Binnsy's Hovel

For those of you who are in the advanced English classes at my school, the English resources site has changed. You can find it here.

Until next time…

I feel a little good cathartic blogging is in order. No, my computer isn’t fixed yet. I am utilising the school computer system for my own diabolical purposes.

Why do people perpetuate the seemingly eternal, universal constant of humanity’s unending stupidity?

The inimitable Albert Einstein once said, ‘Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.’

As with many of the things he postulated and theorised, he knocked the nature of mankind right on the head.

Why this sudden deep exploration into the highly volatile and ultimately disturbed human psyche? I have of late discovered within me a quality which at a pinch perturbs and intrigues me. I am a cynic. I cannot sit through a movie without groaning at every cliche; I can’t watch the news without rolling my eyes at some of the ‘newsworthy’ pieces of reporting goodness.

Call me crazy if you wish. But just know that I will roll my eyes at you until you die. Bahahaha.

Until next time…

For those of you still reading who are wondering what the hell could possibly be going on blog-wise, this is the post to read.

About a fortnight ago, my computer decided to slow down to about 10% of its potential speed capability. I am hypothesising that this is due to my graphics card giving up the ghost.

Because of this, all my online activities have been temporarily suspended. This includes this blog and Executive Airways. I apologise to regular readers, staff and pilots, but rest assured I’ll be back up sometime soon (within the next month or so).

Watch Dr Who tonight – Dalek time…

Until next time…

It’s a grand old flag,
It’s a high-flying flag,
It’s the emblem for me and for you.
It’s the emblem of
The team we love
The team of the red and the blue
Every heart beats true
For the red and the blue,
And we sing this song to you
(Whadda we sing?)
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
Keep your eye on the red and the blue.

Nothing but Demons all the way from the third quarter. Seven goals to two in the third term. A bit of a chase was put on by the Pies in the last but to no avail. Great game. Standouts remain Johnstone, Robertson and Yze came forward and took a lead or two.

One big negative was the loss of David Neitz due to a cheekbone injury, but the boys will want to fight hard for the skipper next week against the Eagles. Could this be a Grand Final preview? Time will tell…

Maths Test is done. Done and dusted. Overall, feeling pretty good. Hope to get at least 70%. Anyhoo.

Until next time…

First half impressions? Not much to say really. Both Melbourne and Collingwood have the numbers everywhere, but come the half-time break, the scoreboard says Collingwood have the skills to pop them through.

I’ll say it here though – Travis Johnstone, mate. Love your work. Holland, Davey, Miller and the mighty Russell Robertson also great for the Dees.

A few coaching errors from both sides: Why isn’t Wakelin on for Collingwood? And why isn’t Davey in the forward 50? We saw in the first half that Davey isn’t all that crash hot with the set shot. His best work is done on the run (and run can he what), and surely with Davey nipping on the heels of David Neitz a few shepparts here and there might get us a few more goals.

Speaking of the skipper, the commentators have given him heaps. So he dropped a couple of marks, so what? Everyone drops marks every now and again. Neitz has been a stalwart for this 2nd spot Demons side. Give him a bit of slack, yeh?

The other thing I’ve noticed works well for Collingwood is their defence in the centre corridor. Melbourne’s strength for this whole 2005 season has been their massive runs down the centre, spearheaded by the speed of Brock McLean, Paul Wheatley and Davey when he’s in the centre. Any side that can get the ball from Melbourne’s centre sprints will be a thorn in their side.

All we need are some pinpoint kicks, both between players and through the big sticks and we’ll come away with it. There’s only a couple of goals in it, and it remains anyone’s game. Come on boys, give the Pies hell.

Until next time…

After seeing Episode III for the second time, I have to say that it’s a pretty damn good movie. In spite of a number of things.

First off was the screenwriters’ very conscious attempts to twist the dialogue of Yoda so far around on itself that it’s virtually impossible to keep up with what the little guy is saying. Hard to speak straight it is when crappy screenwriting to contend with you have.

Another thing which shouldn’t annoy me but managed to nevertheless was Natalie Portman’s terrible acting. I’m sorry, die-hard fans. I know you lay awake at night longing for those pert curves and croissanted hair to be lying next to you, but she really is terrible. Closer is one exception. Brilliant movie. Clive Owen, Jude Law, Julia Roberts and Queen Amidala all in one bed and the little one said roll over. Beautifully arty and dark and sexy and the rest. But in Episode III, she sucks. Nat’s only vaguely decent scene is when she’s staring at Anakin across the Coruscant skyscape. But hey, the rest of the movie’s pretty good, so we’ll forgive her. We always do.

One minor thing that annoyed me was the highly deliberate insertion of quips and terrible one-liners. The thing I loved about the original trilogy was the fact that all this stuff – the quips and Yoda’s topsy-turvy speech – seemed to come so very naturally. It just seemed to ‘fit’ in the universe.

Now don’t get me wrong. I love the prequels. Especially now that they’re all out and I can see where everything links up. God, I even like Episode I a bit more than before, because I can see where it fits. These are just pet peeves from someone who has worn out the old VHS’s, played far too often with his model landspeeder and started scratching his DVD set from overplaying. Yes, I’m a Star Wars freak.

That said, anybody watch The Einstein Factor lastnight? That lass in the middle? Scary. Insisted on calling Yoda ‘Master Yoda’ and almost soiled her pants with self-disgust when she called Mouse Droids ‘Mouser Droids’ and lost 100 points. Bahaha.

Speaking of which… It was good to see Tim Ferguson have an opportunity to get back on the small screen. Lord Ferguson (or Grand Moff Tim Moff for any of you who were at the launch of the Special Edition videos at Myer Melbourne in 1997) is one of the most underrated comedic personalities in the Australian television industries. His forays into primetime with such hit shows as Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush went largely disgusted by the Australian public. Don’t worry, Tim, I’m there for you, mate. If ever you have a brilliant television idea, I’ll tune in every week, and not for the sole reason that you own probably the third largest collection of Star Wars memorabilia in the nation. Not for that at all. Nice Vader suit, though.

Anyhoo, I’m off. Food beckons, closely followed by study for a nice little Maths assessment tomorrow, then at 2pm the clash of the Melbourne stalwarts, the Demons and the Magpies, in the Queen’s Birthday AFL showdown tradition. Rest assured I’ll be watching. Carn the mighty Dees…

Until next time…

Want to be freaked out?

Read my latest short piece of fiction. It’s an odd little horror thriller set in inner-city Melbourne.

Comments are most welcome.

Here’s an excerpt:

One dank, rainy, windy morning in July, Jon entered a rundown second-hand piano shop on Dudley Street. His routine was automatic, thoughtless. Right up to the part where the shopowner mumbled something different, with honest eyes. Jon straightened, excused himself and asked the man to repeat what he had said.

‘Yes, sir, I’ve seen her.’ Jon was struck with a sense of disbelief. He was so stunned that he hardly heard the rear door of the shop open far behind the counter.

‘What? Do you know where she is?’

‘She bought a radio here the other day. I think she said she lives…’

A shot. Jon was still staring as the blood started trickling from the poor shopowner’s mouth and nose. The man stared at Jon blankly as he fell. Jon looked up from the corpse to see a man in a pristine black suit lower a pistol. The suit was pressed so finely that it almost shone. The white undershirt radiated eerily. Then it happened. Jon remembered.

Until next time…

There have been many great things in which I have indulged over the past few weeks. First and foremost one cannot go past the almighty Pods. Bite-size biscuit cup things filled with caramel and chocolate. Very, very nice.

Then one moves onto the latest TV sensation, Temptation, the Brand Spanking New Sale of the Century. Being a fan of the original series it was with trepidation that I sat down to watch the first episode, but thankfully the format hasn’t changed that much and I was hooked once again.

Then there’s my Queen revival. Having not listened to Queen for what seemed like years, on Thursday night I whacked in the Live at the Bowl DVD and was once again blown away by the talent, the enormity, the Freddie. It was all very good.

If you haven’t yet indulged in this, do yourself a favour (warning: will spoil Star Wars Episode III if you haven’t seen it).

And my brilliant Pitman Dictionary that I scored at the Fete a few weeks ago. Simply nice. And handy and such.

Such is my contentedness at the moment.

As for the world around me, Russell Crowe’s in the poo, too many housefires, Warnie gets his portrait nailed up at Lord’s and things continue much as they have for a while. C’est la vie.

For Advanced English people, you can get all of Mrs S’s notes here.

For Melbourne readers interested in a little of the grog and a little of the blog, MrLefty’s organised a gathering for you lot in the city for next Friday. More info here.

So be it. Doctor Who tonight and study tomorrow morning and Monday. What a long weekend, eh?

Until next time…

Whoa. Long time since last post. Anyhoo, prepare for an unprepared babblefest the likes of which have never been seen. Ever.

Since last Sunday my life has done somersaults, but in good ways (like when they give you lots of 10’s and such). But enough about me.

I was fortunate enough today to be able to witness a pure-bred Londonderry llama in its natural habitat. If you ever have the opportunity, don’t pass it up.

School is going really well, for a change. A change because all aspects and subjects are going well. I’m psyched for next week’s double entente of assessments, then to lose my voice at next Friday’s Athletics Carnival. Go Red.

I managed to polish off that review I had to write for The Force, which I’ll probably post up here at some stage. A fine piece of work, even if I do say so myself.

Great day today. Random Bohemian Rhapsody in Physics, much to the disbelief of our teacher. Brilliant stuff. Then bowling this afternoon, laughing at the incoherent ramblings of a hooded toddler who we presumed was from the ghetto, and therefore started providing dialogue to his actions. Highlights included the pool cue fight with the pool table and the drive-by imitations in the car racing simulator. Good times.

Other significant things were my piano lesson which consisted of my teacher and myself randomly playing various songs and my initiation into random use of masks and oil stuff on my scarred and pimpled coutenance.

Tonight I managed to watch Raiders of the Lost Ark and get through a complete sitting and listening of Queen’s Greatest Hits II CD. Highly greatness. Then my best mate rang up and we had a top old chat and then I started blogging this. Super evening all round.

Hope all you lovely reading people are doing as super as me (sorry to be so self-absorbed but hey, give me some emotional slack once in a while, eh?).

Until next time…

Much stuff happening. No blogging time.

At least I remembered you!

Until next time…