Gay Porn Star Peek 55

Gorgeous Tom Walsh lathers up @ EnglishLads:
http://www.myxxxadvert.com/EnglishLads_TomWalsh/index.html



Baby-faced beef: Brock @ RandyBlue
http://galleries.blueloot.com/index.php?id=2168

Doctor Who - Season 3 extended trailer

Apologies for the apparently empty post earlier - Blogger seems to be spitting them back out lately, especially the ones with YouTube embedded code. I'm getting severely miffed at it.

Anyway, this is the extended trailer currently popping up at the touch of a red button on digital BBC channels. It was premiered to a select Mayfair audience at the press launch last week. I'd imagine some might find this spoileriffic as it includes clips from every story, including the finale, so if in doubt, don't click.

Here's a rapidshare link for those who prefer an MPEG2 download

And here's a gallery of splendid screencaps.

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Doctor Who: new Radio Times covers

Not one but two covers to mark the start of the third series at the weekend. Both feature the Doctor, Martha and a stray Judoon but one is from Earth with the moon behind and the other vice versa.

Can't wait to see the 16-page pullout! Will it reveal the last 3 episode titles?

27 Mar update: Those last 3 episode titles are indeed revealed as "Gridlock" (ep3), "Evolution of the Daleks" (ep5) and "Last of the Time Lords" (ep13).

The Doors @ 40

Another event this year is the 40th anniversary of The Doors' eponymous first album, and certainly this is taken as the official date to celebrate by both the record company and the remaining band members (there's even a logo!).

Ray Manzarek and Robbie Krieger were on Radio 2 as Johnnie Walker's special guests this afternoon, blatently plugging a new compilation which is released tomorrow (and pictured above). It's a complete remaster on 2 CDs, accompanied by a live DVD and book on the deluxe edition. The interview was entertainingly candid covering Bach riffs, regular LSD use and Jim Morrison's endowment. It can be heard on the Listen Again facility for 7 days from today.

Taken from Amazon, here's the new complilation's 34 tracks :

1. Break On Through
2. Strange Days
3. Alabama Song
4. Love Me Two Times
5. Light My Fire
6. Spanish Caravan
7. Crystal Ship
8. The Unknown Soldier
9. The End (full version)
10. People Are Strange
11. Back Door Man
12. Moonlight Drive
13. End Of The Night
14. Five To One
15. When The Music's Over
1. Bird Of Prey
2. Love Her Madly
3. Riders On The Storm
4. Orange County Suite
5. Runnin' Blue
6. Hello I Love You
7. The W.A.S.P. (Texas Radio & The Big Beat)
8. Stoned Immaculate
9. Soul Kitchen
10. Peace Frog
11. L.A. Woman
12. Waiting For The Sun
13. Touch Me
14. The Changeling
15. Wishful, Sinful
16. Love Street
17. The Ghost Song
18. Whiskey, Mystics And Men
19. Roadhouse Blues (Yes, obviously I'm a fan ... and I was before I saw any pics of Jim Morrison, in case you're wondering)

Gay Porn Star Peek 53

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Happy 60th Elton!

Today marks the beginning of British Summer Time for 2007 as well as the 50th birthday of what has become the EU and 200 years since the UK voted to end slavery but what does shallow me choose to commemorate? Yup, Sir Elton John is 60 today and you just can't help but love him, our surrogate Queen Mother!

I've picked 3 YouTube clips featuring the man himself. I couldn't quite get them to match my favourite 3 tracks, but it's close.

First of 2 duets is "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" with Billy Joel



Then there's a fairly recent reunion with Kiki Dee at Madison Square Garden for "Don't Go Breaking My Heart"



Lastly, a slightly barking David LaChapelle video to accompany Las Vegas performances of Elton's most personal song, "Someone Saved My Life Tonight". It's based on a suicidal moment from 1969, with the someone being early mentor Long John Baldry.



As a PS here's a nifty BBC News article on 60 things you may or may not have known about Elton: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6455921.stm

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BBC Scotland Watch 24-30 March 2007

Yes, it's gone that far. I'm now going to be keping a regular tally of BBC Scotland's rescheduling arrogance and/or incompetence. I'm not going for every little thing - that would be a full-time job! - and you can always take it as read that Thursdays on BBC Two will be wiped out by Gaelic box ticking between 6 and 8pm.

However two glaring examples screamed out at me from the new "Radio Times", one which I take almost personally.

Next Wednesday (28th) sees both the triumphant return of "The Apprentice" marked by a promotion to BBC One and a football match between Scotland and Italy. Outside of Scotland that's exactly what you get on TV. But in a completely novel and petty manner, BBC Scotland has swapped the two BBC channels over, so "The Apprentice" is relegated back to BBC Two at 9pm. Note that no actual content is tampered with (for a change) but surely this is change for change's sake?

The one that's really got me is the dropping (for that is what it appears to be - no rescheduling is noted) of the new "Weakest Link" Doctor Who special next Friday (30th). This show was taped last November with the winner kept a closely guarded secret. The contestants who took part were David Tennant, Camille Coduri, Noel Clarke, John Barrowman, Nicholas Briggs, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Claire Rushbrook, Andrew Hayden-Smith and K9. Now, despite the huge popularity of "Doctor Who" and the presence of both Tennant and Barrowman in the contest, BBC Scotland have decided we'd rather see the second episode in a week of both "River City" and "Holby City". This is the same "Holby City" that also gets transported to BBC Two for its first episode that week. Consistency is also not one of BBC Scotland's strengths.

Meanwhile the schedule apparently still has time for primetime repeats of "My Family"(26th) and "DIY SOS"(29th).

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Rugby Totty: Sean Lamont again

Several of the Scottish papers last week could not resist ressurecting Sean's "Dieux du Stade" appearance ahead of Scotland facing France in Paris, with both "The Sun" and "Daily Record" reprinting some of the shots in the sports pages. Here's the latter's headline (click to go to full article):


Alas, despite valiant efforts, not least on Lamont's part, Scotland ended the Six Nations with the wooden spoon while their hosts not only won the match but the tournament. Sean was even sent off to the sin bin after being mistaken for his quite different looking younger brother, Rory.

Sean does credit the calendar with generally raising his profile in France (and several non-rugby playing countries I think!) and now says he'd maybe do it again:

"Lamont said: "My profile has probably risen in France on the back of the calendar ...

"It seems so long ago since I did it - last year after the Six Nations - and I took a bit of stick from the Scotland boys as well as my team-mates at Northampton.

"It didn't bother me at the time and I wouldn't have done it if it did. I've no regrets and if you asked me to do it again I probably would."

Lamont, who posed for the calendar before heading off for his stag night, admits the lack of tries in the Scotland squad this year has been offset by the outstanding kicking form of skipper Paterson."

Anyway, for those of us outside Northampton, this will probably be the last most of us see of Sean until the Rugby World Cup (again in France) during September and October.

So I found these 3 meaty morsels on Flickr, which use stills from the even more revealing 'making of' DVD produced by those lovely "Dieux du Stade" people. Apologies for the censorship, but he lets it all hang out. To see the full rugby tackle you have to register with Flickr and join the 'Hot Rugby Players' group.

SNP embrace the dark side ...

It's not as if the SNP have just lost my vote because they never had it to lose. But this is the latest in a recent line of developments which has confirmed my fears that the SNP has finally renounced its radical agenda and is courting the red-top reading, God-bothering, footy-fucked-up and conservative (with a small c) elements of the electorate and establishment. Ironically this is the former constituency of Very Old Labour in the central belt. First Fergus Ewing sided with the Cowcaddens firemen disciplined for throwing their toys out of the cot over a Gay Pride event, then Nicola Sturgeon vocally sides with the Catholic Church over gay adoption and now Alex accepts half a million quid from Scotland's foremost homophobe and anti-competitive businessman. Anyone see a pattern there?

In the 90s (independence issue aside) the SNP was a party I could have voted for and supported and I very much respected Alex Salmond as a pragmatic, statesmanlike and honourable politician. Neither holds true now as Salmond uses his oratory to rabble rouse and go for cheap shots while failing to answer why an independent Scotland is keeping the pound and the monarchy while ditching the BBC (but not Sky and the rest).

Looks like the Greens will be steering well clear at least. I'd urge any gay or gay-friendly voters out there to think twice about ousting Labour by voting SNP. Don't sleepwalk into realising what sort of party with what sort of bedfellows this is. What payback are the Catholic Church and Soapy Souter after post-election? Anyone who saw the latter on "Question Time" during his "Keep the Clause" campaign know how sophisticated and enlightened his views are over a range of things. Note also he supports the SNP only half as much as he supported the Clause - he spent the full million on that escapade. They are obviously a cheap date.

I'm just waiting for the SNP to start making noises about immigration and reconsidering their EU affinity, then we'll realise quite how alike the SNP and UKIP have become.

A comment following "Scotland on Sunday"'s report put it best for me:

"I understand the zeal with which many SNP supporters approach this election. It is a zeal born of years of frustration and denial. But it is a zeal which is in genuine danger of sending us down a dreadful path. Is is no secret that one of the major planks of the SNP's growth strategy over the last two years has been to court the churches. The SNP used to be a staunch supporter of LGBT rights, but all that changed with the new engagement with church hierarchies, and now it is genuinely impossible to get even a hearing with their representatives on issues like hate crime, thought leadership and suchlike. They have made a political calculation, which it is their right to do, but they cannot be allowed to obscure this calculation from the voters. At the moment they want to appear sympathetic to the churches while not alienated the gay vote. They want to have their cake and eat it.

The bottom line is that, for gay people who lived through his campaign, Brian Souter will forever embody the hate that is hidden in the church pews of this country. The bald fact is that anyone who allies themselves with that figurehead of hate allies themselves with the hate itself. If the SNP is going to accept this money, it needs to make a clear, unequivocal statement of opposition to the views that Souter represents. And it won't do that, because the political calculation has already been made.

I feel sorry for the decent, hardworking folk who worked on and cherish the SNP's equality policies. They truly were inspiring. Now they ring hollow, and show the SNP up as being no better than the rest of them.

I have sat, in years gone by, with Roseanna Cunningham and others while we planned and inspired each other to fight for the inalienable human rights of gay people. Now she won't even return our calls. I feel horrifically let down."

19 Mar postscript: this blog post includes an enlightening summary of Alex Salmond's own committment to equality issues via Westminster voting record. Guess what ...?

Scooch "Flying the Flag" for Eurovision

Unusually, I watched our Eurovision qualifier "Making Your Mind Up" on Saturday night, partly to top up my gay cred after watching 3 consecutive Six Nations' Rugby matches immediately prior. Suitably, and against bookies' odds (it's the sort of thing they're shit at) the uber-camp "Flying the Flag" by a reformed Scooch won out as the UK entry.

Watch out for those spoken double-entendres from the male trolley dolly, which for me put it a notch above the cheesey slab it could have been. The airline-themed performance was also a stormer which hit all the right buttons, even if the Gene Hunt lookalike on lead vocals appears to have ate a lot of pies since their last stint as a poptet (left).

John Barrowman approved - he was in the studio as a guest pundit and can briefly be seen jiggling in this YouTube clip.

The UK was the last of the 42 nations to decide who goes to the final in Helsinki on Saturday 12 May.

F1 Totty: Lewis Hamilton

Even more than golf it's difficult to spot talent in this sport. For me it's partly because the actual sport also bores me to tears (like watching Scalextric for hours on end) and defies my understanding, but also because the players never get their kit off. Not even their helmets most of the time!

Anyway as the F1 season begins today, here's home grown hope Lewis Hamilton (with helmet off), possibly set to outshine Jensen Button in the totty stakes

Comic Relief 2007: "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)"

As my hook upon which to hang a further plug for the hugely worthwhile Comic Relief event this year, here's one of my highlights of yesterday's show (that and Catherine Tate getting PM Tony Blair to say "Am I Bovvered?") as Peter Kay, Matt Lucas and The Proclaimers enact a rousing version of the latter duo's most famous song.

Kay and Lucas are in character as the wheelchair bound Brian Potter and Andy Pipkin. It's a star-studded audience too, which is great fun to spot. There's a heartwarming gathering of 'non-human characters' from Frank Sidebottom to Basil Brush, a host of blasts from the past such as Limahl and Rod, Jane and Freddy and there's even 2 old-school "Doctor Who" companions and one new-school Doctor. But I wouldn't entirely trust the list that appears at the end!



As a neat coincedence on both the "Doctor Who" front and The Proclaimers front, next month sees the opening of "Sunshine on Leith" a musical staged at Dundee Rep based on the duo's songs and written by season 3 scribe (and "River City" creator) Stephen Greenhorn.

Donate your cash, from wherever you might be, at http://www.bbc.co.uk/rednoseday

You know it's right.

Attitude: Skins' Mitch Hewer & Nicholas Hoult

Took a while for me to get my hands on this, the "Youth" themed issue for 2007.

The photosession with teen cover stars Mitch Hewer and Nicholas Hoult is a bit of an anti-climax and runs for a mere 3 pics (2 here) alongside an interview with both. I find it ironic, given the content of the series, that that is probably a straight Coke in the 2nd pic as otherwise "Attitude" would be plying minors with alchohol (Hewer is 18 in July, Hoult is 18 in December).

For those unfamiliar with the tempestuous course of the E4 drama "Skins" (and if so catch the C4 repeat run) their characters Maxxie and Tony peeled off for a drunken blow job on a school trip to Russia, notable since Tony is ostensibly straight and he was the one 'going down'. If you can, catch the last of the 9 episodes on E4 this Thursday night at 10pm. A second 10 part series has been commisioned.

DJ Mark Ronson x 2

DJ Mark Ronson is behind the decks on both these tracks. The first I discovered via Sarah Kennedy's Dawn Patrol this week. It's a cover of the Smiths' "Stop Me If You've Heard THis One Before" but ends more like "You Keep Me Hangin' On". The vocals are by Daniel Merriweather.

The second is a surprisingly effective mix of Kylie's "Slow" and Boney M's "Sunny".

“That’s except for viewers in Scotland, who have their own programmes”

Above: BBC Scotland's new HQ

Dear Sir,

Three recent news items have spurred me to finally write to someone about an intolerable situation which is getting worse.

This week ex-Scottish Rugby Captain Gavin Hastings and others complained to a Holyrood committee of the dominance of football on television in Scotland, to the detriment of other sports.

Gordon Strachan, the Glasgow Celtic manger complained there was too much football on TV and thus it was no longer ‘special’.

BBC Scotland also had to shelve showing one of the CIS Cup Semi-Final matches as they’d run out of quota, having screened too many earlier matches.

Further to this, the constant scheduling of 150-minute-long soccer matches (often at short notice, often 2 nights running) here is causing unprecedented chaos with the proper schedules.

Here’s BBC Scotland’s response to a recent complainant.

In light of the three links I quoted above the initial defence appears rather hollow, especially as it was for one specific transgression. It was not an exception – it’s the rule.

So far this month, for example, BBC Scotland have chosen to give us “Life On Mars” 95 minutes late (13 March) and “Party Animals” 145 minutes late (14 March), we regularly have “Waterloo Road” and “Holby City” on the wrong days, and we are a matter of weeks out on both “Hotel Babylon” and “New Street Law”. Last year we never received “Mayo” or “The Innocent Project” at all, and “Hustle” started its run here after it finished in the rest of the UK. Now they also plan to pull out of “The Politics Show” altogether.

Aren’t the BBC supposed to be promoting Freeview rather than creating a situation where we have to get a satellite dish on top of our licence fee for the ‘luxury’ of opting out of our region? The irony is sports fans are probably more likely to have been lured to invest in Sky packages.

Are there no red button solutions that someone with half a brain could work out? I’d suggest showing the UK network programmes on the BBC Freeview channels with the football matches on analogue and via the red button option on BBC Freeview (I’m led to believe this is especially suited to sports programming). This would suit everyone surely and compete with the flexibility of the satellite option.

Better still would be to follow the model of radio where a Scottish alternative runs parallel rather than randomly in place of the network offering (Radio Scotland and Radio Four). In fact I support this more long-term solution by Pat Kane as a far more worthwhile and fair solution to the “Scottish Six” issue.

BBC Scotland are not just shockingly partial to a specific strand of sport but they are incompetent at managing the schedules around their executives’ pet viewing. And don’t start me on the woeful Gaelic takeovers of BBC2 on Thursdays…

I’m no football fan as you’d guess, but agree it has its place on terrestrial TV and that a part of my licence fee pays for that to happen. I grew up with weekends virtually awash with sports coverage and never particularly resented it. Even now I wouldn’t, as most people have more flexibility, incentive and opportunity to get out of the house on Saturday or Sunday. Now, ironically when terrestrial broadcasters moan they have few sports rights, I am bombarded on precious weekday nights with football. It’s not as if I can go to the pub to avoid it!

Remember we also get English International friendlies and FA Cup matches which are of questionable interest here, but apparently are contractually obliged to be on BBC One across the UK. It’s a pity then that a few of our dramas couldn’t insist on such a clause.

I’m taking up my grievance with my MP while Westminster still retains responsibility for broadcasting here. Perhaps you can air the issue more widely?

Broadcasting in Scotland is really going to remain a hot topic even without half-baked SNP plans for an independent “Scottish Broadcasting Company” and licence fee to replace the BBC. But to me the BBC in Glasgow appear to have declared UDI early!

Yours,
Graeme Robertson, Dunfermline

Yes, that is a letter to my MP (Willie Rennie), as the steam was coming out of my ears just too often lately. It's being copied to MediaGuardian, The Scotsman, The Herald, BBC Scotland, the BBC Trust and Ofcom.

Obviously I don't expect much from the latter.

Anyway, if you feel the same, feel free to use this as a template to your MP.

Gay Porn Star Peek 50

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