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 don't forget the program on SBS INSIGHT : Understanding Autism next week. Big week for autism awareness.

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

The exhibition opened and it was a full house.

Christopher Beaumont Cartesian Painting with Cabbage 2000 Oil on linen 152 x 183cm AUD$8,000

Eva Breuer Art Dealer - 83 Moncur Street, Woollahra NSW 2025

[listening to: Money For Nothing - Dire Straights ]
7:45:51 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family

We had an unexpected visitor today.  It was the dude delivering the census forms.

Tuesday August 8st is Census night.  woohoo!!!! And this year, it can be completed online, thanks to eCensus. w00t++ . I wonder how many Jedis live in Australia?

The 2006 Census is coming...

The Census aims to take a "snapshot" of Australia every five years - collecting vital information on the social, economic and housing characteristics of Australian society.

A successful Census provides benefits to all Australians and the communities they live in.

To find out more about the 2006 Census; why we have one, what you have to do and how the information is used - start here with What you need to know

There are links to Census Data from 2001 and 1996, Census Products, or Census Reference and Information.

If you have a question about the Census, check out the Available Assistance

Hope those Russian hackers stay away from the ABS

[listening to: It's Gonna Rain - Violent Femmes ]
7:33:08 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family • Geek

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

Today's the day!!!

See his other paintings @ Eva Breuer Art Dealer - 83 Moncur Street, Woollahra NSW 2025

Christopher Beaumont Still Life with Potatoes 2005 Oil on linen 41 x 51cm AUD$3,800

2:23:31 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family

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

Another featured painting from the Chris Beaumont exhibition opening on Saturday.

Have a look at his other paintings @ Eva Breuer Art Dealer - 83 Moncur Street, Woollahra NSW 2025

Christopher Beaumont Still Life with Grapes and Skull 2005 Oil on linen 41 x 51cm AUD$3,800

[listening to: Fall at Your Feet - Crowded House ]
2:24:34 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family

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

A featured painting from the Chris Beaumont exhibition opening this week.

Christopher Beaumont Still Life with Chicken Stock 2006 Oil on linen 76 x 84cm AUD$5,600

[listening to: Breakin' Up [#][*][Demo Version] - Violent Femmes ]
9:07:21 AM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family

Todays featured painting from the Chris Beaumont exhibition opening this week.

Christopher Beaumont Pandora's Cabinet 2005 Oil on linen 76 x 84cm AUD$5,600

His exhibition of his work opens in Sydney on Saturday 29th July 2006

Have a look at his other paintings @ Eva Breuer Art Dealer - 83 Moncur Street, Woollahra NSW 2025

[listening to: Not The Girl You Think You Are - Crowded House ]
3:17:23 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family

Another painting from the Chris Beaumont exhibition opening this week.

Christopher Beaumont Still Life with Quince, Artichoke and Ivy 2006 Oil on linen 76 x 84cm AUD$5,600

[listening to: Jump - Van Halen ]
12:04:09 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family

In the lead up to the Chris Beaumont exhibition opening this week, I thought I would feature a painting or two from the collection each day.

Christopher Beaumont Still Life with Chillies and Eggplants 2005 Oil on linen 41 x 51cm AUD$3,800

[listening to: To the Kill - Violent Femmes ]
1:21:47 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family

The kids got together and bought their mum a Nintendo DS Lite and the Brain Age game

     +  

Haven't heard of Brain Age? Where have you been? Living under a rock??? 

Nintendo sent President Bush a DS Lite with Brain Age for his birthday! LOL

So, what are the kids telling their mother??

BTW -- This now takes the number of Nintendo DSs in our house to 5

5:15:37 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family • Geek

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

I was driving out of the garage this morning and 'Rigo noticed my rear left tyre was a little flat. So I went to the local servo and filled it with air. We drove off and the car wobbled and shook at bit. What The? Maybe I had over-inflated one tyre? I stopped at another servo and check the air pressure in all the tyres. Off we went again. Now it was shaking and rattling even more.

Panic sets in and I drive to the nearest tyre place I can find.

Luckily for me, they had no customers when I drove in and they looked at the car immediately.

Turns out there was a HUGE bubble on the tyre (which I couldn't see since it was on the underside of the car). This was a tyre blowout waiting to happen.

So, I waited for them to replace the tyre. $300 later, we're back on the road. Shakes have gone

And the good news, I got 'Rigo to school on time.

BTW - This isn't the first time

[listening to: Song for Shelter - Fatboy Slim ]
11:00:05 AM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family

My brother in law, the oh so talented Christopher Beaumont, has an exhibition of his work opening in Sydney on Saturday 29th July 2006

Have a look at his paintings @ Eva Breuer Art Dealer - 83 Moncur Street, Woollahra NSW 2025

Head over to www.chrisbeaumont.com for more details.

[listening to: Lasagna - Weird Al Yankovic ]
10:45:55 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family

Moira called me at work this morning to tell me that there were lots of police cars in our local street, with news helicopters circling above.

Oh No! Has my use of µTorrent drawn some interest from the powers that be??

Not this time. My secret is safe

Turns out a local resident got raided and been arrested. I drive pass this house every day.

More news here .......

Pot bust a family affair
Sydney Morning Herald, Australia - 5 hours ago
... charged over a $2 million hydroponic marijuana setup across ... the drug squad and local police raided four ... in Cowan Road and Killeaton Street, St Ives, about 6.30 ...
Four arrested over hydro crop NEWS.com.au
all 27 related »

[listening to: City of Blinding Lights - U2 ]
10:34:04 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family • Random

I put the idea in their head and they went for it

Watch the movie that Brice and Antony made

[listening to: Till My Head Falls Off - They Might Be Giants ]
4:05:08 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family • Geek

We're back home, following our latest family road trip. I joined Moira and the kids in Melbourne last Saturday, after they had spent the week in Narooma.

We had a fun time in Melbourne - even getting to go to the footy to see the Saints thrash the Magpies.

The kids go back to school this week, and Moira has some chores planned for me -- oh joy

7:47:06 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family

I'm taking a week off.

It's school holiday's here in NSW, so it's time for me to spend some time with the kids.

No email.

No blogs.

No computer

A return to more simple things.

We've got a bunch of board games, a deck of cards and lots of lego. If the weather is fine, we may even go outside for a walk.

See you in a week or so

11:22:08 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family

My kids have a new sweet treat. 

It's the cream puffs from Beard Papa

These little choux pastries filled with cream have become their new addiction and the store in Chatswood Westfield is like a scene from a Miyazaki movie.

3:50:26 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family