I went to the theatre tonight to see the epilogue to one of my favourite works in recent memory. The Laramie Project touched me in ways beyond belief, and coming back 10 years later showed both how things change, and all how they stay the same. I’ll write more on this when I have time and when I’m not on my phone (which is slow to type on), but suffuce to say it was brilliant!
The Laramie Project: 10 years later
Posted by Janek on October 14, 2009
Posted in on homophobia, on homosexuality, on the theatre | Leave a Comment »
Three months? I’ve not blogged in three months?!
Posted by Janek on September 29, 2009
So, I was going through my RSS reader the other day (I use only the best – Google Reader), and it occurred to me that I hadn’t said boo on my own page for 25% of the year. It seems like a long time – and then I realised, most relationships don’t even last that long.
What have I been up to, you might ask? Here are a few of the things, with a rating on how good they are.
- My uni work has been slow, but I’ve had a few great advances recently in my model and it’s going like the clappers now. 3/5
- I’ve recently worked as a polling booth attendant, and within a day was promoted to the third most senior counter (well, you can’t go straight to the top, but that’s pretty close). Dan also made it, and we’ve both been invited back to count for another election. At $19.70 an hour, I’m not complaining too loudly 
5/5
- I haven’t had much work as an ambassador, but what work I have had has mostly been demonstrating the wonders of Silly Putty. This has resulted in days where my hands are covered in food colouring, my clothes soaked in PVA and borax, and, on one fine occasion, the entire concoction poured through my hair. The statement “they don’t pay me enough for this” has never been more true. 2/5
- I have become a councillor with my university’s postgraduate council. Yes, that’s right… You can now call me Councilman Janek. The unfortunate thing is that one of my least favourite people in the world, a national queer officer and general bitch, Hitty. She is also a prominent member of SAlt (if you don’t know what it is, think Socialist and then Google it). Whilst she is the bane of my existence, I am also the bane of hers, so we get to piss each other off! 3/5
- My health hasn’t improved a good deal. In fact, I now have back pain to add to my list of dramas. When I take tablets in the morning, though, I remember them according to what each one does – “head, back, arms, legs, itching (antihistamine, not for crabs), skin (Vitamin D – I don’t get out enough 
)” This mostly sucks, but I still get my disabled parking permit. 1/5
- I got a new phone! It came down to a toss-up between the iPhone and the HTC Magic, and I went with the latter which runs on Google ANDROID. Coolest phone ever. If you don’t know much about it, go and check it out now! 5/5
Life is otherwise moving very quickly, and I’m sometimes struggling to catch up. Sometimes, I forget I even have a blog. But, I promise to blog more often, especially when Dan is busy.
Posted in on me | 1 Comment »
As yet, no progress
Posted by Janek on July 31, 2009
So, I was hoping to put up a new update this week, but as I’ve not done any work for… well, anything, I don’t have time for that. So, instead, here’s another filler post
Back soon! Janek x
Posted in on my blog | Leave a Comment »
Woops
Posted by Janek on July 24, 2009
So, I’ve been at a conference, and then spent the week running around, and now just promised my supervisor that I’ve have my upgrade document ready for him to look at on Monday. So, I’ll be back sometime next week with some updates, after I have recovered. Damn side-projects.
Meanwhile, here’s something dishy I found on Guys With iPhones Enjoy
Posted in on my blog | Leave a Comment »
Serenity
Posted by Janek on July 9, 2009
Fog.
An all-encompassing thick soup of fog.
The clock chimes 3.30, but few hear it.
The city is peaceful, serene, empty;
and yet filled with sleeping minds and distant dreams.
The smoke from my cigarette twists whistfully into the night,
a car speeds by on another street,
the moment seems mine and yet shared, invasively.
A child-sized bench sits damp from dew,
5c placed carefully on the arm, its owner long forgotten, or recent?
It matters no more.
The fog continues to sit.
the pub’s lights cut through, and yet the building is hardly visible,
the drinkers long ago having poured into their beds,
only the shadows remain.
Dew drops fall from the tree gracefully:
plop, into the steaming tea.
Nothing stirs. Nothing moves.
Silence.
Serenity.
Fog.
Posted in on literature, on me | Leave a Comment »
Palin Bailin’
Posted by Janek on July 5, 2009
So, everyone knows by now that Sarah Palin has decided to leave office. No one quite knows why. I don’t think SHE even knows why. Try listening to her resignation address, or her spokesperson’s interview with Anderson Cooper, and if you understand it, please tell me.
Posted in on the US Election, on the government | 1 Comment »
MacGyver to the rescue!
Posted by Janek on July 4, 2009
As an engineer, you need only two tools. WD-40 if it doesn’t move and it should, gaffa tape if it moves and it shouldn’t.
Anon.
I’d like to thank Wired.com for this wonderful, wonderful link. As an engineer, I’m often called on to fix things. This is not how they usually turn out. There, I Fixed It! is a blog with a certain degree of… MacGyver-ness to it. Here are some of my favourites. Go there. Now.
Posted in in pictures, on the interblahs | 2 Comments »
A not so cool thing
Posted by Janek on July 3, 2009
The whole business with DADT and rights of the Gays in America keeps dragging on, and Obama proves to not be fighting so hard. Here’s what was said by Alison Stewart and Keith Olbermann on the matter:
Posted in on gay rights, on homophobia, on homosexuality, on the government | Leave a Comment »
A Few Cool Things
Posted by Janek on July 3, 2009
I read tonnes of things online every day, and here are some of my favourite videos (or links to videos) that I wanted to share:
Mrs Slocombe discusses her pussy
Web-Side Story
Those folks at CollegeHumor have put together this little ditty to the tunes from West-Side Story about, well, the internet: Link
Africa, complete with thunderstorm
Toto’s Africa is a well-known tune, and this group from Solvenia has put together a stunning performance.
Posted in on nothing in particular | Leave a Comment »
Addiction
Posted by Janek on July 1, 2009
I’m not one who usually latches on to things relentlessly, but I’ve recently become addicted to True Blood and Nurse Jackie.
True Blood
Sookie and Bill in True Blood
Sookie and Bill in True Blood
After Six Feet Under (a favourite of mine) finished, creator Alan Ball moved on to the Sookie Stackhouse Novels by Charlaine Harris, presenting this great, wonderful, brilliant show. With Vampires.
It’s very allegorical, with strong references between the freedom sort for by the Vampires as is seen in the struggle for rights of the queer community. It’s well done, which has reminded me of Buffy when she’s in full swing
But, most of all, it has the dishy Alexander Skarsard as Eric, Sheriff of “Area 5″, which appears to refer to the main setting, Louisiana. The disconnect from most usual settings, such as the New York/New England area, or on the West Coast around California way. It harks of what little I know about the “Bible Belt”, strong conservative Republican views of the area.
Nurse Jackie
This is a new show that I’ve just discovered about a pain relief-addicted nurse who has to deal with a child-like doctor, a gay male nurse best friend, and an affair that she’s carrying on with the head pharmacist. It’s from Rick Cleveland, who was a producer for Six Feet Under and West Wing (one of many). And it’s got Haaz Sleiman in it as the gay nurse.
What I love about Haaz particularly is that he is a really positive gay character with no obvious “flaws”. Lafayette in True Blood is also gay, but he is a drug dealer and has a poor website. It’s great to have prominent gay characters in both of these shows, though
Posted in on me | Leave a Comment »
