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Showing posts from September 15, 2013

It is better not to express what one means than to express what one does not mean.

Thousand yard stare.

Yes. I remember Adlestrop—

Australian Fur Seals. Friars Rock, Bruny Island. September 2013. The seals smelled like squid poo. Not the squid of a poo, but squid-flavoured poo. Some people don't like it all that much, but I didn't mind. I've smelled worse. Adlestrop , Edward Thomas Yes. I remember Adlestrop— The name, because one afternoon Of heat the express-train drew up there Unwontedly. It was late June. The steam hissed. Someone cleared his throat. No one left and no one came On the bare platform. What I saw Was Adlestrop—only the name And willows, willow-herb, and grass, And meadowsweet, and haycocks dry, No whit less still and lonely fair Than the high cloudlets in the sky. And for that minute a blackbird sang Close by, and round him, mistier, Farther and farther, all the birds Of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.

In solitude the mind gains strength and learns to lean upon itself.

"I'm Stick Man, I'm Stick Man, I'M STICK MAN, that's me!"

The mere brute pleasure of reading the sort of pleasure a cow must have in grazing.

Pretty little flower blossom. Natone Street, Lindisfarne. September 2013. Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls , David Sedaris: A new book! That's a rare thing these days. Like the one I reviewed last week, this is a hit and miss collection of essays and anecdotes with enough of a light touch to keep things ticking along. Worth a look. B- . Two Views , Uwe Johnson: A book very much of its time, this novel is essentially about the divisiveness of East and West Germany. The tale of two lovers (acquaintances would perhaps be closer to the mark), what the reader faces is an immense accumulation of detail to build the two "views" while two people endeavour to reach each other. The politics remains in the background, but remains a ubiquitous presence. I can't say that I particularly enjoyed reading this, but can recognise the skill. C+ . The Handmaid's Tale , Margaret Atwood: This is not the first time I've read this, but I'm not sure that I find myse

I take a simple view of life. It is keep your eyes open and get on with it.

The future dictator?

The totally convinced and the totally stupid have too much in common for the resemblance to be accidental.

Lineup. East Derwent Highway, the Lindisfarne/Geilston Bay border. September 2013. Theme Thursday ? FASCINATION? Words. Birds. Long dead musicians. Colours. Directions. Computer games. Memories memories memories memories memories memories. Noise. Silence. Space. Space. Space. Peace and aggression.

Humans live through their myths and only endure their realities.

D'ya think he knows?

If you want the present to be different from the past, study the past.

Lazy Australian fur seals #1. The Friars, south of Bruny Island, Tasmania. September 2013. Wordless Wednesday. Lazy Australian fur seals #2. The Friars, south of Bruny Island, Tasmania. September 2013. Lazy Australian fur seals #3. The Friars, south of Bruny Island, Tasmania. September 2013. Lazy Australian fur seals #4. The Friars, south of Bruny Island, Tasmania. September 2013. Lazy Australian fur seals #5. The Friars, south of Bruny Island, Tasmania. September 2013.

Horror is the natural reaction to the last 5,000 years of history.

Mother, mother ocean, I have heard you call. Wanted to sail upon your waters since I was three feet tall. You've seen it all, you've seen it all. Mother mother ocean, after all these years I've found my occupational hazard's being my occupation's just not around.

Be just before you are generous.

Me (or, something approaching Me). The corner of Campbell and Bathurst Streets, Hobart. September 2013. For this Tuesday Q and A (as I'm in real life steaming up the road and back to Campbell Town), I tackle another series from Sunday Stealing, the Massive Alphabet Meme, part one ! The Letter A Are you agnostic? I’m more atheist than agnostic, to be frank. What is your age? Chronological, ontological, pedagogical or psychological? That’s a difficult question to answer. What annoys you? Lots of things! Hypocrisy really annoys the hell out of me, though. The Letter B Do you like bacon? In moderation, I do. When is your birthday? It’s in May. Who is your best friend? I have three of them. They know who they are. The Letter C What is your favourite candy? Lollies? As in sweets? I like sour worms. Who is your crush? Crush? As in squash? I’d like to squash bad people. When was the last time you cried? A few years ago on the bus to New Town, as I reac

Guilt has very quick ears to an accusation.

Keep working Henry, nearly at the top...

The fact that you are willing to say, "I do not understand, and it is fine," is the greatest understanding you could exhibit.

Jetson's fountain? Hobart's Railway Roundabout Fountain, Hobart. September 2013. As you know, the Internet is a wonderful place filled with the rich and varied treasures of the world holds (and RSS feeds.) 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... 1 in 4 Men Surveyed in Asia and the Pacific Have Raped. Is the midlife crisis a real thing? An excellent example of the stories that lay behind the image. The more we fixate on chemical weapons as “bad” warfare, the more we make conventional weapons seem like “good” warfare. Syria's 99 Percent: The Problem With Focusing on Chemical Weapons. Five years after the largest global financial crisis since the Great Depression, the world’s financial system remains dangerous and dysfunctional. On Eating Roadkill, the Most Ethical Meat. Is the Nation-State Dying? Some surprising factors that influence well-being arou

Conscience - the only incorruptible thing about us.

The cover of Ezra's second solo album. A Cajun/ Country mix.

It's always better to leave the party early.

The sisters. Bruny Island, Tasmania. September 2013. Bruny Island Three Hour Cruise This Sunday Top Five is really A List Of Things I Really Can't Bring Myself To Care About! TV Professional sport Celebrities Stuff (things) Stuff (He said/ she said)