Bono in Line for Nobel Prize?

U2 singer Bono and Indian sitar master Ravi Shankar are reportedly among 166 nominees for the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize.
The list that also includes Pope John Paul II and former US Secretary of State Colin Powell, reports Billboard Online.
"We have received 166 nominations so far, of which 29 are organisations," says director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute Geir Lundestad. "The geographical scope is wide."
As usual, he declined to name any candidates for the prize, which last year went to Kenya's Wangari Maathai, the head of a tree-planting movement and the first environmentalist to win.
Some names have been made public or leaked privately by people nominating them.
The $1.8 million prize will be announced in October and awarded on December 10.

Row M Seat 30 Meet the Fockers

Interesting David Dale article from the Herald....
My take is that the angst driven humour of the excellent 'Meet the Parents' gives way to a warmth and farce which Aussies who've been through the experience can still relate to...
The lead characters are in the hands of accomplished actors. Robert De Niro's humiliation and ageing alongside Babs Streisands warm kookiness are good fun!!
I just laughed a lot... and that was only last week at Sydney's Openair Cinema with the vista of the Bridge and Opera House in the background at Mrs Macquarie's Chair.

The Tribal Mind By David DaleFebruary 23, 2005
smh.com.au
This was supposed to be a month of adult sophistication in the cinemas of Australia, when the kidflicks of summer gave way to the Oscar nominees of autumn.
But Australians are not showing much enthusiasm for doomed boxers, jailed abortionists, manic-depressive entrepreneurs, blocked playwrights, and wanky wine buffs. They persist in revisiting a slapstick sex comedy in which three icons of the cinema have a gorgeous time humiliating each other and themselves.
With takings of $34 million, Meet the Fockers has just become the 12th biggest moneymaking movie of all time in this country, passing such box office behemoths as Attack of the Clones, Matrix Reloaded and Jurassic Park.
It's a monument to the power of word-of-mouth. And evidence that, for the moment, Australians would rather laugh than think.
The movie distributors thought Fockers would be fleeting fun for a January without blockbusters. The eyebrows shot up when it was still around in late February with $13 million more than its predecessor, Meet the Parents, and $7 million more than the anointed summer kidflick, The Incredibles.
Apparently a lot of adults were taking their children. Some might have been taken aback to hear Ben Stiller deliver this speech about his fiancee: "I still masturbate to Pam. What? She's hot. Check out those boobs. I could take a vacation in there." Nevertheless they recommended it to their friends.
What does it say about us when Fockers does better here than in any other country? That we are more relaxed with humour based on sex? That we love how screen legends Barbra Streisand, Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro don't take themselves seriously? That we identify with the problem of parents who embarrass their grown-up children? Sociologists could learn more about Australians by studying our Focker-fetish than from a thousand attitude surveys.

SERVICE PACK # 2 Computer Problems

You will have noticed a lack of posts for a few weeks BUT thats because I can't load pics etc until my PC is repaired after being mauled by Microsoft!!

I will soon update a WaveAid report and a raft of new or old resource ideas and some pre Easter stuff... stay tuned!!

Row M Seat 30 The Oscars

The Oscars are just about here and again this year its darker themes and stories with a focus on bio pics www.oscars.com will have all the nominees and details including host Chris Rock.
Will Clint Eastwood keep Scorsese oscarless?
Can Cheadle, De Caprio et al unseat Jamie Foxx for his portrayal of Ray Charles?
Hopefully Cate Blanchett will win for her turn as Kate Hepburn in 'The Aviator'!!

Why so interested... well there are trends and themes in these nominees, its fascinating to see how the politics and promotion plays out... and they are films that people [including youth and young adults] will see...

Unreliable Idea # 23 Film Quiz

A recent copy of a film quiz sent to me by brother in law Justin reminded me of these creative and testing quizes where still shots from films have the heads and hands rubbed out but otherwise depict a shot from the film in question.... great challenges for groups or individuals!!
Check out one site at http://www.filmwise.com/invisibles/index.shtml

Unreliable Idea # 22 Local Swimming Pool

Having already plugged the great resource that is the Local Library.... add the local public swimming pool [or second place goes to a swimming centre]!! They are "cheap as chips" to get into and many noe have good shade areas and/or a waterslide to entertain the hordes.

Pool Attendants vigilantly watch over behaviour and groups can have a fun chill out time... its a great activity as a Summer catch up for groups on holidays and opens up a socially based Youth Group to friends of friends!!

Ensure you have permission slips with specific mention of swimming and a ratio of at least 1 leader for 5 or 6 punters!!

Some pools will stay open later on Saturdays for groups, could be talked into space for a band/bbq and activities.