CHARLIE CONDOU - No.793

OUT FOR A STROLL WITH MY BABY

CONGRATULATIONS

Charliecondou: Amazing news! Congratulations to @PaulBurston & the Polari First Book Prize for securing new sponsorship http://www.litfest.org.uk/?q=node/44

PaulBurston: @Charliecondou thanks so much Charlie! x

jameswharton: Congtats on your Polari First Book prize nomination. I'm off to @prowlersoho to sign some books.

Charliecondou: @jameswharton I'm opposite prowler right now!!!

jameswharton: @Charliecondou im around the corner!

The judges this year are: 

Paul Burston (Chair of Judges) - author, journalist and host of Polari 

Bidisha - writer, critic and broadcaster

Suzi Feay -literary critic

Rachel Holmes - author and former Head of Literature at the Southbank Centre

VG Lee - author and comedian

Joe Storey-Scott - books buyer

The Polari First Book Prize Longlist: 

The January Flower by Orla Broderick (Council House Publishing)

Five To One by Chris Chalmers (Wink)

Counting Eggs by Peter Daniels (Mulfran Press)

Realisations by Andie Davidson (Bramley Press)

The Governess by Rachael Eyre (self-published ebook)

The Murder Wall by Mari Hannah (Pan Macmillan)

Tony Hogan Bought Me An Icecream Float Before He Stole My Ma by Kerry Hudson (Chatto & Windus)

The Sitar by Rebecca Idris (self-published ebook) 

Catching Bullets - Memoirs of a Gay Bond Fan by Mark O’Connell (Splendid Books)

Readings from the Book of Exile by Pádraig Ó Tuama (Canterbury Press)

The Tale of Raw Head & Bloody Bones by Jack Wolf (Chatto & Windus)

Paul Burston, Chair of the judges, said: 

“The judges were impressed with the range and overall quality of submissions this year. There were also far more books by women than in previous years, which is reflected in the longlist. In the end, it was difficult to narrow the list down to ten books, which is why we have eleven – all of which deserve a place on the longlist. We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to Société Générale UK LGBT Network for their generous sponsorship. LGBT writing goes from strength to strength, as does The Polari First Book Prize.” 

ALL STAR FAMILY FORTUNES
THIS SATURDAY
THE CONDOUS VS THE LANES

Coronation Street stars Charlie Condou (Marcus) and Paula Lane (Kylie) team up with their families in an attempt to win big money for charity.

Coronation Street special, Marcus Dent played by Charlie Condou and his family compete against Kylie Platt played by Paula Lane and her family to win thousands of pounds for their chosen charities. Up to £30,000 is up for grabs, but which team will second guess the British public best, and make it through to Big Money? Vernon Kay hosts. Last episode of series 9.

ITV1 8:45pm Sat, 3 Aug

ITV1+1 9:45pm Sat, 3 Aug

L to R: Jenny, Sam, Charlie, Kathleen and Cameron

CHARLIE CONDOU - No.792

HASHTAG #TWAT

cyc1984: Having a "woe is me" moment... Need to get a grip! #Drama #ManUp #Twat

cyc1984: @Charliecondou I called myself a #twat on here, accidentally clicked on the hashtag afterwards & look who comes up?!

POPE FRANCIS 

SAYS HE DOES NOT JUDGE 
GAY PRIESTS

His comments were short, subtle, but unmistakably direct: “If they accept the Lord and have good will, who am I to judge them? They shouldn't be marginalized.”
This week the Pope stated that he does not judge gays—a statement that will send shock-waves through the church. His comments were short, subtle, but unmistakably direct. “If they accept the Lord and have good will, who am I to judge them? They shouldn't be marginalized,” he told reporters on his return flight from Rio de Janeiro to Rome. “The tendency [to homosexuality] is not the problem … they’re our brothers.” The Pope also criticized journalists for reporting on allegations of homosexuality within the Vatican, saying those matters concerned questions of sin, not crimes, like the sexual abuse of children. He said when someone sins and confesses, God both forgives and forgets. “We don’t have the right to not forget,” he said. The Pope is the voice of God for hundreds of millions of people around the world. His attitude is a marked departure from his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI, who signed a document in 2005 stating that gay men could not become priests. Now bishops all over the world are going to wonder what the Pope’s statement means for them in their own churches. The most crucial response to the Pope’s comments may come from countries whose governments and cultures are far less open to gays and lesbians than the United States and Europe. Countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, for example, gay activity can be a crime, and violence against gays and lesbians is common. But the country is also nearly 50% Catholic, and if the Catholic Church adopted an attitude like Pope Francis is modelling, the climate toward the gay community could dramatically change. The response in the United States will also be significant. When the Pope speaks and takes a position on an issue, the United States Council of Catholic Bishops is not going to directly contradict him. Now visible Cardinals across the country will have to consider what steps they will take to not judge or marginalize their gay brothers and sisters. For example, a gay Catholic couple in Oceanside, NY, has been petitioning Cardinal Dolan to break bread with them since Easter. Dolan has not responded to the request, arguing that the couple lives outside his community, and that they want to foster debate. Now the Pope is setting a moral example that indicates he himself would probably dine with them, and that puts Dolan in a tight position. As the Pope opened up about gays, he reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s position that women cannot become priests. “On the ordination of women, the church has spoken and said no,” he said. “John Paul II, in a definitive formulation, said that door is closed.” But he also argued that the Catholic church has an underdeveloped theology of women, and he seemed to suggest that the church needs to deepen its understanding of women and their roles in society. He reminded listeners that he holds women in the highest regard: “The Madonna is more important than the apostles, and the church herself is feminine, the spouse of Christ and a mother.”

It’s Not What the Pope Said About Gays, It’s How He Said It

By Stephan Faris / Rome 

July 29, 2013

At first glance, Pope Francis’ statement on homosexuality, delivered today in an impromptu press conference aboard the papal plane, seemed to indicate a remarkable break with church tradition. “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” Francis told journalists, as he flew from Rio de Janeiro to Rome. “The tendency [to homosexuality] is not the problem … They’re our brothers.” The Pope’s words were warmly received by gay activists in Italy and elsewhere. “From now on, when I hear a bishop or a priest say something against me, I’m going to say, ‘Who are you to judge,’” says Franco Grillini, president of Gaynet Italia, the association of gay journalists in Italy. But like many of Francis’ more news-making statements, the real difference is less about the contents of his words than in the direct, earthy style in which he delivers them and the church teachings he chooses to emphasize. “It’s the way he’s expressing himself, with great candour, that is surprising to people,” says John Wauck, a professor of communications at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. “Actually, the substance of it is nothing exceptional.” Francis’ comment in May that some atheists might make it into heaven drew headlines. The Vatican’s subsequent explanation that his words were in line with a long tradition of church teachings did not. Similarly, Francis’ statement on the plane was not far from the passage on homosexuality in the catechism of the Catholic Church, published under Pope John Paul II in 1992. That text calls on Catholics to accept homosexuals “with respect, compassion and sensitivity,” avoiding “every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard.” Where he differed is in what he left out: the accompanying message in the catechism that while a gay person is to be accepted, acting out on homosexual acts is to be deplored: “Under no circumstances can they be approved … Homosexual persons are called to chastity.” Francis, who cited the catechism in his answers to reporters, said nothing to contradict this. Asked for his position on gay marriage, he answered: “You know perfectly the position of the church.” But while Francis has put little doctrinal space between himself and his predecessors, comments like the one on the plane reflect a clear choice in the early months of his papacy to de-emphasize the issues of sexual morality that have made the church a lightning rod in the culture wars. Even as France was consumed last spring in debate over the legalization of gay marriage, a battle that pitted the French church against the government, Francis made no mention of the issue. In Brazil, he told the reporters on the plane, he purposefully avoided talking about abortion or gay marriage, in order to stay focused on the positive. “His message is not ‘Don’t do that, don’t do this,’” says Wauck. “The moral strictures are present, but they’re implicit. The attention of the Pope is on a much larger vision of the church and what Christianity has to offer to the world.”

HIP TO BE SQUARE

gogibbogo: Not too impressed. Maybe I just don't understand rap music :-/ JAY Z - Magna Carta... Holy Grail on #Spotify

ChasCondouBlog: @gogibbogo the only rap song I've ever liked enough to play more than once was Hitler Rap by Mel Brooks lol #oldmanmusic

gogibbogo: @ChasCondouBlog I like a bit of old skool Jay-Z, me.

ChasCondouBlog: @gogibbogo back in the day I used to be a working DJ and kept plenty of Jay-Z on hand but I'm not a big fan. Am currently remixing acapella files of Caro Emerald trying diff beats under the tracks

ChasCondouBlog: @gogibbogo #OnceaDJalwaysaDJ

gogibbogo: @ChasCondouBlog you are so hip

ChasCondouBlog: @gogibbogo ..... It's a curse x

I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU 

BUT HERE ON THE BLOG

WE LIKE TO JUDGE THE CLERGY!

NB. The above picture is Reverend Bob Horrocks of Bolton "The Naked Vicar"
Rev Bob appears in a video made by Channel 4 talking about his experiences as a naturist and man of the cloth. The following link comes with a warning that Bob's video contains full frontal nudity. Discretion is advised with minors and / or if you are viewing in a public area:
Click HERE

THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN

ByronStol: @SirThomasWynne LOL I think we should judge the bastards. :)

tnvol194: @SirThomasWynne rejoicing for LGBT community in Pope's stance. Yet, his church continues to marginalize women.

CHARLIE CONDOU - No.791

LAKE REPEAT

Charliecondou: Argh! Top of the Lake only part recorded!! Does anyone know if it's repeated?

Jasperbunny: @Charliecondou you could make up your own ending/beginning*
*delete as applicable

streetworker01: @Charliecondou iPlayer? x

MagicMinnieMinx: @Charliecondou Is this any good? http://www.bbc.co.uk/mobile/iplayer/episode/b037ljyz/Top_of_the_Lake_Searchers_Search

perky413: @Charliecondou if its 4/6 sat night on 2 @ 9.10pm

CoroStreetBlog: @Charliecondou Yes it's repeated, isn't it great????

Charliecondou: @CoroStreetBlog I love it!!

SAVE KENTISH TOWN CITY FARM

Charliecondou: RT @NW5parent: Please have a look at this petition, it means a lot to me: http://t.co/A05Xts7uVN via @38_degrees

SATURDAY 3rd AUGUST 2013

CHARLIE CONDOU IN

ALL STAR FAMILY FORTUNES

Coronation Street stars Charlie Condou (Marcus) and Paula Lane (Kylie) team up with their families in an attempt to win big money for charity.

ITV1 8:45pm Sat, 3 Aug

ITV1+1 9:45pm Sat, 3 Aug

Coronation Street special, Marcus Dent played by Charlie Condou and his family compete against Kylie Platt played by Paula Lane and her family to win thousands of pounds for their chosen charities. Up to £30,000 is up for grabs, but which team will second guess the British public best, and make it through to Big Money? Vernon Kay hosts. Last episode of series 9.

CHARLIE CONDOU'S COVER

Although the G3 & Out In The City Reader Awards were held back in May 2013 this is the first time the mock-up magazine cover has been available for use on the blog. This is Daniel K. Winterfeldt (one of my Twitter followers) with Charlie:

The cover is a detail taken from this larger picture:

Photos courtesy of Square Peg Media

"COMING BACK AS A MAN"
I dare you NOT to like this track....I very dare you!

AND SPEAKING OF POLITICS 

DAVID CAMERON'S HEALTH SCARE

Earlier today David Cameron was rushed into A&E for an emergency rhinoplasty.

According to 2 very reliable Staffordshire nurses things went well and he was released only minutes ago...most people are still none the wiser!

A REAL HEALTH SCARE

Jeremy_Hunt: Long campaign for justice for Mid Staffs families vindicated today with 2 nurses struck off. Important for majority of brilliant nurses too.

ospotz: @Jeremy_Hunt Sacrificing a few nurses is not justice. Who pressurised them to falsify records?

Johnrashton47: @Jeremy_Hunt @JamesTitcombe blame the front line What about the so called highly paid leaders?

JoinedU1: @Jeremy_Hunt Please stop being so patronizing. A lot more cred for integrity and honesty. Nurses struck off, what about managers?

dochawking: @Johnrashton47 @legalaware @Jeremy_Hunt @JamesTitcombe nurses regulated profession:"highly paid leaders" not regulated, cannot be struck off.

DAVID CAMERON'S WAR 

ON INTERNET PORN

War on web porn obscures wider sexualisation of teens

Can we really separate a “nice” internet from a “bad” internet? That appears to be the thinking behind David Cameron’s statements foreshadowing the introduction of “porn filters”and search engine roadblocks. These policies muddle together a range of intersecting and complex social issues in order to offer a seemingly simple technical solution to the concerns of an ill-defined “moral majority”.

Presenting a solution like this actively prevents serious debate. Making statements about pornography as well as rape and child abuse on the same day also lends support to the media’s inevitable direct association of the issues. And yet pornography is itself an uncertain category that has not yet been sufficiently researched to back up any definitive claims of association or cause and effect.

Connoisseurs of popular internet memes will, however, point to “Rule 34” as clear evidence of how an initially humorous observation has so readily become reality. The Urban Dictionary provides a definition of Rule 34 that says: “If it exists, there is porn of it.”

Despite this potentially disturbing realisation, the proposal for filtering internet traffic appears to ignore text-based and “soft” porn. The first unfiltered category is the domain of a specific genre of fan fiction writers whose output precedes the popularising of the web, and the latter confirms the apparent existence of Family Guy’s stereotype of “high-class British porn”.

This prompts the question, what types of pornography are the internet service providers expected to block? And how will legal pornography that is to be blocked – we don’t yet know what this is – be distinguished from other apparently more acceptable forms that will not be blocked?

These questions introduce the technical side to the problem. Using technology to solve a social issue is a fraught tactic and in this case it ignores the resourcefulness of individuals and communities, both on and offline. The web makes the distribution of pornography easier and freer than any previous methods. Even a seemingly harmless site such as Tumblr is claimed to contain at least 10% pornographic materials.

Shared semi-private conventions also enable distributors and consumers of pornography to skirt filters and roadblocks. A classic example, though less effective these days, is the substitution of the “porn” keyword for “pr0n”. All the techniques of search engine optimisation embraced by multinationals and media outlets can be used by any audience who know the right keywords, and these keywords are themselves readily shared through social media. Blocking these most basic techniques will reduce the chance of accidentally stumbling upon pornography.

However underneath the web, amid the infrastructure of the internet, lies a much wider range of different methods for distribution and sharing that readily enables evasion of simple roadblocks or filters. These approaches do not necessarily use recognisably pornographic domain names, “jpg” file extensions or identifiable “flesh” tones. These methods can be easily identified in forms of sharing that have become conventional office technologies such as virtual private networks (VPNs), in anonymising technologies such as Tor and the peer-to-peer networking systems first popularised by Napster. All of these technologies are widely used for a variety of purposes that are not automatically illicit or illegal. Unfortunately, what can be used for pornography can also be used for child abuse and rape imagery.

Blocking internet access and predefined search terms may prevent the consumption of some materials. However, preventing our viewing of illegal, offensive or just distasteful material is the internet equivalent of gently closing the curtains and turning up volume on the radio. It is not a solution; worse, it may even encourage a naïve belief that child abuse and rape is somehow not a social issue.

Blocking some forms of distribution does not prevent the production of any of these materials or their consumption through different means. Technology has effectively made the production of digital images as easy as its distribution. The advent of “sexting”, the texting of sexually explicit images by teenagers, reflects the degree to which the combination of using a camera and texting with a mobile phone is a normal aspect of teenage life.

The readiness with which young people are prepared to send sexual images to boyfriends or girlfriends reflects the much wider issue of the sexualisation of teenagers and pre-teenagers. Where they are coerced into producing images by boyfriends or girlfriends for sexting it raises questions regarding the basis and “normality” of that relationship.

However, it is not necessarily the pornography that Cameron seeks to block that should be first examined for answers. A much wider and more serious self-examination is required of, for example, the career destinations of females held up as some sort of aspirational role models for young women or the relationship advice and guidance provided to young men by “lads mags”.

To resolve these problems we must look at society, not at technology, and at what promotes this dangerous behaviour rather than merely preventing people from looking at pictures of it.

AUTHOR

Gordon Fletcher

25 July 2013

Senior Lecturer in Information Systems at University of Salford

BLOG MILESTONE REACHED