Jesus Goes To The Porn Convention

Good Lord. I've sinned AGAIN! Well by the time I finish this post I will have. Don't worry, I've got confession tomorrow.

I've been biting my tongue on this one for a while, but it keeps rearing its head and I have a disorder. It's called 'Being unable to shut up when it comes to matters involving religion in which one finds amusing, confusing and/or sillynosis'. Any Christian man or woman who is engaging in sexual immorality of any kind is a person in conflict. Are you in conflict? XXXChurch is here to help!

Founded in 2002 by Craig Gross (who according to the website, Gross & the xxxchurch believe what Billy Graham believes- which I find a bit curious, as wouldn't "most Christians" say something along the lines of what God teaches, or what the Bible says, right off the bat? Isn't God the focus? Anyway, minor detail. The Great Billy Graham beliefs can be found here), XXXChurch is "designed to bring awareness, openness and accountability to those affected by pornography".


So what this means, is a team of Jesus-lovin' individuals will show up at your next porn event - such as the Vancouver Taboo Naughty But Nice Sex Show, handing out bibles and spreading the good news that Jesus loves them no matter what their involvement in porn, to help those addicted and offer advice to those who are merely tempted. Because we all know, watching porn here and there, livening up your sex life with some toys or whatnots, or heaven-forbid fantasizing while you masterbate is going to lead to a full blown addiction, or better yet, a trip to hell.


Don't get me wrong, I think this whole idea of an outreach for individuals who are indeed struggling is okay, but what the hell, why not set your booth up outside the doors, and mingle with the rest of the church folk, where you're not infringing on the rights of porn-friendly people, and you can feel safe knowing your eyes will not wander to the scantily clad bimbo's booty as she passes by (a sin!) or ponder the use of a rainbow dildo on display at the next booth over (a sin!)... I mean really...

This is a billion dollar industry, world-wide. It's not going anywhere. Sure, maybe you need to secure your computer so your 12 year old isn't watching it, and seek counselling if you're spending all day in front of the screen or the credit card company is after you to pay back the money you spent renting every movie at the adult video store. And yeah, if you are a woman tired of being degraded and trying to get out of the industry, by all means contact this church.

But it is what it is.

Some people like sex, others like sex toys, and some even like sex with the same sex.. (sin! sin! sin!) Some people like tattoos, which according to various religious groups is basically a sin and often results in a quote from Leviticus: "Do not cut your bodies for the dead, and do not mark your skin with tattoos." So is there a TattooChurch out there somewhere, sending out their drones for the tattoo and body art conventions?

I just say let people be people.

Craig Gross takes on Ron Jeremy in the Great Porn Debate (more vids under xxxchurch)

Jesus goes to the porn convention! (the absurdity of it all)

The Angry Man of Jazz

Charles Mingus was a GOD. To this day he is my idol and in my past life I was his F-hole.

This month at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, Mingus is being featured. What I wouldn't do to go to the Jazz Mecca of New York... Midtown Manhattan...Birdland...Harlem...Carnegie Hall. Where the likes of Mingus, Coltrane, Theolonius Monk, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and other greats let loose their musical fury.

Mingus was a hot-headed bassist, composer, and pianist, known for his combativeness, both on and off stage. He strove to create unique music to be played by unique musicians and took his music seriously. At one gig at Birdland in 1955, after Charlie Parker had arrived late, and then left again after seeing the pianist Bud Powell so drunk he could barely stay on the piano bench...and then a second eruption involving an argument between Parker and Powell (who eventually stormed off the stage) over the next tune... Mingus told the crowd: "Please don't associate me with any of this. This is not jazz. These are sick people!" Despite his outbursts, Mingus was a musical genius, and a legend in the history of Jazz.

This man's music puts my soul at ease. All I need is him plucking his bass, as I tap my toes, sip on some Merlot and listen...

Without further ado...

Turn that fucking mic on

And in case you were wondering how to teach your cat some manners, as Mingus did so with his own cat Nightlife, try the Charles Mingus Cat Toilet Training Program

One Foot In Front Of The Other

She listens to the whispers of her soul and follows them where they lead....

Upon arriving home from work today, I found a lovely surprise in the mailbox. I was so ecstatic I did the Charleston.

My sister Little C, sent me an inspirational card. The message was just perfect for where I'm at & need to be going. It was a message on dreams. Funny girl, she sent a yellow balloon along with it. However, I refuse to blow it up because then it would eventually deflate to a sad pile of crinkly lemon rubber and I would have to throw it in the trash, and I cannot do such a thing. So the balloon now sits on the card which sits on my desk, next to my latest vision board where I can sit and stare at it all day and dream up some more dreams.

Curious, how the arrival of things are always well-timed. Sisters have an innate sense of this, I'm sure. There have been so many of these happenings, all over this canvas of life, that they are hard to ignore. I used to credit this to divine Providence, back in my God-days (the good old days). Now, I'm not sure what it is. A force to be reckoned with for sure...

It's amazing how the littlest things, the simplest acts of love & kindness, can bring you so much joy.


What brings you joy?

Here We Come

But not quite yet... I (and who knows who else will have committed to the insanity by then) will be taking on the most famous hiking trail in BC.

75 kilometres (47mi) of isolated, natural Canadian wilderness including caves, coves, cliffs, surge channels and coastal geology. Ladders, bridges and suspension cables add to the fun. Somewhere I read there are approximately 50 ladders to climb! And who wouldn't want to spend a week with Mother Nature. I can already smell the fresh rainforest air. There is so much preparation to do for this trek, both physically and mentally, but it has begun.

The history of the trail is filled with tragedy. Many ships have gone down along this western shoreline, known as "The Graveyard of the Pacific". Two lighthouses and a telegraph wire had been installed along the coast in the 1800s to aid navigation, in an attempt to prevent this from happening. In 1907, after 136 passengers aboard the Valencia perished in a fierce storm in 06, the old telegraph route was upgraded to a lifesaving trail eventually evolving to what it is today: the West Coast Trail.

It sounds like a freaking blast, albeit an incredibly arduous & treacherous undertaking. I'm up for a challenge.

Blue Peak Travel Photography has some awesome photos of the trail:



What's your most memorable hiking experience? What do you consider to be the most important advice in preparing for a long trek? Things you can't live without on the trails?

See The Forest For The Trees

A lake, a book, a fire, some film. Sounds like serenity to me...

Evocative Debris

"Capturing the dark and evocative debris that radiates from his mind"...

I caught myself admiring the work of Surrealist fetish/mutilation artist Brian M. Viveros again. A sultry menagerie of lust and the macabre. Apparently, smoking is sexy. The cancerous stick makes an appearance in the majority of his pieces. Too bad. However, this is his signature style, along with heavy black seductive eyes and the overall imagery of a Femme Fatale. I read in one of his interviews that he paints the cigarette last and this is when he knows the painting is complete. When he finishes with hers, he can have his. The process of Viveros starts with a drawing on paper, then he transfers it to maple board. Using an airbrush, along with charcoal and ink, or oils and acrylic, he creates these erotic beauties. I am in love:

Hang Over

Fight Klub
Evil Last
Dirtyland IV

Pass the Gas
Lazy Eye
Bullfight Her

Up to you

Steve Earle has some great songs. I've been listening to this one in particular as of late: It's all up to you. The lyrics really hit home when I first heard it. Bikkja does an amazing cover of the song. I was delighted to find it while looking for the original by Earle. I actually like her version better as it's softer, more melodic... haunting. Have a listen:



No matter which way the wind blows
It's always cold when you're alone
Ain't no candle in the window
You've got to find your own way home
Now the rain ain't gonna hurt you
It's come to wash away your blues
It's all up to you

No body said it would be easy
But it don't have to be this hard
If you're lookin' for a reason
Just stand right where you are
Now there ain't no one out to get you
They've got to walk in their own shoes

It's all up to you
It's all up to you
No one else can get you through
Right or wrong, win or lose
It's all up to you

You can stand out on that highway
Look as far as you can see
But when you get to that horizon
There's always someplace else to be
But don't you stop to look behind you
'Cause you've got some travelin' left to do
It's all up to you

The message is nothing new, but the reminder is always welcomed. It's so easy to forget...especially when difficult situations arise or people are their usual jovial selves (tongue in cheek). But it's true.

Such a Gentleman...

They say chivalry's dead, but I think you're making a pretty strong case for it's revival...

A Pug Named Moustache

"I would describe the practice of making art as requiring a mix of rapt dedication and raw conviction. It is one of the purest acts of faith I know about." ~ Sheila Norgate





Last night, I had the honour of attending "i never met a blank canvas i didn't like" by Sheila Norgate, a local visual artist. She photographed her painting process with a tripod set up in her studio and presented it in a series of slides. The timing of this show was bang on, as I have been awaiting inspiration for a while now (Merci beaucomp, JG!).

Paintings evolved from a glaring white canvas to charming pieces of art, subconsciously, through the eyes and mind of this incredible lady. The spontaneity of it all was quite hilarious. She would bring certain elements onto the canvas on one slide, and when we reached the next slide it had either morphed into something quite different, or been painted over altogether... and so on. It was almost stop motion. She made it all the more interesting with her narrations.




It's interesting to see the way different artists approach the canvas and a gift to be able to take with you a little something from each one. Whether it be a new idea, a new style or technique, or simply a burst of inspiration.

Her work can be found on her website: www.shelianorgate.com