The blind leading the blind?

 

I get some 'interesting' comments on some of my blog posts.

Follow this lot through...

"It seems that you Lower Hutt ingenues are still at the mercy of trade cowboys."

"Ingenues: an unsophisticated young woman. The beauty off big words is that you get away with using them most of the time."

"Don’t fret it Roberta."

"misusing"

If you don't know who these two literary geniuses are, their blogs are written under the titles of The Curmudgeon and Bob's discombobulate Bobadilish. They both like to use big words and neither one sees any sense in proofreading. I guess that's "the beauty off it all" for these two old chaps - they get it written quickly.

Well, I'll leave you 'ingenues' there because I have eight hours of practice to catch up on.

Ciao.

Okay, I deleted my last post.

Okay, there was a reason for it. It's not like I was looking for a small kitchen on the road out of Wellington!

"I need food. Where's the galley they promised?" said
an upset person looking for Transmission galley.

Now the parking man is on my back.

Okay, I'll explain. I rang a company to get a house and gutter clean. They gave me a date but didn't show up. I emailed them but didn't get a response. Finally, I rang them and they sent a man around yesterday. He did a very good job and I paid him cash, as he asked. He was coming back to finish the job on the same day but he never showed up. I didn't get a receipt for my cash. It's all a little strange - an ongoing event at present. I decided not to post about it yet.

Hey, I did cut my lawns yesterday. I contacted a guy to do it, but he didn't get back either. It doesn't take much effort to just say yes or no. Anyway, like the parking man, I'm getting plenty of exercise - I have the back lawn to do today.

When I wake in the morning, I normally check the blog posts on my phone. Lately Rob has been pretty regular. Not so with Peter, though there was one this morning. It was quite long and all about paying for things, including parking. Since moving back to Wellington, he has spent a lot of time complaining about housing, bus lanes, cycle lanes, and now buying stuff in shops and paying for parking. Life must have been simpler for an old guy like him up in the far north.

Hey, the good news is that he mentioned buying a hat.

Hopefully he's no longer planning to wear this one.

Or to dress like this.

To be honest, you just don't know with these northerners. Next thing, he'll be complaining about the lack of a galley on Transmission Gully.

I've got practice to do. Lately, I've only been managing half an hour a day. I need to step that up. My goal was to do 365 hours this year - one hour for every day. There are only 33 days left and I've slipped a bit away from that target. Time to pull my socks up!*

Have a good day, go easy with those parking meters and don't worry about sinning.

Ciao tutti.

* Old 60s and 70s saying.

Furs Day.

 Today we think of animals that have fur.

Jeremy the fox wandered through the forest. It was something he did every morning because he was looking for food. Not anything too big. just something like a bird or a mouse. Then he saw something through the trees. A bear! Hang on, there were no bears in his country! A fox learns these kind of things quickly. Except for humans, there are no animals that he really has to fear. Well, actually, dog packs too. So, how would a fox learn about the existence of a huge animal that didn't exist in his country? 

He'd listened to the teachings of God Fox. 

Humans like to put animal behaviour down to instinct but, in reality, for foxes, learning comes from devotion to God Fox. It was God Fox who led foxes into the world. It was God Fox who taught foxes how to act and how to avoid fox sin. A good fox will go to the Den in the Sky. Foxes know that. Bad foxes will be hunted by a human with dreaded dogs.

That's enough about foxes for one day.

* * *

I wonder where Peter is walking to today? One thing's for sure - he'll be wearing his Mickey Mouse watch...

AND...

he'll be checking beforehand that the top on his water bottle is firmly on.

FIRMLY ON?

He won't want another Island Bay experience.

It's a bit wet in Wellington today, so maybe he's wearing that dreaded hat?

I have told him not to.

But does he listen?

NO.

* * *

Robert is busy cleaning churches.

That should cement a place in Heaven for him.

* * *

I'm about to wander off and do some violin practice. My practice rate has plummeted over the last few weeks, so it's time to go into catch up mode. 

Ciao tutti. 

Are there really fairies in Island Bay?

 

The story goes (told on his latest post "GETTING THE MILES IN") that Peter pissed himself, while visiting Island Bay, and had to dry out the contents of his bag because they all got soaked.

"While sitting for about a quarter of an hour the bag, wallet and phone dried out and, by carefully positioning the book, the warm breeze ruffled the pages in the sunshine and fairy quickly dried that out too."

Okay, I hear you, it could have been just one more of his numerous grammatical errors and he might have been referring to the Cook Strait Ferry.

Hey, but ask yourself, how would a ferry have dried the contents of his pissed over bag?

No, it was a fairy.

Robert would probably argue that it was an angel that he mistook for a fairy.

"Luke 2:4 It was his guardian angel."

Angel vs Fairy. Pretty much the same thing. Maybe atheists have guardian fairies? 

Anyway, it's good that he got the bag dried out. Still, the mystery remains, how did he manage to get the piss all over his bag?

Maybe he was holding the bag with one hand and Jimmy with the other? Maybe his hands got too close together?

Ah well, I guess it's material for another post.

I'm off to work.

Ciao tutti.

Information for Robert and his AI friend.

 

Mi ne frega una sega.

Google Translate will tell you that it means, "I don't give a damn."

Hey, but una sega is a saw.

Think about the sound a handsaw makes when you use it. It actually sounds a bit like another activity.

"I don't give a wank." That's a more accurate meaning.

"Hey! AI didn't tell me that!"

I guess that AI has got some catching up to do.

Lunedi.

 

Quindi, Roberto ora fa scrivere i suoi post da una cosa chiamata IA. L'intelligenza artificiale crea anche le immagini.

Roberto

Come posso competere? Lo so, scriverò in italiano.
Ieri Shelley e io abbiamo pranzato con Lynn e Peter. È stato molto piacevole, il cibo era ottimo e il vino era buonissimo. 

Dopodiché sono andata ad aiutare i miei due nipoti. Uffa! È stato un duro lavoro. Il ragazzo più grande sta attraversando "i terribili due anni". Un sacco di energia! Il ragazzo più giovane è un lavoro più facile. Ho dormito bene stanotte!

Bene, è tutto per stamattina. È ora di esercitarmi con il violino.

Ciao tutti.

Cuba Street, here I come.

 I'm checking on a blogger today.

I think this might be the door that I need.

I think he might give me some lunch, and I will take a bottle of Cleanskin, but my mission is to help with his blogging problems.

A very fine wine.

Here is a list of some of his blogging problems:

• Can't always use the main computer in his household.
• Doesn't post regularly enough.
• Struggles to find good jokes.
• Struggles to make his posts interesting.
• Many of his posts are too short.
• Doesn't proofread what he writes.
• Says Sheesh! and Mea culpa too much.

It is these seven points that I will try to help him with today. 

Something must be done about even distribution of the main household computer so that TC is able to post regularly. Good jokes would certainly help his efforts, as would interesting topics. Short posts can be frustrating for the reader, and no one likes coming across wrong words in a sentence. If readers liked that, they'd read Rob's blog more. It's not like playing in high positions on the violin or repairing a fridge. I guess you could argue that the expressions Sheesh! and Mea culpa are like trademarks for his blog. Okay, maybe I'll let that one go. Let's call it a dilemma produced from his days in 3P. A Blissism.

I'd better go, as I'm writing useful notes for TC. I'll also need to be subtle when I approach The Old Girl about sharing the main computer. Personally, I don't take shit from my lady. Oops, if you know her, please don't tell her I said that! We'll just keep that one among us. No point in stirring things up. 

Well, I'd better go and make sure all my household chores are done so that I don't get into trouble.

Ciao tutti.

Here is a post!

 

Those were the days!

I wouldn't be holding my breath for posts from the two old boys today. Hey, don't forget that Peter told us all about his Mickey Mouse watch yesterday and Rob often withdraws all his posts.

I did half an hour on both my instruments (violin, double bass) yesterday. That's 'not too bad' considering that I've been a bit off colour. I have to take both my instruments to a practice with Art Ghetto on Monday. This will be the first time that I've put a double bass in the Nissan Note.

No, I won't put it in through the back.

I'll drop back the front passenger seat and feed it in, endpin first, through the front left hand door. The scroll will be the closest thing to the bonnet. Don't worry, the bass will wear a seatbelt. 

Art Ghetto is a band that I used to play with. It plays quite a bit of Spanish style music. I guess that the two gigs will be a bit of a reunion.

I read somewhere that the guy Luke, who wrote some of the bible, played the uke.

I didn't know that they had ukuleles back then, but the bible doesn't lie. Luke himself wrote about it.

Luke 3:7 "At the Last Supper Jesus wanted a ukelele player to give a bit of atmosphere. I volunteered to bring mine. I played two sets of about 40 minutes each. Halfway through, Matthias suggested some tunes that he thought would go down well, but I ignored his suggestions. I stuck with tunes like 'Get those commandments, Moses!', 'Don't be cross with the cross', and 'Merry Mary.' These were all popular tunes at that time. I think the music worked well."

Well, that's it from me for this morning.

Remember that the ABs are playing Wales this weekend. Hey, they might even win this one.

Ciao.

How am I? Not too bad. It's not rocket science.

 

Actually, 'not too bad' and 'it's not rocket science' are two phrases that I don't see much sense in.

Obviously, most things are not as complicated as something like rocket science. Hey, I'm only guessing because I know nothing about rocket science. So, we'll leave that one there.

How are you? Not too bad. This one always gets me. It makes me imagine a scale:

• Absolutely fantastic.
• Pretty damn good.
• Feeling quite good.
• Okay, really.
• Not too bad.
• Feeling quite bad.
• Bloody terrible.

'Okay, really' wouldn't be that hard to rise to if one was 'not too bad'. It would also make a 'hello' encounter feel much more positive, even if one had to lie slightly. 'Good thanks' could be another more positive reply, even though it is not on the above scale. 

* * *

Nothing to report today. I was a bit off colour yesterday, so we'll leave it there.

Hey, it's nice to be at home with no work today. I guess I'd better try to get some double bass practice done. We'll see how it goes.

Nothing else to tell you really.

Enjoy your day.

Luke 7:61 "I didn't really know what I was talking about when I wrote parts of The Bible. I hope it's not too bad."

Ciao tutti.

When's day?

 Sorry, I meant Wednesday. Day is starting to take place right now, as I write.

Though it is raining in the Nui.

TC is now back in Wellington. I'm going to catch up with him on Sunday. I'll take a bottle of his favourite wine.

Saturday I have a practice with two of my siblings. My daughter in law is also having a morning celebration of her birthday at a cafe with a playground. That's because a good mate of mine, Harrison, can't sit still for long. His brother, Henry, will be there too. Henry usually does a lot of smiling, but he's not a talker. Well, he is only seven months old. Give him a break! On Monday I have a practice with a guy I know well for a couple of gigs. I'll have to take my double bass for this one.

I'm a bit behind on my practice, mainly because I've been a bit unwell. In today's post Rob quotes a guy called Luke who tells us, "To everyone who has will be given more, but from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away". Robert clarifies the situation by telling us this. "The man who practises his violin is going to get more talent; and the lazy man who doesn't practise his cello will lose his skills." I would have thought that is pretty bloody obvious. Actually, I don't like the word 'talent'. Anyone who practises the right things on a violin, or a cello, will get better. Yes, I said anyone. It's all about listening and practising long bows and playing in tune. Then you regularly repeat little bits that you want to get better at. It's not rocket science.

Rocket Fundamentals

Four forces on a rocket, rocket thrust, rocket weight, rocket aerodynamics.

Rocket Motion

Rocket modeler simulation, basic rocket motion, rocket translations, free fall (weight - no drag), determine maximum altitude... interactive, altitude equation deprivation, graphical maximum altitude, effects of weather cocking.

If you want to know more about rocket science, you can look up those points, for a starter. There are more.

Okay, I'm off to work.

Enjoy your when's day.

Ciao.

Peter is settling in.

 

Settling into life in Wellington. Fortunately, he doesn't seem to be wearing his raccoon hat, but he is having trouble with Wellington pedestrians and cyclists. 

Actually, I agree with him about pedestrians and cyclists. Often, when I'm driving towards a pedestrian crossing, there'll be someone walking along the footpath and they look like they're going straight ahead. Then, at the last minute, they turn and step out onto the crossing, with no warning. They really need to give a sign of their intention to cross and to wait a second to make sure that cars are going to stop. That's just common sense. Cyclists? Don't start me on those!

Cycle tracks are replacing car parks in Wellington. Why can't they divide the footpath in half, with a fence in the middle? Ah, yes, the cyclists would prefer to tear along on the pedestrian side.

Anyway, I've got to go to work.

I'm taking my (cheap) travel violin. Actually, I'm rather enjoying playing it. Hey, it has got Evah Pirazzi strings on it! 

I'd better go.

Ciao.

Happy news from Malachi? No.

 This 'happy advice' comes from Bob's discombobulate Bobadilish, Robert's blog site.

"Malachi 3:19-20
All the arrogant evil doers are going to be burnt up like stubble. But we who fear God will be healed by the sun of righteousness.
Of course I should be PC and say oh how terrible for the evil and arrogant! But God isn't into wishy washy woke let's be nice to everyone; at least after death. You get your chance here then wham it's hello justice for all! That's just how it is. Moan if you want, but its not going to change anything."

So, who is/was Malachi? 

"Malachi, whose name means "my messenger", is recognized as the last of the writing prophets in the Old Testament. He likely prophesied between 440 and 400BC, during a time when the Israelites had returned from Babylonian exile and were rebuilding their lives and the Temple in Jerusalem."

The Old Testament was evidently written in a span of years from 1,400BC to 400BC. Gosh, over 1,000 years! It seems that Malachi comes along near the end.

I think the last three lines of the Malachi quote was written by Robert.

"Of course I should be PC and say oh how terrible for the evil and arrogant! But God isn't into wishy washy woke let's be nice to everyone; at least after death. You get your chance here then wham it's hello justice for all! That's just how it is. Moan if you want, but its not going to change anything."

I'm sure that I don't like this Catholic god. I'm also always wary of someone who puts down the concepts of PC and woke. I wonder who is smarter, Robert or Malachi? 

God! Enough of that shit!

* * *

Okay, I did get an hour's practice done yesterday but, after all those 3 hour days, I now find myself one hour behind my intended goal of at least one hour for every day of the year. Ah well, that's the way the cookie crumbles.

Peter is now in Wellington.

Please let him not be wearing this hat!

He is evidently looking at a few townhouses today. Good luck, Peter. He even wrote a post yesterday! He'll be a bit sad today because the All Blacks were well beaten this morning by England. Maybe it didn't help by having to play the game around 4am on a Sunday morning. Them's the breaks, I guess. At least they're all paid very well. 

Okay, that's it from me for this morning.

Look out for that evil god of Robert's and those kinky Old Testament authors.

Ciao tutti.

It appears that I might be naturally stupid.

 

Robert has returned to blogging and he tells us three interesting things.

1) "Naturally stupid are all men who have not known God..." Wisdom 13:1-9

Well, I thought I knew God once, when I was young. I was subjected to a lot of crap by Catholic priests, nuns and brothers (Marist Brothers). I remember, in much younger years, chanting to myself, "I love Jesus and I hate the Devil." This is called indoctrination - the process of teaching a person or group to accept a set of beliefs uncritically. Stupidity must pay off, because I was able to escape the clutches of the Catholic church. 

2) "In the Gospel Jesus talks off being ready." 

To 'talk off' means to persuade someone not to do something. Maybe Rob was just struggling with grammar when he wrote this? That begs the question, why didn't God correct him? Hey, it's not a good look for God.

3) Luke 17:26-37..."on that night two will be in one bed, one will be taken the other left".

What, in God's name, does that mean? Is that telling us that either a wife or a husband will die before their spouse? I would have thought that was pretty obvious. Maybe, as Peter suggested in a comment, God is talking about two gay men? Peter asked if God could be gay.

* * *

I need to get some double bass practice done this morning. I can't really elaborate on that. I guess I'll just go and get the practice done.

Ciao tutti.