INTERVIEW # 43

 Hello readers reader. Today we have Interview # 43 for your delectation and a special, very special guest and one of our most prolific commenters - Anonymous.

Anonymous

The Curmudgeon: Welcome Anonymous - can I call you X? You can call me TC.

Anonymous: Thanks TC. Yes X is fine even though that prat Elon Musk denigrated it. I've been called worse ha ha.

The Curmudgeon: I'm sure that you have X, I'm sure that you have. Now X, I see from looking through nearly 20 years of posts that you have been, by far, the most prolific commenter on all of my blogs.

Anonymous: That's a fact Mac, that's a fact. Congratulations by the way on the longevity of your blog and that other one - The Wine Guy.

The Curmudgeon: Thanks X but it was really Richard of Richards Bass Bag who started the craziness and who was blogging before I started.

Anonymous: I know TC, I know. I put a lot of comments on his blog posts as well but he scrapped his entire blog 3 times so there is no continuity. It's a bit Rich (see what I did there) for him to try and claim a 20 year anniversary.

The Curmudgeon: Yes I know. I would have brought this to his attention but, you know me, I'm too polite to cause offence. I notice also X that the second most prolific commenter on my and the other blogs is Unknown. That commenter isn't known to you is it?

Anonymous: Ha- rumbled. Yes, it's me under a pseudonym.

The Curmudgeon: A pseudonym?

Anonymous: A nom- de- plume TC.

The Curmudgeon: A nom- de- plume?

Anonymous: Yes an alias: A pen name: A stage name: A sobriquet: An assumed name: A handle - you should know that TC you yourself use so many of them.

The Curmudgeon: Ha ha X - I'm just kidding with you.

Anonymous: Sheesh!

The Curmudgeon: So, X. As you hang around here so much, do you like my blogs.

Anonymous: Hell yes TC, they are the best. Look, I'll be honest, I hang around a lot of other blogs - millions of them in fact but yours are definitely the best. They are good blog for readers who enjoy irreverent humour, strong opinions and everyday observations — but of course won't appeal to everyone.

The Curmudgeon: Tell me more X, tell me more.

Anonymous: Your blogs have a distinctive personality. They aren't a conventional news site or carefully neutral commentary platforms. They are personal blogs with a satirical, often combative voice, covering life in New Zealand, religion, politics, popular culture and interactions with other bloggers.

The Curmudgeon: So true X, so true.

Anonymous: Your blogs have a recognisable voice. in which you write in a direct, grumpy, tongue-in-cheek style. You can generally tell what sort of writing you're getting with your blogs TC, not some of those other ones that are hit or miss and frankly disappointing. I like the fact that your blog archives show years of posts, including material dating back to at least 2008.

The Curmudgeon: That's nice and of course spot on X.

Anonymous: OK TC, keep you hat on.

Isn't the expression "keep your hair on" X?

Anonymous: Best not to go there TC - you should be happy with "keep your hat on"

The Curmudgeon: Oh - rude!

Anonymous: But where your blogs fall short TC is that they can be abrasive. You frequently mock people you disagree with, including other bloggers. Some readers will find this funny; others may find it mean-spirited. Your blogs are openly opinionated. Religion and politics are recurring targets, and the writing often favours satire over balanced discussion. The blogs aren't a reliable news source. You explicitly describe the blog's material as “approximated news” and say its accuracy, fairness and lack of bias are not guaranteed. The blogs are distinctive and with genuine personality. Their strongest feature is the author's voice; the biggest weakness is that the combative style can sometimes overshadow the substance...

The Curmudgeon:... Hey! Hold on hold on ... I've read that before somewhere ... that's right. You are just repeating the AI review of my blog ...

Anonymous: ... ha - rumbled. Yes, I read that review and so, OK, borrowed it. I'm a bloody commenter not a blogger. If I had the patience to write blog posts I'd, well, write blog posts on my own blog if I could be arsed to start one up.

The Curmudgeon: Yeah - they are onerous I'll Give you that and require some effort to write proper essays, not that all bloggers make such and effort Lok at Ri ... no, best not to say.

Anonymous: I know who you mean. What about that other one - Robert? I enjoyed putting scathing comments on his infrequent posts.

The Curmudgeon: Oh him. He's gone I'm afraid. It seems that Richard upset him somehow and he's taken his blog and gone home.

Anonymous: Sua natura TC, sua natura.

The Curmudgeon: Yes, ex ingenio alright.

Anonymous: Or as they said in 3G classes - a trial balance.

The Curmudgeon: Ha ha X. I like that. Hey! I have to go now to see another Italian Film Festival film Bread and Tulips.

Anonymous: It's a good one TC. Will you dress up to go to that one too?

The Curmudgeon: Nah - it's a bit 'chick-flicky' I think. You're probably thinking of Robert who's likely to want to dress up in a dress like his mates in the Catholic clergy do. See you anon.

Anonymous: Ha ha - I like what you did there. Later.

PARALLEL UNIVERSING

Richard of Richard's Bass Bag reckons that he invented the concept of 'Parallel Universing'.

We in the blogging community tend to humour the old guy to keep him happy even if he has wandered off into the realms of fantasy. I imagine he thinks that he invented rockets, continental drift and toothpaste as well amongst other things but ... there you go.

It seems that Google hasn't yet caught on to the concept of parallel universing as a quick search showed this ...

... which really wasn't helpful at all except that going by the nonsense that Richard writes on his blog a hypothetical separate reality may exist alongside his own, sharing similarities or operating under completely different physical laws. In other words the old guy is crazy.

COMING SOON

 

Richard of Richard's Bass Bag - you know, the one that promotes Richard's Bass Bag Tours...

Parking gone wrong as per usual on a Richard's Bass Bag tour

... drew my attention to the fact that it has been almost twenty years since this blog and my other blogs that come under the umbrella of The Curmudgeons Inc.ⓒ started up. While the blogs are listed as starting in 2008 ...

... the real start date was in late 2007 but I deleted them before starting up again in 2008 (March 29th for The Wine Guy and June  25th for The Curmudgeon).

In order to not keep you readers reader waiting I will begin the celebrations for the 20th anniversary next year. No need to thank me. This will take the form of commemorative publications of the 'best of' posts along wth sweepstakes and competitions for the readers reader to take part in. Exciting stuff.

A RAINY DAY IN WELLINGTON

 

Driving out to Kapiti
The rain and mist make seeing tough
I watch my speed and it seems indeed
That 90kph seems enough

A rainy day in Wellington
A rainy day in Wellington
Lord, I believe it's rainin' all over the world
I feel like it's rainin' all over the world

Rainin', rainin' rainin', rainin', rainin' rainin', rainin', rainin', rainin', rainin'

(With thanks to Tony Joe White)

I find that I don't drive much anymore now that I'm ensconced in Wellington and even when I visit my sister at Waikanae I usually take the train and walk. Normally I wouldn't venture out on a day like today has been but it's my sister's birthday and I wanted to take her out for lunch so I took the car. It wasn't a pleasant drive but fortunately traffic was light and there weren't as many idiots on the road apart from a few of those who obviously think that using headlights in the rain and gloom isn't necessary and would be costing them money!

I like watching (to The Old Girl's chagrin) reality US TV shows of police stopping drunk drivers. It surprises me how stupid some people are  and the ridiculous excuses they make for speeding, driving drunk and for dangerous behaviour. One of these that crops up is that they were speeding because they were running out of 'gas' and needed to speed to a 'gas' station. Really? I'm sure that we have idiots in New Zealand that think this is how the internal combustion engine works as well.

Anyway, I drove a bit slower than usual and made it there and back safely.

I picked my sister up and we then drove to Paraparaumu to visit our aunt who is soon to have her 90th birthday. She has just spend 10 days in Wellington hospital with pneumonia but fortunately was looking good and is getting back her fitness. She had great things to say about Wellington hospital's facilities, staff and treatmant which is nice to hear. All too often bad experiences are amplified by social media and the press and TV which creates a false impression. Personally I've received nothing but excellent treatment in my luckily few hospital stays.

TRUMP AND VANCE - THE GOOD GUYS*

*  I never thought I'd ever write that.

Following the landmark $2.5 billion settlement reached by the Trump-Vance FTC, Amazon started sending payments in November 2025 to eligible Prime customers affected by misleading enrollment and cancellation practices. By September 2026, Amazon issued over $845 million in refunds to eligible Prime customers. Under the revised settlement order, Amazon will continue to send automatic refunds to eligible Prime customers through April 2027.
According to the Federal Trade Commission’s lawsuit, Amazon allegedly enrolled tens of millions of customers in Amazon Prime subscriptions without their knowledge or consent and made it difficult for customers to cancel their Amazon Prime subscriptions.
As the result of the Trump-Vance FTC’s  settlement, Amazon is required to pay $1.5 billion for refunds to customers affected by its unlawful Prime enrollment and cancellation practices. Amazon is also required to pay a $1 billion civil penalty and cease unlawful enrollment and cancellation practices for Prime subscriptions. See: FTC PRIME settlement 

Yesterday I received this in the mail:

That was exciting but there's a sting in the 'tale'.

I took the cheque (check as it's in US Dollars) to my bank to deposit it only to be told that NZ banks no longer accept overseas cheques. The teller pointed out in the letter that if cheques could not be processed then application has to be made back to FTC for a PayPal transaction. WTF?

I spent about 3 hours yesterday trying to reactivate an old PayPal registration and was stymied on all fronts. I had to start up another PayPal account. I followed all of the links in the FTC letter to no avail. I sent an email to FTC asking for the money to be sent via PayPal even though I didn't have a PIN number but so far haven't heard back.

The USD29.98 I guess is useless but instead of ripping it up I might keep it and frame it. It is, after all, the only good thing I'll ever get from Trump but it's not surprising that it doesn't work.

OLD SCHOOLTEACHER YELLS AT CLOUD

 

Yes, the old schoolteacher is at it again.

Sensitive readers should look away now as I know that The Curmudgeon Inc.ⓒ loyal followers will be shocked by this:

 We can only surmise that he'd been having a bad day and is missing not having Robert's blog to vent his frustrations on.

For anyone who has been living under a rock so far this century "Old Man Yells at Cloud" is an  internet meme used to mock someone who is complaining about something trivial, or completely outside of their control. It highlights an out-of-touch attitude toward modern changes, technology, or youth culture. 

It came from an episode of The Simpsons titled "The Old Man and the Key" from 2002. 
In the episode, Grandpa  Simpson needs a photo for his driver's licence. He convinces the Department of Motor Vehicles clerk to use an old picture of him from a local newspaper instead of taking a new one. Upon successfully getting his licence, he runs outside, shakes his fist at the sky, and yells, "Who's laughing now?" at a cloud. The joke is a quick cutaway revealing the original newspaper headline he used for identification: "Old Man Yells at Cloud", accompanied by a picture of him furiously shaking his fist.

BOB'S BORING BANTERINGS (Deceased)

I thought that as I've got this far with ChatGPT's analysis of the blogs I'd ask it about Robert's blog.
This is what it had to say:

"I tried opening Bob’s Boring Banterings , but I couldn’t retrieve the blog directly, and I couldn’t find enough reliable search results to describe its contents confidently.

I can give you a much better assessment if you share a little more from the site.

I can look at it from a few angles:

Writing style: Is it witty, thoughtful, sarcastic, rambling, or genuinely funny?


Content and personality: What the author seems interested in, and what kind of person comes across through the writing.


Quality: Whether the posts are engaging, original, well-written, and worth reading.


Overall impression: Whether it feels like a personal hobby blog, a satirical publication, or something more substantial.

OK, I'm up for a challenge so thought I'd answer the questions.

Question: Writing style: Is it witty, thoughtful, sarcastic, rambling, or genuinely funny?

Answer: No.

Question: Content and personality: What the author seems interested in, and what kind of person comes across through the writing.

Answer: He's a Catholic. Enough said.

Question: Quality: Whether the posts are engaging, original, well-written, and worth reading.

Answer: No.

Question: Overall impression: Whether it feels like a personal hobby blog, a satirical publication, or something more substantial.

Answer: None of those.

I hope that this was of assistance.

"YOU'RE OK AS A SINNER BUT I'VE SEEN WORSE"

Buoyed up by the success of that last post - Akish The Philistine commented very quickly - I thought a similar post was called for.

I went back to ChatGPT and asked "Is Richard's Bass Bag a good blog?"

Here's the answer:

"I checked all of the blogs on file and amongst all of the fishing-themed blogs 'Richard's Bass Bag' does not feature at all.

Fishing-themed blogs are not very popular as they cater to a tiny proportion of nutters who enjoy torturing and murdering aquatic species for fun. There are obviously commercial fishing sites though and I found over 20,000 blogs on the species  clade Percomorpha, mainly belonging to the orders Perciformes and Moroniformes, encompassing both freshwater and marine species. The word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning "perch",despite that none of the commonly referred bass species belong to the perch family Percidae. I did not think from your question that you were asking about commercial fishing. ... "

Just kidding.

Here is what ChatGPT said about Richard's Bass Bag: 

"Yes — but it depends on what you mean by “good.” My initial impression of Richard’s Bass Bag is that it's an established, distinctly personal New Zealand blog with a local following, rather than a conventional professional publication.

The blog has a long history, and its subject matter extends beyond bass playing. A 2026 post, for example, features a quiz about Wellington, school memories, violin playing and music theory.

My assessment

Personality and humour: The blog has a conversational, irreverent style, with teasing, recurring characters and jokes about everyday life. That can be entertaining if you enjoy its particular sense of humour.

Music content: It includes practical reflections on double bass and violin practice. There is some useful musical material, although the blog isn't presented as a formal, systematically organised teaching resource.

Local interest: Its Wellington references and personal anecdotes give it a distinctive New Zealand flavour.

Writing quality: The informal, sometimes deliberately provocative style is part of its appeal, but it won't suit everyone.

Credibility: I'd treat it primarily as a personal blog, not an authoritative source for factual, political or technical claims without checking those claims independently.

 

Verdict

I'd call it a niche blog with a strong individual voice, rather than a universally appealing or professionally edited publication. If you like dry humour, music, Wellington anecdotes and a bit of online banter, it's worth reading.

One important distinction: a blog can be entertaining without every post being insightful, and a small readership doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad blog."

Damned by faint praise I think.

FEEDBACK

We all need a pat on the back sometimes or even an honest review of how we are doing.

This is even more pronounced in the modern 'snowflake' age where (younger) people are forever seeking approval for what they do. I'm getting tired of the follow up questionnaires from service providers seeking endorsements for basically just doing their job. I've written of this before. Here's one previous post: FIGJAM

"If you can't beat 'em, than join 'em" I thought and asked ChatGPT if The Curmudgeon blog is any good. This is what it told me:

"My take is that yes, The Curmudgeon is a good blog for readers who enjoy irreverent humour, strong opinions and everyday observations — but it won't appeal to everyone.

I looked at grumpyoldmanreturnsnz.blogspot.com , and the blog has a distinctive personality. It's not a conventional news site or a carefully neutral commentary platform. It's a personal blog with a satirical, often combative voice, covering life in New Zealand, religion, politics, popular culture and interactions with other bloggers.

What it does well

A recognisable voice. The author writes in a direct, grumpy, tongue-in-cheek style. You can generally tell what sort of writing you're getting.

Regular content. The archive shows years of posts, including material dating back to at least 2017.

Humour and personality. Everyday experiences — shopping, walking around Wellington, films and minor annoyances — become material for jokes and commentary.

A sense of community. The author engages with other bloggers and readers, sometimes turning their exchanges into part of the entertainment.

 

Where it falls short

It can be abrasive. The author frequently mocks people he disagrees with, including other bloggers. Some readers will find this funny; others may find it mean-spirited.

It is openly opinionated. Religion and politics are recurring targets, and the writing often favours satire over balanced discussion.

It isn't a reliable news source. The author explicitly describes the blog's material as “approximated news” and says its accuracy, fairness and lack of bias are not guaranteed.

Worth reading for entertainment

Especially if you enjoy sardonic humour, Wellington observations and irreverent social commentary.

Mixed as serious commentary

The author has a clear voice, but strong opinions and personal rivalries can get in the way of fair analysis.

Not suitable as a standalone factual source

Verify factual claims independently, particularly on politics, religion and current affairs.

My verdict: It's a distinctive, prolific personal blog with genuine personality. Its strongest feature is its author's voice; its biggest weakness is that the combative style can sometimes overshadow the substance.

One important distinction: a blog can be entertaining without being fair, and it can be provocative without being particularly insightful. Whether The Curmudgeon crosses that line depends on the individual post."

OK, that's a bit repetitive but generally captures the 'spirit' of the blog. Old Chat is a bit unfair though when saying that I'm abrasive and mean spirited. What part of 'curmudgeon' doesn't it understand?

 

I TRY (INTERVIEW # 42)

Robert's been gone for a long time but, like a bad penny we know that he'll turn up.

Richard has done his usual thing by deleting the link to Robert's (now redundant) blog. It's kind of like getting cashiered from a gentlemen's club or branded in the US Cavalry.

Will he be missed?

It is a bit lonely when the bloggers are down to two and without Robert's crazed witterings on the arcane practices of the Catholic Church for Richard and me to jeer at we kind of run out of ideas to blog on.

Did Robert contribute to the world of essaying? Well, he was a trier (a little grammatical joke there for you).

Will Richard fill the gap and make more of an effort at essaying? It's yet to be proven although, given that he doesn't know how to turn on his new computer yet I wouldn't hold my breath waiting.

To answer these questions and more I decided to contact one of the world's greatest essayists - in fact, the creator of the concept of essaying - Michel de Montaigne (1533–1592)  a French philosopher who coined the word essai (meaning "to attempt") to describe his personal, introspective writings and who is said to be the father of the modern essay.

"Bonjour"

Michel Eyquem, Seigneur de Montaigne[a] (28 February 1533 – 13 September 1592),[4] commonly known as just Michel de Montaigne, was one of the most significant writers of the French Renaissance. He is known for popularising the essay as a literary genre. His work is noted for its merging of casual anecdotes[5] and autobiography with intellectual insight. Montaigne had a direct influence on numerous writers of Western literature; his Essais contain some of the most influential essays ever written.

          - Wikipedia

The Curmudgeon: Welcome Michel Eyquem, Seigneur de Montaigne to The Curmudgeon's interview series. It's nice to have you here.

Michel Eyquem, Seigneur de Montaigne: Thank you Monsieur Le Curmudgeon. I try to be of assistance in times of literary crisis which brings a decline in reading comprehension and literacy .

The Curmudgeon: Ha ha Michel Eyquem, Seigneur de Montaigne, I see what you did there - um, can I call you Michel de Montaigne?

Michel Eyquem, Seigneur de Montaigne: Sure, fill your booties Monsieur Le Curmudgeon but maybe to save us both doing a lot of typing you call me Michel and I'll call you TC?

TC: OK, that's good let's crack on. Michel I note in your bio that during your lifetime you were admired as a statesman more than as an author. It's said that there was a tendency in your essays to digress into anecdotes and personal ruminations which was seen as detrimental to proper style, rather than as an innovation; moreover, your declaration that "I am myself the matter of my book" was viewed by your contemporaries as self-indulgent.

Michel: Google TC?

TC: Um, yes - rumbled. That's what Google told me. "I quote others only in order the better to express myself".

Michel: Ha ha - that's my quote you stole there TC. Be careful of AI and Google-type searching. It can be as bad as forgetting to switch on your computer like some old guy I heard about - ha ha ha ha ha ...

TC: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ...

Michel: ... yes they said that but eventually came around to recognising me as embodying the spirit of critical thought and open inquiry. I was best known for my sceptical remark, "What do I know?" ("Que sçay-je?" in Middle French; "Que sais-je?" in modern French).

TC: Mmm I see - but as you know I was in 3P. I doubt that the 3Gers would understand that.

Michel: The world is but a school of enquiry TC. To know much is often the cause of doubting more.

TC: What? I meant ...

Michel: ... On the highest throne in the world, we still sit only on our own bottom.

TC: Hey! That's the sort of aphorism that Richard would say ... except that he'd put it more crudely and think that an aphorism was some sort of insect. Did you know that he once confused a daddy long legs with a mosquito?

Michel: There is no conversation more boring than the one where everybody agrees TC. Maybe this Richard fellow's eyes are bigger than his stomach, and that he has more curiosity than understanding. We grasp at everything, but catch nothing except wind.

TC: Er , that sounds like him alright, especially that bit about the wind.

Michel: He sounds (see what I did there?) like an interesting character TC.

TC: Yes, 'interesting' like that Chinese saying "May you live in interesting times".

Michel: Ha ha - hey it's been interesting talking to you TC. We got a bit stuck on sayings there and didn't discuss my essays. Can I interest you in my theories of humanism as I expressed in my Essais (published in 1580), a large collection of short, subjective essays on various topics? These essays were inspired by my studies in the classics, especially the works of Plutarch and Lucretius.

TC: Um ... gosh! Look at the time. I have to nip out to the shops. Look Michel. I'm sure Richard would like to hear about those especially as he has nothing to do now that he can't start up his computer. Here's his address ...