This will hurt me...

If we spot a shark... I have no idea what we will do. If we spot a Killer Whale , we'll eat well tonight!

Life is blossoming at St Johns Park! St Johns Park, New Town. December 2010 Is anyone up to the challenge to identify this flower? The Jew , by Isaac Rosenberg Moses, from whose loins I sprung, Lit by a lamp in his blood Ten immutable rules, a moon For mutable lampless men. The blonde, the bronze, the ruddy, With the same heaving blood, Keep tide to the moon of Moses. Then why do they sneer at me?

Oops.

Magic lurks within this ball. Home, Geilston Bay, December 2010. I managed to finish three books this week, with middling satisfaction. First up is an interesting collection of Heinrich Böll’s early short stories Children are Civilians too . Written in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, Böll’s remit is to capture the perspective of the peoples of a defeated country who have to reconcile that defeat, the misery of post-war deprivation with the notion of national culpability. Excellent writer that he is, Böll effectively manages it. As such, it is a very good read. As you would expect, it’s incredibly sombre in tone, and evokes a period that we don’t often hear about. Well worth a look. The second book was one that came highly recommended – Misadventures , by Sylvia Smith. The story behind Smith's first book is like something out of a book. Smith, born at the close of the Second World War in the East End of London. She has gone through life as an unmarried, career secr...

There’s very little that is more fun than being naked .

Climb at your own risk. New Town Road, New Town, December 2010. If you are a fan of lines in photographs, you could do worse than stand under one of these snapping away for a few minutes. In fact, after staring at this photograph for ninety seconds, I think that I have spotted a Desargues configuration. Have a close look… If A.a, B.b, C.c are concurrent , then (A.B) ∩ (a.b), (A.C) ∩ (a.c), (B.C) ∩ (b.c) are collinear ! Ain’t geometry grand?

Henry now is able to write his own name. I think that it is a magnificent achievement. Three cheers for Henry!

It might not be made of yellow brick, but adventure will surely follow! Howrah cycle track, November 2010. I wrote a poem yesterday. Let’s just say that it was inspired by real events. Very Important Meeting [Almost] the biggest of BIGWIGS I-Pads I-Phones I-Want I-Want I-WANT I-Can’t I-Won’t I-Don’t Put it on the agenda for next time. AGREED .

It can be nice to experiment with the camera every now and then. Angle of shot, depth of field, mixing up temperatures, depth of focus, exposure times, f-stop fiddling, shutter speeds, perspective distortion, messing with the metering mode and so on. Yet when one’s two key subjects are a little on the energetic side, shutter speed is about the best we can hope for. That’s where marshmallows come in. It appears that the humble blend of sugar, water and gelatine is the prospective solution to impatient models. Who knew?

When does a bus stop stop being a bus stop? St Johns Park, New Town. December 2010. What's your favourite piece of technology, and how has it improved your life? Broad-scale public sanitation/plumbing. I am never one to over-estimate the importance of running water. It has improved my life in too many ways to count. When was the last time you used it, and what for? [At time of writing] I had a shower after Touch Football. Much needed, as we didn’t have any substitutes and I was on all game. What additional features would you add if you could? It seems pretty good as is. I’m a fan of water pressure, so we can always amp that up a bit! Do you think it will be obsolete in 10 years' time? Let’s just ensure that every bugger has an equal chance at having it before we render it obsolete first! What always frustrates you about technology in general? The rapidity with which we become dependent on it, and it ceases to be liberating and becomes a constraint. If you had one tip about gett...

Taken just last weekend as we departed Howrah Beach, Henry looks as if the prospect of the karē pan from the new Japanese bakery down in Bellerive is somewhat more daunting than the rest of us will have it. Don’t worry Henry, they’re delicious !

Hobart: On The Go ! The view from the eastern end of Liverpool Street. December 2010. We might not quite be rivalling Shanghai when it comes to cranes, but whenever you see three cranes on the go in Hobart, you know that something is going on. This one is part of a development that will comprise a supermarket, shops, an additional 544 parking spaces for the Argyle Street car park (just what Hobart CBD needs, more cars ) and new “A-grade” office space. Whether or not there will also be a slippery dip, wholesale ball bearing emporium, underwater aquarium, Turkish baths, Finnish sauna and Liechtenstienian superstore, I am unsure.

Lindisfarne Primrary School fair. Snags. Jumping castles. Ice creams. Fire trucks. What on Earth could be finer?

I suspect that there was once a door here. Theatre Royal, Hobart. December 2010. As promised, here is Today's Sunday Top Five Seven, Nine Wonderful Uses For The Marvellous Oil Of The Genus Eucalyptus ! Eucalyptus oil also has anti-inflammatory and analgesic qualities as a topically applied liniment ingredient! Eucalyptus oil is also used in personal hygiene products for antimicrobial properties in dental care and soaps! Eucalyptus oil can be applied to wounds to prevent infection! Eucalyptus oil can also be as an insect repellent and biopesticide! Eucalyptus oil has been used as an effective way of killing dust mites! Eucalyptus oil is used in flavouring lollies, sweeties, candies and soft drink! Eucalyptus oil is also used as a fragrance component to impart a fresh and clean aroma in soaps, detergents, lotions and perfumes! Eucalyptus oil prevents the separation problem with ethanol and petrol fuel blends! Eucalyptus oil has a respectable octane rating and can be used as a fuel i...