Jun 24, 2018

SCRIBBLES VIDEO | The F Words

NO.... we're not talking about THOSE kinds of F words....our clip is family friendly.  Our F words are Flowers, Felines, Feathers & Fur and they are precisely what you will find lots of in this video.

It's hard to believe that all the things you will see below were found in my own neighbourhood. There's beauty everywhere, it's just a bit harder to find these days with all the ugliness we're bombarded with on a regular basis.

I usually mention how much time it takes to create a new Scribbles Video. This one ended up being particularly challenging. Not only did I record tons of footage (most of which ended up on the editing room floor) but I also ran into some major issues when trying to format the video for you to view it. That added a few more hours to the process.

I was finally able to complete the project and deliver to you a video that I hope you enjoy and that will take you to your happy place for 7 minutes and 17 seconds.

Enjoy these fabulous F words, I know that I do.





 Music used on The F Words: 
"Toyz" by Ken Leavoy



SCRIBBLES VIDEO | Niagara Pride 2018 Had It All...Even a Blast of Snow!


I'm not sure how much time it took to put together everything required to pull off another amazing week of Pride events in Niagara, but I'm betting it was a lot.

First, on Sat. June 2 we had the Kick Off Party at the Meridian Centre, where party goers enjoyed music by DJ Jeremy Khamkeo and were entertained by Rupaul Drag Race queen, Ivy Winters.

There was the raising of the rainbow Pride flags at 8 cities and towns across the region on June 4. We sure hope someone was collecting Petro points for all the gas purchased to drive from location to location (all day long.)

Amici's was all gussied up for the 5th Annual Unity Awards on Wed. June 6. With a full course meal, an entertaining show by the infamous Miss Conception and the presenting of the awards themselves, it was a night to be remembered.

And then there was the big kahuna. The 7th Annual Pride in the Park held from noon to 10:30 pm at MacArthur....errrr.....Montebello Park on Sat. June 9. The title for this post indicates we had snow during this event. Fortunately, it was the kind we all love dearly....Chrissy Snow was back in town for the day to enjoy time in the park with many of us. Now THAT'S  a snowstorm I truly love.

Each year this venue gets larger and larger, both in the number of vendors & performers on hand, as well as the size of the crowd. With Rupaul Drag Race fan-favourites Ongina and the incomparable Thorgy Thor included on the entertainment docket plus mother nature keeping the rain away, how could anyone not have enjoyed themselves?

If you still had some energy left in you, the festivities concluded after Pride in the Park, during the appropriately named Wrap It Up Party at Detour Lounge.

Man, I get exhausted just writing about all the awesome ways Niagara's LGBTQ community & allies had to show their Pride.

I can only imagine the time it took to plan, organize and execute this week of events and tip my red baseball cap to Pride Niagara and everyone else who helped make it all a rousing success.  

Here's a video look at Niagara Pride Week - in particular, Pride in the Park - followed by sample of the show put on by Ongina and Thorgy Thor....F-bombs and all!





Putting together Oh So Proud was oh so fun....that is until I uploaded it to You Tube and soon discovered it was being blocked in 16 countries. I had never heard of 15 of the countries on the list but I was certainly familiar with the last one. It was the USA and because we have Scribbles friends in our neighbouring country and I wanted them to have access to our video, I was prepared to do whatever it took to get it unblocked.

Oh So Proud was being blocked due to copyright infringement. Having made 100 plus video clips over the years, I am aware of policies when it comes to using copyrighted material. In most cases, if you use all or part of a copyrighted song in your video, the party that owns the rights to that song will allow you to leave it in your video.

The stipulation is that ads may appear prior to, during or covering part of your clip when it appears on You Tube.

Every now and then you come across a recording company or artist whose material is strictly monitored. In these case, You Tube will block your video from being viewed in some countries and that's what happened with Oh So Proud.

The song in question was featured in a montage of pop hits which Rupaul Drag Queen alumni Thorgy Thor and Ongina performed to during their Pride in the Park appearance. Although they used less than a minute of the song which was often drowned out by cheers and laughter from the crowd in the park, using "Wanna" by the Spice Girls was a no-no. If I kept the brief segment of that song in my video, US Scribbles pals would not get to watch it. The solution was to re-edit the video minus the Spice Girls in order that everyone could watch it.

There's nothing worse than spending a ton of time putting together a video, only to have it banned from being viewed. This is why I have gotten into the habit of creating my own compositions for the musical scoring on many of my newer videos.




Although St Catharines' annual Pride in the Park was a peaceful day filled with love, diversity and acceptance, sadly the same could not be said for Dunnville’s Pride event a few weeks earlier. This was Dunnville’s second Pride festival and for the second time it was disrupted by religious zealot Jesse Morrell.

Morrell uses biblical references to denounce anything he feels is immoral. He can be found at LGBTQ events, on college and university campuses and standing atop of his portable wooden soap box pretty much anywhere he feels people need to be chastised, repent and be saved.

Frankly, he is an embarrassment and insult to those who have respectful, loving Christian values.

Although he lives in Tyler, Texas, if you pay for his plane ticket and give him a place to crash, Jesse will attend events where he will perform what he calls "open-air outreach". It is obvious someone in Dunnville feels the Pride event is inappropriate and recruits Morrell to do their evil bidding. 

This year Morrell brought in reinforcements with about 6 other protesters joining him. They brandished large offensive signs and blocked the view of the stage, while Jesse and another protester took turns drowning out the event performers by shouting out lude comments with the aid of a megaphone.

The OPP were called, but said they could do nothing because the event was being held in a public park. This sounds questionable, as the Pride event’s organizers had to book the park well in advance and they certainly should not have had to deal with Morell's harassment. 

It is unfortunate the local OPP chose to turn a blind eye on such obvious, disruptive bullying. It’s ironic that a few weeks later during St Catharines Pride in the Park, members from Niagara Regional police and religious groups were active, caring participants in the event. 

Perhaps next year we all need to show our solidarity with Dunnville’s LGBTQ community and their allies.




YOU | Around the World with Pam & Craig

PHOTOS COURTESY PAM SALTZBERRY


PAM & I ON ST. PAT'S DAY AT WORK
Great to See You Again!

In 2001 I traveled by planes to the Bahamas with my friend Jeff. I can still remember the experience of being on a secluded island and walking for over an hour along the shoreline. It felt like I was the only person on the planet and all that I could see was the sky, the ocean, the sand and the trees. I will never forget that moment.

Pam, you have traveled to so many places by planes and cruise ships. Your collection of fond memories from all the amazing places you and Craig have discovered just keeps on growing.  I am so happy that you have been able to see the world...or at least all the places I'd also like to see.

Thanks for coming to visit a few weeks ago. I enjoyed our time together. Your scrapbook of travel pix were a real treat. I hope we get to do it again soon.

xo

"Uncle Arthur"





IN MEMORIAM | Christopher Mark Young


Christopher Mark Young was a colourful, multi-talented guy. Best known for his extraordinary hairstyling skills, Christopher never shied away from expressing himself through his unique imagination and sense of style.

At one time, Chris opened his own hair salon on Pelham Road in St. Catharines. He used a little clever word play when naming his shop. It was known as Marc Kristopher Salon and he had a devoted client base, some who had followed him from a previous salon chain he once worked for.

Christopher was also an inspiring artist. When I first met him and we became friends, approximately two decades ago, his Thorold apartment looked much like an art gallery. His emotionally charged work adorned every available space. When he opened Marc Kristopher Salon some years later, he decorated the walls with some of his art pieces. Talk about truly making a place your own.

"Angel" - by Christopher -click on pix for larger view
In addition to hair design and art, Christopher also dabbled in cake decorating, where he once again found yet another canvas for his bountiful creativity.

Eventually Marc Kristopher's closed and Chris later took a position at L'attitudes Salon and Spa.

Christopher passed on May 19th. He was 48.

He is survived by his loving husband Don, his sister Annette as well as his extended family and friends. A celebration of Christopher's life was held on June 2nd at the Bell Tower Art & Entertainment Complex in Fort Erie, ON.

Christopher, you truly did things your way and created your own path. A path many of us were fortunate enough to walk along side you, if only for a little while.

With love....your friend,
Kenny

See some of Christoper's art which he posted on his Facebook page  - Click Here  
[*You must be on Christopher's FB friend list to access this gallery]





Fresca & Friskies? ...Yes Please!





Just the mention of the word "politics" can make some of us cringe. Thankfully not everyone feels that way. Case in point....We have two Scribbles pals running for political positions. One is a re-election for municipal councillor the other is running for mayor of his county.  One goes by the name Dave, the other David. 

Both are great guys and Scribbles pals. The next posts are about each of their campaigns. 

YOU | Thompson Running for Re-Election

Our friend Dave Thompson is running for re-election as Councillor for Ward 3 in the Town of Lincoln and we're thrilled for him.

On June 18th Dave wrote on Facebook; "I want to express my gratitude to the residents of Ward 3 for their support during the last two elections and appreciate their engagement during our Ward meetings this term (most engaged residents in town)."

He then added "I submitted my papers on May 1st ...as I am committed to continuing to work hard on my residents behalf during the next term. I am formally announcing that I am seeking re-election as a Councillor for Ward 3 in the Town of Lincoln, lots more work yet to do!"

Dave became a Scribbles friend when we worked together at Talk Wireless Inc. (circa 2010-2011). "Big Dog" was always great to work with and I had the pleasure of creating Thank You cards from Dave and his wife Kate following their beautiful wedding.

Best of luck Dave...I think the residents of Ward 3 in the Town of Lincoln are in good hands and trust they'll continue to show their support come election day. 




YOU | Bailey for Brant Mayor: "Change. It's Time."

PHOTO COURTESY DAVID BAILEY FACEBOOK PAGE
Scribbles friend David Bailey is back in the news with the launch of 'David Bailey for BRANT County Mayor' social media sites.

On his Facebook candidacy page David wrote, "After much thoughtful consideration, I filed my candidacy papers to run for the position of COUNTY of BRANT MAYOR in the upcoming municipal election on October 22nd, 2018."

"As many of you are aware, I have been actively engaged in community and political issues for over 25 years.... I have long sought to create effective change at the grassroots level in our great community."

Bailey also stated, "I have received very encouraging and extremely positive community feedback in response to this goal. This has enabled me to assemble a highly-capable roster of volunteers. Once elected, I am confident my past work within the community, combined with my extensive business experience, will bring a modicum of necessary change to the COUNTY of BRANT council table."

To read David's complete announcement and achievements visit 'David Bailey for BRANT County Mayor' Facebook page HERE. 

We're thrilled to see our friend David running for mayor. His list of accomplishments are long and impressive and the County of Brant would surely benefit immensely if he is elected.

You may recall seeing David and partner Jim on Scribbles in the past. Most recently, this spring, we were stoked to share the story of how portions of season 2, episode 13 of   The Handmaid's Tale was filmed at David and Jim's historic home in Brantford. If you missed that story you can read all about it (plus view exclusive behind-the-scene photos) by clicking HERE.

Best of luck David. I'm over-the-moon with enthusiasm!





SCRIBBLES VIDEO | Encore: Stuck on Scribbles

I created this video early last July in celebration of our then 38th anniversary (we're "officially" 39 this coming Labour Day.)

I thought it would be nice to kick off the summer season with an encore of 'Stuck on Scribbles' and also welcome any new readers who we met at Pride in the Park to our unique website.

Enjoy (again.)
 


HEALTH | Canine Kisses are a No No!

TIMMI KISSES MY NOSE
We love our canine companions and often treat them like they're our kids. But according to an article by Partha Nandi on McGill Media, you should never let your four-legged friend lick your face.

"You might have heard that a dog’s mouth is cleaner than a human’s, but that’s a big myth", Partha reports.

"Most animal’s mouths are loaded with bacteria and viruses, and man’s best friend is no exception. Not surprising when you think about some of their habits. They stick their noses just about anywhere and will eat just about anything … including dog droppings. And if you’ve ever seen dogs greet each other, you know their way of saying hello isn’t as sanitary as a kiss on the cheek. Their muzzles carry all kinds of organisms. Some of which are beneficial to the dog, but simply not tolerated by humans. So while the presence of this bacteria typically doesn’t impact the dog’s health, it does pose a threat to yours."

"A dog’s saliva coming into contact with your skin is not extremely likely to cause any problems as the skin tends to absorb only a small amount. However, saliva...is... more likely to be absorbed through the mucus membranes of your eyes, nose and mouth. This is why a dog licking your face can lead to serious infection."

"...Gum disease and intestinal parasites such as hookworms and roundworms can... be passed from dog to human. These infections can cause symptoms including diarrhea, vomiting, coughing, fever, skin lesions, fatigue, abdominal pain and shortness of breath, so you’ll want to carefully consider the risk you’re willing to take for those doggy kisses."

ENTERTAINMENT | Big Screen Burgers

Fans of the show Bob’s Burgers will be excited to find out that the hilarious animated sitcom will soon be coming to the big screen. The FOX hit is coming to theatres July 2020.

The series revolves around the adventures of the Belcher family; Bob, his wife Linda and their three children Tina, Gene and Louise. 

Bob runs a struggling burger restaurant and has inspirations of it becoming famous, with his kids taking over the business. Bob's family, however, doesn't share his enthusiasm, resulting in some very amusing consequences. 

Slightly edgier than the Simpsons but not as raunchy ass Family Guy, Bob’s Burgers is a sleeper hit with lots of laughs, plausible story lines and frequent musical numbers.

Bob’s Burgers enters it’s ninth season this fall.

A Moment in Time



Jun 23, 2018

KIDS | Sparkle, Sparkle!

PHOTOS COURTESY JANE STORIE 


EDITORIAL |

Hi Everyone!

I have grown to believe that in this game called life, there's no such thing as a coincidence. Things  happen for a reason and do so because that is precisely when and how they were supposed to occur. Regardless of who or what you put your beliefs in, it is that divine power and not us, that determines what goes on.

A few years ago, around the time things were really getting nasty in the States with their 2016 presidential campaign, I made a secret vow that Scribbles would be a safe haven away from the gloom and doom we find in the media and online.

I'll admit, it wasn't all that difficult to make Scribbles an "unofficial happy place". After all, it's not as though we have ever featured a lot of heavy topics or political views. There's plenty of other places one can find those types of things. For the most part, the only thing on Scribbles that might make you sad would be our memorials ....and they come from a place of deep respect and are intended as a tribute to our loved ones.

BYLNNDA & SCOTT AT BYLYNNDA'S WEDDING
A few days ago, after watching a shocking report on the separation of illegal immigrant families entering the US, I found myself prepared to break my "policy" and comment about it on Scribbles. It was just such a horrific thing to see, how could I keep silent?

Earlier that same day my friend Gloria Putman posted a video on Facebook. It was the song "Changes" sung by Ozzy Osbourne and his daughter Kelly. Gloria had put it on her page because it is her husband Scott and daughter Bylynnda's favourite song.

Gloria also posted a photo of Scott & Bylynnda dancing to that song during Bylynnda's wedding last April, along with the comment "Can we go back and do it all over again?"

As I had created a Scribbles Video of Bylynnda & Phil's wedding, I thought this would be a great time to repost it. Along with the video,  I wrote " Can't relive it again, but CAN share this video again."

Gloria must have really appreciated this. After rewatching the video, she responded with "Omgosh Ken !!!!!!You never stop surprising me. Thank-you sooooo much!!!!! Totally unexpected !!!! Absolutely beautiful....Please, please ..... don’t ever stop doing the kind gestures....Your kindness and good heartedness ....With the sadness and anger that we see in this world .... You Ken ... make a difference in each and everyone of our lives !!!!! Love you."

To say I was touched by Gloria's extremely kind words is an understatement. I felt like Sally Fields during her infamous Oscar acceptance speech ("You like me, you really like me.")

And perhaps more importantly, Gloria's reference to the sadness and anger in the world snapped me back to reality....Scribbles reality, that is.

In an era when it's easy to get caught up in all the ugliness, it's more important than ever to have things like Scribbles to counter balance that with. Gloria's words reminded me of that and to her I send a great big loving "Thank you".

Coincidence? Not from where I'm sitting.

Enjoy all the new posts and videos gang. Hope they make you smile.

With Love,
Ken


SCRIBBLES ENCORE
In case you missed it, or would like to watch it again, here's Scribbles VIDEO of Bylynnda & Phil's Wedding in April 2017...

Jun 22, 2018

VIDEO | Carpool Karaoke featuring Paul McCartney

The Late Late Show's James Corden heads to Liverpool for a special day with Paul McCartney spent exploring the city of Paul's youth, visiting his childhood home where he wrote music with John Lennon, performing songs in a local pub and of course driving around singing a few of Paul's biggest hits.

Truly a video clip you're going to remember and may want to watch over and over again.