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)

REAL estate....?

Well Andy & are finally looking to purchase an abode...and all our friends who have been through the ORDEAL I think are quietly laughing on the inside - knowing exactly what we are going through...

To date we have only seen 6 houses so it's only the start of the journey....of these:-

1 was missing a living room ceiling as well as hot water pipes & system

1 had so many cracks in the walls it looked like it was built on a fault line.

1 was so foul inside that it made your average prision look like a Hilton (no pun actually was intended)...

( I bet she is regretting this photo shoot!)

So there was 3 that were good - but even they had there sore points...

1 was sold for well over $100K more than asking price ( yes folks half a million buys you an unrenovated semi detached 1940's house without a garage in Melbourne today)

And 1 had so much interest that they have added on an extra $50K - and now it will go for > $500K.

And the final one we saw - now this was it ( for me at least) - 5 bedrooms 2 bath cape cod house in our price range - built late 1960's - (other than the decor being Mrs Brady's house before she moved in with Mike & the boys in the 70's dream home) - so very Desperate Housewives - so perfect except...... from the fact it had no back garden and was on a 6 lane main road.

So we are seeing 2 more today - another semi detached art deco house unrenovated etc which I know for a fact is going to sell for well over $500K...and a 1940's post war timber home which has had partial renovations...and is in our price range...

Hopefully this one will have a living room ceiling without a highway out front!

And the Winner is....Serbia - Eurovision 2007 (Pt 6)

Apparently being a lesbian singing a song in Serbian is song du jour - Marija Serifovic from Serbia wins with 'Molitva' - now if someone could just translate...

Belgium - Love power - Eurovision 2007 Pt5

Ok so Belgium missed the whole 70's discos revival of the early naughties...and now have come up with this Jackson 5 esque

Serebro - Song number one (Eurovision 2007 Pt4)

Ok so mix Britney Spears with the Veroncias and you'll get Serebro with Russia entry...and it's actually a bit of alllllright

You Tube:UK Entry for Eurovision (Pt 2)

Meet Scooch - the Steps/cheesy/gay/pop/flight attendants with their song 'Flying the flag'for the UK...hmmm

YouTube:Top 20 Songs of Eurovision 2007 (Pt 3)

These are a selection of the top 20 songs...audio only - be warned listening to these songs may cause ears to bleed

Eurovision 2007...Pt 1

OMG - I almost forgot - It's that time of the year for EUROVISION... to think that every crappiest pop song ever conceived has been born from this historical festival of a united Europe ( and apparently Israel is part of Europe but that's not for here Ishmael).

This completion has now been running for over 50 years and still countries get it wrong... There are at least 2 drag queen entries - Denmark's ' I'm your drama queen tonight' - I'm not kidding - and the Ukraine's - 'Danzing'...Other entries include a boy band from Spain that still need to rehearse their 'chorey' dancing ...Lookey-likeys of the pop group Steps from the UK called Scooch - and even more gay than Steps - Rappers from Poland -again I'm not kidding...Poland at least is singing in English this year...(mind you I'm not sure how many boys in the hood are in Warsaw)- now can someone please tell France that they are never going to win singing in French...

I will be posting some of the worst and the even more foul of this years competition- at least the UK get's the joke that other odd euro nations ( like Albania, Moldova, Estonia etc) do not get - that Eurovision is pure entertainment - and not to be taken too seriously...

Spunk Alert - Rodrigo Santoro

Ole/buena stiuas to hottie Rodrigo Santoro.

This boy from brazil is usually plays the eye candy in films...whether the bad boy surfer in 'Charlie Angels - Full Throttle' ( another bad sequel to what was an enjoyable film)...

To Karl -the love interest of Laura Linney in 'Love, actually'...To a very gay-like king in '600'...

He is even hot when getting the milk from the 711!

...And most recently he has appeared as yet ANOTHER survivor in 'LOST' (PS - does anyone actually watch it anymore??? - please let me know if you do)

Soon he will be appearing in films - Talking with Dog, Black Oasis & Dare to Love Me - which I hope he has world wide success with...but really he could just be naked in a film and I will go and see it. Yet again another Brazilian Hottie on our screens. Lordy.

Fabulous Architecture: The Opera House...Part 2

I almost forgot to post the 2ND half - the interior.
I accidentally joined a tour group to get these - which I might add is a really easy thing to do!

These are shots are taken after the recent restoration - Utzon resigned in a cloud of controversy and did not complete the work.

The work was completed by a team of architects and the NSW Board of Works - they only had some basic sketches and rough guides left by Utzon as the Opera house was an evolutionary piece - plans, elevations and perspectives were being refined and changed - sometimes daily.

Thankfully a change of government and opinion has meant that Utzon was asked for engaged again 30 years later for the restoration - although he didn't come back to Sydney(due to health) he supervises via the Internet web cam to his team in Sydney.

The 2 shots below are courtesy of the web - although impressive - these are not Utzon's original interiors - we can only now wait until they have been changed to Utzon's original scheme - which included a gigantic circular revolving stage in the main hall- which was scrapped after he left - so the metal frame was sent to SIlverwater Jaol so prisioners could cut it up!

Thank god opinions and tastes change - and in this case for the better!

Fall(ing into you)...

Summer is over...finally.

OK... so I shouldn't complain - Summer was a real Summer this year- it was hot, it was dry, it was long - and we have had so much sunshine Melbournians even have colour in their faces. (And with the summer life experiences I endured...best to put it behind me and to embrace the change of season - anyway I have always liked the term 'trans-seasonal'.)

Summertime this year slowly faded away (usually it's an abrupt plunge over a cliff) and autumn has appeared in it's place. The days are still sunny but the mornings are cold - not quite frosty cold - the type of cold when the hot air from your mouth can be seen - no sight of rain though - and because we are still in the drought it's going to be one of the coldest winter on record.

I'm looking forward to the trees on St Kilda Road losing their leaves, and watching them fall to the ground - so you hear that great crunching sound when you walk on them.

I'm looking for days inside watching dvd's and eating roasts and drinking wine and just talking shit - which really isnt much different to what we do now.

I'm looking forward to wearing coats and scarfs and other winter woolies...and yes I may even try to pull off a hat of some description (which I wasn't going to do until I was 50 but I thought I'd give it a go now seeing the current winter fashions are such rubbish I have a better chance getting away with it now).

So I'm essence - this year I'm really trying to embrace the Autumn and the idea that I will be able to wear a Fedora in June.

Or a Skull Cap in the evening.

It still could go either way really.

ANZAC DAY

For those (like me) who slept through the dawn service -
lest we forget our Anzac's.

Quiz Time - Californian Dreamin'

I found another quiz to do - Where Does Your Inner Californian Belong?

Ok so suprise suprise - I'm Orange County - Barbra & I neighbours - can you imagine!

You're rich, pretty, and living a charmed life. (Or you seriously wish you were.) From Disneyland to Laguna Beach, you're all about living the California dream life. Just make sure to marry rich - so you don't have to work for it!

Damn I got it wrong on all accounts!

Actually this quiz is really for Jez (I expect you to post your result JS) - but I would to read others too.

Are you a fellow OC'er or a Buff Baysider or from LA(H) LA(H) Land?

http://www.blogthings.com/wheredoesyourinnercalifornianbelongquiz/