

Hang out at Jericho Beach for the Vancouver Folk Music Festival (July 13th until 15th).

THEATRE/MOVIES

Watch some fucking musical theatre (hell yes) at the Granville Island Stage and the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage.

See a Shakespeare play at Bard on the Beach (performances from May 31st until September 22nd). 

See the Broadway production of Mary Poppins at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre (performances from July 17th to 22nd).

Watch movies galore from all over the world at the Vancouver Queer Film Festival (showtimes from August 16th to 26th).

Summer Music Series: Song 2

It's June 18th. 3 days until summer, guys. The rain will stop soon. And if it doesn't, there are still 3 more months to go before the fall.
   

       


Who says we can't dream?


The second song in this series is Late July's "Side Swept."

I hope we'll love someday soon.

The day I disappeared

I was having coffee with a couple friends on Friday and my friend was telling us an interesting story. It went something like this:


FRIEND 1: I knew a girl whose landlords set really bizarre restrictions on her place.
FRIEND 2: Restrictions? Like what kinds?
FRIEND 1: Well, if she was going to take the place, she had to agree to never have any male friends over.
ME: Why is that?
FRIEND 1: I have no idea. It's strange, right?
ME: Why specifically male friends?
FRIEND 1: I'm guessing it was like, an intimacy issue or something? The landlords who owned the house were a gay couple. Maybe they were just protective?
FRIEND 2: Like they didn't want her having sex in their house?
FRIEND 1: Yeah, maybe. I honestly don't know.
ME: That is really strange. But women are allowed over?
FRIEND 2: Yeah.
ME: Why would it even be an issue for them? It's her space.
FRIEND 2: I don't know. Maybe they don't want to hear it because their walls are thin.
ME: Are they uber Christian or something? No sex before marriage type stuff?
FRIEND 2: They're gay.
ME: Yeah, I know. But are they religious?
FRIEND 2: But they're gay though.
ME: Yeah, but you know how some conservative, traditional, religious people are really strict about....
FRIEND 1 + FRIEND 2: No, they're not. They're gay.

There was an awkward pause. In my head, I was going DO I NOT EXIST ALL OF A SUDDEN OR SOMETHING.


So, long story short, moral of the story is: To be gay/queer and to be religious/spiritual/a person of faith - THIS IS NOT A PARADOX. Identifying oneself with a certain religion does not necessarily make one a conservative. Identifying oneself with a certain religion does not necessarily make one traditional. Identifying oneself with a certain religion CERTAINLY DOES NOT MAKE ONE STRAIGHT, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. I know that there are certain people and characteristics we associate with religion (such as political conservatism and strong ties to customs), but these are still blanket notions and stereotypes that don't actually apply to all of us. You could say that I am misunderstanding the definition of religion, that religion is synonymous with conservatism and tradition. But really, I see someone's religion as such a personal experience that I don't think anyone else should have to define it for you.


Your God(s) is/are your God(s), you shouldn't have to be all these specific things in order to believe in your God(s). Belief is separate from all these other notions of religion, you see. Belief in a god/gods does not necessarily have to make you an asshole (even though we have often been associated with these kinds of people). At the same time, being conservative and being traditional does not necessarily make you an asshole. Being an asshole makes you an asshole. I know many open-minded people who are assholes, and I know many close-minded people who are assholes. I also know a lot of good people.


No. Just because I'm Christian does not mean I vote for Stephen Harper. Nor do I take Bill O'Reilly seriously and wear sweater vests like Rick Santorum and have a picture of Kirk Cameron on my bedroom wall.


I listen to the radio and I read banned books and I watch NC-17 movies and I curse like a sailor (only sometimes) and I am semi-familiar with Wittgenstein's philosophies. I also believe in Darwin's theory of evolution.


SHOCKER, right? Then again, who said that all Christians fit in the same box? The same people who said that all people fit in the same box. 


I know that many will be ashamed of what I have written in this post, and for that, I am sorry. This is just my perspective on such issues. You will probably think I am totally wrong, and that is a valid opinion. I just don't like being judged based on stereotype and expectation. I'm constantly worried that because I don't fit a mould of a certain doctrine, that I'm just a faker who doesn't actually belong to that doctrine. These are issues that I get anxious about. I'm also worried that associating myself with a certain doctrine with its dark histories would somehow prove the fact that I'm anti-humanist. What I want to get at here is that religion is a human interpretation. But who can say that this interpretation doesn't come from a source that is very real and very present? No one can. You can believe or you can not believe, but either way, we still lose. Our human bodies are Plato's cave, essentially. No matter how much knowledge we grasp, we are still limited to the senses allotted to us by our physical beings. Our physical beings give us religion, they give us science. I am also one of those who doesn't see why science somehow has to trump religion or that religion has to somehow trump science. I never saw them as the same thing. They tell certain truths, yes, but different truths. They are a part of human history and development, and even if you don't believe in one or the other, there is still value in learning both. Why? So we can understand and re-interpret and adapt and develop our arguments and be critical thinkers.

I totally didn't mean to go all philosophical on you there. I just never thought I'd be witness to Queer Christian Erasure but yeah, that's apparently a thing, and I'm glad my friends made me aware of that.

I wasn't angry at them or anything though, I just thought it was interesting the way they processed that part of the conversation. It's strange because queer Christians get crap from both sides: you've got some Christians telling you that you shouldn't be queer because you are Christian, then you've got some non-Christians telling you that you shouldn't be Christian because you are queer. Whatevs, I do what I want. 

Summer Music Series: Song 1

It's June 12th. Summer is barely here but I thought I'd start early.

Here is the first artist I'm going to feature as part of my summer music series.

Because summer is nothing without the soundtrack that accompanies those lazy days underneath that pale blue sky, getting sunburnt just because you can.

The first song on the list is "I Want You" by Andrew Allen, a BC boy. Hope you enjoy.

Come on, come into my life.

Watching One Direction's DVD concert as we speak. Production value is very basic, but these guys are so well loved that the girls in the audience couldn't care less. Other than a giant sign in the crowd that says "Cum in my direction," this concert is pretty family-friendly.


The concert is full of catchy tunes, themed costumes and cute videos showing the boys gallivanting around like the free innocent spirits that they are. I'm surprised to say that some of these lads have killer voices that sound great on this live recording. And together, their harmonies actually work very well.


I can definitely see one of them playing Marius in Les Mis on the West End in about five years, for sure.


And holy crap, anyone remember this? Niall killed this song.

EURO 2012!!!

I'm sorry, this is a joke post.


I really have nothing to say about the Union of European Football Association's biggest party.


Is it sad that the most exposure I've gotten to Euro 2012 is through Twitter updates of female soccer players that I follow?


I really need to man up and start expressing interest in men's soccer.


That means turn on the TV now and stop stalking lady soccer players on Twitter.


Now.

Loki'ed

You know what scares me more than the impending apocalypse, Ashton Kutcher's face and flesh-eating piranhas?

Tom Hiddleston's fanbase.


For those of you who do not know Tom Hiddleston, GET WITH THE FUCKING PROGRAM AND STOP DEPRIVING YOURSELF OF BEAUTY.

I know some people have been waiting for this post. I've been working on this one for a few weeks now - the longest I've ever dedicated to a blog post. So before I go into the craziness that is this guy's fans, I'll give you a little background info on him.

Tom Hiddleston is a British actor, born to a stage manager and a physical chemistry scientist. He attended Dragon School in North Oxford and later Eton College. He received a degree in Classics at the University of Cambridge and also went on to study at and graduate from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. He has appeared in various plays, BBC productions and is best known for his roles in Thor, The Avengers, War Horse, The Deep Blue Sea and Midnight in Paris. His upcoming projects include a role alongside Mia Wasikowska and Tilda Swinton in a vampire film titled Only Lovers Left Alive, directed by the very talented Jim Jarmusch. He can also be seen in the upcoming Thor 2 as well as the TV mini-series Henry IV Part I and Henry IV Part II and the TV movie Henry V. The Shakespeare movies will be featured as part of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad to bring attention to British theatre and culture amidst all the athletics come August. This Cultural Olympiad series will include a production of Richard II as well.

Shakespeare actors in this year's Cultural Olympiad for London 2012. From left, Ben Whishaw as Richard II, David Suchet as the Duke of York in Richard II, Rory Kinnear as Henry Bolingbroke in Henry IV Part II and Tom Hiddleston as Henry IV in Part I and Part II).

My first exposure to Hiddleston was in 2011's Thor, directed by Kenneth Branagh. I remember watching it in theatres when it just came out and thinking fuck 3D and fuck Thor, Tom Hiddleston's presence could fill an entire theatre without the need for money grabber technology and unreal abdominal muscles (I'm looking at you, Chris Hemsworth).

Anyway, I jumped the Loki bandwagon faster than a child on a new trampoline. I didn't know what I was getting myself into. I mean, this was a new actor in all respects, and I didn't think he'd come with any kind of emotional baggage. I was just going to be my typical geek girl geeking out over typical geek things like superheroes and wizards. I'd done it before with Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter and Watchmen and X-Men. I was used to this kind of stuff. I have to say though, I wasn't ready to face the ridiculousness that is this guy's fanbase. Before we go into that though, let's go into a little fangirling of our own to understand what it is that some of these people (myself included) see in him.


I'm going to call this REASONS WHY YOU SHOULDN'T LAUGH AT ME FOR CRUSHING ON LOKI (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE. WIPE THAT SMIRK OFF YOUR FACE AS YOU READ THIS. WIPE IT OFF NOW)

1. He genuinely succeeded in making the villain of a comic book franchise one of the most lovable characters since Lassie. I mean, both times I've seen The Avengers, there was sympathetic cooing and aww-ing in the crowd whenever Loki got his ass kicked. Clearly, Tom Hiddleston is causing all of us to re-think our priorities and our morals.

   

 

2. He can legit convince ANYONE to watch Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, which is pretty much an impossible task. Not to mention slightly evil.

3. He's friends with Hayley Atwell, who played played Peggy Carter in Captain America: The First Avenger. I just need an excuse to put up a picture of her. She's just so incredibly cute and attractive.

4. He abuses Twitter the way celebrities should but that few are smart enough to do. Like this one time when he accidentally spilled a spoiler as well as the word 'orgasm' in a single tweet....then proceeded to delete it when he realized he had fucked up. But oh my god, I loved him so much for it.

And he definitely does not know what the shit he's talking about sometimes either. #noshame

5. He is loved by so many cool dudes, who just so happen to all be superheroes.


Such as the Hulk

Iron Man (Hawkeye got robbed of a hug here. ROBBED)

Thor (what the fuck kind of architecture is behind them though. Holy shit, it's beautiful)

Captain America

6. He can communicate with unborn children (pictured with Elsa Pataky, Chris Hemsworth's wife at The Avengers London premiere).

7. He can open pen caps with his mouth.

8. He is super charming in interviews. 

9. And can rap Will Smith's "Miami" better than any white guy I know.

10. He can also impregnate you with his Shakespeare performances. Want to test it out now?

Tom Hiddleston's fans are a whole different story though. They give Twilight fans a run for their money. Loki may have an army, and the Avengers may have a hulk, but Hiddleston has women who will fucking kill for him.

It's really quite admirable, though a little scary.

Such as making pillows with his face on it. I mean, I love him and all, but sleeping with one of these things would scare the living daylights out of me.

There was that one time he was photographed with a girlfriend/lady friend/date/wife/partner whatever you want to call it. Tumblr blew up like nothing before, with girls crying and shit, it was so messy. I think this happened the eve of September 10th, 2011. Anyway, some of the stuff that came up on the Internet the morning after was giggle worthy:

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So, Tom Hiddleston is married/in a serious relationship.

The first few seconds it felt like a punch in the stomach.

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It just so happened this Hiddles bullcrap happened today of all days. 9/11.

I blame the terrorists.

They have to destroy America from the inside.

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me: i am alive

hiddles: lol no ur not

me: y

hiddles: becuz me

me: oh

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Like fucking shit, I don't even know what that last girl is trying to say in her tormented inner dialogue there. 

Here's another example of crazy. A girl gets a tattoo of Tom's initials on her wrist, and tweets it to him. His reaction is golden.

He later tweeted her back the following response:

I like his response. It's classy and encouraging. I know that if I were him I'd probably be all BITCH WHAT DID YOU DO TO YOUR WRIST?!!! WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT TO YOURSELF???? REMOVE IT, REMOVE IT!!! FOR YOUR FUTURE'S SAKE, REEMMOOOVVEE IIIITTT!!!! I KNOW YOU LOVE ME BUT LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS FOR A SEC, HERE. LET'S THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE DOING.

But I mean, you gotta admire the girl for the dedication, I guess. It takes real guts to scar your skin with the name of a guy who hasn't even made a movie sequel yet (Thor 2 is currently in production, slated for a November 8th 2013 release). I mean, I'd at least wait for the Thor sequel, or The Avengers sequel. Or better yet, wait until he gets knighted, you know?


I mean, I don't consider myself one of those women. I like him, a lot. But it's not like I blog about him. Well, ok, I guess I'm kind of doing that now but this is ONE TIME I SWEAR. I straddle the line between civil fan and downright crazy fan. I like to think that I love him enough to deal with the fanbase that he comes with, but that I don't love him quite enough to join forces with them, if you know what I mean.

Gah, he was a such a fucking scene-stealer in The Avengers though. I've only seen it twice, but every time he was on screen, I'd be all

Harry Styles of One Direction knows what I'm going through.