Thanks everyone for your comments on my last post. Seems there’s nothing like a bit of self pitying quaffle to bring out the lurkers. Your comments have made me feel a lot more positive about my writing style. I know I’m never going to be the next Dooce, but that’s not what this blog’s about! [...]

I’ve realised recently that my blog is boring, not because I lead a boring self employed life, or because I am essentially boring - though both those things are probably true - but because my style of writing is inherently dull! Yes it’s true, I am a really crap writer. I thought about changing this [...]

Here is a very worrying account by two paramedics that were in New Orleans attending a conference when the hurricane struck.
As we approached the bridge, armed Gretna sheriffs formed a line across the foot of the bridge. Before we were close enough to speak, they began firing their weapons over our heads. This sent the [...]

I took Archie to the audiologist yesterday for yet another hearing test - we’ve been a bit worried as he has had an ear infection for five weeks now - but he passed with flying colours again. And according to the audiologist there is no way he’ll get any permanent damage from the ear infection [...]

Wynton Marsalis was on CNN last night, playing “St. James Infirmary” over pictures of the Katrina disaster, and it got me quite emotional. The scale of the human tragedy and the sadness of that beautiful city with such a vibrant culture is really overwhelming. Salon has some great articles:
Johnny White’s, located on the corner of [...]

I’ve got into collecting the All Blacks cards out of the boys’ Weetbix boxes. It’s strange because I’m not into rugby and don’t really know any of the All Blacks. But I can’t fight my instinct to collect things. I got very excited when I got Tana Umaga this morning - him I have heard [...]

I’ve got a nasty cold today - bleargh! And Jan has too so I’m not getting much sympathy.
Thus this is a lazy post where I post something written by someone else. Anyone who has ever had a child with Down Syndrome will be familiar with this piece by Emily Perl Kingsley (a writer for Sesame [...]

Argh! Just rang Reading Cinemas and the Serenity preview screening sold out in 45 minutes yesterday. I had no idea there were so many Firefly obsessives in Wellington… alas I will now have to wait until its proper release date on 10th November.
Boo hoo.

I am sad as I visited New Orleans a few years ago and it was a beautiful, astounding, atmospheric city and one of my favourite places in the USA. Not to mention its lovely people. Incredible that it is now 80% under water. It struck me as quite an impoverished city in certain areas and [...]

I went to see Rangi’s Catch at the Film Archive last night - a film written & directed by my grandfather in 1972. What a treat it was! A rollicking Famous Five-style NZ adventure, with escaped convicts, mud pools, the old cable car, every native NZ bird and more. And my mother had all sorts [...]