Archive for the ‘Encouragement’ Category
Space Oddity (Chris Hadfield cover)
Commander Chris Hadfield has been a brilliant ambassador for Space exploration on board the International Space Station. His personality and engagement has shone through. This ‘cover’ of David Bowie’s song Space Oddity is wonderful. Millions have seen it and enjoyed it. I put it here as a tribute to Hadfield and Bowie. – P
‘What the hell is water?’
Wonderful video based on part of David Foster Wallace’s 2005 commencement speech at Kenyon College. Featuring the lovely Jaycie Dotin. More background on the DFW speech and the video from producers The Glossary available here. – P via John Gruber
Nice – Positive compilation of Russian dash cams
via @CateOwen
#NativeAffairs: well-paced TV current affairs, following issues that matter
I watched Maori TV’s Native Affairs again last night: their first live debate for 2013 with politicians from all parties (except Peter Dunne) discussing a wide range of issues. I really enjoyed it. (You can see it here at the Maori TV website. I recommend you do.) I described Maori TV as “this country’s last [...]
‘Any extreme is the wrong place to be.’
I saw this interchange on Twitter today (that doesn’t make it ‘news’) and agreed with the conclusions. Having myself just said to a commenter here: It’s foolish to judge a ‘side’ by its extremists, as I’m sure you agree. A beehive staffer I follow on Twitter reported her Minister received an “Email from the NZ [...]
David Bowie’s influence on acceptance of gay ‘lifestyle’
I’ve just watched this fantastic BBC 4 documentary David Bowie and the story of Ziggy Stardust (below) about Bowie’s emergence as a global pop star and, more importantly, cultural sensation and groundbreaker. I had all his albums. (On vinyl. Not an exaggeration.) I recall feeling anxious for him when I saw how skeletal he looked [...]
Very cool Macbeth school production poster
How cool is this?: Shepard Fairey’s Obama HOPE poster spawned a style, almost a language … the controversy over his deceit about source materials notwithstanding. – P Via my friend Dagmar.
Our heroes are personal
Here are Judith Collins’ comments marking the death, at 87, of Margaret Thatcher. Good on her for laying out her thoughts and beliefs like this. Yes, some might see them as polarised and polarising. But they’re worth a read and convey an insight. Today, my facebook page will be devoted to Margaret Thatcher. I well [...]
Back from Hawkes Bay
I took off to the beach for a break over Easter, and got back tonight. Hawkes Bay still looks pretty damn dry to me with the drought, but a friend who is a local farmer told me things are greener — then mentioned he had gotten rid of all his stock to reduce his stress [...]
Morning and night
Someone asked me this week why I chose Howick as a place to live. Mainly because we had friends in the area, I explained, and being from Wellington, we needed to be close to the coast. This is the view from my kitchen yesterday morning and last night with the full moon. I find it helps [...]
Earthquake engineering in action
I spotted this building under construction in Manukau yesterday on my way to Whitcoulls Distribution Centre with boxes of books. I’m not the civil engineer in the family, but boy, look at the earthquake resistant support structure there! Those diamond-shaped frames at the right, and the massive reinforcing in the concrete wall beside the stairwells. If [...]
Rain, followed by an earthquake. Hello Auckland.
This rain is a blessed relief. The small earthquake centred on Motutapu Island apparently (er, just out the window) was not. Still, small potatoes compared to Christchurch. I can’t remember the last earthquake in Auckland. – P PS Here’s how the course looks ‘normally‘.
Contrasts
Top: Ruapehu (Mt Doom) on Friday on my way down country. Bottom: Sunday on my way back. What a contrast. – P Pix: Peter Aranyi. http://campl.us/ofW8
A wonderful NZ short film ‘The Six Dollar Fifty Man’
I hadn’t seen this … The Six Dollar Fifty Man from NZ Shorts on Vimeo.
The gutsy Amanda Palmer: The Art of Asking (TED)
It’s easy (and in some cases, almost fashionable) to knock TED Talks. I don’t care. I love and value them so much. Here’s the brave and visionary Amanda Palmer’s talk filmed in Feb 2013, posted March 2013. Gutsy. – P
