Let's Go to the Movies!

My Rare One and I love going to the movies -- except for one thing.

The price they charge for popcorn, in particular, is downright criminal.

Soooooo we are not above doing this --

And after all that expense of buying popcorn, I bet this happens to you too, doesn't it?

I'm surprised some genius hasn't marketed this next invention yet. Or maybe someone has, but I just don't watch enough late-night infomercials on TV to have seen it --

Speaking of TV, are you going to watch the Academy Awards tonight? I intend to tune in just to see if that poor deprived Leonardo DiCaprio finally wins an Oscar!

Having seen The Revenant, however, I personally think the Oscar should go to the grizzly bear but we all know why the bear wasn't even nominated, don't we?

#OscarsSoWhite

Who Should Be the Next Governor-General of Canada?

Queen Elizabeth is Canada's constitutional Head of State. When she is absent from our country (which is virtually always, since she lives in the UK), her largely ceremonial duties are delegated to her vice-regal representative, the Governor-General of Canada. At one time, our GGs were all Brits but since the 1960s they have all been distinguished and accomplished Canadians from such fields as the arts, academia, politics and the military. GGs are appointed by the Queen on the recommendation of the Prime Minister.

It's almost time again for a new Governor-General to be appointed. There are many worthy potential candidates, but I am getting on the bandwagon right here and now to advocate that our next GG should be Justice Murray Sinclair of Manitoba!

[photo by Adrian Wyld, The Canadian Press Files]

A lawyer in Winnipeg, Murray Sinclair was appointed to the Provincial Court of Manitoba in 1988 and later elevated to the Court of Queen's Bench in 2001. He was the first aboriginal judge in the province. Much of his judicial service has been spent leading lengthy public inquiries. In Manitoba he led the Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Inquiry and then co-chaired the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry in 2000. In 2009, he moved onto the national stage as chair of the federal Truth and Reconciliation Commission investigating Canada's shameful legacy of Indian residential schools.

There is no greater or more eloquent spokesperson for the dignity and respect owed our First Nations than Justice Sinclair. He is a man of deep understanding, compassion and integrity. His destiny has been to become the wise Elder that all of Canada needs. What better way to recognize this than by making him Governor-General?

Last year, Prime Minister Trudeau appointed Canada's first gender-balanced cabinet "because it's 2015." In the same way, the time is long overdue to appoint a First Nations Governor-General.

An online petition has just been posted to urge Justice Sinclair's nomination. Canadian readers, if you'd like to show your support, it's found here.

Viddy This, My Droogs

A few days ago My Rare One and I had the rare pleasure of seeing A Clockwork Orange on the big screen at our local arthouse cinema. This year marks the film's 45th anniversary, if you can believe it (which I can't: where have the years flown?) Its satirical message has aged well although all the shocking nudity, sexuality and violence for which it was so infamous back in the day does seem rather tame by today's standards.

I read Anthony Burgess's novel when I was an adolescent. I was totally enamoured by the book, especially by nadsat -- the language invented by Burgess to be spoken by his teenage hooligans in their dystopian society of the future. It was a weird mix of anglicized Russian terms, childish nonsense words and cockney rhyming slang. It even inspired me to try to learn Russian from a Berlitz book at the library, LOL!

I was 14 when Stanley Kubrick's film was released in 1971. Oh, how badly I wanted to see it! About a year later, the movie finally made it to Manitoba. Unfortunately, its R rating (18 and older) meant that a poor little underaged devotchka like me could not see it unless accompanied by an adult. So I persuaded my mother to take me. She was not thrilled by the idea and was even less so once she actually saw the movie with me, LOL! But I loved it!

Thanks, Mom!

Oh, and in case you were wondering, viddy this, my droogs means "look at this, my friends," nadsat means "teen" and in this context connotes "teen-speak," devotchka means "young lady."

Return of the Vikings!

YAY, season 4 of Vikings starts tonight on the History Channel! Everybody's favourite bloodthirsty bunch of savage heathens is back again for yet another round of mayhem! Well, except for [SEASON 3 SPOILER ALERT] poor Christian monk-turned-Viking Athelstan, of course. I suspect that this year Ragnar will wreak terrible vengeance on Floki for killing him.

And no one wreaks vengeance like a Viking.

We all know Ragnar could easily sit on the Iron Throne if he switched series.

Ragnar is the very epitome of the Viking Creed --

Viking warriors had no fear of death because they believed in Fate and Valhalla.

They traveled far and wide, striking fear in much of the known world of their day. Oh, if only Vikings had had t-shirts!

And of course, who is everyone's favourite Shield Maiden?

Alas, not many opportunities these days to fill that particular job description.

Oh well, we can always just kick back instead, toast some marshmallows in our Viking ship fire pit and dream of what might have been . . . .

It's Valentines Day!

Okay, okay, I know. Some people love it, some people hate it. So this post is going to pander to everybody! Let's start off with some sweet, if not necessarily conventional, Valentines Day luuuuuv . . . .

Aaaaaaand now, let's take a darker turn for all you non-romantic types and cynics out there . . . .

Plus let's not forget that our pets celebrate Valentines Day too, although dogs and cats do have different attitudes to love . . . .

Finally, whether you love this Special Day or hate this Hallmark Occasion, here's a big sloppy kiss for you from me! Happy Valentines Day!

Gung Hey Fat Choy!

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

What can we expect in a Monkey Year? According to Susan Levitt and Jean Tang in Taoist Astrology:

The Year of the Monkey is a time of courage, action, anarchy, and true devotion to even the wildest of schemes. Success can be attained in business, politics, and real estate. Everyone wants to work the shrewdest angle, get the best deal, and win big. Now is the time to start new endeavors, for they are destined to succeed under Monkey's influence. But woe be to the dull or slow-witted. Monkey will steal all the peanuts and leave nothing but empty shells.

To celebrate this auspicious year, here is my favourite photo of monkeys! They are Japanese macaques, also known as snow monkeys, who live high in the Japan Alps. The most northern-living of all non-human primates, snow monkeys love to relax in the outdoor mountain hot-springs. Look closely at this wintertime photo of a male and female pairing -- do you see their tiny baby who they are sheltering from the elements and keeping warm between them? Only its little eye is peeking out!

[photo from the internet]

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!

Bzzzzy as a Bee

Just a heads up that my blog posts in February will only be appearing sporadically. Well, okay, even more sporadically than usual. Got lots of hive activities to take care of.

Groundhog Appreciation Day

Many of us thoughtlessly and mercilessly mock the poor Groundhog's weather-forecasting abilities.

But please remember that the poor little bugger has a hard job to do and it's not getting any easier because of shifting weather patterns.

We should be grateful that the selfless Groundhog persists in performing this thankless task. Who would do his job if he didn't? Not the apathetic Honey Badger, that's for goddamn sure --

Or the equally lazy Slothy McSloth.

Beavers already have a full-time job being the national symbol of Canada, so they don't have the time to take on additional duties --

And the job certainly couldn't be done by anyone in the Otter family because they all have short attention spans and anger management issues.

So hug a Groundhog today and thank him for his service!

Imbolc Cyberspace Poetry Slam

Imbolc is once more upon us, the sacred day of the Celtic Goddess Brigid, She Who is the Radiant Flame of Gold, the Summoner of Spring!

And that means it's time again for another Imbolc Cyberspace Poetry Slam! This event has been celebrated for several years now by many pagans around the blogosphere. Everyone posts a favourite poem written by themselves or by another so that, collectively, a vast internet web of poetry is woven to honour Brigid, the Goddess of Poetry.

This year as a special devotional offering, I am posting a traditional Celtic poem of praise to Brigid the Bright, the Goddess Herself, as transcribed by the late, great scholar of the Divine Feminine, Patricia Monaghan.

Brigid, gold-red woman,

Brigid, flame and honeycomb,

Brigid, sun of womanhood,

Brigid, lead me home.

You are a branch in blossom.

You are a sheltering dome.

You are my bright precious freedom.

Brigid, lead me home.