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Showing posts from January 29, 2012

Nothing happens, and nothing happens, and then everything happens.

While hiding in plain sight might make some sense in the context of international terrorism, gender politics or matrimonial disharmony, it is less successful in your typical game of “hide and seek”.

Never such innocence again

Make bicycles not war. Geilston Bay Skate Park. February 2012. Philip Larking nails it here. This is a lovely poem from a bitter and twisted man. MCMXIV , Philip Larkin Those long uneven lines Standing as patiently As if they were stretched outside The Oval or Villa Park, The crowns of hats, the sun On moustached archaic faces Grinning as if it were all An August Bank Holiday lark; And the shut shops, the bleached Established names on the sunblinds, The farthings and sovereigns, And dark-clothed children at play Called after kings and queens, The tin advertisements For cocoa and twist, and the pubs Wide open all day-- And the countryside not caring: The place names all hazed over With flowering grasses, and fields Shadowing Domesday lines Under wheat's restless silence; The differently-dressed servants With tiny rooms in huge houses, The dust behind limousines; Never such innocence, Never before or since, As changed itself to past Without a word--the men Leaving the gardens tidy, T...

To tell the truth is revolutionary.

Ezra is bemused by the whole notion of Australia Day.

An incinerator is a writer's best friend.

Fun? Princes Street, Sandy Bay. January 2012 Two books, but I’ll deal with them quickly. First up is the Dave Musgrove edited 100 Places That Made Britain is a breeze through British history, from pre-Roman invasion to the present day. Each site has been chosen by a prominent British historian and cover every length of the land and section of history. This is accessible history and would be a great asset if you’re planning a holiday. Recommended! Second up is the at once hilarious and depressing early John Steinbeck novel Tortilla Flat The tale of a group of paisanos in Monteray, California in the post-WWI period, it vividly recreates a time and place seemingly long gone. The novel details the lives of transient alcoholics – and is loosely based on the King Arthur legend – is not held in high esteem by many who see it as a slur on Mexican Americans. I am less sure of this. Yes, the days are whittled away drinking, fighting, cheating, chasing women, running from women, thieving, sche...

You have reached the pinnacle of success as soon as you become uninterested in money, compliments, or publicity.

Henry contemplates the concepts of Pflicht und Neigung (duty and inclination) and their relationship to each other. He was briefly thrown from the task when he stumbled upon a dead crab.

Those who are easily shocked should be shocked more often.

Dead crab. Or maybe it's sleeping. Little Howrah Beach. January 2012. Theme Thursday again and our minds are firmly fixed on the concept of STORM. Well, I should really say that my little mind is actually geared towards STURM ( und Drang ). Typically, people have translated STURM und Drang as "STORM and Stress" and use it to describe the proto-Romantic movement in German literature and music that occurred in the late-eighteenth century. Ever the dissenter, I prefer the less frequent translation of "STORM and Urge ". The implications of the difference is not a minor one. STURM und Drang was characterised by the liberation of individual subjectivity and the embrace of spectacular extremes of emotion – i.e. ladies fainting, men challenging each other to duels/ love affairs/ adventures. This free expression emerged largely in reaction to the perceived constraints of rationalism imposed by the Enlightenment and its associated aesthetic movements. An example, previ...

There is no life that does not contribute to history.

With the prospect of global nuclear war never far away, Ezra and I have been exploring possible scenarios whereby useful everyday items can be rapidly converted into a safe, robust fallout shelter...

A lie would have no sense unless the truth were felt dangerous.

The morning sun over Storm Bay. Calverts Beach, South Arm Peninsula. January 2012. Watery Wednesday today and we celebrate with a Watery Wednesday today and we celebrate with a shot of the lovely (slow rising) morning sun over the water as it starts to burn off the cloud. This one was taken down at Calverts Beach, and you can see Storm Bay out to the south of South Arm Peninsula. I understand that it got its name when Abel Tasman was forced by a storm to take his ships out to sea before they could anchor back in 1642. No storms on this morning though!

Children's talent to endure stems from their ignorance of alternatives.

Another day, another cold snap!

There is a point at which methods devour themselves.

Luxury hotel. St George's Terrace, Battery Point. January 2012. Tuesday Q and A and I continue to steal questions from Sunday Stealing. This week I am stealing The 99'er Meme: Part 1 1) Put your iTunes on shuffle. Give me the first 6 songs that pop up. Wilco’s Outta Mind (Outta Sight) , Allo Darlin's My Heart is a Drummer , Queen’s Fat Bottomed Girls , The Be Good Tanyas’ The Littlest Birds , Eric B. & Rakim’s Paid In Full , and The Hives’ Hate To Say I Told You So . 2) If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be? Someone with some answers! 3) Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give me line 17. ‘“Cornelia Ruiz cut up the black Mexican,” he said.’ 4) What do you think about most? My wife’s thighs. 5) What does your latest text message from someone else say? “Excellent. See you soon.” 6) Do you sleep with or without clothes on? I sleep as naked as the day I was born. 7) What's your strangest talent? Bad impressions of white South Africans. 8) W...

It is a mistake to think you can solve any major problems just with potatoes.

As always, Ezra comes prepared...

My advice to you is not to inquire why or whither, but just enjoy your ice cream while it's on your plate.

Hen, Ez and Jen take in the view south west of Lindisfarne. Derwent Avenue walkway, Lindisfarne. January 2012. The Internet is a wonderful place filled with the rich and varied treasures of the world holds (as well as a LOT of crap.) 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... People who fly Australia Day flags on their cars tend to express more racist attitudes than others without flags 100 years of the war on drugs Hooked on chicken nuggets : Girl, 17, who has eaten nothing else since age TWO rushed to hospital after collapsing the world’s last quiet places

I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be.

On a clear day you can see forever Henry...

Exaggerated sensitiveness is an expression of the feeling of inferiority.

The evidence... Calverts Beach. January 2011. Sunday Top Five? How about My Top Five Numbers ? One ( 1 ) [ i ] Two ( 2 ) [ ii ] Three ( 3 ) [ iii ] Four ( 4 ) [ iv ] Five ( 5 ) [ v ]