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Crawling through technology, life and love Contact me: hotmail home 
Listening: Playing: Pool Paradise - GC on Wii iTuning: Podcasts - Chris Moyles, Mark Kermode and Stephen Fry Reading: All 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 Recent GBlogs Arsenal FC Some blogs I enjoy: bboyblues2000 bitful blogadoon brainsluice chig groc minkered scally sparky troubled diva Books recently read: Time Out Guide to Havana (and Cuba) And The Hippos Were Boiled In Their Tanks - William S Burroughs and Jack Kerouac At My Mother's Knee ... and Other Low Joints: The Autobiography - Paul O'Grady Star Maker - Olaf Stapledon My Booky Wook - Russell Brand When You Are Engulfed in Flames - David Sedaris Then We Come To The End - Joshua Ferris A Spot of Bother - Mark Haddon The End of Mr. Y - Scarlett Thomas 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  
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Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Slovenia and Croatia...Overyourhead is off on it's holidays from today for a week: Slovenia and Croatia. I may not get a chance to do any posting so back soon.  Monday, May 30, 2005
Nancy Boy... On Saturday Drew and I went to see Nancy Cartwright's one woman show, "My Life as a 10-Year-Old Boy," at the Riverside Theatres in Hammersmith. As I'm sure you know Nancy is really a 'boy' - Bart Simpson. It was quite a good show - with lots of suitably amusing anecdotes - ruined only slightly by the fact that... I was dragged up on stage and forced to take part in the trivia quiz! For my pains (and imperfect knowledge of Bart's middle name) I won a Bart Simpson key ring - given to me by Bart Simpson him/herself! Yay! Gay Springfield...It was the 'gay marriage' episode of The Simpsons last night. Hilarious. No prizes for guessing who came out... "there goes my last lingering thread of my heterosexuality", indeed.  Friday, May 27, 2005
Hangover...I have a confession to make. I'm odd. Really odd. Or maybe just mad. But... I... enjoy... (I find it hard to admit this)... actually enjoy having a a hangover. I find it warm and fuzzy and nice. It's like a brain hug. Does that make me weird? Heavy Doll Action...Got myself a crying, walking, sleeping, talking living doll; who also does rude things with other dolls. [Thanks Rog] Thursday, May 26, 2005
O2 sponsors white elephant...O2 has confirmed it is to sponsor London's most prominent white elephant by renaming The Millennium Dome "The O2". Due to reopen in 2007 it will be a venue for music, shows and sporting events. A spokesman for O2 shrugged off claims that it was sponsoring a monument of ridicule. "This is a bold move," he said, "and is in keeping with our emphasis to back music and entertainment." Let's face it though, at the end of the day it's just a big tent that no-one wants to go to. Goldfrapp - Supernature...More live dates from the lovely Goldfrapp. They are headlining at the TDK Cross Central festival in Kings Cross on Saturday 28th August. And straight from the deer's mouth: We've changed the title of the album - it's now called Supernature. It's still coming out on 22nd August, and Ooh La La will be on 8th August as previously planned. And the tracklisting is as follows: 1. Ooh La La 2. Lovely 2 C U 3. Ride A White Horse 4. U Never Know 5. Let It Take You 6. Fly Me Away 7. Slide In 8. Koko 9. Satin Chic 10. Beautiful 11. Time Out From The World 12. No. 1 Can't wait! Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Big Brother 2005...It looks as if Big Brother, which starts this Friday, is aiming for the same evil streak it had last year; transparent walls, a claustrophobic feel and an unlucky 13th person. Doubtless I shall be glued. Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Kelly Osbourne - One Word...I'm obsessed with Kelly Osbourne's One Word and have it on repeat both on my MP3 player, at home, at work and in my head. Love it. Especially CD2 - that has a cover of The Human League's Sound Of The Crowd. Arsenal FA Cup Champions...I cannot let the event pass, Arsenal became FA Cup Champions with the final on Saturday. Arsenal beat Manchester United but not with a particularly satisfy of victory; it was 5-4 on penalties after 30 minutes extra time. Still although we know we can play better than we did it is important to go back home with the trophy. Modifies rapture. So two cheers for the Gunners! Paul and I have both put ourselves down for season tickets for the new Emirates Stadium when it opens for the 2006/2007 season. Fingers crossed though as there are approximately 32300 other people in the queue in front of us. Our joker to be played? We are both Islington Residents and so should get priority for half of the new tickets released. Monday, May 23, 2005
Wedding...On Saturday it was my sister's wedding. Everything went smoothly and we all had a fantastic time as I know Jo and Martin did too. So congratulations to the happy couple! May you have years of joy ahead. All my love XX Justin Bond & The Freudian Slippers...From Monday June 20 to July 2nd Justin Bond (& The Freudian Slippers) are performing at the Soho Theatre, "an evening of story and song by, for and about trannies, hustlers and drug addicts. Following on from several sold out runs with Kiki & Herb, Soho Theatre presents the premiere of this solo show from New York's Justin Bond. An autobiographical melange of music and video in which Justin tells all about his years teetering on the edge of the sidewalk between the nightclub and the gutter from San Francisco to New York to London." Not to be missed! Saturday, May 21, 2005
Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith... Last night Paul and I went to see Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith.The blurb said: "The Sith are masters of the dark side of the Force and the sworn enemies of the Jedi. They were all but exterminated by the Jedi a thousand years ago, but the evil order continued in secrecy. They operated quietly, behind the scenes, acting in pairs - a Master and an Apprentice - patiently biding their time before they could take over the galaxy. In Episode III, they'll finally exact their revenge on the Jedi." As the last couple of films have been a tad disappointing maybe this really will be Revenge of The Sixth. And indeed it was. It was great. It has restored my faith in the franchise. However... I thought that despite some good bits it was way too repetitive. The scenes were cut way too fast to take it all in. There was far too much CGI leading it to look like a 1970s Roger Dean album cover. The acting was awful (with perhaps the notable exception of Ian McDiarmid as Supreme Chancellor Palpatine). The script poor and the direction pedestrian. There was no real magic that we'd enjoyed in the first trilogy. Having said all of that it was better than either Episode 1 or Episode 2! My 2p. Friday, May 20, 2005
Caravaggio... Last night Drew, Paul and I went to the National Gallery in London's glitzy West End to see the current Caravaggio exhibition showing there.It was a magnificent, albeit brief, tour of the last four years of the great painter's life when he was on the run from a murder rap in Rome. Killing someone in a duel was not atypical behaviour from the hot tempered, violent, rebellious, tormented genius. He painted some of his greatest work while on the run and fearing for his life. Odd that. Caravaggio's work in general is striking in that it is virtually photo realistic. However his characters in these later works are charged with emotions that seem to come from the artist's own personal experiences. I suppose in that respect he is what we might coin the first 'modern artist'. Oh, did I mention he was a big old bender too. Thursday, May 19, 2005
Dreamweaver Intermediate...Yesterday I was on my second Dreamweaver course - this time the intermediate one that helped introduce me to slightly groovier features: META tags, forms, libraries, cascading style sheets, rollovers, behaviours, layers, timelines, Flash, pop-ups and image maps. All great fun. But rest assured, dear reader I shall not be subjecting you to too much dynamic content on overyourhead. That would just be needlessly cruel. Laurie Anderson: The End of the Moon...Last night Paul and I undertook our almost annual pilgrimage to the Barbican Theatre to see our idol Laurie Anderson perform live. She was performing The End of the Moon, the second of her trilogy of intimate solo works. It followed on from the fabulous Happiness show. And was no less fabulous itself. Weove Laurie: poet, humourist, violinist and NASA's first (and last) artist-in-residence. Selected gems included: Who taught you what beauty is? Life is just bad art. Written by too many writers not knowing what they are writing about. Characters come and go almost at random. Plots start but never go anywhere. Characters die for no reason whatsoever. It's like those empty buses at night. Circling the city. And beneath it all is your subconscious. Your subconscious can't speak. It doesn't know any words. So it just shows you pictures. This is blue. What do you make of that? And you spend years trying to figure it out. I was in Turkey last year. On this TV show. And the audience all had guns. Pistols, machine guns, various other artillery. And I thought, "Oh oh. Not what any artist wants. A heavily armed audience." Wednesday, May 18, 2005
New BBC Weather Map...Have you seen that new 3-D television weather forecast graphics on the telly? It's crap. After the BBC News yesterday it crashed twice live "ERROR! NO VALUE!" How embarrassing. The Scots aren't too happy either. Doctor Who DVD...The first Dr Who DVD of the new series is out this week. With a 12 certificate due to the The Unquiet Dead episode, which featured Victorian killer zombies. The second DVD will be out on 13th June - again with a 12 certifcate - this time due to the scene of the Dalek being tortured. Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Alison Moyet at the RFH...Last night Paul, Simon, Charlie and I went to see Alison Moyet at the Royal Festival Hall. Paul had booked us a box which gave us an excellent view of both the stage and the auditorium - an auditorium packed with poofs and dykes aplenty. The gays do like Alf. The staging was simple with keyboards, two guitars, drums and a stringed quartet. But it was Alf's voice we had all come to hear. And she did not disappoint. She would tenderly caress both classic love songs and defiant heartbreakers with equal vocal skill. Her range was amazing and style distinctive. The show was to promote her last two albums, the most recent of which, Voices (a covers albums of classic love songs), has been the soundtrack to my life for the last few weeks. To say I cried during the show would be putting it mildly. I blubbed like a baby more or less throughout. At one point, just after God Give Me Strength, I even had to leave my seat and go outside to compose myself. Alf is a great, great performer. And it was a great, great show (sniff). Kylie Has Breast Cancer...Breaking news: Kylie has cancelled her Australian Showgirl tour after a diagnosis of breast cancer. The following statement was issued by her management: "Whilst at home in Melbourne with her family this week prior to her Australian Showgirl tour, Kylie was diagnosed with early breast cancer. She will undergo immediate treatment and consequently her Australian tour will not be able to proceed as planned." Kylie said today: "I was so looking forward to bringing the Showgirl tour to Australian audiences, and am sorry to have to disappoint my fans. "Nevertheless, hopefully all will work out fine and I'll be back with you all again soon." Monday, May 16, 2005
Beers For A Busy Bee...I've been rather busy of late. Socially that is. Keeping myself occupied you might say. With beer mainly. Craig came to stay Wednesday so it was beers and Amateur Strip Night at BJ's White Swan. The Brazilian won - the Russian lost. As usual. Thursday it was dinner with Craig and Paul and more beers and Central Station. Where, surprisingly, they had a stripper on. Quite how I found myself on stage... your guess is as good as mine. Friday Craig and I went on a bar crawl to Comptons (bit boring), Bar Code (great fun) and the Hoist (rather empty but great fun). Saturday Simon was over and after blubbing our hearts out to Dr Who (sniff) Paul, Simon, Craig and I went to Duckie. Lots of beers and Chinese Opera anyone? On Sunday Dave came back from York so he, Craig and I headed off for beers at the RVT and ended up with beers at HMD. And surrounded by a wonderful bunch of friends. Thanks for the hug Tim. Giving the liver a rest today. Friday, May 13, 2005
Xbox 360... Microsoft have released details of their new Xbox 360 console. There's an MTV programme all about it at 8pm tonight.The specs aren't especially astounding but impressive all the same: Three IBM PowerPC 3.2Ghz CPUs ATI 500MHz graphics processor 48 billion shader operations per second 512Mb GDDR3 RAM of memory Removable and upgradeable 20Gb hard drive Three USB ports Windows Media Extender built-in Support for DVD-video, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD+R, CD-DA, CD-R, WMA CD, MP3 CD, Jpeg photo CD Thursday, May 12, 2005
Kath and Kim...
Kath and Kim is finally here! Tonight sees the very first episode being shown on the BBC. So get in on the ground floor, hornbags! Kath and Kim (Sitcom) - Sex Time: 22:00 to 22:30 (30 minutes long). When: Thursday 12th May on BBC 2 Australian sitcom about a mother and daughter living in suburbia. Kim demands Sharon's help to stalk her estranged husband Brett, while Kath and Kel find themselves otherwise engaged. Starring: Jane Turner, Gina Riley, Glenn Robbins, Peter Rowsthorn, Magda Szubanski (New Series, Widescreen, Subtitles)
New Goldfrapp album and single...
At last, we are delighted to announce the long awaited new album. It's called "Ooh La La" and is released on 22nd August. There will be a single, also called "Ooh La La" released on 8th August. It's sulky, it's sexy and it's a little bit ooh la la! We've already made a fantastic video to go with it and we'll make sure you'll be getting a sneaky preview very soon. And that's not all... UK live dates confirmed including October 6 - Brixton Academy Wednesday, May 11, 2005
I Know It's Over - The Smiths...
Oh mother, I can feel the soil falling over my head And as I climb into an empty bed Oh well, enough said I know it's over still I cling I don't know where else I can go, mother Oh mother, I can feel the soil falling over my head See, the sea wants to take me The knife wants to slit me Do you think you can help me? Sad veiled bride, please be happy Handsome groom, give her room Loud, loutish lover, treat her kindly Although she needs you more than she loves you And I know it's over Still I cling I don't know where else I can go It's over, it's over, it's over I know it's over And it never really began But in my heart it was so real And you even spoke to me and said: "If you're so funny Then why are you on your own tonight? And if you're so clever Then why are you on your own tonight? If you're so very entertaining Then why are you on your own tonight? If you're so very good looking Why do you sleep alone tonight? I know because tonight is just like any other night That's why you're on your own tonight With your triumphs and your charms While they are in each other's arms" It's so easy to laugh It's so easy to hate It takes strength to be gentle and kind It's over, over, over It's so easy to laugh It's so easy to hate It takes guts to be gentle and kind It's over, over, over Love is natural and real But not for you, my love Not tonight my love Love is natural and real But not for such as you and I, my love Oh Mother, I can feel the soil falling over my head Oh Mother, I can feel the soil falling over my head Oh Mother, I can feel the soil falling over my head Oh Mother, I can feel the soil falling over my head Oh Mother, I can feel the soil falling over my head [Copyright: The Smiths] Tuesday, May 10, 2005
The kilo is a French lumb of metal...
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the United States, is calling for the kilo to be redefined in terms of a natural phenomenon, such as the number of atoms in a silicon crystal, or the amount of magnetic force required to levitate an object in a watt balance. And why should we argue with them? Well for 115 years, the kilogram has been defined by a lump of platinum-iridium alloy, kept just outside Paris. But these scientists argue that relying on an actual physical artifact leaves the kilogram vulnerable to misinterpretation, and means other nations have to travel to France to verify their own standard masses. The kilo is now the only international standard measurement left still defined by an actual thing. The metre, for example, was originally defined as a ten-millionth of the distance from the north pole to the equator. It is now agreed to be the distance light travels in one 299,792,458th of a second. Peter Mohr from NIST in the US argues that a physical artifact can change over time - even if it is a very stable substance, like platinum-iridium alloy. Mohr reckons that it changes as much as 50 parts per billion have been seen over a hundred years. This is probably not a serious problem for banana salesmen, but could impact subatomic physicists, he claims. Which I guess is true. He also pointed out that since 1889, when the Parisian lump was accepted as the international standard, US scientists have had to travel to France three times to verify their own standard masses. Something their not so keen to keep doing. Especially with such a froggy-bashy climate as exists in the US at the moment. The advantage of the watt balance, or counting atoms, is that any country can recreate them, Mohr argues. The new standards could also be as much as 50 times more precise, and Mohr argues that these factors "tip the scales in favour of the redefinition". Such wit. But these are not the only arguments in favour of a change. "A meteor could strike Paris - destroying the prototype," Mohr says. "The watt balance can always be recreated." In the aftermath of a meteor strike, it would indeed be good to know exactly how many kilos of rubble have fallen on your house, for example, or exactly how heavy was the thing that has wiped Paris from the face of the Earth. Further, the news that the kilo is in such imminent danger of extinction will no doubt be seen as a vindication by Brits reluctant to sell their fruit and veg in metric units. Monday, May 09, 2005
Friday, May 06, 2005
Guilty Pleasures Caption Competition...
Back in March Paul and I went to the Guilty Pleasures night at the Islington Academy where they were giving out free doughnuts. Their in-house photographer must have taken a snap of me as I helped myself to another one judging by this picture that appears on their web site. They are now running a caption competition - can you perhaps help me win a prize? He's three I've just thought of. Caption #1 Manic sugar-crazed overbiter can't believe his luck. Another Dunkin Donut for free. Caption #2 Sugar rush me, baby one more time. Caption #3 Wanna suck my Chupa Chups? But I'm sure you can come up with something better...  Thursday, May 05, 2005
Russia Invades Switzerland...
This double page advert for Microft just gets it a bit wrong. Mr 500 Servers works for the Department of Foreign Affairs, Switzerland. Funny how the map seems to suggest the head office is in what? Moscow? And isn't that the picture they used to try and scare us with in the 1980s demonstrating the ICBM threat from USSR? 
Duckie Dates...
Regular readers will know I'm a big Duckie fan. So here are some dates for my (and I'd recommend your) diary... Gay Shame The Annual Festival of Homosexual Misery Saturday 2 July 2005 9pm - 3am The Coronet next to Elephant & Castle Shopping Centre & Tube, London, SE1 Tickets £15 in advance from The Retro Bar Limited tickets available on the door. Advance purchase advised. The Reader's Wifes Holy Trinity: PANIC ON THE STREETS OF LONDON The Un-Official Stephen Patrick Morrissey Fan Club Convention. Friday 10 June 9pm - 3am Starring Justin Bond, Tina C., Nathan Evans, The Puppini Sisters and many, many more. A CRASH COURSE FOR THE RAVERS The Un-Official David Bowie Fan Club Convention Friday 5 August 9pm - 3am Starring Mikey Mode, Princess Julia, Miss High Leg Kick, the Buddha of Suburbia and many, many more. WOW! The Un-Official Kate Bush Fan Club Convention Fri 14 October 9pm - 3am Starring Marisa Carnesky, Paul Kieve, Kazuko Hohki, Fake Bush, Boogaloo Stu, Wee Lee and many, many more. All Trinity events are at The Coronet too and also cost £15 in person from The Retro Bar. They are doing a Season Ticket (for all 3 Trinity events): £40 Limited tickets available on the door. Advance purchase advised. Wednesday, May 04, 2005
Training Courses Are Like Buses...
I've worked in the same job for nigh on 16 years and never once been on a training course. Tomorrow I start my first followed by another of Monday and a continuation on Tuesday. Golly. So tomorrow's mind-bender is: Dreamweaver MX Introduction which starts with the opening topic of 'Understanding the Internet'. What? All of it? The two-dayer next week is: Finance for Non Financial Managers - which doesn't exactly fill my heart with joy. Accountancy taught by accountants. Yawn. Which reminds we of a (fairly weak) gag: How can you tell if an accountant is an extrovert? (wait for it...) He stares at your shoes. Yes. Well. I did warn you it was weak. Maybe I'll make a good accountant after all. Tuesday, May 03, 2005
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy...
The radio series, that became a book, that became a TV series, has finally made it to the silver screen. The film version of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is faithful to author Douglas Adams' legacy. The trouble is it's simply not especially funny. Shame. Mostly harmless.
Error 404...
Do you ever get those annoying "error 404 page not found" errors? There are a few alternatives than the plain boring text - but beware, some can be downright rude. Monday, May 02, 2005
69 Things Every Gay Man Should Know...
Oh, heaven save me. Someone seems to think I need dating help so sent me this Americanised cringe-worthy self-help advice for gay men. Shoot me. Someone. Please! 1- Paying for dinner doesn’t mean you’ve bought yourself some action in the sack. And just because he paid for dinner doesn’t mean you have to put out either… unless you really want to. - 2 - Never go to a movie on a first date. - 3 - Fresh breath is important, but never chew gum during a date. You’ll look like a cow. - 4 - If you spot a guy you like, don’t fix him with a fish-eye stare. Walk up and say “hello.” It’s better to give him the chance to show he’s disinterested rather than scaring him off because he thinks you’re a stalker. - 5 - Simultaneously be aware of people’s reputations, and yet understand that they are often undeserved. Avoiding a known “player” is good for those new to the scene, but as you grow more self-reliant, make your own assessments. - 6 - Never ask out the best friend, roommate and/or ex-lover of someone you have recently dated or are currently dating. Your reputation will be shot. - 7 - When you break up with someone, but you still want to hang out with him, do it in groups. And never hang out with him while you’re on a date with someone else. - 8 - Never go out with one guy, but go home with another. At least go through the motions of ending your first date. - 9 - Realize that the two of you won’t always agree on every subject. Just because you have an argument doesn’t mean the relationship is doomed to failure. There’s a big difference between arguing and fighting. - 10 - A double date does not mean asking out two guys at the same time. That is called a three-way. - 11 - Just because your boyfriend is out of town does not make it an “open relationship.” - 12 - Just because his boyfriend is out of town does not make it an “open relationship.” - 13 - If he says he’s in an open relationship, nine times out of ten, he’s lying. - 14 - No one is ever going to really leave their boyfriend for you. - 15 - Even the nicest guy has a sleazy side. - 16 - If his dick points up, suck him off 69-style. - 17 - Don’t lurk in the shadows to check out your blind date before you meet him. Be a man. Go up to him, shake his hand, and politely go through the motions. - 18 - If you don’t want to see him anymore after the first date, don’t say you’ll call him again. Instead, say “Thanks for a nice time. Have a good night.” If he asks you out again, say “No, but thank you for asking.” It’s easier than you think. - 19 - Never take a first date out with a group of your friends. He will feel excluded, and your friends will either embarrass you, try to marry the two of you, or flirt with him. - 20 - Don’t drag your friends into your dating traumas. Bouncing them back and forth between hating and accepting your partner will wear them out, and they may not be there later when you need support the most. - 21 - If you end up dating a guy you met in a bathhouse, online, or in the bushes, get your stories straight before introducing him to your family and friends. - 22 - Mr. Right could be anywhere. - 23 - Keep your word. Call when you say you are going to call. Show up when you say you are going to show up. Being “fashionably late” works only in Cukor movies. - 24 - Come out to everyone you can. Emotionally stable men are not closeted men. - 25 - Never assume. - 26 - Clean your place before a date as if he’s going to spend the night. - 27 - Spend more time grooming yourself before a date than you normally would. - 28 - Pay special attention to your shoes, fingernails and hair. - 29 - For god’s sake, wear clean underwear. Buy a new pack to be used only for special occasions. - 30 - Turn off the cell phone. If it rings, don’t answer it. Better yet, leave it at home. - 31 - Bring enough cash to cover dinner. There could be an unforeseen problem with your credit card. - 32 - First-date guys don’t want to hear about your crappy day. They want to hear how in control and confident you are. Save the bitch session for when you know each other better - maybe. - 33 - Think of stuff to talk about before he shows up. - 34 - “Erotica” is for snobs. It’s called pornography. Those in the porn biz are called performers, NEVER STARS - 35 - If you’re embarrassed about your porn collection, you aren’t ready to be having sex. - 36 - If he sneers at the very idea of pornography, he’s probably someone you don’t want to know. - 37 - On the other hand, some guys just don’t care for porn. Respect his preference. - 38 - Take a chance. It’s far better to be disappointed with how a situation turned out than to be disappointed in yourself for never trying. - 39 - Going to a karaoke bar for a date is problematic. On the one hand, you get to learn about each other’s taste in music, singing voice and poise in public. - 40 - Spend less time trying to meet Mr. Right and more time trying to be Mr. Right. - 41- If it really doesn’t work out with someone, forget about the “I just want to be friends” crap. It’s an insult to everyone’s intelligence. - 42 - Three dates does not make a boyfriend. - 43 - Learn to be happy alone. If you require constant companionship to be happy, you need a therapist, not a boyfriend. - 44 - Get over your gay guilt. If you can’t accept and value yourself for what you are, your dates will start to resemble binary black holes of emotional need. You can’t hate yourself and at the same time expect to find love. - 45 - Don’t date the straight. It seems sexy, it sounds glamorous, but just wait until you end up baby-sitting and changing diapers while he and his wife are on vacation. - 46 - Be less concerned with the length of man`s dick and more concerned with the strength of his spine. A strong backbone clearly separates the brain from the asshole. - 47 - If you’re interested in him, and don’t want to come on too strong, touching him gently on his shoulder or arm is the clearest signal you can send. - 48 - Some guys are simply jerks. There is no valid excuse for their actions, and there is no nice guy inside them screaming to get out. - 49 - Sometimes you will act like a jerk. When this happens, you have two choices: you can make excuses for your bad behavior, or you can be a man and apologize. Understand that he may not accept your apology. It’s more important that you made the effort. - 50 - Don’t assume he’s immature because he’s young. Don’t assume he’s emotionally mature because he’s older. - 51 - Self-effacement may indicate humility but a little of that goes a long way. Be self-confident and present yourself as attractive; just be able to laugh at yourself a little bit. - 52 - Self-confidence goes with anything. Everyone wants a self-confident man. - 53 - Newly-out men are not ready for a serious relationship. Remember how you felt when you came out? Were you ready for a serious commitment? He needs time to get used to the idea of being openly gay before he can commit, just like you did. - 54 - Read a book every so often. Go to comedy shows or plays. Pick up a magazine that you normally wouldn’t read. Don’t depend on small talk during a date—have a few conversation starters to maintain a comfortable flow. - 55 - Don’t monopolize the conversation, but also don’t depend on your date to carry the evening alone. Murmuring “uh-huh” periodically doesn’t make you a good listener. Take an active and supportive role in the exchange where you ask questions, respond with opinions and express interest. 56 - Interracial dating can carry the specter of feelings assumed or left unsaid. Get this out in the open as you become more comfortable with each other. Pay attention to what kinds of issues, ideas and jokes are trigger points for disagreement. Realize that the special understanding you develop with that particular person may not extend to everyone else. - 57 - Men are innately competitive. Be careful about trying to one-up each other. No one likes a guy who has always done something more exciting and been somewhere better. There are better uses for a mouth than bragging. - 58 - Don’t rate him solely based on a single date. Some men are more comfortable one-on-one, and clam up in a crowd. - 59 - Mr. Perfect is a myth. Mr. Perfect is a myth. Mr. Perfect is a myth. You will never find someone who satisfies all your criteria and who is flawless under any circumstance. If you believe you’re dating Mr. Perfect, you are either deceiving yourself or you are dangerously low in self-esteem. - 60 - A homosexual orientation is not an automatic indication of taste, class or intelligence. - 61 - Very good-looking men come with their own special set of problems and insecurities. Don’t assume he’s taken because he’s attractive. And don’t assume he’s a snob because he’s beautiful. - 62 - If he turns you down for a date, it doesn’t necessarily mean there’s something wrong with you. It could simply be he wasn’t interested. - 63 - Save the words “I love…” for people and pets. Loving everything is a sign of severe neediness. - 64 - If it’s over, it’s over. You can’t bargain your way out of being dumped. Although second chances sometimes work out for the best, third and fourth chances never do. Instead, try being alone for a while. - 65 - Just because he’s fantastic in bed does not necessarily mean he’s in love with you. - 66 - Stop assuming every guy you meet is a potential husband. This is a special brand of self-torture. Have your fantasies if you must, but let him be who he is, and give yourself a break. It’s not your fault if he isn’t Mr. Right. - 67 - No, all of the good men aren’t taken. Where have you been looking? - 68 - In a world full of guys, there are very few men. Learn to tell the difference and commit to being the better of the two. - 69 - You can`t really change anyone, and no one can really change you, but you can be deceived into believing both. < -5 BoyLOGS +5 ? > < webloggers > < # Blogging Brits ? >
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