The erosion of standards

For homeowners and buyers, there’s a great guide from Moisture Detection Co. Ltd. called What You Absolutely Must Know About Owning a Plaster-Clad Home, subtitled The Origin of New Zealand’s Leaky Building Crisis and Must-Know Information for Owners to Make Their Homes Weathertight, and Regain Lost Value.    My intent isn’t to repeat someone’s copyrighted […]

Read More… from The erosion of standards



John Shaft beats Luke Skywalker hands down

I always had decent pencil cases at kindergarten in Hong Kong and then when I started school in New Zealand. Usually they were car-themed but the pièce de résistance was this one, far nicer than what my classmates in my new home country had.    While other kids were into Star Wars and things I […]

Read More… from John Shaft beats Luke Skywalker hands down



Title design in 1970: big geometric type rules

There is something quite elegant about title typography from the turn of the decade as the 1960s become the 1970s.    There is 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever by Maurice Binder, which apparently is one of Steven Spielberg’s favourites, but I’m thinking of slightly humbler fare from the year before.    I got thinking about it […]

Read More… from Title design in 1970: big geometric type rules



Rocketman’s most annoying scene

Originally noted at NewTumbl, this is the sort of stuff that can annoy me in films.    This is a scene from Rocketman, where Elton John (Taron Egerton) arrives at the Troubador in Los Angeles in 1970. Car people, spot the problems.    If you’re like me, you’re going: Elton’s in a 1978 Lincoln Continental […]

Read More… from Rocketman’s most annoying scene



Nostalgia in Grenoble

Andrea Berlese If you’re around my age with a similar interest in model cars, this mural, Re-collection, by Leon Keer on a block of flats in Grenoble, France, will appeal.    Leon has Tweets with the before and after, and one about the process. ‘Re-Collection’ my latest mural @GStreetartfest Grenoble France, photos before and after […]

Read More… from Nostalgia in Grenoble



A refreshing piece on diversity in our mainstream media

Two fantastic items in my Tweetstream today, the first from journalist Jehan Casinader, a New Zealander of Sri Lankan heritage, in Stuff. Some highlights:    As an ethnic person, you can only enter (and stay in) a predominantly white space – like the media, politics or corporate leadership – if you play by the rules. […]

Read More… from A refreshing piece on diversity in our mainstream media



From one émigré to the Lais, leaving Hong Kong for Scotland

This final podcast of 2020 is an unusual one. First, it’s really directed a family I’ve never met: the Lais, who are leaving Hong Kong for Glasgow after the passing of the national security law in the Chinese city, as reported by Reuter. They may never even hear it. But it’s a from-the-heart piece recounting […]

Read More… from From one émigré to the Lais, leaving Hong Kong for Scotland



The Grundig parts’ cache time capsule

When Dad was made redundant from Cory-Wright & Salmon, which had purchased his workplace, Turnbull & Jones, he bought all the Grundig equipment and accessories, thinking that he would find it useful. And for a while he did. The odd one he cannibalized, while the parts were used and adapted. Cory-Wright wound up contracting him […]

Read More… from The Grundig parts’ cache time capsule



When Sibelius started our TV day

If I hadn’t mentioned this on Twitter, I might not have had a hunt for it. When I first came to this country, this was how TV1 started each morning—I believe at 10.30 a.m. prior to Play School. I haven’t seen this since the 1970s, and I’m glad someone put it on YouTube.    I […]

Read More… from When Sibelius started our TV day



Autocade reaches 4,300 models before the month is out

A very quick note, probably more for me than anyone else: the 4,300th model went up on Autocade tonight. It was slightly deliberate, since I checked the stats for the site to see we were up to 4,299. I’ve a folder of models to be added, and I admit I scrolled down a little to […]

Read More… from Autocade reaches 4,300 models before the month is out