OZ day - Blogs to check out

[Ah Pauline - I have always wondered why only rednecks drape the flag like a cape. Probably because the rest of us can afford clothes].

Australia Day - the 26th of January is the official OZ birthday. We plan to head off to an picnic to celebrate [by celebrate I mean to go out in public, stuff our faces and drink too much to make boules & frisbee more interesting] & I thought how could I share our national holiday with the globe...and as I can not bake green & gold cupcakes to all and sundry [I just don't have the oven space nor a good relationship with my local post office however I digress] so instead I wanted to share some Aussies blogs which I enjoy immensely.

Firstly beginning with A - Crazy Cousin Anne [from tough at the top fame] has gone from Melbourne to Darwin to Berlin & back to Melbourne again [in manner of not so much Auntie Mame around the world more like the big trip of a daughter of a certain Moonee Ponds housewife] Wonderfully titled Bless me father for I have sinned [That catholic guilt just never goes away does it] dearest Anne has decided to start to reminisce about her very funny childhood...http://annneedmonds.blogspot.com/

Oh & this was her travel blog Anne in Berlin http://anniegoesoverseas.blogspot.com/
[Eich ein Berliner Anne? Nein Frau Anne].

Yarraville Paul - Another gay Melbournian's rant of pop culture, hot men, technology & politics - a good read - always! http://yarravillepaul.blogspot.com/

Punk & Blanket combines art & culture [and the love of Karl Lagerfeld] into one convenient size that fits all http://punkandblanket.blogspot.com/

But it's not all about things that go POP - the geeky greenie sometimes beats the pop bitch in me - Peter Parker [no not Spidey] from Melbourne on transport gives his views on how to fix our transport chaos. Possibly the planet too http://melbourneontransit.blogspot.com/.

Formerly of Big Queen Rod - this Sydney sider has now transformed his blog to the heavenly Popsickle yet another OZ pop culture icon http://bigqueen.org/popsickle/

And for the love of TV - the only blog to consult is TV tonight - for all doings, comings & goings of OZ TV http://www.tvtonight.com.au/

Now that where I should end it...but that's not it...

There is one more I need to share...it's not really Australian [in fact its American - how appropriate on our National Holiday to involve yanks!] and quite rude too [oh yes this blog is so not for work dear reader]...however its my most favourite blog of the moment - lurid digs - it combines very witty Interior design commentary [in manner of Dorothy Parker meets Martha Stewart at the Blue Oyster bar] & when gays get it wrong [especially when they are trying to be sexy in there own homes] urgh! http://www.luriddigs.com/ - its a fucking kak!

Happy OZ day!

You Tube:Natalie Bassingthwaighte - Alive

I'm loving Nat at the moment - the 'So you think you can dance[OZ]' host's latest- and I love the golden/sepia Nat in this clip of many looks

Film Review: AUSTRALIA

Well after reading all the reviews on this film you would think that Baz delivered a lemon to the big screen. In fact, probably why it took me so long to go see it.

Well let me tell you that's just not the case. In fact it’s quite the opposite.

AUSTRALIA is film which evokes the golden age of film epics. It is so well suited the big screen as the viewer can appreciate the rich landscapes, the eccentric characters and the overall tale it tells. Set between the backdrop of Pre war Darwin [the last Australian capital city which was even up to recently was a backwater outpost] and the extreme Australian outback, it is essentially a love story between the two leads Lady Ashley [Nicole Kidman] & the drover [Hugh Jackman].
Now don’t get me wrong, the first twenty minutes of hearing Nic’s English accent is unsettling, as with how Baz does the whole quick play of how she comes to Australia [this verges on the camp – yes even for moi] thankfully this is only one part of the tale.

This film makes many references to great films of the past, the most obvious is the ‘Wizard of OZ’ of course. However there are some scenes he has deliberately lit like the Hollywood sound stages of the 1940’s which so suits the era of which the film is set. Theses scenes created by Baz are wonderful. The Victorian homestead of Faraway downs is so typically rural Australia. The Cocktail Party scene at Government house could easily been an ex-pat party in Hong Kong or Singapore of the era. The bombing of Darwin and aftermath of it are both shocking and devastating [no it is not a knock off of Pearl Harbor]. But the landscape of the bush, the hard earth and the extreme temperature, are the real scene stealer of this film's cinematography.
Speaking of which, the quality of each performer are equally as high. So many accomplished Australian actors [which the exception of Geoffrey Rush & Kate Blanchet!] are in this film. Jack Thompson plays a drunk Englishman in a supporting role which is very funny. Nicole is very good [minus the first 20 minutes of the accent] and Hugh, well he is very believable as the Drover [and yes he gets his shirt off a few times] and I didn’t even mind the ‘crikey’ slang he speaks. The young actor Brandon Walters is brilliant as the aboriginal boy caught between his traditional roots and the world of ‘white Australia’ of the 1940’s. In fact the entire cast does a marvelous job.

Go see it as it's meant for the big screen – Baz did a fabulous job with this.

4 Billabongs out of 5.

Holiday Ste(wart) Crazy

Well its been a busy holiday season...one that Martha herself would be most proud...just not in that orange outfit [uh isn't bad enough to send people to jail LET alone choose the colour orange - ironically it is a majestic colour...the Royal house of Holland is known as the House of orange...but I digress.] We have been entertaining quite a bit - like everyone else [of course] over the holiday period...Christmas day lunch, then supper, Boxing Day lunch, then off to a Birthday drinks, a quick trip to the country, a house guest, a NYE party then another luncheon & a movie before heading back to work. All in ten days no less. Martha & Tina Brown would be proud.

Unlike previous years where we have gone from one party to another then another party - this year we were VERY sensible and had one day on one day off...to rest the body & mind...let alone a break from all the rich food and booze [we kept the makers of Rennie in Christmas booty over the break]. Of course now I would love some turkey in my sandwich but alas all gone...There is [thankfully] a Christmas pudding still here so not all bad news.
So on top of the entertaining...I managed to make Pea & Ham soup (from left over Christmas Ham) and jam and liqueur from a friends bumper crop of Cherry Plums (both pictured above, and yes still waiting on Ms Stewart to call for the recipe)...waiting on the apricots for more jam and lemons for preserving...so in between the hostess [with definitely the most'est] gig I'm doing my best impersonation of a 50's housewife - which I don't mind however I don't think I would have the same pinny as her below....but I do like her mixer.
Got me thinking that Housewife's role hasn't really disappeared rather really just merged with ourselves [Yes I know some more than others- moi for example] - and unlike the Fabulous 50's housewife of yesteryear we have just taken some of the traditional tasks and chosen the ones we like and discarded the ones we do not like/use or made redundant. Or employ others to action [like house cleaner, child carer etc]. This, of course, isn't a bad thing.

But give me the option I'd much rather kissing Andy goodbye every morning before I start polishing the silver, dusting my knick knacks, getting a pot roast on for dinner and planning the next luncheon rather than working until retirement [another 35 -40 years in the future - urgh!] - and for those saying I would get bored...well chance will be a fine thing...

Best plan the next holiday and get the next tram to work so I can pay for it.