Binnsy's Hovel

I guess it was just a given thing.

Throughout my entire youth I could always count on going to the G to see the Aussies thrash any opposition, be they Pom, Paki or Springbok. My Dad is heavily involved in domestic cricket administration, so my childhood was spent either in the box with him, or down amongst the drunkards, bellowing out ‘Waaaarrrrnie’ or ‘Oy! Oy! Oy!’ or some such.

But this sparkling, rose-tinted view of the Australian cricket team is now a thing of the past. Younger Aussie generations nowadays will feel much like those of Indian, South African, New Zealander and Pakistani generations of auld, in the knowledge that their team is no longer ‘the one to be beaten.’

It’s a shame. I heard my father, grandfather, and other cricket aficianados around me comment constantly, as I was growing up, that the game would be better if Australia weren’t so bloody good at it. I guess that the time, then, has finally come, when the players, selectors and admin staff have to take that on the chin.

We’re not the best any more. We have to lift our game, not take any opportunity for granted and get on with what we’re paid to do – be the best at the gentlemens’ game.

That tattered little brown urn is settling safely in a glass cabinet in Lord’s at the moment.

We just have to figure out how to recapture the flame and fire of old, and claim the bloody thing back.

In times past, we must realise, it was just a given thing.

Until next time…

New template, to show that the blog is not being neglected.

Thesis continues as normal. Onion ploughs along.

Suffice to say I’m a tired Dan.

Until next time…

Memorable exchange from lastnight’s trip to the footy…

Drunken Cats supporter: Ahyamutherright onyouraaaa wwwwwwnnnnaaaarrruuuuu kkkkkkaaap.

Swans supporter behind me #1: Was that English?

Swans supporter behind me #2: Would be if he had teeth.

I haven’t been to the footy for a good twelve months, so when the opportunity arose to see the Swans take on the Cats at ANZ Stadium, I leapt at it.

My thesis and work at the production company has been taking up a lot of time, and the only chances I get to go out have seemed to be random drinks with friends. I have no problem at all with this, but I was seeking something a little more engaging, something in which I could get swept up. The footy proved to be just this.

AFL in Melbourne, my home town, is more than a religion. Religion can be something compartmentalised for one day of the week; footy is not. Footy is a way of life. My Dad, a cricket administrator but still Aussie Rules man, complains that the sport radio network in Melbourne, SEN1116, doesn’t pay heed to cricket even during cricket season. No, for Melburnians – well, for most of them – there are two halves of the year: footy season, and can’t-wait-for-footy season.

There was a good crowd in lastnight, just over 40,000, and the game was a cracker. The Cats held the lead for much of the game, and by half-time one could’ve been forgiven for thinking they had it sewn up. But the Swans kept the pressure on, and lifted by the crowd, brought it to within a goal by the final siren.

Follow this up by the Demons having a smasher of a win over the Dockers today, and I’m a happy Melburnian-based-in-Sydney-town.

I’m hardly sports-mad; I’d rather get lost in a good book or whack on a movie, but every now and again it’s good to feel as though I’m back home.

Until next time…

I could start with the old cliche of ‘Well, hasn’t it been such a long time since I blogged…’ and go from there, but, you know, that’s cliched.

First, the multiple advancements in the existence of Binnsy. In the early days of July, I made the switch from PC to Mac. I succumbed, and bought a MacBook Pro… mainly for work, as Onion Media are a bunch of Mac fiends, and anything I spat out from my PC was liable to cause a super-size glitch in the Onion Matrix. But the switch has also unleashed a sense of clean streamlinedness to my creative work and academic endeavours. I’d define it as follows. As a creative, when you use a PC, it’s like eating good pub food. It’s hearty, tasty, and it fills you up. But when you switch to a Mac, it’s like moving up the road to the exotic foreign restaurant. Everything’s completely new and different; none of the menu items make sense; the decor is all white and translucent. Thankfully, though, the waitress is unbelievably attractive and knowledgeable, and guides you through every step of the process with a glimmering smile.

I’m hanging onto my PC for games and certain media and admin stuff, but I’ve made the switch and I’m hooked.

The other massive thing is my relocation from on-campus accommodation out in Richmond, to trendy new studio apartment-type digs about ten minutes from Newtown, and twenty from the Sydney CBD. I’ve gotta say, it’s great to be away from the parties and insanity of campus life. Had I stayed, I’d never be getting as easily through my thesis as I am. My suburb is the next one up from my supervisor, too, which helps.

I’ve been made Production Manager at Onion Media, which is a huge responsibility, but one that the Onion directors are tempering for the first six months such that I can get my degree completed to a standard with which I’ll be happy. Add to that a guaranteed full-time job on my return from overseas – happy Dan.

Have I mentioned that? Come early November I leave on a jet plane for almost a month. Three and a half weeks in New York, with short sojourns to Boston and Washington DC. Words cannot describe how much I can’t wait. Wrapped up in fifteen layers in Central Park (or in a cafe overlooking part of same), writing random gibberish in my Moleskine that no one will ever read; and hopefully being super-inspired in the post-thesis glee.

Other than that, life continues much as normal. Uni, Onion and still, every now and again, Video Ezy, complete my life and schedule for the time being.

With what free time I scrounge, I imbibe DVDs and books wherever possible. I’m still in the middle of PopCo by Scarlett Thomas; earlier I finished Bill Bryson’s Shakespeare; and my thesis has necessitated the consumption of Kubrick by Michael Herr, and Jerold J. Abrams’ The Philosophy of Stanley Kubrick. In terms of visual entertainments, I’m about three episodes into the third series of Spooks; I’m also almost finished series one of True Blood, which I think is a great take on the whole vampire fad. Being a massive fan of Kevin Smith, I put in an order for his third live DVD, A Threevening with Kevin Smith; this arrived from Redbank, NJ, on Monday, SIGNED! I didn’t even order an autographed copy, so imagine my glee. Kevin Smith, as I’ve tweeted, is the perfect blend of Cicero, Han Solo, and Bart Simpson. His style of storytelling is so engaging; his wit and intelligence is so vast; he is the perfect nerd. The crudity sneaks out of nowhere, such that it just adds to whatever tale the man is imparting.

As far as my own creative work, writing, etc, most of it’s taken a back seat to establishing myself at Onion over the last year, and my uni work. I still have a stack of ideas to get out there, and a few scripts that I pick at every now and again, though, so the juices are far from stagnant!

What else can I say? Kyle and Jackie O – a shemozzle, to be sure, but a great one, as they’ll probably never be back on radio. I’ve got TV reception in my new place, which is great, except for now I can only get ABC and Ten properly. Shmeh, I’ll watch Aunty til all hours – commercial TV irritates me anyway.

But I guess that’s it for now. Will endeavour to update again much, much sooner!

Until next time…