Probably just rambling but, I have spent a bit of time checking out Taylor Swift's music after al the hoo ha about her concerts and how people paid thousands for tickets, let alone flights and accommodation across the ditch! 

Finishes my journey through the world of Tay Tay yesterday afternoon and what I have listened to gives me some thoughts on the matter.

Mainly, I have been looking for music that would be memorable. Some of her stuff is not too bad, but a lot of it is bland.
Not one tune made me want to play it again....  her voice is OK but the content of the music is bloody awful.

I wonder if instead of prancing around the stage in a skimpy outfit, she had been sitting down, playing drums, like Karen Carpenter did, whether anything would have reached No. 1 on the Top 10. Karen had an unforgettable voice that was unfortunately lost at such a young age. Will any of Taylor Swifts music be remembered 40 years hence?

As most of us know, when at an outside function when nothing much is happening, do the crown spontaneously break into a Taylor Swift song?  Nope... we all start singing Neil Diamonds "Sweet Caroline." Everybody knows it!

After coming to those conclusions I went to bed at my usual 8.30, put my headphones on and drifted off to sleep, happily listening to music like "Shine on you crazy diamond" and "Still crazy after all these years" et al.

PS, what happened to the saxophone in pop music? I really miss the cool reed pipe!

Ken 

Don't you know who I am?

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/welling...ious-mayor

Out celebrating getting Let's Get Wellington Moving bring passed.  A plan 30 years in the making  hundreds of millions in costs and has 2 things to show for it:

1) 30 kmh speed limits for the central city
2) a pedestrian crossing

They're definitely away with the fairies & that they're actually referring to their idiotic idea of trials for those responsible for what they apparently somehow see as being in any way similar to what the evil of the Nazis did just serves to show the depth of their sheer ignorance. 



https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3009171...ew-zealand

This is worrying, that anyone could go to such much trouble to try spreading misinformation. I've never heard of Tross publishing so may be especially set up to spread rubbish.




https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/educati...-libraries

I'm with Spark. Computer Basic wireless data is $45 for 40gb or for another $10 is 120gb. The 40gb is nearly but not quite enough for us and I'm going to move up to the 120gb plan soon and happy that it's good value.

On the other hand, my prepay phone is $40 for 4.5gb and then I still have to use a separate plan for phone and text (neither of which get used much). I see that monthly contract plans are better and it's probably time to go that way as I need about 10gb per month.

I was just wondering why the phone is so much dearer than the computer for what is essentially the same service - wireless data via a modem. Are they justified in charging more for phones or is it just because people are willing to pay? And yes, I've looked at other companies and while some are a bit cheaper from time to time, the basic structure is still the same.

In a world first, Oz is trying psychedelics to assist in therapy sessions. They'll be using psilocybin , found in magic mushrooms for treatment resistant depression & MDMA (ecstasy) for treating PTSD.

It sounded so interesting but its apparently limited to wealthy people so far, only which is extremely  disappointing.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-66049989

"The changes come into effect on Saturday, making Australia the first country to classify psychedelics as medicines at a national level.
While initial access to the drugs will be limited and costly, many experts and patients are hailing it as a landmark moment.

They're sick people who can apparently recover. With the correct medication.


https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230...supremacis

"In February 2020, Harriet de Wit, a professor of psychiatry and behavioural science at the University of Chicago, was running an experiment on whether the drug MDMA increased the [b]pleasantness of social touch[/b] in healthy volunteers. The day was proceeding like any other Tuesday when Mike Bremmer, de Wit's research assistant, appeared at her office door with a concerned look on his face.

The latest participant in the double-blind trial, a man named Brendan, had filled out a standard questionnaire at the end. Strangely, at the very bottom of the form, Brendan had written in bold letters: "This experience has helped me sort out a debilitating personal issue. Google my name. I now know what I need to do."

Scary stuff for anyone aware of recent history, & the horrors of WW2.
According to the article, the far right have tried to appear more centrist & seem to be succeeding to some extent.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66056375

And this surely confirms it. Unbloodybelievable!


https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66052679

Oh dear! Ignorance AND exaggeration from David Seymour, who seems to belong to the bash-bash-bash school of 'thought' when it comes to young offenders. 

Yeah - mention taxes & claim that a few kids being given KFC as part of negotiations is 'using their money to reward these kids' - that'll get people outraged & angry, that'll get votes from those who couldn't care less about actual people, as long as no one gets between them & their money.

Good grief; the man hasn't the least idea. 


https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/...ility.html