Pink Sauce

Went to Spain for the first time (Barcelona). Spent most of my time alone but am used to it so not really bothered. Have virtually written off about £6000 now paying back someone else's debt. Feeling better about myself though there are precious few reasons for that. Got back to a gym. Spent too much time online. Got cut off by a best friend. Lost a father. Easily found a nice (though badly-paid) new job which will vanish at the end of March 09. After that... Roll on 2009!

It's amazing that a celibate man wearing a dress has the gall to say such things . Is it just me or are his statements becoming more and more ridiculous (and desperate)?

Another day, another preview. And another tale of obstinate willpower, although this time it is only fiction. Danny Boyle’ Slumdog Millionaire is, very loosely, adapted from Vikas Swarup’s novel Q&A and tells the story of Jamal Malik and his brother Salim, two kids from one of India’s biggest slum in Mumbai. Jamal is about to win 20m Rupees on the TV show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? but has just been roughly bundled off to the local police station on suspicion of having cheated. After a little “persuasion” he finally tells his story and how he knew the answers to the questions has been asked so far on the show. Each question kick starts a flashback to an episode of his life, most of which include violence and abject poverty. Through this we learn of the love hate relationship between the two brothers and of Jamal’s quest to be reunited to the love of his life, Latika. A few months back, Radio 4 Woman’s Hour had aired a 5 part radio adaptation of the book that I had greatly enj...

Talk of "the family" being undermined, the Christian minority uniting against gay people, a legislative proposition that will take rights away from a section of the population, a hotly disputed vote, high profile politicians (including republicans) coming out against the proposition. This must sound very familiar to your average Californian only just a month after Proposition 8, which took away gay people's right to marry, was voted in. This is however not about Proposition 8 but about one Proposition 6, which was introduced 30 years ago. The aim of this particular Proposition was to ban gay people in California from public service positions simply because of their sexuality (this targeted teachers particularly). Last night I was lucky enough to go to a UK preview of the soon to be released film Milk . Gus Van Sant's latest film, starring Sean Penn, retraces the last 8 years of the life of American gay rights activist Harvey Milk, who came down in history as the first...

What's new, you'll ask me. Well, this morning, I ticked another box of that long list of things a gay boy must do before he dies: I got topless in the middle of Selfridges! How gay is that?! This historic moment took place in front of the counter of the Sienna Cafe in the basement to be precise. And it wasn't gratuitous either! While (I don't think) I have never actually bought anything there (Shock! Horror! Should hand out my pink card now or can I keep it a bit longer?), I have been spending quite a bit of time in that haut-lieu of gayness over the past three or four Christmases; singing carols and other light-hearted ditties to the shopping masses. This morning we were there before the opening to serenade the staff as part of Good Morning Selfridges, as sort of pep talk where news and sales results are passed on to the floor staff by managers. This wasn't our most glorious moment to be honest - no warm up or rehearsal, a bad sound system and the conductor behind ...