my coworkers officially hate me because they all recommended seven pounds.

worst recommendation in years. 2/10.

it is rare for me to contemplate walking out. but i did it during seven pounds. the only thing that kept me in my seat was wondering if oprah did a cameo. the movie was right up her hutt valley. but there was no pay off and she didn't make a cameo in the end. and the only redeeming feature was that will smith has been WORKING OUT. reow.

to quote some website:

If it wasn't for Dawson's tender performance elevating Smith's game, "Seven Pounds" would be just another useless tear-jerker, wishing to speak profoundly on the misery of human existence, but failing to encourage the audience to appreciate the experience

and to quote me:

will smith is the most self indulgent good samaritan ever.

anyway, don't see it.

i have spent a chunk of the weekend watching twenty years of oprah. i have a lot to be grateful for. the thing about oprah is we are very similar. like me, she was deeply moved by princess diana's life and her passing. and she mentions it at every opportunity. and she asks the hard questions that everyone wants to know the answers to. like how she asked lisa marie if she ever had sex with michael jackson. the answer was a surprising yes.

i've done other stuff besides watch oprah. but i can't really remember it. i'll stick to the highlights:

• chris brown and rihanna at the tsb area. chris brown is cute. rihanna is beautiful. and they both know how to put on a show. i suspect a lot of training and rehersal on their parts. highlight of the night was the encore performance of umbrella, where they dueted. however, this didn't stop me wondering when either chris brown or rihanna were going to kill it like ice cube. it never happened. note to self: buy shares in supre and fake tan. this is what all the girls - and there were thousands - were wearing.
• brideshead revisited. too much of the girl characters, not enough of the boy characters - but still quite a lovely relationship between sebastian and charles. 7/10
• young @ heart - i cried at one point, but basically this documentary about a group of 70+ singers who reinterpret more modern songs had all the character in the world, but as a documentary it wasn't great. worth seeing just for the performances at the end. and for louie. 7/10
• rain of the children - i avoided seeing this until now. the life of puhi, an 80 year old woman from tuhoe, is retraced. and it plays like a love letter from vincent ward to her, twenty eight years after her death. the movie is proof that history repeats. 9/10.
• my nephews are in town. ice cream outside the zoo is my new favourite activity.
• i am going to a ball on tuesday, so had to buy a new dress. think red chiffon. needless to say, i keep pulling it out of my wardrobe just to admire and pet it. i hope i am as much of a hit in real life as i am in my imagination.
  

dear miss winfrey

congratulations on you and steadman celebrating twenty years as a couple. i understand he showered you in gifts and took you back to the restaurant in chicago where you had your first date. it sounded very romantic, and i'm sure he was delighted by the gold watch you bought him. noone can have enough watches.

twenty years is a long time, and over this time you and steadman have had many opportunities to celebrate your love publicly. who can forget the episode of your show where steadman came on and showed the men in the audience how to dance at a formal occassion? to be honest i fell a little in love with him at that point. however, for some couples - without the opportunities you two have had - public declarations really are limited to weddings. which brings me to a story about a good friend of mine, and the purpose for my e-mail to you.

about two years ago my very best friend in the entire universe was living in new york and met the love of his life. they are engaged now and the wedding is scheduled for september. as his very best friend in the entire universe i have every intention to be there and celebrate the very special bond between he and his soon to be bride. not only would it be my opportunity to support my very best friend in the entire universe (as he is getting married half a world away from his hometown, where there would have been an abundance of support, but being a selfless man he chose to allow his bride to be to be near her family - plus he has found it hard to make friends in new york due to his long working hours) but it would be a chance for me to remember my own spirit by sharing the obvious and wonderous love between my very best friend in the entire universe and his bride.

the difficulty for me is the fiancial barriers to me joining my friend in new york. to begin with i live in new zealand which, while being close to middle earth, is very far indeed from new york. with my student loan, which i acquired while studying to be a lawyer to help raise my family from poverty, and its repayments and my low income, having steered clear of corporate law, new york does not seem possible.

i want to be in new york to show the US of A that my friend is loved in new zealand too and to give him the wedding he deserves. but without your help this doesn't seem feasible. i have watched many episodes of your show and understand you have an angel network. so the point of my email is a request for you to find it in your heart to continue your good work as an angel and support my trip to new york.

i look forward to your response. indicative costs are $4,500 in flights, if i fly coach. of course you may want to fly me first class in which case i could find an alternative quote should you need it.

yours

homeperm

ps: the wedding is in new york but there are pre wedding events in hawaii, followed by post wedding engagements in savannah, georgia (you went there once on the release of the movie midnight in the garden of good and evil, remember) and in los angeles. if celine still has her las vegas show you should also know it is my life's ambition to see her live.

pps: i would also be available to appear on your show if required.

so, what do you think? too much about my "best friend in the entire universe"? i tried to reference her show as much as possible. i was going to talk about how she started a girls school in south africa but any links just seemed to forced. keep it simple and off the cuff i reckon. also, does anyone have her email address?