"Life is just a bowl of cherries." If only.....

Yes, we know. Life is not a bowl of cherries. Everyday brings a few downs to balance the ups. So, with a beady eye on the wellbeing of our readership, we're launching a caring service, free of charge and no drain on the resources of our legendary National Health Service.

This page will feature a daily photo. Often they are "selfies", their identity usually unknown, sourced from the huge resource which is Planet Internet. Each represents an image that, through its charm, originality or sheer hutzpah cannot fail to raise the spirits of the viewer. Once a week of images has accumulated, we'll start all over again.

The resulting surge in bonhommie, simply from focussing on a succession of bon homies, should sweep the globe and bring an outbreak of warmth and affection unseen since the Summer of Love, 1967.

So here comes the New Year of Fun 2015.  Don't forget to take your daily dose. Today's is up right now.

Prepped for the beach?

Let's hope it was a nice surprise!

He's wearing mellow yellow.

Someone lend him a jacket!

An apple for the teacher?

You only have to look into his eyes to know it's true.

​

Bali. Island of Peace, Morning of The World, Island of Gods. Just arrived! Jumped into a taxi to head for our hotel. It’s not so far from the famous Seminyak beach, and not so far from the airport. Ummm...are we there yet? No, we haven’t actually left the airport. The guide book mentioned bad traffic jams in Bali but this really is bad traffic. And it’s like this most of the day in the resorts close to the airport. Peak hours most taxi drivers refuse to use their meters too.

The reasons for the jams are easy to see. The footways are either full of holes,

Or they are cluttered with bricks or used as a parking lot by cars and motorbikes. So everyone jumps into a taxi or onto a motorbike even for short trips.

and then parks on the footway!

But there is always the beach - yay! But not the pristine golden sandy beach I was expecting. So much detritus!

Well, I’m looking forward to seeing the sights of Bali and here is one of the most impressive - the sea temple of Tanah Lot. Luckily we arrived before noon to avoid the crowds. It’s recommended for sunset views but is also known for large crowds of people at sunset, and of course long queues of traffic heading to and from Tanah Lot.

So, what’s good about Seminyak? Well, really great restaurants from chic smart seafood restaurants to small family “warungs”.

Massage parlours are plentiful and so cheap! You can get an hour’s massage for less than 15 US dollars. Mmmmmm....... so good. “Just relax” Oh! I am relaxing.

Now where was I? Oh, yes, Tanah Lot. Find the right spot and you can see the appeal. A holy place, in sight of other sea temples along the coast.

 The Bali National Museum in Denpasar is a good starting point for understanding the island’s cultural heritage. It’s a short taxi ride from Seminyak and consists of a series of buildings in different Balinese architectural styles explaining different elements of what makes Bali unique.

Ubud is another special place in Bali. Think organic, yoga, vegetarian cafes. Think also Julia Roberts sitting in a rice field (the “Love” part of “Eat Pray Love”). Prices are cheaper than on the coast, the traffic jams have disappeared and it’s a good base for visiting sites further north. 

Interesting temples - Gunug Kawi was my favourite. Hassle free with interesting 11th century carvings at the bottom of a beautiful valley.

And Pura Taman Ayun is very photogenic:

And so quickly a week has passed. Our taxi driver has arrived with his mother to take us to the airport. Will I be back? For sure. Not always an Island of Peace - too many motorcyclists for that - but still a very special place.

Former British Royal Ballet principal dancer Polunin, dressed only in tights, performs passionatley in the spirit of the demons that haunt Hozier’s huge international hit, 'Take Me To Church'. Notoriously tricky to work with and frequently referred to as the “bad boy” of ballet, he is currently a principal dancer with Moscow’s Stanislavsky Music Theatre and Russia’s Novosibirsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre.

He came to our notice when he walked out on the London production of Midnight Express in April 2013. See Related Stories below.

Born in the Ukraine, Polunin trained at a gymnastics academy from the age of four to eight, before moving onto the Kyiv State Choreographic Institute and joining the British Royal Ballet School at 13. Polunin has starred in Marc Jacobs modelling campaigns, been photographed by Gus Van Sant andfeatured in a number of music videos.

And so to the video. Enjoy!

It's always a good news day when a bigoted, homophobic organisation screws up. And then gets screwed!

In December, Cape Town, resident, Kyle Roux, 37, was surprised to hear from a friend that his image had popped up on a billboard overlooking a major highway in Richmond, Virginia. The billboard showed two pictures of Roux, in one wearing a suit; in the other, a T-shirt. "Identical twins,” the caption read. “One gay. One not. We believe twin research studies show nobody is born gay."

The PFOX Poster

The sign was put up by a group called Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (or PFOX), a nonprofit organization that promotes the misguided and fallacious idea, that gay people can change their sexual orientation through therapy or prayer.

Roux, an interior designer from Cape Town, was no fan of the message. For one thing, he is not a twin. For another, he is gay.

“I’m a proud and openly gay man,” Roux has told The Huffington Post in an email. “I’m no scientist, but from my own life experiences, and those of my peers, I do know that being gay is not optional.”

Roux believes that PFOX, which has since taken down the billboard, purchased the photos of him from a stock photography site. Legally, he said, there’s not much he can do. But this week, he’s striking back in his own way.

Roux tells it like it is!

On Wednesday, Planting Peace, a nonprofit organization based in Topeka, Kansas, erected a new billboard down the road from where the PFOX billboard once stood. The new sign, designed in the same color and style as the PFOX billboard and featuring new photographs of Roux, reads: “Dear PFOX: Identical twins? I’m not. I’m gay. Regardless of what you believe I was born gay. And I’m proud of who I am.”

PFOX did not make a spokesperson available to comment for this story, probably because he could only have drawled, "Yup, we're screwed!"

Life. A Bowl of Cherries? We doubt it. 

Yes, we know. Life is not a bowl of cherries. Everyday brings a few downs to balance the ups. So, with a beady eye on the wellbeing of our readership, we're launching a caring service, free of charge and no drain on the resources of our legendary National Health Service.

This page will feature a daily photo. Often they are "selfies", their identity usually unknown, sourced from the huge resource which is Planet Internet. Each repesents an image that, through its charm, originality or sheer hutzpah cannot fail to raise the spirits of the viewer. Once a week of images has accumulated, we'll start all over again.

The resulting surge in bonhommie, simply from focussing on a succession of bon homies, should sweep the globe and bring an outbreak of warmth and affection unseen since the Summer of Love, 1967.

So here comes more of the Autumn of Fun 2014. Don't forget to take your daily dose. Today's follows almost immediately.

Let's get shirtless.

Let's get serious.

It's always a good news day when a bigoted, homophobic organisation screws up. And then gets screwed!

In December, Cape Town, resident, Kyle Roux, 37, was surprised to hear from a friend that his image had popped up on a billboard overlooking a major highway in Richmond, Virginia. The billboard showed two pictures of Roux, in one wearing a suit; in the other, a T-shirt. "Identical twins,” the caption read. “One gay. One not. We believe twin research studies show nobody is born gay."

The PFOX Poster

The sign was put up by a group called Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (or PFOX), a nonprofit organization that promotes the misguided and fallacious idea, that gay people can change their sexual orientation through therapy or prayer.

Roux, an interior designer from Cape Town, was no fan of the message. For one thing, he is not a twin. For another, he is gay.

“I’m a proud and openly gay man,” Roux has told The Huffington Post in an email. “I’m no scientist, but from my own life experiences, and those of my peers, I do know that being gay is not optional.”

Roux believes that PFOX, which has since taken down the billboard, purchased the photos of him from a stock photography site. Legally, he said, there’s not much he can do. But this week, he’s striking back in his own way.

Roux tells it like it is!

On Wednesday, Planting Peace, a nonprofit organization based in Topeka, Kansas, erected a new billboard down the road from where the PFOX billboard once stood. The new sign, designed in the same color and style as the PFOX billboard and featuring new photographs of Roux, reads: “Dear PFOX: Identical twins? I’m not. I’m gay. Regardless of what you believe I was born gay. And I’m proud of who I am.”

PFOX did not make a spokesperson available to comment for this story, probably because he could only have drawled, "Yup, we're screwed!"

The ANZ bank today unveiled its 2015 GayTMs in an event on Oxford Street Sydney.

Today’s launch event saw Mark Hand managing director, retail distribution at ANZ, together with drag queen “Anzabella”, unveil the GayTMs that included a disco ball GayTM along with a ‘bat your eyelashes’ GayTM. It is the second year the bank has run its GayTM campaign to coincide with Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras after winning a string of awards globally for its innovative use of outdoor advertising.

Inevitably, the idea isn't without controversy with some local gays resisting commercial exploitation. The majority, however, see it as a fun endorsement of the Mardi Gras from a sector not known for their public support of the gay community.

His face may well be familiar to you. Though only nineteen, Jordan has already made a huge impact on the modelling scene. The following images will expalin why more words would be completely superfluous.

The Stats

Nationality:     American (California)
Birthday:         January 31, 1996
Height:            6'2"
Waist:             31"
Shoe:              12
Suit:                38L
Inseam:          33"
Hair:               Dark blond
Eyes:              Blue

Agencies:

New York:        One Management
Los Angeles:    Vision Models
Miami:              Wilhelmina Models

Lustralboy says: "No words needed, right?"

With Cucumber/Banana/Tofu now well into its eight-part run, both here in the UK and in America, it's now possible to distinguish the reality from the hype; but it's a mixed picture.

Lance and Henry.

For those who have been recently absent from Planet Earth, the two interwoven drama series explore the contemporary gay world through the lives of two disparate generations. The hour-long Cucumber probes the thrills, misadventures and mid-life crises of Henry Best and his long-suffering boyfriend of nine years, Lance Sullivan.

Henry's nephew and friend.

The half-hour Banana follows the individual lives of younger characters peripheral to Henry’s world through stories of modern love – the romantic, the desperate, the hopeful, the lonely, the vulnerable, and the lucky. The setting is urban Manchester, England.  ‘Tofu,’ the third element, is a factual series about sex, based online.

It's a return to a gay theme for writer, Russell T. Davies after his ground-breaking "Queer as Folk", made at a time when campaigners were fighting to reduce the age of gay sexual consent  from 18 to 16, in the midst of the AIDS crisis. Davies’ latest shows are, however, screening in a radically different era when two men or two women can legally marry each other.

The most interesting feature is the tonal differences between the hardcore Cucumber and the softer Banana.

Dean and Henry

Where almost every scene in Cucumber involves someone trying or failing to have sex, graphically illustrated and with no linguistic inhibitions, Banana offers a contrasting emotion-laden path to a generally uplifting conclusion.

Freddie and Henry

So Cucumber revolves around Henry's sexual dysfunctions and his obsession with young flatmate, Freddie, charmingly played by pin-up Freddie Fox, a key factor in the ratings to date.

Freddie Fox

Banana, in contrast, features rites of passage tales, a young lesbian working through her obsession with a mature married woman, or a transsexual Helen, once Ken, coping with a jealous ex who resorts to the social networks to embarrass her.

Helen and her Dad

So it's a case of the physical and sexual Cucumber versus the psychological and emotional Banana. Both have their merits, a shared authenticity,  pacy plotting and competent acting. As for which will linger longest in the memory, maybe the fuller flavour of Banana will scoop the awards it surely deserves. Apart from its length and rigidity, there's maybe just not so much reward from a Cucumber!

Good luck, Henry!

So here come the Top Ten images that you have most liked for their charm, wit or simple loveability throughout the month of December 2014. They come from either the Adrenaline Corner, Kickstart Your Day, Undies in Selfies and The Lustralboy One-a-Day Spirit Lifter feature pages. Presented in reverse order, here comes  No 10.

No 10

No.9

No.8

No 7

No.6

No 5

No. 4

No.3

No 2

Well done, No.1.

Sunrise. Here it comes. You'll see it soon.

If you're lucky, the sun will soon be breaking through on another perfect day. On the other hand, you may be feeling like you'd prefer the world to end or at least to leave you alone cocooned in your private early morning misery. Which is where your daily Kickstart comes in.

Yes, every day Lustralboy will caringly bring you an image sourced in the hope of bringing a little inspiration to your waking moment. We'll accumulate them for a week, then start all over again. And your first is already right here. 

Good morning world.

It's a brand new day!

He deserves a lovely day.

​Time to get up, babe.

Back to bed, then?

Taking a rest from the weights room.

Coffee, please?

Yes, it is a good morning.

Meet him on the bicep curl machine.

Go for an early stretch.

​Not yet ready for the new day.

He's getting a steamy kickstart to his day.

​Nice vest too!

Welcoming the New Year sunshine.

The warmth of sun on the skin. Lovely!

Not quite up yet.

​He's ready to pop down your chimney tonight!

Morning cheer.

​What a start to the day! But is there room for two?

Still getting up.

Nipple at dawn! 

​Still half asleep. Back to bed?

Magic on a misty morning.

Remembering last night?

​Looking to the future.

​Some things in life ARE black and white.

Start the day with a morning run.

​No peeking!

​Admiring the sunrise.

His day stars here.

"Here's looking at you, kid."

Wake up to colour.

Strart the day with a treat. And some fruit!

A room with a view!

​Hello Monday!

Enjoying the heat!

Ready for the weekend?

​Soon to be shirtless.

Reach for some matching headgear?

Up and about yet?

It's a blue sky day.

The Rosas twins wish you "good morning."

A smile may come along later.

A new day. No time to look back.

An original way to start the day.

Even Apple couldn't get him going!

The joy of the early morning dip.

​Back to the beach, then.

Start with a shower?

A bright start to the day.

Wake up to music on the beach.

1. Victor Norlander. A boy next door.

As Autumn approahes and the days shorten, we all need a little cheering up. So we thought we'd assemble a collection of the loveliest smiles we've been able to exhibit on lustralboy.

Models, typically, pose with a look of detatched superiority. It's rare to get a spontaneous grin or even a hint of warmth. Both these features are to be found in the twelve images that follow. Enjoy at your leisure and click on the image if you wish to enjoy more of them.

2. Anonymous but hugely smiley. 

3. Steven Lettnin, irrepressible confidence.

4. Perrenial favourite, Francisco Lachowski. Fun at bathtime.

5. Anonymous, but happily sure of his topic.

6. Lucho Zabrana, Edu Beber. Edu with the smile.

7. Nikita Berezin, not a care in the world.

8. Luke Worrall. Shockingly cheerful. What has he been up to?

9. Victor goes nautical. Yes, will do, Cap'n!

10 Francisco again. And why not?

11. Starry River Viiperi, signing on for smile duty.

12. Robbie Wadge, the cheery grin of a London lad. 

And finally five bonus pics: all disarmingly endearing.

Lustralboy hopes these images were rewarded with a smile from you too. Click any of the Top 12 images to go to a gallery or story whence they came.

Shark alert!

Just for fun, you understand, we''ve been keeping an eye on the appearances of branded underwear in that popular current form of self-expression, the selfie. No surprises that Calvin Klein dominates, if that's the right the word. But Diesel, Emporio Armani, 2(x)ist and various others show up too. Not to forget the occasional unbranded treat.

Have fun exploring our favourite other thirty.

And finally.......okay so you can barely see any brand.  But do you really care?

Feel free to nominate your favourite as a comment below. And if you're particularly proud of your own effort, just email it to editor@lustralboy.com. You might be about to go global!

Thousands of spectators descended last night on Sydney for this year's 37th Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade.

Around150 floats carrying more than 10,000 people adorned with half a tonne of glitter spanned five kilometres in the parade. Themes covered a range of topics including anti-homophobia in sport and marriage equality.

"This fight against discrimination in sport is part of the great civil rights struggle that Sydney's Mardi Gras has led in Australia for 37 years," Ignatius Jones, Mardi Gras' senior parade creative consultant, said. "As long as even one gay or lesbian kid is afraid to play sport, one of Australia's defining activities, for fear of being denounced, Mardi Gras has a purpose."

Okay. Enough words. We'll let the images tell the rest of the story.

Lustralboy applauds this splendid annual celebration and the focus this year on homophobia in sport, a theme we have addressed many times. Go Sydney Mardi Gras. And on to 2016.

Ben Carson

In response to Ben Carson's remarks this week that being gay is a choice, activist and columnist Dan Savage invited the Republican presidential prospect to "suck my dick" to prove it.

Dan Savage

Carson on Wednesday told CNN that prisoners are an example of how homosexuality can be a choice. Savage then challenged Carson in an open letter:

"If being gay is a choice, prove it. Choose it. Choose to be gay yourself. Show America how that's done, Ben, show us how a man can choose to be gay. Suck my dick. Name the time and the place and I'll bring my dick and a camera crew and you can suck me off and win the argument."

Carson later apologized for his remarks, but not before a volley of criticism for his exchange with CNN's Chris Cuomo. He had said in the interview there was no comparison between civil rights and gay rights because citizens have no choice of their race, while homosexuality is "absolutely" a choice. "A lot of people who go into prison, go into prison straight, and when they come out they're gay," he said.

In his essay, published March 4 in The Stranger, Savage, who writes a syndicated sex column, wrote how religious conservatives use the "choice" argument to deny civil rights to the gay community.

Defending his challenge, he commented today, "....sometimes to get the attention of someone like that, to really make it clear to them, how low and disgusting they’re being, how vile they’re being, you have to meet them on the field where they are doing battle and take them on."  

Lustralboy says, "Carson has previous in his vicious abuse of gays. Shaming him as Savage has done, is the least that he deserves. Bigotry needs the most uncompromising of responses. We're with Savage."

The land divers of Vanuatu, forerunners of contemporary thrill-seekers like the bungee jumpers, know how to go get an adrenaline surge. Admittedly, for them, this represents a necessary rite of passage for the pubescent males in their community. But, pubescent or not, we all need an early morning lift.

Sadly, you may not have access to comparable facilities. In that event, we propose our new daily contribution to the starting moments of your day: Adrenaline Corner. This experience comes risk free, the hormonic wave being unleashed by an image of masculine beauty researched exhaustively to deliver just that reaction. Today's follows immediately.

Is he flesh? Is he marble?

Time to top up the tan?

Caught by the first light of dawn.

Now, where did that come from?

What's that on the bedspread?

Up and about yet?

A warm welcome to 2015.

An irresistible invitation!

A room with a view.

So what's for breakfast?

Anyone fancy a workout?

Was the adjective "buff" ever more relevant?

​Well, hello!

​Things are looking up.

So what's next?

Look back in wonder.

So who needs to smile?

A big hit with Vinyl fans, apparently!

​Just hanging! 

Anyone for a workout?

​That moment of uncertainty.

Is he looking for you?

​Memories are made of this.

Can I have my hand back?

Is he thinking about you?

This caps the lot!

Who's for a dip?

Nice jacket.

Good morning!

Showers clearing. Sunshine later.

​Caught by a shower.

The urban landscape.

Towel of the day.

Want the key to his heart?

Shirt of the day.

​Good morning.

Hello No. 13, lucky for some!

​Is the beach calling?

​A hoodie never looked so cool.

A throw or a submission?

Whoosh! And tomorrow's will be along...........................tomorrow.

If you liked it, then you should have put a ring on it.

Artist or model? 

Thrill to the neck furniture. And other stuff.

"Life is just a bowl of cherries." If only......

Yes, we know. Life is not a bowl of cherries. Everyday brings a few downs to balance the ups. So, with a beady eye on the wellbeing of our readership, we're launching a caring service, free of charge and no drain on the resources of our legendary National Health Service.

This page will feature a daily photo. Often they are "selfies", their identity usually unknown, sourced from the huge resource which is Planet Internet. Each repesents an image that, through its charm, originality or sheer hutzpah cannot fail to raise the spirits of the viewer. Once a week of images has accumulated, we'll start all over again.

The resulting surge in bonhommie, simply from focussing on a succession of bon homies, should sweep the globe and bring an outbreak of warmth and affection unseen since the Summer of Love, 1967.

So here comes colourful Spring, 2015. Don't forget to take your daily dose. Today's follows almost immediately.

​Anyone fancy a dip?

Shorts of the day.

Guess the tide's out.

Enjoying the springtime greenery.

And now, a little teaser of the boy!

N.B. for any of our audience unfamiliar with the term, "gay icon", this doesn't imply that Francisco is gay, only that he has a huge gay following. And we're on the team!