Binnsy's Hovel

It has been an amazing week for journalism this week. Between the Bingle/Clarke ’scandal’, the upcoming Anna Nicole opera and the usual shenanigans accompanying the launch of a new Rugby League season, it seems journalists are spoilt for choice. Consider this beautifully-crafted piece from the Tele earlier this week about the Bingle/Clarke upset. That particular piece of news was best covered in yesterday’s Herald by Peter Roebuck, a link to which particular article I cannot locate, but I’ve managed to find another by Roebuck which, again, does justice to both the stupidity and futility of reporters in trying to cover the story, and the true issue which is the reality facing Clarke’s cricket career, and the possible ramifications for Bingle’s modeling life down the track*.

Bottom line: tabloid journalism is even less concerned with the news that matters. It has fallen far below what is considered ‘trash’ and is now almost completely devoted to perpetuating papparazi snaps and ’sources close to the couple say’ hogwash. Even The Age, The Herald, fell into to the same trap this week. As the public eye turns to scandal, such must the broadsheets just to sell papers. I have bemoaned this problem time and again, and my entire university degree was centred around this very issue, but there must be an accountability of the press outside the bottom line. I am predicting, however, that the possibility of any kind of redemption, beyond citizen journalism, is long extinct.

Until next time…

* – I have a feeling this is an early draft of the article I referred to.

My blog was ridiculously comment-spammed lastnight. Like, we’re talking a spam-conflagration. Sadly, every time I get a comment, I have to moderate it, and WordPress sends me an email for each and every comment that’s posted. That’ll learn me for not setting my email filters.

Had quite a leisurely weekend; spent much of it playing videogames or watching others do the same, or watching movies. Began initial meanderings in and around my PhD topic, so it’s nice to have some PDFs on my computer awaiting printing and highlighting.

Flew back in from Brisbane last Thursday afternoon, after hitching a ride on an earlier flight (gotta love a busy weekday at Virgin Blue), then was filming a documentary all day Thursday in Sydney’s West. The morning part was shot in Punchbowl, and then the unit moved to Lakemba to grab some B-roll and more importantly some lunch. We had the most amazing Lebanese food at Jasmine Restaurant – if you ever find yourself out that way give it a go.

It was very interesting being out that way. Lakemba feels like the heart of Sydney’s Islamic community, and with many of the most controversial and influential spokespeople of that faith calling Lakemba, and particularly its mosque, their home, it seems as though the place is buzzing with opinion and unsettledness. I never felt threatened, though, or unsafe, and it was great to be amongst such a dynamic and socially-aware community.

Until next time…

I and my work colleagues sing for Haiti…

This is Binnsy of the Hovel, coming to you live from a cafe in North Brisbane, in the land where there aren’t many monarchs to be seen, contrary to what it says on the brochures.

My day has been truly epic. I was meant to pick up camera gear for this gig lastnight, but due to a number of miscommunications and the convenient tragic demise of my iPhone battery, I ended up having to go and pick it up this morning. I live in Dulwich Hill (Petersham area), the camera lives in Ermington (near Parramatta). My flight to Brisneyland left at 8:00am. Hence, I was up and about at 5am, madly packing and getting stuff organised, and I was on the road at 5:20, out to Ermington (30 minute drive) to get the camera from the poor guy who owns it. I then drove my car home, nabbed a cab, and hot-footed (hot-feet?) it to the airport, where I arrived in plenty of time.

Anyway. I am now in the odd, very wet, and backwards* land of Brisvegas/Brisneyland/Brisothersuffixhere. The gig is a bit up in the air; because it’s sport-related, we have to wait and see if the event will even be going ahead. Regardless, after being drenched betwixt my hotel and the cafe in which I now sit, shivering, checking emails and generally working remotely, I am slowly drying off and trying to get my bearings in this new city. I have been here before, in about 2002-3, but I was with family, and I was young, so the job of navigation/remembering landmarks wasn’t mine. How things change.

Anyway – will no doubt report in once everything’s sorted with the gig… check the Twitfeed for the latest.

Until next time…

* Not evolution-wise, just time-wise; Brisbane doesn’t observe daylight-savings time, so I left Sydney at 8am, and after a 90-minute flight, arrived in Brisbane at 8:30am.