Slow News Dave

@wellingtonskeleton

The Wellington Skellington (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahu, Pākehā). He/him/ia. Biscuit Tin Enthusiast. Aotearoa New Zealand.

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Slow News Dave@wellingtonskeleton· Jul 14

I've found it extremely difficult to do much reading these past 8 months or so — my last job really did a number on my brain*. But I picked up a couple of battered secondhand Conan collections, and fuck yeah that's the stuff.

Dave's hand holds up four collections of Conan short stories. The only visible cover features a Frazetta painting of Conan wrapping his thighs around the throat of a ravening ape wearing a red cloak.

"Know, oh prince, that between the years when the oceans drank Atlantis and the gleaming cities, and the years of the rise of the Sons of Aryas, there was an Age undreamed of, when shining kingdoms lay spread across the world like blue mantles beneath the stars – Nemedia, Ophir, Brythunia, Hyperborea, Zamora with its dark-haired women and towers of spider-haunted mystery, Zingara with its chivalry, Koth that bordered on the pastoral lands of Shem, Stygia with its shadow-guarded tombs, Hyrkania whose riders wore steel and silk and gold. But the proudest kingdom of the world was Aquilonia, reigning supreme in the dreaming west. Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand, a thief, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandaled feet."

"Becoming fed up with the City of Thieves (and vice versa) Conan wanders westward to the capital of Zamora, Shadizar the Wicked. Here, he hopes, the pickings will be richer. For a time he is, indeed, more successful in his thievery than he had been in Aren-jun although the women of Shadizar quickly relieve him of his gains in return for initiating him into the arts of love. Rumors of treasure send him to the nearby ruins of ancient Larsha, just ahead of the squad of soldiers sent to arrest him."

Slow News Dave@wellingtonskeleton· Jul 4

I'd have paid $4.50 for this at a sushi place in town. And I made my own, for basically free* (ignore the cost of the expensive sushi rice. And, uh, the fun rice seasonings from Japan Mart. And, uh, the several hundred bucks I spent on the rice cooker itself.)

Slow News Dave@wellingtonskeleton· Jul 3

These fluffy logic Japanese rice cookers are extremely high tech. And I didn't realise how literal the brand name would be.

A photo of Hester Cat, a fluffy tabby, sitting in a Tiger Rice Cooker box

Slow News Dave@wellingtonskeleton· Jun 29

Folks, you can't beat it on a good day. Which of course they surely all are.

The Bluebridge Ferry sails out into the Wellington harbour just after sunrise

Wellington Harbour, resplendent on a good day

Slow News Dave@wellingtonskeleton· Jun 27

Got some sake to send Kamiina Botan off properly. I didn't expect Yearning Anime Alcohol Lesbians to be my favourite show of the season, but in retrospect I probably should have done.

A can of Night Swim sake sits next to a small ceramic mug.

Slow News Dave@wellingtonskeleton· Jun 26

Got the very last half pint of Flow State! And you're right, this is phenomenal. And you're also right that it's a shame to miss each other!

A half pint of Flow State, a dark beer with a substantial band of foam head at the top.

Slow News Dave@wellingtonskeleton· Jun 26

Survived the first month of my job, celebrating by drinking a beer then going home and not leaving the house all weekend.* Pictured: celebratory beer, views from my office (not from today). (*Mostly doing washing and catching up on anime)

A tasting glass of a very dark, very delicious beer

Sunrise over the Wellington harbour / Frank Kitts Park

Slow News Dave@wellingtonskeleton· Jun 17

Sorry lads I'm afraid it's terminal

A screenshot from Persona 3 Reload. It's very green. There's a full moon, a sinister tower, and a train.

Slow News Dave@wellingtonskeleton· Jun 17

I regret to inform you that I might be a Persona Guy now

Slow News Dave@wellingtonskeleton· Jun 11

The Duality of Man

A screenshot of Dave's YouTube Music new releases tab, showing Deliquescence by Swans and you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love by Olivia Rodrigo. On the left of the image there's a sliver of the cover of the new Mountain Goats single

Slow News Dave@wellingtonskeleton· Jun 8

So on a rainy, miserable Monday night I trudged to San Fran and experienced a life-changing 90 minutes of radical decolonial politics delivered via spoken word poetry and sick jazz. If you're in Auckland, go see him at the Tuning Fork tomorrow.

Carlos Niño plays the Aztec Death Whistle while also playing percussion. Aaron Shaw plays saxophone in the foreground

An audience sits on the floor staring transfixed at Saul Williams on stage.

Slow News Dave@wellingtonskeleton· Jun 8

"There is a responsibility that comes with bearing witness." Saul Williams & Carlos Niño & Friends were radically, shatteringly, unimaginably good. Saul Williams has been my favourite rapper for over a decade, and I only found out a few days ago he was playing his first ever Aotearoa gig tonight.

Saul Williams sits on a stage, reciting radical poetry

Saul Williams sits on a stage, accompanied by Carlos Niño and friends, raising his hand in the air and reciting radical poetry

Slow News Dave@wellingtonskeleton· Jun 7

...the game is way harder than it was when I was an 8 year old just using my hideously over-levelled starter to sweep everything in my path.

A screenshot from Pokemon Fire Red showing a freshly evolved Charmeleon. The text box reads "Congratulations! Your Burnard evolved into CHARMELEON!"

Slow News Dave@wellingtonskeleton· Jun 7

I picked up the rerelease of Pokemon Fire Red over the weekend, and have been having quite a bit of fun with it. But it's also extremely funny to me that by trying to play "properly" (that is, levelling all my dudes and swapping new mons in regularly)...

The title screen of Pokemon Fire Red, displayed on a large modern TV

Slow News Dave@wellingtonskeleton· May 23

I'm contributing to the conversation

An image of some kind of Star Trek ship with the text "This is the one that has the salamanders right I have never seen star trek"

Slow News Dave@wellingtonskeleton· May 22

Sometimes you are buying a book at Arty Bees and then halfway through the conversation you spot a different book on the shelf behind the counter and end up giving yourself a very lovely present.

A copy of Marian Maguire's The Labours of Herakles and a copy of J G Ballard's The Drowned World.

Slow News Dave@wellingtonskeleton· May 20

similar bill can be introduced again until the next calendar year. Hell, let it languish on the order paper til the first members' day of 2028, and prevent this sort of shit til '29. #NZPOL

Text reads:
A bill may not be introduced, nor may notice be given to enter a member’s bill into the ballot (see 36.5.1), if it is the same or the same in substance as a bill that received or was defeated on first, second, or third reading in the same calendar year.[19] The purpose of this rule is to ensure that the House is not repeatedly asked to reconsider a matter it has already decided.

A bill has been considered to be the same in substance where it replicated the provisions of an earlier bill and only changed the entity responsible for acting under the bill.[20] A second bill can be introduced with similar provisions to one already before the House if that bill has not received a reading earlier in the calendar year.[21] Two bills can seek to achieve a similar outcome by policies that are so different as to merit the House allocating time to consider the proposals separately. Such bills would not be considered the same in substance.[22]

The rule against proposing a bill that is the same in substance as another does not arise if the question was never actually put to the House, even if the question had been proposed (for example, if the debate on the bill was adjourned and the bill was then withdrawn), as the bill has not received a reading or been defeated. In that case, another bill that is the same in substance is in order.[23]

A bill may be introduced to repeal an Act passed earlier in the same session or year.[24]

Slow News Dave@wellingtonskeleton· May 20

Anyway it's a real challenge to be newly (publicly) apolitical today, so here's a Hester instead. Support your friends, support your political party, make sure to vote, and get engaged however you can.

Hester Cat, a fluffy tabby, lurks half in shadow.

Slow News Dave@wellingtonskeleton· May 20

I'll stand up bravely and say it: Anime Is Good. My new job means I have to cut down on NZPOL posting for the foreseeable future, so, uh, I guess stay tuned for more weeb-postin'. And photos of Hester, of course. 5/5

Hester Cat, a fluffy tabby, sits in box that is only just big enough to fit her.

Slow News Dave@wellingtonskeleton· May 20

Same but Nanami (also Anthy)

A simpsons meme. Homer Simpson with Kiryuu Nanami's head poorly photoshopped on reads out a note to a blue haired TV executive. Text reads "One -- Nanami needs to be louder, angrier, and have access to a time machine."

A simpsons meme. Homer Simpson with Kiryuu Nanami's head poorly photoshopped on reads out a note to a blue haired TV executive. Text reads "Two -- whenever Nanami's not on screen, the other characters should be asking 'Where's Nanami?'"

Slow News Dave@wellingtonskeleton· May 19

My Dad reading this edition to me when I was six was my first encounter with Tolkien. It wasn't, as I'm sure you can tell, my last.

A copy of an illustrated 50th anniversary edition of The Hobbit is held up in front of a bookshelf filled with Tolkien books. The cover features an illustration of Smaug the Magnificent, a large red dragon, crouched on a pile of treasure.

Slow News Dave@wellingtonskeleton· May 12

Grappling with a moderately difficult choice, distracting self with pasta.

A skillet filled with rigatoni and guanciale

The previous skillet, still filled with rigatoni and guanciale, with a pile of grated pecorino romano dumped on top

Slow News Dave@wellingtonskeleton· May 8

Happy Piccolo Day to all who celebrate

A still from an episode of Dragon Ball. Demon King Piccolo (a green Alien) smirks and declares that May 9th will be celebrated as Piccolo Day

Slow News Dave@wellingtonskeleton· May 7

(Image with alt text)

Text reads: "The Bill will:

support economic growth and regional jobs on conservation land
cut red tape and speed up decision-making
reinvest revenue directly into conservation and visitor infrastructure
provide clearer, more consistent processes for applying Treaty obligations"

Slow News Dave@wellingtonskeleton· May 3

I just realized that I've inadvertently left the house wearing two bits of Star Wars merch. Which means I'm accidentally a day early for May 4th and, perhaps slightly more embarrassing, I'm in public wearing a shirt with the text "Jizz Machine" on it.

A T-shirt with a monochrome image of Max Rebo on it, accompanied by the text MAX REBO: JIZZ MACHINE

Slow News Dave@wellingtonskeleton· May 1

Thankfully today's part is pretty low-effort

Two seared lamb shanks in a carbon steel frying pan

Two seared lamb shanks in an enamel dutch oven filled with stock

An enamel dutch oven covered with a baking paper cartouche

A screenshot of an alarm set for 8.30pm, reminding me to take the lamb shanks out of the oven.

Slow News Dave@wellingtonskeleton· May 1

This is unhinged. This is an unhinged thing to say. "Let's not warn people about potentially deadly weather, so that instead they go out and spend money*" *"And maybe die, but that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make on behalf of business, who are the real victims here."

Text reads:
"While we think as New Zealanders and human beings, that we're all autonomous human beings, the reality is we're actually more like sheep. If someone tells us to do something, we do it.

"And New Zealanders are compliant. They do tend to follow rules, not everybody, but most. So when we get a missive from the MetService or the government around a warning, we follow the rules.

"That's great. It's really good to see that, and people are prioritising life safety and family safety. But what we also have to understand for decision-makers is, look, these transactions, the level of spend has a massive decline. There are real-world implications, so it needs to make sure that it's being done accurately and with a good level of information, and with due care for the potential impact on a local economy as well."

Slow News Dave@wellingtonskeleton· May 1

Drinking a Martini and digging through historic Hansards at 2pm on a Friday. This may, in fact, be peak Dave.

A Hansard excerpt from 1901, in which Mr Wilford, MP for Wellington Suburbs, discusses a Wellington to Lower Hutt cycleway.

Slow News Dave@wellingtonskeleton· May 1

I'm off to a May Day Quiz Night this evening, and figured my interview suit wasn't really on brand. So I have switched to a Disco Elysium shirt.

Dave, wearing a Disco Elysium shirt, sitting in a bar.

Slow News Dave@wellingtonskeleton· May 1

Job interview went pretty well I think (got answers to 2/3 of my specific questions, and the third was "that's a good question, we'll get back to you later." Now celebrating the opening of Octo, the new bar/record store/yakitori spot in Aro.