Month: October 2022

Black Adam Movie Review: Banal and boring vs Brilliant and beautiful?

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Movies

I want to talk about Black Adam. Why? Oh this is quite easy! I saw the new movie last weekend, and I thought I would share my unbiased and unsolicited opinion, because why not? 

So let’s start at the beginning; Black Adam is the new movie released by Warner Brothers, starring Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock, as the main character, Teth-Adam/Black Adam.

I’m going to establish a few things first. The movie we’re going to be talking about is not going to win any acting or writing awards, but winning set designs and special effects awards, are definitely on the table. I mean this is a movie about people with superpowers; it’s not an art house or an independent film. This film is designed to rake in hundreds of millions of dollars.

If you have no idea who or what Black Adam is, I’m not sure whether that is an advantage or disadvantage, though it depends on how you view  it. As for me I know the character, though I’m not an expert, but I do know him. My wife asked me who exactly Black Adam was, because she was unsure about seeing the film. The reason was because she was not familiar with the character and to be honest, who could blame her? Maybe me? Just kidding.

The terrible point that I’m making, is that I’ve always viewed Black Adam as a character very similar, if not running parallel to Namor from Marvel. They are both leaders of a country, both are slightly less arrogant than Batman and both have a wobbly moral compass, that is extremely brutal and dangerous.

I don’t write a lot of movie reviews, because as you can see, I’m only a few paragraphs in and I’m only just starting to talk about the movie. However more importantly, it’s rare for me to actually go to the cinema. That’s because sitting in the dark with random strangers, eating whatever food I want, while watching a movie, is something I don’t do enough of.

Image by Igor Ovsyannykov from Pixabay

Anyway, let’s actually get around to discussing the movie, shall we?

Warning, major spoilers ahead. If you haven’t seen the film and you don’t want to know about it, please stop reading now. No, I really mean it. If you do stop reading, you can go and read some of my other blogs, because that would be really handy, even though I don’t get paid.

Let’s start with the Sour Cream and Chives portion of the movie.

When we first meet Teth-Adam, he’s speaking in what I only assume is some type of ancient Arabic language. The next time he speaks and I could be mistaken about this, is when he is in Amon’s bedroom, where he speaks English. I thought this was kind of weird considering Teth-Adam was taken out of the world for around 5,000 years, so how did he learn to speak English? 

I know what you’re about to say. He’s got the wisdom of Solomon; though to be technically correct, Teth-Adam actually has the wisdom of Zehuti. So it is technically possible that Teth-Adam could speak a language he has never spoken before, or the fact that this language had not been invented 5,000 years ago, because of his magical abilities. It is possible, I just would have liked to have see that explained, because it just didn’t quite fit or feel right. Does that make sense to you?

And speaking of 5,000 years, I think it would have been quite fascinating for the viewer to be looking at the world through Teth-Adam’s eyes. I mean he’s over 5,000 years old. Entire civilizations would have risen and fallen, with technology, politics, medicine, philosophy, music and science would have all been developed to modern standards.

However by the end of the film, Black Adam seems to have completely adjusted to his new world. I just feel it would have been a bit of a stretch for that to happen, because he’s got 5,000 years to catch up on, so it’s going to take him a long time to adjust to this new world. Yes, I know he’s got the godly magical abilities and they could possibly help him to adjust, but I feel like the film makers could’ve had a lot of fun with it, but also being serious at the same time. Or maybe Black Adam just didn’t care enough about the world to learn about the last 5,000 years.

I think there’s another thing to consider with Black Adam; he’s a difficult character to relate to or at least like.

I mean is Black Adam the protagonist, or just another antagonist in the film? Is he the villain or the hero, or maybe he’s exactly what he’s supposed to be in the comics: an anti-hero.

The thing is, Batman is an anti-hero as well and people love him; but the character is pretty brutal. The difference with Black Adam, is that the brutality is dialled up to 11. He’s not hiding behind a mask, that’s just who he is and he does not give a damn whether you approve of his methods or not; you’re beneath his attention.

I think this is one of the things that they’re going to have to work really hard on, if they want people to care about the character or at least, care what happens to him. Or maybe they don’t need to. Maybe he’s exactly the way the film makers want him to be, sitting in the middle of a Venn diagram of good and evil.

As for the Justice Society, I would love to have seen them being fleshed out a lot more, but when you have an ensemble cast, everyone is jostling for the spotlight and it would make it extremely difficult for everyone to have their time to shine.

Having said that, I thought Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan) was pretty cool. I think he was the very first superhero magician, I had ever read about. From the helmet to his costume, I thought he was awesome. I discovered Doctor Fate, before I discovered Doctor Strange, so when Fate was in full costume for the first time on screen, there was a small part of me that was yelling, “It’s about time!”

I really hope they flesh out Hawkman (Aldis Hodge) as a character, whether it’s through more movies or television shows, because I think he has left us with more questions than answers, which is a positive thing.

Ok, I want bring balance to this review, just like the Force.

I thought the special effects were amazing. I also think they did a great job of mixing practical effects with CGI. The scene where Black Adam was floating down the staircase in the apartment block, was outstanding. I could be wrong about this, but it sure looked like a practical effect!

As for Black Adam himself, I thought it was very brave that DC made this film, basing it on an anti hero/villain. What I mean is the fact that the main character is going out of his way to murder people. He’s not holding back, he’s doing what needs to be done and very similar to Namor.

Black Adam is not Superman or Captain America or Wonder Woman or Black Panther. It was very interesting to see a character like this, to use their abilities in a twisted and demented form of altruism. Some of those death scenes were funny, but some of them were very brutal and gruesome; but that’s the whole point of his character.

Another aspect of the movie I liked, was the use of geo-politics. I’ve heard this example used before and it’s the best one I can think of: One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter. This example fits exactly into the Black Adam mythos. There is a scene with Adrianna (Sarah Shahi) arguing with the Justice Society.

They are claiming that Black Adam is a villain and a killer, that needs to be stopped. However to Adrianna and the citizens of Kahndaq, Black Adam is a saviour, a liberator, a hero. Who is right and who is wrong? Is it possible that the Justice Society and Adrianna can be right and wrong at the same time?

I thought it was very powerful and meaningful for Adrianna to be pointing out, that after so many years of Intergang controlling Kahndaq and the world not caring about them, it was only until Black Adam appeared, that the world gave a damn about them. I thought that was extremely important and profound; but hey, what do I know?

I could keep talking about this film, but basically it has several good and bad points, just like any other film. To be honest, I liked the film. It’s not perfect, but that’s ok with me. For a superhero movie, I was entertained and that’s one of the biggest compliment I can give.

I know there is a criticism that this movie was only made for comic book fans; but isn’t any adapted film made for old fans, as well as new fans? I mean isn’t the whole point of adapting films to bring in new audiences also? I mean imagine if there was a disclaimer that every time you wanted to see a Harry Potter film, you were only allowed to see it, if you had read the book? Imagine if going to watch a new Stephen King film, you were only allowed to see it, if you had read the book first? It doesn’t work like that and it shouldn’t.

The point of this completely disjointed review about Black Adam, is that you shouldn’t listen to me about the film and don’t listen to anyone else. If you’re curious about the film, go and see it and make your own mind up. It’s the same for any product, whether it’s a movie, TV show, book or music; don’t worry about what everyone else is saying about it, if you’re interested, go and read it or watch it or listen to it. Make your own mind up about it, because that way you’ll know.

And that’s a wrap from me! Thanks for stopping by, now go walk your dog, read some banned books, and I’ll see you next Monday.

Six catchphrases my family says

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Children, Parents

I want to talk about catchphrases. Why? My family uses a few of them for different reasons, like the Penguin does with his umbrellas. Some are funny, while others are very practical in nature; though they are not exclusively used by my wife and I, we all know what they mean.

Let’s look at them, shall we?

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

1.) Calm the Farm

This gem came from my late mother-in-law. It refers to when there was a ruckus on the farm, the farmer would try to calm the situation down.

We break it out when UMC1 and/or UMC2 are becoming too loud, too excited, or when they’re fighting over some extremely important reason; like someone ate more chips than the other one; so we say, “Calm the farm, guys, calm the farm.”

2.) Team Indy

As some of you know, our dog is called Indy. We often joke about how our team was formed, basically like our origin story. First there was Indy, then he decided that living with my future wife was a good idea. The two of them went on a recruitment drive for a new team member, and I was asked to join. The three of us then added two more members to the team, thus giving us a team of five.

But what is the name of your team, Scott? Easy, we named it after the original team member.

The catchphrase is like a rallying cry in a way. Sometimes when a team member is having a bad day or when things have gone worse than Edward Scissorhands visiting the Museum of Paper, we try and regroup and remind ourselves, “Hey everything is going to be alright, we can do it. We’re Team Indy!”

3.) Toilet Drama

Toilet drama is what my wife and I call all of the arguments and negative experiences, surrounding UMC1 and UMC2 going to the toilet. Whether it’s about a roll of toilet paper being pulled off onto the floor; the stool being kicked over; denial of needing to go to the toilet, when they obviously need to go; or not washing their hands aka dunny hands; as well as everything else not mentioned.

If there is any drama connected to the toilet, then it’s Toilet drama; and we DON’T do Toilet drama.

4.) Roasty Toasty

This is an easy one, because it’s all about being warm and snug. Roasty Toasty is a catchphrase we say to UMC1 and UMC2, when we are putting them to bed; especially during late Autumn, Winter and early Spring.

The boys sleep in the same room and since the house is over 110 years old, it can get extremely cold. So when the boys go to sleep, we make sure they’re wearing winter pyjamas and several blankets, so they will be; and say it with me, Roasty Toasty.

5.) Being a Master

Firstly, this is not a Doctor Who reference, though that would be pretty cool. What I’m talking about, is giving the boys a job, where they can be the master of something. It sounds odd, but I’ll give some examples.

Say I need some help putting out or bringing in the rubbish and recycling bins. Asking if there was a Bin Master to help, will get a far more positive response from UMC1 and UMC2 than anything else. Other masters include: Washing Master, Shoes Master, Plate Master, Vacuum Master, Trolley Master, Lego Master, Duplo Master, Tidying-up Master, and the ultimate master this family has; the Biscuit Master.

Each week, some new Team Indy member becomes the Biscuit Master; which means they are the Master of Biscuits. They get to select the biscuits from the supermarket, regardless of any other person’s preference. We work on a rotation system, so since a new Biscuit Master is chosen each week, and UMC1 and UMC2 take this job EXTREMELY seriously.

6.) Kick in the guts

This is a classic catchphrase from my father-in-law; Kick in the guts. So, there is no stomach kicking involved here, just some oddly placed words. Kick in the guts means to wind something up or to finish something. We mainly use it when we are getting the boys ready for bed. After they’ve had some books or done a puzzle or drawn some art or played a board game, and all that’s left is to brush their teeth and go to bed; well, then it’s time to Kick in the guts.

We also use it when it’s time to tidy up; finish getting ready in the morning; or when it’s time to leave somewhere and go home. It’s time to Kick in the guts.

Does your family have any special catchphrases? If you do, what are they? Please let me know. Right, I’ll off to watch Doctor Who: The Power of the Doctor, with my wife because we’re geeks. Thanks for following me, read some banned books, place your bets on the next UK Prime Minister, and I’ll see you next week for my Black Adam review.

Four Former Failed Fluttering Flags

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Flags, Geography, History

I want to talk about flags, in particular flags that are no longer used. Why? This pains me to admit, but Sheldon Cooper and I have many things in common; and one of them is vexillology. If you’re not familiar with the term, you will be familiar with what it actually means: the study or love of flags.

When talking about myself, I don’t have an elephant in the room; I have a herd of them. However one of those elephants is all about flags. It’s not really the source of conversation for a first date, is it? Or the second, or the third, or the fourth.

Image by Maik from Pixabay

I remember eventually explaining my love of flags to my future wife, like I was confessing that I had a window licking habit. Her response was something along the lines of, “I didn’t know that about you, though it does make sense. I knew there would be more stuff. I knew it.”

I’m not an expert on flags, far from it. Though I do like learning about them and trying to identify them as much possible. Please remember I am a geek, and I have been very upfront about that from Day One. That fact that the title of my blog is called, Some Geek Told Me, is a huge red flag.1

Because of this, I thought I’d talk about some countries that have changed their national flag. There could be many different reasons for the change, from social, political, or cultural issues, or maybe someone smeared tomato sauce on it, so they needed to redesign it.

The point is a country changing their national flag, happens a lot more than you realise. I’m going to list some of the most famous national flag changes in the world, but as usual, there are some exemptions. I am not going to discuss a country’s flag change, where it has gone back to using the original version like Russia-USSR-Russia. What I’m talking about is a completely new design for a country’s flag, that is still being flown today.

Canada

Canadian Red Ensign (1957–1965): Image by Denelson83

The Canadian Red Ensign served as the unofficial national flag and symbol for Canada throughout the years, from as early as 1868. Canada had gone through several versions of this flag, with small differences with each one.

However there had been a call for an official flag of Canada to actually exist for decades, so during 1963-1964, the Great Canada Flag Debate was born. During this time, a new design for the flag was sought and after 3,541 entries, a winner was eventually found. On 15th February, 1965, the “Maple Leaf” flag was inaugurated as the official of flag of Canada. This flag could never be mistaken for belonging to another country, other than Canada.

The National Flag of Canada (1965-present): Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay

South Africa

Flag of South Africa (1928–1994): Image by Denelson83

Just like the different flags throughout Canada’s history, South Africa has gone through many versions. This changed in 1928, when the country adopted the Union of South Africa flag. The problem with this flag is that it’s tied to the Apartheid system that the South African government used, which was based on racial segregation.

With the end of Apartheid, a new flag was purposed for the country to move past the injustices, and look towards a brighter tomorrow. Over 7,000 entries were received and on the day of the 1994 South African general election; the first general election open to citizens of all races, the famous Rainbow Flag was first flown.

The National Flag of South Africa (1994-present): Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

Zimbabwe (Formerly known as Southern Rhodesia)

Flag of Southern Rhodesia (1968-1979): Image by Actarux 

The next two entries are rather unique, because these countries didn’t just change their flag, but also their name. From 1895 to 1990, Southern Rhodesia was the name of this Southern African country. It had been a British colony 2 and over the years it was known as Southern Rhodesia, the Republic of Rhodesia, Rhodesia, and finally Zimbabwe Rhodesia; with a white minority government.

This changed when the country gained its independence from the United Kingdom in 1980, but also with a black majority government. Because of this, the country changed it’s name to Zimbabwe and the flag; to greater reflect and honour their African heritage.

The Flag of the Republic of Zimbabwe (1980-present): Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay

Myanmar (Formerly known as Burma)

The Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma Flag (1988-2010):
Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay

Just like Zimbabwe, Myanmar has a troubled past. It has been part of the Pagan Empire, a British colony 3, been ruled by the military, and littered with civil wars. Having won its independence from the United Kingdom in 1948, the country was known as the Union of Burma. Fast forward to 1988, where the country received an updated version of their old flag.

After some voting, social, and economic reforms from the military junta, the country stepped into a new era. It was given a new name for three reasons:

1.) Myanma is the official name of the country in the native Burmese language.

2.) It was thought that the name Myanma was more inclusive of minorities than the name Bama.

3.) The military junta had long been suspicious of the casual Burmese language, which it had perceived as inferior; the English name “Burma” mirrors the Burmese name Bama.

Because of these reasons and others, a new flag was adopted in 2010.

 The Republic of the Union of Myanmar Flag (2010-present):
Image by Adam Lapuník from Pixabay

And that’s a wrap from me. I realise I missed many other flags, but are there some I should have listed? Please let me know your thoughts.

Thanks for letting me share my love of vexillology, because there is no known cure. Anyway, I’m off to persuade my dog to sleep somewhere else, other than my pillow. Read some banned books, eat some ice cream, and I’ll see you next Monday.

1 Pun very much intended.

2 To nobody’s surprise.

3 Oh no, not again!

The 10 Best Songs about Historical Events

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn History, Music2 Comments

I want to talk about music, especially songs about historical events. If you’ve been following me for awhile, you will sadly know that I love history. I mean it, I love history as much as I love Salt and Vinegar; so that’s a lot.

So I was thinking the other day; in between reading Kaiju No. 8 and watching The Rugby Championship, of a new topic for the blog. Being the cultural influencer that I am, I thought about combining two of my interests like pizza flavoured ice cream or a biologists vs physicists football game.1

In my infinite wisdom, which is sprinkled with hubris and incompetence, I decided to list some of my favourite songs about historical events. To make the list, there are only three criteria:

1.) The song can be performed by an artist or by a band.

2.) The song needs to be about a real event that has taken place, at some point in history. There is one special exemption to this rule, because the song is about several events, not just one.

3.) I do realise there are hundreds of songs about historical events, that I won’t mention. This is only because the songs on my list, will be ones that I’m quite familiar with and like, or the event that the song is based on, is something that has interested me.

Songs about real people, do not qualify. My apologies to Rubin ‘Hurricane’ Carter, Andy Kaufman, Queen Elizabeth II, and the list, just like the road, goes ever on and on. That will be a separate list for another blog.

Clear as mud? Great, let’s do it!

Image by Maximilian Hofer from Pixabay

Sunday Bloody Sunday: U2 (1983)

This song refers to two different incidents involving assassinations and massacres. The first are the two attacks on Sunday 21st November 1920, during the Irish War of Independence. In the morning of the 21st, Irish Republican Army (IRA) operatives assassinated British intelligence agents that were living in Dublin at the time. This resulted in 15 deaths and five people being injuried.

In the afternoon of the same day, British and Police forces converged on Croke Park, Dublin, where a game of Gaelic football was being played. There were at least 5,000 spectators at the game, when the British and Police forces started shooting. 14 civilians including two children were killed, along with 80 civilians with injuries.

The second is the Bloody Sunday massacre of Sunday 30th January 1972, when British troops from the Parachute Regiment opened fire on unarmed civilian protesters, in Derry, Northern Ireland. This happened during a time called The Troubles, which was also known as the Northern Ireland Conflict. 14 civilians were killed altogether, with 13 victims killed on the day, and another victim died later on, because of their injuries sustained during the attack.

Magna Carta: 800 Years: Ben Miller, Naz Osmanoglu, Lawry Lewin, Jessica Ransom from Horrible Histories (2015)

This song is from a television show Horrible Histories, which is based on a series of books. It refers to the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215, by King John, King of England. The document basically states that no person; whether they be a king or not, is above the law. For over 800 years, the Magna Carta has been the bedrock for justice and has influenced many other important policies, legislation and civil rights. If you want some more information, some nitwit wrote about it here.

Sink the Bismarck: Johnny Horton (1960)

This song is about the hunt to sink the German battleship, Bismarck. The Bismarck was one of the largest battleships ever built, and during the Second World War, it was the subject to one of the greatest maritime searches in history.

After sinking the British HMS Hood in the North Atlantic, on 24th May 1941, the Bismarck was the most hunted ship in the world. Eventually the Bismarck was discovered, pursued, and attacked, with the battleship being scuttled and sunk on 27th May 1941.

The cause of World War One! Origins Rap Battle: WW1 Uncut BBC (2014)

This song is actually a rap battle about the origins of the First World War, which was to commemorate 100 years since the start of the war. It features characters like Gaurilo Princip, the assassin; Emperor Franz Josef of Austro-Hungary; Joseph Joffre, Commander of the French Forces; Tsar Nichols II of Russia; Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, and George V of Great Britain.

The characters explain their motivations for being involved in the build up to the war, as well as throwing in some amazing insults and burns. The song does a fantastic job at detailing the origins of the war with humour, disguised as a history lesson.

Genocide (The Killing of the Buffalo): Thin Lizzy (1980)

This song looks at the organised slaughter of the North American buffalo during the Plains Indian Wars of the 19th century. The buffalo was critical to the survival of many Native American tribes, which was well known to the US government. Because of this, the government entered a campaign of hunting and killing millions of buffalo and bringing them to the edge of extinction. This was a way to starve Native Americans and have them enter submission.

2019: Count Binface (2019)

This song covers two different events spanning three years. The first refers to the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, aka Brexit; while the second refers to 2019 United Kingdom general election, which at the time, was going to be held in December 2019.

The artist Count Binface, like Jonathan Pie, is not a fan of the Conservative Party. Utterly brilliant.

Spanish Bombs: The Clash (1979)

The lyrics for this song are based on the Spanish Civil War, which was fought in 1936-1939. Like all civil wars, the Spanish Civil War was extremely brutal, having the Republicans and others, fighting against the Nationalists and allies. The conflict resulted in 200,000 soldiers killed, but between 150,000-180,000 civilians were also killed. In total 200,000 people were murdered, which involved mass shootings, torture, and mob violence.

Battle of Hastings Song aka Norman Style: Kevin Eldon, Naz Osmanoglu from Horrible Histories (2015)

This is another Horrible Histories song, but it looks at the Norman Invasion of England in 1066 and the Battle of Hastings, between the Norman forces, led by William I the Conqueror, against the English, led by King Harold II. The Normans won the battle and King Harold died on the battlefield. William successfully conquered England, ending Anglo-Saxon rule over the country, and thus changing English, European and World History.

Zombie: The Cranberries (1994)

This song was created as a direct response to the deaths of Tim Parry, 12, and Johnathan Ball, 3. This happened on 20th March 1993, through an IRA bombing in Warrington, England. Two small bombs were placed in litter bins, near a shopping area when they were detonated. 56 people when injured, along with killing the two children. Previously on 26th February 1993, the IRA had committed another bombing, by destroying gas holders in Warrington, as part of the IRA’s campaign to get the British to withdraw from Northern Ireland.

And finally for the special entry; if I have a list of my top 10 songs of all time, this song is on that list.

We Didn’t Start the Fire: Billy Joel (1989)

This song is unique because it doesn’t just focus on one event, but rather multiple world events occurring from 1948 to 1989. The events span politics, culture, science and sports, and have left a lasting impression on the world, whether they are positive or negative.

It’s the chorus that haunts me to this day:

We didn’t start the fire
It was always burning, since the world’s been turning
We didn’t start the fire
No, we didn’t light it, but we tried to fight it

So do you agree with the entries? Have I missed out your favourite song about a historical event? Please let me know your thoughts. Alright, that’s it for me today, because my dog stinks and is well overdue for a bath; so wish me luck. Thanks for stopping by, walk your dog, read some banned books, and I’ll see you next Monday.

1 The referee would be a geologist, because you wouldn’t be able to trust a chemist.

What does living in a Post-COVID society look like?

On By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Parents, People, Politics, Science, Social Media

I want to talk about living in a society that has moved past COVID-19 and what it looks like. This could have been achieved through the use of magic, time travel, or just good old science. There are many countries that have come out of the other side of COVID-19, while others are still battling and fighting to keep their country afloat.

On 13th September 2022, the New Zealand Government scrapped the COVID-19 Protection Framework (traffic lights system), and on 28th September 2022, the last government vaccine mandates ended for health and disability workers.

It’s only been a few weeks, but what is life like now in Aotearoa New Zealand? Having given COVID-19 a flying kick in the face, along with an atomic elbow, how is our society responding to the lifting of vaccine and mask mandates? How are we progressing on getting back to normality?

My incoherent and insane observations are based on things that I have seen, hear, or read about in the last few weeks, whether it’s local or national. Whether this information is positive, negative, or in the middle…I’ll let you be the judge for that.

So without further ado, I will get straight to the matter. I will not be farting around discussing matters that are not important to the topic. Delaying this message will not help anybody; there will no procrastination here. I want to be direct with my information, so there will be no ambiguity or vagueness. Dithering, prolonging, or dawdling with this content, would be extremely unproductive and inefficient. I will not be dragging my feet, giving the you runaround, or shilly-shallying; there’s no way I would ever do that to you. No way; I would never waste your time…wait, what was I talking about?!

Image by Jeyaratnam Caniceus from Pixabay

How Aotearoa New Zealand is adjusting to Post-COVID life

  • The Anti-Vaxxers are still proclaiming the pandemic was fake, because a.) they never were infected or b.) they were infected, but they had little to no symptoms.
  • Children’s illnesses like chicken pox; measles; hand, foot and mouth; and school sores have returned. This is because after two years, the public have forgotten every single lesson COVID-19 taught us.
  • Some candidates in local regional council elections are promoting their anti-vaxx, anti-mask and climate change denying beliefs; while some are trying to hide these beliefs.
  • Interest rates, supply chain issues, food and petrol prices are increasing; but house prices, community health measures, and the public’s support of the All Blacks are decreasing.
  • Since the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the concept of New Zealand becoming a republic, has been an increasing topic of conversation at the water cooler, dinner table, and at the pub.
  • Wearing a face mask in public has gone from being viewed as idiotic, to heroic, and back to being idiotic again.
  • Some businesses and companies have removed their plastic barriers, centred on interactions with the public; while others are committed to keeping them, to protect their staff.
  • Many extroverts across the country are now having a “livin’ la vida loca” lifestyle, while many introverts are remaining home, because they feel unsafe.
  • Regardless of gender, ages, and codes, some team sports are finding it difficult to field players, because people don’t want to be around other people. However individual sports are booming, especially hiking, surfing, biking, running, swimming, tennis, and golf.
  • Jehovah’s Witness are back knocking on doors. When I met the two guys at my house, they were so excited to be back talking to the public, that I talked to them for 15 minutes before letting them down.
  • And this is not even diving into the unemployment, domestic violence, youth suicide, crime, or mental health statistics.

On a brighter note, we are hosting the 2021 Rugby World Cup, from 8th October to 12th November. It features the 12 best women’s rugby teams on the planet…but because of COVID-19, the tournament was delayed a year, and the games are only being played in three stadiums; two in Auckland and one in Whangarei, which are all near the top of the country. It would take me some time to hitchhike there.

I’m not sure what else to say about this; somehow New Zealand is better off, and equally, worse off because of surviving COVID-19. The biggest change for me is the number of conspiracy groups that were on the fringe of society, are now nearly mainstream. It’s the realisation that a family friend is an Anti-Vaxxer, or your barber is an Anti-Masker.

There are some deep lines of division in this odd little country, that I fear will we never really be able reconcile. It’s a hell of a thing to listen to people that you admire and respect, start discussing conspiracy theories about climate change, vaccines, masks, and anything else. Somehow, I think COVID-19 has emboldened them, like taken away their fear of sounding crazy. But that could be another blog for another day.

The new House of the Dragon episode is up, so I need to watch it before I read spoilers. I’m stupid and read too many things I shouldn’t. Thanks for reading my little project, walk your dog, read some banned books and I’ll see you next week.