This will hurt me...

Bigmouth strikes again. Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, Brighton. May 2012. Theme Thursday already? Every now and again I think that it becomes clear that it is time for A NEW BEGINNING. ‘A NEW BEGINNING?’ you ask. ‘A NEW BEGINNING!’ I say. For me, this A NEW BEGINNING is at the same time breathtakingly simple yet utterly revolutionary. As of yesterday I have reconfigured my workstation to one in which standing has become the default option. That is, my computer set up has the monitor at standing eye level and the keyboard at around elbow height. I’ve got the desk configured in such a way that I have the opportunity to sit down if so desired. The fact that I am also working on a laptop makes it relatively easy to do computer work seated too. My typical workday starts at 8 am, after a walk to the bus stop, a bus into the city and then a twenty-minute walk into the office. I normally try to leave by 4:15 pm, but occasionally that time is pushed out. A fair whack of that tim...

Snake looking for a swim? Seven Mile Beach. March 2011. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words... Snake Deciding to romp in the dunes. Seven Mile Beach. March 2011. Here is a five-thousand word essay! Snake disappears into the grass. Seven Mile Beach. March 2011. You can see the snakes tail heading into the grass on the dunes at the left of the picture. Jen and Hen tramping right where the snake was. Seven Mile Beach. March 2011. For perspective, here's Jen and Henry heading up that very same path not that much before I spotted our slithery friend. FOOTPRINTS! Seven Mile Beach. March 2011. I got some nice shot of the belly prints too...

Careful, he bites. More frighteningly, he is also driven by some unknown force to climb . I wouldn't worry, except for this whole gravity lark. It keeps you on your toes.

Some time ago I posted the shocking story of the natural world in all of its brutality. It should not take a Mensa-level EQ to recognise both the severity of the initial act and the trauma that inevitably, tragically echoes throughout the lives of all parties. Shockingly , there were people on this very blog who felt the incident a simple lark , a joke , and maybe even that one party was asking for it . Unfortunately this seems the way of modern life. The moral certainties provided by institutionalised religion, the rigid hierarchies inherent under a notion of the divine right of kings and feudal serfdom, the 'traditional' family and stark gender roles have all withered away leaving a hodge-podge of post-modern, post-materialist 'values' where anything goes but everybody reserves the right to be offended and offend in equal quantities. Thankfully, the Hobart City Council are a more enlightened bunch, and they've erected these statues to recognise the horror the o...

I have endeavoured to warn the world of the threat posed by rampaging wallabies previously on this blog , but did people listen? Of course they didn't! Some people seem to think that just because they're little, furry, cuddly and herbivores, wallabies are not brutal, godless killing machines . Thank the lord for the good folk in the proud state of Queensland (for our American friends, think Texas, only with cane toads, corruption and slow talking). One of the world's most respected newspapers, The Townsville Bulletin , has lifted the lid on the murky morass that is the moral quagmire of the elderly/marsupial relationship in the Smart State in the year 2008. As the bold graphic in the Bulletin piece says, these cold blooded killers are stalking seniors ! Consider these terrifying facts people: Faeces left on patios, with residents opening their back doors and stepping in it ! A vision impaired old dear was innocently hanging clothes on the washing line, only to discove...

I will be honest with you and admit that aside from penguins and wombats, my favourite creatures tend to be bloodthirsty killers. Thus, I am thinking of getting the lads either a crocodile or great white shark for Christmas. I mean really, isn’t this guy a cutie? If you’re a shark freak out type like me, you might like to check out this collection of images and links from Dark Roasted Blend . It’s well worth a few minutes browsing.

Long-time readers of this blog will know of my commitment to alerting the world of dangerous creatures. Whether it is Argentinian terror-gnomes , Nazi squirrels or sexually aggressive seals , I pride myself in raising global awareness of specific threats. So, naturally my ears pricked up when I heard this tale from Queensland. With what appears to be no recourse to hyperbole whatsoever , colourful local identity Alwyn "Bones" Bailey has described a terrifying attack on his nine year old dirt magnet. Bones told an excited press corps that his presence alone saved the life of son Morgan, who would have been mauled to death by what may have been zombie herbivores, driven by a lust for blood . "It's deadset serious. Someone should get a gun and shoot the buggers," Mr Bailey argued. "They're not just friendly, cute little wallabies any more – they're killers !" "I had to belt him [the rampaging wallaby] across the face twice, then he came ...