Bottle Fairy very cute! (kawaii!)

I just discovered the cutest anime of all time. Its called Bottle Fairy and its a 13 episode series. The plot basically consists of four adorable fairies that live in a guy's house and try to learn about the world in order to become more like humans. The boy they live with isn't given a name, just "Sensei-san" which translates into teacher. His ten-year-old neighbour, Tama-chan, comes over to teach the fairies the meaning of concepts like college, or love letters, or valentines, and it often goes awry, which is appropriate seeing as this is a comedy.

Each fairy represents a season, and every episode represents a month, with one additional episode. Kururu is the spring fairy, with pink hair and an uber-enthusiastic attitude 24/7. She often assumes the leader role but tends to go over the top. She also develops a crush on Sensei.

Hororo is the winter fairy, with brown hair. She is kind of slow and ambles along in the series, and also has the largest appetite (she always finishes her portions first). She has a tendency to roll...and can be caught staring at the screen as if she knows there is an audience. There are also a few moments in the series that hint at her attraction for Kururu.

Chiriri (my personal favourite) is the summer fairy with long blonde, sailor moon-length reminiscent pig tails. She always wears a cute little handkerchief/hat on her head and likes to adapt many different objects into headwear. She has a surreal imagination, which usually resembles a soap opera, and tends to be very lady-like.

Sarara is the autumn fairy, with grey hair. She is the tomboy of the group, and always tries to integrate a battle into every situation. She is a typical kendo (japanese fencing) girl, with an obsession for samurai swords and ninja tactics. While the other fairies dress in feminine attire Sarara dons masculine clothing.

Short but sweet, this anime involves a lot of wordplay, and as the fairies learn the meanings of japanese cultural terms with many mishaps along the way, so does the audience. It involves a lot of imaginary role-playing, gung-ho competitions, high expectations, adorable misunderstandings, gender switching, and cute daydreams.

With each episode only 12 minutes long its also ideal to finish in one night. I highly recommend it if you have some spare time, a fetish for childlike sentimentality and if you still like to believe in tiny fairies.

Dragonette Live at the Phoenix Concert Theatre April 3rd

When Martina Sorbara stepped onto the stage it was all over. On a Thursday night the sex-charged leading vixen from Dragonette appeared underneath an array of multi-coloured lights at Toronto’s Phoenix concert theatre and the crowd lost their shit. In a clinging black leather tank top and even tighter leather jeans, the home grown artists started off their set with “Jesus doesn’t love me”, countering the intentions of the audience who couldn’t help eye fucking her all night. Martina took it like a man though, and impressed with her strong voice that could turn from light to rich and syrupy coated in an instant. It’s always a deadly combination.

She definitely got around, performing a mixture of the spunky sound the band is known for, a cover, and even dangled a new song to tantalize drooling fans. When their signature song, “I get around,” started up, bodies started to pulse to the beat that launched the popularity of this Canadian band during the summer. Martina pumped her fist in the air and beamed as she leaned toward the crowd and sang the words that were filling the thick, energy fused atmosphere. She danced and swung her body to the rhythm as lights flash behind her, highlighting her Peter Pan hair cut.

When it came to songs like “True Believer”, and “Black Limousine,” Martina coated the lyrics with delicious sexual tones and released frustrated sighs that escaped at the end of every chorus. Her voice was punctuated by a seductive ring; a long moan of yearning that hung in the air and lured you in to soak it up. It seems to be her style to create an aura of desire and suggestion when most of her lyrical themes involve an element of sexual release, such as the song “You Please Me.” Every passionate burst of breath sounds like she’s making love to the microphone, and by extension, the audience. Its impossible to resist the enticing invitation.

Even in a larger venue, Martina interacts well with the crowd and makes it feel as intimate as the Mod Club. She proudly announced that this is the first time the band has witnessed scalpers at their show and asked with a smile if anyone took advantage and bought a ticket.

Their new song, “Stupid Grin,” was as electrified and gutsy as any other, with lines like “First thing in the morning, I wanna tell ya see ya alligata.” Martina bent over the microphone, “You won’t be getting nothing, that’s tough, wake up and smell the muffins,” her cat-like features defined as her figure was routinely illuminated by candy coloured lights.

The band’s cover of “Woman,” by Wolfmother radiated an electric-pop sound with funkier guitar and a powerhouse of fiery vocals from Martina. As the end of the show drew near the singer walked over to husband and bassist, Dan Kurtz, and ejaculated a command that he take off his sweater for Christ’s sakes. When she pulled the

zipper down the crowd got a glimpse of the pink heart patterned t-shirt underneath.

As a grand finale, the opening band, Sweet Thing, returned to the stage in barbershop quartet hats to accompany Martina’s light, feel-good lyrics in the song, “Lucky.” The boys had fun with it, doing spontaneous jigs while crooning harmoniously with the leading lady. It was a playful ending to a night that really “went all the way” to satisfy.

re-alesse-tic, fl-alesse or just b-allesse-tic?

I don't know about you, but I'm getting sick and tired of staring up at Alesse ads on the subway, and on t.v., and any other place where these posters of self-assured girls ambiguously represent a glamorized form of birth control. Especially the new ones where every word that could possible be combined with the word Alesse, is morphed into some kind of grotesque pill inspired frankenstein-vocabulary. Its a monster of misrepresentation, thats for sure. No one cares about the information, just the brand-name.

Its like the pill became the new gucci bag, what style do you have?

The last time I went to the doctor for my birth control refill I was considering choosing another brand. When I asked for an explanation about Alesse, or at least a list of side effects I didn't get much of an anwser. I was simply sent off on my merry way. It was like the mentality was, "just shut up and nevermind your questions little girl, now go and get your pills and don't worry yourself with medical mumbo-jumbo you can't understand."

I left the doctor's office with the feeling that I had just made a bad transaction. Like I bought a new pair of jeans that didnt fit...and the sales clerk failed to tell me what the sizes were.

Women need to be properly informed when making choices that impact their sexual health, and when all they see are posters of women who are appear so confident and "re-alesse-tic", they may attribute birth control with behavorial characteristics that are false.

The message becomes, "If you buy this birth control you are smart, and completely in control of the future of your sexual health, case closed." So this brand of pill becomes idolized without providing girls with any concrete, vital information. Leave that to the doctors, Alesse will sell you "the confidence" instead.

Will that prevent pregnancy or a sexually transmitted infection? I don't think so. I don't care what the ad says. That's not realistic in any sense of the word.

Shameless adventure

Graffiti scope

The ultimate corner

fear of dogs at its best

Happy Birthday custard buns, a. k. a. pink bums

drooooools so yummy

My mystery lover

Being a shameless girl

Welcome to Graffiti alley

Where a kaleidoscope of colors stains your mind with lasting impressions. Where paint fumes hang in the air like a brightly toxic fog. Where graffiti artists come to play in Toronto's urban playground. Where the world becomes your canvas.

This stretch of alleyways runs south of queen street from Spadina to Portland. A sub-section of it is where Ricker Mercer conducts his weekly rant, and every summer in July (if they have the available funding) a non-profit organization called Style in Progress hosts a legal 24 hour free-for-all of legal graffiti here. Why go to the freakin' CN Tower when you can see one of the sweetest outdoor galleries around? I haven't attended Canada's largest hip-hop festival yet, but it definitely should be on anyone's to-do list.

Since I'm currently working on a story about female graffiti artists I loved the fact that I've been able to talk to some of the women in these videos, and delve into why less women are involved in the sub-culture. According to Janna Van Hoof, the organizer of Style in Progress, over 100 artists plaster the walls of this alley with their own artistic identity. About eight of those taking part are female. Hopefully in time that will change.

For those who believe that graffiti is art, check out graffiti alley during Style in Progress and watch masterpeices unfold.



The woman with dreadlocks is named Phresha Le Vandale, and her art is also located at the bottom of this blog.



The lady with the red hair, and who talks with the yellow mask on is EGR (Erica Gosich Rose)

Picnicface goodness

Personally, I find these side-splittingly hilarious. Got dinner in the oven? A baby in the tub with a toaster? A cat in the washing machine? Forget about it all for a goddamn irresponsible moment and watch these videos. Better yet, pour a glass of wine, relax in front of the fire with your lover and watch these videos. They get the party started everytime.



Bow-chika-wow-wow.



Subliminal messages can be a bitch eh.




Every journalist's worst nightmare.



The music sold me. Plus the waddling tiny-whities men.