The new iMacs made the cover of Time Magazine? Wow. I’m not sure what I think of them though. They look like they’re from the future. But did you check out the specs on ’em? Pretty sweet! I also like the new 14-inch iBooks. (I knew I shoulda waited before buying mine!) The Snook is even considering making a move to the world of Mac. You will all be assimilated, I tell you.

New Poll: Hey, you, gimme a thumbs up or thumbs down on the new design so I know whether or not to change it. Thanks.

Interesting discovery: After midnight in Australia, they show the American NBC Today Show live on telly. Neat. Happy birthday, Katie Couric!

(Why am I up so late? Because of my new hobby: counted cross stitch! Seriously. I needed something to occupy me – since I can’t get a job yet – and I used to enjoy doing them as a kid. I’ve got two, a sorceror and a sorceress. Pretty cool. I’ve just started the sorceress and I’m obsessed with it. I’ll probably be done with both in two days and then bored again.)

Andrew O’Hehir provided me with my favorite top ten movies of 2001 list. The funniest part:

3. “Mulholland Drive” Yeah, I mean, I guess so. This one I definitely need to see again. Part of me suspects it’s just lesbian porn plus pretentious pseudo-symbolist claptrap (not that there’s anything wrong with that, exactly).

His comments about Mariah Carey and “The Fast and the Furious” are pretty good too. For me, that balances out his inclusion of “Ghost World”, which I thought sucked.

Hallelujah! It’s raining in Sydney. It’s been over two weeks without rain. Hopefully this will help with the bush fires.

Oh please. A suicidal fifteen-year-old had “sympathy” for Bin Laden? First off, who cares? It’s not like he was working for him, so why report it? All you’re going to do is increase the pressure already on loner high school kids. And since when did sympathy become a bad thing? I can have sympathy for someone without agreeing with them. Part of me also wonders exactly what you have to do or say to be considered “sympathetic to the enemy”. What if I don’t spit whenever I say his name? If I don’t fly an American flag on my car, does that make me un-sympathetic to the cause? If a depressed and suicidal teenager mentions a terrorist, does that automatically make him one as well? Just thinking here.

*sob* Australia just won the cricket, as expected, and Steve Waugh, the captain, got to make a speech afterwards. He said that they’d had a good couple of weeks, but the real heroes were all the firemen up in the bush saving lives and homes. Then he announced that the team was donating their entire winnings from the series – $51,000 – to the bush fire Relief Fund. Then as everybody was applauding, the head of the Australian cricket association said that they’d be matching the donation too. It’s like an Oprah moment.

When I was at the shipping company this afternoon, the little old guy at the counter asked me if I was Canadian. I was pretty amused. I related this to Snookums at lunch, and I was just about to point out to him my theory of how my years abroad must have softened and changed my harsh Midwestern accent, when he interrupted me with: “He was just being polite. Canadians get really pissed off if you assume they’re American.” OH.

I’ve been thinking about joining this meme (you answer five new questions every Friday), but I didn’t manage to get around to it til today. And since it’s still officially Friday in the U.S., I’m gonna go for it.

1. You’ve just won a complete collection of movies starring one actor – what actor would you pick? I’d like to say someone highbrow like Bette Davis or Peter O’Toole, but in reality, I’d probably pick Ewan McGregor or John Cusack. They’re always in good stuff. (Actually I think my sister HAS all the Cusacks already.)

2. What was the last movie you saw in a theater? The Man Who Wasn’t There. See my comments here.

3. What was the last video or DVD that you bought? I bought Snookums the complete James Bond DVD collection for Christmas. Of course, the shipping company screwed up and we didn’t get it til today, but he was still happy.

4. What movie could you watch over and over again and not get sick of? Probably Pride and Prejudice. I notice something new in it every time I see it. And I watch it every time I get sick or sad. It cheers me up.

5. How do you plan to spend your weekend? Today the Snook and I went to pick up his vids from the shipping company, and then we took a walk through Erskineville and had lunch in a cafe. Tonight we’re headed to the Nags Head Pub with the Snook’s friends to see Samson and Sharkey, an awesome duo that play cover songs. No plans for tomorrow yet, but I’m thinking “BEACH”. Sounds nice, doesn’t it?

Yesterday I attended my first professional cricket game at the Sydney Cricket Ground where I saw Day 3 of the Australia versus South Africa Test. If you’re interested in seeing some pictures and maybe learning a little bit about this great game, head on over to my Photos section.

Oh, and please don’t knock the pasty white computer people. The Snook and I are trying very hard to shake off the effects of two years in England, but it ain’t easy. 🙂