Come for the Fjords...Stay for the Moral Chaos

It's may be a bit late in the day, but there's still time to wish the awesome 0penhearts an extremely awesome, lovely and merry-happy birthday!

( Hope you even had time for a wonderful random desert, the month and day of which coincide numerically with your expulsion from a uterus! )

Happy Expulsion/Birthday, milady!

I can't believe it - while I was passed out due to cold meds last week, I essentially slept through crackers4jenn's birthday on Wednesday! UNACCEPTABLE!

So I had to post and wish the wonderfully, awesomely talented and lovely crackers4jenn a happy belated birthday! I hope you had a wonderful day, my dear, full of birthday goodness!

I'm not going to lie, I started crying when I saw the news headline.

'Band of Brothers' inspiration dies at age 92.

Ever since I first saw the Band of Brothers miniseries back in the early 2000s and, as I do, researched the hell out of every and anything to do with the people involved, Richard D. Winters has been a bit of a personal hero of mine (though I know I'm not alone). He was classy, smart, gentle, kind...a role model in every sense of the word. An almost larger than life figure (like many from that 'Greatest Generation'), it's hard to believe time passes and suddenly, they're not around anymore. I knew he was ailing and, given his age, he wouldn't be around forever...but it still hit me when I saw he'd passed away.

( The full AP article )

( He served in a company of heroes...' )

Rest in Peace, Maj. Winters.

I was only 12 days old when John Lennon was shot and killed outside his Dakota apartment in New York City...so unlike my parents or others, I can't tell you that I remember hearing the news or where I was when it happened (though I can guess I was probably sleeping). But when this day rolls around each year, I feel the need to mark it somehow and I find myself mourning the loss regardless. There's a pain in my chest when I think about it...a welling of emotion...an incomprehensibility about the whole thing that makes my head spin. So allow me to share a bit because I feel the need :)

( Cut for slightly emotional Lennon blathering... )

Yoko Ono wrote a beautiful piece in the New York Times about John. I think most of us can only dream of connecting with someone the way they connected. I highly recommend reading it: The Tea Maker.

Just wanted to say thank you to everyone for their lovely Birthday wishes on Friday...and for the lovely LJ prezzies!

Turning the big 3-0 was a daunting thing...but it's hard to get depressed when surrounded by such awesome people on- and off-line :)

So tonight was a night of ups and downs.

The DOWN? And it's a BIG down. My city just elected a bigoted, homophobic, anti-immigration Mayor. I still can't quite believe it. I'm partially hoping I've fallen asleep and I've dreamed this...but sadly, I doubt that's the case. Seriously worried about what will happen to my beloved Toronto over the next 4 years. He's threatened to take away all arts spending, including any funding for city festivals and events. Can't wait to see what happens when the World Pride Festival rolls into town in 2014. This is a man whose supporters BOOed the runner-up when he took to the stage to make his concession speech with his son and his husband/partner. Stay classy, Ford. Ugh. On the plus side, I think Toronto's arts community and other passionate sectors are too strong/vocal to let this guy destroy them...so here's hoping they can stay standing.

If not, I'll be looking to relocate to another city...suggestions?

One interesting thing about all this is how creative and chatty people get online...here are some of the comment gems I saw fly by on my Twitter list tonight:

( Congratulations, Tom Ford on winning the election! Finally a classy mayor with fashion sense! Oh... ROB Ford?! We're screwed. )

The UP? On a more personal note, an article that I wrote for work (the Top 15 moments in Harry Potter...So Far) has been posted at ohnotheydidnt! I literally squee'd out loud when I saw it there! I have arrived! Well, okay...no I haven't...but it's still cool to see. Also loved that compaired to ONTD's regular crazy comments, the comments for this one (now at about 800 or so) are basically just people sharing the Harry Potter love. Which is what I intended with my article in the first place. It warms my heart and makes me smile. So carry on, Muggles, I heart you all!

Because I'm procrastinating at work (and trying to stay awake), I decided to take this "Which Community character are you most like?" quiz. And the results were exactly what I thought they'd be:



That's me! Sweet with hidden anger issues. Well played, BuddyTV...you are indeed streets ahead.

I am now the proud owner of Community Season 1 on DVD! HUZZAH! I can't start watching them until tomorrow but I am stoked nonetheless!!

However...rant ahead:

Less stoke-worthy? The Canadian price is over $10 more than the American ($29.50 vs. $17.99). Given exchange rates and such, this makes NO sense. It did circa 1985 or 1995 when the Canadian dollar was worth so much less but they're basically at par now (or close to it - today it's .976/1 CAN/US)...really angers me when buying things like books, CDs and DVDs. I just did the math and it would've been cheaper to order from Amazon.com even WITH shipping, etc.! Not cool, entertainment conglomerates, not cool.

Rant over. Sorry you had to sit through that.

I have the DVDs AND bought the soundtrack...so I am happy. Can't WAIT to see the outtakes and listen to commentaries!!

Heading out to James Marsters' Q&A panel at Fan Expo today. Really excited! It's been almost 5 years to the day since I last saw him "live" (*waves at hellziggy too*) and though the fan girl in me isn't quite as vocal as she used to be, she's out in force today and jumping up and down in excitement!

Taking my camera to get some pics...but don't expect anything even close to the awesomeness of say mad_brilliant_!

So yesterday my friend and I decided to have a mini-Buffy marathon where we each picked 2 of our favourite episodes to watch...so 4 total...and the only specifications were that we wanted to avoid anything super depressing (we weren't in the mood) and avoid the obvious (Hush, Once More, With Feeling, etc.)

So we ended up picking:

• Pangs


• Something Blue


• Fool For Love


• Intervention

What do all these have in common? SPIKE! While the first two aren't Spike-specific eps, I'd argue he steals each episode (although I forgot how hilarious Giles is in both...props to Anthony Stewart Head for witty Season 4 G-Man).

It was only as we finished up the episodes in the wee hours of the morning that I realized how apropos it was that we picked those ones...as today is James Marsters' birthday! He turns 48 (I know, I can't believe it either) and considering he's the reason I'm on LJ, the reason I've met such wonderful fans over the years, and the reason I got involved in fandom to begin with, it needs to be commemorated!

So Happy Birthday, James! You continue to rock my world and make me smile...