Post Of The Day

Ladies and gentlemen, let's hear it for our joint winners of the day. Two gold trophies, two sets of applause and two bloggers on the winners' rostrum - San Merideth, for the post Mercury Retrograde: Don’t Buy Into The Superstition and Celebration of Life with the many-textured post One Year Ago Today. The other great posts of the day were Casdok's Looks Can Be Deceiving; Mima's A Human Being; Sandi McBride's Desperadoes Waiting on a Train; Priyank's Scrolls From the Holy Land; Victorya's The Cats of my Life: Bobo; Old Tom Wigley's photo feature Oyster Mushrooms and Daryle's If Only. Please do visit them and leave a comment if you have time.

Cross Purposes

At Least It’s Not A Mass Exodus

A German priest's flock grew threefold after he offered them money to attend Mass. Father Burkhard Westphal handed out envelopes containing five euros (about $7.50) to people who came to Mass at his Collinghorst church. The usual attendance is about 60, but 189 turned up on Sunday when word spread. Westphal said most people had put the money back during the collection.

FOOTNOTE: Altar buoy.

B Is For Beginning

Here's A Novel Way To Picture The Plot

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Have you ever taken a photographic journey through a novel?

I guess I'm lucky that I'm a photographer, because this means I can give you a glimpse at my next novel, "Muskoka Maharani", to be published by Penguin Books India. When I say "glimpse", I mean you can really see some of the real-life places where the novel goes.

This first shot (above) is taken at the U Dock of the Delta Sherwood Hotel in Port Carling, Muskoka, which is in the north of the Canadian province of Ontario. This is where an investigative Australian journalist must come in order to save his own career, his job and his way of life. It is here, in the pre-dawn light, that he attempts to interview a close-lipped woman in her eighties. Will she trust him enough to tell him her greatest secret, a revelation that could become the scoop of the year?

As you'll see in the post Booked For Life, my synopsis of the novel is simple and very brief....

The daughter of an embittered, hard-drinking Anglo-Indian engine driver from a little railway colony finally finds love in war-torn England. But it’s 60 years before she breaks her silence on how she helped unmask a German spy, and the aftershock takes an investigative Australian journalist all the way to the Vatican.

He thinks he is doomed and that his critical assignment has come to nothing as he spends a prolonged, uncomfortable silence with the old woman as she photographs and paints the stunning sunrise across the lake.


Eventually - completely unexpectedly - he wins her confidence. She spills out her life story, starting with her childhood in Marsdengunj, a remote Indian railway outpost, her time as a nurse in England during World War II and her eventual move to Canada.

She and the journalist spend hours in the picturesque dining hall of the Delta Sherwood. By the time she draws to the concluding portion of her life, the shadows of the setting sun are long and stark across the eastern lawn.


Among the high and low points of her life are:

• A ghostly eipsode from her teenage years
• Her mother's terrible post-natal depression that was not diagnosed
• The breakdown of her parents' marriage
• The mystery of what eventually happened to her mother
• The teenage love story that seemed so terribly thwarted
• How she found the man of her dreams amid the fear and loss of wartime
• The harrowing retreat of an army officer at Dunkirk
• How grave suspicions surface against a most unlikely person

But before she tells the journalist the last stages of her amazing story, she suggests that he should drive about 35 kilometres to neighbouring Gravenhurst. They come to this intersection .....

The description in the novel of Gravenhurst, a beautiful lakeside hamlet, is exactly as I saw it one afternoon in 2005, while I was photographing the area before taking a lake cruise.


But does the story end in Gravenhurst? No. What happens from this point on? You'll have to read the book to find out.

But now I throw thr forum open to every one of my readers. Now that I've shared this unusual journey with you, I'd be honoured if you could tell me what you think of it. Do leave me a comment with your frank opinion.

Working Class Mantra

Can Someone Translate This For Me, Please?

If you want to lob a few thought grenades across the office, be careful they don't detonate too close to you. Why? Because a session of "blamestorming" could follow. Does all that sound like gobbledegook? You see, I'm told these are the latest lines in workplace lingo. A "thought grenade" is an explosively good idea. This phrase became fashionable among office staff last year, as did the expression "Let's sunset that", which refers to unsuitable ideas that must never be mentioned again. Every worker knows the pain of recriminations after a project goes wrong. Now it has a name - "blamestorming", which means debating why a deadline was missed and who was responsible.

FOOTNOTE: Lingo star.

Post Of The Day

Today's gold trophy and bragging rights go to San Merideth for the post Mercury Retrograde: Don’t Buy Into The Superstition. The other posts that caught my eye were House of Lime with Pennsylvania German Tuesday - Sweets And Salts; Epijunky with Reason #5841 Not To Call 911; Down River Drivel with Hot Merchandise; If I Had a Million Dollars with Auditory Processing For Dummies; Sandi McBride with Sink Sandwich; Jo Beaufoix with Every Parent’s Nightmare; Miles To Go Before We Sleep with Heads Or Tails; Classy Chaos with Eeny Meeny Miny Moe; D-blogged with Blogger Meet-Up Week and Kate Isis with Non Serious Shallow Stuff. Please do pay them a visit and leave a comment.

Spare The Rod

He Can’t Catch Haddock, He Can’t Catch Cod

A Croatian fisherman is selling his pet dog because it keeps catching more fish than him. Slobodan Paparella is fed up with being embarrassed in front of his fishing pals. He said that most days when he went fishing he would catch only the odd fish, but his Irish setter Lipi would jump into the water and catch dozens of fish. Paparella said the last straw was when he hooked a 6.8kg fish, but lost it at the last second - only to see Lipi jump in and catch it.

FOOTNOTE: Dog gone.

Is It "Palm" Sunday?

Cathedral Spire, Seen Through The Trees

St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne. Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Must Be An Outdated Picture

This Passport Has Taken Me Ages

A 109-year-old Macedonian woman is getting her first passport after it took decades for authorities to check how old she was. Maria Kostova, from the town of Shtip, was born on February 7, 1898, but no birth certificate was issued to her at the time. Local authorities lost their records of her birth and when she asked for a passport more than 20 years ago they said they would have to look for documentation. ``Now I just have to think of what holiday I can have so I can use it,'' she said.

FOOTNOTE: Elder statement.

Post Of The Day

Today's winner is Amn2deep with My Father’s Feet. The other leading contenders are Karoline Wednesday’s Child with Things One Should Know About Cats; Kimberly with Random Wierdness; Jenn in Holland with So What’s Wrong With Making Mealtime A Joyous Occasion; Such Simple Pleasures with The Gall Of It All; Seeking Sanity with Working Triage; Merisi with January Beauty; Merry Daze with Still Learning, Still Smiling; Jo Beaufoix with La Petite Petomane; Mushy with How I Killed Papa John. Please do visit them and leave a comment.

(And for blog-photographers, there's a great reference point at Anna's informative post titled Watermark).

Naked Ambition

All The Nudes That’s Fit To Print

German holidaymakers will be able to indulge their love of naturism by taking to the skies on special naked flights. The flights are aimed at former East Germans who feel nostalgic for the naturism that was authorised and extremely popular under communist rule. The first nude flight will be a July 5 day trip between Erfurt in southeast Germany and the white sandy beaches on the Baltic Sea island of Usedom.

FOOTNOTE: Teddy bare.

Santa Pause

Huh? Where's The Snowman, Carol?

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

You know The Look? I guess it's The Look of disapproval. It could even be the You're-So-Not-Cool Look. It's the rolling of the eyes. It's the heavenward glance. Know what I mean? My guitar-playing son came home this weekend with a Bruce Springsteen CD for me, and I was delighted, because I've always been a fan of The Boss.

I expressed my gratitude. As you do. But Master Authorblog just chuckled. "They were on special, Dad," he explained, "three CDs for $40. Since I was buying one for myself anyway, I thought I'd get two more for just another ten bucks."

Okay, so the story's going great so far. The next day I saw the CD that he had bought for himself. Now, can you please have a look at the picture (above) and tell me what you see. Do you see "Ultimate Santa"?

I'm standing there scratching my head, because the CD design doesn't seem very Christmas-like. No snowmen. No stockings. No fireplace. No Christmas tree. No presents. No holly. No mistletoe. So I asked him what sort of Christmas CD it was.

That's when he gave me The Look. All he did was open up the CD and this (below) is what I saw - but keep reading for the postscript, please.

So I tested Mrs Authorblog, who has an IQ of 12,o00 and could have taught Albert Einstein a few things. I showed her the CD and asked her what she thought the cover said. Quick came the reply: "Ultimate Santana". I was completely foxed. I asked how she knew that and she said it was obvious there was another letter or two hidden by the "3 for $40" sticker.

"How on earth do you know that?" I asked. "Do you have X-ray vision?"

That's when I got The Look again. This time from Mrs Authorblog and Master Authorblog. That's when I ran up the white flag of surrender. I know when I'm beaten.

Diamond In The Rough

It's Got A Familiar Ring

A grandmother in the UK has got back the engagement ring she threw into a field during a tiff 67 years ago after her grandson dug it up. Violet Booth and fiance Samuel hunted in vain for the diamond ring and had to buy another when they married months later in 1941. But metal detector fan Leighton Boyes, 33, found it in just two hours after he pinpointed the spot. Violet, now 88, wept with joy as she put on the ring. Violet, whose husband died 15 years ago, added: "This ring means the world to me and brings back so many happy memories. I can't stop looking at it."

FOOTNOTE: Boyes will be boys.

Post Of The Day

Today we have a tie for first place, with Helena's post When Hymns Harm and Dipali's Sixty-Fifth Anniversary. Close behind were Bart with We're Clean, Officer, Copper Stiletto with Why Five-Year-Olds Should Not Drive, Hootin Anni with Old Fashion Roll Next, Brain Droppings with Heroes, Mary's Twenty-Eight Years Old, Celebration of Life with Going Home, Lee with Removing Power Cells To Empower Freedom, Absolute Vanilla (& Atyllah) with Lilac Dawn, Deana's Party Noise and Jennwa's Not Such A Good Weekend. Please do visit them and leave a comment if you can.

Kitty Glitter

Look Over Here, Hawk-Eyes!

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Those of you who have followed this blog for a while would know that I love photographing just about anything, especially if I can find an unusual angle for a shot. These shots of a Curtis P40 Kittyhawk were taken at an air show, and I was just thrilled to have the chance to photograph an aircraft of World War II vintage.

If you've been to an air show, you'll appreciate how difficult it is to work the angles or get close-ups. You see, aircraft are always cordoned off to prevent people getting too close to them. And because there are always crowds at each exhibit, it can be quite a challenge to get just the plane in the frame and not the bobbing heads and waving arms of hundreds of excited planespotters as well.

Yup, aviation photography on an airfield or a tarmac is very different from the challenge of aviation photography at an air show. I have always been a keen student of aerodynamics, the history of air combat and just about anything that flies. The first frame (above) is a deliberate attempt to show just how slender the fuselage of a fighter was, is and always has been.

It's great fun photographing a sleek jet fighter, but I really appreciate the chance to train my lens on a red spinner, propeller blades and a beautiful set of fishtail exhausts. That sort of thing doesn't happen every day.

By the way, if you have an interest in stories about fighter pilots of World War II, then you might appreciate just how privileged I was to tell the stories of two RAF pilots of that era. It was my very great privilege to painstakingly piece together the heroism of a Typhoon pilot and a Hurricane pilot; stories that would have been impossible to tell without the power and reach of the internet. The first feature is Life And Death Of A Hurricane Pilot and the second is displayed in full on Terry Fletcher's wonderful Anglo-Indian Portal at The Story of 'Tiger' Rajan.

By the way, I am currently working on my third novel, called The Jadu Master. A couple of significant chapters deal with the fighter pilots of the RAF and the Luftwaffe, as well as the aircraft they flew. In this instance, I am doing extensive research on the performance (and all other relevant data) of the Spitfire and the Messerschmitt Bf-109. Yes, I'm enjoying myself. Yes, I have lots of data. And yes, I'm acutely aware there is always more information just around the corner ....

The quest for knowledge and understanding never ends.

The Last Straw

An Englishman’s Home Is His Ruination

This ain’t a case of Tudor manor born. An English couple hid their mock-Tudor mansion behind a 12 metre (about 36 feet) stack of straw for four years in an extraordinary attempt to bypass planning laws. Linda Fidler and husband Robert didn't seek planning permission for their "dream home", complete with ramparts, and the first anyone knew was when the bales were removed. Council planners have now ruled that the construction is illegal and should be knocked down.

FOOTNOTE: Bale money.

Weekend Wandering

Please answer today's question on your own blog, any time until next weekend. Just link to this blog (or to this post) so I can follow the progress of the discussion.

The question is: How efficiently (or inefficiently) would your household function without batteries?

Bronze Meddle

The Strange Truth About The Shiny Cherubs

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

The photograph of this bronze cherub is a follow-up to my post yesterday, Victoria Across, a photo feature about the Victoria Memorial in Calcutta. Take a close look at the photo (above) of a bronze cherub in the grounds of the museum and tourist attraction. Notice anything strange about the shot?

Yes, you're right. The area around the cheeks of the cherub are shiny, but the rest of the face is dull and the bronze has turned black with age and exposure. Strange, isn't it? It's not just one cherub. There are quite a few of them in one area, and each cherub shows exactly the same symptoms.

I was about ten years old when I first spotted this strange fact. It was during a school excursion and I was completely intrigued by the sight. What on earth would cause a certain portion of the bronze to remain shiny while the rest of the cherub was in stark contrast? There had to be a very specific explanation. Well, read on ....

I watched the cherubs very carefully for the next half an hour or so. Then I saw a group of adult tourists approaching. I watched as they began to admire the cherubs. And then the answer became patently clear to me as I watched what they did next.

Allow me to digress for a second. Children are very special in Indian culture and when grown-ups greet a child, a very common and acceptable gesture is for the adult to reach out with thumb and fingers spread and caress the cheeks of the child. The adult's thumb caresses the right cheek, while the fingers are spread across the left cheek.

Yep, that's what I saw all those years ago. The group admired the beauty of the cherubs and one by one they stretched out their hands to - you guessed it - lovingly and tenderly rub the cheeks of each cherub.

So the next time you visit the Victoria Memorial, you'll know exactly what causes this phenomenon. It's so cheeky, but so true.

Victoria Across

Calcutta's Answer To The Taj Mahal

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

With this week's Photo Hunt theme being "old-fashioned" it is my very great privilege to take you on a tour of the Victoria Memorial in Calcutta (now Kolkata). This shot (above) was taken in late October 2006, shortly after 7.30 in the morning, before the sun had burnt off the mist that shrouds the city like a veil of antique lace. There is an ethereal beauty to this extraordinary landmark of the city where I was born and I have to admit I had a lump in my throat when I pressed the shutter to capture this scene.


The Victoria Memorial is a white marble building that was built between 1906 and 1921. Mate, there are palaces around the world that aren't as majestic as this place. The huge angel atop the central dome is called the Angel of Victory. It's made of bronze and has ball bearings beneath its pedestal because it serves as a graceful weather vane. Yes, it still turns, despite its massive weight.


This is part of the ornate gateway (above) leading into the parkland that surrounds the Victoria Memorial. It was built to honour Queen Victoria, who was the Empress of India until her death in 1901. Calcuttans refer to it as the "VM" and the bus conductors - in that wonderful quirky telegraphic language of theirs - call it "Toria Moria".


This shot (above) was taken inside the grounds, as I walked across the vast moats that surround the expanse of parkland. When I was very little, my Dad (who knew everything about everything) told me that the moats were not just decorative and that they were designed in keeping with the foundations of the building.


This was the last shot (above) I took in the sequence that morning. I had walked back to a friend's car. I mopped my brow in the humidity and sank into the back seat of his Mercedes, my camera bag at my feet. "Finished?" he asked me. I nodded. I was done - and I was exhausted. He started the car but before he could move, I yelled out to him not to put it into drive. He looked at me as if I was mad. I reached for my camera, took the lens cap off and shot this final frame of the Victoria Memorial reflected in his wing mirror.

Post Of The Day

I have no hesitation in handing today's gold medal to an extraordinary post, Mushy's Reconciling Without My Dad. Other leading contenders from today were What It’s Like To Be Me with Question; Pat Houseworth's Whiskey Run; Here There and Everywhere with Memory Brought Back To Life; Jeff B's Are You Ready yet?; Oh How My Winter Nights Fly with I Going To Kick Her Sax; Melinda with Dear Noah, Not The F-Word; Imac with Tree People; I Gotta B with T Is For Tupperware; Craver VII with Twenty Somethings; Beachy’s Cape Cod Cupboard with Abandoned Or Waiting and Moonshadow with Welcome To My Office.

Astern Appraisal

Gee, The Navy Puts Up With A Lot Of Ship

A $600 million Royal Navy aircraft carrier had to turn back two days into a mission - after its fridge broke down. HMS Illustrious, complete with hi-tech weaponry, was heading for the Indian Ocean with nearly 1,000 crew on board when it returned to port yesterday. A fault was located in the giant fridge so the captain set course for Portsmouth, where refrigeration experts were waiting to start the $20,000 repair.

FOOTNOTE: Like a fridge over troubled waters.

Smoke On The Water

Fire In The Sky

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

During a bushfire, the sky is always endowed with vivid colours. Last summer, when fires ringed Victoria, I took these shots from Princes Bridge here in Melbourne. There was a brooding sky that looked as if someone had dropped a can of Chrome Yellow paint all across its expanse.

As the sun rose through the heavy cloud and the thick smoke that choked the city, it seemed devoid of any recognisable shape. I shot half a dozen frames very quickly, moving from the St Kilda Road end of the bridge to the other side, near Flinders Street Station.

The timing was perfect because I was able to compose several shots of the dramatic sunrise against the tall trees that fringe the Alexandra Gardens. Then, when I was halfway across the bridge, I realised I could shoot a vertical frame to include the historic boatsheds and the glow of the sky reflected in the surface of the Yarra River.

Toothy Quatro

Smiles To Go Before You Sleep

A London dentist is giving patients check-ups over the internet. Jerry Watson examines their teeth via webcam and decides if he needs to see them in person. Patients still have to go to a clinic to be filmed and have a $100 clean-up by a hygienist at the same time. Watson, who is expanding his clinic to 20 more sites in the UK, says it means he can monitor patients at four clinics at once. He believes the technology could ultimately let people have a check-up at home.

FOOTNOTE: Is the safety catch off your gum?

Post Of The Day

Today we have a tie for first spot, with Deborah Gamble's Your Are rarely As Cool As You Thin (Part 1) and Les Becker's Be One With The Shovel. They were closely followed by Confessions of a Rotten Correspondent with Envelope Please; Oh How My Winter Nights Fly with Lack of Sleep, Coffee and Paint Fumes; Caffeine Court (who is on the list for the second consecutive day) with A Trip Down Memory Lane With The Boy Next Door; Suldog with the wacky Certifiable? I Can Only Hope So; Rambling Traveler with Getting Uncomfortablel Travistee with I’m Not That Woman and Wit's End with Thoughts For A January Evening. Please pay them a visit and leave a comment.

Polly Gone (And That Ain't Geometry)

Like All Crime Waves, These Take Place In Cycles

Border guards in Belarus said they had foiled an attempt to smuggle 277 parrots into the ex-Soviet state - aboard a bicycle. Spokesman Alexander Tishchenko said the smuggler abandoned his bicycle and cargo - contained in six cages - and fled back over the border into Ukraine. "The cages were fixed to an ordinary bicycle. The parrots were stuffed inside like sardines, 40 to 50 to a cage," he said. The birds were handed over to veterinary inspectors.

FOOTNOTE: Parrot fashion.

A Is For Australia

Your Sons Have Different Nationalities, Ma'am?

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

One of the funniest examples of family-related geography took place when I was fourteen years old, in my second-last year of boarding school at St Joseph's College, Darjeeling – the school famously known by its compass orientation, North Point.

I should point out that there is a substantial age gap between my three older siblings and me – Keith, Michael and Brian got a head start of fifteen, twelve and ten years respectively. Because my brothers were in boarding school, I only saw them for three months each year. By the time I was six years old, each of them had left the family home, Keith and Brian to join the merchant navy and Michael to become a fighter pilot.

Keith then lived in England for a while before moving to Australia, where he eventually took on Australian citizenship. Shortly after I started Year Ten, Keith returned to India on holiday, travelling on an Australian passport.

As Brian just happened to be in Calcutta at the time, it was decided that he and our mother would travel to Darjeeling with Keith. But because Keith was now a ``foreigner’’, he had to get special permission to visit Darjeeling, and the necessary paperwork was completed without a hitch. Once they arrived in the beautiful Himalayan town where my school was situated, it was decided that they would spend a day or two extra – which in turn meant that Keith had to apply for an extension.

While I was in class one morning, Mum and Brian accompanied Keith to the official who would review his case. They explained they just wanted a couple of extra days because they were spending as much time as possible with me while I was at boarding school. Very efficiently, Keith was given permission and the necessary paperwork was completed.

As Mum, Brian and Keith got up to go, the official very politely stopped Mum. He wanted to know if he could possibly ask her a ``very personal’’ question. Mum, who was never flummoxed by unexpected roadblocks, told him to go right ahead.

Clearing his throat, the official cut to the chase. ``Madam,’’ he said, ``how is it you have one Australian son but your other sons are Indians?’’

Delight Sabre

May The Faith Be With You

Two Star Wars-loving brothers are planning to set up a Jedi church in Wales. Barney and Daniel Jones want fellow devotees to be able to join them on Anglesey. Barney, 26 - or Master Jonba Hehol - and Daniel, 21 - Master Morda Hehol - head the UK Church of the Jedi. They say their services will include sermons on The Force, light sabre training, and meditation techniques. Although the current members are all men, women are not excluded, as Barney points out: "Princess Leia helped them out a lot."

FOOTNOTE: Peeking up with the Joneses.

Post Of The Day

Please put your hands together for Jo Beaufoix's post The Jean Genie. The other major contenders of the day were Is It Just Me with Los Angeles Fun – And Not Fun; Kimberly's Finding Joy – The Experiment; Superconductor's How To Prepare For The Ski Season; Mouse Medicine with Where Has Childhood Gone?; Craver VII with Stepping Into Their World; Karoline Wednesday’s Child with The Weekend; Andree picture post titled Woodpecker; Maddy's Chicken Philosophy And Word Retrieval; Confessions of a Coalminer's Granddaughter with Too Much and Digital Flower Pictures with Cactus Flower. Please do visit them and leave a comment.

Lord Of The Fliers

Origami Space Mission Looks Good On Paper

Japanese scientists plan to launch a paper plane from - of all places - the International Space Station. The 20-centimetre craft, made from heat-resistant paper, will hit speeds of up to Mach 20 (24,500 kilometres an hour) as it flutters 384 kilometres to earth. The brainchild of the Japan Origami Plane Association and University of Tokyo engineers, a message will be written onto the plane in several languages, asking the finder to return it the origami group.

FOOTNOTE: Fold, to the highest bidder.

Raindrops Keep Falling On My Headline

Tropical Storm Has Thunder, Lightning And Rain

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Technical information: F 5.6, exposure 1/60th of a second, ISO speed 800.

It's A Steal

Sarge, Our Theft-Proof Police Car's Been Nicked

A hi-tech, theft-proof police car worth 75,000 quid was stolen in Berlin - after officers left it unlocked with the key in the ignition. The special BMW was the pride of the Berlin police force. But it was stolen when two officers jumped out to chase a joy-rider on foot after he had abandoned a stolen car. The criminal got away and when the officers went back they found the expensive BMW gone. Police chiefs say they have no leads on who may have stolen the car and are still looking for it.

FOOTNOTE: The Berlin wail.

Post Of The Day

Today's applause goes to Michal, who takes top spot with the post Spin. Among the other top contenders were Camikaos with School Uniform; Whiskeymarie with More Fun Than A Barrel Of Frozen Monkeys; Absolute Vanilla with Conjoined and Separated; Mouse Medicine with Where Has Childhood Gone?; Corey with Stepping Into Their World; Oh how my Winter Nights Fly with Conversations With Daddykins; Caffeine Court with Do You Believe?; The Querkey Turkey with Being Stunned and Amazed; Bruno with the no-holds-barred post A Little Here, A Little There; Ornery's Wife with Evidence of Change and Everyday Housewife with Dreams of Christmas Gifts Past.

You Ain’t Nuthin’ But A Hound Doc

Called To The Bar, Er, Bark

Hungarian scientists are working on a computer programme to enable people to understand dog barks. The software is said to work out the nuances of a dog's barks, howls, yaps and growls. After analysing 6,000 barks, it aims to determine when a dog has seen a ball, when it is fighting, playing, meeting a stranger or when it wants a walk. But the computer correctly recognised the emotional state of 43 per cent of dogs, just ahead of humans with 40 per cent.

FOOTNOTE: 101 Damnations.

A Sign, From Above

Stop - In The Name Of The Lore

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Okay, so it's not often you get to photograph a vehicle from about ten metres directly above it. But there I was, crossing one of the two airbridges at Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport that connect the main terminal to the Hilton and the multi-level car park.

Because I'm curious by nature, I always look around - and lo and behold, I caught sight of this ute. (That's Aussie-speak for utility vehicle, or what some of you would call a pickup or a tray truck.) Luckily I always have my camera with me, so I used the long lens to zoom in on a really unusual sight. You could say it was a sign of the times!

Wot? No Supporting Role?

What Would Dick Whittington Have Said?

UK television personality Jeremy Paxman has given Marks & Spencer a dressing down over the lack of "support" in their underpants. The Newsnight star personally contacted store chief executive, Sir Stuart Rose, to complain. Paxman sent an email to Sir Stuart, saying: "Like very large numbers of men in this country I have always bought my socks and pants at Marks & Sparks. There's no other way to put this. Their pants no longer have adequate support. When I've discussed this with friends it has revealed widespread gusset anxiety." He said his email was meant to be a private matter but had been leaked.

FOOTNOTE: That's a load of bollocks!

Post Of The Day

Today's gold trophy goes to Lin, for Val de Mort Part 1. The other contenders were Cookie's Some Thoughts Fer Yall; Burt Reynolds’ Mustache with A Brief and Lengthy Introductory Post (For Lovers and Fighters Alike; RDH Mom with Our Adoption Journey; Lost in the Bible Belt with The Origins of Distrust; Cowgirl's Life and the Parsley Bush; Creative-Type Dad with I Have A Poop-Obsessed Child; Emma Sometimes with Tire For Your Thoughts and Preposterous Ponderings with Before And After. Do visit them and leave a comment.

Skill And Crossbones

Please Take Down Your Flag, Ma’am

A Hampshire woman has been ordered to remove a pirate flag from her garden. Carol Clark, from Whitchurch, was told the skull and crossbones breaches advertising rules. "It's daft. I thought someone was playing a joke at first," she said. A keen sailor, she hoisted the black and white Jolly Roger after a friend gave it to her as a joke. But her local council says only national or regional flags may be flown without planning permission - because everything else is deemed to be advertising.

FOOTNOTE: Jolly unfortunate, Roger.

Hell's Angle

Biker Is Saddled With Flower Power

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

In the old days, a cowboy would sling his panniers across the broad back of his trusty stallion. Now, it seems, some motorcyclists have custom-built storage containers on their hogs. I spotted this motorcycle parked on the side of a road in India when I was there three weeks ago. As someone who rode a motorcycle for ten years (there's something you didn't know about me) I have a terrific empathy for anyone on two wheels.

What really struck me about this scene (above) was the fact that the owner must surely have been a Sensitive New Age Guy.

Have a good look at the close-up version (below) and tell me if you spot the little details that caught my eye. First, check out the hand-painted floral patterns and the intricate, symmetrical border. Second, you gotta give the guy credit for the red heart and the word "Love" painted in the middle of the heart.

And I'm awarding him several brownie points for the fact that whoever crafted the metal storage unit even went so far as to incorporate a delicate clasp and lock. It's a pretty big lock - and it's a perfect colour match for the metal. Thumbs-up for that.

But I was rather disconcerted to notice that the chrome exhaust stack had taken a bit of punishment. The owner loses points for the oil streaks, as well as fact that the exhaust pipe had copped more battering than a plate of fish and chips.

Hot Cross Bums

Women Cops Say Their Trousers Are Not Hip

Policewomen in the UK are rebelling against their regulation trousers - because they make their bums look big. Dozens of female officers complained to the trade magazine "Police Review" that they wore men's trousers because they looked better. Ananova reports they were particularly aggrieved by the "Simon Cowell-style high waistbands" which cover up curves and the bulky, ill-fitting material which makes it difficult to run after offenders. One West Midlands policewoman complained: "The force needs to listen to us."

FOOTNOTE: The force ain't with them.

Weekend Wandering

Please answer today's question on your own blog, any time until next weekend. Just link to this blog (or to this post) so I can follow the progress of the discussion.

The question is: Do you wear denim?

Open Invitation

Never Let Your Spirits Flag

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

January in Melbourne is synonymous with the Australian Open tennis tournament, the first grand slam title of the calendar year. Last year, world number one Roger Federer famously called the Aussie Open the "happy Open" and the name - naturally - has stuck.

Of the many sports-crazy bloggers around the world, Brian in Oxford has been following the tennis action closely and we've been exchanging emails about some key matches. If you've been watching the action on our new blue Plexicushion courts, do leave me a comment to let me know what you think of the action.

The signature flags with the striking, colourful Aussie Open symbol can be seen all round the city. These particular flags were fluttering in a strong breeze a couple of days ago at Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport. They've been there for weeks, welcoming visitors, officials and players alike.

Our Open is a mix of everything - morning sessions, night sessions, open courts, retractable-roof stadiums, scorching hot weather, cool breezes and (thankfully) some rain as well. One thing's for sure in this sports-mad city. When it comes to tennis, you can't fault our service.

The Wright Stuff

It's All Thanks To Orville And Wilbur

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Sometimes the simplest shots can be just as satisfying as identifying a great picture waiting to be captured. The striking colours of this early-morning scene really caught my attention while I was in India three weeks ago. Blue and silver and black are not colours you often encounter - and my rule is simple: if I look twice at something, I photograph it.

This stylised eagle is the emblem of the Indian Air Force, with its proud history in combat and in peacetime duties. The Hindi words in the round emblem spell out "Bharatiya Vayu Sena" which translates of course to Indian Air Force.

The words displayed in the silver banner below the crest are "Nabha sparsh deeptam", meaning "Touch the sky with glory".

With today's Photo Hunt theme being "Important", a defence force sums it up perfectly. And where would we be without the efforts of the pioneering Wright brothers? In essence, this is a salute to pilots and ex-pilots, both military and civilian, in every corner of the world.

Post Of The Day

Today's winner is Jeff B with the riveting, inspiring post Don't Get In My Face. Among the other posts that really made an impression on me were Lynn with The Jokes Flood In; Kate Isis with Bye Bye Baby; Zathyn Priest with I Did It; Wendy's Through The Looking Glass; Captain’s Log with What Teachers Make; Merelyme's Thinking Out Loud; San Meredith with the beautiful tribute Time Travelling With Oakley; Jo Beaufoix with Living In A Bubble; Kaz with People Who Don’t Live Up To Their Hairstyles and Marvin with Low Mileage. Please visit them and leave a comment of encouragement.

Was It A Falling-Out?

Maybe It Was A Falling-In Instead

An entire police squad had to be rescued from a freezing lake in Hungary after an officer tried to chase a robber across ice. Policewoman Ani Kosut fell through ice in Szigliget in the west of the country. Passers-by called other police but as they tried to fish her out, they fell in as well and more officers had to be called. Thirty policemen ended up in the freezing waters before a team of fire fighters finally dragged them all to safety. The robber escaped.

FOOTNOTE: Time to break the ice.

Right Angle

Right Time, Right Place, Looking The Right Way

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Can you figure out what this photograph (above) shows? If you're not certain, let me repeat what I say when I get asked for the single most important piece of advice for budding photographers. Without exception, my advice is always to look around for the best shot, because it invariably comes from an angle or a viewpoint that you would least expect.

Now look at the second photograph (below). It shows a sunset, captured from the top of a hill here in Melbourne. Following my own rule, I checked to see if there was a good shot at a different point of the compass - and then I saw the same stunning sunset reflected in the windscreen of my own car. The first shot is simply that - the sunset reflected at the unusual angle of the windscreen.

It was just a lucky shot, I guess, because my car was parked in a random spot. But if you want another great example of why you should always look around you when you're shooting a really arresting scene, just go to Blue Riband.

Height Of Ineptitude

What Measures Will They Adopt Now?

Officials in Transylvania spent $400,000 on a luxury coach for Dracula sightseeing tours - only to find it was too big to get through the city gates. Entry to the old centre of Brasov is through 10-feet gates and councillors were embarrassed to find the double-decker coach was too high. They had invested the money in an attempt to attract more tourists to the city to boost the local economy. Brasov is close to Bran Castle which attracts thousands of tourists each year as it's believed to have been the home of Vlad the Impaler - the inspiration for Count Dracula.

FOOTNOTE: "Count" them out.

Post Of The Day

If you're looking for sheer power and pain and eloquence, look no further than the many-textured post that is Victorya's Contact. The other great contenders for today were Kingfisher Cove with Back To Work, Back To Sideways Rain; Lime's It's A Jungle Out There ; Tod's Monday Is Laundry Day; Carver's Last year In Pictures; Barn Goddess with Worm Boogers; Angela Aspirations with On My Walks; Barkfoot's The Mystery Of Penguin Island; Ladyhawk's Rafflesia Cantleyi; Mrs Nesbitt's Z Is For Zephyr and Singleton's Them's Fighting Words. Do visit them and leave a comment.

Me Tarzan, You Chain

Who Put A Spoke In The Wheel?

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

This cycle had been left out in the rain when I photographed it some weeks ago. I actually focused on the two middle rows of cogs from above and to the side of the rear wheel - and then I was fascinated by the random way the long silver spokes ranged from soft focus to clean focus, right across the frame.

Z Is For Zip

Denim's Always Been A Riveting Product

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Where would we be without Levi Strauss? As you probably know, he was the would-be gold prospector who failed in the Gold Rush, but who found his fortune (and started a fashion trend to survive the ages) by turning the canvas of abandoned tents into tough trousers for prospectors. I readily confess that I am a slave to denim as soon as I get out of my work clothes.

This post is for Z, the final letter of Mrs Nesbitt's ABC Wednesday before she takes us back to the letter A all over again. In the meantime, could you help me list all the Z-words you can think of (without looking at a dictionary) .... Zap, Zombie, Zimbabwe, Zebra, Zephyr, Zinc, Zuider Zee, Zither..... it's over to you now.