Is Capital Pride socially disabled?

A proposed smoking ban on municipal properties such as City Hall could hurt attendance at the Capital Pride festival, say organizers who are calling for a grace period this summer if the new rules are approved.

Starting July 2, proposed bylaw amendments would issue tickets for smoking on city properties such as parks, beaches, sports fields and areas outside municipal facilities, as well Marion Dewar Plaza outside City Hall where the 2012 Capital Pride festival will take place.


In a press release, festival organizers stated that smoking rates are higher in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender and queer communities, and the proposed ban could discourage many people from attending the event.

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O P I N I O N

OK, I am a strong supporter of Ottawa's Capital Pride, but this request to the City to extend special rules so people can smoke at Pride is ridiculous. Do they really believe that the LGBTQ Community has 'special needs' when it comes to smoking cigarettes?

I smoked for many years, and one of the best things I ever did for myself was quit 15 years ago. When smoking in bars subsequently became illegal, I breathed a  sigh of relief that I no longer had to breath the fumes or go home stinking of other people's smoke.

Yet despite all the legal changes, it is still impossible to enjoy Ottawa's patios without having to wade through a cloud of second-hand smoke. Most smokers still do not abide by the rule to move 15' away from the building, so the smoke is even stronger because they all squeeze into a small space by the door.

Pride is no different. It is time for the LGBTQ Community to act like other grown-ups and stop imposing their self-destructive habit on the rest of us who wish to live without it. It's time to stop asking for special rules or nobody will ever take our community seriously.

Besides, I have no doubt that the decrease in smokers who come to Pride will be more than offset by the increase in non-smokers able to come and enjoy the smoke-free environment.

OPEN LETTER TO STEPHEN COLBERT

The following letter was posted by me today in the community forum of The Colbert Nation website today:

TV Pundit and Class Clown Stephen Colbert proudly flies the
LGBT Community's Pride Flag UPSIDE-DOWN!

UPSIDE-DOWN Gay Pride Flag ?!? ... SCURRILOUSSSSS
(Colbert Report: July 21, 2011)

Dear Mr. Colbert,

I have watched your show since its inception (ie. idea was planted in the sleeping American Public's mind) for no other reason than to get mad at you for the heterosexist War you continue to wage against the LGBT/Gay community.

You have pissed me off in the past with your turgid tirades against gay rights and the losing battle (Ha Ha!) against gay marriage, but THIS TAKES THE (beautifully decorated) CAKE!

HOW DARE YOU display the LGBT flag upside-down in your recent piece about/against teaching gay history in schools?!? (See the episo)

I cannot believe that this was merely an oversight on the part of your Graphics team. No, rather, I am now convinced that such deep-seated disdain for the LGBT Community are really just pathetic attempts to obfuscate your own same-sex attractions.
Come out of the closet Stephen and stop looking at the Gay Pride Flag as if you were hanging upside-down in a kinky restraint device in your basement!

If you don't stop disrespecting the LGBT Community, we may be forced to organize a fun and colourful march to protest you, your medieval attitudes and perverse propaganda, STEPHEN!

Truculently Yours,
iDouglas
(Ottawa, Canada)


FOLLOW THIS LINK to the correct version of the Internationally accepted LGBT Community Flag

OR HERE FOR THE WIKIPEDIA ARTICLE

VIEW THE OFFENDING EPISODE IN CANADA HERE

This is how the LBGT Pride Flag SHOULD appear!

The True North GAY and Free!!!

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

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

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.

Happy MMX

Happy 2010 everyone!

A full moon on this night MUST be a good omen!

I hope you all have a fun and safe night and that this is the beginning of better things for all of us.

Here are a few pix from Playa Coronado and the fireworks to celebrate the new year.

Feliz Ano Nuevo!

A celebration of friendship and goodbye

As we returned to the village, we were invited under the giant thatched roof again, this time to participate in a friendship dance that includes everyone. A simple 6-piece 'band' played for us as we joined the Embera on their dancefloor.

Some final pictures, a bit of shopping from the overflowing tables of fine crafts and a warm goodbye followed. We loaded ourselves back into the dugout canoe and headed back down the river to the diminishing sound of the Embera Puru's happy music.

WHAT AN EXPERIENCE! I had only ever seen such people in National Geographic magazines and TV. But, to meet them live in their own habitat and to understand their ingenious methods of survival, how much like us they are, and how fragile is their existence, gave me a whole new respect for indigenous cultures.

If you ever come to Panama, you must make this part of your education.

Dinner and some ancient wisdom

We were all brought under the same roof and introduced to their culture by way of a presentation and Q&A, with Anne as translator.

We learned that this village is part of over 100,000 Empera in Colombia and Panama, and that a woman can be chief as easily as a man.

They explained how they extract the materials they make their crafts from and showed us how they weave bowls that are virtually watertight out of local plants.

After that we were invited to join in a simple lunch of fried fish and plantains, with fresh pineapple and papaya served in bowls made of palm leaves.

We rinsed our hands in the basil-water and were offered tattoos - either simple wrist or arm decorations or full-body illustration for the bold among us! They used a 2-pronged piece of bamboo and ink made from a special palm-nut.

Once painted some of us went on a tour of the jungle with a shaman who showed us some of the many medicinal plants that they use on a regular basis. Treatments for snakebites, dementia, toothache (my mouth was numb for half an hour! LOL), diarrhea, erectile dysfunction (although this remedy takes about 3 days to work - plan ahead!) and an antibiotic cream for cuts. All of these plants were found within 100 metres of the village.

We meet the village

After the waterfall, we continued upriver until we reached the village. The sounds of music and laughter rose over the birds and insects to greet us. Thatched roofs atop the river bank and children swimming in the river.


We met Anne's father-in-law and mother-in-law and several other members of her adopted family - none of them much taller than 5 ft. tall but all adorned in beautifully patterned dress and beads.



A large, thatch-roofed structure served as a meeting place and display centre for woven and carved crafts made from died plant materials. We were free to move around the village and take pictures.



The people were engaging and anxious to try broken English with us although their Spanish was much better.

We also tried to learn some of their words:
meera chaba = Hello friend