I played cricket for a rural team as 11th man a few decades ago. They needed someone to make the tea and to jog after the odd ball that hit for a 4. Never got to bat or bowl. Great to browse a few hours in bucolic settings and have a yarn to the cows grazing the boundaries. Actually I never understood just how the matches were organised.. Rules pretty obscure to me.
Now days the slick commercial presentation is a far cry. Watch it? Suppose so.
I see that Prime is broadcasting again.
The game that has become less of a ‘gentleman’s’ game, played these days by many multi-millionaires, exploited by super rich corporates, gambling outfits and game fixers for the primordial enjoyment or heartache of a very large chunk of humans.
Go New Zealand! Make history. You (We) deserve it!
hi rob, i reckon this is what weekend social is for.
if the cricket tragics like myself start to dominate this post, it will be ok, it will be over by sunday night.
this odi is the most anticipated cricket game in a generation (since the last time the team played).
i believe that in the future people will look back to this world cup and pinpoint mccullums captaincy style as the time a new way of playing cricket started.
we have had a new hero each time this nz team plays. elliot, guptill, mccullum, southee, boult…
we have a world class bowler who can not break into the team (mills).
the last time the ockers played us, they came second, have a bowling attack that is inferior to ours and a fragility in their batting line-up.
so.. what will i be doing this sunday night?
going to see michael franti and spearhead in auckland.
hoping to avoid hearing the result and watching a replay on monday.
thank you mike hesson, brendon mccullum and team for giving me a world cup that will stay in my memories for an age and giving me a sports team i am truly proud of.
they have played a refreshing aggressive style of cricket in a gentlemenly manner.
I returned back to cricket at the start of this world cup. I knew that the Black Cap team were something special which I had not seen before. I said to a guy I talk to about cricket that the South African game would be close.
To win the Black caps have to get runs on the board and to get some quick Aussie wickets.
My biggest problem in watching the cricket is that I do not nod off, as it is on too late for me.
Is it on TV? I used to enjoy watching the man and dog team pen those shambolic sheep. Every now and then they’ll turn and face off the dog and stamp their feet in defiance.
What do you think of having a monopoly on the scouring? Probably with fewer sheep it was inevitable. But I have a feeling that the sole processor is an Oz company which is not ideal.
Not on TV any more . I Havn’t been doing it long but the tension when you’re at the yard and you’ve got a stubborn sheep and times ticking away . its a highly addictive sport if you like a challenge.
As for wool scouring as someone who is just a worker I have to admit to not paying much attention to the end point of what we produce. But with the lose of more and more sheep numbers to cows and pines it’s an industry that could struggle.
Night off tonight, listening / watching for tomorrow’s outcome, cricket on Sunday with some laundry, ironing and general domestic goddess chores threaded through. I may even manage to do some reading!
I can’t watch 3D it gives me a real splitting headache.
@Ianmac There are some specialised 3d tvs out there (it was the big thing a few years ago) Also computers have been doing 3d in games ie 3dfx cards, and I do know that Nvidia’s new cards are nearly all 3d ready, and some even come with the flash glasses.
See “Saturday, 28 March” in this timetable. No Guarantees but Electoral Commission hopes to give advance vote results by 7.30pm; 50% of booth results by 9pm; and 100% by 10pm.
If he wins you should toast him in the way he would want.
Not with wine but with a good single malt Scotch Whiskey.
Winston would probably join you if you offered him that.
I would suggest a choice from
Talisker 18 year old
Lagavulin 16
or The Glenlivet 18.
Hell, with one of those I’ll join you and congratulate your taste in all things.
Congratulations on getting in the meme that the member from Whananaki is a lush. I’m not sure at all that I’d have a drink with him, but next time I see him, I’ll thank him for doing some good for his turangawaewae and tell him to keep his boat speed down inside the river.
For God’s sake.
That was not in any way what I was thinking.
I have no reason at all to think that he is, as you imply, a “lush”
Nobody keeps going as well as he does could be.
I was merely referring to the way he got on so well with Bolger after they combined in Government after the 1996 election because of the way they were supposed to have sorted out any problems over a Scotch.
Anyway, anyone who can appreciate good Scotch should be approved of.
Try it some time. It will improve your rather sour attitude.
Two important books on working class history here and across the ditch. One is Meredith Burgmann’s book on the NSW Builders Labourers union, an incredibly progressive and militant union; the other is Jock Barnes’ ‘Never a White Flag’.
Slobbing on Saturday, group exercise with drums on Sunday in the form of March to Stop Deep Sea Oil – from VICTORIA PARK, Auckland City,Midday, Sunday, March 29.
Going completely nuts in Titirangi all last night and this weekend with the music festival.
Good to see the street bedecked with live performances and crowds.
Trapping is effective, if you get/make a tunnel trap, use sticky bait (peanut butter) and put on gloves before handling anything to disguise human smell. Prebaiting is a good idea.
I will try to get some info from someone I know that might be good vto. Would you be interested in selling a device, if available? Ust an idea that came to me, at present. But if interested then give me a positive and I will find out more and get back.
edited
After years of trapping and baiting with minimal success I sought the advice of a professional.
Two mistakes, I wasn’t using enough bait in enough stations to poison the whole clan in one go and because I wasn’t persisting when danger passed members of the extended clan moved in.
So, I bought bait in bulk, quadrupled the number of stations using up to 200g’s of bait in each one and I keep it up. Baited on top of the soffits, ceiling spaces, nooks and crannies, under the house and bird/pet safe stations* everywhere around the house I thought might be popular with the enemy.
Proudly rat free for nearly a year.
I used >1600mm lengths of 60 – 80mm PVC waste/down/stormwater pipe, fastened baits to a lengths 40mm trellis lathe and slid the timbers up the pipe.*
Thanks for the tips folks, appreciated. Mr Greyrawshark, circumstances would make such a sale setup quite difficult methinks but appreciate the offer cheers.
Luckily our rats are not large but rather small, more like giant mice and when they accidentally come very near whilst sitting quietly amongst the vegetation they look very cute and clean and furry. Except for their feet. And their snouts.. and their tails ….
Quiet weekend – off to Rockville where my wife was born – just finished last guided tramp over the Heaphy for the season – wrote a poem about the experience
This is just to let you all know my good fortune. I am advised by Anan Peters of Barclays Capital Finance London UK that he is in control of a valuable fund from someone with my surname now deceased and without heir or will. He has kindly taken it upon himself to search out family and will split this US$16 million with others on a 60/40 basis.
Obviously I am ecstatic about this, so much that I will go onto being static about it, in fear of the likely results of the ex (as in out of). What a beautiful little scam and the letter written with finesse and the right amount of gravitas and authority. Just as well that I take being a sceptic seriously, to the point of seeing the c off, leaving septic. Words are so plastic aren’t they!
Family off to Penguin Island for the day yah!!! http://www.penguinisland.com.au/
We (g’ma and g’dad) are zonked out on the sofa…
Just a warm sunny 30 degrees here in Perth today (as usual). Waiting in anticipation for the results tonight/this afternoon here,
Hopefully get a glimpse of “dear leader” on the TV tomorrow. /sarc
And hope we get to do a bit of Gloating on Monday.
I spent a 3 week holiday on Rottnest Is. some 40 plus years ago. Beautiful little unspoilt island then but I bet it isn’t now.
In those days the Quokkas were such naughty but friendly little creatures. They would calmly bounce into the cottages and pinch food if you weren’t careful.
Has anybody else noticed Cameron Slater still obsessing over Jacinda Ardern? The disgraced Whale Oil blogger seems to have made it his life’s mission to shadow the former Prime Minister of New Zealand like some unhinged stalker lurking in the digital bushes.The man’s obsession with Ardern isn't just unhealthy...it’s downright ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is climate change a net benefit for society? Human-caused climate change has been a net detriment to society as measured by loss of ...
When the National Party hastily announced its “Local Water Done Well” policy, they touted it as the great saviour of New Zealand’s crumbling water infrastructure. But as time goes by it's looking more and more like a planning and fiscal lame duck...and one that’s going to cost ratepayers far more ...
Donald Trump, the orange-hued oligarch, is back at it again, wielding tariffs like a mob boss swinging a lead pipe. His latest economic edict; slapping hefty tariffs on imports from China, Mexico, and Canada, has the stench of a protectionist shakedown, cooked up in the fevered minds of his sycophantic ...
In the week of Australia’s 3 May election, ASPI will release Agenda for Change 2025: preparedness and resilience in an uncertain world, a report promoting public debate and understanding on issues of strategic importance to ...
One pill makes you largerAnd one pill makes you smallAnd the ones that mother gives youDon't do anything at allGo ask AliceWhen she's ten feet tallSongwriter: Grace Wing Slick.Morena, all, and a happy Bicycle Day to you.Today is an unofficial celebration of the dawning of the psychedelic era, commemorating the ...
It’s only been a few months since the Hollywood fires tore through Los Angeles, leaving a trail of devastation, numerous deaths, over 10,000 homes reduced to rubble, and a once glorious film industry on its knees. The Palisades and Eaton fires, fueled by climate-driven dry winds, didn’t just burn houses; ...
Four eighty-year-old books which are still vitally relevant today. Between 1942 and 1945, four refugees from Vienna each published a ground-breaking – seminal – book.* They left their country after Austria was taken over by fascists in 1934 and by Nazi Germany in 1938. Previously they had lived in ‘Red ...
Good Friday, 18th April, 2025: I can at last unveil the Secret Non-Fiction Project. The first complete Latin-to-English translation of Giovanni Pico della Mirandola’s twelve-book Disputationes adversus astrologiam divinatricem (Disputations Against Divinatory Astrology). Amounting to some 174,000 words, total. Some context is probably in order. Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463-1494) ...
National MP Hamish Campbell's pathetic attempt to downplay his deep ties to and involvement in the Two by Twos...a secretive religious sect under FBI and NZ Police investigation for child sexual abuse...isn’t just a misstep; it’s a calculated lie that insults the intelligence of every Kiwi voter.Campbell’s claim of being ...
New Zealand First’s Shane Jones has long styled himself as the “Prince of the Provinces,” a champion of regional development and economic growth. But beneath the bluster lies a troubling pattern of behaviour that reeks of cronyism and corruption, undermining the very democracy he claims to serve. Recent revelations and ...
Give me one reason to stay hereAnd I'll turn right back aroundGive me one reason to stay hereAnd I'll turn right back aroundSaid I don't want to leave you lonelyYou got to make me change my mindSongwriters: Tracy Chapman.Morena, and Happy Easter, whether that means to you. Hot cross buns, ...
New Zealand’s housing crisis is a sad indictment on the failures of right wing neoliberalism, and the National Party, under Chris Luxon’s shaky leadership, is trying to simply ignore it. The numbers don’t lie: Census data from 2023 revealed 112,496 Kiwis were severely housing deprived...couch-surfing, car-sleeping, or roughing it on ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: on a global survey of over 3,000 economists and scientists showing a significant divide in views on green growth; and ...
Simeon Brown, the National Party’s poster child for hubris, consistently over-promises and under-delivers. His track record...marked by policy flip-flops and a dismissive attitude toward expert advice, reveals a politician driven by personal ambition rather than evidence. From transport to health, Brown’s focus seems fixed on protecting National's image, not addressing ...
Open access notables Recent intensified riverine CO2 emission across the Northern Hemisphere permafrost region, Mu et al., Nature Communications:Global warming causes permafrost thawing, transferring large amounts of soil carbon into rivers, which inevitably accelerates riverine CO2 release. However, temporally and spatially explicit variations of riverine CO2 emissions remain unclear, limiting the ...
Once a venomous thorn in New Zealand’s blogosphere, Cathy Odgers, aka Cactus Kate, has slunk into the shadows, her once-sharp quills dulled by the fallout of Dirty Politics.The dishonest attack-blogger, alongside her vile accomplices such as Cameron Slater, were key players in the National Party’s sordid smear campaigns, exposed by Nicky ...
Once upon a time, not so long ago, those who talked of Australian sovereign capability, especially in the technology sector, were generally considered an amusing group of eccentrics. After all, technology ecosystems are global and ...
The ACT Party leader’s latest pet project is bleeding taxpayers dry, with $10 million funneled into seven charter schools for just 215 students. That’s a jaw-dropping $46,500 per student, compared to roughly $9,000 per head in state schools.You’d think Seymour would’ve learned from the last charter school fiasco, but apparently, ...
India navigated relations with the United States quite skilfully during the first Trump administration, better than many other US allies did. Doing so a second time will be more difficult, but India’s strategic awareness and ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi is concerned for low-income workers given new data released by Stats NZ that shows inflation was 2.5% for the year to March 2025, rising from 2.2% in December last year. “The prices of things that people can’t avoid are rising – meaning inflation is rising ...
Last week, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment recommended that forestry be removed from the Emissions Trading Scheme. Its an unfortunate but necessary move, required to prevent the ETS's total collapse in a decade or so. So naturally, National has told him to fuck off, and that they won't be ...
China’s recent naval circumnavigation of Australia has highlighted a pressing need to defend Australia’s air and sea approaches more effectively. Potent as nuclear submarines are, the first Australian boats under AUKUS are at least seven ...
In yesterday’s post I tried to present the Reserve Bank Funding Agreement for 2025-30, as approved by the Minister of Finance and the Bank’s Board, in the context of the previous agreement, and the variation to that agreement signed up to by Grant Robertson a few weeks before the last ...
Australia’s bid to co-host the 31st international climate negotiations (COP31) with Pacific island countries in late 2026 is directly in our national interest. But success will require consultation with the Pacific. For that reason, no ...
Old and outdated buildings being demolished at Wellington Hospital in 2018. The new infrastructure being funded today will not be sufficient for future population size and some will not be built by 2035. File photo: Lynn GrievesonLong stories short from our political economy on Thursday, April 17:Simeon Brown has unveiled ...
The introduction of AI in workplaces can create significant health and safety risks for workers (such as intensification of work, and extreme surveillance) which can significantly impact workers’ mental and physical wellbeing. It is critical that unions and workers are involved in any decision to introduce AI so that ...
Donald Trump’s return to the White House and aggressive posturing is undermining global diplomacy, and New Zealand must stand firm in rejecting his reckless, fascist-driven policies that are dragging the world toward chaos.As a nation with a proud history of peacekeeping and principled foreign policy, we should limit our role ...
Sunday marks three months since Donald Trump’s inauguration as US president. What a ride: the style rude, language raucous, and the results rogue. Beyond manners, rudeness matters because tone signals intent as well as personality. ...
There are any number of reasons why anyone thinking of heading to the United States for a holiday should think twice. They would be giving their money to a totalitarian state where political dissenters are being rounded up and imprisoned here and here, where universities are having their funds for ...
Taiwan has an inadvertent, rarely acknowledged role in global affairs: it’s a kind of sponge, soaking up much of China’s political, military and diplomatic efforts. Taiwan soaks up Chinese power of persuasion and coercion that ...
The Ukraine war has been called the bloodiest conflict since World War II. As of July 2024, 10,000 women were serving in frontline combat roles. Try telling them—from the safety of an Australian lounge room—they ...
Following Canadian authorities’ discovery of a Chinese information operation targeting their country’s election, Australians, too, should beware such risks. In fact, there are already signs that Beijing is interfering in campaigning for the Australian election ...
This video includes personal musings and conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). From "founder" of Tesla and the OG rocket man with SpaceX, and rebranding twitter as X, Musk has ...
Back in February 2024, a rat infestation attracted a fair few headlines in the South Dunedin Countdown supermarket. Today, the rats struck again. They took out the Otago-Southland region’s internet connection. https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360656230/internet-outage-hits-otago-and-southland Strictly, it was just a coincidence – rats decided to gnaw through one fibre cable, while some hapless ...
I came in this morning after doing some chores and looked quickly at Twitter before unpacking the groceries. Someone was retweeting a Radio NZ story with the headline “Reserve Bank’s budget to be slashed by 25%”. Wow, I thought, the Minister of Finance has really delivered this time. And then ...
So, having teased it last week, Andrew Little has announced he will run for mayor of Wellington. On RNZ, he's saying its all about services - "fixing the pipes, making public transport cheaper, investing in parks, swimming pools and libraries, and developing more housing". Meanwhile, to the readers of the ...
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?W.B. Yeats, The Second Coming, 1921ALL OVER THE WORLD, devout Christians will be reaching for their bibles, reading and re-reading Revelation 13:16-17. For the benefit of all you non-Christians out there, these are the verses describing ...
Give me what I want, what I really, really want: And what India really wants from New Zealand isn’t butter or cheese, but a radical relaxation of the rules controlling Indian immigration.WHAT DOES INDIA WANT from New Zealand? Not our dairy products, that’s for sure, it’s got plenty of those. ...
In the week of Australia’s 3 May election, ASPI will release Agenda for Change 2025: preparedness and resilience in an uncertain world, a report promoting public debate and understanding on issues of strategic importance to ...
Yesterday, 5,500 senior doctors across Aotearoa New Zealand voted overwhelmingly to strike for a day.This is the first time in New Zealand ASMS members have taken strike action for 24 hours.They are asking the government tofund them and account for resource shortfalls.Vacancies are critical - 45-50% in some regions.The ...
For years and years and years, David Seymour and his posse of deluded neoliberals have been preaching their “tough on crime” gospel to voters. Harsher sentences! More police! Lock ‘em up! Throw away the key. But when it comes to their own, namely former Act Party president Tim Jago, a ...
Judith Collins is a seasoned master at political hypocrisy. As New Zealand’s Defence Minister, she's recently been banging the war drum, announcing a jaw-dropping $12 billion boost to the defence budget over the next four years, all while the coalition of chaos cries poor over housing, health, and education.Apparently, there’s ...
I’m on the London Overground watching what the phones people are holding are doing to their faces: The man-bun guy who could not be less impressed by what he's seeing but cannot stop reading; the woman who's impatient for a response; the one who’s frowning; the one who’s puzzled; the ...
You don't have no prescriptionYou don't have to take no pillsYou don't have no prescriptionAnd baby don't have to take no pillsIf you come to see meDoctor Brown will cure your ills.Songwriters: Waymon Glasco.Dr Luxon. Image: David and Grok.First, they came for the Bottom FeedersAnd I did not speak outBecause ...
The Health Minister says the striking doctors already “well remunerated,” and are “walking away from” and “hurting” their patients. File photo: Lynn GrievesonLong stories short from our political economy on Wednesday, April 16:Simeon Brown has attacked1 doctors striking for more than a 1.5% pay rise as already “well remunerated,” even ...
The time is ripe for Australia and South Korea to strengthen cooperation in space, through embarking on joint projects and initiatives that offer practical outcomes for both countries. This is the finding of a new ...
Hi,When Trump raised tariffs against China to 145%, he destined many small businesses to annihilation. The Daily podcast captured the mass chaos by zooming in and talking to one person, Beth Benike, a small-business owner who will likely lose her home very soon.She pointed out that no, she wasn’t surprised ...
National’s handling of inflation and the cost-of-living crisis is an utter shambles and a gutless betrayal of every Kiwi scraping by. The Coalition of Chaos Ministers strut around preaching about how effective their policies are, but really all they're doing is perpetuating a cruel and sick joke of undelivered promises, ...
Most people wouldn't have heard of a little worm like Rhys Williams, a so-called businessman and former NZ First member, who has recently been unmasked as the venomous troll behind a relentless online campaign targeting Green Party MP Benjamin Doyle.According to reports, Williams has been slinging mud at Doyle under ...
Illustration credit: Jonathan McHugh (New Statesman)The other day, a subscriber said they were unsubscribing because they needed “some good news”.I empathised. Don’t we all.I skimmed a NZME article about the impacts of tariffs this morning with analysis from Kiwibank’s Jarrod Kerr. Kerr, their Chief Economist, suggested another recession is the ...
Let’s assume, as prudence demands we assume, that the United States will not at any predictable time go back to being its old, reliable self. This means its allies must be prepared indefinitely to lean ...
Over the last three rather tumultuous US trade policy weeks, I’ve read these four books. I started with Irwin (whose book had sat on my pile for years, consulted from time to time but not read) in a week of lots of flights and hanging around airports/hotels, and then one ...
Indonesia could do without an increase in military spending that the Ministry of Defence is proposing. The country has more pressing issues, including public welfare and human rights. Moreover, the transparency and accountability to justify ...
Former Hutt City councillor Chris Milne has slithered back into the spotlight, not as a principled dissenter, but as a vindictive puppeteer of digital venom. The revelations from a recent court case paint a damning portrait of a man whose departure from Hutt City Council in 2022 was merely the ...
That's the conclusion of a report into security risks against Green MP Benjamin Doyle, in the wake of Winston Peters' waging a homophobic hate-campaign against them: GRC’s report said a “hostility network” of politicians, commentators, conspiracy theorists, alternative media outlets and those opposed to the rainbow community had produced ...
That's the conclusion of a report into security risks against Green MP Benjamin Doyle, in the wake of Winston Peters' waging a homophobic hate-campaign against them: GRC’s report said a “hostility network” of politicians, commentators, conspiracy theorists, alternative media outlets and those opposed to the rainbow community had produced ...
National Party MP Hamish Campbell’s ties to the secretive Two By Twos "church" raises serious questions that are not being answered. This shadowy group, currently being investigated by the FBI for numerous cases of child abuse, hides behind a facade of faith while Campbell dodges scrutiny, claiming it’s a “private ...
National Party MP Hamish Campbell’s ties to the secretive Two By Twos "church" raises serious questions that are not being answered. This shadowy group, currently being investigated by the FBI for numerous cases of child abuse, hides behind a facade of faith while Campbell dodges scrutiny, claiming it’s a “private ...
The economy is not doing what it was supposed to when PM Christopher Luxon said in January it was ‘going for growth.’ Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short from our political economy on Tuesday, April 15:New Zealand’s economic recovery is stalling, according to business surveys, retail spending and ...
This is a guest post by Lewis Creed, managing editor of the University of Auckland student publication Craccum, which is currently running a campaign for a safer Symonds Street in the wake of a horrific recent crash.The post has two parts: 1) Craccum’s original call for safety (6 ...
NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff has published an opinion piece which makes the case for a different approach to economic development, as proposed in the CTU’s Aotearoa Reimagined programme. The number of people studying to become teachers has jumped after several years of low enrolment. The coalition has directed Health New ...
The growth of China’s AI industry gives it great influence over emerging technologies. That creates security risks for countries using those technologies. So, Australia must foster its own domestic AI industry to protect its interests. ...
Unfortunately we have another National Party government in power at the moment, and as a consequence, another economic dumpster fire taking hold. Inflation’s hurting Kiwis, and instead of providing relief, National is fiddling while wallets burn.Prime Minister Chris Luxon's response is a tired remix of tax cuts for the rich ...
Girls who are boys who like boys to be girlsWho do boys like they're girls, who do girls like they're boysAlways should be someone you really loveSongwriters: Damon Albarn / Graham Leslie Coxon / Alexander Rowntree David / Alexander James Steven.Last month, I wrote about the Birds and Bees being ...
Australia needs to reevaluate its security priorities and establish a more dynamic regulatory framework for cybersecurity. To advance in this area, it can learn from Britain’s Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, which presents a compelling ...
Deputy PM Winston Peters likes nothing more than to portray himself as the only wise old head while everyone else is losing theirs. Yet this time, his “old master” routine isn’t working. What global trade is experiencing is more than the usual swings and roundabouts of market sentiment. President Donald ...
President Trump’s hopes of ending the war in Ukraine seemed more driven by ego than realistic analysis. Professor Vladimir Brovkin’s latest video above highlights the internal conflicts within the USA, Russia, Europe, and Ukraine, which are currently hindering peace talks and clarity. Brovkin pointed out major contradictions within ...
In the cesspool that is often New Zealand’s online political discourse, few figures wield their influence as destructively as Ani O’Brien. Masquerading as a champion of free speech and women’s rights, O’Brien’s campaigns are a masterclass in bad faith, built on a foundation of lies, selective outrage, and a knack ...
The international challenge confronting Australia today is unparalleled, at least since the 1940s. It requires what the late Brendan Sargeant, a defence analyst, called strategic imagination. We need more than shrewd economic manoeuvring and a ...
This year's General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) will take place as a fully hybrid conference in both Vienna and online from April 27 to May 2. This year, I'll join the event on site in Vienna for the full week and I've already picked several sessions I plan ...
Here’s a book that looks not in at China but out from China. David Daokui Li’s China’s World View: Demystifying China to Prevent Global Conflict is a refreshing offering in that Li is very much ...
The New Zealand National Party has long mastered the art of crafting messaging that resonates with a large number of desperate, often white middle-class, voters. From their 2023 campaign mantra of “getting our country back on track” to promises of economic revival, safer streets, and better education, their rhetoric paints ...
A global contest of ideas is underway, and democracy as an ideal is at stake. Democracies must respond by lifting support for public service media with an international footprint. With the recent decision by the ...
It is almost six weeks since the shock announcement early on the afternoon of Wednesday 5 March that the Governor of the Reserve Bank, Adrian Orr, was resigning effective 31 March, and that in fact he had already left and an acting Governor was already in place. Orr had been ...
After stonewalling requests for information on boot camps, the Government has now offered up a blog post right before Easter weekend rather than provide clarity on the pilot. ...
More people could be harmed if Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey does not guarantee to protect patients and workers as the Police withdraw from supporting mental health call outs. ...
The Green Party recognises the extension of visa allowances for our Pacific whānau as a step in the right direction but continues to call for a Pacific Visa Waiver. ...
The Government yesterday released its annual child poverty statistics, and by its own admission, more tamariki across Aotearoa are now living in material hardship. ...
Today, Te Pāti Māori join the motu in celebration as the Treaty Principles Bill is voted down at its second reading. “From the beginning, this Bill was never welcome in this House,” said Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader, Rawiri Waititi. “Our response to the first reading was one of protest: protesting ...
The Green Party is proud to have voted down the Coalition Government’s Treaty Principles Bill, an archaic piece of legislation that sought to attack the nation’s founding agreement. ...
A Member’s Bill in the name of Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter which aims to stop coal mining, the Crown Minerals (Prohibition of Mining) Amendment Bill, has been pulled from Parliament’s ‘biscuit tin’ today. ...
Labour MP Kieran McAnulty’s Members Bill to make the law simpler and fairer for businesses operating on Easter, Anzac and Christmas Days has passed its first reading after a conscience vote in Parliament. ...
Nicola Willis continues to sit on her hands amid a global economic crisis, leaving the Reserve Bank to act for New Zealanders who are worried about their jobs, mortgages, and KiwiSaver. ...
Today, the Oranga Tamariki (Repeal of Section 7AA) Amendment Bill has passed its third and final reading, but there is one more stage before it becomes law. The Governor-General must give their ‘Royal assent’ for any bill to become legally enforceable. This means that, even if a bill gets voted ...
Abortion care at Whakatāne Hospital has been quietly shelved, with patients told they will likely have to travel more than an hour to Tauranga to get the treatment they need. ...
Thousands of New Zealanders’ submissions are missing from the official parliamentary record because the National-dominated Justice Select Committee has rushed work on the Treaty Principles Bill. ...
Today’s announcement of 10 percent tariffs for New Zealand goods entering the United States is disappointing for exporters and consumers alike, with the long-lasting impact on prices and inflation still unknown. ...
The National Government’s choices have contributed to a slow-down in the building sector, as thousands of people have lost their jobs in construction. ...
Willie Apiata’s decision to hand over his Victoria Cross to the Minister for Veterans is a powerful and selfless act, made on behalf of all those who have served our country. ...
The Privileges Committee has denied fundamental rights to Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, Rawiri Waititi and Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, breaching their own standing orders, breaching principles of natural justice, and highlighting systemic prejudice and discrimination within our parliamentary processes. The three MPs were summoned to the privileges committee following their performance of a haka ...
April 1 used to be a day when workers could count on a pay rise with stronger support for those doing it tough, but that’s not the case under this Government. ...
Winston Peters is shopping for smaller ferries after Nicola Willis torpedoed the original deal, which would have delivered new rail enabled ferries next year. ...
The Government should work with other countries to press the Myanmar military regime to stop its bombing campaign especially while the country recovers from the devastating earthquake. ...
In an art world context, photography has evolved significantly over the years pushing boundaries in both technique and concept. No longer the poor cousin of painting, but still much more affordable thanks to photographs being sold in numbered editions, an art photograph doesn’t merely capture a moment—artists use the medium ...
Last year, 20,000 observations of Christchurch species were made during the annual City Nature Challenge, a way for anyone to get involved in biodiversity. It’s back again this month. Even in suburbia, even on grey autumn weekends, there is biodiversity. You just need the time to look for it: to ...
Asia Pacific Report Peaceful protesters in Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest city Auckland held an Easter prayer vigil honouring Palestinian political prisoners and the sacrifice of thousands of innocent lives as relentless Israeli bombing of displaced Gazans in tents killed at least 92 people in two days. Organisers of the rally ...
ANALYSIS:By Ben Bohane This week Cambodia marks the 50th anniversary of the fall of Phnom Penh to the murderous Khmer Rouge, and Vietnam celebrates the fall of Saigon to North Vietnamese forces in April 1975. They are being commemorated very differently; after all, there’s nothing to celebrate in Cambodia. ...
By Gujari Singh in Washington The Trump administration has issued a new executive order opening up vast swathes of protected ocean to commercial exploitation, including areas within the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument. It allows commercial fishing in areas long considered off-limits due to their ecological significance — despite ...
New Zealand commemoration lead John McLeod said a small team, including members of the NZDF and the NZ Embassy, assisted in the covering up of remains that were exposed. ...
This Bill is a great opportunity to improve our system of government across all levels. Let’s make sure we get it right and give the public a say on a simple and enduring solution. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Nicholls, Senior Research Associate in Media and Communications, University of Sydney Tech giant Google has just suffered another legal blow in the United States, losing a landmark antitrust case. This follows on from the company’s loss in a similar case last ...
Paddy GowerAmanda Luxon. I mean what can you say. Easter is a good time to publish my latest reckons at Stuff because without exaggeration or making too much of things, Amanda Luxon walks among us like Jesus but probably with better shoes.Jesus healed. How good is that? It’s really good, ...
How can an afternoon be long when it starts at one o’clock and finishes at half past three? Beauden thought about that as he stood at the back of the classroom and looked through the large window to the upper grounds where his colleague Monty Spiers was taking a phys ed ...
Alex Casey delves into the enduring success of The Artist’s Way, a self-help book beloved by everyone from retirees to famous rappers. On the video call, my mum is gesticulating so wildly while recounting all her recent creative endeavours that she knocks her cup of tea over a work-in-progress jigsaw ...
Feijoa scholar Kate Evans reviews the dish everybody raves about at Metro’s 2024 restaurant of the year, Forest. People have been telling me I need to try the deep-fried feijoa dessert at Forest for about three years now. I’m embarrassed it took me this long, but it takes a lot ...
Chef, author and reality television judge Colin Fassnidge takes us through his life in television. Colin Fassnidge is a huge television fan. He watches every blockbuster TV series the moment it drops and scores every single show on his Instagram account. It’s a habit that recently caught the attention of ...
Why are shops on Parnell Road allowed to open on Easter Sunday? It’s all thanks to an obsolete rule from the 1970s that’s been ‘frozen in time’.Originally published in 2023.Under our current trading laws, most stores are required to stay closed on Good Friday and Easter Sunday (along ...
Yael Shochat, chef-owner of Auckland restaurant Ima Cuisine, shares the recipe for her hot cross buns – regularly voted among the best in the city.Originally published in 2019.HOT CROSS BUNSMakes 12You may use equal weights of pre-ground spices, but you’ll get a much better flavour if ...
Gràinne Moss knows she can’t tackle the final leg of one of the world’s toughest swimming challenges alone.In her quest to complete the Oceans Seven marathon challenge, 38 years after she began, she’s enlisted the help of two remarkable women – one barely out of her teens, and the other ...
By Susana Leiataua, RNZ National presenter There are calls for greater transparency about what the HMNZS Manawanui was doing before it sank in Samoa last October — including whether the New Zealand warship was performing specific security for King Charles and Queen Camilla. The Manawanui grounded on the reef off ...
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 Labor increased its lead again in a YouGov poll, but Freshwater put the party ahead by just 50.3–49.7. This article also covers ...
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 18, 2025. Labor’s poll surge continues in YouGov, but they’re barely ahead in FreshwaterSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic, $30) Haymitch’s Hunger Games. 2 Careless People: A ...
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 Labor increased their lead again in a YouGov poll, but Freshwater put them ahead by just 50.3–49.7. This article also covers the ...
A new poem by Tusiata Avia. How to make a terrorist First make a whistling sound which is the sound of a bomb just before it lands on a house. Then make an exploding sound which is the sound of the bomb which kills a father, decapitates a mother, roasts ...
The top-rated Scrabble players in the country go head-to-head this Easter weekend. Watch games live from 9.30am on the stream below.How does it all work?The Masters is different to most Scrabble tournaments in that it’s invitational, open only to the top-rated players in the country. The ...
Books editor Claire Mabey appraises all the Austen-adapted films from 1990 onwards to separate the delightful from the duds.For the purists, read our ranking of Jane Austen’s novels here.It is a truth universally acknowledged that not everything is created equal. Since 1990 there have been 12 attempts to ...
To arrive through the heavy red door of Margot in Newtown is to be invited to the best dinner party in town, hosted by the best friends you haven’t yet made. Table Service is a column about food and hospitality in Wellington, written by Nick Iles.Hospitality is a term ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 18 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NONFICTION1 No Words for This by Ali Mau (HarperCollins, $39.99)A free copy of the author’s new memoir was up for grabs in last week’s giveaway contest. Readers were asked to share their feelings about Mau, a former broadcaster and one of the most powerful figures in the New Zealand #metoo ...
Analysis: The announcement last week that Colossal Biosciences in the USA had “de-extincted” the dire wolf, which was last seen 13,000 years ago, was reported worldwide.The three wolf pups generated equal parts fascination and widespread scientific criticism. But is this actually de-extinction, and what are the implications for the potential ...
We recommend the best – and longest – television series to watch this holiday weekend. As the Easter holiday weekend descends and the weather turns a little grim, many of us will turn to the trusty old television for comfort and entertainment. If you’re lucky, you’ll have some time over ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gode Bola, Lecturer in Hydrology, University of Kinshasa The April 2025 flooding disaster in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, wasn’t just about intense rainfall. It was a symptom of recent land use change which has occurred rapidly in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Peter Dutton, now seriously on the back foot, has made an extraordinarily big “aspirational” commitment at the back end of this campaign. He says he wants to see a move to indexing personal income ...
Essay by Keith Rankin. Operation Gomorrah may have been the most cynical event of World War Two (WW2). Not only did the name fully convey the intent of the war crimes about to be committed, it, also represented the single biggest 24-hour murder toll for the European war that I ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Tietz, Senior Lecturer in Industrial Design, UNSW Sydney A New South Wales Senate inquiry into public toilets is underway, looking into the provision, design and maintenance of public toilets across the state. Whenever I mention this inquiry, however, everyone nervously ...
Shrinking budgets and job insecurity means there are fewer opportunities for young journalists, and that’s bad news, especially in regional Australia, reports 360infoANALYSIS:By Jee Young Lee of the University of Canberra Australia risks losing a generation of young journalists, particularly in the regions where they face the closure ...
So – cricket – not a fan myself, but I did watch the NZ semi final. Should we put up a post for discussing the final?
I played cricket for a rural team as 11th man a few decades ago. They needed someone to make the tea and to jog after the odd ball that hit for a 4. Never got to bat or bowl. Great to browse a few hours in bucolic settings and have a yarn to the cows grazing the boundaries. Actually I never understood just how the matches were organised.. Rules pretty obscure to me.
Now days the slick commercial presentation is a far cry. Watch it? Suppose so.
I see that Prime is broadcasting again.
The game that has become less of a ‘gentleman’s’ game, played these days by many multi-millionaires, exploited by super rich corporates, gambling outfits and game fixers for the primordial enjoyment or heartache of a very large chunk of humans.
Go New Zealand! Make history. You (We) deserve it!
hi rob, i reckon this is what weekend social is for.
if the cricket tragics like myself start to dominate this post, it will be ok, it will be over by sunday night.
this odi is the most anticipated cricket game in a generation (since the last time the team played).
i believe that in the future people will look back to this world cup and pinpoint mccullums captaincy style as the time a new way of playing cricket started.
we have had a new hero each time this nz team plays. elliot, guptill, mccullum, southee, boult…
we have a world class bowler who can not break into the team (mills).
the last time the ockers played us, they came second, have a bowling attack that is inferior to ours and a fragility in their batting line-up.
so.. what will i be doing this sunday night?
going to see michael franti and spearhead in auckland.
hoping to avoid hearing the result and watching a replay on monday.
thank you mike hesson, brendon mccullum and team for giving me a world cup that will stay in my memories for an age and giving me a sports team i am truly proud of.
they have played a refreshing aggressive style of cricket in a gentlemenly manner.
And this from Martin Crowe was a touching piece.
An open letter to the two sons I never had.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11424632
I returned back to cricket at the start of this world cup. I knew that the Black Cap team were something special which I had not seen before. I said to a guy I talk to about cricket that the South African game would be close.
To win the Black caps have to get runs on the board and to get some quick Aussie wickets.
My biggest problem in watching the cricket is that I do not nod off, as it is on too late for me.
Taumarunui dog trial is on at maringa station. chess with dogs.
Is it on TV? I used to enjoy watching the man and dog team pen those shambolic sheep. Every now and then they’ll turn and face off the dog and stamp their feet in defiance.
What do you think of having a monopoly on the scouring? Probably with fewer sheep it was inevitable. But I have a feeling that the sole processor is an Oz company which is not ideal.
Not on TV any more . I Havn’t been doing it long but the tension when you’re at the yard and you’ve got a stubborn sheep and times ticking away . its a highly addictive sport if you like a challenge.
As for wool scouring as someone who is just a worker I have to admit to not paying much attention to the end point of what we produce. But with the lose of more and more sheep numbers to cows and pines it’s an industry that could struggle.
Night off tonight, listening / watching for tomorrow’s outcome, cricket on Sunday with some laundry, ironing and general domestic goddess chores threaded through. I may even manage to do some reading!
Politics and cricket – a couple of very early mornings for me. Then out to enjoy some some colour of Spring
Might watch a 3D movie at home tonight. Dawn of the a Planet of the Apes?
Didn’t know that home can do 3D movies Steve. Special equipment?
I can’t watch 3D it gives me a real splitting headache.
@Ianmac There are some specialised 3d tvs out there (it was the big thing a few years ago) Also computers have been doing 3d in games ie 3dfx cards, and I do know that Nvidia’s new cards are nearly all 3d ready, and some even come with the flash glasses.
http://www.nvidia.com/object/3d-vision-geforce-cards.html
And no I don’t sell them. But I do build and repair computers.
Now waiting for the confirmation that Winston has won and sit in front of TV tomorrow.
Glasses required that comes with the newer 3d capable tellys.
The real Mc Coy is on up north today.
f.y.i. 4 music-lovers..new album gets a rave-review..
“..His new album Carrie & Lowell – a return to that narrative songwriting –
– is a fall-down gorgeous and emotionally devastating masterpiece..”
http://whoar.co.nz/2015/new-album-gets-a-rave-review/
I might have a glass of wine tomorrow when Winnie wins.
Anyone know what time the results are expected?
Polls close at 7pm Weka. Counting should be quick because there only candidate votes to count and few of those. How about 8pm?
Drinks at eight then
(I’ll be late)
TV3 has a special at 9.15 … maybe someone knows somewhere earlier ? Will be joining with you all for the party !
Snap – I had just been checking what ‘specials’ were on, and could only find the TV3 special at 9.15pm, which will also be broadcast on RadioLive.
http://www.radiolive.co.nz/Garner-Gower-and-Owen-to-host-Northland-decides-by-election-special/tabid/520/articleID/77539/Default.aspx
Our “state broadcasters” (insert Tui ad) do not appear to have anything scheduled on TV1 or RNZ National ….
Murray, ianmac, weka and rawshark -yeshe.
Cheers to you all then. Hope to be dancing a celebratory jig
Rosie .. I am hoping for a full Ziegfeld Follies production myself !!
I have to admit I had to look them up. I am not familiar with the Ziegfeld Follies.
The style of the time looks like fun though:
http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/089/4/c/albertina_rasch_dancers__1927_by_step_in_time_stock-d3ctw8i.jpg
I feel left out! I also hope to be dancing a celebratory jig later this evening – as well as joining the drinks.
Oh I am sorry Veutoviper! I am severely sleep deprived and not paying full attention, didn’t mean to miss you out at all comrade.
Dancing and celebrating a political victory is all about inclusiveness
Can we break out the beers yet?
Champagne breakfast for us
No need to ask my friend! We’re almost there!
Edit: We are there! Bottoms Up everybody, and you out there too in Vienna Miravox!!!!
Cheers everyone
See “Saturday, 28 March” in this timetable. No Guarantees but Electoral Commission hopes to give advance vote results by 7.30pm; 50% of booth results by 9pm; and 100% by 10pm.
http://www.elections.org.nz/events/2015-northland-election-0/northland-election-timetable
great, thx VV
If he wins you should toast him in the way he would want.
Not with wine but with a good single malt Scotch Whiskey.
Winston would probably join you if you offered him that.
I would suggest a choice from
Talisker 18 year old
Lagavulin 16
or The Glenlivet 18.
Hell, with one of those I’ll join you and congratulate your taste in all things.
Veeeery Winnie
Congratulations on getting in the meme that the member from Whananaki is a lush. I’m not sure at all that I’d have a drink with him, but next time I see him, I’ll thank him for doing some good for his turangawaewae and tell him to keep his boat speed down inside the river.
For God’s sake.
That was not in any way what I was thinking.
I have no reason at all to think that he is, as you imply, a “lush”
Nobody keeps going as well as he does could be.
I was merely referring to the way he got on so well with Bolger after they combined in Government after the 1996 election because of the way they were supposed to have sorted out any problems over a Scotch.
Anyway, anyone who can appreciate good Scotch should be approved of.
Try it some time. It will improve your rather sour attitude.
Sour? Nah, just an allergic reaction to Tories.
Two important books on working class history here and across the ditch. One is Meredith Burgmann’s book on the NSW Builders Labourers union, an incredibly progressive and militant union; the other is Jock Barnes’ ‘Never a White Flag’.
Well worth a read.
Review of both books here: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2013/08/20/when-workers-had-class/
Helping to get some last minute contributions to Scoop’s crowd funding effort. With luck up to $50000 https://www.pledgeme.co.nz/projects/3215-help-scoop-co-nz-to-fly-in-2015 which closes at 11.00 pm Sunday night
I’d be happy to make a direct cash deposit at a bank if the Scoop bank account details are available or can be emailed to me.
Slobbing on Saturday, group exercise with drums on Sunday in the form of March to Stop Deep Sea Oil – from VICTORIA PARK, Auckland City,Midday, Sunday, March 29.
Going completely nuts in Titirangi all last night and this weekend with the music festival.
Good to see the street bedecked with live performances and crowds.
Moana and the tribe are playing today
anyone know how to win a war against rats?
we overrun here in chch post-eq
I thought they were all up in Northland.
Edit oops that the Nats
Rats in Limousines. What an image!
Trapping is effective, if you get/make a tunnel trap, use sticky bait (peanut butter) and put on gloves before handling anything to disguise human smell. Prebaiting is a good idea.
I will try to get some info from someone I know that might be good vto. Would you be interested in selling a device, if available? Ust an idea that came to me, at present. But if interested then give me a positive and I will find out more and get back.
edited
After years of trapping and baiting with minimal success I sought the advice of a professional.
Two mistakes, I wasn’t using enough bait in enough stations to poison the whole clan in one go and because I wasn’t persisting when danger passed members of the extended clan moved in.
So, I bought bait in bulk, quadrupled the number of stations using up to 200g’s of bait in each one and I keep it up. Baited on top of the soffits, ceiling spaces, nooks and crannies, under the house and bird/pet safe stations* everywhere around the house I thought might be popular with the enemy.
Proudly rat free for nearly a year.
I used >1600mm lengths of 60 – 80mm PVC waste/down/stormwater pipe, fastened baits to a lengths 40mm trellis lathe and slid the timbers up the pipe.*
There was reason farms tended to have cats Joe
edit – Ah, sorry. Just realised after hitting ‘return’ that the original question came from VTO.
Need an aggressive large cat that’s up to it, rats freak most cats out as they fight back.
Good stuff joe90 and important point you make is to persist all year round as we are seeing the traps yield the vermin in the past few weeks again.
Which bait did you find most effective.
Pestoff rodent blocks.
http://shop.twigleyenterprises-nz.com/images/PESTOFF%20RODENT%20BLOCKS%203kg%20Pail%201.jpg
Thanks for the tips folks, appreciated. Mr Greyrawshark, circumstances would make such a sale setup quite difficult methinks but appreciate the offer cheers.
Luckily our rats are not large but rather small, more like giant mice and when they accidentally come very near whilst sitting quietly amongst the vegetation they look very cute and clean and furry. Except for their feet. And their snouts.. and their tails ….
Quiet weekend – off to Rockville where my wife was born – just finished last guided tramp over the Heaphy for the season – wrote a poem about the experience
http://mars2earth.blogspot.co.nz/2015/03/the-last-guide.html
In touch with your soul and with the earth. You know what matters Marty.
Beautiful words marty. Touching and evocative.
could breathe the fresh air with you .. thx marty, just lovely.
This is just to let you all know my good fortune. I am advised by Anan Peters of Barclays Capital Finance London UK that he is in control of a valuable fund from someone with my surname now deceased and without heir or will. He has kindly taken it upon himself to search out family and will split this US$16 million with others on a 60/40 basis.
Obviously I am ecstatic about this, so much that I will go onto being static about it, in fear of the likely results of the ex (as in out of). What a beautiful little scam and the letter written with finesse and the right amount of gravitas and authority. Just as well that I take being a sceptic seriously, to the point of seeing the c off, leaving septic. Words are so plastic aren’t they!
Oh but I am a descendant of the Greywarshark family too. How much will my share be?
Well I am always interested in meeting relatives that are congenitally congenial.
I’m sure the bounty could extend to a relatively rewarding tipple.
Good grief! we must be related! I got a lovely letter like that too! In fact several.
Family off to Penguin Island for the day yah!!!

http://www.penguinisland.com.au/
We (g’ma and g’dad) are zonked out on the sofa…
Just a warm sunny 30 degrees here in Perth today (as usual). Waiting in anticipation for the results tonight/this afternoon here,
Hopefully get a glimpse of “dear leader” on the TV tomorrow. /sarc
And hope we get to do a bit of Gloating on Monday.
I spent a 3 week holiday on Rottnest Is. some 40 plus years ago. Beautiful little unspoilt island then but I bet it isn’t now.
In those days the Quokkas were such naughty but friendly little creatures. They would calmly bounce into the cottages and pinch food if you weren’t careful.
Latest news on the Quokkas

http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/hunt-on-for-rottnest-island-quokka-killers-20150225-13owhi.html
some people….
Some people alright. Haven’t got past the headline. Might look at it tomorrow if I can pluck up the courage. Jesus…..
Some people alright. Haven’t got past the headline. Might look at it tomorrow if I can pluck up the courage. Jesus…..
“Di diddly di diddly diddly diddly di
Diddly di di di diddly di dee di dee di”
Mac1 dances a celebratory jig at the Weekend Social!