New Zealand on the counter-attack, so to speak

I really believed New Zealand could be the first country/place to have the Delta variant of covid-19/covid-19 in the community and then kick it out and resume life like it was before it got in, which is pretty much living like it was pre-pandemic.

I believe this not because of Jacinda's 'slogans' of "team of five million", "do the right thing", "get vaccinated" etc., but the consequences of the decisions. Now I don't know if it's the consequences of decisions but the concrete actions are a rise in infected covid-19 cases and not just in Auckland.

Yes, I just said I believe in 'actions', but you can hear it in their voices now - the need to stop covid spreading is more serious than before.

I don't know if it is false and blind belief, but I believe they can kick Delta out and keep it out, but the possibility is slimming fast.

I think putting level 2 NZ into level 3 is not out of the question, nor is removing the level 3 changes that apply to Auckland or just putting them back into level 4. But the latter will be hard in terms of not getting people in Auckland to breach the restrictions. It's not just the restrictions, it's trust in Jacinda, Ashley Bloomfield and to a lower extent, Chris Hipkins.

I said it will get worse before getting better.

Take Delta head on New Zealand, and kia kaha.

- A.M.

Roasted chestnuts

The smell is unmistakable and always makes me pay attention. All you need to do is follow your nose and then you can be holding a bag of roasted chestnuts in your hand.

It always takes me back. Before now and here, the last time I had some was in Geneva. It was the first time I had been there, yet my memory and my sense of smell knew what it was before I could even think it. Des châtaignes grillées. I was so excited and happy and almost couldn't believe it.

A specific time in my life. A specific time of the year. A specific place. Even the specific setup where the chestnuts were cooked, out in the open on the street.

From the paper bag to my mouth, the de-shelling and sometimes separating of the chestnuts between my fingers is all part of the experience. Roasted chestnuts have a certain texture and they're filling. Yet I can't stop eating them once I've started. They're warm and easy to de-shell, the only waste you have is the shell and nothing else. It's a pretty effortless and 'lazy' cleanup once you've finished eating.

Delicious.

- A.M.

Billie Eilish in NZ in 2022

As the expression goes: You go Girl.

It is in September 2022, and I understand about needing to plan including to confirm the one date at Spark Arena, but there is the covid-19 pandemic. 

Not to mention how there are many 'normal' New Zealanders wanting to come into the country right now. I am not saying MIQ, because if home isolation is up and running by the time she needs to come into the country and she is eligible and opts for that, then there won't be as much heated discussion. Or if for whatever reason, Billie and her team (she of course won't be on her own) make use of MIQ, then there will most likely be heated discussion.

Financial profit does not seem to be as relevant as taking spaces Kiwis wanting to come in is or will be, but if it is or will be, then it will inevitably fall on the side of the Kiwis.

And if she is anything like Adele, which I went to and commemorated in 'Adele commemoration', https://holandt.blogspot.com/2021/04/adele-commemoration.html, she may need to add more dates because of demand.

As RNZ states, "Tickets to the general public will go on sale Friday 15 October.", the date before the release of Adele's latest album, which I think is interesting to note.

Also noteworthy, on the heels of Jacinda's announcement of the 'vaccine certificate'.

Oh and of course, how many tickets will be bought in the ever-changing times? And it's not just about tickets, it's the threads that go along with attending a concert, and for Billie and her team, organizing it.

- A.M.

Source:

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/453070/billie-eilish-announces-2022-new-zealand-concert

Daylight savings put me out

Ok, we don't have daylight savings here, which I'm fine with.

But NZ having it means I can't watch the 1 pm covid updates live and that is not fine but I have to accept it. The updates at 4 pm I can still watch live. It shouldn't in theory affect how much lag time there is between the written Ministry of Health statements and me reading them, but I haven't really paid attention. And they come out after Ashley Bloomfield does his verbal statement in the 1 pm updates in any case, unless there is no update.

It puts me out in terms of RNZ too.

It might seem trivial but the 1 pm updates are important to me and live is preferable.

I suppose I can look forward to when daylight savings comes around again, then I'll be able to watch the 1 pm covid updates live, if they're still being done then.

- A.M.

Adele: here we go

Adele. Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, one of the few people in the World with the power to dictate her own deadlines, has announced the release date of 'Easy On Me': https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-58802096

Tool, Kate Bush, Ed Sheeran, Lorde, JK Rowling have the power to dictate their own deadlines, but I doubt they have the same amount of money deposited into their account that Adele does. To 'correct' myself, JK Rowling probably has more than Adele but don't quote me on that; Lorde, probably doesn't.

BBC: "Her tweet said Easy On Me will be released on Friday, 15 October, with her fourth album expected to follow.

It comes after posters and projections appeared around the world bearing the number 30, which is expected to be the title of the highly anticipated album."

I note she said herself she doesn't believe in trilogies if it's true about the name of her upcoming album.

I didn't initially really read or want to read the BBC article and didn't think I would because it would spoil the whole song. Also, seriously? You want to listen to a snippet of a song? The whole experience is about the whole song and the album. 

Yes, there's the social (and possibly financial) reasons to reveal a bit of a song. Personally, I'm not like that and I'm better for it.

But at a later point, I read the words and name 'Xavier Dolan', who directed "Hello", and I was so excited and happy because I saw his "J'ai tué ma mère" and he's a very young director (still) which I know is an -ism, but is unfortunately relevant. He's Canadian and that is a link to French and France for me, and a big part of the success of "Hello", which didn't actually break the internet, but of course caused a shit tonne of traffic. Last album and first song music video to drop from it was directed by Xavier Dolan// Upcoming album and first song music video to drop from it also by Xavier Dolan.

I just read back and realized it's the release of a song, not the album, and amended accordingly. 

In any case, Adele doesn't need to self-promote or any promotion, the subject, be it a song or album, does that in itself. ... But I'm not taking issue with that, I'm just putting it out there. And to go off at a tangent, her power also means people buy actual physical albums of 25, which is, let's face it, at least a bit unusual.

Another topic I'm  putting out there: do not hold thy breath for any concert or string of concerts or World Tours. She said it herself after her last one. Add in the covid-19 pandemic. 

She is Adele. 

The time to have seen her was when she was doing her World Tour and by that I mean her first proper one and the latest one, which I was lucky enough to go to, 'Adele commemoration', https://holandt.blogspot.com/2021/04/adele-commemoration.html .

- A.M.

Welcome to Netflix

I'm a 'grown-up'. I now have my own Netflix subscription which I pay for.

Like many, possibly millions, of people, my Sister shared hers with me.

Then, most probably because of Netflix's clampdown they announced a while ago and actually acted on, I now have my own. That's my theory anyway.

It all comes down to, in my opinion, money ie profit. Specifically Netflix's most senior management feeling, possibly rightfully, they should be earning more. Because the profit they have made as a consequence of the covid-19 pandemic is just not enough so now millions of people will or have already paid for their own subscription and increased Netflix's profit.

Control is part of it. But it's mainly money.

It isn't for me, I can afford it and didn't really think about it, but really? You need more profit? And, more importantly, you want to take away something that may be really helping people during this pandemic, and who may not be able to pay for their own subscription unless they share?

Even if my theory is wrong, the concept of sharing a Netflix subscription outside one household is still questionable to me. It's not like You/Netflix didn't know.

I am not saying it is the exact same situation, but Jeff Bezos just keeps making profit through the pandemic. Of course, I don't know the intricacies, maybe he donates (anonymously), raises his employees salaries etc. But I really hope it doesn't just add zeros to his bank statement. And I state I have not done research on the details of profit of these monsters of companies, but they are powerful and have you partly eating put of their hand. Yes, I know I choose to eat out of their hand. Maybe not completely when I was introduced to Netflix, but I did when I subscribed.

For an example, Netflix controls what is available to watch, even down to which season(s). They will or will not provide access and if they will, when THEY decide.

Maybe "Friends" was an exception.

And Amazon still probably has fake products up, sellers that cannot be trusted, unsafe and inappropriate working conditions etc...

Yes, each person decides to engage with monsters like Netflix and/or Amazon, but excessive profits they do have some control over, more than the customers.

- A.M.