krazy kat's korner

Very sad about the death of Bud Tingwell. It feels like we've lost part of the country.

It's also lovely to hear everyone talk about what a wonderful man he was, a true gentleman. It shone through in the characters he played.

Saw Happy Feet today with mum and sister. Awwww! Some really gorgeous animation and I so want a mumbles/gloria plush toy.

But I was reminded why I go to the movies so rarely. Apart from the price (for this one I had a ticket I'd been given by work (back in April) that needed to be used by the end of the year and an extra one for mum), and now the absolute annoyance of allocated seating (though mum said we needed an aisle seat as I'm claustrophobic (and if there were any problems with that request she was going to tell them that I'd scream down the cinema)).

I find it impossible to sit comfortably, I usually have trouble with hearing all dialogue (and mum had a lot of trouble), I hate all the other people and their talking and rustling and thumping seats and being generally annoying, you can't rewind if you miss something - give me a dvd in the comfort of my own lounge chair any day.

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Parents - let your children grow up to be plumbers so they can keep you in the lifestyle you wish to become accustomed to.

We have a sewer problem. Blocked up 15 months ago and then at the end of November, then 3 days later, then 3 weeks later...the last two were covered under the guarantee of the November fixing, but it's just going to block again. The plumber claimed that the bends near where it goes into the mains needs to be replaced, possible slippage and roots. We were wondering whether he was dudding us. He gave us a quote of nearly $2000 (which is extremely difficult for my parents).

Mum and dad decided to get a second quote from a bigger company. They came this morning (ringing at 7.10am and arriving 10 minutes later - we were impressed - NOT! we are not morning people, no one should ring before 9-10am weekdays and 11am weekends). And quoted $3000!

Dad said no thanks, we had a much better quote, and the bloke said pay peanuts you get monkeys doing the job... Since when has plumbing been brain surgery? All they have to do is dig a hole, take out the old bends, double check for roots in the remaining pipe, put in the new bends/pipe, join it up and put the dirt back on top. Dad had been trying to find if he knew anyone who was a licensed plumber just to oversee him doing it. Because apart from the fact it would do him in physically and there's insurance/workcover issues (it's out on the nature strip), Dad is quite capable of doing it.

Yes, it is hard work physically and they tend to have to retire early beause their bodies go kaput, but surgeons charge less than that and you're putting your life in their hands, not your shit (well some surgeons...) And the price difference between the quotes is past ridiculous - does the second plumber have some patented digging technique?

The first plumber has been called, he's getting the paperwork done (the ring before you dig to check where water/electricity/gas etc are - dad knows there's nothing there except for the stormwater pipes he layed, but it still has to be done). Hoping next week possibly.

My hip's better! Still sore, especially to the touch, but I can walk and move with little pain. I managed to crack it while I was in the bath (the best place to crack my hips, wonder whether it's the hot water relaxing the muscles), made quite a noise. Just hoping it settles overnight.

Watched Bride and Prejudice with my sister (rinkle) and her best friend (sunshine_roun) this arvo. Lot of fun. Though I think Martin Henderson must've watched a lot of ER while developing his American accent. He sounded like (and at times even looked like) Noah Wyle!

Thank you, docfraiser8, for the postcard. Such a cute kitty! I love.

One thing I have learnt over this break from work...my tiredness doesn't really have much to do with how much sleep I get. The last 5 nights I've had 8-9 hours sleep each night, I still feel tired. Back to work tomorrow.

One advantage of non-ratings, we're making a miniscule hole in the dvds that have taken over the dining table. Watched White Oleander, The Cutting Edge, and Tim Burton's The Corpse Bride. Enjoyed them all.

Why oh why - each time I try to get the CJ/Mallory started, it turns into CJ/Andy.

My tropical cyclone forecast:

Using the SOI predictor Poisson regression model we forecast a total of 9 (8.6) tropical cyclones to form in the Australian/southwest Pacific Ocean region during the 2005/2006 season. This is slightly more than the long-term average of 7.4 tropical cyclones per season. Using the EPT predictor Poisson regression model we forecast a just-below average total of 7 (6.8) tropical cyclones to form in this same region and season. With the SOI and EPT predictor models we also forecast 3 (3.1) and 2-3 (2.5) tropical cyclones to form in the Coral Sea subregion in the upcoming 2005/06 season.

TC Larry formed today off the Queensland coast, bringing the season total to 6, with 2 of those in the Coral Sea subregion.

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I'm behind the times, but just watched Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. OMG!!! So so cute and funny. And all the things in there for adults. I cracked up when Gromit turned on the radio and "Bright Eyes" was playing. I think there was a South Park reference in one scene too, but I could be wrong.

And "Run rabbit, run rabbit, run run run" - hehehe! They're playing the Tourism Vitoria ad with the song on tv again, so I already had it in my head.

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So tired, physically exhausted. Just watched dvds this arvo, pilot of X Files (finally trying to get a start on the dvd backlog), and first 2 eps of season 7 Buffy. I've been missing Buffy.

I was in the car on the way to work when I heard, and I squealed.

And this is just gorgeous:

Wow. Wow. All right, so I'm not winning director. It's the funny thing about winning an Academy Award, it will always be synonymous with your name from here on in. It will be Oscar winner, George Clooney. Sexiest Man Alive, 1997. Batman, died today in a freak accident at a -- Listen, I don't quite know how you compare art. You look at these performances this year, of these actors and unless we all did the same role, everybody put on a bat suit, and we'll all try that. Unless we all did the same role, I don't know how you compare it. They are stellar performances and wonderful work, and I'm honored, truly honored to be up here. And finally, I would say that, you know, we are a little bit out of touch in Hollywood every once in a while. I think it's probably a good thing. We're the ones who talk about AIDS when it was just being whispered, and we talked about civil rights when it wasn't really popular. And we, you know, we bring up subjects. This Academy, this group of people gave Hattie McDaniel an Oscar in 1939 when blacks were still sitting in the backs of theaters. I'm proud to be a part of this Academy. Proud to be part of this community, and proud to be out of touch. And I thank you so much for this.

He's not only a fine actor and film maker, he's a fine human being.

Why the hell is Good Night and Good Luck getting such a limited distribution here? Greater Union originally had it as one of their "coming soon", but aren't screening it at all. Hoyts has only got it at their cinema at Moore Park. Roseville Cinema has it, but the North Shore trainline will be shut down between Chrissie and New Year. So looks like I'm going to have no chance of seeing it.

Bastards.

Flightplan...any good? The trailer looked interesting and it's Jodie Foster.

It doesn't matter how many times I see it, I still adore Ever After.

This could be good.

Hollywood stars Meryl Streep, Gwyneth Paltrow and Annette Bening are teaming up for a new movie about the Watergate scandal that toppled ex-US president Richard Nixon.

Streep, 56, who has won two Oscars and been nominated for a record 13, will play Martha Mitchell, the whistle-blowing wife of former US attorney general John Mitchell, in a celluloid version of John Jeter's play Dirty Tricks.

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Oscar-nominated actress Bening will play [Helen] Thomas, who worked for United Press International, while Paltrow with take on the role of Maureen Dean, the wife of White House counsel John Dean, who stood firmly by her husband when he was dragged into the fray.

Veteran actress Jill Clayburgh will play the president's wife, Pat Nixon, who grew to loathe Mitchell for destabilising the presidency, according to Variety.


I read quite a bit about Martha Mitchell et al in Helen Thomas's books.