YarravillePaul

Doctor Who Themes & Faces

2010-07-26T08:22:00.003+10:00

Sent to me via email ... good enough to share ....

Doctor Who opening themes through the ages, and the Faces of Doctor Who.
They give a great reminder of how far video and music technology has come, and how the BBC used each fad along the way...

Enjoy .... (if you are a geek like me) ....

Fight the Filter

2010-07-12T15:03:00.002+10:00

Don't fight the Internet filter because you believe that the internet is safe for all users.

Instead, fight because draconian, government-as-big-brother, censorship, expensive, internet-slowing programs like this will fail to reliably protect the vulnerable viewers (ie. children).

Internet technologies advance too quickly. Government bureaucracies will be slow at identifying and responding to new subversive routes of access to illegal materials.

It remains my view that online behaviors of children should be supervised by parents, family and friends. Not by a distant bureaucratic government.

Some sites of interest:

No Clean Feed
The Great Australian Internet Black Out
Save the Internet (GetUP campaign)
Electronic Frontiers Australia
Libertus.net
Wikipedia: Internet Censorship in Australia (very good overview of the issue)

The Disappearing Gentleman's Lavatories of Old

2010-06-18T16:30:00.002+10:00

“A Hymn to The Disappearing Gentlemens’ Lavatories of Old London: Dedicated to the late Joe Orton.”
(found on Jonno.com)

State of (my) Mind

2010-06-18T16:15:00.002+10:00

.... with a couple of derailed trains perhaps...

Barbara Kruger - Untitled (Tube Map) for the London Underground “Art on the Underground” series, 2010
(Found at Jonno (dot com))

In Quarantine ...

2010-06-18T12:35:00.002+10:00

Funny clip, of an otherwise healthy looking guy, coping with being in quarantine. It could happen to any of us, and he looks like he is doing significantly better than i would...

Addicted to Porn ?

2010-06-18T11:52:00.005+10:00

The Top 12 Signs Your Partner is Addicted to Internet Porn

During foreplay, he's always double-clicking your nipples.
His new computer includes a DVD-ROM drive, a 56k modem and a tissue dispenser.
When he wants you to take off your pants, he says, "Scroll down."
Tells everyone he's a pioneer in "palm computing."
He's suing Colt Studio.com for repetitive stress injuries.
His favorite actor? Cody Cummings.
When he sees a hot guy, he wryly says, "Boy, I'd like to click on him!"
You look deep into his eyes and see a faint image of Asia Carrera burned into his corneas.
As you undress, he takes out his credit card and tells you his birthday.
During sex, he shouts, "Refresh! Refresh!"
His version of foreplay: You lie naked on the bed with a sheet covering you. He pulls it down slowly for ten minutes.
During sex, he shouts, "More bandwidth!"

(found at Dreams of a Rebel Angel)

Clever Art? Or Crap?

2010-06-16T23:26:00.004+10:00

I have stumbled upon a few of these animated GIFs as I trawl through Tumblr. My initial thoughts were that they are a gimmick, a simple trick and a passing fad.

Although some, like this one, turn an otherwise flat image into an image that is located in time. In four dimensions rather than just two or three. And now I think it is quite clever.

Similarly, the movement in the image below clearly anchors the picture's content in three dimensions, not just two.

I may just have to try and give it a go...

Instant Love

2010-06-16T13:25:00.002+10:00

Like many, the iPhone 4 was on my shopping list even before it was released.

I had convinced myself that after 2 years I deserve an upgrade to my iPhone. The feature list improvements may be only superficial, but I must have them. You know .... 5 megapixel camera, faster gaming, better screen, sexier shape ......

Now, long awaited improvements to the mac Mini have arrived. I was instantly in love!

The list of improvements to this powerful little beast includes easy access to upgrade the memory, faster graphics, faster processors and a very sleek unibody aluminum design. But the most impressive bit is the port-side of the mini.

The introduction of a HDMI port, with multi-channel sound ability, makes this machine THE media centre choice for me, par excellence. This dramatically simplifies getting sound and video from my media system to my TV and surround sound system. And I think I may need to update my current mini.

I suspect it will mean the death of the apple TV. A device which has highly restricted functionality.

Using a mac mini as a media centre allows me to access ALL my media, not just apple approved formats. Videos (AVI, Mp4, MKV, DivX, etc), Audio and Images. I use Plex as an interface and plug directly to my TV.

Because it is a full computer, not just a media box, Australian Internet TV offerings (iView, Plus 7, Ten and SBS) are also available with ease. As are global online sites such as Mubi and the Archive.

But the key point for me is this: Using a computer rather than a dedicated media player makes me future-safe.

The transition from video to DVD, from record to CD, and from film to digital camera, will seem simple compared with the transition from art-object to internet-dominated-distribution that is to come.

The chaos of formats, bandwidths, distribution networks, and marketability of digital content that will surround us for the next 5-10 years has only just begun.

For me, having the mac mini as the media centre allows me to weather the format-storm, and to spend more time enjoying my photos, TV shows, movies, etc, and less time shopping for a new device to cope with the latest media format updates.

(ps. Think I may be a little oversold on the mac mini? Just wait until the Mac Pro is updated!!! Currently using a 5 year old G5 powermac and I am desperate to upgrade)

My 15 Seconds of Fame

2010-06-13T18:49:00.004+10:00

Wahoo!!

This blog has been linked to an article in The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.

Ben Groundwater may have meant to link his travel article to my little gay blog, or perhaps he just took a shortcut during his research. Half way down the article, Ben mentions Melbourne's Laneways and street art from some of the World's biggest names. A link to yours truly.

In any case, the brief increase in traffic to my blog's article on Looking for Banksy in Melbourne, was appreciated.

A little sniff of the mainstream for me, and a warning to travel writers. The majority of traffic to this blog is through a 2007 post on small penises. Imagine if mainstream readers stumbled onto this post instead.

I wonder what the newspapers editor-in-chief thinks about this link to the newspapers???

Third Anniversary!!

2010-05-24T22:08:00.003+10:00

I remembered it! And was looking forward to it! Our 3rd anniversary. Go figure .... an insular, arrogant man like me...?!?!

Most guys I know struggle to think of a day to call the anniversary day. There is no fixed wedding date to use, so we have to make something up.

We decided on the date of our first date. Soooooo practical.

This year we celebrated with dinner and a film (Robin Hood of all things) which was strangely similar to what we do when we go out any other day of the week.

But it was different because it was 3 years of still being together. The comfort of the familiar, the known, the predictable was in being in a place that I think I belong. My man is more comfortable with the "L" word than I am, but I am definitely, very comfortable with where we are .... together.

Fingers crossed :D

I've been sucked into a Tumblr of pictures

2010-05-02T20:22:00.003+10:00

Apologies for my lack of attention. I have been caught up exploring a new social network of sorts.

The problem with social networking, however, is that they can be dangerously addictive. The web becomes less of a passive tool for information distribution, and more of a portal to contact strangers with common interests.

As social networks go, Facebook and Twitter are probably the best known.

Although initially exciting, Facebook has lost my patronage for two reasons. Firstly, because of the fake or annoyingly presumed connection (called friendships) with people I have never met, or work colleagues who do not figure in my private life, and the insulting premise that the more friends your have, the greater you are as a person. Secondly, because my private personal information is retained and used for marketing purposes by Facebook, even after I closed my account.

Twitter, on the other hand, seems to be a world saturated with the drivel of small lives. Save me.

Tumblr is simplistic blogging, where the reality of stealing other peoples blog content, to paste into your own, has been built in to the infrastructure. You can choose to follow people with similar interests. Your dashboard displays the posts of those you are following.

With an interest in handsome (ahem) men, I started reblogging pictures and following those sites with similar pictures. Suddenly I found myself following 46 sites and have picked up 16 followers, all with a similar interest in handsome men.

I have been swept up in the excitement of the world of images that are automatically displayed in my dashboard. Either on my mac, or my iPhone. Way cool!!

The social interaction is a little hands off, but I kinda feel like I am in a small club. However, there is no dialog with like minds. Blogger is better for that. So I will probably try to maintain this site for that.

And perhaps this is just a fad that I will tire of soon. But thats where I am, if I don't post for a while....

Join me at YarravillePaul Tumbles.

Dr Who Fundamentals

2010-05-02T19:56:00.002+10:00

The new Doctor Who, Matt Smith, has taken me a few episodes to really appreciate.

Matt's bouncy youth was initially quite distracting. This is, I suspect, the legacy of one year of the handsome Christopher Eccleston, and three years of David Tennent.

Change can be difficult.

But episode 4 and 5 (of season 5) have exploded as good old fashion science fiction / fantasy, with the return of the stone angels, rips in time and space, a future partner of the Doctor with a mysterious, untold past ... and many more unexplained wonders in a bizarre world.

Now I understand the new direction. The story is returning to the fore, with the doctor becoming a troubled hero. David Tennent became grand and beloved, but his presence overwhelmed the story sometimes.

These episodes have returned to the type of Doctor Who stories of old. Full of fear and trepidation. I have become a very young man again, needing to hide behind the couch because of the fearful monsters.

I love it....

A Little Catherine Tate

2010-04-24T01:48:00.003+10:00

What is Tumblr?

2010-04-19T14:45:00.001+10:00

Checking out Tumblr link to see if blogging is different/easier....

Gay Ski Week New Zealand

2010-04-14T10:52:00.004+10:00

A couple of friends of mine are going to this event. I'm thinking of joining them ..... just to get away for a few days during September. Looks like fun.

I don't think it will matter that I can't ski. The total package will probably be cheaper than a week skiing in Australia.

It's called "Yumor"

2010-04-13T16:16:00.002+10:00

(found at xkcd)

Man as a Deer

2010-04-10T22:36:00.002+10:00

Its playful, energetic, uninhibited, fun, brave, risky, adventurous, humorous, sensual, raw ... and a good photo!

Of the things I wish for myself, being this kind of free spirit remains a pipe dream ...

Don't ask a Gay Guy ...

2010-04-04T12:51:00.002+10:00

Found a couple of light videos about those annoying questions we all sometimes get, or are afraid our grandmothers will ask at a big family dinner.

The iPad Cometh ...

2010-04-01T22:56:00.002+11:00

I think it looks cool, fun and might even get me reading books a bit more, but I can't really justify being an early adopter this time.

I should be saving money for a holiday soon. Also, my old G5 PowerMac is running well, but lacks the intel-inside that makes it sustainable into the future, and it should be replaced soon. The iPhone is 2 years old soon, and the ol' man wants me to upgrade so he gets the hand-me-down. I will be happy to oblige with this request, but it will cost...

IPad-wise, I would also like it to have had a front facing camera for Skype/iChat with my mates overseas. I will not need 3G, but would like to see more memory inside. So I really should wait until the second iteration.

But watch this review by PCmag, and you may just see why I still remain in the must-have camp. Eventually.

I remain a hopeless geek...

Acceptance: Homosexuality v. Prostitution

2010-03-31T16:26:00.008+11:00

Will Wilkinson has found some food for thought in the data of the World Values Survey. It deals with the change in acceptance for homosexuality versus prostitution over the last 20 years.

What struck me first, before I read Will's interpretation of these graphs, was a reminder that I had lived though the years portrayed in the graphs. Mostly as an adult.

Homosexuality has become decriminalized in Victoria, as has prostitution. Social acceptance of my gay reality has occurred for my family, my colleagues and for myself. Well, mostly, but I do admit to a mild, nagging, catholic self-loathing at times.

In general terms, I think the world is now a safer place to be if you are gay. Not for everyone quite yet, and there are definite remaining battles that the honorable will fight for us all. But I have often thought that the modern throw-away line "you are so GAY" or "that is so GAY" uses the word GAY to describe a non-issue. That is, the object being described or talked about might have previously been an issue, but we have all now accepted it and moved on to other issues. Perhaps this is a generous interpretation, but it resonates well with me.

The graphs also, to some extent, demonstrate the significantly different reception that various personalities have received when coming out. Contrast the different public receptions of Boy George (1995, in his autobiography Take it like a Man), George Michael (2007) and Ricky Martin (2010) as they have publicly come out as gay men....

Just food for thought...

Move Along, No Angels Here...

2010-03-22T18:29:00.002+11:00

... and I would like to thank xtube, dudetube, and the chain of tumblr sites I found today for shaking my lent-al resolve.

I have no one but myself to blame: poor discipline, hormones and boredom. But my it was fun.

Perhaps one slip does not a landslide make... All I need is a little confession, and then get back on the wagon...

... from tomorrow.

Nobody But Myself

2010-03-19T10:57:00.003+11:00

All my life I had been looking for something, and everywhere I turned someone tried to tell me what it was. I accepted their answers too, though they were often in contradiction and even self-contradictory. I was naive. I was looking for myself and asking everyone except myself questions which I, and only I, could answer. It took me a long time and much painful boomeranging of my expectations to achieve a realization everyone else appears to have been born with: that I am nobody but myself.

— Ralph Ellison
“Invisible Man”
(via Nudity, Not Prudity)

Little Red Riding Retold 2010

2010-03-19T02:18:00.001+11:00

Love this...

Slagsmålsklubben - Sponsored by destiny from Tomas Nilsson on Vimeo.

Gentle Beef

2010-03-17T17:18:00.001+11:00

Found at Chateau Thombeau

What the.....?

2010-03-15T08:55:00.002+11:00

Alright .... anyone? ... anyone? ....

Anyone care to explain what this pic is about?

Or what kind of game asks the players to pose in this manner for a photo?

Go on.. you know you have an idea!!

(ps. its from Nudity, not Prudity as discovered by Milo, and I wasn't looking for porn. I promise)

Still No Porn

2010-03-10T23:17:00.003+11:00

It is the halfway mark for a Lent without porn, and I am doin' fine...

Although I have a desire to wax philosophical about how its not as bad as I thought. And how withholding something allows me to adjust the focus of an otherwise habitual obsession. And how my real life has more energy and life.

But it all sounds a little trite and predictable, and I do long for a revisit to porn, post Easter.

It is good to know that I have some self-control.

I am a Web Bear

2010-03-08T17:16:00.004+11:00

According to an online study being conducted through the BBC, I am a web bear. This means that my internet usage is:

Slow-moving - Web Bears like you browse the internet at a leisurely pace - just like real world bears who like to take their time over things.

Solitary - Like real bears, Web Bears tend to be solitary animals. Your results show that when you are looking for information, you are less likely to use social networks or other sites whose content is created by its users, preferring instead to go it alone.

Adaptable - Web Bears are highly adaptable multitaskers, able to do several things at the same time. Real-bears are also very flexible, particularly in their diet, and will eat fish, insects, salmon and even scavenge in human refuse for new sources of food.

I am happy with this assessment as it describes the manner in which I approach many thing in life.

The games in the quiz were fun and challenging and a worthwhile use of 20 minutes of my life. I would strongly encourage you to contribute to the project, which is part of a formal research into internet behaviors. The more that we know, the more we may control the web-behemoth.

I stumbled on to the quiz after watching a brilliant 4 part documentary about the internet and its impact called The Virtual Revolution. I found the discussion in the third episode on the use of information collected as part of social networking sites (eg. Facebook, Twitter) most informative. Even though it confirmed my fear on the corporate use of private user information, I now have a better understanding that this is a world we can't avoid sharing private information. It is more a world in which we need to evaluate the risk-benefit ratio of sharing our information in exchange for global connectivity.

Rather than anxiously trying to turn off the drip from our personal information tap, it is more critical for us to understand/separate information that is highly personal and private, and protect it closely. As the Pig said "Not all information is equal, some is more equal than others".

The other web animals have different traits, with different methods of processing information. Details about each animal can be found here, but it is more fun to actually do the quiz rather than try to guess which one you are...

The Decline of the Empires

2010-03-04T12:47:00.003+11:00

I found this graphic representation of the decline of the worlds great maritime empires at kottke.org.

Its brilliant.

Watch the date in the lower left corner and look for the Canadian and Australian breakaways from Britain.

Also, check the French implosion during the 1960s.

Visualizing empires decline from Pedro M Cruz on Vimeo.

Ouch!

2010-03-04T12:35:00.002+11:00

MONTESANO, Wash. - Authorities believe a Washington man was killed by accidentally urinating on a downed power line after a car crash.

Grays Harbor County sheriff's Deputy Dave Pimentel said Monday 50-year-old Roy Messenger was not seriously hurt after he collided with a power pole Friday and called a relative to pull his car from a ditch.

However, family members found Messenger electrocuted when they arrived.

Pimentel says Messenger apparently urinated into a roadside ditch but didn't see the live wire. The urine stream likely served as a conductor, allowing the electricity to reach his body.

Pimentel says there will be an autopsy but burn marks indicated the way the electricity traveled through Messenger's body.

(From Associated Press, via The Mangina Monologues)

EDIT: So the message is, be careful out there......!

First Fortnight Free ...

2010-03-01T22:13:00.002+11:00

Almost 2 weeks without porn!!!

Didn't really think I could do it, but I am actually coping with my porn-free lent without much difficulty.

I do notice I have less craving for my morning ritual of rising, getting a cup of tea with toast, and casually glancing at the men of the net for an hour or so. It was a gentle, mindless way to wake up slowly. Now I just stay in bed longer...

I don't feel any particular deficit during my other daily activities. There are no distracting thoughts or urges to chase down willy images. I suspect that after the first few thousand willies in a life, the human mind (ie. my mind) struggles to appreciate the uniqueness of the subsequent thousand willies.

And the exhibitionist adventurers on Xtube or Dudetube tend to fall into a few select categories. They will still be there flashing, wanking or communicating in an intimate fashion, at the end of my 40 days in the porn-desert. They can wait.

There does seem to be a slight lifting in my libido associated with less frequent fiddling. This can only be good. I will be interested to see if this continues. As will the BF (LOL).

I must admit, however, it can be difficult to engage the internet and stay fully away from porn. Its frakking everywhere...!!!!!!

A Single (Gay) Man (in the 60s)

2010-03-01T11:34:00.003+11:00

Here is a film to watch when you are feeling fine with the world, and in good company.

Tom Ford's film of Christopher Isherwood's book "A Single Man", is a stylish return to the fractured glamour of the 1960s.

A Single Man is stylish in its cinematography, visual imagery and sweeping soundtrack. All of which are delightful to sink into after a pre-film tipple of red wine.

It is fractured because the 1960s was full of breaking traditions from the stitched up, post-war, social constraints. Homosexuality, was underground in most of the world with sodomy a crime in many countries. Smoking, drinking and free love were sophisticated pastimes rather than hobbies whose excess is dangerous to ones health.

David and Margaret thought that the films focus on style may distract the viewer from the story being told. I must admit that knowing this before the start, helped me to stay with the story a bit more than I would have otherwise.

Although there is only fragments of a story in this film. Mostly, it is a glimpse of moments in the day of one man's life. A day where a core of sadness is masked as he goes about his dutiful business. I won't say more, it is better to watch it yourself.

I enjoyed the film, and loved the performances of Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Matthew Goode and Nicholas Hoult. Colin will probably win the Oscar. At least I hope so...

The 11th Doctor Who

2010-02-23T23:51:00.002+11:00

Looks like an Easter kick-off for the new Doctor Who.
An appropriate reward after 40 days in the porn desert, don't you think?

(ps. I will fix up the width of the blog posts soon....the videos have been getting wider)

Arrrrgh ... No Porn for Lent!

2010-02-22T19:26:00.003+11:00

For no particular reason, and certainly not for religious ones, I have decided to forgo porn during lent.

Well.... no big reasons....

Porn has turned out to be less the evil, life-destroying, morally-vacuous demon that I had been told it would be.

Indeed, the private pleasures, and sometimes shared adventures into online imagery, have been humorous and entertaining almost without fault.

However, like many adventures in life, repeatedly searching for porn has become less of an adventure, and more of a fiddly habit. Less pleasure, less adventure, less satisfying. Porn has become something for everybody.

And I miss the playful feeling of being a little bit naughty. Not immoral or illegal. Just the fun of taking a quick peek at cute guys from behind firmly closed doors.

Now it seems to be more of the same each time, and viewing has become more a ritual than an adventure.

So I am going to try to steer clear during lent. A net-porn Luddite if you like.

Yeah, I hear you. I will also be surprised if I last 40 days in the porn desert.

Wish me luck...

Clockwise or Anti-Clockwise?

2010-02-19T00:25:00.004+11:00

Its an old one, but still requires my concentration to see movement in both directions.

My Blog as an Image

2010-02-15T14:58:00.004+11:00

This lovely image is a graphical representation of my blog made by Webpages as Graphs.

The nodes and linkages displayed make my site look like a small posy of roses, with leaves at the bottom. I don't really know the meaning of the image, but it was cute to watch it grow during its construction. My blog started with the bunch of grey dots at the bottom right, and then grew...

You can do this trick with any website, and there is a collection of images here.

For completeness, here is the legend for the colours:

blue: for links (the A tag)
red: for tables (TABLE, TR and TD tags)
green: for the DIV tag
violet: for images (the IMG tag)
yellow: for forms (FORM, INPUT, TEXTAREA, SELECT and OPTION tags)
orange: for linebreaks and blockquotes (BR, P, and BLOCKQUOTE tags)
black: the HTML tag, the root node
gray: all other tags

Rebuild in Progress

2010-02-11T02:11:00.003+11:00

I beg your patience...

This blogger rebuilding is descending into an obsession.
I knew there was a reason I didn't do this too often.

Normal service, albeit slow these days, will resume shortly.

Thanks in advance!

All in the Family

2010-02-07T08:30:00.002+11:00

Don't get me wrong. I am all for family harmony.
Doing things together, bonding, sharing experiences, being open and honest....

But this picture seems to cross a boundary.
Not quite sure what it is (sic), but something is just not right.

Any thoughts?

(found on The Mangina Monologues)

My Mates Book Project

2010-02-03T16:07:00.005+11:00

If you are a reader, you will appreciate this ambitious project.

My mate gave his friends a total of 30 seconds to list the most important, memorable or influential books we have read.

He then created a list of the top 100 books, and plans to read them all prior to his next landmark birthday. That is, over the next 155 weeks or so.

This is not a task I could undertake. My life involves way to much of the 'on-line', and not enough of the 'cultured thinking'. At the moment anyway. However, I think I am about to have a transition. More of that another time....

Well, his clever friends listed timeless tomes from the great authors. I, on the other hand, struggled before submitting:

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Mr God this is Anna by Fynn (pseudonym of Sydney George Hopkins)
The Cardboard Crown by Martin Boyd

You can check the progress of this phenomenal reading project at The 30 Second Book List.
He will appreciate the encouragement!!

Krafty Cadbury's Chocolate

2010-01-19T22:57:00.002+11:00

It might seem like just another merger among the multinationals, but I do wonder if it will affect the Chocolate.

And it might be self-serving to want the widest choice of chocolate, rather than different packaging on a generic product. But chocolate is chocolate!!

I have read of the demise of Cadbury as a British institution, even though they have been in my Aussie life for many years. One can only hope that all flavours, forms and styles are maintained.

Or should I migrate to Belgian truffles, or Swiss dark chocolates, or US Hersey bars, or another world chocolate?

Perhaps, considering the Haitian crisis, I should spend my energy worrying about more important things....

Gay Pulp Fiction Covers

2010-01-13T00:37:00.004+11:00

I found some great book covers from a different era.

How I would have trawled such literature in my youth! Skimming through the slosh. Yet joyfully re-reading the saucy bits in a frantic manner.

Furtive, exploring, hiding....

Fashion & Identity

2010-01-11T22:40:00.003+11:00

I was surprises by the strength of my pre-judgment of people in each of these images.

The fact that they are the same two models in each photo, dressed in different social costumes, made me look again.
I thought I had moved beyond judging people by there looks.....

Images from Behance Network via The Year Zero

Lack of Clarity...

2009-12-21T08:39:00.003+11:00

I am not sure what to think about this image.
I am intrigued, but unsettled by my difficulty in tying down a meaning to its messages.

Perhaps it triggers too many thoughts, or thought-processes, buried deep in my unconscious.
Perhaps it is just the erotic nerd.
Perhaps its hint of hand-held romance gives me hope.

Vintage Cute

2009-12-06T22:55:00.001+11:00

found on Felizes Juntos

Doctor Who: End of David Tennant 2009

2009-12-03T12:51:00.002+11:00

This years finale looks like another role call for David Tennant's Doctor Who companions. Rose, Martha, Donna, Captain Jack and The Master are all rumoured to be among the crew for the mega Christmas/New Year double episode entitled "the End of Time".

And, as usual, I can barely wait!!!!

There might be some spoilers in this preview clip.... but enjoy it anyway...

Sydney Mardi Gras Flash-Mob

2009-11-18T16:23:00.004+11:00

Thanks to Muzbot for the heads up on this viral-marketing, flash-mob video for Sydney's Mardi Gras.

I imagine that advertising in the modern, technological age is significantly more challenging than just finding funds for a TV or radio spot. In addition cash-for-comments and ABC's Media Watch must be making it difficult for presenters to surreptitiously push an advertising messages out to the world.

But this fantastic video found on youtube seems a clever way of combining viral marketing with one of my favourite genres of amateur short film, flash-mob recordings. Not only does it spread messages in a modern, slightly less intrusive way, it does so with a community of interested people, who will also spread the message through word of mouth ("did you see me on....?").

They look like they were having fun, and the crowd appeared to enjoy it. May they have as much fun at Mardi Gras.

The Whole, and the Sum of the Parts...

2009-11-18T00:14:00.005+11:00

This series of images are blatantly homoerotic, and philosophically challenging.

Are these men made whole, through the summation of their parts?
Can your vision move beyond the powerful pull of each penis?
Is it possible to know anything of these men's lives?
Do these images objectify men is a negative way?
Why, for me, are the eye and hand components most informative/suggestive of the individual?

These are great images and I would like to post more and acknowledge the artist. But I do not know where they are from! So if anyone knows, please post a comment...

There is a story behind this one ....

2009-11-14T00:57:00.001+11:00

.... and I have no idea what it is, but I like the photo ....

Finding Happiness ("Signs" by Patrick Huges)

2009-11-02T13:51:00.003+11:00

This short film is gentle and uplifting.
There is no porn, or cock, or gay stuff.
But there is a lot of hope and desire, playfulness and charm, and conquered shyness...
... and a remembrance of brave beginnings with unknown consequences.

It will be 12 minutes of your life well spent.

Astro Boy

2009-10-28T16:51:00.005+11:00

Am I too old to enjoy a film like Astroboy?
I am clearly older than the targeted demographic.

But I don't think I care. I quite enjoyed the new film.

I am not the sort of purist that needs film details to exactly match my youthful memories of an animated hero. It is enough for me to get a little glimpse of why I enjoyed him so much, all those years ago.

Of course, adult interpretations of childhood memories will contain some embellishments. The strengths I attribute to Astroboy may differ from those I aspired to as a boy. Unless you prescribe to the Jesuit maxim of "give me a child until he is seven, and I will show you the man...". If so, the pleasure of watching children's film will remain with me for life.

Astroboy is a small adventure in the Pinocchio style. A story recently retold in Spielberg's A.I.

A boy, with special abilities, has to work out how to fit in when he is overwhelmed by the differences between himself and others around him. A boy's search for love and a place to belong. A discovery that it is OK to be a bit different. That some differences make him a stronger person, not a lesser one.

Astroboy is filled with uncertainty, yet also embraces the adventure presented by the world around him. I think I not only liked him as a friend when I was seven, I think I was him! Except that I couldn't fly using the rockets in my legs...

Growing up gay with faith

2009-10-22T19:12:00.003+11:00

I had a traditional Catholic upbringing...

Church on Sunday, displacing made-up sins with confessional prayers.
A stint as an alter boy.
Learning right from wrong by the teachings of others, and an ancient church code.
Discovering that liking masturbation and (much later) men, was a wrongness to be ashamed of, rather than a healthy expression of my own sexuality.

So I dropped the church when I was 17, and have no desire to revisit, except for family obligations.

Unlike Ben Gresham, who was able to reconcile his differences.

A stronger man than I....

Sailors

2009-10-21T23:23:00.003+11:00

This image is brilliant!!!

I look at it and can feel the fun these guys were having in an old fashion photo booth....
...are they on shore leave between violent episodes of war? ...
...it shows warmth, camaraderie, and belonging...

Vintage Candy

2009-10-21T23:11:00.004+11:00

These pictures are even more interesting if you think about the mens' lives ....

... where did they live? how did they live? what did they do after these images?....
... are they gay? were they used and abused? or did they just have a fun, disinhibited youth? ...

Alan Turing

2009-09-01T09:54:00.002+10:00

You don't have to be a computer nerd to have heard of Alan Turing, the founder of modern computer science. A mathematical genius by any scale.

His analytical brilliance was demonstrated by his part in cracking the Nazi's Enigma Code.

He received an OBE for his services to the Crown, but this was not enough to stop his persecution for being "grossly indecent" under British law at the time.

He chose suicide rather than suffer continued persecution and chemical castration.

A petition calling for a posthumous apology is circulating in the UK, and I urge all in UK fair-minded citizens to sign here.

ALL past wrongs deserve a dignified reconciliation....

(found through BBC and Gizmodo)

District 9 and The Young Victoria

2009-08-30T23:29:00.004+10:00

I have seen two films this weekend. Both good, thus marking a healthy start for this 3 week break from work.

District 9 is a good old-fashion science fiction story told well.

Aliens arrive on Earth and we don't know why or for how long. They look kinda ugly, and behave kinda differently.

The story follows one human who has been charged with relocating 1.8 million of the aliens from their detention centre (ie.Detention Centre in the Christmas Island sense), to a new home.

It is a science fiction story well told because it is not the science, or the fiction, or the CGI, or the aliens, or the fighting. Instead, it is a story that examines the human response to a fictitious future world. Human small mindedness. Human greed. Human loyalties. Human ethics.

The film is not earth-shattering, but I found it far more engrossing than I had expected. There is much fighting and running, surreal elements to make you doubt reality, and exploding bodies.

A whole lot of fun, with layers of deeper meaning if you enjoy a good ol' SF fashion yarn.

The Young Victoria tells of the earlier years of Queen Victoria.

It is a gentle story of romance and coming of age for a highly protected jewel of the realm. Prince Albert and Lord Melbourne figure prominently in the rapid maturing of the youthful queen.

I have no idea if the story is factual. Can anyone know about a life lived 150 years ago? I guess that public lives will forever be relived through the invention of modern understandings. Truth is, after all, subjective.

The film is enjoyable as a study of Victoria's struggle against the constraints of her life. A gentle look at her battle to make her existence meaningful when those around her, older and more experienced in politics, attempt to mould and control her every move.

Period films ask the viewer to loose themselves in another place or time, and thus be swept along with a story and world that is different to our life, and our world. Some succeed, but some films become distractingly patronising with over acting and distant accents.

The Young Victoria is a story that gently sweeps you into another time and another place. I enjoyed it, and did not envy her majesties struggles.

I know that makes me sound like an old queen, but I don't really care....

Quiz Time!

2009-08-22T09:12:00.002+10:00

Interested to know what you think these guys are doing?
And why nude?
And would you join in the fun?

Found on Life is a sexually transmitted disease...

Underbelly! Just because I'm a local??

2009-08-22T08:28:00.006+10:00

I have come late to the experience of Underbelly. An Australian TV drama, set in Melbourne, about a gangland war.

It was over-hyped at the time of its release, with a judicial magistrate banning its screening in Melbourne because trials for some of the gangsters were still underway. It was as if the courts were participating in a bit of cross promotion with the TV station.

The premise is not really one that inspires me. You know, police drama and all that... Not since Matlock Police, and Division Four, have I followed any police drama with significant interest.

But I have become a big fan! Part of the intrigue is that it is actually a three-way drama. A triangle between the police and two warring gangs.

I am interested to find out if I am enjoying it just because I live in Melbourne, and could possibly have been in those Lygon street cafes around the time of all the troubles. Or is it great drama, well written?

Has anyone not in Australia watched the show and enjoyed it ?

I have included the opening titles because I love the visuals and soundtrack. They give a good sense of the mood of the show.
Apparently, the DVD is available for purchase, or a torrent....

Celestial Bodies from Hubble 1

2009-08-17T20:37:00.004+10:00

I am feeling a little spaced-out after recent night shifts, and found these images whilst blog surfing that demonstrate my headspace.

There is a huge collection of images from the Huble telescope.
Scanning through the images is a reasonably pleasant way to spend 20-30 minutes.
The exercise went from 'a pleasant look at pretty pictures' to 'an overwhelming sense of awe' as my mind tried to grasp the magnificent size of the celestial objects I was viewing.

It does require an active sense of adventure to look at these images, in a world where we are bombarded by visual imagery in every aspect of our daily lives.....

Celestial Bodies from Hubble 2

2009-08-17T19:47:00.008+10:00

Astro Boy returns!!

2009-08-12T22:48:00.002+10:00

Woohoo....!
Bringing back the anime/manga of my youth ... can't wait!
(Maybe we will also have Kimba the White Lion?!?!)

The Straight Marriage Satire

2009-06-24T22:36:00.003+10:00

There is much to be discovered about how the things we believe in, have become the things we believe in....

This cynical parody explores the beliefs underlying the maxim that marriage is only for straight people.

It was interesting to watch. I was amused, despite knowing that I had heard all the punch-lines. However, the more I watched, the more I felt that gay people are being singled out by denying their relationships an equal support from society. Not so much as victims, but as the focus of irrational, outdated understandings of the human condition.

Maybe one day....

Dexter Season 4

2009-06-24T22:26:00.002+10:00

I will have to wait until September, but the teasers are here already and they look good.....

Banksy v. Bristol Museum

2009-06-14T23:27:00.002+10:00

Milo posted this clip hinting at some new work by Banksy. I would love some more details if anyone knows anything...

So Long Ago .... NOT!

2009-05-28T08:45:00.002+10:00

This news report from 1993 tells of a new phenomenen called the "internet".
Absolutely fascinating, I wonder if it will catch on....

Found here

Do You Like Your Body?

2009-05-25T11:16:00.005+10:00

What do you think about your body? Do you like it? Is your view skewed by Pornography, Parents, Peer, Media, or self hate?

Or are your gorgeous, balanced and self-aware?

A good mate is investigating men's body image as part of a Masters of Psychology degree.
He is seeking input from men (straight and gay), through an anonymous 30 minute survey.

If you can spare the time, it would be great if you could complete this short survey. You never know, you might even discover something about how you think about yourself, and your body.

Thanks in advance for those that participate.

Beach Theft

2009-05-19T16:07:00.003+10:00

I have seen this picture in a couple of places and, from a purely academic perspective, I like how the image is constructed.

Elements of the image tell a playful story. The look on their faces, their postures, the sense of pleasure, and the sense of familiarity with the beach setting... It takes less than a second to grasp the pleasure and meaning of this youthful playfulness.

Is it a snapshot? Or was it set up?

OMG!! Two Years...

2009-05-18T17:10:00.004+10:00

I think the word for this picture is 'twee'. Or perhaps 'lame'. Or 'tragic'.

But I don't really care.

Today is the second anniversary of our first date!

Me, the quintessential, moody, self-absorbed, cold-fish, geeky, cynical bastard, has found someone who doesn't mind hanging around. Go figure!?!?!?

Trust me, there is an angel for everyone. Even for us late starting, old farts.

He is gentle and caring, and has a capacity for lovin' that continues to astound me. I am truly blessed and must try hard not to stuff it up ..... :D

Particularly since he is cooking dinner tonight!
(ps. did I say I was self-absorbed???).

Thinking Different / Being Crazy

2009-05-14T11:00:00.003+10:00

One of the greatest things about being a moody gemini, is that my mind frequently stops to re-interpret my internal and external worlds.

Today, at relatively uneventful time in my life, I was struck by the mundane ordinariness of routines and rituals that make up a modern life.

Work rituals, sleep rituals, play rituals.

My rituals give me structure in a life that would be otherwise quite messy. Yet I feel a compulsion to challenge them daily, just in case I become boring, or they go beyond my control. Imagine becoming controlled by your rituals! It would almost be as bad as being controlled by the technology I love (sic).

But I challenge them in pathetic ways. "Of course you can stay up an extra hour before sleep", "Don't feel compelled to exercise today, do it tomorrow", "Being 5 minutes late for work will really show them who is in charge of my work-life". Can you see the pathetique?

And that is why I loved this ad campaign from the 1980's for Apple computers. Ignore the product placement, and just watch it for the list of differently thinking luminaries who were able to take themselves beyond their own routines, rituals and internal craziness, enough to make a difference in the world.

I am in awe as much for their achievements, as for their ability to live a little bit crazy.

Relearning the Stars

2009-05-12T22:30:00.002+10:00

I am sure that, as a young lad, I knew more about the constellations in the night sky. There was an overwhelming majesty in staring at the Milky Way, the Big Dipper and trying to find the Southern Cross.

On my recent trip to the Kimberlies, I was again amazed at the beauty of the unpolluted night sky. But I struggled to identify and name any of the constellations.

So I am very keen to see this new geek toy from google. When released, it will be an app for my iPhone that will name the stars it finds on a picture I take of the night sky.

Initially I thought that this was just another gimmick until I heard an astronomer suggest that such toys help improve the general level of knowledge about the universe. This is a good use of technology, significantly better than mindless twitter-chatting about when I cut my toenails...

Now, I just need to find some unpolluted night sky!

It Happens...

2009-05-12T00:13:00.002+10:00

Candy Art

2009-05-09T15:33:00.005+10:00

(All images, and Photography credits can be found on Gayya Kuyusu)

Test the limit of your arts...

2009-05-09T15:18:00.002+10:00

There is a point from which all people squirm...

(found on Slava Mogutin's Blog)

Tango Magic

2009-05-09T15:00:00.002+10:00

I'm not much of a dancer, but the Tango always seems sensuous, whoever is dancing...

Interesting Thoughts...

2009-05-09T13:28:00.002+10:00

Some interesting thoughts in this clip.
If you ignore the slightly xenophobic start and just take in the steep growth curves they are presenting, it is a good presentation about rampant change in the world.
Whether this will impact on our humanity, or just keep us distractingly busy, is a different argument.
Perhaps technology is the new opiate of the masses.

(found on Durban Bud)

About it all...

2009-02-24T00:01:00.000+11:00

Still Alive .... having a break

2009-02-15T03:26:00.002+11:00

Dear reader(s),

I have been very, very, very naughty and have not posted for a while.

I think I have slunk into a summer blog-break. My mind is slow, work is busy, self-discipline is lacking, future life-direction gray, mellow contentment is my daily mindset..... you get the idea.

I am also realigning the place this blog has in my life. However, not having been clear as to this blog's original purpose, realigning it is philosophically difficult. But such contradictions make my life interesting.

Others, such as Monty, are also adjusting their blog dialogue in view of their changing lives .... maybe its time for new things....

But I suspect I will be back soon. The internal debrief this journal provided has been too rewarding to abandon....

Stay well, and see you soon.

HELP!!! Need ideas for Gay bucks night

2009-01-25T19:29:00.002+11:00

Help!! Please..!!!

A couple of good friends are formalizing the permanency of their relationship. I know...you wanted me to say they are getting married, or have a civil registration, or a commitment ceremony. But it has taken them 10 years to decide on what to call it, and far be it for me to say "just do it!!!!!!"

Anyway, now they are settling on the format/nature/arrangements for the event, it has befallen to me to arrange a bucks night equivalent for my good mate.

They are non-scene, non-queeny, funny, intelligent, established kind-of-guys adn thus I have absolutely no idea what to do on the night.

All suggestions welcome.......

Thanks in advance.

OMG! Its O-B-A-M-A

2009-01-23T23:06:00.002+11:00

Perhaps one of the biggest world-changing of our lifetime has just occurred in the U.S. A non-oil company representative, or actor, has just become the (nominally) most powerful man in the world.

Barack has become the U.S. President! A man with a social agenda which includes improving access to healthcare, restoring the rule of law, and focussing on the richness of our differences rather than xenophobic bigotry.

But this is not news to you, my dear reader. For the world is not a small place, and this is information that even those in deep, dark Africa will have heard about. It has been a newsworthy happening, building publicly for over a year now.

So....

.... how surprised should I be when, confronted with needing to remember a new password for a database I have set up at work, two separate managers have come to me to ask "how do I spell Obama"!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Ummm...... world event? newspaper? culture change? global impact? Oh well .... best not to expect too much....

Chaos Resolved: Sharing iCal Calenders with Ease

2009-01-22T17:46:00.006+11:00

There are things one should not forget, and things that I shouldn't run late for....

Yet I often forget, and I am usually late. Even my fella recently had me over for dinner, telling me a time half an hour earlier than the other guests! Just to ensure I was there on time. The cheeky bugger!!

Anyway, a bigger problem for me has been to try and find a way to post my working roster so that it was accessible for him. I work crazy, changing shift work, which, in his kindness, he tries hard to accommodate. We communicate most days, but if I am working when he wants to check a date for some function or other, or my shifts change at short notice, he needs access to my roster.

This is an easy thing to do if you are a programmer, or have access to reliable web servers and understand their coding requirements, but as nerdy as I am, I have struggled to find a solution that will link my current calender on iCal with a web service that the fella can get to.

Until today.....

I use iCal because despite having some minor deficits, it smoothly synchronizes with my iPhone, and has alarms that my Mac uses to remind me of birthdays and other events.

I have set up a calender using a Google account because it is free, and easily available from anywhere I go.

Today, I found a Google app called Calabration that sets up automatic synchronizing of a calender in iCal with a Google calender.

Its brilliant! I now have a calender that is relatively private behind a Google account log in. It syncs automatically on both of our computers using iCal. Both of us can read and write to it.

Here are some instructions for those with a similar need:

[steps 1-3 are probably unnecessary]
1. log on to google using your google account (eg. same as when you log into blogger)
2. go to this page
3. click on Enable Google Calender in Apple's iCal so that you get a list of instructions
4. download the set-up tool from the instruction page or here
5. open the tool and enter the following details
google account: [your google account]
password: [your google account password]
6. click Add to iCal
7. close the tool, open ical and see if you have my roster calender

Please let me know if these instruction work for you, or need editting.
It has taken me many months to find out how to share an iCal calender over the web for free.

Nerd-alert over and out....

Photoshopping Street Art

2009-01-15T06:30:00.006+11:00

Now here is a little social commentary on advertising that caught my attention.

We all know that advertising images are inherently unhealthy. Visual advertising involves idealized images that make us believe in a world, a look, or a dream. And then it convinces us that we need or want to acquire or become.

But the images are not real, they will have been photoshopped. Thus, when the image is of a person, we want to look like the surreal, modified and unblemished photoshopped version of that person. Cue the entrance of anorexia, bulimia, or drug use for the wanna-be young muscle-marys.

A street artist in Berlin has responded by adding some photoshop controls to advertising images. Its brilliant! Entitled "Don't Forget", you can find pics of the artwork here. Found through Gizmodo. Click each image to enlarge.

Cartoon Profundity

2009-01-14T11:52:00.003+11:00

(found on PaulSatx)

(found on buggery.org)

Australia's Robots???

2009-01-11T16:34:00.004+11:00

I stumbled, like any good nerd would, onto this report of the worlds robot population. And it is food for Sunday thinking...

In the story, they tell of nations with advancing industrial robot technologies. I note that although Australia does not figure on the robot density chart, the Asia/Pacific region has one of the highest numbers.

Is this an accurate measure of Australia's lack of advanced technology?
What is the state of our manufacturing industry?
Does this mean our wealth and relative financial stability is entirely based on resource extraction?
Will we miss catching some of the technologies that are spin-off from robot development, or is the world sufficiently global that we will share all discoveries?
Do I think to much about crap when I work night shifts?

Sunset at Williamstown Beach

2009-01-09T06:57:00.003+11:00

Second attempt with stop motion.
90 minutes of a setting sun with music from Logic Pro loops.

The camera was set to take a pic every 4 seconds, and I left the controls on auto to see how the aperture, exposure, auto-focus, etc would all work.

I know that the content is a little generic, but I like the result.
The black flecks on the film are people, dogs and seagulls.

Definition of a Short Story?

2009-01-07T00:54:00.004+11:00

It was a quiet day for me and in an attempt to spend less time on the computer, I caught two films.

One was a short, tight story with plenty of additional depth and humour in the background characters and story lines. The other, was a short story retold on the big screen, in a big way, but lacking any sense of (storytelling) tightness.

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa is a fun return to the adventurous lives of the zoo escapees we met in Madagascar.

The story is light, with the heroes attempting to return to New York to tell of their adventures in Madagascar. But instead, they land in Africa, in the game reserve of Alex's (the lion) birth. The penguins definitely have center stage at this point, with their industrious ingenuity, resurrecting a rusted old plane wreck for the journey.

The film has great animation, with voices by people you will know. However, if you have a memory like mine, you will struggle to name them and will need to wait for the credits to remember who is who.

The story has our troop of heroes landing in the reserve, being welcomed, then being mistrusted before making good by restoring the water supply that every other animal life depends on. A tight, non-distracting central story with a moral tale in the vein of the parable of the prodigal son.

The strength of the movie, however, lies in the witty repartee of the other surrounding, frequently insane, animal characters. Oh yes, and possibly in the romantic theme played out by the hippo and the giraffe (Gloria and Melman).

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is adapted from a short story by F.Scott Fitzgerald. Somehow, it became a very long film.

At its core, the story tells of a man who is born old and grows younger. I must confess to not having read the short story, but this core suggests it is a story that explores the nature and impact of human aging. An exploration made richer by the lead characters contrasting chronology.

The film has a love story, of sorts, where Brad Pitt's character (who is growing younger) crosses paths with the aging Cate Blanchett's character. As others have said, it is a love tale reminiscent of The Time Traveler's Wife, which is a beautiful tale well written and possibly being made into a film.

Brad and Cate do look great together on the screen, but this film was too long, and lacked the depth in both their characters and their romance. Perhaps the film makers were trying to give us all the meaningful encounters of this mans life, as originally written by F.Scott Fitzgerald. But by including so many, the meaning is spread too thin, and the story lacked something concrete to sink my teeth into.

I did like Tilda Swinton's performance as the forlorn businessman's wife, a one-time lover of the lead role. But my favorite character would have to be his kindly adopted-mother played by Faune A. Chambers.

It is a long film that might improve with multiple viewing. Perhaps it is one of those films best viewed after reading the story, where the viewer already is deeply engaged in the character's lives. But I would not suggest going late at night if you are the least bit tired or unfocussed. You will find your mind drifting in its lumbering pace. This is a short story made long.

I can report however, that it has been a pleasant evening in the company of fine friends.

Computer Keyboards: A Thing of the Past

2009-01-06T14:54:00.003+11:00

Do the guys at The Onion have some insider information about tomorrows MacWorld Keynote speech?!?!?!
Is this the future?

Eye Candy...

2009-01-06T05:56:00.003+11:00

...because i can...

Traffic Delights in Melbourne

2009-01-06T05:12:00.004+11:00

I drive to work across the Westgate Bridge into the sluggish traffic that banks up, morning and night, near Kings Way.

There is currently a very expensive, slow project to construct multiple fly-overs, entrances and exits, aimed at improving the traffic flow. I hope it works!

I must admit to always having had a voyeurs fascination about large building works. I have no insight, and a comprehension based solely on my fevered imagination, as to how they design, plan and implement such massive capital works projects.

How to you assess the need, and then translate that into specifications for the architects? How do you test the theories that underly mammoth, one-off construction plans? How do you organise the employment of the project team and workers? How do you estimate costs and timelines?

I am in awe of these projects.

However, the Westgate project has me perplexed. As if playing a game of chess, my mind is trying to work out which road will go in which direction at the end of the project. What piece to move/build next. I am enjoying watching the puzzle evolve as I drive along the construction sites. There is some planning information here, along with difficult maps to read here and here.

Then I found these examples of chaos and find myself afraid .... very afraid. May our roads intersections not end up like these.... (click for larger view)

(image source: Dark Roasted Blend)

Decay 1: Red Rose

2009-01-05T09:06:00.006+11:00

This is a bit pathetic, but it is my first attempt at trying some stop motion photography. The exercise was worthwhile, more for the lessons I learnt than for the final outcome.

This red rose is from my garden, and took 10 days to open and then decay!!! One photo was taken every 5 minutes. I thought I had framed it to capture the glory of its decay, as well as the changing shape of the shadow. The music was constructed using loops in Logic Pro which was surprisingly easy to use.

Lessons I learnt include:

don't use an incandescent bulb...its minor changes will appear as a flickering in stop motion
frame the image for the content, not a secondary item like its shadow
choose a subject that takes less than 10 days to evolve
position my camera in a horizontal plane to stop slow unwinding of the zoom
ensure the battery will not need changing half way through
logic pro and garageband are both easy to use
quicktime is an easy way to convert individual photos into a film
keep trying....

I would love to hear constructive thoughts. Or suggestions for the next attempt.

Matt Smith is the Eleventh Doctor Who

2009-01-04T17:36:00.006+11:00

David Tennent's time as Doctor Who will end during 2009. Today the BBC announced Matt Smith as his replacement.

He is completely unknown to me, so I went looking for an indication of the style of Doctor he might play. It will be a big job to follow David's footprints. Each Doctor has been unique, bringing an individual interpretation to the role. What will Matt Smith bring?

His biggest television role has been in BBC Two's political drama Party Animals (2007) in which he played parliamentary researcher Danny Foster. He has also acted opposite Doctor Who star Billie Piper three times.

Smith's TV debut was in the 2006 adaptation of Philip Pullman's The Ruby in the Smoke, which starred Piper as Sally Lockhart. He later reprised his role as Jim Taylor - the dogsbody at the Lockhart and Selby shipping firm - in The Shadow in the North (2007).

The actor's stage work has included stints with theatre companies such as London's Royal Court and National Theatre.

I can but wait, but this interview suggests he will bring enough quirkiness to make it a wait full of exciting anticipation...

Here is a list of the Doctors so far...

1. William Hartnell
2. Patrick Troughton
3. Jon Pertwee
4. Tom Baker
5. Peter Davison
6. Colin Baker
7. Sylvester McCoy
8. Paul McGann
9. Christopher Eccleston
10. David Tennant
11. Matt Smith

Thanks to Richard for keeping me up to date.

Happy New Year 2009

2009-01-01T03:43:00.003+11:00

I have procrastinated on the possibility of having any resolutions for this next year. Things just seems to be rolling on, and it is OK...

So, for all of you, I wish you a fruitful, rewarding new year in which you find peace both internally, and in the greater world. May your adventures be rewarding, your friendships supportive, and your love be both emotional and physical.

May you grow....

The Day the Earth Stood Still

2008-12-30T22:42:00.003+11:00

I think I am rediscovering the glory of good stories, well told.

When I heard that The Day The Earth Stood Still was to be released, with a great fanfare of advertising, I knew I wanted to revisit the original. I remembered bits of it, but couldn't quite remember the story. A bit like Forbidden Planet, this film had a place in my memory as a great science fiction story, but I could remember details.

The story, written by Harry Bates, tells of the human fearful response to an alien attempting to warn us about the punishment we would receive if we do not abandon our warring ways and start to live together peacefully.

The original film shows the alien exploring our world, disappointed by mankind's direction. It also introduced a mechanised keeper of the law, absolute in its interpretation of the law, and definitive in enforcing the law (read as 'unstoppable killing machine'). This concept exists in other science fiction stories, including Doctor Who. A Tom Baker episode I think.

It was black and white, with typical pastiche 1950s acting, but with a powerful message about picking up our game and respecting our place in the universe, rather than arrogantly believing our actions only affected us.

This time, the warning is not about war, but about the damage we are doing to the planet. Very topical. But it also introduces a biblical tone to the story which I found distracting.

There is the equivalent of Noah's Ark in which the aliens save an example of each creature on earth. Additionally, the alien is more god-like, having an unexplained natural form, remade into a human body to visit mankind. And in this version, mankind's excesses are ameliorated by our ability to respond to really, really, really, scary threats from aliens. Mankind can be good after all...

It is an Ok film, with special effects worth catching on the big screen, but for me, it did not match the impact and depth of story I felt when I revisited the original 1951 version.

The Pope Remembers to Hate Me for Christmas

2008-12-25T22:10:00.004+11:00

Pope Benedict XVI has reinforced the anti-gay status quo of the Catholic Church with his 2008 Christmas message. In it he said: preserving traditional gender identities was as important as protecting the tropical rainforests.

With delight, I found myself staying calm when my brother-in-law raised it during a family christmas brunch conversation. I usually go quiet and disengage when the chatter steps into the gay domain. Not that they don't know I am gay, or that I necessarily fear their thoughts. I am just not good at talking about me and my stuff.

Today, on the other hand, I had no hesitation in engaging in the comical discussion that ensued. Definitely anti-pope. Happily describing myself as something as dangerous as the global warming that threatens the rainforests. An evil influence. A terrorist to the morals of goodly people. I am a baaaaaaaaaaaad thing....

Laughing, I ended the conversation by reminding them all to look under their chairs after I left, just incase I planted some destructive bomb. I was pleased the conversation felt so normal. Not an anxiety-inducing public discussion about my gayness. Instead, it was just a comfortable chat about another disappointing papal message.

My only Christmas present so far...a gentle boost to my self-confidence. Perhaps I am not too old to learn and grow.

Here is what he said, as quoted in the Independent:

The church has a responsibility for creation and must demonstrate this responsibility publicly... It must also protect man against destruction by himself. It is necessary for there to be something like an ecology of man. This is not an outdated metaphysics, if the Church speaks of the nature of the human being as man and woman and asks that this order of creation be respected.

Here we are dealing with the fact of faith in the Creator and paying attention to the language of creation, the disrespecting of which would be a self-destruction of man and thus destruction of the work of God. What is often understood by the word 'gender' finds its resolution in the auto-emancipation of man from creation and from the Creator.

Man wants to... control everything that concerns him. But in this way he lives against the creator. The tropical forest deserves our protection, but no less than man as creation...

Excitement Builds for the Final Macworld with Apple

2008-12-20T16:47:00.002+11:00

It is difficult to know if the world will end when Apple stops going to the MacWorld trade conferences.

I was lucky enough to attend one in San Francisco in 2006. It was nerd, and nerdette, central as we all breathed in the excitement of new products from Apple and others. New intel-based iMacs, new iPod models, new iPod docks for your toilet, new knitted socks to store your ipod, bigger-stronger-better-faster versions of photoshop and Mac OS X.

This year, Steve Jobs will not be delivering the keynote address in which we are used to big announcements of new Apple devices and software. And Apple has announced it will be the last one they attend, preferring to fall back on other platforms such as the real and on-line Apple Stores. And, I suspect, their particularly large database of registered user emails.

It will be a shame, as the video broadcast of the speech has been something I have look forward to every six months. Rumours are building about a refreshed mac-mini during the Jan 5-9 2009 event. The final event. I will be a very early adopter if they do release it. I have been waiting for a long time for this next upgrade. I plan to use it as a media center.

Yep, I am still a nerd, but I may have to find a new avenue to get my six-monthly adrenaline rush.

A firm believer in parody being a good thing, I bring you a great twist on the paradigm of smaller is better. Enjoy...

Nothing to Complain About...

2008-12-20T13:33:00.001+11:00

... I could be dependent on this public transport

Personal Grooming

2008-12-15T23:13:00.005+11:00

The weekend papers are all about light stuff. Last Sunday's Age newspaper had a couple of metrosexual-ish articles about the modern man.

One talked about new bottom and waist trimming undergarments.

But the one that entertained most was a report on the patterns of body hair trimming. Apparently someone at Flinders University did a study. Great work if you can get it, but I do wonder about the financial and ethics approval for some of these studies!!!

Interestingly, there is little difference between the gay/straight identifying respondents. I'm not very hairy, but I am a clippers man.....

Flinders University found:

¦ Gay and straight men were almost equally likely to remove some or all pubic hair, about 60 per cent at least occasionally.

¦ Methods of hair removal: 11.5 per cent of gay and straight men waxed; 88.5 per cent of straight and 85 per cent of gay men shaved; 17.5 per cent of straight and 19.5 per cent of gay men used depilatory creams.

¦ 55 per cent of straight and 58 per cent of gay men waxed back and buttock hair.

¦ Reasons for removing hair: 20 per cent of straight and 24 per cent of gay men said it improved their appearance; 12 per cent of straight and 23 per cent of gay men said it looked cleaner/neater; 10 per cent of straight and 14 per cent of gay men said it made their genitals look bigger.

Banksy Obliterated

2008-12-15T11:37:00.005+11:00

I guess it had to happen. By its very nature, graffiti is more a transitory statement, than an emboldened work of art.

Amongst the mindless tagging, there appears some great art. Images with meaning that make me stop and think.

Banksy is an infamous street artist who visited Melbourne in 2003 and plied his craft on the streets of Melbourne. One piece, which became known as 'the little diver', has been painted over, despite the art-saving ambitions of the buildings owner.

It is hard to describe this paint-over as vandalism, but it is a shame to lose an iconic piece of street art.

I would be interested to hear what you think. Is the paint-over a crime? Or just a normal part of the life of street art?

Here is some more Banksy images... (click to enlarge)

The Definitive Leviticus Rebuttal

2008-12-11T10:12:00.003+11:00

Religious condemnation of homosexuals denies human rights
Michael Kirby
June 30, 2008

A THOUSAND conservative Anglican leaders met in Jerusalem last week, among them Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria who was reported as saying that Anglicans who preach the inclusion of homosexuals in God's church were guilty of apostasy. He is not alone in this view. In Zimbabwe, the former bishop of Harare, an ardent supporter of President Robert Mugabe, withdrew from the Anglican province in May saying he could not co-exist with so many gays and lesbians in the church.

Many of us know the passage from the Old Testament book of Leviticus that declares homosexuals an "abomination". It is one of a long list of denunciations that has profoundly affected the way three great world religions — the "People of the Book": Jews, Christians and Muslims — have responded to sexual minorities. Only in a few countries is there a strict separation of church and state, so what they teach about morality influences secular laws by which most people on the planet are governed.

The problem is that those who believe in the inerrancy of religious texts find it difficult, or impossible, to tolerate those who deny or doubt their truth. Often the reaction against apostates is explained as being for the benefit of those affected. And it is ascribed to a command from God himself.

No doubt there are some in modern Jewish society who still adhere to views such as those in Deuteronomy that advocate the stoning of apostates, but generally speaking, few Jews would take them seriously as a command for contemporary civilian law. Christians have a similar tradition. In the 1250s, in one of the first descriptions of traditional English law, Henry Bracton declared that apostates should be burnt to death. Then, in the 1770s, William Blackstone declared Christianity to be "part of the laws of England", enforceable as such. Such laws have long since ceased to be observed, although occasionally the law of blasphemy is invoked to protect an Anglican concept of God.

It is 60 years since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations on the recommendation of a committee led by Eleanor Roosevelt. It gave effect to one of the Allied war aims in the Second World War, upholding the right of everyone to "worship God in one's own way anywhere in the world".

For most Jews and Christians today, the thought of punishing people because they abandon or deny their old religion, is unthinkable. Increasing numbers of Australians declare on the census that they have "no religion". So even hardline believers tend to skip over the passages in Deuteronomy. Much easier to single out those of Leviticus and to denounce sexual minorities.

Still, in some countries apostasy is very much a live issue, especially in some Islamic countries. The Holy Koran does not prescribe compulsory adherence to Islamic beliefs. On the contrary, it states that "there is no compulsion in religion". God alone has the right to punish those who do not adhere to Islam or who turn their backs on its beliefs.

On the other hand, the Hadith, a secondary source of Islamic law, records the prophet as saying that whoever rejects Islam must be killed. This has become a source for civilian laws and stern punishments in some Islamic countries. Occasionally, as in Sudan, those laws appear to be used as political tools for removing outspoken opposition personalities.

In Malaysia, the constitution contains standard guarantees of freedom of religion. However, in 2007, a decision of that country's highest court, in the Lina Joy case, by majority, denied the applicant the right to record a change of her religion from Islam to Christianity on her identity papers so that she could marry her Christian fiance.

One of the foremost critics of the Malaysian court decision on apostasy was Dr Thio Li-ann, a professor of law and a nominated member of Singapore's Parliament, a Christian who took a leading part in persuading the Singapore Parliament to reject proposals to repeal the old British laws against homosexuals, based on the teachings in Leviticus. For her, refusing to permit Lina Joy to have freedom of religious conscience was an abomination, notwithstanding Deuteronomy. But the abomination in Leviticus had still to be enforced. Like most non-Western countries in the former British Empire, Singapore maintains its criminal laws against gays.

On the 60th anniversary of Eleanor Roosevelt's Declaration, we need to promote tolerance and acceptance of diversity among all the People of the Book. For the sake of the planet and survival of the species we must embrace the universal principles of human rights. It is no accident that they were promised as a foundation stone for the New World Order created by the United Nations. Without respect for such basic rights, peace and security will always be at risk.

Most of the world's great religions are founded, ultimately, on simple principles of loving God and one another. It is from those principles that religious tolerance derives.

The Nobel laureate and religious leader Desmond Tutu recently wrote a foreword to the life story of Bishop Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the Anglican Church. Tutu declared his acceptance of the authority of Scripture as the word of God. But he has not forgotten that the Bible had been used to justify racism, slavery and the humiliation of women. He declared: "I could not stand by whilst people were being penalised again for something about which they could do nothing — their sexual orientation."

The big challenge before us is to telescope centuries of experience, law, culture and tolerance in the West into a few decades in the rest of the world. Unless we do so, the mixture of religious intolerance and weapons of mass destruction will be a great threat to the world and everyone in it.

Michael Kirby is a judge of the High Court of Australia. This is an edited version of a speech he will give tonight, at the invitation of the La Trobe University Centre for Dialogue, at the Asia Centre, Melbourne University. He will speak at 7pm and the lecture is open to the public.

(First Published in The Age June 30, 2008. Thanks to Adaptive Radiation for the heads up)

Fundamentally Anti-Gay

2008-12-10T19:19:00.003+11:00

Micky over at Born Again has left an informative response to my last post.

In his response, he lists the selective biblical extracts often used in faith-based anti-gay arguments. I am appreciative of the effort he has made to collate these quotes, noting the absence of the 'thou shalt not love a goat...' quote. You can find his list below for your enjoyment.

It is interesting that Micky's blog also has strong views against Alcoholic Anonymous. Worth a read as I suspect Micky's history is strongly influencing his current world view, and in a hermeneutic manner, contributing to his particularly gay-hate interpretation of these passages in the bible.

I must admit that I think his response looks particularly well formatted, and thus suspect it is part of a larger crusade. Thus I apologise to all fellow bloggers who suffer as a consequence of being linked to my blog. Although, I suspect most of you will be more entertained than offended.

HOMOSEXUALITY IS A SIN

Leviticus 18: 22 "You will not have intercourse with a man as you would with a woman. This is a hateful thing.

29 Yes, anyone who does any of these hateful things, whatever it may be, any person doing so, will be outlawed from his people;

20:13 "'If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.

ROM 1:26 That is why God abandoned them to degrading passions:

27 why their women have exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural practices; and the men, in a similar fashion, too, giving up normal relations with women, are consumed with passion for each other, men doing shameful things with men and receiving in themselves.

32 They are well aware of God's ordinance: that those who behave like this deserve to die -- yet they not only do it, but even applaud others who do the same.

REPENT!

And here is a little something I found while searching google for 'gay Jesus'...

Proposition 8 Rebuttal

2008-12-04T22:14:00.002+11:00

I have previously discussed my current thoughts on gay marriage.
And the classist, segregating, bigotry found in California's Proposition 8, which was successfully passed recently.

Others have posted this fantastic clip. But I think it is important to keep the debate alive.

Doctor Who 2008 Christmas Previews!

2008-12-03T15:43:00.002+11:00

Only a few weeks until the Doctor Who Christmas Special, and the Children in Need fund-raising episode, screen in the UK. These previews reportedly include a sneak peak at the next doctor. The one after David Tennent. So don't watch if you want to wait for the big announcement.

Looks like it is the year of the cybermen...

Body Parts

2008-12-02T17:16:00.009+11:00

Balcon6 has a great collection of photography, much of it homo-erotic in nature, but all with artistic merit.

I found these images of fragmented men.

As a hard-core reductionist, they challenge me. Each image, like the components of men I have known, has a unique appeal. From these fragments, I, the viewer, am invited to reconstruct the essence of the man in the photos. He becomes a beauty whose hand is smooth and clean, whose eyes invite swimming, whose softly furred lips need kissing, whose cock yearns for a gentle touch and stroke.

Yet to dismantle someone, and pick and choose the bits I like, and the bits I don't like, is fraught with danger. I can, and often do, come to believe such beautiful elements exist in isolation. That a man can be compartmentalized with beautiful bits retained, and other parts discarded.

This is the problem with all imagery, including porn. I can believe that admiring these beautiful parts is paramount to admiring a beautiful person. Intellectually I know this is not true, yet through habit, I find myself doing just that.

And then the real men seem less. In a bizarre irony, real men with all their foibles, seem less appealing than the sum of their parts.

I love these images because they make me think. And for me, I need to think about, and properly contextualize the images or I will only see hand, eye, lips and cock. Not a bad thing, but they do not represent a whole [person].

What do you think? I would love to hear both your first impressions, as well as your considered thoughts.
Click on each image to enlarge it...