Hurray for Ellen Page!

Very glad to hear this news today.  Plus she's cute.  Makes me wish I were a lesbian ;-)

"In a speech at the Time to Thrive conference Friday, actress Ellen Page came out as gay. 
“I’m here today because I am gay,” she told the audience of LGBT youth at the Bally’s 
Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

"The 26-year old star of “Juno” appears in the upcoming “X-Men: Days of Future Past.”

“I am tired of hiding and I am tired of lying by omission,” Page said. “I suffered for years 
because I was scared to be out. My spirit suffered, my mental health suffered and my 
relationships suffered. And I’m standing here today, with all of you, on the other side of 
all that pain.”

"The sponsor of the conference, Human Rights Campaign, tweeted “Congratulations 
@EllenPage for taking the steps to live openly and come out as lesbian.”

"She told the audience she felt a personal obligation and a social responsibility to be 
honest. “Maybe I can help others to have an easier time. I am tired of hiding,” she said.

Time to boycott Russia's celebration of its bigoted self

I will not be watching Russia's disgusting celebration of itself tomorrow.  The opening ceremonies for the Sochi Games will not be playing on my TV at work, nor at home on Friday night.  I can't bear to watch a celebration of Russia's history knowing full well this is a country that is actively trying to destroy its LGBT citizens with lies and religious bigotry.

The only thing that could make me watch would be news coverage featuring the repeat of some disaster that strikes during the event.  A mechanical failure, hopefully, causing embarrassment to Russian hosts and the bigot himself, Vladimir Putin.

Even better would be a brave protest by some athlete who unfurls a rainbow flag, perhaps.  It would be nice if some enlightened athletes from the enlightened parts of the world don rainbow buttons or symbols that promote equality and dignity amid such utter hypocrisy.

I will tune in over the course of the next two weeks to cheer on Canadian athletes.  Those events will not be about the repulsive host country; they will be about athletes from around the world, including our own country.

I wish Canadians the best of luck as they compete.  I wish all the athletes a great games.

Sad news about Philip Seymour Hoffman...

"Philip Seymour Hoffman, who won the Oscar for best actor in 2006 for his portrayal of writer Truman Capote in “Capote” and created a gallery of other vivid characters...was found dead Sunday in his Greenwich Village apartment with what law enforcement officials said was a syringe in his arm. He was 46."

What a tragedy!  He was a great character actor who made his mark on cinema and will be remembered for years if not decades.  This is a real loss for everyone who loves cinema and great acting as we will now be denied more of Hoffman's immense talent.

It's sad how hard drugs can take possession of people's lives, as seems to have been the case with Hoffman.  I'm glad I've never tried anything remotely considered "hard" amongst such substances still banned by law.  And I never intend to.

A friend remarked on her Facebook page simply that "drugs are bad...don't do them."  Sure, hard, addictive drugs like heroin, cocaine and others absolutely are to be avoided.

Drugs like caffeine, sugar, alcohol, marijuana, religion, etc.?  Definitely okay in MODERATE amounts.

But I digress.   We've lost a great artist today to a very addictive and destructive drug.  Very sad indeed!