Joan Sutherland’s last farewell

Dame Joan Sutherland would have been 84 today.

(Lots of applause at the start, the singing starts at about 6:20)

It’s also Joni Mitchell’s 67th birthday which Quote Unquote marks with Hejira.

Green thumbs on Critical Mass

My wandering round the blogosphere for Critical Mass had a green-thumbed theme, visiting gardeners who blog.

Out from Under My Hat has gardening advice, musings and photos from Art Mama whose philosophy is live simply, love uniquely, learn abundantly, create beauty.

Heritage Irises is a celebration of these beautiful bulbs by Iris Hunter, from East Taratahi in the Waiarapa. I was hooked from the moment I read the quote at the top:

I appreciate the misunderstanding I have had with Nature over my perennial border. I think it is a flower garden; she thinks it is a meadow lacking grass, and tries to correct the error.
Sara Stein

The photos are stunning and accompanied by interesting background information.

Our Wee Farm is the work of Laura who shifted with her husband from a Glasgow townhouse to a 24 acre farm in Northland. Her posts cover their vegetable garden, animals, sewing, fishing, friends and recipes with lots of photos. She has also entered the 365 day photographic journey challenge – posting a photo a day which you can see at livelifelovethroughthelens.

We ran out of time to do justice to Robert Guyton, nurseryman, gardener, columnist and new Environment Southland councillor who celebrates a giant daikon (Japanese radish).

The inspiration for the green-thumbed theme came from Quote Unquote who started competitive gardening after reading about Dim Post’s Labour Weekend.

Stalkers and paraprosdokians

The risk of being stalked was the starting point for my chat with Jim Mora on Critical Mass this afternoon.

It was prompted by three posts by Brendan Moyle at Chthonic Wildlife Ramblings, starting with avoiding stalkers online.

We moved from there to paraprosdokians at Eye To The Long Run.

Next stop was White Sun of the Desert where we found phrases commonly heard but not to be believed in little white lies.

Hat Tip for that goes to Quote Unquote which is where we finished with a guest post from Graeme Lay on New Zealand English.

Did you see the one about . . .

Undo, cut, tape . . . wait that’s not right – old technology meets new at Something Should Go Here.

Graham Lay on New Zealand English – guest post at  Quote Unquote

My shoes don’t eat meat – Laughy Kate on vegan footwear.

The recession made us poorer – Macdoctor puts the blame where it ought to be.

Silver Ferns turn into golden ferns – RivettingKate Taylor shares her excitement.

Who is punching above their weight – Eye To The Long Run does the numbers on the Australian & New Zealand medal tally.

An alternative to Breakfast – the fifth of Keeping Stock’s daily posts for those missing Paul Henry.

If real wars were like trade wars -Cafe Hayek  shows how silly it all is (Hat Tip Anti Dismal). 

Who should pay for university – Anti Dismal on student loans.

Did you see the one about . . .

Brilliance from my very good friend Tim – Eye to the Long Run on paraprosdokians.

The importance of low inflation and tax cuts – Kiwiblog shows why wage rises aren’t enough by themselves.

You know you’re living in 2010 when. . .  Laughy Kate on 21st century life.

Stuck – Today Is My Birthday on the dangers of forgetting your key.

Not all social media is bad – Quote Unquote finds humour on Twitter.

Random Wodehouse quotes (Hat Tip: Beattie’s Book Blog).

Would moving NZ books help to move them?

Quote Unquote queried a Listener story which said only 6.1% of New Zealand books we bought were fiction.

He then did some research and discovered that figure was correct.

No doubt there are many reasons why we don’t buy much local fiction but I wonder if placement in shops is one of them?

General fiction is usually at the front of  book shops. The odd New Zealand book appears there among the foreign authors but most  New Zealand fiction is usually further back in a special section of its own.

I wonder if it would make any difference to sales  if books by  New Zealand authors were mixed up with general fiction?

If being by a local author is a selling point that could be acknowledged with a sticker the way prize winners are.

Word of the day

Boondoggling – the act of pretending to be busy.

Just one of the  words for stuff there aren’t words for.

Hat Tip: Quote UnQuote.

Did you see the one about . . .

Chinese Communism – Offsetting Behaviour on attitdues to trade.

“I’m going to kill him,” she shouts – Private Secret Diary spells out signwriting flaws.

Metropolitan police still ‘discriminating against clowns’ – from  News Biscuit- a recent find and very, very funny.

Analysis of a knee jerk with example – Andrei at NZ Conservative on the biology of politics.

Moose at sunrise – Robert Guyton finds art on the beach.

Lauraine Jacobs on restaurant reviews – Quote Unquote worries that chaos and confusion will follow.

Did you see the one about . . .

Chris Trotter on party central – Dim Post at his satirical best again.

I feel such a failure – Quote Unquote’s confounded by his chidlren’s cultural choices.

Just when you think we’re over the recessionary hump – Alf Grumble is worried about camel milk.

Packing myself – Today Is My Birthday shows bigger is better when it comes to suitcases.

Otago Museum Kiwiblog took time out from the International Science Festival to visit the museum.  He also did  the Speights Brewery tour and a Monarch cruise

Stimulus in pictures – Not PC  shows what the money didn’t do.

Why I’ve fallen behind on my reading – Karl du Fresne didn’t find much to like on television.

Did you see the one about . . .

New Zealand and Uruguay as sporting equivalents – Pablo at Kiwipolitico compares one small country where sport and agriculture are important with another.

Don’t admit them to hospital then – Macdoctor on the smoking ban for prisoners.

Star the second – In A Strange Land has a star chart to help her stay dry for July.

What makes us happy? Rivetting Kate Taylor on what really matters.

Sparks in the universe – Stellar Cafe on the bright ideas that get away from you.

What determines productivity? – Anti-Dismal on attemts toa nswer the big question.

Biology isn’t destiny but it affects your saving throws – Offsetting Behaviour on nature vs nurutre.

Trio – Quote Unquote on tree planting and muttering and purring.

Mines railways or jobs – Liberty Scott on unintended consequences.

Happy Birthday to us – Gooner at No Minister on the blog’s third birthday.

TraeMe hints – Oswald Bastable knows something but he’s not telling much.

Farewell to the Independent – Liberation bids the paper goodbye with a parody of Chirs Trotter’s writing.

Apropos of which is The Independent 1992 – 2010 at Bowalley Road. He also discusses the redefinition of protest in Russel’s tussle.

Did you see the one about . . .

 Going post-espresso with Chemex – Half Pie takes a scientific approach to coffee.

The tyrrany of power point – Alison Campbell at Sciblogs on the pluses and minuses of technological assistance in communication.

All White on the Night – Opposable Thumb takes us down several pegs.

Blocking out the still small voice – NZ Conservative on the necessity of boredom and also Churchill become non-smoker via air brush –  fags (of the tobacco kind) are censored but S&M isn’t.

The decline of civilisation – Not PC on questions. While there Roll it experimental housing- University of Karlsruhe is also worth a look.

A blog of one’s own – Schroedinger’s Tabby turns two.

Public Opinion – Quote Unquote on modern media.

Houston we have . . . . a lot of snow – Laughy Kate reports on gameshow recruits.

 At the end of the earth  Latitude 44 muses on cultural identity

Did you see the one about . . .

Milk and health: there aren’t always two (equal) sides to a story – what Alison Campbell at Sciblogs  learned at the gym; she also had a trip to the optometrists because of flashes in the eye.

John Freeman on Shrinking the World – Quote Unquote learned about slow communication at Writers and Readers.

Finger tutting – Ozy Mandias Warning on geometircal dexterity.

Heritage Irises – a blog celebrating irises which gives a promise of spring to brighten winter.

Four essential questions for government – Inquiring Mind on the need to focus on benefit and value.

Murphy’s Law – RivettingKateTaylor had one of those moments when Toyota isn’t strong enough.

At the risk of stirring old broth – Laughy Kate has a number joke which leads to a number of others in the comments.

Book sales, frumpy readers and mental rotation of book titles – Grant Jacobs from Sciblogs went to the Regent Theatre 24 hour book sale.

Congratulations to the Visible Hand in Economics on 1000 posts .

And an announcement that Agridata has moved to interest.co.nz

Did you see the one about . . .

Want to win $100,000? rivettingKateTaylor has a run down on the National Bank Young Farmer of the Year finalists. 

Death shapes us all – Alison Campbell at Sciblogs finds death contributes to life.

She also looks at sensing nonsense and gives the reporter an F for assertions not based on facts.

Dig in or adapt. The effect of political views on changing one’s mind – still at Sciblogs, Darcy Cowan looks at the persistance of political misperceptions.

What would I like to see . . . Adolf at No Minister gives his Budget requests.

Day 13 – done! – there’s a new kitchen at In A Strange Land.

Unemployment solved!! Anti Dismal isn’t convinced.

ELEPHANTÉ  Today Is My Birthday on miniature elephants  (Hat Tip Sentence of the day from Quote Unquote).

Did you see the one about . . .

A new literary genre – Quote Unquote on reading matter for the more mature.

Feliciy Ferret – Quote Unquote disects a media rodent  – prompting Cactus Kate to Bow to the Master.

I guess we’ll never know then – Something Should Go Here on the worst thing about censorship

Return of the Wowser – Bowalley Road diagnoses the alcohol problem.

RIP Fair Go – Brian Edwards has good reason to be in mourning.

Last Words Nana – Craft is the new black on living, and laughing, until tomorrow.

Did you see the one about. . .

Burning down the house –  David Slack at Island Life nearly did.

10 quirky science tricks for parties – exactly what it says from Peter Griffin at Sciblogs .

We don’t know how lucky we are – Ofsetting Behaviour reminds us that a simple GST is better.

Chicken pop hole – toilet humour at Private Secret Diary.

Does anyone still work in Wellington? – Quote Unquote’s observations on a trip to the capital.

Broad sweeping generalisations – Laughy Kate on visiting the aunts.

Hilarious – Opposable Thumb isn’t amused by comedy festivals.

Did you see the one about . . .

Italy versus Cambridge – Quote Unquote on cultural differences.

KASS Music Gem(s) of the Day and Their Antipodes: Top of the Pops, 1951/2009 Lindsay Perigo at SOLO demonstrates how music has degenerated in his lifetime.

The end of the road – Rivetting Kate Taylor’s been tiki touring.

Labour MPs in 2009 – Kiwiblog ranks the Opposition and reranks them at More Labour Rankings.

Getting stuff done – Lindsay Mitchell on being motivated by laziness.

Fonterra lets out groans – Cactus Kate doesn’t have an issue with foreign ownership of NZ dairy farms.

I’m still standing – Kismet Farm is dealing with chemotherapy and home renovations.

Satistkick me – Opionoinated Mummy does the numbers on cognitive tests (a follow up to Kick Me on the horrors of the recruitment process.)

Revolution Is In The Air – the latest in NOt PC’s regular posts on works of art.

Just at thought but – Inquiring Mind wonders how far anti-whalers carry their opposition to things Japanese.

Did you see the one about . . .

Think tank + teach tank = sea change – John Ansell reckons it’s time for the right to use the power of emotion. While you’re there you might find how to say my hovercraft is full of eels in 76 languages entertaining, if not useful.

Foreign investment explained – the Visible Hand in economics fights feelings with facts. He also has an excelent example of price discrimination.

Organ Markets – Offsetting Behaviour on letting donors come before non-donors.

Inglorious grammar – Something Should Go Here laughs at grammar Nazis.

Academic writing in one lesson – Anti Dismal has a wonderful Calvin & Hobbes cartoon.

Cut funding better results – Cactus Kate finds under funding leads to success.

Nigel Cox on C.K. Stead followed by the prologue and the last post  – Quote Unquote has a tale of literary revenge.

Question time in the House of Lords. Seriously – Dim Post finds real Hanard transcripts imitating satire. He’s also had a horrible thought prompted by the end of daylight saving.

Fish for freedom – Phillip D at SOLO shows how a goldfish seller got stung.

Did you see the one about . . .

MSD misrepresenting statistics and misleading the public – Lindsay Mitchell does the numbers on youth homicides.

Trade and fairness – Anti-Dismal on why we’re fair to strangers we won’t see again.

A teaser – the Meurant chronicles – Roar Prawn whets the appetite for more of fishgate. She also finds a mine which makes her think Goff is a hypocrite.

Metrocentrism at Radio NZ – Quote Unquote notices that not everyone notices that sometimes bad weather is good.

Compulsory medical insurance – Kiwiblog finds it’s illegal to not ahve health insurance on one side of the border and illegal to have it on the other.

One perspective on mining conservation land – The Visible Hand in Economics has a picture which sums up the case from the antis.

40 after 55 – goNZo Freakpower passes a milestone and survives a stormy landing in Wellington.

Did you see the one about . . .

Must have an irony deficiency – Longinius Howard at Born On State Highway One laments the lack of irony.

Thank you for not expressing yourself – Theodore Dalrymple on the civility of silence.

It takes a village but not my one thank you very much – In A Strange Land on train troubles for travelling twins.

The Other Side of The Red Bus Lou Taylor at No Minister

Apropos of that: Labour’s latest taxpayer funded elecitoneering – Liberation reckons Labour hasn’t learned from the reaction to the pledge card rort.

Still on the same topic – Faster than a speeding tax  bus – Keeping Stock couldn’t keep up even when he edged over the speed limit.

The inheritance of face recognition (should you blame your parents if you can’t recognise faces) Grant Jacobs at Sciblogs – provides an excuse for facial recognition failures.

Graham Sydney in North Dakota – Quote Unquote finds nature imitating art imitating nature.

Celebrating pain relief – Opinionated Mummy on birth battles.

Tim Shadblot lays it bare – Southern Squall has an exclusive interview with Invercargill’s mayor.

What parking fines?! RivettingKateTaylor finds communication can counter fines.

The devil made me do it – Macdoctor’s not impressed by excuses.

Pukeko Bridge – Not PC shows there’s art in engineering.

The light dawns reality bites # 82 – Inquiring Mind on media priorities.

One year anniversary – Offsetting Behaviour celebrates his birthday with links to posts readers liked, and some the writerd did but readers didn’t. Also at Offsetting Behaviour – beer and revenue – how hatred led to better health.

Did you see the one about . . .

Unemployment – Something Goes Here has a cracker cartoon from Garrick Tremain.

A rural joke – Quote Unquote on sounds you hear on most farms (Though not Rob’s father’s).

Warning food is a choking hazard – Opinionated Mummy on the danger of warnings against danger.

How I became a Science teacher from Alison Campbell at Sciblogs and on a similar theme: Career Day – Rivetting Kate Taylor on how she got into journalism.

So good I stole it – Adolf at No Minister  and Dos and don’ts for cuddle class – Kiwiblog  illustrates in-flight etiquette.

Come take my stuff – Roar Prawn warns that technology can tell too much.

Top 10 at 10 Interest.co.nz has some funny cartoons among the serious stuff.

How not to define social sciences at Anti Dismal  . 

Exaggerating the benefits of Community Education at The Visable Hand In Economics and apropos of this Really big numbers at Off Setting Behaviour.