hardtack

A few suggestions from an avid collector of film on DVD and BluRay: Arrietty (think it gets a run at the cinemas here soon, if not already - I have the BluRay from Japan) - a take on Mary Norton's book "The Borrowers", from Hayao Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli - wonderful/beautiful animation - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrietty In fact, I would recommend almost anything from this studio as they cater for adults (Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away) and children (Kiki's Delivery Service and My Neighbour Totoro being highlights), and are rarely short of superb. Older films I would recommend are most Kurosawa (Seven Samurai, Ran, Throne of Blood, Hidden Fortress, High and Low etc) Most Jim Jarmusch - Mystery Train, Down By Law, Ghost Dog, Dead Man etc A few Chinese films such as Aftershock, A World Without Thieves, Raise the Red Lantern, Not One Less, The Road Home, Shower Australian films such as The Last Wave, Lantana, Red Dog, Chopper French films such as Diva, City of Lost Children, Delicatessen, Amelie, Mic Macs, Wages of Fear Will add more later.

Ronny Jordan meets DJ Krush (brilliant Japanese turntablizer) - "Love, I Never Had it So Good":

Here are a couple I quite like... firstly an Anglo/Japanese collaboration known as United Future Organization "I Love My Baby, My Baby Loves Jazz": King Crimson Jazz Trio with "21st Century Schizoid Man" (as, if you know the original, you have never heard it before):

Yes, and while we're at it, let's also do away with the ceremonial aspect associated with the handing on of historically significant numbers such as 11, 31 etc; oh, and let's move to have the Norm Smith medal renamed to something more contemporary. And while we're at it, let's change the club song - it's too old and no longer relevant (actually, truth be known, I would be happy for us to replace the original with the David Bridie version )

I don't mind it... could give the players more of a sense of "belonging" to a club and its traditions.

Add Kalifornia to that list. Pitt is one of those actors who was at a disadvantage for having good looks - people tended to focus on that aspect and overlook his undoubted talent as an actor who, like Depp, is willing to put himself out on a limb by taking difficult roles in non-mainstream films.

Maybe we have found our Chinese sponsor for the front of jumper?

Do it on the Queens Birthday weekend and I would be happy to turn up... I used to live not too far away from there in Field Street (just off Alma Rd near the corner of Glenhuntly Rd).

The lyrics to "Young Girl" raised a bit of a ruckus if my memory serves - from Wikipedia: "Controversial at the time and later for its risque lyrical references to underage romance. Allmusic labeled the groups lyrics "bizarrely pedophilic."

and controversial... maybe that's why he disappeared?

The only arrival I would like to see at McD's would be that of Whelan the wrecker :-)

In fact there's a whole cluster of clutterbucks in there... birdy num num

I'm not sure about a bigger table, but I imagine they will get a taller table; if there is any business to be conducted during the evening, they will no doubt want to have enough headroom.

Just one minor point, that was posted in November 2010 :-)

Well, the thing I can see in my favour is that it gave me a whole new lease on life (and I got to revisit my youth in order to think like them), because there's one thing you just cannot do once kids are around, and that is sit down and take it easy... I even went out and bought a bike so I could maintain some sort of level of fitness :-)

Well, I was a late starter. I'm about to hit the big 60 in March and have two kids aged 9 and 12... so no grand kids here (although I tell my kids how lucky they are having a dad and a grandad all in the one person). Oh, and both boys follow the Dees, with a leaning to the Swans, being in Sydney; I've told them there will only be an issue if they start to get interested in GWS.

Yes, but after a year's hiatus, I wonder how his body is going to stand up to a full pre-season followed by the rigours of serious competition; as much as I would like to think he could, I really can't see it.

I like the latest tweet out of the MFC: "It’s Friday afternoon and we hope your boss is cutting you a bit more slack than ours is. http://twitpic.com/7cxoh0"

Actually, the other side of that coin is that the heat may well see us getting improved performance out of a few of our current underachievers... the likes of Bennell, Davey, Sylvia, Petterd, Bate and Dunn may suddenly get some direction.

I just received an email detailing the first artist announcements for next year's Byron Bay Bluesfest... so far they include among others: Roger Daltrey, the Pogues, Earth, Wind and Fire, John Butler Trio, Yes, Buddy Guy, Brian Setzer's Rockabilly Riot (my personal fave), Johhny Lang, and Steve Earl. I wonder if they have a sponsorship arrangement with Zimmer?

Yes, I do understand what you mean about Hendrix. Some of the stuff that Davis did with John McLaughlin ([censored] Brew sessions) is pretty incredible.

Well, I tend to disagree... yes Hendrix created a whole new genre, but as far as abilities and originality go, I think there are a number who come close (if not equal him). The obvious one would be Frank Zappa who was not only the master of major genre bending, but he probably had an even more unique sound than Hendrix. Peter Green of the original (and good) Fleetwood Mac was another... when he wasn't playing some of the best blues guitar around, he was creating some incredible improvisations such as on his album End of the Game. Another who I see as being just as important as Hendrix when it came to creating a whole new genre is Robert Fripp (one of my personal favourites).

There's been a lot of great music post 1990, but unfortunately I think the marketing machine had well and truly started to dominate by then and more and more music and performers were being "manufactured" rather than coming up through the live music scene. If you want to see what marketing has done to music in Asia, look no further than PopAsia on SBS on a Sunday morning. It's a real shame, because there used to be a lot of really exciting stuff going on in Asian music - well, I suppose there still is, but there is so much more dross that you have to wade through in order to find it.

I was singing Over, Under, Sideways Down in a band here in Sydney in the early 80's :-)

Well, here are a few I could mention: The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer (with Peter Cook) The Bedsitting Room (featured just about every British comedian imaginable) Bedazzled (the original with Peter Cook and Dudley Moore) Dr Strangelove (of course)