Satan Claws!

Perhaps a little belatedly for Christmas, I found this guy's work on flickr. The dreadful tale of the wicked uncle Nick, can be viewed in all its campy gothic horror at Satan Claws.

I love the attention to detail and the trouble he went to set up the pictures, particularly the ones out and about LA. How good is this, or what ?

Current reads

With the summer holidays I'm trying to catch up with some leisure reading, rather than savouring the delights or otherwise of my work reading (such as the Road Transport (Public Passenger Services) Act 2001, the Animal Diseases Act 2000 or the Cemeteries and Crematoria Act 2003.)

So I tend to have a book in each room of the apartment and as I wander about, just pick one up and start reading. Or continue reading. Occasionally I've even been known to move a book from one room to another, if it's really good.

So what's got my attention lately ?

First and foremost is Margaret MacMillan's superb Paris 1919, a look at the six months of the Paris peace conference which led to the Treaty of Versailles. Far from the 'traditional' view that the treaty inexorably led to WWII, because of a naive Wilson, bitter Clemenceau and crafty Lloyd George, excessive reparations etc, MacMillan's tells a more subtle tale of the errors of the conference. This is definitely a book I carry from room to room.

Another peripatetic book is Stephen Fry's The Ode Less Travelled - Unlocking the Poet Within - what can I say ? The uber-excellent and all-round wonderfully wonderful Mr Fry has done what no English teacher was able to do and has kindled in me an interest in the mechanics of poetry and through that, a wider interest in this art. The Man is a natural teacher and I am constantly amused and delighted by this charming polymath. Mr Fry's book lives in my study and occasionally makes a visit to my bedroom. Just as I wish the author would. Sigh. He is so sexy.

But I digress.

I'll persevere with William Rosen's Justinian's Flea, the story of the last Roman emperor with the epithet "the great", although some of Rosen's factual errors and awkward phrasing are a little irritating. However the impressive achievements of Justinian are worth delving into. Dining room reading.

Delizia! - The Epic History of the Italians and Their Food by John Dickie is perhaps a little too sensationally written for my tastes, but another one I'll persevere with. Bathroom reading.

As always I find Patrick White's novels heavy going, but immensely enjoyable. Riders of the Chariot is no different. There are times you just have to savour a particular phrase, or stop and reflect on White's observations, both of Australia in the 1960's and his wider views on the nature of good and evil, of lost opportunity, the trauma of existence. Deeply satisfying reading. Definitely the Loungeroom for this tome.

Time to switch this wretched machine off and go do some more reading...

Jeg er i en nordisk humør i nat

Inspired by my wonderful friend in Copenhagen - Caspar - I've been taking in a little Scandinavian pop lately. Currently listening to Djupa Andetag, a 1996 album by Anni-Frid Lyngstad (sigh, yes she was in Abba.) Here's Även en blomma:



OK, OK, all you pedants out there - she's singing in Swedish, not Danish. But I like it; she still has a wonderful voice.

canberrabiker is 43% gay

OK, I took this test. Apparently, I'm 43% gay.

Sheesh, and I thought all I had to do was screw guys.

Snowies Trip - doin' tha loop

Still buzzing from a great ride around the Snowy Mountains on Friday and Saturday with a mate of mine from Adelaide. Both of us on Honda Fireblades. We packed light. Very light. So light we had only our bike gear - full leathers and bike boots - to wear.



Friday was just a quick run down to Jindabyne, where we stayed at the pub, down by Lake Jindabyne. Beers in the pub after dinner, talking and watching video clips. Laughing and having a ball. In gear. Heh, heh.

Woke up at 4.00am to have a slash (well, I had been drinking), went outside to look at the night sky. Awesome - the Milky Way was brilliant.



Saturday we headed off around 9.00am to do the loop around the mountains - from Jindy we went cross country (and low level flying) to Adaminiby - home of the big trout.

Then quick blat up to Kiandra along the Snowy Mtns Highway - the road was warm, tires were grippy, was nailing the corners - best run through there I've ever done. Then up to Cabramurra and Tumut Pond. The area still badly affected by the big bushfires in 2003.


However the road just got better and better. Roads were in good condition, not much traffic, so could let 'er rip. Some days everything just works - setting up corners, braking, having the confidence to power through the corners, then braking hard and setting up for the next corner. Down through open farmland to Khancoban for lunch. Checked out one or two of the dams which form part of the Snowy Mountains Scheme.


Up to Scammell's lookout for some pics of the main range, then round to Geehi, Tom Groggins and Dead Horse Gap.

These roads are simply awesome, good range of twisties and sweepers, reasonably good road surface, spectacular countryside, and best of all, a very sexy mate to ride with.



We reluctantly parted company at Thredbo, with him turning back and riding back down the Alpine way to Khancoban and then on to Melbourne, while I headed north solo for Jindabyne, Cooma and Canberra.

Bloody heck, I am so going to do that run again - soon. Maybe also stay a bit longer and get in some of the Victorian High Country too.

Here's a map for those interested in the route. About 330kms around, then another 160km back to Canberra, via Cooma.

Quick Christmas post

On the CD player now:

Arvo Part's Te Deum - some of the most powerful music I have ever listened to. This is deep emotional music stripped back to its bare essentials, where even the pauses - the short aching silences - grab at my heart.

And when, almost at the end, the choir sings in full voice, accompanied by the full orchestra:

Fiat misericordia tua, Domine, super nos,
quemadmodum speravimus in te.
In te, Dominus, speravi:

The might of the heavens come crashing down on me.

Then that single quiet unaccompanied voice pleadingly sings that line again:

In te, Domine, speravi:

So fragile, so vulnerable.

So utterly alone.

This is awesome music.

Merry Christmas to everyone.

saturday evening music

Going out for dinner tonight with the usual suspects - currently on the playlist:

Love is Like Oxygen Sweet
Big Boss Groove Style Council
Ebeneezer Goode Shaman
Dead eyes Opened (remix) Severed Heads
How Soon is Now The Smiths
Atomic Blondie
Mad Dogs and Englishmen Noel Coward
Down To Mexico Boca 45

Time to get ready for dinner...