Hooray For Dolly(I've got)wood

Some people say that the internet is an amazing place full of info for anyone who wants it. Others say its just a big electronic wank mag'.
I tend to fall in to the later camp, but I'm not complaining!!!

However, a severe net addiction does have its rewards... like spotting that Dolly Parton is touring the UK next year. Now, thats something you can't learn from a book!
Tickets went on sale this morning, so I sent my partner off to work with instructions to ring the NEC at 9 o'clock sharp!
Minutes past, then I received a text asking me "Flat or up the side"? Side I replied...
Another text, company net access down, can't order...
Another text, phones down too!!!
My hopes of seeing Dolly were fading fast... but then, when I had resigned myself to missing out on the chance to see Dame Dolly... another text......

"two tickets, 10 rows from the front"
10 rows from the front... dear god I'll be able to tweak those mighty fine blue grass nipples from that distance!
This is her first major tour of Europe since the 70's, and I for one can't wait.... Now, where did I put those Rinestones?

If I was in any doubt that this would be one of the campest gigs I have ever been too, the advertisement on the NEC web site cleared that up for me straight away....

"If you want the rainbow, you've gotta put up with the rain." Do you know which 'philosopher' said that? Dolly Parton! And people say she's just a big pair of tits.

David Brent AKA Ricky Gervais (The Office)

Killing gay men is OK, says British imam - Originaly Posted On myspace on 23 October 2006

First it was Christians, then Catholics and now so as not to be left out Muslim leaders are getting in on the act...
Gay.Com
I was under the impression that inciting violence, let alone murder was against the law in this country?
I look forward to seeing the police swoop into action!

"Christians and Catholics and Muslims, Oh my"

Sunday, Too Sodding Close To Monday - Originaly Posted On myspace On 22 October 2006

Sunday mornings are a strange thing, on the one hand I have the glorious luxury of not having to go to work... but on the other I have the awful spectra of Monday morning looming!

Sundays are usually a chilled affair, first its sitting in bed with a cup of tea reading the latest edition of Private Eye, followed by more tea sat in the living room writing this. This is the best part of the day, the furthest part from Monday morning, but also the time of day when everything is still ("still what" you say.... no, just still!)

Later today its lunch at the "in-laws" which is always a feast of food and wine, not too much wine for me this time though due to an unfortunate event a couple of weeks ago (which I can't believe I didn't blog about) in which we had a dinner party, my friend David came to stay for the weekend and my partners two sisters came with their boyfriends.

It was a very pleasant evening, nice food, lots of booze... Pims, red wine, the boyfriends were drinking Bud' (of course), all was going well until David and myself, the only ones drinking red wine came too the last drop and in a moment of panic remembered the bottle of white in the fridge. Now, white wine does not agree with me, a drop has not passed my lips in 20 years due to an unfortunate incident back then when two friends and myself went out for a little mid week drink, lets just say after 10 bottles none of us went to work the next day and I developed an almost psychological aversion to the white poison.
Anyway, back to the dinner party, it should be pointed out that even before the red wine we were pretty much wasted but with the white things took a turn for the worse.

Now normally when people say they can't remember what they did under the influence of drink I tend to think " fuck off" what a pathetic excuse for making a twat of yourself.... well, I'm sorry to say but thats what happened to me, even now two weeks later I have flash backs to that night and remember something truly excruciatingly embarrassing that I slurred and blush to myself. David and Tim have seen me pissed before, David has known me for at least 17 years and we have been clubbing together in Brum many times so we have both witnessed the other the worse for wear.
No, my embarrassment is because I made a twat of myself in front of Tim's sisters.
SO, today is the first time we have all been together since that night and hand on my heart I haven't had one drink since then. Will I today? Well maybe just to be sociable!

That will take up most of the day, at some point I have to clean out the chickens, which is done on a rotation basis, one week I take everything to bits and scrub, the other like today, is a brush out and spray with poultry cleaner.

Tonight is a fab night on the TV, not only do we have the final ever episode of Prime Suspect, but also on BBC3 at 9pm is the start of Torchwood, the new Doctor Who spin off with the gorgeous John Barrowman.

Torchwood - The Official Site

Now, maybe I'm easily pleased, but the fact that in Britain we have the BBC investing huge sums of money in a sci-fi/action show with a bisexual main character, who for once isn't playing the funny side kick or the geek in the lab but who instead is a kick ass action hero is extremely satisfying, and that this character is played by an openly gay man! Well lets just say, the times they are a changin'.
The only problem is, both shows are on at the same time and since we don't have Sky+ anymore I have to fanny around trying to get the DVD recorder to record one of them, this piece of equipment would make Doctor Who scratch his head ( too many geeky references?)

So that is my day, and with dog walking and going out for newspapers, that pretty much it... did I mention I have to go to work in 20 hours?

Un-seen Madonna Video

Pope Loses Plot - Originaly Posted On myspace On 20 October 2006

In an apparent attack on gay relationships, the Pope has urged his flock to say "no to deviant love"

News.com.au

In a speech in Italy he called for people to oppose any form of legal recognition for what he calls "weak and deviant" unions.
He urged people to fight "with determination ... the risk of political and legislative decisions that contradict fundamental values and anthropological and ethical principles rooted in human nature".
(But lets not make too much fuss over priest's buggering choir boys!!!)
That a man with so much power can use his position to call to arms the whole of the Catholic church against a minority such as the gay community is appalling, and that he is asking people to oppose love is quite telling.

Later in the speech he backed the Italian church's demands for more state funding for Catholic schools, saying that they were still subjected to "ancient prejudices" he said were unjustifiable.
Ancient prejudices eh? Imagine having to suffer those!

Cynical - Originaly Posted on myspace 19 October 2006

As I get older I seem to become more and more cynical. Where once I might give things the benefit of the doubt or where I would always try and think the best in people and situations, now, I will arch an eye brow and tut.
I think most of the post's on here would never have been writen by a younger me. I was far more laid back 20 years ago, but I think with experience comes a change in attitude.

Cynical Pt 1
Today, driving home I heard a news report which said that Britain is al Qaeda's number one target!

BBC News

Now, being the old cynic that I am, I can't help but think this is just a ploy by the British government to help justify the war in Iraq.
In recent days we have seen the head of the British Army say that he thinks we should leave Iraq as soon as possible.

BBC News
How clear does the Government need it to be spelt out? With public opinion against this war from the start and with renewed criticism of the government, it seems to me that this is just propaganda. The power of fear to bring the people into line, this will allow Blair to say that his (i.e Bush's) war on terror is right and justified and should be supported and continued!

Gay Police Association Vs Christians

How many times have you picked up a newspaper and read a quote from some bible bashing god botherer?

Seems they get upset when they are on the receiving end though.
Christian groups got on the defensive and demanded a public prosecution of the Gay Police Association when they ran an ad which claimed religion was responsible for homophobic attacks, this they failed in so then moved their attention to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) complaining that the advert implied the teachings of the Bible and Christianity were responsible for and condoned violence against homosexuals.
This was ignored by the ASA but they agreed that the advert could cause offence. It also agreed that it was wrong for the GPA to claim that a 74% increase in homophobic crime was the result of religious beliefs.
Apparently the ASA were unhappy that the GPA made claims that they couldn't back up...
But isn't that what religious people do all the time when they use the Bible as a weapon against the gay community?
For the full story click here