In the unlikely event that you've been following the Rugby World Cup and England in particular, this game in the Guardian is amusing. It's particularly recommended by for Australians who have been getting a little hot under the collar recently about England winning through penalties and drop goals. If you haven't been following the Rugby World Cup, and indeed have no idea what goes on in a rugby game, you will be mystified.

#

Finally, after floods, plagues and storms, we got hold of the extended version of The Two Towers and watched it last night. Rather like the extended version of the Fellowship of the Ring, there were bits added that really helped the film make sense, bits that added texture and entertainment, and bits that probably should have remained on the cutting room floor. Perhaps the thing that the extended versions really do that the standard versions don't is to give a feeling of time passing. There are more days, more nights, and journeys are longer. That gives weight to the whole movie and a breadth that is pared from the cinema versions.

And, of course, there are weeks of extras waiting to be watched. I can't wait.

#

My quest for a holiday from work hit a bump today. I've been really hoping to take next week off, but panic rises in the university and with panic comes work for me. Basically, I've been told there's no way I can have a week off before the Christmas break. It's a shame, because I really need a week off, partly because I need a rest and partly to kickstart my writing. I want to get started on a larger project, hopefully a new book, but to do that I need some dedicated time and I'm just not getting that at the moment. I should sleep in tomorrow, but the its the world cup final at 9 in the morning, so I'll be getting up early enough to watch it, I hope. We don't have a TV, so I'll have to see if I can go round a neighbours house to watch.