This will hurt me...

Life underwater. Clifton Beach, June 2013. Once Were Warriors , Alan Duff: Very dark, very gritty. It's a far bleaker portrayal of life for marginalised Maoris in modern New Zealand than the successful film. Domestic violence, urban violence, poverty, drugs, alcoholism, unemployment, gang warfare, rape, physical and mental abuse, suicide, gender, identity, race and culture are just a few of the subjects explored in gritty fashion. I'm not sure whether reading this is more akin to getting punched in the face or kicked in the guts. One of the two, anyway. A- . Maggie: A Girl of the Streets , Stephen Crane: Urban grit, 1893 style! Originally refused by all publishers because of sexual frankness, it might seem tame to the modern eye but remains shocking enough. C+ .

Jen on the rocks (taken from the ice cold water). Clifton Beach. May 2013. Another Q and A pilfered from Sunday Stealing. This week I am dreaming, with the IF I WON 100 MILLION DOLLARS.... meme. What kind of car would you buy? Do they drive themselves yet? Where in the country would you move to? Somewhere warm and near a beach. What kind of house would you buy? A decent-sized one with good soundproofing. Would you give your family any money? If they promise to leave me alone. What charity would you donate to? None of them. I might find some microcredit organisation to help out. Would you give your friends any money? Do they have a convincing business plan? Where would you go on vacation? Everywhere! World tour... What luxury item would you buy first? I would enquire about top notch cameras, diving gear, kayaks and perhaps get a quote for a sauna. Would it change your life? Bloody oath would! Would you save any of it? I'm a saver by...

It's as cold as a loveless marriage out there!

I couldn't decide between these two photos, so consider yourself honoured to have a two for one Henry beefcake special !

Speaking of brave boys...

It takes a very brave boy to front the wash up of the Great Southern Ocean heading into Winter...

Jen looking out to sea. Clifton Beach. May 2013. Sunday Top Five ? Okay, here is Five Things That I Simply Must Have On A Pizza! Tomato paste! Garlic! Oregano! Basil! Capsicum!

Tree on a cliff. Clifton Beach. May 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... Why are we not much, much, much better at parenting? Girls on Film: The real problem with the Disney Princess brand. Reconnecting with Food. Essential for our health. Ocean scene: before and after overfishing. Educational waste: what’s missing in Australian classrooms. Coffee addiction: Do people consume too much caffeine? Holy Sh*t: A Brief History of Swearing. Best Night-Sky Pictures of 2013.

Don't step back!

Not snorkelling weather. Clifton Beach. May 2013. Sunday Top Five ? That's right, here are Five Words That We Really Need To Start Using In English! Pelinti ( Buli ): You know when you're in a rush to eat a hot pie and you have to open your mouth and tilt your head to avoid burning yourself? Ghanaians have a word for that. Myötähäpeä ( Finnish ): the nicer relative of Schadenfreude . Think, "vicarious embarrassment.” Above us the waves. Clifton Beach. May 2013. Layogenic ( Tagalog ): You know how sometimes you can see something (or someone) from far away and it/ they look pretty good, but when you get a close look it's not quite the case? That's layogenic . Cavoli Riscaldati ( Italian ): a very bad move: trying to revive an unworkable relationship. It literally translates to "reheated cabbage." Litost ( Czech ): I'll defer to Milan Kundera on this one: “a state of torment created by the sudden sight of one’s own misery.” Th...

At some point things will be clearer.

Henry or Ezra? I'm not ever certain that I can tell!

Cliff! Clifton Beach, October 2012. The Devil's Larder , Jim Crace: Sixty-four teeny weeny stories on food-related themes, which also stand as metaphors for life itself. A pleasant diversion. C . The Lucy Family Alphabet , Judith Lucy: Judith Lucy explores the complex relationship she shared with her adoptive parents. Dark, funny and ruthlessly honest, it also stands as a moving tribute to a pair of lunatics. B- .

Alas, we didn't jump...

Something about surfing. Clifton Beach, October 2012. 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... Why the rich look down on the poor. Australia’s unlucky parliaments... E tsy, Folksy and the mania for making crafts. Australian inventions I hope that Ezra does not get into this extreme mountain-biking ...

Um seine Intelligenz zu beweisen, beschloss Henry, um die Natur zu finden Dinosaurier verwandeln.

Big Ez considers the geological possibilities down on Clifton Beach...

Don't do it! Please don't do it!

The oddest thing about Henry's insistence to get out and about among these rocks is the fact that he refused to wear his shoes to do so.

The usual suspects. Clifton Beach. April 2012. A very appropriate Theme Thursday today, as I had lined up this shot of my FAMILY well in advance. FAMILY is a funny old concept. Some people say. “you can’t choose your FAMILY” but I am not convinced of that. Lots of people seem to be choosing their FAMILY. They have a FAMILY, change their mind, then bugger off and start a new one. It’s happening all over the place! However, I have already chosen my FAMILY. All up, they are a decent, dependable lot. I’m thankful that they’re all so good looking, because it does make the hard times more bearable. In an approach that we should have taken with rabbits and cane toads, we’ve kept the numbers down lest we be overrun with the buggers (they’re loud enough as it is) and my ethical object to polygamy has kept the marital situation in check. Anyone who knows anything about that television show that was not in the slightest about Mormons will tell you that one wife should be plenty enough...