Enamel is a small print magazine edited by new Wellingtonian Emma Barnes. Its first issue contains work from writers based in Wellington, other places in New Zealand and all around the world. In this issue you’ll see writing from: Johanna Aitchison, recent Randell Cottage writer in residence Jennifer Compton, Miriam Barr and Tim Jones as well as other new and established writers. It also includes art by artists from New Zealand, Australia and the U.S.A.

Largely an experiment in creating a literary magazine, Enamel seeks to become an ongoing part of the literary scene in New Zealand. Enamel is printed each year in March. Submissions are always open. Enamel is especially open to experimental work but considers anything. You can visit the blog at http://enamelmag.blogspot.com, email your submissions through to enamel.editor@gmail.com or buy it from Trade Me.

This week’s episode Media 7 looked at the Auckland vs Wellington cultural debate sparked by the Metro magazine article (as previously covered here).

Russell Brown rounded up Simon Wilson – the article’s author; with Tommy Honey representing the arts in Wellington and Simon Prast representing Auckland.

It was a lively debate, and didn’t resort to much "us versus them" bullhunky, but they managed to slag off both Palmerston North and Hamilton. Heh.

They basically concluded that Wellington City Council supports the arts better than Auckland City Council does, and that there’s nowhere near Auckland’s Maidment Theatre to get a drink.

You can watch the episode here. The Auckland/Wellington discussion starts in part three (part one looks at the death of advertising, part two at – ooh – holograms).

We Wellingtonistas have been strong supporters of Earth Hour in the past, and even though Keith Ng gave it a damned good fisking over on Public Address, we’re still behind the concept. And so, it seems, are a lot of local bars and restaurants, with Wellingtonista favourites Fidels, Sweet Mother’s Kitchen, the Southern Cross, Caffe
Italiano and Trade Kitchen among the many places offering candelit dinners on Saturday night. We just hope it doesn’t make those poor, fragile roller girls crash into one another*.

Keith’s right that the actual energy saved in an hour will be minimal, and the powers (no pun intended) that be are unlikely to be swayed by the symbolism, but that needn’t make it an empty gesture. If it helps a few people understand the impact of their decisions, and look for practical options to save energy in the long term, then it will do some good. Keith points out that switching to low-energy light bulbs is, for most applications, a simple and sensible thing to do right now. So it’s just as well that as part of the Earth Hour promotion, Wellington City Library is giving away free CFL bulbs until Saturday.

[*not really]

No, this isn’t a fellow Wellingtonista helping another out after a hard Friday night on Courtenay Place, it’s a pic of the New Zealand Medical Corps in 1917.

This Saturday at the Film Archive (7pm, entry by koha) Dr Chris Puglsey is presenting a peek at some of the oldest surviving films in the Archive, from 1910-1920 of the New Zealand experience during WWI. 

Dr Pugsley is a total hoot (teaches at Sandhurst – yes that’s right, the school of choice for Wills and Harry) and he’ll be joined by live piano accompaniment. 

More after the jump

The window at Bowen Galleries in Ghuznee Street is often chocka with all sorts of interesting tidbits of visual art, and right now is no exception with the Works On Paper "group-show".

Works On Paper features a selection of fantastic prints and drawings on paper by a number of artists: amongst them Kim Pieters, Greg O’Brien, Chris Salmon, Euan MacCleod, and…

Metaphorical Proximity (Otago), 2006 by Reg Mombassa!

Ahem … climbs up onto soapbox. I have something to say about the Botanic Gardens, the Council & Garden staff & some of the people who go there.

1. To the Wgtn City Council & Garden staff:

• Many thanks for the doggy-doo bag dispensers at the main gates, cable car & Rose Garden – I’m not sure if all dog owners have noticed them yet (more on that later), but even those of us usually packing more plastic than the dashboard of an 80s Japanese import get caught out now & then. If I’m allowed a wish list, then another one at the Glen Rd entrance and (dare I say it) Magpie Lawn would be grand!
   
• The ‘Get off your bikes & walk’ signs are really pissing some cyclists off, if the frequently ripped up signs are anything to go by. I think that ‘Please bike considerately – go slow’ signs would be a good compromise, particularly on those roads that are already used by cars. Everywhere else, they should walk. Most cyclists are considerate anyway (not all – and more on that later too).
   
• The playground used to arguably have the greatest drinking fountain in the Southern Hemisphere. What happened to it? The one there now is adequate, the other was attractive & functional. Could we get one at the top of the Cable Car too? And (dare I say it again) Magpie Lawn?

More after the jump

So, Simon Sweetman’s live review of Fat Freddy’s Drop (he really, really didn’t like them) seems to have touched a nerve amongst some in the Wellington music scene. A few (actually, quite a lot) have come out in support of Sweetman – says Josef…

the perfect music for the iPod generation who wouldn’t know good music if it bit them in the ass.

And Hugh…

Thank goodness someone has seen the elephant in the room and had the courage to say it like it is. FFD as individuals may be talented, but the group sound is noise and inutterably boring. And the incessent chirping about how good they are is the ultimate sadness. Well done Simon

But, likewise, the FFD supporters are also out in force. From a guy called guy…

Your douchery has no limits. FFD are awesome. Regardless of what you think. You.. not surprisingly are not.

And Seb says…

How about realising the success they have had. They must be doing something right for them to do as well as they have. You just have poor taste in music.

So, what do you think? The Drop, hot or not?

[Updated – the poll, which wasn’t working for some users yesterday, should be ok now. Vote away…]

Gambarimashooooooo

The Film Archive is having a mini-Japanese Film Festival this week with support from the Japanese Foundation. And all the films are screening for FREE! 

If you’re any kind of anime fan you’ll be rushing to see:

1979 anime classic – Lupin the III – The Castle of Cagliostro (Thurs 19) and the brilliant Death Note (Fri 20) based on the manga series of the same name.

On Wednesday eve (that’s tomorrow) there’s also the hurtling maritime action movie Umizaru 2 – Test of Trust which promises a wild ride. 

All screenings start at 6:30pm and it’s on a first in basis.