One of the Anzac Statues
It’s now Tuesday April 16, 2024. Kia ora!
It’s been a few days since I wrote, but several interesting things have been happening.
Last Friday JD and I went to our Art Group. The weather was truly awful: not cold, but raining consistently, with huge puddles everywhere. It was difficult to find somewhere to park, which rather interfered with my plan to get away in time for the cleaning lady from Access to come. In the event, there was a good turnout, and a lovely demonstration. JD and I did a joint effort! We didn’t stay for coffee afterwards, but we did get home in time for our visitor.
On Saturday there was an appointment, and then we had lunch at Peppermill Café – Eggs Benedict and oat milk lattés. I always find the food there delicious.
On Sunday morning I went to church, and afterwards I bought a beautiful bunch of flowers. I have bought one of these before, and they last for about two weeks! They are just so beautiful. A bunch of roses costs less, but they don’t last so long.
On Monday I went to Tai Chi again – it’s advertised as “Tai chi for beginners”, but it’s not like the Tai chi for beginners I used to do! Still, it was my second time there, and I did enjoy it more. It’s good to do some exercise! And I do try to remember to keep my knees “off lock”.
This morning I went to Bible Study – I John 3: 16-24. I enjoyed the discussion. Afterwards I caught buses home.
Locally, more crazy stuff is happening. Hundreds of staff are being let go from the public service. And yesterday the newspaper said that the government is considering a tunnel under Wellington. Huh? Who wants this? And there are many earthquake fault lines in the area. In this morning’s paper, there is a photo of Elon Musk, saying this is feasible if you spend enough money. Well, I’ve been criticizing many American voters as being crazy, but this too seems a crazy idea to me. Does no one ask what you want, any more? I suppose some consultants will write a feasibility study for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Over the weekend, there was a big drone strike from Iran against Israel. The US helped to shoot the drones down. One could watch this “strike”. The drones must have had to travel a long way! President Biden is advising Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to “take the win” (as in there’s limited damage and most of the drones were shot down). Meanwhile, Israel, as usual, claims the right to defend itself, and will do so at a time and manner of their choosing. The rest of the world holds its breath. And, by the way, if Israel has an Iron Dome, and these drones can be shot down, why is this not so in the larger cities of Ukraine? Bill Kristol wondered this in the Bulwark podcast this morning. Putin must be pleased, that despite difficulties, things are going his way, as he’s doing better in Ukraine, and tensions are high between Israel and Russian ally Iran.
Also, Donald Trump appeared in a New York court today on what is being called his “hush money” trial, where he repaid his then attorney, Michael Cohen, for paying off “Stormy Daniels” so she wouldn’t spill the beans on one of his extra-marital affairs right before the 2016 presidential election and just after the Access Hollywood tape emerged. News about this trial is emerging, but it seems that Sleepy Don fell asleep in court!
It’s now Sunday April 21st.
What’s been happening? In Trump’s New York so-called “hush money” case (after the E. Jean Carroll defamation case and the business fraud case), a jury and alternates have been selected, and we’re all agog – to see Trump finally in court (again!), and I think evidence will start to be presented. So that’s exciting. In other US news, the House of Representatives has passed a bill to fund Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan assistance. Although Mike Johnson’s role as Speaker is at stake, nonetheless he has put this bill forward, and I think there is a collective sigh of relief.
Last week was interesting. Hymn singing on Wednesday morning was very enjoyable. We sang, amongst other hymns, Psalm 23 to the tune Crimond. There were several of us who sang the descant to this! Afterwards I had coffee and a cheese scone with a friend, and then her husband gave me a lift home. I was determined to “do something” on Thursday, but it was not a good day. On Friday my cleaning lady was supposed to come, but I got a call from Access to say she’d called in sick. I appreciated their letting me know. JD decided to do his online entry application for our coming trip to Taiwan. This, of course, necessitated my finding several documents: our eldest son’s current employment, address and telephone number, the name and address of our hotel, and our flight details. I also noticed a record of our hotel booking in Auckland for the night before we fly to Taipei – it’s an early morning flight. We are flying on a Boeing 787: a whistleblower has issued serious warnings, but we flew on this plane last year, and although they’ve had some faults, they haven’t crashed and they’ve been able to fly to the nearest airport if needed. Anyway, it doesn’t really matter!
As our trip is getting closer, there are things one should do in preparation. It will be hot there, but cold here, so one has to pack both for hot and cold climates; furthermore, we’ll be spending a few days in Hawkes Bay (Hohepa Family Weekend), with a party too. Alas, I can’t find an “o” with a macron on this computer. This morning JD suggested that we courier a bag to Hawkes Bay to be left at the motel for our return. This may be a great idea.
On Friday I found our folder from last year, and combined all the printouts I’d like to take in a new folder. Come to think of it, I didn’t find the card with our hotel’s address on it. Must look again. Or harder.
Yesterday (Saturday) we went shopping. Although there were many things I didn’t buy, the bill still required me to enter my PIN when I presented my pay-wave card. However as JD reminded me, he’d bought two bottles of wine and some ice-creams.
We’ve been watching the television series “The Cazalets” on YouTube on television. It’s based on the series of novels by Elizabeth Jane Howard, which I tried to read at one time. It’s about an upper-middle-class family (not the nobility, as in Brideshead Revisited or Downton Abbey, but they do have an army of servants who seem to prepare meals, care for young children and the extensive garden. The series is about the effect of World War II on the family, and I would have to say that I am finding the television series is far more absorbing than the books. Why are war stories so absorbing? I guess they provide lots of drama, and they’re not quite as unpleasant as detective stories. I find most of the new series on Netflix impossibly annoying.
Following this we watched The Camomile Lawn on television, which was televised in 1992. I found this more watchable, as the characters’ behaviour was mostly more outlandish, but the series was quite believable. I even found a copy of the book it’s based on at home here,
This morning I went to church. It was cold and quite wet, although light rain had not been forecast, and I did not take a raincoat. The minister preached about loving God and loving one another, and giving one’s life up for another, as Jesus did for us, as opposed to people fighting in wars in the Ukraine and Israel. In these cases people may be persuaded into fighting for their country, which may or may not be a wonderful sacrifice, but it’s quite different from Jesus’ sacrifice for us. Furthermore, the war dead are not going to rise again on the third day.
It’s now Monday April 29.
This morning I went to Tai Chi again. I think I’m feeling slightly more familiar with it, although I do find it hard to follow at times, getting right and left mixed up. Last Wednesday there was another Te Reo class, and we studied Anzac Day again; we were all a bit lackluster, perhaps: I had already been to hymn singing, where we sang Anzac Day hymns, including the National Anthem – with the first verse sung in Māori. Afterwards I missed my bus home, so I had another cup of coffee and a Danish pastry with apricots and custard while I waited for the next bus.
Thursday April 25 was Anzac Day, but it was really windy here in Wellington, and the commemoration which was to be televised was cancelled. But there were photos and a video of our daughter at a commemoration at Clive Square in Napier, where it was fine and sunny and someone had thoughtfully laid out some chairs. It was not a nice day here.
On Friday someone came from Access to do some housework; on Saturday we went out and went shopping in the afternoon. The weekly tab was under $200, so I didn’t have to enter a PIN for my pay-wave card.
On Sunday morning I went to church, at Johnsonville Uniting Church this time; it was really an Anzac Day service.
Much of last week I was absorbed, like much of the US, with Trump’s trial in New York. The then CEO of the National Enquirer, David Pecker, gave a lot of evidence, which was extremely interesting. I think we’ve all learnt things we did not know previously, about the extent of the “catch and kill” operation, and, of course, some of the skirmishes between the perpetrators. There is no honour amongst thieves, the saying goes. And to think that Putin helped this guy too! This may be the only trial of Trump to be held before the Presidential election in November this year.
In juxtaposition, the US Supreme Court considered Trump’s lawyer’s arguments that his role as president rendered him immune from prosecution after his term. This has been kicked up to the Supreme Court, in another ridiculous feature of the American legal system. Other countries, such as France (Sarkozy) and Italy (Andreotti) have prosecuted their former leaders, and even imprisoned Sarkozy, and the sky hasn’t fallen in. Something prevents the US from prosecuting this guy, this “self-admitted sex pest”, as Colin Jost noted in his address to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Anyway, whatever happens, this trial and its evidence are extremely interesting and amusing at times. Former RNC Chair, Michael Steele, cracks up laughing at times.
British politics podcast, The Rest is Politics, have started another podcast called The Rest is Politics US, hosted by the UK’s Katty Kay (who also features on MSNBC’s Morning Joe), and Anthony Scaramucci. Well, guys, I used to have some respect for you, but Scaramucci? Really? I cannot listen to him, and he has no credibility for me. I’m sure there’ll be plenty of other news sources. I have to keep listening to the promo – about “parlitics”. How very annoying.
The US Congress has finally passed a bill granting funding to Ukraine. It seems that the Russians have been doing rather well, although according to JD they’re losing many young men – up to 1,000 a day. In the US, there are protests on many university campuses (campi?) about the situation with the war in Gaza in Israel. These are pro-Gaza for the most part, and there is a degree of anti-Semitism. Many students have been arrested – there’s a sense that the authorities don’t know what to do. What is to be done? It’s a dreadful situation. As Bernie Sanders says, it’s not antisemitic to question Prime Minister Netanyahu. Slava Ukraini! Ngā mihi nui.
Classic Barbarian 