Heavy Snow in Lyttelton

The Journey of a Thousand Grains of Rice Begins With a Single Word

According to the United Nations, about 25,000 people die each day from hunger or hunger-related causes, most of them children.

Play the FreeRice vocabulary game and help ease global suffering–for each correct answer the site's sponsors donate 20 grains of rice through the United Nations to hungry people around the world.

You can set your computer to remember your vocabulary level and donation total so that each time you return to FreeRice, you pick up from where you left off. To do this go to the Options page and click the bottom circle below and then click Set Options.

"To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right."–Confucius

Bringing in the New

“We can only appreciate the miracle of a sunrise if we have waited in the darkness.”–Anon

Carmie B and the D Man's Big Aotearoan Adventure

After an interminable wait of months and months and yet more months (the 31-day ones too, not the breezy and quick standard issue 30-day ones) Carmie B and the D Man finally broke through the long white cloud and landed in Otautahi.

And given the high levels of excitement, not a minute too soon; actually, as it happens, 24-hours too late, but that's another story and it would appear, a Herman genetic aberration (Mr Mikey having once arrived at the departure lounge a full month early for a flight to Wellington).

A whirlwind trip of just five days, CB&D had a full run of seasons during their short stay, including a visit by La Nina and unseasonally humid weather with the mercury pushing over 30 degrees for a day or two.

Share the fun with us by clicking on the Kodak moment...

International Opening of Two Hermanator Exhibitions

JINGLE JANDLE MOURNING is a rather random collection of some of my favourite art done by the Hermanator Youngers. More primitive than Bill Hammond's Jingle Jangle Morning exhibition by a feather and not quite as vast, Jingle Jandle Mourning is still a frank and intense expression of self-discovery, loss of innocence, coupled with a smattering of whimsy. There are no bird men here but there is a magnificent steed with a golden mane.

Jingle Jandle Mourning Exhibition by the Hermanator Youngers

WATER ART has been hailed by Robert Studley Forrest Hughes as a milestone in visual communication packing a visceral and imaginative clout calibrated on the Awe and Wonder scale. When asked to comment on the collection, Mr Mikey unassumingly said: "My brush is pure sunshine and my canvas a few fathoms of water."

If you think I'm making up the Studley bit then you're in for a nasty shock. As with the best of contemporary researchers, I verify all facts on Wikipedia before committing them to cold type.

Water Art By Mr Mikey

You were WHAT??

Although little people accept as fact most of what they're presented in the media–abs are easy, ordinary sedans travel at 220km/h on public roads, Coke is the real thing–they are often cruelly disbelieving of their parents.

I was never young, it appears. Or thin. I never had much hair and the little I can lay claim to was, naturally, always white. I can't sing, don't have rhythm, and can't jump. Thanks kids, I love you too.

Now I'll concede that Sony never approached me despite my unerringly accurate interpretations of Dylan and that hitting the dance floor took on a whole new meaning when I was around, but I get spooked as much as the next person and I once fitted into the wee pastel yellow matinee jacket now worn by one of the few soft toys left intact by Wilby Dog.

I'm yet to convince them that photos of me from the '80s and '90s have not been Photoshopped, alternatively cunningly downloaded off some immensely cool young person's site after running a Google image search.

This photo was taken by Wendy in 1987 in a field in England. I once thought it was me, but now I'm not so sure its the real thing.

PS: If you lift the shirt you might see some abs.

PPS: If you don't have that version of Firefox then just ask Wendy.