Cool on Fire - Daniel Johns

I find this kind of mesmerising.
And it's steadily growing on me.
Daniel Johns certainly has presence.
I hope you enjoy it.

All Official Celebrations are Over. Santa is Sacked.

Okay so it's about to be my birthday, but I'm declaring an end to all official days of celebration.
For Adults, Kids, EVERYONE.

Christmas is over. Forever. 
It was nice while it lasted, but it had to go. In our culture of overconsumption we have everything we need - and then some, so Christmas gifts are out. Down here in Australia for Christmas we have fake snow, fake icicles, everything to make it look like winter, in the middle of summer. Stoopid. There will be Glacier Saving CO2 emission reductions from the end of travel to myriad destinations where we are expected but mostly don't want to be on Christmas Day. Waistlines will be sharpened with the end of gluttonous overeating celebrating the birth of someone most of us don't believe existed. We can forget being more 'straight' or polite for those relatives who are not so tolerant, or of whom we are less tolerant; and annual family Christmas arguments will become myth. Peace and quiet will fill the land!
Santa: You're Sacked.

Pack your bags Easter Bunny. 
Who eats boatloads of chocolate to celebrate the death of someone? If you're truly stricken with grief you'll have no appetite at all. We are pulling the plug, there'll be a fall in diabetes and obesity; and hot cross buns can be replaced with HOT BUNS mmmm.
Anyone for rabbit stew?

Father's Day / Mother's Day.
Really it's just like Christmas, but for those who aren't procreationally challenged. Blatant discrimination. The pressure to be nice and declare one's parents are the best in the world are features for this celebration. Maybe they are, but maybe they're not.  If your kids are rejects, they'll turn up on mother's/father's day expecting a free feed that you'll have to prepare. Be kind to your parents, if you want, and surprise them with gifts and your company when they least expect it. They'll be much happier. Parents' days are done.

Weddings.
Well, where do we start? If you like yellow brick roads, then these may be for you. But if you're really committed to the person you love, then people will see that and know that. You'll be lugging each other's groceries home in the rain and finding their favourite delicacy at that little shop at the end of that narrow lane with the one missing cobblestone that you always trip in. You don't need to spend 10 business class round-the-world airfares for a day of airbrushed photos with people you won't get enough time to speak to for more than a minute or two, even if you really really want to, to prove you love someone. Oh and at least in Australia if you're gay you can't officially get married anyway. Stuff it.
First Class Lounge: Here I come!

Australia Day / [insert your own] National Day. 
I appreciate my country for what it is. Unreservedly. I don't appreciate folk who drape a flag around themselves and pretend they're more Australian than someone else or beat their hands on their chest with pride at their country's achievements. Quiet achievers are far and away the ones I respect the most. Do it. Do it well. And make it even better for the next guy/gal. If you want to drink yourself into oblivion, call it alcoholism, not nationalism. If you want to wave a flag, do it for everyone, better still give the flag to someone who might not recognise it. Smile. And go build a wind farm.

Valentine's Day.
Valentine's Day is Abolished. Now the proof you are in love is no longer defined by a dozen long stemmed Crimson Roses being delivered with Lindt Chocolates to your lover's workplace. Facebook will no longer be filled with videos of proposals being made on this one official day of romance. Be like the stereotypical French and be amorous every day. Kiss in the street, on the train, in the park, make love every day. The gate is open spread forth the love, just don't limit it to February 14th.

Birthdays. 
It's the day you came out of your mother's vagina, or possibly you were cut out surgically. Hardly a day to celebrate, better a day to forget and move on. Oh that's right, we don't talk about vaginas or caesareans. Shhh, if you're quiet the day will go by and nobody will utter a word. "What about this weather!" "Look at all the birds and the bees... oh wait, no".

Grabs from the recent past.

I had an email from a reader today pointing out that I hadn't written on Superchilled for a year and encouraging me to start posting again. I checked the blog and it has indeed been a year. I'm a little flattered that I've been missed. Truth is I have a number of half written posts in 'notes' on my iPhone accumulated over this time. Times when I've felt inspiration on a plane, train or in a gap somewhere in a consciously chaotic world. 

So I'm going to post some of these unfinished posts, because maybe they're more interesting unfinished than they would be if I finished them. Not quite the 'unfinished symphony' but grabs at least from my mind over the recent past. 

About New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve until I was in my mid twenties was spent around a campfire with extended family and perhaps an odd smattering of friends. Staring at the animated embers, chatting about the past year and contemplating the year to come. There'd be an occasional song, a lot of laughter and at midnight the big thing was streamers being thrown at the person opposite you over the fire then falling into the fire and burning..

About Love

Falling in love is the subject of countless songs, books, movies and, undoubtably, psychology sessions. It's a time when your whole biochemistry is modified. You see the world in a different hue. The person who is the focus of your attention is fascinating, beautiful and flawless. At least that's how you'll see it. You want to spend all your time with them and pine for them when they're not around. You may even feel incomplete without them.

It's understandable that people get addicted to falling in love and move from one budding relationship to the next once the biochemistry normalises, the flaws enlarge and beauty fades. And right now you're expecting the talk about 'staying for the course'..

About Travelling

And as I sit down on this Free-seated Yangon Air flight I sense something in the air. And it's not the plane. There must be years of vomit here, all not quite completely cleaned up. And every seat I try has it. I start to wonder if their budget for cleaning and customer experience is higher or lower than their maintenance budget. And pray that it is lower, much much lower.

Not a hell of a lot of postage. But there you go. I started reading the second book by the author of London Preppy during my recent travel, finishing it while on my annual pilgrimage to Byron Bay. "HIGHLIGHTS OF MY LAST REGRET" by North Morgan. I enjoyed the read, but yet not. It's an unrested book. Maybe finishing it and moving onto something a little closer to me was what let me finally relax, and mid way through the break my sense of unrest was gone, a light switched off. 

Life sucks and then you die. Or...

Life is full of disappointments. Things break, relationships dissolve, or explode, holidays get rained out, work loses its excitement, finances don't quite pay what you wanted them to, people don't do what they promised to do, or turn out to be less than they seemed to aspire to... it goes on.

It's depressing, and inspires withdrawal from life and the possibility of further disappointment. But it doesn't have to. In fact I'm very on the side to say it shouldn't. Though it can be difficult to move away from a failed relationship or a broken down car without the funds to repair it, there is always an up side. Usually it's not at all clear at the time. And sometimes it can take a long while to see the silver lining. But there is always one and it can be life changing. You just need to look for it. 

A failed relationship may open the possibility for a new and more vibrant / rewarding relationship, or free up time for other activities. A broken car may result in more cycling and a healthier lifestyle and fitter you. It is what you make it. Sometimes you need to break throughout he grey cloud and grab the silver lining and run with it, as though someone would steal it back if you didn't. Before you know it you'll be out of the cloud and into a bright shiny world. But if you're running and it's still raining, keep on going. It will happen. You set your eye on the goal and you will get to it. It can be a tricky concept, holding on to the positive and letting go of the bad stuff. But it feels oh so much better when you do. I'm not going go into more detail here, but if you do need more advice or direction please do send me a line and I'll be here to help out.

I'm not sure quite why this is today's post the first in EVER and the longest pause from posting here on superchilled for it's operational existence. But it's what came out of my fingers as I sat at the beach house in Byron on my annual 'escape from the world and race the world week' up here in a little piece of heaven. 

World Championships Done. What's Next?

Me, racing the slippery wet roads of Hyde Park.

Well the World Triathlon Championships are done. That took a bit of work. I even managed to train with Aussie Elites in Spain, at their training base for the Northern Summer, before racing in (a rainy) London. I didn't win, but I did some personal bests. (I was initially elated then depressed then felt I had accomplished something.) It's a weird world, the head of an athlete. So I can tick that box. But what do I move on to? After full time training for a few weeks I was my fittest ever. It's going to be a challenge to maintain that leanness and eat everything I feel like. (The joy of 4-6 hours per day of training!) But I loved the training environment and the fact I didn't have to work or do anything much else. It did sap my creative energies though, hence a sparsity of posts here. I feel that coming back a little now. 

I was cycling with my brother today and he asked what was my next exercise goal, after the last I have race coming up in a few weeks in Noosa. I hadn't really thought much of it. I was contemplating doing nothing much at all, which for me is probably still more than most, but maybe it's time to think of something different. I'm never going to be a world champion triathlete for a host of reasons. So maybe look at something else? Persist just for the sake of it, and push my limits? It's certainly a great way to keep über fit. But maybe there's something out there that I'm missing that would be perfect for me... 

I'm open to suggestion.

Contemplative in Byron

It's been a while. I've been busy, and I've not really been in the mood to blog. I guess I've been less interested in the world out there. And more focussed on my own world. Selfish? Maybe. Self preserving? That too. Maybe I just don't have that much to give any more. I don't know. At times I do, and at more times I'm too tired from everything else I'm doing to fit it all in. Which brings me to what the hell I AM doing. 

I have qualified for the world championship sprint triathlon which will happen in London in September.  It's taken some work to get there, and a lot more work ahead to get where I want there. The side effect of all the training is getting a whole lot fitter. I'm okay with that, and I should have peak fitness in the Australian Spring. Okay I'm fine with that too. I ordered my team uniform this week. I'm going to be wearing Green and Gold and my name with AUS under it. It's kinda cool, and kinda scary. But I don't know I'll be doing it again so I'm going to go hard at it. 

Right now I'm back in Byron Bay. It's a yearly escape and has an ocean swim race and a triathlon bookending my week here. I love it here. It's like a playground for me. Great beaches, great places to ride, though they need to learn how to repair roads here, great food and enough eye candy to keep one well and truly satiated in a relaxed environment to take it all in. And I'm off now to take more of it in.

V Day PDA Day

Valentine's Day!

It's only recently that I've been seeing a hell of a lot of men kissing, embracing and marrying each other. It's now routinely in the media, from the news to music videos, TV, theatre and cinema.  

As a kid there was nothing and even as a younger gay man it was only something I'd see in gay venues and occasionally on the street in the gayer inner city neighbourhoods or at gay & lesbian film festivals. It's only really quite recently that I've actually felt more comfortable with public displays of affection with same sex couples, though while a straight couple holding hands or kissing on the street won't register on my radar, a same sex couple still pings as something out of the ordinary, and makes me just a little off balance. I don't want it to but we have been taught from a young age to identify things that don't fit patterns and it still doesn't for me. 

I'm enjoying the normalcy with which the media is increasingly portraying same sex connections, and the fact that the straight community is actually starting to be a vocal supporter. I look forward to the day when nobody takes a second glance at a same sex couple displaying affection, unless it's because they're just too sexy.

Happy Valentines day everyone.

It's not about P!nk

I've been gently reminded by a kind friend that I haven't posted here in a while. He's quite right. So where have I been all this time? 

I've been pursuing my own Olympic ideals, bumping up my triathlon training in anticipation of competing and actually getting to the finishing line for the Noosa triathlon in just a few weeks. And on from that aiming at qualifying for the world championships next year in London. People who know me well would be surprised to note that this training has included some regular pre-work cycling training through the absolutely serene Royal National Park. The surprise being in the early morning starts rather than the course of the ride. Mind you I'm not elite and not anticipating competing in Rio, but I am loving the feeling of getting faster on my feet and on the bike and aiming for a competitive result. Last year in Noosa I had trained well, and was in form until a few days prior to the race when a mild cold set off a chain of events that ended in me taking an Ambulance past the finish line, and on to 4 litres of IV fluids in Emergency. A fun experience on its own but not one I'd like to repeat. And so any patient arriving in my surgery with a cold or flu at the moment is finding me a little more distant (physically) and rapid than I'd normally be. I'm taking no prisoners. 

Similarly over the past year I've been sporting varying amounts of facial hair, and today experienced an unexpectedly cold face as I shaved it all off, matching my newly slick short haircut. I have to keep cool, keep hydrated and keep fast. I even took the opportunity in Samoa on holidays recently to run in the heat and humidity to improve my climactic conditioning. I have monitors checking my running speed, heart rate, run and cycle cadence... Obsessed? Almost. 

Jumping out of my skin? Totally. Loving it. 

Marriage Equality for Dummies

ido.org.au 

I like this video. It's simple, to the point and positive. 

Sexy Political Activism

3min 22

I'm not following the US elections especially closely at this point, but I like the infectiousness of this viral campaign. So I'm going to help it along, just a little. 

Danell Leyva

USA Gymnast Danell Leyva strikes a few poses. 

More Philipp Boy

One just can't have too much of a good thing. So here he is.

German Olympic Gymnast Philipp Boy, from his own website. 

Randomly Selected Olympic Treats

Camille Lacourt - French swimmer

Claudio Capelli - Swiss gymnast

Marcel Nguyen, Fabian Humbuchen &  Philipp Boy - German Gymnasts

Philipp Boy - German Gymnast

More Jake Dalton

There are loads of hot Gymnasts at London Olympics, and Jake is up the top of that rather elite tree. I kinda like that he's seen also here with our Aussie diving star Matt Mitcham. 

Sam Mikulak & Jake Dalton - Gymnastics

2012 Olympics USA Gymnastics team hotties Jake Dalton & Sam Mikulak.

Got more photos? Send them to me at superchilledtrevor@gmail.com

Gold Medalist Swimmer - Ryan Lochte

Game On

Olympic season. I love it. I am a sporting guy, and while I love the actual sporting competition, the lack of bodysuits in the swimming, the finely tuned abs in the diving and the general aesthetic awesomeness that are the Olympians certainly draws me in deeper. And I want to get in deeper still.

I've had this photo of Swedish decathlete Bjorn Barreförs sent to me by a friend and I'm keen to get all the hot photos of athletes that you have found in the lead up to and during this olympic games, noting your country may have images that we don't see here.  So send away and I'll be posting up images as they arrive. Unfortunately Bjorn didn't make the games team. Let's find out who did... 

Email your images to superchilledtrevor@gmail.com

Tasty

Okay it's an obscure link, but having had a new kitchen installed recently, with an Oven to play with for the first time in 3 years, a Dishwasher and Drawers (yes the old kitchen had none of the above), I've been playing a lot more in the kitchen with an outpouring of lickable results. It just happens that the guys from Andrew Christian underwear sent these rather appealing promotional shots. (There's a video too, which is over the top, but a fun watch).

I've been cooking all manner of things and right now am thinking it's time to work on my Soufflé  skills. If anyone has any awesome souffle recipes, let me know. Now I just need to find myself some kitchen help (or hinderance) like the guys above... 

Refreshingly Normal

I was reading the Sydney Morning Herald this week and there was this article (originally from the Los Angeles Times) about the marriage of one of the co-founders of facebook. The article was quite a straight forward  documentation of an event. But what stood out for me was that it was a gay marriage, and that that itself was not the topic of the article. In fact there was no reference to it being a 'gay wedding' just a documentation of two people in love tying the knot. 

I felt entirely refreshed. A sign that we can move on from the spectacle and surprise of a gay relationship moving on to marriage and it becoming two people affirming their relationship publically, just like any other two people, irrespective of gender. 

That's a definite LIKE.

Abercrombie Hotness on Video

I'll be watching this one again and again and again.