30.04.2003 - Healthy options...
Cadbury are offering free sports equipment in return for vouchers from chocolate bars. It's been estimated that children would need to spend more than £2,000 on chocolate and consume 1.25 million calories to earn enough tokens for a volleyball set for their school. By my reckoning, in order to burn off that many calories I'd have to play volleyball all day and every day for 7 months.
link | so... tell me
29.04.2003 - Candyfloss...
The competition for Britain's offering for European Capital Of Culture 2008 was cheapened last night by the Beeb's Clash Of The Cities.
The programme allowed the public to vote on which British city they wanted to win. Fiona Bruce presented, as B and C list celebrities from Newcastle, Birmingham, Oxford, Bristol, Liverpool and Cardiff struggled with overly contrived links and bad sound as they desperately argued their cases as to why their city should win.
Newcastle and Gateshead were last night's winners, although this is only a straw poll. The actual winner will be chosen in June by Tony Blair and a panel of judges and will have nothing to do with this televisual candyfloss offered by the BBC.
On it's Clash Of The Cities website the Beeb states, "Please note that the above vote is for fun only." They should be prosecuted under the Trades Descriptions Act.
link | so... tell me
28.04.2003 - He's a record breaker...
The Pope has helped move another six religious figures along that difficult path to canonisation. The six figures commemorated (including four nuns) are the latest in a line of 1,310 people this Pope has beatified - a number greater than all those beatified by his predecessors over the past four centuries. John Paul has now made 464 saints in total.
Among the six Italians beatified yesterday is a monk, Marco d'Aviano of the Capuchin monastic order, who helped inspire Christians (protestant and catholic) to defeat the Muslims in the 1683 siege of Vienna. John Paul's critics are pointing to the timing of yesterday's ceremony as possibly being interpreted as anti-muslim.
Marco d'Aviano is also remembered as the man who inspired the fashionable cappuccino coffee. According to legend when the defeated Turks fled, they left behind bags of coffee. The Viennese decided the coffee was too strong and diluted it with cream and milk. The milky brown colour of the frothy drink remind some of the colour of the monk’s robes, and thus the name cappuccino was coined.
Starbucks bosses are said to be considering introducing a special Triple M Special (Mid Morning Mass Special) consisting of a Cappuccino Grande, a caramel waffle and a quick blessing by trained staff for as little as £9.99!
link | so... tell me
27.04.2003 - Hijra...
Hijras from all over India gathered for a festival in the small village of Koovagam this week to re-enact a story from the Hindu scriptures in which they pretend to marry a warrior-god.
Hijra means hermaphrodite in Urdu, but most Hijras are homosexual transvestites, some of whom have gone through a crude sex-change operation. Despite some lingering beliefs that hijras bring good luck at weddings or after a birth, there's widespread fear and hatred of them.
Most Hijras leave or are ejected from their families around puberty and then join the Hijra community for life. Here they set up their own family networks of motherhood, daughterhood and sisterhood. All identify themselves as female.
It's the arrogance of a heterosexual hegemony that prevents the consideration of anything other than serial monotony. O the rich and intricate interlace of human sexuality. Surely not a reason for hatred and fear but instead a cause for celebration.
link | so... tell me
26.04.2003 - Papal dispensation...
After sending abusive e-mails to staff at the T-Mobile centre in Merthyr Tydfil following being turned down for a job there, Julian Evans from Monmouth in South Wales claimed that the Vatican had come to his aid.
Evans submitted papers showing the Pope's support for him, "We are obliged to support Julian Robert Evans, and we have done throughout these troubled times. Julian has given an immense amount of spiritual, human and social good for the welfare of the church and humanity, yours in Christ, Pope John Paul." Upon investigation, it was discovered that the papers had been bought on the internet for £50.
Really, expecting us to believe that the Pope would lend his support to common criminals and such dodgy dealings...
link | so... tell me
25.04.2003 - The war is not over...
It certainly ain't over for those conservatives waging war on Hollywood liberals via the website celiberals.com (which now seems to have been taken down). The website named numerous celebs, including Barbara Streisand, Dustin Hoffman, George Clooney, Jennifer Aniston, Julia Roberts, Madonna, Martin Sheen, Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon, claiming that they are "money-hungry, two-faced, elitists who take unfair advantage of their popularity to express their controversial viewpoint."
Sure, it does get a little tiresome when the celebs use every award ceremony there is as a platform for their personal politics. But are we arguing that their celebrity status means they're not entitled to a point of view? Or is it their point of view we don't like rather than their decision to express it?
And speaking of "money-hungry, two-faced, elitists who take unfair advantage of their popularity to express their controversial viewpoint" well, I never did like that Mr Bush myself...
link | so... tell me
24.04.2003 - When the circus comes to town...
It seems that many of the politicians involved in the diplomacy that led up to the Copenhagen summit last December are a touch pissed off by a fly on the wall documentary about to be screened in Denmark.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Jacques Chirac and German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer are uncomfortable with how open this film actually is. There are scenes which show them all in a bad light as well as footage that is embarrassing to Poland, the Czech Republic and the US.
Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen has faced criticism at home for allowing the film to be aired without more cuts. Mr Rasmussen has explained his actions by saying that he is committed to openness in government.
Ed Murrow once said, "When the politicians complain that TV turns their proceedings into a circus, it should be made plain that the circus was already there, and that TV has merely demonstrated that not all the performers are well trained."
link | so... tell me
23.04.2003 - Don't waste your vote...
After a mix up in posters where Scots voters in the Edinburgh area were urged to vote in the Welsh Assembly elections on May 1st, I wonder if Peter of naked blog would like any guidance on some of the personalities involved before casting his vote?
Firstly there's Rhodri Morgan, the Welsh Assembly's First Minister, twitcher, long time opponent of the Cardiff Barrage and recently seen in a sweatshirt gulping his pint at the theatre (how common).
Then there's Nick Bourne, leader of the Welsh Tories, chinless wonder and recently in hot water over his remarks claiming that Britain was being "swamped" by asylum-seekers.
Ron 'moment of madness' Davies, Labour architect of Welsh devolution, resigning anyway and the less said the better.
David Davies, aged only 11¾, one of the 9 Tories Nick Bourne is leader of and another chinless wonder.
Finally, Plaid Cymru old timer and Presiding Officer of the Assembly, Lord Dafydd Elis Thomas who once failed to switch his phone off after a mutual friend had used it to leave a message on my answer machine - I scoured that ten minute tape several times over for gossip and sadly found nothing.
Remember, Peter, the choice is yours...
link | so... tell me
22.04.2003 - Shine...
Daniel Lanois, musician, producer, songster and Canadian god, has a new album out this week. Read a little about the man here.
link | so... tell me
21.04.2003 - Land of the free...
In justifying the war in Iraq Mr Bush and Mr Blair keep telling us that freedom comes at a price.
As the US beef industry locks horns with preadolescent girls, so the US sugar industry now offers a bitter pill to the World Health Organisation.
It's not about your freedom and it's not about my freedom; it's about the freedom to make profits.
link | so... tell me
20.04.2003 - Lifestyles of the rich and famous...
...well, not quite - more your unknowns and has beens!
At the theatre last night we had to edge past him as he downed his pint before returning for the second act, she blocked our exit as we tried to get to the loo after the play was over and we almost walked smack into him going through the doors of our local.
Oh, and the play was quite good too...
link | so... tell me
19.04.2003 - Good play, awful film...
Me and the bf are going to see Noises Off tonight. I saw the first production of this play when it originally opened back in 1982 at the Savoy Theatre. Noises Off, a farce about a farce called Nothing On. It ran for 5 years and picked up all the major prizes before playing to sell out audiences on Broadway.
It was made into an awful film in 1992, starring Christopher Reeve, Michael Caine and Carol Burnett. If you've seen the film, don't let that put you off seeing the stage play; Frayn's masterpiece works better on stage and with a live audience. This RNT production has been substantially reworked by Frayn.
link | so... tell me
18.04.2003 - Send no money...
...to the right wing, homphobic, heterosexist Christian, campaigning group called Focus On The Family.
I hear that they are broke, badly off, deprived, destitute, disadvantaged, down and out, hard up, impoverished, necessitous, needy, on their uppers, penniless, poverty-stricken, skint.
Many activities have been scaled down, including their 'Love Won Out' programme that claims to 'convert' gays to heterosexuality.
Perhaps God is trying to tell them something.
link | so... tell me
17.04.2003 - A holiday from life...
I came across this website today for Downside Abbey near Bath in the South West of England. It brought flooding back memories of my stay with with them quite some years ago...
In 1989, when I was an actor, I was cast as a priest in a play about politics and witchcraft in medieval England. At the time I knew very little about Catholicism - modern or medieval so, as part of my research, I spent a few days at the abbey.
Downside is a community of Benedictine monks many of whom spend their time teaching at the famous school which shares the same site. Also on site is a wonderful library which I had access to during my stay with them. There's something about the smell of old books and some of them at the abbey library are so very old.
Each day I shadowed the monks as they went about their duties; from Vigils at 6am to Compline at 8pm. I sat in church as they sang their prayers and in the refectory I ate with them in silence while a novice read aloud from Tolstoy's letters from the Crimea.
Over a couple of bottles of wine I talked with some of them into the night about medieval church history. They instructed me in how to take mass, coached me in how to sprinkle holy water, helped me with medieval church latin and taught me how to wear a habit.
I was shown what was claimed to be a relic of the true cross. It makes little difference whether it's genuine or not; its power arises from the thousands who have placed such faith in it. It's such an odd feeling seeing this lump of wood sitting in its glass casket, knowing that it has been the subject of such veneration down the years. Such a very odd feeling indeed for a confirmed atheist.
Their knowledge and enthusiasm in helping me with my research was quite wonderful. But my interest in their lives was out-weighed by their interest in mine as an actor. I remember one elderly monk who told me that as a boy he had appeared on stage with Dame Sybil Thorndyke in a production of Medea. The similarities are manifold between the two vocations.
Some years after the production had finished I returned for a few days and a year or two after that returned again for a short visit. It is so very peaceful at Downside; an ideal place to rest your mind. It's set in the small village of Stratton-on-the-Fosse, surrounded by beautiful countryside with a nearby pub to retire to in the evening. Perfection.
It's the closest I've ever come to having a holiday from life.
link | so... tell me
16.04.2003 - How was it for you..?
As Gulf War II seems to be nearing its end you might ask yourself, who has benefitted from this war? The Guardian explores this in its article, Who was it good for?
The list of beneficiaries is quite a long and broad one and includes military hardware manufacturers, media personalities, flag manufacturers and (believe it or not) the humble blogger...
link | so... tell me
15.04.2003 - This mortal coil...
Here Scott Anderson discusses the differences between the American toilet and the German toilet complete with diagrams for ease of understanding.
It's a scatological sketch of American and German toilet habits; getting to the bottom of our cultures by getting to the cultures of our bottom. Not to be confused with eschatology, the study of the end of the world...
Spend a penny at The Toilet Museum for more closet fun.
link | so... tell me
14.04.2003 - Loot...
After the ransacking of the Iraqi National Museum you can expect many an ancient artefact straight from the cradle of western civilisation to be on sale throughout the world very soon. Whether they appear at private sales, in auction rooms, on ebay or on your local bric-a-brac stall these spoils of war ain't gonna remain in Iraq for long.
One little treasure from Baghdad which I've grabbed is this Rageh Omaar t -shirt. I should explain for all those non Brits that Rageh Omaar is one of the BBC's correspondents currently based in Baghdad. Cool t-shirt or what!
link | so... tell me
13.04.2003 - Sowing the seeds...
You may remember that over a year ago the liberal Danes elected a new centre right party to replace the old centre left party. Out with Mr Poul Nyrup Rasmussen and in with Mr Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
The new government took exception to the open use and trade of soft drugs in Christiania, a top tourist attraction and alternative lifestyle freetown within Copenhagen. So opposed are the government to this alternative lifestyle that they want to ban the use of drugs throughout the area and bulldoze it flat for redevelopment.
A week or so ago the dope peddlers of this "hippie colony" (as the Guardian calls it) went on strike in an attempt to publicise their plight. Yesterday, however, those cunning Christiania Copenhageners tried a different approach by releasing 500 balloons over the city each containing a few cannabis seeds.
Should be quite a good harvest in Copenhagen this year!
link | so... tell me
12.04.2003 - Soul selection...
I bought this double CD yesterday of Northern Soul classics. The Best Northern Soul All-Nighter ...Ever. As one of the Amazon reviewers says, "If you don't enjoy this compilation, I should check you've still got a pulse!!"
Lock the bedroom door, close the curtains, turn up the volume... where's that hairbrush gone?
Ladies and Gentlemen, put your hands together for ...Dr Soul himself...
link | so... tell me
11.04.2003 - Knickers..!
Our washing machine blew up over a week ago and (please God) we're having a new one delivered tomorrow. I've been wearing T shirts and jeans to work all week. I explained to my manager that if I didn't appear my usual crisp and smartly dressed self then he'd know why. He hadn't noticed!
Had it not been for a mercy dash to Debenhams for underpants yesterday, I would be forced to wear the same pair of kecks two days in a row. Turned inside out for freshness, of course!
link | so... tell me
10.04.2003 - Moving...
On the day of Baghdad's apparent surrender to US forces yesterday among scenes of jubilation I found this: The Northern Iraq Weblog. It's written by Stuart Hughes, a BBC Journalist recently injured by a landmine in Northern Iraq and flown back to his home here in Cardiff.
It's moving reading what he's been through; all the more moving knowing what he's about to face.
link | so... tell me
09.04.2003 - My dad...
This is my dad aged about 20 years old. The picture was taken at a dance in Brecon whilst he was serving in the army in 1951 or so. He loved his time in the army, he was a PT Instructor (scary). Due to Alzheimer's, his short term memory is all but gone these days but ask him about the army or his football career and he will talk endlessly about his life back then.
This picture looks so unfamiliar to me; I don't think I ever saw him laugh like that. He seems so fresh and innocent. All my memories are of a tired man. I'll post some more pictures of him when I get them scanned.
Meanwhile, the bf's parents have another exhibition, this time in Grenaa, Jutland.
link | so... tell me
08.04.2003 - In the name of God...
There have been some evil things done in the name of God and Rev Fred Phelps, through his Westboro Baptist Church ensures that the evil continues.
I can't write about this, it just makes me so angry.
link | so... tell me
07.04.2003 - All dressed up...
The bf and I returned home yesterday evening after spending the weekend with my brother and his girlfriend in Swansea. On Friday we drank too much and then ordered a dodgy takeaway which left the bf a little worse for wear the following morning.
On Saturday we went to a friend's wedding at a golf club on the Gower. Before my brother drove us there my mother had requested that we paid her a visit. And so it was that we were paraded infront of my mother for a final inspection. I'm still her boy even if I am 40 years old! It was a long day but an enjoyable one; quite wonderful given the location and the beautiful weather. I even caught a little sun on my face for the first time this year.
Sunday was a lazy day after a late start and a full cooked breakfast. My brother had somehow managed to rescue some old family photographs which I thought had been lost years ago. He's loaned them to me so that they can be scanned. And so it is with great pleasure that I present this picture of me dressed up for another wedding quite some years ago. Notice the strange faded colouring which dates the photograph.
It's becoming more and more obvious how heterosexuality evaded me.
link | so... tell me
04.04.2003 - What rhymes with Euphrates..?
I read today (via oddverse) that Andrew Motion, in his capacity as British Poet Laureate, has written a poem about the war. I then read that Donald Rumsfeld is a bit of a poet himself and has penned many an ode over the last couple of years. Not wanting to get left behind, I offer my own verse about the present war:
The biblical land of Iraq
The burning Bush did attack
He summoned his powers
To revenge the Twin Towers
Like a scene from The Empire Strikes Back If you feel moved to versify this war, please leave your offerings in my comments section below. We could all rhyme our way to victory or peace or whatever your preference is... I'm off to Swansea tonight for a wedding tomorrow and so the next update's gonna be in a few days time. Have a nice weekend. link | so... tell me
03.04.2003 - Moments of domestic bliss...
Duncan: Hi honey, I'm home! Mmmmm, what's that gorgeous aroma? Is that a fabulous roast for my dinner I can smell?
BF: No, it's the burned out motor of the washing machine.
Duncan: Oh..! link | so... tell me
02.04.2003 - No social value...
A medieval and backward looking religious cult has issued its superstitious findings on modern human sexuality. The anachronistic beliefs of this group have long been ignored and ridiculed by most progressive thinking people. Read more here.
link | so... tell me
01.04.2003 - Heroes and villains...
"I've never really worried about being masculine. I know it's a very popular thing, especially in America, to not want to be seen as homosexual. But I thought it was kind of exciting." You took the words straight from my mouth.
A refreshing standpoint from one of the most homophobic industries in the world and a nice little reminder to all the queens who think they're so straight acting and who set such store by it.
Thank you Ewan.
Meanwhile, in another part of the forest... The Beeb's Basil Brush has been getting Russel T Davies' blood boiling. Seems like the little glove puppet has been condoning violence against gay men in one of the show's sketches. But surely, there's nothing funny in that.
They're only queers!
link | so... tell me