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Showing posts from January, 2022

Druids Chambers

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When I saw this photo I immediately thought of late 1960s / 1970s horror books and movies, especially those from the UK. The Wicker Man , or anything by  Dennis Wheatley . Why is this building on the corner of Lambton Quay and Woodward Street is called "Druids Chambers" because: The United Ancient Druids Lodge, established in Wellington in 1879 as the Excelsior Lodge, was a large Masonic order. Through its Friendly Society it was a major provider of social services to its many members and was an institution of considerable historic significance. Its members were drawn from many sectors of New Zealand society and the Wellington Grand Lodge, known as Druids’ Chambers, was their headquarters. Despite diminishing influence and a reduced membership in later years the society remained a significant organisation until wound up in 1995. [source: Wellington City Council ]

Omicron: Updated "Free things to do online for #StayHomeNZ"

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With the impending wave of Omicron about to exponentially flow across AoNZ I have updated " Free things to do online for #StayHomeNZ " document with "Preparation for #Omicron" - all part of the COVID19 in NZ resources page .

The Changing Room Illusion

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This made me gasp out loud when I realised how much I had missed. I urge you to give it a go ... Author description: The Changing Room Illusion is an example of "graduate change blindness," a phenomenon in which observers are unable to notice changes to the world around them when those changes occur gradually. In virtually all prior cases, gradual change blindness is studied by changing individual objects (e.g., a chimney disappearing or a facial expression shifting). While trying to prepare a novel example of this phenomenon for students, I realized that I could change dozens of items change without observers noticing. Overall, this illusion highlights how people may actually perceive and remember far more of the world around them than they intuitively realize.

Art Deco Windows

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Or maybe they are 1980s style window decorations. As seen when you look up at James Smiths Corner (corner of Manners Street and Cuba Mall, Wellington).

Window Ledges

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Window ledges of 86 Customhouse Quay, Wellington.

When I Grow Up

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"I want to be as big as my friend at number one, when I grow up!", declared the excited young number fifteen gazing up at the tall black tower. From " Tall buildings of Wellington ", by M Riversdale aged 54½

Under The Bridge

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Who lives under the bridge awaiting the three Billy goats Gruff , that's right, the Troll.

Hey Dad, One Year Already

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One year on, already. So much happens, the world changes, our lives go on, and it's even easy to forget that Dad was around. Easy to forget until a Status Quo song comes on, or ABBA. Until I laugh in a particular way, or pick my nails as he used to. Someone will say something small and I will be held for seconds in memory. People remind me that he's no longer around and I smile, "Yeah, one year on, already". The moments flow on without Dad, the universe reveals itself more and more, and we all trundle on.

Underbridge

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Under the bridge and far away.

Spectacular Summer Sunsets

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The summer sunsets as seen from Townsend Road in Miramar (Wellington, NZ) / Te Motu Kairangi (Te Upoko o te Ika a Maui, Aotearoa) can be quite spectacular and I collected quite a few over the years living there.

Disaster

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A moment in time, a shriek, a heart stopping crash before the evening is all gone. What a disaster.

Contemplation

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It's powerful to have such a beautiful place to go ponder the world and ones place within it.

RIP Mr Death

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21 years is young eh. The surname is always gonna catch people's eye as they peruse the graveyard. I used to work with a Mr De'Ath, I think it was really Mr Death but the family had got fed up with the silly questions.

Sausage On A Stick

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A classic rugby feast is the sausage on a stick and a punnet of very salty chips smothered in sauce. This isn't one of those sausages.

Time Taken, 12:54pm

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Photo taken on Sunday, 17 Feb 2019 at 12:54pm, seems the human sundial works.

Leafy Knob House

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You see what you want to see eh, fnarr fnarr.

Naked Man Memorial

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Look, I'm sure there's some deeply innocent, ancient, and symbolic reason that Henry Edmund Holland (1919-33), Leader of the Labour Party, has a naked man as a memorial in the Bolton Cemetery. I'm sure there is, but you know what, I just can't grasp it. Front: THIS MONUMENT IS DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF HENRY EDMUND HOLLAND LEADER OF THE LABOUR PARTY 1919-33 TO COMMEMORATE HIS WORK FOR HUMANITY. HE DEVOTED HIS LIFE TO FREE THE WORLD FROM UNHAPPINESS. TYRANNY AND OPPRESSION Back: ERECTED BY PUBLIC SUBSCRIPTION TO THE MEMORY OF HARRY' HOLLAND BORN, 10-6-1868 DIED, 8-10-1933 THIS MONUMENT WAS UNVEILED BY THE PRIME MINISTER RHON. M.J.SAVAGE. 9TH OCT 1937.

Who Lives In Houses Like These?

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I am assuming it's two houses because there are two, clearly marked, letterboxes. Then again those doors close on each other so how can there be a wall on the inside separating the two places? As for the grey prison aesthetic, weird. So where are these two doors, according to the data it's somewhere at the bottom of Brooklyn Road (Wellington), but a Streetview scan didn't help me find the exact doors and I have no memory of ever being around there taking photos, this was February 2019, a lot has happened since then 🤔

Skull Push

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All you need to do is "Push" to find out what is beyond the welcoming skull.

Government Sanctioned Art

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On the site of the suspiciously burnt down Broadcasting House next to NZ Parliament and surrounded by brutalist office blocks there is Bolger Park with, art. I like the sculptures , but they are definitely of a type.

OMG, Old People Are Sneaky Fuckers

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I distinctly heard an "old man" at Burger King, as he cupped his hand around his ear and lean in, "What is that my dear, speak up, a what you say, isn't that free with my meal?". It wasn't free with his meal, he should've paid for it, and he was absolutely aware of that. He did however get the free addition to his meal, coz you know, young people like to do nice things for old people. I'm a shocker eh.

When Communism Works It Works Amazingly

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The island nation struggles to keep the lights on but has inoculated 90% of population with home-developed vaccines. It's a funny old world eh ... no, I take that back, we are a funny species while/whilst the actual world is just fine and dandy. We've come up with many ways of living together, working together, sharing the world with each other ... ok, we've come up with many ways of trying to get the most of everything for ourselves. We've given these differing ways names, feudalism, communism, or capitalism run via dictatorships, monarchies, and democracies, and in all manner of combinations alongside many many others ways of 'coming togethers'. None are perfect, none fit us 100%, none work at all times in all situations, and none are better or worse than the other. Some people like apples, some like bananas, some like bananas on holiday but not at work, some are only into chips and can't stand apples until all there is are apples. Cuba , is a full-on comm

How The Enigma Machine Worked

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I listen to the Bletchley Park podcast and of course they have talked extensively about the Enigma machine used by the Germans (and others) to code and decode their messages during World War II. However, listening to people talk about the machine, watch films about it, and even some attempts of explaining how it worked has never really had me grasp what the damn box actually did ... until the following video. This is simply the best explanation of how the Enigma code and decoding works, all in simple, slow motion, with loads of repeats and times to stop and think. I could now build an Enigma machine, but what would be the point as nowadays you could (possibly) break the code in minutes .

Cheers To You

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To everyone that is back at work, cheers to you.

Not The R101

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When I saw the "E101" on this Hataitai boatshed door I thought, that's the number of an airship that crashed, isn't it? No, that's the R101, of which I am now an Internet expert having read many pages of info about it and its final flight.

Damn Hippies

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Love a piece of hippy art along a coastline.

Confusing Warning Sign

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Is this a warning sign, blue pedestrian signs in Aotearoa New Zealand are ... warnings? Or maybe informational. With road signs it's very clear Compulsory signs tell you what you must or must not do. They are usually red or blue. [ source: Waka Kotahi, Main types of signs ] "usually', so they might be any colour you can think of. Anyway, the blue pedestrian sign is ambiguous but surely the symbol is clear ... so what would you do, not do, be ok the look out for?

Nothing A Little TLC Can't Sort

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The Point Of No Return

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When there's no going back from here, a moment we've all experienced one way or another.

5 Wellington Landmarks, Name Them All

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Can you spot all 5 Wellington landmarks, if so well done and leave your answers in the comments below. (click/tap the photo to see it full screen)

Future Postcard

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I suspect this 2019 photo would totally fit the scene today ... anyone in Wellingtontownland able to confirm?

Dramatic Sunset

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Astounding sunset in summer of 2019.

Bye Bro'

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The last time I saw my brother IRL, Wednesday 16th January, 2019 at 2:03pm.

Massive Playing Cards

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Genius pack of massive playing cards at Seumus's Irish Bar in Picton. The moment you pick them up you start smiling and laughing, it's just the way it is.

Legs And A Pool

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Back in January 2019 the top of the South Island roadtrip holiday had come to an end and it was one last night in a Picton hotel before we headed back on the ferry to Wellington.

Welsh Pub, But Not

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Closest I've come to a Welsh / South-West English pub in Aotearoa New Zealand is this. AoNZ is 18,750 km from Wales, so it's no surprise there aren't many.

2022 And A Theme Of "Abundance"

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My theme for the year labelled 2022 is " abundance " I will live in the world around me that already has an abundance of so many things, love, actual things, options, and adventures. 2022 though will see me consciously and actively choosing to be amongst it. What's your theme? This video was my mid-2021 inspiration for thinking in terms of themes: