Confusion is nothing new

Lying in my bed I hear the clock tick,
And think of you
Caught up in circles confusion -
Is nothing new
Flashback - warm nights -
Almost left behind
Suitcases of memories,
Time after -

Sometimes you picture me -
I'm walking too far ahead
You're calling to me, I can't hear
What you've said -
Then you say - go slow -
I fall behind -
The second hand unwinds

If you're lost you can look - and you will find me
Time after time
If you fall I will catch you - I'll be waiting
Time after time

After my picture fades and darkness has
Turned to gray
Watching through windows - you're wondering
If I'm OK
Secrets stolen from deep inside
The drum beats out of time -

Your mate, Cindy Lauper

When the witnesses are gone

Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin
Dance me through the panic 'til I'm gathered safely in
Lift me like an olive branch and be my homeward dove
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love

Oh let me see your beauty when the witnesses are gone
Let me feel you moving like they do in Babylon
Show me slowly what I only know the limits of
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love

Dance me to the wedding now, dance me on and on
Dance me very tenderly and dance me very long
We're both of us beneath our love, we're both of us above
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love

Dance me to the children who are asking to be born
Dance me through the curtains that our kisses have outworn
Raise a tent of shelter now, though every thread is torn
Dance me to the end of love

Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin
Dance me through the panic till I'm gathered safely in
Touch me with your naked hand or touch me with your glove
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love
Dance me to the end of love

My mate, Leonard Cohen

Seen better

Just in case I think I'm good - I can check sites like I've seen better to remind myself that we've all seen better.

I'll persevere. One must!

Bonsai

Got given a bonsai for Christmas - with no instructions. I'm not a bit 'plant' person so I'm not feeling too confident. I'm keeping it outside by day but bringing it inside at night so it doesn't get eaten by the possums. Trying to keep it well-watered too. It looks cute but....

Zenit Success!

After anxiety about how to open the camera, how to load film, and how to operate the light metre, I finally shot my first roll of photos with my *new Zenit*!
Thanks to all helpers, especially the pregnant one!
Attached is the first foray into the old-school method. Comments welcome. Yeah, I know, it's just tomatoes! Check out my photo album where there are more shots, and lots more from my other new camera, a Nikon Cooplpix 5000.

2006 the year of the photo!

Our Drowning Neighbours

Here's an issue that the Labor Opposition could really use as a point of departure from the Government. They could manage it in such a way that the unions would be onside, rural voters would be onside and lefties too. I wish it would, could happen.

In Labor's Policy White Paper, "Our Drowning Neighbours", the Federal Opposition calls on Australia to take an initiating role to assist in collaboration with other Pacific Nations in the intake and relocation of residents of countries such as Tuvalu, Vanuatu and the Carteret Islands off Papua New Guinea. Australia, which is now on the record as a country with the highest average annual temperature in 2005 since recording began, is also by far the largest contributor in the southern hemisphere to the destruction of climate balance in the Pacific.

The people on the Pacific Islands do not dirty their environment, Australia does that for them, yet up till now the Howard government conveniently closes its eyes to the issue. Australia needs to increase its annual refugee intake, and create an unconditional new category of Climate Refugees intake for the nations in our neighbourhood. It is remarkable that countries like Canada pays the bill for relocation of some Pacific Island Nations, while Australia does nothing, and that should change. Pacific Island spokesman Bob Sercombe said it was impossible to judge how many people might need resettlement — but the combined population of Tuvalu, Kiribati and the Marshall Islands is barely 175,000.

You come for the Sunshine but you stay for the Zenits

Bought a new camera!

Got given a Nikon Coolpix 5000 for Christmas but that wasn't enough! I bought a Zenit-e off eBay, which I received yesterday. It's the complete antithesis of the Coolpix, although both are confusing and require a fair bit of imput from the user, compared to my old Pentax anyway.

Light readings! Gonna have to do all that stuff myself. How cool. Is that!

I'm going to try to give it a run-through before next weekend, when I'm photographing a wedding of a friend's friend's. I'd love to able to use it as well as the high-tech digicams.