The Snook and I had a visit from the Office Supply Fairy this morning. The new desk chairs we ordered last weekend have finally arrived! This is a view of my office work area right now. See the black chair over on the far right? That’s the crappy IKEA one we bought months ago. It’s still brand new. You know why? BECAUSE IT HURTS YOUR ASS. Seriously. It’s the most uncomfortable thing I’ve ever sat on (including picnic tables and the stationary bikes at my gym). Recently we’d been using the wooden chairs that came with my desk (technically a table), which can be seen sitting on either side against the wall. They’re pretty uncomfortable too. I made some stylin’ little red foam cushions for them, but it didn’t help a lot. Now we’ve each got our own Cogra Task Chair, which are comfy and rolly and supportive and everything else you want a work chair to be. Plus I think they look kinda tomorrow with that aluminum base.

Slashdot recently linked to this Slate article that predicts the imminent demise of TiVo. As many folks pointed out in the comments, Slate is owned by Microsoft, who of course want to promote their own DVR technologies (assumed to be some sort of an X-Box add-on). So it’s the usual FUD. Personally, the comments from all the happy TiVo owners have made me even more eager to buy my own. One problem – they’re not available in Australia! So I sent off yet another e-mail to TiVo headquarters begging them to offer them here. It seems like a perfect opportunity – they’ve already got the PAL unit working (that’s what the UK uses), they don’t have to translate anything, and there are several large cable companies here (i.e. Optus and Foxtel) who would probably love to do a combination-box. So what’s the hold-up, TiVo? They better put me out of my misery soon. The leaners are makin’ me crazy!

Wow. It hasn’t been getting a lot of press – I assume that it’s getting lost among all the sniper and Iraq news – but apparently Australian police are close to arresting someone for the murder of Peter Falconio, the British backpacker that was ambushed with his girlfriend in the Outback over a year ago. I wonder if we’ll finally find out what really happened out there.

Apparently Russell Crowe’s Aussie girlfriend Danielle Spencer is just starting a month-long singing engagement at the Sandringham Hotel, which is about a block away from our house. Hmmm, maybe we’ll have to try to see her perform. Russ might show up!

The Tiroler Hutte has a website. For some of you, that fact will blow your mind. I’m just pissed I never saw the “Cow Bell Cabaret”.

Wow. Moire found a review of a film about Amish teenagers. It sounds fascinating. I can’t believe there’s so much I don’t know about them, despite the fact that they’re everywhere in Lagrange County. Apparently they don’t baptize any kids, because you’re supposed to consciously choose to be in the religion. Thus teenagers go through a period where they can “try out” all the pleasures of mainstream society (“the Devil’s Playground”) before committing themselves fully to the Amish life. Some of them don’t make it back though.

The Snook and I need to go on the Shake Ya Ass Dance Cruise of Sydney Harbour. Seriously. Don’t you think?

Wow. Is it really only 53 days til Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets comes out? That’s not long at all! The Herald‘s got some nice pictures that I hadn’t seen before. Draco’s Dad looks like Celeborn the elf from Lord of the Rings. Kenneth Branagh looks pretty good as Gilderoy Lockhart (though I still think Hugh Grant would’ve been better). And as I said before, Tom Riddle is hot.

The Lovely Bones discussion is still going on, for those of you that read it. If you haven’t graced us with your opinion yet, drop in. And don’t forget, we’re supposed to be reading Neil Gaiman’s Coraline for this month! (*grumble* Still haven’t gotten my nice illustrated copy yet… *grumble*)

Snookums sent me this fun movie quiz this morning. It shows thirty film scenes with the actors digitally erased. How many can you identify? Together we managed to get nineteen. Here are the folks that made it. They’ve got some others if you’re really bored. (Warning: the first link is a 300K Excel file. I’ll host it for a while so y’all can grab it, but if tons of folks start linking to it, I’ll take it down. So get it while it’s hot!)