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Ricky Martin Comes Out

Well if you had a bet riding on Ricky Martin ’s sexuality, now is the time to collect. Tell your friends to, “Pay up!”, because it’s official- Ricky Martin has announced that he is indeed gay. Monday, Martin posted on his blog:

“I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man…This is just what I need especially now that I am the father of two beautiful boys that are so full of light and who with their outlook teach me new things every day. To keep living as I did up until today would be to indirectly diminish the glow that my kids were born with.”

Martin became a father in 2008 when he had two children by a surrogate. This decision to embrace his sexuality came with the decision to writer a memoir. Beginning to write brought him to a new place in life, and he reached what he describes as “an amzing turning point” in his life. It’s fantastic to see someone accepting who they are, not only for himself, but for his kids. If only it would have come sooner!

Posted in Gossip.


This week in music

Lunatico – Gotan Project
Label: Xl Recordings
Release Date: 11 April 2006
Genre(s): Electronica, Downtempo/Nu-Tango

I normally wouldn’t want to stray into a habit of reviewing music that isn’t ‘up to the minute’ or currently in charts but I had to share this.  In the lead up to my trip to Spain next year, this budding  españa-phile is discovering a world of international electronica that sits outside current musical trends.  Gotan Project is one such discovery.

The group was founded back in 1999 by DJ and musician Philippe Cohen Solal and former members of Boyz from Brazil (Eduardo Makaroff and Christoph H Müller).  ‘Gotan‘ (an anagram of tango),  have pioneered a fusion of tango and spanish influences with downtempo electronica and dance beats.  ‘Lunatico‘ is a strangely sexy selection of seductive, sophisticated sounds.  Put that in your pipe and illiterate it!  Their next album ‘Tango 3.0‘ is due for release on April 19th 2010 and will surely be another success.

Check them out at:  http://www.myspace.com/gotanproject

4 Stars

Posted in Ear Porn, Featured.


This Week in Music

Head First – Goldfrapp
Label: Mute Records
Release Date: 16 March 2010
Genre(s): Electronica, Synthpop

Too high to write a sentence! Love it! Love her! Buy it!

Twelve thousand stars shooting all over my face!

I left something in the oven!

Posted in Ear Porn.


Brady bunch backs bedrock in tacky taupe terror

Proving that money can’t buy you taste, this 2.5 million dollar travesty is safely contained in the geomantic curves of Canberra’s deep south. The taupe rendering and the stone work is meant to suggest earthiness, possibly stability; but instead invokes visions of “The Flintstones”, while the decidedly 70s architecture harkens back to the cheesiness of “The Brady Bunch”. Sadly, in architecture and decoration we are all lactose intolerant.

The two letterboxes hint at the horror that awaits the discerning decorator, but more distracting is the giant green caterpillar / procession of triffids that are making their way to the top of the steps. Why would anyone do that? You’re not bringing the outdoors inside and you’re not leaving it outside either. Make your mind up. Maybe you could only afford a railing for one side? Here’s a tip, hand rails are easily affordable if you cut back on your giant black pot and ceramic lion budget.

This nature strip is so lack lustre; you have to wonder why they bothered. A punnet of small red bushes for “drama”, what looks like a couple of tired flax plants and an assemblage of weeds around a doubtlessly dripping garden tap, create a sense of urban hopelessness to rival any Russian housing project. Strangely enough there seems to be another letterbox in this picture. It’s white this time. Be afraid people, be very afraid.

A personal pet hate of mine is this driveway. I don’t think it would make it easier to get your car out (Oh, Darren is on a heroin binge right now, I’ll just reverse the car out instead) and it’s a great way to force rain water to rush down like a torrent across the already pathetic nature strip. Washing away your topsoil with gay abandon must be one of those ostentatious symbols of wealth I missed out on.

Let us now consider the gum lined street. Aside from the fact that the blue-grey foliage makes this look like one of the starting levels in “World of Warcraft”, there is also the problem that if there’s one thing a gum tree likes to do, it’s catch on fire. I look at these delightful Australian natives and I don’t see a picturesque and slightly exclusive suburb. I see a firestorm and the charred remains of a family trapped inside a Volvo who didn’t make their escape because their tires blew out from the heat, and a procession of triffids.

This horror of the exterior pales when compared to the travesty contained within. People, I cannot repeat this often enough, monochromatic is not automatically tasteful, and shiny is not automatically tasteful. Put them together and you have an interior guaranteed to cause spontaneous abortions amongst your pregnant friends and neighbours. The theme du jour of this suburban palace is “metallic women holding stuff”. I count ten of them, and a bloody great metal swan too. For every three metallic women there is one chandelier, which seems quite generous. Decorating tip #2 Chandeliers are a sometimes food, like donuts or rendered pig lard. Putting one in every room doesn’t make you stylish or grand; it makes you repetitive and unimaginative.

I’d like to think that the curtains are an attempt at a post-feminist lesbian nod towards the metallic vulvic mysteries of the metallic women who inhabit every corner and surface of this room. The reality though is they probably thought that the shiny fabric looks expensive (but not when it’s on every surface) and the masses of draped fabric suggest a generous luxury (but not when you have meagre 7 foot ceilings). This room reached towards grand and instead fell short and ended up as cluttered, and remarkably tacky, and abortion inducing.

Aside from the fact that the statue in the foreground suggests a love of female anal penetration, or possibly a desire to throw naked women into quicksand, this picture demonstrates a number of classic mistakes. Too much gold, shitty bric-a-brac on pedestals, vases on floors, Doctor Who props hidden under chairs, overdone drapery, monochromatic colour schemes and ugly statues all collide together in a visage of hellishly bland Canberra living.

Another foray into female anal penetration, some women holding stuff and a deliciously piss weak oil painting. I can imagine the back story of this piece; a recently divorced friend has decided to honour their inner goddess by expressing an artistic streak that hasn’t got a look-in since a senior art class in the 80s. One TAFE course later and suddenly friends with money and no taste are nailing that crap to the wall. “It’s a circus! Life’s a circus! I realised that after Jason and I divorced and I got the beach house on the NSW north coast!” It’s not art, it’s a travesty.  The other blue seaside painting is decoration without artistic merit, unless of course you consider the fact that it was probably produced by a child in a sweat shop in Asia before it found its way into a tasteless middleclass Canberra abode.

White couches and ornate decanters on the sideboard proclaim “I’m very clean” but probably indicate that they hire an international student from an exotic locale who is working on a cure for cancer, when they’re not removing dark coloured lint from the white couch. The gothic candle stick holders are totally unusable unless the international student/cancer researcher/cleaner also removes scorch marks off the ceiling and resets the fire alarm. More likely, the hosts use tea light candles unaware of the gaucheness of such a manoeuvre.

The bedroom is meant to suggest luxury with its shiny window treatment, golden picture frames, foot stool and chandelier. However the effect is spoiled by the impractical use of tall lamp tables as bedside tables. There are no drawers in those tables. When the hell am I supposed to put my water based lubricant, prophalactives and tasteful white hand towel? In the foot stool? The devil is in the details though; the complete lack of a head board though leaves no doubt that this is less of a castle and more of a crack house, as is every third house in Canberra.

“We bought her very first painting” they boast “it’s called ‘feminist fantasy in purple’ and it really brings life to the den!” Bullshit. It’s like a “my little pony” decided to vomit up a storm, or possibly the blood splatter pattern from a cabbage patch kid. In front of it, is the requisite naked lady holding something. Considering her bum is exposed I’m surprised she’s not facing the other way. Maybe she couldn’t bear the purple horror either.  The asymmetric zebra couches make me suspect that this home is owned by someone who is either blind (it would explain the pornographic statues) or someone trapped in an 80s psychosis.

Two kitchens, I knew it! This palace was at one stage flats. No matter how big and golden your picture is, you cannot disguise the fact that some poor bastard is expected to cook on an electric stove. I suppose I should be grateful that it has four burners.  The white horror kitchen leaves nothing to the imagination, if you wanted to know what it would be like to be crushed to death in a glacier, then this is the kitchen for you. The uncomfortable looking white chairs in the kitchen cry out for a chandelier or three, but instead have to settle for more bric-a-brac on gold and glass display shelves. So if you have $2.5 million and are legally blind, maybe this is the house for you. If you have any taste or human compassion, or maybe you just think copper based anal pornography is wrong, then we at pinksheep salute you.

Posted in Featured, Homo Beautiful.


March’s Astro-weirding

Disclaimer: These forecasts that I’ve written are written to show what the headlines for your particular sign are. The details would take up too much space and would take more effort than I can currently afford to give at the moment. If you’re just interested in things like “Will I meet someone?” or “Will I get more money?”, then its best that you read some other column. What I’m providing are the focus points of the current month and the possibilities and pitfalls that come with it for your sign.

March as a month – March starts off with a bang! All those things that had bubbled away beneath the surface will come out of the ground this month, especially on the first. Things come to fruition, the cows have come home and, depending how February was handled, they may come bearing posies or pistols. For some this may be their time to do what needs to be done. For others, it signals a time of seclusion. Someone you know seems to have gone into hiding? Leave them a message and leave them be. They will get back to you once they have had time to themselves.
Pisces is the Herald the month of March and this year it’s in a strong position to get what it wants. However the opposition, Virgo, will still bring stone-cold reality into the picture. So any unrealistic fantasies and false idols that may have popped up over the past year, will crumble. Sit back and enjoy the disintegration. There is nothing you can do about it. If you try, you will disintegrate as well and if you have any dirty laundry, it will be exposed so just go with the flow and let things pass.
Reason holds no sway this month. Osmosis works far better. Take it all in and sort it in the latter half of the month. Projects and plans that may have been delayed since December 2009 will start to move forward after the 10th, though don’t expect it to be full steam ahead till next month. The fact that things are moving again should be good enough. Projects aren’t the only things that are starting to move along. Repressed tempers are as well. Someone gave you an ear full in February? Well if you have been keeping it in, March is likely when you let them know exactly what you think of what they had to say. For their sake, I hope you won’t be too rough. On the other hand, there are some that need to be told that they were out of line. If you were the one that had blown your top, get ready for the backlash. Don’t bother fighting back either…you will lose, whether you were right or not. Simple as that.

PiscesPisces – March is here and it’s all about autonomy. Hopefully you didn’t waste time in February and had used the time to reinvent yourself or at least give yourself an image spruce-up. Why, you may ask? Because now is the time to test it all out. You’ll be in the spotlight, whether you like it or not. And no, it’s not necessarily the paparazzi kind. People will just seem notice you more than usual and this time you can use it to your advantage as you have the necessary power boost to back it up. This boost comes only once every 12 years and the next time around it may not be as charged as this time. You’ll also have charm on your side, so if there were any boo-boos made last month, you can at least pass an olive branch on. Whether or not they accept it is another story, but it will at least be acknowledged which is more than some can hope for, some of the time. If you’ve been a little unwell or if things at work have been less than satisfactory, it should start to clear up from mid month, but you won’t be out of it till April, so hang in there. The possible downside for March? Others may be more critical of what you do, say, etc…however it’s not without its reasons, so just accept the criticism, as hard as it may be, because there may be some wisdom in what others may say. How diplomatic they may be is another story. By the end of the month, you’ll get what’s coming to you. Whether you handled it well or less than stellar. If you did nothing…you get nothing!

AriesAries – The end of your sign’s current cycle has come. The things that you have learned, collected, gained and lost throughout the past year gets looked at this month. And the best way to do this is in private. This is the best time to seclude yourself from the world. Not socializing or living alone does not count. Take yourself away from it all. Get out of the house and go away for a couple of days. If not then just an hour or two a day and devoting the weekend to yourself is enough. And you need to take a good, hard, and above all, honest look at your current situation. Are you happy with the way things turned out? Have you achieved what you had set out to do? Was the year at least memorable? There is a quote from an episode of ‘Ally McBeal’, of all places, that have stayed with me. “If you think back, and replay your year – if it doesn’t bring you tears of joy or sadness, consider the year wasted..” Was it wasted, Aries? Honestly? It’s stock take time. Cultivate and store what will be of use and get rid of what doesn’t work for you anymore. Yes that includes people too. Also should the words “if” of “it could” come into any decisions regarding what stays and goes, most chances are that it should go. Remember, the “if”s and “it could”s of today will be the garbage of tomorrow, so why not get rid of it now? Luckily, if you work at it, you will receive some sort of clarified perspective by mid month. And if your social life has been a bid down in the dumps, by mid month you should start receiving invitations for fun. But ask for a rain cheque till next month. The invites will still be there, it’s more that you’ll be ready by then to test out the new you.

TaurusTaurus – Your friendships and groups that you associate with, whether it be social or otherwise, come to the fore this month. What’s more it’s also about the personal pleasure that you associate with them. Good time to expand your circle and meet some new acquaintances. However, take whatever is said by them with a grain of salt. Some may be prone to exaggeration. And some may down-right deceive you. With that said, there may be more progress made in small, intimate groups rather than large ones (i.e. going to a club). Some of you may have also found that going out in the past few months haven’t held that much joy, well from mid month that should change. Romance is also a possibility, provided you put yourself in a position to receive it. In saying that though, at the same time, the possibilities of being lead astray are rather great. It was also your choice to be lead. Whether you believed it to be or not. It could also make you rather ill too, so be sure when to say no. Also use that time to enjoy yourself with your friends for soon it will be your turn to head into seclusion. But that’s next month. Another quick note is if you have been involved with children (whether your own or not), they may have been more than a handful. Things will even out by next month. Just in time, I say.

GeminiGemini – Your standing and reputation is called into question. You may be sought after for advice or for others to simply bask in your glory. Responsibilities come into the equation too. Have you been keeping up with them? If yes, then the kudos are given this month. No? Expect disappointment. And no, it doesn’t matter how clever you may be, you won’t be able to fool everyone this time. And that includes you. Your life is in the greater public eye now. Time to behave. If you do decide to be bad, you’d better do a damn good job of it. This is no time to do things half-assed. Because what you do will carry on to next month, so make it count. Has life direction been on the backburner for a while? Well mid month sees the clearing of the debris that may have been holding you back, or what you’ve been using as an excuse, and now the way is clear. Don’t fret if you don’t feel you’re ready. Just use this month and next as times to plan things out, then review for another month to fine tune it all, then by June you should be good to go. Hasty decisions are ill advised, as at best they don’t pan out. At worst, they pan out with the opposite effect. Another thing you should probably take note of is that home life (this may include family, especially your parents), may detract you away from the public eye now and again. Don’t ignore it. It may end up assisting you or giving you the answers you need in order to move forward. That is…do you really want to move forward or is it just a pipe dream that you tell yourself?

This isn’t the time to sit around, twiddle your thumbs (or anything else, for that matter) and hold unreasonable attitudes, Cancer. Get out there!

CancerCancer – The itch of the travel bug seems to have popped up? Well it’s time to get up and go. The call of the foreign and the exotic has grown strong and the desire to escape the bonds of everyday life has now taken its toll. And no it does not have to be to another country. Different cultures, philosophies, even higher education are great ways to explore the world at large. The opportunity to do so presents itself mid week. A possible down side to the month? Reason is not your friend this March. The time to take a critical look of your current belief system also comes to light. And for once, it’s a good thing because this time you may be a bit more receptive to looking at other philosophies more than before. A crisis of the things you may have thought to be true may have let you down last month (whether in people or an actual faith) and left you questioning whether or not anything you believe is true anymore. Well testing time is over and now it’s time to go out and discover the world again. This isn’t the time to sit around, twiddle your thumbs (or anything else, for that matter) and hold unreasonable attitudes, Cancer. Get out there! Got in-laws? Well this month they either hold the answers or really test your patience. But at the end of the day, what they have to say for once be of actual use. Hang in there.

LeoLeo – Bills, bills, bills. The time has come to hold in that generosity and focus on conserving what resources you currently have, because this month may see the need for debts to be repaid. This also includes the debts that others owe you. Mid week sees a time that’s best for making choices regarding taxation, stored resources (yes, not just the money you have in the Bank), investments in which finances are involved, and key assets. The time is right to crunch the numbers correctly. Still don’t trust yourself? An accountant will do. It also includes those you’re involved with someone financially, whether it be the joint finances between partners or even flat mates and family members, this to sort it out if you’ve been putting it off. Don’t hold on to any anger and watch for aggression as you may be have little control over that in March. However right you may be in regards to a situation, don’t retaliate. Wait for a better time. Use the energy to tackle jobs that need taking care of. And stay away from the rumor mill, Leo! Discretion is a must this month, because we all know that after a few drinks, you’re a Perez Hilton in the making. And you’ll find that the things you may divulge, however insignificant it may seem, will find you on the receiving end of some rather nasty fall out scenarios next month, as well as the need for a little soul searching.

VirgoVirgo – A little touchy about our autonomy this month, are we? Well that’s not surprising as the issues of partnerships are the major headline for the month of March. No, it’s not just the romantic kind. Any kind of one on one relationship you may have comes to the fore. Romantic, business, familial, especially the relationships you have with any adversaries. It’s time to allow others to hold the reigns and shut up about it. Even if they may be heading in the wrong direction, just let them be. No one will listen to you anyway, and if they do, they probably won’t take heed of what you say, even if they usually do. You need to let others be who they are. Mid month sees the need to be with others. You need to interact with others now, Virgo. On a personal level, mind you. Don’t decline that invite to a party or dinner, catch up with some friends and show that you were not just a figment of their imagination. Already do all that? Well you’re there for them, not for you. And keep that critical tongue in check! Remember what I had said about enemies? Well you may make a few new ones or have discovered ones you didn’t even know about. Don’t try to fight as you’ll lose. As I stated, it’s the month for others to be who they are. The ball is in their court. Also, as hard as it is for you, but in March you can’t rely on logic and reason. It’s time to bite the bullet and go with your gut. You will be better off for it, because you could end up in some debt next month if you’re not careful.

LibraLibra – Last month was a hoot, wasn’t it? Still feeling the vibe? Well sorry Libra, but it’s time to come back down to earth. The trials and tribulations of daily life needs a once over this month. Time to spring clean, reorganize a few things, make sure all the bills are up to date, etc. What happens at work is also more apparent this month. The pros and, for some of you, cons about where you work show up more, and so to the cons. The praise and complaints received at work will be taken more personally. You may also be scrutinized more this month too. So if you’ve got a review coming up, be on your best behavior. Forget the jibes of co workers as you’ll be the one laughing when you get the bonus and they get the sack. Unemployed? This month is a good time to bite the bullet and just get any job. Also ‘Work for the Dole’ may place you in a few areas that could offer you a position later down the track, so do not turn down any opportunities. You can’t afford to this month. Your natural charm will help land the role. Pets and small animals also make their presence known too. The demand for more attention by them should be met. If not, they will make their displeasure more than known. Bad side? The excesses of last month may have finally caught up with you with the arrival of illnesses and generally feeling under the weather. Mid week brings the opportunity to recover, but you’ll need to take the time to do it. You need to take better care of yourself and get your health back up top code, Libra because unfortunately, this month, no one else will. And if they do, they won’t do a good job of it.

ScorpioScorpio – The time to have some fun has finally come up, Scorpio! Not just social fun either. Going to the Spa and a spot of shopping may be a highlight. Hobbies hold extra joy for you, this month. The possibilities for creativity and, what Oprah calls, “Light Bulb Moments” are the flavor for the month. Children also could be pleasant entertainment too. They don’t even have to be your own kids. The things they say and do could put a smile on your face for days. The best part is, is that since they’re not yours; you don’t have to deal with any tantrums and problems at the end of the day. Not feeling the fun vibe as yet? Not to worry as by mid week, the desire will come. Romance is also a particular possibility too. If you’re looking for long lasting commitment, forget it. This is a time to just get back to the feelings of anticipation and moments of flirtatious sparring. The conquest is more important than the actual prize. Your sexual performance could also come into the spotlight too. So give it your all. How could anything possibly go wrong this month? Well let me tell you how. Don’t overdo it and don’t blow off (in both sense) the wrong people as you could be making a very big mistake. Your reputation could suffer. And I mean badly. And don’t become involved in the personal dramas of others as you may find yourself shifting from supporting cast to main antagonist. Not only that, but you will pay for it health wise next month too, so steady with those drinks there. Not to mention your mouth and your wallet.

SagittariusSagittarius – It’s time to come home, Sagittarius. This month sees you with matters of home and family rearing its head. Things around the house may need fixing, new furniture needs to be bought, and the need for renovations may be more evident. Or perhaps you still live at home and wish to move out. Well this is the right month to go out and find one. But make sure you have everything you need when you choose one and apply for it. Hanging out and reconnecting with family is the way to go as well. Not necessarily just immediate family either. Aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, all of them. The people you live with also count, so yes you need to spend more time with flat mates as well. This is also a time of endings, so that if a particular living situation isn’t working for you anymore, then well it’s time to attempt to fix it or fly. Issues with family also need to be dealt with too. Any surprises that need to be revealed, do it now whilst you still hold all the cards. They will either be more receptive or will be too shocked to speak while you slip away. Before mid week is the best time so that is there is any reconciliation that needs to happen, then after that should be good. A fresh start from an ending is also indicated. But only after the utter end. Nothing that’s merely temporary. Next month, that’s when you can have some fun.

CapricornCapricorn – A review of your communication techniques are now to be looked at. Not just verbal communication, but all forms. Written and even body language count too. And the way you do it too. Your ideas and use of images are also scrutinized. You may think you’re manner of communicating is fine, but others may not think so. The best judges of this will be your siblings, cousins and neighbors. Sibling issues come up as well. Are they less than stellar? Maybe it needs some work. Things may need to be said and apologies may need to be given. Even if don’t believe you were wrong, just say sorry. It will make things easier down the track. You may end up hanging out with them more than usual next month as well and with the rest of the family. And if there are issues with other members, it helps to at least have a sibling on your side. It really does make a world of difference. Trips are also highlighted this month. The desire to go far away may take hold, but how much do you know about your local area? Really? Yes you\may know where to go to get a bad hot dog at 3 am, but what about all the hidden spots that only a true local would know? It pays to know where you live. New hot spots to be discovered and new connections to be forged. Personal or business. Dark cloud of the month? Stay away from gossip! Seriously. What you may find out may be something you never wanted to know or it could even complicate matters with something or someone. Also it could affect your standing in way you may never know of till it’s too late. Mid month will be a real test of faith in your ability to stay out of it and, if you can’t stay out of it, to keep your mouth shut. Stay strong, Capricorn. Or stoic. Whatever works for you.

AquariusAquarius – Well Aquarius, you’ve had your time in the spotlight. Now it’s time to get back to reality. Finances and movable assets seem to be prominent this month. Hope you didn’t over indulge last month because the first thing you may get is the bill. And that isn’t a great way to start the month. A critical confrontation in regards to financial affairs may ensue as early as the beginning of the month. Whether in regards to debts owed to you or the ones you owe. Tread carefully in what is said and the answers that are given. Honesty works out for the best and may actually buy you more time or inspire more patience and sympathy. Though don’t expect too much from people because, at the end of the day, you’ll need to become active about it. Pursue it or come up with the needed funds as what is felt can only go for so long. Mid month sees a breakthrough through a financial opportunity in which funds are available. Decide carefully! Do not be frivolous and selfish with it. The result by the end of the month will be less than diplomatic if the dues aren’t paid, at least by half. Action that has been stalled since December last year, now starts to move forwards again, but slowly. By April, it should be business as usual. Stay strong. Things will be right again. Eventually. In the meantime, seek financial guidance. Whether from a professional or a trusted friend. The information you come across may be more than handy and may actually help you in more ways than you first thought.

Posted in Astro-weirding, Featured.

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And The Oscar Goes To…

Hollywood’s annual back slapping night is almost upon us. This year there have been a few changes made for the 82nd Acadamy Awards, there will be ten films nominated for best picture and will be voted on using a preferential ballot. The producers have also annouced that speeches will be only 45 seconds long. Me thinks they are dreaming especially if Meryl wins a third statue. Below are my tips for the big awards Picture, Director, Screenplays and Acting; because lets face facts, who cares who wins best sound editing?

Best Picture

The contenders: Avatar, The Blind Side, District 9, An Education, The Hurt Locker, Inglorious Basterds, Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire, A Serious Man, Up, and Up in the Air.

So the Acadamey is going back to the 1930′s when they had 10 nominted films for best picture. So having 10 doesn’t mean it will be any harder to pick a winner. Just like to doing a multiple choice exam you just have to narrow it down.

Up -  animated film and will probably win it’s own catagory.

The Blind Side – Family feel good film and when has one of them won.

District 9 – Science fiction film and if you had to pick a science fiction film this year you would be picking Avatar.

A Serious Man – A seriously over looked film.

An Education – Good British film but being good and Bristish doesn’t always make you a winner.

Up In The Air – If this wins anything it will be for it’s screenplay and that is pretty much it.

Precious – Would love this one to win, but Oscar won’t touch the subject matter, plus the vaguley upbeat ending works against it.

Avatar – Big box office + 9 nominations does not equal best film. No acting nominations, no screenplay and it’s science fiction.

And the winner is: That leaves Inglorious Basterds and The Hurt Locker. The Hurt Locker has won lots of awards for Best Film and should win. Inglorious Basterds would be a surprise.

Best Director

James Cameron – Avatar

Katheryn Bigelow – The Hurt Locker

Quentin Tarentino – Inglourious Basterds

Lee Daniels – Precious: Basekd on the Novel Push by Sapphire

Jason Reitman – Up in the Air

A woman has never won this and this Katheryn Bigelow should beat her ex husband, James Cameron to the Oscar.

Best Actor

Jeff Bridges – Crazy Heart,

George Clooney – Up in the Air

Colin Firth – A Single Man

Morgan Freeman – Invictus

Jeremy Renner – The Hurt Locker

Jeff Bridges should win this. I would love to see Colin Firth win, but Oscar doesn’t do gay. If there is going to be someone to spoil Jeff’s party it will be George Clooney. Everyone loves George and the acadamy is made up mostly of actors.

Best Actress

Sandra Bullock – The Blind Side

Helen MIrren – The Last Station

Carey Mulligan – An Education

Gabourey Sidibe – Precious based on the Novel “Push” by Saphhire

Meryl Streep – Julie and Julia

I never thought I would ever see Sandra Bullock’s name on a list of Oscar nominations, but it is there, and as unlikey as that may seem it is down to her and Meryl Streep. I am going out on a limb and say Sandra will win. Meryl is doing a biopic and putting on an accent; nothing she hasn’t done before. If there is a surprise in this catagory it will come from Gabourey Sidibe.

Best Supporting Actor

Matt Damon – Invictus

Woody Harrelson – The Messenger

Christopher Plummer – The Last Station

Stanley Tucci – The Lovely Bones

Christoph Waltz – Inglorius Basterds

This one is easy Christoph Waltz has won everything. If there was a spoiler it will Christopher Plummer Oscar like to reward the oldies from time to time and this is the catagory to do it in.

Best Supporting Actress

Penélope Cruz – Nine

Vera Farminga – Up

Maggie Gyllenhaal – Crazy Heart

Anna Kendrick – Up

Mo’Nique – Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

Mo’Nique will win this and then will suffer the curse of Best Supporting Actress and kiss any acting career goodbye.

Original Screenplay

Inglorious Basterds

Adapted Screenplay

Up in the Air

Animated Feature

Up

Disagree? Comment below bitches!

Posted in Featured, Film.


Godwin Gretch leaves distastefully decorated domicile

Sweet Jesus, my poor Christian eyes! Godwin Grech, he of the Ute email scandal is leaving Canberra. Sadly he’s leaving for Melbourne. I’m sure he’ll find refuge in one of the green eastern suburbs full of ethnic people with equally bad taste.

Godwin isn’t afraid to limit his bad judgment to politics, heavens no! Not when there’s an entire house to decorate. His taste can best be described as “horrible” with a nod to “Australian ethnic comedies of the 1970s”. Take for instance what appears to be his dining room. Nothing says informal like the complete absence of chairs. You might think that’s a bold decorating decision, but it’s carefully balanced by the abundance of gold molding and 8 clocks. Yes there is, count them! This room says “taste” and possibly mumbles “in my arse” after, and who are we to argue with magnolia walls and a cheeky little chandelier. This is a house which says “I’m a civil servant, and I’ve made it!”

Now on one level I hope Godwin is a fellow faggot, in order to justify the Sistine Chapel print above the bed, on the other hand, I can’t imagine Godwin being gay and having such appalling décor. Such a subdued setting demands the restraint of four golden cherubs and another chandelier in the walk in wardrobe. Notice how the neutral tones are repeated in the bathroom with a witty little garden statue staring at the poor soul in the shower.

Painting it white and getting new handles is a simple way of freshening up this kitchen, sealing it in concrete is another.

In comparison the kitchen is almost appealing, despite the use of a suspicious lens by the real estate agent to make it appear more master-chef than hells-kitchen. However tasteful is easily fixed with some lace curtains, a series of questionable ceramic figurines of rotund ethic chefs (it looks just like you!) and another god damned clock. The caption to this picture originally boasted that it was a solid wood kitchen. Does that mean it would burn nicely? Painting it white and getting new handles is a simple way of freshening up this kitchen, sealing it in concrete is another.

The lounge room doubles as a monument to impracticality. White couches seem to suggest “I’m very clean”, but in practice scream “I never use this room” and “I use a lot of scotch guard”. A tired nylon rug playful trips anyone foolish enough to answer the standard Telstra issue plastic phone.  I dare say the problem with plastic is that it won’t hold onto gold paint, unlike the seven cherubs or clock in this room. Outdoor living is brought inside with the addition of two garden statues. Most disturbing of all though are the spot lights all focused on the spot to the left of the television. One can only assume this abuse of task lighting was the response to a lovers’ tiff about the location of a remote control.  I do admire the attempt to soften office vertical blinds with a ruffled pelmet and a couple of tied back curtains in a shade that perfectly matches the wall; because nothing says “classy décor” like colour matching OCD.

Here we have a second dining room, which confuses me; because who has so many parties that they need to rotate through two rooms? Maybe high flying civil servants do. This room isn’t afraid to let people finally sit down, but you’ll have no fear of lingerers with eight clocks in the room. They haven’t moved these clocks into the room for the shot, they are eight completely differerent clocks, and the table only seats six! A smattering of angels and chandeliers completes this effortlessly tasteless look that makes overpriced look very cheap.

Godwin, if you read this, I hope the auction goes well; and I hope you’re never allowed to buy furniture or accessories again. We know what sort of dark places your décor has taken you to in the past.

Posted in Featured, Homo Beautiful.


UK Police Investigate BBC Presenter Over Ex-Lover’s Death

LONDON (Reuters) – British police said on Tuesday they will investigate a BBC presenter who admitted killing a former lover who was dying from AIDS, stoking the legal and moral debate over assisted suicide.

More at this link.

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=9848891

I read this story on the way to work in The Australian, while on my break at work I saw it streaming across the TV as a news headline. It made it seem much more worse than what the story is actually about.

Posted in Ball and Chain.


This week in Music

Soldier of Love – Sade
Label: Sony
Release Date: 6 February 2010
Genre(s): RnB, Urban

I've lost the use of my heart, yet I'm still alive

It’s been 10 years since this siren has released an album and, as expected, it’s straight from the heart.  Word on the grapewire is that we had to wait for her to fall in love again before the inspiration for another album could come.  Her soulful cries of love (lost and found) have been anthems for many a romantic and this album is another example of her talent.  Sade’s lyrics (always poetic and poingnant) once again capture the resolve and dignity of a survivor of love lost.  The title track opens with a clear reflection of this; ‘I’ve lost the use of my heart, yet I’m still alive’.

Truly one of my favourite artists. I’ve waited years for this.

5 stars

Posted in Ear Porn.


I need the edge

I need the edge, the bleeding edge, and I need it now. The internet first came to my high school around 1994. Exciting developments in html included images. Then I found irc, then came google and ebay, gaydar and gay.com that shit was exciting. I blogged with the other trailblazers rolling my own php script and crashing the server with an infinite and poorly constructed loop.

Old media, like feminism, is a walking corpse and I want to meet the heir

I resisted facebook (it still feels like a slightly more interactive gaydar to me) but then embraced it, along with wordpress and then twitter (I was terribly afraid I had missed that one). I stepped into the torrent the way Dorothy stepped in the tornado. I made (and paid for!) a flickr account and immediately connected with the same friends I had on facebook/twitter/gaydar.

Tres tragic. I have come dangerously close to creating a wikipedia account only once, but I checked the article a week later and it was suddenly a well researched article. A seven day evolution from “stub” to “summit of knowledge”. God would be proud. I collaborated on an extension for an open source project in December last year. 250 odd people now use my plugin.

I find myself craving the next big thing. I’m twitching for it. It will certainly be interactive and collaborative. Shit, I build pinksheep.com just so I could focus the faggotry and snark of the internet in one place. You know what? It’s not enough. I crave the connection, I crave the conversation. Old media, like feminism, is a walking corpse and I want to meet the heir. Will there be video? Text? Certainly. Will people make money from it? Maybe. As a child I wanted to be a spy, as a teenager I wanted to be a brothel madame (not a pimp, I’m classier than that) and as an adult, I want to be at the center of it all, politics, media, art. When will the internet deliver that to me?

Posted in Vacuous Rants.