The Mosquito…..big boys toy flying around Masterton with company like Spitfires and a Mustang. It is my intention to view these whilst standing in the Ruamahanga trouting.
Otherwise domestic drudgery involving a paint brush. Plus some subversive planting of winter crops.
I am heading up there myself, Ennui, but have bought myself tickets to attend the show on Saturday. My father had a Tiger Moth when I was growing up (he still has it but is too old to fly it) and he used to store it at Hood Aerodrome in Masterton. Going for rides in it when I was a lad gave me a love of old planes – particularly the Spitfire.
After that – back to Wellington for a nights kip then change into a suit and head to the races. Corporate box this year – might even have a flutter.
Lucky sod! My late fishing buddy was mad on aeroplanes, we would often screech to halt on remote roads to watch “ag”buses” (topdresser planes) launch themselves from impossible places. Mad buggers. Enjoy the day.
So, if I do a half and half mix of cheap arse Bunnings compost and potting mix anything I plant in it will be fine right? Rather late this season in getting the chillis and tomatoes started :/
Oh, and the large plastic planter bags from Bunnings are pretty good too for tomatoes.
Methinks Nick, unless you are north of Taupo that toms and chillies are more than a little late to plant. A better option might be to plant some autumn leaf crops like silver beet and cabbages. Sumer down in Wellywood has been a little crap for the plants that are lovers of hot weather.
Agapanthas. Someone here had ideas about getting rid of them. (They are spreading like dandruff!) Very hard to dig out. Wonder if I topped them and poured Roundup onto the exposed raw flesh? Or offered them for free on Trademe. Pick your own perhaps. Any ideas? Please?
With round-up, I’d advise you to spray all the leaves, twice to be on the safe side, then cut and discard the plant and what roots you can dig out. It wont have died back much in just a few days, but the poison is right through the system, so you don’t have to wait.
I think your chance of getting someone to come and take your agapanthus out and home with them is zero. Just my opinion.
I’m in the’ round-up isn’t that toxic’ camp, and don’t even wear gloves when I spray it, even though I’m averse to garden chemicals in general. DoC makes good use of it it managing the conservation estate from invasive exotics.
Just Saying: I don’t think that Roundup will penetrate the leaves but open root flesh might.
I helped Mike Sexton from DOC kill wilding pines in the Sounds. He drilled holes in the pine treetrunks with a portable drill and I poured straight Roundup (glyphosate) into the holes. The trees started collapsing within a month. (Agreed that Roundup is not toxic to people.)
I wonder if I used my chainsaw sideways, to lop off the leaves at root level, then poison the exposed flesh????
I thought round-up was a foliage-only spray?
I’ve heard of what you describe using woody weed killer (a very toxic herbicide).
If glysophate can be used in this way, I have a couple of sprouting stumps that it could be useful in dealing with. I don’t like using woody – lots of safety precautions and careful disposal of anything that might have come in contact with it. Glysophate on the other hand has no residual soil activity because it quickly breaks down to its constituent parts.
just saying: Guarantee the glyphosate as in Roundup and several other brands using that chemical. Westminster for one. It seems that thick leaved plants like in agapanthas, the poison does not penetrate. Hence the drilled holes in wilding pines, and now my new plan to remove the agapanthas leaves and poison the freshly exposed flesh. Did a trial run with a dozen plants today. Will wait and see???
I used glyphosate to kill the stump of some “whitey-wood” about 3 years ago and that tree is very dead.
(For some reason clover does not die with Roundup and even grows better! Like that flyspray that flies seem to enjoy!!!)
I have a problem, as do many others, because the weed isn’t well enough controlled, with bindweed. I think it is more dangerous than old man’s beard. Thought of pulling a lot out, roots and all and then painting young leaves with strong roundup, perhaps full strength might be needed. But I wasn’t sure what effect that would have. Could it be absorbed by other plants with roots in close proximity I wonder.
Nose: I also cut some Old Man’s Beard off near the ground last week then dipped the bare stalk into raw Roundup. Hope that that works. If so, should work for bindweed as well. You have to do it quickly while the wound is fresh otherwise the wound seals over.
When I was renting once, the neighbour came over and asked if he could deal to a patch of convolvulus that was coming through into his place. He put a few of the leafy ends into a little jar of roundup and left it for a few days. The poison crept down the stem and wiped out the weed in about 10 days.
About timing – Last year I had chilli’s outside, growing like weeds until June. same with tomatoes. We’re in for a long, hot summer too, main producers are in the greenhouse, so I shouldn’t have any issues until late March at the very earliest.
Just need to know if the mix I want to do will hurt the plants đ
I found a thoughtful piece by Schopenhauer.
(Came to mind after reading the comments about Key and fainting and Antarctica)
(His sentences can be too long so I’ve split some up.)
Schopenhauer Arthur :
How very paltry and limited the normal human intellect is,
and how little lucidity there is in the human consciousness, –
may be judged from the fact that, despite the ephemeral brevity of human life, the uncertainty of our existence and the countless enigmas which press upon us from all sides, –
everyone does not continually and ceaselessly philosophise, but that only the rarest of exceptions do so.
The rest live their lives away in this dream not very differently from the animals, from which they are in the end distinguished only by their ability to provide for a few years ahead.
If they should ever feel any metaphysical need, it is taken care of from above and in advance by the various religions; and these, whatever they may be like, suffice.
(Probably written about 1850’s.)
Men Are from Mars, Women from Venus.
I’m thinking double A side. Same song, different lyrics, a point of view from each.
I’m thinking me and Ladyhawke in NZ, me and the lovely Lily Allen back in blighty, and Lady Gaga over in the states, but only if she wears sensible clothes for the video. đ
Hello World ( Mars)
Hello World, how you been?
I’m doing quite well old friend, all things considering.
I don’t know why I’m in a spin.
I made myself thin again, old thing considering, considering them.
Years gone by since I went on trial over them.
The tears all dried and I won’t cry them again.
No fears inside on overdrive over them.
But one more time she spins on by and I bend.
And though there’s nothing left between us that won’t taste of spite.
And though there’s nothing left between us that could catch alight.
And though there’s no love in her acid rain and rings of fire.
She’s still the one that I needed to stay.
She’s still the one that’s still needed.
Hello World, how you been?
I’m doing quite well old friend, all things considering.
I don’t know why I’m in a spin.
I made myself thin again, old thing considering, considering them.
Years gone by since I went on trial over them.
The tears all dried and I won’t cry them again.
No fears inside on overdrive over them.
But one more time she spins on by and I bend.
And though there’s nothing left between us that won’t taste of spite.
And though there’s nothing left between us that could set alight.
And though there’s no love in her acid rain and rings of fire.
She’s still the one that I needed to stay.
She’s still the one that I needed.
Hello World, here’s the thing.
I’m doing quite well on principle, still invincible, considerable, considering.
I don’t know why I let her in.
I made myself go against the grain, old flame/same pain. Considerate, considering them.
Years gone by since I went on trial over them.
The skies all died and I won’t fly them again.
No fears inside to override just for them.
But one more time she spins my mind and I bend.
And though there’s nothing left between us that would last a night.
And there’s a rift so big between us it would capture light.
And though there’s no love in her acid lakes and hearts desire.
She’s still the one that I needed to stay.
She’s still the one that I needed.
She’s still the one that’s still needed.
..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.The Numbers2024 could easily have been National’s “Annus Horribilis” and 2025 shows no signs of a reprieve for our Landlord PM Chris Luxon and his inept Finance Minister Nikki “Noboats” Willis.Several polls last year ...
This Friday afternoon, Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka announced an overhaul of the Waitangi Tribunal.The government has effectively cleared house - appointing 8 new members - and combined with October’s appointment of former ACT leader Richard Prebble, that’s 9 appointees.[I am not certain, but can only presume, Prebble went in ...
The state of the current economy may be similar to when National left office in 2017.In December, a couple of days after the Treasury released its 2024 Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update (HEYFU24), Statistics New Zealand reported its estimate for volume GDP for the previous September 24 quarter. Instead ...
So what becomes of you, my love?When they have finally stripped you ofThe handbags and the gladragsThat your poor old granddadHad to sweat to buy you, babySongwriter: Mike D'aboIn yesterday’s newsletter, I expressed sadness at seeing Golriz Ghahraman back on the front pages for shoplifting. As someone who is no ...
It’s Friday and time for another roundup of things that caught our attention this week. This post, like all our work, is brought to you by a largely volunteer crew and made possible by generous donations from our readers and fans. If youâd like to support our work, you can join ...
Note: This Webworm discusses sexual assault and rape. Please read with care.Hi,A few weeks ago I reported on how one of New Zealand’s richest men, Nick Mowbray (he and his brother own Zuru and are worth an estimated $20 billion), had taken to sharing posts by a British man called ...
The final Atlas Network playbook puzzle piece is here, and it slipped in to Aotearoa New Zealand with little fan fare or attention. The implications are stark.Today, writes Dr Bex, the submission for the Crimes (Countering Foreign Interference) Amendment Bill closes: 11:59pm January 16, 2025.As usual, the language of the ...
Excitement in the seaside village! Look what might be coming! 400 million dollars worth of investment! In the very beating heart of the village! Are we excited and eager to see this happen, what with every last bank branch gone and shops sitting forlornly quiet awaiting a customer?Yes please, apply ...
Much discussion has been held over the Regulatory Standards Bill (RSB), the latest in a series of rightwing attempts to enshrine into law pro-market precepts such as the primacy of private property ownership. Underneath the good governance and economic efficiency gobbledegook language of the Bill is an interest to strip ...
We are concerned that the Amendment Bill, as proposed, could impair the operations and legitimate interests of the NZ Trade Union movement. It is also likely to negatively impact the ability of other civil society actors to conduct their affairs without the threat of criminal sanctions. We ask that ...
I can't take itHow could I fake it?How could I fake it?And I can't take itHow could I fake it?How could I fake it?Song: The Lonely Biscuits.“A bit nippy”, I thought when I woke this morning, and then, soon after that, I wondered whether hell had frozen over. Dear friends, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Asheville, North Carolina, was once widely considered a climate haven thanks to its elevated, inland location and cooler temperatures than much of the Southeast. Then came the catastrophic floods of Hurricane Helene in September 2024. It was a stark reminder that nowhere is safe from ...
Early reports indicate that the temporary Israel/Hamas ceasefire deal (due to take effect on Sunday) will allow for the gradual release of groups of Israeli hostages, the release of an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails (likely only a fraction of the total incarcerated population), and the withdrawal ...
My daily news diet is not what it once was.It was the TV news that lost me first. Too infantilising, too breathless, too frustrating.The Herald was next. You could look past the reactionary framing while it was being a decent newspaper of record, but once Shayne Currie began unleashing all ...
Hit the road Jack and don't you come backNo more, no more, no more, no moreHit the road Jack and don't you come back no moreWhat you say?Songwriters: Percy MayfieldMorena,I keep many of my posts, like this one, paywall-free so that everyone can read them.However, please consider supporting me as ...
This might be the longest delay between reading (or in this case re-reading) a work, and actually writing a review of it I have ever managed. Indeed, when I last read these books in December 2022, I was not planning on writing anything about them… but as A Phuulish Fellow ...
Kia Ora,I try to keep most my posts without a paywall for public interest journalism purposes. However, if you can afford to, please consider supporting me as a paid subscriber and/or supporting over at Ko-Fi. That will help me to continue, and to keep spending time on the work. Embarrassingly, ...
There was a time when Google was the best thing in my world. I was an early adopter of their AdWords program and boy did I like what it did for my business. It put rocket fuel in it, is what it did. For every dollar I spent, those ads ...
A while back I was engaged in an unpleasant exchange with a leader of the most well-known NZ anti-vax group and several like-minded trolls. I had responded to a racist meme on social media in which a rightwing podcaster in the US interviewed one of the leaders of the Proud ...
Hi,If you’ve been reading Webworm for a while, you’ll be familiar with Anna Wilding. Between 2020 and 2021 I looked at how the New Zealander had managed to weasel her way into countless news stories over the years, often with very little proof any of it had actually happened. When ...
It's a long white cloud for you, baby; staying together alwaysSummertime in AotearoaWhere the sunshine kisses the water, we will find it alwaysSummertime in AotearoaYeah, it′s SummertimeIt's SummertimeWriters: Codi Wehi Ngatai, Moresby Kainuku, Pipiwharauroa Campbell, Taulutoa Michael Schuster, Rebekah Jane Brady, Te Naawe Jordan Muturangi Tupe, Thomas Edward Scrase.Many of ...
Last year, 292 people died unnecessarily on our roads. That is the lowest result in over a decade and only the fourth time in the last 70 years we’ve seen fewer than 300 deaths in a calendar year. Yet, while it is 292 people too many, with each death being ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob HensonFlames from the Palisades Fire burn a building at Sunset Boulevard amid a powerful windstorm on January 8, 2025 in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The fast-moving wildfire had destroyed thousands of structures and ...
..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.The Regulatory Standards Bill, as I understand it, seeks to bind parliament to a specific range of law-making.For example, it seems to ensure primacy of individual rights over that of community, environment, te Tiriti ...
Happy New Year!I had a lovely break, thanks very much for asking: friends, family, sunshine, books, podcasts, refreshing swims, barbecues, bike rides. So good to step away from the firehose for a while, to have less Trump and Seymour in your day. Who needs the Luxons in their risible PJs ...
Patrick Reynolds is deputy chair of the Auckland City Centre Advisory Panel and a director of Greater Auckland In 2003, after much argument, including the election of a Mayor in 2001 who ran on stopping it, Britomart train station in downtown Auckland opened. A mere 1km twin track terminating branch ...
For the first time in a decade, a New Zealand Prime Minister is heading to the Middle East. The trip is more than just a courtesy call. New Zealand PMs frequently change planes in Dubai en route to destinations elsewhere. But Christopher Luxonâs visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, January 5, 2025 thru Sat, January 11, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
The decade between 1952 and the early 1960s was the peak period for the style of music we now call doo wop, after which it got dissolved into soul music, girl groups, and within pop music in general. Basically, doo wop was a form of small group harmonising with a ...
The future teaches you to be aloneThe present to be afraid and coldSo if I can shoot rabbits, then I can shoot fascists…And if you tolerate thisThen your children will be nextSongwriters: James Dean Bradfield / Sean Anthony Moore / Nicholas Allen Jones.Do you remember at school, studying the rise ...
When National won the New Zealand election in 2023, one of the first to congratulate Luxon was tech-billionaire and entrepreneur extraordinaire Elon Musk.And last year, after Luxon posted a video about a trip to Malaysia, Musk came forward again to heap praise on Christopher:So it was perhaps par for the ...
Hi,Today’s Webworm features a new short film from documentary maker Giorgio Angelini. It’s about Luigi Mangione — but it’s also, really, about everything in America right now.Bear with me.Shortly after I sent out my last missive from the fires on Wednesday, one broke out a little too close to home ...
So soon just after you've goneMy senses sharpenBut it always takes so damn longBefore I feel how much my eyes have darkenedFear hangs in a plane of gun smokeDrifting in our roomSo easy to disturb, with a thought, with a whisperWith a careless memorySongwriters: Andy Taylor / John Taylor / ...
Can we trust the Trump cabinet to act in the public interest?Nine of Trumpâs closest advisers are billionaires. Their total net worth is in excess of $US375b (providing there is not a share-market crash). In contrast, the total net worth of Trumpâs first Cabinet was about $6b. (Joe Bidenâs Cabinet ...
Welcome back to our weekly roundup. We hope you had a good break (if you had one). Here’s a few of the stories that caught our attention over the last few weeks. This holiday period on Greater Auckland Since our last roundup we’ve: Taken a look back at ...
Sometimes I feel like I don't have a partnerSometimes I feel like my only friendIs the city I live in, The City of AngelsLonely as I am together we crySong: Anthony Kiedis, Chad Smith, Flea, John Frusciante.A home is engulfed in flames during the Eaton fire in the Altadena area. ...
Open access notablesLarge emissions of CO2 and CH4 due to active-layer warming in Arctic tundra, Torn et al., Nature Communications:Climate warming may accelerate decomposition of Arctic soil carbon, but few controlled experiments have manipulated the entire active layer. To determine surface-atmosphere fluxes of carbon dioxide and ...
It's election year for Wellington City Council and for the Regional Council. What have the progressive councillors achieved over the last couple of years. What were the blocks and failures? What's with the targeting of the mayor and city council by the Post and by central government? Why does the ...
Over the holidays, there was a rising tide of calls for people to submit on National's repulsive, white supremacist Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill, along with a wave of advice and examples of what to say. And it looks like people rose to the occasion, with over 300,000 ...
The lie is my expenseThe scope of my desireThe Party blessed me with its futureAnd I protect it with fireI am the Nina The Pinta The Santa MariaThe noose and the rapistAnd the fields overseerThe agents of orangeThe priests of HiroshimaThe cost of my desire…Sleep now in the fireSongwriters: Brad ...
This is a re-post from the Climate BrinkGlobal surface temperatures have risen around 1.3C since the preindustrial (1850-1900) period as a result of human activity.1 However, this aggregate number masks a lot of underlying factors that contribute to global surface temperature changes over time.These include CO2, which is the primary ...
There are times when movement around us seems to slow down. And the faster things get, the slower it all appears.And so it is with the whirlwind of early year political activity.They are harbingers for what is to come:Video: Wayne Wright Jnr, funder of Sean Plunket, talk growing power and ...
Hi,Right now the power is out, so I’m just relying on the laptop battery and tethering to my phone’s 5G which is dropping in and out. We’ll see how we go.First up — I’m fine. I can’t see any flames out the window. I live in the greater Hollywood area ...
2024 was a tough year for working Kiwis. But together we’ve been able to fight back for a just and fair New Zealand and in 2025 we need to keep standing up for what’s right and having our voices heard. That starts with our Mood of the Workforce Survey. It’s your ...
Time is never time at allYou can never ever leaveWithout leaving a piece of youthAnd our lives are forever changedWe will never be the sameThe more you change, the less you feelSongwriter: William Patrick Corgan.Babinden - Baba’s DayToday, January 8th, 2025, is Babinden, “The Day of the baba” or “The ...
..I/We wish to make the following comments:I oppose the Treaty Principles Bill."5. Act binds the CrownThis Act binds the Crown."How does this Act "bind the Crown" when Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which the Act refers to, has been violated by the Crown on numerous occassions, resulting in massive loss of ...
Everything is good and brownI'm here againWith a sunshine smile upon my faceMy friends are close at handAnd all my inhibitions have disappeared without a traceI'm glad, oh, that I found oohSomebody who I can rely onSongwriter: Jay KayGood morning, all you lovely people. Today, I’ve got nothing except a ...
Welcome to 2025. After wrapping up 2024, hereâs a look at some of the things we can expect to see this year along with a few predictions. Council and Elections Elections One of the biggest things this year will be local body elections in October. Will Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Canadians can take a while to get angry â but when they finally do, watch out. Canada has been falling out of love with Justin Trudeau for years, and his exit has to be the least surprising news event of the New Year. On recent polling, Trudeauâs Liberal party has ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Much like 2023, many climate and energy records were broken in 2024. It was Earth’s hottest year on record by a wide margin, breaking the previous record that was set just last year by an even larger margin. Human-caused climate-warming pollution and ...
Submissions on National's racist, white supremacist Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill are due tomorrow! So today, after a good long holiday from all that bullshit, I finally got my shit together to submit on it. As I noted here, people should write their own submissions in their own ...
Ooh, baby (ooh, baby)It's making me crazy (it's making me crazy)Every time I look around (look around)Every time I look around (every time I look around)Every time I look aroundIt's in my faceSongwriters: Alan Leo Jansson / Paul Lawrence L. Fuemana.Today, I’ll be talking about rich, middle-aged men who’ve made ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 29, 2024 thru Sat, January 4, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
Hi,The thing that stood out at me while shopping for Christmas presents in New Zealand was how hard it was to avoid Zuru products. Toy manufacturer Zuru is a bit like Netflix, in that it has so much data on what people want they can flood the market with so ...
And when a child is born into this worldIt has no conceptOf the tone of skin it's living inAnd there's a million voicesAnd there's a million voicesTo tell you what you should be thinkingSong by Neneh Cherry and Youssou N'Dour.The moment you see that face, you can hear her voice; ...
While we may not always have quality political leadership, a couple of recently published autobiographies indicate sometimes we strike it lucky. When ranking our prime ministers, retired professor of history Erik Olssen commented that âneither Holland nor Nash was especially effective as prime minister â even his private secretary thought ...
Baby, be the class clownI'll be the beauty queen in tearsIt's a new art form, showin' people how little we care (yeah)We're so happy, even when we're smilin' out of fearLet's go down to the tennis court and talk it up like, yeah (yeah)Songwriters: Joel Little / Ella Yelich O ...
Open access notables Why Misinformation Must Not Be Ignored, Ecker et al., American Psychologist:Recent academic debate has seen the emergence of the claim that misinformation is not a significant societal problem. We argue that the arguments used to support this minimizing position are flawed, particularly if interpreted (e.g., by policymakers or the public) as suggesting ...
What I’ve Been Doing: I buried a close family member.What I’ve Been Watching: Andor, Jack Reacher, Xmas movies.What I’ve Been Reflecting On: The Usefulness of Writing and the Worthiness of Doing So — especially as things become more transparent on their own.I also hate competing on any day, and if ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by John Wihbey. A version of this article first appeared on Yale Climate Connections on Nov. 11, 2008. (Image credits: The White House, Jonathan Cutrer / CC BY 2.0; President Jimmy Carter, Trikosko/Library of Congress; Solar dedication, Bill Fitz-Patrick / Jimmy Carter Library; Solar ...
Morena folks,We’re having a good break, recharging the batteries. Hope you’re enjoying the holiday period. I’m not feeling terribly inspired by much at the moment, I’m afraid—not from a writing point of view, anyway.So, today, we’re travelling back in time. You’ll have to imagine the wavy lines and sci-fi sound ...
Completed reads for 2024: Oration on the Dignity of Man, by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola A Platonic Discourse Upon Love, by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola Of Being and Unity, by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola The Life of Pico della Mirandola, by Giovanni Francesco Pico Three Letters Written by Pico ...
Welcome to 2025, Aotearoa. Well… what can one really say? 2024 was a story of a bad beginning, an infernal middle and an indescribably farcical end. But to chart a course for a real future, it does pay to know where we’ve been… so we know where we need ...
Welcome to the official half-way point of the 2020s. Anyway, as per my New Years tradition, here’s where A Phuulish Fellow’s blog traffic came from in 2024: United States United Kingdom New Zealand Canada Sweden Australia Germany Spain Brazil Finland The top four are the same as 2023, ...
Completed reads for December: Be A Wolf!, by Brian Strickland The Magic Flute [libretto], by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Emanuel Schikaneder The Invisible Eye, by Erckmann-Chatrian The Owl’s Ear, by Erckmann-Chatrian The Waters of Death, by Erckmann-Chatrian The Spider, by Hanns Heinz Ewers Who Knows?, by Guy de Maupassant ...
Well, it’s the last day of the year, so itâs time for a quick wrap-up of the most important things that happened in 2024 for urbanism and transport in our city. A huge thank you to everyone who has visited the blog and supported us in our mission to make ...
Leave your office, run past your funeralLeave your home, car, leave your pulpitJoin us in the streets where weJoin us in the streets where weDon't belong, don't belongHere under the starsThrowing light…Song: Jeffery BuckleyToday, I’ll discuss the standout politicians of the last 12 months. Each party will receive three awards, ...
Hi,A lot’s happened this year in the world of Webworm, and as 2024 comes to an end I thought I’d look back at a few of the things that popped. Maybe you missed them, or you might want to revisit some of these essay and podcast episodes over your break ...
Hi,I wanted to share this piece by film editor Dan Kircher about what cinema has been up to in 2024.Dan edited my documentary Mister Organ, as well as this year’s excellent crowd-pleasing Bookworm.Dan adores movies. He gets the language of cinema, he knows what he loves, and writes accordingly. And ...
Without delving into personal details but in order to give readers a sense of the year that was, I thought I would offer the study in contrasts that are Xmas 2023 and Xmas 2024: Xmas 2023 in Starship Children’s Hospital (after third of four surgeries). Even opening presents was an ...
The Green Party has welcomed the provisional ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, and reiterated its call for New Zealand to push for an end to the unlawful occupation of Palestine. ...
The Green Party welcomes the extension of the deadline for Treaty Principles Bill submissions but continues to call on the Government to abandon the Bill. ...
Complaints about disruptive behaviour now handled in around 13 days (down from around 60 days a year ago) 553 Section 55A notices issued by KÄinga Ora since July 2024, up from 41 issued during the same period in the previous year. Of that 553, first notices made up around 83 ...
The time it takes to process building determinations has improved significantly over the last year which means fewer delays in homes being built, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. âNew Zealand has a persistent shortage of houses. Making it easier and quicker for new homes to be built will ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden is pleased to announce the annual list of New Zealandâs most popular baby names for 2024. âFor the second consecutive year, Noah has claimed the top spot for boys with 250 babies sharing the name, while Isla has returned to the most popular ...
Work is set to get underway on a new bus station at Westgate this week. A contract has been awarded to HEB Construction to start a package of enabling works to get the site ready in advance of main construction beginning in mid-2025, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.âA new Westgate ...
Minister for Children and for Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence Karen Chhour is encouraging people to use the resources available to them to get help, and to report instances of family and sexual violence amongst their friends, families, and loved ones who are in need. âThe death of a ...
Uia te pĆ, rangahaua te pĆ, whakamÄramatia mai he aha tĆ tango, he aha tĆ kÄwhaki? Whitirere ki te ao, tirotiro kau au, kei hea taku rÄtÄ whakamarumaru i te au o te pakanga mo te mana motuhake? Au te pĆ, ngĆ« te pĆ, ue hÄ! E te kahurangi mÄreikura, ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says people with diabetes and other painful conditions will benefit from a significant new qualification to boost training in foot care. âIt sounds simple, but quality and regular foot and nail care is vital in preventing potentially serious complications from diabetes, like blisters or sores, which can take a long time to heal ...
Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour is pleased to see Pharmac continue to increase availability of medicines for Kiwis with the governmentâs largest ever investment in Pharmac. âPharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the government,â says Mr Seymour. âWhen this government assumed ...
MÄ mua ka kite a muri, mÄ muri ka ora e mua - Those who lead give sight to those who follow, those who follow give life to those who lead. MÄori recipients in the New Year 2025 Honours list show comprehensive dedication to improving communities across the motu that ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden is wishing all New Zealanders a great holiday season as Kiwis prepare for gatherings with friends and families to see in the New Year. It is a great time of year to remind everyone to stay fire safe over the summer. âI know ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney The acclaimed American filmmaker David Lynch has died at the age of 78. While a cause of death has yet to be publicly announced, Lynch, a lifelong tobacco enthusiast, revealed ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Monika Ferguson, Senior Lecturer in Mental Health, University of South Australia People presenting at emergency with mental health concerns are experiencing the longest wait times in Australia for admission to a ward, according to a new report from the Australasian College of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Blazevich, Professor of Biomechanics, Edith Cowan University Weâre nearing the halfway point of this yearâs Australian Open and players like the United Statesâ Reilly Opelka (ranked 170th in the world ) and Franceâs Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (ranked 30th) captured plenty of ...
Asia Pacific Report Four researchers and authors from the Asia-Pacific region have provided diverse perspectives on the media in a new global book on intercultural communication. The Sage Handbook of Intercultural Communication published this week offers a global, interdisciplinary, and contextual approach to understanding the complexities of intercultural communication in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Benjamin T. Jones, Senior Lecturer in History, CQUniversity Australia In his farewell address, outgoing US President Joe Biden warned âan oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracyâ. The comment suggests ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hrvoje TkalÄiÄ, Professor, Head of Geophysics, Director of Warramunga Array, Australian National University A map showing the ‘Martian dichotomy’: the southern highlands are in yellows and oranges, the northern lowlands in blues and greens.NASA / JPL / USGS Mars is home ...
A new poem by Niamh Hollis-Locke.Field-notes: Midsummer, 9pm, walking barefoot in the reserve after a storm, the sky still light, the city strung out across backs of the hills  Dunes of last weekâs cut grass washed downslope against the bracken, drifts of pale wet stems rotting into one ...
The poll, conducted between 9-13 January, shows National down 4.6 points to 29.6%, while Labour have risen 4.0 points from last month, overtaking them with30.9%. ...
As the world farewells visionary director David Lynch, we return to this 2017 piece by Angela Cuming about escaping into the haunting world of Twin Peaks. I was only 10 years old when Twin Peaks â and the real world â found me.Once a week, in the dark, I ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marc C-Scott, Associate Professor of Screen Media | Deputy Associate Dean of Learning & Teaching, Victoria University Screenshot/YouTube The 2025 Australian Open (AO) broadcast may seem similar to previous years if youâre watching on the television. However, if youâre watching online ...
By Anish Chand in Suva A Fiji community human rights coalition has called on Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka to halt his âreckless expansionâ of government and refocus on addressing Fijiâs pressing challenges. The NGO Coalition on Human Rights (NGOCHR) said it was outraged by the abrupt and arbitrary reshuffling of ...
A selection of the best shows, movies, podcasts and playlists that kept us entertained over the holidays. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here.Leo (Netflix) My partner and I watched exactly one thing on the TV in our Japan accommodation while ...
Toby Manhire tells you everything you need to know ahead of season two of Severance.After an agonising wait â nearly three years between waffles, thanks to US actor and writer strikes and, some say, creative squabbles â Severance returns today, Friday January 17. For my money the first season ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a 32-year-old mother of a one-year-old shares her approach to spending and saving. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here.Gender: Female. Age: 32. Ethnicity: East Asian â NZ ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Talia Fell, PhD Candidate, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland The Los Angeles wildfires are causing the devastating loss of peopleâs homes. From A-list celebrities such as Paris Hilton to an Australian family living in LA, thousands ...
The outgoing and incoming presidents have both claimed credit for the historic deal, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund for The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
Finally, some good fucking news. The Friday Poem is back! Last year, The Spinoff leveled with its audience about the financial reality it faced and called for support from its audience. Some tough decisions were made at the time including cuts to our commissioning budget and the discontinuation of The ...
The soon-to-be deputy PM has already had a crucial win behind the scenes. First published in Henry Cookeâs politics newsletter, Museum Street. Margaret Thatcher used to love prime ministerâs questions. If youâre not familiar, the UK parliamentary system has a weekly procedure where the prime minister is subject to at least ...
Summer reissue: The current coalition not lasting beyond this parliamentary term is an idea thatâs been seized on by its opponents. History suggests itâs unlikely â but not impossible. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor in Port Vila More than 180,000 registered voters are expected to cast their votes today with polls now open in Vanuatu. It is remarkable the snap election is even able to happen with Friday marking one month since the 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck the ...
New Zealand needs to boost its productivity growth and become more attractive and accessible as a workplace in order to fix its labour market woes, a recruitment agency says.Commenting on new salary survey results from Robert Walters, Shay Peters, the companyâs Australia and New Zealand chief executive, says the Government ...
Comment: When Newsroomâs editor Jonathan Milne invited me to write one of two special pieces for the summer break, I faced quite the conundrum. My options were to either review a work of non-fiction or write a column about hope and optimism for 2025.I initially misread Jonathanâs request to review ...
By Daniel Perese of Te Ao MÄori News MÄori politicians across the political spectrum in Aotearoa New Zealand have called for immediate aid to enter Gaza following a temporary ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel. The ceasefire, agreed yesterday, comes into effect on Sunday, January 19. Foreign Minister Winston Peters ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Sherlock, Lecturer, School of Fashion and Textiles, RMIT University Australian-owned brand UGG Since 1974 has announced it will change its name to âSince 74â for sales outside Australia and New Zealand. There has been a long-running battle over the rights ...
The committee has agreed to split into two sub-committees to increase the number of people it can hear from in the time available. Each sub-committee will meet for 30 hours total, together making up 60 of the 80 planned hours of hearings. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Parmeter, Research scholar, Middle East studies, Australian National University The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, to come into effect on Sunday, has understandably been welcomed by the overwhelming majority of Israelis and Palestinians. Israelis are relieved that a process for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christine Carson, Senior Research Fellow, School of Medicine, The University of Western Australia Over the past several days, the world has watched on in shock as wildfires have devastated large parts of Los Angeles. Beyond the obvious destruction â to landscapes, homes, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rose Cairns, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy, NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow, University of Sydney AtlasStudio/Shutterstock TikTok and Instagram influencers have been peddling the âBarbie drugâ to help you tan. But melanotan-II, as itâs called officially, is a solution thatâs too good to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paula Jarzabkowski, Professor in Strategic Management, The University of Queensland A series of wildfires in Los Angeles County have caused widespread devastation in California, including at least 24 deaths and the destruction of more than 12,000 homes and structures. Thousands of residents ...
The Mosquito…..big boys toy flying around Masterton with company like Spitfires and a Mustang. It is my intention to view these whilst standing in the Ruamahanga trouting.
Otherwise domestic drudgery involving a paint brush. Plus some subversive planting of winter crops.
I am heading up there myself, Ennui, but have bought myself tickets to attend the show on Saturday. My father had a Tiger Moth when I was growing up (he still has it but is too old to fly it) and he used to store it at Hood Aerodrome in Masterton. Going for rides in it when I was a lad gave me a love of old planes – particularly the Spitfire.
After that – back to Wellington for a nights kip then change into a suit and head to the races. Corporate box this year – might even have a flutter.
Hope the weather holds.
Lucky sod! My late fishing buddy was mad on aeroplanes, we would often screech to halt on remote roads to watch “ag”buses” (topdresser planes) launch themselves from impossible places. Mad buggers. Enjoy the day.
Yeah – I am looking forward to it. Enjoy your fishing!
Ennui – the mosquito was fucking beautiful. In formation with two vampires and a venom jet. Stunning aircraft.
Fantastic!What a sight.
Elvis Costello, finally in Auckland.
I want to hear them do Shipbuilding, even without Chet Baker on the solo.
Yarrrrrr….
So, if I do a half and half mix of cheap arse Bunnings compost and potting mix anything I plant in it will be fine right? Rather late this season in getting the chillis and tomatoes started :/
Oh, and the large plastic planter bags from Bunnings are pretty good too for tomatoes.
Methinks Nick, unless you are north of Taupo that toms and chillies are more than a little late to plant. A better option might be to plant some autumn leaf crops like silver beet and cabbages. Sumer down in Wellywood has been a little crap for the plants that are lovers of hot weather.
You’ll be fine if you grow your toms and chillis in pots indoors
Agapanthas. Someone here had ideas about getting rid of them. (They are spreading like dandruff!) Very hard to dig out. Wonder if I topped them and poured Roundup onto the exposed raw flesh? Or offered them for free on Trademe. Pick your own perhaps. Any ideas? Please?
Hi Ianmac,
With round-up, I’d advise you to spray all the leaves, twice to be on the safe side, then cut and discard the plant and what roots you can dig out. It wont have died back much in just a few days, but the poison is right through the system, so you don’t have to wait.
I think your chance of getting someone to come and take your agapanthus out and home with them is zero. Just my opinion.
I’m in the’ round-up isn’t that toxic’ camp, and don’t even wear gloves when I spray it, even though I’m averse to garden chemicals in general. DoC makes good use of it it managing the conservation estate from invasive exotics.
You really have to dig out the roots. Can be very hard work.
Northshoreguynz: Have started digging them out but the spade bounceback really hurts my joints. Trying to find an alternative.
Just Saying: I don’t think that Roundup will penetrate the leaves but open root flesh might.
I helped Mike Sexton from DOC kill wilding pines in the Sounds. He drilled holes in the pine treetrunks with a portable drill and I poured straight Roundup (glyphosate) into the holes. The trees started collapsing within a month. (Agreed that Roundup is not toxic to people.)
I wonder if I used my chainsaw sideways, to lop off the leaves at root level, then poison the exposed flesh????
I thought round-up was a foliage-only spray?
I’ve heard of what you describe using woody weed killer (a very toxic herbicide).
If glysophate can be used in this way, I have a couple of sprouting stumps that it could be useful in dealing with. I don’t like using woody – lots of safety precautions and careful disposal of anything that might have come in contact with it. Glysophate on the other hand has no residual soil activity because it quickly breaks down to its constituent parts.
just saying: Guarantee the glyphosate as in Roundup and several other brands using that chemical. Westminster for one. It seems that thick leaved plants like in agapanthas, the poison does not penetrate. Hence the drilled holes in wilding pines, and now my new plan to remove the agapanthas leaves and poison the freshly exposed flesh. Did a trial run with a dozen plants today. Will wait and see???
I used glyphosate to kill the stump of some “whitey-wood” about 3 years ago and that tree is very dead.
(For some reason clover does not die with Roundup and even grows better! Like that flyspray that flies seem to enjoy!!!)
That’s pure Roundup not watered down. I used a paintbrush to apply.
I have a problem, as do many others, because the weed isn’t well enough controlled, with bindweed. I think it is more dangerous than old man’s beard. Thought of pulling a lot out, roots and all and then painting young leaves with strong roundup, perhaps full strength might be needed. But I wasn’t sure what effect that would have. Could it be absorbed by other plants with roots in close proximity I wonder.
Nose: I also cut some Old Man’s Beard off near the ground last week then dipped the bare stalk into raw Roundup. Hope that that works. If so, should work for bindweed as well. You have to do it quickly while the wound is fresh otherwise the wound seals over.
When I was renting once, the neighbour came over and asked if he could deal to a patch of convolvulus that was coming through into his place. He put a few of the leafy ends into a little jar of roundup and left it for a few days. The poison crept down the stem and wiped out the weed in about 10 days.
About timing – Last year I had chilli’s outside, growing like weeds until June. same with tomatoes. We’re in for a long, hot summer too, main producers are in the greenhouse, so I shouldn’t have any issues until late March at the very earliest.
Just need to know if the mix I want to do will hurt the plants đ
Mix will be fine I reckon. You must live somewhere hotter than Windytown!
Nothing like those NW 28+ degree to get the plant’s growing đ
And thanks, now to buy the it (so. many. kickstarter. game. projects…..)
I found a thoughtful piece by Schopenhauer.
(Came to mind after reading the comments about Key and fainting and Antarctica)
(His sentences can be too long so I’ve split some up.)
Schopenhauer Arthur :
How very paltry and limited the normal human intellect is,
and how little lucidity there is in the human consciousness, –
may be judged from the fact that, despite the ephemeral brevity of human life, the uncertainty of our existence and the countless enigmas which press upon us from all sides, –
everyone does not continually and ceaselessly philosophise, but that only the rarest of exceptions do so.
The rest live their lives away in this dream not very differently from the animals, from which they are in the end distinguished only by their ability to provide for a few years ahead.
If they should ever feel any metaphysical need, it is taken care of from above and in advance by the various religions; and these, whatever they may be like, suffice.
(Probably written about 1850’s.)
Celebrated being able to hear again by finishing (nearly) a track I’ve been hoarding.
https://soundcloud.com/theal1en/hello-world
Men Are from Mars, Women from Venus.
I’m thinking double A side. Same song, different lyrics, a point of view from each.
I’m thinking me and Ladyhawke in NZ, me and the lovely Lily Allen back in blighty, and Lady Gaga over in the states, but only if she wears sensible clothes for the video. đ
Hello World ( Mars)
Hello World, how you been?
I’m doing quite well old friend, all things considering.
I don’t know why I’m in a spin.
I made myself thin again, old thing considering, considering them.
Years gone by since I went on trial over them.
The tears all dried and I won’t cry them again.
No fears inside on overdrive over them.
But one more time she spins on by and I bend.
And though there’s nothing left between us that won’t taste of spite.
And though there’s nothing left between us that could catch alight.
And though there’s no love in her acid rain and rings of fire.
She’s still the one that I needed to stay.
She’s still the one that’s still needed.
Words good. Now I have to go to the link.
Hope you got the updated vocals. đ
Hello World (Mars) https://soundcloud.com/theal1en/hello-world
Hello World, how you been?
I’m doing quite well old friend, all things considering.
I don’t know why I’m in a spin.
I made myself thin again, old thing considering, considering them.
Years gone by since I went on trial over them.
The tears all dried and I won’t cry them again.
No fears inside on overdrive over them.
But one more time she spins on by and I bend.
And though there’s nothing left between us that won’t taste of spite.
And though there’s nothing left between us that could set alight.
And though there’s no love in her acid rain and rings of fire.
She’s still the one that I needed to stay.
She’s still the one that I needed.
Hello World, here’s the thing.
I’m doing quite well on principle, still invincible, considerable, considering.
I don’t know why I let her in.
I made myself go against the grain, old flame/same pain. Considerate, considering them.
Years gone by since I went on trial over them.
The skies all died and I won’t fly them again.
No fears inside to override just for them.
But one more time she spins my mind and I bend.
And though there’s nothing left between us that would last a night.
And there’s a rift so big between us it would capture light.
And though there’s no love in her acid lakes and hearts desire.
She’s still the one that I needed to stay.
She’s still the one that I needed.
She’s still the one that’s still needed.