Eurovision 2009 - The Favourite to win - Norway

Alexander Rybak - Fairytale - This is the song the bookies are betting will win - Folky pop by a violinist boy from Belarus who now calls Norway home - Is this the winner?

RIP - Bea Arthur

Known best as 'Bossom Buddy' Vera Charles from Mame, '70's pro feminist' Maude from Maude and my favourite Dorothy from 'Golden Girls' - she will be greatly missed. Here singing ' "What'll I Do?" RIP Bea.

Eurovision 2009 Highlights continued - Sweden

Malena Ernman - La Voix - This is definately gets my vote for 80's DIVA award of Eurovision 2009 - Especially like ' Crazy Opera face' [3:05] similar vein to crazy choir face, but sung with operettas instead of choral music.

Eurovision 2009 Highlights - Hungary

Zoli Ádok - Dance With Me - is possibly the gayest song ever - but its a little catchy and yes I would dance to it at the Peel on a Friday night if the moment so takes me after bevies du jour...needless to say the filmclip is the second gayest thing ever (after the song)

Eurovision 2009 - 2nd Semi final

Well the Slavic countries are the highlight here esp Crazy 'Fro from Serbia however Norways Fairytale polks folk and those sad baby boomers clad in silver suits from Netherlands give the old east bloc a run for there money - Enjoy!

Eurovision 2009 - 1st Semi Final

Lordy a treat here for the 1st semi finalists - including A superhero from the Czech Rep. Elvis from Belgium and a fat Celine Dion from Malta - Enjoy!

Eurovision 2009

Well I'm back [from holidays] and so is Eurovision.

Ahh Eurovision - this is one of my many crap-tack-ular highlights of the year - never failing to please. Now I started to think that as this year it is held in Russia that all the old Balkan/East Bloc countries will just sing in Russian out of habit [or possibly fear of the old days] - I'm glad to say that's not the case. And whether the economic crisis is hitting the contest, or just tastes are changing [assuming you had taste to begin with] this year flavour has changed...to more subdued. Well for Eurovision it is.

Now there are still the pop songs and future [gay] dance floor hits - thanks to Finland, Greece & Montenegro [with the original lyric of Just get out of my head, just get out of my bed then repeat - Lennon would be envious !] - but this year there is definitely folky/slow and dramatic being theme dujour highlight. France, after entering the Charles Manson look alike DJ with his cutting edge song in '08 has gone for a dramatic SLOW love song in manner of Edith Piaff...Norway goes with 'Fairy tale' waltzy folk complete with a violinist singer...and there is a semi operetta from Sweden.

For me, however this year is all about looki-likeys or I should say ' Soundseelikey'. Germany offers its own Crooner [in manner of Michael Buble] with Miss Kiss Kiss Bang [ not of course too dissimilar to Dionne Warwick's MR kiss kiss bang bang but I digress] Switzerland gives its own version of the Coldplay [I didn't know they got franchised] A Danish back street boys, A Jimmy Sommerville like castrato from Bulgaria [thankfully sung in English] and Andorra offers it's Natalie Imbruglia [yes dear readers I had to google her to write her name correctly] - just to name a few.

I will [of course] be posting clips of the favourites before the big night in May.

Let Eurovision 2009 Begin! [Offical site belowif you need a bigger fix]

http://www.eurovision.tv/page/moscow2009

Another 10...

[thanks to FreeFoto.com for the snap]

Well its finally time for a holiday - which is well overdue. I'm looking forward to 2 weeks of sun, catching up with old friends & family. I have really struggled this year to get to this point however it was the end goal of a few months of stress. So I've made a short list of goodies to look forward to post holidays.

1 - Easter. I know its sounds lame but how many christian holidays you get to pig out on chocolate eggs, hot cross buns and get 4 days off. It would beat Christmas [If it wasn't for turkey, pudding & gifts really].

2. Autumn. Yes again another one sounding lame however after the summer that was like every oven, car engine, hair drier, electric heater and anything else warm was turned up to extreme. Let alone all the fires around Victoria - We need the rain [currently Melbourne damns are under 30% - we'll be on rations soon! It will be like the war...without the war]. And Melbourne is ever so pretty with the autumnal colours.

3. Judith Lucy. Melbourne Comedy festival is on next month and this year Miss Judith Lucy is back with " “Judith Lucy’s Not Getting Any Younger” This will be Judith’s ninth solo show and I can not wait. She is gold.

4. Eurovision.My crap-o-metre is already off the planet as Russia is hosting and yes one of my first entries when I'm back will be short listing the favourites...and the not so favourites. Especially like the new deal that Graham Norton will be taking the place of Terry Wogan as compare, a worthy replacement no less.

5. Home sweet home. We are in the market and have attended a few auctions - still going for higher than what we want to pay however hoping the 'credit crisis', 'Great Recession' or whatever you want to call it will help us buy...finally.

6. Cheque from the PM. I still can't believe this. The Commonwealth government is basically giving everyone in OZ about a grand to spend to stimulate the economy. Of course what happens is everyone saves it or pays off debit. Oh well finally some of that tax payer money coming to me instead of away. Hello new laptop.

7. My birthday. Yes another lame one for everyone who is not me.

8. Missing Melbourne Grand Prix. By a strange twist of fate [and excellent timing] we miss the Grand Prix this year. Boo Hoo. And in the process miss the yobbo's, rev heads, noise [ don't even get me started on the MASSIVE carbon footprint it leaves]. Boo Hoo.

9. More Miss Lily Allen. I. Just. Love. Her.

[Maybe a bit too much at the moment - see last post].

10. Planning more trips - All worktime and No playtime is just wrong.

See you in April

X b.

Lily Allen - The Fear

OMG I'm just so in love with Miss Allen at the moment - The fear is just heaven - I wonder if she needs a fag bangle???

Comments from Craig

One of the things I love about my fair city is the quirkiness of some its residents.

Meet Craig - apparently he is plastering the light & tram poles of Prahran & Windsor with his thoughts and ideas of what he likes...

I do like how he wants to get others on his band wagon of fun...and explanations of...well stuff really...Ladies looking for Love? Look no further - with Craig's DVD collection & his snappy dress sense who would need anything else?

And Craig is obviously a thinking man - and cares for the globe and the economy...
I love this - if you see more around the streets of Melbourne please let me know...

You Tube:Danny Boy

I loved the muppets.Clearly the three best singers the Muppets have ever had to offer, together at last. Enjoy.

That was the thing that was....

After finding the Old Skyline Drive-in clip on You tube it started me thinking about how much fun the drive-in was and how it simply died after 30 years of public service. The advent of home video recorders was the killer, which was then super seceded a decade or so later with DVD and now - Blue ray. This started me thinking about technology - sometimes it paves the way for a whole new product or process making instant changes in habits or lifestyles that makes other product or processes vertically obsolete over night.
Historically - the Penny farthing, the Gas light, the humble horse and cart - superseded by the bicycle, the electric bulb & the automobile [respectively]. All had a very useful purpose for many years and even today. However I don't think I would want to read by gas light now or clean up after the horse [the cat is bad enough] let alone mounting a giant wheel for a ride. Good technology also makes items so much easier to use like the computer. My mother told me that one of her first office jobs in the 1960's the computer took up half the floor of the building [like the ones from James Bond or Space films of the same era] and could only 10 calculations per hour or so.

Jump to now and the humble PC does more things that the ones NASA was using to place Neil Armstrong on the moon. And now with the email who needs the humble postage service for a letter? Goodbye to the humble typewriter or even fax machine too. Let alone the endless possibilities that the Internet can offer - information from shopping to online billing & banking services, gaming, history, networking sites like Facebook and [of course] porn, all delivered via the humble phone line. And now you can be wireless anywhere [within service range] with devices such as the iphone - delivering a range of technologies and mediums from phone, internet, music & gaming - the lot - in that tiny shiny sexy little casing. Selling a lifestyle with the added bonus of making our lives that much easier.Now I don't want to sound like an Luddite about to smash Spinning Jennies into the Grand Junction Canal [how many dated references there missus] but sometimes all this technology is just too much. The humble telly is now a wafer thin flat screen device that sucks the equivalent energy a third world country would use in a year. Yes it looks fab but what about that nasty carbon footprint it leaves every time you turn it on. Does the matching surround sound system really need to be the same as a multiplex cinema for a bachelors flat? Let alone does a car really need a camera to help you reverse park? What about making it more fuel efficient? Or better still a car that runs on Hydrogen or H2O? And for that matter -If they can make Viagra for men to get hard ons why not still a cure for AIDS? Or the humble cold?

Now don't get me wrong - I'm advocating to go back the horse and cart or [for that matter] for women to start wearing bustles & frock coats for men. Neither do I want Betacord back, listen to tape cassettes or work with card punch machines. Technology should be used for good not evil - but that's not Technology's fault - its for those of us consuming these follies...maybe we need to be more choosy about what impact they have on the environment as well as their convenience. To shun those who does not take our precious environment into account. Or each other for that matter.

Now I do sound like a modern day Luddite. Best go back to the days of sending telegrams to the Prussian Consulate in Siam before I listen to my old 78's on my gramophone and foxtrot the night away to forget these stresses of modern day living.

Fuck that - I'll email them instead and listen to music in the ipod like everyone else does nowdays as its way too easy to use. My Foxtrot is just fine by the way- its my crumping that needs practice.

You Tube: Skyline Drive-in

Ahh the lost drive ins of my youth - although I was not around when this was made. I especially like the direction of how to use the speaker (which never worked ) and the glamourous food stand ( which was never that nice) - still miss it though

OZ day - Blogs to check out

[Ah Pauline - I have always wondered why only rednecks drape the flag like a cape. Probably because the rest of us can afford clothes].

Australia Day - the 26th of January is the official OZ birthday. We plan to head off to an picnic to celebrate [by celebrate I mean to go out in public, stuff our faces and drink too much to make boules & frisbee more interesting] & I thought how could I share our national holiday with the globe...and as I can not bake green & gold cupcakes to all and sundry [I just don't have the oven space nor a good relationship with my local post office however I digress] so instead I wanted to share some Aussies blogs which I enjoy immensely.

Firstly beginning with A - Crazy Cousin Anne [from tough at the top fame] has gone from Melbourne to Darwin to Berlin & back to Melbourne again [in manner of not so much Auntie Mame around the world more like the big trip of a daughter of a certain Moonee Ponds housewife] Wonderfully titled Bless me father for I have sinned [That catholic guilt just never goes away does it] dearest Anne has decided to start to reminisce about her very funny childhood...http://annneedmonds.blogspot.com/

Oh & this was her travel blog Anne in Berlin http://anniegoesoverseas.blogspot.com/
[Eich ein Berliner Anne? Nein Frau Anne].

Yarraville Paul - Another gay Melbournian's rant of pop culture, hot men, technology & politics - a good read - always! http://yarravillepaul.blogspot.com/

Punk & Blanket combines art & culture [and the love of Karl Lagerfeld] into one convenient size that fits all http://punkandblanket.blogspot.com/

But it's not all about things that go POP - the geeky greenie sometimes beats the pop bitch in me - Peter Parker [no not Spidey] from Melbourne on transport gives his views on how to fix our transport chaos. Possibly the planet too http://melbourneontransit.blogspot.com/.

Formerly of Big Queen Rod - this Sydney sider has now transformed his blog to the heavenly Popsickle yet another OZ pop culture icon http://bigqueen.org/popsickle/

And for the love of TV - the only blog to consult is TV tonight - for all doings, comings & goings of OZ TV http://www.tvtonight.com.au/

Now that where I should end it...but that's not it...

There is one more I need to share...it's not really Australian [in fact its American - how appropriate on our National Holiday to involve yanks!] and quite rude too [oh yes this blog is so not for work dear reader]...however its my most favourite blog of the moment - lurid digs - it combines very witty Interior design commentary [in manner of Dorothy Parker meets Martha Stewart at the Blue Oyster bar] & when gays get it wrong [especially when they are trying to be sexy in there own homes] urgh! http://www.luriddigs.com/ - its a fucking kak!

Happy OZ day!

You Tube:Natalie Bassingthwaighte - Alive

I'm loving Nat at the moment - the 'So you think you can dance[OZ]' host's latest- and I love the golden/sepia Nat in this clip of many looks

Film Review: AUSTRALIA

Well after reading all the reviews on this film you would think that Baz delivered a lemon to the big screen. In fact, probably why it took me so long to go see it.

Well let me tell you that's just not the case. In fact it’s quite the opposite.

AUSTRALIA is film which evokes the golden age of film epics. It is so well suited the big screen as the viewer can appreciate the rich landscapes, the eccentric characters and the overall tale it tells. Set between the backdrop of Pre war Darwin [the last Australian capital city which was even up to recently was a backwater outpost] and the extreme Australian outback, it is essentially a love story between the two leads Lady Ashley [Nicole Kidman] & the drover [Hugh Jackman].
Now don’t get me wrong, the first twenty minutes of hearing Nic’s English accent is unsettling, as with how Baz does the whole quick play of how she comes to Australia [this verges on the camp – yes even for moi] thankfully this is only one part of the tale.

This film makes many references to great films of the past, the most obvious is the ‘Wizard of OZ’ of course. However there are some scenes he has deliberately lit like the Hollywood sound stages of the 1940’s which so suits the era of which the film is set. Theses scenes created by Baz are wonderful. The Victorian homestead of Faraway downs is so typically rural Australia. The Cocktail Party scene at Government house could easily been an ex-pat party in Hong Kong or Singapore of the era. The bombing of Darwin and aftermath of it are both shocking and devastating [no it is not a knock off of Pearl Harbor]. But the landscape of the bush, the hard earth and the extreme temperature, are the real scene stealer of this film's cinematography.
Speaking of which, the quality of each performer are equally as high. So many accomplished Australian actors [which the exception of Geoffrey Rush & Kate Blanchet!] are in this film. Jack Thompson plays a drunk Englishman in a supporting role which is very funny. Nicole is very good [minus the first 20 minutes of the accent] and Hugh, well he is very believable as the Drover [and yes he gets his shirt off a few times] and I didn’t even mind the ‘crikey’ slang he speaks. The young actor Brandon Walters is brilliant as the aboriginal boy caught between his traditional roots and the world of ‘white Australia’ of the 1940’s. In fact the entire cast does a marvelous job.

Go see it as it's meant for the big screen – Baz did a fabulous job with this.

4 Billabongs out of 5.

Holiday Ste(wart) Crazy

Well its been a busy holiday season...one that Martha herself would be most proud...just not in that orange outfit [uh isn't bad enough to send people to jail LET alone choose the colour orange - ironically it is a majestic colour...the Royal house of Holland is known as the House of orange...but I digress.] We have been entertaining quite a bit - like everyone else [of course] over the holiday period...Christmas day lunch, then supper, Boxing Day lunch, then off to a Birthday drinks, a quick trip to the country, a house guest, a NYE party then another luncheon & a movie before heading back to work. All in ten days no less. Martha & Tina Brown would be proud.

Unlike previous years where we have gone from one party to another then another party - this year we were VERY sensible and had one day on one day off...to rest the body & mind...let alone a break from all the rich food and booze [we kept the makers of Rennie in Christmas booty over the break]. Of course now I would love some turkey in my sandwich but alas all gone...There is [thankfully] a Christmas pudding still here so not all bad news.
So on top of the entertaining...I managed to make Pea & Ham soup (from left over Christmas Ham) and jam and liqueur from a friends bumper crop of Cherry Plums (both pictured above, and yes still waiting on Ms Stewart to call for the recipe)...waiting on the apricots for more jam and lemons for preserving...so in between the hostess [with definitely the most'est] gig I'm doing my best impersonation of a 50's housewife - which I don't mind however I don't think I would have the same pinny as her below....but I do like her mixer.
Got me thinking that Housewife's role hasn't really disappeared rather really just merged with ourselves [Yes I know some more than others- moi for example] - and unlike the Fabulous 50's housewife of yesteryear we have just taken some of the traditional tasks and chosen the ones we like and discarded the ones we do not like/use or made redundant. Or employ others to action [like house cleaner, child carer etc]. This, of course, isn't a bad thing.

But give me the option I'd much rather kissing Andy goodbye every morning before I start polishing the silver, dusting my knick knacks, getting a pot roast on for dinner and planning the next luncheon rather than working until retirement [another 35 -40 years in the future - urgh!] - and for those saying I would get bored...well chance will be a fine thing...

Best plan the next holiday and get the next tram to work so I can pay for it.

You Tube:Cha Cha Heels

RIP Eartha Kitt aged 81. I loved her - and especially loved this number when it used to play at Freakazoid.

A Fiery Mexican, a Drunk Belgian & Nude Australian run into this pub see...

My life turned into a working men's club comedians bad joke last night. Circa '76.

It all started with Margarita's and Mexican for dinner...after receiving heartburn similar to the Volcano El Chichon erupting [I forgot about my lack of tolerance to Tequila's & chilli's combined with the lava flows of cheese] I left Andy at home to meet with a B & D at the Belgian Beer Garden.

Now usually the Belgian Beer Garden is a very smart sunday afternoon affair where groomed Melbournians enjoy jazz and European Beer in a setting of a beautiful Bluestone Historical building and it's charming gardens. Lovely.

Not on A Saturday Night though. Apparently not as fussy with it's clientele admissions.
Granted I was a bit sober [too many Antacids to keep the Alamo of a digestion occuring in my stomach] and I walked into, what I can only describe as, the Belgian Beer Garden putsch of 2008.

B & I met a charming fellow at the bar called 'Jacko' and his insightful view of the crowd 'all these fuckers are stuck up here' unlike his local pub [unnamed but I have a sneaking suspicion it appeared in the TV show 'Underbelly'], gave B his address just in case 'you leave your hubby sexy' [what a charmer - who could resist!] and proceeded to order 14 Bourbon & cokes for himself [or as N likes to call them 'suburban & cokes'].

Well our new mate disappears into the chaos and we managed to settle in for evening. I'm trying to calm my indigestion with a glass of Sauvigon Blanc finding that Mexican and French do not mix well [will pop a note through to the Epicure in The Age with that pearl of wisdom]. However about an hour later Jacko appears from one of the hedges, completely starkers [the suburban & cokes kicking in] and does a nudie run through the venue and out to St Kilda Road, with his finale being a helicopter and then British Bull dog [see Puppetry of Penis] for the maddening crowd.

The thing is that Jacko kept his [sort of] big gun for last [no excuses for the pun] and the only thing to top it was - well nothing really. Leaving is an excellent encore in that situation as opposed to getting arrested which is the alternative. I am actually surprised that the crowd didn't really care about it and continued drinking. B & I thought I was very funny. Bless Jacko for making our night.

D was found later on quite drunk kissing one of his work mates however for those who don't live in Australia that isn't a new thing for Heterosexual Australian men when they are drunk. Usually before a nudie run and well prior to fisty cuffs.

I managed to get home by 1am and was completely sober.
Pants on I would like to say too.

Decking your halls...

Well yes its that time again at Casa de finnoccio...er..I mean Casa de la Riversdale - Christmas...every year we go to town getting ready for Christmas...usually decorations are brought out in December however Andy was bored and set up in November [yes we are heathens in this household bishop].Really its the same look as last year[click on Christmas link below for other years past]...however Red is colour du jour...and I especially like the Red Star - homage to Lenin & the Soviets... which [of course] are a whole world away from the yuletide seasonings. Well Moscow is near the North Pole and Lenin always looked like a thin Santa [Well she was wearing red at least].

And the theme is carried to all objet d'art around the abode - as well as Du rogue. Full Stop.

It's also a good excuse to get out the Murano glassware too - So I'm happy there.

And just to be mental I have bought red napkins & already have place settings to match [of course I have]. Now just another 3 Christmas drinks/do's/parties prior to the big day to get thru/to and myself and the liver will need drying out...2009 is then looking like a dry zone [ again who Am I kidding].