3 minute video: Spoken word poem about racism in New Zealand

‘Yesterday I was African, today I am lost’, New Zealand student Takunda Muzondiwa tells the Auckland audience.

via Mihingarangi Forbes

I’ve started working on a new writing project of my own devising and have been throwing myself into it with enthusiasm. I doubt it’ll earn me any income, but I’m having so much fun doing something I love. It’s been a while…

First day of Winter; first winter fire. Oshi has the prime spot by the woodburner. Ares is on a chair by me. Sasha prefers things a little cooler. 🐈 🐶

Small white dog on a rug on the floor. Black cat on a stripy rug on a chair. Small black dog on a rug on the floor.

Those who don’t live in a monarchy might find this calendar of upcoming 21-gun salutes in Wellington amusing. Locals might find them interesting too. @herself : do you hear these across the harbour in Eastbourne?

List of 3 dates coming up soon when there will be a 21-gun salute in honor of Royal birthdays.

Back in the early oughts I wrote articles on stuff. I just rediscovered a link to one on my old blog. The WiseWomen mailing list and website was a great place for women web folk, managed and paid for by @dori . Unfortunately the domain has new owners and is now junk. 😒

Screenshot of my blog post linking to an article about CSS. Screenshot of Wise Women website with articles about baking and sewing.

If you enjoy a big laugh, are even faintly interested in language, spelling, writing, then treat yourself to The very logical reasons why we should make English spelling less logical. 15 minute video.

I forgot to watch the Budget so saw only the last 10 minutes. 😒 However, it seems the Government is putting money to mental health, child wellbeing, trains, Māori, education, climate change, hospitals … in other words, the right things. 👏

The quail are fine, but it feels like the universe is out to get them. Overnight some uncontrolled dog tried to dig under the cage. There’s a print of a big-dog paw in the freshly disturbed dirt. Too many folks around here don’t control their dogs closely.

Dog paw print in dug up sand.

Looks like we have a few days coming up that’ll fill the water tank, give the garden a good wetting and be fairly windy but no too cold.

Forecast showing 3 very rainy rather windy days coming up.

Kiwis: I love the wall dots from HappyMoose and now the price has dropped a heap:

we used to charge $29.95 for a set of four 15x15cm wall dots. Now you’ll pay just $19.47.

Here’s a not great photo of my latest lot above my bed.

3 photos of shags as circular decals on a green wall.

Sunset’s gift.

Very pink lenticular cloud. Above is blue sky. Below white cloud and sunlit paddocks.

Tom Scott’s latest NZ video: Testing A Zip Line That Goes Round Corners (5 mins) is another good one.

I had fun with Rotorua’s Canopy Tours zipline through native forest in 2013, (no corners). Photo: Me dangling from a zipline after finally unclenching my hands from the rope.

Me dangling for a zipline after finally unclenching my hands from the rope.

Overnight gales opened up the quail runs and I feared the worst at dawn when I saw the problem. Glee was sitting just outside and scuttled back in when I approached. Fliss was nearby and fortunately easy to catch. The other two hadn’t escaped. Whew! Secured now.

Chart showing maximum wind speed overnight of 71 kilometres per hour. Two halves of the quail palace, separated, with Glee nearby.Florence by the food bowl.

Neanderthals: Meet Your Ancestors is a brilliant documentary, full of science, motion capture, 3D printing, laser scanning, genetics, forensic reconstruction. If you like science, watch it. I’ve seen Episode 1 so far. Via RNZ Saturday Morning

Two new pest traps installed:

  1. Peanut butter on mousetrap inside catproof box for inside the Cat Palace.
  2. Egg inside weasel / stoat trap.

🤞

Mouse trap inside catproof box. Cage with pressure plate and trap door for stoats.

The dogs have reason to be glad I use Keyboard Maestro.

Screenshot of two Keyboard Maestro macros which remind me to feed the dogs at breakfast and dinner times.

This Micro Monday I’d like to suggest you follow these folks currently in Aotearoa New Zealand 🇳🇿. Because they’re Kiwis, so you know they’re good. 😇

This is very disturbing — look at the videos: Samsung’s Creepy New AI Can Generate Talking Deepfakes From a Single Image.

NZ’s first known war dog to receive posthumous medal 🐶

Ceaser left this country … in February 1916.

The dog carried a satchel on his back which contained writing paper and bandages.

“He dug an air-hole so the trapped man could breath, … and saved that man’s life.”

Whew. Now I’ve made 100 days for my longest move streak I can relax if I break it.

Apple Activity move streak badge.