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

INTERVIEW #38

This post was inspired by Richard who irreverently refers to one of Robert's gods as 'God the Farter'.

No doubt Richard was one of those schoolboy wags who recited "Our Father who farts in heaven" when he was at Mass.

This got me thinking as to whether there is a patron saint or a god of farting and discovered Matshishkapeu, a prominent, culturally revered, and highly humorous figure from the oral mythologies of the Innu people of Arctic Canada. Often literally translated as "The Fart Man" he is known for:

• Controlling the Caribou Master: In one of the most famous legends, the Caribou Master (the spirit who controlled the food animals) greedily withheld food and starved the Innu. Matshishkapeu intervened, cursed the Caribou Master with a cripplingly painful case of constipation until he relented, and ultimately gave the Innu the game they needed to survive.
• Communicating through Gas: The Innu historically believed that every flatulent roar and rumble made by the spirit contained a cryptic but important message. 
• The "Fart of Creation": The concept of ruling/creating the world with flatulence is also heavily tied to the trickster Wakdjunkaga in the traditional mythology of the Winnebago (Ho-Chunk) Native American people. In their creation cycle, Wakdjunkaga scatters all living creatures across the face of the earth and scatters their possessions to the four corners of the world through one enormous expulsion.

          Thanks Wikipedia.

Wow! Now there's a guy worthy of being interviewed. I decided to contact Matshishkapeu as interviewee in INTERVIEW #38.

The Curmudgeon: Hi Matshiskapeu and welcome to The Curmudgeon's Interview Series.

Matshishkapeu: Thanks The Curmudgeon and congratulations on the longevity of this interesting and informative series. As a god of course I'm well aware of your blog and its contribution to education and culture.

The Curmudgeon: Gee, that's nice Matshiskapeu ... can I call you Mats?

Matshishkapeu: Ha ha - call me Mate if you like, I know that you're antipodean. I'll call you TC.

The Curmudgeon: OK Mate. Let's crack on ...

Matshishkapeu: ... Um, TC, speaking of which, where's the ... you know ...

The Curmudgeon: ... Mmmm? Oh, the bathroom? We've got two upstairs and one downstairs. I suggest you use the one downstairs - and open a window Mate! 

Matshishkapeu: Will do TC. I'll pop-pop-pop down there now ha ha.

The Curmudgeon: OK we'll .... Sheesh almighty! What's that pong? Oh ....

Matshishkapeu: I'm back TC. I opened the sliding door to the courtyard as well as the bathroom window. Caribou is nice and filling but it ... you know?

The Curmudgeon: Yes, I do know now. Look Mate, I've been reading up on you and want to know why you're so popular especially among the Innu of Eastern Quebec and Labrador?

Matshishkapeu: Mmm, yes, I've heard it said that I have an “unusual omnipresence” which makes me an especially unique mythological being. 

The Curmudgeon: Omnipresence - you mean like being everywhere?

Matshishkapeu: That's it TC - I can see that you were in 3P. It's said that I'm everywhere, both inside the tent and outside. I'm always with you no matter where you may travel.

The Curmudgeon: Well I was certainly aware of you just before boyo and god (sorry) knows what the neighbours think.

Matshishkapeu: Sorry TC, it's in my nature.

The Curmudgeon: I read that you are famous for 'conversing' with the Innu with great frequency especially while they are hunting, trapping and fishing.  

Matshishkapeu: Ha ha - yes, they see me as a fun god and my “popping up” at inopportune moments makes them laugh.

The Curmudgeon: Yeah funny (gets up to open a couple of windows) but it could be dangerous couldn't it if you suddenly appear and let a big one rip when the Innu are involved in a life-threatening hunt?

Matshishkapeu: Yeah, that happens especially if a polar bear is involved.

The Curmudgeon: Wow!

Matshishkapeu: You're impressed TC - so are the Innu hunters when a polar bear presses down on them.

The Curmudgeon: No Mate. I'm impressed at how bloody stinky your farts are. WTF?

Matshishkapeu: Sorry, maybe I'd better ... oops, oh shit, I've ...

The Curmudgeon: Fuck! That's The Old Girl's fancy armchair - the one I'm not allowed to sit in. You've  ... oh Mate you'd better go - and quickly.

Matshishkapeu: Toodles TC. No coffee then?

The Curmudgeon: Definitely no coffee. Hey! Richard will have some for you. His address is ...

BEEP BEEP

 I'm up early because I need to take Shelley's car for a warrant check in Seaview. Oops, that's that other joker who surpasses me in boring post writing.

No, I'm taking our car in to Toyota Kent Terrace early on Monday morning for its yearly check-up and W.O.F. I have to be there by 8AM! Is there such a time? I'll have to leave just after 7.30 in case early morning traffic is heavy.

We pay to get the car thoroughly checked once a year by authorised Toyota dealers. This gives peace of mind and can prevent costly repairs later. Vehicle safety is important and worth the once a year cost. This time might be a bit more expensive as last year the Whangarei Toyota team alerted me to the fact that new tyres would be needed for the next W.O.F. I won't be buying expensive tyres, just safe and hopefully cheaper ones as we hardly use the car and certainly not for long trips like Robert frequently takes. I hope that he keeps his car properly maintained.

I hope that you found this interesting.

Oh, here's a funny cartoon for Richard. He likes funny music-themed cartoons.

NEW POST - PETER'S GOLF BAG

 Due to the success of BERHAMPORE GOLF COURSE (PART ONE) post PETER'S GOLF BAG has followed up with another post:

BERHAMPORE GOLF COURSE (PART TWO)

Enjoy.

NEW POST - PETER'S GOLF BAG

 Peter's Golf Bag has a new post BERHAMPORE GOLF COURSE (PART ONE)

It looks like this might be a short series.

NEW POST - THE CURMUDGEON'S AGONY AUNT

 The Curmudgeon's Agony Aunt has written a new post: 

SO KISS ME AND SMILE FOR ME