So it appears to be confirmed: The Police will be performing at the Grammy Awards on February 11!

The Police plan to reunite to perform at next month’s Grammy Awards, an appearance widely believed to be a precursor to a full-blown world tour later this year to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of the band’s first single, “Roxanne.”

I will promise advertising space on my first-born son if these guys will record new material!

(Thanks to Kathleen for keeping me informed and teacake for giving me a nudge…)

Batman Begins was one of the best superhero movies in recent years, but Katie Holmes performance was regarded as less-than-stellar by many. (This was, perhaps, not helped by her then-new relationship with Tom Cruise.)

It won’t surprise most people, then, to learn that Holmes won’t be appearing in the sequel, The Dark Knight. What is surprising, however, is that the part will be recast.

Sure, recasting is a drastic step, but it’s preferable to dropping the character altogether. There was nothing in the first film to suggest she wouldn’t be in the second—it’s a betrayal of the audience otherwise.

(And yes, damnit, I’m still pissed off that Newt and Hicks were dead at the beginning of Alien3.)

1. Shane Warne
2. “Throw another shrimp on the barbie”
3. the Cronulla riots
4. Pauline Hanson
5. Kyle Sandilands

That’s depressing enough.

On the other hand, Shaun Micallef balances all that out.

Let’s face it: Chas Licciardello’s Bulldogs stunt was inspired:

Licciardello, of the ABC’s The Chaser’s War on Everything, was charged with offensive behaviour after allegedly trying to sell rugby league “supporter kits”, which included fake knuckledusters, plastic knives, tubes labelled as flares and packages labelled rohypnol, a drug used in date rapes.

After leaving court yesterday, Chas had this to say:

“No comment on the case until it’s over. Look! Matthew Newton! Quick! Over there! Quick!”

Now, after winning the case:

Outside court Licciardello, draped in an Australian flag, told the bemused media throng: “I would just like to say how deeply disappointed we are with the court’s decision.

“We will not rest until this injustice has been corrected.

“We will be appealing … to the Supreme Court, to the High Court, to the UN, to the Jedi Council and the Snickometer.”

Told by a journalist that he had actually won, he replied: “I’m sorry. I didn’t actually prepare any material for the off-chance that we won.”

He then walked away saying: “I’ve got to head on my way to the Big Day Out now.”

I’m in awe. Absolutely brilliant.

In all seriousness, these sort of stunts function as effective social criticism, and had Chas lost, our country would’ve been poorer for it.

A Police reunion!

The Police are rumored to play their first reunion show at the Coachella music festival near Palm Springs, California, this fall.

Ten reasons why this is cooler than the Genesis reunion:

1. all members of the classic Police lineup (Sting, Summers and Copeland) would be involved
2. 70’s Genesis may be better than 70’s Police, but 80’s Police is miles ahead of 80’s Genesis
3. the last Police tour was in 1984, whereas the last Collins/Banks/Rutherford tour was in 1992
4. the Police probably have as much of a chance of performing “Supper’s Ready” as Genesis do
5. Sting may get the fire back after hanging around Andy and Stewart again
6. “Roxanne” beats “Mama” in the “songs about prostitutes” stakes hands down
7. “Do the Neurotic” (a Genesis B-side to “In Too Deep” from 1986) was just Genesis impersonating The Police anyway
8. very little chance of a Police drum duet
9. Andy Summers will be present for the Police reunion, whereas Steve Hackett will be nowhere to be found on the Genesis tour
10. The Police won’t be performing “Hold On My Heart”

I grew up on several styles of rock: psychedelic proto-metal, hard rock, New Wave, art rock, and the occasional bit of bubblegum pop and novelty. So when I’m not listening to 20+ minute epics by progressive rock acts, I prefer to relax with music by bands like The Rolling Stones or Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers—something down-to-earth and honest. My love of The Steve Miller Band is part of this side to my musical tastes.

For most people this isn’t news, but last night I was listening to Miller’s “My Dark Hour” (featuring Paul McCartney!) and I realised something…peculiar.

My Dark Hour:

Fly Like an Eagle:

Spot the difference!

I’m in a bit of a Pink Floyd mood at the moment—I just bought the CD/DVD pack of David Gilmour’s 2006 solo album On an Island, and yesterday I rewatched the Live at Pompeii DVD. Both really got me excited enough to start reading Nick Mason’s book on the history of the band, Inside Out.

In the last couple of days I’d been thinking about the personality types of the band members—Roger Waters is an obvious INTJ, and the band in general seems to have a Introverted/Thinking philosophy, but my bet would be either INTP or ISTP for Rick Wright, Gilmour and Mason (pictured right). Syd Barrett might well have been an INFP (at a guess).

What struck me within reading the first few pages was that Mason, Waters and Wright were all studying architecture when they met, which would, I should think, draw NTs (and INTPs in particular). Of course, each individual is their own case, but this tidbit, along with Mason’s own writing style, would lead me to suggest INTP for him at least.

More speculation soon!

…to which celebrity I’d dream about meeting next is…

Cliff Richard.

(Jeff Lynne was also in the background, but that’s neither here nor there.)

In a way, aren’t we all going on a Summer Holiday?

A few weeks ago, I dreamt that I met Robert Fripp. If that isn’t bad enough, last night I dreamt that I met both Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush.

The betting starts on who’s next.

Some possibilities:

• Tony Banks
• Steve Hackett
• David Gilmour
• Roger Waters
• Stewart Copeland
• Matt Groening
• “Weird Al” Yankovic

Richard Ackland, in today’s Sydney Morning Herald, has compiled an excellent top ten list of erosions to Australian civil liberties in 2006. It’s well worth a read, and I recommend everyone take a look.

Besides being the title of an Australian Crawl song, “Beautiful People” is also the name of a great new website where we, the attractive elite, can meet similarly attractive demigods without having to have our eyes soiled by the “visual pollution” of those less fortunate!

Let’s say I were to marry the next heifer who batted her eyelashes at me. Would I be doing my offspring any favours by saddling them with inferior genes just because I thought their mother had “a nice personality”?

(Please note that the site demands the use of Internet Explorer. Are you really surprised?)

Three great things about summer:

1. sunshine
2. blue skies
3. a six-pack and a shotty to go bacon bustin’ with!

The yearly “Babes and Boars” calander is just a bonus!

So those bloody commies in Canberra tried to take our guns away, but I’ll be dead in the ground before I surrender my Ithaca 37!

But bugger me, the drought in Victoria has uncovered many a cache of hidden goodies, albeit in somewhat poor condition. The guns need a good home, and I’m just the man to provide them with one!