Look at moi, look at moi!

Some hilarious Kath & Kim bloopers to lighten up hump day.



Song of the day: Long Way To Happy - Pink

2006/2007

Today is cold. Bitterly cold. Walking down Michigan Ave at 12.30pm it was -9degC. It is terribly nice to see the sunshine through the snowy clouds, however! I must be insane though...being here during this crazy weather instead of laying on the beach in 30degC + heat! Ahh..the things we do for love.

It is really pretty with all the snow falling around this said. And its OK to feel that little bit more lethargic and stay indoors because of the subzero temperatures. However as I type this I am being struck by a wonderful warmth from the sun coming through the condo windows.

And before I forget, big Happy Birthdays to my Aquarians; Fi, Doz, Mardi and Bobby! Enjoy & utilise your special days to the fullest!!

This time last year;
Top pic: Will, Nicole (miss you!!) & Mark at Mardi O's Bday
Lower pic; Me, Bobby & Boo celebrating Bobby's 30th B'day! Ahhh..good times!

Songs of the day:
Go or Go Ahead - Rufus Wainright
Sweet Escape - Gwen Stefani (This song has grown on me so much..I think I may need a topical treatment!)

Posh Spice Sucks!!

Ah, Victoria Beckham. Fancy inviting the lollipop of human cells to your wedding only to hear that she refuses to honour the wishes of the bride regarding a dress standard.

Elizabeth Hurley sent out invitations to her impending nuptials being held in India instructing female guests to wear traditional pink saris.

Now admittedly, I am no fan of Elizabeth Hurley, but a source of Victoria's was quoted by Britain's Daily Star newspaper as saying:
"The thought of arriving in India and picking an outfit doesn't appeal to Victoria. She's a planner. What if there's nothing she likes?

"Her style icon status is her stock in trade and pink just isn't her colour."

Pink isn't her colour??? What is her colour??? Body Bag Black?? Liz should slap the silly bitch...

...I can't stand that emaciated media whore...

Monday morning 'Nippy!'

Another installment of MAD TV's spoof of Whitney....I LOOOOVE IT!! My Laaaaawwwd!!!!!

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY!

What can I say....wish I was there! I am having the afternoon off though in honour!

Song : Wake Up - Eskimo Joe

Australia Day Week - My Heros!

The sheer class of Kath Day-Night and Kim (Kimmoi) Craig!


The STUPENDOUSLY snappy dressing of Bob Downe!

Australia Day Week - Day Four

An Aussie once in a lifetime moment for me.

Working on the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games where I assisted in the running of the Entertainment Program for the LIVE sites. Amazing opportunity, amazing time. Sydney shone and was picture perfect. Working the most insane hours of my life, and lovingly cherishing every second. All my friends who escaped for Canada, and the UK mainly, I was soooo close behind you! Of course then the timing with work at The Opera House conflicted, so I ended up having to stay in Sydney. Which is when I got a phone call from one of my oldest friends, Debor asking me to come be her and another mates Assistant on the Games! How could I turn it down, even if it meant leaving work at the SOH right there and then, that day, for three months. I did it, got shat upon when returned to SOH, but never worked so hard yet felt so alive, so connected with so many strangers, so proud to be an Aussie-Pommie-Yanky-Hybrid!


Secretly, this is why I am hoping Chicago gets the 2016 Games! Who knows...may have to return from wherever else I may be in the world at that time and gets me some work on it!!

Song Of The Day - Ten Ft Tall - Pete Murray

NB To Previous post, I missed the whole Boom, Crash, Opera thing..was living in UK, Noiseworks weren't bad, and silly silly me omitting Pete Murray, and of course my fav Ben Lee, and Bernard Fanning...and Powderfinger...Little Birdy..Augie March..the list can go on an on...

Australia Day Week - Day Three

Today's list...my Top Ten Aussie Films and Aussie Albums...in random order!

1. The Adventures Of Pricilla, Queen Of The Desert
2. Muriels Wedding
3. Lantana
4. Cosi
5. Mad Max
6. Babe
7. Moulin Rouge
8. The Castle
9. Head On
10. Dating The Enemy

1. Panic Room - Paul Mac
2. Silverchair - Neon Ballroom
3. Get Born - Jet
4. Beautiful Awkward Pictures - Toni Collette & The Finish
5. Kick - INXS
6. Bright Like Neon Love - Cut Copy
7. Sneaky Sound System - Sneaky Sound System
8. Girl/ A Song Is A City - Eskimo Joe
9. Impossible Princess - Kylie Minogue
10. Addicted Romantic - Faker

Song Of The Day : Miss You Love - Silverchair

Australia Day Week - Day Two

Today, as the Chicago winter sun beams into the apartment warming my skin and I contemplate my day off (I know, work Monday, then off Tuesday, what a life!), today's installment in honour of Australia Day will feature some of my favourite things from Australia, Sydney in particular.


- The scent of Eucalyptus and Frangipani's carried on the warm summer evening air.

- The beautiful glow that hangs over the Harbour at dusk.

- Campos Coffee in Newtown

- The sound of cicada's clicking as you fall asleep.

- The scent of the Beach at night, and that first feeling of a wave licking at your feet as you walk along it.

- Harry's Cafe de Wheels, and its 'Tiger'! (Meat Pie with mashed potato, mushy peas and gravy on top!)

- The walk from The Rocks to Newtown after work in the evening.

- Catching a Ferry to Manly for a lie on the beach, Hot Choccy at Max Brenner's.

- The complete Bondi to Bronte walk.

- Centennial Park, The Botanical Gardens and Hyde Park.

- The Big Day Out!

- Sitting at Watson's Bay Hotel having afternoon bevies, and listening to waves crash over The Gap.

- The first sip of a beer with mates after work on a balmy evening, coupled with a Chicken Laksa from Thada Thai or a salad from Tropicana Cafe.

Song of the Day : Cowboy Games - Toni Collette and The Finish.

Australia Day Week - Day One.

If I were in Australia this would be an unusually busy week for me, with the 26th January Holiday for Australia Day. The Arts has The Sydney Festival pumping through the city, plus there are music gigs galore as apart of the Big Day Out, as well as Triple J's Hottest 100 Songs for 2006 being announced. The Opera House is full of people, and there are tourists by the jet/boat load. It is usual week that the excesses step up a notch higher than the Christmas time! Usually its a safe bet to say that January is also a massive liver-killer. Australia Day is spent on or around Sydney Harbour, and its even better when you get to share a January in the Arts with my BF, and Miss Chantilly, who graciously popped over from DC via NZ!

So in honour of one of the most frantically busy, yet chilled weeks I love about Australia, its an Aussie post a day week.

I received a care package on Saturday from Sarah featuring some of my addictions, Cherry Ripe, Boost, Caramello Koala's as well as nostalgic fare; flag, stubbie holder. It was so so appreciated. The Berocca even more so!!!!!

This Time Last Year: Off to see The Shins at The Metro Theatre, Sydney with Will, Jen, and 'The English Mafia'.

Today's Song for Australia week; (will be available on a compilation CD burn for those who want one at the end of the week...just let me know your addresses again!)
All The Same - The Sick Puppies

..however on a NON Australia Day note...one more video clip! The new single by Robbie Williams - She's Madonna! Wonder how Madge feels??

A little Sunday 'Nippy' cheer for all!!

I can't get enough of MAD TV's piss take on Whitney Houston....here it is for ya'll's enjoyment!

The Promise Of A New Day!

Yesterday was my first day's orientation at my new job, and I am excited! I can just tell already that this team of people I am working with will be a true inspiration to me and the soul enriching work will outweigh the pay that a non profit organisation offers. I am truly luck and grateful.
This afternoon I am shadowing the company Social Worker and tomorrow, this young lad will be running solo as Individual and Apartment Skills Tutor for 3 gentlemen, as well as coordinating and facilitating weekly meetings to problem solve and entertain the house hold at 2021 Harrison Street, Evanston.

This is the most I have been excited about a job many many years. I see this as a lifestyle change, more than a job!

Now all I need to do is find something else to make up another 20 odd hours and I am golden!! Just like this sunrise over Manly Beach, Australia!

NB: The title of today's post is a 'wee' ode to dear Paula Abdul, who was apparently back on our screens last night with the return of American Idol...however I am already getting addicted to Beauty and The Geek, so I just don't have enough room in the 'junk pile' of my brain for two reality shows.

To see Paula Abdul at 'her best'...click on this link!

This was just for promo, and the season had not even started yet. Bless the lil train wreak!

"A sea of dead animals..."

...that is all I could think as I walked through The Gold Coast region of Chicago on Saturday after seeing 'Children Of Men' again.

Every second woman shopping in that area seemed to be wearing fur! Fur coats, fur jackets, fur hats...more dead animals than I could poke a stick at! And believe me...I wanted to poke those people more than ever with something sharp and electrified. Something that causes an excruciating death...much like what the animals had to endure for their 'fashion statement'!

Fur is so passe ladies...haven't you heard??

And to help spread the message...here is the gaaawwwjus Famke Jannsen!

TRACK OF THE WEEK.

1. FURY - PRINCE : 3121 (Universal)
Like 'Black Sweat', underrated masterpiece from one of the music worlds living legends, Prince.RUNNERS UP;
2. Good To Be Gone - Sugababes (Universal)
3. Before I Fall To Pieces - Razorlight Vertigo)
4. I Made My Excuses And Left - Pet Shop Boys (EMI Records)
5. Shes's My Man - Scissor Sisters (Universal)
6. Already Over It - Orson (Mercury/Universal)

FLASHBACKS OF THE WEEK - TEXAS : White On Blonde, Red Book & Songbook - The Greatest Hits (Mercury/ Universal)

Shout out to Susie Reid!!

I must let you all know of a good friend and her ever so glamorous business. Check out Susie's website and ladies, treat yourself to some unique yet elegant lingerie, all handmade! Stay tuned for a new release...


Her talent and attention to detail is impeccable. I am eagerly awaiting the creation of the boutique men's range..hint, hint!!

'Perfume' & 'Catalogue'

One of my all time fav books, 'Perfume' by Patrick Suskind has been given the celluloid treatment.
I always thought it would be an extremely complex and difficult film to make given the whole premise is scentual stimulation.

The thing I love about the novel is that it leaves the judgments of the hideousness orphan who was born with no scent at all, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille to the reader. Also the hideous nature of his crimes. But one thing is always present, the sense of smell. The novel forces you to tap into those scents that have either repulsed us or drew us in.

I saw it with much want, and much trepidation last night and I was most disappointed. It was beautiful, yet dark, long, and painfully drawn out. The score by the Berliner Philharmoniker & Sir Simon Rattle is gives light and hope to a haunting topic and is easily the best thing about it. The book will still remain a fav, however Ben Whishaw was no where near as grotesque as I imagined Grenouille. Alan Rickman as Laure, the object of Grenouille's affection's father Antoine Richis was one of the highlights. Dustin Hoffman's performance as the master perfumer, Guiseppie Baldini, was woeful. His Italian accent easily rivalling Brad Pitt's abomination on the Irish accent in 'The Devil's Own' as all time worst

And since we are sharing books, my latest love of my life is 'Catalogue'. This is the complete graphical biography of the Pet Shop Boys to date, featuring clips from the music videos, single and album artwork, posters, and their historical performance of the score of Battleship Potemkin whilst it screened in Trafalgar Square. I love this book. I will never tire of it.

"This is the Sound of .....8 things I fondly remember from Australia, 2006!"

I am homesick. Its official. Not in a sad, longing, aching homesick, but a nostalgic, wish I could be there, bit of homesickness. This is probably beacuse my lil 3 year old neice is going in for a wee operation to have gromits put in here ears, to assist with the drainage of wax, and help her hearing.

So my homesickness has extended to me remembering a few things things that happened last year during my months in Australia, that always make me smile;

1. Chloe's lover not a fighter attitude, complete with a 'don't hurt him!!' mumbled with teary eyes at the hitting of her pinata at her 3rd Birthday party. She then went to the next step of taking the smashed pinata home to take care of it.

2. Mikey. MJC, The Clap! What can I say, I have had some of my greatest times in Sydney with you! Your my beacon of gayness, complete with a fantasticly prudish 12 yr old son!! I love you both terribly!! The very drunk night at Barries 'Battle Of The Bulge' win, sitting in the Century Tavern with you shooting the shit sitting next to Eskimo Joe, and you having to be so calm and collected with your love of Kav! Working with you..priceless! Your watching out for me whilst I was terribly intoxicated at The Vanguard whilst watching James Morrison, and ensuring I didn't chat up that young pretty lady anymore due to my homosexuality! Then you proceeding to chat up her friend, with discussions on the love of Kath & Kim! Like how gay are you!!! Then repeating said night at Toni Collette's performance @ Newtown. Multiple nights at dinner, and drinkies, where you could entertain me for hours. I am thin, god damn it!! I miss you.

3. A 5am wake up call by Bobby-Smelly-Deriere as the terrace house next to ours was attacked by the Newtown Sunday morning Arsonist! "I just thought someone had turned on the heating...it was warm up there. However the wood smell made me think again!!" And us all standing outside on a Sydney winters morning in robes and pj's. Great way to get to know the neighbours, huh!

4. Chez Nic & Mark in Manly. Your private beach oasis is sublime! To be able to watch the waves roll in whilst consuming pizza, and listening to the waves as I drifted off to sleep. Total relaxation therapy. Better than ANY hotel! Your friendship my sweet Nicole = my refuge from the nastiness of Sydney. An escape for me. Our bitch sessions were the best!! Even though we weren't even bitching, "just stating the obvious!" : )

5. Susanna, shopping for your new car with you, then having the dilema of if I really wanted to spend one of my last nights in Sydney attending the Australian Idol finals. Instead making the wise choice not to, and heading back to Angel Street, where a bottle of tequila and vodka chasers were consumed by Sarah and I. What a way to kick out the blues!! And score a killer hang over!

6. Boo, our intense bonding moment after the both of us already feeling emotionally crippled went and saw 'The Departed', instead of 'Little Miss Sunshine'! The claustrophobic feeling that we both walked out with, and sheer panic that consumed the pair of us, over our respective issues is almost laughable now!! Thank good for 'mothers lil helpers'!

7. Dealing with issues inside myself regarding the demise of one of my oldest friendships. Realising the things that she was saying about me after our working stint together were her own insecurities, and not mine! I wish her the best, and I will NEVER work for a mate like her again! The gowing apart from a couple of my oldest friends, lives change, people change, and older friends you had previously grown apart from, come back into your life as strong as ever!

8. B,W,V. They were good friends to me at home, made my life liveable! Considering my 'nomadic' life over the past two years, these three were consumed in abundance and life was made far far more enjoyable!! I think for all parties involved!! A Happy Richard is a very very funny Richard! And that makes life a hell of alot easier to deal with.

In honour of this my playlist today features such tracks by Cut Copy, Infusion, Dannii Minogue (later dance period, up to her dance-tastic remake of 'He's The Greatest Dancer'!) Paul Mac, Kylie, The Dissociatives, Silverchair, Sneaky Sound System, The Hampdens, Eskimo Joe and even Cosima (OMG I HEAR YOU ALL SHRIEK!!!! HOW COULD HE!!!But it was my dream too, and we did it, we made Number 1, and she does have a simply sensational voice! No other comments can be published.)

..and I leave you all with the backsides of some lads catching the Ferry back from Manly to the City!

Morrisey to pen/possibly perform this years English Eurovision Entry!! WHAT THE???

I love Morrisey. I love The Smiths...however this simple fact is freaking me out.

"Morrissey, famed for penning some of British pop music's most melancholy songs, is being lined up to represent Britain in the Eurovision song contest, usually seen as a celebration of all things kitsch and trite.

The former lead singer of The Smiths, whose hits include That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore and Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now, revealed he wanted to take part after Britain's disappointing performance last year.

"Morrissey expressed an interest way back last year in writing for the contest and since then we have been in talks with him," a BBC spokeswoman said today.

She said no decision had yet been made and there were also discussions with other artists taking place. It was also unclear whether Morrissey would perform or merely write the song." Sydney Morning Herald (http://www.smh.com.au) 9/1/2007

OH....MY....GOD! He can't be serious??????? Surley to god its a tounge-in-cheek industry joke!! And why do England feel the need to do better than the last two years??? Its ffffflipppin Eurovision!!!! sigh....

Brrrrrrrrrrr.........

Winter seems to have decided to make a return.

As I was walking to meet with HR at The Swissotel on Wacker Street, across from Lake Michigan, it was a high of -1degC. It was 9.30am. A wee bit chilly, one might agree!

Two very different films to check out; 'Pans Labyrinth' (Guillermo del Torro's fairy-tale-cum-horror. Very dark, yet strangely engrossing!) and 'Stranger Than Fiction' (Very amusing and cute. Emma Thompson and Maggie Gyllenhaal as great as ever! Brain Fart Fact: The old cinema we watched it in was one used in a scene in the film! Ooooooh!' )

And my music selection for the week (with big cheers for the Mika tip, Bobby!!):

Mika - 'Relax, Take It Easy', 'Love Today', 'Happy Endings', 'Grace Kelly', 'Lollipop' & 'Happy Ending'.(Island Records) (If you ever wondered what the lovechild of the Scissor Sisters and Robbie Williams would sound like, here he is!)
Sugababes - Overloaded: The Singles Collection and Live tracks (Universal/London Records)
Lovelight (Mark Ronson Dub) - Robbie Williams (EMI Music)
Faithless - To All New Arrivals (Sony/BMG Music)
Beloved - The Singles Collection (Warner Music)

I think my flu is finally on its way out...cause for cheers!!!

A new day, a new career!

I had my third interview in a series of long arduous interviews with a company in Evanston, a Northern Suburb of Chicago, and I am happy to say, I was offered a position today.

It is a massive change of direction for me, apart of my whole life revamp. Come February 1st, I will be the Manager of Mens Residence for a non profit organisation called Centre for Independent Futures. I will be aiding and assisting people with disabilities to assimilate into everyday society. I will be a life skills coach and a support for the residents of one of the properties that C.I.F. own, giving those who may never have the opportunity to live and fend for themselves. This is a most exciting and challenging prospect, and let me tell you if I could make it through the interview process, I am sure I will do just fine with the residents, a couple of whom I have already met.

I am excited and not in the least daunted.