My Name Is Andrew, And I'm A DVD-aholic

The joys of cut-price DVD sales has seen me go a little crazy buying DVD's just of late. Recent additions to the shelf, courtesy of the sale tables, are:

• Arrested Development: Season 1, $28.98 down from $44.99. Flat out hi-larious. I sat down and watched almost all the episodes in one long obsessive marathon. Buster cracks me up.
  
• Babylon 5: Season 1, $54.95 down from $100. Not the best season of Babylon 5, because they really hit their straps in Season 2, oddly enough about the time they replaced the original Captain Wooden main actor. (Probably the only tv show ever to be improved by the addition of Bruce Boxleitner.) I was enticed by the heavy discount to start buying the whole series.
  
• Love Is In The Air, $18.99 down from $74.99. A 3 disc box set of the very cool tv series about the history of Aussie music. Contains the soundtrack of my youth, although sadly my youth wasn't narrated by Toni Collette.
  
• Tales of the City, $19.99 down from $36.99. I was a massive fan of the book when I was young, and the PBS mini series didn't disappoint. Marcus D'Amico and Bill Campbell, what's not to love? I still might buy the box set of this plus the two sequels one day.
  
• Daddy and the Muscle Academy, sale price $19.99. The story of Tom of Finland. OK, it's art people, m'kay?! (Note the absence of the cover image on the JB HiFi website - it's a tad... saucy.)

With all this to get through, I might never leave the couch again.

[Updated: I completely forgot to mention that I bought a copy of "The Princess Bride" too. Love that film!]

Lame, Clever, Or Dangerously Close To Copyright Infringement?

Pepsee
Originally uploaded by Other Andrew.

(Oddly, no drinks to be had either.)

Eating, Swimming, A Comedy Of Errors & Cursing My Arch Nemeses

This weekend capped off the end of my friend Stephen's visit to Sydney from Brisbane, and we planned a little trip to both go and visit our friends Ian and Steve who live in Penrith (about an hour of Sydney city) on Saturday. The cunning plan had been to meet on a particular train from the city, I would get on in the city at Central and Stephen would get on at Parramatta, one of the stations along the way. I was already on the train to Central when I realised that I had forgotten to bring Stephen's phone number, or the number of my friends in Penrith, just in case something went wrong with the plan. Hey, what could possibly go wrong?

Now pay attention, because this gets complicated.

Well, of course my arch nemesis Shitty City Rail would pick this weekend for trackwork, so the line was closed and buses would be replacing the trains. Oh-kay. Express buses from Central straight to Penrith, with no opportunity to meet up with Stephen at Parramatta. What I didn't realise was that after I left home, Stephen rang my house to say that instead of getting the train he was going to be getting a lift into Penrith.

As he had missed me, Stephen and his friend Andrew (who was giving him a lift) instead concocted a crazy plan to meet my train at Parramatta and wave me off the train instead of getting on, so that I could join them in the car. Confused yet? The only problem with this plan is that it assumes that a) I would have been sitting on the platform side of the train, b) I would have seen them and c) I would have had time to get off the train. Oh and of course d) I was on a train at all, not an express bus. Anyhoo, the City Rail slow learners at Parrammatta station told Stephen and Andrew that yes there were no trains, but that the buses pulling up at the station to take people to Penrith were the only buses coming from the city (not true).

So I boarded a bus to Penrith, assuming logically that Stephen would be getting on a bus at Parramatta and we would instead just meet up at the end of the journey at Penrith Station. Instead Stephen was hanging out at Parramatta Station trying to see if I was on any of the buses that pulled in. For over an hour. When I arrived at Penrith I waited for a while as there was nobody at the station to meet me, then I decided to use a phone box to call Ian and Steve and find out what was going on. Only my second new arch nemesis Telstra told me that their number wasn't listed (untrue). The fuh?

So I jumped in a cab and set off to Ian & Steve's house, at exactly the same time that their friend Leonie left to come and see if I was at the train station. Cutting the story slightly shorter, about two hours after I arrived at Penrith (and a bunch of telephone calls later) we were all united at Ian & Steve's house.

We spent the rest of the afternoon playing with their dog Jack, hanging out with Ian (Steve was at work) and going into Penrith Plaza for a bit of a shopping expedition. When Steve got home we had a swim in their pool and then Ian, Steve, Stephen, Leonie and myself went out for dinner to the Penrith Hog's Breath Cafe. Dinner was OK, although a steak house is not the best place in the world for a vegetarian to have dinner. Afterwards we hung out and watched DVDs until the early hours of the morning, introducing Stephen to the twisted joys of Little Britain and reacquainting ourselves with the camp tackiness of Flesh Gordon.

Stephen and I crashed out at Ian & Steve's house, had a leisurely breakfast the next morning and then caught the Penrith to city bus back together around lunch time. Stephen had go leave to go back to Brisbane in the evening, so we headed our seperate ways. I spent the rest of the day pottering around, doing laundry and watching the DVD of my beloved Tales Of The City that I had bought in Penrith.

So a pleasant and relaxing weekend, despite comedy of errors and the efforts of my two arch nemeses. Lots of laughs and the company of friends. Good times.

One Sad Puppy

I cannot look at this picture and not crack up. I mean, who knew ugly could be so funny?

Marigolds!

Marigolds 2
Originally uploaded by Other Andrew.

I love the colour orange, in all its varying shades. (It's not a colour I can really wear though unfortunately, I'm a 'Winter' don't you know.)

These Marigolds were flowering in a curbside planter box on George St, the main street through the middle of the Sydney CBD. The city council has done a great job this year of brightening the Summer streets with lots of planter boxes and floral displays.

Sydney, I love you!

Australia Day Recap

[I would have posted this earlier, but every time I tried to post it Blogger was having some sort of meltdown. *Sigh*]

It feels a little weird to be doing doing a recap on a Friday, but yesterday was Australia Day (Americans, think 4th of July - kinda) and so it was a public holiday. Back at work today, and then w00t! tomorrow is the weekend. Yay!

Stephen, my friend (and ex boyfriend from back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth) is in town at the moment from Brisbane and yesterday we planned a night out on Wednesday night and then to spend the whole day together yesterday.

Wednesday night got off to a bad start because I couldn't find my ATM card, and so I was stressing out about not having any cash for the evening or the next day (when the banks are of course all closed for the public holiday). After I tore my room apart in a major panic attack, Stephen ended up having to largely treat me for the evening. Exactly what I had planned on doing for him! We had a fantastic Vietnamese dinner at VietKing in Newtown, and then headed over the road to the very busy and buzzy Newtown Hotel for a few bevvies.

Yesterday we met late morning in the city at Books Kinokuniya, where Stephen proceeded to plonk down a fist full of vouchers and some cash and walked away with bags full of manga and graphic novels. I could have spent about $500 in the design section alone, Kinokuniya is that sort of place for me. I have a thing for stationery shops (and hardware stores), and the stationery section at Kinokuniya is like heaven. It brings out the inner 16 year old Japanese girl in me.

After Kinokuniya we headed down to the DVD section of JB HiFi, where I bought Season 1 of "Arrested Development" on sale. Score! I swear, temporarily diminished funds was all that stopped me from blowing an absolute fortune on discounted DVDs!

After the spending spree Stephen and I had a fantastic lunch at the Galeries Victoria Wagamama. Since I gave up drinking I haven't yet found a drink I considered as delicious as a Caprioska, but Wagamama's fresh apple and lime juice combo runs at a great non-alcoholic second.

I had pre-bought tickets for an afternoon session of "Brokeback Mountain" (my comments on the movie are in my previous post), so we headed back to Newtown to see it at The Dendy. They had two screens showing it and every session was sold out, which made me glad I had pre-bought the tickets. We got there well ahead of time, and by they opened the doors for our session the line was snaking right down and around the cinema. The atmosphere was fun and expectant, and I certainly wasn't let down by the film.

Stephen headed off to see some more friends in the evening and I cooked myself some dinner, blogged my thoughts on the movie and went to bed. A pleasant way to spend Australia Day! January 26th is also the anniversay of my Dad's death, and some years it has been an emotionally fraught day for me. This year I was a little bit more distracted that some previous years, and while I didn't let the day go by without thinking of Dad I didn't get maudlin. It was a good day.

Brokeback

I saw Brokeback Mountain this afternoon with my good friend Stephen, part of a wonderfull day we spent together, and even though my expectations were very high the film exceeded them tenfold.


"Come on now, you're sleepin' on your feet like a horse."

I know there is a huge chorus of us praising this film (especially we big ole Internet 'Mos), but this really is a beautiful, intensely moving and very important film. You won't find a dissenting voice here.

I sort of don't know where to begin to wrap all my feelings about the film up into one neat bundle for a post. First it is a strikingly beautiful movie; the scenery is gorgeous, the sense of place in the small towns and wide open country is beautifully captured, and the two leads are charismatic and handsome without tipping over into pretty-boys in cowboy drag.

I absolutely believed in Ennis and Jack (and Alma too) as living breathing people. The performances are truly stunning. The chemistry between Jack and Ennis is astounding, and the actors really have to be lauded for fleshing out these two men so beautifully. When Jack strokes Ennis's cheek it's a gesture that's simple and believable, yet also intense and loaded with meaning for these two men who are sharing something powerful that nobody else can even begin to understand.


Jake as Jack Twist

I know I'm gushing, but I was really swept up in the film and very moved by it. I think the movie has something for everyone in it, and it really does have universal themes that most people would be able to relate to. Love, attraction, loss, missed opportunities, fear, needing and wanting to fit in. Obviously it resonates very deeply for many gay people, and seeing the 'love that dare not speak it's name' given such a sensitive and moving treatment is special. It's a beautifully made and beautifully acted movie.

Go and see it. It is more than just a "gay cowboy" movie, it's a movie about human love and human fraility.

Oh, and marvel at the physical beauty of Jake Gyllenhaal as Jack Twist. My goodness.

Michael has posted a thoughtful review over at Pipedreams. Here's a collection of photos tagged 'Brokeback' on Flickr, including lots of movie stills. The movie also has an official website.

Seen it? Care to share your thoughts?

Gottle Of Geer

Gottle Of Geer
Originally uploaded by Other Andrew.

Who thinks to themselves, "You know what, a string of fairy lights just isn't decorative enough... Oh, I know! How about that decapitated ventriloquist dummy I had somewhere areound here?".

Seriously. That's just plain weird.

Maybe it's a warning to the packs of rogue Vaudevillians that roam the neighbourhood?

The Complaints Department

You know what? In my office I've become the go-to-guy for anyone that wants to have a whinge. Seriously. Not just about work related stuff either. Or about stuff that is either my responsibility, or within my powers to fix.

Here's a small sampling from this afternoon:

• That bookshelf over there is leaning.
  
• My boyfriend's son left to go back to Melbourne (after his mad mother drove all the way over to collect him, without telling anyone she was coming) and he didn't even say goodbye, despite everything that we've done for him.
  
• I can't download the pics off my digital camera. Software, what software?

Now, the people I work with are all rather sweet. Some I get along with better than others of course, but there's not really any bad eggs. I know I'm a good listener. I make the appropriate noises, try and give helpfull suggestions, and I am genuinely interested in people.

Having said that, jeezalou folks lighten up just a little! I am not Dear Abby or The Help Desk.

Big Things Ahead

I've been chuckling my head off for the last 10 minutes. Why? Because I just logged onto Flickr and found an invite to join a new group. Ladies and gentlemen I bring you the inspired lunacy that is Big OZ.

I don't know what it is about the Australian psyche, but we have embraced the concept of Big Things like nobody else. Oh sure, you'll find this sort of weirdness in other countries, but drive through any country region of Australia and you can't go far without striking something Big. Some are frankly pathetic, and some are so over the top loony that they make you want to ask "What the fuh?".

Now all I have to do is start snapping something Big...

Exotic

Double Orange Flower
Originally uploaded by Other Andrew.

I mentioned in my last post that I'm appreciating Summertime flowers this week, and here's a perfect example. I spotted these growing on the front porch of a house in my neighbourhood. I don't know what this flower is, but it's pretty cool looking.

5 Things I've Developed A New Appreciation For This Week

• The tv show Supernatural, if I'm going to be scared I absolutely want two hot boys to be doing the scaring.
  
• The concept of "Jazz Hands & Spirit Fingers Tuesday".
  
• Summertime; flowers, lazy cafe mornings and ceiling fans on hot Summer nights.
  
• My own limitations and expectations.
  
• Privacy.
  

Photo Friday - Pink

Pink Flowering Vine
Originally uploaded by Other Andrew.

It's been quite a while since I participated in a Photo Friday challenge, but I took this pic of these amazing hot pink flowers on the weekend and then discovered that the challenge this week is Pink.

The People's Car

Love Bug
Originally uploaded by Other Andrew.

Somewhere in my neigbourhood it's still 1972.

The Weekend That Was

Some weekends are just so good, you don't want them to stop. The weather here the past weekend was absolutely glorious. Hot enough that you think "Hey, it's Summer!" but not so hot that you want to lie face down on your bathroom tiles and whimper.

Bodhi (reader and frequent commentor) moved into my place a week ago and has settled in nicely. On Friday we both looked at each other and had the same thought "Let's go out". So, we trotted off to The Newtown Hotel to watch the show, currently an all go-go boy extravaganza called Filthy/Gorgeous, and enjoy the company of fellow 'mos for a while. Afterwards we headed to The Imperial for some dancing and Praise Jebus! but the music was much better than last time we went. Weirdly though they still seem to have a work experience student as DJ because they couldn't mix tracks to save their life. You would literally hear a ..::scccrrrack::.. as the needle was put down on the next track, and the beats would be all out of synch. Weird for such a popular venue. Bodes and I cut up the dancefloor and had a good time. I headed home about 2.30am and left Bodes to it.

Friday night my friend Stephen arrived in town from Brisbane, and on Saturday late afternoon some friends of his threw a combined house-warming for themselves and party for Stephen. We sat outside at a great big long table in the balmy night air and ate, drank and had a great time. I met a bunch of new people, and caught up with some folks that I only ever see when Stephen is in town. Old work friends of his from his days at the comics store.

One of his friends who I absolutely adore, a woman who is really beautiful, funny and bubbly, shared with me that she made it to the final 40 contenders for the Aussie version of the US tv show The Biggest Loser. Sky didn't make the final cut, but the top 40 do get to make a special appearance and hang out with trainers Bob and Jillian. If you've read this blog for a while you'll know that I'm a complete tragic for the lean streak of tattoed hotness that is trainer Bob Harper. I made Sky promise to give Bob a kiss from me, with tongue. Knowing Sky, she might do it too.

Sunday morning I had an uncharacteristically good sleep in, watched a fab documentary on the ABC about the life of the Buddha, and then raced out the door to meet up with Stephen and some of the friends from the previous evening for a late breakfast. French toast with maple syrup & fresh berries, some great coffee, and lots of laughs later, I then headed into the Buddhist centre in the afternoon and caught up on about 4 hours of data entry. Sunday night was the usual chill-out, watch Carnivale, upload some photos from the weekend to Flickr, sort of night.

So, a great weekend. It's wonderful having Stephen back in town, and I'm pretty sure that we've convinced him to come back to Sydney to live within the next year as things haven't worked out for him in Brisbane. Thursday is a public holiday here, and also the day Brokeback Mountain starts at the cinemas, so I already have tickets and a date for Stephen and myself to go and see it before he heads back north next weekend. Woot!

Show Us Your Desktop

Sam showed us how neat he is. Ryan did it too, and his was frankly a little scary to me. Terry gave us both work and play versions. Michael Guy gave us a dose of sleek and sexy, but we'd expect nothing less.

So, I decided it was time to join the bandwagon:


A Windows window.

My current work desktop, a picture of a window I took at the Chinese Gardens of Friendship and posted here back in August 2005. My office has no windows, so it's the best I could do.

The Blog That Never Was

Well before I started this blog I had a false start at getting one going in late 2002/early 2003. I was going to call it "Chiffon Tents" as a reference to the expression 'Camp as a row of pink chiffon tents'. I downloaded MovableType, tried to figure it out and the intricacies of server side blog posting etc. Then I discovered Blogger and ready made templates, and took the path of least resistance.

Before I did that though I had lots of fun making titles and decorations for Chiffon Tents, the blog that never was to be.

One thing rediscovering and revisiting these titles, and the early layout experiments I did, has done is to convince me that I need to work on a nicer template than the one I'm using. I mean, really.


The orange deco version. I think this one was my favourite.


The scary clown version. I consider this a bit of an oddity, and really just an attempt to include the cool scary clown.


Experiments in transparent pastels. The overall look was to be brown and blue, very 2002.


Something a bit 'summery' and retro.


I learned how to blur, the world was my oyster. Bit of a Buffy moment.

Thou Shalt Not Junk Mail

Beware
Originally uploaded by Other Andrew.

Lust Has A New Name...

...and that name is Hrithik Roshan.

(Two of my favourite things a) Indian men and b) soccer kit drag. Be still my beating heart!)

Status Anxiety

A while back a friend of mine lent me a copy of Status Anxiety by philosopher Alain de Botton. I caught parts of the companion tv series when it was shown here on the ABC, and I had always been interested in reading the book. He has some very interesting things to say about the nature of snobbishness, envy and why we compare ourselves to some and not to others. It's quite thought provoking, and got me to thinking about my own attitudes towards things and whether I ever suffer from status anxiety.

I'm not an envious person in general, and certainly not about material things. Frankly I'm not that concerned about material status symbols, and the more I study Buddhism and work on my own attachments I get less and less so each year. I find the idea that status anxiety arises when we see people who we could be, because they are from a similar background or similar circumstances, rather than people who are too far removed from ourselves, like celebrities or the intensely rich, quite interesting.

Around the time I turned 35 I had un petite crise about getting older and not having acheived lots of the things that my peers had. More to do with not having a long term relationship, not having travelled as much as I had hoped to, not owning my own place etc. Looking back some of this was because people around me, people I was friends with and had grown up with, had acheived these things. It quite surprised me because I always considered myself to have few expectations about how things 'should' be and rarely ever feel overt envy.

Last night I had the opportunity to go out with an old friend and a group of his friends, but didn't go. These friends of his are all buff 'Oxford St' party boys, and frankly I feel like I don't have a lot in common with them. I can laugh at their wild stories of doing lines of blow in the back of a ute in South Africa, but it's not something I can relate to. Worse, I find them intimidating and suspect that they consider me a misfit, with my short stature, lack of a gym built body and reluctance to get out of it and dance 'til dawn at ARQ.

That sounds a bit bitter and judgemental, but I think it's a fairly accurate analysis of the situation. Some of them are quite likeable, but I just don't feel part of the crowd and they do seem pretty focussed on how physically attractive everyone is. Some of it must be that their status as desireable party boys is something that I won't ever attain. Weirdly, it's not something that I particularly aspire to, but I guess the status anxiety part of it is that we often desire that which is out of our reach but is available to others.