Happy 2011 !!!

Celebrations around the world have already started!

This is the show over Sydney's HarbourBridge.

Hide/Seek : U.S. National Portrait Gallery

Ellen Degeneres, Kauai, Hawaii
PHOTO: Annie Leibovitz 2010

The first major museum exhibition to focus on sexual difference in the making of modern American portraiture.

Hide/Seek considers such themes as:
• the role of sexual difference in depicting modern America
• how artists explored the fluidity of sexuality and gender
• how major themes in modern art - especially abstration - were influenced by social marginalization
• and how art reflected society's evolving and changing attitudes toward sexuality, desire and romantic attachment.

Don't Ask Don't Tell -> Don't Care

U.S. President Barack Obama signed the Don't Ask Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 on December 22, 2010, paving the way for gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military.

Obama signed the bill before a cheering crowd that included top military officials and politicians at the Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C.

The new legislation will not go into effect for at least 60 days.

My humps

Length: 1 minute

The video was licensed to BlueVoice.org by Gene Flipse of Conscious Breath Adventures, the videographer, with whom they work. The newborn whale was videoed on the Silver Bank just north of the Dominican Republic. It is part of their campaign to end the killing of humpbacks by Greenland.


Newborn humpback whale nursing from BlueVoice.org on Vimeo.

Amazing Dolphin Facts

Fractals : Seeing a Hidden Dimension

This video is cool, captivating, colourful AND it comes from the show NOVA on PBS.

It's about 52 minutes long but,
if you can stream it, you can dream it !

[ OMG, can't believe I just said that ! LOL ]

Watch the full episode. See more NOVA.

Which 'facts' are we to believe?

Thought the conclusion of this study was interesting because I REALLY wanted Echinacea to work. 
Echinacea no help for colds: study

•••
Then, I noticed the link in the Related Posts to THIS from just 3 years ago ...

Echinacea halves risk of catching cold: review

•••
And THEN, I noticed the link to THIS POST from 2 years before that !!
Echinacea useless for cold symptoms

•••
At least the scientists are getting paid!

Rudolph the ... Reindeer?!

This video vividly depicts the potentially tragic results of a Celebrity Rednose-ectomy.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Imitate an Accent to Understand It Better

According to a new study, the key to understanding someone with a different accent is to repeat what he says and to approximate the accent. The work appears in the journal Psychological Science. [Patti Adank, Peter Hagoort and Harold Bekkering, "Imitation Improves Language Comprehension"]

Humans imitate each other during social interaction. This imitative behavior streamlines social interaction and aids in learning to replicate actions. However, the effect of imitation on action comprehension is unclear. This study investigated whether vocal imitation of an unfamiliar accent improved spoken-language comprehension. Following a pretraining accent comprehension test, participants were assigned to one of six groups. The baseline group received no training, but participants in the other five groups listened to accented sentences, listened to and repeated accented sentences in their own accent, listened to and transcribed accented sentences, listened to and imitated accented sentences, or listened to and imitated accented sentences without being able to hear their own vocalizations. Posttraining measures showed that accent comprehension was most improved for participants who imitated the speaker’s accent. These results show that imitation may aid in streamlining interaction by improving spoken-language comprehension under adverse listening conditions.

The Other White Christmas

In The Netherlands, Zwarte Piet
is Sinterklaas' helper/slave.

The Netherland’s Christmas traditions are subject to a lot of controversy as their version of Santa, Sinterklaas, is accompanied by a one-time slave known as Black Peter [ Zwarte Piet ]. These days, the Dutch try to play down the racism of the matter by claiming that Black Peter’s cartoonish appearance is a result of his going down dirty chimneys all the time and he’s no longer referred to as a slave, but a “helper.”
The naughty man in blackface is a mischievous character who may kidnap naughty children and whisk them away to his home in Spain.


Origin and evolution [ wiki ]

According to myths dating to the beginning of the 19th century, Saint Nicholas (Sinterklaas) operated by himself or in the companionship of a devil. Having triumphed over evil, it was said that on Saint Nicholas Eve, the devil was shackled and made his slave. A devil as a helper of the Saint can also still be found in Austrian Saint Nicholas tradition in the character of Krampus.

Some sources indicate that in Germanic Europe, Zwarte Piet originally was such an enslaved devil forced to assist his captor, but the character emerged in the 19th century within the Netherlands as a companion of Saint Nicholas resembling a Moor.^[1] Saint Nicholas is said to come from Turkey. The relation of Zwarte Piet with Haji Firuz is incredibly close, Haji Firuz is a traditional herald of Nowruz, the Persian New Year celebration, exactly black in the face and comes with Amoo Nowruz a white beared old man who brings gifts for the children counter part of Western Santa.

The introduction of this new Zwarte Piet was paired with a change in the attitude of the Sinterklaas character that was often shown as being quite rough against bad children himself and thought unbefitting of a Bishop by teachers and priests. Soon after the introduction of Zwarte Piet as Sinterklaas' helper, both characters adapted to a softer character.^[2]

Until the second half of the 20th century, Saint Nicholas' helper was not too bright, in line with the old colonial traditions. Once immigration started from the former colonised countries Zwarte Piet became a much more respected assistant of Saint Nicholas, who is often a bit inattentive.^[3]

According to the more modern Saint Nicholas legend, a Zwarte Piet is a servant who accompanies Saint Nicholas on his holiday travels. In some versions, it is alleged that Saint Nicholas once liberated a young slave named Peter, who decided to serve Nicholas (as a free servant) rather than enjoy liberty alone. Zwarte Piet is today commonly depicted as a black person in the colorful pantaloons, feathered cap and ruffles of a Renaissance European page, a tradition based on a single illustration in a book published in 1850.

Zwarte Pieten are often portrayed as mischievous but rarely a mean-spirited characters. Parents used to tell their children that if they have been good, a Zwarte Piet will bring them gifts and sweets, but if they have been bad, a Piet will scoop them up, stuff them in his huge dufflebag and spirit them away to Spain as punishment. Though this is increasingly uncommon nowadays, he can still carry some type or scourge (called a "roe"), especially a a bundle of birch branches, which could be used for birching or in modern words, to chastise children who have been too naughty to deserve presents. The character is believed to have been derived from pagan traditions of evil spirits. Also told for decades is a story that the Zwarte Pieten are black because of chimney soot and/or in mockery of the darker Spanish occupiers of the Low Countries in centuries past.

The traditions of the Saint Nicholas feast are in part at least of medieval origin, if not much older. St. Nicholas himself, as described in the Dutch tradition shows some similarities to Wuotan/Odin, which suggests that the duo have a pre-Christian origin. Possible precursors to Zwarte Piet can be found in Odin's ravens Hugin and Munin.

Popping a Pink Cherry

Comments made by sports celebrity Don Cherry against "pinkos" during the swearing-in of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford have caused a stir.

Cherry, invited by Ford to the ceremony, said he specifically chose to wear a flamboyant pink jacket.
"Well, actually I'm wearing pinko for all the pinkos out there that ride bicycles and everything," he said.

Berlin Patient Follow-Up 'Strongly Suggests' HIV Cure

Timothy Ray Brown gave an interview to German magazine Stern.

The “Berlin Patient” — a man living with HIV who underwent a transplant involving HIV-resistant stem cells in 2007 for the treatment of leukemia — has been classified as cured of his HIV, according to an update of the patient’s experience published online, ahead of print, on December 8 by the journal Blood. The man has remained off HIV treatment for three-and-a-half years with normal CD4 counts and no evidence of HIV replication.

Though it was initially suspected that HIV archived in the man’s cells would begin proliferating once his immune system began to recover from pre- and post-transplantation treatment, this was not observed and the team monitoring the patient now conclude, “our results strongly suggest that cure of HIV has been achieved in this patient.”

Link to another version of this story

The Wizards of Nykerk

For all fans of The Wizard of Oz, this choir has created a sweet tribute:

Acrobats strip for Pope Benedict XVI, perform topless in Vatican

OK, so you could put anything in front of the Pope, and he would look lecherous, but this performance makes you wonder what's really going on in his brain!

Russian Police and their Homo tendencies

Saw these Russian Police uniforms in a video about them crushing Gay Pride Parades in Russia, and couldn't help but get the irony of seeing them in a mirror !



Here's the video:


Here is some background:
http://www.pridesource.com/article.html?article=44431

Offspring from 2 males, “A new form of mammalian reproduction”

Scientists in Texas have created baby mice from two males, raising possibilities that double-father offspring could, in the future, repopulate vulnerable species.

Dr. Richard Behringer at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center published his study Wednesday in the peer-review journal Biology of Reproduction.

The advance could some day even help same-sex human couples have children carrying both parents' genes.

Stanley Cup overflows with Pride

The Stanley Cup, which has been on more adventures than perhaps any other piece of championship hardware, will make its first appearance in a gay-themed event this weekend [ Chicago Pride - June 27, 2010 ].

The Chicago Gay Hockey Association invited the Blackhawks to join Sunday's Gay Pride Parade after the team won its first Stanley Cup title since 1961 -- and the team said yes. So did the Chicago Cubs, who will have their own float in the parade for the first time.

Defenceman Brent Sopel and his wife, Kelly, will accompany the Cup on a float in the parade. Sopel, who was traded this week to Atlanta, is a 33-year-old father of three who said he volunteered to honour the late son of Toronto general manager Brian Burke, his former boss in Vancouver.

Patrick Burke remembers his pioneering brother, Brendan

Brendan Burke's coming out and death showed his brother and family the welcoming side of hockey. Now their arms are open for other gay athletes.

Patrick Burke [left] and his brother Brendan

“There are a lot of gay athletes out there and gay people working in pro sports that deserve to know that there are safe environments where people are supportive of you regardless of your sexual orientation.” - Brendan Burke


Every time a player has the courage and the confidence to step up and be an example and a role model, he breaks a stereotype held by athletes who generally have limited exposure to gay culture. 


It is truly a vicious cycle: Athletes who are never exposed to gay culture hold onto antiquated (and often harmful) stereotypes about homosexuality, which makes gay athletes afraid to come out, which means the athletes never confront the ignorance of their beliefs. 


The cycle has been repeating itself for generations in pro sports.

Homophobia and Hockey

Brendan Burke's legacy lives on

CBC's Fifth Estate recently did a documentary on The Legacy of Brendan Burke.

Brendan Burke [ wikipedia ] was a remarkable young man. Growing up in a hockey family, with a sports icon as a father [ Brian Burke - Pres./Gen.Mgr. of The Toronto Maple Leafs ], he was probably destined to make his mark in hockey.

And he did, but in a way few could have predicted. He decided to tell the world he was gay — a courageous move in a sport where no player, current or former, has ever come out.
Brendan Burke's life was tragically cut short, but his legacy lives on.

Click on the link to watch the full 45-minute documentary about Brendan and how his example is changing the world.

How true the last post's title was ... on so many levels

The word "Home" can mean so many things. When Mom and I boarded our plane home to Canada, neither one of us had any idea of how the next few months would unfold.

Turquoise was Mom's
favourite colour.

Mom passed away four weeks later after a systemic collapse, and a brief recovery which allowed her to visit with her entire family beforehand.


I feel proud to have done my part to make her last days as comfortable and happy as possible.


I couldn't have coped with everything without the support of my sister, Linda.

Everyone had a chance to
spend some time with her.

The rest of my extended family brought joy, flowers, kindness and strength for all of us to share.

I love you, Mom.

On our way home from seeing Mom at the hospital for the last time, stopped to watch a show of fireworks over the Ottawa River. It reminded us to celebrate Mom's long and beautiful life, and that she would be alive in our hearts forever.

... isn't that just like Life.


Since then I have moved, been overwhelmed by everything required to put another's affairs to rest, and made other dramatic changes in my life as a result.


... but,


I am ready to do something for myself again. Writing this blog was that for me - something for myself in happier times. And now, it can also serve as a record of our last time together, too ... a place to remember my last trip with Mom in a detailed way that a mere memory could never allow. I am grateful for that.

Getting ready to go home

This will be my last post from Panama, we are getting on our plane to return to Ottawa tonight. I thought I would share some shots from the walk along the beach my sister and I took yesterday first.
Here is an example of some of the ostentatious homes that are down here. Many of these places only get used for a few weeks of the year, special occasions/fiestas, and the rest of the year are vacant except for the 'gardener' who maintains it while the owners are gone.

For our last dinner together my sister and her husband prepared a new experience for both Mom and I - a 'raclette' grilled meal. Foods are pre-cooked somewhat, then we each load up just what we want onto the raclette and grill it. Once it is done, we put a portion into one of the little trays under the grill, with some cheese sprinkled on top, and broil it under the element for a few minutes. It's a great way to accommodate different food preferences and portion sizes. It also lets everyone chat while cooking. Really enjoyed it and look forward to trying some other foods on it.

Thanks for everything Linda and Doug, this has been a remarkable trip. It has been wonderful to see you again and know that you are both having a great life down here in Panama!

Sand-rash and sun-burn

Yesterday was a relaxing day with not much to do - my sister drove into Panama City for some business banking, so Mom and I were left at home until they got back.

As part of our ongoing experiment to determine when the best times to surf are, we found this helpful chart that shows the tides. At 2pm, which was low tide, we went down to the beach to see how the waves were. Nothing to write home about (even tho I am doing that here! LOL), mostly because there are strong offshore breezes that don't make the waves bigger.

Nevertheless, we did manage to find a spot where there were waves long enough to get a fun ride into shore - maybe about 50 feet. Once you get to shore, of course, the unprotected lower parts of our bodies scrape along the pebbles and shells until you stop. Nothing too serious in terms of injury but something we later tried to avoid.

Once we were worn out, we lent our boogie boards to 5 teen/twenty aged Panamanian kids who were playing next to us. They were happy to accept our offer and played with them for about 1/2 hour then brought our boards back to us with gratitude.

That meant that my sister and I were in the sun for a couple of hours. Even though my previous exposures to the sun hadn't really changed my colouration, by the time we were playing Dominoes after dinner, my upper torso was glowing with a lovely Papaya red.

Our family has long believed that putting vinegar (white or apple cider) on sunburn takes some of the heat out of it and turns it to a tan faster. So, my sister was delighted to be able to pull the white vinegar OUT OF THE FRIDGE and douse me in it! The towel over my mouth muffled my screams of, "It's COLD!" and I was soon smelling like a yum-yum pickle (others might suggest more dill, but it's my blog!).

Later today, we are taking a drive down the coast to see a new "Super Resort" called "The Breezes" - a destination for many of the people who were on our flight down here. We think it might be a good place for future visitors to my sister - esp. those who want 4.5-star luxury when they travel.

After that we are going out for Margaritas at a local establishment called Cholos (REVIEW) with a couple of my sister's friends. I will let you know how that goes!

Here is a link to some high-quality maps on Panama.

Travel to Panama

We flew directly from Montreal to Panama City (which, of course, avoids all of the hassle with security now required for flights via the U.S.) and Sunwing Airlines is currently offering a great all-inclusive deal.

You can check it out by clicking HERE

Orion

Today my sister and I went exploring along the coast to see if we could find somewhere that we could use our boogie boards. Alas, it seems that the wind is offshore and the waves are small as a result.

After taking Mom to the clinic again to have the wound she suffered in her fall looked at, we had a gorgeous dinner of Langostino Shrimp, Yuca, and Peas + Carrots. Then we went for a walk down to the beach to see high tide - albeit 1.5 hours late. The stars were beautiful though and I explained to my sister about the nebula in the constellation Orion:

Hoping tomorrow we can get out into the waves and find out what surfing on boogie boards is really all about!

Surfin' Dude

When I decided I was coming to Panama, I knew I wanted to try to learn how to surf ... again.

I have only tried it once before in Huntington Beach California, but my lesson consisted a couple of surfer dudes giving me a board that was too small for me, pointing me to the ocean and telling me to paddle out and stand up when a wave came along. I didn't do very well, and after about 2 hours was exhausted from trying to paddle out to where the waves were.

Panama is apparently an important destination for surfers and there are numerous world-famous places here to 'hang ten' - some on the Atlantic/Caribbean coast and others here on the Pacific side. Here is a video of what we were hoping for at El Palmar Surf Camp in San Carlos:

Based on these videos, it looks like we need to go there at low tide

Turns out, this really isn't surfing season here so our trip down the coast to San Carlos led us to the El Palmar Surf Camp, a busy black-sand beach and a lovely man named Sergio (pronounced: Sayrheo) but the waves weren't happening.

But we did have a nice time watching the Panamanians bobbing in the waves and watching their beer cans float away.

As a result, my sister, her husband and I turned to Boogie Boards on the beach here at Coronado with some hilarious results.

It was a good day, but not one that you could write a musical with Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon about! LOL

Bienvenidos a El Valle de Anton

Yesterday we drove about an hour up into the mountains to visit one of the most famous sites in Panama - El Valle de Anton.

El Valle de Anton, known simply as El Valle has a geologically unique setting, it's nestled in the second largest volcano crater in the world. A five by three mile crater created when a volcano blew its top off five million years ago. After flooding to make a lake, then emptying when the walls breached, the result iss a lovely steep valley surrounded by jagged mountain peaks and rich volcanic soil that gives way to flowers and verdant forest. El Valle also boasts a near perfect year round spring climate.

In the image above, you are looking Northwest with Lake Gatun and The Caribbean at the top and the Pacific on the right. You can clearly see the flat area inside the mountainous peaks.

While there we stopped at the market that you can see in this video (by someone else):

The secret to a happier future

This is an inspirational video from the people who brought you The Secret. A little optimism never hurt anyone!

New Years Day 2010 sees Canadians going for Polar Bear Plunge

Okay ... I know this is mean but I can't resist! LOL

A chilly New Year's Day tradition is taking place across Canada as people plunge into icy water during annual polar bear dips.

Large crowds of eager swimmers were expected to take a dip in Vancouver's English Bay. The tradition started in 1920 when a small number of swimmers jumped into the water on New Year's Day.

In Nova Scotia, about 100 people dove into the waters near Halifax.

Trent Courage and his brother, Todd Courage, have been organizing an even bigger version of the chilly annual tradition for the past 25 years. The brothers started their event, the Courage Brothers' Polar Bear Dip, in 1985, when they jumped into Lake Ontario in Burlington, Ont.

The annual plunge now takes place at Coronation Park in Oakville, Ont., and all money raised is donated to World Vision to support freshwater projects in developing countries.

In Panama, intrepid Canadians not only dipped themselves in the frigid waters of the Pacific, but spent much of the day running around in bathing suits, as if to say,"No matter what temperature January 1 brings, we can take it!"

Boogie on Boys!

After last night's spectacular fireworks displays on the beach (which are continuing today!), it was a late night of tequila followed by an early morning.

So with not a lot of energy, and the fact that it is a statutory holiday beginning a long weekend, all that was on the agenda was going to the beach. Last night's full moon contributed to extra high tides today and hundreds of Panamanians were enjoying the sun and waves.

A group of young people were taking turns seeing what they could do on skimboards.

For those of you who don't know, a skimboard or 'boogie board' is a half-size surfboard with no bottom fin that you throw down onto receding waves and jump on. The thin layer of water lets the board slide easily and experts are able to manage several turns and tricks at high speed.

Because the rider is moving at high speed over sand, a fall can translate into a bad case of sandburn, so many of them wear shirts and long shorts.

Here is a shot of a rip current that I found fascinating. A wave washes up on 2 higher mounds of sand, and as they flow back to the sea, the two sides come crashing together. This creates a new wave that travels perpendicular to the oncoming waves.

Today I also saw painful evidence that, although Panamanians lay claim to some of the most beautiful natural resources found anywhere, they don't seem to have much respect for it.

In these shots, you can see their blatent disregard for picking up their litter - they just step around it and act like it isn't even there. They seem to think that as long as the ocean comes and takes it away, the problem is solved. Too bad for whoever is unfortunate enough to be on the beach where it washes up - many of the pristeen islands off the coast such as the Pearl Islands archipelago.

Sir Patrick, I presume

Actor Patrick Stewart and film writer and director Peter Jackson will now be known as Sir Patrick and Sir Peter, respectively, in their home countries.

Stewart will be awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth in Britain's New Year Honours List, while Jackson has been made a knight in New Zealand.

Stewart, the 69-year-old actor who played Capt. Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, was honoured for his services to drama during his career that's spanned half a century.

"I am very proud to receive this honour," he told the London Telegraph. "Theatre is and has always been my great joy."

Deep Thoughts

Since I seem to have so much time to ponder the fullness of space and the futility of trying to relax, I thought I would pass these thoughts on to you that some wise person sent to me in an email.

ONE TEQUILA, TWO TEQUILA, THREE TEQUILA, FLOOR.

ATHEISM IS A NON-PROPHET ORGANIZATION.

IF MAN EVOLVED FROM MONKEYS AND APES, WHY DO WE STILL HAVE MONKEYS AND APES?

IS THE MAIN REASON THAT SANTA IS SO JOLLY BECAUSE HE KNOWS WHERE ALL THE BAD GIRLS LIVE?.

I WENT TO A BOOKSTORE AND ASKED THE SALESWOMAN, "WHERE'S THE SELF- HELP SECTION?" SHE SAID IF SHE TOLD ME, IT WOULD DEFEAT THE PURPOSE.

WHAT IF THERE WERE NO HYPOTHETICAL QUESTIONS?

IF A DEAF CHILD SIGNS SWEAR WORDS, DOES HIS MOTHER WASH HIS HANDS WITH SOAP?

IF SOMEONE WITH MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES THREATENS TO KILL HIMSELF, IS IT CONSIDERED A HOSTAGE SITUATION?

IS THERE ANOTHER WORD FOR SYNONYM?

WHERE DO FOREST RANGERS GO TO "GET AWAY FROM IT ALL?"

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU SEE AN ENDANGERED ANIMAL EATING AN ENDANGERED PLANT?

IF A PARSLEY FARMER IS SUED, CAN THEY GARNISH HIS WAGES?

WOULD A FLY WITHOUT WINGS BE CALLED A WALK?

WHY DO THEY LOCK PETROL STATION BATHROOMS? ARE THEY AFRAID SOMEONE WILL CLEAN THEM?

IF A TURTLE DOESN'T HAVE A SHELL, IS HE HOMELESS OR NAKED?

CAN VEGETARIANS EAT ANIMAL CRACKERS?

IF THE POLICE ARREST A MIME, DO THEY TELL HIM HE HAS THE RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT?

WHY DO THEY PUT BRAILLE ON THE DRIVE-THROUGH BANK MACHINES?

HOW DO THEY GET DEER TO CROSS THE ROAD ONLY AT THOSE YELLOW ROAD SIGNS?

WHAT WAS THE BEST THING BEFORE SLICED BREAD?

ONE NICE THING ABOUT EGOTISTS: THEY DON'T TALK ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE.

DOES THE LITTLE MERMAID WEAR AN ALGEBRA?

DO INFANTS ENJOY INFANCY AS MUCH AS ADULTS ENJOY ADULTERY?

HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE A CIVIL WAR?

IF ONE SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMER DROWNS, DO THE REST DROWN TOO?

IF YOU ATE BOTH PASTA AND ANTIPASTO, WOULD YOU STILL BE HUNGRY?

IF YOU TRY TO FAIL, AND SUCCEED, WHICH HAVE YOU DONE?

WHOSE CRUEL IDEA WAS IT FOR THE WORD 'LISP' TO HAVE 'S' IN IT?

WHY ARE HEMORRHOIDS CALLED "HEMORRHOIDS" INSTEAD OF "ASSTEROIDS"?

WHY IS IT CALLED TOURIST SEASON IF WE CAN'T SHOOT AT THEM?

WHY IS THERE AN EXPIRATION DATE ON SOUR CREAM?

IF YOU SPIN AN ORIENTAL MAN IN A CIRCLE THREE TIMES, DOES HE BECOME DISORIENTED?

CAN AN ATHEIST GET INSURANCE AGAINST ACTS OF GOD?