o
v
e
r
y
o
u
r
h
e
a
d
.
.
.
|
||
|
| ||
|
Crawling through technology, life and love Contact me: hotmail gmail home 
Listening: 
Playing: Donkey Kong Jet Racing - Wii iTuning: Podcasts - Russell Brand, Chris Moyles and Mark Kermode Reading: The End of Mr. Y - Scarlett Thomas Bits and Bobs: Wish List Gerry's Lyrics Pop Quiz Minipops Quiz Sites I like: Marc Almond Top 40 Singles News IMdb The Register Hacks Sainsbury's Recent GBlogs Arsenal FC Some blogs I enjoy: bboyblues2000 bitful blogadoon brainsluice chig groc minkered scally sparky troubled diva Books recently read: I Never Knew That About London - Christopher Winn The Arsenal Miscellany - Adam Gold Young Hearts Run Free: The Real Story of the 1970s - Dave Haslam Magical Thinking - Augusten Burroughs Veronika Decides To Die - Paulo Coelho Time Out Guide - Amsterdam Lillian's Story - Kate Grenville The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins Schott's Original Miscellany - Ben Schott Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J K Rowling A Gay History Of Britain - Matt Cook Time Out Guide to Madrid Time Out Guide to New York Kingdom Come - J. G. Ballard The Hours - Michael Cunningham Mutants - Aramand Marie Leroi A Young Man's Passage - Julian Clary Growing Pains - Billie Piper The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath Wild Swans - Jung Chang Highbury: The Story of Arsenal N.5 - Jon Spurling Red Carpets and Other Banana Skins - Rupert Everett Affinity - Sarah Waters Lighthousekeeping - Jeanette Winterson Tipping The Velvet - Sarah Waters The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini Of Human Bondage - W Somerset Maugham Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier Lucky Man - Michael J Fox Labyrinth - Kate Mosse Fingersmith - Sarah Waters The Night Watch - Sarah Waters The Pedant's Revolt - Andrea Barham The Republic Of Trees - Sam Taylor Written On tbe Body - Jeanette Winterson Untold Stories - Alan Bennett The Plot Against America - Philip Roth Read All About It - Max Clifford The Folding Star - Alan Hollinghurst Thursbitch - Alan Garner Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim - David Sedaris Staying Alive - Matt Beaumont The Bookseller Of Kabul - Asne Seierstad Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince - J K Rowling A Short History Of Nearly Everything - Bill Bryson Count Karlstein - Philip Pullman The Shadow Of The Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood The Spell - Alan Hollinghurst The Double Life Of Daniel Glick - Maurice Caldera The Smoking Diaries - Simon Gray Straight- Boy George Digital Fortress - Dan Brown Deception Point - Dan Brown The Ladies No. 1 Detective Agency - Alexander McCall Smith Angels and Demons - Dan Brown Sydney - Time Out Guide Oryx and Crake - Margaret Atwood Eleanor Rigby - Douglas Coupland The Scarecrow and His Servant - Philip Pullman Tha Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown The Perks Of Being A Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky Planet Simpson - Chris Turner The Line Of Beauty - Alan Hollinghurst Barcelona - Time Out Guide The Closed Circle - Jonathan Coe The Clerkenwell Tales - Peter Ackroyd Copenhagen - TimeOut Guide The Butterfly Tattoo - Philip Pullman The Broken Bridge - Philip Pullman In Search of the Pleasure Palace - Marc Almond Brick Lane - Monica Ali Vernon God Little - DBC Pierre Last Exit To Brooklyn - Hubert Selby Jr You Shall Know Our Velocity - Dave Eggers Touching The Void - Joe Simpson Life Of Pi - Yann Martel Istanbul - Time Out Guide Millennium People - J G Ballard The Duchess Who Wouldn't Sit Down - Jesse Browner Hey Nostradamus! - Douglas Coupland Eats, Shoots and Leaves - Lynne Truss The Wind-up Bird Chronicle - Haruki Murakami Our Man In Havana - Graham Greene The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Mark Haddon Lyra's Oxford - Philip Pullman Doran - Will Self Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides the book, the film, the t-shirt - matt beaumont High Society - Ben Elton Man And Wife - Tony Parsons I Was A Rat - Philip Pullman Harry Potter: The Order of the Phoenix - J R Rowling Great Apes - Will Self Barrel Fever - David Sedaris Round Ireland With A Fridge - Tony Hawkes Close Range - Annie Proux The Third Way - Anthony Giddens dot.con - John Cassidy The Salmon of Doubt - Douglas Adams One Hit Wonderland - Tony Hawkes The Thief Lord - Cornelia Funke The Corrections - Jonathan Franzen The Cloud Sketcher - Richard Rayner Keane: the Autobiography - Roy Keane A Wasteland of Strangers - Bill Pronzini The English - Jeremy Paxman How to Lose Friends and Alienate People - Toby Young Dead Famous - Ben Elton The Amber Spyglass - Phillip Pullman (again) The Subtle Knife - Phillip Pullman (again) Northern Lights - Phillip Pullman (again) The Bear and The Dragon - Tom Clancy 101 Reykjavik - Hallgrimur Helgason Forward The Foundation - Isaac Asimov Carter Beats The Devil - Glen David Gold The Tin Princess - Philip Pullman Atonement - Ian McEwan The Tiger In The Well - Philip Pullman The Rotters Club - Jonathan Coe Generation X - Douglas Copeland Perfume - Patrick Suskind All Families Are Psychotic - Douglas Coupland The Shadow In The North - Phillip Pullman No Logon - Naomi Klein The Dirt - Motley Crue Miss Wyoming - Douglas Coupland The Amber Spyglass - Phillip Pullman The Subtle Knife - Phillip Pullman Northern Lights - Phillip Pullman The Ruby in the Smoke - Phillip Pullman The Sandman - Miles Gibson Blood and Gold: The Vampire Marius - Anne Rice The Actrocity Exhibition - J G Ballard Shameless - Paul Burston Sing Out! - Boze Hadleigh Brilliant Orange - David Winner New Boy - William Sutcliffe London - Peter Ackroyd Wonder Boys - Michael Chabon One For My Baby - Tony Parsons How To Be Good - Nick Hornby White Teeth - Zadie Smith Lust - Geoff Ryman Tulip Fever - Deborah Moggach Dead Souls - Ian Rankin The House Of Sleep - Jonathan Coe A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius - Dave Eggers What a carve up! - Jonathan Coe The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay - Michael Chabon The Grapes Of Wrath - John Steinbeck Heartwood - James Lee Burke Cryptonomicon - Neal Stephenson Man and Boy - Tony Parsons The Map Of Love - Ahdaf Soueif e - Matt Beaumont The e Before Christmas - Matt Beaumont  
Archives: September 1971 February 2001 March 2001 April 2001 May 2001 June 2001 July 2001 August 2001 September 2001 October 2001 November 2001 December 2001 January 2002 February 2002 March 2002 April 2002 May 2002 June 2002 July 2002 August 2002 September 2002 October 2002 November 2002 December 2002 January 2003 February 2003 March 2003 April 2003 May 2003 June 2003 July 2003 August 2003 September 2003 October 2003 November 2003 December 2003 January 2004 February 2004 March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 
|
Friday, May 31, 2002
Clones...
I have now watched Star Wars Episode II - Attack Of The Clones 5 times. And I still can't follow the plot. Maybe I'll watch it over the weekend again and take notes this time!
Mail-to-Blogger...
This is a test posting using the new beta mail-to-blogger feature in Blogger Pro. I hadn't realised it had been activated until I happened to be roaming around the http://pro.blogger.com site just now and came across it. All I need to do to use it is send an e-mail in plain text to overyourhead.(my secret word)@blogger.com and the post automagically appears on my blog. This is even better than using WAP as it won't require me to logon first. What's more it'll allow me to blog from any e-mail terminal (even the free ones in the streets on merry old London village) as well as from my phone. Coolio. It also opens up the idea of subscribing a blog posting address to a mailing list. Thereby creating an automatically generating blog from an e-mail list.
Dead Duck Decoys...
 Why this struck me as funny, I'm not quite sure. I guess it's just the thought of someone purchasing and placing a plastic version of a deceased member of the water fowl family on their lawn. The idea is to scare off the live version, thus keeping your precious garden in tip-top shape and free of duck or goose shit. Never mind the morbid means to the end. The makers note that they are effective deterrents for golf courses, parks and office complexes. What a lovely image that would be when you're out for a casual stroll or entertaining that big account at your company headquarters. Oh and they float too.Thursday, May 30, 2002
Spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam...
Does Spam really annoy you? It does me. And a certain Jonathan Land - who has done something about it. He writes back. And his reply letters are hilarious. Go read some. He explains:- I can't remember why I started writing back.... Was I mad as hell and not taking it anymore? Did my insatiable mean streak miss a feeding? Did I see an opportunity to generate a few cheap laughs? These all seem like viable reasons... but are writing ridiculous letters to mostly dead addresses and trying to lure the authors behind the functional ones into an increasingly absurd dialog justifiable? I don't know. While I'm sorting out the ethics involved, you can read these. Jon P.S. If there's one entertaining thing to come out of this site, it's the fact that when spammers have their tools scraping as many email addresses as they can find from the web they'll hit this site and have tons of email that'll just bounce right back at them. [Thanks to the Guardian and Marky for the heads up]
Bye, bye...
Trainee barrister Sunita will leave the Big Brother house at 1900 BST on Thursday, and will be replaced by a new contestant. When she leaves after only seven days of the competition, the 25-year-old from London will be the first person to walk out of a UK Big Brother house of their own accord. Good riddance you boring fart!
Football crazy...
 Tomorrow will see the start of one of the world's most popular sporting competitions. The World Cup. Football is played from the Vatican to the Himalayas, it crosses boundaries of race, class and culture, and it is the de facto national sport of more countries than any other.
The first match will be played between France and Senegal in Seoul. The full match schedule is here. England's first match will be against Sweden on this Sunday at 10:30 (London time) in Saitama. We are holding a breakfast party that morning for Ben, Sarah, Drew, Luke, Colin, Marky and me. That is if I get out of bed in time after Purple In The Park. Wednesday, May 29, 2002
More money than sense...
*N Sync's Lance Bass is hoping to be blasted off into space. But only if his tour finishes on schedule. Oh, and if his mum let's him stay out that late.
Sour note...
David and I went to a different Pop Quiz last night in Kilburn at the Zd Bar. We teamed up with Tuesday, May 28, 2002
Big Brother 3 - The split (again)...
The wonderful Darren has some fantastic pictures from the BB web site before it went live demonstrating what the split will look like.
Big Brother 3 - The split...
The Big Brother house is to be split in two - a similar trick being used in the Dutch version last year. Plastic bars will come down to split the house in two, with those in the rich part given £400 housekeeping money and access to better living conditions. The losers would have to live on basic provisions and use an outside toilet. Contestants will be able to earn a place in the luxury section by doing well in a task. And in related news: You can't watch BB for free now on the web. £9.99 is charged per month by Channel Four to see the streaming content. Last year the streaming of live action from the BB house was free. In one report C4 claimed that charging would actually improve the service on offer. But this has already been disputed by some who've coughed up their cash and found that they are unable to access any live content. A common complaint is to see 'Link outdated' on every connection attempt.
Purple In The Park…
This weekend is the Golden Jubilee Weekend. Kicking the four days of fun will be Purple In The Park on Saturday 1st June - a big gay dance festival in Brockwell Park, South London. There are going to dance tents to suit all tastes and a main stage featuring Grace Jones and Kim Mazelle amongst others. Should be fun. Monday, May 27, 2002
Two towering European structures...
  Saturday, May 25, 2002
The Eurovision Song Contest 2002...
Tonight is the big night. The flags are out, the stage is set and the irony is lost on no-one. Croatia are hosting this year's Eurovision Song Contest and parties are being held all over Europe by way of (mock) celebration. Almost every single gay man that I know is going to be watching it and jeering, sneering and cheering as the 24 counties parade their 'finest' song writing talent to an audience of trillions. I don't if that the fact that all my gay friends are watching it says something about the demographic of the event's appeal or the fact that I just know a lot of camp gay men but what the heck. It'll be fun. We're going to a big bash up in North London. I've made up CDs of all the songs along with lyric sheets so we can all sing along with the best (and worst) of them. Should be a riot. If you want to hear or see any of the 24 entries you can do so here. Does this show get shown in America or Australia?
Big Brother 3 - Those First Impressions...
Spencer - cute Alison - great fun Alex - great looker Jade - annoying to the point of sympathy The rest - made very little impresssion on me so far We started a £30 sweepstake for the winner and got to pick two contestants each at random. I got Spencer and Alison. Whoopee! Friday, May 24, 2002
World Cup...
This is absolutely fab. It's 704k but well, well worth it! (Safe to view in the office too)
Idiot!...
Send this link to someone in your office you want to embarrass. (Warning: it's not rude but do turn the volume low when you open it!)
Gay-O-Meter...
Jonce is 63% gay! Careful! You're not a gay cliche yet, but are well on your way. Bet all the girlie girls just adore you! How gay are you?
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…
So begins Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones which we went to see it last Sunday. I had high hopes for it as I’d heard it had echoes of The Empire Strikes Back (my favourite Star Wars film). Sadly it didn’t live up to my expectations although overall I was fairly impressed. The film was basically more of the same i.e. it picked up where The Phantom Menace left off (no surprise there) albeit 10 years or so later. The film had a stronger emotive narrative than its predecessor but fewer surprises (let’s face it, we all know how it turns out). There was more politics, some love interest and buckets of ‘special’ effects. When I say ‘special’ what I really mean is lots of CGI ships, landscapes and aliens. Something which is rather par for the course in sci-fi films these days. And therein lies one of my criticisms of the film (apart for the fact it was too long and fairly humourless). The CGI space ships were all incredibly shiny and had lots of silvery reflections. Quite out of keeping to the normal Star Wars universe. Surely one of the appealing things about Star Wars is that everything is dusty and dirty and slightly beaten up. I think ‘realistic’ is the word I’m trying to use here - but it’s hard to talk about realism when you’re talking about a fantasy film. Would I recommend you go and see it? Yes. But only if you like the other films in the series. It will make no new converts I fear. The net copies I've seen are fairly poor so I'd wait to rent or buy the video or tape when it comes out.
Have I Got News For You...
Tonight's show should be a corker. After the host, Angus Deayton was revealed to have had sex with a prostitute and sniffed cocaine. Below is reveiw that the BBC wrote about last night's recording (beware possible joke spoilers).  Deayton admits: 'I'm this week's loser'
Angus Deayton admitted he was a "loser" and faced merciless ridicule from his Have I Got News For You co-stars when it was filmed on Thursday. The host of the satirical news quiz looked clearly uncomfortable during his first show since a Sunday newspaper claimed he had sex with a prostitute and snorted cocaine in front of her. Team captains Ian Hislop and Paul Merton both brandished copies of the newspaper and left Deayton keeping 'score' on how many jokes each made at his expense. Guests Ken Livingstone and comedian Dave Gorman also made quips about Deayton, who has a baby with long-term partner, Lise Meyer. 'Smug git' Deayton attempted to pre-empt the inevitable gags when he introduced the quiz by saying: "Welcome to the show. This week's loser is ... presenting it." He continued: "The words pot, kettle, smug, git, good and kicking all come to mind." Hislop and Merton were not to be outdone though, making sure their colleague's discomfort continued throughout filming. At one stage, Merton unveiled a T-shirt featuring the front page of the newspaper. And as the host tried to ask the first questions Merton interrupted, saying: "The story I'm interested in Angus, you and this prostitute, how did you get away without paying her?" Hislop then pulled out a copy of the News of the World and started reading it out. "'He made me groan all night.' What were you doing, reading the autocue?"  'Bad news'
As Deayton continued to squirm Merton told him: "I am surprised you had the nerve to turn up, you knew what it would be like." The host replied: "I did, because of you two." London Mayor Ken Livingstone joined in with the comment: "This is a day that Stephen Byers could have leaked more bad news." Deayton added: "All week." Italian escape The News of the World said Deayton did not realise the woman, Caroline Martin, was a prostitute and had simply "chatted her up". I think he got properly set up and he obviously feels a bit of a fool Matthew Freud In an interview with the newspaper Ms Martin claimed she had a "two-night affair" with the star. She said she did not realise Deayton had a long-term partner and claimed they had swapped telephone numbers before meeting up at a hotel in Manchester and then again in London. She described their encounter in detail, alleging Deayton used cocaine in front of her. Following the revelations, Deayton and his partner flew off to Italy to escape the publicity, but he vowed he would go ahead with the show as usual. 'Set up' Publicist Matthew Freud told BBC News Online his client dreaded filming Friday's edition of the quiz. "He's expecting a pretty rough ride," Mr Freud said, adding that Deayton's mood was "remorseful". "I think he got properly set up and he obviously feels a bit of a fool." Deayton has hosted the programme, alongside regular team captains, Private Eye editor Ian Hislop and comic Paul Merton, since it began in 1990. It is now in its 23rd series. Thursday, May 23, 2002
Pills...
The leg cramps that have been keeping me awake at night haven't been too bad recently but just in case I picked up my prescription for clonazepam today. And on the label were those dreaded words "avoid alcoholic drink". Eeeks!
What a lovely evening...
Yesterday Marky finished his final project for this year. He's now half way through studying for his Master of Arts. Go Marky! And what with me feeling a bit better about worky things we decided to go out last night and do something. Film? Sauna? Restaurant? Well, no, we decided to go up to Hampstead and have a drink at the King William IV. I hadn't been there in ages and it just seemed like a nice change. We sat in the garden and debriefed ourselves with what had been going on in our days. Very nice. About half an hour later David joined us and then an hour after that Ian came too. We chatted and caught up with each other's news. Then at 9:30 the Pub Quiz started. Just for a laugh we thought we'd join in. £2 each mind you so it wasn't cheap. The first part of the quiz was very Family Fortunes. "We asked a hundred people to name..." kind of thing. The questions were things like "a fruit that begins with P", "a musical instrument made of wood" and we had to guess the most popular answers. Extra points were available if you got the 2nd, 3rd and 4th most popular answers too. We didn't do very well scoring just 31 out of 72 the winners got 40. We obviously don't have our collective fingers on the common pulse. The second part of the quiz was more our thing. Rounds were about general knowledge, memory test, TV related, London related etc. We only got 4 wrong out of 40 so securing first place. Our prize? £64 to share between us. Go Webmonkeys! Thank you Marky, David and Ian for helping me shift my fug. Wednesday, May 22, 2002
Blogger Pro down...
Thank you to David for alerting me that despite pro.blogger.com being down today I could use tps.blogger.com instead. Now if only I had got the letters round the right way it might have worked! tps not tsp. D'oh! BlogBack went tits up on me too. I hit my template code with a very large hammer and it's working again too now. The comments windows are now resizable and there is a friendly space in between the post time and the comments link which wasn't there before too. Hurray for my team and the age old technique of trial-and-error. At least it's taken my mind of work problems.
Non-PC...
Tuesday, May 21, 2002
On to nicer things....
My brother Simon and his wife Dawn are expecting their first baby (together) this Friday. My brother is as proud as punch. So am I. They don't know whether it's going to be a boy or a girl yet. I think they want a girl as they say it'll give them less grief than a boy. Now that's a matter of opinion! Simon told me if it turns out to be gay they want Marky and I to be involved with part of the parenting to make sure it has two positive gay role models. I was touched. Unless of course he's just fishing for a free baby-sitter! :)
My work problems: the gory details...
I *think* I know what the issue is with this guy that attacked me (but haven't had the courage to face my 'accuser' yet to confirm). I run the London office. Last month I found out that without my permission some of our London users accounts were being moved randomly about in the company's computer system, some service accounts were being locked out and others had their details altered. All by some remote admin guy at Head Office. When I found out what was going on I blocked the ability to make any further user changes from anyone but our office until I found out who was making these stupid rogue changes and why. When Head Office found out I had blocked them (just last weekend) they stupidly went ballistic without first asking me why I had locked them out. The main guy there (quite high up the IT ladder I might add) chose to say some rather critical things ("abusing my permissions", "dangerous", "I must be stopped"). As the e-mail travelled it's way to higher and higher people in the company some others took the opportunity to stick the boot in too and add their comments (I guess those people just plain don’t like me). Soon the accusations of "abusing my permissions" were taken as truth and I was called in to see my MD to explain myself. I tried to explain to him but he seemed less than convinced that they wasn't something in the accusations. He was a bit 'no smoke without fire'. To my knowledge I was (a) only doing my job (either I am allowed to do my job or I'm not) and (b) what's the big deal anyway I unblocked them when asked, didn't I? Even after all this mess my boss wants me to put the remote block back on! I told him to put it in writing! Well I'm now left with the feeling that mud sticks. I've been accused of being unprofessional and 'dangerous'. It's untrue and potential damaging to my career. And for me the attack was very personal. I take great pride in my work. And the attack is eating me up. I'm off my food and wanting to crawl under a rock and die. What does the panel think? Get some thicker skin or have a showdown with those that dare to criticise the Great Green One? BTW Thanks for all the e-mails and messages of support today. It really helps. [big grin]. UPDATE: This afternoon my boss has sent off his defence of me and what I did. As have I. We await the replies (if any).
Uncomfortably numb...
The
Cartoon...
 Monday, May 20, 2002
Defamation verging on libel...
Over the weekend I received an e-mail from someone at our head office. It was CC'ed to my MD and other people high up in the company. It came out of the blue. "He has continued to abuse the permissions given to him on (company wide systems) and if he continues like this one day he will create a disaster in the London (office). Please try to put a stop this, otherwise his permissions will be revoke or reduced to stop him from doing any damage." When I read it I was in shock. I couldn't believe it. Not only is there no truth in what they suggest but it is an e-mail sent out of spite and fear. From someone (high up in head office IT) who I thought I got on with really well with. Then I started trembling with rage. How could he lie like that? Was there something else that I didn't know about (i.e. paranoia)? I couldn't concentrate on anything else I had to do today. By lunchtime I was sick with anger. I couldn't eat. My MD asked to see me early this afternoon to explain the e-mail. I couldn't. I tried to tell him that I didn't know why someone would have said these things about me. He looked concerned but unconvinced. When things like this get into print others can start to believe it's true. Mud sticks of course. I sat in my office drafting and redrafting possible replies trying to defend my position, sheepishly appeasing my accuser or just plain venting my ire. Personal attacks are not easy to cope with. Unjustified ones even more so. I take criticism very badly, and when I think it is not deserved in sends me into a state of fear and depression. I just want to die. About 15 minutes ago my boss came to see me. I'd sent him one of my draft replies to proof-read. I wasn't sure what my boss's reaction was going to be. I needn't have worried. He said, "in 32 years of working with IT professionals I have never worked with anybody as outstanding as you. You are head and shoulders above anyone else I have had the pleasure of working with. If as a result (of this e-mail) you even consider leaving this company the loss to me personally, the London office or the company as a whole would be incalculable. These accusations are defamation verging on libel. I am very angry. I will defend you in print." He went back to his office to draft his own reply. Let's hope he doesn't make things worse! Nice of him to give me 110% support though. My professional confidence has taken a bit of a knocking today.
V Graham Norton...
If you watch Graham Norton's show tonight @ 11:05 of Channel Four you should see me being mentioned and a photo I sent him being shown.
Fish anyone?...
The Flying Dutchman...
 Sunday, May 19, 2002
Friday, Saturday, Sunday...
David and I popped out for a quick pint on Friday night. Little did we know who we would meet, what we would do to them and where we would end up. Starting at Comptons (Hi Guy!), then The Yard (Hi Neil! Hi Phillip! Hi Dave!), then a thai restaurant (thanks Neil!) and finally CXR79 (Hi Saunders! Hi Peter!) we painted the town a deep shade of red. Apparently we did a spot of match-making too (Hi Ian!). On Saturday my sister Jo came up and we did a spot of shopping. In the evening I hooked up with David, Marcus and Guy in Comptons before heading to Michael's pad just off Leicester Square for a party. Michael lays on a great do and we had a great time. Michael is currently staying at Alan Cumming's flat with it's two sundecks and jacuzzi. Very swish. Later on Marky, Sarah, Ben and I went to a house party next door but one to where we live. It all got a bit out of hand so about 4ish we came back home to play some video games. Up early, today I'm off to see Attack Of The Clones (thanks Darren!), then celebrating Jason's birthday at Comptons (spot the theme here?) and off to the RVT. Busy, busy, busy :) Saturday, May 18, 2002
Victims of Nazi persecution and homosexuals are pardoned ...
Germany has pardoned tens of thousands of Nazi-era army deserters and homosexuals who were sent to concentration camps. About 50,000 homosexuals and 22,000 deserters were included in the pardon passed by the lower house in Berlin. It extends a 1998 law that cleared the names of hundreds of thousands of Germans convicted of crimes under the Nazis. The conservative opposition voted against the law, arguing that it sent the wrong message to rehabilitate former soldiers without examining each individual case. Under the previous legislation, both the deserters and homosexuals could only be rehabilitated after individual petitions had been legally approved. "Finally the deserters and homosexuals who were persecuted will receive justice," said Volker Beck, a spokesman for the Greens party, which supported the law. German Justice Minister Hertha Daeubler-Gmelin welcomed the law as long overdue. She said it was humiliating and difficult for victims of Nazi military courts to be expected to produce evidence of their convictions and undergo a review of their case before being cleared. Those convicted under Nazi laws include not only deserters, but also soldiers accused of "cowardice" or "marriage without permission," she said. "We all know that our decisions today are more than 50 years late," she told parliament. "They are necessary nonetheless. We owe it to the victims of wrongful Nazi justice." Of the estimated 50,000 homosexuals convicted by the Nazis, few ever came forward after World War II because of the continuing stigma as well as the fact that the law under which they were convicted remained on the books in West Germany until 1969. [Thanks to Ananova for the heads up] Friday, May 17, 2002
European Tour 2002 in pictures: Sitges/Figueres/Barcelona...
  
  
   
  
European Tour 2002 in pictures: Bremen/Brussels/Amsterdam...
  
  
  
  
Cartoon...
 Thursday, May 16, 2002
Roger Waters: In The Flesh...
Last Wednesday night I went with Paul, Simon, Pip and Josh to see Roger Waters perform his "In The Flesh" show at Palau St. Jordi in Barcelona. I've always been a Pink Floyd fan (more so in the 70s than now I guess) and have even followed Roger Waters career since he left the band. I was hoping for a 'greatest hits' show and that is exactly what I got. All my favourites were performed live with incredible big screen back-projection and animation to boot. Whatsmore Snowy White and PP Arnold were in the backing band too. We sang, we danced and we marvelled. Paul and I were all but word perfect on every song in the first half and all the old stuff in the second. A great night out. Anyone wanna go June 26/27 at Wembley let me know. 
The show started at 9:30pm with... In The Flesh The Happiest Days Of Our Lives Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2 Mother Get Your Filthy Hands Off My Desert Southampton Dock Pigs On The Wing, Part 1 Dogs Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun Welcome To The Machine Wish You Were Here Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts 1-8) Having lasted 80 minutes I thought this might be the end of the show, but no, there was a 20 minute interval and then we had a further 80 minutes to go. Fantastic! Breathe (In The Air) Time Money The Pros And Cons Of Hitch Hiking Part 11 (5:06 a.m. - Every Stranger's Eyes) Perfect Sense (Parts I and II) The Bravery Of Being Out Of Range It's A Miracle Amused To Death Brain Damage Eclipse Comfortably Numb Flickering Flame The show finsihed at 12:30am and we had a long trek back to Sitges. Happy though.
Up For Grabs...
Watching Madonna on stage last night was a strange and at times anxious experience. We felt like nervous parents going to see our only daughter perform in an end of term school play. We had butterflies in our stomachs as we took our seats we so wanted it to be good. And like any anxious parents we hung on every word our little treasure spoke and every move she made. We beamed when she reacted to other player’s lines in a suitable manner just like a real actor. We guffawed when she had a funny line to speak herself. We were fiercely proud of her when she did something well and defiantly supportive when she faltered on words or movements. We applauded wildly when she first arrived and stood and cheered when she had finished. Brava. It was a fabulous show, a great performance. How could it be anything else? It was our little girl. Play any good? Yes. Not too original but entertaining enough. Can Madonna act? No. Does that matter? No. Like Arnie et al she’s a star not an actor. Rest of the cast? Universally excellent. Best actor? Dawn (Sian Thomas) Cutest actor? Kel (Daniel Pino) Staging? Simple, effective and appropriate. Worth the money (£40)? Yes. As star vehicles go it was fine. At no point were we actually embarrassed for her being on stage. Wednesday, May 15, 2002
Madonna...
Tonight Marky and I have got tickets to go and see Up For Grabs starring Madonna. I shall promise a non-gushy review tomorrow. Honest.
Pop Quiz…
It was nice to be back at Pop Quiz last night after my continental Grand Tour. David and Darren were there as was Ian who turned up a little later. His fall had obvious shaken him up a bit. Poor lamb. Post quiz we headed off to Bar Code to catch up on gossip, swap stories and general bond a bit. Needless to say I was far too late home (sorry Marky!) So, to the quiz proper. It was a dreadful quiz to be honest. Too geeky, too many obscure questions and a dreadful choice of music. To whit, the first 12 questions all relied on The Langley School Music Project. A collection of Canadian school kids doing covers from the 70s who are getting rave reviews (why?!) from the heavy weight music press. Argh! I shall try and recreate the questions but to be honest there is no way I could relate the true awfulness of a choir of school kids murdering the classics. 01. Name any two of the three brothers in the Beach Boys? 02. Who had a hit with Band On The Run? Exact answer only please. 03. Who had a hit with I’m Into Something Good? 04. Who had a hit with Desparado? 05. What album was it from? 06. What year was it from? 07. How many top ten UK hits has Neil Diamond had? 08. Who had a hit with To Know Him Is To Love Him? 09. Who had a hit with Rhiannon? 10. Who wrote it? 11. The Carpenters had a strangely titled hit that started with the words, “In your mind you have capacities you know To telepath messages through the vast unknown Please close your eyes and concentrate With ever thought you think Upon the recitation we’re about to sing” Can you name the song title exactly. (12 words) 12. Was the above song a cover or an original? 13. What is Tweet’s current top ten single called? 14. What is The Hives’ current single called? 15. What is Moby’s current single called? 16. Who has a Eurovision entry with the name Sergio and The Ladies? 17. In what show is Madonna starring in the West End? 18. What is the connection between the Carpenters and Geri Halliwell? 19. What closed after 21 years in the West End on 11th May 2002? 20. Who is the UK entrant in Eurovision this year?
The Force...
There were loads of police on the streets of London last night. We couldn't work out why. We should have guessed! Tuesday, May 14, 2002
Five cheeses...
I was looking for a present to buy Paul and Simon at Schipol Airport before I flew down to Spain last week. I thought that large wax encased cheeses might be a nice idea. 
Now aren't you just asking yourself how they managed to fill a whole blue one? :)
Duckie...
Once upon a time, in a dog-rough gay pub nestling against some railway arches in south London, middle-aged gentlemen used to dress up as ladies and lip-synch to Shirley Bassey records. Out of this scene came one genuine star (Lily Savage, who didn't mime and actually had talent) and a lot of endearing grotesques (Tilly, a four-feet-tall drag queen who mimed to Dusty Springfield while attacking the audience with a dildo). Then the audiences grew up and moved on, and a new generation started propping up the bar at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, for whom I Am What I Am no longer seemed to be cutting edge. While the rest of the gay world migrated to the chi-chi bars of the newly gay Soho, the Vauxhall crowd remained resolutely lowlife, preferring lager to ketamine and demanding entertainment. Into this vacuum stepped Duckie, a club night that added a new twist to the old beer-and-drag formula. The average turn at Duckie was absurd, confrontational, piss-taking - a mutant hybrid of pub drag and performance art. Duckie's biggest star, the Divine David, looked like Liza Minnelli after a car crash and delivered streams of obscenities intermixed with insane conceptual riffs. The two DJs, the Readers' Wives, played anything from Slade to the Stooges - anything, that is, except house and techno. And the crowd were refugees from the muscle-and-tan monoculture of the mainstream gay clubs. For "homosexual refuseniks", as the Duckie organisers call them, the Vauxhall Tavern became an oasis of abnormality from an increasingly homogenous | |