Category Archives: You Magnificent Bastard

Birfday Swag!

You Magnificent Bastard 8 Replies

I’ve had a nice birthday, thank you very much! 46 has come and my husband proves that he’s the master for gift giving.

Here’s what I got:

Starting in the upper left corner, going clockwise: Star Wars Sandtrooper, Eeyore (every line he had in the latest Winnie the Pooh movie was funny, which I found funny ironic funny), issue #1 of Kevin Keller (yes, the gay character come to Riverdale), a t-shirt of issue #1 of Star Wars comic (which I owned and somehow lost over the years… $ob!) and in the middle there, a beautiful INTUOS Wacom tablet. I’m gonna draw again, bitches!

That I Could Do

You Magnificent Bastard 10 Replies

Paul Kane is walking across a a big chunk of Australia for charity. Seems altruistically normal enough. Thing is, he’s doing it in a Trooper suit.

Toronto Star photogallery

When people started to send me links about this via Twitter or email (or even a co-worker over my cube wall) that there was this guy doing this thing in a Stormtrooper suit and did I know about it, I had one of those gut wrenching “I should have/could have thought of that” moments.

Sort of like seeing the trailer for “The Beginners” (wow a movie about a dad who comes out of the closet – the same idea I’ve had in my head for the last 10 years or so).

Anyway, so I started to think hard about how I could plus this up if I were to do something with my suit:

Just steal borrow the idea. Nothing is new – there are no original thoughts. One might argue that our Aussie boy got the idea from Terry Fox. Yeah! Where’s your originality now, Mr Kane? Huh?

Then the whole logistics of doing something like that comes into play. How am I going to pay rent if I take the (approximately) 3 years it would take for me to walk across Canada? I doubt I’d have a husband to come home to, as well. So no, short and sweet seems to be the tonic.

Do a different kind of strenuous activity. Basically wearing a trooper suite more than 30 min in this summer heat would result in me fainting like a Dickensian character. So that’s particularly limiting. Unless I do something in the fall/winter. Then I would need a Snowtrooper suit.

I thought of maybe climbing the tower but since Joe Eppele was denied the right to do so in a Sasquatch suit, then that’s out of the question.

Any ideas?

 

Couch Be Gone

Gaming, You Magnificent Bastard 2 Replies

Click to see all the horrid stains!

Good bye couch. You were never really mine, I only came into your life purely by marriage.

I’ll never forget the times I spent sitting on you. From the first time I went over to SharkBoy’s house to watch a movie I knew that I’d be spending a lot of time on you. You know I use to sit not ON you but in front of you as a sneaky way to get close to SharkBoy when he had a lot of people over for movie nights.

One time, during a viewing of Lord of the Rings, while sitting on you, dear couch, I turned to SharkBoy and said “You know how they made the waterfall effect in this movie?”

“No,” SharkBoy says.

“Chickens,” I dead pan.

We laughed for ours, couch. Remember?

We also played a ton of video games, couch. You held my ass down while I went through Infamous, Infamous 2, Bioshock, Bioshock 2, all the Gods of War, Mario on Karts, in Galaxies, and the odd Red Ring of Deaths, a couple Fallouts and lots of Vice. Vice City. In fact I spent the last hour on you playing a video game. Pretty fitting.

You were comfortable up until the last year when your stuffing shifted and you would make my hip hurt after an hour of watching TV. Time to go.

So thank you couch for bringing me much fun with the man I love.

Pride 2011

political, Queer stuff, Toronto, You Magnificent Bastard 4 Replies

SharkBoy and I had a very nice Pride, thankyouverymuch! Quiet and low keyed, we wandered, we chatted and we took some pictures! The tone this year was more political than corporate, despite TD still having the same old muscle marys hanging around their booth making phototime with straight girls from the 905. No, this year had a tension to it, most likely from a missing asshole mayor. Noticed that not one Conservative political representative was on hand (unless you count some creepy city councilor skulking with a video camera during the Dyke March) and that would probably be a good thing, considering they’re kicking a hornet’s nest of prejudice and ignorance with their opposition to Pride.

Look at me getting all serious!

Here are some pictures that go bigger when click-oed! Remember to check out my Flickr account over the next few days for updates

Keep Feeling Fascination!

Grape Soda

Distractions, General, You Magnificent Bastard Leave a reply

I’m getting my morning coffee at Starbucks with my camera bag slung over my shoulder. On the strap are two badges I got from my last trip to Disney. One is the Boba Fett “logo” that I was going to give to Sean but after learning he already had it, I deemed it cool too and slapped it on my camera bag.

The other is a faux safety pin holding a Grape Soda bottle top. The Disney/Pixar savvy will recognize it as the pin Carl wears in the movie “Up”, given to him by his first and only love. Start the waterworks, kids.

I’m interrupting this story here to share with you a Disney Wow Moment: While wandering the parks my pins were flying off my camera strap due to the little plastic clasps not holding onto the pin. When I slid my strap to take a picture, the Mickey-shaped backing would fly off and the pin would poke me in the chest. At one point I lost the backing entirely so I went to the nearest pin trading post and asked a Cast Memeber if she had any for sale. She offered to replace it for free, in a heartbeat. I laughed and said “This park will NEVER make any money with that attitude.” We talked about my problem and she suggested their Ikea-like solution: they sell a brass lug nut kind of system that tightens with an Allen Key onto the pin stem. Problem solved! I can whip my bag around without fear! And again, Disney wins over an already happy customer.

Anyway, so I’m waiting in line with these pins on my bag and the Barista spies my bag and says slowly: “Grrrraaaape. Sooooda…?” Obviously asking without asking.

“From the movie Up? It’s the pin…” I start.

“Oh I love that movie!” She exclaims. Then her face darkens. “Oh. That pin will make me cry…”

My job here is done.

Cat Sitter

You Magnificent Bastard 4 Replies

When we travel we entrust our two precious celebrity cats, Billy Dee Williams and George Hamilton, to the gentle care of postbear. You may have read one or two of his caustic comments on here. He’s a thing of beauty.

Postbear is a bit of a hoarder. Not in a horrific A&E kind of hoarder, no. He collects amazing oddities of broken toys, books and head scratchingly obscure CDs (best find: a salsa version of Kraftwerks greatest hits).

When we return on from our trips we usually take about a week to find all the things he’s left us in our absence. Here’s a few examples of the treasures we’ve come home to:

Trapped behind inpenetrable plastic!

I have no idea what it "does"

Rubber Inflatable Ring - it's ok! It's Been Tested!

HOLY FUCK KILL IT!!

The Alien plush is mine... the round painting of orange/red is not.

Both wise charcaters. Both without bodies.

New Loonies

Celebs and Media, You Magnificent Bastard 1 Reply

While in Orlando I discovered Cartoon Network. Okay I knew it was there but being Canadian we’re not allowed to have the full brunt of American culture thrust upon us, so some channels get held back so we can develop our own cartoons/shows (See Clone High)

Anyway, while dressing for Disney one morning I came across the NEW Looney Tunes and my god, it was like the shitty remixed, re-edited, cut apart, badly censored 80s were forgotten. Even the animation (while still retaining the excellent stylings of Chuck Jones) was above par for television.

Get a load of this writing/voice talent:

Are you hearing me, Teletoon?! Get this across the 49th Parallel now!

And We’re Back

Hobbies, Travel, You Magnificent Bastard Leave a reply

The weather was 99% excellent, the company was wonderful but the parks were CROWDED. I guess my sis in law and I should have looked up the most busiest times for The World… Which was last weekend! Blarg! I’ve never seen the parks so full.

But I never look a trip to Disney in the mouth. It was a great time. Expect some pics up on Flickr and right here on my blog to pump up some sagging pageviews. Here’s a tidbit:

Its a great big beautiful tomorrow

And…

So much going on in this photo...

Feline Exits The Sack

Travel, You Magnificent Bastard 8 Replies

Beyond these gates...

Back in December I decided to do something awesome for SharkBoy’s birthday – something barn-door blowing off cool that he would be knocked out at it’s awesomeness. Back then, Disney started to air these “We’re going to Disney!” surprise commercials that made me tear up like a weepy prom mom. This is what I wanted to do: drop a trip on him without his knowledge and just take off.

However, most of you know I utterly suck at keeping or giving surprises. This time was going to be different, I promised myself. This time I was going to keep my big yap shut. Could I keep such a surprise to myself and his co-workers (I had to ask his boss for time off) and not let it slip?

The first hurdle I encountered was the money. I had to shuffle large amounts of cash for the airline/park/hotel reservations which either meant fast talking and distractions with sparkly things off in the corner of his eye whenever he opened the online banking, or planning another vacation and skimming money as we made reservations for that trip. While we organized for our trip to Disneyland in August, I flipped the cash I needed. Both distractions worked excellently. I’m not saying SharkBoy is easily distracted or money-unwise, but I did have to stammer out a couple “lies” when he quizzed final balances at one point.

Secondly I had to clear it with his boss. I contacted a co-worker on Twitter who in part put me in contact with his boss. A few nice words and gentle pleading secured me the time needed without paper trail, just in case SharkBoy checked to see how many actual vaykay days he had left. I’m surprised Erin hasn’t said anything and I would like to thank her for her trust.

Then I was my own worst enemy. I vowed that I was going to stop telling people… after I told my mom and family. And I was good at keeping it to myself but after a couple months I couldn’t stand the pressure. I told his sister, Syl. She just got mad because she wasn’t invited. But she was supportive.

I told the Beach Boys, Sean and Josh while we were at Disney last spring. They looked like they were going to throw up from the treacle. That or they had too much of the rich food. Anyway, they kept quiet.

I told my co-workers who make a face when I mention Disney all the time. They’re more jealous of the time off, I think, not the destination.

And finally, just because I was going batshit crazy, I told a Disney store shop clerk in utter anticipation desperation. Last weekend we strolled into the Eaton Centre Disney store and while we were split up, browsing the cheap merch, I got into a conversation with a Cast Member. She mentioned she liked my Star Wars tee shirt and did I know that Star Wars Weekend was happening right now?

“YES!! I can’t wait… WE’RE GOING NEXT WEEKEND! BUT SHUT UP BECAUSE IT’S A BIRTHDAY SURPRISE FOR THAT GUY OVER THERE!!”

She laughed and we chatted briefly about The World. When SharkBoy meandered over to us we clammed up and laughed. When he quizzed me as to why we were laughing, I said we were talking about how gay he was. I really can’t keep my mouth shut.

Anyway. This morning SharkBoy insisted on opening his letter from my Mom which had USD$ in it. I figured he was going to question why so that’s when I handed over my iPad with all the reservation PDFs on it.

“Oh like these aren’t fake.” He said.

I’m good at Photoshop, but I’m not cruel.

I showed him another PDF for the flights. His face went white. I showed him the reservation for the park tickets. His face went whiter. I tell him about the email conversation I had with his boss. “I need to see it,” he says calmly.

I go to my computer and pull up the email. I turn and find him standing there, hands on his cheeks, mouth open.

I wish I had a video of it. Then again, it’s something I will always remember.

After a moment he turned and started to write a blog post about it. When I got out of the shower (sadly, I have to work today) he was running up and down the hall of the apartment collecting things while simultaneously checking the weather in Orlando. He does have an eye appointment this morning and will most likely have to rest for the afternoon, but I am sure he will be cleaning for the cat sitter.

I love you very much, Michel. Happy Birthday!

Comics, Walks, Flickr And Twitter

Celebs and Media, Comix, Distractions, Toronto, You Magnificent Bastard 5 Replies

Today social media overflowed into my life.

SharkBoy and I got up early-ish and had breakfast at one of our haunts… the Coach House on Yonge.

They Do, if You Ensue it Happens.

After, we hit the Toronto Reference Library for the TCAF where Social Media crashed into me hard. First I met Steve MacIssac of Shirtlifter fame and while my eyes hungrily ate up his thick frame (I follow his reference pictures on Flickr and smile), I happily shucked out $6 for a signed copy of his first comic. Signed. Suck it!!

Then it was a short hop to Joel Watson’s table. The creator of Hijinks Ensue was awesome and a really super great guy.

Me And Joel!

So I bought a book and he asked what sketch I wanted in the front cover. I hesitated and asked for “Joel”, not sure if I should have said “you” since the comic characters are of real people, himself included, in impossible geek situations. He hesitated too. “Me? Usually people ask for…”

“…Josh?” I finish. Josh is a gay character in his universe who 9 times out of 10 is the funny guy to Joel’s straight (ha.) man.

This is what I got:

I like you. I really like you!

After spending some time and cash, we wandered with our cameras down to the Distillery District and took some pics:

It's a Walking Eye, Hank! A WALKING EYE!

Then we walked down by some dockside bars and met up with @TomWDart. Actually he was out enjoying the sun and looked good especially after his bout with some viral thing.

Tall Tom

On the way home we saw some tumblers. Not the drinky drink kind, the bouncy bounce kind:

Boing!

And then SharkBoy was on his knees in the park. Tsk. But he got the shot!

Tyra called...

Now we’re about to sit down with a good movie or heroin or something. A perfect day!!