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Showing posts from October, 2010

Reflections

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Great series of photos on Novartis entitled "Reflections" ...

Well, Would You Try And Stop Them?

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Click for, *ahem*, bigness

Visit The Miramar Halloween House With The Kids

It's certainly not Disneyland but it's a fun 30 minutes for kids of a young enough age! 39 Devonshire Avenue, Miramar View Larger Map Here's what we got to see in the setting sun a few days ago:

The Hobbit Rally In Wellington

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Unfortunately I couldn't make it to Civic Square earlier today (flying to Christchurch and all that) but here's two excellent posts for you to see who could and to find out what happened: http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2010/10/the_hobbit_rallies.html http://nznoldor.blogspot.com/2010/10/pro-hobbit-rally-in-wellington.html And I love that Jack from the the Noldor Blog has captured David the author of the Kiwiblog post :-)

Picture Books Every Household Should Have

Drafts, the scourge of all writers - the scraps, that great ideas that faded away ... well, this post was exactly one of those. And now that the kids are growing out of picture books I think it deserves to see the light. Also this is a blog post (originally dated 17th Aug 2008) that would probably be a tweet or a Facebook status update ... it's just a link to a great posting from the National Library, So What’s Your Choice Picture Book? Picture books rock, introduce books/ reading to kids and, despite the lack of response to their post (or do comments fade away over time, I hope not), it's still a great question - what's the best picture book? My vote would go to one of the following: The Gruffalo Mo Wilem's pigeon books Anything by Nick Butterworth (I love his style of illustration) So, what's yours? Oh, and check out the awesome Thirteen ways to raise a nonreader as seen at the Kilbirnie Children's Bookstore But none of these would be on the list ;-)

Worser Bay School Fair - Sunday 7th Nov, 11am-2pm

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From Around The world to Worser Bay Sunday 7th November, 11am-2pm / Facebook event 128 Seatoun Heights Road, Miramar Everything you expect, want and get glee from - tombola, cake stands, beer (oh yes), live music, competitions and as much awesome pre-loved goods as you can find. AND - the silent auction is already on, http://www.worserbay.school.nz/silent-auction-2010 , with awesome items such as: Tour of Park Road Post Production and lunch for four - priceless! The Ambeli Restaurant $200.00 voucher and a bottle of wine Royal New Zealand Ballet Family Pass (4 tickets available) to Tutu’s on Tour (27/2/2011 at 2.30pm). Value $125.00 and Scorch-o-Rama Café Vouchers for $50.00. Total Value $175.00 A Cricket Lovers Pack - One hour coaching session with a prominent Wellington Firebird plus two tickets to every Firebirds home 20/20 game. Value $250.00 Interislander, Two Adults, Three Children and one vehicle, return crossing. BBQ Bonanza. Stainless Steel BBQ set with case, BBQ light set, sm

The Hobbit - I'll Write No More Until Production Is Well Underway In NZ

Best write up: http://publicaddress.net/default,6916,anatomy-of-a-shambles.sm Best line (Jeremy Eade): Bloody Actors. How do we know this isn't just an act.It might be a workshop. [ source ] Best suggested video [ source ]

Anika Moa On Tour

I would love to but just so darned busy so go and say hi from me on Saturday December 4th at The Ruby Lounge (14 Bond Street, Wellington - map ): Tickets on sale Event Finder and Real Groovy . Remaining on the door. Book for dinner to secure great seats for the show by emailing bookings@therubylounge.co.nz , limited dinner bookings available. Tickets for most NZ shows are available at Eventfinder.co.nz or head to Anikamoa.com for more details.

The Hobbit May NOT Be Filmed In NZ

[Updated] Listen to the Fran Walsh / Philippa Boyens / Helen Kelly interviews from @NineToNoon --------------- Well, I don't actually know but the rhetoric is flying high and Fran Walsh / Phillipa Boyens (producers, writers) are about to talk on National Radio. A statement from Peter Jackson last night: Next week Warner Brothers are coming down to New Zealand to make arrangements to move the production off-shore. Check out the latest news: http://twitter.com/#search?q=hobbit Richard Taylor (Lord Miramar ;) said this morning that he's "clinging on to hope" ... I have to say that there is a lot of hot air coming from both sides and it's not a "done deal that NZ won't get the Hobbit" - likely but not definitely [updated post title to reflect this] I will be placing the sole of my boot to the arse of the Auckland actors that may have fucked up NZ's chances. And their statements have not helped really. AND, this isn't a film project starting w

2 New Air NZ Adverts - HA HA HA HA

Kiwi to the max and funny as fuck!

Day 30 - Your favorite song.

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One of these , these , these , these or this , this or this. As should be plainly obvious to you ... hmm, actually, maybe not ... I LOVE MUSIC ! But I also love a giggle so gonna leave you with one of my top silly music vids. I challenge you not to have an earworm ... enjoy

Day 29 - In this past month, what have you learned

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I have learned loads. I really mean it LOADS! So much learning that I've had to make room in the headbox by dumping some stuff ... home address, number of wives and what I am doing writing this. People who write blogs are generally outward looking people Blogging should involve at least one link to soemthing, most #30DaysOfMe #FAILed If your RSS feed isn't the whole post, I won't read it I have now unsubscribed from 99.9% of the #30DaysOfMe blogs Some people (JH) should write more, much much more Most #30DaysofMe blogs that I read were well written and a pleasure Sharing rocks Keeping some things off-line is probably a good idea Writing should come from the heart and not be forced. I love writing And bonus: I love dressing up ... that's not new, but it might be for you :-)

The Latest On The Miramar Cinema Build - Grand Opening March 2011

Stuff (local newspaper) has a good article about The Miramar Cinema - Glimpse behind the scenes at Miramar movie palace. The salient facts are: Jamie Selkirk and Tania Rodger kicked the $7 million project into gear more than a year ago They have teamed up with Weta Digital 's Tim Alexander, Penthouse cinema co-owner Ian MacLeod, Cafe Polo co-owner Valentina Dias and bar owner Jonny McKenzie to create an opulent, 1930s-style cinema Many of the interior fittings, including columns and artworks, are being made by Weta Workshop The construction will cost about $5 million and fitting out the theatre in 1930s-style furnishings will cost another $2m The new theatre will have a restaurant, cocktail lounge and bar area seating 140 people The building will house two cinemas, one with 164 seats and the other with 55 . Hollywood blockbusters and arthouse films, sourced by the Penthouse Cinema, There are plans to hold a 1930s-themed street parade in Miramar to celebrate the theatre's

Stats That Make Me Go Hmmmm

Been a while since I did a 'aren't you readers just the craziest of kids' post ... So here we go using the latest Blogger stats feature . Note, this has only been collecting data from May 2010 so it's not really indicative of everything. If I had the time I'd check with my Google Analytics which has been running since 2006 ... biut this isn't a report for the board but a "Hee hee, who would've thought that" post. Where do you come from? The top 5 make up the vast majority of you guys and yet I am surprised just how many more of you are from the United States and not NZ (where I am) or UK (where the family is). In order of living within this country' preference: United States New Zealand United Kingdom Australia Canada Peru India Italy Germany Russia What else makes me think about stuff, oh ... What computer stuff are you using? Web browsers you're using ... probably: Internet Explorer (53%) Firefox (19%) Chrome (11%) Safari (7%) Java (5%)

Day 28 - A picture of you last year and now, how have you changed since then?

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Last year Latest I have changed my underwear.

Day 27 - Why are you doing this 30 day challenge

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Shits and giggles. Dumb fucking question. Hung over.

Day 26 - What you think about your friends

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Right you glorious fluffy bunch of friends, here's where I really dish the love! I think my friends are awesome. To be honest though I don't actually see enough of my NZ friends ... booooo :( Maybe it's transition ... maybe it's poverty ... maybe it's laziness (on my part). BUT, something has to change because I think they are all awesome. They are true friends, there when times get tough, there to share the laffs and there when it's just good to talk and hang out. Hmmm ... And there's definitely a "circle" of friends. There's the old OLD friends I've had since I was a new immigrant. The ones I met during the Australian years. And the ones I am meeting new now ... Some friends I seem to have known for many lifetimes and can't quite imagine them not being around. I count them on one hand. They are drawn from the the old, new and in between circles. Friends are my lifeblood actually. And I genuinely miss not being with them quite as much

Day 25 - What I would find in your bag

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Ah ... this is the one that's gonna screw me up as this is obviously aimed at those that carry hand/manbags around and well, I don't. I don't even have a wallet. Nope, it all gets stuffed into my pockets and I am done. I do have a 2009 black Webstock bag that I transport the laptop around in but it got cleaned out recently and so all it now has within is a laptop and some business cards. And fluff. What to do, what to do ... um, er, how about this, I'll list the things I think are in Liz's handbag ... no, probably not a wise move eh. Let's call this a #FAIL However, you should go and see Day 25 #WIN at Kat's blog

I'm In Great Company - I Mean, Barack Obama!

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Had a connection to confirm on my LinkedIn profile and my eyes scanned down the to "Viewers of this profile also viewed..." (I'm nosey!) and it seems I am leading all sorts of people to some very cool connections, I mean Barack Obama?!

Day 24 - A letter to your parents

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Dear Mum and Dad (or should that be Betty and Derek :-), I love you with all my heart. Mike, xoxoxox

Day 23 - Something you crave for a lot

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I crave, crrrraaaaaaave I tell you, a lot, heaps, oodles of - actually, before I tell you all my inner deepest darkest secret let me ask you a quick question (in the understanding that I know you can't actually answer me as it's late and I'm at my home and if you're actually here to answer me I will shit in my pants) Unless you're Liz. The one question about is ... what is a craving? Is it when you wake up in the morning and can only think of that first glass of water to clear the goobies from the mouth and unclog the bottie? Or is it the shakes, sweats and house robbery that comes from not enough smack ... or something equally down and street. Either way, when do you know when you've got a crave on? And when do you know it's merely a passing fad that will be satiated or that it's an obsession that requires constant feeding otherwise it'll eat you and all around you? So, what do I "crave a lot"? Justice.

If You Do This In An Email ... I Hate You!

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Oooohhh yeah ... and this is just one of many examples of wanky use of email from The Oatmeal

It's Not Easy To Take A Stand Which Is Why I Admire Ben's Action

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Being away on a wee family holiday has meant I've missed the furore around Paul Henry's dickhead comments on the TVNZ breakfast show this morning - the tweets alerted me that something had gone down though! The chattering classes on Facebook and Twitter can rant and rave as much as they like though as it's really just the latest version of talkback radio ... and I suspect Paul Henry knows that. I count myself, in this case, as a fully paid up member of the chattering classes ... hence this blog post. Ben Gracewood is also a member of the chattering classes. However he also had a pretty nifty spot on the same TVNZ breakfast show as Paul Henry showing off the latest tech geekery - here he describes what it meant to him: It’s something I’ve loved doing more than you can imagine, both in terms of personal promotion, and the steady stream of incredibly cool technology I play with. Not any more - he sent a letter to TVNZ resigning ! Awesome Ben and I am full of admiration of ho

Day 22 - What makes you different from everyone else

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I was gonna use the "We're all individuals ..." line from Python but I see @smrtgirl has beaten me to that Hmm, it's a great question. Bloody diificult to answer though. In fact I can't say there's one thing that makes me different to everyone else as everything I do, think, say has been done, thought and said by someone else at some time. However, I do think the package is quite unique and that I do, think and say things in an order and with a particular style that no-one ever has. So that's it - it's the bringing me to this point in this way that makes me different to everyone else. After all that, Gloria, take it away ... Oh, and I'm immortal.

Day 21 - A picture of something that makes you happy

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Day 20 - Someone you see yourself marrying/being with in the future

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Despite being married twice I do believe that I am on my last marriage this time around ... in a good way, that it'll end by the death of one of us ... in a natural way, not by the knife she keeps under her pillow. So I can't see me marrying anyone else. Even if she gets put away for a long time due to attempted murder and the marriage is annulled. I mean really, who wants to stay married to someone that's just tried to stamp them in the middle of a dream about Star Wars. But "being with" someone else ... if I manage to get to the gun before she gets to the knife and it's not all "click, click" because I've forgotten to put bullets in but it's all "BANG! BANG!" then who knows. Probably. Yeah, I'll need someone in my life. I'll need a nanny. I'll need a chauffeur. A cook. Two cooks (one could focus on creating the perfect breakfast). And someone with small nimble fingers that would reach all the nooks and crannies without

Day 19 - Nicknames you have; why do you have them

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Unlike some I am only aware of one actual nickname (not including all of the sweet nothings that the crowds of millions have whispered into my delicate ears over the eons). Billy. That's it, Billy. My nickname was Billy. In fact, many at college (that's the place I went after school from ages 19-22, just so the Kiwi's understand), didn't realise that my real name was Mike and I once got asked, "Who's this Mike guy we've got to work with this term?" And why - 2 reasons that collided at exactly the same time the name was given to me. Oh, hang on, just thought of another short lived nickname I had at the time, Ostrich. Reason #1: Fast running I was, in my youth a fairly fast mover across the land. This land was the Welsh land that enjoys the weekly comic, The Beano. In this comic there is a long standing character called Billy Whizz. Voila! Reason #2: A fox My original surname was Boyle (you all know about the change ). In the UK during my growing up time