Discretion is not the better part of biography.

Oops.

We're a bit late this evening.

Ezra and I have been out manning the booths.

No idea what's happened though.

If a man craves attention because of his poems, he shall be like a jackass in moonlight.

Two Bellerive-based seagulls consider their options. Bellerive, August, 2010.

Do seagulls compose poetry in their heads when they consider the waves crashing in before them? Do they pen paeans to the lyrical beauty of the ocean? Might they ponder purple prose perorating parsimonious points?

Have a poem:

The New Poetry Handbook, by Mark Strand

1 If a man understands a poem,
he shall have troubles.

2 If a man lives with a poem,
he shall die lonely.

3 If a man lives with two poems,
he shall be unfaithful to one.

4 If a man conceives of a poem,
he shall have one less child.

5 If a man conceives of two poems,
he shall have two children less.

6 If a man wears a crown on his head as he writes,
he shall be found out.

7 If a man wears no crown on his head as he writes,
he shall deceive no one but himself.

8 If a man gets angry at a poem,
he shall be scorned by men.

9 If a man continues to be angry at a poem,
he shall be scorned by women.

10 If a man publicly denounces poetry,
his shoes will fill with urine.

11 If a man gives up poetry for power,
he shall have lots of power.

12 If a man brags about his poems,
he shall be loved by fools.

13 If a man brags about his poems and loves fools,
he shall write no more.

14 If a man craves attention because of his poems,
he shall be like a jackass in moonlight.

15 If a man writes a poem and praises the poem of a fellow,
he shall have a beautiful mistress.

16 If a man writes a poem and praises the poem of a fellow overly,
he shall drive his mistress away.

17 If a man claims the poem of another,
his heart shall double in size.

18 If a man lets his poems go naked,
he shall fear death.

19 If a man fears death,
he shall be saved by his poems.

20 If a man does not fear death,
he may or may not be saved by his poems.

21 If a man finishes a poem,
he shall bathe in the blank wake of his passion
and be kissed by white paper.

Brevity is the soul of wit.

Do you remember all of those here today gone tomorrow Britpop beat combos that came in went in the blink of an eye back in the heady mid-90s?

I think that this motley crew could have easily passed muster in the pages of Select or the NME circa-’96 from the mean streets of Torquay influenced by a heady combination of Paul Weller and Chrissie Hynde.

All we need is a name for them…

The secret to happiness is to face the fact that the world is horrible.

Carruthers at dawn. St Johns Park, New Town. August 2010.

Here is the building where I now work. A slightly different architectural style than the previous one. The best thing about working in this building is in the fact that you don't have to look at this building.

Last Friday a burst water main meant that we lost all water coming into the building. Not too serious for a bunch of pen-pushing keyboard-stroking bureaucrats on the top floor, but less pleasant for the renal ward downstairs...

Anxiety is the hand maiden of creativity.

Is that half a gum tree in your pocket, or are you...

Oh, it is half a gum tree.

Carry on.

The general tendency of things throughout the world is to render mediocrity the ascendant power among mankind.

A chicken for Ezra’s birthday, handmade by his loving mother. July 2010.

[Addition: as noted by my darling wife in the comments, you can find the pattern for this chook - and it lays eggs too - at ikatbag.com.]

It has been a while, but I think this week I shall celebrate Theme Thursday and try my hand at another drabble!

Lucky you.

BRUSH

Colin was excited. A BRUSH with fame. An encounter with celebrity. A taste of the high life. A hint of something ‘better’. That was what he said he wanted. That was what he thought he wanted.

Then he met Derrick. Derrick was on the Soaps. His face would be familiar. Wizened Detective # 2. Drunken Politician on Right. Cantankerous Father-of-the-Bride. Derrick was famous, but not too famous for the number 37 tram.

Colin cleared his throat. Colin adjusted his tie. Colin began to speak, “pleasant weather.”

Derrick grunted and pushed passed.

Colin looked out the window. The BRUSH off.

Ambition should be made of sterner stuff.

If you don’t mind the hubris, I quite like this photo. Henry, Ezra, Jennifer and I popped down for a stroll a couple of Sunday’s ago on Bellerive Beach. As usual, we kept an eye out for Noahs, but the real action was in the subtle interplay between sky and sand, light and dark.

Expect more.

Subtlety may deceive you; integrity never will.

I’ve seen the light! New Town, August 2010.

I thought that I found Jesus this morning, down the back of the couch along with a hair band, a red pencil and half a dried apricot that was beginning to develop a sense of itself.

Only it wasn’t Jesus, it was a rubber band.

Thank you, I’ll be here all week. Enjoy the buffet on the right…

Now for part XXVIII in our seemingly never-ending installment…

61. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TOY AS A CHILD?
Perhaps the trampoline.

62. HOW MANY NUMBERS ARE IN YOUR CELL PHONE?
Six.

63. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
Less so now that Henry takes my “thank you for that Henry” too literally.

64. DO YOU KNOW ANYONE FAMOUS?
I have met the odd person recognisable from the news, but ‘famous’? Not famous enough.

65. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN A MOSH PIT?
A number of very pissy mosh pits.

66. WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A GUY/GIRL?
I’m not currently looking for a guy/girl.

67. WHAT ARE YOUR NICKNAMES?
I’m not sure that I have any these days. At least none that are used around me.

68. HOW MANY PAIRS OF SHOES DO YOU HAVE?
5, although one will be in the bin soon.

69. DO YOU UN-TIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
I have some that I do, and some that I don’t. I’m bi-curious that way.

70. WHERE YOU UPSET ABOUT STEVE IRWIN DYING?
I was surprised that I noticed. I thought that it was sad to see two little ones without a father who clearly loved them.

All empty souls tend toward extreme opinions.

Here is one from a little while back of Ezra doing some logistical calculations with regards to spear fishing from the Geilston Bay Jetty. I keep telling him that he must allow for optical refraction, but do you think he listens?

Ads that I like: # 111

This week’s ad sees me return to the well trod ground of the Propaganda Department of the Communist Party of China. Indeed, the good folk of the department have proven themselves proficient in the subtle art of subliminally manipulate the ego and will at will.

Today’s slogan is a cracker. Light of touch, pithy but not petty, firm but tender.

No, it’s one of their best yet!

Yes, it’s about the grog, and utilises a the cunning stunt of a stunning pun…

Foster a correct spirit, resist the evil spirit, resist corruption, and never get involved with it.

Power is not only what you have but what the enemy thinks you have.

The beautiful morning sunshine lamp shine of Hobart in winter. Elizabeth Street, Hobart. August 2010.

The combination of a show shutter speed – necessary to cope with the poor light – and street lamps still on – because of poor light – have delivered an interesting effect in this photo here. I do like the way that prolonged exposure to the blaze of what is really a low watt globe almost burns out the [ahem] film.

This leads me to my next instalment…

51. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
No, no I most definitely do not. A couple of chickens dipped in ink. On acid. At a Prodigy concert.

52. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Lunch meat? I like spicy Hungarian salami. I like ham. I had pastrami today.

53. ANY BAD HABITS?
I have many, many bad habits.

54. WHAT IS YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING CD ON THE SHELF?
My CDs are all in boxes at the top of Henry’s cupboard. Most embarrassing CD? I had a clear out prior to the last move, and I’m not sure what is left (hundreds remain). The most embarrassing CD that I parted money with for? I dunno, maybe the last Ride album?

55. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Depends on who I am. I have very strict rules on this sort of thing. It’s a select group.

56. HAVE YOU EVER TOLD A SECRET YOU SWORE NOT TO TELL?
No. I wouldn’t swear if I’d tell.

57. DO LOOKS MATTER?
One would be lying to say they don’t. Should they matter? That’s another story…

58. HOW DO YOU RELEASE YOUR ANGER?
Ranting and raving. I need a better way.

59. WHERE IS YOUR SECOND HOME?
I don’t have one.

60. DO YOU TRUST OTHERS EASILY?
No. I’m a sceptic at heart. I will give people a go, but generally keep on guard.

A person is a person because he recognises others as persons.

"Fast Feet"

That's my new nickname for Henry.

Look at that blurring on the feet there. Look at it!

They saw that Mark Waugh was all about the wrists, well – incredible volume aside – Hank is all about the feet. Malcolm Marshall used to do a little foot stomping number before charging in to hurt some poor soul, well Henry does the same.

Whatever it is he aims to hurt.

People do not lack strength; they lack will.

Standing in the east, looking over the west. Mount Wellington, viewed from Geilston Bay. July 2010.

Time for another exciting instalment of 100 questions!

41. IF YOU COULD GET PLASTIC SURGERY WHAT WOULD IT BE?
A cat’s tongue stitched to the back of my left hand.

42. WHY DID YOU FILL OUT THIS SURVEY?
It liberates me somewhat by writers’ block, which itself emerged because I’ve not been well, exacerbated by being busy at work. That is, it’s easier than thinking something up.

43. WHAT DO YOU GET COMPLIMENTED ABOUT MOST?
My legs. Or eyes. Hair? Something like that.

44. WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF ALCOHOL BECAME ILLEGAL?
I’d probably have to write a ministerial brief.

45. WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY?
A fancy new whiz bang laptop computer.

46. HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU WANT?
I’ve enough already!

47. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
No one that I know of.

48. DO YOU WISH ON STARS?
I generally avoid wishing.

49. WHICH FINGER[S] IS YOUR FAVORITE?
My right index finger.

50. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY?
I had a few tears on the 7:45 to Glenorchy via New Town Road.

A first sign of the beginning of understanding is the wish to die.

Watch out Ezra, there's a baby creeping up over your left shoulder...

Materialism coarsens and petrifies everything, making everything vulgar, and every truth false.

A romantic evening outside the Royal Hobart Hospital. August 2010.

Henry was born here 1,393 days ago.

Ezra was born here 758 days ago.

I've consulted my Last FM profile page, and formulated today's Sunday Top Five: My Top Five Recording Artists Played On My PC Since 2005!

5. The Mountain Goats

4. The Smiths

3. The Byrds

2. Marah

1. Wilco