Here are some excerpts of the lyrics that suited my endeavours yesterday:
Oh well, I'm dressed up so nice And I'm doin' my best And I'm startin' over I'm startin' over in another place ...
Oh-oh what a day that was
Oh-oh what a day that was Oh, oh a day that was Oh-oh that's the way it goes ...
Moving in every direction And if you feel like you're in a whirlpool You feel like going home.
I took a full carload of stuff down to Wellington and arrived Saturday morning. On Monday morning I left Wellington and stopped overnight at Ohakune. In hindsight I should have kept going north.
At 7am on Tuesday I left Ohakune and headed off north via Taumarunui and Te Kuiti ... well, that was the plan. The weather was atrocious with driving rain making visibility marginal and the roads treacherous. I don't get New Zealand drivers. At the early hours the dawn light was very dim and made worse by the rain. This didn't stop many fools driving too fast for the conditions and WITHOUT THEIR BLOODY LIGHTS ON!
The road to Taumaranui was littered with small boulders from rock falls but the road from Taumarunui to Te Kuiti was much worse with flooding, slips and more rock falls. It was getting dodgy. Just before Te Kuiti the road was blocked by cars with flashing lights and I thought that there had been an accident. They were road maintenance people who told me that a major slip a little further along had blocked the main road and that I would have to turn back. It had just happened so as yet there were no diversion signs set out.
I turned around and drove back to Taumaranui as I knew that just past there was a secondary route to Turangi. I didn't experiment with any of the minor side roads which was just as well as I later learned that on some of these flooding isolated communities and evacuations were necessary.
I made it to the secondary road which got me to Turangi, having to drive carefully as conditions were getting worse. As it turned out I turned around and retraced my steps just in time as not long afterwards another slip blocked the road nearer to Taumarunui. I might have been stranded in the middle.
The long drive from Turangi to Whangarei, with the added abortive drive to Te Kuiti and back took 10 and a half hours with just a half hour stoop at a supermarket, petrol station and cafe. I could have, in better conditions, driven all the way from Wellington to Whangarei in that time. I think it's the longest continuous drive I've made and I was exhausted last night. The car performed well - good old Toyota and I'll treat it to a check-up before the next drive.
I will be making another trip in a week or so and, if the weather is good might do the trips in one go without an overnight stop.
Sorry, that image isn't of steel wool but I can see why you might get confused. It's of a Moeran christian careering at full tilt towards oblivion.
Here's the image of steel wool:
For an explanation go to the comments in Riccardo's Basso Bagno blog's latest post (if you dare)
Robert the Moeran christian (it's a very small society) in his latest post said a lot of silly things - I know, I know, you are asking "so what's new" but hey! Stay with me. This latest post from his is a doozy.
Robert said:
"Evidently the local elections have come and gone. Hang on while I get another coffee. Yelling comes from the street "Why are you doing this to me?". Lots of F words. A women is yelling at a young man attired only in shorts (he's doing the swearing) as they walk up the middle of the road. He yells back in the incensed righteous way of drunks. So it goes. The problem with local elections is that we have zero feedback about performance. I believe we need more scrutiny of council members. An independent body that rates their performance or looks into prospective representatives qualifications and past behaviour. That's partly why I didn't vote. The envelope sat in my lounge. No one said when the elections were. So I just left it and left it. Now it has been. I'd just be ticking random people anyway for the afore mentioned reason. K told me that Margaret Cousins (former deputy mayor) was pleased with the new Mayor that was elected. She is kind of conservative in her preferences. That is good. A smallish city like Hutt can't afford 'think big' projects. Another problem is one never knows if projects are local, regional or Government funded. Do I blame our mayor for the ridiculously expensive Eastbourne cycle/walkway or the huge project underway to safeguard Hutt against a 1 in 500 (maybe its 200) year flood?"
In the interests of making you all suffer like Richard, sorry Riccardo, and I had to do by reading his entire blog post I decided to copy and paste entire swathes of this diatribe dialogue. No need to thank me.
I feel that I must point out some key statements in his dia ... dialogue:
"That's partly why I didn't vote. The envelope sat in my lounge. No one said when the elections were. So I just left it and left it. Now it has been. I'd just be ticking random people anyway for the afore mentioned reason. "
OK, there's a lot there and I recognised it when I first read this stuff and the entire post which, believe me, contained a lot of other stuff that needed ranting remonstrating over. The trouble is though that after a tiring drive through bad weather, exacerbated by a couple of glasses of chardonnay (delicious Craggy Range Hawkes Bay Kidnappers) I think I've lost the plot. I still think that what Robert wrote was nonsense in that, with regard to the local elections, there has been ample information sent out by post, by major news media, by local newspapers and by social media shit like Facebook that I know that Robert subscribes to. The information on the regional electorates has been adequately promulgated. The issues have been discussed in the various media and opportunities to attend local meetings have been provided and lobbied for. I've been to some in my local area.
The information regarding the candidates pedigrees, current activities, intentions and political associations is all available and, to help voters, has been summarised in the documentation that came with the voting papers. The dates of the elections, the timing for getting votes in and the procedures have been spelled out personally and directly to the voters via the mail-outs and ad nauseam through social media, mainstream media and local newspaprs. What more does Robert want? Guidance from the Holy Ghost, Mary or Jesus? Sheesh!
I'll leave it To Riccardo, sorry, Richard to put it more succinctly in his morning post that wasn't fuelled by chardonnay"
"Actually, Rob didn't vote in the local election. Maybe the task was too difficult? Here's what they expect you to do: Get a letter from your letterbox. Open it. Check the voting form. Read about the candidates. Tick a few boxes. Put the information in a supplied envelope. Pop the envelope into a postbox.
Rob and I both live in 'The Hutt' so I had to go through this process too. I knew of a few candidates, but some I had to read about in the included pamphlet. It was all pretty clear, and I completed the task in a short period of time. It certainly didn't take hours, or weeks. I measured the time it took in minutes."
Yes I did arrive safely in Wellington despite the weather turning foul after leaving Foxton. The motorway through Transmission Gully was a nightmare with severely reduced visibility due to driving rain and low cloud. This didn't stop some idiots (in utes) barrelling along at high speeds.
Talking of speed, I received a speeding ticket at Hunterville today. I know that this is a concept that Richard doesn't understand - speeding - but a police officer pulled me over and told me that he 'clocked' me doing 108kph in a 100 kph area, a whopping 8kph over the limit! I didn't tell him that earlier, around the Desert Road area I'd been doing 120kph as I didn't think this would help the situation. I was worried that this could be a fine of hundreds of dollars but an internet search told me that for 10kph or less over the limit the fine is $30. I can live with that which is what the anti speed campaign is all about I guess.
I've successfully unloaded the car and packed the wine and pantry items I brought down, away in the under-stairs storage area. Luckily this apartment has good storage but I wouldn't like to live here long-term. The Old Girl thankfully has come around to my way of thinking that a townhouse or a cottage close to the inner city is preferable to apartment living. We'll see how we get along now that we have the certainty of the money in the bank even if it means renting for a while (not this apartment) after the lease runs out in March 2026.
I'm a bit tired so we are eating in this evening and I think that The Old Girl has arranged something tomorrow night. I leave early on Monday morning.
I'll ring Richard tomorrow to see how he's fixed (is he broken? -ed) but don't expect he'll be free for a catch up at short notice. I plan to be back down again in a couple of weeks anyway.
... to be a true player, you haft know how to play If she say "A night" convince her to say "A day"."
Some people lie so often that's a default setting for them.
Have a look at this famous liar making such a hash of it but, because he's a narcissist, thinks that he's getting away with it.
“You know, I haven’t heard the name in so long. I can say this, that I’d have to take a look at it. I would have to take a look. Did they reject that?” “Well, I’ll take a look at it. I’ll speak to the DOJ, I wouldn’t consider it or not consider — I don’t know anything about it. I will speak to the DOJ.” The fatuous fat fool said.
Give us a break. This unfolding disaster is his ''Marilyn Monroe', 'Watergate' or 'Monica Lewinsky' affair that scuppered earlier presidents (although Kennedy was assassinated before his affairs properly came to light that would have led to impeachment). For him to say that he hasn't heard Maxwell's name recently and that he was unaware of her current appeal rejection is just stupid. It's the way that children lie when caught out saying things like "I don't know anything about it" or "it wasn't me".
I tend to think of the Apple Mac desktop computer I use in the study as new even though it's now 10 years old. I replaced the old Mac back in 2018 when I bought the 'new' refurbished one. It was already 3 years old then.
The old Mac sitting in the naughty corner waiting to be taken to the tip
The 'new' Mac unaware that its poor performance means it will soon go to the naughty corner and worse
The new Mac has been getting slow even though I make sure that old files are trashed and that new software upgrades are kept up to date. The problem isn't in the Mac's hardware performance but in the 'advancements' on apps and software that Apple continuously undertake. These 'improvements' are supposed to be to the users' benefit but I suspect is merely a rort to drive the users (read dupes) into buying new equipment.
I looked up the internet to find out the normal lifespan of computers and was shocked. All of the answers came up something like this:
A desktop computer's lifespan typically ranges from 5 to 7 years, but can extend to 10 years or more with proper maintenance and upgrades, while younger computers can be retired sooner due to software obsolescence or hardware failure. Factors like the quality of components, your usage, maintenance practices, and the ability to upgrade individual parts significantly impact how long a desktop will last.
Bummer!
With our computer that has had "proper maintenance and upgrades" it looks like it's ready to 'buy the farm'.
I haven't told The Old Girl yet but will when we get settled in a permanent place in Wellington and can see what money we have left over and what discretionary finances we have for things like eating and breathing! I think this time I'll buy brand new to give that extra 3 years or so which might mean it lasts before I 'buy the farm'.
and I know how he felt. I seem to be measuring out my life being kept on hold waiting to talk to some agency on the phone!
New Zealand has a population of 5.3 million. 50 years ago, in 1975 we had a population of just over 3 million. That's a 72% increase, not even near double.
Why then has there been so much change in the standards and quality of service in this country?
I remember when it was the norm when needing an answer from your bank, insurance company, IRD, your doctor's surgery or retail stores, to be able to telephone their service or enquiries departments and quickly and efficiently get an answer. Nowadays it's often near impossible to find an email address or a number to call and, when you do you have to go through a convoluted process of pressing buttons for options only to end up being left on hold listening to some god awful music for half an hour. Sheesh!
I know that many of the readers don't like television game shows and, to be honest there are many that I cannot stand, particularly the low-brow and noisy ones like Jeopardy, The Price Is Right, Family Feud and Deal or No Deal. These depend on brain dead viewership which, to be fair makes up at least 70% of the population and 100% of these shows loyal followers. Their only competition comes from 'reality' shows like The Kardashians, Real Housewives, Big Brother, Survivor and Sunday-worship type programmes which Robert will be familiar with..
I do like, and watch the better quiz shows like Mastermind, University Challenge, Eggheads, The Chase, Tipping Point and a few others as they arise (and are repeated) and find that, in their one hour format are ideal to watch while I'm doing my (almost) daily exercises on the stepping machine, the rowing machine and/or the exercycle along with some floor exercises and use of free weights. I find it boring sitting on these machines and the quiz programmes seem to make the time go quicker.
I've been recently flabbergasted at the lack of knowledge of contestants on these programmes and wonder why they bother to come on to the shows. I also wonder at what's happened in education over the last 40 years in New Zealand as much as in the UK. The USA is a given. Generally the Americans are ignorant on history, geology, foreign affairs and anything not related to their own patch but, disturbingly, even American history, politics, institutions, law and current affairs have become some kind of soup with the Kardashians, Taylor Swift and Donald Trump sitting on top like scum. Go figure.
Here is an example of ignorance (there are many, many more):
Often, when a contestant gets an answer wrong on a question relating to recent history, politics, music etc. over the last 30 years, they says things like "well, I wasn't born then". OK, then how about questions that everyone else answers on the Renaissance, Beethoven, dinosaurs, the Bible, ancient Egypt and the Roman empire for example. sheesh!
Anyway, I'm staying up to watch the rugby at 10pm. Go the All Blacks!
Robert frequently, on his blog, tells me that I'm deranged. Here's an example from his recent post:
I take it as a compliment because the context is usually me taking a contrary position to his Catholic posturing and silly cataclysmic Catechismic regurgitations. It's kind of like that Groucho Marx quote:
Maybe I should get myself a bumper sticker like this:
No doubt Robert would have stickers like this:
Not to be left out Richard would best be suited with this:
However, going by the TMIs in his recent posts this would be more appropriate:
It's a big responsibility being the one mature and sensible blogger in this community.
The others, while never having been that erudite are now slipping in to their dotage accompanied by varying degrees of dementia, fatuousness and idiocy.
If you'd bothered to read their posts you'd see what I men.
Robert, who has always banged on about religion and Catholicism in particular is now slipping "into the realms of fantasy".
He uses AI Americanisms and copies nonsense from Catholic Facebook sites. Look, here's an example from his latest post:
Actually that was the entire post which shows you how far down he's gone.
Richard too, is showing signs of slipping. Being a bit self-conscious over his recent boring monologues of violin and bass practice he tries to lighten things up with a bit of 'humour'.
Have a look at this from his latest post:
Personally I think that he's been spending too much time with his grandsons. Either that or he's gone doolally.
I'll just have to try and get things back on track.
I guess that you are aware of Trump's latest lunacy - creating a false narrative to bring the armed forces back from international placements to 'occupy' American cities that, surprise surprise are ones governed by Democrat mayors and that are designated blue.
In addition to sending military and military-type forces to LA, Washington DC, Chicago and Portland, the deluded old fool now wants to use cities as training grounds for the military.
His rhetoric and bluster might fool most of his voters but anyone with a brain can see what he's up to. Trump - enabled, empowered and influenced by his fascist entourage is seeking to normalise the situation of armed military being seen as peacekeepers and law enforcers not unlike the controls seen in authoritarian countries like China, Russia and North Korea. It's the old 'frog in boiling water' scenario.
This is part of the extreme right's Project 25 plan, the elements of which are being put in place step by step. It's a very scary situation for Americans and surprisingly they seem to be getting away with it.
Trump of course is seen as the leader who controls the minds of the MAGA voters but in reality he is frail and failing. While he no doubt believes what he says and in the actions that he authorises but the real proponents are people like this guy:
Germany in the 1930s saw similar things that America is seeing now. The gradual and insidious creep of Nazi power and dominance in the name of improvement, justice, economical independence, nationality and, of course, pure whiteness and anti immigration. The reality was far different to the promises.
The news keeps pounding A warning to the brain La de da de de, la de da de da
Democracy was once the rage, uh huh History has turned the page, uh huh MEGA's the current thing, uh huh Manbaby is our newborn king, uh huh
The grift goes on, the grift goes on
The grocery store's for the super rich, uh huh Fascists still break our hearts, uh huh And men still keep on marching off to war Only now they don't know what for
The grift goes on, the grift goes on
Boomers sit in chairs and reminisce About the good times that they miss The grift gets stronger all the time But now it's billionaires, not bums who cry, "Hey buddy, have you got a dime?"
... and the grift goes on - below the radar of MAGA voters apparently.
Usually you'd have to have been living under a rock to not notice the criminality and grifting that Donald Trump undertakes daily but his loyal (and stupid) supporters just cannot see any bad in the boy.
Here are just a few of his grifts, scams and money-making ventures while using the presidency as influence:
Trump Crypto Coins.
The Trump family’s crypto meme coins— $TRUMP and $MELANIA—have added billions to their net worth. Investors have admitted that their goal is to curry favor with Trump and purchase policy outcomes and favorable treatment
World Liberty Financial.
In September 2024, Donald Trump and his sons launched a cryptocurrency venture called World Liberty Financial; the venture is structured to function as a new type of internet bank, allowing users to borrow and lend money digitally The Trump family and affiliates received 22.5 billion units of the World Liberty Financial cryptocurrency, worth at least $1.1 billion on paper; the Trump family owns a 60% stake in World Liberty Financial and receives 75% of the net income from token sales and operations. More recently, an Abu Dhabi-backed investment firm announced it was making a $2 billion investment in Binance, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges. This transaction is being facilitated using a stablecoin issued by World Liberty Financial. Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. were present at the announcement. Estimated value to Trump: $2B+
Foreign Real Estate Deals
Trump-branded real estate projects have landed billions in new deals, with new hotels, towers, a golf club, and licensing arrangements coming amid diplomatic visits and policy shifts. Middle East business ties (in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Qatar and other countries) have more than tripled since Trump’s first term Trump ventures have recently expanded to other nations, such as India, Turkey, Vietnam, Serbia, and the Philippines. Estimated Value to Trump: Billions
Trump Media & Technology Group (Truth Social)
Even though its parent company (Trump Media & Technology Group) reported $400 million in losses in 2024 alone, Truth Social is now valued in the billions; investment in Truth Social is similar to investment in his “meme coin”—think of it is as a “meme stock” as opposed to relating to any underlying value. Estimated Value to Trump: Billions.
Direct Foreign Gifts and State-Supported Assets
Qatar will provide a luxury Boeing 747-8 jet worth approximately $400 million. It is being labeled as a “temporary Air Force One” and future museum piece for Trump’s library. Estimated Value to Trump: $400M
The Executive Branch — (Private Club)
Donald Trump Jr. founded an exclusive new club DC, where membership fees are $500,000. It’s clearly about access. The plan is to invite 200 members. That’s $100 million in potential revenue off the bat.
Estimated Value to Trump: $100M+
Inauguration and Political Contributions
2025 inauguration donations hit a record-breaking $239 million. In 2017, Trump's inaugural committee spent much of the money on event planning, with nearly $26 million paid to a firm run by a close friend of the Trump family, and only about $5 million donated to charity.
Payments at Trump Properties (Hotels, Golf Clubs, Social Clubs)
Millions continue to flow into Trump-owned hotels, golf courses, and clubs from political groups, foreign delegations, and special interests. Estimate Value to Trump: in his first term, Trump properties, golf clubs and resorts generated between $1 billion and $2 billion. This included activity that clearly involved foreign governments currying favor.
Lawsuit Settlements
Trump has directly benefited from lawsuit settlements that took place after he became president: Meta (Facebook’s parent); ABC News (Disney); X. Paramount and Trump are currently in discussions to try to settle his suit against CBS News (for its 60 Minutes interview of Kamala Harris), with Trump demanding $25 million; this is happening as Paramount seeks regulatory approval for its $8 billion sale to Skydance Media. Estimated Value to Trump: close to $50 million and counting
Can you see a trend here?
Is he slowing down? No way. If anything his grifting is becoming more overt and includes his broader family. You know about Ivanka and Jared's grifts of course where they are said to have made over 600 million whole being associated with the White House. Now we're hearing of his granddaughter getting in on the act. see: KAI TRUMP
As if using the White House as a launch platform wasn't bad enough it seems that she 'borrowed' the logo from elsewhere! See: HERE
I just wonder how much money Trump is making out of the TikTok deal.
The other bloggers have been writing about the Mass in Latin for some reason.
Well, Robert started it by mentioning that his new squeeze is in Melbourne and attended a Mass in Latin. I didn't know that they still had those and would be a starter to go (3P influence) as the only thing I liked about Catholicism was the big and beautiful churches, the smell of the incense at Benediction and the Mass in Latin especially if it was accompanied by Gregorian singing. Any way all this is moot (Robert would say 'mute') as he deleted his post soon after writing it.
Richard followed up in his latest post with some recollections of being an altar boy and learning Latin responses for Masses. It was a welcome relief from some stuff he wrote - in some kind of esoteric code - about music practice.
So, I can hear you ask, what is all this about Mass in Latin?
AI Overview in Google Search tells us that:
The Latin Mass, also known as the Traditional Latin Mass or Tridentine Mass, is a form of Catholic liturgy celebrated in Latin, the universal language of the Roman Rite, before the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. It is characterized by its ancient prayers, Gregorian chants, and symbolic gestures, fostering a contemplative atmosphere centered on the Eucharist. While originally the standard for centuries, its use has been restricted by Pope Francis, though it continues to be practiced by many who see it as a vital link to Church tradition and a profound way to worship.
Key Characteristics Language: The Mass is almost entirely in Latin, fostering a sense of universal prayer and tradition.
Focus on Tradition: Adherents see it as the "Mass of the Ages," connecting them to a continuous line of Catholic history and the prayers of countless saints.
Reverence and Silence: It features moments of silence, especially during the Eucharistic prayer, which encourages contemplation of the faith's mysteries.
Sacred Artistry: The liturgy includes ancient Gregorian chants, specific gestures, and vestments that together create a profound sense of the sacred.
Theological Significance: The Mass emphasizes the sacrificial nature of the Eucharist, with the priest acting as a mediator between the community and God.
Historical Context Pre-Vatican II: For centuries, this was the standard form of Mass celebrated worldwide, codified after the Council of Trent in 1570.
Second Vatican Council: The Council of 1962-1965 allowed for the Mass to be celebrated in vernacular (local) languages, leading to the development of the Novus Ordo Mass.
Pope Benedict XVI's Decree: In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI declared the 1962 Missal as the "Extraordinary Form" of the Roman Rite, affirming its place alongside the "Ordinary Form" (the Mass in the vernacular).
Recent Restrictions: In recent years, Pope Francis has further restricted the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass, requiring bishops' permission for its use.
Why It Matters to Its Adherents Connection to the Past: It provides a powerful link to the Church's pre-Vatican II past and a connection to the faith as experienced by past generations.
Spiritual Depth: Many find its ancient rites and contemplative nature a deeper and more reverent way to experience the Mass and the presence of God.
Beauty and Order: The structured liturgy, with its specific gestures and prayers, is seen by its supporters as fostering a prayer
Got that?
It's actually interesting and I find that, while I'm suspicious of AI information, I find AI Overview quite helpful as a snapshot of what's going on (cue the Marvin Gaye song if you like). I like the fact that the Vatican disapproves of it and wonder why, given the 'smoke and mirrors' approach of the Vatican to things like the truth, reality and good common sense that they would suppress a form of Mass that basically disguises all the silly mumbo jumbo. Go figure!
I too was an altar boy at St Anne's church in Newtown. See: HERE
I stepped up (see what I did there?) my exercise regimen and increased the time I spend on the stepping machine in addition to rowing. All good and I feel better for it but (see what I did there?) my arse is sore today.
The primary buttock muscles are the three gluteal muscles: the large gluteus maximus, the medium gluteus medius, and the small gluteus minimus. These muscles are crucial for stabilizing and balancing the lower body, supporting body weight, and controlling movements like hip extension, abduction (moving the leg away from the body), and rotation.
I had to laugh at that. It's a down to earth look at the silly story. If my mum was alive I'd love to show that to her. She would whack me on the arm and tell me that I was a heathen and would go to hell.
I wonder how Richard's fence mending is going? I don't mean him apologizing for being rude to robert over their musical theory and practice differences - I mean how he's helping build a fence for his neighbour. I hope that there aren't any cows near that fence. Richard is afraid of cows.
Meanwhile Robert is wishing that he could start up an op shop franchise like St Vincent did. His church shop empire hasn't really taken off. Maybe he should ask his sister in law Sue for some advice.
I played tennis this morning even though it was threatening rain and high winds were starting to blow.
After lunch I dozed off in front of the television watching news programmes and was woken by Rod arriving. I'm giving him our dining table and chairs for his son. He's going to help me with taking rubbish to the tip and no doubt a lot of things that I'll be throwing out he will take for himself. Oh well, he has a double garage and a workshop so can smuggle things in without his wife seeing.
I need to get some packing done this afternoon. While, if the house sale goes through the settlement day is not until 13 November, I know that time will pass pretty quickly:
“Time present and time past Are both perhaps present in time future, And time future contained in time past. If all time is eternally present All time is unredeemable."
T.S Eliot
I think that I will pack away clothing today in suitcases and boxes and store ready for the moving company people later.
I received this email this morning from Apple tv+:
I fired back a response asking what justification there is for the whopping 20% increase but I'm not expecting an answer. I would cancel immediately but I've only subscribed to watch the new series of Slow Horses which begins tonight (series 5). I'll cancel after watching that.
Aunty Google AI Overview told me this:
Read into that that they can do whatever they bloody well like because they think that they have us by the balls. It's no coincidence that Apple is increasing the subscription right when the most popular series they have had - Slow Horses - has the new series starting. Bastards!
Slow Horses is a British spy television series based on the Slough House series of novels by Mick Herron. Herron's books are so popular that I've been in the on-line library queue for the books for several months and won't get to read them for another few months. The series is about an MI5 unit where disgraced or failed agents are consigned, under the supervision of Jackson Lamb played by Gary Oldham. The TV series, exclusive to Apple streaming is phenomenally popular and well recommended.
When we get settled in Wellington I'll review the streaming series we subscribe to and get rid of the greedier bastards.
Jacinda Ardern still impresses me and it's a joy to see her 'perform'.
I watched her being interviewed by Jon Stewart on The Daily Show and was proud to see such a great ambassador of our country being showcased. Her intelligence and humanity is so at odds with leaders like Donald Trump. In many ways she is our Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) of whom I spoke of in my previous post.
As a follow up to that post I've included the Jacinda Interview and, as I did when comparing AOC's speech to US Congress with the blithering rambling of Trump, included the embarrassing performance by John Key when he appeared on the David Letterman show some years ago.
Yesterday I posted about Charlie Kirk and how the Right is using his murder as a means of taking more power and repressing more freedoms and dissent. They are even suggesting that the 'influencer' is a martyr and deserving of sainthood.
Give me a break.
Here Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) puts some reality into it in her Congress speech.
And yes, to balance it out here's an outtake from what the deranged yet manipulating Donald Trump said in his long, rambling and largely incoherent 'eulogy' at Kirk's funeral.
You make your mind up about which version will stand the test of time.
I had the prospective house buyers' building inspectors around this morning to do an appraisal as one of the conditions in the conditional sale. This is the one that concerns me the most, not because there are any major problems with our house but, being old there are lots of small things that can give buyers with cold feet a way out.
The other conditions I'm less concerned about are the geotechnical report, insurance assessment and finance confirmation which I'm expecting to be rubber-stamping more than anything.
The inspectors this morning gave away nothing but I know that, as they were thorough, they will make some negative comments about the plumbing, window frames, floorboards and guttering. I decided not to worry about this but instead to offer back some money for any repairs or alterations - hopefully not more than a few thousand. I don't expect anything major and structural but ...
Meanwhile The Old Girl and I have done what we said we would never do - look at prospective places to buy before we have the money in the bank. Here are three of them:
Frederick Street, a very large apartment on two levels with 2 garages and great views. We could afford this but the body corporate is a whopping $38k a year and, with over $8k rates on top of that the weekly outgoing would be over $800. Hey! We could rent something for that and keep the capital in the bank.
This Hill Street townhouse is very attractive but time has been against us. It was on a deadline sale that ended a few days ago. The real estate agent told me that it has a conditional offer on it but if that goes nowhere he will contact me. I don't have my hopes up but we would really like to buy this.
This Buller Street (just off Vivian Street) old villa is magnificent. I think we could afford it but, like the Hill Street townhouse timing is against us. This is a sale by tender that ends on 6th October. Our house sale might go unconditional on 3 October. "Time is Tight" as Booker T and the MGs said.
... the far right 'influencer' who was shot dead recently will be canonised and be the next and most likely leading American saint putting devout old Liz Seton out on her ear.
American religious idiots including a bloody Cardinal would you believe are getting hysterical about wanting to canonise Charlie Kirk and are rewriting his history already.
For those of you who've been living under a rock Charlie Kirk was a radical right wing activist who founded Turning Point USA, a political organization designed to rally young conservatives.
Here's a snapshot of some of the things that he was known for:
He was critical of gay and transgender rights and the separation of church and state.
He encouraged students and parents to report professors whom they suspected of embracing gender ideology.
He founded TPUSA Faith to "unite the church around primary doctrine and to eliminate wokeism from the American pulpit.”
He was a strong supporter of gun rights.
He believed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a destructive force in American politics, calling its passage a “mistake” that he said has been turned into “an anti-white weapon” and called Martin Luther King an awful person.
He was repeatedly accused of antisemitism, including by fellow conservatives and was a proponent of “replacement theory,” positing that Jews are trying to replace white Americans with non white immigrants. That ideology motivated the gunman who killed 11 worshipers at a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018.
Conversely he called Islam a danger to the United States, railing against what he saw as the religion’s “conquest values" that “seek to take over land and territory.”
He was a self-declared supporter of free speech yet critics have argued that his promotion of free speech was tinged with hypocrisy, pointing to Turning Point USA’s “Professor Watchlist,” in which students were asked to list professors with leftist positions. and Turning Point USA was known for its free speech advocacy.
He frequently dismissed concerns about climate change, saying incorrectly that there was no scientific consensus on global warming.
It's no wonder that Trump identified with him, that the far right made him their hero and that he was planning to become a Catholic hence that canonisation endorsement from the right wing cardinal. Sheesh!
The big danger now that he's been murdered is that he hasn't been silenced - even worse he'll become a martyr to many and as mentioned the religious idiots will call him a saint. His legacy will be to further create division in USA and to foment fascist ideology worldwide.
Already Trump and the American Right are cracking down on the media and free speech and it's quite telling that Google and mainstream media and internet sites are deleting and burying any criticism of Kirk's grandstanding. As I said, they will be attempting to rewrite history.
I guess that Charlie Kirk would have a different idea on mass shootings and gun control now.
If New Zealand ever becomes crazy enough to impose ridiculous tariffs on other countries the way that the Orange Idiot has done in the USA (and I don't rule this out with Seymour and Peters leading Luxon by the nose) then we might have to start up computer production here.
Fortunately I'm experienced in the minutiae of computer and electronic assembly having spent an hour or so on it this morning.
I've been sorting out items to give away or take to the tip and our old Apple Mac desktop machine that won't start up has to go. The Old Girl was concerned that a recycler might access the stored files on it so I decided to remove the hard drive and the memory before taking it to the E-Waste section of the tip.
I removed the screen and the frame to access the innards.
I then removed the hard drive and disabled the memory.
Then I reassembled it ready for the E-Waste place.
Easy-peasy!
Admittedly there were a few bits and pieces left over...
... but the recyclers I guess are only interested in the precious metals installed. Too bad if they want to get the thing going again.
I wonder if I should send my CV in to Apple just in case?
I've been busy around the house today (with my clothes on - take note Richard) doing a bit of a check on things in advance of the building inspector coming on Monday morning.
Murphy's Law of course dictates that anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
The first thing I noticed was that the HRV control panel had a flashing warning that one of the filters in the two units in the attic area needed changing. I swear that I hadn't seen this before and it has just happened. I contacted HRV maintenance people and have scheduled for then to visit.
After doing some tidying up around the outside of the house - stacking away bricks, cleaning guttering, wiping window ledges and cleaning a couple of windows I decided to look at the basin tap in the spare bathroom. The Old Girl who uses this bathroom primarily and not the main one which I use as she says "you treat it as if you were living in a student flat Matey!" alerted me to the leak before she went back to Wellington a few days ago.
Student flat bathroom. I think that she was over-exaggerating.
The leak was very minor but as I didn't want any issues with the building inspection I got out the tool kit and decided to fix it. Just in case though I looked up Youtube and found an instruction video of how to fix a leaking bathroom tap mixer. Armed with this knowledge I pulled the tap system apart which was really quite finicky. After removing the mixing tap and the casing to expose and to remove the mixing cartridge I discovered that I didn't have the right tool to unscrew the large flange and thus couldn't remove the cartridge which I'd planned to take with me to Placemakers and hopefully get a suitable replacement. The tools I had (grips) weren't making much impression on the flange and I was worried about stripping the thread or worse. Meanwhile, on removing the tap and the cover a tiny screw, locking nut and tiny plastic hinge went flying. Luckily they did not go down the plughole which I'd forgotten to plug. "Thank Robert's god for that I thought" and then, looking around at the strewn tools and the bits and pieces of tap lying around I thought how even luckier it was that The Old Girl had gone back to Wellington.
I then made the sensible decision to reassemble the tap mechanism and leave it. If the building inspector is to comment on it I'll say that I have a plumber booked in to replace it. This was easier said than done as the little pieces that fell out - I didn't know the exact positioning to put them back in. The online video was very unhelpful on this score. After much trial and error, mostly error, I managed to get everything sorted and reassembled. I cleaned everything up and then went down the drive to turn the water back on. Whenever I do this I half expect to see fountains of water inside the house but fortunately the tap was holding. I experimented with it on hot and cold and noticed, after turning it off again that the slight leakage had become even slighter. I decided to leave it and made a mental note to not touch the damned thing or even go near it until after the inspection is done.
Sheesh!
I'm now not going to fiddle about with anything else before Monday and, if after that Murphy comes visiting again I'll take The Old Girl's advice and "get a man in".
Today I was a bit trepidatious (sorry Robert) re a visit from the prospective buyers of our house.
The sale and purchase agreement has been signed with a two week period during which conditions have to be met:
Builder's report
Geotech report
Insurance confirmation
Finance agreement
The builder's and geotech reports are necessary to assuage the fears that the insurers have about coastal properties and the insurer's confirmation is necessary for their bank to agree to whatever loan arrangement they are asking for.
Sheesh! It's like one of Robert's babble stories.
The buyers are well off though. They own a farm which they are going to sell but also have pretty high paying jobs (barrister and energy consultant) so finance isn't an issue. The inspectors' reports are the critical ones. Here's hoping ...
As I said, I wasn't sure what they wanted to see on their visit and discuss but my trepidation (sorry Robert) wasn't called for. They brought with them a chilled bottle of a very good NZ Methode Champenoise which we shared while chatting. Apart from wandering through the house to look at artwork we stayed in the kitchen. I hadn't needed to tidy up the attic, the basement and the shed after all (which I did this morning instead of writing interesting posts to keep Richard happy). They are very nice (like me) so, as I said "Here's hoping ..."
They said that they were very flexible on settlement but I opted to go for the 6 week after unconditional option which takes it to mid November. This still gives me some breathing time to get all the packing and clearance done, organising removal people, arranging storage at the other end and to say some 'goodbyes' to people I know up here.
It also means that I might be able to gatecrash one of Richard's Christmas season luncheons whatever theme he's going for this year. Roasted guinea-pig anyone?
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