Road Trip Part 3: That's Capital

After a drunken Friday night...rather worst for wear we trekked about in our nations capital. Below is Mark, Me & Brig ( all hungover as hell so not a bad pic considering).Firstly off to Mt Ainsle to see the best view of Canberra. The vista from the War Memorial (down Anzac Parade) to Capital Hill (down Federation Mall). Very impressive.Canberra owes itself to Walter Burley Griffin who won the 1913 capital city competition. Although its quiet and only has a population of 300,000 - It's a very clean and pretty city (Opponents also say its lifeless and not a true indication of Australian Society - is it that bad to have an ideal for a country?)Canberra is based on several axises - The most prominent is the central government triangle & vista to the War Memorial - with avenues to the City (civic) and to the American-Australian War Monument (Russell).Above is the very Art Deco inspired War Memorial - quite lovely - Below is Parliament - quite impressive on the outside but a bit like a 80's Joan Collins inspired Mansion (WAY too much bright color and marble). At this point the party needed rest so the other monuments will need to be left for another trip.After a quiet evening (the weekend party was STILL recovering from Friday night) on Sunday we ventured to Floriade on the banks of the lake - It was very pretty however it contained a lot of the same rather than different displays of flowers and plants.

The below is for Doorsie - Do your Tulips ever look so good?

On top of the many bulb beds (too many I say) there was this amazing cane structure - I now want one (and a lawn to place it on!)There was also a few display marquees around too- mostly they were full of crap (a bit like the below example ) 'Beanie' Tent consisted of people who made beanies ( a hat for those NOT in the know) - the below is a breakfast beanie - complete with toast! Yes and this too was in the gallery - however we were laughing but at them not with them.After a few more flowers, then the glass works & markets - we all made way to the the pub for Sunday lunch...I actually got sun burnt it was that bright & sunny. After a playing a fabulous game - Articulate ( a bit like Pictionary with words) and a few too many wines, Andy and I cooked a Sunday roast to say thank you for our hosts Erin & Mark...then we woke up early for the LONG drive home.

We had a ball - gotta do another weekend away soon.

Road Trip Part 2 : On the road (again)...

Well the Road to Canberra turned out to be a lot of fun.
On the road by 7AM to avoid the rush...we managed to get out of Melbourne in no time...

(Out Of Melbourne and only another 550 kms to go!)

Andrew spent most of the trip driving (I only drove for an hour and he wanted to drive more as he got bored...bless).While the lovely Brigid kept us entertained with humorous Crazy Cousin Anne stories and a CD compilation EMI would be envious of.

At the moment the countryside between the capital and Melbourne is fabulous - Canola fields are a plenty and mountain ranges are lush and green. Amazing what a little rain does.As Albury-Wodonga was the half way point - we decided on to stop for lunch...it's a very pretty town on the Border of VIC & NSW on the Murray River.

Walking down the main Street (above is the main street of Albury) - we spied a little cafe - Q Food - which turned out to not only be the 'it' place in town - but it was a gay run cafe...in fact this town (small city really) has a loud & proud GLBTI community - Staff & the food were terrific.We left Albury soon after and got into Canberra by mid afternoon - not before spying this cunning place on words bead shop...they must have spent hours coming up with that.

(if you have any shops in this manner please email me!)

Next...Part 3 - That's Capital.

Road Trip Part 1: Ready...steady...

We are getting ready for a road trip this Friday.

Me, Andy and the lovely Brigid are heading off to our nations capital - Canberra - this weekend to visit and catch up with some friends who have moved there this year. And usually 7 hours in a car is as about as exciting as it sounds...but I'm really looking forward to it!

Not only do we get to hang out with friends but we get to soak up some national culture ( or as we say it in OZ - CULCHA)...we get to see the premiere flower and garden show of floriade, enjoy the wonders of Mr Burley Griffin's fine planned city such as the lake, Mt Ainslie Look out and the wide avenue and boulevards...visit Parliament house, the numerous galleries and museums....but get to visit the mega-porn supermarkets as well.

Yes only in OZ could the National Gallery share the same locality with Champions Mustang Ranch Porno store.

Now add in some drinks & disco & dancin' my weekend will be complete - and yes more than happy for the latter (as well as the former stuff to be honest) to be in someones living room!

You Tube:Possessed Demon Cat

I love cats...They are entertaining and a bit mental...however this one is not only scary but hilarious - sometimes the voices inside talk all at once...

Cyanide and Happiness

You Tube: Charlotte Church TV

Bless this taffy - this episode includes an audience surprise for a sexist bloke. V Funny.

Spunk Alert: Tom Ford

Presenting the talent Mr Ford...What can this man CAN'T DO?He is a creative genius...The below was from a fabulous fashion photo shoot - very Fellini-esq-inspired. He re invented Gucci...and YSL...and has his own label.

He has so much taste, style and savoir faire I can't stand it .And the man is a spunk. Period.

The Pregnant Pause

Life at the moment is rather quiet & neutral - It's a bit like rating a 7 on a PH Scale. Not that I'm complaining. I mean it's sort of nice for a change that it is rather quiet (hence my quieter blog entries of late). My life (and Andy's as well for that matter) are in that pregnant pause moment - that the end result is near (as opposed to the calm before the storm).

The end result? Many things really - buying the house for one thing - and given that interest rates have rose twice in the month and house prices are STILL increasing (appears that people from the west coast are coming here to buy investments - apparently Melbourne has cheap property compared to Perth!) we have decided to sit tight and save a bit more and see what happens - I know -very sensible and grown up.

My course assignments have been completed and (more to the point) I passed - but I wont graduate until November so to allow all the others to catch up with their work (so to show a high pass rate to management so they run & fund the course again.)

Holidays have been planned but are far far away - The big holiday in Thailand for Andy's 40th is in May... Perth is planned for 2008 too...I won't get Xmas off this year however many ex-Melbournians will be here visiting this year so that will be fun.

As Ms Hines would say don't get me wrong - These are not complaints - More than happy to sit tight with these plans and actions through to fruition...We are just in that quiet moment time before hand.

Best put the kettle on and enjoy it.

Melbourne Moment

Art on Degraves street, Thursday Morning.

Book Review: Michael Tolliver Lives

I was 19 when I first read the Tales of city series. For me it was like nothing I had ever read before. I loved all of the characters, and how their lives intertwined in such a lovely way. How they all were dancing to the same tune…just in different dance halls across the city. Almost a San Francisco symbiosis.

That was almost 15 years ago. When Eddy (http://tummyguts.blogspot.com/) recently recommended this book for me I became quite excited. As a huge fan of Tales of the city it was the first book in ages that I actually rushed out to purchase for my reading pleasure (ok after the last Harry Potter novel).

Armistead Maupin continues the city tales after a break of more than 20 years...this time only focusing on Mouse - Mr Michael Tolliver. He's 55 now and alive, living with HIV and still being a big queen – or in Mouse’s eyes – a big Nellie/Mary/Fag.

Unlike the other novels this book is only from his perspective. Yes other characters are there but not like before. I don’t know if Armistead changed his writing style in the post AIDS world or has purposely decided not to use the usual format of inter-related stories/lives/characters. To be honest I was actually surprised that he even wrote this novel after a 20 year break – I thought he would have left this all behind (whether he produced this from his own doing or it was a requirement in a contract I don’t know) but the edge that Tales once had is lost – I don’t think it’s to do with his writing however more so a reflection of society in 2007.

Still though it’s a fairly good read. I like the fact the some of the old characters come back in…even though a few more have been killed off. And I do like the overall comment Armistead has made about gay life, getting older and the world today from an old 1960's baby boomer radicals perspective. For me it still hasn’t answered entirely the question of what happened to ? the many colourful and rich characters he created. Rather it’s a commentary of how the remaining have survived in a very different post-9-11-Bush-for-president-world to when they met and became family.

Three and a half hearts out of five.

Cyanide & Happiness

Melbourne Moment

Outside of Australia-on-Collins, Collins Street, Sunday afternoon.

You Tube: Bargearse

Lucky Grills (Aka Bluey Aka BARGARSE) died this week - when the Lateshow did voiceovers this was one of my favourites

You Tube: Jan Terri - Losing You

Ever wanted to see WC Fields in Drag singing the worst song - let alone filmclip - it's grotesque yet so watchable

Frosty Jack...

I can't believe it - the top temperature was 9 and currently at 5PM its 7 with an overnight low of 6. And we can't get the house warm.

Andrew wants to burn the house as he feels that's the only way we are going to get warm ( electric heating you see) but we managed to get through that ( thankfully).

In fact our state is experiencing the coldest day in 20 years - snow in the country - sleet in the city and fucking freezing everywhere else. I saw on the news tonight that Darwin is experiencing 30 degrees - the only time I'm jealous of not living in NT...and I might add - the ONLY time....
So lately at night I have been in bed trying to get warm reading the fabulous book of Blackgama - "What makes a legend the most" - the old Fur campaigns of the 60's & 70's that the company ran. They used stars of the day such as Barbra Streisand, Judy Garland, Liza, Marlene Dietrich - lots of gay icons really - looking fabulous in fur....(PS - Jesus I'm such a fag)( Darlink - bwring me a mwirror - I don't have great legs - I just know what to do with them)

Fur was fabulous and very practical in this cold weather - OK so I know the whole murdering of animals isn't the nicest thing...however we kill cows & chicken and all sorts of animals for meat to eat - fur is just the skin...


Joanie Rivers after being attacked by PETA!
Hasn't this woman suffered enough from surgery???Anyhow Like Karl Lagerfeld - Ode to a fur coat - fuck PETA -

they need to experience this coldness snap.

Or stop being hypocrites and stop eating meat too!

Melbourne Moment

Layer upon layer upon layer - Federation Square.

Youu Tube: Roisin Murphy

I love this chick (from Moloko)- sent to me from a friend in the UK - as he said - best summary of london life, minus the costume of course.

Cyanide & Happiness

God she eats a lot!

Meet Rabbit - our cat (alias include but not restricted to Rabbi, Booby & Piggy)- he's mad for yogurt....and all sorts of dairy - let alone tuna - actually he's mad for food.

Yet another flattering snap of Rabbit... what a bloody pig!

But really - I can't blame him - I feel like doing the same.

It's so cold at the moment I can't help but want to eat...I've made Chocolate Pudding & Lemon delicious Pudding (ps - that does live up to it's name) in the last week...I want to cook more so to eat more like this...

(Actually this remind me something else completely different but I digress)
Thank god for that Free Gym membership to Fitness First I won last month...now just off load that to some sucker for my weight in Haighs Chocolate and I'm set til Spring.

YouTube: Margaret Cho

From Margaret's "I'm The One That I Want" tour. The encore. Where has this comedian been all my life!

Sites to check out: Facebook

Wow - thanks to my dear of mate Noel (pictured below with his beau Alberto) - he has introduced me to Facebook...Basically Facebook is a site that connects people with friends.

You can use Facebook to keep up with friends & accquaintences, upload photos (unlimited), share links & videos, and learn more about the people they meet.

Its free and is ace -

http://www.facebook.com

ps - if you join add me to your list too!

Spunk Alert: Scott Caan

Hello Scott Caan...son of James Caan...meet this edgy urban spunkHe has appeared in a few art house films...and even directed his own...Probably well known from all of the Ocean 11,12 & now 13 films...with the other Clooney, Damon & Pitt Spunks...Oh and the obligatory bum shot - cheers to Spunk Caan.

The Queen & I

Now please don't think for a moment I'm a monarchist. In fact I'm very much for a republic for Oz.

However the fact is HRH and BES (My middle name is Edward) have a birthday in common (Actually only in OZ do we share it - the 11th of June - Bless 'A-stray-lia').

(Actually John Constable, Jaques Cousteau & Gene Wilder all share my birthday too - however only with ER its a public holiday).

Now I was thinking that maybe this year ER (Elizabeth Regina - or 'ER in the Palace) should do a little swappsie for the day - like 'Wives Swap' but call it 'Queen Swap' where a reigning monarch swaps with a raving mo - just for the day mind you ( I don't fancy long term as Balmoral has no central heating!).

I could spend the day meeting foreign heads of state, declaring open parliament in white silk & ermine, telling off Prince Charles, Wills, the royal staff etc all while wearing large hats/tiaras and the such like...let alone getting a pissed at Buck House & generally annoying to her allies (did you know that the Queen can still dissolve UK Parliament let alone declare war - heh heh heh).

Whereas she could take the tram to work, manage a team of Gen Y's for the day (could you imagine the conversations!) Pay $3.50 for the morning coffee (Even ER with think this is steep)with the workers for the daily gossip, have to battle the queue at the supermarket for 'ers & Andy's dinner (though I suppose they could have takeaway Thai for the night) and settle in for a night's Telly with Andy & The cat.

Actually I think she would be in that - anything for a night off from Phil!

Happy Birthday Ma'am ( Ma'am as in Ham not as in Harm)

Lucky Bitches

As Joanie Collins recently celebrated her 1 billionth birthday (23rd of May) and as she is a two-faced mental Gemini like me...I thought it fitting for a quick tribute to her and her sister Jackie...those glamorous Collins Girls.

Possibly my all time favourite photo of them both from the 80's - Jackie is never without her leopard print...and Joanie with her bosom...in the back of a limo no less.

And a retro Shot from the 70's - cleavage was obviously word du jour...oooh - they're...

LUCKY BITCHES!

DVD Review: Golden Girls ( Season 4)

Picture it.
Miami.1985.
4 'women of a certain age' living the single life and sharing house.

The Golden Girls was one of favourite comedy shows in the 1980's -and it lasted for 8 years - it rivaled 'Cheers' & 'The Cosby Show' as one of the most popular sitcoms of the 1980's and early 1990's.

OK so the fashions are still offensive...God knows how much fabric Dorothy ( Bea Arthur) covered herself in...or the Mumsie suit dresses Rose ( Betty White) wore...while Sophia (Estelle Getty) wore clothes older than her ( and funnily enough she was playing Dorothy''s mother - was was younger than her!)..Blanche (Rue McClanahan) is the one who still looks good..if not a little like mutton-dressed as mutton.

OK so I'm a bit cruel and the fashion hasn't aged well...but the jokes have...unlike Season 1,2 & 3 there was a change of scriptwriters so the jokes & gags aren't as funny, but still very much watchable. Sophia's story's are still funny (especially the old days in Sicily & Brooklyn) and some of her one liners are still magic, for example:-

Sophia (now a coach) enters into the house with the team after winning a game and announces

'Make way for the Victors!' Rose asks if the team won. Sophia replies
' No we just all changed our names to Victor'

Yes the jokes are still there about deranged animals and lunatics of St Olaf, Blanche's Men and Dorothy's lack of Men...some of the storey lines do push it though - like Rose becoming 'Woman of the Year', Sophia's getting married & how they all buy and manage a Boxer(ideas were obviously thin this season and they were entering into jumping the shark waters)...Don't even ask about the fake flashback episode about Valentine Day! ( which is a shame as they do flashback episodes quite well throughout the seasons)

Overall for the fans this is one they will treasure - for others - stick to Volumes 1,2,3 & the final season ( all the same writers).

3 bad 80's frocks out of five.
(NB - Originally written for an Review for Amazon)