Fighting Distraction and Love for Savage

I think I pretty much won the Friend Lottery. I've always been blessed with friends who have incredibly big hearts. My besty (like many of my close friends) is a huge environmentalist; two of my best friends are studying to be nurses - one of them even after his mom contracted SARS as a nurse on the job during that whole terrifying event, and one of them is this supersoftspoken girly girl; and now, one of my best friends in university just discovered a newfound passion in social issues. She's started this blog called Fight Distraction With Action, which features her very articulate articles on a range of topics pertaining to social issues like slavery, violence and gender issues. Her writing shows such a depth of thought and it has made me re-examine my attitudes on these topics and what I can do, as well as how my range of ability can make a difference. Huge props to her, and go check out her blog!

On a different note, I've been nursing my ailing self all weekend, willing this awfulness to go away before my trip, and while I was holed up in my room in bed just keeping myself alive, I discovered Savage Love, Dan Savage's internationally-syndicated sex advice column for The Stranger. You see, I was getting my daily dose of Lainey Gossip, when I watched this vid she posted of Ashton Kutcher who happened to be on Bill Maher while he was interviewing Dan Savage (clip below). And I just instantly loved him because, my faghagness aside, he's hilarious and really well-spoken. So I found his column online and have been spending hours and hours reading back issues of it - I almost finished 1999 in a day, and let me tell you, that's a lot of reading. Thank goodness I only have one exam left (for now, anyway), and it'll be over soon.

Dan is really funny, and frank, and open, and he's heard it all, and I think he spreads a really positive vibe about sex and sexuality. He's all about consent, playing safe, and being good, giving and game (GGG). I also love when he puts people in their place when he receives letters that are obviously fake. Definitely check out his column for a devilishly fun read.

A note to Dan himself: You are so much better than Ashton Kutcher!

Philanthropy & Colin Asuncion Art 2008

Pardon me for sounding like the worst person ever, but - did you also suffer from charity overload when you were in school? You know, where there are a million different groups out there trying to raise money, crashing your classes and stopping you on campus day in and day out to bug you for cash and inundating your life with ads?

For me, it began in high school. But at least people were earnestly raising money for the sake of their causes and doing charity work really for the charity (except those two or three jerks who were only actually just trying to pad their résumés - but they were never the ones to work hardest, anyway).

In university, I got pretty disillusioned about philanthropy because I felt that people were always using charity as an excuse to do stupid things and/or to make a fool of other people. But maybe that was just unique to my circles. For example, the organization I was in held a frat boy beauty pageant every year. It might sound like fun, but really, we were essentially humiliating people in the name of charity. Some guys liked the attention, sure, but most were forced to participate by their fraternities to make a showing, because they were "pledge bitches." The mentality was, if you have a philanthropy quota to fill every year, might as well make it fun, right? Raising lots of money for charity also gives an organization bragging rights.

I won't even begin to tell you what the fraternities did "in the name of charity." Their events weren't ALWAYS negative or demeaning to women or humiliating or completely assinine, but the vast majority that took place when I was at school were. My point is that a lot of the time, students lose sight of why they are doing charity work and instead use philanthropy as an excuse to do stupid things/have fun at the expense of others, or to party, or to beef up their résumés, or to somehow benefit themselves. And that just crushes the spirit of doing charity work for the benefit of other people out of the goodness of your own heart.

And then there are people like my friend Colin. He holds an art show every year to sell his paintings and display his other artistic work, and he donates the money to a different cause every year. This year the proceeds from admissions will go to the Centre of Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, which provides care and helps the 1 in 4 affected Canadians. Sure, Colin enjoys painting and creating, but he donates his time, energy and his work for causes he believes in because he wants to make a difference, and I really admire that. I also love to see how he develops as an artist.

He held a joint show earlier this summer, which was fantastic, and his solo show is taking place tomorrow! If you will be around downtown Toronto tomorrow and have some free time between 3:00-6:00pm, go check out his show, located in St. Michael's Choir School auditorium at 66 Bond St. Enjoy the art, the fantastic food and most of all, help make a difference.

Green Is Sexy

I know, right? This car is so hot I almost can't handle it. If the naked guy in the Sex & the City movie were a car, I think this would be him. Dark, streamlined and incredibly eye-catching.

But you know what the coolest thing about it is? This is a hybrid.This is the first car by Austin, Texas-based Ronn Motor, a company that specializes in eco-friendly sexiness - I love that, because I've always felt that hybrids look like coloured golf carts.

The Scorpion uses hydrogen fuel injection technology to increase fuel mileage by 30-50% and to minimize carbon emissions to nearly nothing. First, water is generated in the tank by the electrical system, and then it goes through electrolysis - remember high school chem? - which means that the hydrogen is separated from the oxygen. Then, the H₂is injected into the car's system, where it's converted to electricity, which powers the car.

Pretty snazzy.

And the price you have to pay to look cool while doing your part in protecting the environment/save gas money? Only $150,000. ;}