This will hurt me...

The view down. The top of Shot Tower, Taroona. May 2013. Theme Thursday today and I shall consider things that are SMOOTH, and things that are not SMOOTH. The sweet soulful tones of Marvin Gaye expressing his need for a carnally oriented therapeutic remedy are SMOOTH. The shrill tones of imbecilic media gawkers whose opinion equates to the spasmodic orgasmic delight at the spilling of blood is most decidedly not SMOOTH. The subtle glide of George Clooney as he glissades behind an inconversant seraphic maiden and whisks her off to his bedchamber is SMOOTH. The oafish grunts, thrusts and uncouth posturing of Vladimir Putin as he paws at some guileless strumpet and presents some freshly butchered endangered animal in the attempt to secure some cheap bestial gratification is in no way SMOOTH. Rocks can be SMOOTH as you promenade along the beach skipping stones and gazing at gulls. Rocks are rarely SMOOTH when you're tumbling down the face of a cliff, clawing for some ...

Eastern Shore entrance on the old Hobart Bridge . Rose Bay. December 2012. What's to Become of the Boy: Or, Something to Do with Books , Heinrich Böll: A brief memoir of a boy's life in Köln in the years immediately following the Nazi seizure of power. An interesting angle of the coming of age tale. B . The Stranger , Albert Camus: It's hard to believe that I've managed to avoid the classic exemplar of the existential novel this long. I feel silly about doing so. A+ . End of a Mission , Heinrich Böll: Extremely funny, in a quiet, dry sense. As usual with Böll, a fantastic tale with fully realised characters. I loved it. A- .

Peek through the rails. From the Tasman Bridge, looking south. September 2012. So it is Tuesday, which usually means stealing from Sunday. This week: The 88 Meme, Part Three ! 46. What are your LEGAL initials? K.J.M. 47. Who's the first B in your contacts? Ben is. 48. When was the last time you laughed really hard? After a thoroughly unkind impression that I did of someone else. My laughter was in response of someone else’s response, for the record, not my own performance. 49. Your number 1 top friend walks out of your life, do you go after them? Absolutely. 50. Explain your last awkward moment? Failing to explain a relatively straightforward concept to someone after three of four good tries. It was only awkward in the sense that someone’s stupidity was very clearly exposed to a roomful of people (who all immediately grasped the point). 51. Are you afraid of the dark? No. Sometimes I have found myself afraid of the things that might be lurking in the dark ...

One day people will come and wonder what all of this was about. Footpath leading onto the Tasman Highway, Hobart. June 2012. I suspect (hope?) that we are nearing the end of this marathon series of Q and A stolen from Sunday Stealing, the ominous Imaginary Meme, Part Six ! 101. Name 4 things you always have with you. i) Watch, ii) wallet, iii) keys, iv) phone. More often than not, I also have v) camera and vi) book. 102. How many SERIOUS ex-girlfriends/ boyfriends/ significant others do you have? None. 103. What causes you to you admire people? Anyone who manages to combine half a brain with integrity always warrants my admiration. 104. Do you like sports? I do. 105. Would you have sex after marriage? Why or why not? What an odd question. I can only presume that they mean ‘before’ rather than after, although it seems that there is often a correlation between post-marriage/ decline in sexual congress. As for sex before marriage: why ever not? 106. What is your favour...

S-Express? Near ANZAC Park, Lindisfarne. October 2011. Today's Sunday Top Five is another for the etymologists out there. Today I am thinking about My Top Five Words Beginning With The Letter 'S' This Sunday! Succulent , as in "My wife's thighs are indeed succulent ." Scurrilous , as in "You sir must die for the scurrilous filth you have been peddling about my wife!" Sempiternal , as in "Yes, my love for her is sempiternal ." Skullduggery , as in "She may disrobe in front of the window, but that does not justify this kind of skullduggery !" Supercilious , as in "Alas sir, that kind of supercilious display may impress other women, but it will not with my wife."

Lifeguards? We don't need no stinking lifeguards!

Self portrait during a lunch break. Russell Street, Sandy Bay. July 2011. I do a reasonable line in obscure self portraits. If it is not shadow , it is a reflection . If it is not a reflection , it is a foot . Sometimes it is feet AND a reflection ! A foot viewed from different angles is essentially a different foot. Sometimes it just IS a different foot . Of course, no one shadow is the same as another . Shadows come in all shapes and sizes . Just as a reflection and a reflection can be very different beasts. Sometimes you just happen to be in the right place at the right time . Self-portraits can be deliberate , incidental or just plain unique .

Climbing climbing climbing climbing climbing climbing climbing climbing.

These drains look grumpy to me. St Johns Park, New Town. March 2011. Sunday Top Five you say? Here is The Top Five Songs Played On My Computer In The Last Three Months According To Lastfm.com ! Be My Baby , The Ronettes Can We Fix It? , Bob the Builder Breakfast in America , Supertramp If I Fell , The Beatles Fuck You , Cee Lo Green Bob the Builder has done well to sneak in there. That should indicate the influence that Ezra has in the household. As for the others, you’ll note that I’m hip to all the new trends, me…

Hungry crocodiles...? Starving sharks...? Ravenous rats…? Famished fairy penguins…? What lurks beneath and causes Ezra’s telltale concern?