I'm learning "I’m so lonesome I could cry" by Hank Williams at the moment. Could there be a sadder song in the world? I think not.

Question: has anyone else covered it? I'd love to hear other versions.

Hear the lonesome whipperwill
He sounds too blue to fly
The midnight train is whining low
I’m so lonesome I could cry

I’ve never seen a night so long
When time goes crawling by
The moon just went behind a cloud
To hide it’s face and cry

Did you ever see a robin weep
When leaves begin to die
That means he’s lost the will to live
I’m so lonesome I could cry

The silence of a falling star
Lights up a purple sky
And as I wonder where you are
I’m so lonesome I could cry

Happy New Year! White Rabbits!

Setting aside the tragedy in the Bay of Bengal, and the insufferable Diane Sawyer and the assorted dreadful, shallow, and selfish media coverage on American airwaves, I may, in fact, be overflowing with happiness. Three words. Digital. Infrared. Photography.

My first efforts are here.

The technique is not so hard and involves, for my camera, a Hoya R72 filter, a tripod (exposures vary from 4 to 10 seconds at 400ASA), and faith that you really do need to focus a few feet past where your eyeballs tell you to be focusing. Here's some more info:

• Eric Cheng on near infrared
• kleptography
• infrared basics
• invisible light
• landscapes