chy.ryan profile picture

chy.ryan

whatever it is spit it into a bottle and sell it to me ...

About Me

i'm a ridiculously liberal liberal with radical tendencies. i believe in and fight for social justice, there's no other choice. there are MANY ways to be an activist . find one. among other things, i'm a performance poet /spoken word provider/creative non-fiction confessor/general ink-ridden consumer::producer of text; politically conscious theatre artist and sometime social worker ; part-time anti-capitalist retail therapist. oh, and a professional homosexual . seriously. i train mental health and health care providers on LGBTTTIQ issues. lately i've conceeded i'm not what i do, but how i do . technically, i'm an english teacher, or at least according to my degree. couldn't stay in high school though; too restrictive. i've since discovered there are many ways to be a teacher , not the least of which is continuing to be a student . my studies in life and academia often set me galloping through all things queer in every sense of the word. i was working on my master's degree in human sexuality but i quit to come to canada. now i'm a bohemian expatriate ; not like all those other poseurs. yes, chy is the name my mother gave me. and yes, my mum is one rock star mutha. and yes, it's pronounced "like the tea." i am adored by children and animals, therefore my soul is pure ... no matter what you say. i'm a scorpio, but i'd rather make out than put out. francophone , but i'm a bit of an anglophile . if i could live anywhere in the world i would go back to london, england not ontario. i believe in beauty , in all forms. style is important to me; labels are not. i appreciate the power of words. i consider myself a linguaphile . i appreciate the power of silence as much if not more. i am quite often moved to tears by over-sentimental advertisements, and motivated to screaming fits by the news. i would start a band, but i don't play anything well enough. on further speculation, that doesn't seem to stop anyone else, so i'm starting a band. wanna join? i like to turn a phrase and some heads. and i want my fifteen minutes ... NOW!!!!
TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF - The Survey
Name: chy.ryan
Birthday: november 1st [all saint's day; natl. vegan day. ah, the irony.]
Birthplace: drexel hill, pennsylvania.
Current Location: toronto, ontario.
Eye Color: brown.
Hair Color: dark brown.
Height: 5'3"
Right Handed or Left Handed: right.
Your Heritage: a decendant of african, european, & first nations peoples; a mongrel like any other
The Shoes You Wore Today: benjamin lovell, tsubo: camouflage sole.
Your Weakness: generally quiet boys who tell me their secrets ...
Your Fears: that my addiction to starbucks is truly indicative of the tragic flaw in the armour of my socio-economic argument
Your Perfect Pizza: a spicy sauce & three cheese base on thin crust topped with red peppers, spinach, garlic, red onion, green onion, pancetta & cilantro; YUMMY!!!
Goal You Would Like To Achieve This Year: publish a volume of poetry.
Your Most Overused Phrase On an instant messenger: hehe.
Thoughts First Waking Up: where is/are my: pants, cigarettes, coffee ...
Your Best Physical Feature: my mouth.
Your Bedtime: well after midnight.
Your Most Missed Memory: wait, i forgot.
Pepsi or Coke: coke.
MacDonalds or Burger King: burger king.
Single or Group Dates: why limit yourself?
Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea: lipton.
Chocolate or Vanilla: vanilla.
Cappuccino or Coffee: coffee.
Do you Smoke: fuck yeah!
Do you Swear: did you read the above, asshole?
Do you Sing: mi mi mi, mutha fucka
Do you Shower Daily: "hi, my name is gwen. i'm here to WARSH YOUR VAGINA!"
Have you Been in Love: yes.
Do you want to go to College: been there.
Do you want to get Married: you want the short answer or the long answer? fuck it, there's only a long answer to this question ... generally: ethical-honest-responsible-committed-but-not-necessarily-mon ogamous-relationships, darling; i mean, why the fuck do i need a ring?of course, to quote ashley judd as tina modotti in salma hayak's frida: "I don't believe in marriage. No, I really don't. Let me be clear about that. I think at worst it's a hostile political act, a way for small-minded men to keep women in the house and out of the way, wrapped up in the guise of tradition and conservative religious nonsense. At best, it's a happy delusion - these two people who truly love each other and have no idea how truly miserable they're about to make each other. But, but, when two people know that, and they decide with eyes wide open to face each other and get married anyway, then I don't think it's conservative or delusional. I think it's radical and courageous ... and very romantic." did i mention i'm a sucker for love???
Do you belive in yourself: most of the time.
Do you get Motion Sickness: only on really good rollercoasters.
Do you think you are Attractive: yes.
Are you a Health Freak: no.
Do you get along with your Parents: the ones that lived.
Do you like Thunderstorms: yes.
Do you play an Instrument: hehe.
In the past month have you Drank Alcohol: yes.
In the past month have you Smoked: yes.
In the past month have you been on Drugs: i'm a staunch advocate for responsible drug use; especially if you can incorporate what you learned about yourself from your trip to the other side into your everyday life.
In the past month have you gone on a Date: yes.
In the past month have you gone to a Mall: .......... yes .......... damn!
In the past month have you eaten a box of Oreos: no.
In the past month have you eaten Sushi: yes.
In the past month have you been on Stage: yes.
In the past month have you been Dumped: no.
In the past month have you gone Skinny Dipping: no.
In the past month have you Stolen Anything: only hearts, darling.
Ever been Drunk: yes.
Ever been called a Tease: yes.
Ever been Beaten up: no.
Ever Shoplifted: yes.
How do you want to Die: peacefully.
What do you want to be when you Grow Up: still trying to figure that out.
What country would you most like to Visit: iceland, brazil, peru, bali, thailand, japan, south africa ...
In a Boy/Girl..
Favourite Eye Color: brown.
Favourite Hair Color: brunettes.
Short or Long Hair: just as long as it looks good on you.
Height: ditto.
Weight: ditto.
Best Clothing Style: whatever keeps you honest & makes you feel most rock star.
Number of Drugs I have taken: you want me to COUNT??? clearly, you're fucked up.
Number of CDs I own: too many to count. not enough to stop.
Number of Piercings: 7
Number of Tattoos: 2.
Number of things in my Past I Regret: must we?
CREATE YOUR OWN! - or - GET PAID TO TAKE SURVEYS!

You are The Chariot

Triumph, Victory, Overcoming Obstacles.

The chariot is one of the most complex cards to define. On its most basic level, it implies war, a struggle, and an eventual, hard-won victory. Either over enemies, obstacles, nature, the beasts inside you, or to just get what you want. But there is a great deal more to it. The charioteer wears emblems of the sun, yet the sign behind this card is the moon. The chariot is all about motion, and yet it is often shown as stationary. It is a union of opposites, like the black and white steeds. They pull in different directions, but must be (and can be!) made to go together in one direction. Control is required over opposing emotions, wants, needs, people, circumstances; bring them together and give them a single direction, your direction. Confidence is also needed and, most especially, motivation. The card can, in fact, indicate new motivation or inspiration, which gets a stagnant situation moving again.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.


My Interests

survival w/ style, eclecticism at all costs, dancing my ass off, poetry , piercing, tattoos, body art, art, advocacy, social justice, literature, independent film , b-movies, bob ross, devil duckies , vintage tee-shirts, lower case letters, alcoholism v. sobriety, gummy bears, wasabi peas, thin mints, pool, poker, finding spirituality in the most unusual of places, critical thinking , staying informed , expanding my colorful yet erudite vocabulary, quality conversation, uncovering the humor in bad situations, jack daniels winters & bombay sapphire summers , knitting, writing, human sexuality , gender, polyamory, progressive politics, performance art, visual art, installation, the urban organism, orgasms, coffee, MUSIC

I'd like to meet:

phantasmagoric super heroes w/ a sense of humility, socio-politically conscious party people, self-described rock-stars, budding art-stars, aspiring porn-stars, the queer, the gender-fucked, the recovering christians, other tattooed pacifist socialist knitters who swear, smoke, drink, & eat red meat ... any and all people who continue to better the world, one laugh at a time ...

Music:


abba, air, tori amos, apostle of hustle, fiona apple, the arcade fire, susanna bacca, erykah badu, bahamadia, basement jaxx, belle & sebastian, belly, benny benassi, bjork, black eyed peas, blondie, david bowie, the bravery, the breeders, broken social scene, buena vista social club, jeff buckley, buffalo daughter, david byrne, chk chk chk (!!!), cibo matto, the cinematic orchestra, leonard cohen, paula cole, alice coltrane, john coltrane, controller.controller, daft punk, daisy chainsaw, the dambuilders, darkblueworld, miles davis, the decemberists, deee-lite, ani difranco, john digweed, julie doiron, lila downs, nick drake, the dresden dolls, missy elliot, esthero, everything but the girl, cesaria evora, fannypack, fatboy slim, feist, final fantasy, ella fitzgerald, ben folds, foo fighters, franz ferdinand, peter gabriel, garbage, gentleman reg, astrud gilberto, bebel gilberto, gnarls barkley, goldfrapp, the gorrillaz, the gossip, patty griffin, emily haines , sarah harmer, ben harper, pj harvey, donny hathaway, kate havnevik, helium, jimi hendrix, lauryn hill, hole, incubus, iron & wine, jamiroquai, antonio carlos joabim, jawbox, grace jones, maynard james keenan, chaka khan, kids on tv, lenny kravitz, lamb, annie lennox, le tigre, abbey lincoln, live, madonna, stephen malkmus, aimee mann, bob marley, mates of state, scott matthew, metric, kylie minogue, joni mitchell, moloko, mos def, mother mother, mstrkrft, mum, roisin murphy, nin, nirvana, paul oakenfold, ohbijou, yoko ono, the paper chase, pavement, peaches, liz phair, pinback, the pixies, pizzicato five, portishead, postal service, cat power, radiohead, red hot chili peppers, res, doria roberts, the roots, seagull screaming kiss her kiss her, jill scott, shudder to think, sia, nina simone, siouxsie & the banshees, sasha, roni size, sleater-kinney, sly & the family stone, smashing pumpkins, elliot smith, sneaker pimps, sonic youth, soul coughing, st. germaine, stars, gwen stephani, stereolab, suddenly tammy, the sundays, superchunk, tangible truth, that dog, they might be giants, thievery corporation, tracey thorn, thunderheist, tricky, armand van helden, suzanne vega, martha wainwright, rufus wainwright, tom waits, weezer, the white stripes, amy winehouse, wolf parade, stevie wonder, the yeahyeahyeahs, zap mama, zero 7 ... quality finds through reading, networking, cbc radio 3-ing and just about any tribal-jungle-acid jazz-house-jazz-ambient-neo soul-garage-disco-sleeze-punk-rock-funk-electroclash-indie-f olk-pop-trash derivative that takes my fancy so, there ...

Movies:


... hedwig and the angry inch, the house of yes, fantastic planet, dark city, the city of lost children | la cité des enfants perdus, brasil, the last king of scotland, notes on a scandal, children of men, the shining, the exorcist, the net, 2001: a space odyssey, barbarella, the long kiss goodnight, lift, la femme nikita, being john malcovich, the ice storm, akira kurosawa's dreams, pan's labyrinth, decline of the american empire, the barbarian invasions, the anniversary party, wet hot american summer, summer of sam, boogie nights, party monster, c.r.a.z.y., less than zero, saved!, election, but i'm a cheerleader, waiting for guffman, the witches of eastwick, thelma & louise, romie & michelle's high school reunion, reality bites, shortbus, monkey warfare , contact, clue, requiem for a dream, tank girl, blade runner, memento, the fifth element, run lola run, the princess and the warrior, jackie brown, freeway, secretary, wild things, soldier's girl, liquid sky, delicatessen, happiness, transamerica, amazing grace, edward scissorhands, malena, irreversible, boys don't cry, frida, east is east, happy together, 2046, crouching tiger hidden dragon, farewell my concubine, dirty pretty things, amelie, big eden, the color purple, the piano, a patch of blue, la haine, tout va bien, the pillow book, y tu mama tambien, beijing bicycle, dancer in the dark, vera drake, the magdalene sisters, fire, water, bleu, blanc, rouge, nobody knows, city of god, central station, the hotel rwanda, the hotel new hampshire, ray, the search for signs of intelligent life in the universe, eternal sunshine of the spotless mind, the rules of attraction, the opposite of sex, buffalo 66, the people vs. larry flint, kinsey, a clockwork orange, almost famous, singles, american splendor, american psycho, fight club, babel, suicide club, the doom generation, donnie darko, audition, last night, death becomes her, to die for, mommie dearest, whatever happened to baby jane, harold and maude, may, freaks, dawn of the dead, event horizon, little shop of horrors, gods and monsters, weekend, safe, far from heaven, the village, lady in the water, my own private idaho, six degrees of separation, rabbit proof fence, the last unicorn, labyrinth, the dark crystal, ninja scroll, princess mononoke, akira, spirited away, perfect blue, millennium actress, the triplets of belleville, d.a.r.y.l., cocoon, e.t., mac & me, fire starter, nell, the incredible mr. limpet, follow that bird, the muppets take manhattan, bambi, the little mermaid, finding nemo, mulan, hackers, purple rain, party girl, adventures in babysitting, the craft, planet of the apes, V, vamp, conan the destroyer, night of the living dead, alien(s), the xmen trilogy ... documentaries like: bowling for columbine, control room, why we fight, manufactured landscapes, an inconvenient truth, american eunuchs, sex: the annabel chong story, paris is burning, spellbound, living dolls, my flesh and blood, trembling before g-d, southern comfort, the corporation ... darren aronofsky, gregg araki, paul thomas anderson, todd solondz, deepa mehta, m. night shyamalan, ang lee, gus van sant, pedro almodovar, guillermo del toro, stanely kubrick, charlie kaufman, tim burton, john waters, todd haynes, or chi chi larue usually a safe bet ...

Books:

would highly recommend ...
and ...
will self, franz kafka, margaret atwood , barbara gowdy, toni morrison, dennis cooper, leonard cohen , armistead maupin, david sedaris, tony kushner, angela carter, emily dickinson, anne rice, adrienne rich, allen ginsberg , anne sexton, karen finley , maggie estep, italo calvino , jk rowling, michelle tea, matt bernstein sycamore, anais nin, judith butler, bell hooks, audre lorde ... the crying of lot 49, invisible cities, shock treatment , cock & bull, frisk, naked, the passion of new eve , love, beautiful losers, the favorite game, the handmaid's tale, oryx & crake, angels in america, a bright room called day, goblin market, the goblin princess, the hunger artist, thus i refute beelzy, the lottery, the way up to heaven, bartelby the scrivener, we so seldom look on love, the bluest eye , bastard out of carolina, life of pi , memoirs of a geisha, the poisonwood bible, pulling taffy , thus spoke zarathustra, the history of sexuality, sexing the body, the invention of heterosexuality, the elements of style, the ethical slut ...

Heroes:

sex-positive folks with radical ideological motivations toward ACTION, not APATHY.

My Blog

things i didn't know i didn't know until i knew them, take 3

so i had a great morning this morning, though i'm anxious about life has in store for me next in life ... though i have all of these concerns distracting me from the universe ... i somehow managed to ...
Posted by chy.ryan on Thu, 21 Jun 2007 12:10:00 PST

the dust bunnies have come out to play

packing up all our shit over the next week or so and moving to our new place on the first of the month. may be out of touch during this transitional phase [even more than usual] since we'll most likel...
Posted by chy.ryan on Sun, 17 Jun 2007 11:08:00 PST

observations de la printemps

lately been asking myself: why can't i be that person? out of wonder and purpose, not defeat and lack of direction. the jury's still out. get into it. i am the center of the compass from which all poi...
Posted by chy.ryan on Tue, 27 Mar 2007 01:31:00 PST

today's distractions include ...

 The Everything Test There are many different types of tests on the internet today. Personality tests,  purity tests, stereotype tests, political tests. But now, there is one test to ru...
Posted by chy.ryan on Fri, 09 Mar 2007 03:11:00 PST

moment of clarity

i think i have an addiction. i think i'm addicted to my headphones. my cd player - yes, i still have a diskman - has officially crapped out on me. strangely, perhaps out of habit, i still put the earb...
Posted by chy.ryan on Fri, 19 Jan 2007 07:35:00 PST

observations de décembre

... i get inked next friday for the second time and the suspense is making my nipples sweat. december is a shifty mistress, a season of wait. i feel the desire to crawl out of my skin de temps en...
Posted by chy.ryan on Wed, 13 Dec 2006 08:43:00 PST

i have the flu ...

... or some very flu-like illnessfor the time beingand all i do is sleep ...     ... and dream of a speedy recovery.dream with me?   XOXOchy.ryan ...
Posted by chy.ryan on Tue, 05 Dec 2006 10:44:00 PST

i blame lynne for this one ...

 i was also clever enough to fix the code on this so it would actually post. so there!...
Posted by chy.ryan on Tue, 28 Nov 2006 05:04:00 PST

biological ticking time bomb

 so, i realize that the last few incidents to make me completely nearly irrationally angry have involved someone criticizing , belittling, mistreating, denegrating or just being plain rude toward...
Posted by chy.ryan on Tue, 17 Oct 2006 12:59:00 PST

let me put it on blast for ya ....

Have you noticed weird bulletins posted by your friends lately? Instead of surveys and games, it looks like they're advertising ringtones for songs they don't even like, or telling you to smoke pot wh...
Posted by chy.ryan on Tue, 17 Oct 2006 11:36:00 PST