MY TRIP HOME YESTERDAY- GRUMPY

The Old Girl and I went out for brunch in Karangahape Road yesterday before I caught the 1 PM bus home. It was very pleasant.

Walking to the bus station I passed a cafe in Aotea Square that had a sign outside that seemed to be taking a shot at me:

Bloody cheek!

At the bus stop I joined the queue behind a couple of elderly dames and was aware of other people shuffling closer as it neared time for the bus driver to open the door and check off names. When this happened two female backpackers who had come along later tried to muscle in front. I pushed one back and said to her to stop being so pushy and to show some respect. This allowed the old girls in front of me to board the bus. The girl I reprimanded huffed but stayed back so I was next on. I get pissed off with this sort of behaviour. It was a double decker and they obviously wanted the seats on top at the front. I prefer the lower level as there's less chance of feeling queasy.

The bus was late leaving and also delayed by slow traffic north of Warkworth where ambulances and fire engines were attending to a crash. A big black SUV was upside down in the middle of the road. This was roughly the same spot where Lynn was held up by a serious accident a week ago. It's a dangerous road with too many speedsters and inattentive drivers.

At Whangarei I was walking along by The Basin (boat marina area) to my car and spied a guy with a dog running along. The dog stopped and had a big crap on a nice grassy area. He kept going without picking it up. A little further along I caught up with them and berated him for not picking up the dog crap. He got all defensive and said that his 'missus' had picked it up pointing back to a group of three women following along a little but behind. I looked around and he asked his 'missus' about it. She said yes she had picked up the said crap so I said sorry and walked on.

Maybe I should have had one of those coffees back in Auckland.

LIFE LESSONS FOR RICHARD - PART ONE, BUYING WINE

It's time for a new series I think.

I spent the weekend with Richard. You know Richard, he's the author of the second most popular blog in this blogging community.

When discussing life, the universe and old Loony Tunes cartoons it came to me that Richard needs a bit of help with many things to set him straight.
One thing that he does wrong is in buying wine. He hinted that he might sign up to one of those 'wine clubs' where they send a 'carefully selected' dozen wines to customers on a regular basis. You should avoid these as while they aren't exactly scams, the 'carefully selected' promise is a lot of crap. I used to work for a wine company that was one of the suppliers to this. the 'careful selection' was more in selecting suppliers than in selecting wine. The wine clubs want suppliers who can work with them to put forward or create exclusive labels that won't be seen discounted in supermarkets. These labels bear the names of creeks, rivers, bays, mountains, animals etc that look enticing. The wine selection is based on the cheapest possible inputs that can stand up to some scrutiny and be to a 4 star average standard. Not bad wine just indifferent wine. The suppliers simply bottle from some larger volume stock that they want to get rid of. Occasionally the wine clubs get hold of some 'failed export order' stocks or wineries overstocks that can be good buys but are mixed in as part of the 'mixed dozen' parcel. Pricing is made to seem as great value because a theoretical retail price is worked out with the supplier and a big discount taken off the dozen price to appear as a good deal.

*Avoid*

THE WINE GUY wrote something about this some time ago but I guess Richard didn't read it.

BUYING MY WINE

The best deals are from COUNTDOWN when it has a 20% off sale. The trick is to buy wines that are already on promotion with a decent discount off (look along the shelves and spot the price-off stickers). when  buying 6 or more mixed of any wines there is an additional 20% discount taken off at the check-out. I wait for these sales and buy up 2 or 3 dozen mixed wines for the cellar ending up with expensive and top quality wines for the price of the cheaper and ordinary stuff.

GETTING RICHARD UP TO SPEED*

I was telling The Old Girl about my trip to Wellington and staying with Richard and Shelley enjoying their wonderful hospitality. Thanks guys.

Sometimes things get a bit chaotic in Casa Testore and here's an excerpt from our conversation:

............................

THE CURMUDGEON: ..... so Shelley as you know works in the Library business and was teaching Richard how to access OVERDRIVE on his phone.

THE OLD GIRL: OVERDRIVE? You mean LIBBY?

THE CURMUDGEON: No, OVERDRIVE. LIBBY would be a bit too complicated for him.

THE OLD GIRL: Right. So how did it go?

THE CURMUDGEON: Have you ever seen an Abbot and Costello film? You know, the 'Who's on first routine?

THE OLD GIRL: OK, that bad huh?

THE CURMUDGEON: Diabolical. Shelley was explaining to him how to set up an account using his library card number. You'd think that'd be easy but ....

THE OLD GIRL: Why? You just put in the number, search for a book, go to filter to enter audio or reading, enter the language .....

THE CURMUDGEON: ....I'll stop you right there.

THE OLD GIRL: Why?

THE CURMUDGEON: He wants everything to be in Italian.

THE OLD GIRL: Italian. Why?

THE CURMUDGEON: I told you, he's nuts.


..................


* A very long ongoing series

MY RECENT TRIP TO WELLINGTON

Now I apologise in advance about the quality and focus of this post but I'm writing it while watching the Uruguay-Georgia game LIVE on my computer and have to flick back and forwards. When I open another screen to write this post I can still hear the game  so, when the commentary gets a bit excited I quickly flick back from the Blog to the game-screen.

It was a big weekend in Wellington with the funeral for the death of an old friend on Friday and catching up with other old friends including Richard and Shelley who I stayed with which was great.
More on that in another post.

A lot more!

Now while my hair has decided to leave me in my later years the departure has been on the top with the back and sides hair thinking that they've got to  support their host by growing extra strong. As a consequence my hair grows out madly at right angles and, if I allowed it would  keep going enough at the back to make a pony-tail (or, at least, a mullet).  The fear of this turning John Key on is enough to make me keep that in trim.

Living up North where I do sartorial elegance isn't the first thing in mind when I wake up and debate with myself whether I should play tennis, go for a kayak, cycle, swim, have a bush walk, garden or do housework*. My hair then has got a bit shaggy. the Old girl, bless her. suggested when I told her I was going to Wellington, to get a haircut. "You look like that avatar image you use on your blog" she unkindly said. I had a look at that "avatar image you use on your blog" and thought that maybe she was right.

I told her that I wouldn't have time to get a haircut before making my way to wellington.
" Wear a hat" she said.

"A hat" I thought. at a funeral?
I considered the caps I wear when walking, cycling and playing tennis and they are generally sports-style caps with logos on them and in bright colours. These didn't seem appropriate.
The hats I wear when kayaking and gardening tend to be wide brimmed and made of straw. They are also light coloured. Not appropriate.
Then I remembered a cap I bought at the Op-Shop. It's black with a strong peak that sticks out. When I brought this home The Old Girl said something like "Not on your life Matey" and it got relegated to a spare closet. I found it and put it on before heading out the door to get the bus to Auckland (before catching a plane to Wellington). Fortunately we have a mirror in the hallway so when I was passing it I saw the price-sticker on the hat that read $1. Now this hat is brand new not having been used by anyone else before me so I couldn't understand why anyone wouldn't want to wear it. I removed the sticker.

In Auckland, staying in our apartment on Thursday night The Old Girl didn't see the hat as I'd put in my bag when on the bus.

In Wellington I collected the rental car ($26 a day!) and headed out to Wainuiomata to pick up Richard so that we could make our way to meet up with friends going to the funeral.

"That hat" said Richard.

"What about it?" I replied.

"It reminds me of Daffy Duck" he said.

"Fuck-off" I replied. "Daffy Duck looks nothing like this hat."

"Daffy Duck hunting" he said.

"What are you on?" I replied.

"No, no, daffy Duck going hunting" he repeated making me think that the poor old guy was the third of the old team to have a stroke. Then the penny dropped.
"You mean Elmer Fudd" I said.

Now I know that the colour, the style and the sheer practicality of the hat in question had no connection to Elmer (Richard thinks he's named 'Elma') Fudd, it's best to humour the old chap as he's getting a bit dotty (more in a later post).


Anyway, at the church after the funeral service (sorry Robert it was a Saint John's Anglican outfit) when Richard was bullying demanding asking suggesting that the Murray Robert's/Levin and Co. survivors would line up for a photograph he wanted me to wear my 'Daffy Duck' hat.

Here's the photograph:

Sorry about that. Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd don't come into it. I just look like a silly old cunt. I should have listened to The Old Girl and planned ahead to get a haircut.

Here's another photograph where Richard insisted that I wear 'the' hat:

* Doing housework actually is much lower down on my list.

GONE

A good friend died this morning - Dave Needham.

I was in contact with him a couple of weeks ago as Geoff had told me that he was unwell. we arranged to meet up in wellington early next year. Now it will be sooner.

Dave was one of the guys at Murray Roberts where Geoff, Robert, Richard, Tony, Mark and other friends worked in the 1970s. I'd lost touch with him a bit since giving up work. When I was working, even though I lived in Auckland I had work trips to Wellington and would often meet up with Dave and his wife Jane.

Dave was a couple of years older than the rest of us but I hope that this isn't 'the start'.
I think that Noel and Beverly have passed on. I'd lost touch with them years ago and recently found obituaries for (maybe them) in Tauranga. Sad.

"You are gone.
Three words.

And not one
of them
exists now in any
other context."

From At The Gate by Henrik Nordbrandt

.

PICKUP ARTISTS

Back in university days Richard and I with other friends would meet up at the Grand Hotel in Willis Street on Friday evenings and plan our evening.  This usually took the form of eavesdropping on other students to learn where the parties were or following up on one of Tony's dubious 'invitations'.

When and if we got to a party and were 'invited' in we would stand about discussing whether one or any of us might get lucky with a woman at the party. The banter was all passive -aggressive stuff where the challenge was to subtly undermine your friend without actually coming out and standing in his way.

This cartoon I read today reminded me of that.

POWER TO THE (OLD) PEOPLE

I changed electricity providers this month.

Genesis Energy drastically increased the price of their electricity with the result that I was paying about $30 more a month for the same usage as before.

A friend at the PROBUS club meeting I attended suggested going to Grey Power energy (PULSE).
I contacted them and learned that the average monthly saving I would have with them was about $30!
I signed up. The agent from Grey Power told me that they would handle the transfer without me having to do anything but that Genesis would be in continual contact trying to win me back. This has happened with, surprise - surprise an offer of reduced power rates (locked in with a 12 month minimum contract) and a $150 sweetener. A little bit too late I think. Why couldn't they have done this earlier?

Utility companies take existing customers for granted. They get used to us month after month paying for their products and services and think nothing about sneaking up the prices. At the same time they have discounted deals and inducements and free gifts for new subscribers bringing prices down below what the regular and loyal customers are paying. Do they think that we're stupid? Do they think we don't see the offers to others?

Bastards!

TAKING IT SERIOUSLY

The Old Girl was given a lift back to Auckland yesterday. Near Warkworth a truck three places ahead crashed into a car coming in the other direction. It was a serious crash and three people in serious condition were taken to hospital by air ambulance. The Old Girl saw a woman and two children in the car. The truck driver walked back along the road by the stopped traffic looking for the woman's arm. The right side of the car had been sliced away including the woman's arm. It was found, in pieces.

This is horrific but is fact. We hear about road accidents and the deaths are presented as statistics but the depth of misery and suffering often goes unreported. This woman, if she survives will undergo months of hospitalisation and a lifetime of pain and despair. I hope that the children will be OK.

Our roads are dangerous. Driving even at 50 kph must be taken seriously. Driving at 100 kph or more is life-threatening. I get very annoyed at car advertisements that instead of featuring safety like Volvo does, show car driving as adventurous and fun.

Fuck them.

I try to anticipate problems when driving, thinking ahead what the cars in front of me might do and whether some idiot coming from the other direction might veer into me. This morning when going to the gym, driving on the 100 kph section of a country road I saw way ahead a recycling truck chugging along towards me. There was a grey car in front of me. A red Holden, travelling at excessive speed overtook the recycling truck and travelled for some way on the wrong side of the road. I had anticipated this and had dropped back a bit. The car in front of me seemed oblivious to this and didn't brake or slow down. Maybe the driver thought as he or she was in the right, why should they. As it was the red Holden only just pulled back to the left before there was a collision. Stupid.

I feel that many drivers don't pay enough attention to what the outcome could be from a head-on crash. Maybe it takes empirical knowledge before they see the danger.
When I was about 9 a car, a Jaguar full of fun-loving revellers, at about midnight on a Saturday crashed through a barrier on Krull Street and sailed on down to McColl Street landing head on.
The driver was racing down with the play area on his right, didn't see or negotiate the right turn and went straight through and down.

The crash was tremendous and woke everyone nearby up. We lived two streets away and heard it. everyone came out to look before the kids were ushered back indoors. The driver and front-seat passenger were dead and the back seat passengers were in a terrible state.


In the 1980s when travelling from Auckland to Wellington with my sister and brother-in-law we came across an accident that had just happened near Taupo. A motorcyclist had been knocked off his bike and had rammed his head on the guttering. He was dead but my sister and brother-in-law, both doctors had stopped to see if they could help. It wasn't a pretty sight.

These events were horrible but in a way necessary as a reminder that driving is dangerous and shouldn't be treated lightly.





Be careful out there.

THE RUGBY ROOM

Jeepers! With my recent posts and no doubt, more to come I should create an Armchair Sport's Curmudgeon Blog.

But I won't do that to you - yet.

************

Poor old SPARK has got itself into a bit of a problem with the streaming service. Serves them bloody right. Its arrogance is typical of any company populated by 'bright young things' who all think they know better. In this case, this lot ignored their own polls of viewers, subscribers, customers and the general public which overwhelmingly said that New Zealanders didn't understand and didn't trust streaming. The people polled also were confused as to the technology required. SPARK bulldozed on regardless and caused a shit-storm of trouble with existing, new and prospective subscribers. Last night, with the first All Blacks game they experienced technical problems that have now forced them to throw the service back to free TV and to guarantee rebates to their SparkSport subscribers (I'm one). Idiots.

Now, to be fair to SPARK all of the problems are not of their own making technically speaking but they have had a monumental cock-up PR and marketing speaking. I subscribed early to take advantage of the account holder discount and was assured that I'd be able to view via my TV. This turned out to be an over-promise and a crock of shit because my TV (recently purchased) was outside of the technological parameters and, after purchasing a $109 Chrome cast device on instructions from SPARK my iPad and iPhone are too old to connect. They are old but stuffed if I'm going to replace them. just because some fucking 20 somethings at SPARK who queue up in Queen Street for new release Apple products deem it so.

So. I can't watch the Rugby World Cup on my TV. Boo hoo. I'm resilient though. I discovered that I can watch SPARK streaming on my desktop computer. Fortunately this is a Mac with a  27 inch screen so sitting close is like watching a big screen TV ( from further away). I've had to bring an armchair from the kitchen nook area for comfort but it works. See here:

I'm actually OK with this as I'm watching these games on my own. I'd be pissed off if I'd planned for a big family and neighbours to be watching as then it would be uncomfortable. As it is, this works . The computer is in the study and it's now become, for the next few weeks, my 'man-cave'.

The Old Girl works in Auckland during the week and, for the present until she gives up work (soon) and comes up to live here full-time, spends long weekends here. Unbelievably, when the All Blacks played their first game against South Africa last night she preferred to watch something on NETFLIX - a ROMCOM! What's that about?

The TV in the lounge then isn't being used for RUGBY, it's being used for ROMCOMs.

As it turns out this isn't such a bad thing. If SPARK's streaming had allowed my 'old' (18 month old) television to receive the telecasts (streamcasts?) then The Old Girl and I might be at loggerheads when each wanting to watch different things. I wonder what goes on around the country when one half of the family doesn't care about the rugby?

APPROXIMATE NEWS

God (that mythical being) save us from irascible old retired school teachers.
It's bad enough that they want to correct our grammer (that'll keep them happy for a while) - and I bet that they go about checking shop signs and billboards for errors - but one of them does fact checking on my blog.

Richard (of RBB) in a comment on my last posts wrote:

 "...... The Curmudgeon Inc is sending out false news or, at best, approximated news."

I think he's been reading too much about Donald Trump and his war on the media and is confusing THE CURMUDGEON blog with CNN or The New York Times.

THE CURMUDGEON doesn't make any claims to be exact news. We often say that we present up to date news, interesting news or controversial news but have never said that what we write is true, worthwhile, wholesome or in any way worthy.

To make this clear we have inserted a new header into our blog that announces that THE CURMUDGEON publishes 'approximated news'.

THANK YOU.

LET'S TALK RUGBY

It's been a great couple of days and the Rugby Word Cup in Japan is shaping up to be a cracker.
The games so far have all been thrillers especially the All Black's opening match in Pool B against South Africa. This could have gone either way but fortunately it went our way - a win to New Zealand. Thanks guys.

It's late and the game has just finished but THE CURMUDGEON INC.ⓒ quickly cobbled together some commentators on a conference line to discuss this historic event.
We have with us The Curmudgeon, Robert aka Second Fiddle and Richard 'Tighthead' Prowse from Richard's Bass Bag and live from Japan, Steve Hansen.

Let's go to it.

THE CURMUDEON: Welcome guys. Thanks for calling in.

RICHARD 'TIGHTHEAD' PROWSE: No probs TC, glad to help.

ROBERT 'SECOND FIDDLE': Whatever.

STEVE HANSEN" Mrrrmmmmmph!

THE CURMUDEON: Um, OK. Let's start with you Robert. What's your take on the game tonight?

ROBERT 'SECOND FIDDLE':I think this rugby thing is silly. Grown men running around after a ball is nuts. I find it hard nowadays getting help in the cleaning business as the Polynesians would rather do less work and kick a ball around for more pay. I think ......

THE CURMUDGEON: .....OK....let's leave that there shall we. Richard, before I ask you the question that Robert didn't answer, what's the background to that interesting nickname you have - 'Tighthead'?

RICHARD 'TIGHTHEAD' PROWSE: Ha ha TC - glad you asked. A tighthead prop is one of the three players at the front of the scrum. They stand on the right-hand side of the hooker. As they take most of the impact in the scrum, a prop should have plenty of strength in their upper body. This is the area of the body where all the power is created for the big push....

THE CURMUDEON: Right I think we've got tha ........

RICHARD 'TIGHTHEAD' PROWSE: .... A scrum is all about getting low. A tighthead prop is the cornerstone of a scrum, that is all of the angles of force come through him. A loosehead is tasked with trying to isolate and get under a tighthead prop, with the intention of trying to drive him up, while a tighthead tries to either pin him down using his greater weight. In essence, in each scrum there are two battles of supremacy between a loosehead and a tighthead.

THE CURMUDEON: Right I think we've got tha ........

RICHARD 'TIGHTHEAD' PROWSE: The props "prop up" the hooker in the scrum. They form part of the front row of the scrum and push against the opposition's props. The loosehead prop is positioned to the left of the hooker and his head will be on the outside of the scrum when it engages. The tighthead is to the right of the hooker with his head positioned between the opposition hooker and the opposition loosehead prop. The prop's main role is to provide stability at the scrum and support the hooker in quickly winning the ball. In boring is when ....

THE CURMUDEON: (sotte voce) That's for damn sure ...

RICHARD 'TIGHTHEAD' PROWSE: What's that? what? Hey did I ever tell you about when I was at college and one year I took the most ti .....

THE CURMUDEON: Well, thanks Richard we'd better move on as Steve is waiting on the line from Japan. Hi Steve. What's your opinion of the first few games especially The All Blacks?

STEVE HANSEN: Mummmbbblemmmbrr uffoggmm. Brmmbbbbhhhmmmzzzmmmmbbbbbrrrrr!

THE CURMUDEON: Right, it's late guys we'd better wrap this up., er, thanks for calling in (I think).

2039 RUGBY WORLD CUP LINE-UP

LOCATION - Anchorage, Alaska.


COMPETITORS

Pool A
SIE (Samoa In Exile)
FIE (Fiji In Exile)
TIE (Tonga In Exile)
HIE (Hawaii In Exile)

Pool B
AFRICA
NUSSR (New Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.)
LONDON
TRUK (THE REST OF THE UNITED KINGDOM)

Pool C
CANADA
TRUMPICA
AUSTRALASIA
WEU (Western European Union)

Pool D
WWU (Women of the World Union)
AA (Arctic and Antarctic)
SOUTH AMERICA
ASIA



STARTING TEAMS

SIE (Samoa In Exile)
Kosena, Avia, Feu'u,  Laita, Liloulitea, Kupa, Kupuovanua , Kura,  Kuresa, Savea, Malifa,  Taulapapa  Sulu'ape, Semu,  Malietoa.

FIE (Fiji In Exile)
Buadromo,  Apolosi, Bainivalu,  Biuvakaloloma,
Cakacaka, Cavubati,,Duvuduvukulu, Erenavula,  Katalou,  Rabuka, Ralulu,  Roko, Rokovunisei,  Savu, Serevi.

TIE (Tonga In Exile)

Alatini, Afeaki, Lomu, Hopoate, Fifita, Folau, Taumoepeau, Naufahu, Tupufaufe, Fa'afete, Alakeo,

Tomutafe, Akafelu, Nukalafe, Schmidt.

HIE (Hawaii In Exile)

Kahale, Iosua, Kameāloha, Māhoe, Kaʻanāʻanā, ʻŌpūnui, Kāne Kelekolio, Alana, Iona, Kaiwi, Kalani, Kalawai'a, Kalili, Hale.

AFRICA

Ara, Adebayo, Achebe, Folorunsho, Gcobani, De Witt, Igbinedion, Folau, Taumoepeau, Ralulu, Rigamoto, Savea, Malifa,  Taulapapa, Ihirijirika, 

NUSSR (New Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.)

Qereqeretabua, Rabuka, Ralulu, Sina, Moe, Nelisi, Sulu'ape, Kameāloha, Māhoe, Kosygin, Kosi, Kovino , Kueni , Kuita, Putin.

LONDON

Jones, Smith, O'Reilly, Prendergast, Thomas, Williams, McGregor, Flannigan, Scruggs, Johnson, Farage, Mosley, Blair, Winsor, Fal'a'afu.

TRUK (THE REST OF THE UNITED KINGDOM)
Laita, Liloulitea, Kupa, Kupuovanua , Kura, Kurene, Kuresa, Qereqeretabua, Rabuka, Ralulu, Rigamoto, Roko, Rokovunisei, Vaurasi,  Forbes-Hamilton.

CANADA

Akimayuq, Aklavik, Inoudtliak, Ipooeetuq, Iqaluq. Blackthundercloud, Smith, Akoodiksik, Kulukjuk

Nivikanguak, Noayak, Nooterakjuk, Taukei, Tavai, Tubuna

TRUMPICA

Iosua, Kameāloha, Māhoe, Kaʻanāʻanā, ʻŌpūnui, Jackson, Lincoln, Nelisi, Sulu'ape, Petaia, Ponifasio, Semu, Tamu, Brown, Ali.

AUSTRALASIA

Malietoa, Kosi, Kovino , Kueni , Kuita, Kuki, Henare, Aperhama, Kerehoma, Natana, Paora, Karaka, Kingi, Qereqeretabua, Rabuka

WEU (Western European Union)

Schmidt, Pascal, Borovicj, Rossigio, Karauna, Akafelu, Nukalafe, Munu, Bulai, Cakacaka, Cavuba, Apolosi, Svensson, Weissmann.

WWU (Women of the World Union)

Kueni , Kuita, Kuki, Henare, Noayak, Nooterakjuk, Tomutafe, Akafelu, Nukalafe, Adebayo, Achebe, Folorunsho, Gcobani, Jackson, Washington.

AA  (Arctic and Antarctic)

 Ipooeetuq, Iqaluq. Soundslikerain,, Smith, Akoodiksik, Kuki, Henare, Aperhama, Kerehoma, Natana,  Fifita, Folau, Taumoepeau, Naufahu, Tupufaufe.

SOUTH AMERICA

Cavubati, Dakuidreketi, Daurewa, Dimuri, Duvuduvukulu, Erenavula, Gaunavou, Kamikamica,  Kotobalavu, Figiel, Kihara, Laita, Liloulitea, Kupa, Kupuovanua.

ASIA

Alatini, Afeaki, Lomu, Hopoate, Fifita, Folau, Sina, Moe, Nelisi, Sulu'ape, Petaia, Ponifasio, Tamu, Katane, Wang.

Sieuthere?

Sorry, see you there?

INDIA'S COMING UP

I looked at the blog stats today and noted an interest in my blog from viewers in India.

Page views by countries in the last week

Now this is interesting as the number of internet users in India and potential THE CURMUDGEON followers is enormous. The existing many few two (and one of those is blind according to Richard) may soon be swamped by this new interest.

Previously the leading country watching my blog has been New Zealand followed by the United States.

In the last month India has leapt into the third position which traditionally has been occupied by our friends in Russia. Ukraine are also making a bid for third place.

Page views by countries in the last month

Page views by countries All Time

Does this mean that the editorial policy of THE CURMUDGEONS INC.ⓒ will have to change?
Will we have to introduce more sub-continent based posts into the mix? Time will tell.

I looked at the posts that were most read during the last month and these were:

A MORAL DILEMMA  by the Curmudgeon's agony Aunt.
NOT A RAVING LOONY by The Religious Curmudgeon.
STRANGE by The Curmudgeon.
A BIT OF CULTURE by The Curmudgeon.
SPRINGTIME by The Curmudgeon.
GOD ON YOU by The Religious Curmudgeon.
LOOK OUT! by The Curmudgeon
THAT MAGIC FEELING by The Curmudgeon.

LOOK OUT! has a cricket theme which may appeal to the cricket-mad Indians: LOOK OUT!

But it's more likely that THAT MAGIC FEELING was the one that appealed to the Indian viewers as the film YESTERDAY by Danny Boyle who made SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE and has Indian characters in it features the Beatles music as does my post THAT MAGIC FEELING which features
'You Never Give Me Your Money' from ABBEY ROAD.

THAT MAGIC FEELING

It's nice to know that Danny Boyle and I have something in common.

WHAT A DICK!

We all say stupid things sometimes and the best thing to do is apologise if it's offensive and try to move on. Justin Trudeau did this when a photograph surfaced showing him wearing an Alladin costume at a school event when he was a schoolteacher. He didn't quibble, he just apologised.

Not that dick John Tamihere though who with two words has scuppered his Auckland Mayoralty campaign.

JOHN TAMIHERE - SIEG HEIL

This dick has got himself into trouble in the past with his big mouth and injudicious comments. Remember the disgusting 'front bum' comment back in 2005? He also made awful comments about gays, Jews and rape victims.

JOHN TAMIHERE - FRONT BUMS

Now I watched the interview where he made the Sieg Heil comment about Phil Goff. It was stupid but it was throwaway. He should have, when called out on it, apologised and explained himself. Instead, he's not only tried to defend his comment but has gone on attack of what he calls 'The Thought Police'

This guy will get buried over this. I only hope that he's dug himself at least six feet deep so that his political career is dead and he can't be resurrected.

"Hello. Hello. Hello. Helloooo. Can I come out?"

THURSDAY POST PREVIEW.

In the new minimalist-style here is Thursday:

 Tennis. Gym. Gardening.

WEDNESDAY UPDATE

Well, Rod and I went for that bike ride today. The weather was glorious with sunshine, blue sky and no wind. We tootled around Pataua for about an hour and a half. Pataua is a quiet place where there are lots of holiday houses. The streets (not in Summer) are quiet and good for bike riding. There are great beaches there on both sides of the estuary which look out to the Poor Knights islands.

There are neat little coves here and there with sheltered water, nice sand and no people!

**************

Rod himself is a bit of a strange cove. He's a close talker:  THE CLOSE TALKER- SEINFELD

I constantly find myself moving away from him. It's a pain when walking side to side as he leans in and encroaches my space all the time - even when riding the bloody bikes.

Rod is also a loud talker. This can be embarrassing when in conversation with him as he has a habit of making comments about other people quite loudly. Here's an example from today when we stopped at the beach to look at the sights. There was a youngish woman walking along the path not far away and Rod says (loudly) - "Cor! Look at the crumpet".
I shushed him but he was adamant that she hadn't heard although I was sure that she had. He does this at the tennis as well and, when the subject of his comments looks over I have to look away pretending that I'm not with him. He is also not a person you should ever tell something in confidence to. 'I call him The News of the North'. If you want it broadcast around the neighbourhood then tell him.

*****************

After the ride I went to the gym before calling around to Rod's place where I helped him with a water leak under his house.

I came home and spent a couple of hours weeding the garden alongside the drive and now am quite exhausted.

How has your Wednesday been?

WEDNESDAY

"If you can't beat them - join them"

If you can’t beat them, join them usually means if you can not defeat your opponent, you may as well join forces with him in order to have at least a modicum of control of the situation. An alternate meaning of if you can’t beat them, join them is the advice to adopt the methods that your opponent is using in a situation, but not necessarily the goals. In this case, if you can’t beat them, join them has a similar meaning to the phrase beat someone at his own game. Usage of the phrase if you can’t beat them, join them may be good-natured, deferring to the will of the group, or it may be a warning that the conflict is about to become more intense. If you can’t beat them join them is American English, though its etymology is shrouded in mystery. The earliest known use of the term is in the Atlantic Monthly magazine, in 1932. Senator James E. Watson listed the term as one of his favorite (sic) maxims, which means it was in use for some period of time before 1932. The exact quote is “If you can’t lick ’em, jine ’em.” This is a rendering of the phrase with slang terminology, used to communicate in specialized (sic) situations. The phrase if you can’t lick them, join them is still occasionally seen, but the word lick to mean defeat is not used as often as it once was. If you can’t beat them, join them is a proverb that is often quoted as pragmatic advice for those in politics.

Richard's off talking about bass strings in his latest post. I think that he's got a hangover.

I thought I'd tell you what I've got planned today, just as a filler as I don't want to write something sensational that would show the other blogs up as boring.

This morning I woke early (for me) at 6.45. I breakfasted, stripped the bed linen and put through the wash (The Old Girl is coming up here on Friday), hung up the washing and got the bike out of the shed and put it in the car.

Friend Rod is calling around at 9am and we are going for a ride at Pataua. We'll do both North and South Pataua which are separated by a footbridge,

I'll then go to the gym and after that have lunch.

I've got weeding planned for the afternoon.

JUST SAYING

JUST SAYING

          A phrase used to indicate that we  refuse to  defend a claim we've made - in other words, that              we refuse to offer reasons  that what we've said is true.

          - The Urban Dictionary




I got called out by Richard for using the expression "Just saying" in a comment on his blog and I admit that I agree with him. It's a stupid expression and in its usage context is a way of trying to distance oneself from a previous comment made. Cowardice in fact.

I also used the expression in a comment on Robert's blog but I wasn't trying to distance myself from the comment made which I fully believed in. I was using the expression in both cases as kind of a running joke as this stupid expression has been doing the rounds in this little (very tiny) blogging community for a while now. I hate it and can't remember its origin but I think it's one of Robert's. I won't use it again.

Mea Culpa

**SPECIAL REPORT**

Those pesky Iranians may have been behind the bombing of the Saudi Arabia oil installations the other day even though the Houthi Militia from Yemen claimed that they did it. Regardless of who did it this is going to impact on oil and petrol prices for some time until the Saudis repair the damage, find more oil or declare that they've been overcharging for years and drop the price across the board.

The Curmudgeon(s) can't afford a fancy-schmancy electric car like my sister recently bought - some sort of BMW one.

I drive a petrol driven Toyota Corolla that gets me 695 KMs on a full tank (or so says the trip computer thingy). I don't take much notice of petrol prices as I don't really travel that far. Usually when I go to Auckland I take the bus. The warnings of petrol prices going over $3 though made me sit up as this sort of thing leads to a lot of flow on increases in public transport (my bus fare), freight costs and ultimately grocery costs and commercial cleaning costs if Robert doesn't have an electric car or at least, a pushbike.

********************

I thought it time to take a stand and find out why petrol prices will increase so drastically. I looked up the Yellow Pages (on-line, I'm not that much of a luddite) and found the contact details of the oil industry's spokesman, a Mr Richard O'Lagent. I decided to give him a call and the transcript follows:

THE CURMUDGEON:  Hello! Is that Richard O'Lagent?

RICHARD O'LAGENT: Yes, tis me. Call me Rich.

THE CURMUDGEON: Uh, OK, Rich.

RICH O'LAGENT: There you go Lad. What can I do for you?

THE CURMUDGEON: Rich, I represent a vast readership of blogger enthusiasts that .....

RICH O'LAGENT: Can I interrupt you there Lad? What's the blogger community called then? How come I don't know about you then. My business is communications and public relations after all to be sure and I keep in touch with all of the leading social media platforms via Blogger, Twitter, Facebook,  WhatsApp, WeChat, QZone, Tumblr, Instagram, ......

THE CURMUDGEON: THE CURMUDGEONS INC.

RICH O'LAGENT: What? I thought you said THE CURMUDGEONS INC. It must be a bad line.

THE CURMUDGEON: No, no, you heard right - the Blogging community centres around THE CURMUDGEONS INC.

RICH O'LAGENT: Are you sure you're OK Lad? Oh, I see, it's 'after-work' time and you've had a couple of bevvies then.

THE CURMUDGEON: Well, it is after 5 and I have had a glass of chardonnay - McDonald Reserve 2017 but I'm serious - THE CURMUDGEONS INC. is the lynchpin of our ...... oh, hold on ..... have you heard of RICHARD'S BASS BAG?

RICH O'LAGENT: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. That's a good one Lad. It sounds like some sort of medical appliance.

THE CURMUDGEON: Look, never mind. I want to ask you about the looming petrol price increases.

RICH O'LAGENT: Ah, those. What's the query Lad?

THE CURMUDGEON: Well, this Saudi Arabia business looks like it's going to ......

RICH O'LAGENT: Yes, those Boys over there are having it tough I tell you. They're good lads though. They'll pull through OK and manage to keep their loved ones in food and housing though.
Soon to be over.

THE CURMUDGEON: Yeah right!

RICH O'LAGENT: What's that Lad?

THE CURMUDGEON: Shed some light Rich. Why must petrol prices go up?

RICH O'LAGENT: Well lad, the Saudis have suffered great losses and will need to replace their infrastructure bloody quickly and the costs involved are horrendous. They'll also have to take retaliatory measures against the Houthi Militia group ...

THE CURMUDGEON: Yeah. Cluster bombs, and rockets used against women and children cost a bit nowadays I guess.

RICH O'LAGENT:  What!

THE CURMUDGEON: I thought it was the Iranians. The Saudis would like to blame Yemen so they can continue to bomb the shit out of them ....

RICH O'LAGENT: Hey, hey! Hold on, hold on! Look Lad, I work for multi-National oil companies. We don't get involved in politics ....

THE CURMUDGEON: Yeah right! Look, forget it and answer my question as to why must petrol prices go up?

RICH O'LAGENT: Well lad, if you listened properly (why don't you have another wee slug of that chardonnay. I'm having a bit of Jamieson's myself).  The cost has to go up because the Saudis are increasing export prices immediately.

THE CURMUDGEON: OK, I get that. Look Rich, when will increased petrol prices take effect?

RICH O'LAGENT: We think less than a week. Why?

THE CURMUDGEON:  Well, how long does it take for shipments to get from Saudi Arabia to New Zealand?

RICH O'LAGENT:  About 6 weeks. Why?

THE CURMUDGEON: Why? Well it seems obvious doesn't it. The Saudis have old price stock in yards ready for shipment. You have old price stock here. Whenever the Saudis, in the future, ship new price stock which takes at least 6 weeks to get here the likelihood is that this new price stock won't hit our shores until a few months down the track. I .....

RICH O'LAGENT:  Ha ha Lad. Now can I stop you just there. The oil industry in New Zealand and the ensuing petrol industry and the wholesalers and retailers set their prices not only on the price of the bulk material. They have infrastructure, real estate, buildings, vehicles, retail outlets and god (that mythical being) knows what else. All of those things increase in cost (and value) over time. The accounts are all indexed to the current costs of bulk coming in from the Middle East. If the bulk price goes up then these fixed assets costs (and value) go up also. Surely you can see that Lad.

THE CURMUDGEON: OK Rich, so when, and after this hopefully "soon to be over" Saudi Arabia crisis ends, the bulk oil prices come down, the price reductions will also come into effect in "less than a week"?

RICH O'LAGENT:  .................................................

THE CURMUDGEON: Rich?

RICH O'LAGENT: ..................................................

THE CURMUDGEON: Hello Rich! Rich, are you there?

RICH O'LAGENT:  .................................................

THE CURMUDGEON: Well that's all folks.

SPRING

The neighbour's have a couple of Japanese cherry blossom trees that are now in flower and attracting the tui.

There are many trees and plants in Northland that aren't native and are on the 'hit' list of the Northland Regional Council and DOC.

Some are:

• African feather grass
• Bathurst bur
• Gorse
• Lantana
• Manchurian rice grass 
• Nassella tussock
• Privet
• Spartina
• Bangalo palm
• Wild ginger.
• Jasmine
• Bamboo
• Akebia
• Convolvulus
• Batwing passionflower
• Cathedral bells
• Mickey Mouse plant
• Water hyacinth

I'm not sure if the Japanese Cherry Blossom is on the list or not.

Most of these have exotic sounding names and many are quite beautiful. The fact that they grow so prolifically though and are very invasive makes them a threat to our aquaculture, horticulture and native species of trees and plants. I'm forever digging up convolvulus, ginger, agapanthus, hedera, and nasturtium. Bastards!

It's a pity that these beautiful looking and smelling plants can be so dangerous.

Beautiful but dangerous

HEALTH - IT'S ALL RELATIVE

I just got back from Auckland where I went for the weekend. As we are going to either sell the apartment later in the year or rent it out we need to de-clutter it.

I drove down for a change with plastic bins and bubble wrap and we packed up clothes, electronics, glasses, crockery, pots and pans, shoes and other stuff that The Old Girl has accumulated in a year and a half. Amazing. It hardly made a dent in the place and another couple of car trips will be necessary before the final trip for furniture for which I'll hire a van.

The Old Girl is suffering from the worst cold she's had for a lifetime and, in the interest of sharing she passed it on to me last weekend when she was up here. I'm a few days behind her in the life-cycle of this cold and I'm not enjoying it. I'd go into detail but frankly it pales into insignificance compared to the trials and tribulations that Robert's wife Sue is enduring. Robert said in his latest post (soon to be deleted) that Sue was hospitalised on Saturday. I hope that she is OK and can get back home soon.
Hospital is horrible but, the dedicated and underpaid hospital workers have my respect. I trust that Sue has some good ones. Robert seems to have the process sussed - beating the ambulance to the hospital in order to be there for admission and to speed up administration. I wonder if he has one of those stick-on emergency lights that cops use in TV shows.

Good on him.

After all the stress and organisation he had to return home to cook his stepson a roast dinner. It's a shame there's no-one to cook Robert a dinner - I would if I lived down there. He might not like the low carb, wheat-free, mainly vegetarian meal I'd cook but at least the wine I plied him with would be good.

NEW POST - THE RELIGIOUS CURMUDGEON

GOD ON YOU

PRETENTIOUS? - MOI?

Pretentious
adjective
attempting to impress by affecting greater importance or merit than is actually possessed.
"pretentious art films"
synonyms: affected, ostentatious, chi-chi, showy, flashy, tinselly, conspicuous, flaunty, tasteless, kitschy.      

                    - Oxford dictionary.

Flaunty?


Richard (of RBB), in a comment on a post that I've since deleted suggested that wanting to "sound a bit special" defined me and that I wanted a "new higher echelon of blogging".

This in other words suggests that I'm pretentious.

OK, I can live with that - after all I've created fourteen different versions of THE CURMUDGEON.

At least I'm not as bad as the artist in this:

A PREVIEW OF PRETENTIOUSNESS




.

I'M TIRED OF THIS SHIT

Once upon a time we bought appliances that did the job that we bought them for for a long time and we weren't concerned that there were newer models out there as long as our 'old banger' kept doing the job.

Our washing machine is at least 12 years old and performs as good as it did when new. We have cupboards full of kitchen devices that are decades old and do the job better than any new-fangled ones.

This looks like The Old Girl and me (but I won't tell her that)

Why is it that computer and electronic gear is virtually obsolete after 6 months?
I bought an LG 'smart' television in December 2017 and it's now considered to be old technology. WTF? That's less than two years old - I consider it to be new.

***************

So, where is this going?

I want to watch the World Cup Rugby here, at home, in the comfort of my own living room.

Months ago I purchased a SPARK Tournament pass  to allow this. SPARK said that they were arranging for this to be compatible with smart TVs and month by month gave updates on which devices were becoming compatible. I started to get worried when LG didn't appear on the list but was told by SPARK representatives not to worry as they were getting round to it. Last month they did announce that LG TVs would be compatible but only if they were purchased from November 2018. 2018! Mine was purchased a year earlier. I contacted SPARK and they said sorry but that was true and suggested that I buy a Chromecast device which will allow the TV to connect to SPARK via an iPhone or an iPad which I have.

Today I went to Noel Leeming and purchased a Google Chromecast Ultra which I'm assured will work and that is 'idiot proof' to set up. It cost me $109.00.

I started the set up to discover that the iPad or iPhone to be used has to have iOS11 or later as an operating system. Mine is updated to 10.3.3. FUCK!

I went on-line to work out how to upgrade either the phone or iPad to iOS11 and followed the steps to discover that iOS11 couldn't be downloaded to the iPhone or the iPad that I own as they are 'too old'.

FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK!

The damned things work perfectly OK for everything I use them for but some little geeky fuckwit at APPLE has decided that upgrades are necessary so that people will have to buy newer model devices even though the current and older ones work perfectly fucking well.

F ... (you get the gist)!

It looks like I'll be watching the games on the desk computer  in the study which is not comfortable or ideal. That is of course if Fucking SPARK can manage to get it to me on-line without me having to buy a brand new computer as well.

I might have to resort to listening to the games on the radio like I've done in the recent past.

LOST ART

.

MISSED

I've been away from this blog for a few days as I felt that I'd been neglecting THE WINE GUY blog so had to write a few new posts.



I've also been a bit busy with things around the house, some seaside activities, gym, bike-riding and I attended a PROBUS meeting yesterday . PROBUS is a social group for oldies (I was the youngest there by at least a decade). It's a bit like ROTARY or LIONS but without the community commitment - fundraising etc.
They have, once a month, a guest speaker and one of the group (there were about 60 people there), has a turn to tell a bit about their life. It's gentle and caring and I can see the benefit of this to people, particularly those who have lost a partner. There were a few of those because, quite frankly it's kind of a holding pen for the cemetery.

I haven't been away creating and writing on a "new higher echelon of blogging".
I don't have a need to "sound a bit special" even if some people think so.

I note that my absence of a few days hasn't gone unnoticed with 100% of the readership writing posts on this obviously strange event. It's nice to be missed I guess.

ARE YOU SHORT AND FAT? *

SHORT PEOPLE - RANDY NEWMAN

YOU CAN'T FOOL THE FAT MAN - RANDY NEWMAN

I just learned today that the great Randy Newman is performing in Auckland in February.
We are going to book ASAP so as not to miss out. I like Randy Newman's music having first heard his songs sung by Harry Nilsson on Nilsson Sings Newman (1970). While Newman had recorded before, I first heard him singing his songs on Sail Away (1972) an album that I still like to listen to.

I bought other albums like Good Old Boys and Little Criminals which are excellent but in recent years haven't been buying albums (discs or CDs) and tend to listen or download via the internet. YouTube is my favoured platform nowadays.

Anyway, this will be a concert not to be missed so I'll have to get The Old Girl to call in to the Civic and get tickets as I no longer trust buying concert tickets on-line since we got scammed last year.

Rollin, rollin'

Ain't gonna worry no more

Rollin, rollin

Ain't gonna worry no more

* I'm shrinking with age and expanding a bit at the same time

SPRINGTIME

SPRINGTIME FOR HITLER

Well, maybe not that.

It's a lovely Spring day today so I checked out my pot plants on the deck.

Yep, things are flowering

The herbs look a bit woody

Blank canvas

I don't know what this is was

The palm's seen better days

A mystery


.

The bird bath maybe needs a clean

Salad anyone?

I think this was once a herb

Maybe re-potting is necessary

********************

These were just some of the pots and I must admit it was a bit dispiriting.

Maybe I should stick with the plastic flowers I bought for The Old Girl at a charity shop. For some reason she didn't like these and made an 'uncharitable' suggestion as to what I could do with them.