Wednesday, December 22, 2010

the long, long day

It's the summer solstice... the longest day of the year... and actually, it's my second 'longest day' of this year.

Six months ago, I was in Paris in the northern hemisphere, and it was the Fete de la Musique... a city-wide fresh-air music festival that brought the whole city out to enjoy a huge range of live musical performances on seemingly every second street corner. I loved it so much that I even stopped and listened to reggae :-O Gotta get back there soon.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

conspiracy theory

And speaking of WikiLeaks, I'm more than a little mortified by the international conspiracy to get Julian Assange extradited to the USA to be 'Gitmo'd' by the American right-wingers!

The UK, Sweden, Australia... all seem to be complicit in this outrageous attempt.

Let's hope that democracy can win out and get Assange out of their hands, because the politicians running our 'democracies' sure don't seem willing to help.

wiki traitors

What do you call someone who secretly reports back about his own government to a foreign power?

Yes, it is an 's' word, but in Australia, apparently, it's 'Senator', as in Senator Mark Arbib, rather than the more common term, 'spy'.

In many countries, not only would people like Arbib be treated as spies, but their acts of deceit would be viewed as a crime, and a serious one at that - treason.

How can anyone ever again trust Arbib, or the others named in WikiLeaks (such as my 'hometown' member Michael Danby), to have a say in the running of our country, when their loyalties are clearly shared with a foreign nation? They should resign in shame, or be kicked out of parliament.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

sigh

relief at last

Sunday, August 22, 2010

the donkeys voted

Never over-estimate the intelligence of the Australian electorate.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

proven redneck formula

One of the best from the Chaser... Libra-L

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

misterabbitt talking about the kettle

I just heard Tony Abbott on the telly accuse the *Labor Party* of running a fear campaign during this election!

The man who wants us to believe that we are about to be overrun by a tidal wave of boat people, even as we drown in a sea of government debt as a result of our sinking economy! While he stands up for 'realection' and promises to cancel everything and return us all to the dark ages.

I hope I get to see this lying little ferret buried at the polls on the weekend.

... and in the meantime, I'll content myself with watching him squirm as he tries to avoid Kerry O'Brien's questions on the 7:30 report. What a sleazy, untrustworthy dog. I don't know how O'Brien can stand to listen to his lies and waffle... I feel like grabbing his throat thru' the tv screen! :-P

Friday, August 13, 2010

graffiti union

I'm a relatively late convert to the merits of graffiti.

That's largely because it's taken me a long time to learn to differentiate between graffiti ART and graffiti VANDALISM (aka tagging) (and possibly that's partly because the vandals often manage to tag the art as well).

Now that I've learned to chill out about the existence of graffiti *in appropriate locations*, I find myself looking out for it and enjoying a good graffiti display as much as I would any art gallery exhibition.

I was especially pleased to find the terrific display in Union Lane in the city last weekend. Dunno when it got there, but there's a some excellent works on the walls of the lane now, and it's well worth checking out (in the daytime - it doesn't look like a place to be in after dark!)

Thursday, August 12, 2010

from Glee

Another current favourite YouTube clip, the kids from Glee performing an old favourite, To Sir with Love. I remember loving the movie (and the theme song, by Lulu) when I first saw it, whilst I was in High School... some time last century...

silence of the fish

On Saturday last, having noticed a small promo in MX the day before, I dropped by the Ian Potter Centre at Fed Square to take a look at a new exhibition by Australian artist John Davis.

It was one of the best trips I've had to the Potter. There was no major exhibition running there (with this year's Winter Masterpieces happening at the NGV St Kilda Rd and ACMI), so it was really very q.u.i.e.t.! No crowds, no competing to see the exhibits, no jostling for space or trying to see past the human statues who feel the need to try to dominate the space in front of every display; just the freedom to wander at leisure and take in the sights.

I really enjoyed the Davis exhibition, especially his wonderful fish (which would look lovely on my bathroom wall, if they'd thought to sell some facsimiles in the shop downstairs), and the adjoining installations by Mari Funaki. I then took a little more time to wander around and re-visit some old favourites, including Bracks and some new acquisitions by Sid Nolan. I have to make time to go there more often. It's a truly great place to visit, and we're so lucky to have free access to the wonderful exhibits there.

winter at the beach

aaarrgghh... they've won! I've turned this blog into a political rant; not what I ever intended to spend my time writing about. Time for a change of pace.

Although I've lived near St Kilda for the past several years, I've never had much love for the beach. I've wandered down now and then during summer, only to have the masses of tourists, day-trippers, backpackers, sunlovers, cyclists and skaters remind me of how uncomfortable the beach is when *everyone* goes there; not to mention the further discomfort caused by sunburn, salt air and flies.

Last Sunday, in the middle of a sunny but damn cold winter's day, I dropped by Fitzroy St for lunch, and then went for a stroll in the weak winter sun down to Catani Gardens. The St Kilda pier and recently-rebuilt pavilion caught my eye as I turned to head home, and I decided to take a stroll along the pier and take in the view before I left.

Although the wind was, to say the least, brisk! along the pier, it was a delightful stroll, with relatively few other foolhardy souls braving the cold, and the views at the end of the pier, of the bay, of the city skyline behind the boats at the marina, and of the pavilion itself, made it well worthwhile.

I still doubt I'll go back to the beach come summer, but I'll certainly take advantage of the next sunny winter's day for another stroll.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

lunatics trying to take over the asylum

And thanks to the Chaser team for pointing this out (it was SO obvious, really!)

time warp

Funny stuff from the ALP:

back to the future

Would anyone really be surprised that Tony Abbott isn't 'across' broadband? After all, they didn't have that in 1950! He can protest that he's not a 'tech' head, but he can't deny he's another type of 'head' :-P

Monday, August 9, 2010

blind leading the handicapped

I'm sure that when Andrew Peacock said "You'd need to be pretty handicapped not to appreciate that this [Labor] government is dissolving before your eyes daily" (Age, 9/8) he wasn't referring to the ALPs blind candidate in his old electorate, but to himself and Liberal voters in general. Most of them still wouldn't understand what the fuss is about.

the scariest woman in politics

Julie Bishop. I swear, when she was holding that cane toad on the news tonight, more people were backing away from her than from the frog!

the power and the inglory

I had to laugh when I heard John Brumby and Peter Batchelor claim on the news tonight that moving power lines underground would be too costly, and 'would cause an increase in power bills'.

Since when has any Victorian government in the past 15 years cared about increasing power costs for consumers?? When they virtually gave away electricity for free to Alcoa to power its highly polluting aluminium smelter at Portland? When they privatised the SEC and gave away our power creation and retail ownership to private companies?? When they decided to foist unnecessary and ineffective new meters on everyone, like it or not?? When they decided to build an unwanted and highly-polluting water 'putrification' plant in Gippsland??

Give me a break, Brumby! We already pay far too much for electricity, thanks largely to your government and the Kennett government, but I'd gladly pay a little more if it meant helping to remove a major cause of summer bushfires, removing the threat of summer blackouts when power lines are burnt out, and improving the aesthetics of the whole State by hiding these ugly and dangerous power lines underground.

It already happens by default in new communities, and it's time that you stopped hiding behind lies and implement it across the rest of the state.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

smoked out

I have GOT to stop paying attention to election news, no matter how hard it is to avoid, or my blood pressure is going to explode.

Now I find out, from Tony Jones on Lateline (which I wasn't even planning to watch, but it just cleverly started up on the tail of Yes, we Canberra!), that sleazebag Abbott is in bed with the international tobacco lobby to overturn the plain packaging legislation on cigarettes. Apparently, the budgie-smuggling 'action man' of Australian politics doesn't care how many other lives he helps to ruin if it gets him a little more in political donations or a few more votes.

And btw, just how stupid do the big British and American tobacco companies think we are, to imagine that they can bankroll an organisation that purports to represent the interests of Australian retailers, when it is clearly just a lobby group for the tobacco-murder industry? Give me a break!

no means no Abbott

It's clearly been a long campaign already for the Mad Monk.

Julia has at least had the chance to escape her minders and campaign as her 'real self', and it's a vast improvement.

No such luck for Tony. As his own daughter once famously said, he's a "lame, gay, churchy loser" (and doesn't her choice of language say heaps about her own upbringing?).

Only the most desperate conservative would vote for the real Tony Abbott, so he has to keep a tight lid on that side of himself and make sure that he only shows his campaign persona for the cameras.

It's inevitable though, that at times, his real thoughts and feelings are going to show through.

What sort of moron would attack his political opponent by using a well-known catch-cry related to rape and the abuse of women, with no apparent understanding of its sub-text? Maybe the same sort who gets a woman pregnant (or thinks he did) and then absconds and leaves her 'carrying the baby'.

This man is a moral midget, who has no empathy or understanding of the modern world, and would take us back 100 years if he gets the chance.

I'm not a fan of the current government, but I'll vote for anything that keeps Abbott away from political power.

our own axis of evil

I used to think that institutionalised religion and crime were the biggest threats to democracy and social justice in this country, but now I can see that the private school system belongs in the same league. A veritable Axis of Evil and injustice within our own borders - crime, religion and private schools. Come to think of it, both crime and religion have a lot to do with private schools!

I've read the news several times, but I still can't believe my eyes. The Labor party has agreed to maintain the Howard government atrocity that funnels huge sums of public money into the privileged private school system, at the expense of our public schools, for another 3 years! For what? So these children of the rich and nouveau-riche can continue to enjoy their birthright privileges (including practising the fine art of shoplifting), subsidised by all tax-payers? Children whose parents no doubt can already afford to avail themselves of the many tax-avoidance and minimisation schemes not available to the masses trapped in the PAYE system that supports private schools.

This is one of the worst, most unfair and unjust policies that this country has ever been subject to, and it disgusts me that the Labor party has allowed the private school lobby to influence and control it in this way.

My electoral options this month are shrinking by the day.

p.s... and here's a great article by Kenneth Davidson in the Age 9/8 on government funding of private schools.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

loose Abbott sinks boats

TONY Abbott is promising to reopen the two Nauru detention centres and restore temporary protection visas within weeks if he wins the August 21 election as part of his strategy to ''stop the boats''. The Age 3 Aug 2010

When I read crap like this, it makes me want to get on the first boat out of this country.

Liberal party polling has apparently discovered a deep vein of fear and ignorance in enough parts of the country that they expect to be able to get more votes than they'll alienate by taking this stance, and Abbott dutifully mouths the platitudes, and whistles to the dogs. Nah, he's not whistling now; he's shouting to the ignorant dogs of 'middle Australia' to join him in sinking innocent victims of war trying to find a safe haven in this country.

I feel sick to the stomach thinking about Abbott and his swinging bigots; I mean, swinging voters.

I like to believe that the majority of these troglodytes are located in the backwards parts of Queensland, WA and western NSW, and that a majority of Victorians and other educated people in south-eastern Australia share my revulsion of the insularity and hysteria whipped up by the northerners.

Victoria has a long, proud tradition of small 'l' liberalism and social conscience. Being bound to the ignorant masses of the north and west makes me wish at times that there was a way out of this federation, so that we wouldn't have to have leadership candidates from, especially, the far right-wing of the NSW conservative parties (Abbott, Howard) foisted on us at election time.

p.s... and thanks to the Age for providing a neat image for me to borrow today (4/8!)

poor cow

"A woman has been airlifted to hospital with serious head injuries after she crashed her quad bike into a cow, which then fell on top of her." The Age, 3 Aug 2010. Very unfortunate for both quad bike rider and cow, I'm sure, but... LMAO, that's a great sentence!

things that make you go hmmm

Ok, well, somebody has to say it - a little girl is reported missing 3 *weeks* after the last time anyone else sees her?? That makes me go hmmmm.

Monday, August 2, 2010

two down...

It's August at last... only one more month of Winter to go. Has this been the coldest Winter in years, or am I just getting old? (rhetorical question only, thanks!) And I wasn't even here for most of June! Spring can't come fast enough for me. But I must admit, there are a few things about Winter that I like... one of them is the visual impact of the branches of deciduous trees.

I dropped by the Conservatory in Fitzroy Gardens recently, and not only was the building itself looking magnificent, but so was the display inside, *and* the setting outside, with the city skyline softened by the bare branches of the trees in the gardens. I have to visit more often; it's a real treat.

me and an off-putting cinema visit

I made time on Saturday to run down to the George again to see 'Me and Orson Welles', a movie based on Welles' preparations to debut his play 'Caesar' at the Mercury Theatre on Broadway in 1937.

As a period piece, it was nicely done, with an authentic sounding (well, to my ears, anyway; it was long before my time!) script and great attention to detail in the visuals.

There were strong performances by the lovely Clare Danes, Christian McKay (as Welles), and even Zac Efron, and several nice supporting performances (including the guy who played the dad in tv's 'Beautiful People'!).

The story was well-written, with a good twist at the end... but one element distracted me throughout the show, and kept taking me 'out of the moment', and I don't know whether or not it was intentional, but the whole movie was presented in sort of washed-out colours; at times, it almost looked as though it was sepia. It was really annoying, but I don't know if it was intentional on the part of the movie producers, as a way of trying to capture the look of the period (in which case, they failed miserably and detracted enormously from the look of the film), or whether I was just watching a very poor print of the movie. At any rate, I'll probably try to catch it again on dvd down the track, even if only to verify that colour issue.

To make matters worse, for the second time in consecutive visits, the heating was broken down in cinema #1, and given that it was a rather chilly day, I ended up almost shivering in my seat by the time the credits rolled (again - just like at 'Inception')... another unwanted distraction whilst trying to enjoy a movie.

As David might say, "I can only give this movie 3 stars"... but maybe if I see it again on blu ray, in the warmth of my living room and with reasonable colour saturation, I might like it a bit more!

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

another Brumby transport fraud

Free rail travel on Friday to compensate for today's rail meltdown, says the Age. What a shameless con!

A day's 'free' travel does nothing to compensate the people who most subsidise this shambles of a train network, by buying weekly, monthly or yearly tickets! One 'free' day doesn't get accounted for in long-term tickets, so only a fraction of those affected by today's trouble, and most likely, people who don't use the trains regularly and may not need to use them on Friday, will actually benefit from this 'magnanimous' gesture.

Another show of insincerity from Brumby and Pakula to the public transport users of Melbourne. Roll on November...

Monday, July 26, 2010

misconception

I don't usually like movies longer than about 110 minutes, tops; I don't especially like action-thriller movies; I hate movies with lots of shooting; and I really don't have a lotta love for Leo DiCaprio's movies, so there was really not much point in me going to see the latest blockbuster movie release, 'Inception'.

However, I was intrigued by the way both David and Margaret raved about 'Inception' last week, so since last Saturday was so persistently cold and grey and miserable all day, I decided that I could do worse than lock myself inside a cinema for the afternoon. The George just happened to be running a session at a suitable time, so I went.

Two and three-quarter hours later, I was glad that I had! Never have I watched such a long film that seemed to finish so quickly. The story grabs you by the throat from the very beginning and drags you along so unrelentingly that you don't notice how much time has passed, by the time it ends - just like a dream, really!

The cast is excellent; it was delightful to see the gorgeous Marion Cotillard in such a high-profile movie; Ellen Page and Joseph Gordon-Levitt have become favourites of mine, and at last, Leo DiCaprio looks old enough to be believable in his role, and he performs terrifically (the last time I saw him, in the technically-excellent 'Revolutionary Road', the poor man looked like a 15yo trying to play a grown-up, which was totally distracting).

I completely bought into the story's 'dream raiders-of-the-lost-secrets' premise, and thought the multi-level play was excellent; I was kept on my toes throughout the film, keeping up with plot developments and the rules of the game, and never felt like the story was contrived or cheating the viewer. This was really excellent entertainment, and I have to agree with the plaudits given by the professional reviewers... a four-star movie for my money.

Friday, July 23, 2010

suns and...

So the Gold Coast football club are calling themselves 'the Suns'. Does this mean that Western Sydney might become 'the Moons'?? Or maybe they could be really original and call themselves the Western Sydney 'Daughters'! :-)

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

hedgehogs and macarons

I had wanted to see 'Le Hérisson' ('the Hedgehog') at the French Film Festival several months ago, but it was one of several movies that didn't play at a suitable time and place for me, and I missed out. When I saw it previewed on 'At the Movies' recently, I made a mental note to watch out for it (although I thought David and Margaret seemed a little underwhelmed by it, despite rating it fairly well).

The past weekend was fairly busy, so I didn't get to the cinema at all, but I made a snap decision to stop at the Como on my way home from work on Monday, and was pleased to find that there was a 5:15 session of L'Hérisson, which was pretty much ideal for me.

I was so glad I'd made the effort to go see it. Although it deals with some heavy and unhappy themes, I thought it was an excellent character piece, with delightful protagonists and an exotic (to me) setting. The end (which I won't spoil here) was shocking and a sad, but the movie itself was a pleasure. All the three lead characters, were excellent, and I was happy to see one of the my favourite French actors, Anne Brochet ('Comme les Autres') in a supporting role as well. I'd give this one 4 stars.

Oh, and one thing I learned while I was at the Como Centre for the film... I'd never previously noticed that there's a Laurent bakery there. I often call into the Laurent store in the city and pick up a couple of macarons for a treat, even though they seem pretty pricey, at $2 each (the most I paid for a macaron in Paris was €1 (around $1.70), but most were much cheaper.)

In keeping with the French theme of the evening, I decided to buy a couple of macarons to eat at the film. I assumed that, being out of the city, the store at the Como would be similar in price, or perhaps a little cheaper, than the city store, so I was really shocked to be charged $4.80 for two macarons! I can't understand why they'd be another 20% dearer at the Como (maybe because people who live around there can afford it and don't care), but next time, I'll stop by the city store instead!

a glimmer of humanity

It was delightful to read that not one, but two councils have volunteered to host a refugee processing centre in Australia.

It made me especially proud that they are both Victorian communities that have taken the lead in attempting to demonstrate some humanity toward people who risk their lives to escape oppression or death in their own countries, only to arrive here and be treated like criminals by politicians of both major parties, as they vie for the votes of the ignorant and bitter, but vocal, minority.

Both Abbott and Gillard should be ashamed of the hysteria that they have, respectively, whipped up and bowed to in regard to the tiny number of refugees that reach our shores. Sure, crack down on people who profit from the misfortune of the refugees, but stop further punishing people who are already victims of substantial injustice in their countries of origin.

Congratulations again to the people who have taken a lead in trying to demonstrate some humanity and decency to these people.

no laughing matter

I'm going to have to stop reading the election news for a few days, for the sake of my blood pressure, but I just have to note that the possibility of a future under Tony Abbott and his bitter minions is enough to make me think about killing myself already!

private school rorts to grow

At the same time as he promises to cut funding for important infrastructure programs, the mad monk of conservative politics is promising to make private school fees tax-deductable!

I was so disgusted when I read this, that I almost stopped breathing for a few seconds!

Federal government funding arrangements for wealthy private schools is already one of the biggest rorts left over from the Howard Government days. It's an outrage that taxpayers are forced to contribute so much to support these bastions of wealth, privilege (and shop-lifting), while chronically under-funded government schools are left to struggle, and their students are forced to endure sub-standard conditions.

To think that idiot Abbott is prepared to further feather the nest of his privileged constituents at the expense of the rest of the country by making fees for these unnecessary private schools deductable just defies belief.

My vote goes to any candidate who promises to stop government funding of private schools, or better yet, to 'nationalise' them and make them available to all Australian kids, equitably.

so happy for Jen!


Jennifer Aniston Adopts 33-Year-Old Boyfriend From Africa

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Xavier graduating shoplifting class of 2010

Now we know what money can't buy!

$20k pa in school fees, enormous government subsidies while state schools go begging, international school excursions, but these poor little rich boys can't afford to buy the things they really need - ski gear!

Of course they had to steal it - how else could they get it?

The worst part of all this? One day, some of these kids will be Liberal party candidates and get voted in , instead of ending up in prison, where they really belong.

maybe not all boat people are scary, Tony?

aBelieve it or not - Tony Abbott scabs a free snack from a former boat person!

And a bit more fun with the anti-Marx party.

in defence of public spending

Memo to Tony Abbott: I'm a working wage slave, not wealthy enough to avoid tax, so I pay every cent of taxation that I'm supposed to.

I don't like paying tax, but I understand that it's important, and that it's the means by which this country funds services and programs that are essential to all of our people.

Public spending is not a bad thing.

I do not want your budget cuts; I don't even want a permanently in-the-black budget.

Governments should use to debt to fund essential programs in times of need, just as the Rudd government recently did to get this country through a severe recession that savaged other countries around the world.

The last thing Australia needs now is a bunch of witless, economic zombies cutting into important and progressive programs that may benefit the whole country, all in the name of bringing an unnecessary surplus to the national budget.

Australia is a country, not a business. We're not here to make a profit for the conservative parties to sit on and boast about. Every cent raised from our taxes needs to be re-invested and used to progress the nation, not sit in the Reserve Bank to impress foreign usurers.

Your social and economic policies would bring misery and disgrace to this country, in the same way as your mentors in the Howard government did. Please... go away and spare us all!

Sunday, July 18, 2010

nightmare's edge

What kind of world do we live in where a man like Tony Abbott can be so close to becoming Prime Minister? This must be what Germans felt like in 1933. Howard was regressive enough; I don't want to live anywhere where Abbott's in control.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

derailed

I feel so stupid.

I read yesterday's announcements from the State government about the new transport projects, and foolishly assumed them to be election 'promises'.

I was so excited about the new metro system that I jumped online to the Dept of Transport website, and completed a survey about the metro, complimenting them for finally proceeding with this vital, long-overdue public transport initiative.

Today, I read the story in more detail, and realised what had actually happened.

There is no new metro. There's just a 'plan' for a new metro. The plan has no funding behind it, and is therefore 99% likely to never happen. It's yet another lie from the oil and vehicle industry-controlled State government to make it appear as though they have an agenda to support public transport, and mask their ongoing plans to extend the road network to encourage more cars and trucks.

I'm disgusted with them, and disappointed that I didn't realise sooner. No ALP or conservative candidates will get my votes at the next State election; I just hope that enough people will vote away from all of them to send a message about what we really want for Melbourne.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

holiday hangover

It's been a week since I returned to 'cool-as-ice' Melbourne, and I've almost recovered from the effects of 'holiday injuries' and jet lag. I can't believe that my long-awaited and long-planned holiday has ended so soon, but that's what time's like when you're having fun. I had the *best* time in London and especially Paris, so it makes sense that time passed even faster than normal 'good' time.

I had big plans, before I left, to blog my way across the globe and back. I lugged my netbook with me, and made sure I had wi-fi wherever I stayed, but look what happened - not one post about the holiday the entire time I was away!

I had *such* a great time every day that I was away that I just didn't get a chance to sit down and write. It's too late to make up for that now, but as I sort through some of the 2,500-odd photos that I took during the trip, I'm going to try to post a few here, like this view over Paris rooftops from the balcony of the apartment that I stayed in, and include some memories of the trip.

Since I've returned, I've realised how much time I must have devoted to planning and researching and preparing for the trip... really, since last November! And as the post-holiday blues start to set in to fill the vacuum, I've already 99% decided that I'm going back again next year. A new set of travel books is already waiting on my bedside table to be devoured and turned into plans for 2011!

holy masterpiece, Batwoman!

Not many movies that appeal lately, and ditto for graphic novels. One that I can recommend, though, was released last week by DC.

The stories in 'Batwoman : Elegy', though well-written (by acclaimed author Greg Rucka), aren't really my style (I think I'm a bit over the whole Batman / dark avenger / lots of graphic violence style stories these days), but the artwork alone, by J.H. Williams III, makes this volume worth buying.

Though the 'tough crime' stories don't appeal to me, I enjoyed Rucka's characterisation of Batwoman / Kate Kane and her supporting cast, and was glad to note that the gay angle of the series wasn't sensationalised or sermonised, but incorporated matter-of-factly into the storylines.

DC has released this collection, originally published in Detective Comics last year, in its oversize Deluxe hardcover format, which really allows the art to shine. It's a huge treat to watch Williams take the graphic novel art form to a while new level. This book is well worth checking out, and I hope the forthcoming Batwoman ongoing series looks as good as this volume.

get him to the George

The movie drought goes on.

I think I've only seen one movie at the cinema per month since April; there's plenty showing, but nothing that appeals enough to get me to go out in this cold weather.

A recent exception was 'Get Him to the Greek', a follow-up of sorts to 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall', elevating two of that movie's supporting cast to star billing... and doing it well! Russell Brand, best known for his dubious 'humourous' stunts on English radio, I gather, does a great job of reprising his character of dodgy rock star Aldous Snow, ably supported by the ubiquitous Jonah Hill, co-star of many recent comedy movies, including Sarah Marshall.

It wasn't howlingly funny, but the story moved along at a reasonable pace, and both Brand's and Hill's characters were sufficiently sympathetic to keep interest up. There were some really funny moments, including Hill's efforts to score drugs for his difficult client, and a wonderful brawl scene in a hotel. I was glad I made the effort to get down to the George to see this one. 3&1/2 stars for this one.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Burton at ACMI

Went along to ACMI at Federation Square today to see the new Tim Burton exhibition.

It never crossed my mind that there'd be a queue, so I took my time and arrived at around 1pm, only to find a queue wrapping around itself several times from the ticket office and out into Fed Square. I don't like queues at the best of times, but when a queue leaves you standing outdoors in 11 degree temperatures, not much would tempt me to join it. So I didn't.

I left Fed Square, and went shopping down at South Wharf for a couple of hours, then returned to ACMI around 3:30pm, to find the queue at the ticket office considerably shorter, and mostly undercover. This time, I waited and bought my ticket.

When I got downstairs to the exhibition space, I could see where the queue had gone. I've never seen the place so packed! It's great to see ACMI doing so well like this, but a shame that it was so hard to check out the exhibition through the crowds. I liked what I saw though, and maybe I'll go again in a few months, if it looks a little less crowded then.

I was sorry that they don't allow photography inside; there was some amazing artwork, costumes and sculpture that I'd have loved to have taken some shots of. It was well worth the effort to see the exhibition, though.

Next up: the NGV's winter masterpieces show, but not until at least after the school holidays!

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

not diggin' it

Notwithstanding the good news about Ms Gillard, a scan of the newspapers makes me start to wonder whether perhaps we all waste our time at the ballot box.

It sounds to me as though a gang of bully miners have hijacked the government, and are determined to set economic policy for the country, with, of course, the full support of the obnoxious mad monk and his arch-conservative cronies.

This is a key issue for me; Julia cannot back down on the mining tax issue. She must call the miners' bluff and ensure that the a fair share of the profits from the mining of our country come back to the people, and stop allowing these bullies to skim the money from our pockets.

If they don't like it, I'm sure other miners will find a way to make a reasonable profit under the new rules.

Julia... an important first

I was delighted to find out about Julia Gillard's rise to the PM-ship whilst I was o/s. It's way past time that we finally have our first atheist Prime Minister!

Saturday, May 29, 2010

the big day arrives

The time has come; the bags are packed; the flat's in lock-down mode; everything's ready to go... just counting down 'til it's time to go to the airport - London, here I come! :-)

Thursday, May 27, 2010

DC Comics 75th anniversary at Fed Square

This will be a sight worth seeing on Saturday! DC Comics' 75th anniversary comes to Fed Square. Gotta beat those poms!

Sunday, May 9, 2010

20 left

Can't believe how fast the time has passed... 20 days 'til I head off to London! I'm already stressing about what I've forgotten to do. Is it too soon to pack yet? :-)

Monday, May 3, 2010

twilight zone

"New freeway is top priority: state". WTF?

Did I wake up in some sort of alternate reality where Victoria has a great public transport system, lots of trains (that work), trams that aren't overcrowded, safe bike lanes and plenty of options for citizens in all areas to leave their cars at home?

A reality where petrol is cheap and non-polluting, and it's safe to encourage people to drive their cars everywhere??

Or is just that the Victorian government is so deeply in the pockets of the big petrol companies and roads lobby that it can no longer even pretend to give any precedence to decent public transport?

I'm so disgusted by this headline that I will never again vote for this government. Clearly, they are completely corrupt and out-of-touch with the real world. They can keep their Twilight Zone; I'm looking for someone to vote for in the real world!

Sunday, May 2, 2010

stark contrast

Couldn't wait to get to the cinema to see Iron Man 2 this week. Ok, I knew it wouldn't be, like, Oscar material or anything, but I'd mostly enjoyed the original, and I expected that this would be good too, and besides, there's been *nothing* of interest to me out of Hollywood in more weeks than I can recall.

I settled on the 11am session at the George. It was a mad rush to get there, 'coz I'm not the earliest riser on a Sunday, but we made it just in time. It was worth the effort, because, aside from the 3 of us, there were only about 4 or 5 other people in a huge cinema, so it was a very comfortable experience, and *much* better then slumming it at the over-crowded Jam Factory.

The movie itself was a delight! Robert Downey Jr brings a light-hearted touch that absolutely makes these movies, and makes them stand out from many of the other comic-based films of the past decade or so. Gwyneth Paltrow and Jon Favreau nicely reprise their roles as Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan respectively. Don Cheadle makes a fine replacement as War Machine, Mickey Rourke is excellent as Whiplash, and then there's one of my favourite modern film stars, Scarlett Johansson, as the Black Widow. Truthfully, she's the only let-down in the cast; not through any fault of hers, but because she doesn't get anywhere near enough to contribute in any meaningful way to the story. I know that she isn't meant to be the star attraction of the film, but I would have liked to have seen her role expanded considerably.

The plot is pretty basic, the action hard and loud (like the soundtrack music by AC/DC!). The battle at the Monaco Grand Prix was fun, as was the climactic fight at the Stark Expo. I enjoyed this film more than the first one, largely because they left out the politics this time - no Muslim terror groups threatening American interests this time around, just good old-fashioned bad guys causing trouble to Tony and the gang. Good stuff! I'd give this film 4 stars, for pure entertainment value.

the mad monk steals our democracy

I seem to recall that at the last Federal election, we voted in a Labor government to run the country for the next term. And yet it seems that, every time that government announces a new initiative, it's immediately followed by a news bite of the mad monk, Tony Abbott announcing that it's all really just another new tax, and that he doesn't support it, so he'll block it in the Senate.

Since when does the Senate run the government? Does Abbott not understand that we voted for the other guy to make the decisions? Why has he decided to hijack the country and rule it from the Senate, instead of letting the government do the job that we voted them in to do?

I'm tired of his arrogant negativity; it's time he showed some real leadership and thought about what might be good for the country, instead of what might help his own political stocks. He's the absolute worst kind of politician imaginable - the rat who undermines the interests of his country in order to further his own personal ambitions.

In the meantime, we all suffer as he and his cohorts pervert the democratic system for their own benefit.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

nothing to lose but your smoker's money

I can't completely agree with the Rudd Government's decision to lift the price of a pack of fags by $2.16.

If it were my decision, I would have put them up by $21.60 a pack!

Listening to those whinging addicts bleating on the radio about how hard done-by they are really made my heart bleed, and my stomach ache with laughter.

Smoking is a disgusting and deadly habit. If this tiny price hike encourages just a few people to wake up to themselves and quit, it's a wonderful thing.

If it raises extra money for health care for everyone else, that's a good thing too.

Smokers have only themselves to blame. If they don't want to pay, just quit. Otherwise, stop complaining - the rest of us are the ones who have to put up with your stench and arrogance; we're the ones who have the real reason to complain.

Monday, April 26, 2010

things that can go wrong with a holiday plan

I was a bit trepidatious about planning an overseas holiday by myself. It's been a looong time since I last could afford a trip o/s - back in the last century, before the internet, in the days when you would just walk into a Travel Agent's office, explain your dreams, and leave it to them to make it all real.

But all my traveller-friends assured me that the internet has changed all that, and that I *can* do it myself, and it *will* work ok. So I went for it. I wasn't totally convinced, but I went for it.

I had been planning for quite some time, so I aimed to make my bookings far enough in advance that I could get what I wanted, when I wanted it. My departure date is in late May, and I finalised my bookings in Feb. The centrepiece of the trip is a fortnight stay in a rented apartment in Paris.

I researched my arse off from October onwards, night-after-night staying up until after midnight, checking out all the online companies and agencies that let flats for holidays in Paris, and finally, in mid-February, I made a decision, choosing a cosy, top-floor apartment in St Germain. I contacted the owner, got an acceptance, and sent the money to the agency for the booking. With that done, I was then able to finalise all the other elements of my trip around those dates - hotels, train trips, etc etc. By early March, everything was arranged.

Until I opened my email on April 3, to discover a cancellation notice from my Paris host. Due to circumstances beyond her control, she would have to cancel my booking. Sorry for the inconvenience.

I went into a panic. There was nothing I could do about the cancellation, but now I had to find alternative accommodation, 6 weeks closer to arrival.

I re-checked the other four places that I had short-listed in February, only to find that each one of them was now let for the period that I needed. My heart sank. I felt like cancelling the whole thing and re-scheduling. Unfortunately, I couldn't cancel any of the other bookings that I had made and paid for because of this, so I had no choice but to go back to square one and start my search over again. The one advantage that I had this time was that there were far fewer places now available to look at!!!

It took me five more days, but I eventually found a beautiful place; bigger and brighter than my original booking, but not as well located. However, I was delighted to get it (but now just live in fear that it might get cancelled out from under me as well!)

At last, everything seemed to be set to go.

And then the volcano blew in Iceland.

Well, that seems to have settled down again now. I just have to hope that it won't fire up again, at least, not before July! Surely nothing else could go wrong now!?!?!

super stop it!

I noticed on a tram trip to the city today that work has commenced on new 'super stops' in St Kilda Road, near both High St & Commercial Road.

When the first super-stops were introduced in the cbd some years ago, I was greatly impressed by not just the good design and amenity of the stops, but mostly, by the wonderful new electronic real-time timetable signs at each stop. These have been a great help to me, and saved much time and frustration by letting me know how long I'll have to wait for my service, and whether or not it's even worthwhile to wait.

I was just as greatly disappointed when the ersatz super-stops were installed along Dandenong Road a year or so back. These ones looked like the ones in the city, but were missing one important feature - the electronic signage! This is the best part of the super-stops, but not even the very busy stop at Chapel St was deemed worthy enough to warrant one being installed.

A further disappointment was that whoever plans these things makes a decision by some means to re-locate or remove stops in the process of upgrading them. As a result, my homeward stop was moved from its old location to the far side of Orrong Road, making it far less useful to me (in fact, I rarely use it all any more, as a result of the move).

I now note in St Kilda Road, that the inbound stop at High St seems to be getting moved to the city side of High St (and I assume that the same will happen at Commercial Road). I also get the feeling that a stop is going to be removed completely as a result of these changes. And I wonder whether anything is going to be done to ensure that it remains possible to interchange to the 216/219/220 buses from the trams near Commercial Road. The bus stop has been moved during the current roadworks, but I couldn't see where it's been moved to... hopefully, not so far away that it can't be reached easily and safely on foot through peak-hour traffic.

I wouldn't be so concerned about these changes if I believed that the people who designed them actually used the services involved and had a real idea of how to improve amenity for passengers, instead of the tram company, but having experienced the downside of so many of their other works, I have a bad feeling about these new ones.

can't be beaten ...or believed

Amusing to see all the headlines in today's Herald-Sun about how wonderful the Storm is -like 'Storm can't be beaten'! Of course they can't be beaten; that's the whole problem!

Because they rorted the salary cap system that the rest of the competition abides by, they've been able to assemble a team of expensive champions that can beat everyone else, albeit completely unfairly!

Leave it to the Murdoch press to twist the facts and run stories that are blatantly in their own self-interest to promote a pet project that's gone horribly wrong, and try to build support for their own mistakes. If Murdoch's papers had any integrity and desire to present news at all, they'd forget about the propaganda and describe the Storm for what they are - cheats and liars. Really, not all that different to the company that props them up, when you think about it!

Sunday, April 25, 2010

spitfires and snakes

I take my camera with me most places I go, and often find views or objects of interest around town that I want to take a snap of.

I can't believe how often I suddenly notice things that I've possibly often by-passed without consciously observing. I came across one such object today - a statue outside the St Kilda Town Hall in Carlisle St. It appears to be a man, supported by large snakes, reclining backwards over a classical building, whilst one of the snakes holds a small Spitfire aircraft in its coils, far above his head.

I don't dislike it... I just can't for the life of me figure out what it means or how it relates to St Kilda Town Hall.

Monday, April 12, 2010

at the volcano's edge

I couldn't wait to visit Guilfoyle's volcano at the Botanic Gardens, after I read the report of its restoration and re-opening, in the Age recently.

It's an impressive feature already, but will become even more spectacular as its plant life grows and matures. The RBG has done a wonderful job of restoring it, and I look forward to checking it out again over the next few months to watch its progress.

welcome break

Didn't know what to do with myself on Sunday.

After a late sleep, I dragged myself out the door and into the car around midday, with no real plans at all. I dropped by Prahran Market for a few veggies and a coffee at Jasper's, then drove back to up Chapel St, intending to buy lunch at Hooked. Unfortunately, the entrance to the car park in James St was totally blocked off for roadworks, so I kept going to Carlisle St and had chicken and chips at Feast instead. By that time, it was around 1:30, and I remembered that there was a 2pm session of a movie that I was sort of interested to see at the Brighton Bay, called Welcome. If I drove directly there, and if I could find a car park, and if the theatre wasn't to busy (as if! :-), I could just make it!

So I zapped off to Brighton, located a car park with not too much trouble, and climbed the stairs to the ticket office with around 5 minutes to spare. I didn't quite make it to the top of the stairs, though, as the queue from the ticket office extended all the way to the staircase! Wow! I had never seen so many people at the Bay! The combined age of all those Brighton Bay patrons must have numbered in the thousands!!

Anyway, it only took me about 10 minutes to get through the queue, but most of the crowd were indeed headed to the same movie as I, so the best seat I could get was in the third row from the front. It was close to a big screen, so definitely a neck-buster!

The movie itself - not bad. A lot of English language (for a French film) made it easier to follow than some. The story (a Frenchman who tries to assist an illegal Iraqi immigrant to make it to Britain) was a bit predictable, and the characters not completely convincing, but the interesting part was the way in which the French government treats its own citizens who try to assist the illegals. It was reminiscent of the French underground fighting the occupation! Amazing and scary. I'd give this film 3 stars.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

for the love of reason

After an over-busy week, I'm almost too tired to keep my eyes open, let alone type, but I just had to make note of the astonishing performance that I saw tonight at Trades Hall - Catherine Deveny's 'God is bullshit - that's the good news'!

Part stand-up comedy, part self-therapy, this secular sermon left me at times stunned and flabbergasted. Even though I've been an atheist myself for as long as I can remember, growing up with family and friends who are believers in different religions has taught me to keep my non-beliefs to myself and be careful of saying anything to offend their sensibilities.

To see someone stand up on stage and plainly state that christianity and the bible are bullshit, to quote some of the nonsense from the bible and expose it to the light of day (and logic), and to make no bones about stating that it is truly ridiculous, both excited and scared me. Excited because it was wonderful to see someone else speaking the plain truth about 'faith' out loud; scared because I fully expected at any time that someone would leap from the audience with a fist or a knife or a gun to defend the faith against the blasphemer (no one did, thankfully!)

Catherine's show was not just funny, but touching, and brave. Her stance will make her lots of enemies (I have one catholic colleague who professed to, and I quote, "hate her" for what she says about catholicism), but to me, she's a beacon of reason and common sense in a world that seems increasingly under siege by the religious righteous. This was one funny show that gives you a LOT to think about.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

fun with mark

One of the best things about the Comedy Festival is getting to 'discover' new acts.

This arvo, I stood on the steps of the Town Hall, reading the chalkboard list of shows available that day, and I was approached by no less than three different people, all of whom were performers at the Festival, and none of whom I had ever heard of. Each gave us a spiel about their show, and we selected one of them to see that evening. That's how we came to be at Mark Trenwith's 'Fun' show at the Portland hotel tonight.

And 'fun' it was. I'd never heard of Mark before he talked to us on the steps at the Town Hall this arvo, but I quickly got the impression that I'd enjoy his show. and I did. It was a sort of a 'random' stand-up with video clips thing... a bit way out at times, and a few jokes sorta missed their mark, but by-and-large, it was a fun performance, and one I was glad to have seen.

In other Comedy Festival news, we were lucky enough to score the last two available tickets to one of the hottest shows in town, Catherine Deveny, for tomorrow night (as she'd already sold out many performances, including tonight and Thursday, this was .... well, not an act of god, but at least, fate!)

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Rickett's at the Vic

Sammy J is amazing.

Having enjoyed his show at last year's Comedy Festival, I decided to check out this year's 'Sammy J and Randy in Rickett's Lane', playing at the Victoria Hotel, and I was not disappointed. Working with puppeteer Heath McIvor, the performance was imaginative, frenetic and funny, supported by wonderful music and lyrics and clever staging.

This show was the most fun I've had at the Comedy Festival so far.

Friday, April 2, 2010

putting the 'good' back in easter friday

Typically, I look forward to Good Friday as the one day of the year when everything shuts down; there's nothing to do and nowhere to go, so it's the perfect excuse to stay really late in bed, then get up and do nothing all day, guilt-free. But today was an eye-opener.

I don't know how long this has been going on for, but I noticed that cinemas were open today. How long have cinemas been allowed to open on Good Fridays? I have no idea. But suddenly, the perfect day to stay in bed all day became the ideal opportunity to take in a movie. Not only that, but the fact that Palace cinemas also do espresso meant that Good Friday no longer had to be one of only two miserable days of the year when it's not possible to get a latte! Joy!

The movie was excellent (but I already knew that - I saw another session of MicMacs; this time, in company). Another surprise was yet to come though!

Driving home via Carlisle St, I was astonished to see most cafes open for business as well! OMG. No longer was Good Friday some sort of pariah day when christians impose their god-fearing beliefs on the rest of us and force us to stay in our homes if we don't go to their churches, by shutting down all forms of entertainment. I stopped at Grindhouse for a latte, just to make sure it wasn't a dream (sort of like pinching yourself, but by drinking a coffee instead of inflicting pain).

Cinemas. Cafes. and chocolate. It's a pretty good Friday after all.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

moronic - but in the nicest possible way!

Saw my favourite show of the Comedy Festival (so far) tonight - "Felicity Ward reads from the book of moron".

Felicity now has the distinction of being the first solo performer that I've paid to see in two successive festivals. She's very witty, and has great comedic presence, and her show tonight did not disappoint. Clearly, a lot of thought had gone into both the preparation and the presentation of her material. The segment about her struggles with IBS was hilarious, as was her Nando's audience meter!

And speaking of audience - the room tonight appeared to be around 3/4 full, the best I've seen so far this year.

To top it all off, she graciously stood by the exit and gave out copies of a booklet based on her show at the end of the performance, giving the audience an opportunity to get up close and have a quick word... and pretty much guaranteeing that I'll be back to see her again at next year's Festival.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

a full Monty

So it's the first Tightarse Tuesday of this year's Comedy Festival, and I had to work a bit late anyway... I was heading down Little Collins St to catch a tram home, when the chalkboard outside the Victoria Hotel caught my eye. In all my life, I had never before been inside the Victoria, so, noting that there were a couple of performances starting there in only half an hour, I decided to stop, buy a ticket, and check out the grand old hotel at the same time.

The first thing I discovered was - watch out for those sliding glass doors! They just don't go where you expect them. Each time I entered or left the building, I found myself standing in front of a pane of glass while the door slid across to one side of me!

By the time I climbed the elegant, if a little shabby, staircase at the rear of the lobby, towards the ticket office, I had decided that I would get a ticket for "The Full Monty", featuring Monty Franklin from nearby St Kilda - almost a neighbour, really.

For the second time in a row, I was the first customer in the room, and as I took a seat, I could sense maybe around 9 or 10 other people around me. Not again!

Starting time came and went, and a few minutes later, a small 'crowd' of latecomers entered, enough to half-fill the room! This actually made it, on a percentage basis, the biggest crowd of the three shows that I've attended so far! After they had been seated, the show began.

I knew nothing of Monty before the performance, but a lot more after it.

He has appeared on tv in commercials and in bit parts in several shows, including the unsuccessful pilot of a comedy show, of which he screened several excerpts (which were amusing, but enough to explain why the show hadn't been picked up by the network!) He performed an entertaining and generally inoffensive stand-up routine, prompting a few big laughs from me and the rest of the audience, and leaving me happy to have caught his act.

The Victoria itself was sensational - according to clippings posted in the foyer, it was built in the mid-1930s - and it shows a touch of art deco about its interior, but it clearly hasn't had any serious structural upgrades in the intervening years. Entering the lobby felt like walking into a 1930s movie (except for those sliding doors!) I'll be looking for another show back there again soon!

Sunday, March 28, 2010

go 'Pieeeeees!

Welcome back to the footy, and huge congrats to Collingwood on their massive start-of-the-season win over the Bulldogs today.

Prior to the game, I really didn't think they could do it; the Bulldogs are so highly fancied this year that I was anticipating an embarrassing start to the season, and I tipped the 'Pies with absolutely no confidence whatsoever.

Is it too early yet to start getting my hopes up for September??

mark webber who?

I don't know anything about Mark Webber, but I do know how much I love it when expatriates come back for a visit and decide to tell us all about how much worse the country is since they left!

When exactly did you become the expert on social issues in Australia, Mark? While you were o/s? Perhaps you can just head back overseas and continue to make whatever valuable contribution you make to... what is it you do exactly? World peace? Eradication of poverty? Saving the world from climate change?? And leave us to wallow in our own mistakes, without the benefit of your enormous intellect. Thanks, again, Mark.

Friday, March 26, 2010

coffee and a nice chat

I dragged myself towards work as usual this morning, feeling particularly weary and heavy-headed, and, when I got off the tram at Collins St, I walked back to Brunetti's and decided to order a drink-in coffee for a change (instead of a take-away).

When it became apparent that the morning newspapers hadn't arrived yet, I settled down in a seat and got out one of my Paris travel guide books, to continue my research for my forthcoming holiday.

As I finished the first page, an unfamiliar voice at the next table asked "When are you going?"

I looked up at the guy and told him that I was heading off in about two months' time, whereupon he offered me some tips on places to visit in Paris, and we struck up a conversation on the subject, as he had lived there for some time, and was keen to go back again. We didn't chat for long... maybe less than ten minutes... but I enjoyed our discussion and was very grateful to him for having taken the time to enquire and offer me some advice for the trip.

It brightened my morning considerably, cleared the cobwebs, and got my day off to a good start, so ... merci beaucoup!

where the bloody hell...?

OK, I said I was inspired by last night's Comedy Festival performance by Peter Helliar, so after work today, I dropped by HalfTix and found a short (45-minute) performance by an artist that I'd never heard of, at the Town Hall, starting at 6pm, so I still had time to rush home afterwards and get the groceries that I hadn't managed to find time for last night!

The show was mysteriously titled Her Lady Bones, by British comedian Sadie Hasler. I didn't know what that title meant before the show, and I still don't know now.

Sadie's show consisted of a series of character sketches, featuring several of (I assume) her own creations, plus a wonderful Katherine Hepburn impression, that had the audience in stitches. For a newcomer, she was very good.

She also impressed me greatly by the fact that she proceeded with her show at all, despite the fact that there were only six of us in the audience!

I couldn't believe how poorly attended Peter Heliar's show was last night, but this was unbelievable. I was the first one in the room, and, based on experience in previous years, I took a seat at the very far end of the row so as to make it easier for everyone else to get in afterwards. It soon became apparent that there wasn't going to be an 'everyone else', and I moved to the middle of the row when I realised that I had it all to myself!

I would not have blamed Sadie for saving her energy and calling off the show, with so few spectators, and I thought that she was very brave to proceed, given that no matter how much she made us laugh, the sound of six people's laughter and applause in even a small theatre is not a lot of encouragement.

Anyway, she put on a good show, especially her Kate Hepburn, and I hope she gets better audiences for the rest of her season. I, for one, look forward to seeing her back at future Comedy Festivals.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

to Helliar and back

... As if there wasn't enough going on in Melbourne this week (the French Film Festival, the Flower & Garden Show, the return of real (AFL) footy tonight (Go 'Piesss!) and the Grand Prix (boo, hiss), the Melbourne International Comedy Festival commenced, a week ahead of its traditional starting date of April Fool's Day.

I wasn't really fussed about going out again tonight, but there is an imperative with the Comedy Festival - most shows run cheaper, 'preview' sessions in the first few days, so I always try to catch something early on.

So after work, I wandered down to the box office at the Regent, and booked a ticket to see Peter Helliar's show at the Forum. I like Helliar, but I've never bothered to see him 'live' before... probably because he's been on tv so much that I didn't consider him as much of a priority as many of the other comedians who aren't so ubiquitous on the tube.

I was glad I went. I enjoyed his performance, and got some good laughs from most of his material, but I was surprised at how small the audience was! I'd estimate the theatre was barely one-third full; very surprising for such a big name performer. Traffic delays held many people up (one couple arrived about 15 minutes before the show ended!), but even so, it was a very small audience. Good for me though... I was only six rows from the front, on an aisle; the seats in front of me in the three rows ahead were empty, as were the next 4 seats next to me, so I was able to make myself quite comfortable - a huge change from the generally cramped conditions at this Festival.

One other thing surprised me - the show was called 'Peter Helliar's Dreamboat Tour' - and he dressed in a Love Boat-style Captain's jacket - but there was no reference at all to boats or cruises or anything related to that theme. Maybe I missed something! Anyway, it was a good performance, and highly recommended.

And now I'm enthused enough to want to see another show tomorrow night...!

fabulous flower fiesta flourishes

Wednesday was day one for this year's Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show, and the only day that I was going to be able to squeeze in time to visit. As always, it was sensational - makes me wish that I still owned a garden, so that I could get out, raze it to the ground, and rebuild it with the inspiration that the Garden Show provides.

The floral displays inside the magnificent Exhibition Buildings were all stunning; I spent most of my time covering every square metre of the two floors, which feature more things to do with flowers and greenery than I ever dreamed possible (or would even want to try, in many cases!) Highlights for me were the rose displays, table setting designs, the new nursery section, and the... ummm... floral bordello! Outdoors, the garden designs were fantastic; only the garden art section was a bit of a letdown compared to last year, but that's a tiny complaint compared to all the wonderful sights at this Show.

The visit to the Flower Show almost marks a year of blogging for me... I seem to recall that my very first post here was about my visit to the 2009 Flower Show... although it was in early April last year. How time flies.

fabulous french film festival finale

Dunno why, but the French Film Festival was extended by 3 days this year, so I got to see another movie at the Kino on Tuesday night - LoL (That's the name of the film, not a comment!) The story wasn't what I expected, but I enjoyed it very much all the same, especially the beautiful Sophie Marceau! This one gets 3&1/2 stars from me; a fine way to wrap a very enjoyable Festival (and I sure hope I get to see how Fashion Victim ends some day!!)

pourquoi PAS de sous-titres??

I was so impressed by the movie Micmacs at the French Film Festival that I decided to buy a copy on blu ray to see again.

As usual, Amazon.fr was *exceptionally* efficient, and I received my disk barely 8 days after ordering. But to my horror, it's yet another wonderful French movie transferred to disk with NO ENGLISH SUB-TITLES! aaaarrgghhhhh!!!

What's wrong with French dvd companies?? Don't virtually ALL English language movies come out with French sub-titles? Why don't the French think that English-speakers aren't interested in their movies? There are so many excellent French films that I'd like to see, but the majority of them aren't released with English sub-titles, so it's not worthwhile ordering them. I'm doing my best to master a bit if French, but I don't think I'll get good enough to watch a movie without textual help.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

precious experience

I did NOT want to see Precious.

Yeah, I saw and read the great reviews, and all the praise for the performances of the cast, and the Oscar nominations, but I also heard about how it was a depressing and miserable story, and I just did not want to experience that.

With the movie in its last days at the cinemas, I was convinced to go along to the George and see the only session showing today. Up until I bought the tickets (reluctantly), I was trying to think of a way out of it, but finally, I accepted the inevitable and sat down to see this urban horror story.

The session ended two hours later. I was SO glad that I hadn't found a way out of seeing it. It was one of the best films that I've seen in recent months. The story was as harrowing as I expected, but the movie was so well made, and the performances so fine, that I found myself completely carried into the world of Precious, her trials and suffering, and her incredible strength and dignity. Lead actor Gabourey Sidibe was perfect as Precious, and I hope to see her in other movies in the future.

This was a real 4-star effort, and will make me think twice about writing off a movie before I see it in future.

(OK, unless it's Pursuit of Happyness - yuk!!!)

Sunday, March 14, 2010

micmacs

The French Film Festival rolls on! And just as well, 'coz there's not much of interest coming out of Hollywood at the moment. In fact, of the 12 movies that I've seen so far in 2010, half have been 'foreign' - five French and one Australian! :-)

Tonight's feature at the Como was 'Micmacs A Tire-larigot', an almost untranslatable title in French slang which means something like 'Loads of trouble'. It's Dany Boon's latest flick, and it's visually one of the best movies I've seen for a long time. It's a comedy - fantasy - caper flick, with a fairly convoluted plot in which Boon's character plots to take revenge on the presidents of two armaments companies, whose products killed his father, and years later, severely injured him as well.

While the story is a bit over the top, the film soars on the strength of its brilliant photography and scenery, wonderful characters and amazing mechanical creativity(!)

I'd happily experience this one again, though sadly, the French dvd release once again doesn't have English sub-titles. I'm really going to have start taking French lessons some time. Anyway, this movie gets 4 stars from me - catch it with sub-titles if you can!

one perfect day

I love Melbourne most of the time, but for a week or so every year, it's even better then usual. That week usually falls in early to mid-March, when we get a period of perfect Autumn weather that makes everything in the city more wonderful than ever. It's happening now; started yesterday, Saturday 13th, and by the looks of the forecast, will last through next Friday 19th, at least.

I got up on Saturday with no particular plans, but just had to get out of the flat to enjoy the day. I caught the #220 bus and headed towards the city... but where to get off? I wanted to do something outdoors. I thought about South Wharf, but I knew I'd only end up indoors at DFO, and I had no reason to go there. I thought about the CBD, but that would invariably mean a stroll through the department stores and lanes, out of the sun. I could have stopped at Prahran Market, but I wanted to do more than just get the groceries. South Melbourne market? nah. St Kilda? Still too crowded on the weekends. By this time, the bus was heading down St Kilda Road, and I still had no particular destination in mind. As the bus zoomed past the Domain interchange, someone pulled the cord to get out. Done! I got out too. But where was I going?

Across St Kilda Road, the Shrine of Remembrance loomed in the bright sunshine. It had been years since I last visited the Shrine, so maybe this would be a good starting point. I crossed the road and climbed the hill. That should have been enough exercise for the day! Surprisingly, there were very few people at the Shrine, so I got to take some nice photos without the usual crowd of tourists in the picture.

I then decided to head for the Botanic Gardens to grab a coffee and stroll across and pick up a no. 8 tram in Domain Rd, but a few surprises awaited!

At the entrance, bright tents were set up. I had stumbled across the monthly Botanic Gardens craft market! I never even knew it existed, but what a perfect day for it! I strolled around the stalls, picked up a coffee, and took in the sights - all dominated by the Shrine in the background.

Completing the tour of the market, I headed past the Visitor Centre, only to find it completely and indefinitely closed down as a result of storm damage from the previous weekend!

As I entered the Gardens proper, I couldn't help buy notice cranes poking above the treetops. I soon realised that they belonged to the new Rectangular Stadium, nearing completion across the Yarra. I'd been wanting to get a photo of the Stadium for some time, but hadn't had an opportunity, so I changed direction and headed towards the Temple of Winds to see if I could get a view of the Stadium.

It was still only possible to see the top of the Stadium from the Temple, so I walked down the steps from the Temple, crossed the Tan, and got a shot or two from across the river. I walked back past the lake, and stopped to sit in the sun for a while. Not for long... just long enough for my pallid complexion to start to burn in the deceptively strong Autumn sun :-S

I retraced my steps to the Shrine, and decided that I needed to climb to the top to grab some photos. It had really been many years since I had been up there, and it was perfect day for taking in the scenery. I got some great shots, in perfect conditions. And still had time to get home in time for a lunch date.

If only more days could be as pleasant as this.