Binnsy's Hovel

It’s nice to know I have a kindred spirit in Australian columnist Phillip Adams.

I’m taking a few days’ break interstate. Back Tuesday. A bientot!

Until next time…

I’ve been meaning to follow up this comment since it was submitted in response to this post from last week.

My 9/11 post was intended to put forward my own view on the hype and fury surrounding what was the fifth anniversary of that fateful New York day in 2001. Likewise I suppose it was a bit of a stab at the terrorism stigma that’s been bandied about ever since.

I refuse to stoop to personal critique of those who make comment here at this blog (those who write columns for the Herald Sun are hence exempt), however I will say this.

Terrorism is not new. It is not just the buzz phrase of the twenty-first century. Terrorism has been around ever since we could think, feel and – perhaps most importantly – fear. Acts of terrorism are plays on our worst fears and darkest thoughts.

Yes – terrorists are dangerous. Yes – greater security is a good thing. I refuse, however, to believe that the war on terror is everybody’s war. The war on terror is a ploy by the American government to its own ends, and nothing more. The right spout this ‘onward Christian soldier’-esque dogma about not being left out, about taking up arms using any means available. And my argument isn’t a ‘what can we mere mortals hope to achieve’ tack, but rather a ‘why bother’. By all means boost security, by all means monitor terrorist cells around the globe, by all means bandy about your buzz phrases.

But in the end there are far more important things to worry about.

The good, true, honest people of the world still have to get up and go to work every morning. They still have to earn their incomes, pay their taxes, and give to charity so that the disadvantaged, impoverished, starving can be relieved.

The Earth – this tiny speck of life in a vast and infinite amount of space, light, matter – will keep revolving around the sun. Perhaps the buzz phrases should change. Maybe they’re ones we’ve heard before. Let’s focus on running our households and our countries. Let’s get on with our lives. Let’s look after ourselves, our friends, family, loved ones and our environment.

Terrorism isn’t going to go away. But if we let fear run or ruin our lives, terrorism will end up on top.

“…if we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity. For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children’s future. And we are all mortal.”

Until next time…

Some days I wonder just exactly how some people got the job they currently have. This is especially true of practitioners of a certain vocation who have transferred from one to teach budding students of the same occupation. And nowhere is this more prevalent than in the tertiary education system.

I am continually surprised and at times alarmed at how university tutors seem to negate the rules, policies and suggested teaching methods of a unit to preach their own philosophy on a subject. They might interrupt a speaking student to address an important point raised earlier. Better still they might completely change the rules with regard to how an assessment should be submitted or marked.

But my personal favourite is the number of disciplinary methods used by educators to control a rowdy class. At primary level there are so many wonderful options to choose from. There is the ’see me after class’ approach; perfect for the individual touch and for prevention of further misconduct. Then there is the ever-popular detention; when administered after school this punishment is seen as quite severe and extremely effective.

But in the tertiary milieu, I’ve found that very few primary level disciplinary methods are nearly as effective. But one that seems to get everyone’s attention – and one that is also used at the primary level – is the awesomely wondrous A++ class detention. That’s right! If three people in the class misbehave, and the teacher is too stupid, ill-trained and lazy to single out the culprits, the whole bloody class gets to stay behind and receive punishment.

Hoo-fucking-ray.

Not only is there sometimes a complete lack of respect on the part of the class towards the person trying in vain to educate them, there is also a lack of understanding, sympathy and respect on the part of the educator to the students who are actually trying to do the work.

These issues inevitably raise questions of teaching ethics: Is it fair to punish children who haven’t done anything wrong, even though they might be in the minority? At what point does punishment become democratic, i.e. administerable to others apart from the guilty? To take the analogy one step further: If there are fifteen suspects in a murder case, and it is known there were ten murderers at the scene, do the police just give all fifteen the death penalty?

I know that was a little rich, but still, you get my point. Teachers and tutors, no matter at what level they teach, must be trained to discipline and discipline fairly. Class detention is a cop-out. If you don’t have the balls to punish miscreants, you shouldn’t be at the blackboard/whiteboard/lectern.

Until next time…

I guess it had to happen eventually.

I’ve been an on-and-off participant in that giant international interweb garage sale that is is eBay for almost three years, and I’ve probably sold more than I’ve bought, but now it’s happened – the inevitable, I suppose.

I got swindled.

See this week I purchased the DVD Premiere Edition of The Movies game via eBay. Not until I’d received it, tried and failed to install it, did I realise via a quick look through the Activision Support site that there was a problem with a few batches of the Australian release. They suggested that you take the DVD back to the retailer and exchange it for a CD-ROM version. All very well when you purchase it new.

Not so for me.

Now I know how Watto felt in Episode I when Qui-Gon took off with Anakin.

Sigh.

Until next time…

So basically, the thing is, I really just wanted to be one of those annoying freaks who start blog posts with the word ’so’.

Now that’s done…

At what point does being a web designer become less stressful, less exciting, less annoying, less fun, less oxymoronical. I don’t know. I’d like to find that point, though, just so I know it exists.

I am currently liaising with one client who I’ve been working with since April, plus two long-term clients who I do unpaid work for. Who am I kidding – the two unpaid clients are my mother and stepdad. Basically website work is my board. And at times it can be extremely stressful trying to coordinate uni, paid work and other responsibilities. I try to manage though – and I think I’m doing ok.

I can’t believe it – I actually had half an hour to start working on my second draft of my script. Coincidentally I then ran into the tutor who’s helping me with it – so I could actually say I’d done something – and mean it!

But anyway. Enough about me. I have no idea what’s going on in the world. I heard something about Greg Sheridan reckoning that ‘history will vindicate George W. Bush’ as one of the truly great Presidents of our time. Apparently. So he says. Go him.

One other thing I meant to mention this week was the progression of the Melbourne Demons to the AFL Premiership Preliminary Finals this weekend. I have to admit that I’d more or less forgotten about them until I got an email last week from a St Kilda fan administering abuse etc, which I didn’t respond to until absolutely necessary – i.e. after we’d beaten them by two goals.

Carn the mighty Dees.

Until next time…

‘Help! I’m in a nutshell!’

Sorry – couldn’t resist.

MrLefty’s said it better than anything I could possibly come up with at the moment.

Until next time…

Vladimir Putin has told guests at a function at his house in Novo-Ogaryovo that he will step down in 2008.

Now all we need is a definite timeframe for Howard to step down, or Dubya, and then you’ve got the falling threesome of world leaders.

Wouldn’t it be ironic if Dubya, Blair and Howard all resigned within twelve months? Ironic how? I don’t know. Amusing and intriguing, perhaps.

Until next time…

I’m astounded by the level of publicity 9/11 is getting five years on. A single day away from the five-year anniversary and I’ve already scanned about four or five opinion pieces on ‘how the world has changed‘, ‘how our lives have changed‘, ‘what’s next‘ and ‘continuing relevance and repercussions‘.

I keep reading that ‘five years on the war on terror is as real as ever’ and that ‘9/11 remains the defining moment of the past half century’ and that ‘the shape of the world changed five years ago’. I’m not doubting these statements at all. Rather, I implore readers to observe that this reflection, this overt rehashing of the events of that Tuesday five years ago cannot be good. Instead of moving on, as we’ve done amidst further atrocities such as the Bali bombings, the Aussie embassy bombing in Jakarta and several incidents in the Middle East, this places us right back at square one – mourning and analysing the catalyst that set these actions in motion.

Australian blogger and columnist Paul Kelly writes:

The amazing feature of Bush’s response was to play down the US campaign against the al-Qa’ida terrorists who were responsible for the atrocity and to launch an invasion of Iraq, a country that was not responsible.

The wars on terror* and Iraq have served to bolster the old American pride of the 60s and 70s (amidst the Cold War), and also reinvigorated the questioning attitudes of not only concerned, skeptical Americans, but the rest of the Western world.

No President has ever been assailed by laughter, scorn and criticism as George W Bush. Maybe it’s just that no President has ever made as many blunders and mistakes. But every move Dubya makes, every vow he breaks, every smile he fakes, every claim he stakes, the world is watching him… and probably pissing themselves laughing.

I guess my point is that the world has moved forward since 9/11 in many ways. In some ways not so much, and nations like North Korea and some in the Middle East are in prime position to capitalise on this. But as far as 9/11 goes, let’s let bygones be bygones. Bury the fallen, mourn them and build a new world, a better world in their memory. They won’t be forgotten. Their memory can only strengthen us.

Until next time…

* The way Bush has played it, you’d be forgiven for thinking terrorism is its own nation-state, with citizens, a way of life, its own religion and tenets and ideologies. I bet they probably even have a national sport. Pass the bomb, or something.

Space race a new kind of competition

The Bynzekistan Space Agency today announced that the national space program will go ahead, with funding from the private sector and corporate sponsorships.

“We’re certain that privatising the program is the way to go,” said BSA Director Han Schuljik in a press conference this morning. “Taxpayers will be spared in favour of those who can actually afford to help, and will truly benefit from the research and discoveries we make.”

The first Bynzeki space mission, Slynex I, is slated for launch in seven months’ time.

Nu solution to old problem

In response to pressure from environmental activists, electricity companies, the corporate sector and the public, the Supreme Council today announced that within twelve months, the power grid will be fed by nuclear reactors in several locations around the nation.

“We truly believe this is the way of the future,” said power commissioner Harry Boznik. “No longer will we be shackled to the fossil-powered past. We can concentrate on moving forward to more efficient, cleaner and powerful energy sources.”

An outcry by protesters outside the Council Chambers was silenced by fission scientist Sam Hamilton.

“Fear not, subjects of the Council!” he yelled this morning on the steps of the Chamber building. “This power source is clean and reliable! The burden shall not fall on taxpayers like yourselves! The government will implore financial aid from the now unnecessary coal plants, investors and will contribute greatly itself.”

Protesters lost their enthusiasm once they realised their income wouldn’t be used to fund the new power scheme. Crowds dissipated almost instantly.

Bynzekistan turns two – who knew?

It’s your dictatorship – By renowned columnist Andy Colt

On 12 August 2004, a small, fledgling nation came rushing into existence. The Supreme Council sat for the first time, people went to work as Bynzeki citizens, and all was good.

On 12 August 2006, with a staggering national debt, enormous problems in criminal justice and a private sector burgeoning with gambling and corporatised spirituality, you’d hardly know you were living in one of the richest nations in the world.

No wonder the Council didn’t make an issue of the nation’s second anniversary of formation a month or so ago.

God forbid people think about or celebrate our national value and virtue. That might make citizens sit up and take notice of what’s really happening.

And we can’t have that.

Visit Bynzekistan. Bobostit Shuckleton Regional Advertising.

Until next time…

So, I sit, devouring hence my delectable Parlour-Style (TM) Blue Ribbon Peppermint Choc Syrup Creamy Ice Cream goodness, and reflecting on the perpetual myriad of things that inescapably reverberate around my already brimming skull.

Notable deaths always happen in threes. My Pop, Lady Diana and Mother Theresa within a month of each other in 1997. Now the Croc Hunter, Brockie… who’s next? I wonder if the general human psyche will get Germaine Greer for her arrogance about a man who, love him or hate him, was a genuine Australian icon. The only thing he’s really done wrong is to convince the rest of the world that all Australians sound like he did.

A few months back, in a flash of inspiration, having been corresponding via email with Stephen Poole, the author of Unspeak, I decided to mail by copy of the book to him to sign and send back, which he said he was more than happy to do. There was only one conceivable problem with this. Now my book is in Paris. But I, however, remain in Australia. This is not good. I wish, very strongly, to be in Paris. But no. My silly book goes, and I stay. Sigh.

I applied for a job at JB Hi-Fi today – starting out as work experience. Then hopefully I’ll get a tutoring job in the leadup to end-of-year exams and such. This goes in with my current lot as… oh, bugger it… a shift supervisor at Subway*.

All this job-shifting is so I can afford to get parts of my car fixed and pay for rego in March next year. Fun fun.

Blah blah – you really don’t care about my random responsibilities in my piddley little life, do you?

No, didn’t think so.

Recently I’ve been fascinated by the movie V for Vendetta. Its strong Orwellian overtones are perhaps what first attracted me, but since then I’ve read further and the whole idea is so well thought out, so complex and so rich. There are allusions to Phantom of the Opera, quotes from Shakespeare and Faust, it’s all there. And V is simultaneously extremely cool and such a dag. Hugo Weaving’s screen presence continues to amaze.

Go see it.

The other thing that’s been exciting me rather a lot of late is the newest album from Pom band Muse, ‘Black Holes and Revelations’. Combining multi-layered vocals (in the vein of Queen) and strong rock beats and tones, Muse creates a sound that is very uniquely their own. The music is so anthemic and thematic that it’s hard to not get the tunes stuck in your head. Check that one out too.

That’s about all. Whoa, quite a post. Expect more! Subscribe now! Don’t miss out on any of the Binnsy you so long to read and enjoy. Or some such.

Until next time…

* Yes, that was that ridiculous censored business a few months back.