Binnsy's Hovel

Dockers sink the Demons
Well, my optimism in the previuos post has been dashed. The Fremantle guns, namely Pavlich and McPharlin (yes, I know I misspelt it at half-time), not to mention the former gangbuster of Melbourne, the ‘Wiz’, Jeff Farmer, were all unstoppable. But, you can’t put it past the Demons. We came to within a point in the last quarter, and it got out to eight a few seconds before the siren, when Bell kicked the Dockers’ last to seal a 14-point victory.

Yes, I’m disappointed, but seeing the great Demons players playing their roles proficiently was reassuring. Jeff White is an incredible player. His ability in the ruck is astounding and the Dockers could do little but let him win the big contests and hope that he hit it in the wrong direction, which unfortunately he did a little too often. Melbourne’s problem with manning up is becoming a little repetitive, which I hope can be rectified before next week’s clash with Adelaide.

Best on ground for the Dees in my opinion was our stalwart and hero Russell Robertson. Absolute dead-set legend. The grabs, the falls, the punches, the big kicks, and the goals. Sheer courage and skill. What a legend. Ben Holland’s occasional lapses were outweighed by his pinpoint kicking and a few goals. Aaron Davey is a little champ and integral to success. With six minutes to go in the third quarter, he popped a beauty into an empty Melbourne 50, which bounced over David Neitz’s opponent, the Melbourne captain doing a 180 and slotting it through the middle.

The Melbourne crowd were fired up which is always good to see. In the dying minutes of the third quarter, the lifting of the cheers was heartwarming and made me proud to be a Melbourne supporter.

All in all, a great game by the boys. Unfortunately our skill and good work was not reflected on the scoreboard. Well, for the second time this year it’s back to the old Melbourne followers’ catchphrase – “There’s always next week.”

Fugly Awards 2005
It’s reassuring to see that someone else is sick of seeing Eddie “Commercial Break” McGuire on television. At the annual television anti-awards, the ‘Fuglies’, McGuire was named ahead of Andrew “Whoa ho ho” O’Keefe (I know. I’m shocked too.) and Rove “Say hi to your mum for me” McManus as the Worst Male TV Personality.

Was amused, but not surprised, to see that Seven’s Today Tonight was named Most Sensational Current Affairs Program. And I second the naming of Andrew Denton as the Most Under-Acknowledged TV Personality, and The Glasshouse as the Most Under-Acknowledged TV Show. Perhaps the programmers and station executives should look to who and what the public don’t like, instead of what they do like. Trash the Logies and bring on the Fuglies! TV Week could sponsor it, Wil Anderson could host it and it’d be a blast. Who’s with me?

What the Right have to say about us Lefties
Now, unless it’s Andrew Bolt, I don’t usually go around targeting Righties for analysis. I’m a little bit conservative I suppose in the regard that I don’t seek out people to criticise. However, reading this from right-wing author, artist, musician and political satirist Wayne P. Biro got me a little huffed. The title was the thing that attracted me (taunting me like a cute dog guarding a bone and hiding a very deadly and sharp set of teeth):

Sloppy Leftist Intellectualism
Zealously Published Wishful Lefty Thinking
Leftist Attempts at Subliminal Manipulation-
Arguing on False Precepts

Now I hasten to say that a lot of the stuff that Mr Biro writes is actually very intellectual, and made me think a lot about my own perceptions about a lot of current issues. (He is also a very talented artist, and I have a lot of respect for people who are artistic and interested in current affairs all at the same time. It shows that they have a lot of time and intelligence and co-ordination skills, most of which I lack in abundance.) However, this piece is a little weird, and doesn’t really fit into the rest of Biro’s repertoire.

I hate to say it, but this, again, is an epitomist (there’s that word again) example of the Right using vast generalisations of what they believe to be a staunchly and uniformly libertarian group. That’s alright in theory, but the very nature of libertarianism is to challenge almost anything, and in that process each left-thinking person stands out as someone with different beliefs and opinions. The beauty of being a lefty is that you are able to think differently and quite radically on some issues, but it won’t be held against you if you are quite conservative on other matters of debatable contention.

A number of points Biro makes bugged me a little (most of them generalisations of left-wing thinkers, whom he graciously named ‘Mr Lefty’…How dare he use such an honourable name in such a negative way!). The first of these points of bugment is:

…the other side of [this] lefty statement is that we should not be patriotic,not have catchy slogans, not have pride in the military, and not strive for unity

I, as a proud lefty, fly in the face of almost all these statements. I am but one of the many lefties I’m sure would disagree with this. I’m about as patriotic as they come, and a lot of that patriotism comes from the pride I proudly confess for Australia’s military. I have had forbears and friends involved in war and from this attachment I have gleaned a knowledge of the sacrifice and horror that troops must endure. I respect anyone who has the courage to stand up for their country, to risk their lives for their mates. I also respect any government or group that strives for unity… but I also believe that diversity is a brilliant part of what makes our world special. There are so many different cultures, races, ideas, customs, beliefs, opinions, all wanting to be recognised. But – the brilliance about the country I live in is that these people understand that they are Australians, but Australians free to practise their customs, advocate their culture, in non-violent means.

Disdain for the importance of human rights.

It is unclear whether this statement is being rebuked or used as evidence of leftie thinking, however, Biro goes on to announce ‘the Left’s persecution of religion, personal economic success, and heterosexual tendencies’. Persecution of religion? It is the governments we criticise that persecute religion. We staunchly argue the fact that no war can be justified by religious means. That doesn’t stop people of different faiths having conflicts. It just means that no war can be blamed on a higher power. Sectarianism is a dangerous thing, but of all the Lefties that I look up to, I would say that none of them would actively advocate any conflict based on religion (I’d even go so far as to say they wouldn’t support any conflict under any circumstance.) ‘Personal economic success’ is okay. It’s the by-products of such a position that worry me. Greed, abuse of power, violence – the effective death of one’s humanity through selfishness. Someone who hoards money and guards it well is a potentially dangerous person, always on the edge. Someone who supports his employees, looks after their needs, puts money back into businesses and donates significantly to charity – there’s someone who’s attained ‘personal economic success’ and is putting it to healthy use. And persecution of ‘heterosexual tendencies’? Is that to say that all lefties are gay or simply asexual? I just think, considering Mr Biro’s other work (which although I disagree with on a lot of points, is very well-written), that this is a pretty cheap shot.

Biro then goes on to talk about prisoners of war, which I’ve voiced my opinion on in posts past.

Biro writes that those who are ‘liberal blindly deny Iraq was a part of the terrorist problem.’ I disagree. Many lefties support operations in Iraq as a whole. A lot of the time it was the way those operations were undertaken that disturbed us. But a lot of that had to do with the media, a group I laugh at and loathe in equal measure. Not to say that the media is a scapegoat, but a lot of it is sensationalised and open to corruption by higher powers.

The next point:

Often the regimes would incite “spontaneous” acts against the target scapegoats, usually communists, socialists, liberals, Jews, ethnic and racial minorities, traditional national enemies, members of other religions, secularists, homosexuals, and “terrorists.”

I don’t think I need to argue against this point. Someone else has done that pretty convincingly for the past six to eight months.

Biro writes that a controlled mass media ‘doesn’t exist in the US’. I bite my tongue – in part. I think the usual definition of mass media is in some way intrinsically linked to how the public reacts to it. Food for thought…

And this:

the ability of large corporations to operate in relative freedom was not compromised.

So now all lefties are capitalists? I myself believe that communism was a good theory misinterpreted. It caused so many innocent deaths because of people that didn’t care for what Marx implied. Tweaked, communism could work, but alas it goes against all that human nature is wont to lean towards. And the lynchpin for communism is that society inevitably evolves – the idea is so backwards that it wouldn’t be around for long: human nature wouldn’t be able to handle it. That said, it would have been a hell of a lot better to implement such a regime in the 19th century – If done in the right way it may still have been around today. Now of course I don’t advocate communism – it is a system devised for a highly patriarchal society after all, which would suck big time. But I think there are some important lessons we can learn from such ideas.

Then Biro quotes this from a critic of leftism:

Disdain and suppression of intellectuals and the arts

NOOOOOOOOOO! NEVER! As a leftie I would never suppress intellectualism or the arts! This makes me cringe! Later it is quoted, ‘art and literature should serve the national interest or they had no right to exist.’ Again I cringe. The point Biro is largely trying to prove is that all lefties fight nationalism, unity and equality, all of which I have said I support in mediate amounts.

Admittedly, this is Biro responding to the aforementioned critic of left-wing thinking. And I do acknowledge that there are some lefties who would fit every category described above. But I just think that calling all lefties these things is a little cheap.

I also must note that Biro is American, and most of the things he says I think he might be directing mainly towards Americans. But as a self-confessed leftie I don’t really feel any better.

In the spirit of decency, democracy and healthy, constructive left-right debate I am going to email Wayne Biro, and invite him to read and respond to this criticism. I will also ask him who the critic was that he was responding to. I’m also interested in hearing what visitors to the Hovel have to say about all this. Comment at your leisure!

Until next time…

The Melbourne Demons sit in the dressing rooms of the MCG, listening to their inspiring coach, the ‘Rev’, Mr Neale Daniher. After getting off to a running start, the Demons crumbled under a punishing Fremantle attack. At the half-time break, the Demons are down 18 points.

In the Demons’ favour, they’ve had some brilliant performances. Moloney, Motlop and Davey seem to be absolutely everywhere. Up with the forwards or roaming the back line with Rivers, they appear to have no set position, and they do whatever job they’re appointed with finesse and skill. Halfway through the second quarter, Ben Holland’s antics were commendable, if only for getting us a few free kicks. His first two attempts at goal were pitiful, but thankfully it was third time lucky.

In the dying seconds of the second quarter, Brock McLean made a thrilling attempt at goal, which would have succeeded were it not for a doubtful touch by a daring Docker.

For the Dockers, Nathan McFarlin has shone above all others, and for this he must be acknowledged. Even Jeff Farmer, the former ‘darling of the MCC members’ and ex-No. 33 for the Demons, had a great run. His speed and footwork, skills which shone during his time at Melbourne, helped Fremantle run away with it toward the end of the first quarter. Admittedly his inability to consolidate some of the high grabs would have been a little disconcerting, but Demons fans weren’t complaining, as had he brought those high balls down, the lead at the end of the first half would surely have been larger.

So as I return to the central viewing position (my bed), cuppa in hand and prepare to turn up the Dobly Surround for the second half (openly hoping for a spectacular Demons comeback), the Fremantle Dockers lead Melbourne 73 points to 55.

Until next time…

This is from the official Star Wars email newsletter I get every week (chuck us an email if you’d like a forward with details on how to sign up):

Lucas to Guest-Star on “The O.C.”
April 25, 2005

George Lucas will guest-star as himself on “The O.C.” on Thursday, May 12 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

During the episode, Summer makes Zach and Seth decide which one of them is going to take her to Harbor High’s “The O.Sea” prom. But, after George Lucas expresses interest in Seth’s graphic novel, Seth is forced to make the most difficult decision of his life — take Summer to the prom or have dinner with George Lucas.

George. Mate. No. Of all the things George Lucas could have done. Of all the public relations work he could have done. The countless cameos on decent programs. It had to be the most ridiculous and brainwash-inducing show on contemporary television. One thing in his favour: at least he plays himself. Him playing anyone else would be awkward. For all concerned.

Shameless plug for Star Walking Inc.
Every few months, in Melbourne or Sydney on an alternating rotation, up to a hundred Star Wars aficionados gather at a predetermined location to view the latest trailers, fan films, random docos and mockos, perouse countless figures, models, posters and other random memorabilia, try their hand at trivia, starship building contests, bounty hunter recruitment – it’s all there.

If you’re interested, all the details can be found at www.starwalking.net, including membership info and upcoming events. Of course the biggest upcoming event for all Star Wars fans is the May 19 release of Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. How exciting. I mentioned yesterday that Star Walking wants me to submit a review of Episode III as soon as possible – more excitement.

New job
I’ve somehow secured employment with a local real estate office of a weekend, doing random office tasks and letterbox dropping. How financement. Should be nice to have some cash in the account, if I still have one.

Exams
These pricks of things continued today, with a double whammy of Religion and Physics. Religion went really well, although a question concerning the relationship between political and religious allegiances threw me a bit. I ended up composing a magnum opus of an argument, two pages’ worth, and invented a new word: religio-political. I used that in a context much like the following:

The second most prominent religio-political debate of the twentieth century concerned Aboriginal land rights.

Nice, eh? I thought so.

Then Physics. Ugh. But hey, even some of the top Physics students acknowledged that this exam was pretty tough, so perhaps I’m not all in my own boat, adrift.

Max Barry on the world…
As I’ve mentioned before I play a web game called NationStates. This game is based on a novel written by Max Barry called Jennifer Government, and the game is run by Barry himself. In addition to the web game, Barry also runs a blog. Late last year I was delighted to discover that the creator of a web phenomenon I’d devoted so much time to was an Aussie (just like me!), and resolved to tune in to his site regularly and see what he thought of the world. Anyhoo, to shut a cong lory stort, I signed up to the auto-email-update-thingy, and the other day got his latest post in my inbox. It tackles a number of things in the world, and what Max predicts will happen if trends like these continue. All very interesting stuff, and I suggest you checks it out.

BIG CONGRATS TO THE NEWLY WONDERFULLY MARRIED MR LEFTY!!!
Rah for you, chap! All the best and I hope you get to go back to FNQ to actually go for a swim. How slightly anti-climactic I bet it was to find that out! :S Anyhoo, hope married life treatses you well and that you’ll be back to blogging in your regular suaveness soon.

Until next time…

Good news – apparently the article I wrote for The Force (posted here at the Hovel yesterday) was ‘very well written’ and will be published next week! The editor also said she was interested in seeing my review for Episode III. I’ll be at Fox Studios at 12am on the 19th of May – who better to do the very first Aussie review?

In other news Solitaire is pissing me off. I haven’t been able to finish a game today and it’s starting to bug me. Grrr.

Back to study…

Until next time…

UPDATE 11:11pm:

More than an obsession: Reflections on a twelve-year fanaticism
I can remember the first time I ever saw C3PO. It was at Pizza Hut in Mitcham. Mystified by the mobiles and posters smattered around the restaurant I sat down and looked at my drink. A plastic cup with a golden face. My temptation to worship this magnificent idol on the side of my Pepsi was swiftly quashed by hunger and a desire not to look ridiculous. From then on my love for the Star Wars universe has never faded.

I was then six years old. I am now almost eighteen. I remember wandering around Target looking at all the action figures. I recall fondly standing in the front of the crowd at the launch of the 1997 Special Edition videos at Myer Melbourne. Family troubles made upheaval part of normal life, and I felt I needed somewhere to escape – where better than a whole different universe?

Over time my perception of Star Wars has changed dramatically. Where once I saw a shiny world full of fun and colour, heroes and villains, I now see a very carefully constructed piece of literature which has stood the test of time and remains one of the greatest stories ever told. Though I am a relative latecomer to the fan base, I still think that the original trilogy far surpasses anything released since. I see now the mythical properties in the characters and the various story threads being pulled together for a final climactic battle. I am amazed at how we seem to know what’s happened for the past two thousand years in the Star Wars galaxy in the first half an hour of the film. I appreciate George Lucas’s skill in being able to deliver such a brilliant story.

As I stand on the threshold of adulthood, I look back on where I’ve come from, and wonder where my youth went. But at the same time I see what I’ve fallen back on over the years. When I was angry, sad, lonely or just couldn’t find anything to do on the weekend, I’d whack in one of the videos and immerse myself in the depth and beauty of this fantasy world. As we near the end of an era with the release of Episode III, it makes me wonder how many people feel like a little nostalgia. Look back on your love of Star Wars, be it an affair of forty years, ten years or a few months. What role has it played in your life? For me, it’s been an escape, a release. A place to go when I don’t want to be anywhere else. If not for Star Wars, I would’ve been screwed. Thank God for Ewoks.

That’s just me trying my hand at a little retrospective journalism – that article will be submitted to the Australian Star Wars Appreciation Society’s Journal, ‘The Force’. Fingers crossed it might just get in!

Advertising has Lost some flair
Terrible headline, I apologise.

I was a little bewildered to see how Channel Seven is promoting this week’s episode of one of my fave TV shows, Lost. The line I’m referring to plays roughly as follows:

Voiceover: Two of them are missing with the mysterious Ethan, including… AN AUSTRALIAN.

SHOCK HORROR… is that meant to get more people watching? What’s wrong with the Scottish bloke that’s with the Aussie chick (Dominic Monaghan, of hobbit fame)? He’s just as different a nationality from the rest of the cast as she is! Maybe thinkers, advertisers and media around the world should appeal to the repressed Aussie in everyone…

Vatican Correspondent: It is unanimous that the new Pope, Benedict XVI was a great choice for the Church and for the world, but some critics are wondering if an Australian would have been better for the role.

John Howard: The ANZACs died to save freedom. Maybe everyone who’s not Australian should die for Australia. Then we can have a service like this for you! With the Bee Gees and everything!

Being a subscriber of Reader’s Digest for a year: $77
Being a member of the local gym for six months: $142
Being Australian: Priceless
Some things are pointless. For everything else, there’s Australians. Accepted everywhere.

The Glass House
Tonight’s episode has got to be the funniest for a very long time. Shane Bourne is a funny bastard and Georgie Parker was the butt of many jokes (and a very nice butt it is too). But Dave Hughes’ comments at the start of the show were priceless. He was talking about Peter Costello’s plans to restrict funding to IVF programs:

Peter Costello says he’s not going to support procedures that have little chance of success. Then take Aussie bloody troops out of Iraq!

Love your work, Dave.

Until next time…

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War on terror does not exist
According to Brigadier Justin Kelly of the Army, the war on terrorism does not exist. Kelly describes war as:

…conflict, using violent and non-violent means, between multiple actors and influences, competing for control over the perceptions, behaviour and allegiances of human population groups.

In this case, I think Kelly just proved himself wrong. The war on terror is exactly that. There are indeed ‘multiple actors and influences’ – the entire US administration and at least a deck of cards’ worth of terrorists. And I think the US is well and truly attempting to alter perceptions. But not just enemy perceptions. Ever since 9/11 the accuracy and objectiveness of the world media has gone downhill, largely thanks to politicians who realised they can influence what is presented to the world. Dubya is the epitomist example. (Is epitomist a word? If not, it is now, and it means ‘foremost’ or something related to the epitome of something. I said so.) To a lesser extent, take Melbourne’s Herald Sun newspaper. Every columnist is geared for ultra-conservatism. Bolty is another epitomist example. The media is screwed because of 9/11. The world is screwed because of 9/11. Stop analysing everything and start trying to fix it.

Until next time…

“Women deserve to be raped” says Muslim Sheikh
No doubt I’m probably a bit late on this story, given that the Age article I found was dated April 14, but I heard this discussion on 2GB this afternoon and was downright disgusted. I think the idea was that this bloke was at it again in some other part of Sydney, contaminating more minds and turning women away from the ‘lustful, hungry wolves’ that all Western males apparently are.

The day after ANZAC Day – the commemmoration of one of the greatest days in the formation of our country – and some bloody fundamentalist gets up and shits all over the West. I’m bloody sick of it. Australia is a multicultural nation, and proud of it. This means we accept other cultures, but doesn’t mean that we have to follow their customs. Most members of other religions and cultures are quite content to go about their lives, living their rituals and what is important to them, without any fear of subjection.

But then some bloke like Sheikh Feiz Muhammad gets up and says, ‘Every minute in the world a woman is raped, and she has no one to blame but herself, for she has displayed her beauty to the whole world. Strapless, backless, sleeveless – they are nothing but satanical. Mini-skirts, tight jeans – all this to tease men and to appeal to (their) carnal nature.’

Wake up, dickhead. You just ripped on yourself. You probably haven’t looked in your pants recently, but you’re a male too. You made a massive generalisation and swept yourself up in it. Not all men are ‘carnal’. There are some of us who long for a soulful, meaningful relationship. I acknowledge there are some who just want sex, but most of them at least have the decency to respect the woman in the relationship. And there are some who just aren’t into it at all, and are quite happy the way they are.

Sheik Feiz and Andrew Bolt are in the same boat. They use sweeping generalisations and unfounded arguments to attack those that they hate: in Bolt’s case, the left, for Feiz, the West. I’m a proud Australian heterosexual male, and yes, I don’t mind seeing a nice-looking girl in tight jeans, but that doesn’t in any way mean she deserves to be raped. NO WOMAN deserves to be mistreated in any way, shape or form. And most of them don’t need protection from men – least of all fundamentalist Muslims whose only interests are keeping them covered up and locked away.

I respect everything that Islam stands for, but in today’s changing world Fundamentalism is fast becoming the enemy of all things right and just.

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Well, the first two of my half-yearly exams are now over: English and Ancient History. Four to go: Religion and Physics on Friday, Maths and English Extension I next week. English went pretty well, though I’m sure I didn’t write enough for the second of my essays, which was on Wuthering Heights. Nevertheless, I stuck it out and pulled off two pretty decent responses. All I can do is my best.

Ancient History was good… apart from the fact that I forgot one of the founding families of Sparta mid-exam. I got Eurypontidae, but couldn’t for the life of me remember the second family, and it said to attempt every question, so I put down “Avanicedae” in the hope that I’ll get at least a tenth of a mark for originality and charming humour.

Thankfully I now have two days to recuperate and prepare for the next two big ones. I have to get my head around Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, which will be a right royal pain in the ass. Religion shouldn’t be too tough: Aboriginal Spirituality and Religion in Australia from 1900 to the present day. All good.

Tonight will be spent doing as little as possible. I have my night’s TV itinerary all figured out: Insight at 7:30 on SBS, CSI at 8:30 on Nine, and Rove Live at 9:30 on Ten, if I could be stuffed. Odds are I’ll just stay up all night playing Solitaire: the new greatest thing on my PC. Simple yet so very, very addictive.

Until next time…

Again, many apologies for the lack of decent posts lately. I have exams for the next week and a half, so any spare time I get will most likely be spent studying. Hopefully by the time May 5 rolls around everything will be back in gear and I’ll be able to post often again.

Meantime I hope everyone has a good ANZAC Day. I’ll be thinking of my great grandfather, Pte. Charles William Binns, who fought on the Western Front from 1915-1917. Lest we forget.

Until next time…

Home again, home at last…
Greetings all… I am back from my two-week holiday down in the fair town of Melbourne, and am pretty glad to be back. My own bed, my own room, my surround sound system – ’tis all good. Today I’ll probably spend the day studying, and then a few friends are coming up for dinner. Tomorrow I’ll probably spend the day studying, and the same for Monday. Tuesday is the day that hell comes to South Windsor. Mind you, it’s not really that bad – English and Ancient History, my two best subjects, are my first exams, then I have two days off before my next couple. Pretty sweet. Forgive me if I don’t blog all that much in the next two weeks – when I do I’ll probably be whinging so it might be best not to bother. Meh.

The Phantom of the Opera DVD
Lastnight I was able to sit down and watch the entire movie in its entirety (as something entirely is). Now, there are still a few issues with the dubbing, mainly during the prominent themes, which kind of pissed me off. I thought they’d fix that up somewhere between screen and DVD. Never mind. Overall, picture quality is brilliant, as one would expect. Sound is also crisp and clear, though as aforementioned sometimes not entirely in sync. The use of surround is good – especially big sub waves during the important scenes (Christine in the Phantom’s lair and big booms with the base in the masque scenes). It’s really good to see a lot of big theatrical films with flowing scores making use of surround to enhance orchestral music. Star Wars has done it well, and Phantom made brilliant use of all speakers and the sub to its full advantage.

When I saw the movie, I was a little disappointed with Gerard Butler as the Phantom. I’m sure he’s a brilliant actor in his own right, but there was something about his voice that wasn’t quite right. After watching the docos on the DVD, I’ve since discovered he’s Scottish, in which case I admire him for his diction during the film. I still think that someone better could have been found, but hey, he did okay. Emmy Rossum is just plain hot, and does very well to maintain the intensity, sensitivity, temptation, sensuality, sexuality of Christine’s character.

The film medium is so very different from stage. You’re able to get right into the action, see characters’ faces, be under the chandelier when it comes crashing down. Joel Schumacher did a brilliant job in adapting such a wonderful musical and story to the screen. Overall I’d probably give the movie (including all DVD aspects) 8.5 out of 10.

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
The blogosphere’s been going nuts over this movie, and from what I’d seen it looked pretty random, so a mate suggested we go and see it last Friday. This has got to be one of the funniest and artful movies of the past ten years. The fact that it was released only in certain cinemas in Melbourne points to it being an ‘arthouse’ film, however the A-list cast would suggest a complete Hollywood release. Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, Angelica Huston, Owen Wilson. Great stuff.

Basically the film is a tribute to the world of marine documentary maker Jacques Cousteau. The editing of the film is so close to Cousteau’s work it is almost perfect. Editing is a big thing in this movie, and it adds to its quality and hilarity. Just that second or two after someone says something stupid, just so you can see the reaction of one or two other characters, is priceless.

The story construction is very funny, and embellished with odd characters and strange fictitious animals, as well as some not-so-fictitious-but-still-ridiculous ones (the killer whale in the background while Cate Blanchett’s character is interviewing Steve Zissou, and the dolphins with cameras on their heads that constantly circle his ship).

Overall, a very well made film, great acting, a nice story and much randomness. The music is also very random – acoustic David Bowie songs translated into Portuguese – funny stuff. Overall I give it 8 out of 10.

There may be more stuff later if I could be stuffed.

Until next time…

Well, I’m back, and am fairly stuffed, which is not really the idea of holidays in general. Doing nothing is really tiring. We got back from Inverloch yesterday and I’ll be here in Melbourne until tomorrow at 11:15 when I take a big metal bird and fly it home.

You can see a whole load of photos from Invy (three, actually) in the Photo Hut.

Oh, they got a new Pope. WOO. German. Nice. Priestly. Handy. Hitler Youth. WTF? Against his will. Oh. That’s okay. I s’pose.

Went into JB Hi-Fi today and scored Phantom on DVD, which I was a little weirded by. Since when do they release films on DVD so soon after their cinema runs? Meh, the world gets weirder. Also grabbed some brochures from Monash Berwick while I was there with my stepmum and dad. Bachelor of Communications… hmm.. Sounds good… And they have a bar…

So, back home tomorrow for a weekend of loneliness and study… I have English and Ancient History back-to-back exams on Tuesday, but most of this weekend will be spent psyching up for them (‘psyching up for them’ is the technical term for ‘doing nothing in preparation for them’). I’ve been studying the past two weeks, I can do with three days at home alone settling back in and getting ready for the next two weeks full of bloody exams. Fun fun.

On reflection, this trip to Melbourne has been pretty good. Went too bloody quick though. Last week was mainly study and blogging, this week has been trying to make up for lack of appropriate use of holidays (appropriate use meaning actual holidaying). Inverloch was mad as always… watched craploads of DVDs, played minigolf and read books on the beach. Love it.

Will probably post tomorrow night, but no guarantees – definitely Saturday morning. Probably with nice newsy stuff and the like.

Until next time…

Hi guys

No time for posting much but I am still alive, contrary to many newspaper reports and the helicopters constantly bombarding me with rolled-up political paraphernalia.

Spending a few days catching up with family, cycling and heading down to the coast for a few days on Monday. I will have pictures too.

The Aldi thesis has been put off indefinitely. Whether I can find the motivation to come back to it later some time is up for speculation. The raid was fun, and more may follow, but for the time being I am content to let this German supermarket feed on hapless customers.

Until next time…