There's Another Way Other Than Shame

It's funny that when a blogsite shows some nudity they tend to get an adult content warning.

Is it because of some screwed up fear that children might stumble across these images? Children whose parents are so concerned about their welfare that they let their children search the internet unsupervised? Children who's parents don't put enough time into parenting? Parents who'd rather change the internet experience for the vast majority just so they don't have to change their “baby sitter” computer.

Do children really care about nudity anyway, until they witness their parent's over reaction to it?

People are so screwed up when it comes to sex that they have no qualms about passing that fear onto their children.

Did you know that dictionary's have been pulled from schools in California because they have the meaning of oral sex in them.

Weird, isn't it. It's the twenty first century.

Imagine if we celebrated the human body. Imagine if we treated it as something to revere, to celebrate. Imagine if we thought of sex as something to enjoy together, not feel shameful about? Imagine if parents encouraged their teenagers to have sex as a way of getting to know someone – with all the knowledge supplied.

Imagine how different the world would be.

Good Tongue Work

Looking Out To Sea To The Horizon

Busy Day

It's a cold day as I sit here with my muesli and my coffee as the day begins. The phone hasn't stopped ringing, and I hate talking on the phone at the best of times. It started at 6.45 when my mate Dean called on his way to work. He laughed when I said I was still asleep. He said the sun was out and there was a full moon and that it was beautiful and I should get up and take a look.

(I've forgotten what that is called? Is that a blue moon? Grimace. I don't think it is)

Actually, it started on the dot of midnight when David text from Berlin to say he was alive and well, having a great time, you old slag.

My brother called at 9am from Brisbane and after that my sleep in was over and up I got.

Shane had left a present on the coffee table of an apple corer and peeler. I laughed. I am a bit of an apple fiend.

My sister called to say hi on her way to work. She was driving down the Caulder highway.

Sam called. He is hysterical when he calls from work, because he whispers way down low and he sounds like what a stalker would sound like, if I had one.

My ex-girlfriend called, she is on the Northern Beaches on a day off, as she is celebrating her fifteenth wedding anniversary with her husband.

And now I am off to lunch with my two oldest girlfriends.

Then it is out to dinner with Sam.

And, for someone who didn't want to do anything today, it has somehow morphed into a busy day. Yay! Lucky me.

Luxury Purple In A Bordello in Bagdad

Unusual Porn... you don't see that every day

Very few things leave me open-mouthed and lost for words, however, Shane managed it...

He showed me (with glee, I might add) a muscular, hairy pre-op female to male transsexual, more masculine than most men you'd see on the street, more masculine than most men you'd see in a leather bar, facial hair, body hair, muscles... but still with a cunt... getting fucked by a really beautiful,  feminine, chick with a dick.

You don't think that was disconcerting? You just naturally shake your head as your brain tries to catch up. It's a bit like motion sickness where your eyes are telling you one thing, but your brain is telling you another. It was like a road accident, I just couldn’t look away.

I wish I could post it here, everyone should see it... just because you should have your mind opened... just because we're not all homogenised, hetro couples with one and a half kids and a beagle. I guess I could, why not? I'll ask Shane for it.

Luscious Lachlan In Limey Lemon

Monday Morning

I don't really understand all of this ceremonial commemoration stuff by America for 9/11? I mean, I do. A  big, ugly building was destroyed. (If you read about the dodgy history about the creation of the twin towers, actually, what happened to it was pretty much a fitting end... obviously not in the way that it happened, of course) and a number of people died and they need to remember that loss. I don't understand the commemoration in Canberra. What is that all about? What really does it have to do with Australia? Why did we have to have the weeks of television saturation leading up to the date and then the postmortem afterwards?

There are heightened possibilities of terrorist attacks in Australia? Really? That sells lots of newspapers, sure, and is a great excuse to ramp up security in all sorts of ways, no doubt - ASIO has tripled in size and it's powers have gone far beyond what civil libertarians would call reasonable - and it gives governments an excellent opportunity for posturing, but we have been hearing this for ten years and so far, nothing, zilch zip.

The world changed that day? Really? The whole world? There has been terrorist attacks in the world since the dawn of time, ever since that tribe carried that cow carcass up the hill and dumped it in the opposing tribes water supply. New York changed, no doubt, but it didn't change my life. I'm sure it didn't change a starving kid's life in Africa.

I think America is kind of like the spoilt child being left stunned and open mouthed after it has finally got what was coming to it for, let's face it, it's bad behaviour in the world. Let's think about just a couple of fun facts here - the C.I.A. trained/created Osama Bin Laden and America installed Saddam Hassein in Iraq in it's meddling in Middle Eastern Affairs in it's early counter terrorism measures against Iran. The list of America's meddling in Middle Eastern Affairs is extensive, go and study it, I suggest to you.

Terrorist attacks have happened all over the world perpetrated by any number of terrorist organisations, what makes America so special? Think Suri Cruise being smacked across the face for the first time for all of her diva'ish behaviour and I think we are some where near the reality of things.

Think about this, 2500 people died in New York that day.

Depending on what source you look at, something like 300,000 Iraq civilians have been killed in America's retaliation for that day. That really is the true tragedy of 9/11.

Do I need to mention that the Iraq WMDs were an American lie and the Iraq war was pretty much bogus. Bogus, in as much, as Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11.

And Just In Case Anyone Is Having Trouble With What To Buy Me For My Birthday

Nice in white

My Birthday

My friends are trying to organise a birthday dinner for me, despite me saying that I don't want one. They are going ahead and doing it anyway, so I hear along the grapevine.

Grrrr!

What does one have to say to make them listen?

I just don't feel like celebrating, at the moment. I don't feel like I have any thing to celebrate... but they won't listen... apparently.

Sam was surprised when I sent him the following email...

I could meet you after work, we could go to the movies and then we could go out for dinner afterwards. I could hide my car in a hiding spot before I leave and then we could get it and I could drive you home to your place. That would fix it. (smile)

What do you think?

Good idea?

Good plan?

His response was...

Oh Baby,

They love you :)

Babe.. baby.. baby…

You think to much… too much plan, plan plan plan

Hmmmm? I think Sam's implication is that I have too much time on my hands. What to do? Why won't people listen? That's my question. If it is my birthday, surely it should be what I want? Don't you think?

Michael's Hairy Chest Is A Favourite At The Boy's Topless Pool Bar

Should I be Worried About The Job Situation?

Job vacancies are dropping, job's are becoming harder to get. Should I be worried?

The thought of going back to work still stresses me out. I must be damaged more than I thought. Ohhhhh, I just can't face it, but nor can I relax and just enjoy the time off, as I keep thinking I should be looking for work.

It's a catch 22.

I started looking this week. I thought to myself that I only wanted to work at the top end of Collins Street and low and behold the first job was exactly that. I even liked the sound of it, but when it said “apply today and start tomorrow” I thought… oh really, do I want to start tomorrow? And I felt a chill run right through my body.

But, there were a few jobs I liked the sound of… I’ve just got to apply now. He he. Smile.

Carl Has An Orange Bedroom Back To Which He Likes To Take Guys

I'd Had Bad Dreams

I woke up early this morning and couldn't get back to sleep. I'd had bad dreams, none of which sound so bad now that I sit here and think about them in the day light, but in the dark in the depths of sleep, it's funny how they are different.

I got up a little while after I woke when I couldn’t go back to sleep. I was in jail, in what looked like a huge tiled shower block. I kept asking the man in charge questions, which he soon got sick of and punished me for my inquisitiveness. I was in for three months and he punished me by giving me a cubicle as big as a broom cupboard in which I would have to sleep standing up. The last thing I remember of that was desperately trying to contact the UN to speak to someone about the violation of my human rights.

Then I had a dream about driving a black Alfa Romeo to the country, to a town that looked a bit like Bolago. There I met my Uncle Bill, who I haven't seen in years, whose car the black Alfa was. He asked me if I had driven the car to the country, a question I tried to avoid but in the end a question I had to admit to. He questioned me about my apparent cheek of driving the car without his permission. He wasn't happy.

I woke up with a start... as you do.

I turned on the teev and watched morning TV, which almost managed to put me to sleep again until I switched it around and watched Pro Bull Riding.

The riders had names like Skeeter, TJ, Kody, and McKennon

I don't know if it is how their chaps tie on, but they all looked as though they have hardons after they had finished their rides. They were hot, even if a couple were missing teeth.

So I made coffee and prepared muesli and took it back to bed and started to watch morning TV and fell back to sleep, which would be no surprise to anyone. I woke up again just before midday. Lovely.

The Labor Party Only Has Itself To Blame

Julia Gillard only has herself to blame. The Labor party only has it's self to blame. They are so spooked by Abbot's rhetoric and Abbot making the boat people a political issue that they have abandoned their own policy.

I see it as really poor that such a big country as Australia would export their problems, problems all countries all over the world experience, off shore to other countries. It is weak, it is sad and I'm sure it gives Australia a bad name.

So, Julia, how about taking what the High Court said as democratic principles at work and now revert to what was always Labor policy and start processing boat people on shore. It's not as if Australia is short of land.

Tyrone Had New Shorts, Which He Thinks Are Too Big For Him

High As A Kite

High as a kite on my dead aunt's birthday, although what one has to do with the other, I'm not sure. The day slipped away and I kissed and caressed and licked and touched my boy for hours, all day Sunday.

Sam and I had a good time, of course. I suggested to him last New Year that we could get high on New Year's Eve each year. And we did last New Year's Eve, having a good time, but you know, it's holidays and that's what holidays are for. I don't think it does a relationship any good to do it more than occasionally. It changes you, it changes your sex life. I've found that doing it too often, you begin to look for it, begin to want it, especially when it comes to sex. But Sam really liked it and when Shane said he was getting "some meth" for the dance party he was going to, Sam's eyes lit up. He had that, oh go on, can't we puppy dog look on his face. So, we did.

Ah, my little monster. He's lovely, really. Have I said that lately? Because he is, handsome, gorgeous, sweet, tender, smart, beautiful. Just lovely.

In the middle of it all, I took nudie photos of him, which I'd post on here if... well, if I didn't want to keep them all to myself. Ha ha.

PS. Sam said days later.

"What is all this talk about meth being highly addictive? If you asked me if I wanted to do it again this weekend, I'd say no."

"The lies that those in power feel that they have to tell to stop the children discovering what fun drugs are."

"Idiots."

"Idiots!"

This Sounds Fascinating And I So Want To Do It... Except That Sam Looked At Me Like I Was Insane When I Suggested It

Rustic charm: North Korea launches first cruise ship





A sleeping cabin for foreign journalists onboard the cruise ship Mangyongbong in the first-ever cruise from Rason in North Korea, which has only been open to Western tourists since 1987 and remains tightly controlled.

It has karaoke and fresh coffee, but the bathrooms on the lower decks are out of water and some guests sleep on the floor. Welcome aboard North Korea's first cruise ship.

Keen to boost tourism and earn much-needed cash, authorities in the impoverished nation have decided to launch a cruise tour from the rundown northeastern port city of Rajin to the scenic resort of Mount Kumgang.

In a highly unusual move, the reclusive regime invited more than 120 journalists and Chinese tour operators on board the newly-renovated, 39-year-old Man Gyong Bong ship for a trial run of the 21-hour journey.

The vessel left one of Rajin's ageing piers on Tuesday to the sound of rousing music, as hundreds of students and workers holding colourful flowers stood in line and clapped in unison.

"The boat was only renovated one week ago," said Hwang Chol Nam, vice mayor of the Rason special economic zone, as he sat on the top deck at a table filled with bottles of North Korean beer, a large plate of fruit, and egg and seafood dishes.

"But it has already made the trip to Mount Kumgang and back. I told people to test the ship to make sure it was safe," said the 48-year-old, dressed in a crisp suit adorned with a red pin sporting late leader Kim Il-Sung's portrait.





A crowd of North Koreans gather to see off the Man Gyong Bong on its maiden voyage

The project is the brainchild of North Korea's Taepung International Investment Group and the government of Rason, a triangular coastal area in the northeast that encompasses Rajin and Sonbong cities, and borders China and Russia.

Set up as a special economic zone in 1991 to attract investment to North Korea, it never took off due to poor infrastructure, chronic power shortages and a lack of confidence in the reclusive regime.

Now though, authorities are trying to revive the area as the North's economy falters under the weight of international sanctions imposed over the regime's pursuit of ballistic missiles and atomic weapons.

The country is desperately poor after decades of isolation and bungled economic policies, and is grappling with persistent food shortages.

In Rason, Hwang said authorities had decided to focus on three areas of growth -- cargo trade, seafood processing and tourism.

North Korea has only been open to Western tourists since 1987 and remains tightly controlled, but more destinations are gradually opening up to tour groups keen to see the country for themselves.

Mount Kumgang, though, is at the heart of a political dispute between North and South Korea after a tourist from the South was shot dead by a North Korean soldier in 2008.

And Rason, where the cruise begins, is a poor area. The tours are tightly monitored, and the only brief contact with locals is with guides, tourist shop owners and hotel employees.

Visitors can expect only brief glimpses of everyday life through the windows of tour buses, as locals -- many dressed in monochrome clothing -- cycle past or drive the occasional car in otherwise quiet streets.

Small apartment blocks, many of them run down, are interspersed with monuments to the glory of the country's leaders.

A portrait of current leader Kim Jong-Il and his late father Kim Il-Sung greets visitors as they walk through the vast lobby of the large, white hotel in Rajin.

"The book is a silent teacher and a companion to life," reads a quotation from the late Kim, hung over glass cases full of books about North Korea, with titles like "The Great Man Kim Jong-Il" and "Korea -- a trailblazer."

The rooms are spartan but clean. But there is no Internet connection anywhere in the area, and the phone lines are unreliable and expensive. Foreign mobile phones are confiscated by tour guides as travellers enter the country.

Hwang said the government in Rason was trying to address communication problems and had signed a 26-year exclusive agreement with a Thai firm to set up Internet in the area, which he hoped would be running in September.

He acknowledged, however, that non-business related websites would likely be blocked, with the media tightly controlled in North Korea.

Many of Rason's tourists come from neighbouring China. The area sees an average of 150 travellers from China every day during the summer peak season.

One Chinese national from the southeastern province of Fujian who gave only his surname, Li, said he had come to North Korea after a business meeting on the Chinese side of the border.

"We've come here mainly to see what changes there have been compared to our country... I like to go to places I've never been to before," he said, standing in front of a huge portrait of Kim Il-Sung.

Simon Cockerell, managing director of Koryo Group, a Beijing-based firm that specialises in tours to North Korea, conceded that Rason may not be everyone's idea of a holiday, but said its attraction lay in the unknown.

"A lot of people like going to obscure places. And this is the most obscure part of a very obscure country in tourism terms -- the least visited part of the least visited country," he said.

The price of the cruise is likely to be considered a bargain by Western standards, with one Chinese tour operator telling London's Daily Mail he expected the cruise to cost about 2000 yuan ($A292) per passenger for a five-day, all inclusive trip.

Back on the boat, Chinese tour operators sang karaoke in a dining hall decked out with North Korean flags as a waitress made fresh coffee, while guests drank beer and ate dried fish at plastic tables up on deck.

Inside, some cabins were decked out with bunk beds, while others just had mattresses laid out on the floor. The better rooms had tables, chairs and private washrooms.

Water in bathrooms on the vessel -- used as a ferry between North Korea and Japan until 1992 when it started shipping cargo -- was unreliable and when available, was brown.

But Park Chol Su, vice president of Taepung, said he had big plans for the tour if it attracted enough visitors.

He wants to invite more than 100 tourist agencies from Europe in October to sample the same trip, in a bid to attract travellers from further afield.

Authorities have promised no visas will be needed to go on the cruise and, if all goes to plan, the ship will be upgraded to a more comfortable one.

"Next year, we aim to get a bigger, nicer boat that can accommodate 1,000 people. We'd rent that from another country in Southeast Asia," he said.

AFP

Excuse Me Sir...

I walk around to the shops to buy cigarettes. Three people ask me for money. One of them follows me into the shop and proceeds to negotiate a price for three of the cigarettes from the packet I had not even paid for.

“No, I’m sorry,” is what I say.

GO AWAY! is what I really want to say. Go away, I don’t want to be asked for money every time I leave the house!

I guess then I’d be disrespecting them and they would have cause for retaliation.

“That cunt disrespected me,” she’d wail. “I’m not shit, so don’t treat me like that!”

“I only treated you like shit because you made me.”

Do I have any right to feel set upon, when there are people who have to beg for money in a wealthy country like Australia?