Sometimes Blue

Something to ease you into Friday

2009-11-13T07:39:00.001+11:00

As Always from our friends at Guys with iPhones

Political Rhetoric

2009-11-12T07:30:00.001+11:00

One of the things I find very tiresome (apart from fat women wearing see through pants and a G String underneath), is political rhetoric.

You know the kind of stuff that the opposition party accuses the government of, like money for health care or money for roads etc.

It's all very well to say that if you were in power you would do this or that, but without having to actually do anything, it's all just political rhetoric.

Two pieces of rhetoric have really irked me of late.

The first was by Barry O'Farell the NSW Leader of the Opposition discussing levels of nursing in the public hospital system and saying that his government would fix the problem, without actually giving an explanation of how

The second has been the incredible political rhetoric against the US Health Reforms, like WTF Death panels to decide who lives and dies?

Forgive me if I am wrong but I was under the impression that currently in the states if you didn't have health insurance you were unlikely to get treatment for illness unless you coughed up big time.

And sometimes even if you did have health insurance the insurer denies the claim for some treatments - even if they may save your life

It's all just ridiculous political rhetoric and it tends to drive me up the wall!

Motivation

2009-11-12T07:30:00.000+11:00

It's still been months since I last got to the gym and with certain bad habits, a lack of good eating practices and a lack of time to look after my parents, work and have any time off no matter how many times I promise myself that I will get to the gym I have not actually got back their yet.

The big issue I have to get through is to stop smoking , yes I have been smoking again.

I can't believe I started again but I did.

I went back to the Allen Carr's easy Way to Give Up smoking Clinic a few times for the refresher course, but still continued smoking. I said to myself I would definitely stop after the October long weekend, but then everything went out the window when my mother had a stroke and my stress levels have just gone through the roof.

It's funny though I consciously know that going to the gym and stopping smoking will even in the short term help me reduce the stress levels and make me feel better.

Only thing is I just can't find the motivation to do so.

Sitting with my mother in the Acute stroke ward after her stroke was a huge wake up call and terrified me, after all apart from cancer and emphysema, heart disease etc, smoking causes strokes too.

My mother never smoked, it wasn't her thing, but I am sure many of the other patients in that ward did, and I am sure all of them wished they were back at my age with the choice and ability to give up.

Subconsciously I know that all I have to do is set a date and stop smoking and deal with the vagueness and weird emotions for a couple of days.

I sometimes go to bed at night, having no more fags in the house with every intention of never smoking again, but as soon as I wake up I start debating with myself and my intention and motivation flies right out the window.

It's a double edged sword, I can't work out whilst I am still smoking I find it too difficult, and it pretty much negates the gym anyway.

It's an obsession at the moment the whole quitting smoking, it's on my mind EVERY time I feel like a fag or I light one up.

I just have to motivate myself choose a date, and deal with it for a couple of days and accept that I will feel unsettled and weird for a couple of days.

*sigh* wish me luck doing so!

Gigolo Briefs

2009-11-11T07:30:00.000+11:00

Andrew Christian one of my favorite underwear stores has released a new brief called Gigolo Brief which is a see through mesh as seen above.

Now I really like his other stuff and have quite a lot of AC underwear, but these just seem a little but too out there for me.

What do you think?

Personally I like my junk to stay hidden when I am wearing undies!

Grow a new penis

2009-11-10T09:26:00.002+11:00

Researchers have been able to grow new penises for rabbits in experiments in the states. This coms from the same researchers who have been growing and implanting such things as new bladders.

I suppose this means that in the future there will be an entire legion of gay men going off to their surgeons for the penis of their choice.

I can just imagine it now, instead of gay men looking and drooling over porn they could ask for an engineered fully functional penis of the size and shape of their choice.

Hmmmmmm, Lukas Ridgestone's penis anyone?

Can you imagine on gay dating sites it would no longer be the size of the penis it would be 'whose penis have you copied'

Source: Wired Magazine

Some more random GWIP hotness

2009-11-10T07:30:00.000+11:00

I found this kid on my favorite site, Guys With iPhones and just love the look. I especially love the tat, YUM!

I have always wanted a tattoo, but have never got one yet for various reasons.

No idea what to get, no idea where to get it and the thought of the pain getting it and afterwards is definitely a turn off.

I will get inked sometime it's on the list, I just have to make a firm agreement and do it...

Oh My!

2009-11-09T07:30:00.000+11:00

as always from Guys Withe iPhones

Lift Ettiquete

2009-11-08T07:30:00.000+11:00

Most people get into lifts at least once a day, whether it be at work or at home. We live in a building with a lift and I am up and down in the work lift several times a day.

I never know though what to do in a lift, you know, do you smile at the other people, say hi, nod your head, ignore or depends on the situation.

It's one of those really socially awkward moments at times.

Shiny New Toys!

2009-11-07T17:32:00.002+11:00

I have almost totally assimilated with the MAC universe now my new Apple TV and Airport Extreme are all working beautifully.

I must admit there were a few technical issues along the way but they were minor.

The Apple TV synced with my iTunes on the old media server perfectly and Apple TV is so much easier to use than a freaking Windows XP box with a keyboard and the media cabinet no longer sounds like a jet is taking off in there.

I installed the ATV Boxee application which was a bit of a problem at first, my Apple TV decided to update itself to version 3 and I had to hunt around on the Internet to install the new launcher (your SSH in to the Apple TV).

Then every time I browsed for media Boxee would crash, but a quick internet search suggested turning off media thumbnails, that done and it worked like a charm.

We watched one of our iTunes purchased HD movies last night on the Apple TV and the quality of the picture (HDMI) and optical audio input was superb.

The one issue that I had which was perplexing at first but then once I discovered what I had done was just plain stupidity on my part, was my spotty wireless access to the new Airport Extreme from my Mac.

Stupidly I had plugged the cable from our existing router into an ethernet port of the base station and not the WAN port.

It all still worked but I was getting variable internet connectivity.

But once I 'read the fucking manual' that was all fixed.

I also set up my Time capsule so it is 'network' attached to the base station through a powered USB hub, I have to say knowing my MAC is automatically being backed up and I don't have to remember to plug the USB hard drive in is very cool.

I am yet to plug any other USB drives into the base station, as I have pretty much decided that the old dell is fine for a while to be on and act as a file server for the iTunes while I work out the best storage solutions for us.

I reckon though in time I will probably leave once USB hard drive in the Dell and then attach the rest to the powered hub.

I did a few tests of copying files from my Mac to the USB drives, and the base station connected ones worked better.

The last thing I need to do is download a web browser for the Apple TV because we do search the web sometimes.

Oh and I have to decide whether I will run speaker cable to the roof or get an airport express and do it wirelessly.

But so far I am in love with my nice new shiny apple toys!

More Random GWIP

2009-11-07T07:26:00.000+11:00

Google Cookie Monster

2009-11-05T09:31:00.000+11:00

I love Google's logo of the day, my favorite The Cookie Monster!

Yeah for Google :)

Online Therapy Better for Anxiety and Depression

2009-11-04T07:40:00.000+11:00

A study in Australia has found that an Online Program for Anxiety, Depression and other Mental illnesses has more success than the traditional face to face psychatry.

It sounds like a good idea really, it's self paced, you can review where you are up to, revisit stuff that you need to and do it in your own time.

I'm sure if someone was needing help for an issue both a face to face and an online service would be perfect!

Techno Babble

2009-11-03T07:30:00.001+11:00

For months and months I have been flipping back and forwards between buying an Apple TV / Mac Mini as a media player / server for home.

We currently use an old Dell PC that runs both iTunes and the rest of the video, music etc we have on our network.

When I say network I mean the couple of USB drives attached to the old PC.

The problem with the PC is it's really old, it's really slow AND when it heats up (and it does heat up) it sounds like a 747 is taking off in our media cabinet.

I thought about getting a new PC and running Windows 7 Media Center, but the cost of a new PC and also having to deal with Windows after converting myself to a MAC boy is just too much to bear.

We don't really record much if any TV or watch TV shows with any regularity so my need for a DVR to record TV is not really an issue.

My biggest issue with Apple TV has always been the inability to have media on hard drives attached to the network, but after a lot of research I have found there are two solutions for this,

The first is to run the old DELL PC as an iTunes server and share the iTunes library to the Apple TV.

The second is to 'hack' the apple TV and use the popular Boxee application to stream all the data.

In doing even more research, I also discovered that I can 'Network Attach' all my USB drives if I use the Apple Airport Extreme, as you can add a powered USB hub to the Airport Extreme easily with minimum fuss and you don't need a PC to be on.

I will most likely get an Apple TV and an airport Extreme this month some time and initially just transfer all my main iTunes media over to the Apple TV and then use BOXEE for the stuff that I have never transferred to iTunes

At least with the Airport Extreme I will no longer have to reboot the wireless router every time I want to use the iPhone Remote with itunes any more!

And yes I am geek...

Something to start the week with

2009-11-02T07:13:00.002+11:00

Source : http://www.guyswithiphones.com

Busy busy busy like a fly on shit

2009-10-30T15:06:00.002+11:00

Now that's a disgusting post title but hey who cares it's MY blog.

I am having a busy week, both personally and work wise.

Taking my mother to lots of medical appointments and juggling meetings, clients and proposals and more!

Work and new projects are all coming out of the woodwork and I am very excited by this.

I interviewed two people for the new role, and just my luck the one I liked took another role the day after I interviewed, so I am back to looking again.

It's a real pain in the butt and I am thinking of making the role full time instead and going for broke with it.

I will have to weigh up my options over the weekend on this one though.

It is just beautiful weather in Sydney right now and I am looking forward to getting out of the office later and having a nice quiet dinner on the roof with some friends ...

And it just goes on

2009-10-26T15:15:00.002+11:00

Over the weekend my mother ended up back in hospital with what was initially diagnosed as another stroke.

Luckily it was later found out to be nothing other than extreme anxiety which had manifested itself as all the physical and cognitive symptoms of a stroke without the actual bleed in her brain.

It is truly just a constant up and down at the moment with this, one moment my mother is perfectly OK and then the next it's all on again.

It's extraordinarily stressful for everyone dealing with this, the uncertainty and emotion are very debilitating for everyone around her.

I of all people know how bad anxiety can be as well, but having worked my way through most of my anxiety issues and addressed them I am a bit less worried about my mother's anxiety and know that it will be sorted out by medication and help.

All this is taking it's toll on me and I can feel myself getting run down and know that I must take care of myself because I don't want to end up with a cold or just plain good old exhaustion myself.

On a lighter note I have interviewed a few really good people for the sales role that is open from my previous missing sales person and will make a decision on Wednesday.

I was hoping for a lighter than normal week but it seems to be a week of new clients and sales meetings which I am very happy about!

I just wanna grow grow grow my business.

The saga of employees

2009-10-22T14:54:00.003+11:00

I employed a contract sales person a couple of months back for one of the streams of our business.

At first he was really great, he quickly closed a whole lot of deals that had been hanging around for a while almost ready to close.

But then something started to happen, he started to become erratic and there was an inconstancy in his work hours.

Sure it's a contract position so he was able to pick and choose which hours best suited the sales process and fit in to his own schedule of other things.

But in the last two weeks he came in on Monday of last week and hasn't come in again, his emails are not being returned and his phone is not being answered.

As a boss this is unacceptable, it's a bloody pain because we have clients almost about to close that have been through their needs with him and don't want to do it all over again.

Now starts the process all over again of finding someone and training them up on our systems and the product.

I am pretty fair and even handed and hope he hasn't ended up in a ditch somewhere, but I have a sneaking suspicion he has just done a runner.

It is likely that he has the office line and my mobile in his phone and that's why he is not answering his phone

Anyway - such is life!

Is anyone else exhausted?

2009-10-21T07:34:00.002+11:00

I don't know about you but I am exhausted at the moment.

hours and hours of detailed concentration at work every day (and some nights), work on the weekends and the stress of my mother have all made me pretty exhausted.

I haven't had the energy or the motivation to get back to the gym. I know that if I do go I will feel better, but it's getting that initial motivation to get to the gym. At the moment it's just not happening!

On the upside I am able to concentrate again at work and buckle down and get loads and loads done, but by 9 O'clock at night all I want to do is just collapse on the sofa with a Vodka and watch mindless TV.

It might just be me getting old LOL

Or it might just be that I have a lot on my plate.

On other good news a friend from the States is coming over to stay with us in late December, I love spending time with my international friends and am very excited!

I am still alive thank you

2009-10-19T07:35:00.002+11:00

I am very much alive, even if I have not posted in the last week and a half or there about.

My mother is back home after her stroke and is now resting, she has good days and hard days.

Whilst the effects of the stroke were minor in terms of physiology, any brain injury is serious and is a symptom of her aging process.

It's difficult addressing the very real mortality of anyone let alone your parents, but by the same token it also reminds you to not take anything or anyone for granted.

My mothers cognitive skills and her memory have become markedly lower in the last couple of months and it's distressing watching this up close but must be even harder for my father.

But on the up side of the aging process and forgetting, she will 'forget' she is forgetting and become more relaxed and less anxious in general.

For me though this is a very stressful time, and I have been reacting to this in a very predictable for me way.

Whilst my mental concentration is lower than normal and I have been finding it hard to concentrate on 'normal' work. I have been doing what any Cancerian does and 'Nesting'.

I have totally redone the office with new furniture and cleaner more streamlined fit-out and have been cleaning out draws and cupboards at home.

At home as well I have been tackling all those small physical DIY tasks that I have been meaning to do.

It's a normal psychological response to external influences that you can't really control, instead you do things to try and control your own physical surroundings.

At the moment it's just one day at a time and keeping to routines and getting stuff done.

it's been a tough few days

2009-10-10T11:46:00.003+11:00

On Thursday night my mother was diagnosed with a 'cerebero-vascular accident' or in laymen's terms a stroke.

At nearly 80 years of age she is no stranger to the ups and downs of various medical issues that parents face, from open heart surgery to hip replacements to the general to the malaise that affects older people.

There has been a steady decline in both my parents physical and metal health over the last couple of years.

This however is the first stroke that we have faced with them and it's scary. Heart Attacks caught early and then treated are much much easier to fix, you put a stent in, do a bypass, all sorts of things.

But the treatment for a bleeding stroke is far more hit and miss, they reverse the blooding thinning agents that my mother takes to prevent clotting type strokes and heart clots and instead used clotting agents to try and stop the bleed.

She is relatively confused at the moment and is pretty damn lucky that they picked the stroke up very early on, the bleed was properly happening for between 1 - 7 days. Which means the chances of recovery are good.

The initial symptoms of naseua have now passed, but the confusion remains, but it's so hard to tell whether this is the onset of dementia or a result of the brain injury.

My mother is an amazing person, she will compartmentalize things and not tell all of a story to someone. In this case she had been suffering with feeling ill for a bout a week and had been to the Doctor a couple of times for this.

But she had failed to mention to either the Doctor or myself that she had been stuttering or feeling weak, both extremely common signs of some sort of stroke.

I was getting frustrated with her because what she was describing to me was stress and anxiety manifesting itself with physical symptoms. However she was intentionally not giving me all the information.

Whether she recognized these things in herself and was intentionally not saying (my grandmother had had a series of strokes before she died nearly 30 years ago), or she was being 'confused' I don't know.

If all goes well and the bleeding has stopped properly she will be out of hospital by mid to late next week, but this is unlikely to be the end of this episode.

She has to go back on the blood thinning agents to protect her heart, which means she will be at risk again of having one of these episodes, there is also likely to be some subtle motor skill loss and maybe some cognitive difficulties (or is this just onset of dementia) at the moment it's a waiting game.

Support the Troops - buy them a Mankini!

2009-10-07T07:00:00.000+11:00

I am all for supporting our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, especially when they get dressed in such provocative outfits!

You know it's the Sleaze weekend when...

2009-10-06T07:22:00.003+11:00

You see bright orange gay boys walking down Oxford Street

People are wearing less and less even in the pouring rain

There are people singing and dancing to Britney in the street (even though there is no music)

The week before the gym is packed with people you have never actually seen before and it takes forever to get on to any of the machines

People are still walking up and down the strip still in the same clothes they started out on Saturday evening (it's Tuesday now)

Seriously though the long weekend was a blast and Pool Party at the Ivy would have been spectacular if it wasn't for the rain.

The Ivy is a great venue and I really enjoyed it for the very first time! One thing I have realised is the whole Fag Tag concept of moving around to new venues is a really great idea, otherwise I would never experience some of these great places!

I was pretty disappointed by Sleaze, the production values, sound and lighting was nowhere near as fantastic as past parties, I still think New Mardi Gras has to do better for their parties and not just compete on their longevity and name.

Still I did have fun!

The quiet weekend

2009-09-28T06:47:00.002+10:00

I had one of those sorts of weekends where I wanted to be a social outcast.

I didn't really want to be social, see people or even leave the apartment, no I am not depressed, anxious or agoraphobic. I just enjoyed doing very little.

It's not to say that I have not been out on the weekend or done things, quite the opposite, there have still be dinner with friends, shopping trips and other bits and pieces.

I have just been enjoying doing not much after a year of doing so much especially working so much on weekends.

Instead I have been watching movies like The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green, Latter Days, Like it is, Beautiful Thing, Get Real and Eating Out Sloppy Seconds.

All good old gay themed movies.

The media conversion is still ongoing and I am also trying to consolidate all the music we have on our media center, deleting duplicates, creating playlists and cataloguing the genres etc.

I am still battling the issue with the iPhone Remote which works if I reboot the router every time I use it which is a bloody pain in the butt, but when it does work it works fantastically.

I even managed to do some cleaning up of things around the apartment that I have been meaning to do for a while because we have guests staying with us from Friday for the Sleaze Ball dance parties weekend.

This week will be pretty hectic for me, I have a lot of clients to 'go live' and some decisions to make about staffing etc.

We also finished the re-branding phase one of one of our products and we now have to integrate the new brand into the product which will take a lot of effort to get right.

So week here we come!

Recent Hotness on GWIP

2009-09-26T07:56:00.001+10:00

Now all he needs to do is post some naked pictures :)

One of the Funniest 'straight conversion' blog entries I have ever read!

2009-09-24T07:30:00.000+10:00

I love Bobby's Blog - Am Not Blog.

And I love one of his recent blog entries about his 'encounter' with a hot straight ex model on his holiday back to South Africa.

It's fantastic!

You have to read how slick Bobby is!