Be A Thai

Today I've been overcome with longing to return to Thailand. I don't want to go back forever... just a couple of weeks. Enough time so I can stuff all the good bits (the people, the places, the bars, and the go go boys) into my suitcase and smuggle them back to Britain.



For a look back on my trip to the wonderful Thai kingdom check out the following posts..

Thailand Part 1

Thailand Part 2

Thailand Part 3

Can Someone Explain It To Me?

Ok. So the Israeli supreme court has ordered Israel to recognise gay marriages from abroad. I'm not a big fan of marriage but hey if it exists we want a bit of those tax breaks!

But I don't understand the following:

'Moshe Gafni, an ultra-Orthodox lawmaker, said:"We don't have a Jewish state here. We have Sodom and Gomorrah here."

He told Israel's Army Radio: "I assume that every sane person in the state of Israel, possibly the entire Jewish world, is shocked, because the significance is ... the destruction of the family unit in the state of Israel."'

How will it do that? Explain! Two men, who weren't going to form a hetrosexual family unit anyway, form their own one instead. How does this destroy the existing ones or stop other hetrosexual family units (such a romantic term he chose, "family unit" makes it sound like some kind of manufacturing process... I digress...) from being created?

If you know the answer let me know.

Anyhew. Thank you Israeli Supreme Court Judges, I salute you!

Technorati tags: Israel, Gay Marriage

One Week Off!

Oh yes people today was my last day at work for seven days!! I am so happy. I haven't looked forward to time off this much before. So what are my plans?

Tomorrow I'll be relaxing, watching movies and waiting for a parcel to arrive. A parcel I hear you ask? It's boring stationary, but it's coming from my company so I'll see just how good/awesome/truly wonderful our delivery service is.

After that my Mum might visit and then on Friday I'm off to Scotland for a weekend of curling.



From today until World AIDS Day I will be displaying the above banner. Please visit the THT website and donate if you can afford to.

Will try to tidy this blogs sidebar up this week!

Jae's Type

I've always claimed I don't have a type when it comes to men.... I lied.



Tom Welling.



Vernon Kay



Jared Padalecki



Tom Welling... Again.

Vertigo 42

Last night involved a trip in a lift that went a very long way up. :(

As our accounts manager was leaving we had booked some standing room at Vertigo 42 (which is on the 42 second floor of Tower 42, which used to be the Natwest Tower).

Entering the lobby I got the impression of faded glory. It had airport like security, but it all seemed very early nineties. We got to the lift and I prepared myself for one of my least favourite thing... but it wasn't too bad. Sarina held my hand all the way.

Vertigo 42 was less a bar and more a glorified corridor with a wall on one side and a 183m drop on the other. The staff were friendly and the champagne flowed (too much in my case). It was a tad dull but there was plenty of conversation.

I was outted to the few remaining people who didn't know I was gay at work (the blind, the deaf and the new).

It was an okay night... ended by a pinch on the bum in the lift down, loitering outside Tower 42 and then a walk to Bank Station holding Kallies hand. Yeah.. I was drunk...

Just When You Thought The Human Race Couldn't Get Any Worse...

Two girls fall out at school. What would you expect the parents reaction to be?

In ideal circumstances you'd expect them to get together and try to sort something out as best they could amicably.

Perhaps they might blame the other girl, and thus each other, and fall out.

Would you expect the following??

A couple were murdered in an arson attack on their home over a school bullying row involving their daughter, Manchester Crown Court has heard.

Maureen Cochrane, 45, and her husband Alex, 54, were killed in the fire in Wythenshawe, Manchester, in January, but their daughter Lucy, 16, survived.

The court heard Connor was egged on by his ex-wife Jane, 40, and daughter Natalie after playground rows between the two girls developed into a "campaign of harassment" by the Connors.

The jury was told Natalie Connor had fallen out with Lucy Cochrane when the girls were pupils at Newall Green School in 2005.

So your daughter falls out with a girl at school, your ex (!) wife thinks you should burn down the other girls house. You do it.

Which of the following are you?

1) a really, really stupid person
2) a really, really evil bastard
3) a piss poor excuse of a man who lets his ex (!) wife make decisions for him
4) all of the above?

See the full story here

Play Along At Home

www.lost.eu/588e Click it... you know you want to...

Let's Talk About Me

You know we haven't spoken in a while Dear Constant Reader. Yes, blogging is an exercise in navel gazing and self indulgence. But I haven't been doing nearly as much of that as I used to. Maybe it's because I've been blogging for so long I've got very bored of me, me, me. Nah... that'll never happen!

Sooo... I'm off to Lochgoilhead for some curling fun the weekend after next. I'm really looking forward to it. No not to the curling (imagine lawn bowls on ice with broomsticks), although that's not awful, but for the beauty of that part of Scotland, the peace and quiet and the good fun I can expect to have with the people I'm going with and the hideous amounts of alcohol that I will consume.

This Friday I'm off out with work to some place... the name of which hasn't been divulged to me yet. We've been told it's dress to impress though. You should know how I feel about dress codes... they are intended to keep out the interesting people and leave only the boring people pretending to have fun. I'm sure our companies prescence will change that. But give me a good boozer like our local* any day.

Christmas is coming and it's time to start buying presents. If you find yourself unsure what to buy someone it might be best if you just send them a card... and buy me something... ;op But seriously I must start buying presents. I think getting the Family Guy game for my brother George is a good idea from Jim. But everyone else? Hmm...

My budget for the month is going ok. This is very good. Must try harder though if I want to seriously save up.

Work... it's going to get more stressful, but a lot more interesting, in the next few months. No rest for the wicked. Nor Jae.

So how are you guys?

*Our local: is quite weird. From the outside it looks like any old pub, even though it is set down a quiet street in Greenwich hidden among large houses. Inside... it feels like you've entered someones living room. It's all very cosy if slightly disconcerting... It does do some wonderful food though. And it's got a fairly unique range of lagers and ales. None of your Stella or Fosters there...

Jae Salutes The Rainbow Nation

Dearest South Africa. We love you. First you gave us Nelson Mandela. Then Archbishop Tutu (is he possibly the best Christian alive today?). And now you have lead the way in Africa by legalising gay marriage.

Cardinal Wilfrid Napier, president of the South African Catholic Bishops' Conference, said the bill would be a blow against democracy.

"The impression we got is that there is overwhelming opposition to this bill from people throughout South Africa," he told South Africa's Daily News before the vote.

African Christian Democratic Party leader Reverend Kenneth Meshoe told MPs that those who voted for same-sex marriages would face divine wrath.

Democracy is ok. But trust me it isn't perfect, and we must always be wary of the tyranny of the majority. If there was an overwealming majority in one country against Catholicism is he saying it'd be okay to ban Catholic wedding ceremonies?

And divine wrath??? God likes wrath but it really is up to him. Stop threatening things like that when it isn't up to you! I hate people taking their God's name and using him to threaten others.

It's Bona To Vada Your Dolly Eeks

What Has Jae Been Watching?

So we have:

The latest episode of Battlestar Galactica "A Measure of Salvation". It was, as always, very good. Helo, my current sci fi beau, was his usual heroic, moral self. I do like a man in uniform.



Abominable: A Bigfoot movie. It's actually a pretty good B movie. The acting is certainly above par, Lance Henriksen is in it but it's let down a lot by the truely awful costume. I mean... really bad!!

This represents a sympton of my current obsession... sasquatch!! I've been reading up on some eyewitness accounts on Bigfoot Encounters. It's pretty convincing, if slightly worrying, stuff. Check it out.

Torchwoods last episode was "Cyberwoman". Not bad, but each week the acting seems to get slightly worse.

Tonight I think I shall watch the latest Supernatural, so I can get my Jensen Ackles fix.



I used to sit next to someone who looked exactly like him in history class. I'm kicking myself as we speak...

We Remember

DULCE ET DECORUM EST - Wifred Owen

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind.

Gas! GAS! Quick, boys! An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling,
And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime . . .
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.

In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues -
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.*

*"It is sweet and meet to die for one's country."

And Relax

Today has been paradise compared to the previous four thanks to the programme I use to work on being fixed. Praise be! And after work I had a few drinks down the Riverside. Yum.

Been listening to Round The Horne and the Bona World of Julian and Sandy ("Hello, I'm Julian and this is my friend Sandy... Oh HELLO!"). Despite being nearly 30 years old it's still bloody hilarious. Check it out if you like a bit of Carry On esqe humour and some highly camp laughs...



It's the weekend!

What On Earth Is Going On?

OK... the train network here in Greenwich and throughout south east London and Kent is Southeastern Railways. Not so long ago they were owned by a company named Connex (who I will reluctantly admit was part of the same family of companies as TVW, my previous employers). Now Connex were awful.

If a train arrived on time you would thank your lucky stars and double check to make sure you weren't dreaming. I spent many a "happy" hour at Westenhanger station waiting with no information for a train that should have been there two days ago.

They were so awful the Government took their franchise away and made Southeastern a public company pending tenders from private companies. And a miracle happened. The slam door trains disappeared, replaced by new Electrostar ones that Connex had been slow in getting out into service. Trains began to run on time! Things seemed to be getting better. Then Govia was awarded the contract.

They took over in April and things didn't seem to change much (a good thing!). But then I suppose it's hard to ruin a good thing straight away.

But the last month has been hell. Every morning the trains seem to be late. Sometimes they are cancelled. I've become reliant on my Oyster card and a hellish journey on the tube to get into work. Now if it was an ongoing problem (a faulty signal even!) I could kind of understand. But everyday it's different (and today according to my fellow travellers each one of us was given a different explanation; a medical emergency, staff abscence, a faulty train, a police incident being just four I heard just to explain todays cancellations!)

It's bloody awful... I hate using the Tube (I'm taller than the carriages, it's not pleasant!) and it's just not good enough. I wish they'd get their act together.

Democrats: Don't Mess This Up

Firstly, I've got my fingers crossed for the outcome of the Virginia race being in the Democrats favour. Our cousins across the pond need a strong counterweight to Bush and a totally Democratic Congress would do that.

Now please, please, please don't mess this up!! The world needs America to be strong. And the world needs America to be just. We don't want Republicans Lite. We want free thinking Democratic leadership!! Sort out Iraq, the economy and the erosion of liberty and come 2008 America might truely be the best country in the world once more (other than the United Kingdom but hey that's just my opinion).

Oh Rumsfield is going... woo.

And best news of all... Rick Santorum has been ousted! I love the people of Pennsylvania. If you don't know why this makes me happy have a read of this

To celebrate...



Mmm......

The Great Ape Project

As some may know I have a passing interest in zoology. Recently I have been studying up on evolution and humans closest surviving relations; bonobos, chimpanzees, gorillas and orang-utans.

They are amazing creatures. Not only are their social systems intricate (and in the case of the Bonobos very fun sounding) but individuals have been know to communicate with humans and engage in artistic expression. See for example Kanzi and Michael. I found the fact that Michael still remembered, and could communicate about, his mothers death at the hands of poachers to be quite distressing.

Now that humans are getting to the point of being able to survive without killing wild animals (and when I say this I mean culturally, technologically we probably reached this point around the time of the Sumerians for crying out loud) surely we should be going out of our way to protect the Great Apes above all others for they are probably the closest we're going to find to intelligent life outside our species any time soon!

That's why I ask you take a minute or so to go and read the Great Ape Projects Declaration and sign it if you agree.

You've Gotta Love Christians

Just like those sci fi convention attendees dressed up as Borg, Cylons and Wookiees there is something darn cute about Christians.

Just read a copy of one of the Jehovah Witness' magazines like Awake. Filled with cutesy pictures of a happy family life, and of paradise. Bless them for their optimism!

But my favourite example is creationism. Specifically dinosaurs and creationism. See Christian Answers attempts at an explanation. I particularly like the concept that animals didn't eat meat before the Flood. They couldn't have evolved they carnivorous teeth after the Flood so they... erm... we don't know, we will just gloss over that point...

So, it could be that animals ate dead animals once in a while before the Flood, but that few (if any) animals killed for food until sometime after the Flood. This seems to make sense, since the fossils show that the pre-Flood world had plenty of plants to eat. The animals probably did not need to kill to live.

Wonderful.

Could it be that tyrannosaurs were mostly plant-eaters, not meat-eaters? The shape of their teeth alone can't tell us what they ate. (that's so true!) Perhaps they used their sharp teeth and claws to tear up tough plants and fruits, not dinosaurs. Obviously sharp teeth can serve other purposes than simply cutting meat, just as kitchen knives can be used for cutting carrots as well as steaks.(a prehistoric Gordon Ramsay?)

Bless them. Christians are wonderful, cute, cuddly nice people who believe the world is only a few thousand years old, dinosaurs lived with humans (we've all seen the Flintstones), animals were all very nice until after the Flood, and that before the Flood the world was an amazing wonderland and now it's just a shadow of it's former self. They seem to think that deserts are inherently bad and didn't exist before the Flood (which makes me think they may not be correct... deserts aren't bad, just not pleasant for some overly pampered people). It's all very airy fairy.

I'd love to believe that shit. Sadly I would probably be considered delusional and sent off to an asylum. Obviously my interest in Cryptozoology is nothing like the escapism of creationism... not at all... Darn... I am delusional!!

Guy Fawkes Night

Remember, remember the fifth of November,
Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, 'twas his intent
to blow up the King and the Parliament.
Three score barrels of powder below,
Poor old England to overthrow:
By God's providence he was catch'd
With a dark lantern and burning match.

Holloa boys, holloa boys, make the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!
Hip hip hoorah!

A penny loaf to feed the Pope.
A farthing o' cheese to choke him.
A pint of beer to rinse it down.
A faggot of sticks to burn him.
Burn him in a tub of tar.
Burn him like a blazing star.
Burn his body from his head.
Then we'll say ol' Pope is dead.

Hip hip hoorah!
Hip hip hoorah!

Nothing like a good bit of Catholic bashing to let you know it's winter...

See more about the Gunpowder Plot...

Another Day In London

Yesterday after work we all headed down the Wheatsheaf, a former lunch destination before it was sold, which was alright. It seems stuck between the previous pubs grottiness and their obvious hopes of making it glamourous.

After that some of us got a taxi to Leicester Square, which was a horrid journey for a number of reasons, and settled into All Bar One. The beer wasn't very nice but we had arranged for some people to meet us there so I wasn't too bothered about leaving. That was until one of the bouncers wouldn't let in someone who was 22 because they didn't have id!! We decided All Bar One stank and we all quickly left taking our boss (and his card) with us.

Our boss then took us, plus our guests of honour Surin and H from our suppliers, to the Cork and Bottle bar which was much better than All Bar One. Nice ambience and wine was lovely.

Sadly, for reasons I shan't disclose, I did not enjoy myself one little bit and had to cut the night out short. So to try and cheer myself up here is a pretty picture:



Yoinked from Male and Beautiful

Jae Loses His Faith

How can there be a God? Have you looked around you recently? Human beings are probably the most unlikely creation of any kind of God (unless said God has an amazingly twisted sense of humour!). We destroy everything we see, we are hateful, selfish, arrogant, dirty, and very unpleasant. Work in customer services for a little while and you'll come to see the truth in this.

I listen to the religious crazies going on about how we should let Jesus into our life, or follow the teachings of Mohammed. They preach love, understanding, goodwill and a twisted morality. Then the next day they are planting bombs on commuter trains or having sex with children/men/goats. Sometimes even a member of the opposite sex out of wedlock! The hypocrisy of it all disturbs me greatly.

I am a libertarian and I believe everyone has the right to believe whatever they want. But sometimes I wish I wasn't. I wish I was, as the crazies would call it, a "radical humanist".

They harp on about their religious freedom one minute then declare that a man and a man can't get married... where's the freedom in that? You can't live freely while expecting others to live by your morality. Obviously I'd rather marriage remained a purely religious/private matter. But while my tax money is being used to give benefits to married couples I darn well expect the same rights!!

I can't understand any God that created religious nuts. So I must finally put an end to my wavering Wiccan beliefs. I'll always have a special place in my heart for pagans. But I must be true to myself, and declare myself an agnostic.

Can you tell I had a horrible commute to work today? :)

Now let's all laugh at another hypocritical Christian. Don't you just love it when they get caught out? Let he who is without sin...

Jae Steals The Scene

For the last few days, as I wander past the London Eye on my way into Vauxhall, I keep walking through a movie/television filming. Yes that is correct... walking through.

If they are there tomorrow I may ask someone (I won't) what is going on as I'm curious now.

Everytime I get right into the middle of a crowd of extras the director screams "Start the wheel! And... action..." He he... oh the look he gave me as I snuck past him behind a camera today. Well none of the regular cyclists, commuters or runners were paying a blind bit of notice to the fact someone was trying to film, so why should I?

Today was a bit more exciting as I walked past and the word "action" was shouted a helicopter zoomed into position next to the wheel and hover by it. Looked quite cool.

While trying to find out about it I found this site. Doesn't that Channel 5 detective show sound just... rubbish? :)

Happy Samhain

I obviously need first to do my seasonal scary post... so in continuation of last Halloweens post and the followup here are: the pictures! See here, here and here.

Some people say the Shadow People aren't evil. Hmm... I'll leave that to you to decide. Just make sure you don't leave your door open tonight...

Saw the Evil Dead last night. It was not scary, but my God; that's a gory movie. I almost threw up! :) Great fun! But I didn't faint like these wimps

Today I got to work to find it all decorated up nicely (it's so nice not to have to decorate any more like I used to at TVW) and a goody bag of spooky sweets on my table. YUM!

I love Halloween...

Jae Kicks His Coke Habit

As many of my close friends and colleagues know, I struggle from an addiction. I've been addicted to Coke since I was just 12 years old. Back then I was buying 3 or 4 hits a day. Now I did go cold turkey from it for a few months back in 2004. But I quickly fell into my old ways.

At my current job they give it away for free, whenever you want it. My addiction has quickly flown out of control. My calculations would say I spend over £500 a year on it. Jim calculates £700. Realistically, factoring the more expensive hits at bars and from WH Smiths, I'd say it's probably approaching £1000 a year.

Yesterday I decided it had to stop. And it is. I'm suffering from huge withdrawal symptoms, headaches and tiredness. Last night I practically collapsed on the sofa at 6pm!

But succeed I will... Diet Coke Anonymous, here I come.

An early Halloween scare

I live in a house, converted into two flats. We live on the top floor. So when you hear a knock at the door the only people it can be is our neighbours. So when I opened the door last night to find the Angel of Death outside I was quite taken aback. Little did I know worse (or the best depending on your viewpoint) was to follow.

Downstairs was... a giant green monster who I'm assured comes from the Mighty Boosh? Scary! Their costumes were fab!

Saw The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green which was cool. Quite amusing, lots of half naked men, can't fault that now can we!

New Battlestar Galactica is AMAZING. Torchwood was also good.

Where's The Harvey Milk Of Today?

Today I watched "The Times of Harvey Milk". What an awesome documentary. I knew a little bit about Harvey Milk, mainly from my visit to San Francisco and the Castro. But this documentary shows what a really power politician he was.

If we look at the politicians we have today, how many of them can we say are truly charismatic? How many truly care about making a difference rather than scoring cheap political points? So far, despite a deep love of politics, the only politicians I have any respect for are in the Shepway Liberal Democrats! We need someone to come along and lead us all. We need a Winston Churchill, an Abraham Lincoln, a visionary!

Jim was telling me the other night about how much he disliked this country. It is fall of cretins and it isn't pleasant having all those boring, miserable kids standing around on street corners. But I don't hate the country. I hate the current set of politicians who are so out of touch and unable to bring themselves to condemn the way our country's culture is heading. We need someone who stands up and says "There is a better way. Things don't have to be like this. We can get rid of crime, we can get rid of disillusionment. We can get this country together and move forward".

Tony Blair has failed. We need a change. We do not need that plonker David Cameron. We do not need Gordon Brown. And we do not need, and I hate saying this, Menzies Campbell. We need a political revolution that will herald true change for once. Not more of the same.

Or we could just have this guy as PM... I'm easy...

Just Another Day In The Life Of Jae

Last Jim took me out for noodles and beer (beer being had at the Ashburnham Arms). I will also, grudgingly, admit that I also consumed a kebab. I hang my head in shame.

Today after work we had a couple of drinks at the Rose before I headed back to Jim who needed a hug. A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.

Oh My God.

Today I suddenly thought... next year I'm 24. As you may know Dear Constant Reader I put importance into seemingly innocuous events and places. The 26th February for instance. Or the alleyway between the tennis courts and Stripes in Folkestone. Don't ask me why I assign importance to such random things, I don't really know myself. And the age of 24 is one of those events. G was 24 when I went out with him. It seemed like the watershed between youth and adulthood proper. I never wanted to be that old.

Now I know you, Dear Constant Reader, can sometimes be quite a bit older than that. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with being older than 24. I just never thought it'd happen to me.

And there's nothing I can do about it. No reverse gear to turn on and head back the way I came.

That annoys me greatly.



Oh well this picture is soothing. Ryo Nishikido... Asian and he has the kind of hair that screams "run your hands through me". Growl...

People Are Stupid

Ever watch an episode of Star Trek and think, "Humanity has a chance"? If you have you are woefully idealistic. There's mountains of paper filled with writings about the wonder of humanity, how beautiful, intelligent and wonderful we all are. Let's face facts people; we are nothing more than animals. Sure individually some people might rise above that. But the human race as a whole will never do so. Want some evidence?

Murder. The fact that people murder other people seems not to perplex anyone at all; "It was a revenge killing" "Oh well that explains it". No it doesn't! Murder is completely incomprehensible. Check out this story. Does this not lead anyone else to believe the world might be a better place if we all just disappeared?

There's been several stories this month about people using their car navigator. It isn't the fact that these people followed the instructions to the letter. It's that they follow through with them!! So you turn onto the motorway facing the wrong way because you weren't paying attention. Stupid and dangerous, yes. But forgivable. Then you continue to drive the wrong way in the fast lane... for twenty miles. Or in the case of this German man you drive through a building site, up a stairway and into the small toilet shack. And you think these are isolated incidents of stupidity? I work in customer service... trust me... people are dumb, lazy, arrogant, mean and deeply offensive.

Today I was on the train on the way home. At Deptford three girls got on. Normally I don't consciously judge people by their looks; but these girls were hideous. They got on and started talking (read shouting). One girl put her radio on. Full blast. Rap music. On a British train this is akin in offensiveness to taking out your breasts. She did turn it down so one of her friends could answer a phone. And when she got off she said "It was just Sandra".

"I turned my fucking radio down for that waste of space??"

"That's my mother you're talking about"

"I know... she's a fucking bitch".

Up the radio went.

I'm glad I was only on their for 40 seconds more... otherwise I would of had to grab their radio and smash it in their pug faces. Grrr... bastards... But you know I really wouldn't. I'm too polite.

Anyway I'm off back to Jae's fantasy land to escape from these idiots. Mmm... it's 1984 and Arnie's just finished on the set of the Terminator... oops... wasn't supposed to write that... ;op

Tuxedo Jae - Redux

I really was trying not to look like a flaming queen. Success was elusive.



The Bonobos however were in plentiful supply.



My new no snack eating rules have entered into force as of today.

You Know

So yesterday I headed into the deepest, darkest parts of Kent where monsters roam and the wild things are. Getting off the train (after a journey with a woman who said "You know" well over 300 times... I counted) in Westenhanger was refreshing; the station was empty and the walk into Lympne peaceful and personless. Strange, when you live in London you fall into this strange belief that the world is full of people. Lympne's full of cows.

I scared some innocent lady who was in my parents house looking after their new puppy Noodle. I don't think she was expecting a 6'9" bloke to walk up behind her and enquire as to why she was in the house... :)

The puppy is a Jack Russell and although cute barks endlessly...

I was pleased to get out of there and head into Folkestone. Went first to Cheriton and had some drinks with Henry at the Royal Cheriton, after which Zoe and Ray came and got me and we went out for dinner at Kalala. As we left lightening was striking in the hills worryingly regularly... Sam appeared and him and I headed to Safeways to get money... by the time we were about to head back to the car the rain had become torrential and within seconds the water was rushing past the car at the same height as the pavement kerb!!

Being driven by Sam is always an exciting experience (imagine strapping yourself to an unguided rocket) but during a downpour it's a bit scary! :)

We made it to Newington Town Hall for a Lib Dem Race Night! Alcohol, gambling and the Lib Dems... who'd've thought it? Had a good night.

Sam drove me back to Lympne where I didn't sleep at all due to the constant yap yap of the puppy...

It was nice to have a break from London and now I'm back a little refreshed...

Pictures of Tuxedo Jae and the Bonobo will follow tomorrow... but for now..

Tuxedo Jae

Last night was my companys industry awards. Stationery is the industry so you can well imagine what fun it was.

The Tuxedo fit me. Darn it. I was sooo annoyed with that... my final chance for a possible escape from having to wear the bloody thing scuppered... Sadly pictures will follow.

Sat drinking beer in the office while wearing a tuxedo, which was one of those surreal moments that give you pause. The other guys in the office started undressing and, being a good boy, I didn't look. This was made rather difficult by comments such as "Wow... you must work out" and "With pecs like those you could...". That guys is called "cruel". Really cruel.

We got a cab from work in Vauxhall to take us to the Royal Lancaster Hotel near Hyde Park. Instead of heading over Vauxhall Bridge the cabbie told us it was closed and thus began a long tour of the backroads of Lambeth in search of another crossing. Needless to say he didn't find one so 15 minutes we were back at work. This time we headed to Vauxhall Bridge which was in fact open. Grrr.... we then had wonderful time sitting in traffic for 20 minutes before finally reaching the hotel. Thank God.

The place was jammed packed with stationery "grey" people all getting in my way, so I beat a path to the bar, got some wine and hung around with my mates until we were lead into the hall.

The first speaker was the head of our trade federation, who made such hilarious jokes that I began contemplating suicide via butter knife. Thankfully his speech was short enough to avoid this fate and the food began to arrive. For what it's worth the two mouthfuls I managed to get from each course were ok. But the portions were TINY. We joined at dinner by several chimps who we'd taken from an unsupervised stand just outside the hall door. I've named mine Bonobo... I'm sure you Dear Constant Reader will know what a Bonobo is...

Paul Ross was our guest MC for the evening, regurgitating jokes about his brother and five year old email circulars...

Our company did win the award for Dealer Excellence which was nice. Got ratarsed in the bar after to celebrate.

My head hurts.

Thank you Randy Orton

Yesterday was this blogs busiest day ever, with over 950 visitors. That's more than it used to receive in a month! It all seems to be Googles for Randy Orton, that hunky wrestler I sometimes show pictures of. I think the new RAW spawned all the searches so thanks to him!!

This whole veil debate is rather stupid isn't it? A case of What Not Wear on a nationwide scale. Is the Government serious about it's concerns about peoples dress sense (and religious beliefs)? Come on Tony! Get your priorities right... there are homeless people on the streets, people who can't afford to stay in their home towns, British people dying in the name of Americas fight against terrorism... and you're playing Trinny to Jack Straws Susannah?? Next week the Prime Minister expresses concern for those who choose to put milk in their coffee...

And then you have the Christians... so it's not alright to have an advert suggesting a link between religion and homophobic violence, but it's ok for them to continue preaching Leviticus in which God orders all homosexuals to be executed?? Right... that makes no sense now does it??? I'm going to phone in a complaint to the ASA... about the Bible. Oh wait no I won't because I believe in freedom of speech... unlike the bloody fundamentalists... or should that just be mentalists??

There's Too Many Lonely People In The World

Sometimes I read news stories like this and wish I could have intervened. One innocent boy murdered by one messed up boy who really needed someone to give him a slap round the head and a hug. As far as I can see it wouldn't have taken much more than the right words at the right time to have avoided this awful murder... if only huh?

I got a letter today! A proper hand written letter from my Great Aunt Joy. I never get hand written letters, but I love them so. She was giving me some helpful notes on recent family history... I shall write back tomorrow... I haven't written a letter in such a long time. I've barely handwritten anything substantial in recent years... that needs to change...

Charles Dera is Jae's Man Of The Month



All the things I could do...

That advert for the Daily Express is annoying "We stand for traditional values"??? Richard Desmond? Values??? HAVE THEY LOST THEIR MINDS????

I Miss Folkestone

It wasn't that long ago that I dreamed of the day of escaping my hometown, Folkestone, and fleeing forever to the big city. You would never have convinced me I'd miss the godforsaken place. But I do, at least a little.

Folkestone was... simple. Don't get me wrong, I love London and London holds some great memories for me. But Folkestone holds some too. And it has the sea (which I miss like mad). And it has loads of people I miss, like Zoe (and Ray), Combat Sam, Laura, the TVW crew, Becky and a few more...

So I WILL be coming back this weekend... even if it's just for a day (depending on where my room is at the moment last I checked my brother had moved into mine and "my room" is now his old one). Any Folkestone people reading this CLEAR YOUR DIARIES. I want no feeble excuses for not seeing me like "I'm ill" or "I'm in South America" or "I'm working".

Let's go out, paint the town red and point at people and exclaim how they are far too young to be drinking...

The Devil Wears Prada

Today I watched The Devil Wears Prada. It was really very good. Strange really considering I thought it'd be a bland chick flick. It turned out to be funny and engaging despite it's very formulaic plot. Meryl Streep was awesome as the sad Dragon lady, whose entire life is work.

If there's one thing I've learnt in my first year in London... there's a bloody lot of these sad individuals who have no life, and get very snotty when they find out that you do not share the same aspirations as they do... bless their small little brains.

Calling All Brent Corrigan Fans

Your idol needs you! I know a lot of people end up on my site searching for Mr Corrigan.. click that link and you will find him. Just remember to donate a couple of dollars while you're there!!

The Rest Of The Day...

Jensen Ackles rocks my socks.

After my moany post yesterday things got better. One the trip the tuxedo hire place couldn't have gone better (WOO...) and then the night out at Chakalaka was wonderful.

Firstly the staff. One word: cute. The food was delicious. I have a perfect mixed salad for a starter and ostrich fillet with chicken liver on mashed potato which was GORGEOUS. A tad on the quiet side. Putney isn't too hard to get to and my God it's got some hot guys in it.

Today... the trains from Greenwich were cancelled due to "overcrowding" (how did they think this would solve the problem?) so I got the DLR (and got to use my Oyster card for the very first time!) which was suffering severe delays. So I changed to the Jubilee line which was packed and then got a train from Waterloo (where some foolish people tried to walk through me... big mistake). Am at work finally after an hour and halfs journey to cover 4 miles. Joy... I should have walked.

One Of Those Days

I'm having one of those days. Problems are still spilling over at work from last weeks mess up which is obviously stressing me out.

Then Jim's jsut told me the landlord is going to our flat today for kind of boiler service... flat is a mess. I'm sure we're supposed to have got 24 hour notice? Grr... so that's stressful.

And finally I'm not getting a lunch break today because I've got to go get fitted out for a tuxedo so I can then go to an awards ceremony I don't really want to go to next week. Which is stressing me out as well. I'm not the kind of guy who likes dressing up to start off with. People in tuxedos tend to be 1) common (I think tuxedos are probably the most common article of clothing you'll see on ITV for instance) and/or 2) rude so I'm not the biggest fan of the well dressed.

Plus I'm not exactly your normal guy (44 inch inside leg) so trips to a tailor or clothes hire shop are stressful in the extreme... I have this wonderful feeling that it's going to involve some jokes at my expense (tall jokes just crack me up...), some embarassment and a high likelihood that I won't be able to get one and will have to tell my manager which shall lead to more stress and GOD I HATE HAVING TO GO TO THIS THING... grr...

Now tonight I'm going to Chakalaka tonight... wish me luck as I'm sure something awful will happen... it's one of those days.

The Stuff That Scares You

What scares you?

I wouldn't say I have any phobias really. When I say phobias I mean the kind that stop you from doing things; that are so powerful that they actually have a physical as well as mental affect on you. However I do have things that "concern" me.

For instance windows and doorways. I know it sounds silly. But I cannot sleep if the bedroom door is open. In fact if I'm left alone at home for a night I will make sure all the doors are closed. Similarly when I lived with my family if I was left alone for a weekend (as I was, gloriously, very often) I would ensure all the curtains in the house were pulled... all day long. I cannot stand the idea of windows. I hate looking out of them (if I want to see the outside... I can go outside) and I hate the very idea of someone looking in on me (especially at night).

One of my worst childhood memories is sleeping in an old monastery, on the ground floor with NO NET CURTAINS. Just window. And darkness. *shiver*

I really must overcome this, as it's a little silly. Last night I was watching Supernatural and one scene had a clown standing at a window... it was too scary for words...

Battlestar is BACK

Oh joy of joys. I've realised why life has seemed to lack something of late. Battlestar Galactica hasn't been on. Jim said the latest two episodes didn't hold his attention. But I thought they were great. From the opening music... through to the cliffhanger end of Precipice... marvellous.

And of course Lee Adama is back... YUM!



And tonight I'm going to settle down and watch the first two episodes of Supernatural Season 2... and have some disgusting incestual thoughts about two "brothers"... :o)

Honest This Is The Last One

I've had complaints that my posts have got depressing this last week... so normal service will resume tomorrow.

I often visit hate sites. White supremacists, Christian fundamentalists and anti Homosexualists. Why? Because reading their hate reminds why I'm a libertarian, believing in freedom for all rather than for specific groups. It also reminds me that the world is full of stupid arseholes and I need to keep on my toes (as if my job in customer service wasn't an hourly reminder of this fact).

So today I saw this article about how gay men "are paedophiles". This put me in the mood to go buy a powerful rifle, set up position on a church steeple somewhere and start shooting. I'm sick and tired of this old debate. I'm gay. I like MEN. Men with big muscles, and big other things, being my favourite type of male. Homosexuality isn't paedophilia.

But of course the San Francisco Chronicle came to my rescue with an article basically rubbishing the argument. The Chronicle is thus responsible for saving a large group of innocent (comparatively) Christians somewhere in this country from death by righteous gunfire...

...for now.

Following In The Footsteps of Cameroon and Uganda...

...the American Democratic party?

So supposedly the Democrats want to publish a list of all the gay staffers in Congress (strangely mainly Republicans... could this be a partisan move? Nah... couldn't be...) on the net. Hey why not give away their addresses? Or better yet make them all wear Pink Triangles??? That'd be even better!

There's a flimsy argument for unveiling the sexualities of elected officials (if you believe some people don't have a right to privacy that is). But of their staff?? I think not.

American politics makes me feel ill. Another reason to be pleased to be British.

And also we have rugby which leads to men who look a lot like this (although this ones Aussie)...

Wish Me Luck

Last night I went bowling at Elephant and Castle on our regular work night out. Came second in the one game we did finish... the other game I can't quite remember what happened. Nick really must stop racing me in beer drinking. I always win anyway...

Kallie, JP and I finished the night with a Chinese. YUM!

Today at work is going to be hell (I won't give away company info but let's just say our customers shall be EXTREMELY upset today). Don't make me go in!!!!! Please...

I don't know what's funnier... this old councillors feeble attempts at humour (Biblical humour has been done to death, hardly original) or the Lib Dems suggestion that "diversity training" might stop him being homophobic. Diversity training???? WTF!! Yeah that'll change him... Good thinking that Lib Dem...

Leave him alone, it's punishment enough just being him... the crap sense of humour, the pomposity and the looks.

Sometimes I Wish I Was Straight

I love being gay. I really do. Men are so bloody gorgeous and Jim is a dream come true. In some of my lowest moments my sexuality was the only light in the dark.

However sometimes I'm sick to death of the "politics". I hate feeling constantly on the defensive when reading the news. I hate being hated by some religious nuts out there. I just hate the whole fact that other people make my sexuality a negative issue. I'm not saying I'm attacked personally (it'd be a foolish person who personally attacked me... the words "mashed" and "bloodied" come to mind) but the constant drip drip of hate in the news and in political debate is disturbing.

I can understand people who join the ex-Gay movement (although still don't really like them all that much)... they are seeking sanctuary, simplicity, certainty.

I want to help make a difference... I want things to change... I don't want anyone else to have to put up with idiotic hetrosexual prejudice.

That's why I've got a Voodoo doll of George W Bush and I've started poking him with needles... :oP

Grr...

So the whole sex email scandal rumbles on in America and I'm glad to see that the Democrats are keeping it in perspective...

Something really pissed me off about this... the word "Pedophile" is mentioned. Several times. Now excuse me if I'm wrong but I believe the age of consent in D.C. is 16? And that, in fact, no sex actually occured involving anyone that young anyway? So erm... "pedophile"???? WHAT THE FUCK?! For years us gays have had to put up with the pedarist/pedophilie accusations. Enough is enough. The Democrats are just as bloody homophobic as the Republicans!

Now get him for sexual harassment or something like that but don't fucking call him a paedophile (I couldn't continue spelling it US style, it looks silly).

Oh and to be perfectly honest what those who are above the age of consent do with each other be it sex or just smutty emails shouldn't really bother anyone else... so Democrats move on and actually find yourself a platform to fight Bush and the GOP!!! Stop relying on smut peddling...

For once I'm secretly hoping the Democrats are fucked over at the mid terms...

Come on Libertarian Party...

So What Have I Learnt About Me?

So it's been 2 weeks since I started delving into my family history. Have I uncovered any excitement? Nope. Which is kind of reassuring. The parts of my family I've located seem to have spent generations in exactly the same place; the Witherdens in Biddenden, Kent, the Winchs in Filmwell, Sussex, the Barrows and Waters in Kilndown, Kent and the Bristows in Dartford, Kent.

Now some might find this dull and disheartening. But to me it just makes me feel ever more Kentish. Now I know the Kays are probably from Yorkshire or Lancashire (northern blood... noooooo) and the Bristows and Coles probably come from up north too. But let us not worry about that... Kent rules after all.

Ooo... Filmwell is part of Ticehurst, Sussex and I love what the Wikipedia says about that

"Locally, the people of the area have a fairly bad reputation, most notably in the nearby parish of Wadhurst, where the people of Ticehurst are considered to be aggressive, ill cultured and violent."

The people of Wadhurst sound a bit boring (except for one of my Wadhurst relatives who married into the Filmwell lot...)

329 people in my tree as of now.

Now everyones favourite man of Kent is...



In the news... the American Democrats have got all excited because a Republican Congressman exchanged smutty messages with an office junior. A 16 year old one no less (in this country we call that flirting, over there it seems to be some kind of crime up there with murder). Nice to know our Democratic "friends" are so keen to play the homophobic card... I agree with Blogcritics... the gay Republicans need to grow a pair. But the Democrats need to stop relying on scandal to get ahead in the polls and MAYBE START GETTING SOME GOOD POLICIES TOGETHER.

The Clip Show

In case you missed it...

My name's Jae and I moved from Folkestone, Kent to Greenwich, London in May 2005. I live with my boyfriend Jim (FIX YOUR BLOG JIM! ;) ). We own an aquarium, several oversized spiders (well ok, they moved in with us and despite constant attempts to move them they just keep coming back) and possibly some mice. The word that best describes our flat is "messy".

I work for an online stationery store in Vauxhall and spend much of my time dreaming of a better job involving naked men, Diet Coke on tap and nice customers. I'm thinking pimping? (contact me if this can be arranged!).

I'm incredibly clumsy and have so far broken many things around the flat since I moved in... including a Powerbook G4 which now lies in a cupboard in several pieces.. sorry Jim. And I loved that Mac...

I own way too many iPods.

Jim and I own way too many DVDs (again... fix this Jim!)... at the moment loving Frasier Season 8, NCIS and Monk.

I'm a sci fi nut, I'm researching my family tree and I just can't get enough of blogging... 5 years... woo!

London In The Evening

Londoners sure are slow. They seem to find great pleasure in walking at about the speed of a... bollard? Yeah... that slow! Now it also seems to please them to wander at an angle across the path so as to maximise the annoyance they cause to everyone else.

I headed to town with Nick after work to the Apple store, which was less cool than I would have thought. I suppose my pathological hatred of shopping doesn't help. I did buy a cover for my video iPod though. Better late than never!

I wandered home down Oxford Street, Regent Street, through Piccadily and Leicester Square until I reached Charing Cross. I can remember many times wandering that route before I moved to London, it holds so many nice memories. Now all I need to do is get rid of that religious guy at Piccadily (ok, and everyone else who gets in my way) and the walk would be perfect. London is a beautiful city, filled with huge buildings that close in on you like a warm comforting blanket.

It's strange you'd think they'd make you feel claustrophobic.

If you haven't signed up to Blogmad yet, do so now. And if you have, have you registered for eXlinks yet?

It's the weekend. Be HAPPY!

Police drop anti-Gay leaflets charge. Yay for freedom of speech! Now let's go picket this mans pickets with anti-Christian pamphlets. "God Kills Millions in Flood". "God destroys entire city because a few citizens attempted to rape some angels" etc etc...

Here I am supporting a Christians right to freedom of speech, to effectively gay bash. And they go and stamp on our rights of freedom of speech. Pot calling kettle! It's ok to insult homosexuality but hey hands off Christianity...

I'm sure Jesus taught them to turn the other cheek...



There are words to describe this boy.. but I can't seem to remember them right now... brain fuzzy..

Yoinked from Male and Beautiful

My outeverywhere membership is up for renewal. Erm... no thanks! On gaydar they are shallow. On outeverywhere they can be NASTY. Try Blooplanet instead...

Just The Few Of Us

I was reading an interesting article in Gay Times today. Twas about the probable overestimation of the amount of gay people in the world. Supposedly it's now thought that just 2 - 4% of the male population is a little bit poofy. That's not to say the infamous 1 in 10 remark doesn't have some merit. But it sure brings things in to perspective... I'm getting more unique by the minute!

Let's face it... I'm over 6'8" (exactly how tall can be a matter for debate at some point) and a Wiccan... that must put me in a really small percentage of the population and then factor in the homosexuality... is there anyone out there quite like me? :o)

But seriously... who cares how many there are of us? All I care about is that I'm gay, I know that, and no one can convince me that there's anything wrong with that just because there's not that many queers.



I love this guys body shape... very meaty. Yum. I know a lot of guys go for slim waists... but this kind of guy really does it for me. Yoinked from All Aussie Beef

Thanks for all the... erm... stuff

Tony Blair made his final Labour Party Conference speech of his premiership... hopefully.

When Mr Blair took power I was 14, I'd grown up in a Tory household and I was worried he'd destroy the Union. But gradually, as I learnt a little more about the Tories and lot more about myself, I fell head over heels for the New Labour Government. Here was a group that was dedicated to fighting poverty, bringing about equal rights and rebuilding the toothless House of Lords back to a working part of our democracy (hey it'd only been 90 odd years waiting for a good kick up the bum).

How did Mr Blair do? Erm... ok. He started off great but he has since lost his direction.

Who cares about fighting poverty when you can fight the bad guys with our American cousins?

Equal rights? Equal, but different is Tony's way. I hope one day people will realise civil partnerships are just scraps thrown at the gay community to keep them quiet (and keep the religious bigots happy). And they overly complicate things. I got a letter the other day about my pension. Reading it is difficult because every time it mentions marriage it has to also mention civil partnerships (i.e. your husband/wife/civil partner... widow, widower and surviving partner of a civil partnership). What a hash job!

And rebuilding the House of Lords? Hell why not just fill it with cronies? YAY!

Goodbye Mr Blair... it's time for a change.

Ask Jae

Anything you want to know?

The Weekend Is Over - Hurrah!

We've had the kids this weekend. Woo! I don't really mind them... they're quite amusing. However there is one part I hate about them being here... no not that you dirty minded people... but I'm too much of a gentleman to bring it up here. Let's just say I'm glad it's over.

Oh and for Nick... here is every kind of homosexual insult I can find...

Gay, chutney ferret, poo pusher, uphill gardener, shit stabber, turd burglar, shirt lifter, fudge packer, chod nobber, arse bandit, sodite, sod, bugger, "nature has played a cruel trick on him", not as other men, pederast, fag, faggot, sausage jockey, driver of the chocolate motorway, queer, homosexual, backpassage stalker, gentleman's gentleman, toilet trader, Quentin, Marmite driller, brown pipe engineer, plumber who comes in the tradesman's entrance, one who bowls from the Pavilion end, brown hatter, one who tarnishes his bobbies helmet, rear gunner, rear admiral, pork swordsman, tail gunner, pusher of the cheesy wheelbarrow, wind jammer, navigator of the windward pass, gender bender, one who strolls down the Bourneville Boulevard, botter, pillow biter, sponge, stone, chocolate speedway rider, man who rears the chocolate starfish, ginger beer, hoop stretcher, jobby jouster, kakpipe cosmonaut, muddy funster, one who prefers to dock with the rear unloading bay.

I think Polari says it best though...

"Is he so?"

Jim has got me obsessed with NCIS. It's a brilliant show. I'm also totally obsessed with Abby (see Paulys blog). She is the coolest character EVER created on the face of this Earth. I think I want to marry her... :o)

My family tree is up to 209 people!

I Love You Dear Constant Reader

I have become lax this week with posting. I've been taken up in the genealogy craze that's sweeping... my chair... and just can't find the time to blog. I will find the time! I now have 148 names on my tree and the list seems to grow by about 50% everytime I really focus. It's much easier than I thought.

In the real world... what is it with stupid people? Do they think they can somehow get away with it, without being stared at viciously? This morning I join the queue at the train station ticket machine. Hmm... that guy in front is taking his time... HE ISN'T EVEN BUYING A TICKET... just browsing... oh he spots the queue behind him... he wanders off to read some "important" notice without even a by or leave getting into everyone elses way as best he can.

This is why I am against gun control.

Last night I went out to the Benihana in Swiss Cottage for Nicks birthday along with Sam America, Kallie, Nicks girlfriend Alex and some girl from Utah... Why am I always the only Brit at these things? Hmm... We had difficulty finding it until a helpful bus shelter appeared which gave directions (the world truely is a marvellous place). I was promised a fine dining experience with fire and excitement. I was also hoping for a cute Japanese chef (you know how I love Asian men). I got none of the above (our chefs name was Adam and he wasn't cute/Japanese). The food was good. The service was great (and the waiter was fairly cute). But it was a big let down. I wish people wouldn't build things up... I have low expectations, so if you don't build things up for me I will enjoy it! ;)

Breasts... now this is random... am I the only person who doesn't really notice them? I mean I notice them on a woman just as I notice... say... ears. But I rarely find them distracting, or even note worthy. I have friends with large breasts (hey Becky!) and really it's just not an issue. I mention this because last night a woman wandered into Benihanas with huge breasts. I wouldn't have noticed unless Sam hadn't sat there going... "OH MY GOD... I can't stop looking at her breasts". Everyone was at it. I gave her a look but really... not that interesting. Give me HUGE arms any day of the week...

Jae Is Not A Happy Bunny

Firstly let me say this as a disclaimer for my wonderful other half (who does worry sometimes). I love you Jim and you make me happier than I deserve so nothing about my current mood is in anyway caused by you.

Now... I am going to be looking for a new job. Just saying that upsets me. I hate change. I like stability. I like having a good salary (which I do) and good workmates (which I most assuredly do). And I risk (and expect) to lose both. But my salary is in no way large enough to compensate for having to work in customer service. It'd need to be closer to six figures for that! I remember on my first day at Eurotunnel (4 years ago, is that all???) being a naive believer in humanity's inate goodness. That is gone. My heart is now a twisted, bitter respresentation of it's original self. And I hate that. I liked being nice (one ex once told me being nice gets you no where... no but it makes me feel good so NER!). I hate thinking the worst of everyone I meet. Something else that disturbs me... I swear. I mean swearing is just not me once upon a time I'd only swear just before pulverising someone... but I get so angry nowadays that I swear all the time. That makes me unhappy. So uncouth.

But here is the clincher. I need money to survive. I have zero skills except for the fact that I am a totally skilled customer service bod. I want to go back to university. I thought I could stay at my current job until next years clearing. But really that idea fills me with dread. So to the universe as a whole I scream "PLEASE SAVE ME!" I'm a good learner. I pick things up very quickly and hey, let's not beat around the bush, I have an IQ of 129. Jae no stupid. So Jae begins a search a new for something to keep him sane... and in a house with Jim. Wish me luck... :(

OH but something that is making me happy (beyond Jim) is my new found interest in genealogy... REALLY interesting and so satisfying. Just found out two of my great grand parents were related. EWWW... see that's fun to know isn't it?

Something else makes me happy too... Tom Welling...

Why Do I Love The Queen?

Just back from seeing the Queen. Click the link you fools, the movie not Her Majesty! It was rather good. I mean the acting was good and the writing sharp. The picture quality made it look like a made for TV movie (circa early 1990s) but we'll gloss over that minor glitch. I think I missed the point of the movie as I spent the whole thing sympathising with Helen Mirren's Elizabeth II. I suppose I always thought the outcry over Diana was a bit of a case of "The whole world has lost its senses". It finally made me realise why I like the Queen.

In this day and age, with idiots free to be stupid and tactless as and when they see fit, it's nice to have someone in the country who has some class and provides us with a sober and dignified centre. When everyone is so obsessed with celebrity and pouring their hearts out on telly we need someone who is strong and at least pretends to be above the normal human condition.

Now I'm a libertarian. I am not big on the whole "hereditary rule" thingy. However... our American cousins have taught us some valuable lessons in the pitfalls of a democratically elected ruler (i.e. the one who gets our PM's attention by shouting the highly dignified "Yo... Blair!" springs to mind). And they taught us that having a partisan in charge isn't always good for national unity. I think hedging our bets on a randomly generated ruler taught from birth to conduct business of state compares fairly well. As long as said ruler doesn't hold any power and is more a figurehead than a dictator I don't see the problem.

And the Queen sure does carry it off well. Nobody would want her job, and she deserves our respect for managing to put up with having us lot as subjects.

Long Live The Queen!

*STATEMENT OF WARNING* I tend to fly from arch Royalist to plotting republican once per week so you have been warned!

OH MY HEAD

Today I am in a bad mood. This is because my cold has moved from annoying me to making my head groggy and making everything seem difficult. I went and got a haircut which always puts me in a bad mood. No I'm nothing like Samson. It's just I'm not into the whole barber ritual... waiting in a room with a bunch of men, all desperately trying to avoid any eye contact while keeping tabs on who's left ahead of them in the virtual queue, and then subjecting my hair to mutiliation by some woman who would rather I wasn't there as she tries to make small talk with me about what's on telly (No I don't know How To Solve A Problem Like Maria).

Oh well... it's all gone now.

So as I'm not in the mood to move I've been researching the family history... the Witherdens, the Waters, and the Kays of Eccles, Snodland, Biddenden and numerous other places. God Lord... we BREED!

Drinks At The Riverside, Vauxhall

Last night was a customer service night out. It's not a good night out unless one person ends up in a coma and I really think we achieved it last night. Thankfully I wasn't the comatosed individually although JP and Nick caused me to giggle so much I thought I might start to bleed out my ears. I can be such a giggling girl some days.

It was a great laugh and a brilliant opportunity to get to know some of the new people better.

I have caught a hideous cold off Jim which means I've got the sniffles and a bad temper at the mo. This was made a lot better on Tuesday when I got an anniversary card and chocolates from said cold infection carrier. Mmm...

Today I miss The Balcony

Did you know the treasonous bastard who shot blanks at the Queen was from Folkestone?? I didn't either...

I Love Jim

Today marks two years since I met Jim. This song says it all...

Buffy - I Love You

I watched Buffy last night (I haven't seen that IN AGGGGGGGGGGGGEs) and remembered something... Buffy RULES. I know I sound like a geeky fanboy. But God. I remember when watching Buffy was my only escape from my oh so typically depressed teenage life. It was the main shared love between me and Stephen (although he wanted to be a vampire and I wanted to marry Xander, that relationship was doomed wasn't it?). The gorgeous men (I defo like the geeky types... Xander, Andrew... but hey Angel and Riley had their places in my heart too). The jokes. Tara and Willow (thank God for the best gay couple on telly ever).

What really stands out is that Nicholas Brendon is my only ever non real person crush (i.e. I've never seen him in the flesh) ! Now as I tend to get crushes as often as most people get hot dinners that's quite an achievement! I love you Nicholas Brendon and all those at Buffy for making my teenage years that little bit more tolerable.

Who Does Jae Remind You Of?

Would you think of any of the following?



I was pleasantly surprised...

5 Years On

Yesterday I watched Discovery's Inside The Twin Towers. It tells the story I've been wanting to hear... what happened to those inside the buildings on September 11th?

It starts at the beginning of an ordinary day... and then proceeds through the events we all know too well. The North Tower, the South Tower, the collapses. Inside not everyone makes it out. Watching this documentary is totally heartbreaking and reminds us of the brutal truth of what happened that day... people were murdered in a hideously scary manner.

As it is confirmed one last time that Saddam was not behind the attacks I wonder why nobody seems to care about finding Osama Bin Laden. Bush and Blair barely mention catching Bin Laden, it's all about Iraq and the Taliban. How can the American public have let their Commander in Chief off so lightly for not bringing to justice the man behind the attacks? How can they defend him over the Iraq War when it's been 5 years since the attacks and he hasn't used EVERY ounce of America's strength to seek out Osama?

Tony Blair is leaving office. Is it not time he stopped doing what Bush wants and spends the last year of his term of office using Britain's forces to find Osama? 67 Britons died. Who's seeking justice for them?

Why is no one asking these questions?

Looking Ahead

My life right now is kinda of... treading water. My job currently pays well but is completely unfulfilling. I'm not looking for 100% satisfaction here but a little bit would be nice.

So yesterday morning was spent reading the UCAS clearing list wistfully and I MUST APPLY FOR CLEARING NEXT YEAR AND THAT IS FINAL! Back to university for me... even if I can't afford it. I need to move on.

Bowling last night. Elephant and Castle was it's usual forbidding self. I won a teddy bear though for the second week running which made the trip more than worth it. I was joined at bowling by Sam America, Nic and Kallie from work; Tamara formerly from work; and John and Vixie formerly of the Join Me Brighton Meet and other adventures. I won a game! Yet again. My bowling is sooo much better than it used to be. Was ruthlessly mocked all night by a Nic and Vixie double act. I didn't speak to Nic for one whole second in total protest at this hideous lack of respect. ;o)

Today my blog was top of the blogs in the London Lite newspaper. I would like to thank... me! Oh and you, of course, Dear Constant Reader.

His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Norton

You've gotta love some people who seem to go out of their way to make life that little bit more interesting. There we are plodding through life and then suddenly there's a flash of colour, a scream or a slight whiff in the air as a true eccentric wanders past.

The Lord of all eccentrics was London born, San Francisco based Emperor Norton I, "Emperor of these United States and Protector of Mexico". I vaguely heard about him a little while back, but really fell in love with him after listening to this Sparkletack episode.

The really beautiful thing about the Emperor is that San Franciscans not only took him to their hearts, they took him quite seriously. They accepted his currency, they appreciated his patronage ("By Appointment to his Imperial Majesty, Emperor Norton I of the United States.") and got emotional when he was arrested and practically held a state funeral upon his death.

His decrees are wonderful...

"Whoever after due and proper warning shall be heard to utter the abominable word "Frisco," which has no linguistic or other warrant, shall be deemed guilty of a High Misdemeanor, and shall pay into the Imperial Treasury as penalty the sum of twenty-five dollars."

During the civil war he suggested Abraham Lincoln marry Queen Victoria to bring Britain to the Unions aid. He actually corresponded with Her Royal Highness on several occasions.

You just don't get too many characters like him... that is why the death of Steve Irwin caused such a stir... he was the Emperor Norton of Australia. A truely interesting human being.

Speaking of which here's short video on a really interesting fellow I've actually seen with my own eyes! The World Famous Bushman

GAYS! Serve thy hetrosexual butt master... or else...

You have gotta love people who write articles like this. I mean... they are so far up their own bums that they have this idea that whether they agree with someone elses lifestyle or not is relevant...

Okay, everyone knows the facts about homosexuality, otherwise known as the “free choice of gays” by now, right? Highest AIDS rate, the lowest average life expectancy amongst the males, family issues, destruction of lives of young children because of the same-sex home, highest drug addiction rates....so on...and on...and on...these are some of the characteristics of a typical gay lifestyle. Still we continue to claim that everybody has the choice to be gay. Let's analyze this “choose to be gay rant” that we like to parrot, shall we?

Well I'm glad we got that straight. Hetrosexual relationships don't lead to any of the above and homosexual ones TYPICALLY do. YEAH... right. And who is claiming we have choice to be gay? I don't have a choice. I do not, can not, find women attractive nor does female companionship make me happy in the same way male relationships do. As Archbishop Tutu says... only a loon would choose to be gay!! Not that it isn't an absolute blast...

Now I don't have anything against gay people struggling with homosexuality (and it is a struggle from what I understand)

Oh good. Love the sinner hate the sin? And yes it is a struggle... a struggle to keep our arguments decent when faced by facist creatures like you. No wonder gay men turn to drugs so often (based on your hypothesis anyway), putting up with this kind of comment day in and day out really wears you down.

Then why not try and help gay people overcome this problem instead of encouraging them in this unnatural and deadly lifestyle? Come on now, someone has to call this one out. Being gay is NOT natural! The root cause of this is most of the time something else. Something like trauma through a person of the opposite sex that almost forces a person to become gay! Or extremely low self esteem that makes one believe he/she would never be accepted by someone of the opposite sex (I personally know people who've fallen into homosexuality through both of these reasons).

My secrets out... I once got turned down by a prospective girlfriend when I was 6 years old (she wouldn't share my ice cream) and since then I've liked being done up the arse.

UNNATURAL?? Erm... exactly how??? Anything that is possible is natural. What you meant to say is "Being gay is not moral, in my not so well informed but perfectly valid opinion".

LISTEN UP PEOPLE. I'm sick to death of putting up with articles like this which presuppose us queers have some moral duty to conform to the writers prejudices. Can't we just get on with our lives, in peace and quiet with all the rights of a normal citizen???

Jae Agrees With The British National Party

I am aghast. There I was reading my normal Google News when I stumbled across a story about Stephen Green, homophobic prat that he is, being arrested for distributing leaflets. I felt affronted that such an illiberal action had been taken out in defense of the LGBT community, of which I consider myself a part.

Then I read this homophobic tirade from the BNP. And I actually agreed with them. I feel bad to agree with the BNP. Really bad. Disgusted. But honestly... the gay community knows what it is like to be oppressed, knows what it's like to be hated and hunted by the police. We must not allow ourselves, with our increasing freedoms, to become the oppressor or at least the oppressors queeny sidekick.

I'm all for aggressive, violent homophobes being arrested and locked up. Violence is not something anybody should have to put up with. But as long as Mr Green was conducting himself in a polite, unobstructive way what right do we have to shut him up?

I'm not Christianity's biggest fan (I mean their most likeable member was Jesus and he was Jewish anyway [and died nearly 2000 years ago, 2000 years and no ones come close to being that nice]) but nevertheless their right to free speech (even if it does upset me) is sacrosanct (as is my own, HOMOPHOBIC TWATS WILL GO TO HELL!).

Come on Queers of the world... we're supposed to be the enlightened ones fighting for freedom and justice. And with this Government in power we've got a lot of fighting to do.

Steve Irwin RIP

Reports are coming in (i.e. I'm watching BBC Breakfast) that Steve Irwin has been killed. The world just got a little bit more dull.

Jae Passes Round A Hat

Why not visit my current tenant? Currently there's some handy dandy (and rather amusing) tips for both sexes when dressing. However I do believe the writer has never met me... I'm gay and I wouldn't know style if it slapped me on the arse... Visit and see if you agree with the fashion faux pas'

Why not give Blooplanet a go? It seems to be a bit more easy to navigate than OUT and less heavily monitored. And on the other side it's a lot less sleazy than Gaydar. Go on... there's even different profiles for whether you're just looking for friends (like me) or looking for something else. If you know what I mean...

A Very Random Series of Events

Yesterday I was pleased to find out I had become a member of Nic's "Kingdom of Losers". Pleased? To be a loser? He basically described a loser as someone who was happy being a little nerdy and not someone who was image obsessed and arrogant. I don't mind that tag at all. In fact I was made a member of the council and renamed Chief Sparkling Water. :)

Ickle Ben texted me today to ask if I wanted to meet up some time this week. I haven't seen him in donkeys years and that would be fab.

Combat Sam also texted me. We've got the kids this coming weekend so I'm a little busy but I'll come down to Folkestone and see you soon!

Today we got up early (*SOB*) and headed to Hemel to pick up Ian and Becka. We then proceeded to drive. And drive. And drive all the way to within kissing distance of Wales to see the Red Bull Air Race. However when we were 30 miles from Longleat we discovered the end of the queue. Deciding it would be foolhardy to sit in the traffic and seeing the weather turning we decided just to get lunch and drive ALL the way back.

We pulled off the road and opened our picnic basket to discover... more food than we could eat in a week!! Sandwiches, a GIANT pork pie, crisps, chocolate eclairs, chocolate muffins, Caramels, Rocky bars, sausage rolls, sausages... we barely ate half and still felt full!! As anyone will tell you I rarely feel full...

Hours later we arrived in St Albans and dropped the kids off at Castaway Kids, a play area/childhood fantasy land of greatness. I wish I'd had one of those places near me when I was shorter than 4'10" (sizeism is evil...).

We are now home, and tired and glad to find the air race was cancelled anyway... we feel much better about turning away.

Tomorrow I'm not doing anything... at all. It's amazing how tiring sitting in a car and doing nothing for 8 hours can be.



Red Bull Air Race

Bowled Away

After a few chats with Morgan by email I was reminded of our regular weekly bowling matches that hadn't been very regular for quite some time. So I took it upon myself to email around and try to muster a group.

That was how Sam America, Tamara, Nick and myself found ourselves in Elephant and Castle. Not only did I win 1 game and come second in another, I WON A TEDDY FROM THE GRABBING MACHINE. Tamara named her Chloe the Hermathrodite Huskie.

I also foolishly engaged in much alcohol consumption and we had an obligatory pre game noodle bar experience.

it was Tamara's last day with us and I was very sad to say goodbye. Tamara sat next to me at work for the last 4 months and I will miss her quite a bit.