overyourhead

Reykjavik 101...

2009-07-10T20:33:00.000+01:00

Sunset/sunrise, 3am dawn, yoghurt not milk, Mrs Madrigal's coffee
shop, Russian made water Goddess with the shifty gear shift, how do we
get out of this place?, Selfoss, KFC, hot thrusting geysers, Geysir,
hot thrusting geezers, lava fields, tumultuous waterfalls, Gullfloss,
mountain roads, dirt tracks, Pingvellir, glaciers, mountains, Euro
tectonic plate meets US tectonic plate with an unholy gash, dust,
desolation, scrub land, corrugated iron houses, over-worldly beauty.

And we're not been here twenty-four hours yet!

Iceland Bound...

2009-07-09T01:00:00.000+01:00

We are off to Reykjavik later today for five very long days and four very short nights. Not that we were planning on getting much shut-eye anyway. What with our packed itinerary and the world famous Reykjavik runtur. Can't wait!

Here are the daylight hours for the next few days:
Date 09th July 2009 Sunrise 03:24 Sunset 23:40 Day Length 20h 15m 32s
Date 10th July 2009 Sunrise 03:27 Sunset 23:37 Day Length 20h 10m 23s
Date 11th July 2009 Sunrise 03:30 Sunset 23:35 Day Length 20h 05m 06s
Date 12th July 2009 Sunrise 03:33 Sunset 23:32 Day Length 19h 59m 41s

11 Time Lords A-Leaping...

2009-07-08T01:00:00.000+01:00

The BBC will unite every incarnation of Doctor Who for a one-off Children in Need special in November - with new Time Lord Matt Smith making his debut alongside William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant.

Viewers will see the Time Lords regenerating and emerging one by one from the Tardis, each with their own quirky opening line. David Tennant is the central character in the episode. He�s trying to hunt down some special time travel apparatus.

In case you're wondering just how Hartnell, Pertwee and Troughton will be offering their assistance, a source at the BBC explained: �The actors who are no longer with us, William, Jon and Patrick, will make special cameo appearances, with footage from original shows being flashed up on screen."

Gay Shame 2009...

2009-07-07T01:00:00.000+01:00

We had a fantastic gay shame this year as you can probably see from this montage. The costumes held out (mostly), the shows were fun (mostly) and we got a chance to take over the Brixton Academy (mostly). We'll have to do something different next year though! Here are some more pix.

Gay Pride 2009...

2009-07-06T01:00:00.000+01:00

We had a fantastic gay pride this year as you can probably see from this montage. The weather held out (mostly), the parade was fun (mostly) and we got a chance to take over the streets (mostly). Maybe next year the stewards could be a little bit less dictatorial though! Here are some more pix.

Happy Birthday Stuart...

2009-07-03T01:00:00.000+01:00

My lovely, wonder boyfriend.

[And thanks for the picture Stu]

Gay Shame ... now with Saint Etienne!

2009-07-02T02:00:00.000+01:00

This Saturday it's Gay Pride. And the must-do event is, as ever, Gay Shame. This year it's at the Brixton Academy and the theme is: Gay Shame ... Goes Girly (A Festival of Femininity)

He's the info:

A pro-femme funfair for post-gay chicks and chaps An arty farty party for the clitterati� and a nightclub packed with things to do!

35 side shows - 3500 patrons - 150 artistes

Designed by Robin Whitmore - Hostessed by Miss Amy Lam�
DJs Readers Wifes / Guest DJs Unskinny Bop

With Saint Etienne on the main stage

Tickets: �15 in advance.
www.ticketweb.co.uk 08444 77 2000
Small booking fee online or by phone.
For no booking fee, buy tickets in person in advance from The Retro Bar, 2 George Court, WC2.
Very Limited amount of tickets on the door.
This event will sell out.
Please come early.

Decorate a cake - Multi-Task - Be Hysterical - Paint a gentle watercolour of a front bottom - Get Arrested by the Femme Police � Embroider a Tapestry - Have a Backstreet Abortion - Be a Fashion Model � Be a stereotype - Test your Feminine Qualities - Have your nipples cast in chocolate - Visit the Womyn�s �Safe Space� and worship the Sacred Goddess C**t
Do some low paid factory work - Get wasted at the Hen Party
Duck away from the Yummy Mummys - Put your lipstick traces everywhere
Model naked with your sisters - Show us what�s in your handbag � Hoover
Have a boob job - Smell Mummys Perfume - Breastfeed - Give birth - Arrange Flowers � Clean Toilets � Have a bedbath - Have a Facinator made - Buy some Jam from the Womens Institute
Enjoy Musicals - Watch your weight
But most of all �Go shopping.

The last ever Gay Shame is an indoor po-mo-homo-lesbo playground full of interactive art and alternative ideas.

It is a creative rebellion against the banalities of the mainstream Gay Pride festival and a satire on the commercialisation of our community.

After last year�s comic condemnation of masculinity
comes this summer�s celebration of femininity.

Calling all butches of both genders: stop being hard and let down your guard.

So dress up, enter the entertainment emporium,
collect your currency of green shield stamps
and spend them in our glamorous ersatz department store.

Ladies are powerful consumers!

The Sideshows

Russell Harris & Janine Harrington
The Welcoming Party

Bird La Bird
The Femme Police

Wrench & Franks
Department X

Too Many Divas
The WI Tent

Sue Frumin & Clare Morgan
Fanny's Fancies

Completely Naked
Feminine Tableux Vivants

Tom Mcleod & Susannah Hart
Ten Classic Breasts

Miss High Leg Kick and Steve Nice
The Enchanted Forest - Miss High Leg Kick's Hair Removal Clinic

Roy Kerr
Up Miss Ella Vator

The Sartorial Eventists
Millinery Miss Fits

Howard Hardiman
The Beauty Factory

Nicholas Immaculate
Woman's Work @ The Beauty Factory

Scottee
Abortive Tapestry

Miho Kuramata & Kate Street
Female Stereotypes

Charlie Pulford & Joanna Neary
World of Lipstick

Dr T.Estosterone & Dr S.Punk & Nurse Olgasmic
100% Femme

Ryan Styles
Milk Bar

Thom Shaw & Ryan Ormonde
Eau de Maman

Tim Spooner
Immaculate Childbirth

Lucille Power
Mummy's Little Helper

The Bears
The Care Bears' Girly, Sissy-Play Party

Mitch & Parry
Mitchelino and Parriola - Chocolatier

Timberlina & Hilda Eus�bio
Emotional Couture

Brian Lobel
Georgia's O

Lois Weaver
Hitchcock Handbags

Johanna Linsley
House of Hysteria

The Actionettes
Adventures in Ladyland

Hewlett & Eaton
Barbara and Yogashwara's Safe Space

H. Plewis
The Hen Party

Rachel Davies
Yummy Mummys

Sheila Ghelani
Nurse Knows Best

H. Plewis
Breast Feeding

Matthew Robbins
Dolls House Cinema

Jonny Woo
The Misadventures of Wonder Woman

Andrew Humphrey
Tupperware Party

The Muffia
The Makeover

Co-Starring The Stylinquents, Zpark, Neal Medlyn, Dickie Beau, La John Joseph, Russella, Eirini Kartsaki, Olga Raciborska, Geneva Foster Gluck, Harriot Plewis, Francesca Millican-Slater, Heather Long, Claire Nolan, Kris Woods, Louise Mothersole, Jo Palmer, Annabel Lee, Derya Ekinc, James Woods, Sally Marie, Polly Nash, Deborah Penny, Alice Martin, Benjamin Sebastian, Lottie Leedham, Tom Brooks, Tamsin Hull, Lynne Verrall, Kate Rigden, Rosie Cooper, Diana Hill, Elodie Escarmelle, James Gorrett, Lizzie Sells, Louise Tanoto, Liz Watkins, Jinn, Am Elemara, Katy Pearce & Gemma William, Joan Dairy Queen, Nicola Singh, Season Butler, Alun Davies, Johanna Schuster-Craig, Nurse Katherina Radeva, Nurse Jiva Parthipan, Nurse Natasha Davis, Nurse Chloe Dechery, Nurse Hannah Crosson & Nurse Victoria Firth, Officer Mademoiselle Jolie Rouge, Officer Deni Francis, Officer Joy Kahumbu, Officer Rooshka, Officer Ronx and others to be confirmed.

Dress code: radical femmes, first ladies, femme doms, fairies, WI�s, debutantes, dandies, birds, brides, blowzabellas, quentins, spinsters, sissies, suffragettes �and their butch brethren.

Further info 020 7737 4043

Streetwise Safety: police presence at tube and outside venue and changing facilities at venue if needed.

Funded by Arts Council England.

Supported by Diva, The Pink Paper, Gay Times and Metropolitan Police.

Muscle March WiiWare...

2009-07-02T01:00:00.000+01:00

This is why I play video games; muscle men, polar bears and hyper-mania.

Torchwood: Asylum / Golden Age / The Dead Line

2009-07-01T02:00:00.002+01:00

As a precursor to Torchwood hitting our screens next week there are to be three forty-five minute Torchwood radio plays broadcast this week on BBC Radio Four. They will be broadcast at 2:15pm (the Afternoon Play slot)) and then available for download for seven days after the broadcast.

These three episodes are considered �canon� and will bring the series� backstory up to date before the premi�re Children of Earth.

Torchwood: Asylum
2.15-3.00pm, Wednesday 1 July 2009
When PC Andy arrests a teenager for shoplifting, he thinks it is going to be a routine case. Then he sees the weapon she is carrying and decides to call in the Torchwood team.
By Anita Sullivan.

Torchwood: Golden Age
2.15-3.00pm, Thursday 2 July 2009
The Torchwood team are led to Delhi on the trail of a dangerous energy field.
By James Goss.

Torchwood: The Dead Line
2.15-3.00pm, Friday 3 July 2009
When a Cardiff hospital is inundated with patients who have fallen into coma � like trances, Torchwood move in to investigate.
By Phil Ford.

Torchwood: Children Of Earth...

2009-07-01T01:00:00.000+01:00

All next week at 9pm on BBC One and BBC HD we will have the pleasure of seeing the Torchwood team (Captain Jack Harkness, Gwen Cooper and Ianto Jones) return for a brand-new adventure in Torchwood: Children Of Earth, a new five-part series.

Naked Boys Singing...

2009-06-30T01:00:00.000+01:00

On Friday night Sparky and I went to see Naked Boys Singing @ The Kings Head in Islington's glitzy Upper Street.

It basically consisted of naked boys... er... singing. Singing songs about being naked. Songs about boys. And, well, songs about singing. If Ronseal made musicals...

It was also rather witty. We laughed pretty much throughout. How could you not? It was show tunes with a bit of beefcake. A chorus line with a bit of cock.

Once In a Lifetime - Motown Legends Live...

2009-06-29T01:00:00.000+01:00

Last week Stu and I went to see Once In a Lifetime - Motown Legends Live at Wembley Arena. It was a bit of a dotch potch of Motown acts touring once again to plunder the pockets of nostalgia hungry crowds (i.e. us).

The night's running order was JR. Walker�s All Stars, The Miracles, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Mary Wilson and the Supremes, and The Commodores.

We'd basically gone to see Martha and Mary. The former failed to meet expectations. The latter exceeded them. The rest were frankly poor.

The evening was well put together but ultimately failed to deliver.

Shame.

Michael Jackson Dead...

2009-06-26T08:34:00.001+01:00

Songs good. Man bad.

Microsoft Security Essentials...

2009-06-25T01:00:00.001+01:00

Microsoft Security Essentials (code name Morro) is now in public beta. I've installed it on a couple of PCs and it seems to be mostly harmless.

For those of you who don't know, MSE is Microsoft's free anti-malware program for Windows. It claims to use a combination of both real-time and scheduled scans to protect against viruses, spyware, pop-ups, Trojans, rootkits et al.

It's replacing their (free) Windows Defender and (paid for) Windows Live OneCare offerings.

It remains to be seen whether it is any good or not - though I don't expect other free antivirus programs like AVG or Avira have much to worry about just yet. No doubt virus writers will be examining it closely for any loop holes as we speak though.

Iron Sky...

2009-06-24T01:00:00.000+01:00

In 1945 the Nazis fled to the moon. In 2018 they are coming back. Oh yes, prepare for Iron Sky.

Duckie...

2009-06-23T01:00:00.001+01:00

Clogdagh, Colin, Stu and I had a fab time at Duckie on Saturday night. Ursula Martinez was on and on top form and we fell in with The Big Wigs. As the snaps below will testify. More here.

Pet Shop Boys @ O2...

2009-06-22T01:00:00.000+01:00

On Friday night Clodagh, Colin, Charlie, Paul, Simon, Darren, Stu and I all went along to the O2 Arena to watch the Pet Shop Boys's sell-out Pandemonium tour.

We had a a rare old time - not least because Paul and I had VIP passes (hic).

The PSBs were good, as ever. The usual mix of dance, relentlessly cubist visuals and mashing up of songs old and new.

More snaps here.

Which Is Gayer?...

2009-06-19T01:00:00.001+01:00

Me or you? Why, it's you of course!

OK, try this. Which is gayer, Graham Norton or Alan Carr? Graham Norton by a whisker.

And did you know that steak is actually overwelmingly gayer than quiche?

But of course Kylie is way gayer than Britney (but not Madonna).

How do we know these things? Well, if you put "Gay Apple" into google.co.uk you get 30m results, whilst "Gay Microsoft" gets just 12m results. Hence Apple is gayer than Microsoft. Fact. And this little site tests the comparative gayness of everything. With pie-charts for extra win.

The Astounding World of the Future...

2009-06-18T01:00:00.000+01:00

A funny mid-20th century newsreel featuring amazingly accurate predictions of the year 2000? Or, just a funny joke that won the Best Short Film at the New York Comedy Film Festival?

iPhone OS 3.0 Software Update (here at last)...

2009-06-17T19:34:00.002+01:00

Got it installed and loving it (so far).

iPhone OS 3.0 Software Update

This update contains over 100 new features, including the following:

� Cut, Copy & Paste with shake to undo
� Landscape keyboard in key applications
� Enhanced Messages application
- Send and receive photos, contacts, audio files, and location via MMS*
- Forward and delete single or multiple messages
� Added search feature in Mail, Calendar, Notes and iPod
� Spotlight search across iPhone
� Support for CalDAV and subscriptions in Calendar
� Improvements to Safari
- Performance
- HTML 5 support
- HTTP Streaming audio and video
- Auto-fill usernames and passwords
� New Voice Memos application
� Sync Notes with a Mac or PC via iTunes
� Internet Tethering over USB and Bluetooth*
� Browse and download movies, TV shows, and audiobooks from the iTunes Store**
� Stereo Bluetooth***
� Wi-Fi auto login
� Enhanced Stocks application
� More Parental Control options for Apps, Music, Movies and TV Shows
� iTunes account creation and login**
� YouTube account login and access to subscriptions, ratings and favorites**
� Shake to shuffle
� New languages, dictionaries, and keyboards
� Find my iPhone and Remote Wipe via MobileMe (subscription required)**
� Support for more Exchange policies
� Create and send Exchange meeting invitations
� Search mail on server (Exchange Server 2007 and supported IMAP servers)
� Search LDAP company directory
� VPN on demand and VPN proxy support
� Encrypted configuration profiles
� Encrypted iTunes backups
� 1,000 new developer APIs, including:
- In App Purchases
- Apple Push Notification Service
- Accessories support
- Peer to Peer Connectivity
- Embedded Maps
- iPod Library Access
� Bug fixes

Products compatible with this software update:
� iPhone
� iPhone 3G
� iPhone 3G S

* Compatible only with iPhone 3G and iPhone 3G S and requires support from your wireless provider.
** Not available in all regions or in all languages.
*** Compatible only with iPhone 3G and iPhone 3G S.

For feature descriptions and complete instructions, see the user guide for your iPhone at:

For more information about iPhone, go to:

To troubleshoot your iPhone, or to view additional support information go to:

For information on the security content of this update, please visit this website:

iPhone OS 3.0...

2009-06-17T01:00:00.001+01:00

The iPhone OS 3.0 should be out today. Yay! O2 say that they will support picture messaging (MMS) and Internet tethering (using your iPhone as a modem for your computer) on day one.

This tethering lark ain't cheap though. Monthly subscribers will pay �14.68 per month for 3GB and �29.36 for 10GB, with a 19.6p surcharge for every megabyte over their limit! Ker-ching! Business customers will pay comparable rates depending upon the plan they choose.

And it's even worse if you've travelling - surely just the time when you'd want to use it most... It'll cost �2.94 a MB in the EU and a whopping �6 a MB everywhere else.

Hayfever vs a cold...

2009-06-16T13:00:00.000+01:00

A few weeks ago I caught a cold. A nasty cold that Lemsip, Day Nurse and all manner of other pills and potions just wouldn't shift. Bah!

It just so happened that that same week I was going to have my eyes tested. "Oh dear", said the optician upon inspecting my peepers. "I can see you suffer from hayfever. You top and bottom eyelids are really red." And being an expert I guess she knew what she was talking about on the red eye front.

I was flabbergasted. I don't suffer from hayfever. Well, I never have done before. Well, I don't think I have. But I know it can develop later in life. So maybe this was it. I would be henceforth forever cursed with sneezing, that bunged up feeling and itchy eyes.

So how do you know if you have actually hayfever or a cold?

The acid test is... do you have green snot?

Hayfever gives every impression of being a cold but WITHOUT the green snot. Hayfever is basically your immune system going into overdrive believing (incorrectly) that your body has an infection so you get all those wretched fever-like symptoms (hence the name) as your body spins it's wheels in the dirt trying and punch thin air as it tries to fight something you don't actually have. It's just as bad as a cold but not actually a cold.

However if you DO have green snot you have an infection i.e. a cold.

AEG L16850...

2009-06-16T01:00:00.000+01:00

I,ve recently bought a new washer-dryer - a free standing 1600 rpm washer dryer in white. The AEG L16850.

It came out as the Best Buy in Which guide's survey with a score of 75% saying, "The Best Buy AEG Electrolux L16850 is one of the best washer-dryers we�ve seen, combining excellent washing results with impressive drying speed."

The cheapest seller (that I had actually heard of) was Sainsbury's. They delivered it on time (two days from ordering it), unpacked it, installed it and took my old one away. So I'm very happy with it. And them.

Now to wrestle with the controls...

As You Like It...

2009-06-15T01:00:00.000+01:00

On Saturday night David S, Joao, Pano, David C, Ian and I went to watch As You Like It at The Globe on London's glitzy South Bank.

Admission was just a fiver for standing in the yard and it was well worth it. It was my first time at The Globe and what a great place it is; roomy, welcoming and great sight lines. As we were in the pit we were pretty much right in the middle of the action too.

As the game of love unfolded between Orlando and the disguised Rosalind in the enchanting Forest of Arden we were equally enchanted. The production was excellent; well acted, clearly spoken and convincingly conveyed.

We'll certainly be going back.

Jersey Boys...

2009-06-12T01:00:00.001+01:00

Last night Stu and I went to see the musical Jersey Boys - The Story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons at the Prince Edward Theatre in Soho's glitzy West End.

We'd got the tickets as part of a meal/theatre deal from lastminute.com which can be quite a cheap way to a) eat, and b) see a show. As long as you don't top load on drinks and buy a theatre program as part of your evening's festivities, of course. The meal was at Bertorelli's in Frith Street and to be honest it was pretty so-so. As Stu's main turned up stone cold we got our drinks for free plus a side order of chips thrown in.

The Jersey Boys show itself was good. Perhaps a little bit too heavy on plot and a little too light on music but enjoyable all the same. For example it took a little under fifty minutes before the first Four Seasons song was performed. I think most people wanted to come and hear the songs - not the history of the group acted out at lightning speed. Still, as I say, it was good.

The story itself tells of Frankie Valli (actually born Francis Castelluccio in 1937) growing up on the wrong side of the tracks in New Jersey. He joined an existing singing group which failed an audition at a bowling alley. They then renamed the band The Four Seasons after that bowling alley and from that point on never really looked back.

They invented their own unique falsetto sound and had a string of hits - going on to become one of the most successful bands in pop music history. Via run-ins with the Mafia, a touch of betrayal, a bit of love and a spot of revenge they made it big. Very big. In fact they sold over 100 million records worldwide and were eventually inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Not bad for four New Jersey boys.

Songs included in the show are; Beggin�, Dawn (Go Away), Can�t Take My Eyes Off You, Walk Like A Man, Bye Bye Baby (Baby Goodbye), Sherry, Big Girls Don�t Cry, My Eyes Adored You, Let's Hang On, Rag Doll, Who Loves You, Working My Way Back to You and of course the wonderful December 1963 (Oh, What a Night).