RIGHTING WRONGS?

Old Robert, his imaginary god bless him, is still slavishly following The Catholic Church's right of centre line in politics and societal mores.

Here's what he wrote in his post this morning:
 

"The elections must be coming up. My union wants me to vote Labour. I haven't heard that National has done anything bad except killing lots of little babies."

Maybe he was out of the country when the current New Zealand coalition government (National, ACT, and NZ First)  provided tax cuts to property investors, implemented broad public service cuts, reduced the free school lunch program, slowed and cancelled environmental initiatives, repealed smoke-free laws, and held up advancement of legislation regarding Te Tiriti o Waitangi. 

Oh! Hold on - he was here in New Zealand and has only ever been away for two weeks.

WHO VOTED THESE FOOLS IN? ....

... Oh!

I read on Scoop news that more than 1 million eligible voters did not vote in the 2023 New Zealand elections.

What's wrong with these idiots? Or, I should ask "what's wrong with most of these people?" given that there will be a small percentage who are very aged, infirm or congenitally impaired.*

The information came from a Conservative Party press release but I assume even those idiots can read and interpret statistics.

New Zealand is a stable democratic country that is proud to have used this democracy to pass ground-breaking social justice, educational, health, environmental protection and other forms of advanced legislation and personal freedoms.

In 2023 however nearly 1.2 million people eligible to vote did not do so.

In this country voting is a right not just a privilege and, more than theoretically, eligible citizens can help to influence the political, social and economic direction that the country goes in.

"Elections determine who forms government, how public money is spent, what laws are enacted, and the priorities of national policy. Decisions affecting housing, healthcare, education, employment, taxation, law and order, infrastructure, and social services are all shaped by those elected to Parliament. When people choose not to vote, they effectively leave these decisions to others. Every non-voter increases the relative influence of those who do participate.

Based on current Electoral Commission estimates of approximately 4.05 million eligible voters, a political party seeking to enter Parliament under New Zealand's MMP system would need support equivalent to approximately 202,500 voters to achieve the 5 percent party vote threshold."

          Scoop 15 June 2026, Conservative Party press release.

It's easy to see why the Conservative Party is making noises about this as, being a party outside of Parliament, the million potential voters are an opportunity for them to pass the 5% threshold given that they would only need one in six of those votes.

For once I agree with them. Not their policies obviously as they are a far right bunch of arseholes now pretending to be centrist  (if they really were centrist they would be either the National Party or the right-leaning parts of the Labour Party). I just agree that if a fair proportion of the non-voting million plus New Zealanders bothered to use their democratic rights then the things that they bitch and moan about might get improved and legislated with either a more powerful ruling government or coalition or some more voices to be heard in Parliament who might listen to their bitching and moaning.

Sheesh!

* Hutt Valley South electors are now allowed to vote.

FUNK IS ITS OWN REWARD ...

 ... said no-one interested in personal hygiene.

In slang, "funk" typically refers to a state of depression or a bad mood (e.g., "being in a funk"). Its adjective "funky" can mean something smells bad, has a weird/unconventional style, or refers to a groovy musical rhythm.

 Why do I say this?

Check out Richard's latest post where he wrote:

"Yesterday's jam was a bit of a waste of time but at least there were nice people there. I have absolutely no gigs coming, so why do I practise so much? Well, as a jazz bassist said once, "Funk is its own reward." I don't know why he used the word funk and not jazz but, never mind, the intended message is the same."

We just hope that he's not taking funk too literally.

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

I spent some time yesterday finalising our August bookings for our Australia trip. We fly to Darwin, stay there a couple of days before boarding the GHAN train to Adelaide (3 days and nights). I've yet to book accommodation and plan activities in South Australia but will do that soon.

I booked a 12 hour 'experience' of Kakadu national park near Darwin which will be good.

Kakadu national park

Today I need to look to buy some sturdy but comfortable hiking/walking boots that are wide-fitting. I gave away a new pair to Robert recently as I didn't buy the wide-fitting variant and they cramped my feet a bit. I guess I have or have developed flat feet so need wider fitting shoes for comfort.

Yesterday afternoon we saw another French film festival film De Gaulle:Tilting Iron which is well worth going to. It's an epic look at Charles De Gaulle's 'wilderness' years in London and Africa after the fall of France in 1940. The French have done this well creating a fascinating look into the politics behind warfare.

 

NOT APP-RECIATED

 I dislike apps and try to avoid downloading them to my phone. They, to me are an example of how the world has gone mad and people are being duped in to giving up freedoms, personal selections and responsibility to technology. Apps = AI and AI = ridiculously wealthy and influential IT people like Elon Musk who is now set to become a trillionaire. "Fuck that"I say.

It's hard to do a lot of things nowadays without having to have a bloody smart phone with apps on it.

Order a burger at McDonalds? You need a card capable of PayWave (which I've deactivated on mine).

Pay for parking in the street? PayWave via a bloody app.

Try to get a new NewWorld clubcard+? Download and use the app but ...

... I don't want to use an app for this I want a bloody replacement plastic card! It took me two visits to the local New World store and lots of conversation and several attempts on-line to re-register as myself, changes passwords and PIN numbers and a whole lot of hassle to order a plastic card which, I'm told, might take up to 4 weeks to be delivered!

Our world is being run by 'smart' young things who have never lived in an analog world and who think everyone has a smart mobile phone or device welded to their hands. I'm getting sick of it.

I had trouble with my Apple 16 phone over the last week with the bloody settings dropping out and being unable to access my emails. Unfortunately some 'smart' young thing at Apple some time ago thought it a good idea to connect all Apple devices so my phone, watch, iPad and laptop all merrily cavort using my information, leaving analog-me in the dark. I tried all sorts of reset procedures only to totally block the damned internet traffic. I had to visit the Spark store this morning to get things sorted.

Why has life become so complicated? Maybe we need Musk to become a trillionaire so as to finance himself a trip to Mars where he can bloody well get stranded or disappear in a big puff of smoke along with his AI ambitions.

FAARQ IT'S COLD ...

 ... I wonder if Robert's funny little wooden man's dick has shrunk.

No doubt Richard is hibernating in his man cave with the heater on full blast. I wonder what his electricity bill is?

I received our latest bill today and it's for $317! Faarq!

The thermostat on the heating system showed a temperature of 12 degrees inside the house before (now 13 degrees) making me want to turn the central heating on but ... "I received our latest bill today and it's for $317! Faarq!"

Maybe I'll go out for another walk to warm up. It is sunny outside after all.

I walked down to Lambton Quay to the bank this morning to sort out a payment for our GHAN train trip from Darwin to Adelaide in August. All sorted now. I'm looking forward to this and to the side trips we will do to visit some national parks near Darwin, Uluru and wineries in South Australia.

We won't be doing what this joker who looks like Robert is doing though:

AND IT'S ONLY WEDNESDAY

 

I just bought some bolt cutters at Bunnings ($70).

I'll need these to cut through the padlock on my locker at the golf club. I also have to arrange to meet the club secretary so as to buy a new access fob for the building.

It's such a hassle and c**ts like the thief probably have no idea as to the unnecessary hassle they cause people. Not that they'd care anyway.

The Bunnings people said that due to the hardened steel used in the padlock shackle the bolt cutter blade will likely get munted so that it's a one-use job.

If there still is some cutting ability left in them though, I know of one function it could serve on the scrote who broke into our car.

SEND IN THE MARINES...

 

... hold on! Where are the Marines?  

I should have known. Donald Trump and his feeble administration have weakened that once strong threat to something like "just wait until your father comes home".

I thought that living in a nice street in a good suburb of Wellington that has elite schools, embassies and various government departments would be a safe bet. Along with this is the fact that the house next door to ours, right next door, houses the US Marines - the protection troops for the nearby American Embassy.

The U.S. Embassy in Wellington utilises a dedicated detachment of Marine Corps Embassy Security Guards (MSG) to protect classified information and provide internal security for the diplomatic facility. These active-duty Marines work under the oversight of the embassy's Regional Security Office.

You'd think that this would make our street safer and the houses and property next door even more so.

Today when I took the car out - from its position right outside or front door and merely metres away from the US Marines house I immediately noticed:

• The glove box was open and empty
• Contents of the glove box were scattered across the front and rear seats
• The centre console was open
• The contents of the console were scattered on the floor and seats
• The change alcove was open
• Some scrote had been in the car!

I did a quick check and discovered that, from memory, the only things missing were two sets of keys that I keep in the console. One being the key and a fob that lets me in to the golf club and my locker. The other being a spare key to our storage unit at Kennards. Replacing the fob will be a hassle and I don't know how I'll access the locker. I'll have to buy a hacksaw.

I walked up and down our street and found a couple of items discarded in a neighbour's' driveway that I recognised as being from our car - a golf tee and a small atomiser of windscreen defogger.

In the Villas driveway I found a wind jacket beside our fence. On checking inside our fence I found a few items from the glove box including prescription glasses in a case. These are hellishly expensive but are not sunglasses so the scrote ditched them.

Why they took the keys though is anyone' s guess as they were unidentified. Maybe they thought that the keys were to one of the houses in the villa complex we live in.

I reported this on-line to the police - for statistical purposes only - and put a warning note in all of the 9 other residents' mailboxes that some thief might try to use the keys to gain access to their townhouses.

We lived in a remote coastal area for 16 years and never had any problems from theft or wilful damage. Here we are in the so-called safe suburb of Wellington and this happens. Bastards!

Anyway - worse things happen. We (and Robert and his pal L) could have been in the Philippines when that earthquake struck today.

NEW POST - THE RELIGIOUS CURMUDGEON

 

CANON LAW

"BEAUTY FLOWS EFFORTLESSLY FROM WHAT THEY DO"

It's been raining quite heavily through the night and this morning. I'm glad that we had the windows resealed last month. Everything is dry and the wind no longer whistles through the gaps that were there.

At least I don't have to go out and check all the neighbours' bins for water ingress like Richard does. Maybe it's just an excuse to fossick through their rubbish.

I drove The Old Girl to work this morning and, if the weather stays bad will pick her up this evening.

Given that this rain looks like it's here to stay I'll myself stay indoors and catch up with 'administration' jobs as being the Minister Of Home Affairs* requires.

Checking the blogs is high on my priority if not hers and it was pleasing to see that Robert is back among the living after having disappeared into the wilderness for a few years days like his pal Jesus did. Apparently his world-wide adventures are of limited duration and he's on his way back this weekend. I wonder if this will turn him into a frequent traveller. If so - good. Travel broadens the mind they say.

Richard's occasional post was really just a moan about the rain in the 'Nui and the fact that his neighbours leave their rubbish bin lids up in the rain. Sheesh! You'd think that, given the state of the world he'd have bigger things to worry about. He's like Donald Trump pissing about with vanity projects rather than sorting out global conflicts.

He said this: "I'm working on diminished things at the moment."

Does he mean this from Ursula Le Guin?

DIMINISHED THING

"Back to the diminished thing.

Childhood is when you keep gaining, old age is when you keep losing. The Golden Years the PR people keep gloating at us about are golden because that’s the color of the light at sunset.

Of course diminishment isn’t all there is to aging. Far from it. Life out of the rat race, but still in the comfort zone, can give the chance to be in the moment, and bring real peace of mind.

If memory remains sound and the thinking mind retains its vigor, an old intelligence may have extraordinary breadth and depth of understanding. It’s had more time to gather knowledge and more practice in comparison and judgment. No matter if the knowledge is intellectual or practical or emotional, if it concerns alpine ecosystems or the Buddha nature or how to reassure a frightened child: when you meet an old person with that kind of knowledge, if you have the sense of a bean sprout you know you’re in a rare and irreproducible presence.

Same goes for old people who keep their skill at any craft or art they’ve worked at for all those years. Practice does make perfect. They know how, they know it all, and beauty flows effortlessly from what they do.

But all such existential enlargements brought by living long are under threat from the lessening of strength and stamina. However well compensated for by intelligent coping mechanisms, small or large breakdowns in one bit of the body or another begin to restrict activity, while the memory is dealing with overload and slippage. Existence in old age is progressively diminished by each of these losses and restrictions. It’s no use saying it isn’t so, because it is so.

It’s no use making a fuss about it, or being afraid of it, either, because nobody can change it ..."

- Ursula Le Guin


If so then good on him. He, like me is a realist and just gets on with things.

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

After blog trawling and post writing my administration duties involve:

• Paying various bills on-line,
• Making hotel and rental car bookings for our Australian trip in August
• Confirming my travel arrangements (flight up and train back) to Auckland to the opera in September
• Booking ferry and train travel to Christchurch also in September

That should keep me busy today and surprise The Old Girl who expects me to snooze most of the day because I didn't sleep well last night.

Keep that beauty flowing.

* A title that The Old Girl has given me.

A NOT SO COLD THURSDAY IN THORNDON

 What can I tell you?

I won't bang on about spending umpteen hours scratching away on old second-hand musical instruments. That's for damned sure!

I'll stick to the highlights so that I won't bore you, OK?

• Breakfast was WeetBix, stewed rhubarb, my apple sauce, prune juice and All Bran mix with milk.
• My shower was followed by bathroom cleaning duties.
• I catalogued and photographed the Spode dinner set. 
  
  
  
• I emailed the details and photos to a couple of antique dealers. One seems to have gone out of business and the other replied with a no.
• I listed the set on Trade Me for $250 (probably worth 10 times that price on Amazon in USA).
• I went shopping and browsed all the local op shops and furniture stores looking for a personal valet. 

  

  Not him
  

  
  
• Lunch will be an egg, salami and cheese sandwich.
• Dinner will be stuffed potatoes.

OI! OYSTER!

"Any noise annoys an oyster, but a noisy noise annoys an oyster more!" 

Well, writing a post on quality drama was like casting pearls before swine it seems. See the previous post and comment.

That's an interesting saying that, much better than that silly "Tra il dire e il fare c'è di mezzo il mare" that Richard bangs out.

 The phrase originates from the Bible, apparently - Matthew 7:6. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns his followers: "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces."

Nice!

I think what old sensationalist Jesus was trying to say - if indeed he actually said it -  is that metaphorically the pearls represent valuable insights or good advice and the swine represent those who live in Wainuiomata  who are unable to value what is being offered to them. 

I'm sure that Robert, wherever the hell he is, would agree.

EASIER SAID THAN DONE

"Tra il dire e il fare c'è di mezzo il mare" is a many time repeated Italian saying that Richard lobs into his blog posts or as comments on his and others' blog posts. He probably thinks it has something to do with horses.

EVERY TIME

The meaning of this saying literally is: Between saying and doing there is the sea which figuratively means: There's a world of difference between saying and doing.

That's good and I like the use of imagery in language. It beats the often vulgar and scatological references Richard uses.

It reminds me of the idiom: Between the devil and the deep blue sea that means you are stuck in a difficult dilemma being forced to choose between two equally unpleasant or dangerous options. 

The literal meaning of this, according to Google is that, in the 17th century, "the devil" referred to the garboard seam—the longest, hardest-to-reach seam in a wooden ship's hull that required precarious repairs. A sailor hanging overboard to caulk this seam faced the terrifying risk of drowning if they slipped into the deep blue sea. 

The saying has been heavily used across music, painting, literature and theatre drama and one use that I now recall is The Deep Blue Sea 1952 stage play by Terence Rattigan. I haven't seen the stage version of this but did see the excellent 2011 film version starring the wonderful Rachel Weisz which I gather is a stripped down version of Rattigan's original. While the homosexual undercurrent is removed Weisz and the director Terence Davies capture the heroine, Hester Collyer's vulnerability as Rattigan intended. Caught between her relationship with her ex husband (a High Court judge) and her failing affair with her lover (an alcoholic ex RAF pilot) she is between the devil and the deep blue sea. Floundering between physical dislocation and emotional isolation Hester attempts suicide, unsuccessfully and is left to try and make a go of living even if her new circumstances and surroundings are bleak. Rachel Weisz's performance was visceral and her pain and desperation bled out of the screen. It was very memorable.

The theme was obviously of Britain and its struggles to rebuild after the horrors and losses of the Second World War. Societal changes and loss of empire were new challenges that, however unpalatable they were, had to be accepted.

"HAVE A GOOD JAM" ...

 ... I commented on Richard's post this morning and later thought it was a funny thing to say.

Musicians think of 'jams' as music sessions. Normal people thing of 'jams' as delicious fruit preserves to spread on bread, scones or toast.

There are many words in the English language that have multiple meanings. These are called homonyms.

Here are a few examples:

Address 

 Definition 1: The location of a business or where someone lives. “What’s your new address? I want to send you a letter.”
Definition 2: To communicate directly. “The CEO will address the company about the policy changes at the meeting on Monday.”

Arm

Definition 1: An upper limb on the human body; the space between the wrist and shoulder. “I lifted weights yesterday, and now my arm is sore.”
Definition 2: To equip with weapons; to strengthen or protect. “I arm myself with pepper spray when I go running at night.”

Bank

Definition 1: A financial institution where you can withdraw and deposit money. “I’m going to the bank to deposit the check my mom sent me.”
Definition 2: The edge of a river or lake. “He has a beautiful house right on the bank of the lake.”

Bark

Definition 1: The sound a dog makes. “My dog always barks when someone knocks on the door.”
Definition 2: The outer covering of a tree. “Birch trees have light-coloured bark that peels off in papery strips.”

There are many more that I could tell you about but I think you get the idea - just don't mix them up in a sentence as the result could be confusing and/or embarrassing (take note Robert).

I trust that this was amusing and informative. We at The Curmudgeons Inc.ⓒ take pride in educating readers in a light-hearted way.

Not like this:

More like this:

NICOLA WILLIS DOESN'T KNOW HOW BANKS WORK

 

Squeaky Willis embarrassed herself yesterday when trying to explain the new bank levy that was announced in the 2026 budget.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced a new prudential levy on major banks, insurers, and non-bank deposit takers to fund sector regulation. Expected to raise $209 million over four years, the levy is framed as a fair measure to align New Zealand with international practices in Australia, the UK, and Canada. 

Key Points of the Levy
Purpose: The funds raised will go to the Reserve Bank to cover the costs of services, supervision, and regulation of the financial sector.
Scope: It applies to banks, insurers, and other financial market participants, recovering roughly $50 million per year.
Scale: Willis noted this is a "modest" levy that accounts for less than 1% of the total profits of the big four banks alone.

          - Google AI Overview 

She thinks that the banks and other institutions will readily cough up this money and reduce their profits rather than pass on the increases - plus an  extra percentage because that's how it works - to consumers. Basically it's an extra tax that they will see as costs and mark-up on top of this. Willis cannot see this and her understanding is like Donald Trump's naive awareness of how tariffs work and who actually pays the tax.

ACT Leader David Seymour and others oppose the levy, arguing that a bank levy is an indirect tax on consumers and that customers will pay the extra cost of without question. This is one of the few things that I agree with David Seymour on.

I'm sure we all agree that the banks and other overseas owned institutions are making obscene profits and that there needs to be some measures put in to fairly distribute the wealth or at least to limit how much money is being taken offshore but, imposing another levy, tax or tariff isn't the way to go. The consumers/customers will end up paying more through fees, charges and interest and the governments take will be diluted through administration costs and general wastage.

So there!

THIS TIME

This post was written yesterday and published today

There's not much to report from the bloggers on the local front.

The old contributor from Whydiditevermatta got tangled up in his underpants and couldn't post today. He did try though and managed to squeeze out a music video link which I guess at his age and condition is some sort of plus - maybe a nonplus.

Our roving reporter for the blogs, Robert of Bob's discommending balderdash is, from the far-flung Philippines reporting in longer and more frequent posts than ever before. Something must be doing him good and he seems to be fascinated by the lack of safety and health regulations in Manila. I just hope that he remembers to shower frequently and change his underpants because, as Richard has banged on about, good hygiene is important at his age.

I've been busy today having done a major and breathtakingly expensive supermarket shop (it'll be cat food and cleanskin wine for us soon) after taking cardboard cartons to the recycling centre and then going to play golf. I played 6 holes only but played them very well so I'm reconsidering my opinion of Berhampore golf course.

That's it really. No debeaked fowl to talk about or shit flowing through markets and no music videos this time (as the old racing commentators used to say).

OUT AND ABOUT

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

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

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

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

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

(That camel will have eaten the lunch anyway).

IS IMPROPRIETY RELATED TO PIETY?

 

Asked Richard in a comment on my last post.

What is her inferring? That my posts are improper?

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

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

BLAH, BLAH, BLAH

CHRISTMAS LETTER TIME

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

*** POST CANCELLED ***

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

"Why is there something rather than nothing?"

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

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

Auf Wiedersehen

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

NEW POST - THE MUSIC CURMUDGEON

 

UNIVERSAL

CLEANING (UP) WINDOWS

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

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

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

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

Thanks Stevie Smith.

 

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

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

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

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