Dame Helen Mirren
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Taken on your camera phone, Eddie?
What's the weather like in LA? And how was the Vanity Fair party?
We look forward to hearing about the contents of your goodie bag in due course - doubtless there will be some items to share with Sequin.
The truth is Big Sis, it's almost too exciting to talk about. Full details in the Newsletter, which, given the time difference between here in LA and the UK, should arrive before I sent it. Or after.
[ y - a - w - n ]
Is there some sort of party on in America then?
Frankly, my dears.........
Fifi
By my reckoning, Eddie, it's 4.35 a.m. over there as I type this. Don't you think it's time to get to bed?* After all, we want you to be on good form for us, too, in just over 4 hours.
*Could you ask Dame Helen for her autograph for me before you 'retire'?
That's what I want to look like when I grow up.
In case no one else has said it, Who cares....
Thanks for the prompt, or early, newsletter, though. Which is the most newsworthy letter, is it Q?
Is Oscar black due to the Air quality in LA?
What, Little Miss Sunshine? Darkly-tanned, broad-shouldered and bald?!
Hey, Gillian, that's not very polite! Eddie isn't bald .....
Oh, Eddie, the newsletter's arrived, and it's full of Hollywood goss, and like you I'm now so exc-i-t-e-dddddddd.......
And I've spotted the new rugby shirt code, and tonight it's deep purple with an adverse camber, and - Oh! - how do you ever find time? And can you save some red carpet for our toilet? And isn't Ellen DeGeneres a strange name? And..and...and..... [collapses in a heap of excitement}
I thought Kate Silverton outshone every one of them. She is really beautiful and what a fabulous personality.
A shame she normally wears glasses as her eyes are quite stunning.
Her diamond necklace was worth £100,000
I'd like a picture of Kate on the blog please.
What's the difference between Al Gore and Elvis?
Some say Elvis is still alive.
What's all this stuff about DeGenerates? I hope you're not mixing with any such, Eric.
Is there any ice in LA, btw?
PS: Dame Helen, Gawd bless 'er
Nice dame.
I have to say I'm with you Fifi -- y---a----w----n!
And Gillian, that was very funny.
I saw 'The Queen' on the flight back recently. Helen Mirrens qualities aside, I wasn't bowled over by the film, just certain comments and conversations didn't ring true.
Anyone else seen it ?
Eddie:
Please, please, please, *please* tell me you're not going to treat this appalling publicity event by the film industry as news?
Go on... you're better than that.
Jonnie (11):
I agree that Kate is very attractive, though I quite like how her glasses frame her lovely eyes. Thing is, she's far too talented a journalist (and I think that was shown by her reports from Iraq over Christmas) to be saddled with this drivel. Has she annoyed someone in the corridors of power to be demoted like this?
I've been thinking a bit about Oscars and whether I'd want to win one, if I were eligible. On balance, I think the worrying and the waiting would be too much for me.
However, last Friday I was awarded an Eddie. So....
"I would like to thank my mother and father for giving me life, the PM Blog for giving me my first steps to stardom, and Lord Mair for his faith in me. I would also like to thank all my fellow froggers, without whose support I could never have got this far.
"I would also like to thank the Queen, but I'm not sure what for. And Helen Mirren. And Paddy O'Connell, my dog, my husband, and all the neighbours, including the one who kindly reversed into my car this morning but did own up to it."
The latter point is, sadly, perfectly true.
Another defector :-(
The Sun claims that the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s Alan Titchmarsh is poised to defect to ITV.
The gardening guru is apparently ready to pilot his own daytime chat show, billed as a modern day Pebble Mill.
Is Dame Nelly wearing Prada?
Oh, doesn't she look lovely! I haven't seen the film -- I didn't watch Diana's funeral at the time so had no desire to go and see a film about it, especially with it's apparently supportive attitude to such an anachranistiic institution as the monarchy, but I do quite like Ms Mirren and her acting, and I hope I'm still as glamourous as that when I'm older than my mother (if you see what I mean...)
Wow! Stream of conciousness there chums!
jonnie (15);
and the Titchmarsh story. It wasn't so long ago that Titchers was being touted around by the Beeb as the next David Attenborough. He got to do a big natural world series as a try-out and made a pretty good job of it too.
The Blessed Sir David is now retiring and it seems that A.T. wants to change teams and become an answer to Richard and Judy instead of a legend-in-waiting.
Why?
Si.
Titchmarsh is poised to defect to ITV. ??
Well, if he manages to talk without being drowned-out by muzack, that's fine with me. Come to think of it, if it's a daytime transmission I will never see it anyway.
Jonnie (15) I have seen it. Helen Mirren aside it was more than a bit patchy. 'Characters' such as Blair started out as caricatures and ended up only slightly less odd. As an attempt to tell a story we were probably all aware of - Royals overwhelmed and not realising how the public felt; Queen wanting to protect the grandchildren etc - it worked well. How close it was to the actual facts heaven alone knows. I've never seen any real value in dramatising recent events.
Probably wouldn't have gone to see it without Helen Mirren in it, but it was a pleasant enough way to pass an evening.
Ahem. Hate to drag you away from the *news* (ha!) but are we expecting high tides / rough seas? I only ask because it seems the beach is closed. And I'm still feeling ick. Just in case anyone cares.
Has anyone else notices that Her Maj and Helen Mirren share the same initials? Blimey I'm sharp today.
Dame Mirren deserved the award.
Jonnie, I think your web-cam deserves an award! I've been having a whale of a time! Do you get to see our conversations?
Re: Anne P,
You said it for me, I was scared to say anymore in case of a blog backlash! Of course though it was Helen who won the oscar rather than the film.
And as for the Oscars being a *news* story, I'm with SSC (16)
1) Telly can do it better
2) At the most it deserves 5 minutes on 'Front row' ..
Instead we will have to listen to all these speeches tonight.
If I have to hear Jennifer Hudson who won the actress in a supporting role for 'Dreamgirls' sobbing and sobbing -- I'll hurl the radio out of the window!
A 10" clip of Helen is enough!
Re: Anne P,
You said it for me, I was scared to say anymore in case of a blog backlash! Of course though it was Helen who won the oscar rather than the film.
And as for the Oscars being a *news* story, I'm with SSC (16)
1) Telly can do it better
2) At the most it deserves 5 minutes on 'Front row' ..
Instead we will have to listen to all these speeches tonight.
If I have to hear Jennifer Hudson who won the actress in a supporting role for 'Dreamgirls' sobbing and sobbing -- I'll hurl the radio out of the window!
A 10" clip of Helen is enough!
I'm with the inoxidable feline too!
xx
ed
Re: Gillian, No alas unless I'm logged in like you or anyone else there is no kept history of the conversations.
It's actually very boring at the moment, however there will be around 10 people in at breakfast (9AM) ,so a bit more life tomorrow.
I'll blow up the dining room in the morning so you can have a better view.
Jonnie - a 10" clip of Helen Mirren, how's that then?
PS, I've now got your music, but where's the chat? (Do you wonder how I ever do anything new in my life? No wonder I wasn't up for an Oscar)
Im surprised Eddies film critic, Mark Kermode calls Helen Mirren -- Helen Mirrem !
Judi Dench in Notes for a Scandal was just as good as HM but she didn't have royalty, Diana, Blair going for her with american auidiences portraying as she does a nasty, ugly, old lesbian in a grubby tale of sexual abuse in a boggy south london comprehensive. See what I mean?
As most people these days are not referred to as Miss Helen, Mr Edward or Ms Erica, I can only assume that today’s non-stop references to ‘Dame Helen’ on our state broadcaster are fully in keeping with the obsequious nature of the up-to-the-minute, in-your-face and right-on media leadership that is the ´óÏó´«Ã½ of the Noughties.
I had thought that embarrassing those honoured by the state had ceased to be fashionable but hey, silly me, it’s still only 2007.
Jonnie (30) I do hope all your guests will be safely out of the way when you blow up the dining room
Jonnie (30) Phew! Thank goodness for that!
9am's rather civilised....I might pop in after all.
Please don't blow up the dining room. I feel I'm seeing more than I should as it is!
Pebble Mill reminds me of being home sick from school. To this day I remember a leather clad Kim Wilde singing "Kids of America" making me feel strange.
A modern day ITV version hosted by Alan Titchmarsh will at least probably make sure the kids go to school.
David Jones (37) - Nice one! I was going to say something about him but it wasn't as funny as that.
"Helen on the Moor, Helen on the Moor, la la la-la-la-la ... "
jonnie 28
Am I completely out of touch, but please tell me what a 10'' clip of Dame H Is-or do you mean 10 min/sec as I assume. I know I'm a bit of a luddite....
Mollyxx
" means seconds. So 2'30" means two minutes thirty seconds. Anyway, once you're used to adding up in minutes and seconds, you'll never again be short of those embarrassing situations when you counted your change in minutes again and stared angrily at the barman before remembering. *Droops*
Re: Molly:-
Sorry .. and thanks to bod for explaining it
.. and the amusing comment to go along with the explanation.
It took me forever to understand the short references that we all tend to use nowadays on the net, although the minutes and seconds are used a bit more widely. -- which is usually why I use the shorthand and then put it in full.
I thought that SO meant 'sad other' rather than 'significant other' as in partner.
When I used to work in radio (here we go) :-) ... we used to have big old Cartrigde tapes (endless loops of tape) .. so for example Martha kearney would file her report in, down the telephone line, for the news bulletin, and that would be then rushed in to the studio to get played out for the news which was fed out to all the stations.
We had to stick a little label on the Cartridge explaining what it was,
Subject:
Duration
Out cue:
Subject:- Tottenham riots/ Kearney
Dur: 40"
Out Cue: Martha Kearney for Independent Radio News. (or Eddie Mair ´óÏó´«Ã½ News Tottenham)
They are generally known as SOC's (Standard Out Cues)
Now what was the question Molly :-)
So 1' 30" .. is 1 minute and 3o seconds
Credit to Eddie and the Producer tonight.
A very well balanced programme. Lot's of info about the *real* News stories, and only 10" to the Dame :-) -- Why don't they just make her a Lady -- would save her sounding like something from a Pantomime!
Well done PM!
I'm glad that John Armitt was so honest and happy that he hasn't been forced to resign. I think Eddie handled the interview excellently.
A bit late now -- but hopefully Marc posted it elsewhere?
-----------------------------------------------------
The New Blog Prince aka Marc @ Mon, 26 Feb 2007 21:45:15 GMT:
Hello all. Not too sure how many of you will see this, but it's worth a go. I am off to a *very* high powered blog-type meeting tomorrow (the words "depth" and "out of my" spring to mind) but I wanted your thoughts about how things have been recently on the blog Better? Worse? Same-as-bloody-always? I'm heading off there at 10am on Tuesday, so all/any thoughts before then most welcome (beyond "come back Lissa and sort things out")
Marc....don't know if you'll see this in time for your meeting, but I've found the blog to be working very well for the last few days, except for a blip last night. I posted a comment, and the progress bar started....and kept going for ages.......til in the end I gave up and posted the message on Jonnie's site instead. I didn't get any indication that my commenrt had been accepted,or otherwise, so I presumed it had failed. Lo and behold, it's there now!
There have been examples of duplicate postings lately, so obviously the gremlins are up to mischief again.
Courage, mon Brave! We know you will represent us very well. At the very least, see the meeting as a learning experience for yourself. And never forget how much we froggers LOVE this blog, faults and all!
For information only....Testing, testing.......
My last comment was picked up and acknowledged immediately at 9:01 am. Let's see when it appears on the blog.......
Bod, jonnie
thank you so much- my knowledge is growing day by day ! Do love the Blog and all the great froggers.
My lovely daughter no.2 is working at bbc Bristol (at uni there) and occasionally misses her cue- now I know how to address the problem!!!
Have a lovely day, everyone.
Mollyxx
Eddie, I've sent you a pic of our local frog brothel we discovered recently nearby. And I thought we lived in a fairly respectable area! (I just sent it to PM, last night, so hope you can find it amongst all the angry & mad emails. Mine not being mad, obviously)
NBP - tell all, as soon as you return from the meeting! Especially about the biscuits...
Marc - Hope you looked again at Jonnie's before your big meeting today.
Anna Rex : I'll see you at the quarantine section of the Beach later, armed with some more soup and a healthy dollop of life-affirming chilli. (Recipe c/o Big Sister.)
Sorry to hear you are still feeling ick. I'm not ick but lacking my usual joix-de-vivre.
Guess we're not out of the woods yet eh?
Fifi :o(
I hate to be a killjoy but I can't stop myself.
Princess Anne was nominated for the award of Sports Personality of Year and won. Her daughter was "chosen" and won. I reckon that if they had entered the Queen Mother in her dotage she would have won.
Now we've got someone PRETENDING to be the Queen and she wins an Oscar. I've only seen brief clips of the film but it's enough to make me feel justified in this thought process of mine.
On my own blog I have posted suggestions of how we can prove my hypothesis with suggestions of how Charles, William, Harry and Camilla could similarly romp to victory. Modesty prevents me from giving the address of my blog but I will if asked!
Duncan
So, Duncan (51), does that mean you hate yourself? ;-)
Big Sister, post 52, now you know the English language can be a contrary old thing so when I said that I hated doing it, you know that I was really rather pleased with myself.
Duncan