The Queen plays Helen Mirren

To mark Dame Helen Mirren's well-deserved Oscar victory for her portrayal of Elizabeth II in 'The Queen', I'm posting this clever and very funny sketch from the UK's 'Dead Ringers', in which The Queen herself replaces Helen Mirren in 'Prime Suspect'.

"One assures you, one will catch the bastard who did this."

Bennelong

Five Favourite Quotes

I have been 'tagged' by Sarah. See her five favourite quotes.

http://todaysapatheticyouth.blogspot.com/2007/02/5-favourite-quotes-tag.html

Mine do not at all prove to be as amusing as Sarah's. I have a lot of favourite quotes, but here's a few.

"It's not that I'm afraid of death, I just don't want to be there when it happens."

Woody Allen, 1976

This has almost become clichéd, but I still think it's brilliant. What's more, it pretty much sums up how I feel about that inevitable event too.

"If they're not here by two o'clock, we're fucked."

Ryan Baines, 2005

It's a long story that's too hard to explain on here. Ryan is a friend, and this was uttered on a random set of stairs in a random street in Toowong in the early hours of 2005. The absurdity of the comment is still reflected on.

"To those of you who do not read, attend the theatre, listen to unsponsored radio programs or know anything of the world in which you live - it is perhaps necessary to introduce myself."

Addison de Witt (played by George Sanders), All About Eve (1950)

"What upsets me about the job? Wasted talent. People could come to me, and they could go, 'Excuse me, David, but you've been in the business twelve years. Can you just spare us a moment to tell us how to run a team, how to keep them task-orientated as well as happy?' But they don't. That's the tragedy."

David Brent (played by Ricky Gervais), The Office, Series One

'The Office' (UK) is the most quotable program I've ever seen, and expect to ever see. Virtually every line is quotable. So, this is just one of many.

"Life is no way to treat an animal."

Kurt Vonnegut, 2004

Musical Update

I'm very, very happy to have just found out that Air has today released a new album - 'Pocket Symphony'. And I'd seriously, only the other day, been thinking about when they were going to re-emerge. I would usually be straight out to buy it, but money is currently a slight problem... So, for now, the suspense can only continue to build.

I'm reminded that I did not post the results of the recent 'My Favourite Album' poll. Here 'tis now. I voted for number one, and I do happen to believe that it is the greatest album ever... But there was no sight of Kate Bush anywhere in the top 100... Whilst I and others will be disillusioned, I've no doubt others will be relieved... David and Kieran, for example...


1. Pink Floyd — Dark Side of the Moon
2. Jeff Buckley — Grace
3. Radiohead — OK Computer
4. The Beatles — Abbey Road
5. The Beatles — Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
6. Nirvana — Nevermind
7. Led Zeppelin — Four
8. Red Hot Chili Peppers — Blood Sugar Sex Majik
9. Meat Loaf — Bat Out of Hell
10. U2 — Joshua Tree

Top 100: http://www.abc.net.au/myfavouritealbum/top100.htm

Sun sneezing

I knew it wasn't just me! I've always wondered why the sun, particularly after I've been indoors for an extended period of time, makes me sneeze. It happens almost every day when I walk outside into the sunlight and face in the direction of the sun. Most people I've asked had never experienced it...

I finally remembered to look it up! It's a condition called "photic sneeze reflex", found in about one in four people.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photic_sneeze_reflex

And for the less technical explanation, http://www.dankarran.com/sunsneezing/.

News

Apparently, we're all supposed to give a shit that Britney Spears shaved her hair off.

The 'news' (let's use the term very loosely here) of a bald Britney made it to the first half of National Nine News. I couldn't believe the newsreader, Melissa Downes, introduced the story with a straight face. Huh? I changed channels.

What the hell was I doing even watching National Nine News?

There are important, news-worthy events occurring in this country and around the world every single day. The planet doesn't stop for Sunday in order to allow Britney's baldness and other trashy stories like it to become headlines. I am tempted to say that our intelligence is being insulted more and more, and not just on Sundays. But I think it's reaching the point where I can't use the word 'intelligence'.

This crap is gobbled up by the masses and, without doubt, is being discussed in workplaces everywhere. The top of Britney's head, I'm certain, will stir up plenty of passion in Australians - much more than what some dull story on Darfur or climate change ever could.

Tell me if I'm being harsh. But I don't think it's all that unreasonable to believe that there is a reason why commercial news embraces stories like this. They make us tune in. Viewers do actually care.

Blair finally gets a complex question

With the help of some clever editing, this little video proves to very giggle-worthy. I myself have giggled rather hard.

(Too much time on my hands? Maybe...)

John's Reaching Out

He's actually getting worse... There's no mellowing with age when it comes to our beloved Prime Minister.

On the day Democratic Senator Barack Obama officially kicked off his campaign for the US presidency, he told the crowd who'd gathered to hear him speak that he wanted to see a complete withdrawal of American troops from Iraq by the end of March, 2008. The very next day, in response to the proposal from Obama, dear old John said

That would just encourage those who want to completely destabilise and destroy Iraq to hang on and hope for an Obama victory.

If I were running Al Qaeda in Iraq, I would put a circle around March 2008 and pray as many times as possible for a victory not only for Obama but also for the Democrats.

So, firstly, for anyone who was still doubting it, our Prime Minister is a very strong supporter of the US Republicans. This is the official confirmation right here. Secondly, it's funny, because he sort of already is helping to run Al-Qaeda in Iraq. And thirdly, since when did it become proper for the Australian Prime Minister to describe the Democrats, effectively, as terrorist-supporters? Since when did our Prime Minister feel it was his duty to spit on the thoughts and ideas of Democratic candidates? And we're talking about Barack Obama, not Jean-Marie Le Pen. We're talking about the Democrats, not some neo-Nazi party.

The best part is that Obama was made very aware of John's comments and correctly decided to counter them. The Senator said

I think it's flattering that one of George Bush's allies on the other side of the world started attacking me the day after I announced [my candidacy].

I would also note that we have close to 140,000 troops in Iraq and my understanding is Mr Howard has deployed 1,400. So if he is...to fight the good fight in Iraq, I would suggest that he calls up another 20,000 Australians and sends them to Iraq, otherwise it's just a bunch of empty rhetoric.

Everyone's entitled to opinions and everyone should be free to express them. But the difference here is that George, John and Tony, and the ever-decreasing number of people who agree with them, are in a world of their own. Barack Obama, the Democrats, and the ever-increasing number of people who agree with them, are concerned with saving human lives - something never very highly prioritised by the great war trio. Additionally, it is not the duty of our country's leader to publicly lash out at people they may very likely have to work with one day.

John Howard's love for George W. Bush - and I do mean love - is totally, totally sickening. But it all adds up at the end of the day: Australia's worst prime minister, best of buddies with America's worst president.

I wish Senator Obama every success.

Read a much more interesting take on Howard's remarks over at Sarah's VTAY:
http://todaysapatheticyouth.blogspot.com/2007/02/pro-war-howard-attacks-obama.html

Just in from VP

I'm not a great Putin fan, but I agree with his latest comments - regarding the United States as a superpower. He said the following during a speech in Germany.

"What is a unipolar world? No matter how we beautify this term it means one single centre of power, one single centre of force and one single master. It has nothing in common with democracy because that is the opinion of the majority taking into account the minority opinion. People are always teaching us democracy but the people who teach us democracy don't want to learn it themselves." [ABC News online, 11/02/07]

Of course, Putin isn't exactly the ideal person to be telling us what democracy is. Some of his past actions would indicate a slight misunderstanding on his part of its definition. But I agree with him here. The country constantly describing itself as some sort of beacon of democracy and freedom sets about successfully destroying democracy and freedom.

US government officials are "surprised and disappointed" by the comments... The truth just never seems to do it for them.

Kate Bush: Looking Good, Feeling Fit

This is the best little video clip from a British television program in the early 1980s, "Looking Good, Feeling Fit".

It shows Kate Bush rehearsing her dance routines with her support dancers, and includes a discussion on keeping healthy.

It's a gem (particularly for KB fans).

Fiona Apple

Why did it take me so long to find Fiona Apple?

David, having returned from Asia with a collection of purchases, lent me Fiona Apple's 2005 album, 'Extraordinary Machine'. I listened to it. Then again. Then again. And that was it - in love.

I had never heard of her before, despite the fact - of which I am now aware - that her first album was released as far back as 1996.

Her writing is highly original, and the voice is - like the great Kate - quite unconventional.

I'm really looking forward to hearing the rest of her work.

The clip above is the music video for "O' Sailor".

'Dark Matter'

A new film with Meryl Streep - see website & trailer:

http://www.darkmatterthefilm.com/