Ive been watching the TV+ series Dear… Its uplifting and inspiring. Each episode looks at the life of a well-known person, and interweaves extracts from letters from people whose lives have been profoundly changed by that person. So far: Oprah Winfrey, Stevie Wonder et al.
Just rewatched the 14 minute SciShow video There Are More Than Two Human Sexes which so clearly explains why XX and XY are just the extremes on a spectrum. There’s so much more to both sex and gender than we originally thought.
Niue The World’s First ‘Dark Sky Nation’ 🇳🇺
the International Dark-Sky Association … announced an important world-first … the tiny South Pacific nation of Niue is the first country to be formally accredited as an International Dark Sky Place.
This is perfect — I love Niue!
Geraldine farmers go to bat for endangered species
[farmers] planned to cut down a row of willows at their property near Geraldine until they discovered a colony of critically endangered long-tailed bats/pekapeka had made the old trees their home.
NZ’s only native land mammal…
Fungi at the beach — a benefit of driftwood. Sometimes I think Ive learned nothing about taking photos over the last decade. Then I realise in the past I would have taken this boring and useless top-down wide photo. Now I know to get in close and level. Pleased with it. 🍄
A huge downside to committing to learning a bunch of songs / waiata in the Māori language / Te Reo Māori: Ive had several of them in my head on a perpetual loop for at least 24 hours now. Combined with insufficient sleep and intrusive tinnitus I may well spontaneously combust!
Kiwi company Lanaco makes wool face masks, used in bushfires and for Covid-19. They even bred sheep specially, to get the wool just right. Now they’re off into space: 🇳🇿 🚀
the official suppliers for critical air supply filtration on [NASA]’s next mission to the moon and Mars
Warm fronts? Cold fronts? This 5.5 minute video from the UK MetOffice explains well: What are weather fronts?. 🌦
It was linked from a free course I’ve started working through: Come Rain or Shine: Understanding the Weather.
For Micro Monday let me recommend @dejus , a Kiwi living in the US who keeps us entertained with his wonderful photos: Flock Friday, Throwback Thursday, Caturday, his building projects, such as the vege garden and duck house, his bees and even more. 👍
What fabulous news for Aotearoa New Zealand re Covid-19 today: 🦠
active cases: Zero
28 February to 08 June 2020:
confirmed cases: 1154
total confirmed and probable cases: 1504
recovered cases: 1482
virus-related deaths: 22
(Not good for the 22 who died, of course. 😒)
Waiata #4 to learn: Ko Mātou
Ko mātou, te rōpū mahi e
Ko mātou, te rōpū mahi e
Ka papaki noa
Ka titiro noa
Ka tutuki noa
Ka kikini noa
Kei te aroha
Ki ngā taonga
Te iwi Māori e
In English:
This is our group
This is our group
Clasping
Admiring
Reaching out
And touching
With appreciation
The treasures
Of our people
Note: it's the same tune as "Yellow Bird".
We really enjoyed watching Netflix ☛ Space Force 📺
Space Force is a workplace comedy series that centers on a group of people tasked with establishing … the United States Space Force.
Hmmm, Feedbin has been down for hours now. I’m missing my RSS feeds…
Waiata #3 to learn: E toru ngā mea
E toru ngā mea
Ngā mea nunui
E kī ana
Te Paipera
Whakapono
Tūmanako
Ko te mea nui
Ko te aroha
In English:
There are three
Great things
That are spoken of
In the Bible
Faith
Hope
And the greatest of all
Love
This is an inspirational waiata about the importance of guiding your life by the principles of faith, hope, and love — aroha. Aroha means more than simply love — it can mean caring and sharing and also supporting people.
This waiata can be sung unaccompanied. It is in the call and response style and needs a strong singer to lead it. Alternatively, use two groups and then swap their parts.
At 13.5 Oshi has developed arthritis so now visits the vet quite often. 🐶 He has 1/2 a Carprieve anti-inflammatory pill with each meal, has had 4 weekly Arthropen injections for cartilage repair and joint lubrication (more to come) and is switching to Hills j/d biscuits. 💲💲
I read Bullets and Beads (A Miss Fortune Mystery Book 17) by Jana DeLeon. 📚
Can Fortune, Ida Belle, and Gertie manage to evade the killers long enough to figure out why Dwight has returned from the dead?
Another very enjoyable read in the series, and a bit different too…
In 2010 I bought a basic Avanti bike that served me well. In 2018 I bought a much better bike so this was relegated to towing the dog trailer. Now I have an electric bike I’ll sell the ‘good’ one. I gave this to Bike Space Ōtaki a charity that gives them to folks who have a need.
At last, haircut day. Before (with 3 months growth) and after. Really enjoyed chatting with my hairdresser too. Turns out we both dislike the same Levin veterinary clinic we both no longer use.
I just don’t like the look of these clouds…
Waiata #2
The next waiata I want to learn is Hokihoki tonu mai:
Hokihoki tonu mai - Again and again she returns
Te wairua o te tau - the spirit of my beloved
Ki te awhi Reinga - from Reinga, for an embrace
Ki tenei kiri e - with this skin of mine
Ki tenei kiri e - with this skin of mine
Ka pinea koe e ahau - I will pin you to me
Ki te pine o te aroha - with the pin of love
Ki te pine e kore nei - with a pin that will never
E waikura e - rust away
E waikura e - rust away