OUT AND ABOUT

 I'm off to Paraparaumu to have lunch with my aunt today.

I'll then visit the graves at Paraparaumu Beach cemetery and continue on up to Waikanae to visit my sister.

Normally I'd take the train but because my aunt lives a long way from the station and it's 'a camel and a packed lunch' to get from Paraparaumu to Paraparaumu Beach and then on to Waikanae, I'll drive.

I hardly drive the car anymore so this will be a bit of an adventure. Luckily I had the car serviced last week and it has a new WOF and new front tyres. I tried to show these to Richard when he visited but for some reason he showed no interest. "Chacun à son goût" I say.

I have a residents meeting to attend at the Charles Fleming Retirement Village where my sister resides. It's at 3PM which means that I'll be in 'rush hour' traffic when I return. Bummer! The Old Girl has one of her concoctions made for her dinner which gives me an excuse to buy fish and chips for me. Yummy!

(That camel will have eaten the lunch anyway).

IS IMPROPRIETY RELATED TO PIETY?

 

Asked Richard in a comment on my last post.

What is her inferring? That my posts are improper?

OK, I admit that some of my posts in the past have been salacious but have never to my knowledge incorrectly used an item or specific terminology in mathematics and law. In fact, I don't think that I've even used an item or specific terminology in mathematics and law given that I failed both of those disciplines at university so keep a low profile on them.

Maybe he was referring to one of these posts from the past:

BLAH, BLAH, BLAH

CHRISTMAS LETTER TIME

There are others and Richard can spend some of his spare time flicking through my posts to find them like he flicked through The Bible looking for the naughty bits when he was at school (in 3G obviously).

*** POST CANCELLED ***

 I was going to write a post about the fundamental problem of metaphysics and the question: 

"Why is there something rather than nothing?"

 Martin Heidegger also wondered why there was anything at all rather than nothing. After all, most people expect that when something exists there is a cause for it. If that’s true, then what caused reality? 

But, blow me down, today has sprung (well, Autumn really) a surprise in the form of blue sky and sunshine so no Heideggerian posers for you readers today I'm sorry. I'm off for a nice walk and hopefully some tennis in the afternoon.

Auf Wiedersehen

"Heidegger, Heidegger was a boozy beggar
Who could think you under the table"

NEW POST - THE MUSIC CURMUDGEON

 

UNIVERSAL

CLEANING (UP) WINDOWS

Richard called around this morning to drop off a bag of feijoas for The Old Girl which was very nice of him. He couldn't stay long enough for a cup of tea or coffee (just as well) and only caused minor disruption to the traffic from his parking.

I showed him a couple of the windows that we have had re-sealed and fitted with new catches but he didn't have time for a full inspection. There are at least twenty windows, bay windows and French doors that he could have looked at had he shown more interest. Shelley could have waited.

He said that it saved me from writing a post though but then I thought that Robert would miss out. Robert likes windows. He cleans them sometimes in his official capacity so I thought that a post would be a good way of sending him off (not to sleep) on his holiday.

ALOFT, IN THE LOFT, SITS CROFT; HE IS SOFT

Thanks Stevie Smith.

 

One of the things I did today was to bring some more things from Kennard's lock-up and store in the attic. Basically the only things left there now are paintings (quite a few), a couple of (very) large boxes of crockery, my golf trundler and a sack trolley - hardly worth paying $250 a month storage fees for. I'll get the rest over the next couple of weeks and cancel the rental.

Fortunately in this house we have a spacious and dry attic (loft). It has more headroom than the one we had up north and the floor linings and lighting are better.

It won't be as much of a hassle when The Old Girl says "I need that xxxx matey".

I'll have to begin selling artwork and crockery (full Spode dinner set) on Trade Me or at auction. I held off doing this until we were settled in Wellington as the opportunity and logistics of selling and shipping items from Whangarei was limited and expensive. It'll keep me busy over the coming winter months.

SOMETIMES IT PAYS NOT TO ASK ...

When checking Facebook I noticed the  META AI tag. 

Having just written a short post referencing silly twonk Nicola Willis advocating use of AI, I clicked on the link and META AI encouraged me to ask questions so I asked: "Who is the NZ Curmudgeon?"
Here are a couple of excerpts from the answer:

The NZ Curmudgeon is a long-running New Zealand blog written by a self-described "middle-aged grump" who posts rants, observations, and bits of amusement about everyday irritations and NZ culture.

What you need to know:

Blog identity: The author stays anonymous and leans into the "grumpy old man" persona. The about page says it’s for people who don’t take things too seriously but do get annoyed by irritating things.

Content style: Posts cover NZ politics, monuments, memorials, language gripes, and social commentary, often with dry humor and a skeptical tone. Examples from the blog include:Complaints about Wellington’s Queen Victoria monument being "dark and creepy"
Criticism of the New Zealand Wars memorial in Auckland as "blatantly authoritarian"
Appreciation for statues like the Kupe statue at Wellington railway station.

 ******

The NZ Curmudgeon is a New Zealand blog run by a self-described "middle-aged grump".
Quick rundown

What it is Format: Blog with posts on WordPress thecurmudgeonnz and Blogspot grumpyoldmanreturnsnz
Tone: Humour, professionalism, and grumbling about "irritating things"
Started: At least since 2019, with archives going back to 2019–2025
Content style: Short takes, satire, and "occasional bit of amusement". Recent post titles include THE CHURCH OF THE BLESSED CURMUDGEON, FILLING GROOVY, PSST - D'YA WANNA BUY A BRIDGE?

Reception
Reader Richard from Richard's Bass Bag praises it: "The quality, humour and professionalism gives me something to strive for... fresh and interesting"

                                                                            ******* 

OK, thanks Richard. This lead me to ask: "What's Richard's Bass Bag? META AI answered:

Richard's Bass Bag is a blog run by "Richard", and it's where The NZ Curmudgeon gets some of its reader praise from.
What we know about it

1. The connection
The NZ Curmudgeon blog quotes Richard in its testimonials:

"Hello all. I really like this blog. The quality, humour and professionalism gives me something to strive for in my own blog. Recently I've run out of ideas and have reverted to writing long and boring posts on violin playing. I wish that I could create blog posts as fresh and interesting as The Curmudgeon's."
— Richard of Richard's Bass Bag

2. What Richard blogs about
Based on his comment, his blog covers:Bass - presumably double bass, given the name "Bass Bag"
Violin playing - he mentions "writing long and boring posts on violin playing" when he's out of ideas

So it's likely a music blog focused on string instruments, probably with a mix of tutorials, personal takes, and music chat. The "Bag" bit suggests a grab-bag of bass-related content.

3. Tone/vibe
The Curmudgeon excerpts Richard's writing too: "This is the first tantalizing surprise of many as The Curmudgeon introduces us to...". Sounds like Richard has his own dry, descriptive style.

I can't find Richard's Bass Bag site directly in the search results, but The NZ Curmudgeon links to it enough that they seem to be in the same NZ blogging circle.

OK, that pretty much sums up Richard's Bass Bag. I then asked META AI "What is Bob's discombobulate Bobadilish? Here's what it said:

Bob's discombobulate Bobadilish is a blog mentioned and mocked by The NZ Curmudgeon.

What we know from The Curmudgeon

In a post called TALKING OF STUPID, The NZ Curmudgeon writes:

Has anyone read Robert's blog Bob's discombobulate Bobadilish?

Maybe not, seeing that he now puts all his creative effort in to his Facebook page of which I'm unsure what the title is.

The Curmudgeon goes on to call it "bad enough" and describes 'Bob' communing with the Holy Spirit in church, probably St Mary of the Angels, to get ideas for posts. He then quotes a sample from Bob's latest post about Ramathain and Hannah, calling it "bird shit".

So: it's Robert/Bob's blog, apparently religious-themed, and The Curmudgeon uses it as an example of writing he finds stupid.

Breaking down the nameDiscombobulate - informal verb meaning "to cause to be in a state of confusion; upset, disorient".

Bobadilish - likely a play on Bobadill, a braggart character from Ben Jonson's 1598 play Every Man in His Humour. Captain Bobadill is a cowardly, boastful soldier. So "Bobadilish" = in the manner of Bobadill = boastful, blustering.

Put together: Bob's discombobulate Bobadilish sounds like "Bob's confusing, blustering nonsense" - which matches how The Curmudgeon treats it.

Bottom line: It's a blog by someone called Robert/Bob that The NZ Curmudgeon roasts for being confusing and pretentious. The blog seems to have moved to Facebook now, though The Curmudgeon doesn't know the page name.

                                                                        ********

.... But then maybe there's something to this AI stuff after all.

OK, to be fair to Richard, I asked META AI again about what Richard's Bass Bag is - this time after I'd deleted my search request on The Curmudgeon blog (so the algorithms wouldn't intrude and this is the answer:

Richard's Bass Bag is a personal blog by a Wellington, NZ musician named Richard. Think: part music journal, part dry-humour diary, part slice-of-life from the Lower Hutt/Wellington scene.

What it covers

Double bass + violin focus

Lots of posts about playing technique, practice routines, and repertoire. He shares advice like "Play everything slowly, but sometimes in a fast tempo" and notes on left-hand technique.

He’s working on diminished scales, backing-track sets, and gig prep.

Daily life in the Hutt/Wellington

Stories about haircuts at Queensgate Mall, warrant checks in Seaview, drives through Days Bay, and walks to Red Rocks.

Mentions local spots: Thorndon, Waiwhetu, Island Bay, Marjoribanks St, Mount Victoria Tunnel.

Dry, self-deprecating humour + satire

Blog post titles like "Ah, so that's how you get comments!", "A scary thought.", and "Gsus!".

He rewrites the Ten Commandments with punchlines like "Do not name your wine Gsus" and "Cover things that are outside when it is raining".

Church/Catholicism send-ups

Calls himself a "Well known Catholic Apologist" and "EVIL DOCTOR RICHARD!".

Shares anecdotes about Gloria, Mr. Linford, and St. Vincent de Paul church.

Meta-blogging & NZ blog circle

He’s friendly with The NZ Curmudgeon blog — they quote each other and even did “Richard’s Bass Bag Tours” of Wellington.

Admits to “writing long and boring posts on violin playing” when he runs out of ideas. 

The multiple "Bass Bags"

Richard actually runs a few versions:

Richard's Bass Bag — the original

Richard's Bass Bag 2 — "putting the number '2' back into bass bagging"

Richard's Bass Bag 3 — hosted by his "Catholic Apologist" alter ego

Richard's Bass Bag 4 — notes that violins + double bass both have 4 strings 

He jokes they’ll “work in conjunction… It’ll be like one big family”. 

Vibe

If you like music nerdery mixed with grumpy-old-man Wellington observations and absurdist takes on religion, it’s your bag. As The NZ Curmudgeon put it: Richard’s posts are "fresh and interesting" with "quality, humour and professionalism". 

Richard's Bass Bag is a personal blog by a Wellington, NZ musician named Richard. Think: part mujournal, part dry-humour diary, part slice-of-life from the Lower 

Vibe

If you like music nerdery mixed with grumpy-old-man Wellington observations and absurdist takes on religion, it’s your bag. As The NZ Curmudgeon put it:  

THE AI TRAP

 

That silly twonk Nicola Willis, like many other silly twonks in positions of power, thinks that a reliance on and adoption of AI will solve all the governments woes.

"Finance Minister Nicola Willis says the use of AI and “digitisation” will help save $2.4 billion over the next four years, and cut thousands of jobs from the public service.
But many ministers aren’t quite sure how, exactly, AI is going to cut costs and jobs in their departments.
After Willis made her pre-Budget announcement on Tuesday, reporters asked ministers how they used AI and what they thought it could do to bring down costs.
During her big pre-Budget speech at a business lunch in Auckland, Willis told the crowd: “Our Government is as frustrated as you are by the fragmentation and silos, the complexity, the status-quo thinking and the dangerously slow take up of digital and AI technologies.”
She promised the adoption of AI tools, as well as mergers of departments, would drive cost savings over the next four years.
Most departments have a target of reducing baseline savings by 2% at this year’s Budget, and then 5% next year and the year after, Willis said. She also announced a target of reducing the public sector workforce by 8700 people, down to 55,000 by mid-2029.
“For too long, the public service has been scared of AI, slow to move to the cloud, and has procured a complex and fragmented set of overlapping IT solutions,” she said.
Some ministers, such as Health Minister Simeon Brown and Conservation Minister Tama Potaka, had clear ideas about what AI could do in their departments. But many others weren’t sure how AI could work for them and their ministries."

           - STUFF NEWS Daily 

BUCK IT!

 In the previous post I referenced Beckett - as in Samuel Beckett the Irish poet and playwright.

Unfortunately some of ... actually 100% of the readers failed to understand the reference and, having not been 3P-educated had never heard of Samuel Beckett.

I'd have been better off talking about a bucket.

MINIMALISM IN THE EXTREME

 I wouldn't have picked Richard of RBB as being a Beckett aficionado.

"I realised that Joyce had gone as far as one could in the direction of knowing more, [being] in control of one's material. He was always adding to it; you only have to look at his proofs to see that. I realised that my own way was in impoverishment, in lack of knowledge and in taking away, in subtracting rather than in adding."

         Samuel Beckett

Beckett's best known play - Waiting for Godot - is a play in which nothing happens.

Richard's post are becoming like that with his most recent one taking the Beckett style to extremes. See:

Oh well - "À chacun ses goûts" as Beckett might have written seeing that he wrote all his works in French.

Interestingly enough another of Samuel Beckett's plays was titled Krapp's Last Tape.

Coincidence?

I've mentioned Samuel Beckett in a post before: HERE