The results

So not a bad call I think. Out of 16 predictions I called 10.  I did call film editing, but after I posted this and I regret that now. I thought George would pull in best actor, but the academy has broken with tradition, which is a good thing.

Bit disappointed Tinker, Tailor didn't get best adapted screen play, but Hugo is marvellous so it did deserve it's awards.

I thought Rise of the Apes would get visuals, but there you are.

Any way time for wine and scollop's.

A fortune told.

I walked through a misty dark alley far from the well walked pavement of the city. Here the sounds of the city were distant and muffled. No cars or the murmur of the crowd in this part of town, just the whisper of cats, and the scent of memories.

I reached my destination, an old red wooden door. The once bright paint was faded and peeling, but the wood still looked stout and strong.

I knocked fervently three times and waited.  After what seemed like an hour in that dank mysterious alleyway before I heard the shuffle of feet  and the door opened to reveal a wrinkled gnome like woman, in a bright blue and golden head scarf. It has tiny bells o it, so she tinkled musically she bobbed her head in recognition.

She let me into that dark and shadowy place and led me to a seat.  She left me there, in a comfortable if ancient seeming red velvet chair.  Soon a young khol eyed woman approached me.  We stared at each other before the ritual began.

"Do you want the usual hun?"

"Yes please. I responded."

"One cubana coffee and a belgioan biscuit coming right up!"


Ok so enough of that whimsy here are my oscar picks. lets see if I am right tonight?

My picks for the  84th Annual Academy Awards:

ACTOR IN A LEAD ROLE
George Clooney in "The Descendants"

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Christopher Plummer in "Beginners"

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Meryl Streep in "The Iron Lady"

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Octavia Spencer in "The Help"

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
"Rango" Gore Verbinski

ART DIRECTION
"Hugo" Production Design: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo

CINEMATOGRAPHY
"War Horse" Janusz Kaminski

DIRECTING
"The Artist" Michel Hazanavicius

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
"A Separation" Iran

MAKEUP
"Albert Nobbs" Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
"The Artist" Ludovic Bource

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
"Man or Muppet" from "The Muppets" Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie

BEST PICTURE
"The Artist" Thomas Langmann, Producer

VISUAL EFFECTS
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes" Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Screenplay by Bridget O'Connor & Peter Straughan

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY) 
"Midnight in Paris" Written by Woody Allen

I have not picked all the categories as I am not familar with them all. But I think based on previous awards and the film these are my picks, for better or worse.

Ok I'll cover what happened tonight.

Absence, stress and perspective.

Hi every body

I have been slacker than usual, and here is why.

Writing is a joy to me, whether it is poetry, or fiction or a well composed letter. But for me writing is an art as well as a craft.  The last few weeks I have been under a great deal of stress. Work is monotonous, ludicrous and repetitive and I have to leave my home. So I hav not had the strength to write anything.

Secret  Squirrel was sad that he was being down graded to "confidential squirrel"

Our job once had purpose and responsibility, now we are being methodically and slowly down graded.

For example I have had to assist another team as it's only a team of 1. So this girl is to instruct me, and guide me through this new position. Problem is she has been in the job three weeks and has no idea what to do.


 Also Mark Sainsbury is a
knobby head!

 Also my wonderful beautiful friend H and I have to move house. Our flat is being sold, and while the land lord is really good about everything, our home is being investigated and prodded and poked around by strangers, and that sucks!

In case you missed that, OPEN HOMES SUCK.

There is a lot other stuff going on, but basically H and my lives have become very stressful and hectic and it has been crazy difficult for us.

Personally I felt numb, that I couldn't cope, and I was angry all the time. I think it was a reaction to try and take some control over my life. Every time I felt like I was getting somewhere, something would knock me back down.

That was until yesterday.

Yesterday I caught up with a dear friend of mine who I had been out of touch with. So we emailed and then she told me that she needed brain surgery. This delightful, charming pretty girl's life was on hold until somebody ( a very nice man by all accounts) cuts into her brain.

And you know what? She was so happy because she had just lost 2 kgs from doing excercise. Despite all her troubles she was still the sweet girl who I have always known.

That dear readers gave me perpesctive.

I am healthy(ish), live in a good and uncorrupt country despite what the hippies say. I have a great family, terrific friends and a beautiful supportive girl friend.

The anger and the stress is gone. The problems of course remain, however they matter so much less now.

I will get a new job, I will write more, and laugh more. Why? because there is more to life than this, and I will find it, catch it skin it and adorn my study with it.

Apologies if this is not as fun as you may normally find it. But these are my words, from my life.

Next time join me for a time travel extravaganza when Bumpty my house boy gets kidnapped  by a clucky robot, and boris the comical ghoul wakes up married in Vegas. (Roto, not the cool one)

ciao for now