The Life and Times of Chesterfield Spud

Quoth my Physics lecturer:

Jon Whyte — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:07:11 +0000

“A scientist asks why things happen. An engineer asks how does it happen? and those -censored- Commerce students ask ‘How much does it cost?’ Arts students? Arts students ask: ‘Do you want fries with that?’”

If it makes you feel better, he was bashing the engineers quite a bit, too.

My lecturers this semester are nigh on awesome. That was [obviously] my Physics one. The Algebra professor is German and still has his accent – adorable – and is really sweet in that absent-minded still-thinking-about-my-research-I-left-behind-in-my-office-to-come-teach-you sort of way. ESD is alright in the sense that they structured the lectures a bit; following strong complaints from the student feedback from last semester. And I’m still waiting on French, which is tomorrow. Please be good. :D I’ll be good too, I promise.

Terminator Salvation trailer

Jon Whyte — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 07:55:30 +0000

Just take a look at that. It sends a chill down my spine reminiscent of the previous Terminator films. Ah, childhood, you’ve reared your lovely head and I’m glad to know that not everything from it is dead.

They’ve got Christian Bale [The Dark Knight, The Prestige] playing the role of John Connor and he’s got his gravelly Batman voice on. They’ve got a trailer that’s got all the little plot leaks that have been leaked out from the franchise over the years and hinted at in the previous films. And what a take on post-apocalyptic Earth and robots; the bleakness of it is so akin to that feeling in the Matrix. Oh yeah, soft spot for robots.

McG’s [Supernatural] directing it so that explains some of the darkness. Ignoring the mental meltdown that was Charlie’s Angels, he seems to be a good choice for T4 to turn out great.

It’s definitely looking smashing and everyone knows how much I love cinematography and shiny CGI. Mm, shiny.

Cannot wait. Please to be coming out on time.

PS: I have a bad feeling about what’s going to happen to Sam Worthington’s character. Please, please don’t let that feeling come to pass.

The first blow

Jon Whyte — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 07:29:50 +0000

Oh. My. F.

Linear Algebra, this may be your first blow but I’ll get you back for this this semester! On my honour, I shall!

It’s comin’ on, it’s comin’ on, it’s comin’ on

Jon Whyte — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 06:21:10 +0000

A perversion of Gorillaz’s DARE lyrics.

Season
The afternoons are lit by a curious glow as the sun sets, rays sharp and glinting. The air is crisper. Fresher. Newer. It still feels like winter but smells like spring. There’s a hint of summer’s warmth from the grass and the birdsong no longer hangs empty in the chill but calls a sweet longing. We can smell the neighbours’ eucalyptus again instead of the cold mud and the magpies warble and swoop unsuspecting walkers.

University
Almost everyone else started a few weeks ago while we wait through our last week, laughing at the Medicine kids but secretly wanting the monotony to be pitted with lectures and seminars and practicals. There is a weekend to sleep through and then we’ll step forward into Monday. An entire semester is waiting for us; clubs and sports and commitments. Studying and assignments and projects. There is a thrill but a tang of dread. If we were a good student then perhaps there would be no dread but as we are as we are, we stand in awe before this educational institution.

Resolutions

No shirking of study
No shirking of work
Play violin more
Join Wushu
Sign up for September’s Boot Camp
Make good use of the libraries
Find the quiet study areas
Submit the work/s for Above Water
Submit the work/s for 3WA
Sign up for Manifest

We will see how this goes.

In other news, What’s On Low Information Voters’ Minds? by Brian McFadden and Frezned’s The Spider Who Loved Me.

Ooh! Batman movie! Ooh!

Jon Whyte — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 08:04:00 +0000

I mean, it was great and all but you all know about that, now don’t you? The cinematography. The music. The plot. The fucking incredible acting from the bloody damn-well amazing cast of actors. And you know who the best of that shining flotilla is, so there’s no real point in going on and on about how great it was. How it held me by the soul until the closing credits and only gave them up grudgingly. How Hans Zimmer is incredible. How Christopher Nolan was a great choice. How, even though the Dark Knight was so, incredibly good, it still reeked of franchising and a prequel to future films.

Still, best. Prequel. Ever.

And I would like to draw your attention to today’s xkcd. I’m lovin’ the geekery. ♥

Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog

Jon Whyte — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 06:11:54 +0000

Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, Joss Whedon’s internet extravaganza [by which I mean week-long miniseries event] is here and only available for us Australians for another few hours until midnight of 20th July for them in the US of A.

Check it out.

Three episodes of around 15 minutes featuring Neil Patrick Harris [Doogie Howser M.D., Harold & Kumar,] Nathan Fillion [Firefly, Two Guys a Girl and a Pizza Place] and Felicia Day [The Guild, Buffy] in an evil villain musical. Not exactly something you see everyday but definitely something that should be seen more often.

Read about it all in context in Joss’ Master Plan.

Word of the day

Jon Whyte — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 03:59:48 +0000

LOUCHE [en]
Of questionable taste or morality

Many Movie Theaters Decide to Leave the Bat Signal on Till Dawn

I can’t wait to see it either.

Employment

Jon Whyte — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 09:47:02 +0000

“Jon Whyte” has been deemed fit for employment. Casual telemarketing job, to be precise.

Saw The Counterfeiters [Die Faelscher] at Cinema Nova with BJ after the interview. That area [Carlton] of Melbourne really reminded me of the good old times when my lovely self wasn’t so poor and life wasn’t so full of responsibilities. Then met up with the wife and Jess [they were watching Mongol - BJ refuses to watch it on principle: principle of denying that the Chinese are in any way descendants of this red-blooded Mongol and his hoard] an hour later to check out the wife’s new house [she had finally moved to the house they bought] but the wife had some business with Vic Roads which took too long [Jess left] so the house visit may be postponed to tomorrow.

Colbie Caillat – Bubbly

Jon Whyte — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 08:59:13 +0000

This is just lovely pop. More wifey music, actually, since I don’t listen to pop. Not out of principle, more out of the fact that I can’t stand pop-music radio stations and their hosts.

Alright, principle then.

I’ve been awake for a while now
You’ve got me feelin’ like a child now
‘Cause every time I see your bubbly face
I get the tinglees in a silly place

It starts in my toes
And I crinkle my nose
Wherever it goes I always know
That you make me smile
Please stay for a while now
Just take your time
Wherever you go

The rain is fallin’ on my window pane
But we are hidin’ in a safer place
Under the covers stayin’ safe and warm
You give me feelings that I adore

They start in my toes
Make me crinkle my nose
Wherever it goes
I always know
That you make me smile
Please stay for a while now
Just take your time
Wherever you go

What am I gonna say
When you make me feel this way?
I just, mmm

It starts in my toes
Makes me crinkle my nose
Wherever it goes
I always know
That you make me smile
Please stay for a while now
Just take your time
Wherever you go

I’ve been asleep for a while now
You tucked me in just like a child now
‘Cause every time you hold me in your arms
I’m comfortable enough to feel your warmth

It starts in my soul
And I lose all control
When you kiss my nose
The feelin’ shows
‘Cause you make me smile
Baby just take your time now
Holdin’ me tight

Wherever, wherever, where ever you go
Wherever, wherever, where ever you go

Hwaro and Cafe Greco

Jon Whyte — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 06:26:42 +0000

Nineteen years ago, on the glorious 4th of July, this young whelp was brought into the world in the heat of summer in a country that it can no longer legally call home. To commemorate that momentous day, the whelp went out to dinner with the wife and BJ.

Hwaro [Korean BBQ]
562 Little Bourke St. Melbourne
Ph: (03)9642 5696

Good atmosphere. Tables separated by bamboo[?] blinds to give the appearance of privacy without inducing claustrophobia. We had a scotch fillet, marinated beef, marinated pork slices [the kind of pork known in Mandarin circles as 'wu hua rou'] and a winter soup. Everything was very fresh-tasting, the meat was of quite excellent quality and melted in the mouth. No funny bits and oh-so-tender. The Korean kimchi wasn’t overwhelming [thanks for catering to my Western tastes...] and the soup was hearty but light enough without feeling like it was clogging arteries.

There was a pan of coals in the middle of the table and the meat was placed on a grille over that. A fan came down from the ceiling that sucked the smoke away and left the smell of cooking meat. :D I should have probably let the meat alone and just left it all to the attendant…

I highly recommend it. The only thing odd was the old-age pop playing in the background. And Korean rap when we left [it was great.]

We then wandered off down towards the Yarra and [on wifey's recommendation] skipped La Camera [ghastly place] for Cafe Greco’s cake display.

I would have photos if only I HADN’T DELETED THEM FROM MY CAMERA. Gods, I’m such an idiot. Stupid Vista.

Cafe Greco

You’ve only got to see it to believe it but the cake display was an orgasmic smorgasbord of everything you could possibly think of eating. Cakes, baklavas, corniches, tarts, etc. Pure and utter eye-candy. Cake slices were $7.50 each and – chosen well – were to die for. Wifey had Strawberry Cheesecake, BJ got Coffee Tiramisu and I had Black Forest Cake. Oh yeah.

It was a lovely night. We got to see the fire display along the Southbank and also some fire jugglers near the Aquarium. There was a gondola on the Yarra, in the dark: that was surreal and brought to mind Charon’s ferry across the Styx. The city lit at night is quite beautiful but perhaps not the ideally magical place it is portrayed. Some people are just nastier under cover of darkness.

Oh if only I still had the god-damned photos. :(

Addendum:
Wifey was…surprising. She hunted around the city for a copy of China Mieville’s Perdido Street Station for me. ;A; I’m touched.