Gone To Texas!

We start our semi-annual trek to Texas today, flying to Sydney, then LA, then San Antonio. The beauty pictured here will be on our doorstep less than 24 hours after our arrival. We. Can't. Wait.

New Star in Royal Box

Kate Middleton, the girlfriend of Prince William, appeared with Prince Charles in the Royal Box at the Cheltenham Festival Gold Cup raceday. The popular 24 year-old is the odds-on favorite to be engaged to the second-in-line by raceday next year. Prince William was unable to attend the event as he is busy with military training at Sandhurst. Kate even managed a little controversy as she appeared to be wearing a fur hat with her biege coat. She looked wonderful!

Crowe and Washington: AMERICAN GANGSTER

Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington will co-star in Ridley Scott's new film American Gangster which will begin filming in the mid to late part of this year. The film is set in the 1970s and based on the true story of how drug lord Frank Lucas smuggled heroin into the US in the coffins of American soldiers killed in Vietnam. "It's about one of the biggest and most notorious drug dealers in the history of America, Frank Lucas, and a New York detective, Richie Roberts, who tracks him down," said Washington who will play drug dealer Lucas while Crowe takes the part of detective Richie Roberts. Washington, 51,who won the best actor Oscar in 2002 for Training Day, beating fellow nominee Crowe ( A Beautiful Mind), says he relishes the challenge of working with Hollywood's best.

Cyclone Damage to Reef

Northeastern Queensland experienced a Category 5 hurricane earlier in the week. The damage to property and crops has been tremendous. Now scientists are alarmed about the damage which has likely occurred to parts of the Great Barrier Reef which were in the cyclone's path. Coral bleaching experts aboard the Pelican One are going to the reef today to inspect and report on the damage. They expect to see broken coral and patches of missing reef.

Aussie and I love the reef and have snorkeled there several times. It's heartbreaking to think of the possibility of damage to that fragile environment, but cyclones are a natural occurrence at least. Better than a supertanker plowing through the reef which has happened also.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

May you have warm words on a cold evening,
a full moon on a dark night,
and the road downhill all the way to your door.

Touring Egypt's Great Sphinx: Be Warned!

The ancient builders of the Great Sphinx trenched out a deep, U-shaped ditch that isolated a huge rectangular bedrock block for carving the Sphinx. This enclosure is deepest immediately around the body, with shelf at the rear of the monument where it was left unfinished and a shallower extension to the north where important archaeological finds have been made.

When Aussie and I were visiting the Great Sphinx last November, we exited the temple ruin (at the red arrow) into the area where many people were crowded in having their photos taken with the sphinx as a background (at the green arrow). With Aussie aiming the camera at me, I backed up, never seeing the sheer drop of 50 feet behind me. I was standing on the very edge of the drop-off; one tiny step back and I would have fallen into that pit! Coming out of the shade into the sun and the optical effect of the sphinx being on the same level as the top of the embankment completely fooled my eye. I didn't see my mistake until I took the camera and Aussie turned to look over his shoulder to make sure he wasn't backing over the edge!

Facelift for Egypt's Sphinx

The Great Sphinx of Giza, one of the most famous monuments of pharaonic Egypt, is to get a facelift, the Egyptian Ministry of Culture says. Restoration work is to focus on the half-man half-lion statue's neck and chest, rendered fragile by the erosion of desert winds. The 73-metre long and 20-metre high Sphinx, believed to have been built 5,000 years ago, is situated close to the Great Pyramids of Giza just outside Cairo. The Sphinx will remain accessible to the public during the restoration work.

Kidman in FUR

Nicole Kidman has completed work on her new film, Fur, the life of photographer Diane Arbus (far lt) whose images of transvestites, dwarfs, twins, and other unusual persons - she called them freaks - were popular in the 1960s. After her suicide in 1971, Arbus was the first American photographer to be exhibited at the Venice Biennale. It was announced in Feb 2006 that Fur would be a contender at the Cannes Film Festival. The film is due for release in October 2006.

It's A Boy!

Russell Crowe has announced that the child he and his wife Danielle Spencer are expecting is a boy. Their first son Charlie (pictured) wants to name him Pumpkinhead or Stinky. Crowe also said he would be in the delivery room with a video camera when his second son is born.

Terri Hendrix

Terri Hendrix is a San Antonio-born, San Marcos-based singer, songwriter who appears in venues and at festivals throughout Texas and the US. Her music is a mix of folk, roots-pop, country and scat-jazz. Aussie and I subscribe to her monthly email newsletter Goat Notes which arrived late this month, but with this explanation: My newly adopted dog, Buddy — long story — snatched a pair of my underwear from my laundry basket, bolted out the doggie door, and before I could catch him, swallowed them whole. Needless to say, when I was supposed to be writing my GoatNotes, I was on the phone with Pet Emergency services attempting to understand the damages that consuming a pair of Hanes Her Way could inflict on a mutt's digestive system. The next day, I dropped Buddy off at the vet, and a few hours
later got word that everything was going to be OK, as he'd just regurgitated my undies in front of the entire veterinary staff. A few days later, when I picked Buddy up from the vet (I'd been on the road), I was greeted by a chorus of giggles. That's when I learned that, during his ordeal, my mutt's cage had proudly displayed a sign that read, "Please monitor Buddy for a large pair of Terri Hendrix's underwear." Friends, I know this sounds like "the dog ate my
homework" and that's why my assignment's not in. Butt (pun intended), it's definitely a true story.

Here is Terri's website.

More Water in Space

The Cassini space probe has found evidence of geysers erupting from underground pools of liquid water on Saturn's moon Enceladus. Huge plumes of ice gushing from the moon's south pole region were seen in high-definition photos beamed back from the Cassini probe. Being at MacDonald Observatory when the Cassini sent back its first pictures, I can tell you that astronomers there were beside themselves with excitement. Many said that these photos would move space exploration in our galaxy forward by huge leaps, and it looks as if their enthusiasm was warranted. Mars and Europa, which is one of Jupiter's moons, are the other two sources of water discovered so far in our galaxy. Read more about water geysers on Enceladus here.

Overlooked Film: "Millions"

Millions is a delightful film which tells the story of two brothers who are thrilled to find a stash of bank robbery money but are faced with the daunting task of spending it in a week before the UK pound is converted to the euro. Damien, the seven year old, is determined to give all the money to the poor; Anthony, the nine year old, is thinking more about property investment. The one thing they agree on is that they can't just walk into a bank with a note from dad and deposit it! While the disposal of the windfall is the device, what the film actually explores is how the two children and their father deal with the recent loss of the children's mother. Damien knows all the saints and their stories and he sees them, recognizes them, and gets their advice. The story is whimsical, imaginative, and full of joy. Set around the Christmas season, but not really a Christmas story, it would be great for family viewing during the holidays.

Hot Time in Perth

Long weekend weather was hot and it continues today. Over 36C for the last week and little relief for the rest of the week. Sunset fishermen love the heat for night fishing. Sunsets are spectacular!

My Favorite Oscar Moment(s)

Looking back over the Academy Awards tv show, this was my favorite Oscar moment. Nick Park and his co-director Steve Box stole the show when they came on stage for winning Best Animated Feature for Wallace and Gromit, Curse of the WereRabbit and fastened tiny, striped bowties on their Oscars which matched their own huge, striped bowties. Appropriate and harmless fun! (OK, I liked the penguins too.)

Salute to Best Book

On World Book Day 2006 a survey of librarians named Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird the one book every adult should read before they die. Since this is my all-time favorite book, I had to let you know that librarians across the world agree with me! In brief this is the story of a poor black man of the Depression Era South who is accused of raping a white girl and the consequences for everyone in the small town who become involved. In depth it is the compassionate story of rural southern America, its people, its poverty, and its pride.

Aussies at the Oscars

So far three Aussies have appeared on the Red Carpet: Naomi Watts, Eric Bana, and Heath Ledger. More Aussies are expected.

Oscar Blog

For those of us who will not get the Academy Award ceremony live, there's a live blog available online from Pink Armadillo here.

Remember that you must reload or refresh your browser to receive new posts to a live blog.

Religion or Cult?

Read this interesting article "Inside Scientology" written by Janet Reitman for Rolling Stone magazine. Then ask: Is it a religion or is it a cult? The answer will be clear.

Overlooked Film: "A Perfect World"

Double Academy Award winners Kevin Costner and Clint Eastwood confront each other from opposite sides of the law in A Perfect World, an acclaimed, multi-layered manhunt saga (directed by Eastwood) that rumbles down Texas backroads toward a harrowing collision with fate.

Costner plays Butch Haynes, a hardened prison escapee on the lam with a young hostage (T J Lowther in a remarkable film debut) who sees in Butch the father figure he never had. Eastwood is wily Texas Ranger Red Garnett, leading deputies and a criminologist (Laura Dern) in a statewide pursuit. Red knows every road and pothole in the Panhandle. What's more, he knows the elusive Haynes — because their paths have crossed before.

Ella Update

Our precious little Miss Ella Grace is 7 months old! Here she is in her nursery with her bear. In the photo next to her is her "hours old" photo. Ella has a delightful personality. She laughs and smiles, puts herself to sleep at night, and lights up when her parents appear in the room with her. Here's a close-up!

Commonwealth Games without Thorpe?

Australian champion swimmer Ian Thorpe is in doubt for the upcoming Commonwealth Games. His fitness team announced that he has been tested for whooping cough, glandular fever, and chronic fatigue syndrome after his condition worsened from the bronchitis he was suffering from. His recovery has also been hampered because the medicines which could help him recover are on the banned substances list.

Blanchett on Stage in New York

Cate Blanchett opened tonight in a 4-week season at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in the Sydney production of Hedda Gabler. The first show was a benefit show; the critics are in tomorrow night. However, seats are 90% sold out so the critics won't have much influence on the success of this offering. Cate is reprising her sublime 2004 depiction of Ibsen's slippery, fiendish heroine for the Sydney Theater Company. The role has become a stage tradition, the many actresses playing Hedda always gaining attention, both positive and negative.

Oscars: Best Picture Nominees

Munich
Brokeback Mountain
Crash
Goodnight, and Good Luck
Capote

One of these things is not like the others,
One of these things just doesn't belong,
Can you tell which thing is not like the others
By the time I finish my song?

Crash

Did you guess which thing was not like the others?
Did you guess which thing just doesn't belong?
If you guessed this one is not like the others,
Then you're absolutely...right!

(Thanks to Big Bird and the rest of the Sesame Street neighbors.)

Chris Cooper's Big Year

Chris Cooper's filmography includes three of the hottest films of 2005: Syriana, Capote, and Jarhead. In 2003 he won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of John Larouche in Adaptation. Though his first big role was Joe Kenehan in John Sayles's Matewan, his more memorable introduction was as July Johnson, the clueless sheriff with a heart of gold in the TV miniseries Lonesome Dove. Many moviegoers thought his character in American Beauty Col. Frank Fitts, a homophobic ex-Marine who was hiding the fact that he was gay, was really his first Oscar role, but he failed to receive an Oscar nomination that year. His filmography also includes these unforgettable movies: Silver City, Seabiscuit, My House in Umbria, The Bourne Identity, The Patriot, October Sky, A Time to Kill, and Lone Star.