This will hurt me...

Ezra can't jump puddles.

Detritus. Marion Bay, Tasmania's East Coast. July 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... Henry drives the boat. Ezra drives the boat. How the gin and tonic became the British Empire’s secret weapon. Why do people still fly the Confederate flag? Goodbye Ossi: The Demise of Eastern German Identity. The Man Who Invented Modern Probability. Winners of the Red Bull Illume Photo Contest 2013. On Decadence. Defining the Masses: How do we speak objectively about something of which we’re a part? By documenting everything. Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much.

The boys are not, I repeat NOT , marching into Poland.

Kicking sand in my face. Marion Bay. July 2013. Wordless Wednesday.

Ezra stalks the dunes. Marion Bay. August 2013. I'll stop for Death, I reckon. Because I could not stop for Death , Emily Dickenson Because I could not stop for Death, He kindly stopped for me; The carriage held but just ourselves And Immortality. We slowly drove, he knew no haste, And I had put away My labor, and my leisure too, For his civility. We passed the school, where children strove At recess, in the ring; We passed the fields of gazing grain, We passed the setting sun. Or rather, he passed us; The dews grew quivering and chill, For only gossamer my gown, My tippet only tulle. We paused before a house that seemed A swelling of the ground; The roof was scarcely visible, The cornice but a mound. Since then 'tis centuries, and yet each Feels shorter than the day I first surmised the horses' heads Were toward eternity.

Dead penguin. Marion Bay, Tasmania's East Coast. April 2013. Sunday Stealing: The 5000 Question Meme Continues... Part Six 121. Have you ever lost someone without having the chance to say goodbye? Yes. To be honest, sometimes having the chance to say goodbye is harder. 122. How do you feel about women in politics? It depends on the woman, doesn't it. There are good ones and bad ones, much like people with a penis. 123. Would you rather have an indoor Jacuzzi or an outdoor pool? An outdoor pool. Hopefully with a sauna by the side. 124. What things are you interested in that you study or read about regularly? Lots of things! History, people, society, geography, nature. Just a few little things. 125. Would you consider yourself to be intelligent? Well... modesty forbids... [ahem]... OF COURSE I DO! 126. Would you consider yourself to be wise? Less wise than intelligent, perhaps. 127. Have you ever given or received a lap dance? In a commercial sense? The...

Jen's and Shaw's Cowfish #1. Marion Bay, March 2013. It's dead Jen. It's dead. The Fossil Fish , Christopher Middleton the fossil fish hides in time for now it is the season & all the hunters come with long clean rifles

Abandoned rose. Marion Bay, Tasmania. March 2013. It's Theme Thursday and my apologies for the story. It's a true story, but not a pretty one. If you're faint hearted, simply admire the picture and move way now. You have been warned. Don't worry, we'll get to the theme. Be patient and bear with me. There are two toilets in the complex where I work. One is always locked and only people who work in the complex have the key, the other is unlocked 90% of the time, but lockable. I prefer to use the locked one. On Monday morning I was ready to burst after walking in from the town and immediately went to the unlocked one, as it was closer. There is also a separate vestibule with sinks, mirrors prior to entering the business end of the equation. I sensed an evil presence as soon as I walked into the place. Now, in this toilet area there are three seated toilets and three urinals. In the seated one on the left , the cubicle was covered in urine and there ...

Black-fronted Dotterel, or Elseyornis melanops. Marion Bay, Tasmania. March 2013. First Love, Last Rites , Ian McEwan: Cripes, these are some DARK short stories. The blackest of the are the standouts for me, but I suspect that many will have a problem completing. B- . Two Pints , Roddy Doyle: Two old Irish blokes chatting in a bar. D+ . What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank , Nathan Englander: An uneven collection of short stories that (largely) explores modern Jewish identity. Some of the stories completely failed for me, but when he hits - as he does in the powerful "Free Fruit for Young Widows" - Englander manages to widen the historical and ethical perspective and set the full, intractably complex burden of the Middle East conflict on the reader's shoulders. B- .

Clouds. Marion Bay, Tasmania's South East Coast. March 2013. Sunday Stealing: The 5000 Question Meme, Part Three B 63. What is the kindest thing you have ever done? Just letting go... 64. Have you gone to WTIT's Facebook page and hit "like" yet? If not, why not? (No pressure.) I don't know what 'WTIT' is. 65. What holiday should exist but doesn't? An individually nominated day of self-actualisation. 66. What holiday shouldn't exist but does? Any day that glorifies war and killing. 67. What's the best joke you ever heard? I like any joke that can be a good gauge of someone's sense of humour. For example: Q: What's the difference between Neil Armstrong and Michael Jackson? [Allow some time for them to formulate an answer, most likely centering around walking on the Moon or some such.] Answer: Neil Armstrong walked on the Moon and Michael Jackson liked to fuck small boys in the mouth. No, by no means is this the b...

Ezra explains the mechanics of a recently-departed Shaw's Cowfish ( Arcana aurita ).