Mike Riversdale

  Keeping this blog's  tradition  going, this is my Yuletide posting about all that you should know for Christmas. But let's just take a moment in the busy day to remember what it's all about - the people you love. I'm thinking of the people you love right now ... are you thinking of mine? Of course, it's not just about family and friends (if that's who I was thinking of) but also presents, alcohol and oodles of sitting around in the sun (hardy har har Northern Hempishpereans!). And luckily this year I have ALL of my Northern Hemisphere family coming out - gonna be choice If Jesus is you thing, I mean, if he's your bag, what you're into man then do the religious thing as well. Just don't get all "God" over Christmas and try to remember that it was originally a pagan festival around the longest day, certainly don't want you Christians foisting your ideas on people and trying to subvert the real message! Fun. that's the real

Who hasn't heard about this ... you, then this is the post for you (as supplied by Kristy who manages the Miramar BID ) - salient details Where: Outside The Roxy Cinema , Miramar (5 Park Road) When: 9pm - 9:15pm, daily with the last showing Friday, 12th Dec Cost: Free ------- FREE Light Projection Show at the Roxy Cinema, 5 Park Road Miramar. Middle Earth will be brought to life on the front of The Roxy building every night, as a state of the art projection show will play multiple times a night just after sunset FOR FREE. This will kick off on at 9pm on December 1st and finish on December 12th, as we count down to the NZ release of the film – The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies . This amazing light show lasts 10-15 minutes and plays several times – so you can see it after a dinner or movie inside! Showcasing the breath-taking special effects created by WETA Workshop and WETA Digital using sound and projection, the presentation follows the film’s characters

I share this not to gawk at past atrocities, and trust me the images within are raw and direct and likely to bring up powerful emotions, but to reflect on how seemingly innocuous beginnings in the mid-1930s ended up, within a very short time span, with such intense barbarism. It is, for me, feelings of despair, anger and sadness to think on such items but I believe that to discuss it with those we love opens our eyes and removes the scales of "reality TV", "cats on the Internet"and even the daily narcotic of "work". It is with reality and it's hard water cleansing that brings many to warn publicly about present day patterns that reflect those earlier times and we cannot help but become more aware of how easily times can slip away from us. The Nazi's came to official power in 1933 with it all ending at the end of World War II, 1945. 12 years. 12 years for it all to go from dancing girls to the images of this video. 12 years ago was 2002. Not

Facebook is full of meme's and here's one that I've been tagged in , thanks  +Nicola Stevenson Rubbish day Rustle of leaves in an autumn forest Riversdale, Jack  Riversdale, Meg Riversdale, Liz Ruth, Rebecca, Rogers (Julie and Andrew), Reuben ...  Rollocking (sp?) good times Rainbow  Rain on a hot tin roof Your turn will come ...

Honey You'll Be Alright from Anika Moa on Myspace .

If not me, who? If not now, when? http://www.heforshe.org/ Powerfully delivered and despite the many many reasons to not do anything or say "No" what exactly are you gonna do to change it for the better? Me? I am going to be much more concious of the words I use when talking with and around Meg and Jack. Small step - yeah, you're right, but fuck it it's something I can and will do.

The news has been quite something this election with the major focus being on "are we under mass surveillance". My take on whether we are, we aren't and what it means to being a Kiwi in today's New Zealand isn't the focus of this post but rather the interesting stances people take when the conversation is brought up. It seems there are 4 broad responses ... 1: It's evil! "Our government is being evil, the men in black are everywhere and they should be stopped!" Ok, it's certainly an unambiguous response and you know where you stand when this is expressed. There are nuances to how this feeling comes out ranging from the "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE A REVOLUTION WITH ME!", through, "Did you know XKeyscore uses packet sniffing to catch not just metadata but IP content' to the, "Hmm, this isn't how I'd expect NZ to behave". The shouty people do tend to put me off, the technical peo

Source of the following text:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/nationallibrarynz/12195282443 Artist: James Coutts Crawford. Watercolour 165 x 254 mm. A-229-003. Alexander Turnbull Library Published in FishHead magazine, December 2013 Here is Miramar in the mid-1840s, viewed from Lyall Bay, looking toward Mt Crawford in the distance. The lake and surrounding swamp covered much of what is Miramar now. Early Maori inhabitants called the lake Rotokura. More recent arrivals from Taranaki called it Para, and began to stock it with eels from the Hutt Valley. When the European settlement of Wellington was established the lake was renamed Burnham water. This sketch was done by James Coutts Crawford, a lively figure in early Wellington history, who then owned most of what you can see in his picture. Clearly he was a better businessman than he was an artist. That is his new farm house, Glendavar, up on the slopes of Mt Crawford in the distance. Burnham water was picturesque, but it wa

And it's been awesome! I love this country ... well, to be honest I love the city of Wellington and even more specifically the suburb of Miramar as it evolves into the best wee spot of land to live in. My my, don't I look all fresh faced and goatied up in that photo! Happy 9th Citizenship Anniversary to +Karen Chaney as well! AND, it transpires that Liz and I have been together for 13 years as well ... my, what a week of celebrations.

Enrol Vote on Saturday September 20th PARTAY!

The  +Worser Bay School Fair 2014  is a wonder to behold and hopefully this infographic (in the loosest sense of the word) gives a sense of why it's done, the people involved and the energy required each year to make it a success. worser bay schools 2014 fairThe 2013 fair contributeD toIn 2013 there were ...Fair themes since 2008facebook & Twitter | Create Infographics

If you're keen to get one then you'll need to Get along to their Kickstart campaign, "Coolest Cooler" . Remember, Kickstarter is NOT a shop - these aren't products ready to buy. You pay your money to help the project get going and in return, depending upon how much you pay, you get a reward. Read more about Kickstarter and the local equivalent, PledgeMe

WTF? Why the hell would you need to get your phone notifications popping up in your web browser? What if you phone is in the other room being charged? What if you leave your phone at home and you're at work? What if your're phone is at the bottom of your bag? What if you're lazy? But you might not have a reason right now but once you use it you will love it! Use what? +Pushbullet When your phone (Apple or Android) goes ping with a notification you'll see it on your screen and react accordingly. Text/SMS comes through, there it is. Low power notification, up it pops. But also, wanna push something to your phone - shopping list, reminders, photos - you can! And for all you fans of +IFTTT  out there it plays very nicely with that ... not using IFTTT, man alive, how do you guys ever get things done without it? How? Install it on your phone Log in Install the Chrome and/or Firefox extension Log in Links Web:  https://www.pushbullet.com/ Andr

You may have already heard of Neighbourly , a new "social networking" site that's available for communities (think suburbs) across New Zealand - if not here's what they say about themselves: Neighbourly allows you to stay connected with your neighbours and community using a private neighbourhood website. It's a free service that is designed to make your neighbourhood a safer and better place to live. Members of Neighbourly use the website to interact on topics such as local events, after school activities, crime and safety, council issues, local services or even lost pets. Neighbourly also offers a crime prevention service for members within its communities. Members are kept informed of any suspicious activity and can also inform each other instantly of any urgent crime or safety updates via SMS text message. For me I think of Neighbourly as one of a number of "social network" sites that have a particular focus: Facebook = individuals Twitte

I. Love. This! The power to make strangers smile is something that should never be underestimated - top work Steve Kardyna! Watch the left more than the right. And don't worry, it's safe for viewing at work, (source: The Slate )

Footage from a DJI Phantom quadcopter drone flying through fireworks a display to the Arcade Fire is quite wonderful. http://t.co/vmG4OUImQ1 — Chris McDowall (@fogonwater) April 21, 2014

As anyone who's in Vellington at the moment you'll know we have become home to some very charming Vampires via "What We Do In The Shadows" ( +DeliciousNecks ) , the mock documentary set here in Vellington and starring Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi, Jonathan Brugh, Cori Gonzalez-Macuer, Stu Rutherford, Jackie Van Beek: Follow the lives of Viago, Deacon, and Vladislav - three flatmates who are immortal vampires. Much happening in Vellington including: Win tickets to the Wellington premier New beer, Delicious Neck, from Tuatara Opening weekend fun Roxy Q&A session with the stars here in Miramar The movie/crew is all over the Internet so follow/friend them at: Website Twitter Facebook YouTube Google+ Instagram Come to Vellington and have a grand time - NAME THE PLACES YOU KNOW IN THE +Positively Wellington Tourism  and  +DeliciousNecks  VID And a massive shout out to  +Anna Dean  for nailing it with the online campaign!

Fascinating website - You're Getting Old - this is a little of me but it is quite fun so pop on over to see about yourself

You've heard me talk about "Miramar Men" and may have wondered WTF - well here's where you can find us online. It's fathers, getting out of the house and having a beer, a yarn and usually a movie. "Man Movie", normally one that is unencumbered by plot but chock full of computer wizardry ... but not always, in fact if you say it's a man movie then it is. And it's usual for half to men to come for a beer and a yarn and then skip on the movie so if the movie de jour isn't your thing, sweet as, we'd still love to see you along. To join in simply subscribe to the email group: https:// groups.google .com/forum/#!forum/miramar-men Also find us at: https://www .neighbourly .co.nz/group/edit/miramar-men https:// twitter .com/MiramarMen https://www. facebook .com/MiramarMen https:// plus.google .com/u/0/b/114568816440096052292/114568816440096052292/

In the news today was the most excellent " Log on free wi-fi in Miramar ". This is the first project brought to you by the newly formed Miramar BID ("Business Improvement District"), which is the first in Wellington following on from successful implementations in Auckland - you might remember the Enterprise Miramar that preceded the BID. Thanks to the BID team, the 177 businesses Miramar based businesses supporting the BID, WCC and in particular Clr Simon "Swampy" Marsh for getting this going so fast. Here's to a wider roll-out across the whole BID area. Together with this WiFi Miramar also has free WiFi at the following places - getting connected is now a given: Miramar centre - TelecomNZ The Roxy Gasworks The Library Let me know ( miramar.mike@gmail.com ) if you know of any more, but in the meantime enjoy the fact that Miramar is the first and only Wellington suburb with free WiFi - showing the way!

A real glimpse into the life of this most wonderful place I am proud to call home, Wellington Thanks +Martin Doms  - more videos from him ...

I've just read the following and think it's worthy of a read! Almost nine months after my initial request to photograph inside the Monte Carlo Casino, the gold-leaf backdrop for fictional British spy James Bond in “Casino Royale”, I was contacted for an interview to present my project and three months later received news that is was accepted. from Pocket http://ift.tt/1mAM6jB

A friend of mine, Helen, tells me that Urban Dream Brokerage have secured another year's funding from the Wellington City Council to liven up those empty shops and showcase the creativity that Wellington is so famous for. Urban Dream Brokerage brings together property managers and the creative industries to lead creative development and urban revitalisation through the temporary use of vacant space by innovative projects. If you're keen to be involved and have ... an idea : http://urbandreambrokerage.org.nz/for-applicants/ a property :  http://urbandreambrokerage.org.nz/got-a-vacant-property/

A gorgeous morning for the Worser Bay School cross country (well, beach) run. Everyone dug in and the enthusiasm from the kids and the many parents that turned up to support was heartwarming, Well done to Meg for getting through to the Eastern Zones

From Facebook ... ... that reminded me of this on Twitter ... If Miramar residents spent $10/week more locally we'd be giving business around $4.3 million per year extra. Now wouldn't that be worth it? — Mike Riversdale (@MiramarMike) April 17, 2013 ... and now this post on G+

When Jack and I saw the signs of movement a few weeks ago in the ex-Wanda Harland shop on Para Street we were very happy bunnies - a movie / comic / animation shop, w00t! And I'm happy to say The Action Station is now open to all following a successful opening yesterday! We popped in briefly today say hi to Dylan Coburn the owner and was welcomed with a grand handshake and a run-down on what he'd love to see. Dylan has worked in the animation industry for sometime and wanted to have a place those like him could come, sit, catch-up on the latest industry news and peruse top notch animation focussed books. Dylan at work in The Action Station (Miramar, NZ) It's definitely going to have a very laid back vibe and, with Dylan having a space to do his work, I can easily see it becoming a great source of inspiration for the kids of Miramar that are thinking of letting all those creative urges fly free - we are the heart of Wellywood ;) Oh, and it's never going to

Having just read  Don Brash: a turbulent private life ( Stuff, 10th April, 2014 ) I find Don Brash's underlying misogyny (as I read it) very depressing, far more than his cries of, "Oh woe is me, I work too hard [but that's not a bad thing is it, eh eh, wink]" The first statement that made me reel a little was this: She not only bore me two wonderful children ... Maybe that's just language from the 1950s coming through and doesn't mean what I think it does - good little pack horse, did her job well! But this: ... there is an awful lot of adultery going on. And perhaps that is why devout Muslims require women to be covered from head to toe. ... It seems to me that the great majority of human males are programmed to find women sexually attractive, and that programming goes way back in evolutionary time. ... ... there is an extremely powerful biological urge which most men have to learn to control. Really, it's a woman's place to ensure she doe

What's the cliche everyone spouts about public speaking, something about people being more stressed about public speaking than dying  and therefore they'd rather be in the box than giving the eulogy. Not so for me, I am at home there on stage with a well prepared and rehearsed talk that interests me and I know is new, in parts, to the audience. But it's been a while since I upped and spoke. I think it may have something to do with the last talk, an Ignite session entitled " Paul Henry Wants Me To Be Your Governor General ". The talk I delivered to a packed Paramount audience however was not the one planned and rehearsed as I got out onto the skinny branches and changed it completely the morning of the event. And if you know how Ignite talks work you know that's not a normal state of affairs. All in all I didn't disgrace myself, got something off my chest and still manage to look attendees in the eye to this day. But I took a step back from speakin

It's no secret that Peter Jackson owns the original Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car and every year he lends it out to a series of events in town. One of those regular events is the Seatoun School Gala to which the family trotted along to this morning. Enjoy the steampunk-ness of the car ...

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A seaside celebration of beer, food and music. 1-5pm, Sunday 23 February , Worser Bay Boating Club, Seatoun [ map ]. Entry gold coin donation Now in its fifth year, Summerfest is a family-friendly afternoon of great tastes - matching great food from the Peninsula with the best of New Zealand beers: Tuatara , Garage Project and Parrot Dog. It’s all accompanied by on-site advice from beer raconteur and National Radio commentator Neil Miller . Wellington’s Huckle & Co is the newest culinary addition to Miramar Peninsula’s annual boutique food and beer festival, Summerfest, Wellington’s coolest little designer fish ‘n’ chip shop has recently opened in Seatoun and will be adding to Summerfest’s seaside charm alongside Wellington (and Weta’s) favourite Mexican restaurant, La Boca Loca . Summerfest will also be fuelled by the fabulous sounds of Wellington indie band Claude Rains . For children, there’ll be snacks and drinks available throughout the afternoon. There’ll also be beac

Only 245,125 Kiwis that don't have any way of you talking them without getting off yo ass and visiting them