Troublesome events are afoot in Wellington: the equinoctial winds will be gusting at hurricane velocity which puts paid to gardening BUT signals time to plant tomato seedlings plus other spring summer crop seeds. A little spreading of seed on the long acre also appeals.
It also signals time to get ready for October 1 when the trout season begins: this scares the hell out of the cat and the chickens, they get nervous as hair and feathers are demanded to make “flies”. The grey cat fur makes a bloody good nymph tied scruffy like a hare and copper on a size 14 with beadhead, saves megabucks at the fishing shop to tie your own. I am told the cat is “sustainable”, not sure.
Those winds are rather forceful aren’t they! A still, uneventful and sullen winter, for Wgtn at least, followed by relentless gusts annoucing spring. I’d planned to start planting up the flax, grasses, mingimingi and libertia I got from the council, to put between on the council land between the footpath and the boundary fence. That forecast looks grim though…………
Do you have a comb in which to comb out the fluff from your cat? No need to buy a special cat brush, just any old comb will do. The cat gets a nice comb and feels special and you get a good harvest of fluff for your flies.
Oops. “…to put between on the council land between the footpath etc……”
Hadn’t even had a glass of wine at that stage…….Now it’s all so clear. Oh dear.
Self imposed ban. On with the music!
The cat does have a comb…the problem being that she loves it a little too much. Still she is a willing donor of the finest fleece. And she does own us. So its given from on high.
Putting things in the council ground is exactly what you should do: thats your local “long acre”. I reckon the council worry more when the interest is not taken and the area gets overgrown and attracts rubbish etc. Make it beautiful.
Hope so, the big hurdle is we’ve a sth/central american team to get past not an asian one like Bahrain last time. Oz got out of oceania as they kept hitting Uruguay/Argentina etc so let’s hope we face a side we can get past.
The laundry actually got hung out this morning and was dry within a couple of hours!! Oh those nor-westerlies, they even happen in West Auckland! Having a quiet weekend, hopefully after a mad week work-wise. Counties-Manukau won tonight, yeah. Sleep in tomorrow morning with a cup of tea and the Herald to read. Hopefully I won’t get too agitated about John Roughan’s column and will as ever ignore Michelle Hewitt’s diatribe.
It is good weather for drying at present. However being of the lack of time and not the clothing aesthetics bent. And not being interested in being subject to the vagaries of weather. It just means that I’m looking forward to not having knickers dying next to me as I work at home (whilst my washing goes through the dryer).
Call me a philistine (as regularly happens), but if it can’t go through a dryer then I donate it to the city mission for others to enjoy.
Windy all round the country it seems, today. Up here on the hill, I’m enjoying the strongest gusts shaking the house, and am soon off out to the sheltered back section to plant spuds in the garden, and also tobacco, under clear plastic bottles.
And thanks R0b for your advice in a previous weekend social, recommending using an iceblock stick while sealing the shower. Essential equipment as it turned out, and perfick for the job đ
The 4th season of ‘The Thick of it’ is being screened in the UK on Saturday 8th.
Also, for fans of Charlie Brooker, he has co-written a cop-spoof show, 2 episodes were broadcast recently, its called ‘A Touch of Cloth’. Very dry humour, but very funny. Here is a short clip.
aye aye me hearties before me day of rest. i said aye aye Captain, i said what:Play me
-Peter Pan
now,
albums,
Hard Promises by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, very underated. “Something Big”
Empire Burlesque-Dylan
Aqualung-Tull
Fleetwood Mac-Tusk
Marianne Faithfull-Broken English (a working class hero is something to be..)
Cash-American 4
Atomic-the very best of Blondie
Gang of Four-“Damaged Goods”
Lyrnyrd Skynyrd-First…and Last “White Dove” and “The Seasons”
Neil Young-“Down by The River”…i shot my baby…..
Massive Attack-Mezzanine “hees the man that lives next door….”
Grant Lee Buffalo-worth a hook
‘ Pumpkins
SABBATH Vol 4 “Wheels of Confusion” fractals
‘ Heads-Stop Making Sense-naive melody
the Chills-used to Love My Leather Jacket, and i wore it all the ti i ime…
next-Permanent
Tea for The Tillerman
Buddy and Julie Miller-“All my Tears”
anyway, i was so much older then, i am younger than that now.
P.S “baby was a black sheep…baby was a whore….you know she got big well she’s gonna get bigger
…baby baby baby got a finger on the trigger……baby baby baby was a Rock ‘n’ Roll Nigger”
Well I was enjoying being on our monthly Labour stall inTory Cambridge /Selling raffe tickets plus pushing the assett sale petition. Then some bloody red neck women told me that. quote ” the only reason Key was selling the assets was to pay the bloody Maoris” unquote .
I still find it hard to believe that such racist twits are still around.
Howthe hell does one reply to these bigots. Someone please cheer me up.
“The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter.”
“If the human race wishes to have a prolonged and indefinite period of material prosperity, they have only got to behave in a peaceful and helpful way toward one another.”
South Korea and Australia should enhance their cooperation to secure submarine cables, which carry more than 95 percent of global data traffic. As tensions in the Indo-Pacific intensify, these vital connections face risks from cyber ...
The Parliament Bill Committee has reported back on the Parliament Bill. As usual, they recommend no substantive changes, all decisions having been made in advance and in secret before the bill was introduced - but there are some minor tweaks around oversight of the new parliamentary security powers, which will ...
When the F-47 enters service, at a date to be disclosed, it will be a new factor in US air warfare. A decision to proceed with development, deferred since July, was unexpectedly announced on 21 ...
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Once upon a time, the United States saw the contest between democracy and authoritarianism as a singularly defining issue. It was this outlook, forged in the crucible of World War II, that created such strong ...
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Bargaining between the PSA and Oranga Tamariki over the collective agreement is intensifying – with more strike action likely, while the Employment Relations Authority has ordered facilitation. More than 850 laboratory staff are walking off their jobs in a week of rolling strike action. Union coverage CTU: Confidence in ...
Foreign Minister Penny Wong in 2024 said that âwe’re in a state of permanent contest in the Pacificâthat’s the reality.â Chinaâs arrogance hurts it in the South Pacific. Mark that as a strong Australian card ...
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In the past week, Israel has reverted to slaughtering civilians, starving children and welshing on the terms of the peace deal negotiated earlier this year. The IDFâs current offensive seems to be intended to render Gaza unlivable, preparatory (perhaps) to re-occupation by Israeli settlers. The short term demands for the ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 16, 2025 thru Sat, March 22, 2025. This week's roundup is again published by category and sorted by number of articles included in each. We are still interested ...
In recent months, I have garnered copious amusement playing Martin, chess.com’s infamously terrible Chess AI. Alas, it is not how it once was, when he would cheerfully ignore freely offered material. Martin has grown better since I first stumbled upon him. I still remain frustrated at his capture-happy determination to ...
Every time that I see ya,A lightning bolt fills the room,The underbelly of Paris,She sings her favourite tune,She'll drink you under the table,She'll show you a trick or two,But every time that I left her,I missed the things she would doSongwriters: Kelly JonesThis morning, I posted - Are you excited ...
Long stories shortest this week in our political economy:Standard & Poor’s judged the Government’s council finance reforms a failure. Professional investors showed the Government they want it to borrow more, not less. GDP bounced out of recession by more than forecast in the December quarter, but data for the ...
Each day at 4:30 my brother calls in at the rest home to see Dad. My visits can be months apart. Five minutes after you've left, he’ll have forgotten you were there, but every time, his face lights up and it’s a warm happy visit.Tim takes care of almost everything ...
On the 19th of March, ACT announced they would be running candidates in this year’s local government elections. Accompanying that call for “common-sense kiwis” was an anti-woke essay typifying the views they expect their candidates to hold. I have included that part of their mailer, Free Press, in its entirety. ...
Even when the darkest clouds are in the skyYou mustn't sigh and you mustn't crySpread a little happiness as you go byPlease tryWhat's the use of worrying and feeling blue?When days are long keep on smiling throughSpread a little happiness 'til dreams come trueSongwriters: Vivian Ellis / Clifford Grey / ...
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ACT up the game on division politicsEmmerson’s take on David Seymour’s claim Jesus would have supported ACTACT’s announcement it is moving into local politics is a logical next step for a party that is waging its battle on picking up the aggrieved.It’s a numbers game, and as long as the ...
1. What will be the slogan of the next butter ad campaign?a. You’re worth itb.Once it hits $20, we can do something about the riversc. I can’t believe it’s the price of butter d. None of the above Read more ...
It is said that economists know the price of everything and the value of nothing. That may be an exaggeration but an even better response is to point out economists do know the difference. They did not at first. Classical economics thought that the price of something reflected the objective ...
Political fighting in Taiwan is delaying some of an increase in defence spending and creating an appearance of lack of national resolve that can only damage the islandâs relationship with the Trump administration. The main ...
The unclassified version of the 2024 Independent Intelligence Review (IIR) was released today. Itâs a welcome and worthy sequel to its 2017 predecessor, with an ambitious set of recommendations for enhancements to Australiaâs national intelligence ...
Yesterday outgoing Ombudsman Peter Boshier published a report, Reflections on the Official Information Act, on his way out the door. The report repeated his favoured mantra that the Act was "fundamentally sound", all problems were issues of culture, and that no legislative change was needed (and especially no changes to ...
The United States government is considering replacing USAID with a new agency, the US Agency for International Humanitarian Assistance (USIHA), according to documents published by POLITICO. Under the proposed design, the agency will fail its ...
Hi,Journalism was never the original plan. Back in the 90s, there was no career advisor in Bethlehem, New Zealand — just a computer that would ask you 50 questions before spitting out career options. Yes, I am in this photo. No, I was not good at basketball.The top three careers ...
Mōrena. Long stories shortest: Professional investors who are paid a lot of money to be careful about lending to the New Zealand Government think it is wonderful place to put their money. Yet the Government itself is so afraid of borrowing more that it is happy to kill its own ...
As space becomes more contested, Australia should play a key role with its partners in the Combined Space Operations (CSpO) initiative to safeguard the space domain. Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States signed the ...
Ooh you're a cool catComing on strong with all the chit chatOoh you're alrightHanging out and stealing all the limelightOoh messing with the beat of my heart yeah!Songwriters: Freddie Mercury / John Deacon.It would be a tad ironic; I can see it now. “Yeah, I didn’t unsubscribe when he said ...
The PSA are calling the Prime Minister a hypocrite for committing to increase defence spending while hundreds of more civilian New Zealand Defence Force jobs are set to be cut as part of a major restructure. The number of companies being investigated for people trafficking in New Zealand has skyrocketed ...
Another Friday, hope everyone’s enjoyed their week as we head toward the autumn equinox. Here’s another roundup of stories that caught our eye on the subject of cities and what makes them even better. This week in Greater Auckland On Monday, Connor took a look at how Auckland ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking with special guest author Michael Wolff, who has just published his fourth book about Donald Trump: ‘All or Nothing’.Here’s Peter’s writeup of the interview.The Kākā by Bernard Hickey Hoon: Trumpism ...
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Australia needs to radically reorganise its reserves system to create a latent military force that is much larger, better trained and equipped and deployable within daysânot decades. Our current reserve system is not fit for ...
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Figures released by Statistics New Zealand today showed that the economy grew by 0.7% ending the very deep recession seen over the past year, said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. âEven though GDP grew in the three months to December, our economy is still 1.1% smaller than it ...
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I agree with Will Leben, who wrote in The Strategist about his mistakes, that an important element of being a commentator is being accountable and taking responsibility for things you got wrong. In that spirit, ...
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Two recent foreign challenges suggest that Australia needs urgently to increase its level of defence self-reliance and to ensure that the increased funding that this would require is available. First, the circumnavigation of our continent ...
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According to RNZâs embedded reporter, the importance of Winston Petersâ talks in Washington this week âcannot be overstated.â Right. âExceptionally important.â said the maestro himself. This epic importance doesnât seem to have culminated in anything more than us expressing our âconcernâ to the Americans about a series of issues that ...
Up until a few weeks ago, I had never heard of "Climate Fresk" and at a guess, this will also be the case for many of you. I stumbled upon it in the self-service training catalog for employees at the company I work at in Germany where it was announced ...
Japan and Australia talk of âcollective deterrence,â but they donât seem to have specific objectives. The relationship needs a clearer direction. The two countries should identify how they complement each other. Each country has two ...
The NZCTU strongly supports the OPCâs decision to issue a code of practice for biometric processing. Our view is that the draft code currently being consulted on is stronger and will be more effective than the exposure code released in early 2024. We are pleased that some of the revisions ...
Australiaâs export-oriented industries, particularly agriculture, need to diversify their markets, with a focus on Southeast Asia. This could strengthen economic security and resilience while deepening regional relationships. The Trump administrationâs decision to impose tariffs on ...
Minister Shane Jones is introducing fastrack ‘reforms’ to the our fishing industry that will ensure the big players squeeze out the small fishers and entrench an already bankrupt quota system.Our fisheries are under severe stress: the recent decision by theHigh Court ruling that the ...
In what has become regular news, the quarterly ETS auction has failed, with nobody even bothering to bid. The immediate reason is that the carbon price has fallen to around $60, below the auction minimum of $68. And the cause of that is a government which has basically given up ...
US President Donald Trumpâs tariff threats have dominated headlines in India in recent weeks. Earlier this month, Trump announced that his reciprocal tariffsâmatching other countriesâ tariffs on American goodsâwill go into effect on 2 April, ...
Hi,Back in June of 2021, James Gardner-Hopkins — a former partner at law firm Russell McVeagh — was found guilty of misconduct over sexually inappropriate behaviour with interns.The events all related to law students working as summer interns at Russell McVeagh:As well as intimate touching with a student at his ...
Climate sceptic MP Mark Cameron has slammed National for being ‘out of touch’ by sticking to our climate commitments. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories shortest:ACT’s renowned climate sceptic MP Mark Cameron has accused National of being 'out of touch' with farmers by sticking with New Zealand’s Paris accord pledges ...
Now I've heard there was a secret chordThat David played, and it pleased the LordBut you don't really care for music, do you?It goes like this, the fourth, the fifthThe minor falls, the major liftsThe baffled king composing HallelujahSongwriter: Leonard CohenI always thought the lyrics of that great song by ...
People are getting carried away with the virtues of small warship crews. We need to remember the great vice of having few people to run a ship: theyâll quickly tire. Yes, the navy is struggling ...
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US President Donald Trumpâs hostile regime has finally forced Europe to wake up. With US officials calling into question the transatlantic alliance, Germanyâs incoming chancellor, Friedrich Merz, recently persuaded lawmakers to revise the countryâs debt ...
We need to establish clearer political boundaries around national security to avoid politicising ongoing security issues and to better manage secondary effects. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) revealed on 10 March that the Dural caravan ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi have reiterated their call for Government to protect workers by banning engineered stone in a submission on MBIEâs silica dust consultation. âIf Brooke van Velden is genuine when she calls for an evidence-based approach to this issue, then she must support a full ban on ...
The Labour Inspectorate could soon be knocking on the door of hundreds of businesses nation-wide, as it launches a major crackdown on those not abiding by the law. NorthTec staff are on edge as Northlandâs leading polytechnic proposes to stop 11 programmes across primary industries, forestry, and construction. Union coverage ...
Itâs one thing for military personnel to hone skills with first-person view (FPV) drones in racing competitions. Itâs quite another for them to transition to the complexities of the battlefield. Drone racing has become a ...
Seymour says there will be no other exemptions granted to schools wanting to opt out of the Compass contract. Photo: Lynn GrievesonLong stories shortest:David Seymour has denied a request from a Christchurch school and any other schools to be exempted from the Compass school lunch programme, saying the contract ...
Russian President Boris Yeltsin, U.S. President Bill Clinton, Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma, and British Prime Minister John Major signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in ...
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This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah Wesseler(Image credit: Antonio Huerta) Growing up in suburban Ohio, I was used to seeing farmland and woods disappear to make room for new subdivisions, strip malls, and big box stores. I didn’t usually welcome the changes, but I assumed others ...
Myanmar was a key global site for criminal activity well before the 2021 military coup. Today, illicit industry, especially heroin and methamphetamine production, still defines much of the economy. Nowhere, not even the leafiest districts ...
What've I gotta do to make you love me?What've I gotta do to make you care?What do I do when lightning strikes me?And I wake up and find that you're not thereWhat've I gotta do to make you want me?Mmm hmm, what've I gotta do to be heard?What do I ...
Hundreds more Palestinians have died in recent days as Israelâs assault on Gaza continues and humanitarian aid, including food and medicine, is blocked. ...
National is looking to cut hundreds of jobs at New Zealandâs Defence Force, while at the same time it talks up plans to increase focus and spending in Defence. ...
Itâs been revealed that the Government is secretly trying to bring back a âone-size fits allâ standardised test â a decision that has shocked school principals. ...
The Green Party is calling for the compassionate release of Dean Wickliffe, a 77-year-old kaumÄtua on hunger strike at the Spring Hill Corrections Facility, after visiting him at the prison. ...
The Green Party is calling on Government MPs to support Chlöe Swarbrickâs Memberâs Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence and illegal actions in Palestine, following another day of appalling violence against civilians in Gaza. ...
The Green Party stands in support of volunteer firefighters petitioning the Government to step up and change legislation to provide volunteers the same ACC coverage and benefits as their paid counterparts. ...
At 2.30am local time, Israel launched a treacherous attack on Gaza killing more than 300 defenceless civilians while they slept. Many of them were children. This followed a more than 2 week-long blockade by Israel on the entry of all goods and aid into Gaza. Israel deliberately targeted densely populated ...
Living Strong, Aging Well There is much discussion around the health of our older New Zealanders and how we can age well. In reality, the delivery of health services accounts for only a relatively small percentage of health outcomes as we age. Significantly, dry warm housing, nutrition, exercise, social connection, ...
Shane Jonesâ display on Q&A showed how out of touch he and this Government are with our communities and how in sync they are with companies with little concern for people and planet. ...
Labour does not support the private ownership of core infrastructure like schools, hospitals and prisons, which will only see worse outcomes for Kiwis. ...
The Green Party is disappointed the Government voted down HĆ«hana Lyndonâs memberâs Bill, which would have prevented further alienation of MÄori land through the Public Works Act. ...
The Labour Party will support Chloe Swarbrickâs memberâs bill which would allow sanctions against Israel for its illegal occupation of the Palestinian Territories. ...
The Governmentâs new procurement rules are a blatant attack on workers and the environment, showing once again that Nationalâs priorities are completely out of touch with everyday Kiwis. ...
With Labour and Te PÄti MÄoriâs official support, Opposition parties are officially aligned to progress Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrickâs Memberâs Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in Palestine. ...
Te PÄti MÄori extends our deepest aroha to the 500 plus WhÄnau Ora workers who have been advised today that the govt will be dismantling their contracts. For twenty years , WhÄnau Ora has been helping families, delivering life-changing support through a kaupapa MÄori approach. It has built trust where ...
Labour welcomes Simeon Brownâs move to reinstate a board at Health New Zealand, bringing the destructive and secretive tenure of commissioner Lester Levy to an end. ...
This morningâs announcement by the Health Minister regarding a major overhaul of the public health sector levels yet another blow to the countryâs essential services. ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Memberâs Bill that will ensure employment decisions in the public service are based on merit and not on forced woke âDiversity, Equity, and Inclusionâ targets. âThis Bill would put an end to the woke left-wing social engineering and diversity targets in the public sector. ...
Police have referred 20 offenders to Destiny Church-affiliated programmes Man Up and Legacy as âwellness providersâ in the last year, raising concerns that those seeking help are being recruited into a harmful organisation. ...
Te PÄti MÄori welcomes the resignation of Richard Prebble from the Waitangi Tribunal. His appointment in October 2024 was a disgrace- another example of this government undermining Te Tiriti o Waitangi by appointing a former ACT leader who has spent his career attacking MÄori rights. âRegardless of the reason for ...
The challenge now is to get the best possible outcome from the split Act model. We will be working closely with the Government over the course of this year to that end. We simply must have a more nuanced outcome from this process than from the Fast-track ...
The Free Speech Union has made two submissions advocating for more speech, not less, on the Media Reform Proposals and the Regulatory Systems (Occupational Regulation) Amendment Bill, says Jonathan Ayling, Chief Executive of the Free Speech Union. âOur ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Eric Windholz, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Monash University Last week, the Novak Djokovic-led Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) announced it was suing the sportâs governing bodies â the menâs (ATP) and womenâs (WTA) tours, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and the ...
The Children's Minister says Oranga Tamariki's breaching of confidential information of children and families could not be allowed to continue under this government's watch. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By William Alexander Donald, Professor of Chemistry, UNSW Sydney Irene Miller/Shutterstock Silicosis is an incurable but entirely preventable lung disease. It has only one cause: breathing in too much silica dust. This is a risk in several industries, including tunnelling, stone masonry ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Southern Cross, a French-hosted regional military exercise, is moving to Wallis and Futuna Islands this year. The exercise, which includes participating regional armed and law enforcement forces from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Tonga every two years, is ...
âThe Government has rightly decided to scrap Councilsâ focus on social and cultural âwellbeingsâ and get them back to getting the basics right first, and itâs time Dunedin Council followed suit.â ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christina McCabe, PhD Candidate in Interdisciplinary Ecology, University of Canterbury Shutterstock/S Watson When we think about flood management, higher stop banks, stronger levees and concrete barriers usually come to mind. But what if the best solution â for people and nature ...
Pacific Media Watch Paris-based global media freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has recalled that 20 journalists were killed during the six-year Philippines presidency of Rodrigo Duterte, a regime marked by fierce repression of the press. Former president Duterte was arrested earlier this week as part of an International Criminal ...
"The councillors were given tickets because they are councillors, at the very same time they're considering the future of the stadium. It's beyond belief that anyone is defending this." ...
SPECIAL REPORT:By Saige England in Christchurch Like a relentless ocean, wave after wave of pro-Palestinian pro-human rights protesters disrupted New Zealand deputy Prime Minister Winston Petersâ state of the nation speech at the Christchurch Town Hall yesterday. A clarion call to Trumpism and Australiaâs One Nation Party, the speech ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Morgan poll, conducted March 10â16 from a sample of 2,097, gave Labor a 54.5â45.5 lead by headline respondent preferences, a ...
The proposal to remove the living wage requirement from public sector procurement rules turns back the clock on a progressive step towards valuing essential workers, argues Lyndy McIntyre.On April 1, workers on the minimum wage will get their annual pay rise, with their hourly rate moving from $23.15 to ...
Lyric Waiwiri-Smith recalls a serene week eating raw fish and swimming in Samoa.In June 2023, I travelled from TÄmaki Makaurau to Samoa with my (now) ex-boyfriendâs family (love (most of) you guys). We spent a beautiful nearly two weeks with sand stuck to our skin and salt water dripping ...
The Labour Partyâs Tangi Utikere is Palmerston Northâs biggest champion and an MP on the come-up. Thereâs an ancient adage familiar to Palmerstonians (as in, people from Palmerston North), uttered by a British explorer after a voyage through the land of the long white cloud: âif you wish to kill ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olivia Fisher, Senior Research Fellow, Applied Implementation Science, Charles Darwin University Seven million Australians live in rural and remote areas and many struggle to access the same quality of health care as those in metropolitan areas. More than 18,000 Australians have no ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Holland, Principal Research Scientist, Water Security, CSIRO A dry farm dam in Montacute, Adelaide Hills, March 2025. Ilan Sagi. The Adelaide Hills are experiencing severe water shortages. The root cause? A prolonged dry period and not enough water tankers to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erin O’Brien, Associate Professor, School of Government and International Relations, Griffith University Getty Images When the United States starts a trade war with your country, how do you fight back? For individuals, one option is to wage a personal trade war ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra Treasurer Jim Chalmers will bring down the federal budget on Tuesday. Itâs likely most of the major spending initiatives have already been announced. An extra A$8.5 billion in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexis Weaver, Associate Lecturer in Music Technology, University of Sydney Shutterstock With artificial intelligence programs that can now generate entire songs on demand, youâd be forgiven for thinking AI might eventually lead to the decline of human-made music. But AI can ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justin Bergman, International Affairs Editor Both Labor and the Coalition are considering an increase to defence spending ahead of the federal election. Defence spending is currently at about 2% of gross domestic product (GDP), or around A$56 billion per year. The Coalition ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Janeen Baxter, Director, ARC Life Course Centre and ARC Kathleen Fitzpatrick Laureate Fellow, The University of Queensland Australia has a gender problem. Despite social, economic and political reform aimed at improving opportunities for women, gender gaps are increasing and Australia is falling ...
Based on the 2023 and 2024 Budget Summary of Initiatives, CPAG refers to estimates of the cost of restoring school lunches to their 2024 standard, between $107-115 extra a year. ...
In a speech that channelled Trump-style rhetoric but stuck to old Peters themes, the NZ First leader mixed nationalism, culture war grievances and economic blame, writes Catherine McGregor in todayâs extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here.An âoutright litanyâ of grievances Winston ...
The government is spending $2.7 billion on tertiary courses this year, but there are early signs it will not be enough to cover all the enrolments. ...
If you want to understand where this coalition Government is coming from, with its disdain for impoverished families and hungry children, Freddy the Frog, Te Tiriti, democratic conventions and other Kiwi decencies, George Monbiotâs The Invisible Doctrine: The Secret History of Neoliberalism is illuminating.The book is short and vividly written, ...
Alice Robinson is slightly disoriented. It canât be blamed on altitude, or the weight of the World Cup medals sheâs hauled in this season.When LockerRoom caught up with the Kiwi giant slalom star by video call last week, she had to think for a moment where in the world she ...
Troublesome events are afoot in Wellington: the equinoctial winds will be gusting at hurricane velocity which puts paid to gardening BUT signals time to plant tomato seedlings plus other spring summer crop seeds. A little spreading of seed on the long acre also appeals.
It also signals time to get ready for October 1 when the trout season begins: this scares the hell out of the cat and the chickens, they get nervous as hair and feathers are demanded to make “flies”. The grey cat fur makes a bloody good nymph tied scruffy like a hare and copper on a size 14 with beadhead, saves megabucks at the fishing shop to tie your own. I am told the cat is “sustainable”, not sure.
i like those ones that look like little whitebaits tootling up the river edge. Bang..
Those winds are rather forceful aren’t they! A still, uneventful and sullen winter, for Wgtn at least, followed by relentless gusts annoucing spring. I’d planned to start planting up the flax, grasses, mingimingi and libertia I got from the council, to put between on the council land between the footpath and the boundary fence. That forecast looks grim though…………
Do you have a comb in which to comb out the fluff from your cat? No need to buy a special cat brush, just any old comb will do. The cat gets a nice comb and feels special and you get a good harvest of fluff for your flies.
Oops. “…to put between on the council land between the footpath etc……”
Hadn’t even had a glass of wine at that stage…….Now it’s all so clear. Oh dear.
Self imposed ban. On with the music!
The cat does have a comb…the problem being that she loves it a little too much. Still she is a willing donor of the finest fleece. And she does own us. So its given from on high.
Putting things in the council ground is exactly what you should do: thats your local “long acre”. I reckon the council worry more when the interest is not taken and the area gets overgrown and attracts rubbish etc. Make it beautiful.
World cup 2014 qualifying all over the globe, go all whites hopefully back to back WC appearances !
WC qualifying will be great…Kiwi’s should do ok with Nelson and Reid back.
Hope so, the big hurdle is we’ve a sth/central american team to get past not an asian one like Bahrain last time. Oz got out of oceania as they kept hitting Uruguay/Argentina etc so let’s hope we face a side we can get past.
A comment from “anom on this one” moved to Open mike.
The laundry actually got hung out this morning and was dry within a couple of hours!! Oh those nor-westerlies, they even happen in West Auckland! Having a quiet weekend, hopefully after a mad week work-wise. Counties-Manukau won tonight, yeah. Sleep in tomorrow morning with a cup of tea and the Herald to read. Hopefully I won’t get too agitated about John Roughan’s column and will as ever ignore Michelle Hewitt’s diatribe.
It is good weather for drying at present. However being of the lack of time and not the clothing aesthetics bent. And not being interested in being subject to the vagaries of weather. It just means that I’m looking forward to not having knickers dying next to me as I work at home (whilst my washing goes through the dryer).
Call me a philistine (as regularly happens), but if it can’t go through a dryer then I donate it to the city mission for others to enjoy.
Windy all round the country it seems, today. Up here on the hill, I’m enjoying the strongest gusts shaking the house, and am soon off out to the sheltered back section to plant spuds in the garden, and also tobacco, under clear plastic bottles.
And thanks R0b for your advice in a previous weekend social, recommending using an iceblock stick while sealing the shower. Essential equipment as it turned out, and perfick for the job đ
The 4th season of ‘The Thick of it’ is being screened in the UK on Saturday 8th.
Also, for fans of Charlie Brooker, he has co-written a cop-spoof show, 2 episodes were broadcast recently, its called ‘A Touch of Cloth’. Very dry humour, but very funny. Here is a short clip.
Thanks fatty, I was getting a bit worried about the impending hiatus of Breaking Bad.
Love it!
Check out ‘House of Lies’ and who replaced Langham if he was replaced ?
aye aye me hearties before me day of rest. i said aye aye Captain, i said what:Play me
-Peter Pan
now,
albums,
Hard Promises by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, very underated. “Something Big”
Empire Burlesque-Dylan
Aqualung-Tull
Fleetwood Mac-Tusk
Marianne Faithfull-Broken English (a working class hero is something to be..)
Cash-American 4
Atomic-the very best of Blondie
Gang of Four-“Damaged Goods”
Lyrnyrd Skynyrd-First…and Last “White Dove” and “The Seasons”
Neil Young-“Down by The River”…i shot my baby…..
Massive Attack-Mezzanine “hees the man that lives next door….”
Grant Lee Buffalo-worth a hook
‘ Pumpkins
SABBATH Vol 4 “Wheels of Confusion” fractals
‘ Heads-Stop Making Sense-naive melody
the Chills-used to Love My Leather Jacket, and i wore it all the ti i ime…
next-Permanent
Tea for The Tillerman
Buddy and Julie Miller-“All my Tears”
anyway, i was so much older then, i am younger than that now.
P.S “baby was a black sheep…baby was a whore….you know she got big well she’s gonna get bigger
…baby baby baby got a finger on the trigger……baby baby baby was a Rock ‘n’ Roll Nigger”
-Patti Smith-Land
Acts 4: 34
Well I was enjoying being on our monthly Labour stall inTory Cambridge /Selling raffe tickets plus pushing the assett sale petition. Then some bloody red neck women told me that. quote ” the only reason Key was selling the assets was to pay the bloody Maoris” unquote .
I still find it hard to believe that such racist twits are still around.
Howthe hell does one reply to these bigots. Someone please cheer me up.
For the Pink Postman
“The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter.”
“If the human race wishes to have a prolonged and indefinite period of material prosperity, they have only got to behave in a peaceful and helpful way toward one another.”
Both quotes attributed to Winston Churchill