Toronto: Crazy for Patios

Toronto is patio-crazy, even in April. It still snows in April, but if we can find a patio somewhere, we'll use it. No tables? No service? No problem! For some of us, a book is as good as a beer. Okay, maybe not many of us, but for some of us, it's just fine.

Many casual eateries have patios, but don't be fooled: a busy patio is not a sign of good food or service. It's a sign that the sun falls on the patio, and that's it. Even I've hit the various corner patios of Church and Maitland (3 out of the 4 corners are pubs with patios) chasing the sun. 

We will dress in our winter coats, we will sit a foot away from patio heaters, anything to start to get that summer feeling. After a long, cold winter, who can blame us? Heck, on April 7, the temperature was 6 C (about 42 F) and I saw someone on the Churchmouse and Firkin patio (Church and Maitland) in a t-shirt! Personally, I expect to be on the Churchmouse patio come this afternoon!
 

Radio: Jennifer Berezan

If you're been listening to the radio station (you have, haven't you?) then you know the big news is Poseidon and the Bitter Bug, by the Indigo Girls. You probably already own a copy. But did you know that in 2005, Emily Saliers appeared on End of Desire, by Jennifer Berezan? Let me tell you a little bit about this Canadian singer (nice segue, eh?). 

Jennifer Berezan is a unique blend of singer/songwriter, teacher, and activist. Over the course of eight albums, she has developed and explored recurring themes with a rare wisdom. Her lifelong involvement in environmental, women’s, and other justice movements as well as an interest in Buddhism and earth-based spirituality are at the heart of her writing.

Her intense and personal approach to music as a transforming experience has brought her strong rapport with audiences from small clubs to large festivals throughout North America and Europe. Her ground breaking work as a recording artist and teacher has established her as a leading voice in the field of music and healing and she is an acclaimed producer of large scale multi-cultural ecstatic musical events. She teaches at the California Institute of Integral Studies in the department of Philosophy and Religion. 

Her 1988 debut album In the Eye of The Storm laid the groundwork for what has since become music in a style that then had no label but today is part of “Americana” (I still have the cassette tape around here somewhere).

1993 saw the more rock oriented Borderlines, and in 1995 she released She Carries Me (featuring special guest Olympia Dukakis in a spoken word part.) Refuge came in 1997, and her amazing Returning album was released three years later.

In 2000 she traveled to Malta to create Returning, a cross cultural chant-based piece. This breakthrough work pioneered her unique approach to creating long playing, layered compositions. It was recorded in a 6000 year old oracular underground chamber in the world’s oldest temples.

Returning was followed by Praises for the World (2002), which features special guest Alice Walker and singers from a variety of cultural and spiritual traditions. This release developed into a large scale theatrical piece as Jennifer embraced her love of collaboration. It involves nearly 60 musicians, dancers, poets, actors and activists. Performances have included guest artists Alice Walker, Gloria Steinem, Olympia Dukakis, Marisa Tomei, and Eve Ensler.

Berezan’s most recent release, End of Desire (2005), is a breathtaking work that reveals her broad musical influences and interests. Acoustically based with Jennifer’s guitar and smoky vocals at the forefront, it is a warm and haunting production. It includes a vocal appearance by Emily Saliers (Indigo Girls).

You can hear Jennifer, the Indigo Girls and others on LesbianFunWorld Radio. 
 

Contest: Winner!

Our congratulations to Olga from Ireland the winner of our March free t-shirt draw for a Lick-A-Chick t-shirt. Olga, thanks for entering! This is Olga, showing off her great new Lesbianfunworld t-shirt.  

The April free t-shirt draw ends April 15, and this month's t-shirt is a personal favourite of mine, Love! Drop by the website and enter! Remember you have to correctly answer a not-so-hard multiple choice question to be eligible. And remember you can surf the web to get the answer, so no excuses!

T-Shirts: New

 Adorable rainbow panda bears adorn the latest LesbianFunWorld t-shirt design. Repetition of the design creates a strong visual statement, while the red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple colours create the rainbow we all associate with Pride. I created this after a particularly bad stretch of news in the world. As the economy goes down, the traditional family unit becomes a very dangerous place for women and children as the level of violence goes up. The news stories were horrible, and I was getting weary and my spirits were flagging. I  needed to create a simple, loving, positive design, and this little beauty emerged. 

And I bet you want some panda facts, don't you? No problem!

• Scientists have confirmed using DNA that pandas are, in fact, bears

• At last count, there were 1,600 pandas in the wild

• Newborn panda cubs are about the size of a stick of butter: 1/900th of the size of mom

• Although pandas are carnivores (meat eaters), they actually thrive on bamboo

Free to be me! These dancers are set against a bright rainbow background while birds fly overhead. There's lots of movement and freedom in this design, perfect for Pride events. 

Did You Know... we have a new selection of organic t-shirts? Yep! Every one of our designs is now available on organic tees of all sizes. From babies to fitted adults, we have great organic cotton t-shirts from American Apparel. 

T-Shirts: Quick Hits

	Inspired by the Indigo Girls' "Sugar Tongue" from their new release, Poseidon and the Bitter Bug. Satisfy My Sugar Tongue is as political, as sexy and as mysterious as you want it to be. In blue text with an indigo outline. Want other lyrics-inspired and performer-inspired t-shirts? Keep an eye on the new Musically Inclined section
	Mimi On The Beach is a quirky, wonderful song about a woman on a pink surfboard. This design has the pink board with white flowers, and the following text on the back:  The Great Leveller is coming Mimi  And he's not going to stop to take your pulse And he's not going to ask you why you're the way you are And I think that's the worst part You never get a chance to explain yourself And he's going to take those mountains And shove them into the valleys Until there's nothing left except a vast expanse And you'll float there, Mimi On the flat Sargasso Sea of your soul And if they pull you away from your bleaching pink surfboard And stretch you across the wind You'll make no sound Wet leaves on a dry map Nothing, nobody The Great Leveller or the great escape?
	Castro Street is a destination street for lesbian and gay travellers looking for queer hotspots, restaurants, pubs and bars. Show your gay and lesbian pride with this Castro Street sign! Did you Know... we have more than 60 other street signs, from 5th Avenue to University Avenue, from Church St to Gay St! Visit our Family and Country section for a full selection.

Lifestyle: Wine

I wanted a wine that would go with tandoori chicken, and a Beaujolais is a nice choice (oooh, sorry for the blurry picture). Beaujolais is made from the Gamay grape, and generally originates from France. They have light tannins, but strong acidity. The are light-bodied, and thus good for warmer days and cool nights, like springtime. They have enough flavour to stand up against tandoori (but not a really strong curry).

If you love a scandal, here's an interesting bit of Beaujolais  gossip. There's a type of wine called Beaujolais Nouveau (pronounced bow-sha-lay new-vo) which is really fresh. Normally, wine sits around and ages, but Nouveau wine is meant to be drunk very young. In 2001, a small French newspaper quoted a French wine critic saying that the year's Beaujolais Nouveau was "vin de merde", which translates roughly to "shit wine." Wine producers sued the magazine under an obscure law which punishes people who insult French products. They won, and the scandal broke in major newspapers around the world. By 2005, the highest court of appeal in France determined that there was no insult, and ordered that the wine producers in the lawsuit had to cover the court costs of the newspaper.  

Georges DuBoeuf made this 2007 vintage, and they too were at the heart of a scandal. In 2005, they were charged with mixing low-grade wine with better wine, because the 2004 vintage was terrible. Georges DuBoeuf said it was human error, and that nothing was ever released to the public. The production manager admitted his actions and resigned, and a court found that both "fraud and attempted fraud concerning the origin and quality of wines" had been committed. They definitely learned their lesson, and produce good affordable wine now.

Now you have 2 great stories to tell while sharing a bottle of Georges DeBoeuf Beaujolais over tandoori chicken!
 

Lifestyle: Books

J.M. Redmann is back! Death of a Dying Man is the latest installment in the Micky Knight series. This is the fifth in the series, and it's been a long time coming (about 10 years!). The book is set to be released this month, and you can pre-order it from Bold Stroke Books, Amazon, Indigo and all sorts of other stores.

From Bold Stroke Books (publisher): "New Orleans PI Micky Knight just had to get into a butch pissing contest with the journalist partner of a famous doctor working with her lover, Cordelia James. Micky’s insistence that the skills of a reporter are of no use to a PI backfires, and now she’s stuck with a drop-dead gorgeous assistant and the case of a dying gay man looking for a child he might have fathered. These chains of events—and an act of nature—will tear Micky’s life apart in ways that may never be put back together. "

Redmann is currently living in New Orleans, and is scheduled to appear on May 9 (1pm-3pm) at Garden District Books to discuss the novel and sign copies. Hey, if you're going, get me a signed copy, would ya? Kelly would love it!

Sue's Other Stuff

I've been painting like a mad woman again, with more author portraits. Below is Ann-Marie McDonald, the cutie-pie lesbian author of the Oprah Pick book, Fall On Your Knees. She's an actor too, and if you have never seen I've Heard The Mermaids Singing, stop everything you are doing and go rent it. It's a five-star film as far as I am concerned. You can see other portraits (and if you're bold enough, check out the new erotic paintings!) at my art website. 

I'll be back next month with another newsletter. But until then remember...

 Love Women, Have Fun, Wear T-Shirts!

-- Sue