I finally managed to track down the Persia of Persia: Sands of Time PS2 game over the weekend, and purchased it for a bargain ($19.95)!! What I really love about this game is the problem solving aspect of it - trying to work out how to get through the many assorted booby-traps, sometimes even just trying to work out how to get out of a room! A few sand zombies is fine but that's not the part I enjoy most in the game. My brother is the opposite. When he was up six months ago, we rented the game out. He would hand it to me to get through the obstacles and I would hand it to him to kill the zombies. So, I started the game again and got to the end of the first level where you have to face a whole bunch of sand zombies and the guy's rotting father (how very Freudian) but I can't seem to stop dying. Has anyone else conquered this game, and if so, could they please tell me some tips?? :P

(Tanya re-enters the room, carrying a slightly bigger box this time, stands on top)

This rant has come from a number of sources. It first began two weeks ago when I read an excerpt from Al Gore's new book 'The Assault on Reason' which was published in The Weekend Australian's Inquiry section (2-3 June 2007). He raised some really interesting points regarding the nature of democracy and the growing sense of complacency that's overtaking Western society. First, that many of us have begun to take for granted a right that millions of people around the world have died, and still to this day, are dying for - the right to be able to choose who will represent and speak for us. The opportunity to raise our voice as one and say 'I will be heard'. When you see societies suffering under dictatorial rule, this right is the one they fight hardest for. They stand in front of tanks, suffer brutal attacks and face the very real possibility of torture and death for that very right many of us have and still do, squander.

It's so easy to place all the blame for the evils in the world on the heads of politicians, and yet we fail to see who is the most culpible - ourselves. Its an old saying, but still rings true: 'Decisions are made by those who turn up'. Every decision that is made in government effects us in any number of ways and by our very complacency, we are stamping our seal of approval on global warming, the war in Iraq, the loss of job rights, the unlawful detaining of our citizens in Guatamono Bay, the list goes on. While Gore is specifically speaking about America, his comments on democracy resonate for us as well:

"Why has...public discourse become less focused and clear, less reasoned? Faith in the power of reason-the belief that free citizens can govern themselves wisely and fairly by resorting to logical debate on the basis of the best evidence available, instead of raw power-remains the central premise of...democracy. This premise is under assault"

Which leads to the second part of my rant. I'm am so sick of politics based on fear - listening to Costello comparing the Australian economy to a race car that at any time, with the smallest slip of the wheel, can crash and burn at the hands of an L-plate (ie, Labor) government. What I'm mad about is not the simple division that resides from assuming a Labor as opposed to a Liberal political position - its something more than that. I want politics to inspire me, not terrify me. Where is the inspiration? The grand ideas and thoughts? The perception that we are reaching towards a better future and that together, we can actually achieve it. I'm not afraid to vote for a leader with unclear goals. I would rather someone take the leap and say 'This is the ideal future I perceive for us, this is what we should aim for'. I have faith in human ingenuity, our seeming limitless ability to adapt and reach for greatness, though all too often our feet are firmly set in clay. Is it not better to reach for that grand dream and still fall short of the mark, then never to have tried for it at all?

Only last week, I purchased the new Spyro PS2 game - I had wanted it for a while and finally it came on sale ($30 off!!). I was first introduced to Spyro when I bought the previous game (A Hero's Tale) quite cheaply with my PS2. I quite enjoyed playing it - even though it looked quite 'cartoony'. Yes, I know that they are all animations but this one looked like a kids Disney comic book. I kept on expecting Mickey Mouse to pop out...which actually would have been cool, 'cause then I could have pummelled the squeeky-voiced little prat (bloody mouse).

So imagine my great surprise when I first turned on Spyro: A New Beginning - it really was a new beginning. Not only does the game feature the voices of some well-known actors including Elijah Wood, David Spade and Gary Oldman but the look and feel of the whole game seems to have grown up. The game follows Spyro's quest to find out more about his ancestory and in the process has to help free different realms from the clutches of an evil dragon called Cynder.

While previous games, Spyro learns the gifts of different breath types - these ones really kick arse! By collecting different gems, you get the option to upgrade your breath strength with some pretty devastating effects. The best element is when you collect enough purple gems, you can unleash the 'Fury' of Spyro. This is best used when you are surrounded by pretty nasty villains - you press the R2 button and hell is pretty much unleashed. The electricity fury is incredible!!

While initially I was shocked by the number and verocity of the villains Spyro has to face, in the end the game wasn't as difficult as I thought it was going to be, and probably should have been. Once you've learnt the electricity breath, this saves a lot of trouble when instead of having to fight the villains, you can simply throw them off the side of cliffs :P I completed the game within a week but now I'm looking forward to starting all over again. The button controls are much complex than earlier games and took a long time to get used too. Now I can go back and kick some serious booty!! :P

Despite having a some frozen leftovers waiting for me in my freezer last night (including yummy mussaman lamb curry and rice and a sweet tomato spaghetti with baked cheese) I felt like getting creative in the kitchen last night. I wanted something vegetarian as well as something I could throw together with what I had at home without having to go out for supplies. I came across this recipe for Aloo Ki Tikki, which is basically an Indian version of potato rissoles and oh my god, it is soooo good!!! The one danger however is that they are so good, particularly with tomato sauce or tomato chutney, that you might just keep eating them until you feel sick - like I did *sheepish grin*. Anywho, give it a try and let me know what you think:

500g potatoes
1/2 large red onion, or one small one, finely chopped
120g frozen or fresh peas
1 tspn ground tumeric
1 tspn ground cumin
1 tspn ground coriander
1/2 tspn garam masala
2/3 small green chillis (I just used a small amount of dried chillis)
2.5 inch ginger, grated
2 Tbspns of rice flour

Boil the potatoes for about 15 minutes, drain and then mash. Add the cooked peas (either boiled or microwaved like normal). Mix together.

In a saucepan, put a tablespoon of oil and add the onion and the spices, including the ginger. Cook until the onion is soft and then add to the potato/pea mix - mix together. Add the flour to bind it together (you may need more than the two tablespoons).

Form the mixture into balls, and press them into patties. Heat 3 Tbspns of oil in a pan and cook.

They taste great hot or cold - but fresh from the pan with a serving of greens, and lashings of tomato sauce/chutney is best!

Greetings to one and all!

Sorry its been so long again. I keep meaning to post but for one reason or another, I never seem to get around to it. And then it becomes an absolutely massive job, 'cause so many things have happened. So I guess I'll just do a general run down of events, and you'll have to excuse me if I miss something out.

* I am now an official member of the Labor Party. I still feel quite weird admitting that outloud in public, most people tend to sit in the middle with politics so to actually consciously choose one position and commit to it seems like a huge step for some people. But for me, it basically breaks down to the philosophical position behind the two major parties. Leaders will come and go, some will be better than others (let's not bring up Mark Lathham shall we), and I can pretty much guarantee that I won't agree with all of their policies and positions they take. However, it all depends on what role you feel the government should play in people's lives - are you a big government person or a small government person? The Liberal position (small government) believes in minimal involvement - it should be up to people's own initiation to better their standard of living, etc etc. The Labor position (big government) however maintains that the role of the government is to try and attain a certain standard of living for everyone, regardless of their background or financial situation.

* Monday was my first Labour Day that I was actively involved in and Luke and I went down nice and early to Stanton Park and volunteered at the Labor Drink stall. I don't know whether or not it was our location (right up the back) but I was rather disappointed by the Day. There were a few people there from the march but then after that, it just seemed to be a free-for-all for the gratus drinks, food and icecreams. I thought there would be speeches and rallies, particularly over the IR situation and it was quite a let-down.

* Urmm, what else. Ah, on Tuesday night, Brett, Melanie and I went to the Melbourne Comedy Roadshow and saw some fantastic acts. Some were better than others but the general standard seemed to be much higher than last year and a jolly good time was had by all :) I really want to see the Kransky Sisters next on June 8. I love good comedy, it's such a high when you've laughed yourself silly, you come out in such a good mood. Which is probably why I'm so actively trying to increase my collection of good British comedy DVDs. I was so insanely happy when I found Series One and Two of the Mighty Boosh in Sanity of all places!! Needless to say they quickly came home with me and I've probably already watched it two or three times :) That was quickly followed by the IT crowd and I ended up ordering the Mighty Boosh Live DVD on Tuesday - I probably won't be able to stand up straight for weeks after the damage that will be done to my ribs from laughing :)

* From watching Mighty Boosh, I also came across the music of Robots in Disguise and combined, these guys have been my PhD saviour. The upbeat tempo of the Robot's electro/dance music seems to help me write, overcoming any serious bouts of writer's block that I might be suffering from. And the insanity of Mighty Boosh has been helping me maintain my sanity, which I think you will agree, is good for all concerned.

Okay, that's your blooming lot for this blog. I say it each time but I'll try to keep it more updated. Its just too big a job otherwise :)

Scene: Tanya walks into the middle of an empty space with a soap box under her arm, she places it carefully on the floor, clears her throat and then steps up onto the box

I couldn't believe my eyes yesterday when I read in the Australian that John Howard's strongest support is actually from voters under 30. I actually had to read it twice to make sure I got it right!! The paper was discussing that at the next federal election we might actually see a "generational crossover" where people in their 40s and 50s who were traditional Liberal voters are seriously thinking of voting Labour out of concern for their children's futures in regards to Work Choice and the Environment, while the under-30s are just too bloody complacent or simply couldn't care less about changing the status quo. I honestly don't understand how anyone from our generation could be happy with the current state of affairs - you might have a job, but you'll have no rights, they might clean up the environment...oh, except for that barrel of toxic waste buried in your backyard, we're meant to be an international political player, but only if we do exactly what Bush's government tells us to do. Arrgghh!

Tanya takes a step off the box, picks it up and then walks out of the room, hoping to find a way of accelerating her age so she no longer belongs to this generation

Although I wasn't feeling the best yesterday, I managed to drag myself out of bed and over to the cinema to see Babel with Scott. Who's Scott? Scott is a 34 year old guy who seems very nice and kind. Our first date was brunch at Demidoes where we compared notes on travelling through New Zealand and he told me all about his upcoming trip to Canada in which he'll spend a week cycling through the Rocky Mountains. He's a very laid back guy but not lazy which is good...perhaps a bit of a cheapskate though :) I don't know about dating etiquette and it seems that pretty much everyone you talk to now has a different opinion on the subject of whether or not a guy should pay. Some women I know are most adamant on this point - they will not pay for a first date, which I really don't think is fair. Hello ladies, this is the age of equality and I'm just as interested in getting to know a guy so why should they have to pay for the priviledge? But I do think its a nice gesture to at least offer, even though I would never accept. So on Sunday, when we head up to the cash register and we get out our wallets, I turn to him and say 'I don't expect you to pay for me' and he says 'Well, I wasn't going to anyway' :| Hmmm, what are your own thoughts on the matter?

On another note, I thought Babel was a really interesting movie. The film is based on four intersecting stories - two Middle Eastern boys who look after goats for their father are playing with a rifle and shoot it at a bus, Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett play an estranged husband and wife who have gone on a holiday in the Middle East and are on the bus when she is shot through the window, the nanny of their children is faced with her own dilemma when she is unable to leave the children to attend the wedding of her only son and decides to take them with her to Mexico, and the Japanese hunter who gave the rifle that was used in the shooting is trying to deal with his angry and confused deaf-mute daughter - was that as confusing as it sounds?? Its a very involved story, quite depressing at times but with fragments of hope scattered throughout. What it really highlighted for me was how closely all our lives are interconnected and despite the apparent differences of culture, race and country, we all struggle with the same troubles and emotions. Well worth a watch!!

On Friday I caught an early flight down to Brisbane and spent the morning wandering around the mall. I've gotten over my 'OHMYGOD! I'm going to Brisbane and must spend 24 hours shopping every day!' phase and now just head to a few select stores while I wait for my brother to arrive. First I head to Borders and do my customary stand and sniff - there's a spot just inside the door where the smell from the Gloria Jeans section combines with the smell of the new books from Borders to combine into a kind of 'super smell' that sends me straight to nirvana! After gathering a number of bemused stares from passer-bys, I headed upstairs and went straight to the Aimee Mann section in the CDs and bought two new albums - I'm with Stupid and Whatever! Hurray!! I then headed back into the mall to go Myer where I tease myself by looking at gorgeous clothes that I could never afford and then stopped off at the ABC store where I purchased the third and final series of Hamish Macbeth! Double Hurrah! I then met up with my brother and we headed to a great little Asian restaurant for lunch before stopping at this great second hand book store with well over 1 000 000 books available. Bliss! We ended the afternoon by going to the gorgeous Regent Cinema in the mall and saw 'Notes on a Scandal' which I highly recommend to everyone! Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett were incredible!

On Saturday, Brad and I headed over the bridge to South Bank and visited the new Modern Art Gallery where the Asian and Pacific Exhibition was currently being shown. The emphasis this year seemed to be on China and there were some great displays. I loved a collection of photographs that were taking of various places where Communism was taught - from rustic school rooms to grand halls. My favourite section though was a room where only 6 people at a time could enter and contained a number of shapes created from colour pigments. One exhibit on the wall resembled a red wormhole, and staring into it you felt that you were about to be sucked into another dimension. After five minutes of fixated staring, Brad and I had to go sit down. Up another level, a number of television screens were set up each featuring a clip from a specific Jackie Chan film which entertained us for over an hour. But the highlight of Sat was of course the Little Britain Live show! It was hilarious! The same old characters were there but they had created new skits so you got to see something new. However, I think the funniest bits were when David Williams and Matt Lucas broke away from the script, when one got the giggles or one just started ad libbing and you could tell they were just enjoying themselves. There was one skit however, that raised a few eyebrows. David Williams pulled a guy up on stage and pretty much sexually assaulted him during a skit. As part of the skit, David William's character started stroking this young guy's face and chest before kissing him and grabbing his crotch. He later pulled the guy down on stage, yanked his jeans down to his knees so his bare butt was exposed and pretended to have sex with him while the guy was trying to crawl away. But overall it was a fantastic night!

Thanks to Brad for hanging out all weekend with me!! :)

I know I know! After all my feverent promises to keep this site updated, it's been many moons since my final entry, and frankly a lot has happened in that time. Here's a basic rundown:

* Got an early Xmas parents from my beloved parents - a Playstation 2 *thrill* They had to give it to me early after I was all set to purchase one for myself. It may take me a while to decide I want something, but once I've decided I want it NOW! :) A couple of games I've played include Tekken, which my brother and I take great delight in thrashing one another in (unfortunately I passed on my own personal secret to winning which was to just randomly bash the buttons with my right hand and trying combinations with my left hand, and now I can barely win one game), Spyro (I've got this game right up to the final battle with Red but I get so frustrated that I haven't played it in ages...hmmm, might dig that one up again), Final Fantasy X (okay, I've said it before and I'll say it again, I need Sarah to show me how to play this rather confusing but entertaining game), Prince of Persia - Sands of Time (I love this game, but unfortunately I just rented it for a week and had to give it back *sob*) and my friends Victoria and Jai lent me the Lego version of the original Star Wars and it is already one of my all time favourites but alas, that too I shall have to give back soon.

* My wonderful friend Erin finally returned from Holland - yes, that's right Erin's back and making me wildly jealous from her photos of Paris, Italy and Switzerland. It was absolutely wonderful to see her again, and it looks like her beau Robert is now planning on moving here! Hurray! I bought him a book of Australian slang so he can acclimatise better :) She may have to return to Holland briefly in order for Robert to make an immigration claim but at least that won't be for too long. Welcome back Erin!!

* Trip to Caloundra - From my wonderful brother's 30 birthday, the family took a trip to one of our most favourite locations - King's Beach at Caloundra. I absolutely love Caloundra - the beach, the surf, and one fifth of the tourists. It hasn't been built up too much and still has a nice relaxed beachy feel to it. I managed to get a good couple of body surfing sessions in before the weather turned and a couple more before we headed back.

* Unfortunately it was also during this trip that my intolerances started playing up again. It went away for a while then came back with a vegenance. However, I finally managed to pinpoint what I think is causing the reaction but once I tell you what it is then you'll understand why I went into denial for a few days - rolled oats and coffee - yes, dear friends, coffee - god's elixer and the centre around which my social life pretty much rotates is now gone. I went through a week of some pretty nasty caffiene withdrawal headaches and have been trying to train my tastebuds to accept chamomille (sp?) tea as a substitute, and while they aren't signalling for a revolution (yet) they still aren't too happy Jan. It seems that my system just cannot tolerate too much of any one thing and so probably my biggest New Year's Resolution is to increase the range and diversity of my diet

* Luckily this has been a little easier to do with one of my all time favourite Xmas gifts - a Jamie Oliver cookbook! I have been cooking up a storm and even treated myself to his most recent cookbook which has been very informative. So far, I've made a couple of very tasty pasta dishes, Chicken Tikka Masala from scratch (not bought pastes here), and some beautiful gourmet rissoles which are absolutely delish and which I'm having again tonight. Now, if only I could find some fresh rosemary, I could also make the rosemary, garlic chips that go with it

* And finally, I have finished the James Bond series!!! That's right - I'm finally free from that accursed character and can now set about recovering my sanity. The only real problem is that because James Bond is such an intrinsic part of popular culture, little references to the character and the series keep popping up and sparking James Bond related film trivia in my head. The other day, I was cleaning my teeth in peace and quiet before the radio was turned on and Paul McCartney's 'Live and Let Die' started to echo through the house. Before I knew it, I was thinking "Live and Let Die - Roger Moore's first film as James Bond. Also starring Jane Seymour as the Bond girl. Made in 1973" and so on. This gradually faded away when I began banging my head on the bathroom mirror

Well, I think that's sufficiently caught you back up to date. Finally, I'll just give a brief run-down of the films I can remember I've seen in the last little while:

* Eragon - my friend got free tickets to this one. I completely agree with the review I read - a Lord of the Rings wannabe that fails dismally. What I want to know is why such fine actors as Jeremy Irons, Robert Caryle, John Malcovitch and Rachel Weiz got suckered into it - maybe they all have sons, daughters, nieces or nephews that bullied them into it

* Blood Diamond - now this one I really enjoyed!! A very interesting and disturbing look at the diamond trade in Africa and how ordinary civilians are caught in the middle between corrupt governments and various warlords.

* Casino Royale - you know for a Bond film, I really liked this one. I really liked how it sets up the other films, showing how Bond became the character we are now all so familiar with

Okay that's it! I'll try to make sure its not such a long time again before I update this site :)

I actually made it to the cinemas recently and was given a reprieve from Bond films. I went and saw Children of Men, after hearing such rave reviews from a number of sources. What a fantastic film! It was very thought-provoking but also very draining - no one skipped out of the cinema I can assure you! For those of you unfamiliar with the storyline, Children of Men is set not too far in the future - a future I should add very realistically portrayed by the director, none of the over-the-top futuristic glitz of 'Minority Report'. For some reason, women have become infertile and the human race is suddenly forced to contemplate its own extinction. One man, played by Clive Owen, is asked by his ex-wife, played by Julianne Moore, to help a pregnant woman to safety. What is so fascinating about the film is that it shows us just how for granted it is that there will also be a next generation to succeed us. By removing this possibility, the director shows us a world without hope, a world that is ripping itself apart. It is also scary, in that by raising such topical issues as religious warfare and immigration it suggests that this future is not such a fictional possibility.

One friend did raise the issue as to why the film specifically signaled out women as being the ones who were infertile, however rather than being a subtle attack on women, I think this was necessary. If men were the ones made infertile, there is enough frozen sperm in the world to ensure that the population would continue, at least for a considerable time until the supplies ran out.

Anyway, it was an excellent film and I would highly recommend everyone to watch it if they can!

Christopher Lee makes an impressive villain - in fact, from Dracula to Lord of the Rings Sauraman, he has made a fine film career for himself out of playing shall we say, darker, more 'colourful' characters. Which is probably why he is so perfect in his role as Scaramanga, an assassin who is paid a million dollars a shot and whose weapon of choice is solid gold and only fires gold bullets. Like virtually every other Bond villain, Scaramanga has a deformity and a certain inclination for sexual depravity. His deformity is a third nipple and his sexual depravity relates to his having to make love before a kill to improve his 'aim'. After one such successful shot, Scaramanga returns to his mistress still in bed and rubs his gun very suggestively not only over her arm but also over her face in such a way that you don't have to be Freud to analyse!

In terms of product placement, this one was quite extensive. Seventeen products in all featured in 33 separate product appearances, ranging from Dom Perrignon chanmpagne and Rolex watches, to Pepsi and Dunlop Tyres.

Geez, I've only had this website a few weeks and I'm already behind. Let's see, what's been happening? Apparently not that much :) *sigh* I'm in a weird mood at the moment - I hate those days when regardless as to your good intentions, your brain has suddenly decided to take an impromptu trip to Bermuda to dance with the native boys and drink cocktails out of coconut shells with little umbrellas, leaving you to stare blankly at the computer screen. My problem is that instead of just shrugging and saying, 'Screw it! I'm off home!' and giving up on it for the day (which is probably the wisest course of action in the circumstances), I end up feeling guilty and try to force my brain to stop doing the congo line and come back this instance to write. So far all I've been getting is a busy signal and a vague headache, telling me that my brain has already consumed too many of those little drinks with the umbrellas and is doing god knows what to the native boys. Not fair that it gets to have all the fun!!

Recently in my research on James Bond I came across an article of some interest regarding cross-promotional campaigns. While there has always been criticism directed at the sheer number of product placements in the James Bond films, now many Bond purists have been left with an uneasy feeling in their stomach regarding the types of products the character of James Bond has become associated with. Bollinger champagne, Brioni suits and flashy Aston Martins are all well and good, as they are seen to be in accordance with Bond's status as a 'connoisseur' of all things cultured and sophisticated, yet here he is now being connected to such 'low brow' products as Heineken beer and 7-Up softdrink.

Now of course Bond would never walk up to a bar in a film and order a shot of 7-Up on the rocks, but his name and silhouette were apparently incorporated in a number of 7-Up advertisements in an excellent example of cross-promotional marketing. Yet this development is not as recent as some may think. As I was watching 'Moonraker' last night - a film made in 1979 - I saw a number of scenes featuring the 7-Up logo with banners and cans galore. Follow this with a nice long shot of a billboard featuring a 7-Up advertisement in the background, and you have a certified product placement. All in all, there were five separate scenes featuring 7-Up product placements - by far the most blatant placement in the film. Other brands featured included Bollinger champagne (of course), Canon, Christain Dior perfume, Vuitton luggage, Air France, Marlboro cigarettes, British Airways, Seiko watches, and a Carlson boat.

As for 'Moonraker' itself, this was the first Roger Moore Bond film I have watched, and I must say I quite enjoyed his interpretation - he certainly is a charming bugger :) However, it is hard to compare Moore's films to Connery's films as the films themselves have changed so much over the years. By the time Moore assumed the mantle so to speak, the films had become comic versions of themselves - into which Moore fits perfectly. He carries off the ridiculous plot lines and the silly gadgets with such charm that you don't mind them as much as you might have done otherwise.

That said, 'Moonraker' does contain one of the absolute worst fight scenes I have ever seen - it was hilarious. A troop of US airforce men in space suits taking on the villain's guards in space suits in the middle of space, firing laser guns at each other. And I thought the underwater fight scene in 'Thunderball' was bad :)

As some of you are well aware, a major portion of my thesis is concerned with James Bond. Not that I'm particularly a huge fan of Bond, but mainly because the character provides a strong bridge between 'character' and 'commodity'. Yes, Bond not only has a Licence to Kill, he also has a Licence to Sell. I've decided that the best way to fully understand the links between character and product placement in the film series so for me to actually watch every single film and do a comprehensive break down not only of the narrative structure in the film, but also the role specific products play in the film's plot. On Friday, I received the 'Ultimate James Bond collection', consisting of all twenty films so far made. Having already broken down 'Die Another Day', on Friday night I began deconstructing 'GoldenEye'. Now for all of you out there thinking 'Man, she's got it easy. What fun! What joy!', then let me set the record straight. As I just stated before, I don't particularly like Bond with his cocky attitude and smarminess, so watching twenty films featuring the character is not exactly my idea of a fun time. Also, deconstructing a film is a long, tedious process - for example, it took me about an hour and a half Friday night to break down 23 minutes of film. All up, it took me over 4 hours - so multiple that by the 18 films I have left to do and that might give you some idea as to why you probably won't see or hear from me a great deal in the next couple of months.

All that moaning aside though, I am finding out some really fascinating things about the products featured in the series. Take for example, the cars. Traditionally an Aston Martin man (owned by Ford), in GoldenEye BMW supposedly paid a record amount to become Bond's car of choice. About 13 minutes into the film, there is a car chase scene between Bond's Aston Martin and a red Ferrari (owned by BMW). I believe this chase scene refers to the competiveness that was sparked between the two car manufacturers from way back in the 1960s and the famous Le Mans car race in France. So here in 1995, we see Bond driving a rather old looking Aston Martin in France, when a bright red sporty looking Ferrari comes tearing around the corner, driven by the femme fatale Xenia Onatopp. They begin chasing each other but finally Bond pulls over and the Ferrari technically wins the race. When I was listening to the director's commentary, apparently this was an extended scene that the filmmakers had to include after they accidentally damaged the Ferrari, and rather than pay the $80,000 repair bill, they included this scene of the Ferrari beating the Aston Martin.

Is it any wonder than in 'Die Another Day', when Ford outbid BMW, there were a couple of scenes in which Bond specifically blew up a number of Ferraris - methinks it was the equivalent of a product placement payback! :)

I fell in love with this movie when I was in high school but then it simply slipped from my mind until relatively recently, when I saw something about it on the internet. In vain I searched the video stores trying to find a copy and had again given up hope. However one day last week, as I was strolling around the shops trying to fill in time between two appointments, I walked into Sanity (in the City Centre Plaza) and there right on the shelf before me was the Persuasion DVD I had been searching for. Needless to say it came home with me and has been repeatedly watched in quick succession!

It's a beautiful story about lost love, adapted from Jane Austen's novel of the same name. The story tells of Anne Elliott who, eight years previous, had been persuaded by her family and friends to reject the marriage proposal of a young sailor with no money or prospects - a decision she regretted every day since. However, there comes a day when the young sailor, now a rich Captain, returns...and I won't spoil the rest of it for you. It's a very sweet story that's been directed very well. I particularly like the way the director captured the tension, and Anne's longing for her lost love, such as when she sees him in Bath, everything becomes silent as she watches him *swoons* - very romantic :)

For all you girls - enjoy!!

Yesterday, I treated myself to the second series of Hamish Macbeth, starring the ever delectable Robert Caryle. If you have never seen the show, it's about a small Scottish town called Lochdune and Hamish MacBeth plays the town's police constable and the town is filled with quirky characters. The show is less about catching real bad-guys and more about keeping the peace in the little village. Very enjoyable!

I see a whole new world of procrastination opening up in front of me! I now have a blog - many thanks to Melanie and the rest of the group!! I will do my best to remember to keep this thing updated, but if I lapse feel free to send me nasty emails and the such!

Hmmm, methinks this will be a general musings entry - today I'm struggling to adjust to my new glasses. This is my third pair (if you don't count my sunglasses) and these ones are just for reading and writing. I was getting a lot of headaches recently, and apparently a major element of that was due to eye strain. I'm got lazy eyes apparently - they are both a pair of slackers and refuse to pull their weight when focusing on things and hopefully these glasses will fix that. They just take a bit of getting used to but hopefully it will make a big difference.

I haven't really watched any movies recently that I can do a review on, so I'm going to do a recipe review instead! :D

I find going on a special diet makes it really hard to find recipes that are yummy and help to make you forget that there are certain things you can't have. A lot of what I've been cooking from my special recipe book has been pretty boring, with similar flavours. But here are some nice gluten & dairy free sausage rolls that I made last night, with great success. It's actually possible to make pasty without wheat flour!

Pastry:

1 cup of mashed potato
1 cup gluten-free flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tbsp oil
1 egg

Mix mashed potato with the oil, then add dry ingredients and mix. Add enough of the egg to make a dough. Roll into a 35cm square on a floured surface, then cut into three strips.

Filling:

300g groud beef or chicken
1 spring onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup gluten free breadcrumbs (the health food store in Stockland had these, but I bought the last pack and they haven't gotten in more :( )
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 tbsp water

Anybody else of course would be free to add in whatever spices to make the filling nice, but I'm supposed to be avoiding those at the moment too. Anyway, you mix all that together, divide it into 3, and create a long sausage on each of the three pastry strips. Roll those up, binding with egg, then cut into 6 or 8 pieces, glaze with remaining egg, then cook at 200 degrees for about half an hour.

My only complaint is a bit of an aftertaste, but I find that I always get that from gluten-free flour anyway, so I guess I just need to get used to it. And I wish I could put tomato sauce all over them :(

Enjoy your blog, Tanya! :D

-Sarah

Yay! Melanie is so smart to get this going for Tanya!

Ive already book marked the RSS feed and will check it often for Tanyas movie reviews!

:D

Brett

We picked this out to watch 'round at Melanie's place, since it seemed like a good choice for a maths nerd! Written by the same scriptwriter as Rain Man, Mozart & The Whale is another story about autism spectrum disorders with a mathematical savant for the main character.
Donald is a genius with numbers who "never knows what to say" around people. He's our guide on this tour of the colourful spectrum of autism disorders, himself a high-functioning Aspie (Asperger's syndrome) similar enough to most viewers to establish an empathic link with the audience. Through Donald we get a glimpse of autism sufferers' isolation and yearning for company, and the human compassion that's revealed in other characters more strongly affected by austism, that we the audience might have missed otherwise.
As a film promoting understanding of autism (and other mental disabilities) it does a good job, as does I Am Sam which springs to mind in this context. However (unlike I Am Sam) it's a bit weaker on the story front, which takes the form of a comedy-tinged romance. Donald (the Whale) and Isobelle (Mozart) fall for each other in a predictable way, and the romance story is only made interesting by Donald's struggles to overcome his social difficulties to do what he thinks is the right thing. We're never quite certain if Isobelle is intended to be a strong character in her own right or if she's secondary to Donald's story. She drifts in and out of the story's focus, but we never get as clear an insight into her motivations as we do into Donald's. It felt a bit unbalanced at times.
However, the acting is solid - it had to be to successfully forge a link between the viewer and each of the off-beat characters encountered. The two title characters are played relatively low-key and believably. The supporting characters, who provide most of the comic moments, are wackier, but then they're meant to be more autistic so the performances aren't overbearing.
Some credit is due for the attempt to visualise Donald's perception of numbers, overlaying numbers and maps on the screen to show his mind's workings. This could have added a lot to the audience's understanding of savant-like mental abilities, but it was sadly underutilised, appearing in only two scenes. The television show Numb3rs does this well; it's a shame this movie didn't.
A final small criticism is the movie's title, as the full significance of Mozart and, in particular, the Whale is hinted at but never disclosed. Maybe it's deliberately left to the viewer to ponder and I'm just failing to grasp it :)

Overall an enjoyable movie to watch that's good without being great. 3 stars.

Looks good Mel!

I hope Tanya actually uses it :D

As for the ratings, the star system you used in Curious George looks the best imo (Y)

- Thomas

sunday, 8 october, 2006 11:35 MAT

ok, i think i've sufficiently set up this blog for tanya. enough entries from me. i'll see what everyone else wants to add before we hand this over to tanya. shhh... it's a surprise !!

sunday, 8 october, 2006 10:10 MAT

so let's try it out this movie review thingo. make note, this review is by melanie, not tanya.

curious george

http://www.curiousgeorgemovie.com/

of course, i'm biased since i love curious george and have ever since i was a small child. the bright yellow picture books are treasures in my collection in america. i guess curious george is an american thing, so it just doesn't attract as much attention in australia. hence it took fo-evah to show in the cinemas here in rockhampton and it was shown at stoopid times (like between 10 am and 3 pm). i had to wait for brett to find it for me so that i could watch it.

anyways... curious george is based on the children's picture book series by margret & h a rey. the movie curious george is about a mischievous monkey that befriends an american explorer in africa and manages to follow him back home to america. it is a story about the growth of their friendship and adventures they experience together.

in the books, the american explorer that this monkey befriends is simply recognised as "the man with the yellow hat", although in the movie his name is ted. this monkey is unique in that he has no tail. this monkey seems to always get into some sort of trouble because he is curious about the world around him and does not hesitate to go exploring to satisfy his curiosity. ted seems to always be there to look after this monkey. ted also gives this monkey his name, george. hence the title of the movie is curious george.

the animation is very creative, as it would need to be to depict unusual circumstances that might develop as a result of innocent curiosity. it also is very crucial to showing george's thoughts, moods, and personality since george cannot speak. i thought this was very well done.

my favourite parts in the movie include:
* the near suffocation of the underwater hippos
* the exhaustion of the colour changing chameleon
* the salesmen's attempt at an australian accent when selling the yellow suit to ted
* the unrolling of multiple rolls of toilet paper
* the projection of the huge monkey through the streets that frighten everyone
* the flight with the balloons

the music in this movie, by jack johnson, is playful and fun. it adds to the animation well and helps to accentuate george's personality since george cannot speak. the soundtrack has many more songs for children to enjoy that aren't in the movie. one song even revolves around the 3 r's (reduce, reuse, recycle), the recycling campaign in america. it is definitely a soundtrack that will entertain children and adults of all ages.

ted lives near the top of a very tall apartment building and is not allowed pets. unknown to ted, george has followed him after arriving in america and snuck in to his apartment through the window. the doorman of the building sniffs out what he believes is a pet and is determined to uphold the rule and find this creature. this involves the doorman going up the elevator and sniffing on each floor to locate the pet. the doorman finally locates george with ted, assumes george is ted's new pet, and warns ted to get rid of the pet or be evicted. i thought there were perhaps one too many sniffs from the elevator by the doorman.

the capture of george by animal control was a sad part too.

overall, i couldn't wait to see this movie and wasn't disappointed when i finally was presented with the opportunity. a worthy addition to my dvd collection and a must see for everyone, young and old in age but childhearted in spirit.

melanie's rating: 5

sunday, 8 october, 2006 09:40 MAT

ok, i think i have it worked out so that tanya can have stars to rate her movie reviews.

option 1:
5
4
3
2
1
0

or

option 2:







option 2 doesn't clearly define 0 stars in this medium. i haven't found a good half star, so maybe a combination of both. (3 and 1/2)

i have changed the "location" title to "rating" so that when tanya writes an entry, she can put the numeric rating of the movie there. the only bad thing is that since it is originally meant to be a location, it is automatically linked to google maps. i don't know how to turn that off.

the html does not work in the sidebar or the location field, so i can't put the cute stars there, hence only the numbers.

when tanya's writing new entries and wants to put the stars there, easy access to the html code for the stars is in a box in the sidebar that only tanya can see when she's logged in. just copy & paste the code to create as many stars as is required.

i guess that'll have to do for now.

sunday, 8 october, 2006 08:55 MAT

notice that some of the examples listed appear in two different tag descriptions. yes, multiple tags can be placed on the same entry.

example:

* holiday to new zealand
tags: events, musings

* completion of honours
tags: events, uni

* having TWO dates with TWO different boys on one weekend
tags: events, musings

* confirmation of candidature
tags: events, uni

* review of the movie 50 first dates and product placement within
tags: movies, uni

* review of pirates of the carribean and how hot johnny depp is
tags: movies, uni, musings

* the stunning realisation that hugh laurie is in house and stuart little 2
tags: movies, tv shows, musings

sunday, 8 october, 2006 08:50 MAT

tanya would use the uni tag for entries about uni.

examples:

* completion of honours
* confirmation of candidature
* acquisition of a dvd with scholarship money, therefore the uni paid for it
* traumatic meetings with supervisor
* an entry on not being able to think because of lack of gloria jeans

sunday, 8 october, 2006 08:45 MAT

tanya would use the events tag for entries on significant events.

examples:

* completion of honours
* holidays to new zealand
* trauma of living in a flat near to noisy neighbours which cause sleep deprivation
* having TWO dates with TWO different boys on one weekend
* confirmation of candidature


events might also include reviews of shows that tanya goes to that aren't movies or tv shows.

examples:

* melbourne comedy festival road show
* lano & woodley
* musicals put on by the local high schools

sunday, 8 october, 2006 08:30 MAT

tanya would use the movies tag for reviews of movies that she watches.
this forms the bulk of this journal, problie. watching movies is something that tanya is required to do as part of her phd work. there should be LOTS of entries with this tag.

i think an entry annoucing recent dvd acquisitions would also be appropriate for this tag.

sunday, 8 october, 2006 08:20 MAT

tanya would use the tv shows tag for reviews of the tv shows she watches.

examples:

* house
** an entry saying how good it is that tanya knows how house's leg got injured and how well done the episode was
** an entry saying how terrible it is that the last episode was a rerun and why can't they just show them in order

* grey's anatomy
** an entry saying how that one chic and that one head doctor guy should really just get it on, enough already.

* spicks & specks
(i don't know anything about spicks & specks, so i can't write anything here. i just know that tanya watches it.)

sunday, 8 october, 2006 08:00 MAT

tanya would use the musings tag for general news and tanya tidbits.

examples:

* climbing up mt archer
* seeing a cute guy at gloria jeans
* extraordinary coffee experience at gloria jeans
* details of any dates with boys
* finding a new shop that has food that tanya can eat
* excursion to new zealand for a holiday