Simon at The Opinionated Diner posted this old Peter Urlich music video, from a time in 1989 when Urlich was being pop/funk act called B Cup: The song isn’t really worth listening to, but I found myself strangely drawn to the non-Urlich visuals in the video: shots of downtown Auckland, people drinking coffee, smoking cigarettes, [...]
The day I flew into Hamilton Airport, there was a photo of me in the Waikato Times. These two events were not related (the photo accompanied a story originally from the Dom Post on the popularity of traditional pastime activities, including the bowling league I was part of) but it was a little spooky to [...]
It’s a Saturday. I’m in Raglan. I have nothing better to do so I’m live-blogging the general election. 7.05 So I’ve decided to live blog the election results. I’m at my parents’ watching the election coverage on TV1, natch. 7.09 I voted earlier today at the Michael Fowler Centre (chosen for its splendid architecture). I [...]
The first time I heard of Barack Obama, I had three thoughts about him: That as he was a dirty filthy chain-smoker, I had no respect for him. That as I couldn’t relate to the “Obama Girl” video, he was obviously not up my alley. That there was no way a guy with the middle [...]
Exhibit A: Funkmaster George Clinton’s 1993 single Paint the White House black: It seems incredible to think that when that song came out – only 15 years ago – the idea of a black president seemed like wishful thinking. Back then, the other Clinton, Bill, was the newly elected pres and he was a friend [...]
The chimpanzees in the zoos do it. Some courageous kangaroos do it. Let’s do it – let’s fall in love. “Let’s Do It, Let’s Fall in Love” – C. Porter I went to Wellington Zoo on Labour Day. My immediate instinct was to compare it with Auckland Zoo, in which case I will note that [...]
Hallowe’en; I was having dinner with my brother in a Malaysian restaurant on Cuba Street. As the evening went on, various people dressed in Halloween costumes walked along Cuba Street. But then I realised something: virtually all of them were dressed as zombies. Some of the zombies banged on the front window of the restaurant, [...]
Upper Hutt – part 3 of an occasional series on greater Wellington suburban areas Saturday was a miserable rainy, gale-force-windy day, so my visiting bro and I decided to go to Upper Hutt. After all, when one goes to Upper Hutt, one ought to take a posse. I’d never been there before and wasn’t sure [...]