I am a thirty something married gay boy living in Sydney, almost on top of the gay scene but not in it!
Why Sometimes blue?, because I love blue, but also I am sometimes blue :)
more about drew
A few months back I had a huge big sign erected above the group mailboxes of our building saying:
No Unaddressed Mail
I realise it was a vain hope to actually believe that someone who is dumping junk mail would read it?
Yes it is.
But the irony of course is we keep getting unaddressed junk mail from Sydney City Council telling us how they are being more environmentally friendly, I kid you not.
By the time John Howard finally shuffled off he was an embarrassment even to his fans, like the wedding present you're dying to give to the school fete but daren't, just in case. The relief, across the country, was palpable, a sighing of land after rain. At last, it seemed, we had a leader to walk forward, not back. A leader who would tell the truth, eschew war, pluck refugee children from the rising tides of climate change and not embarrass us on the international stage.
For an instant or two, as Kevin '07 scolded China in her own language, the optimism persisted. Then, the rot. First it was the supremely daft Peter Garrett, tramping his ministerial Doc Martens all over the fledgling solar industry by means-testing the photovoltaic subsidy. Next, the budget allocation of more dollars, sooner, to the nonsense of clean coal than to renewables. And then, embarrassment, with the ghost of decades past again making global headlines: police raids on Sydney galleries, artists in the dock. The thin blue line knotting itself once again around art. And why? It's like that joke. A man on the psychiatrist's couch sees, in ink blot after ink blot, nothing but sexual imagery. A butterfly shape looks like testicles, a hilly mountain-scape like a rollicking bedroom scene, and so on. But when the shrink delivers his verdict - you, sir, are a sex fiend - the man is indignant. "What?" he huffs. "But you're the one drawing the dirty pictures!" This underpins the Henson case. Who's drawing the dirty pictures here?
But let me come clean. I don't much like Henson's work. I find it cloying and slightly disturbing. Treacly. Unnecessarily Norman Lindsayesque. This I share with Morris Iemma, Frank Sartor and Kevin Rudd. But that's where the common ground ends. Unlike them, I know that individual dislike, or even general disgust, isn't the point.
Never since the Medicis has art's main job been to please. When in 1865 the furore over Manet's defiant whore, Olympia, caused armed guards to be stationed outside the Paris Salon; when Duchamp's 1917 Fountain, an off-the-peg ceramic urinal, was ridiculed as both obscene and plagiaristic; when Andres Serrano's 1989 Piss Christ caused outrage in Europe (and closure in Melbourne) despite being declared "not blasphemous" by Sister Wendy Beckett: through all those furores our culture and our lives were enriched.
Art has undeniable moral content, but it's not the simple "thou shalt not" kind of moralising so beloved of churchmen and politicians. Art's moral role is exploratory, speculative and playful, more concerned with the poetics of contradiction and paradox than with mundane decoration, convention or instruction. Which is why art's freedom underpins civilisation. And why offence, moral or aesthetic, cannot be the test. Erase every offensive building in this town and there'd be a lot of new space. No, when moral leaders can describe women as "uncovered meat" and remain at large, offence is clearly not a decider. To delete what offends is the mark of tyranny. Protecting what offends you, on the other hand, guards free speech. As Evelyn Beatrice Hall wrote, paraphrasing Voltaire, "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
Action, of course, is different from speech. We do not protect freedom of action, especially when there is deliberate harm. But art, even visual art, is closer to speech than action. Manet's Olympia was considered pornographic not for her nudity, but for her unashamed prostitute status; for daring to make comment. This underlies Kenneth Clark's famous distinction between the naked and the nude; the nude being a message bearer, not just an unclad body.
Still, Henson's detractors look for harm caused by his pictures: harm to his subjects (which they, and their parents, deny); harm to children generally; harm, as it were, to public morality. This underlies Rudd's "let kids be kids" comments and Iemma's blather about moral codes and decency. As though a latent pedophile might enact his fantasies only after popping into a Paddington art show for inspiration.
In truth, however, pedophilia pervades society, ban or no ban. We habitually accept the sexualising of children - in advertising, television, beauty pageants and talent shows - as entirely normal.
We know that pedophilia thrives less on public erotica, offensive as such advertising is, than on secrecy masked as decency. We know it exploits children's innocence, not their sexuality, and that it flourishes in the very vestries, boudoirs and private offices of the respectable.
The Henson witch-hunt may yet become Labor's "children overboard" affair. One effect of which, if Henson weren't already world famous, would be to make him so, without affecting the child abuse figures one iota. And bear in mind that party signing itself "Yours, disgusted" on this is the party that closed ranks for months around its own ministerial rock spider Orkopoulos. Now that's disgusting. Almost as bad as living in a town where all art must be pre-approved by the Rudd, Iemma, Sartor triumvirate and all policy pre-approved by the coal industry. Who's drawing the dirty pictures now?
To delete what offends is the mark of tyranny. Protecting what offends you, on the other hand, guards free speech. As Evelyn Beatrice Hall wrote, paraphrasing Voltaire, "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
Action, of course, is different from speech. We do not protect freedom of action, especially when there is deliberate harm. But art, even visual art, is closer to speech than action. Manet's Olympia was considered pornographic not for her nudity, but for her unashamed prostitute status; for daring to make comment. This underlies Kenneth Clark's famous distinction between the naked and the nude; the nude being a message bearer, not just an unclad body.
Still, Henson's detractors look for harm caused by his pictures: harm to his subjects (which they, and their parents, deny); harm to children generally; harm, as it were, to public morality. This underlies Rudd's "let kids be kids" comments and Iemma's blather about moral codes and decency. As though a latent pedophile might enact his fantasies only after popping into a Paddington art show for inspiration.
In truth, however, pedophilia pervades society, ban or no ban. We habitually accept the sexualising of children - in advertising, television, beauty pageants and talent shows - as entirely normal.
We know that pedophilia thrives less on public erotica, offensive as such advertising is, than on secrecy masked as decency. We know it exploits children's innocence, not their sexuality, and that it flourishes in the very vestries, boudoirs and private offices of the respectable.
The Henson witch-hunt may yet become Labor's "children overboard" affair. One effect of which, if Henson weren't already world famous, would be to make him so, without affecting the child abuse figures one iota. And bear in mind that party signing itself "Yours, disgusted" on this is the party that closed ranks for months around its own ministerial rock spider Orkopoulos.
Now that's disgusting. Almost as bad as living in a town where all art must be pre-approved by the Rudd, Iemma, Sartor triumvirate and all policy pre-approved by the coal industry. Who's drawing the dirty pictures now?
My Own personal thoughts on this are clear, I am disgusted by the 'Wowsers' of society who have decided what is art and what is not, are we now entering a totalitarian state?
Is the art on my own wall considered to be child pornography?
I had one of those surreal client experiences the other day where I was insulted repeatably.
We had just finished this particular client's project and I went to their offices to train them on our software.
The guy that employed us was one of the other partners in the business and he has since retired from day to day operations, so I was training the other partner and a couple of his staff.
From the moment I walked in I felt uncomfortable, I was already tired from the second night of not sleeping from trying melatonin instead of sleeping tablets or ativan. So I was not in the best of moods.
But it got worse.
This client has dragged on for get this 18 months, mainly because the partner I was meeting today controls every par of his business and does not allow his staff to make any decision no matter how minimal.
The morning started with him telling the 'girl' to go get coffee and then making a comment about her being the only girl in the office and getting coffee was about all she was good for.
Then it started on football something I know little about (or have much interest). They were wanting the colour of something to be Bulldog blue and I had no idea what they were talking about and asked them to show me.
At this point the snide comments and asides started and it was one thinly veiled homophobic joke after another.
I finsihed the training as quickly as I could and left, if they had already paid their final bill I think I would have just packed up and left and told them to stuff it, but we have done the work and I want the money!
Freaks!
Mind you they were so focused on being homophobic I don't think the actually paid attention anyway and they aint getting their emails or phone call answered!
Online photographs used by media websites to report on the investigation into Bill Henson have been referred to the Classification Board, the Minister for Home Affairs, Bob Debus, said. ACT Police are also assessing at least 79 Henson photographs held in Canberra galleries as the investigation into the artist widens.
"Several online images of Bill Henson photographs from media websites reporting on the exhibition at the Rosyln Oxley9 gallery in Sydney have been referred to the Classification Board," he said.
They were referred to the board by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), which investigates complaints about online content.
"They do not involve content published online by the Oxley gallery as the gallery voluntarily removed images from its website last week," Mr Debus said.
The Classification Board does not classify art exhibitions but classifies some publications including pictures published online.A spokeswoman for Mr Debus would not name the websites involved.The director of the National Gallery of Australia, Ron Radford, was reportedly questioned last night over the gallery's collection of 79 photographs, all of which were in storage. Police said inquiries related to child pornography.No photos were seized in yesterday's raids on the NGA and other Canberra galleries.
"If we determine there are offences disclosed, then we will go through the process of seizing whatever needs to be seized in order to prove the offence," a police spokesman said. Photos held in storage were subject to as much scrutiny as hanging works because child pornography charges included possession, he said.
"If you're in possession of child pornography, whether you have it on your computer and whether you view it or not, that's an offence."
Inquiries continue after raids on galleries in Sydney and Newcastle.
Ever since the enlightenment that I need to get a car I have had friends tell me what I should be getting or basically telling me that I am wrong to not want the sensible car.
I don't mind people suggesting cool cars that might be appropriate, but trying to basically tell me I am being silly by wanting my own convertible and telling me I should get a nice 'sensible car' is starting to get on my nerves.
Drop it and let me choose what car is appropriate for me, I realise you are well meaning, but i do not want to feel like I am being made to drive the sensible mum's car while the boy drives something hot and sexy...
I at the very least want something that I think is sexy, and is only about one 7th of the price anyway!
I love the friends that are telling me, but it's a hell of a huge pyscholgical issue much more than practicality.
Monument to Gays Persecuted by the Nazis is innaagurated in Berlin
The monument was designed by Danish artists Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset who have been collaborating as an artist duo for over ten years.
From DB Artmag:
Beneath the wood is a massive 83-ton cement stele, the Monument to Homosexuals Persecuted During National Socialism, which has not yet been inaugurated. A short time ago, the carefully packed monument was brought from its production site in Munich to Berlin and raised by a special crane onto its designated spot. Now, the oversized moving crate looks somewhat surreal in the Prussian park landscape. But there was a "ceremonial atmosphere" when it arrived, according to Michael Elmgreen.
The wooden crate is opened on one side, exposing concrete treated in a dark color and an inlaid window that provides a view of a video projection inside the massive slab. Here, one sees a scene that repeats itself in one-and-a-half-minute loops: two young men in a park, immersed in a tender conversation interrupted again and again by a kiss. The video will be shown for two years, after which it will be replaced with a work by another artist. The reason for this changeover, which was not part of the original plan, was the massive criticism the monument was subjected to prior to its realization. It was alleged that lesbians were not adequately represented by the images.
"We weren't concerned with providing a definitive answer to the representation of homosexuality," says Elmgreen, and adds that the artists are more than happy with a change of video every two years.
In any case, the idea of a continuous renewal fits in well with Elmgreen's & Dragset's idea of a living memorial.
It is rumored that Gold's Gym in Darlinghurst will close in the next month.
Since Fitness First opened across the road from Gold's the place has steadily lost the majority of their members.
I have held on only because of a sense of community for Gold's but the rumor doing the rounds now is that Gold's will close in June and 'merge' with City Gym.
I for one will not move over to City Gym if this happens, I would prefer to join Fitness First and have the gym almost on my door step.
And the rumor has pretty much been confirmed by:
DA Number D/2008/757 Location:23 Pelican Street SURRY HILLS NSW 2010 Description:Demolition of existing building and construction of a 15 storey building with 57 serviced apartments (34 studios and 23 two-bedroom apartments). Proposal includes one level of basement car parking for 8 vehicles. Vehicular access and the main entrance to the building are via Poplar Street. The building contains a cafe/bar, lobby, reception and office on Level 1. Levels 2 to 15 comprise serviced apartments, whilst the roof level contains a roof garden. Estimated Cost of Work:$15,228,361 Applicant:NAHAS CONSTRUCTIONS PTY LTD Application Lodgement Date:13/05/2008 Exhibition Closes:10/06/2008
His photography of boys and girls between 12 - 13 has bought condemnation from a wide variety of sources, including our new Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
I saw him being interviewed where he called the works at the Rosyln Oxley Gallery as 'revolting' and the look on his face told me he had not even seen them.
I have seen some of the images that people are calling child pornography and I think they are some of the most beautiful evocative works I have seen.
These are not child pornography images, they are the artistic cultural equivalents of Botticelli, Normal Lindsay, Michelangelo etc.
I remember more then twenty years ago the original Superman movie has a scene where the young Superman just arrived from space picks up the car fully naked, nothing to the imagination.
That is full on frontal nudity, whereas these images are artistic photography.
It right royally pisses me off that these images of Henson's have been around for decades, yet all of a sudden they are 'child pornography', and what pisses me off even more is Kevin Rudd's reaction without even seeing the images.
I hope that this all just blows over and we can go back to enjoying this amazing artist's work and have a real discourse rather than a 'Oh My God will someone think of the Children' one sided argument.
However he then went on to say that people like myself who are protesting against the ridiculous waste of money are wrong, because again in his words:
"It is perverse to think that the Government is helping promote Roman Catholicism by assisting World Youth Day as they are. If this were the world Jehovah Witness day or the world yoga conference, the government support would be the same," he said.
Now this is the point that I have been making, the Government does not support all groups the same and in fact the Catholic Church is getting exceptionally special treatment.
Mind you I can't stand Jenson particularly as he is a hugely homophobic man, and his issue with the Roman Catholic Church is one of Doctrine, or to be specific the infallibility of the Pope.
I guess I am just going to have to encourage all my single friends to sleep with as many of the 'confused' Catholic boys from overseas when they are here for World Youth Day. Maybe then our 'Gay Agenda' can take over and rational thought will win out!
We live virtually in the middle of the night club district of Oxford Street in Sydney.
We have the unenviable pleasure of having a back lane and a side lane which are both used by drunken straight guys and girls to piss in, throw up in, have fights in, shoot up and even shit in sometimes.
If these people are locked out of the pub or clubs at three am or get ejected and can't get back in where the hell do the politicians think they will go?
They will roam the streets looking for trouble!
As it is in this area the violence happens way before 3am and then again after 5am, it's quite often packs of straight louts who get drunk out in the suburbs and then come into the city and pick fights before getting into the clubs or because they don't get in in the first place.
If the politicians want to do something constructive they should stop approving so many clubs so close to each other and put far harsher penalties for licensees and club owners.
And of course there should be that visible police presence on the street, Thursday - Monday nights instead of not police presence unless they are arresting someone with a pill or a joint on them. (Why they need ten police to arrest one poor idiot is beyond me).
But yeah, I reckon that this is just a short sighted bullshit way for the wowsers in our society to control things and it's misguided!
I was reading that a man in the UK and detonated a bomb in a restaurant I have been to The restaurant int he South West in a small city in Exeter near where I used to love in the UK.
That is so random that this sort of stuff would happen in of all places Exeter!
I for one am fed up to the back teeth of the disgraceful way in which the residents of Sydney are being force fed the World Youth Day.
Not only are we paying for a bigoted organisation to hold a public relations event, our State Government has taken over certain areas of Sydney Council too now!
In what is being reported by the Sydney Morning Herald the State Government enacted laws on Friday that allow it to direct the council to do whatever the World Youth Day Co-ordination Authority requests.
What a load of bollocks!
Among the things they want to do is remove a park in my suburb that the 'pilgrims' will walk through, cutting down trees and removing what is a beautiful community park.
The residents around the park have sensibly suggested that the 'pilgrims' walk around the trees.
Every indicator is that this World Youth Day will be the smallest ever, a dismal failure for a Cardinal who has his sights on the top job at some stage (Cardinal Pell).
I am sorely tempted to erect a huge banner on the side of my building saying:
Fuck Off Bigots - Pay for your own bigotry
At the end of the day what I would like is either for the Catholic Church to pay for it's own event, or the State Government to give equal funding to similar events such as Mardi Gras.
Mind you I think the perfect outcome would be for the World Youth Day to be a total and abysmal failure and an embarrassment for all involved.
Ooh and here's a thought...
Why don't we throw a Gay and Lesbian festival on Oxford Street and surrounds during the 'pilgrims' walk and show our pride?
I just watched this movie Shelter which is going to be the next Gay hit film of the year. It's not a gay schmultz film, it's a film about people and their real issues where some of the charcters just happen to be gay.
This is MATTHEW MITCHAM an Out Australia Olympic Diver
I have met Matthew a couple of times with his boyfriend Lachlan who are good friends of some other friends.
Matthew has just come out to the media as the first openly Gay Australian Olympic Athlete! And the article is published in the Sydney Morning Herald.
All I can say is wow, congratulations on coming out so publicly, it's an amazing thing to do! There have been lots of gay athletes but in the past they have chosen to keep their sexuality out of the media (although their friends and coaches of course knew).
And gay divers are not such a far fetched idea with the US Olympic medalist Greg Louganis who came out publicly after his diving career was over.
So Matthew is seeking financial assistance for Lachlan is partner of several years to go with him to Beijing to watch him compete, so I suppose any media is good media for this to happen, so if you have a blog write about Matthew too, the more the better!
I am having real problems with getting blogger to publish my blog and upload images at the moment.
It's beginning to annoy the crap out of me actually!
Anyway!
the whole car issue is quite high in my mind, well as high in my mind that anything other than the truckloads of work I have on.
The boy likes the idea of a nice sexy MX5, I of course like the idea but wonder whether I should be much More environmentally friendly and go for the Smart Fourtwo Cabrio?
But since the boy is already an environmental terrorist and basically needs a petrol tanker following the car around jut to do long drive, I am not sure that a Smart is really any better then an MX5.
But it's not even really going to be an issue for a while anyway as we 'budget' (have you noticed I have used this word a few times of late?
It's a bit like Hugh Grant's Character in Two Weeks Notice saying 'when I mean poor we will have to share a helicopter with another family'.
Now we DO NOT have a helicopter and can't possibly afford one unless it's one of those cute tiny remote control ones, I just like the line from the movie.
I still haven't been to the gym yet, I want to go but by the time I am even half way through my day's To Do List it's past eight at night and I am exhausted.
Maybe next week when I am caught up again, it can't be this weekend because we are off to Rugger Bugger on Saturday night to support Army Boy who is heading off to Ireland to play with the Sydney Convicts in the Bingham Cup.
So it's of to work I go for the final day of the week.
Let's hope I get lots of done and sell lot's of Boxes!
I feel pretty tired and just generally a bit worn out.
I did at least have lunch today with young Dan who is looking good and seems to be relatively free of pain at the moment (or was that only during lunch?)
Oh well all I want is a nice hedging plant that looks like a reed or bamboo, but without the bamboo because I don't like it when bamboo leaves die as it looks messy.
On other really fascinating news an insight into my personality was gained during the week and the outcome of this is that I have been told I need to get myself a car, for both my and the boy's sanity and happiness.
I haven't driven in about 4 years, partially because the boy has a love affair with his car and the thought of putting ding in it is enough to make me hyper ventilate. The main reason through is the last time I did actually drive I had a very large panic attack and well quite frankly I haven't driven since.
In virtually everything else that has caused me in the past panic attacks or excessive anxiety I have managed to overcome, meetings, walking across streets, most queues and most social situations.
It's helped knowing that the physical effects I used to count as being a prelude to a panic attack are actually just normal anxiety and are normal.
But the thought of driving again is both exciting and terrifying, but I think the excitement outweighs the terror.
So there are two things to do,
1) Choose a car type 2) Start driving again in small doses.
The first is relatively easy, and no I refuse to get a 'sensible' car with four seats, bugger that for a joke, I'm not going to be lumped with the 'family' car while the boy has all the fun with the expensive sports car.
However I do need to be realistic in my need, nothing expensive, nothing large. I mentioned to a client that I was thinking of driving again and she suggested a Smart Car, whilst I was more thinking a Mazda MX5 (Miata).
We had a MX5 years ago and I loved the little bugger, it drove like the clappers, it was fun sporty and a two year old used MX5 is not too expensive.
Mind you on the other hand a Smart could be fun too, but if I am going to drive again I would like to drive something sexy and something that I feel is sexy.
The problem of course is how do I get some practice in before getting a car, budgetary constraints mean it will take a while (it's called a Budget and WE WILL stick to it). I am not really sure I want to drive the boy's car, or maybe I should just pull my finger out, find a quiet car park with lots of space and have a go and get my confidence up that way.
The insight is fascinating and after really quite deep thought it makes a huge amount of sense to me that yes it's time to star driving again and yes it will help me alot!
One of the two most popular gay porn sites online is Corbin Fisher, and it's one of my all time fave sites.
I have always loved the boys that CF finds, they are perfect in my eye.
It's that wholesome Jock college boy look with muscles, clear sexy smooth skin and always and I mean ALWAYS hard and horny!
The very lovely guys at Corbin Fisher have give me access to the site which means I can use images from their site on here every time they do an update - and they do a lot of updates.
The IMages above are from the newest Video of Cf's Lukas Fucks Travis, and Oh , my God this is an amazingly hot video. Lukas has been around on Cf forever and he is one hot guy, but Travis is so new and so adorable. Those red rosy cheeks and the explosion of pent up sex in this video is amazing.
The Warhols have been a hugely fun diversion from work and I have now sold 4 of them which means I only have three more to sell
If anyone would like to buy a Sunday B Morning screen print of Marilyn Monroe get in contact with me.
I am pretty amazed actually at the whole experience and the fact that I have essentially covered my costs by selling the four, but I will need to concentrate and sell the final three to make myself a profit and perhaps buy some new art?
Margeaux who has bought the gorgeous black / grey one did make a comment about my art collecting being far more organic and personal than my original 'I would like" list...
Anyway enough of Art LOL.
The puppy is getting better and even has the cone of silence off now as she has stopped chewing at her back paw. She still has another ten days or so on the antibiotics and anti-histamines but we are hoping that much of the problem with her paw will go away.
Work is really full on this year, more so than ever before, but I feel that I am moving forward now and not either just treading water or trying to catch up.
The whole six month plan that I put in place last year has been blown out by about 6 months... And I am in the process of re-working the strategy anyway to take advantage of the changes.
But all in all I am still moving towards the end goals that I set in place last year.
I am very excited because in the coming weeks I am back to focusing on some strategic stuff that I have not been able to get done due to the piles and piles of work that I have been trying to get through.
When people talk about 'turning a corner' I can really relate to that concept right now. I feel like I am just on the edge of that corner. I can see the street and I am just pivoting around, not quite there yet, but definitely moving around.
The down side of working so hard has been a consistent lack of quality sleep, I am not stressed per se, but I have huge amounts of stuff on my mind, stuff like planning lists, doing work etc, not stressful stuff just a mind that is busy.
The problem with bad sleep patterns means I have had a head cold on and off and have not been getting to the gym more than a couple of times in the last few months.
It's silly because I know that exercise is exactly what my body and mind need right now, but when you feel even slightly under the weather (allergies included) the last thing you feel like doing is going to the gym right?
However I can feel myself getting, older, flabbier and less and less in shape.
At least I walk everywhere so I am getting some exercise but not the exercise I need.
It just occurred to me that as busy as I am I am less obsessed about my body shape which is both a good and bad thing.
I need to find a better balance between everything, or find a way to be in three or four places at once...
So there is a huge wrap up instead of the constant stream of hot boys and obsessive art posts.
I am a bit if a gadget freak and I came across this really cool new toy coming out later in the year.
The robot is is Wall-e from the upcoming disney movie about a robot that's left on earth to clean up our mess after the Human race has left.
In Disney's words:
Designed by Disney, Pixar animators and Thinkway, the Ultimate WALL·E robot has 10 motors for lifelike movement. With voice activation and a follow-me mode, WALL·E can follow the sound of a human voice and detect someone entering a room. The robot has a variety of sensors that let it hear, navigate, and detect obstacles. It will sell for $189.99.
I so want one to chase after the dog dancing and playing music, what do you think Lucy would do?
The screenprints arrived today and like a kid at Christmas I couldn't wait to open them.
I am so not disappointed, the colours and just amazing and vibrant and the depth of the screenprints is quite breathtaking. You can see each of the paint layers as they have been applied to the board.
The pictures do absolutley no justice to these pieces (as normally is the case).
Now I just have to choose the three we want and get them framed!
'Look, it's fine if you're gay, as long as you don't do anything about it like having a gay relationship or express how you feel that way'."
I was fascinated, yes I do believe that the school has the legal right to ban same sex partners if they so wish, but I do not believe they have the moral right.
Times are changing and guys and girls are coming out much earlier. I do believe that it is a school's moral responsibility to be supportive of the coming out process, and as the article suggested it's a passive aggressive move by the school to say on the one it's fine to be gay but on the other don't do what's normal for you either.
I love Fedex, I am tracking my screenprints every few hours and imagining them sitting on the back of an MD-11 as they race across the sky.
(Am I getting just too obsessed?)
Mind you by the time I actually get them I will probably be over the whole thing hehehehe..
I have had another friend express an interest in another one of them which means I could now have only 4 more to sell. I think however I might hold on to them for a while and see what a couple of galleries etc would pay for them framed and unframed.
I had a really weird experience at work yesterday, I was pretty much insulted twice by a client sitting not a metre in front of me in the office. It was truly bizarre and if it had been anyone other than a client who was actually paying their bills, I would have thrown them out (and have thrown people out before for similar).
Anyway it's hump day and I am sitting here still at home at almost eight 8am writing this and annotating my To Do List for the day.
After last weeks huge deadlines and stress and then Monday's mad scramble to complete an overdue project this week is quieter and hopefully will allow me to finish a small project that has been on the back burner for a couple of weeks.
I am also hoping to finally getting back to some development work on a strategic project that has been in progress for the last six months.
The eye Candy is frm Fratpad, I just can't get enough of these hotties!
An article on CNSNEWS.com told of how the University of Toledo in the US suspended a staff member for writing a homophobic opinion piece for a local newspaper.
The Author of the article is Crystal Dixon an Administrator for the University of Toledo. In her opinion piece she asserts that homosexuality is not a civil rights issue because:
Here's why. I cannot wake up tomorrow and not be a Black woman. I am genetically and biologically a Black woman and very pleased to be so as my Creator intended. Daily, thousands of homosexuals make a life decision to leave the gay lifestyle evidenced by the growing population of PFOX (Parents and Friends of Ex Gays) and Exodus International just to name a few.
What a fucking load of bollocks, Ex-Gays do not change people from Gay to straight, they simply screw with their heads and try to mask their underlying sexuality.
There has never ever been any actual scientific studies done on whether the Ex-Gay movement actually works. All the 'studies' done by the Ex-Gay movement have been non scientific and discounted by the scientific and psychiatric profession.
And in fact the Ex-Gay's big poster guy John Paulk was caught soliciting guys for sex and in the end admitted he had never been healed.
This women Crystal Dixon is a homophobic bitch who uses 'religion' to discriminate against people.
How dare she say that because the Bible told her it's wrong people can change or choose their sexuality. So by her own words she must be able to change and become a Lesbian at the drop of the hat.
Personally if people want to have their pictures all over the media and stand up and say they are homophobic sure bring it on, but expect the backlash from the enlightened masses.
Have a look at the picture of Owen and Eunice Johns their homophobic bigotry is what needs to be addressed just as racism against people of colour needs to be addressed.
let's not forget it wasn't all that long ago that the very same 'Christian' Church they support was racist!
I have a huge week coming up of work and I am so not looking forward to it.
My largest client will be counting the cost of their intermittent credit card failure over the last few days and I will be asked to provide them with an alternate solution. And knowing the client the solution will need to be done 'last week'.
Another client expects a hug deliverable to be complete today, and providing that I do not get distracted with other clients calling or having emergencies I should be able to get the majority of what they want complete by the end of the day
Then the rest of the week is full of meetings and stuff that should have been completed last week but got pushed aside with the credit card failure issue.
I have still got the damn congestions but I daresay I need to actually slow down a bit and stop working hard all day, going out for dinners and then not sleeping at night, so this week might be a much much quietr week for me socially.
The good thing is the strategic stuff is progressing even without my constant pressure. The new junior is doing a fantastic job on one really important aspect of the strategy for me. I just need to get a few more people on the strategy and then get me some time to focus on it as well
My obsession over art knows no bounds, and after my post the other day on the Andy Warhol, Marilyn Monroe Sunday B Morning screen prints I spent half of last week both obsessing and researching.
It started off with an unsuccessful bid for them at an Auction in London on Wednesday where a set went for 40% over the price I was prepared to pay.
Then as I did more research and hunting I found a couple of entire sets in various parts of the USA.
I started negotiating on two of them through two different galleries (just to get the best price) and discovered that both galleries were representing the same place. So we cut out the middle men and did a deal.
So sometime toward the end of the week maybe early the week after I will get a set of ten Andy Warhol Marilyn Monroe Screen prints.
We have decided to keep three of them, 27, 31 and most likely 23.
A friend has agreed to buy two so I have another five which I will most likely frame and then sell on consignment through a few galleries.
I have realised that my collection seems to be growing nothing like my desired art work listing back here, but with pieces like Trash - Silent Witness and the Panel Piece that I finally hung the other day the collecting seems to be taking an unusual and interesting turn.
I am shamelessly steling this from Brenton over at Aussielicious since he took my post on the 20 / 20 report the other day.
It's of a guy who takes a picture every day to document his workouts and changes from an OK body to an awesome body. It's been ages since I have been obsessed I mean inspired to work out hard again. I seem to just have too much work on and so little motivation to hit the gym after what are generally very full on long days.
I am however in awe of this guys transformation though, it is awsome!
Is it time to start thinking of boycotting the Olympics?
A report in today's newspaper outlines the IOC's toughening of the rules on what athletes can say, do, write, wear and generally think in terms of political dissent.
IOC president Jacques Rogge has said athletes have freedom of expression, as long as those expressions comply with the Olympic charter
What a load of bullshit!
So long as it complies with the Olympic charter.
So that means you can't voice your opinion about the Human Rights Violations in China, nor can you write a blog entry about the Tibet issue etc.
China has also announced new extraordinary powers to search and detain ANYONE, sure it's a communist country and this can happen anyway, but come on!
The reason why China was given the Olympics was to encourage the Communist regime to allow world wide focus to be placed on the issues to hopefully encourage change in the right direction.
Based on the heavy handed way the Chinese have dealt with the Torch Relay protesters and the way they have reacted to dissidents in their own country I would say so far this has not worked.
But what gets my blood boiling even more is when the Olympic Committee itself is tacitly approving the gag order and by therefore is turning a blind eye to the Human Rights abuses.
I am all for China having the Olympics, but having an official edict which prevents the athletes from expressing their views is disgusting.
If I was an Olympic athlete I would be boycotting the games
This is the piece I have had for about 7 years which has never been framed. I finally picked up the framed piece yesterday and I have to say I love it!
The black borders around each panel are just perfect and really help frame each panel.
My favorite is the small yellow panel with the stick figure of the boy....
It reads:
When I was 9 or 10 some guy picked me up in Central Park and took me home, He took a polaroid of me sitting naked in a chair, it didn't show my face so I let him keep it.
If you are an art conisseur you will notice all range of famous artists works in the panels, who do you see and what do you think of it?
The work was done by a mate of mine Rodney Love, who has a fantastic eye for the macabre and confronting which he does so well.
I think most readers of this blog know my disdain for the Catholic Church and my special disgust at 'World Youth Day', but this now just takes the cake.
According to reports in the newspaper the City of Sydney Council (of which I am resident and ratepayer) will be contributing in indirect and direct funds well over 2 million dollars.
AND Hyde Park will be closed for up to three months after the event to fix the damage that the 'pilgrims' will cause.
I also noted with great interest that the Council is still using the out dated figures of 225,000 people attending when we all know that less than 25 % of the expected number of people have registered .
So I say to Clover Moore who supports this ridiculous waste of tax payers money and is basically pandering to the Catholic Church, you are up for re-election in September and you have absolutely lost my vote and I think the vote of many other people.
The Catholic Church should be paying for the event themselves out of their own extremely deep pockets and the tax payers of Sydney should not be.
It's a disgrace that Clover is supporting this in this way especially since she has relied sop heavily on the Gay vote to stay in power and the Catholic Church and Pell have been such vocal opponents of Gay equality.
I am still obsessed by Art and my obsession was placed into overdrive over the weekend when I came across an entire set of the Sunday B Morning editions of Marilyns (10 to a set) for auction.
I am considering buying them, keeping the ones I want and framing and selling the others....
Anyone want to buy a Warhol Screenprint of Sunday B Mornings?
I love a bit of Brent Corrigan especially as he has got older and is no longer quite so twinky! Active Duty has just launched a new video series with Brent and their perennial star Cole!