Rainy July

July in Perth broke many rainfall records, as one cold front after another pounded the southwest corner of the state. It rained on all but three days, the highest number of rain days since 1946. The total of 271mm was only 7mm short of the record for recent decades of 278mm in 1995, although the all-time record was over 400mm in the 1940s. 

Favourite Podcasts

Although I do spend 90% of my free time preparing content for this blog, in the remainder of my time I listen to numerous podcasts. Here are my current favourites.

Kermode and Mayo's Film Review - self-explanatory

Monster Talk - scholarly chat about unexplained creatures

The Prancing Pony Podcast - analysing Tolkien's writings, chapter by chapter

St Elwick's Neighbourhood Association Newsletter Podcast - from Mike Wozniack, this is of interest even if you're not a resident of St Elwick 

Beef and Dairy Network - not suitable for vegetarians

Dr Karl - Science talkback

Must Watch - BBC radio 5 review of the best on tv and streaming

The Skewer - stream of consciousness news comedy 

The Sword and Laser - science fiction and fantasy book club

The Talking Dead - for fans of the Walking Dead

 

Autumn Vineyards

 Although Perth's autumn colours are subdued compared to those of North America, Europe and New Zealand, there are still beautiful pockets. Last weekend I visited the Perth Hills, for an emergency purchase of wine, and to appreciate the change of seasons. Here are the views from Fairbrossen, and Myattsfield Wineries.

Garden Tiger

 My young cat (age 100 in human years), spends plenty of quality time guarding his back lawn. Here he is, busy at work.

Apocalypse over the Flozza

 A couple of months ago, prescribed burns led to smoke smothering the metropolitan area. This was the apocalyptic scene from the upper deck of the Floreat Forum car park, reminiscent of the classic film These Final Hours.

Thanks to the Guardian

 I'm proud of how many Guardian newspaper articles I've managed to read on my little iPhone recently. Of course, they're trying to guilt me into subscribing, and I happily would do so if they offered a printed version, but an online news site is simply a way for me to waste my time. And they should be pleased that they're producing so much free content that's of interest to me. In fact, they should be awarding me a prize for most dedicated customer !

Getting my vaccination

I'm now officially immune from COVID 19. Okay, technically I've only had my first jab, but still, it's a wonderful feeling to know I'm on the path to the other side (and I don't mean dying).

A few weeks ago, I happened to be browsing the state government's vaccination website, and found that the online bookings page was now open for business. I knew it was due to be launched the following day, but it seems that they went live early. So I excitedly booked myself in for a few days later, for the earliest slot at the Claremont showgrounds mass vaccination site. That explains the lack of people in this snap:

 

I went into my little cubicle with the nurse, had a little chat and it was over in no time. Then I immediately booked my second jab for 10 weeks later, and sat around for 15 minutes to make sure there was no immediate reaction to my injection. I was offered a free fruit juice or bottle of water, and then was on my way.

 

My Cat's Top Ten Films of 2020

As is traditional, Gizzie cat has ranked his favourite films of the past twelve months. Interestingly, there are only a couple of American movies amongst them. Few US films were released in 2020 so the cinemas mostly showed international and independent films. Here they are in reverse order:

10. The Personal History of David Copperfield (UK)

9.   The Current War (US)

8.   The Booksellers (US)

7.    Burnt Orange Heresy (International)

6.   The Gentleman (UK)

5.   The Furnace (Australia)

4.    Radioactive (UK)

3.   The Trip to Greece (UK)

2.    Dark Waters (US)

1.   Mank (US)

And an honourable mention to Belle Epoque (France).

Top TV

My favourite tv shows for 2020, streamed or otherwise.

The Queen's Gambit

Normal People

Lovecraft Country

Succession

The Witcher

Cardinal

The Great

What We Do in the Shadows

The Marvellous Mrs Maisel

Devs

Top Classic Films

 And with so many classics reappearing in the cinema, here's a bonus list of my favourite oldies seen in the past year on the big screen:

5. Lawrence of Arabia

4. Mr Smith Goes to Washington

3. North by Northwest

2. Casablanca

1. Philadelphia Story

Top 10 Films for 2020

It was a decent year for films. Despite an absence of blockbusters (I certainly didn't miss the three hour Superhero movies that have proliferated recently), the smaller indie films and international films were entertaining enough.

10(=). David Copperfield - it was a toss-up between this and Emma for this spot, so I'm including them both, however David Copperfield's quirky humour appealed to me more.

10(=). Emma - thanks Jane Austen.

9. Summerland - WW2 romantic drama

8. Blithe Spirit - very entertaining adaption of Noel Coward's comic play featuring seances and hauntings

7. The Lodge - a horror story set in the snowy wilds of Massachusetts featuring gaslighting and insanity

6. Midnight Sky - George Clooney's apocalyptic space drama had a short run in the cinema before switching to Netflix, and I'm lucky to have caught it on the big screen. 

5. Colour Out of Space - insane (literally) adaption of H. P. Lovecraft's short story, starring Nicholas Cage. 

4. Belle Epoque - is it possible to time travel by faithfully recreating a scene from the past? A quirky French romance.

3. The Burnt Orange Heresy - an art crime thriller

2. 1917 - for the cinematography alone, this is unforgettable

1. Tenet - worth seeing multiple times (and in reverse) to understand the many layers. 

And some honourable mentions, for films that could easily have made the top ten if my mood differed slightly:

Trip to Greece

Mank 

The Father

Footy in the Rain

 At Optus Oval to see the Freo Dockers recently. What a view from the top deck !

Even more spectacular in a downpour.

Old-Fashioned Cinema

 I'm enjoying the Sunday afternoon retro film screenings at the Windsor.

There's a whirl on the organ to begin. And there's an intermission to collect your second choc bomb.

North by Northwest was my favourite so far, but I did enjoy seeing Lawrence of Arabia on the big screen for the first time.

Twice the leprechauns

A gorgeous double-rainbow beside Lake Monger yesterday evening.

Regional Travel Restrictions

It's so claustrophobic being confined to a tiny region within Western Australia while the pandemic rages on. We can only head north, south or east for about 500km until we hit the checkpoints. Luckily though, we're  permitted to swim west for an unlimited distance.

Cat Roar

Someone appreciates a gentle tummy rub.

WFH

Here my working from home setup. It's unusual to see my coworker so alert - he's normally asleep, sprawled across the keyboard or upside down, asking for tummy tickles.

Documenting history

For the historical record, here are some emails that document the gradual shutting down of business.

Queueing for Bunnings

Bunnings is very well organised for physical distancing. The entry queue is well-spaced, and you can't enter until someone leaves. And there's a limit of four customers per aisle.

Cheap Petrol

As we approach the collapse of civilisation, one positive is the plummeting price of petrol. It hasn't been this low since I was a young kid, fifteen years ago.

Zoombie Menace

This concerning public safety poster was discovered in my archives. Thankfully the zoombie threat levels are currently rated at MODERATE.

My Cat's Top Ten Films of 2019

Here are Gizzie 's top ten films for 2019, plus some honourable mentions.

1. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood - totally love a good revenge film, even if it is pure fantasy....

2. Jo Jo Rabbit - Nazi themes, Sam Rockwell, Taika Waititi, Rebel Wilson, Scarlett Johansen all in superb form, as were the two main boy actors (loved the larger framed one) - funny, tragic, moving

3. Nightingale  - incredibly violent, can see why people walked out of cinemas, even I found it challenging and I have watched a lot of violent films over the years, but brilliant depiction of all the forms of oppression throughout our history...

4. Destroyer - Nicole Kidman was brilliant in this, and like I said, love a good revenge story, as well as stories of atonement

5. Aftermath - romantic and set with Nazi background, am always fascinated by Nazi themes 

6. Cold Pursuit  - Liam Neeson - bloody funny film

7. All is True - Kenneth Branagh as Shakespeare - reflective in his old age

8. Swoon - creative, colourful, well told story

9. Terminator: Dark Fate - for the fans mostly... love Arnold when he does humour

10. Zombieland Double Tapped - for the fans again... great cast

And honourable mentions for:

Doctor Sleep - not Kubrick, but I thought that this was a fairly good sequel, not as scary or suspenseful, but still well done

The Dead Don't Die - any film with Bill Murray ranks highly with me

Parasite - interesting and surprising.... heard good things about it, wasn't sure, but when I did see it, was intrigued

Surviving the Heatwave

With Perth enduring it's worst ever December heatwave, I closely monitored the temperature inside my home each day. I was keen to know how rapidly an impoverished household with only a feeble fan to cool them would cope. 

Date	Indoor Temperature AM	Outdoor Temperature Max	Indoor Temperature PM
12th Dec	26C	37C	28C
13th Dec	27C	39C	30C
14th Dec	29C	40C	31C
15th Dec	30C	41C	32C
16th Dec	30C	41C	32C
17th Dec	30C	38C	32C
18th Dec	30C	33C	31C
19th Dec	29C	34C	30C

The verdict - after two or three hot days (over 35C), the room temperature hots up to 30C to 32C. And it takes a couple of milder days to cool down again.

Top TV Shows of 2019

Here are my favourite shows of the past 12 months.

10. Euphoria

9. This Time with Alan Partridge

8. The Man in the High Castle

7. Stranger Things

6. The Crown

5. Good Omens

4. Game of Thrones

3. The Marvellous Mrs Maisel

2. Chernobyl

1. Halt and Catch Fire

Top Ten Films of 2019

Not a classic year for films, with many worthy productions ending up on Netflix instead of in the cinemas. But despite that, I'm pleased with my top ten, which is dominated by comedies or dramas with a sprinkling of humour.

10(=). Animals - delightful Irish female buddy film

10(=). I Feel Good - crazy French satire. A smooth-talking but not terribly successful minor entrepreneur concocts multiple schemes in order to achieve the fame and riches he craves. His latest scheme is to transport elderly folk to Eastern Europe for plastic surgery to beautify them. 

9. The Nightingale - Aussie vengeance drama, set in Van Diemen's Land in the 1820s amongst the convicts and settlers

8. Cold Pursuit - yet another Liam Neeson revenge film, after his son dies in Colorado, he sets out to track down anyone involved. The difference is that this one is a black comedy.

7. Booksmart - coming of age comedy drama as two studious girls graduate from high school

6. Avengers Endgame - I'm ashamed that a superhero flick made it onto this list, but this one was wildly entertaining

5. The Favourite - Queen Anne and her insane court

4. Knives Out - as good as a top-notch Agatha Christie, with the addition of humour

3. Aftermath - Keira Knightley is mesmerisingly good in this film set in Germany immediately post-war

2. Doctor Sleep - sequel to The Shining, and no match to the original, but still worthy.

1. Apollo 11 - so many unforgettable moments from history. The pulsating score and lack of a narration leads to a trancelike state as the astronauts are propelled towards their fate