Magnetism, as you recall from physics class, is a powerful force that causes certain items to be attracted to refrigerators.

Late afternoon. Looking north from Lindisfarne. June 2013.

Alas, stealing again from Sunday Stealing. Have and Q and A: The Unlucky 13 Meme

1. On average, how long does it take you to get ready for work/ school/ a day or night out?

Three minutes.

2. If you could ask your favourite author one question about the book(s) they wrote, what would it be?

I'm never that keen to spoil the mystique and step inside the sausage factory. I would be keen to ask Antony Beevor for some tales about working in the Russian archives.

3. What do you think is the hardest thing about growing up?

Ensuring that you do the right thing.

4. Who would you rather switch places with for a day: your favourite celebrity, or your favourite fictional character?

I'm not in the slightest bit interested in celebrity. Wouldn't it be more interesting to step in (I dunno) Superman or Iron Man's shoes than some neurotic actor with attachment issues?

5. Who would you rather have point out a flaw that you weren't aware you had: a close personal friend, or a total stranger?

Flaws? What is this with which you speak? How would a stranger know about it if he/ she were a stranger?

6. Do you get jealous easily? If so, what sorts of qualities or characteristics in other people are you most likely to be jealous of?

I do get envious, but not about qualities or characteristics in as much as outcomes.

7. Which version of yourself would you rather have a conversation with: the one from ten years ago, or the one you turn into ten years from now?

Ten years from now. I know what I would have said in 2003.

8. Were you ever bullied in any way as a child? If so, how has it shaped you today?

Only by my brother. I suspect that it manifests itself in an odd aggression that emerges every now and again.

9. What is one fear you would like to overcome in your lifetime?

The fear of irrelevance.

10. What is one food you haven't tried yet that you would like to?

I haven't eaten a lot of bugs. I'm told that they're not too bad.

11. Is it easier to forgive someone for the wrong they've done you or to seek forgiveness from someone that you've wronged in any way?

Seeking forgiveness is much easier than forgiving.

12. Let’s go random: What did you do for New Year’s Eve for the turn of the millennium?

I went to bed early. True story. Slept through the bugger.

13. What else around here have you noticed?

I have noticed that you're increasingly giving me the eye...

Comments

Mad as hell

So there I was, arm hooked up to the machine, watching my plasma swirl away into a bag while the morning news dribbled across the screen like a bad fever dream. And what were they showing? A "riot" in Melbourne, allegedly. The sort of riot where the real thugs wear body armour, carry pepper spray and look like they just walked off the set of RoboCop. The people they were beating? A ragtag crew of teenagers and old hippies—probably fresh out of a drum circle, still smelling of patchouli. But sure, let's call it a riot. Now, here's where it really gets good. I mentioned this spectacle to a few people later, thinking maybe they'd share my outrage or, at the very least, give a damn. But no. What did I get instead? A smirk, a chuckle, and—oh, the pièce de résistance—"You should really just let it go." Let it go? Yeah, let me uncork a nice, overpriced cup of coffee, sit back with my legs crossed, and soak in the latest reality TV trash. Why bother caring when ...

Hold me now, oh hold me now, until this hour has gone around. And I'm gone on the rising tide, to face Van Dieman's Land

Theme Thursday again, and this one is rather easy. I am Tasmanian, you see, and aside from being all around general geniuses - as I have amply described previously - we are also very familiar with the concept of WATER. Tasmania is the ONLY island state of an ISLAND continent. That means, we're surrounded by WATER. That should help explain why I take so many photographs of water . Tasmania was for a long time the place where the British (an island race terrified of water) sent their poor people most vile and horrid criminals. The sort of folk who would face the stark choice of a death sentence , or transportation to the other end of the world. Their catalogue of crimes is horrifying : stealing bread assault stealing gentlemen's handkerchiefs drunken assault being poor affray ladies being overly friendly with gentlemen for money hitting people having a drink and a laugh public drunkenness being Irish Fenian terrorist activities being Catholic religious subversion. ...

Something unpleasant is coming when men are anxious to tell the truth.

This is the moon. Have I mentioned how much I adore the zoom on my camera? It's Theme Thursday you see, and after last week's limp effort, I have been thinking about how I might redeem myself. Then I clicked on the topic and discover that it was BUTTON. We've been hearing a lot about the moon in the past couple of weeks. Apparently some fellas went up there and played golf and what-not forty-odd years ago. The desire to get to the moon, however, was not simply about enhancing opportunities for Meg and Mog titles and skirting local planning by-laws in the construction of new and innovative golf courses. No, all of your Sputniks , "One small steps" and freeze dried ice cream was about one thing , and one thing only : MAD Now, I don't mean mad in terms of "bloke breaks record for number of scorpions he can get up his bum", no I mean MAD as in Mutual assured destruction . When I was a young man you see, there was a lot of talk about the type of m...

This will hurt me...

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