This will hurt me...

Power pole. Geilston Bay Road, Geilston Bay. August 2013. Wordless Wednesday.

I think that we should just ban golf altogether. Geilston Bay High School, Geilston Bay. November 2011. Another couple of books finished this week, as I slowly make my way to the magic to the magical 100 for the year (I am currently sitting at 98*). First up is Bodily Secrets by William Treevor. A slender collection of short stories by a fine writer, the collection revolves around the theme of relationships (and yes, ‘love’). At once tender and taut, it is a great little book that covers the whole gamut of emotions. Recommended. Second up is Nobel Prizewinner Imre Kertész's Liquidation a very Central European dose of introspection that mixes quite radical departures in style (there is a a text-within-a-text-within-a-text) and some pretty heavy intellectual chicanery in the way that it constructs its existential dilemma in the face of the existence of Auschwitz. There is a fair whack of self-reflexivity here, as once again Kertész mulls the weighty shadow of the camp that he spen...

Rusty hinge on an old door. Quayle Street, Sandy Bay. December 2011. The Internet is a wonderful place filled with the rich and varied treasures of the world holds (and photos of awkward families looking awkward). 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... Reuters have compiled their best photos of the year 2011 ... A fan of classical painting? You'll love Ugly Renaissance Babies then... One for cricket buffs: Which was the most dominant Test side ever? The decline and fall of the Kodak empire ... There is also this fantastic exploration of feminism in 2011 that explores the divides within the female sex . It's a long one, so set aside some time... More heavy reading: a postmortem of the British riots ... On those riots, the Guardian has been running an extended series that has been quite interesting, this one in particular drew my eye: about the women who rioted , and how they d...

Metal plus seaside equals corrosion. Little Howrah Beach, October 2011. I've warned Ezra about jumping up and down too vigorously on corroded man personholes, utilising the tried an true 'fear' approach (i.e. there are crocodiles locked up in there). As long time readers will intimately know, I have been a passionate and enthusiastic supporter of manhole protection for many years now.

Metal plus seawater equals rust. Blinking Billy Point, Sandy Bay. September 2011. The Internet can be a wonderful place. The following are some things that I've had a look at in the last few days. I might call this: a Compendium of Click-throughs for Monday Morning ... A fantastic spiced cauliflower soup with yoghurt recipe that I made last night. Well worth the [little] effort. A depressingly familiar tale from Africa, How the teachers of hope I met in the Congo were brutally killed A well researched and written piece on shark nets in Australia . Conclusion? Shark nets are a placebo that happen to be a dangerous one for other wildlife. An interview with Steven Pinker about his new book that explores brutality is waning. A big call, but his thesis is that far from being the bloodiest era in human history, ours is a time when violence has been in steep decline. To end with something lighter, 50 of the World’s Best Breakfasts ! India seems a little off, but I like to the look of Ir...

The process of galvanisation has proven useless against the harsh Hobartian weather. New Town, February 2011. I am very tired. Very very tired. Sometimes I feel like that bit of tin atop the shed in the photograph. Coffee isn’t doing it, and grapefruits are very expensive at the moment.

When does a bus stop stop being a bus stop? St Johns Park, New Town. December 2010. What's your favourite piece of technology, and how has it improved your life? Broad-scale public sanitation/plumbing. I am never one to over-estimate the importance of running water. It has improved my life in too many ways to count. When was the last time you used it, and what for? [At time of writing] I had a shower after Touch Football. Much needed, as we didn’t have any substitutes and I was on all game. What additional features would you add if you could? It seems pretty good as is. I’m a fan of water pressure, so we can always amp that up a bit! Do you think it will be obsolete in 10 years' time? Let’s just ensure that every bugger has an equal chance at having it before we render it obsolete first! What always frustrates you about technology in general? The rapidity with which we become dependent on it, and it ceases to be liberating and becomes a constraint. If you had one tip about gett...