This will hurt me...

Me! Castray Esplanade, Hobart Waterfront. September 2012. Sunday Stealing is back! The Who Are You Meme ! 1. What is your biggest pet peeve? People's general selfishness/ lack of concern for others consistently frustrates me. 2. Where and when were you born? I was born in Burnie, Tasmania in the week that Hotel California by The Eagles was top of the Billboard charts in the US. 3. Where did your parents meet? You would have to ask them that question. I assume that it was in Melbourne, Victoria. 4. Do you have any siblings? What are/ were they like in four words? I have an older brother. He was an older brother. 5. Where do you live now, and with whom? I live in Hobart with Jen, Hen and Ez. 6. What is your occupation? I like to call myself a "Policy, Research, Communications and Academic Professional". 7. Write a full description of yourself. I'm just a sore and sorry little bot who needs to be loved. 8. To which social class do you belong? ...

The Hyrdo Building. Corner of Davey and Elizabeth Streets. July 2012. Life & Times of Michael K by J.M.Coetzee is set in a vividly imagined South Africa of the 1970s that has descended into civil war. While the setting is important, the novel itself eschews discussions of race or class and concentrates on the journey of the titular character, a simple man whose life has been shaped by institutionalism from a very young age. In this sense, Coetzee has opted for using an innocent as the central character. It's a tricky ploy, as the simpleton remains simple throughout and - for the reader at least - the state of purity, innocence and grace can be a limiting thing. The story is told well, with a tale full of ugly and sad scenes, and very few glimmers of hope or beauty. Despite such scenes, it is quite a desolate book. There is only a vague, ominous sense of how bad things really are in the greater society and while Michael K. serves as the vehicle to paint this story of sur...

The fine features of the Hyro building in Hobart. Sunday Top Five Eleven! Today's list is in celebration of Tasmania's epic run chase to defeat Western Australia on Friday, which saw rookie wicketkeeper Brady Jones snare two fours off the last two balls of a four day game, with no wickets to spare. It is only fitting then that today I offer up my Top Five Eleven Favourite Tasmanian Tigers! I've tried to keep a balanced squad, but top be honest, my distaste for the two most famous Tasmanian cricketers - Ricky Ponting and David Boon - has seen me pass them over at the selection table. Similarly, two imports - Michael Beven and Shane Watson - have also been overlooked because, well, I've never liked 'em. Thus, the side is not the strongest batting lineup ever seen. That said, if we have a green top and a bit of cloud in the sky, I'd wager that my pace attack would keep any scores very low. McCracken's Tasmanian Tigers All-Time Squad Jamie Cox : Wynyard's...

Another day, another photo taken from below on of the corners of the Hydro building. Forgive my indulgence in such shots, after endless grey skies, that expanse of blue is a sight for sore eyes!

Here we are looking up at the Hydro building one morning last week. Christ I have been busy!

The top of the Hydro Building gets a little morning sunlight. Here is a poem! normal to be ord inary would be such a terrible burd on extra ordinarily hard hard er than not

Straight lines are the order of the day today. Here are Hydro Tasmania building, old and new, presented to you in stunning black and white. In order to bail me out of having to think too hard about today’s post, I’ve embraced the meme and take up the challenge presented to me by Lizabee & Co ! It’s a well known fact that I simply reek of awesomeness. Like Old testament God, people quake and tremble in wonderment at my feet on a daily basis. At least, I think that’s why they quake and tremble at my feet. It could be something to do with Swine Flu. First though, a definition: Awesome Adjective Causing awe or terror; inspiring wonder or excitement. So impressive or overwhelming as to inspire a strong feeling of admiration or fear. And now, the list! Seven things that make ME awesome Charm : like George Clooney on charisma steroids, I have charm oozing from every pore. Intelligence : in terms of intelligence, it’s best to think of me as HAL from 2001, only with higher self esteem and...

What an embarrassingly late first post for the day. This is what happens when you don't prepare ahead! Above is the Hydro Tasmania building from my favourite angle. The powers that be decided to allow the bigwigs from HQ to spirit me off to Campbell Town for a pow-wow drawn from all of the fiefdoms across the land. Even better, I had my very own slot in this meeting to present my report! Even more better, I don't have a report! I can now see the logic that drove decision-making processes of the powers that be. It is a damn fine thing that I'm not shy and I can string a sentence or two together, lest I make a fool of myself! Anyway, I wrote a poem. thank you thank you for not thinking today about me.

Just this morning I spotted the Marine Board building talking to the Hydro building. What were they saying? I'm none the wiser, as I don't speak architecture. I did overhear an enlightening conversation on the bus this morning, that despite best efforts, I couldn't satisfactorily turn into a poem. I was able, however, to utilise my advanced note taking abilities to share with the world the genius that is the Tasmanian public servant. "For me, I need, like , 30 minutes to get ready. Then it takes me, like , 40 minutes to walk from my girlfriend's house to, like , work. Then, like , it's another, like , 40 minutes to walk home after work. That's, like , that's, like , an HOUR every day!" Much to my dismay, this young fellow informed his collegue that he was shifting from his present job - in the Department Education - to a new one, Treasury . May God have mercy on all of us.

I am in Canberra today (the nation's capital for all you fun fact hunters out there), for more meetings ! Such is the joy of being boss for the time being. It will be a shorter trip than Sydney though, and hopefully one free of cake. That said, the robot and I have conspired to keep to photograph's rolling along. This one is of Hobart's mighty Derwent River. Like the Nile, Amazon and Mississippi rolled into one, this is one impressive bit of drink. There is no hyperbole in that description either, because as I have told you a million times, I hate exaggeration. Err, this isn't the river, this is the Hydro Building on Elizabeth Street. Tip for new bloggers, be extra careful when pre-posting late at night before a trip away!