Tonight I got sent a picture of a little boy dancing with the spinning ball we sent him after posting it on Specialist Interests Aotearoa Facebook page. He loves to spin! My ND person is 12 going on 13 and things are a bit easier especially since my mum moved in with us, however I remember how hard it was to keep up with his voracious specialist interests when he was younger. Paying international shipping for godzilla dvds before godzilla was back in fashion and watching all the avengers movies over a summer so I could spend hours discussing who would win in a battle. Being able to share some of the items from our collections with other families now they are no longer of interest has been so special for me. A small piece of love from our family to another. Thank you Emily and Ham.
We have had a bit of a shit week because we had to get my sister's 17 year (and 5 month) old very precious cat William put down. He had freshly diagnosed cancer and crashed pretty hard on Tuesday evening, so we had to let him go on Wed afternoon. My sister was nearly 19 when we found him under our flat and now she's 36. The post-William world is an adjustment, for sure.
Consequently I had no bandwidth for anything else after that. BUT last weekend I went to the accessible showing of Matilda the Musical at The Regent in Palmy. There was an NZSL interpreter and I was supporting someone so I got to see it for free. I have seen some very shit productions at the Regent over the years, but lately they've been really good, and Matilda was no exception. Very well done. Five stars.
I’m very late to this but watched Beckham on Netflix this week and it was all kinds of nostalgia, just remembering these things that were on the periphery of my adolescent experience - the Spice Girls, Posh and Becks, the buzzcut and then the mini frosted tips Mohawk… I also was quite fascinated with the competition between the relationship/marriage dynamic and the football club/family dynamic. But my favourite part was the close up shots of the players watching their old matches back. It illustrated their love of the game and the pure delight in its artistry and excitement in a way I haven’t seen before
last weekend was a BIG weekend, and I'm thoroughly glad that it was the middle weekend of the school holidays. We travelled an hour (and back again) to celebrate my grandmother's 97th birthday, where we managed to, probably the first time since the youngest was born, get a photo of all the living grandchildren, together. I don't know if we've ever all been in the same place at the same time before.
Then on Sunday we travelled from Dunedin to Kingston (over 3hr drive) to take a trip on the Kingston Flyer as my Mum wanted to do it as a family trip. My husband and I then drove home again, at least we got rid of the children after around 2 hours though, they stayed with their grandparents for a couple of days.
Anyway, I'm glad that it sounds like you had an amazing trip to Palmerston North
This Friday night I'm away from home in... Palmerston North! Whanganui was initially suggested, but the PN marketing I'd recently seen sealed the deal. We have so far been up to the 4 square to get butter, olive oil and snacks, been for a little drive, and watched screens in a different place to home. Ah well. Supposed to be less windy tomorrow.
Right before I read this, I was reading through a Facebook summary of things happening in colleges and how terrible and anti-Semitic they all were...
Oops, accidentally posted early. Will continue.
...shared by a Jewish pediatrician internet friend. I've seen many posts of hers lamenting the hostages still not returned, but nothing concerning any of the deaths of Palestinians. I've tried not to get involved, but did recently after a post suggesting "the world" was just letting the hostages be tortured etc.
I said first "From where I sit, the "world" is condemning all the violence. ALL OF IT."
The first reply was from someone Jewish:
"no they aren’t. They’re perpetuating it. Especially against Jews in the diaspora. As if we are launching rockets into Gaza from our homes in North America."
My response: "ok, so if you don't like and reject being made accountable for the actions of other people, then don't turn around and do the same with the entire world."
then later, I addressed a comment made by the same respondent
""the children are taught to hate Jews in school"
You don't think it might be all the explosions and people dying and being maimed and starving around them that teaches them that?"
I also posted links to NZ and Australian government positions on Hamas, designating them terrorists, as someone else (also Jewish) had suggested "the world" wasn't even condemning Hamas, which is clearly bullshit.
A few comments later, and I got this, at the end of something longer.
"But it’s interesting that you’re saying Gazans hate Jews because of the rockets (which you know is a lie) but you don’t seem to care about the 1200 dead Israelis and other nationals. Please, tell me why it’s okay that Hamas killed people at a music festival and on kibbutzim. Why are Jewish lives worth less to you than Palestinian?
(Hint: your antisemitism is showing)"
Like...what? I hadn't said anything specifically about any dead Israelis and would've thought the violence against them was included in my OP condemning it all. So there you go, anti-Semitic. Within the thread there are Jewish people objecting to being treated as if they're all responsible for launching rockets into Gaza just because they are Jewish, but then not letting a person make that discrimination between the actions of the Israeli government and Jews in general.
I get called anti semitic for merely showing empathy for a Palestinian person so I wouldn’t worry about it. I know I’m not anti semitic. I don’t know how to change the minds of people who are intent on seeing Palestinians as worthless. But I do know everyone else is starting to see the propaganda they’ve been fed and that matters. Back in 2008 when I went to protests against the occupation of Palestine there were handfuls of people, now there are thousands. This genocide cannot continue - no matter how many cling to the right to slaughter. Palestine will be free. I really believe that.
So my response to those people is that crimes against humanity are war crimes no matter which side commits them. And tell them to watch One Life about the kinder transport from Prague. Where is the kinder transport for the maimed kids from Gaza. Also my partner’s dad was on that train & he is absolutely on the side of the people of Palestine!
a) how many Palestinian deaths is deemed enough to avenge/retaliate/whatever for the 1200 Israelis murdered in October; like, is there an end point in mind or will "the world" have to arrange/force it?
b) whether there's any intention to stop doing something that doesn't seem to be working especially well vis a vis getting hostages back
So the blood lust from the current Israeli Govt is very high. This is ethnic cleansing & an attempt to destroy the people of Palestine. The hostages are now immaterial.
Israeli surveillance is one of the most sophisticated systems in the world. I would not be at all surprised if the IDF knew of a plan & allowed it to take place knowing full well what would happen. Mind you I worked in The Hague in HR & well, various Governments & agencies are very calculating.
And alas for them (if still alive after this massive bombing from the IDF) I fear that the current Israeli Govt used them to murder as many civilians as they possibly can. Dehumanising others is the first tool of an unjust genocide.
Yes I believe Hamas was foolish in thinking Netanyahu would care about the lives of the hostages. He was always going to use them and he has not even tried to free them or negotiate their safety.
I've traded in my murder podcasts for Divorce Course because I found the strength to leave on Sunday. It's by a divorced Australian woman and her divorce lawyer mum and they are so warm, engaging and most of all educating, highly recommend to anyone thinking about their steps to freedom.
Such a wonderful read after a busy day running our rescue food cafe! We have a bake sale for Kia ora Gaza tomorrow at Waiheke’s Ostend Market! Chlōe will be visiting as well! Bake sales are so old school right! But we have to keep Gaza front of mind!
All of this is glorious as usual but did you see/hear the mention in HBH that Rivers wrote a book and was on a self funded book tour funded by himself! I so want to read Rivers book. Imagine the sales of Rivers book by us folk in and approaching mid life? Netflix is missing out on a cash cow right now.
I’ve had most of this week off, and it’s been so nice to spend time with the kids. And because I’m in serious self-care mode, I’m mostly watching Ted Lasso again, and various Jane Austen adaptations x
Tonight I got sent a picture of a little boy dancing with the spinning ball we sent him after posting it on Specialist Interests Aotearoa Facebook page. He loves to spin! My ND person is 12 going on 13 and things are a bit easier especially since my mum moved in with us, however I remember how hard it was to keep up with his voracious specialist interests when he was younger. Paying international shipping for godzilla dvds before godzilla was back in fashion and watching all the avengers movies over a summer so I could spend hours discussing who would win in a battle. Being able to share some of the items from our collections with other families now they are no longer of interest has been so special for me. A small piece of love from our family to another. Thank you Emily and Ham.
Oh that’s so lovely Fran! I love the group so much. It’s so great ❤️❤️
I just came here to post gifs of Captain Holt yelling BONE?!?! at the image you have put into my head of the thumb boning his ministers.
Haha boned is a very Aussie term I forget people don’t say it here 😂
Oh I say it here but in the context of what some people would use a boner for, to bone someone
We have had a bit of a shit week because we had to get my sister's 17 year (and 5 month) old very precious cat William put down. He had freshly diagnosed cancer and crashed pretty hard on Tuesday evening, so we had to let him go on Wed afternoon. My sister was nearly 19 when we found him under our flat and now she's 36. The post-William world is an adjustment, for sure.
Consequently I had no bandwidth for anything else after that. BUT last weekend I went to the accessible showing of Matilda the Musical at The Regent in Palmy. There was an NZSL interpreter and I was supporting someone so I got to see it for free. I have seen some very shit productions at the Regent over the years, but lately they've been really good, and Matilda was no exception. Very well done. Five stars.
Oh I’m so sorry to hear about William. What a special guy and how lucky to be so loved for so long - all of you! ❤️ gentle hugs for the grief x
I’m very late to this but watched Beckham on Netflix this week and it was all kinds of nostalgia, just remembering these things that were on the periphery of my adolescent experience - the Spice Girls, Posh and Becks, the buzzcut and then the mini frosted tips Mohawk… I also was quite fascinated with the competition between the relationship/marriage dynamic and the football club/family dynamic. But my favourite part was the close up shots of the players watching their old matches back. It illustrated their love of the game and the pure delight in its artistry and excitement in a way I haven’t seen before
I really enjoyed Beckham for all of those reasons! I forgot how huge they were!
Fwiw, Ham’s bed just looks like a bed to me.
Oh phew I thought they would do a close crop haha I was wrong!
last weekend was a BIG weekend, and I'm thoroughly glad that it was the middle weekend of the school holidays. We travelled an hour (and back again) to celebrate my grandmother's 97th birthday, where we managed to, probably the first time since the youngest was born, get a photo of all the living grandchildren, together. I don't know if we've ever all been in the same place at the same time before.
Then on Sunday we travelled from Dunedin to Kingston (over 3hr drive) to take a trip on the Kingston Flyer as my Mum wanted to do it as a family trip. My husband and I then drove home again, at least we got rid of the children after around 2 hours though, they stayed with their grandparents for a couple of days.
Anyway, I'm glad that it sounds like you had an amazing trip to Palmerston North
Wow that’s a huge trip! How cool to have all the grandkids together though and I hope you had a lovely few hours without the kids!
This Friday night I'm away from home in... Palmerston North! Whanganui was initially suggested, but the PN marketing I'd recently seen sealed the deal. We have so far been up to the 4 square to get butter, olive oil and snacks, been for a little drive, and watched screens in a different place to home. Ah well. Supposed to be less windy tomorrow.
Right before I read this, I was reading through a Facebook summary of things happening in colleges and how terrible and anti-Semitic they all were...
Oops, accidentally posted early. Will continue.
...shared by a Jewish pediatrician internet friend. I've seen many posts of hers lamenting the hostages still not returned, but nothing concerning any of the deaths of Palestinians. I've tried not to get involved, but did recently after a post suggesting "the world" was just letting the hostages be tortured etc.
I said first "From where I sit, the "world" is condemning all the violence. ALL OF IT."
The first reply was from someone Jewish:
"no they aren’t. They’re perpetuating it. Especially against Jews in the diaspora. As if we are launching rockets into Gaza from our homes in North America."
My response: "ok, so if you don't like and reject being made accountable for the actions of other people, then don't turn around and do the same with the entire world."
then later, I addressed a comment made by the same respondent
""the children are taught to hate Jews in school"
You don't think it might be all the explosions and people dying and being maimed and starving around them that teaches them that?"
I also posted links to NZ and Australian government positions on Hamas, designating them terrorists, as someone else (also Jewish) had suggested "the world" wasn't even condemning Hamas, which is clearly bullshit.
A few comments later, and I got this, at the end of something longer.
"But it’s interesting that you’re saying Gazans hate Jews because of the rockets (which you know is a lie) but you don’t seem to care about the 1200 dead Israelis and other nationals. Please, tell me why it’s okay that Hamas killed people at a music festival and on kibbutzim. Why are Jewish lives worth less to you than Palestinian?
(Hint: your antisemitism is showing)"
Like...what? I hadn't said anything specifically about any dead Israelis and would've thought the violence against them was included in my OP condemning it all. So there you go, anti-Semitic. Within the thread there are Jewish people objecting to being treated as if they're all responsible for launching rockets into Gaza just because they are Jewish, but then not letting a person make that discrimination between the actions of the Israeli government and Jews in general.
I get called anti semitic for merely showing empathy for a Palestinian person so I wouldn’t worry about it. I know I’m not anti semitic. I don’t know how to change the minds of people who are intent on seeing Palestinians as worthless. But I do know everyone else is starting to see the propaganda they’ve been fed and that matters. Back in 2008 when I went to protests against the occupation of Palestine there were handfuls of people, now there are thousands. This genocide cannot continue - no matter how many cling to the right to slaughter. Palestine will be free. I really believe that.
So my response to those people is that crimes against humanity are war crimes no matter which side commits them. And tell them to watch One Life about the kinder transport from Prague. Where is the kinder transport for the maimed kids from Gaza. Also my partner’s dad was on that train & he is absolutely on the side of the people of Palestine!
I am wondering
a) how many Palestinian deaths is deemed enough to avenge/retaliate/whatever for the 1200 Israelis murdered in October; like, is there an end point in mind or will "the world" have to arrange/force it?
b) whether there's any intention to stop doing something that doesn't seem to be working especially well vis a vis getting hostages back
So the blood lust from the current Israeli Govt is very high. This is ethnic cleansing & an attempt to destroy the people of Palestine. The hostages are now immaterial.
Israeli surveillance is one of the most sophisticated systems in the world. I would not be at all surprised if the IDF knew of a plan & allowed it to take place knowing full well what would happen. Mind you I worked in The Hague in HR & well, various Governments & agencies are very calculating.
And alas for them (if still alive after this massive bombing from the IDF) I fear that the current Israeli Govt used them to murder as many civilians as they possibly can. Dehumanising others is the first tool of an unjust genocide.
Yes I believe Hamas was foolish in thinking Netanyahu would care about the lives of the hostages. He was always going to use them and he has not even tried to free them or negotiate their safety.
I've traded in my murder podcasts for Divorce Course because I found the strength to leave on Sunday. It's by a divorced Australian woman and her divorce lawyer mum and they are so warm, engaging and most of all educating, highly recommend to anyone thinking about their steps to freedom.
Such a wonderful read after a busy day running our rescue food cafe! We have a bake sale for Kia ora Gaza tomorrow at Waiheke’s Ostend Market! Chlōe will be visiting as well! Bake sales are so old school right! But we have to keep Gaza front of mind!
Oh that’s so great! I love that!
Love love loved your Palmy updates, bless Ham!
Also have bought my tickets for the Auckland show, woop! Bringing my bestie who loved the last show at the Tuning Fork. ❤️
Yay! I’m so glad. We loved the tuning fork but it’s just too expensive!
All of this is glorious as usual but did you see/hear the mention in HBH that Rivers wrote a book and was on a self funded book tour funded by himself! I so want to read Rivers book. Imagine the sales of Rivers book by us folk in and approaching mid life? Netflix is missing out on a cash cow right now.
Omg I just realised he’s grown up Rivers!! Darren’s dad!! How did I not get that?!
Omg I did not hear that at all and I absolutely would!!!
Darren mentions it in Ep 1 or 2 I think. No mention of what the book is about and ngl, it’s taking up space.
Is this the horny book about the rugby players??
OMG it might be?
Love the poem Emily
An inspired choice for grandparents 😂😂
I’ve had most of this week off, and it’s been so nice to spend time with the kids. And because I’m in serious self-care mode, I’m mostly watching Ted Lasso again, and various Jane Austen adaptations x
As an aside we are watching Sugar on Apple TV & it’s brilliant.