In my unending quest to add new features to this site, I've now developed a "video highlights" page bringing together all my moving pictures. You can find it here and on the menu under Video.

A Frenchman has unveiled a 7,600-verse poem said to be the world's longest. Patrick Huet's Pieces of Hope to the Echo of the World is written on a roll of fabric almost one kilometre long. AFP reports that the poem is an acrostic, in which the first letters of each verse spell out a message - in this case, the text of the 30 articles of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I wonder if having to read, or listen to, such a long poem would be a violation of my human rights.

My friend and colleague Ronnie wants to know what Superman does with all of Clark Kent's clothes when duty calls. Since there's no space to tuck them into his uniform, he must leave them wherever it is he gets changed (at super-speed of course). Does he collect them later, employ somebody else to do it, or simply buy another set of threads?

Veteran 4KQ newsreader John Knox has signed off after half a century in radio, most of it Brisbane. His last bulletin was followed by a brief farewell speech and the Charlie Dore song Pilot of the Airwaves.
PS: The audio of Knoxy's final words is here.

I may be buying into a network television beat-up here, but the ads for David Tench Tonight have got me intrigued. It's apparently a variety show hosted by a computer-generated character (shades of the great Max Headroom). Speculation on the Net is that the Trench show may involve Hamish Blake and Andy Lee, or Rove McManus, or Andrew Denton, or all or none of the above. Whatever it's all about, it's got something to do with Ten's continuing battle to win the hearts and minds of youngish viewers.
PS: The show starts on August 17 at 8.30pm.

On 612 ABC this morning, I spoke to Spencer Howson about the Helpmann Awards, Walking with Dinosaurs, the Brisbane International Film Festival opening night, and Brisbane radio icon John Knox's final bulletin on 4KQ.

A friend posed this question to me last night: why is it that nobody introduces people to each other any more? Is it because we're getting ruder or because we have trouble remembering each other's names?

The Brisbane International Film Festival began last night with the likeable A Prairie Home Companion. Among BIFF's hundreds of offerings is the controversial 2:37, whose director, Murali K Thalluri, was there last night.

To cut a long story short, it took me 30 minutes yesterday to establish that I can retrieve an accidentally deleted voicemail message from my mobile phone - but only if I don't hang up on the original call in which I deleted the message. Unfortunately, I had to hang-up the original call to ring Customer Care for assistance to find this out.(And I had to make two calls to Customer Care, because the first operator didn't answer my question correctly.)

No rest for the wicked ... Following my lightning trip to Sydney for the Helpmann Awards on Monday and the Walking with Dinosaurs launch yesterday, and Ben Elton's Brisbane gig last night, I'm off tonight to the official opening of the Brisbane International Film Festival (which has actually been running for more than a week). The opening film is Robert Altman's A Prairie Home Companion, starring Tommy Lee Jones, Lily Tomlin, Meryl Streep,Lindsay Lohan, Woody Harrelson and John C. Reilly.

My flight to Sydney this week was delayed because a person went missing. She checked in herself and her baggage, then failed to board the plane. "The procedure," the captain announced as the plane remained on the tarmac well past departure time, "is that we look for her in the terminal while simultaneously locating her luggage." In the end, the woman was a no-show, they removed her bags from the hold and we set off. The question that remains unanswered is: How can someone simply vanish at an airport? My theories: a sudden onset of fear of flying, violent illness or alien abduction.

I know this sounds crazy, but at Monday night's Helpmann Awards ceremony I felt I was being stalked by John Wood. everywhere I went - in the foyer, the toilet, the after-party - the ran into the Gold Logie winner. We didn't exchange words, because we've never met but he seemed to recognise me each time. Yesterday, while I was waiting for my plane at Sydney airport, what should be on the television screen in the departure lounge? Rafferty's Rules - starring John Wood.
Having thought about this for a day, I realise he's not following me. He's simply ubiquitous.
PS: I did chat to a number of people, including the wonderful Amanda Muggleton who introduced me to somebody a little like this: "This is Brett; he's a critic from Brisbane who likes some of what I do and doesn't like some of what I do."

British comedian Ben Elton made the first of his two Concert Hall appearances last night, giving the audience a big night of comedy that's hilarious, thought-providing, confronting and rude. His targets on his first standup tour in nine years include intelligent design, conspiracy theorists and, reflecting the change in his personal circumstances, the hassles of bringing up children. Follow the podcasts link if you want to hear my interview with Ben recorded last month.

You'll believe a dinosaur can walk. That isn't the pitch line for Walking with Dinosaurs: The Live Experience but it could be. I must admit I was a sceptic, but the short demonstration I saw at today's media launch in Sydney convinced me that this show could be a global winner.
Here's some video of a raptor, just one of more than 15 dinosaurs that will feature in the show. (It will be lit so you don't see the performer's legs):

While Away got pipped for best play by Stuff Happens there was still a strong Queensland showing at last night's Helpmann Awards in Sydney. Christen O'Leary (pictured), Russell Dykstra and Lisa Gasteen all took away awards (although Gasteen, who was laid low by a vorus lastweek, was unable to attend). It was a star-studded affair and I came back with some interesting material for my Sunday Mail column.

The Queensland Theatre Company's production of Away is among the nominees for best play at tonight's Helpmann Awards. The show will be telecast on Fox 8 from Star City's Lyric Theatre in Sydney, where I hope to be tonight.

According to this ABC story, Perth is buzzing with rumours that maestro Edo de Waart will leave the Hong Kong Philharmonic in the lurch and join the WA Symphony. Meanwhile, here in Brisbane, we're wondering what is going to happen at The Queensland Orchestra when CEO Claire Booth leaves in November. I've heard no rumours yet, but I'm prepared to start one if necessary.

There was a huge sigh of disappointment when Brisbane Festival artistic director Lyndon Terracini took to the Concert Hall stage last night to announce that soprano Lisa Gasteen had fallen ill and would not perform in the concert version of the Strauss opera Salome. Ninety minutes later, there was a sustained standing ovation for Margaret Medlyn, who had flown in from New Zealand less than 24 hours earlier and sang the title role beautifully and passionately without rehearsal. Full credit to Medlyn, conductor Simone Young, the rest of the distinguished international cast and the Queensland Orchestra (whose members were unaware of the change in soprano until Terracini's announcement).

Thanks to this BBC "On this Day" feature, I can actually remember waht I was doing on (or about) this day in 1981. I was hosting a Royal Wedding fancy dress party for some uni mates. At the time, I was living in Toowoomba - which is also in the news today.

Why do people visit this site? Well, according to my most recent stats, it's to find out about "reality" TV show Yasmin's Getting Married (formerly Rene's Getting Married), the Big Brother controversy, celebrity deaths, Chris "Kip" Wightman and Darryl R. Peebles.
By popular request (including from L.G.), here's the Wightman video again: