Hi guys
sorry to return to the lamb ad but I read this take from West Australia paper and hadn’t realised some of the finer little shots at things. America/Russia features as well.
In the first blink-and-you’ll-miss-it dig at Western Australia, the Australian map is seen on a television without WA.
Have a look at the folder beside the TV showing the Russian news and the DVD beneath, Hilary C Emails and Trump Kompromat.
I thought it was worth a laugh.
regards to all
@matildagirl The ad is very funny even to a Yank, lol. It is worth a second look because of how quickly the digs go by. There is more to catch on the 2nd or 3rd run.
Not Australia but definitely Down Under, New Zealand has a new Prjme Minister after Jacinta Ardern resigned unexpectedly two days ago
https://7news.com.au/news/world/new-zealand-prime-minister-jacinta-ardern-resigns-c-9493942
Regards to all
This probably played a part in her decision
The nasty side of being a woman in politics. It’s like the dreadful way Julia Gillard was treated when she was Prime Minister here in Aus.
It’s a mighty long road ahead for woman to be treated well in politics and everywhere probably.
Regards to all
Poor old Auckland New Zealand, a state of emergency from record breaking rain in 24 hours with more to come.
https://vt.tiktok.com/ZS8DuEW1K/
https://vt.tiktok.com/ZS8DuCMXe/
https://vt.tiktok.com/ZS8DutaMe/
https://vt.tiktok.com/ZS8DuwNDR/
I am supposed to be there in just over 2 weeks. Hope they are dried out by then.
Regards to all
@matildagirl I have relatives in Auckland and had heard nothing about this from the US press. I emailed the family and they are fine, house is fine, a bit of driveway erosion but so far that's all. There are others less fortunate, but all in all it seems not too bad. Thanks for the notice!!
@ana No worries, they are our next door neighbours so we more aware of what happens. America has more than its fair share of natural disasters happening be it floods, droughts or tornadoes. Actually the whole world these days, this living in interesting times is becoming a pain in the proverbial.
Regards
Matildagirl
After being flooded so badly late January, they are now pummelled by Cyclone Gabrielle which has done a lot of damage. We are over here at the moment and haven’t been able to get to Auckland so we have pulled the plug and cancelled our 2 week trip and fly home today. Lots of roads and bridges washed away with flooding everywhere. They declared a National state of emergency, only the third time in NZ history, the others being Christchurch earthquakes and Covid.
Regards to all
Cyclone Gabrielle
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/evacuations-deaths-amid-cyclone-devastation
@baba we are on the South Island and the rain is here now, we were supposed to fly to Auckland yesterday the airport was closed for several days and was to reopen yesterday but they had to cancel the flights again because of the high winds. They have opened up again today but we thought so many road closures, slips, bridges closed it was wiser (expensive though) to fly back home and replan another time. Being entirely selfish we thought we wouldn’t see the things we wanted to see, better try again later.
Thank you for your kind thoughts, hopefully Nz will come out OK and can rebuild the infrastructure. You sort of forget the country only has 5million people, similar to Sydney so not a big pool of money to do things especially after the incredible cost from the Christchurch rebuild and Covid.
Best wishes
Regards Matildagirl
What a challenge! Please stay safe. I hope the New Zealanders stay safe too. I hope you can get to take this trip min the near future though I know it will not be easy to arrange.
May the recovery go well for all.
Part of an email from family who live in West Auckland:
Power went out for hours multiple times, then went out for good 24 hours ago.Borrowed a generator for a few hours today to try and save the freezer contents. This is the longest power has ever been out by far. Had no landline, mobile or internet for the first day. A couple of trees across driveway and a carpet of tree debris covered everything. We got off lightly.. Piha and Muriwai got hammered. A friend at Piha woke up to someone's house blocking the middle of her street and slips on both sides. At Muriwai a volunteer firefighter perished when he entered a house to assess flood damage and a giant landslide hit the house.
Just to add a bit more drama, but luckily doesn’t seem to be any damage, they had an earthquake as well
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300808301/lower-north-island-rocked-by-magnitude-63-earthquake
When asked how he felt about the quake Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said it was “unprintable”.
“I was looking out the window for a plague of locusts.”
Regards to all
Just a bit of trivia that may be of interest.
On March 13, 1972, a new show aired on Australian TV.
In that very first episode – still in black and white – were characters whose very appearance would be a world first.
But it was so shocking that it would see the show effectively banned in the UK and US.
It might have helped Australia grow up a bit.
Regards to all
Matildagirl
The locus will likely arrive after the flooding dries up and the plants and grass bloom everywhere.
This is an opinion piece but I found it resonated with me.
“Shame is the business model of most churches. Understand that and so much becomes clear. Fifty years ago their pews were packed, but numbers are way down and falling as they lose source after source of shame.
So they are hanging on for dear life to the shame of homosexuality even in the face of the exuberant celebrations this week of Sydney WorldPride.”
I thought it was an interesting take on the issue.
Regards to all
https://vt.tiktok.com/ZS8HuNMYr/
The Prime Minister taking part in Mardi Gras
I will stop now
Regards to all