We heard about Mozart and the Whale a while back and have been waiting for the movie.

It is the story of two people with Asperger's syndrome whose emotional dysfunction impacts their relationship.

Sounds good, and as parents of a child with Asperger's syndrome, we''ve been keen to see it

It didn't make it to the cinemas here in Australia and I had been watching Amazon for it's release.

Moira tracked it down to JB Hi-Fi today and we finally got it today.

We'll be watching it later this week.

And dont forget the program on SBS INSIGHT : Understanding Autism later in the week. Big week for autism awareness.

[listening to: Confessions - Violent Femmes ]
8:19:51 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family • TV

I found this email in my inbox. it's funny

The Chaser’s War on Everything – now available everywhere

 
ABC New Media & Digital Services have made The Chaser team’s dubious Friday night comedy show, The Chaser’s War on Everything, available for download each week via a video podcast (vodcast).

Combined with a portable video player (mp4 player), the new service, available from abc.net.au/chaser, allows viewers to watch and complain about the show anywhere.

“All year long, people have been telling us that they’d love to watch our show, really they would, but that their social life just doesn’t allow them to be watch TV on a Friday night,” Chaser Executive Producer Julian Morrow said.

“So we’ve come up with a way that they can watch it anytime they like. Now the only excuse is that they just don’t like it.”

Many rugby league fans have recently clarified for the team that it’s the latter.

One of the show’s stars, the Crazy Warehouse Clearance Guy, was typically excited by the new service.

“The Chaser team’s gone completely insane and they’re giving away content that other shows only flog off on DVD,” he said. “That’s right, this new video podcast is free, absolutely free. This price is never to be repeated. It’s free.”

“Bring your truck, bring your trailer, bring your mp4 player or just watch it on your computer,” he said.

But the Guy warned fans that they absolutely must download the video podcast “by midnight tonight”. However he later admitted that if they didn’t, they could also download the podcast by midnight on any subsequent night.

 

The Chaser’s War on Everything vodcast will be available at

abc.net.au/chaser from 10pm on Friday 28 July.

=====================================================

Catch the latest Chaser episode by clicking here: http://www.abc.net.au/tv/chaser/war/vodcast/
 
=====================================================

11:07:01 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • My Interests • TV

For Tweenies, Disney's High School Musical is the new hotness.

As the parent of a Tween, High School Musical is on high rotation at our place. And the High School Musical Soundtrack is the only CD in the family car when we all head out together.

Haven't heard of High School Musical? Well this thing is big and it's going to get bigger.

Moira reckons it's going to be like Grease, and the story has parallels with that Travolta/Newton John classic - boy meets girl while on holodays, they then meet up at school but are from different gangs. There's songs and a happy ending. 

High School Musical - it's the next big thing.

7:31:25 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family • TV

Gotta Love the boys from The Chaser

Now they are vodcasting.

Their latest episode is online and available to be downloaded

If you intend watching it only on your computer, the Windows Media WMV version might be the way to go. Copy-and-paste this link into your podcast software... http://abc.net.au/tv/chaser/war/vodcast/chaser_wmv.xml Otherwise, your new portable video player will love the MP4 version. Copy-and-paste this link into your podcast software... http://abc.net.au/tv/chaser/war/vodcast/chaser_mp4.xml

OR

Download the WMV video directly   [WMV, 76MB]
(Right click, then 'Save As')

Download the MP4 video directly   [MP4, 76MB]
(Right click, then 'Save As')

Go ABC!!! You guys get it!

BTW - if you watch this, pay attention towards to end of the program. It has something to do with my recent Brush with Fame.

[listening to: chaserep22 - mark ]
11:38:51 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Geek • TV

I saw this news doing the rounds today. I just cant get over the news than MSN has licensed the rights to broadcast Arrested Development. It was such a sad day for me when Arrested Development was canceled.

Anyways, let's hope this terrific show will find a new audience and we may see some new episodes.

Cinema Blend "Arrested Development" Lives! E! Online - 14 hours ago The syndication rights of the critically acclaimed yet criminally unwatched Arrested Development have been simultaneously licensed by Microsoft's MSN.com and ... Arrested Development in internet syndication deal CBC News The Return of 'Arrested Development' ... Sort of andPOP "Arrested Development" Licensed To Three Companies All Headline News Deadbolt - Contactmusic.com - all 120 related

[listening to: chaserep22 - mark ]
9:10:23 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • TV

Some more info about the upcoming program on SBS, which is to broadcast on TUESDAY 8st August  at 7.30pm

INSIGHT – Understanding Autism

A staggering 100,000 Australian children are directly affected by autism and an even greater number of adults. The incidence has dramatically increased in the last decade and affects boys in three out of four cases.  The traits include a lack of social skills, communication difficulties, and obsessive behaviour.

Often a diagnosis of autism is not given until the child is around two.  Up until then families believe their child is normal – they reach all milestones like crawling, walking and first words. But then the child changes, leaving families shattered.

Many questions surround what has been dubbed the ‘silent epidemic’. Why is it on the increase? What causes autism? And is there a cure?  Research is still in preliminary stages, and although a series of therapies have been tried – all of them are costly and controversial.   Some families have been forced to shell out their life savings, sell their family home and dig into their superannuation, to fund these treatments.

And what happens to these children when they become adults? What sort of life can they expect to lead?

INSIGHT brings together desperate families searching for answers, autistic adults who can reflect on their struggle as well as leading experts and researchers.

“Understanding Autism” will be broadcast on TUESDAY 8st August  at 7.30pm on SBS.

8:33:58 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family • TV

SBS has an interesting show coming up next week. As a parent of 2 children diagnosed with Autism, I'm going to be watching.  

INSIGHT – Understanding Autism

A staggering 100,000 Australian children are directly affected by autism and an even greater number of adults. It has been dubbed the ‘silent epidemic’. Why is it on the increase? What causes autism? Is there a cure? 
And why are some families pushed over the edge in trying to deal with it?
Jenny Brockie speaks to Daniela Dawes about what drove her to suffocate her ten year old son two years ago. Former Deputy Prime Minster Tim Fischer reflects on his life with his autistic son Harrison.

“Understanding Autism” will be broadcast on TUESDAY 1st August  at 7.30pm on SBS.

BTW Moria reckons I am an undiagnosed one too.

[listening to: Self Control - Laura Branigan ]
9:25:43 AM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family • TV

Senator Ted Stevens made a speech where he said the Internet is a series of tubes.

AlterNet has a DJ remix of the speech.

The Daily Show had Jon Stewart deconstruct the speech.

Amazingly. this had had no coverage that I have seen in the local media.

10:30:18 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Geek • Random • TV

I'm loving The Daily Show on TheComedyChannel.

Finally we get to see this superb program on the telly "hot" off the wire.

What's odd is that it is only on 4 nights a week - Monday to Thursday, which causes a weird timewarp on the commentary.

For example

• Last night (Monday) the show was from the previous Thursday, July 20, which featured the hilarious War on Terrorble Diseases
• This evening (Tuesday) the show was from Monday July 25.

Anyways, it's good to see this downunder in almost realtime.

FWIW, there's a good summary of recents guests in Wikipedia

[listening to: Jenny Was a Friend of Mine - The Killers ]
10:44:36 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Geek • TV

The Saints got out of jail last round. The game this week is against the Tigers, who are fighting for a place in the final 8 and who will be keen to atone for their loss on the weekend. A real danger game.

The Saints have had a good run against the Tigers recently, which makes it such a danger game.

Since it's on Saturday afternoon, this will be live on the telly on Channel 10.

Tuesday 25/07/2006

• 11.00a  Round 16 St Kilda v Port Adelaide

Wednesday 26/07/2006

• 2.00a  Round 16 St Kilda v Port Adelaide

Thursday 27/07/2006

• 8.00a  Last Time They Met 2006 Rnd 2 Richmond v St Kilda

Sunday 30/07/2006

• 1.00a  Round 17 St Kilda v Richmond
• 11.30a  Round 17 St Kilda v Richmond

Monday 31/07/2006

• 11.00a  Round 17 St Kilda v Richmond
  

[listening to: Ugly - Violent Femmes ]
5:28:51 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • My Hobbies • TV

So So cool !!!

As listed on http://tvshowsondvd.com, the first 25 episodes are:

1. De-Zanitized, The Monkey Song, Nighty Night Toon
2. Yakko's World, Cookies For Einstein, Win Big
3. HMS Yakko, Slappy Goes Walnuts, Yakko's Universe Song
4. Hooked on a Ceiling, Good Feathers (pilot episode)
5. Taming of the Screwy
6. Flipper Parody, Temporary Insanity, Operation Lollipop, What are We?
7. Piano Rag, When Rita Met Runt
8. The Warner's Lot Song, The Big Candy Store, Bumbie's Mom
9. Wally Llama, Where Rodents Dare
10. King Yakko
11. No Pain, No Painting, Les Miseranimals
12. Garage Sale of the Century, West Side Pigeons
13. Hello Nice Warners, La Behemoth, Little Old Slappy From Pasadena
14. La La Law, Cat On a Hot Steel Beam
15. Space Probed, Battle For the Planet
16. Chalkboard Bungle, Hooray for Slappy, The Great Wakkoroti: The Master & His Music
17. Roll over Beethoven, The Cat and the Fiddle
18. Pavlov's Mice, Chicken Boo-Rhyshnikov, Nothing But the Tooth
19. Meatballs or Consequences, A Moving Experience
20. Hitchcock Opening, Hearts of Twilight; The Boids
21. The Flame, Wakko's America Song, Davey Omelette, Four Score and Seven Migraines Ago
22. Guardin' the Garden, Plane Pals
23. Be Careful What You Eat, Up the Crazy River, Ta Da Dump
24. Yakko's World of Baldness, Oppurtunity Knox, Wings Take Heart
25. Disasterpiece Theatre, Hercule Yakko, Home On The Nile, A Midsummer Night's Dream

Pre-ordered!

11:38:23 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • My Interests • TV

On the weekend, Moira and I wanted to go to see the movie, "Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story"  which we had heard about. It had a nice review in The SMH, and the gang from "At The Movies" said nice things about it too.

A rollicking adaptation of the classic 18th Century comic novel THE LIFE AND OPINIONS OF TRISTRAM SHANDY, GENTLEMAN, by Laurence Sterne. Set on a modern film set complete with insecure actors, scandal-hunting reporters and balky investors, the story folows the fortunes of one blood and one professional family, revealing the calamities, crises and flirtations that transcend the centuries...

Margaret: David:

But when we were checking movies times, it was no longer playing in the cinemas. What The??

So, I did what any self respecting geek consumer would do, I went over to Amazon and ordered it on DVD. It arrived yesterday.

The Long Tail Rules!

Oh, while I was at Amazon, I got a bunch of other DVDS, as one does.

My order consisted of:

• Tristram Shandy - A Cock and Bull Story
• Syriana 
• Monk - Season Four
• Carnivale - The Complete Second Season
• The First $20 Million Is Always the Hardest

[listening to: Weapon of Choice - Bootsy Collins ]
9:10:48 AM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family • Geek • TV

The Saints meet Port Adelaide in Tassie this weekend. It's live on Channel 9 on Sunday at 1pm.  I believe they have fixed the siren there too.

Will the Saints beat Port for the first time since 2000??. These guys have become our Hoodoo team recently.

Since 1997		All Games		Last 5 Games		Highest Score		Lowest Score		Biggest Win
St Kilda		5		0		126		47		65
Port Adelaide		9		5		139		45		83

Friday 21/07/2006

• 3.00a  Round 15 Essendon v St Kilda
• 8.00a  Last Time They Met 2006 Rnd 4 Port Adelaide v St Kilda

Sunday 23/07/2006

• 11.00p  Round 16 St Kilda v Port Adelaide

Monday 24/07/2006

• 5.00a  Round 16 St Kilda v Port Adelaide
  

[listening to: About Me - They Might Be Giants ]
2:54:53 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • My Hobbies • TV

I am a big fan of the folks from The Chaser. Their TV show on the ABC is an absolute pisser, full of parady, pranks and general shenangans. Their logies stunt was a classic.

Last week, one of their pranks backfired. Chas got arrested

The Age

Readers' Comments Chaser knife prank backfires Sunday Times.au, Australia - 23 hours ago A COMEDIAN with ABC TV's The Chaser's War on Everything has been charged with ... Chas Licciardello was filming a prank at Friday night's NRL clash in Sydney ... TV prank results in charges Melbourne Herald Sun Cops make war on TV comedian Melbourne Herald Sun TV prank backfires NEWS.com.au Queensland Sunday Mail - all 24 related »

I can't wait to see what gets said on their show.

** Update ** Chas has his own section on Wikipedia, with news of this event!

[listening to: XTC Vs. Adam Ant - They Might Be Giants ]
2:12:06 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • TV

Way back in November, I called it - My Name Is Earl rocks!

The show is finally on the telly in Australia and guess what, it rated well. Made it into to the top 10 for the week

I told you it was good! If only those in Willougby had listened to me back then

10:56:43 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • TV