Hard News by Russell Brown

Read Post

Hard News: The Civility Code

371 Responses

First ←Older Page 1 11 12 13 14 15 Newer→ Last

  • Kadife Blue,

    perhaps it will choke on the dried croissant then

    Since Mar 2007 • 16 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie,

    albatrosses, also single pairers, they have such compassionate eyes. unlike the mollymawk in my opinion, who totally look like albatross turned acid freaks.

    Sir Charles Brooke, the second "White Rajah" of Sarawak, lost an eye in a foxhunting accident during a visit to England in 1912. One day when walking in London, his son said, “Father, don’t you think it’s time you got yourself a glass eye?” The rajah went into a taxidermist’s shop and bought the first eye he saw — one made for a stuffed albatross.
    While Brooke was supposed to have been perfectly happy with the arrangement, others found his appearance somewhat unnerving.
    Must have been a mollymawk eye.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Riddley Walker,

    hopefully the atmosphere was moist enough that the croissant turned soggy pretty quickly. besides, i've seen seagulls chug back all sorts of dry stuff and they seem to be ok, if not a bit dyspeptic for a while.

    knowing those rajas the mollymawk eye was probably more fitting.

    AKL • Since Feb 2007 • 890 posts Report Reply

  • hamishm,

    I am also a Gannet fan. I cannot help but feel that there is a little counter in the back of their skull, that clicks over after each dive until it gets to "Default".
    I love it when they spot their prey from high up and peel over into the dive with their wings still outstretched. A symbol of summer for me, because that was when I saw them.
    A friend spent some time studying them and was not enamoured of them, in the close up, so I stick with the long distance vision.
    Good to see you back Riddley.

    Since Nov 2006 • 357 posts Report Reply

  • Riddley Walker,

    thanks E.
    yeah watching them dive is really cool but i'd keep my distance with those beaks, they look pretty effective.

    AKL • Since Feb 2007 • 890 posts Report Reply

  • Riddley Walker,

    how's this for an eccentric looking beast, the Fairey Gannet. counter-rotating props.

    AKL • Since Feb 2007 • 890 posts Report Reply

  • merc,

    Each one is given only as much as the heart can bear. Think not of the heart that suffers in silence, feel then of the split that made it so.

    FATE.

    Only the sublime
    inward path
    guards oblivion.

    In the heart
    straits lead
    to life within.

    Outer terror
    and drudgery
    malign.

    No slave
    lives within
    another house.

    Since Dec 2006 • 2471 posts Report Reply

  • hamishm,

    Not sure it is all that clever to name a carrier based plane after a bird that dives into the sea alot!
    Fairey did some funny old planes. I like the look of the Battle but I think it was rather a flying coffin.

    Since Nov 2006 • 357 posts Report Reply

  • Rob Stowell,

    Fairey Battle is a funny enough name for a warplane; the "fairy battler" would be a classic....
    Seabirds yahoo! No gannets in our neck of the estuary (nor surf). Still pleased with the nesting black-backs, 'cos every year we get to watch the young (adolescents?) take gawky flying lessons, lurching about sideways as their parents soar smooth. Also the commoners- terns, cormorants, oyster-catchers, and the odd stalky grey heron, striding the tide-line. I've tried to photograph them but never had a long enough lens. One day.

    Whakaraupo • Since Nov 2006 • 2120 posts Report Reply

  • hamishm,

    We saw a pair of Oyster- catchers earlier this year just South of Tauranga. I was very impressed with how they opened shells with just a flick. We found out (in the Big Boys Book of Birds) that they were Common Oyster- catchers but I did like their colours.
    Grey herons are also very nice to watch stalking about.

    Since Nov 2006 • 357 posts Report Reply

  • Riddley Walker,

    Fairey did some unusual aircraft and indeed the Battle (Fairey Battle, pfnarr pfnarr) was a flying coffin when it was put up against opponents with next generation machines. The Firefly was quite neat, you can clearly see the Supermarine association.

    Not sure it is all that clever to name a carrier based plane after a bird that dives into the sea alot! heh heh, i reckon. ah the days before aviation too succumbed to marketing.

    for you m, The Most Beautiful Fairey Swordfish.

    when i was at the see, my companion and i climbed a hill. at the top we were surrounded by poo (which as you will know is quite comforting for us guinea pigs, even if it was sheep and rabbit). i sat with my black eyed beloved (kind of a guinea pig Dora Marr), we looked out to little barrier and sniffed the air. we both gave a little squeak of pleasure never to be forgotten.

    AKL • Since Feb 2007 • 890 posts Report Reply

  • merc,

    Just to sniff the air with our beloved, on a hilltop, makes the Gods turn their gaze and the Fates unclamp their fierce eye, if only for a brief moment, and let us forget the stars and remember the worm, fondly, for we have seen beyond days.
    Dora Guinea is very fine like a hilltop pine.

    Since Dec 2006 • 2471 posts Report Reply

  • hamishm,

    The sword fish is most beautiful aeroplane while the Firefly does have that begginers Spitfire look about it. I have a screen saver picter of one coming in to land with flaps down etc. it is as pretty as a Gannet.
    Ah little squeaks of pleasure with ones beloved, a tonic for the soul.

    Since Nov 2006 • 357 posts Report Reply

  • Kadife Blue,

    I prefer the large squeaks of pleasure...pigs go on for three minutes you know. I don't know about guniea pigs though

    Since Mar 2007 • 16 posts Report Reply

  • Riddley Walker,

    would that it were

    AKL • Since Feb 2007 • 890 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie,

    I prefer the large squeaks of pleasure...pigs go on for three minutes you know. I don't know about guniea pigs though

    Here you go:
    http://www.cavycam.com/audio.htm

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Riddley Walker,

    Joe that second one "wheeking" was filthy!
    the first one was just sleazy.

    AKL • Since Feb 2007 • 890 posts Report Reply

  • hamishm,

    And then the "Group" photos!!! Nearly melted my monitor. Wheek wheek!!

    Since Nov 2006 • 357 posts Report Reply

  • merc,

    Hedgehogs for days without end...

    Since Dec 2006 • 2471 posts Report Reply

  • Riddley Walker,

    crikey, i didn't see the pictures the first time around.
    i may be busy... for a while.

    fyi i resemble Little Lamb (only not so much hair obviously).

    that Chewy eh...

    AKL • Since Feb 2007 • 890 posts Report Reply

  • hamishm,

    hubba hubba

    Since Nov 2006 • 357 posts Report Reply

First ←Older Page 1 11 12 13 14 15 Newer→ Last

Post your response…

Please sign in using your Public Address credentials…

Login

You may also create an account or retrieve your password.