Quentin McDonald

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zenith_...

Pretty sure this, along with a number of places , was run by the ZAP cult.

You’ll be able to apologise in person because they will call you regularly from now until the heat death of the universe.

Fine with their mission but their fundraising is dubious imo.

A friend speaks very highly of the overlocker available at Tūranga. No word on whether they have firewood but I suppose once we enter the book-burning era we seem to be heading towards...

What the HELL is happening with the new school curriculum? Over and over again, I've had emails and messages from parents asking me about the new curriculum. I tried to get my head around it, but just had more questions than answers. So I teamed up with my fr...

This is an *excellent* summary of the issues with the new curriculum.

What the HELL is happening with the new school curriculum? www.emilywrites.co.nz/what-the-hel...

Have used CityHop for cargo van recently ( and again this coming weekend). The app worked fine. Not so much going carless but certainly going tow-bar-less in my case.

Sort of like the Stephenson/Gibson cyberpunk vision but way stoopider.

Or were we just too young to know otherwise?

From a ship! First I’ve heard of that one.

I suspect the fact this has been transferred to the Ministry of Environment will be taken by Nigel as "proof" that the EPA knows about weather control in AoNZ and the MOE is suppressing it.

We are likely at the maximum of Solar Cycle 25 but it will decline slowly over the next few years. There may well still be some big events to come.

If you've ever tried to sell anything on an auction site then you get some sense of the issue from all the "what colour is your blue bike?"-type questions.

I think there's not a good understanding of MMP. As if perhaps voting Green might "defeat" Labour and let National in.

Also this idea we must even have a Labour party as the major left party until the end of time. Parties do come and go (see the UK).

From all available evidence I don't think Chuck Schumer understands the Chuck Schumer thing.

This is an excellent read. Sadly perhaps our "No. 8 wire" attempt to do things on the cheap falters when faced with the hard reality of space.

Do we know the mean rate of failure of comparable satellites? Sounds like a project with some level of risk even when done better.

Govt's climate strategy: Let it burn Comment: The Government has relentlessly pursued policies that boost climate pollution – even if they cost more or jeopardise NZ's reputation, Marc Daalder writes

Paywall lifted: At every turn, the Govt has opted for whatever would actually lead to more pollution and a warmer world – even if it costs more, jeopardises NZ’s reputation, overturns a campaign promise or clashes with the Govt’s other priorities.

The long retreat:
newsroom.co.nz/2025/11/07/g...

Fireworks going loud on Hackthorne at the neighbours and it’s not even fireworks night !! No consideration to neighbourhood pets 🐶🐾 Looking forward to Winston Peters banning the sale of them to the public !!!

From neighbourhood FB page. I have to admit Winston is some type of genius in this respect.

I suspect psychologically it's politically advantageous to give people something *tangible* that serves of a constant reminder of Govt. largesse.

cf "Gold Card"

Kia ora e hoa mā. I'm pleased to announce that I'm coming out of retirement to take up the role of Chief of Staff role for the Green Party in Parliament (think Malcolm Tucker, Leo McGarry). I'm not moving away from Te Tai o Poutini, but just now going the process of setting up a 2nd home in Wgtn.

That will be the end of a quiet night in the snug, mark my words.

Many, many years ago there was a National MP who proposed axing the airport fire services “because they’d never saved a life”.

They just have no imagination.

I got up a ladder , full stretch like a nightmare from an ACC ad, to "rescue" our previous cat Boris from the crook of our very large cabbage tree. Many times after that I saw him nimbly climb down from that point. I think he just wanted to see me climb up to him one time.

Mr 20 started his first full time job today. One thing tertiary education doesn't prepare you for is how much modern working life is "meetings". His calendar is hilarious.

Great job.

That section on "Right Wing Criticism"... 🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮
(no reflection on the author of course). "Racist criticism" might have worked just as well.

Beautiful! Thanks for the implicit suggestion of an account to follow. Been starved since @floatingworlds.bsky.social stopped posting.

Agree totally and hopefully there’s sufficient ethnic diversity in NYC for this to be laughed at. Also if this is the level of “gotcha” they have on him he’s not doing too badly.

I was playing Part 2 at volume last night while making dinner and Mr 20 comes in and tries to mock me for listening to "old school" Devo.

Hah, jokes on him. I was proud to say it's a brand new album from a talented young Ao/NZ artist that he'd never heard of.

My wife always says “My first husband”. I assume she means I’m #1

How much are dem Doggies in the Window then?

Early morning image of a white cruise ship with a dark blue hull steaming into a very calm harbour. In the background is a steep sided green hillside, partly quarried. Above is a pale blue early morning sky.

One of the world's great migrations - the seasonal return of the cruise ships to Whakaraupō/Lyttleton harbour.