Fabulous Architecture: The Opera House...Part 1

Possibly the Sydney Opera House is one of my favourite pieces of Architecture...ever...
Designed & built in controversy over 3 decades, what was seen as excessive and ugly - has become one of Sydney's Icons- and a symbol for modern Australia.Its been described as sail boats, clouds and even copulating turtles... the joy of expressionist Architecture - it's open to your own interpretation.

Jorn Utzon's design curves are actually based on cutting sections from an sphere - I think he used an orange at one stage to get the proportion of the curves right.
Even the detail of the roof is amazing - almost art deco!And it even continues within it's walls...to be continued...

You Tube:Starship Trooper

Remember 'Hot Gossip' from The Kenny Everett show? Well this was Sarah Brightmans start well before Lloyd Weber, Phantom, the 3 tenors etc - everyone has an 'idol' show before they become famous...doll.

Cyanide & Happiness - Tribute to JT

Is it wrong that I love this one a bit too much?

Site to check out - World Travel Guide

This is a new site I found thanks to Eddy from (http://tummyguts.blogspot.com/) - its all about travel...where you have been, where you want to go, your travel profile and information - the LOT.

You can make up maps of where you have been - ( I have added these on the blog at the bottom of the page) - given my love of maps I adore this feature.

The shaded RED area is where I have been ( only 4% of the world I have visted apparantly - or 9 countries).The GREY area is places I would like to go...

You can plan holidays, or even write up articles for it - and free to join.

Definately worth a look - check it out at http://www.world66.com/

Perth Trip Highlights...(however a bit late)

Okay so after the drama that was Mardi Gras in Sydney and starting a new job then the illness then bloody Easter etc this is the first chance I have had to upload highlights from the Perth trip...The city from Kings Park - the postcard (or money) shotThe beach at the end of Andrew's parents street - yes the sand is that white and the ocean is that aquamarine colour - for real!

The best bit is...no one is bloody there so you can have a beach this beautiful to yourself!

...or share it with mates - Bek & Damo last two days of their holiday was our first two.Needless to say after a long day at the beach...drinks on the patio was well deserved.

My parents had us over for dinner so Andrew could meet my clan...and my favourite nephews and niece...Richard (or Rich)

Elizabeth (or Lizzie...or apparently Witchy-poo)

And Jonathon ( or Jon-Jon).

Although we spent most of the time at the beach (the tan is already faded) mum took us out to lunch in the now very posh redeveloped East Perth (originally an industrial neighbourhood - now hot spot and the 'it' place to be).

Needless to say it was 30 degrees and sunny pretty much the entire time we were there...

Oh Mum's cat - Tabitha.And Andy's Parents - Carol & Tony - who not only were wonderful hosts but made me feel like I was part of the family - that was probably the best highlight of all.

Cyanide and Happiness...for April Fools

Spunk Alert 17: Rugby Lads

Remember Cronulla Sharks player Michael Sullivan?

This Strapping lad was hot on and off the field...Well if you don't remember here's a reminder

Ps - Its about the SPUNKY league boys...NOT the union...

YouTube: GOD WARRIOR

OMG - if you havent seen this be warned - from USA wife swap - this wife and mother of 3 freaks out - and she's a crazy...enjoy

On holidayz.....

On Holiday until next week - Perth is great - family is being lovely!!!! Am confused...

Have decided now not to expect anything from anyone so when something good happens it is all the better!!!

Will be back bloggin soon...too much beach, sun & relaxing to do...Andy is having a ball too

X b

Beware the Ides of March ! JC was right!

So I have been a slack bastard with blog entries for March.

It appears that I'm having a poor relationship with time in March. There doesn't seem to be enough time to do everything of not anything in March.

I have had my best friend over from the UK with his lovely partner and their lovely friends visiting - which was brilliant....I get back from Sydney (Mardi Gras was not for me this year hence why no post on the subject - although the Sydney trip was good) I start a new job and come down with a cold...

Today is the first day (Sunday) I am starting to feel better...I still have one more week of work then next Friday night we fly out to Perth for a holiday. Both our families live there. Andrew's parents are looking forward to meeting me and having us to stay while mine haven't even bothered inviting BOTH of us to dinner....in fact my father who I thought had accepted my homosexuality has now let me know that his homophobic attitude has never gone away after 16 years. Goody.

Now (this is bit which I feel like I'm Julius Caesar being stabbed in the back) why have I been lead to believe that all is right when it obviously was not...and the worst thing is I don't have time for this right now. The sad thing is that I don't want to make time either.

Sydney Sights

Just got back from Sydney - here are some shots of the Emerald City...
Darling Harbour at Lunchtime
I thought I would attempt posts similar to 'Melbourne Moments' shots- but called 'Sydney Sights' instead - Enjoy!

You Tube:MARY TYLER MOORE

Bless Mary - I wanted to share Mary (for those who have forgotten or too young) - I always wanted her to be my mother...esp. the bit when she throws the hat...

Melbourne Moment

The Headstone of the National Bank, Collins St - Mid morning.

100th posted....Comics to celebrate

Wow...I made it to my 100th post...to celebrate I thought I should post some really sick cartoons...a friend emailed me the other day a strip called 'Cyanide and Happpiness'...I LOVE IT...here's more to enjoy

Lookie - Likey...strikes AGAIN!

Ok so we got a little drunk in the garden on Sat'dee nite and wanted to re-create Cher....out of Damo...Instead we got Sideshow Bob!

Lookie Likey strikes again...Jesus that spikey plant has paid for itself!

Book Review: I love Paris (again)...'Almost French'

OK so I'm biased on this one straight away...I love Paris and that is that...when I found this book at the local Borders...'Almost French'- I bought it instantly.

Sarah Turnbull is an Aussie girl travelling Europe and paying her way by freelancing as a journalist. While in Romania she meets a lovely spunky French man - Frederic -who asks her to come to Paris for a visit...needless to say she does and the two of them decide to shack up... it's really a semi-autobiographical story of what happens when you move countries (instead of neighbourhoods - I though moving to Hawthorn from Prahran was tough enough!)and two very different cultures come together within a relationship.

And these two couldn't be more opposite...The Australian girl is dressed like a hippie lesbian, and she is loud (but easy going), and gives Ollie Reed a run for his money when it comes to drinking - while the Frenchman is dressed like a parisienne model, appears cold & aloof; and is the Voltaire of french dinner party etiquette...but even with these (possibly stereotyped - yet real?) characters, the book does explore life of the other side of the looking glass...and unlike Alice, Sarah gets to live their permanently as opposed to catching the next flight home.

There is a lot of humour in this novel- but it's not a laugh out loud book...more-so it's Sarah observations of Paris life and culture - it infuriates her and mesmerizes her at the same time which make this book a good read - from the long queues at the boulangerie...to the grey drab sand beach of Northern France (which people actually swim in - Sarah grew up in Sydney's northern beaches so you can only imagine her reaction!)...to surviving polite dinner conversation at these very grown up dinner parties with 5 delicious courses of butter, cheese and more fat( no one has second helpings - hence why the french are so damn thin and eat everything they want to!) I really enjoyed it...and , of course, it reminded me of what a truely life changing experience to a visit to Paris can be - let alone if you live there.

3 and a half Metro stations out of five.

Midsumma (is) Madness Part 2

Ok so maybe I was a little hasty with the Carnival & the T-dance...a friend just emailed me these...
Bless - the Two Andies - Andy A and (my) Andy P

Lao-la, Andy A, Andy P and Bek ( I can't believe Bek isnt suckin' down a Marlboro in this one)

Me and Damo - actually looks like we are having a good time - is it too late to retract the first post???

Midsumma (is) Madness...Part 1

Well it's official...Midsumma is over for another year... and usually I'm a little sad but I'm more relieved this year... I wish I could say I was more supportive of the festival...OK so this year I only went to Carnival (which by the way i have only missed one since 1997, in 2000 when I was working)...that now I'm older...and whether its because I have seen it all before and have been to enough parties...this year was...well..not up to scratch...

OK so I do accept that the 'community' is varied & diverse one...but I have either I have become very mainstream...so have most of my friends whether gay or straight or whatever...but to me there was A LOT OF FREAKS in attendance...Yes there was drag queens and bears and twinks and dykes-on-bikes- and leather men and lipstick les and bians and suburban gay and power gay and even average types which is all good - BUT the freaks really stood out this year...it's like there is a new catergory in gayland - 'FREAK' - they just are that - maybe they have always been there and I haven't cared to notice it...or maybe it hasn't freaked me out as much...but I, as well as a lot of my friends noticed and commented on the car crash that was carnival...

OK so maybe that's a little mean(ahem)...

The t-dance (usually in my mind one of the highlights of Midsumma) was pretty ordinary as well... I mean why ALL THE QUEUES TO THE LOO AND WORSE THE BLOODY BARS!!!! I swear I was in line for more than 25 minutes at one stage...

But probably what is my biggest complaint was not the crazies or the queues...it was the fact that for the first time there was too many people missing - usually the Carnival & T-dance our extended group of friends we have known for years are all in attendance...Alby, Daz, Ammo & KP are all living in BrisVegas now...The Kimmy's are in Londontown, likewise the Gooch...God only knows about P & M and the rest of the kids...too many fun people were missing...

(however saying that...the friends who were there were ACE and made the night for me)

Jesus if this is what I'm like at Midsumma - Sydney watch out when I'm up there for Mardi Gras....(I'm so going to be killed with my non-pc views....ah well someones got to be the big mouth)

Spunk Alert 16: Patrick Wilson

Meet the very sexy actor Patrick Wilson...He's tall, handsome and quite lovely to watch on the screen.

He played in 'The Full Monty' on Broadway,the closet gay mormon in 'Angels across America', and now staring in 'Little Children' with Miss Kate Winslet.

And the obligatory bum shot - he's hot!

YouTube:PET SHOP BOYS

"It a sin" - Can you believe 20 years ago this was in the hit parade...Bless Neil perming his hair for the occasion...

Melbourne Moment

Another Grid in Hoddle's Grid, AXA Building Collins Street, friday morning.

OZ TV:Prison Break Returns

Well it finally returns for 2007...

What happens to the lovely ladies of Cell Block H...Sorry wrong decade...What happens to the Spunky cons of Fox River?

After the cliff hanger of an escape in the last season (finally) we can move on from that and the cons are on the run from the law...chased by the new FBI character Special Agent Alex Mahone...who managed to work out that the tattoo on Scofield's chest was actually a plan and map to escape... as no one did in the first season...except for the crazy one...who is also on the run.

Also on the run is the bad second rate home boy 'Tweener' (why do I think of a B-grade Marky Mark & the funky bunch type when I see this guy) and the ever so creepy T-Bag who is currently holding a Vet hostage so he can sew his hand back on...but I digress.

The SHOCK of the episode was Veronica - not only finding the 'dead' President's brother alive but she is shot...DEAD...and my fav character Dr Sara Tancredi is recovering from her OD moment ( remember that drool) and wishing she never fell for the spunky low talking -good for nothin' Scofield...until she finds a single white paper crane ( his sweet if not a little weird calling card) with a note staying that he will make it all right again.

So what now (my love) as Frank would sing...Will the lads escape into a better plot and more suitable fitting clothes? Will the FBI & guards finally track them down ? Will Fernando finally pash Lincoln in a drunken moment? Will I stop sharing my prison break character fantasies?

We can only hope so...