This will hurt me...

BEFORE . AFTER .

BEFORE . AFTER .

There are some very cruel people out there... Fairlight, Sydney. September 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... Gender equality is stymied by the persistent myth of merit. I have to say that I am bemused by the notion that the world ever rewarded merit? I've seen scant little evidence thus far... Clarke and Doyle explain how the financial system works (or not)... 15 Scathing Early Reviews of Classic Novels. I heartily endorse the slap give to The Catcher in the Rye ...

From high above, it seems evident that Ezra is losing his blond, curly locks. My apologies to readers on the sub-continent.

Henry is the champions! No time for LOSERS 'cos Henry is the champions ... of the world. Here is Henry doing his best impersonation of an Italian soccer player.

Here is hairy Henry showcasing his version of a chonmage ( 丁髷, ちょんまげ ), a form of Japanese traditional haircut. It is most commonly associated with the Edo Period and samurai, but more recently, you might recognise it from those really fat blokes in nappies. Originally, it was a method of using hair to hold a samurai helmet steady atop the head in battle. When I (politely) informed Henry that he was neither Japanese, a Samurai, or indeed a fat bloke in nappies (he's a lean bloke in underpants who poos on the toilet now), he promptly had a haircut!

So you have all witness the BEFORE , now behold the magnificence and transformative beauty of the AFTER! I must give great credit to the proud and dignified conduct of my oldest baby, Henry [despite what he says, he'll always be my baby] upon getting his hair cut yesterday evening. He was tremendous. I hope that his keen supporters based in the subcontinent don't feel too let down by his neater appearance. Don't worry ladies, it won't last for long! Anyway, I have a whole bank of photos left to post, so we'll be seeing long haired Henry for a little while yet...

On Sunday morning, Henry and I indulged in a spot of firefighter training. Numerous books before bedtime and Fireman Sam hard-hitting documentaries have enthused the lad about the notion of suiting up, getting the hoses out, and rescuing fair maidens, kittens and wealthy benefactors orphans. That said, our precise drills revealed one problematic area that needed immediate attention: HAIR . The hair presented a fire hazard. The hair limited his vision. The hair was entirely unfirefighterlike . So we booked the cut. The hair was cut this evening. I shall post the photos tomorrow. Consider this one the "before" shot.

So here he is , looking decidedly trimmer and more regal. Less Rolling Stone, than Mel Gibson cast as the Danish prince. I'd like to think that Henery here could strut the stage as a young Hamlet, driven mad by the intrigues of the court.

Here is a photograph of Henry's mop of hair taken last Sunday. As you can see, he looks like a Rolling Stone, or some other kind of long haired layabout. To cut a long story short, he needed a haircut. So he had a haircut. In order to construct a good sense of anticipation, I've instructed the robot to place an embargo on publishing the photos until nineteen hundred hours (19:00, or 7 pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time). That is five (5) hours from now. If anyone can guess which celebrity hairstyle best matches his new haircut, you will win a prize. I have linked back to previous before and after photographs for your perusal. Revisit the heady days of December '08 ( before and after ); August '08 here ; and February '08 here . It’s like your very own time machine.

BEFORE Haircut number three for Henry today, and oh what joy that was! I have been otherwise occupied [code for 'at work'] for the last two, although the first did rate a post way back in February . I think that maybe next time, a small sherry might be offered beforehand to settle his nerves. That said, we managed to escape with a little less hair, and all ears/eyes/noses intact. I thought that today I would offer up a list. Things that I have learned today : Pre-haircut Henry would not be out of place in the Byrds in 1969. His attitude is more Stones '71 though... Post-haircut Henry looks like a very young George Clooney, or at least that's what some of the ladies think. Toddlers + haircuts = a challenging equation. A fruit box is a welcome distraction while getting a toddler’s haircut, but it alone will not be enough. If you have a toddler on your lap who is getting his haircut, hold on tight. Toddlers struggle with the notion of a ‘before and after’ photo shoot. Tha...

The lord and master of the household has had his very first haircut today. I unfortunately was unable to witness the event (damn you work!), but Jennifer has kindly forwarded on the before and after shots of the little Aussie battler, and I'm happy to say that ears remain intact, and he still has a lovely (albeit slightly neater) head of hair. Jen also reports that he was a very good boy, and that the hairdresser was very impressed with his general demeanour, attitude and fine head of hair. BEFORE AFTER