Sandfly Blog has an interactive montage of the NZ blogosphere's front pages, as ranked by Open Parachute's Monthly Meter Readings. It would be great to get an update of it once a month, and then animate it. Possibly with this soundtrack:
Showing posts with label Beauty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beauty. Show all posts
Sunday, April 14, 2013
The Art of Noise
Sandfly Blog has an interactive montage of the NZ blogosphere's front pages, as ranked by Open Parachute's Monthly Meter Readings. It would be great to get an update of it once a month, and then animate it. Possibly with this soundtrack:
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Korero with Pictures
Maori Television goes from strength to strength, apparently. I say apparently because I don't have a TV, and there's no streaming or online programming, so I have to take other peoples' word on it.
Many mates rave about the quality of Native Affairs, and now there's another fine example of the art of public broadcasting I'm missing out on; Behind the Brush (HT the bitchin' Paul Casserley).
Online refugees will have to content themselves with the Auckland Art Gallery, the Lindauer Online Project, and my two Good Gottfried posts (which may or may not have had influence over getting Behind the Brush from idea to reality. High hopes anyway).
UPDATE: I obviously wasn't looking hard enough on the site. Here's the first episode.
Many mates rave about the quality of Native Affairs, and now there's another fine example of the art of public broadcasting I'm missing out on; Behind the Brush (HT the bitchin' Paul Casserley).
Online refugees will have to content themselves with the Auckland Art Gallery, the Lindauer Online Project, and my two Good Gottfried posts (which may or may not have had influence over getting Behind the Brush from idea to reality. High hopes anyway).
UPDATE: I obviously wasn't looking hard enough on the site. Here's the first episode.
Friday, February 01, 2013
NZ's Fugly Buildings
New Zealand has one of the finest collections of ugly architecture outside of the former or current socialist blocs.
Smaller examples of these can be seen in the residential housing stock, which has had recent problems with 'leaky housing', but many older dwellings can also be made uninhabitable through careful neglect. For example, I used to live directly under this 'house' in the Wellington suburb of Northland. Not pictured are the massive cracks in the foundations.
Dunedin's Scottish custodians of student rental stock have long been held to be the finest owner operator slum landlords in the country. This is a fearsome reputation to have, considering the vast bulk of New Zealand's rental housing pool was last refurbished when they were originally built.
Ugliness from neglect is one thing. Deliberate ugliness in design is another matter entirely. Some of the most awful buildings in New Zealand have been built under a National government.
David Tsow goes into bat in today's Herald for the old Auckland City Council building. He sees:
The 1967-era building was probably the last time the Auckland Council's building has dominated its territory. The same cannot be said for the rest of the country. Go to any NZ town or village, and without fail, the newest, most over-built building on the main street will be the Council building.
The Palmerston North City Council building and Convention Centre was a battleship-sized eyesore foisted on Palmy by then-mayor Brian Elwood. It straddles the side of the Square which itself has more recently been turned into a giant slab of concrete. Nelson's Council has a Mini-me bomb shelter too.
The Beehive has long been recognised as one of the worst buildings in the world. Drawn on a cocktail napkin and reverse-engineered into a building, it is a terrible place to get drunk in. It is with some delicious irony that the prime minister who commissioned the eyesore ended up announcing a snap election in it before puking his ring out on the shit-brown carpet.
The Te Papa Museum in Wellington was designed with the intention of reflecting NZ's Pacific culture. It resulted in more of a Byzantine-style labyrinth. Not so much ugly aesthetically, more an ugly waste of space. So much more of the museum's treasures could have been on display if some sense of proportion has been brought to bear.
A sense of proportion is also missing from the Von Zedlitz building at Victoria University's Kelburn campus. Stairwells in impossible places, floor layouts that would make Escher or Kafka scream. If buildings had theme songs, Von Zedlitz's would be David Byrne's The Red House.
Please feel free to add your own suggestions for NZ's worst building in the comments.
Smaller examples of these can be seen in the residential housing stock, which has had recent problems with 'leaky housing', but many older dwellings can also be made uninhabitable through careful neglect. For example, I used to live directly under this 'house' in the Wellington suburb of Northland. Not pictured are the massive cracks in the foundations.
Dunedin's Scottish custodians of student rental stock have long been held to be the finest owner operator slum landlords in the country. This is a fearsome reputation to have, considering the vast bulk of New Zealand's rental housing pool was last refurbished when they were originally built.
Ugliness from neglect is one thing. Deliberate ugliness in design is another matter entirely. Some of the most awful buildings in New Zealand have been built under a National government.
David Tsow goes into bat in today's Herald for the old Auckland City Council building. He sees:
This unique building is a remarkable New Zealand architectural object to be studied and analysed. It represents New Zealand's approach to innovation and creativity and contributes to the dynamic expression of the New Zealand identity.Whereas I have always considered the building an eyesore, an ivory tower of bureaucrats lording it over their ratepayer minions. I never knew there was a garden at the top. It's not very visible, and it lacks the bravery and openness of Hundertwasser's vision.
The 1967-era building was probably the last time the Auckland Council's building has dominated its territory. The same cannot be said for the rest of the country. Go to any NZ town or village, and without fail, the newest, most over-built building on the main street will be the Council building.
The Palmerston North City Council building and Convention Centre was a battleship-sized eyesore foisted on Palmy by then-mayor Brian Elwood. It straddles the side of the Square which itself has more recently been turned into a giant slab of concrete. Nelson's Council has a Mini-me bomb shelter too.
The Beehive has long been recognised as one of the worst buildings in the world. Drawn on a cocktail napkin and reverse-engineered into a building, it is a terrible place to get drunk in. It is with some delicious irony that the prime minister who commissioned the eyesore ended up announcing a snap election in it before puking his ring out on the shit-brown carpet.
The Te Papa Museum in Wellington was designed with the intention of reflecting NZ's Pacific culture. It resulted in more of a Byzantine-style labyrinth. Not so much ugly aesthetically, more an ugly waste of space. So much more of the museum's treasures could have been on display if some sense of proportion has been brought to bear.
A sense of proportion is also missing from the Von Zedlitz building at Victoria University's Kelburn campus. Stairwells in impossible places, floor layouts that would make Escher or Kafka scream. If buildings had theme songs, Von Zedlitz's would be David Byrne's The Red House.
Please feel free to add your own suggestions for NZ's worst building in the comments.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Bats and Boids
Ralph Steadman comes from my favourite branch of the Cartoonist Tree; far from the clean cut monochromatic nests of Disney lies the blotted wonderful world of gonzo art, where Steadman perches along with Gerald Scarfe, Trace Hodgson and a fine fangled line-up of others.
The DomPost uses Cringe #7 (Kiwi Connection) to highlight Steadman's latest work, Extinct Boids. There's a moa in it. I can't afford the book, and I certainly can't afford prints from that collection.
Someone might gift a copy of this to the Republican Movement. I'm saving my pennies for this beauty:
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A fine reminder that democracy is a messy necessity.
The DomPost uses Cringe #7 (Kiwi Connection) to highlight Steadman's latest work, Extinct Boids. There's a moa in it. I can't afford the book, and I certainly can't afford prints from that collection.
Someone might gift a copy of this to the Republican Movement. I'm saving my pennies for this beauty:
A fine reminder that democracy is a messy necessity.
Saturday, July 07, 2012
Red Shift and other Fucking Big Questions
The Higgs boson news has been a boon for general interest in science. Finally, popular interest has turned toward the really important questions on light, the universe and everything. The Independent looks at some other phenomenal mysteries.
1. Dark Matter. You know that weird change in pitch as an emergency vehicle gets closer then passes you by? That weh-weh, waa -waa thing? That's the basic tool that lead to a Nobel prize in physics. It's known as the Red Shift, and led to the realisation that not only is the universe expanding at an increasing rate, it pointed out that most of the universe is invisible to every tool known to humankind.
2. Gravitational Waves. Gravy waves are remnants of cataclysms such the Big Bang, like Cosmic Background Radiation but much much stranger. Various Unifying Theories use gravy waves to sew the four forces together.
3. Can we travel faster than light? "A positron is an electron going backwards in time," said Richard Feynman. Ponder that a bit.
4. Theory of Everything. I can't rationally explain my hope that Garrett Lisi's theory of the E8 pattern gets some evidential support during the LHC experiments. Just look at it:
In the meantime, the total geek-out freak-out over the Higgs boson continues over at Public Address. We live in strange, charm, up, down times.
1. Dark Matter. You know that weird change in pitch as an emergency vehicle gets closer then passes you by? That weh-weh, waa -waa thing? That's the basic tool that lead to a Nobel prize in physics. It's known as the Red Shift, and led to the realisation that not only is the universe expanding at an increasing rate, it pointed out that most of the universe is invisible to every tool known to humankind.
2. Gravitational Waves. Gravy waves are remnants of cataclysms such the Big Bang, like Cosmic Background Radiation but much much stranger. Various Unifying Theories use gravy waves to sew the four forces together.
3. Can we travel faster than light? "A positron is an electron going backwards in time," said Richard Feynman. Ponder that a bit.
4. Theory of Everything. I can't rationally explain my hope that Garrett Lisi's theory of the E8 pattern gets some evidential support during the LHC experiments. Just look at it:
In the meantime, the total geek-out freak-out over the Higgs boson continues over at Public Address. We live in strange, charm, up, down times.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Good Gottfried 2; A Game of Stones
No-one has set the lawyers on me for this post on Gottfried Lindauer and some of his work. So, seeing how popular the post was with schools in particular, here's a few more from the gallery. The commentary is by James Cowan, so any mokopuna annoyed by what is written, take it up with him. Happy Matariki.
Children Playing Knuckle Stones
The game of knuckle stones - known to peoples the world over - was popular with Maori children under the name of ruru. It was played with five stones thrown into the air and caught deftly on the back of the hand.
Mr A.W. Reed writes: "In the Maori game a rough square is traced on the ground and the stones are placed in the corners. The player tosses the remaining stone in the air, picks up one of the corner stones and catches the first before it touches the ground. As the game proceeds it becomes more difficult as two, three, or four stones must be picked up before the first stone is caught."
Digging with the Ko
This picture shows a typical scene in a Maori commune in former times. A group of men is preparing the ground for planting the kumara (sweet potato). The ko was used for the first loosening of the soil which was later turned with the broad-bladed kaheru (spade).
The diggers gathered in one corner and worked diagonally across the planting area. The practice of planting in diagonal lines was almost universal with the Maori. The diagonal lines were so designed that the sun, as it travelled across the sky, went "between the rows" as the Maori said.
The men with the ko chanted as they worked and moved as one man to the rhythm of ancient and sacred chants.
There were four processes in connection with the planting of the crop - the loosening of the soil, the pulverising of the earth with wooden clubs and careful removal of the roots, the formation of mounds, and the distribution of the seed tubers at the mounds. The planters then attended to the actual planting. Chiefs, commoners, and slaves - men and women - joined in this work in most districts but there were tribes who forbade women taking part in the important task of planting.
Taraia
Taraia Ngakuti te Tumuhuia was a fierce, uncompromising old firebrand until the end of his days. From his boyhood he was constantly on the warpath, leading his tribe, the Ngati-Tamatera (a sub-tribe of the Ngati-Maru) on one expedition or another. He was one of the principal fighting chiefs of what was known as the Marutuahu, a confederation of numerous and powerful tribes living around the Waihou Valley.
At one time he joined Te Rauparaha and went with him on one of his marauding expeditions to the South Island. He fought at Kaikoura and Kaiapoi against the powerful Ngai-Tahu of Canterbury. After this action he returned to his home at Puru, near Thames.
In 1842, he set off once again, this time to settle an old score with the people of the Ngai-te-Rangi at Katikati, near Tauranga. In this skirmish four men, one woman, and a child were killed, and also some men who were trying to escape in a canoe. After the action, an old-time cannibal feast was held; one of the last in New Zealand. When the news reached Auckland, Acting-Governor Shortland visited Taraia at his pa near Thames to make inquiries. He was received with civility by Taraia. When questioned about the alleged cannibal feast, Taraia freely admitted that it had taken place. But, he said, as it was an old Maori custom and no European was involved, he considered it concerned the Maori alone and he advised the Government to mind its own business.
James Mackay records an example of the imperious manners of the old chief in commenting on the method of administering food to a person under tapu, as illustrated in an earlier picture in this book (goNZo's Note: See top link).
He wrote: "The last occasion on which I saw it performed wan in 1866 at Ohinemuri when Taraia received a drink of water from a slave. Taraia placed his two hands close together with the thumbs outwards and palms upwards; he then put the wrists under his chin and elevated the fingers and the water was poured from a gourd, or calabash, into his mouth. In removing the vessel the attendant happened to touch the chief's extended fingers with it. Taraia cursed the man, seized the calabash and broke it into fragments, collecting the pieces and burnt them on a wahitapu (sacred place).
Paora (Paul) Tuhaere
The chief Paora Tuhaere, of Orakei, Auckland,was one of the best known and widely respected members of the Maori race and a fine example of the old time Maori rangatira. He could speak of the time when he saw the first European settlers put up their tents and raupo whares on the fern covered hills where the city of Auckland now stands.
He was born about 1825 and was a nephew of the famous warrior Apihai te Kawau who was sketched by the artist Angas in 1841. On Apihai's death, Paora became the most influential chief of the Ngati-Whatua, of the Auckland district, known to the Maoris as Tamaki.
Paora was a man of peace. Throughout his life he was a friend of the white people. In 1844 he and other chiefs of his tribe went to Whangarei and made peace with Te Parawhau, then hostile to the Ngati-Whatua.
His kindly and genial tattooed face was familiar to all living around Auckland during the city's early years. He died in 1892 and at his home settlement at Okahu Bay, on the shores of Auckland harbour, a monument marks his last resting place.
* * * *
This picture and another Lindauer painting of Paora Tuhaere supply a fascinating demonstration of how the moko was equivalent to a signature or finger print. The second painting was presented to the Auckland City Art Gallery by another donor. It was painted in 1878 and shows Tuhaere as a much younger man, in European clothes. The picture reproduced here shows him in Maori garb toward the end of his life.
There is little in the appearance of the two pictures to suggest that they are of the same man except the moko, which is identical in each painting.
Major Ropata Wahawaha N.Z.C.
A remarkable figure in the history of the wars with the Hauhaus was Major Ropata, warrior chief of the Ngati-Porou, East Cape. A fearless and determined, even ruthless, soldier, he took the side of the Government at the outbreak of the Hauhau wars and the story of his stubborn chase after the rebel leader, Te Kooti, reads like wild romance.
In his boyhood he was taken prisoner by a Poverty Bay tribe and kept as a captive for some years, a number of his people being killed and eaten in the raid in which he was captured. In his later life Ropata took a grim and stern revenge on his oldtime enemies.
In 1864 he began to distinguish himself on the side of the Queen against the Hauhaus. In a fight at Tikitiki he killed a chief with his stome mere, in single combat out in front of his people's lines. For his attack against heavy odds at Ngatapa in 1868 he was awarded the New Zealand Cross. After the capture of Ngatapa, Ropata was left by Colonel Whitmore to deal with the Hauhau prisoners. He gave them short shrift.
In 1870-71 he grimly pursued Te Kooti through the wild forests of the Urewera, in spite of starvation, cold and snow. Innumerable stories are told of Ropata's prowess in battle, of his fearless leadership and of his unrelenting treatment of captured enemies. When a pa was to be stormed or a dangerous position to be won, there was Ropata in the forefront of the charge. His column was the last to remain in the field against Te Kooti.
In after years of peace he was the recipient of a Highland claymore from Queen Victoria. He became a respected member of the Legislative Council and was more than eighty when he died in 1899.
Huria Matenga (Julia Martin)
Heroine of an exploit which earned her the name of "the Grace Darling of New Zealand", Huria Matenga was a daughter of a chief of Whakapuaka, a village on the shores of the Nelson province.
Early on the morning of 4 December 1863, the Maoris saw a vessel lying wrecked on the rocks off shore. It was the Delaware, a brigantine that had sailed from Nelson the previous day. In trying to beat against a strong gale, the vessel was driven on to the rocks, with a huge sea sweeping over her. The mate made an effort to swim ashore with a line but a big sea caught him and dashed him against the rocks. He was hauled back to the ship severely injured.
The Maoris on shore saw the distress of the crew and hurried to the beach. Huria and her young husband Hemi Matenga and a young man named Kahupuku threw off their clothing and swam half a mile through heavy seas until they caught a line from the ship and brought it ashore. Then they assisted each of the crew in turn to safety, sometimes dashing into the surf to rescue those who had fallen from the rope.
When it was learned that the injured mate was still on the ship, Huria and Hemi swam out once again and brought him ashore. The bravery of these Maoris created a great stir at Nelson and money was raised on their behalf. When Huria died in 1909 at the age of seventy-five, both Maori and pakeha united to do her honour. A memorial portrait also by Lindauer, which hangs in the Art Gallery at Nelson, shows her at a later stage of her life.
Children Playing Knuckle Stones
The game of knuckle stones - known to peoples the world over - was popular with Maori children under the name of ruru. It was played with five stones thrown into the air and caught deftly on the back of the hand.
Mr A.W. Reed writes: "In the Maori game a rough square is traced on the ground and the stones are placed in the corners. The player tosses the remaining stone in the air, picks up one of the corner stones and catches the first before it touches the ground. As the game proceeds it becomes more difficult as two, three, or four stones must be picked up before the first stone is caught."
Digging with the Ko
This picture shows a typical scene in a Maori commune in former times. A group of men is preparing the ground for planting the kumara (sweet potato). The ko was used for the first loosening of the soil which was later turned with the broad-bladed kaheru (spade).
The diggers gathered in one corner and worked diagonally across the planting area. The practice of planting in diagonal lines was almost universal with the Maori. The diagonal lines were so designed that the sun, as it travelled across the sky, went "between the rows" as the Maori said.
The men with the ko chanted as they worked and moved as one man to the rhythm of ancient and sacred chants.
There were four processes in connection with the planting of the crop - the loosening of the soil, the pulverising of the earth with wooden clubs and careful removal of the roots, the formation of mounds, and the distribution of the seed tubers at the mounds. The planters then attended to the actual planting. Chiefs, commoners, and slaves - men and women - joined in this work in most districts but there were tribes who forbade women taking part in the important task of planting.
Taraia
Taraia Ngakuti te Tumuhuia was a fierce, uncompromising old firebrand until the end of his days. From his boyhood he was constantly on the warpath, leading his tribe, the Ngati-Tamatera (a sub-tribe of the Ngati-Maru) on one expedition or another. He was one of the principal fighting chiefs of what was known as the Marutuahu, a confederation of numerous and powerful tribes living around the Waihou Valley.
At one time he joined Te Rauparaha and went with him on one of his marauding expeditions to the South Island. He fought at Kaikoura and Kaiapoi against the powerful Ngai-Tahu of Canterbury. After this action he returned to his home at Puru, near Thames.
In 1842, he set off once again, this time to settle an old score with the people of the Ngai-te-Rangi at Katikati, near Tauranga. In this skirmish four men, one woman, and a child were killed, and also some men who were trying to escape in a canoe. After the action, an old-time cannibal feast was held; one of the last in New Zealand. When the news reached Auckland, Acting-Governor Shortland visited Taraia at his pa near Thames to make inquiries. He was received with civility by Taraia. When questioned about the alleged cannibal feast, Taraia freely admitted that it had taken place. But, he said, as it was an old Maori custom and no European was involved, he considered it concerned the Maori alone and he advised the Government to mind its own business.
James Mackay records an example of the imperious manners of the old chief in commenting on the method of administering food to a person under tapu, as illustrated in an earlier picture in this book (goNZo's Note: See top link).
He wrote: "The last occasion on which I saw it performed wan in 1866 at Ohinemuri when Taraia received a drink of water from a slave. Taraia placed his two hands close together with the thumbs outwards and palms upwards; he then put the wrists under his chin and elevated the fingers and the water was poured from a gourd, or calabash, into his mouth. In removing the vessel the attendant happened to touch the chief's extended fingers with it. Taraia cursed the man, seized the calabash and broke it into fragments, collecting the pieces and burnt them on a wahitapu (sacred place).
Paora (Paul) Tuhaere
The chief Paora Tuhaere, of Orakei, Auckland,was one of the best known and widely respected members of the Maori race and a fine example of the old time Maori rangatira. He could speak of the time when he saw the first European settlers put up their tents and raupo whares on the fern covered hills where the city of Auckland now stands.
He was born about 1825 and was a nephew of the famous warrior Apihai te Kawau who was sketched by the artist Angas in 1841. On Apihai's death, Paora became the most influential chief of the Ngati-Whatua, of the Auckland district, known to the Maoris as Tamaki.
Paora was a man of peace. Throughout his life he was a friend of the white people. In 1844 he and other chiefs of his tribe went to Whangarei and made peace with Te Parawhau, then hostile to the Ngati-Whatua.
His kindly and genial tattooed face was familiar to all living around Auckland during the city's early years. He died in 1892 and at his home settlement at Okahu Bay, on the shores of Auckland harbour, a monument marks his last resting place.
* * * *
This picture and another Lindauer painting of Paora Tuhaere supply a fascinating demonstration of how the moko was equivalent to a signature or finger print. The second painting was presented to the Auckland City Art Gallery by another donor. It was painted in 1878 and shows Tuhaere as a much younger man, in European clothes. The picture reproduced here shows him in Maori garb toward the end of his life.
There is little in the appearance of the two pictures to suggest that they are of the same man except the moko, which is identical in each painting.
Major Ropata Wahawaha N.Z.C.
A remarkable figure in the history of the wars with the Hauhaus was Major Ropata, warrior chief of the Ngati-Porou, East Cape. A fearless and determined, even ruthless, soldier, he took the side of the Government at the outbreak of the Hauhau wars and the story of his stubborn chase after the rebel leader, Te Kooti, reads like wild romance.
In his boyhood he was taken prisoner by a Poverty Bay tribe and kept as a captive for some years, a number of his people being killed and eaten in the raid in which he was captured. In his later life Ropata took a grim and stern revenge on his oldtime enemies.
In 1864 he began to distinguish himself on the side of the Queen against the Hauhaus. In a fight at Tikitiki he killed a chief with his stome mere, in single combat out in front of his people's lines. For his attack against heavy odds at Ngatapa in 1868 he was awarded the New Zealand Cross. After the capture of Ngatapa, Ropata was left by Colonel Whitmore to deal with the Hauhau prisoners. He gave them short shrift.
In 1870-71 he grimly pursued Te Kooti through the wild forests of the Urewera, in spite of starvation, cold and snow. Innumerable stories are told of Ropata's prowess in battle, of his fearless leadership and of his unrelenting treatment of captured enemies. When a pa was to be stormed or a dangerous position to be won, there was Ropata in the forefront of the charge. His column was the last to remain in the field against Te Kooti.
In after years of peace he was the recipient of a Highland claymore from Queen Victoria. He became a respected member of the Legislative Council and was more than eighty when he died in 1899.
Huria Matenga (Julia Martin)
Heroine of an exploit which earned her the name of "the Grace Darling of New Zealand", Huria Matenga was a daughter of a chief of Whakapuaka, a village on the shores of the Nelson province.
Early on the morning of 4 December 1863, the Maoris saw a vessel lying wrecked on the rocks off shore. It was the Delaware, a brigantine that had sailed from Nelson the previous day. In trying to beat against a strong gale, the vessel was driven on to the rocks, with a huge sea sweeping over her. The mate made an effort to swim ashore with a line but a big sea caught him and dashed him against the rocks. He was hauled back to the ship severely injured.
The Maoris on shore saw the distress of the crew and hurried to the beach. Huria and her young husband Hemi Matenga and a young man named Kahupuku threw off their clothing and swam half a mile through heavy seas until they caught a line from the ship and brought it ashore. Then they assisted each of the crew in turn to safety, sometimes dashing into the surf to rescue those who had fallen from the rope.
When it was learned that the injured mate was still on the ship, Huria and Hemi swam out once again and brought him ashore. The bravery of these Maoris created a great stir at Nelson and money was raised on their behalf. When Huria died in 1909 at the age of seventy-five, both Maori and pakeha united to do her honour. A memorial portrait also by Lindauer, which hangs in the Art Gallery at Nelson, shows her at a later stage of her life.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Beauty Contest
Edge.org has asked a whole lot of great wonks what their favourite most beautiful theory is. Some say DNA, some say string theory, and that's fair enough. I'm a supporter of string theory, if for no other reason than the solace in thinking that parallel universes exist where some of my personal relationships have had happy endings.
But the winner for me is Feynman Diagrams, indirectly mentioned by Timo Hannay:
Just to nudge you, the clip above includes the best observation of the NZ character since Irish comedian Dave Allen desribed NZers as the most balanced people in the world, with chips on both shoulders.
But the winner for me is Feynman Diagrams, indirectly mentioned by Timo Hannay:
I would like to propose not only a particular explanation, but also a particular exposition and exponent: Richard Feynman's lectures on quantum electrodynamics (QED) delivered at the University of Auckland in 1979. These are surely among the very best ever delivered in the history of science.He's not wrong. The Douglas Robb Memorial Lecture with Feynman is one of the most important moments in NZ's scientific history, yet it passed by without so much as a blip at the time. Go on, have a taste of genius and beauty with one of the smartest guys of the 20th Century:
Just to nudge you, the clip above includes the best observation of the NZ character since Irish comedian Dave Allen desribed NZers as the most balanced people in the world, with chips on both shoulders.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Snow news day
Today there is snow news. Here at Pook Farm, we had a few mesmerising snow flurries the other day, and was about to partake in the uploading of the public Zeitgeist. Unfortunately, the hamster in the mobile modem had a hernia from the strain and my accountant advised against sharing, citing possible bankruptcy from data charges. Then the lawyer rang up saying you better not put that Fly My Pretties song on as a soundtrack as you might get thrown into Copyright Court.
So I thought "Sod It" and stared at the hills a bit longer.
UPDATE: Pook means Pukeko, not meth. For non-kiwis, a pukeko is an essentially useless farm export. You can't milk 'em, they taste like crap, and they have a sharp beak which they can peck you with if you try and cross-breed them with sheep.
So I thought "Sod It" and stared at the hills a bit longer.
UPDATE: Pook means Pukeko, not meth. For non-kiwis, a pukeko is an essentially useless farm export. You can't milk 'em, they taste like crap, and they have a sharp beak which they can peck you with if you try and cross-breed them with sheep.
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
Pink and White, blew all over
The old man had an oil painting of the Pink and White Terraces on the wall when I was growing up. He told me how the wonder was destroyed when Mt Tarawera erupted. "How were they destroyed?" I used to ask. Were they completely blown up, buried under ash or what? Alas, the only response from Dad was "destroyed." So it is with great pleasure to read that some gronks might have found the terraces from out of the blue:
Well done, great wonks!
[S]cientists from GNS Science says they are 95% certain they have identified a crescent-shaped part of the terraces lying in about 60 metres of water at the bottom of the lake.
Well done, great wonks!
Friday, July 16, 2010
Under Aotearoan Skies
HT Nine to Noon for this magical time lapse in the Southern Skies:
Looking north from the Church of the Good Shepherd throughout the night. Visible constellations include Gemini, Cancer, Leo and Virgo. The bright star appearing in the upper right corner in the middle of the animation is planet Saturn. They are compositions of hundreds of still photographs, taken and compiled together by Fraser Gunn.
This video is used with permission and is subject to strict copyright conditions. Copyright Fraser Gunn. For further information visit www.mackenziesky.co.nz.
It's enough to change my mind on Carter Observatory's claim to as NZ National Observatory. With reliable skies like that available, Mt John earns that crown easily.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Simply the best
The Best Use of a Rube Goldberg Machine in a Music Video - OK Go. Creative destructive fun with physics at its finest. Must watch in HD.
Most Gratuitous Use of the Word "Fuck" in a Serious Screenplay - The Wire. Innovative police work by the fuckload.
Most Gratuitous Use of the Word "Fuck" in a Serious Screenplay - The Wire. Innovative police work by the fuckload.
Friday, December 04, 2009
Art for art's sake
Saturday, November 14, 2009
The man in the Faraday Suit
Dr Megavolt plays with his tesla up close. People, do not try this at home without a PhD in Physics. Someone should really get this guy over for the Wellington International Festival of the Arts.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Long weekend links
# The Economist looks at the prehistoric Shiva impact and the rotten luck of dinosaurs.
# Elizabeth Warren-a-thon. I first tripped over the Harvard Law Professor on the Daily Show back in April:
The Huff Post has more from the TARP fund watchdog with out-takes from Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story. Matt Taibbi sez Elizabeth Warren for President.
# On the subject of Matt Taibbi, his latest sketch of the blood funnelers in Rolling Stone almost creates sympathy for former Lehman Brothers CEO Dick Fuld. Along with Bear Stearns, Lehman was a target of vast naked short selling prior to their crash. Here's a sobering morsel. HT Bernard Hickey:
# Mother Jones ponders whether then-Treasury secretary Hank Paulson broke the law with a Moscow meeting in June 2008 with the Goldman Sachs Board of Directors:
# UK Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge wonders what will face juries in the 21st century, when people can't sit still and listen and think for any length of time.
# Dutch law supposedly protects client-lawyer phone calls from surveillance, which is why they are frantic about the inability to delete tapped calls from other data. How the hell NZ's new Search & Surveillance works around this here, Dagg only knows.
# And finally, because you managed to stick in there through all those economics links, here's some real good bullet time photography. HT Daily Dish:
# Elizabeth Warren-a-thon. I first tripped over the Harvard Law Professor on the Daily Show back in April:
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Elizabeth Warren Pt. 1 | ||||
| ||||
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Elizabeth Warren Pt. 2 | ||||
| ||||
The Huff Post has more from the TARP fund watchdog with out-takes from Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story. Matt Taibbi sez Elizabeth Warren for President.
# On the subject of Matt Taibbi, his latest sketch of the blood funnelers in Rolling Stone almost creates sympathy for former Lehman Brothers CEO Dick Fuld. Along with Bear Stearns, Lehman was a target of vast naked short selling prior to their crash. Here's a sobering morsel. HT Bernard Hickey:
The best way to grasp what happened is to look at the data: On Tuesday, March 11th, there were 201,768 shares of Bear that had failed to deliver. The very next day, the number of phantom shares leaped to 1.2 million. By the close of trading that Friday, the number passed 2 million — and when the market reopened the following Monday, it soared to 13.7 million. In less than a week, the number of counterfeit shares in Bear had jumped nearly seventyfold.WTF is naked short selling anyway? Here's Matt Taibbi and a whiteboard.
# Mother Jones ponders whether then-Treasury secretary Hank Paulson broke the law with a Moscow meeting in June 2008 with the Goldman Sachs Board of Directors:
When Paulson and the firm's execs got together at the Moscow Marriott Grand Hotel, the Treasury secretary gave the Goldman Sachs crew his read on what was happening with the economy and his department's effort to prepare for handling failed banks. He also previewed for them an important speech he would soon deliver.# After all this evidence of corrupt insider trading, Fran O'Sullivan's column on NZ's Securites Commission almost seems a bit of an anti-climax. Almost. Just because the US SEC is a piece of shit, it doesn't mean our own companies watchdog has to be a bit shit too:
The commission subjected 20 companies to its latest surveillance exercise. It found a widespread lack of transparency. The commission noted it was "particularly concerned" over the lack of transparency around the under-lying assumptions used to value assets, disclosures over third-party transactions and the composition of unexplained expenses.# NatRad News is reporting that KiwiSaver is worth less than the sum of its deposits:
Six companies have received "please explain" letters over their related party transactions. But if past practice is anything to go by Diplock will be easily satisfied with a promise by the companies concerned to clarify or make the necessary disclosures in their next set of financial statements.
The scheme is managing $3.039bn of assets, which is $115m less than the total of $3.154bn invested by the public and the Crown in the two years.# Bill Moyers Journal looks at the life of Justice Justice, the judge who brought Texas kicking and screaming into the 20th century.
# UK Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge wonders what will face juries in the 21st century, when people can't sit still and listen and think for any length of time.
# Dutch law supposedly protects client-lawyer phone calls from surveillance, which is why they are frantic about the inability to delete tapped calls from other data. How the hell NZ's new Search & Surveillance works around this here, Dagg only knows.
# And finally, because you managed to stick in there through all those economics links, here's some real good bullet time photography. HT Daily Dish:
Sunday, September 27, 2009
To infinity and back
I must have been about 8 when I discovered a glimpse of infinity at my Nana's state house. It was in the bathroom. If I stood on a stool and opened the medicine cabinet, I could angle the shaving mirror in such a way that I could witness a sudden row of dwindling me's.
That was one memory that came slamming back to me on entering one of Yayoi Kusama's installations at the opening of City Gallery today. Another featured a superposition of inverse rooms linked by a zigzag tunnel of convex mirrors (There's not a concave mirror in the place. Everything bounces out).
The ground floor holds a sea of reflective orbs, scattering the incoming sunlight all over the show. In the centre dangles bulbous shiny mobiles framing everything just right. Looking up at them sucks you right into Escher land (or down the rabbit hole).
There are other surprises. See it for yourself. It's the closest you can get to drugs without drugs. Wednesday 7th October is the next free day, then it's every second Wednesday after that. Parents, be warned. Some parts may look like a bouncy castle or sofa, but you're supposed to use your eyes only. All you have to do is look. That's where the fun is.
That was one memory that came slamming back to me on entering one of Yayoi Kusama's installations at the opening of City Gallery today. Another featured a superposition of inverse rooms linked by a zigzag tunnel of convex mirrors (There's not a concave mirror in the place. Everything bounces out).
The ground floor holds a sea of reflective orbs, scattering the incoming sunlight all over the show. In the centre dangles bulbous shiny mobiles framing everything just right. Looking up at them sucks you right into Escher land (or down the rabbit hole).
There are other surprises. See it for yourself. It's the closest you can get to drugs without drugs. Wednesday 7th October is the next free day, then it's every second Wednesday after that. Parents, be warned. Some parts may look like a bouncy castle or sofa, but you're supposed to use your eyes only. All you have to do is look. That's where the fun is.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Joining the dots
I remember when the City Gallery used to be the library. The music section used to be half underground and it was in these light catacombs where I donned headphones and discovered all sorts of wondrous sounds that never reached my ears on Palmy's radio stations.
It was there I first heard The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway and John Lee Hooker. Upstairs I tripped over Carl Jung's Memories, Dreams and Reflections while looking for something completely different. The building has a pleasant history of delivering the unexpected.
It continued this trend as the City Gallery. No matter what was on at the gallery, a poor bum like me could always find something good to see for free. Easily navigable, the City Gallery didn't hide its treasures, unlike the Escher-like labyrinths of Te Papa.
So, after simply yonks sitting there wrapped up in renovations, the City Gallery is reopening this Sunday with a blast at high noon. The premiere exhibition for the reopening is the fascinating work of Yayoi Kusama. I first tripped over her trippy work back in the 90s with Peter Gabriel's immersive computer game Eve. Good score, City Gallery! (HT EotF)
It was there I first heard The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway and John Lee Hooker. Upstairs I tripped over Carl Jung's Memories, Dreams and Reflections while looking for something completely different. The building has a pleasant history of delivering the unexpected.
It continued this trend as the City Gallery. No matter what was on at the gallery, a poor bum like me could always find something good to see for free. Easily navigable, the City Gallery didn't hide its treasures, unlike the Escher-like labyrinths of Te Papa.
So, after simply yonks sitting there wrapped up in renovations, the City Gallery is reopening this Sunday with a blast at high noon. The premiere exhibition for the reopening is the fascinating work of Yayoi Kusama. I first tripped over her trippy work back in the 90s with Peter Gabriel's immersive computer game Eve. Good score, City Gallery! (HT EotF)
Monday, July 13, 2009
Good Gottfried
When it comes to brilliant portraiture of colonial Maori, most go straight for the Goldie. Fair enough, but more recognition is due to Bohemian-born Gottfried Lindauer. While the Auckland Gallery is working on the Lindauer Project, I'm going to risk some potential C&D magnetism by posting up a bit of Lindauer's work from the Partridge collection, with commentary by JC Graham. Enjoy.
Tohunga under tapu
Tapu was one of the most deeply ingrained beliefs and religious customs of the Maori and one of the most interesting observances. The word tapu may be translated as sacred or forbidden, but the Maori tapu has a host of variations. There was a personal tapu and local tapu; tapu of one kind or another faced the Maori everywhere. It often served a purpose similar to some of the Jewish laws of prohibition and quarantine.
Priests, or tohungas, were imbued with the mysterious essences of the tapu because of their knowledge of ancient and potent karakia (incantations), religious ceremonies and their office as mediums of communication with the dread atua (gods). All high chiefs also had a strong personal tapu which prevented any common person eating out of the same food basket or using anything belonging to the chief.
The remains of the sacred dead and all connected therewith were highly tapu an anyone who had been engaged in handling the dead or bones of the dead would be extremely tapu and would not dare to touch food with the hands. Consequently such persons had to be fed in the manner shown in this picture.
The picture represents a scene in an old-time pa, the outer pallisaded fence of which, with its roughly carved posts, usually totara, is shown in the background. The tohunga is kneeling on his mats in front of a raupo whare in a remote corner of the settlement. This is his temporary dwelling, for to enter the other buildings would infect them with tapu.
The venrable tohunga in the picture was painted from life in the Wanganui district; the girl ia also a life study.
This is the first of the large canvases of Maori customs Lindauer painted for the Partridge collection and was done about 1902.
Fire making
This picture shows the method of making fire from wood by friction. The Maori was obliged to keep a fire constantly alight or else to kindle it by means of rubbing one piece of wood against another. Before long a groove was formed and the collection of dust at the lower end of the groove was kindled by the heat produced by rubbing the stick. Material such as some readily inflammable flax tow was then ignited and waved rapidly until it burst into flames.
It was an ancient custom that male and female must co-operate in this task, the woman holding the fire board steady. The best wood for this purpose was dry and well-seasoned kaikomako and the rubbing stick was a harder wood such as tawa.
An expert in bushcraft can obtain fire from a dry piece of kaikomako in a few minutes. The kaikomako is the fire godess' tree in Maori legend. Mahuika was the goddess, she had fire at her fingertips. To her the cunning Maui, half-god, half-mortal, went and cajoled from her all her fiery fingernails and toes, except one. This she refused him, and he by his incantations brought down a deluge of rain which threatened to extinguish the fires of Mahuika. The goddess, to save the remnant of the fire, threw it into the kaikomako tree, which holds it to this day. Wherefore it was that the Maoris sought out the kaikomako to coax the saving fire from its heart.
In the picture firewood and stones for a hangi, or cooking oven, are shown near the fire-maker ready to be lit when he has made the fire. The palisaded village and raupo houses are typical of the time when fire was made in this matter.
Te Hau-Takiri Wharepapa
Considered a particularly handsome man, Te Hau-Takiri Wharepapa was one of the last to cling to the ancient style of hair dress, as can be seen in this picture. His home was at Mangakahia, North Auckland. In the year 1862, he went to England with a party of chiefs in the ship Ida Zeigler. They all went to Osborne in the Isle of Wight to see Queen Victoria.
The romantic-looking Maori chief captivated the fancy of an English girl who determined to share his lot. They were married and she came with him to New Zealand. She lived with him for some years in North Auckland and then he bought her a home in Parnell, Auckland, where she lived until her death.
Te Hau-Takiri died at Mangakahia in 1920.
Tamati Ngapora
Tamati Ngapora was a cousin of Te Wherowhero, widely known as Potatau, the first Maori King. He was one of the first Waikato Maoris to embrace Christianity and became a catechist of the Anglican Church. He erected a stone church at Mangere and regularly held services there until the outbreak of the Waikato war in 1863.
Maoris living at Mangere and other settlements near Auckland were notified that they must make a declaration of allegiance to the Queen or leave these districts. The majority joined the rebels, Ngapora among them. He took little part in the hostilities and on the evacuation of the Waikato accompanied the tribes to Te Kuiti. He changed his name to Manuhiri (a traveller) on account of the Waikato having to occupy lands of the Ngati-Maniapoto.
Tamati Ngapora was at one time proposed as second Maori king in succession to his cousin. He was not chosen, but after the war exerted much influence in the King Country. Although he was unassuming and generous, the loss of the Waikato embittered him and made him stand out against any accommodation with the pakeha.
Tepaea Hinerangi (Guide Sophia)
The father of Tepaea Hinerangi was a Scotsman who married an 18-year-old girl of the Ngati-Ruanui, of Taranaki, who had attacked the Rev. Samuel Marsden's mission school in the north. They settled at Kororareka, Bay of Island, where Sophia was born. She married an Arawa man and went with him to the Rotorua district. She became famous in New Zealand and beyond under the name Guide Sophia as guide to the wonders of Rotomahana and the wonderful Pink and White Terraces. She spoke English fluently and with great charm.
The Maoris, like the Highlanders and the Irish, believe in matakite – second sight. On the morning before the great Tarawera eruption, Sophia was greatly troubled and told the proprietor of the local hotel that some great disaster was imminent, as she had seen the omen of death, the ghostly phantom war canoe, floating on the still, misty water of Lake Tarawera, the prow pointing straight at Tarawera mountain. This apparition always foretold disaster. Sophia could not be comforted and said she would never see the beautiful terraces again.
That night Tarawera mountain was rent in twain and the whole countryside devastated and the famous Pink and White Terraces completely destroyed. On that terrible night Sophia distinguished herself when with courage and endurance she gathered together and guided a large number of people to her own more sheltered whare on the shore of the lake.
With her occupation at Lake Tarawera gone, she moved to Whakarewarewa where she remained a popular guide until her death in 1911.
Tohunga under tapu
Tapu was one of the most deeply ingrained beliefs and religious customs of the Maori and one of the most interesting observances. The word tapu may be translated as sacred or forbidden, but the Maori tapu has a host of variations. There was a personal tapu and local tapu; tapu of one kind or another faced the Maori everywhere. It often served a purpose similar to some of the Jewish laws of prohibition and quarantine.
Priests, or tohungas, were imbued with the mysterious essences of the tapu because of their knowledge of ancient and potent karakia (incantations), religious ceremonies and their office as mediums of communication with the dread atua (gods). All high chiefs also had a strong personal tapu which prevented any common person eating out of the same food basket or using anything belonging to the chief.
The remains of the sacred dead and all connected therewith were highly tapu an anyone who had been engaged in handling the dead or bones of the dead would be extremely tapu and would not dare to touch food with the hands. Consequently such persons had to be fed in the manner shown in this picture.
The picture represents a scene in an old-time pa, the outer pallisaded fence of which, with its roughly carved posts, usually totara, is shown in the background. The tohunga is kneeling on his mats in front of a raupo whare in a remote corner of the settlement. This is his temporary dwelling, for to enter the other buildings would infect them with tapu.
The venrable tohunga in the picture was painted from life in the Wanganui district; the girl ia also a life study.
This is the first of the large canvases of Maori customs Lindauer painted for the Partridge collection and was done about 1902.
Fire making
This picture shows the method of making fire from wood by friction. The Maori was obliged to keep a fire constantly alight or else to kindle it by means of rubbing one piece of wood against another. Before long a groove was formed and the collection of dust at the lower end of the groove was kindled by the heat produced by rubbing the stick. Material such as some readily inflammable flax tow was then ignited and waved rapidly until it burst into flames.
It was an ancient custom that male and female must co-operate in this task, the woman holding the fire board steady. The best wood for this purpose was dry and well-seasoned kaikomako and the rubbing stick was a harder wood such as tawa.
An expert in bushcraft can obtain fire from a dry piece of kaikomako in a few minutes. The kaikomako is the fire godess' tree in Maori legend. Mahuika was the goddess, she had fire at her fingertips. To her the cunning Maui, half-god, half-mortal, went and cajoled from her all her fiery fingernails and toes, except one. This she refused him, and he by his incantations brought down a deluge of rain which threatened to extinguish the fires of Mahuika. The goddess, to save the remnant of the fire, threw it into the kaikomako tree, which holds it to this day. Wherefore it was that the Maoris sought out the kaikomako to coax the saving fire from its heart.
In the picture firewood and stones for a hangi, or cooking oven, are shown near the fire-maker ready to be lit when he has made the fire. The palisaded village and raupo houses are typical of the time when fire was made in this matter.
Te Hau-Takiri Wharepapa
Considered a particularly handsome man, Te Hau-Takiri Wharepapa was one of the last to cling to the ancient style of hair dress, as can be seen in this picture. His home was at Mangakahia, North Auckland. In the year 1862, he went to England with a party of chiefs in the ship Ida Zeigler. They all went to Osborne in the Isle of Wight to see Queen Victoria.
The romantic-looking Maori chief captivated the fancy of an English girl who determined to share his lot. They were married and she came with him to New Zealand. She lived with him for some years in North Auckland and then he bought her a home in Parnell, Auckland, where she lived until her death.
Te Hau-Takiri died at Mangakahia in 1920.
Tamati Ngapora
Tamati Ngapora was a cousin of Te Wherowhero, widely known as Potatau, the first Maori King. He was one of the first Waikato Maoris to embrace Christianity and became a catechist of the Anglican Church. He erected a stone church at Mangere and regularly held services there until the outbreak of the Waikato war in 1863.
Maoris living at Mangere and other settlements near Auckland were notified that they must make a declaration of allegiance to the Queen or leave these districts. The majority joined the rebels, Ngapora among them. He took little part in the hostilities and on the evacuation of the Waikato accompanied the tribes to Te Kuiti. He changed his name to Manuhiri (a traveller) on account of the Waikato having to occupy lands of the Ngati-Maniapoto.
Tamati Ngapora was at one time proposed as second Maori king in succession to his cousin. He was not chosen, but after the war exerted much influence in the King Country. Although he was unassuming and generous, the loss of the Waikato embittered him and made him stand out against any accommodation with the pakeha.
Tepaea Hinerangi (Guide Sophia)
The father of Tepaea Hinerangi was a Scotsman who married an 18-year-old girl of the Ngati-Ruanui, of Taranaki, who had attacked the Rev. Samuel Marsden's mission school in the north. They settled at Kororareka, Bay of Island, where Sophia was born. She married an Arawa man and went with him to the Rotorua district. She became famous in New Zealand and beyond under the name Guide Sophia as guide to the wonders of Rotomahana and the wonderful Pink and White Terraces. She spoke English fluently and with great charm.
The Maoris, like the Highlanders and the Irish, believe in matakite – second sight. On the morning before the great Tarawera eruption, Sophia was greatly troubled and told the proprietor of the local hotel that some great disaster was imminent, as she had seen the omen of death, the ghostly phantom war canoe, floating on the still, misty water of Lake Tarawera, the prow pointing straight at Tarawera mountain. This apparition always foretold disaster. Sophia could not be comforted and said she would never see the beautiful terraces again.
That night Tarawera mountain was rent in twain and the whole countryside devastated and the famous Pink and White Terraces completely destroyed. On that terrible night Sophia distinguished herself when with courage and endurance she gathered together and guided a large number of people to her own more sheltered whare on the shore of the lake.
With her occupation at Lake Tarawera gone, she moved to Whakarewarewa where she remained a popular guide until her death in 1911.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Stormy weather
Wellington's south coast in last week's storm, in slow motion, with soundtrack:
Hat Tip Wellingtonista.
Storm in slow motion from David Frampton on Vimeo.
Hat Tip Wellingtonista.
Monday, May 04, 2009
Renoir for the plebs
The season of Monet & the Impressionists is winding up its run at Te Papa. Before it goes, Wellington City residents too poor to score the entry fee get in for free this Thursday 7th May. Little small print:
To gain free entry, Wellington City residents must present proof of their residential or ratepayer status, such as their library card or a rates invoice showing their address. This offer does not apply to people who live outside of Wellington city.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
The new powerlines
Big ups to Chris Keall at NBR for pointing out this year's 3D Map of the Internet. It's huge. Here's what Grand Central station on the interweb looks like:
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