Two Pied Stilts at the beach today: one doing yoga and the other taking a bath. 😆 🐦
Speaking as a person who does not live and has never lived in any kind of combat zone, I believe the single biggest threat to any human on this plant is climate change. Threat of climate change downgraded in defence force plan | RNZ News:
The 2025 Defence Capability Plan downgrades climate change to two mentions in a single paragraph - both about climate change posing a threat to Pacific Island countries.
The plan is a blueprint for how the government will invest $12 billion over the next four years for a "modern, combat-capable" New Zealand Defence Force.
It said New Zealand was facing "the most challenging and dangerous strategic environment in decades".
$12 billion could do so much good in this world …
So many quotable parts in the article about Mae West, but I chose this one. I had no idea Mae West was so interesting and staunch. Forgotten Hollywood: Mae West:
She refused to wear the costume department’s diamonds and wore her own real ones. “They only had fakes and I couldn’t have them next to my skin. They’d have given me a rash.”
Bit of a headache this afternoon and very slightly concerned about a bit of red in the corner of one eye, so I looked for a Favourite photo. This Kea from 2007. Possibly taken at Arthur's Pass. 🐦
Watch the 8 minute video of Hannah Einbinder — it's such a powerful speech.
Via Dorothy Surrenders: My Weekend Crush:
Hannah Einbinder should be rapidly becoming your favorite outspoken queer celebrity. Not just because she is openly queer and extremely talented and very funny and, yes, hot. But because she speaks out on what she believes. Speaks passionately, speaks clearly. Does not suffer bullshit. Uses her privilege and her platform for more than just glorifying herself.
While cleaning up my hard drive I stumbled on Xena: Warrior Princess, S01E15: Warrior … Princess and it was a very fun watch.
This is one of several episodes where Lucy Lawless plays Xena, but also plays Xena playing a princess, Diana. And Diana playing Xena.
She's brilliant!
I do like this author. I can't believe this is already Book 4 of 5. Death in the Hills (The Malvern Mysteries Book 4) by Kate Wells. 📚
When Jude Gray and DI Binnie Khatri join a local walking group, their expectations for a peaceful outing to the Malvern Hills takes a grim turn. Arguments abound, and the hike ends in tragedy when one of the walkers is found dead in her car.
A tiny group of vocal feminists set back women's autonomy
As a lifelong lesbian feminist one of the things I want most in the world is for people to stop telling me who I am and how I can be.
bigger issues
apart from the obvious things like everyone having nutritious food, clean water, shelter, safety and an environment that supports lifeSo I see it as a massive own-goal by a small but very vocal group of misguided feminists to push those in power to confine and restrict our lives. What all people should be doing, in my opinion, is pushing to open up our lives, to be able to self-determine.
This post occasioned by these recent events:
Coalition directs Health NZ to stop saying 'pregnant people' | RNZ News:
"It is important that we have clarity about the people we are referring to when talking about women's health. Sex-specific language ensures that women know what health services they are entitled to and can access these easily, especially for those women with English as a second language."
"Clear language should be used in all documents and communications that refer to health issues specific to females."
How insulting to women! As if a woman can't figure out "I'm a person, I'm pregnant, this info is for me". Or maybe women aren't considered to be 'people' …
The UK Supreme Court has ruled that the legal definition of a woman should be based on biological sex; and Judges at the UK Supreme Court have unanimously ruled that a woman is defined by biological sex under equalities law.
All kinds of wrong!
For hundreds of years women in my parts of the world have fought to win me the right to vote, to have a career, to choose my own course in life, to wear the clothes I choose, to take part in public life, to borrow money, to love other women … so many choices in life.
These declarations and pronouncements are a huge step back and no feminists should be supporting them.
Answer Engines vs Search Engines — AI Answer Engines Are Worth Trying:
Search Engines: Formulate your search, Review the results list, etc etc etc.
Answer Engines: Ask your actual question. …
Ultimately, only you can determine whether you’ll find an answer engine effective. It will depend on what you’re trying to achieve and how well you can refocus your brain to ask questions instead of performing keyword searches.
Abut 700 Km away Ex-Cyclone Tam is wreaking havoc on the north of the North Island (where we'll be living before long):
Meanwhile at Waikawa Beach it's overcast and so calm there's only one wave breaking.
My video for the Pacific Wave Appreciation Society is disappointingly blurry. 🌊
In the last 65 days rainfall added about 8,000 litres to our water tank. That covers about 30 days of use.
That's why for the first time ever the water tanker returned today, within just a couple of months, to add another 12,000 litres. 💦
At least we won't run out over Easter.
I believe tomorrow the pre-wire of our new house will take place. Meanwhile, here's our front door from the inside. Photo by the builder. 🏡
I almost exclusively use Safari on my Mac and for years have watched TV shows via Safari. Since the latest Mac OS update though (to Sequoia 15.4) I can't stream any videos at all. I can watch YouTube just fine, but nothing from TVNZ, Acorn, Netflix or others.
All kinds of troubleshooting has failed.
I feared A Case for the Winemaker (Ainsley McGregor Book 1) by Candace Havens would fall into the dumb cops / smart amateur groove, but luckily it avoided that trap. 📚
Ainsley is surprised by how well things are going–right up until the moment her Great Dane finds a dead body. With her friend accused of the murder, it’s up to Ainsley to find the real killer.
I quite enjoyed it.
Luckily our Netflix sub didn't cancel when it was supposed to so we got to watch the excellent show North of the North 📺 :
A young Inuk mother tries to reinvent herself after a spontaneous and extremely public exit from her marriage with the town's golden boy in a tiny, tight-knit Arctic town.
Fun, funny and delightful. I so hope there will be a second series.
The other day I cooked The Best Chicken Soup You'll Ever Eat | Ambitious Kitchen and it was delicious.
Somehow the celery fell off the shopping list and I suspect I used less fresh ginger than suggested (it's so hard to grate). This was also the first time I'd heard of or used Pearl Couscous.
Yummy!
D.B. Borton's Two Points for Murder (The Cat Caliban Mysteries Book 2) is a fun lightweight book. 📚
No task is too small for a detective-in-training, so Cat takes on the routine task of finding the lost kitten of a heartbroken boy. But the case takes a surprising turn when she discovers a mysterious notebook.
The new case centres on a basketball team, so there were a few pages of detailed descriptions of games where I understood not a single word. 🤣
Wow, something I'd never thought of, but insurance makes sense — Add Protection from Scammers with Cybercrime Insurance - TidBITS:
We all hope we are clever enough to recognize malicious interactions, but criminals are becoming ever better at exploiting our worst fears, triggering our panic responses, and reeling us in. …
If it can happen to a security expert like Troy Hunt, it can happen to anyone.
In the last few days our new house gained windows and doors. I've processed the photo from the builder to bring out the red of the new front door. 🏡
Turns out my flu and Covid jabs are a bit harder to get over than I expected. I need to remember that as we age it takes just that bit longer to recover from anything. Today my neck's really stiff — more so than yesterday.
Taking things easy …