slow death for blokes

"Old Plank Road" - Robin & Linda Williams

Speaking of Robert Altman, 'A Prairie Home Companion' would have to be one of my fave movies of the past decade or so. This is (one of) the bestest songs from the soundtrack, except this aint the sound track version- it's Robin & Linda Williams playing it live. I love love LOVE watching women (people, actually) play music just because they're great at it and they feel free to look like themselves and keep their clothes on and not pole dance or anything....
ps. lots o' yakkin. Actual song kicks in at around 2.40 minute mark

Gosford Park Trailer

.....the ubiquitous Maggie Smith challenges one to decide if one is watching Gosford Park or Downton Abbey....One day someone will make a period drama starring Maggie Smith, Helena Bonham Carter and Sigrid Thorntonall at once and then we can all go home. this was a Robert Altman fillum, tho. And fabbo.

Happy Monday...

Well, we had tshirts on for a couple of days, then today the wind is icy, its hailing, everyone's walking around looking confused and wearing the winter woolies we were all about to pack away till next year, and the heaters are blaring.
Meanwhile, I read that Katoomba High School is closed and that some streets in the Blue Mountains are being evacuated due to bushfire. Bluddy L. I feel your pain, my friends xxx

so very more-ish!

call me anything, but don't call me late to dinner

now I know all too well that your average thinking bogan has long since done this dance, but I have my reasons for arriving at the scene of the crime long after the dust has settled. DOWNTON ABBEY yeah yeah, I was sucked in by the prospect of wall to wall early 20th century fashions and furnishings, I admit it. and lemme say before anyfink else, in this dept they succeeded beyond measure. I was almost catatonic with glee at the frocks, the hair, the whole warm, earthy unplasticness of it. having said that, it IS just a rehash of upstairs/downstairs, innit? if not then they have much to thank that heady drama for. of course we're updated for a 21st jaded bogan, what with a gay footman (as IF, said the queen mum), an earl's daughter enjoying a one night stand under daddy's roof with a TURK, no less, dysfunction not entirely comical in presentation (as per the 70's version), etc etc. have chomped through almost entire first season in a few days, and can't see myself slowing the pace. ordinary, but for the lover of 'stuff' circa 1910-1940, beyond gold! will rustle up a toob perve for the uninitiated.

dogs that are red, acting that is over

yep, dragged myself, the smallest fry and 1 x smallest fry friend to the bonza flick this past sunday arvo. place was chock full of elderfolk, and the two sprogs with me were two of perhaps five kids in the entire theatre. odd. anyway, thoughts: lovely dog. great soundtrack. the rest was an embarassment of riches, in the 'perfect diction with a funny ocker accent' department. the cast was utterly unconvincing as redneck oilfields blokes, and the clangers were thick in the dirt. at one point I believe character even mentioned broccoli. because of course every desert dwelling uneducated mine worker circa 1974 knew all about broccoli. laughably bad flick, but a good yarn and a coupla tearsies at the end for moi and the sprogs - dog lovers all. sniff sniff. did I mention how much I liked the dog?

felicitations

betty, wilms, smokey, jonesy. nods and waves. as busy as a busy thing here. not as busy as smokestack, but nearly. still, found time to seek out benicio edibles :p

revisiting old favourites and found this at the toob place

a silly little movie, but does contain a young and very beautiful benicio del toro - who, besides being turbo boosted eye candy, provides any and all comic relief. actually it's not that bad, and definitely better than your current rom com product. had it in the home library for years, but someone borrowed it and evidently decided that a captive benicio was worth the crime :D

No Maccas in the Hills! Power to the People, Right On!!!!

Veeeerrry satisfying evening was had by at least 600 of us last night, as we all fronted up to our local shire council meeting...the planning services department had approved the construction of a Maccas up here in the hills. Disgusting.
the council voted unanimously to reject it! YEAH!!!!
Our local greens council rep Samantha Dunn did a STELLAR job of decimating their application, as did the marvellous Tecoma Village Action Group, who had the common sense to pile some people specialising in traffic and road planning on board.
Fave moments of the council meeting would include:

- Councillor to Maccas rep: 'So...in this town of 2000 people, who do you think will use the restaurant? Macca's rep:'ummm...locals?' (appreciative guffaws all around...they received 1200 objections and there were 600 of us in the room- many folk couldnt get in b/c we hit capacity)

- Councillor to MacRep: 'Referring to your proposed plan, I see an enormous tree drawn at the front of the restaurant. Are you going to put that in for us?' Macrep 'Umm...that's an artist's impression' Councillor: 'Well, it's very creative then.' snort, chuckle...

- Councillor to room at large: 'I would like to table this letter from McDonalds to the Shire of Yarra Ranges Councillors, in which McDonalds remind the Shire Council that should McDonalds be required to appeal the council decision, it will be costly for the shire, and that we might be better off saving our money to spend on more worthy community projects. And I would like to in turn, invite McDonalds to spend money on our worthy community projects, rather than on appealing the council decision...' (prolonged applause)

- Councillor to room at large: 'this is a slow food region! Let them eat Maccas in the flatlands!' (Room erupts in cheers; MacRep looks genuinely confused; 'flatlands' being hillspeak for anyone who doesnt live in the hills...)

Hmmm. We havent won outright yet. More than likely they'll take us to VCAT. But a very exhilarating start. if all social activism was that immediately satisfying, the world would be a better place. Thanks again for your tip about The Blueys and Cittaslow, Darthy- I sent it all along to the action group, and folks are very interested. Someone sent me a 5 page document of your entire campaign- you lot got David Suzuki involved, which is pretty cool. The Blueys decision was invoked at the meeting by the local speakers calling on precedents, too.

Keep on truckin!

So anyway...

...a Higgs boson walks into my church on the weekend, a parishioner asks my priest "What is that doing in here?", my priest replies "We cannot have mass without it" Badda-Ching!

Sorry I cannot dally and comment on other posts, just letting everyone know I am still alive and well, but extremely busy!

Paul Keating Vs. John Howard - Censure Motion Reply

Over 100,000 views on youtube, my friends. We're all sitting around reminiscing about PAUL BLUDDY KEATING. Those were the days, when labour politicians might have worn italian suits but at least they sounded like labour policies coming out of their mouths. I wish someone would decimate Abbott like this...

Michael Jackson - Black or white ( Full Official Music Video )

Some contestants on the Xfactor did a nice little dance to this last night, which left me with a wish to crank out old Mr Freaky Deaky in all his brilliance one more time. Hmmm. Havent watched this since a kid. Actual song doesnt kick in till about 2.30 I think. Interesting final dance scene. Fred Astaire described him as an angry dancer...indeedy

Oi!

You lot still on holidays, or what?

Joy is

This spring day, last day of the holidays...friends early in the morning for a playdate involving lots of banana bread, seasonal blueberries, strawberries and giggling...still damp enough for a bonfire in the forest, so we worked on it all afternoon..took toddly to the shops, where he informed anyone who'd listen that he was a 'dancy boy', then followed it up with a pirate 'aaar!'...back home, from the bonfire we ate smoky roasted potatoes, singed sausages with sauce on bread and marshmallows. Kids covered in marshmallows and sauce, refusing to come inside because they're watching the rain on the fire...the reception centre down the hill must have a wedding on, because a string quartet is playing and the sound drifts up to our place...the forest is full of small wrens and finches going spring crazy; the forest is full...

True Grit- thoughts on original & Coehn Bros

Yes, I know what you think, Darthy. And I wouldnt be surprised if chatting about this smokes Jonesy out of his cave, because I know he's a True Fan of the original. But I watched the original again for the first time in years recently, and this is my opine:
The scripts are almost identical in places. So if you bag the script in the second, you bag the script in the first. Which leads me to wonder about the book...anyone read it? My guess is that both films are close to that.
John Wayne- his acting range is the acting equivalent of Lisa Mitchell's vocal range- she's made quite a career out of three distinctive notes. Having said that, JW is a true giant of the screen, isnt he? Poor old Jeff Bridges. What impossible shoes to fill.
Kim Darby and Hailee Steinfeld- are both completely and utterly awesome. Keep in mind tho, that Hailee Steinfeld was only FOURTEEN when she played Mattie. Kim was 21 and astonishing. But whovever forced Kim Darby to play the entire role with that glossy 1950s style helmet of a haircut needs to be tracked down by Rooster Cogburn and shot. It's an eyesore and completely detracts from her presence.
- I love the hollywood style grandeur of the first movie, and I love the visceral grittiness of the Coehn Bros version, combined with their nutty cameos. Both fabulous for their own reasons. Stilll dont see what anyone found saccharine about no 2. If no 2 is saccharine, then so is no 1 with that bloody haircut and the neat and tidy Wild West sets. Feel free to enlighten me...

giggle giggle well well well...

I'm banking on him never reading this....
Hey, remember me posting reminiscences about listening to the Go Betweens and being sooooo in love followed by broken hearted aged 18/ 19 ?
WELL.
I was sitting at the local pool watching kid A during her swimming lesson on Sat, when I hear "hi Wilma" (except he didnt call me Wilma)
...and I turn around- and it was the boy! 20 years older, sans hair, several kilos heavier, rahdirah...
His kid has swimming lessons at the same time as Kid A. Gold.
Need to add here that we're a long way out from the city- not many of our crew have moved here. It's more than unusual to bump into someone you know from years ago. And it's a small swimming pool.
So I find meself sitting chatting away about solar panelling with Mr ancient flame, whilst our kids splash around....
The world moves in strange ways. How very full circle. Pleased to say not even a twinge of stirring romance. Got rubbished a lot by husby when I got home & told the story.