What I Learned Today

Miyazaki’s Spirited Away is, and I quote, “too scary! too scary! too scary!” for two year olds.

At first Marlowe was enchanted. Then it got dark, the parents turned into pigs, and demons started appearing out of nowhere. And that was the end of Spirited Away for Marlowe. “Too scary! Too scary! Too scary!”

Never give up on the Liberty. They always come back in the second half. (Unless they don’t.) Um, Coach Coyle? How come Erin Thorne got more minutes than Shameka Christon?

Never give up on the Australian men’s cricket team (not that I didn’t already know that). Yeah, yeah, England have declared. Yeah, yeah it would be a miracle to get four hundred on the final day of a test. But I have not given up! Just a flesh wound. The merest of grazes!

Rosé is the only thing to drink on a hot summer day. That and young coconut water. Or, you know, actual water. Or champagne. Or whatever drink you happen to like . . .

Thunderstorms rule! (Yeah, I already knew that one too.)

108 comments

  3. jonathan
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    we shall, we shall, we shall overcome some day. i hear australia are about to tour england. will be cool when they get there. maybe today?

  4. Justine
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    Harsh, Jonathan, very, very harsh.

    I’m loving this test series. Best in years. Amazing what taking inevitability out of the picture does for the interest level. Not that I weren’t interested before.

    Also: this is the best English side in years. Yes, they’re the age old enemy, but it’s much cooler defeating a worthy foe than a crap one. Yes I love it when we thrash ’em, but I’m also going to adore us pulling out a draw today!

  5. niki
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    What’s with this ridiculous defeatest attitude? …

    sitting in a room fully of english fans listening to digital radio broadcast….just lost another one …

  7. jonathan
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    ok. yes, this is the best english side in year’s. they’re not as good as the scorelines are making them appear, but they are good. australia is looking distinctly shaky, and playing badly. they should have won the second test. no excuses. i don’t know if serious team rebuilding is now on the cards, but the entire upper order must be somewhat in question. same for the bowling lineup. dizzy’s career is in real jeopardy, as is the career of one or two others, i’d say.

    good points? punter’s back. under pressure, he’s played like the guy we know, which is great. shane is a legend, and mcgrath is too. but, other than that, very worrying. if we lose a sixth wicket before about 300 this game is done.

  9. jonathan
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    it’s 5/249. they need 174 to win off 37 overs. watching clarke, you don’t think clarke and punter think they can win?

  10. niki
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    don’t jinks – but yes it’s getting very exciting – all very possible but not sure if I want that as I might be suffering some bruses if australia do it…

  14. jonathan
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    nails? you got nails left after the last test? who had time for them to grow back?

    arg! there goes gillespie. maybe for the last time ever in test cricket. can warnie do magic? hope so.

  15. niki
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    let just hope for a draw ….but i am enjoying the english commentators commenting on how their bowlers hair flow in the wind as they run up to bowl …

  16. jonathan
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    i’ll be happy with that from here. if punter can make it stumps, the draw could happen. i think if he does get out, the game won’t last long. fingers crossed.

  17. Justine
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    Nice to see you two enjoying yourselves!

    I, too, am suffering from a fingernail deficit. Gulp. Aaargh. Gulp. Seems like with every bloody ball something’s about to happen.

    Though, of course, my trust is in Warne. Who is a god just like the Greek and Roman ones—complete with superpowers and tabloid antics.

  27. jonathan
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    as bad as your sister! niki is plainly a woman of great wisdom. it’s you pollyana’s who are the worry. 🙂

  29. Justine
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    Oh, yes, if you’re not a doomsayer you’re a pollyanna. Please! My faith in the oz cricket team just isn’t quite as shakeable as you two doubting Thomases!

  30. Justine
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    Now bloody Henry is saying England deserve to win this game. Please! We deserved the last one. That’s cricket. You can’t tell me Ponting’s six-hour marathon shouldn’t earn us the draw. Damn it! And he just hit another four!

  31. niki
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    why thank you jonathan – I must say though that justine must have some wisdon to have thought of compairing such superiour and intelligent people as ourselves with each other.

  34. jonathan
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    not no stinking doomsayer. the australians, as a team, have played consistently badly since they arrived for this tour. the pajama series was a mess, and the test series (some individual highlights aside) has been little better. the top 5 batters have scored less than warnie. punters innings is the longest by an australian batsman (in terms of balls faced) in something like 18 months. there *has* been bad luck, but there’s also been poor technique, worse application, and terrible arrogance. if this tour does anything, it might remind australia of the values that border, taylor and waugh stood for. high quality cricket played with guts. if the australians were playing to their abilities, rather than their egos, this wouldn’t be a close game or series at all.

    and niki – we are wise, intelligent and generally superior. it’s obvious. and do *not* think about getting 7.5 runs per over. Though Justine is much more wonderful than us.

  35. niki
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    – could be a bit cleverer about changing our posts…I want to go home but I have to wait for the cricket to end….

  36. Justine
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    I think most of what you say is true. But I think the main factor is this is the first time they’ve been truly tested since India. It’s quite a shock after always cruising to suddenly be tested. They haven’t done it with shining colours exactly, but I don’t think they’ve been as dire as you’re painting. We creamed them in the first test and England only narrowly won the second.

  37. jonathan
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    home! home! it’s one o’clock in the morning here. i want to go to bed. still, who can turn away?

  42. jonathan
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    woo hoo! go punter! what an innings. and i’m sure he’s going for a not out here. said it before, if this test achieves nothing else for australia, it’s seen punter play himself back into form.

  45. jonathan
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    deadlines? sob. they sit, sadly, by the in tray. i *have* to get things done. but i can’t not watch.

  54. jonathan
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    it’s down to lee and punter. fifty five balls. no one is letting this slip away. if england wins, they will have fought. if australia saves the game, they’ll deserve it. whoot.

  57. Justine
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    Oops, I’ll go back and expunge. Doesn’t do to share family nicknames. Nothing happened, Jonathan. You remember nothing. These are not the droids you’re looking for . . .

  58. jonathan
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    don’t trust the commentary. ponting looks very solid. he’s been like a rock all day, and nothing’s changed. lee looks ok too right now.

  59. jonathan
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    do you think if i ask she’ll tell me the corollary name that no doubt accompanies the name which was never said and shall never be repeated?

  65. jonathan
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    i think it’s a combination of several things. the pace is a combination of 20/20 on the poms, 50 over stuff on them both. and then there’s rank arrogance on the aussies part. this is vicious stuff. lee is looking solid, though.

  66. jonathan
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    just as an aside, warnie has been the aussies best player this series. notice that he’s the only player to go the UK and play for six weeks or so before the test matches. the others had a holiday.

  69. jonathan
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    heh heh. that’s what i like. a nicely one-eyed view. after all, we’ve been nice and gentle with the poms. that wasn’t blood i saw on strauss yesterday. 🙂

  70. Justine
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    Spontaneous bleeding that was. They’re all haemophiliacs those pasty poms. Just remember: these are the bastards who invented bodyline!

  71. jonathan
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    well, in the face of that kind of logic, i can but agree. what will cheryl make of all of this when she reads the thread?

  73. jonathan
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    you’re probably right. this kind of thing is only fun while it’s happening, then it’s a palimpsest of the excitement that happened some other day.

  84. jonathan
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    do i? gosh. australia playing the windies back in the early 80s. if australia could only eliminate the dumb stuff, i’d be happier, but this is extraordinary.

  88. jonathan
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    heh heh. always wished i’d seen the tie in india that they didn’t even televise in australia. twelve balls to go.

  92. Justine
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    And of course in the face of this incredible test series with interest in Cricket in England at insane levels–they’ve sold the exclusive rights to cricket to cable. Thus guaranteeing that they’ll lose a lot of the new audience. Idiots.

  101. Justine
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    We did it!!!!! This has been amazing (and fun chattin about it with you). I feel very strange. Nervous tension still abounding! Good night, Jonathan! Good luck sleeping!

  102. jonathan
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    you’re right. this is the best series. and go ponting. and and and. balance for the lost last week.

  107. Cheryl
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    of course i read the bloody thread. would have joined in if I knew it was happening, but i was too busy watching the game.

    no whingeing about brutal bowling, please. i’m sure brett lee will get his own back soon. must remember to tell strauss that you are only supposed to nut the ball in soccer.

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