This will hurt me...

Henry and Ezra re-enact the sinking of the Titanic. Ezra is a frozen Leonardo di Caprio and Henry channels a buxom Kate Winslet.

Sunshine came softly... Geilston Bay. January 2012. Le Maudit , Richard Aldington Women’s tears are but water; The tears of men are blood. He sits alone in the firelight And on either side drifts by Sleep, like a torrent whirling, Profound, wrinkled and dumb. Circuitously, stealthily, Dawn occupies the city; As if the seasons knew of his grief Spring has suddenly changed into snow Disaster and sorrow Have made him their pet; He cannot escape their accursed embraces. For all his dodgings Memory will lacerate him. What good does it do to wander Nights hours through city streets? Only that in poor places He can be with common men And receive their unspoken Instinctive sympathy. What has life done for him? He stands alone in the darkness Like a sentry never relieved, Looking over a barren space, Awaiting the tardy finish.

Okay. Running away or chasing something? You decide!

Bellerive Oval, home of the might Tasmanian Tigers. As seen from Rosny Hill. December 2011. Two quick reviews today. Raymond Radiguet’s The Devil in the Flesh was written when the author was just 18 years old in 1922. A grubby little tale about a nasty, selfish young Frenchman as he conducts an affair with a married woman whose husband is off fighting in World War One. I dunno, but the narrator – a very superior and self-aware bastard – put me right off the whole thing. This book has a world of admirers, but I can’t help that it has more to do with the author’s early demise than it does the quality of his prose. I didn’t like it much. Give it a miss. Thankfully, I liked the second book this week much more. I’ve read all of Dan Rhodes’ novels, and have to say that his latest Little Hands Clapping is probably his oddest yet. If you’re familiar with his oeuvre, that comment might come as a little shocking itself. A plot synopsis? Set primarily in a German museum dedicated to suicide – c...

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water...™

Oh Mr Hart… What a mess! Billy Goat Lane, the Battery Point/ Sandy Bay border. January 2012. . Theme Thursday again and I am under the pump to PRODUCE a witty, thoughtful and reflective piece on the topic. Now, I had a fabulous idea in mind that involved more than ten litres of white paint, a world famous landmark and a snappy catchphrase from a 1970s Afro-American centric sitcom [you know, the one that alludes to the composition of nitro-glycerine or ammonium nitrate dispersed in some kind of absorbent medium (you know, wood pulp or such) and an antacid (commonly such as calcium carbonate)]. Unfortunately, with the paint tins weighing be down and me trying to keep reading my book and hitting those stairs [above]... Well... you can see what happened. Thus all I have PRODUCEd , all that I have brought to the table today is a great big mess .

He just called... ...to say... ...he loves you.

The storm after the calm. Geilston Bay, January 2012. Watery Wednesday today, and we celebrated a day early here in Hobart as the storms kicked in yesterday evening bringing both a few boatloads of rain and breaking the mini-heat wave that we'd had the previous few days.

Henry discovers where all of Tasmania's trams eventually went...

Two buildings side by side. The corner of Macquarie and Harrington Streets, Hobart. January 2012. Tuesday Q and A and I continue to steal questions from Sunday Stealing. This week I am stealing The Never Ending Meme, Part Two . 21. Did you go to your high school prom? I went to my year 10 school ball. I wore a suit. Does that count? 22. Perfect time to wake up? Around 5:30 am is good. 23. Perfect time to go to bed? When it gets dark. 24. Do you use your queen right away in chess? No, I stick to the prawns early on. 25. Ever been in a car accident? Just the odd car through a fence. No broken windscreens of anything like that. 26. Closer to mum or dad… or neither? I moved to the other end of the island. 27. What age is this exciting life over for you? I’m not sure I understand the question. I think that I will say ‘29’. 28. What decade during the 20th century would you have chosen to be a teenager? The 1990s was probably as good as any. 29. Favourite shoes you have EVER owned? There has...

Heard of that 'rabbit proof fence'? This 'Henry and Ezra proof fence' didn't work either...

A little flower peeps out from behind the fence. King Street, Sandy Bay. January 2012. The Internet is a wonderful place filled with the rich and varied treasures of the world holds (as well as a liberal dose of ladies in various states of undress.) The following are some things that I've had a look at in the last week. I call this: a Compendium of Click-throughs for Monday Morning... I very much enjoyed this piece from the BBC that looks at five ways the digital camera have changed us A short video that makes a reasonable fist of explaining the US Primary electoral system Considering the legacy of Margaret Thatcher (Milk Snatcher) The Economist looks at how and why some governments regulate the naming of babies Breaking news! Skyscrapers 'linked with impending financial crashes' Fantastic evisceration of the claim that penalty rates are killing the hospitality industry Interesting thoughts on the assertion that Vaclav Havel was Orwell’s true successor

[Whispers] Henry can see dead people.

Have you checked your manhole today? Long Beach Walkway, Sandy Bay. January 2012. Last week's Top Five involved the bowling line-up of players that I've seen play , so I figure this week's top five six should finish the task. Thus, The Top Five Six Batsmen I've Seen Play Cricket To Be In My Side I Was Picking A Squad To Play A Test Against A Team Of Robots Programmed To Play Cricket Really Very Well! [In Batting Order.] [Note: this team will be playing to the rules of the mid-1980s, so we're allowed plenty of bouncers. Also, the curator has been told to prepare a tasty wicket, so no flat track rubbish that you see nine out of ten in modern tests...] C.G. Greenidge S.M. Gavaskar S.R. Tendulkar I.V.A. Richards S.R. Waugh (*) A.C. Gilchrist (wk) This team is rounded out by Imran Khan, Richard Hadlee, Shane Warne, Malcolm Marshall and Curtley Ambrose. Should be tough to beat on all tracks I reckon. Just missing the cut were Brian Lara, Mohammad Yousuf, Javed Miandad, R...