Struth! Its 2010, a New Decade.

Here’s a potted summary of the Naughties:

It also finished with a blue moon (which I am informed occurs roughly every 2.5 years) and a partial eclipse. Thanks NASA

I’m in the mood to wonder about the New Year. What will it bring do you think?

Well I’m tipping more carry on with religious fanatics. All three major brands are likely to continue on with their selfish patterns of [exterminating] lives. For them it’s all about taking and killing, whether it is under the banner of self defence, praising their artificial deity or imposing greed on the rest of the world. They’ll hide their actions behind some oblique text which in reality probably says that they should give, share and care. So prepare for more direct or indirect consequences.

I’m also tipping that there will be an awakening among more Australians that the English monarchy is for the English. I’m tipping the Scots might even lead us to this and the Welsh will lag behind. The Northern Irish will be like the Falklanders and stay English. Why this will happen I’m not sure; can’t say, just intuitive.

Then there’ll be more moves to reduce planetary pollution, I’ve alluded to this before so I won’t go further into that now. I predict that although it’ll be a slow awakening it will gather more momentum, with or with out the word “greenhouse” attached.

Another positive move will be a revival (in some cases a discovery) of the music of Quincy Jones and maybe Luther Vandross. I was prowling through “stuff” on YouTube and stopping to listen to creations from both musicians’ in the 70s, 80s, 90s and now. There’s a beat, mandatory these days, there’s soul and passion in everything Jones touches. Perhaps the rest of the world won’t pick it up in 2010, maybe just me. But if not now then in a few short years when Gen Y and maybe Gen Alpha (I think that’s what we’re calling the next lot) will say, “Shit, why didn’t you tell us about this music Dad? You knew.” Gen Y now has taken to the Beatles and to brilliant, multilayered musical construction and development already. It’s given them a link to their grand-parents generation, Baby Boomers, and that’s precious. They already apply their technology with healthy respect to our music and art. Grandpa or Grandma has to explain what it was like for us and Gen Y says there is so much here to learn. It’s the same way Baby Boomers asked our Grandparents about the 1920s – the Art Deco period and last great musical revolution.

And know for something completely different. Here’s picture of 2 international soccer greats.

I’m not sure who to credit for it.

I’m very excited to be going to the Melbourne Theatre Company’s production of The Drowsy Chaperone next month. This production stars the wonderful Geoffrey Rush. I’m not prone to claiming people for cities. Countries yep, sure and Australia has plenty to be proud of. However Mr Rush is a Melbourne boy – just ask him. And I’ve seen him out and about, whether it be going wild in the audience at the performance of international superstars Mandy Patinkin and Patti Lupone during 2009, or defending a culturally significant and beautiful suburban railway station or just strolling down the street, an ordinary part of the community he lives in. He’s genius performer and down to earth man. The show should be too good. I wish I could get to the Sydney Theatre Company’s production of Spring Awakening but that’s next month too and the drachmas probably won’t stretch that far.
Do you think there's enough hyperlinks in that paragraph?

While on the subject of theatre I want to praise a new trance cd from Paul Van Dyk called VONYC Sessions 2009. It’s a huge production of beautifully remixed tunes that together form a classical masterpiece. It’s a theatrical journey on cd; takes you on a trip, rather in the style Pete Tong did on his Ministry of Sound Dance Nation 4 release from the 1997. We used to call them concept albums. Check it out, but make time to listen not just sample the trance joy.

To close this entry I want to point you to two Youtube clips. Both these are actually serious subjects and pack a meaningful message but they do it in opposite ways while still making you laugh. See what you think and, as always, the invitation remains to comment; to let me know what you think.

The first is a UNICEF ad, and given that it is promoting children it’s the campest thing.
Ultra camp UNICEF video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=825gGELjB98
Can't remember where I got this link.

The other is from the London Gay Men’s chorus and while cloaked in humour deals with Coming Out at xmas. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWPMkDDAb7w Thanks to the Full Catastrophe blog for this one.


And remember always benefit from asking “WhaTFIT?”

Climate Change, Style, More Maureen

GREEN

In Copenhagen the big Climate Change Conference has just wrapped up today. For a subject that is very important, believing in its current definition or not depending on your point of view, there is a typical, shameful human apathy. There is a typical human politics and price approach. Yes Folks it’s sadly all about politics, money and trust, or rather the lack of trust. You might be fervent in your belief the world is going to flood or parch. You might be a sceptic, not always an unhealthy approach, or you might be a disbeliever, which in my view makes very you stupid.

Yes folks we may or may not dry out or flood the planet but we sure as hell are polluting the shit out of it. And worse still we seem to be happy to be political about it rather than practically active. Let’s face it, if we act on pollution, diminishing natural non-renewable resources and ridiculous over population. we are acting on climate change. Maybe we are just going to start to clean up our filth and look for better ways to do things. There may be no greenhouse effect but there is filth.

Am I saying not to mine for iron ore or oil? No. Am I saying don’t tamper with genetics in any way? No. Am I saying don’t breed? No. Am I saying we could keep our planet going forever?
Hell Yes

Does it have to cost $100 billion? Probably not but it isn’t free. In the late 1960s I was in junior high school. We did a 13 stop pollution check on Melbourne’s Yarra River taking water samples, counting litter over square yards and learning what that meant. 30 years later we know what that means and we’ve cleaned up the river a bit. In London during the same period they’ve taken major steps to clean up the Thames. In Bhopal India the remnants of one of the worst industrial accidents on the planet hasn’t been cleaned up. 20 years later the land and the people suffer appallingly to this day.

So we know we need to act now, if not sooner. Call it what you will if not Climate Change, I don’t care. Just do something. The developed nations (the western world), the BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India China), the developing nations (Africa, South America, etc), just do something because you can. If you want to continue to hide behind politics then make that work for you. Lead the way and you will be rewarded with personal and national health, money ands stability.
Hell Yes

Thanks NASA for the Earthlights pic

STYLE

Now on a brighter note, and it shouldn’t need to be that, you need to have a look at Planet Fabulon. Its huge blog site with connections to everywhere and it’s all about style. It’s about ay kind of style for any kind of person. Old clothes and new, old furniture and new, food, music, “the Arts”, you name it. Please! take a few moments to go there now, Bookmark it in your browser and go back from time to time and I promise you the time of your interweb curiosity life. You can stay a minute or an hour and find something FABULOUS.

PUPPETS

I remember people running around for 20 years saying Afghanistan was Russia's Vietnam.I remember hearing members of the broad political left across Australia and the western world saying bomb Binladen if you really must, then get out afterwards. I remember folks saying Sadam was a minor player on the world stage but a major controller in Iraq, leave him be. Woolfie, Rumsfeld, Pearle and the Jewish extreme right in the US didn't listen. A favourite of mine is the wonderful Maureen Dowd. Whether I agree with her or not she is an American commentator extraordinaire. I have referred to her before and here she is again. Have a look at this article and see what you think. Thankyou New York Times

Pictures and notes to finish the calendar year.

MEN

Here’s a picture of a lovely couple at Melbourne’s recent Beyond Party. It’s a little sexist (or is that patronising) of me to include it here and I hope I’m not treading on to much copyright but I find this picture gently pleasing. It’s a bit sensuous but not gratuitous. Who ever you are, you are very handsome.

DANCE

Finally I’d like to (commercially) perhaps point you to Youtube to look at this 5+ min clip or the wonderful remix of I Just Wanna F*kin Dance (from Jerry Springer the Opera) sung by the great Alison Jiear. The original 3 minute song can be found here also but the way the video clip for the remix has been put together is just a joy to watch and 90s style high energy remix is pretty damn foot tapping even if it’s normally your type of music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQs316I1awE&feature=player_embedded

(If it doesn't work for you go to YouTube and search Alison Jiear and select the dance remix)

JINGOISTIC BELLS

If you get I Santa or Hanukkah or some other take on the northern hemispherical winter solstices and manage a few days break or celebration, have the best you can. And do yourselves a favour, try not to limit it for a day or a week, have a go at goodwill to all for a whole year.

FINALLY…..

And remember NEVER be afraid to say WhaTFIT! (What The F**k is That?)
Expect an answer.

The moon, on-line magazines, shopping and N2N

I thought I’d open with this gorgeous picture courtesy of the NASA website. I’m not one for Halloween; it’s too sugary and overly commercial for my liking. Our cousins across the pacific ocean love it and it gets a run in Europe too. But this moon shot from that night is lovely.

While on things spacial what do you think is the average colour of the universe? Beige. Remarkable isn’t it? You don’t believe me? Well you should. Click here for the evidence where you can find the NASA website.


Mother Jones is a remarkable US on-line journal. A little to the political left, it’s remarkable because it’s open and broad it how it reports what it finds. In this environmental article there is a lot to learn. There isn’t much point in my retelling the story; better that you read it for yourself. But I will say it's possible glimpse into the carbon trading future if it gets abused by greed.

In the political centre is another smart piece of on-line journalism is The Nation. It’s worth checking this one regularly for a different approach to the world. Have a look at the small line below the header.

Let me know what you think, offer a comment.

I’ve taken time off this week and the weather has been warm as toast – till today. I’ve been around Melbourne to a few new, newish or developing places around the Docklands are on the city’s western edge.

Our wonderful version of the London Eye, which opened to great fanfare a year ago and lasted only a few short months till Black Saturday, Feb 7 2009 when it cracked because it couldn’t handle the heat, 46 degrees of heat to be exact. It’s almost dismantled now and there are differing stories on whether it’ll be rebuilt or discarded. It looks very sad but I can’t help but wonder how it managed to meet safety standards knowing we get some pretty hot days. In fact it struck me as stupid.

Next to it is another “factory outlet” string of shops called Harbour Town. Locally it’s been referred to as Ghost Town because no much goes there. No one much did when I was there Thursday either. So what do we do? We build another similar venture a kilometre away called Direct Factory Outlets. It’s all under cover and smells very new. But it’s the same as the other place. What is it with Melbourne and factory outlets? There’s a lot all around the suburbs and someone’s god must know why – I don’t. I see no value or [GFC] long term stimulus gain either. Just more empty retail space in a couple of years. I might be wrong, who can say, but I doubt it.

Having said that, I picked up a very smart silver bargain while I was there.


















N2N

Now let’s have a natter about Next to Normal, N2N as the show’s spin doctors and the Broadway press refer to it. Lets consider a musical that deals with “un-feel good” stuff. That’s unusual. Let’s deal with bi-polar disorder, teenage angst, the medical profession and let’s see what kind of musical that makes. If the crits are to be believed, pretty good. I’m not up with the music yet though I read it has a pop music edge. Will it work in Melbourne where the feel good musical and feel good performers are pretty much still expected? It’s not a big cast so I’m guessing it’d do a 2 or 4 week season at Theatreworks in St Kilda or Chapel of Chapel in Prahran, or somewhere similar on the north side. That could be a shame because even though I’ll catch up with it, most of Melbourne won’t and perhaps they should.

It's a good show Folks. And remember most of you heard it here first.

September 09 - Holidays and an AFL Finals Footy Result

A special note to start

One of my best girlfriends rushed off to Perth to attend to very sick family. I think all is slowly improving there, but Di, if you are on line, this picture of Laura Liney is for you. It's the nicest I could find. Thanks to starmedia.com.

I wrote this next piece a month ago and haven't quite got around to posting it, till now...

I’m back from Phuket Island, Thailand. Did you miss me?
You should have if you are sitting here for the second freezing cold windy “Spring” day here in Melbourne. Lucky if its 12 degrees outside, less with wind chill factor. Much Brrr sounds are occurring here in my room. And right after I’ve said “***ing ridiculous” for the 900th time.

In Phuket it was around 30 degrees most days, 22 or so at night. They just put me out on a few rocks in the morning to bask and brought me in at night – warmed through and still grinning. The catch for some folks is that it was 1,000% tropical humidity. Not a problem for me but not everyone likes it I admit.

It’s a strange place. So many people, many more than the 350,000 the last census there indicated. Coming from Australia where there isn’t people everywhere – city or country – it’s a culture shock and makes you wonder if there isn’t 1,000,000 on an island the size of Singapore. It’s remarkably cheap for tourists and the fresh seafood was glorious.

The number of folks that are constantly in your face trying to flog you stuff ain’t to good, bloody annoying after a while actually. Nor are the various gastric bugs doing the rounds and laying people out for a few days or more. When you live off anti diarrhoea it can’t be all that good for you. But it wasn’t to big a deal. You live with it.

Here’s couple of pictures including the endless line of Tuk Tuk [taxis]. These used to be converted motor bikes but are now baby vans. They take you around for 3/5s of 5/8s of bugger all dollars with a screaming 2 stroke engine. There’s well priced hotels that are a sanctuary from the infinite number of truly annoying street traders. There’s stereo typical tropical beaches, with baby elephants, gorgeous; and lots of rubbish on them. There's lots of tourists to be catered to, mostly average folks but a few embarrassingly ugly ones and it hurts me if they’re Aussies. And of course Ronald McDonald, in Thai pose, for the kiddies.

Geelong won it’s second premiership in 3 years but a couple of goals – 12 points. The sentimental St Kilda learning there is no prizes for coming second. Does that matter to me? No not really. Did I think Paul Chapman should have won the Man of the Match? No – I’d have parked that honour on Harry Taylor who kept one of the AFLs best (Nick Rewalt) in check most of the day.

Woofiest man for me was Max Rook. Here on the left is the big, often woolly, man with now retired Capt Tom Harley. Thanks to the Geelong Advertiser for the pic.

Quotes, Birthday Parties and Nuclear Dead-Shits

LIGHT TRAVELS FASTER THAN SOUND
THIS IS WHY SOME PEOPLE APPEAR BRIGHT
UNTIL YOU HEAR THEM SPEAK.

First you might think that funny, then maybe rather closer to the truth than you might like, but finally, off course, you know it’s just true. So your life goes on.

Ever hear of a American on-line journal called Mother Jones – it’s well worth a look folks.

Want to know what’s true? Really, horribly true? There’s a truly awful article in Mother Jones Hiroshima, Nagasaki and the current nuclear armed world. Between China, USA, Russia, France, Britain, Israel, Pakistan, India and [probably] North Korea, there are about 27,000 – that’s THOUSAND - active nuclear warheads. Enough to make you shit yourself if you really thought about it.

This is awful because so many countries that have these vile weapons are unstable – Pakistan, Israel, India and Russia in my opinion. The others are probably only marginally better because of their political ultra-right wing and One God religious extremists. Its enough to remind of my youthful anti-nuclear dedication and to seriously consider going back there.

After reading this article I’m giving thought to learning to fold an origami paper crane – the bird kind, not David Leavitt's Lost Language kind. Mind you that’s remarkable book in itself, which didn’t film so well because it got a bit to obscure.

On a brighter note and regular readers will know this column is not prone to nudity, though close to it sometimes. Here’s a dragon that caught my eye recently. It's real; there are other parts where I found this but not for now

I spend a weekend in Sydney recently at 40th birthday celebrations of two good friends recently. Laughed me tits off, I did. About so many things. Sometimes the health benefits of just getting away from routine and home can’t be under-estimated. I think most of the diverse crowd at the various activities from Friday night to Sunday lunchtime had lots of fun. There was an age range from early 20s to 86. Straights, Gays, Lesbians, Africans, Sri Lankans, Pilipinos, fair skinned red heads to ex-husband’s of drag queens to oka Aussie country boys. Imagine all that time together and no drama, no violence. Plenty of crude humour, lots of facial question marks, tons of learning; and all that wrapped up in a good time. And with good food and wine.

Soon I have to learn more about my Facebook site and how to use it better – and maybe even understand what it really does. So many others do, so belatedly I’ve decided some degree of “social networking” is for me. When I do I may even put a link to my Facebook page in here. We’ll see.

I’ll leave you with another lovely quote from someone or another -

“We’ll be friends until we are old and senile. Then we’ll be NEW friends”

August Footy and a break away.

I thought I’d start with a bit of beefcake today. I’ve no idea who he is, when or where this was taken. He’s not a train or a robot or anything to do with queer history. He’s not politics, community support or self reliance; he’s just so *#@^en HOT – to me!



What do you think?

Off to Thailand for a couple of weeks. Last time I was there I passed through Bangkok and hated it. It stank and was crowded and I’d never seen a gnarled beggar before. I was also going to the USA which was nice and “white”. A variation on a local theme you might say. I went to San Francisco and Seattle and several places in between. Met some great folks along the way too. It was a long time ago, 24 years ago in fact, and I’m reliably assured things have changed in Thailand.

As the overseas trip looms, it’s only about a month away now, I’m ready for it. A bit day to day tired and loosing interest in it all. This trip is about rest and time with three of my best friends. Do I want to do the sex bars? Nup, but I will – I’m told one has to take a look at these things, see what it’s all about. Know what I mean?

My footy team’s doing OK – reasonably well actually. For those of you in the know I’m a Collingwood supporter. A Black and White fan, Go the Magpies and all that. Have a look. I fancy our captain, Nick Maxwell, and afew of the others too. But we have this habit of always getting into the finals and always loosing.

Last Grand Final we won was in 1990 – long time ago huh? There’s lot of us Pies supporters where I work. Most are much more positive than me and most are much more supportive of our senior coach Mick Malthouse than I am. We’ve paid him a lot of money over a lot of years to not win, and sometimes when we really should’ve. I’m well known in the office for my mantra of three seasons now “Get rid of ‘im”. Still this time in 8 weeks (or less) and I guess we’ll know. And we’re stuck with him for another couple of years apparently too. St Kilda and (once again) Geelong are the looming threats this year. Watch out for the Bulldogs too, though maybe another year or two for them yet.
Here’s another little surprise – note the jumper, I want one.

The other comment of note at the moment is the struggle with tobacco. I did well for several weeks in May and June without any but over the last few weeks I’ve crumbled. It’s odd really because I can be such a stubborn and determined bastard most of the time, but this tobacco thing is just tough. And it’s been a part of my life for over 35 years! If you don’t smoke, don’t ever start! Trust me on this one if nothing else.

Moon Landings, Cullens, Speeding, You're responsilble

Well it’s been a little while since you last heard from me. I’ve had a nasty little cold which forced me to miss the Jersey Boys musical here in Melbourne. Imagine my annoyance. It takes a bit to make me voluntarily miss the theatre. No matter I’ve re-booked for 6 weeks time.

But I went to a truly splendid dinner last week hosted by Cullen Wines of Margaret River in Western Australia held at the Taxi restaurant in Federation Square here in Melbourne. We had glorious food, and my favourite was the salmon smoked in hickory wood chips. This taste was something special, something like I’ve never had before, and I’ve tried a lot of food over the years. My two wondrous girlfriends and I (and some other ordinary humans) were hosted by the lovely Vanya Cullen. Daughter of the original planters, this woman knows her stuff when it comes to grape magic. And like the earth the vines grow in she’s fertile in mind and rubenesque in body. Goodo I say, no one likes a foodie-plonko to be a stick insect.

I’m going to leave you to investigate the links in the text for more detail. But look at this picture of Vanya. It should spike your interest.

Now its bitch about something time. It’s time to say that I’m just so sick of people not taking responsibility for themselves and their actions. Here’s some examples:

A. I was listening to a couple of guys on late night Joy Radio saying how bad concert [and sport] ticket scalping is; what a rip of it is. Know what boys – if someone is stupid enough to pay scalpers prices they deserve to be ripped off. In typical generation X fashion they were talking about people just having to go see someone in concert. Wrong – no one HAS to go. Truth be told you can probably buy a DVD with better sound and vision than a 10,000 seat convertible basketball stadium. If people didn’t pay scalper prices the scalper market would collapse. After one or two big looses they’d just give up. You people who buy from them make the market what it is.

B. Recently here in Melbourne a father committed suicide after allegedly brutalising a small baby. Once again the Community Services Dept are at fault and children need more protection – at tax payer expense. Wrong again – the community can only do so much. The rest is about parents taking responsibility for their own actions. And that’s most of the time. Occasionally one thing will slip through the net and that’s sad but human tragedy; the way it always has been.

C. There’s an increase in speed cameras. Guess what? It’s apparently a revenue raiser. I guess that fact that it saves lives only matters if it’s someone you know and love. Were you really speeding, taking the risk of the fine? Yes? Well guess what? It’s your problem. Deal with it, pay up or don’t speed. There might a faulty camera but mostly not so don’t reel out that old line. Would I like it? No way, I’d hate getting the fine, but I have to take responsibility for my own actions. Generally women drive slower than men, guess what – they get less fines and have less serious accidents – Golly.

About this time it’s the 40th anniversary of the Yanks landing on the moon. I’m leaving aside Capricorn One and the other conspiracy theories, that’s up to you to decide on. In the meantime you could go to www.blogjam.com/neil_armstrong for some slightly blue giggles about what Neil said when he landed. Or you could go to http://www.criagnelson.us/ and follow the links to the blog and the 25 things you [probably] didn’t know about Apollo 11 and the journey.

Here’s a few tempting morsels of info though:

1. The Computers on Apollo 11 had LESS power than today’s mobile phones.

2. Mike Collins, in the craft orbiting overhead lost the guys on tranquillity base. Well he didn’t exactly loose them; they just didn’t land anywhere near where they were supposed to. Mission control asked him if he’d given up looking and in good old Ameri-speak he said “affirmative”.

3. Since 1981 the Pentagon’s annual space budget has been bigger than NASAs. This actually made me laugh out loud when I read it.

If that doesn’t whet your appetite to find out more you probably weren’t interested in the first place.

Moving right along then, I see more mindless idiots are blowing up hotels in Indonesia, thought to be in name of some sort of Islamic god. You know I have great pity for these suicide bombers. They are so weak willed that they allow themselves to be brainwashed into believing this I a good thing. I can’t hate them, they are just so piss weak it’s not possible to say it’s their own fault. Now their brainwashers - that’s a different story. These people know good greedy manipulating when they see it. It makes them lots of money too! The only other reason possible is ego. Funny how both likelihoods are share this domain of the good Christian and Jewish fanatic, people who minions are also mindlessly and easily manipulated.

How sad. These religions once gave the world wonderful joys. Islam once had the biggest libraries and universities in the world – open to and shared with all. They built glorious buildings, just like Christians once did, albeit not always on the highest hill around town. The Jews taught the rest of the world much about survival and fabulous food.

All this greed is such a waste. I suspect it’s partly human nature too. So, do I expect to get fire bombed here at home – maybe, or have the Christians demonstrating at my front gate perhaps? Still it would tell me that someone is paying attention. Wonder if any of this would since in though?