Council e-Petitions
For those who weren’t aware of it, the Council has a nice online service that allows people to “petition the Wellington City Council, via the internet, on matters relevant to the Council’s business”.
Anyone can create one, so, if there’s something bugging you that you think the council should be looking into, just go right ahead. (Remember though, if it’s something that needs fixing as opposed to some more substantial infrastructural problem, just use their Fix It service).
A majority of the current petitions cover one of Wellingtonista’s favourite topics, namely urban transport (they’re removing cycle lanes!?), so, if you’d like to add your weight to those issues, or raise one of your own, rock on over and have your say.
(Note: this service is bought to you by the excellently entitled ‘Democratic Services‘ council department).
Holy Smoke!
The historic St Peters church, on the corner of Willis & Ghuznee St, is currently on fire.
There are seven fire appliances and one ambulance attending the fire, and just now they seem to have stopped the smoke belching out of the doors and windows. More updates & photos as they come to hand…
Cinephilia: Opening This Week
First up, Lars and the Real Girl is delightfully odd indie starring Ryan Gosling as a lonely and damaged young man who finds love on the Internet. With a doll named Bianca. Paramount, Penthouse.
Also at the Paramount, just for Wahine Week is a documentary about the disaster called The Wahine Disaster. Another documentary, that I missed in my sweep last week, is John Pilger’s The War on Democracy which is now playing at the Lighthouse Petone only. It was originally going to play at the Paramount as well but was cut by the owners for being ‘too left wing’. Some Paramount customers have already begun a boycott protesting this simple-minded attack on free speech (not to mention an attack on the Paramount itself and it’s grand history of showing films with a humanitarian and anti-establishment position). Feel free to voice your displeasure to the management.
Something to get off our chests
If, like many of us, you’re furious about the way many media outlets treat women, you need to start reading the American magazine Bust. It’s fiercely feminist, but also riffs on craft, culture and fashion – in a good way (they use ‘real’ people for models, of all shapes, sizes and sexualities etc) In fact, their new issue is the perfect place to start, because it features our Wellingtonians of the Year, the all-conquering Flight of the Conchords on one side of its flip cover, along with the Wellington landmark-defiling Elijah Wood.
I recommend subscribing, because this magazine is really so very very awesome, but if you just want to give it a go, you can buy it at Vic Books, Magazzino, and probably Unity Books.
The Phoenix Foundation – Bleaching Sun
Some Friday music video viewing for you. Two of the best things in life — Cricket and Music — combined into one fine music video from Wellington’s increasingly hirsute Phoenix Foundation…
Newtown at night with the Newtownista
About half the Wellingtonista now call Newtown home, so we thought it was about time we did some exploring of the area. Therefore, on this coming Saturday, we’re going to be doing a Newtownista Pub Crawl, and you should come with us!
We’re going to start on Riddiford St down near the zoo around 7.30pm, and work our way back towards town, aiming to end up at Amigo’s for tapas. Most of us haven’t been to most of the bars, so we’ll be intending to give them all a go-to, even the dodgy ones – but we may change our minds on the night when we look in their doors.
To come along, either show up in that area at that time, get in contact with a cellphone number so we can text you our progress, or follow my twitter account as hopefully I’ll remember to update it as we go along. We’re going to boldly go where some people have gone before, and it should be a jolly good time.
Gorgeous photo by Dead Possum, yanked from flickr
Wahine disaster anniversary
Just in case you’ve managed to avoid the saturation coverage across the news media for the last week or so, today marks the 40th anniversary of the Wahine disaster.
We won’t add to the plethora of stories (well, we are with this story I suppose, but, well, err…) we mostly just wanted to make note of one article in the NZ Herald, entitled…
Wahine ticket revives terrifying memories (+photos, audio)
Ahhh, yes. It’ll be the ticket reviving those terrifying memories. Not the barrage of photos, audio or video.
Anyway, cynicism aside, it was a tragic event in Wellington’s history, and we’ll be taking a quiet moment today to remember the victims, and to salute the many brave people who risked their own lives to head to the beaches (and, in some cases, out into the storm-lashed waters), to help rescue the hundreds of passengers and crew of the ship who had been thrown into the sea from the foundering ship.
Opening tonight – all welcome
A swag of Wellington artists have produced video art for The Artists Film Festival, opening tonight at 5:30pm at the Film Archive (cnr Taranaki and Ghuznee Sts).
Curated by Wellington-based curator (and Listener art critic) Paula J Booker, the show promises an extreme mix of artworks….28 video works in total, possibly the largest video exhibition ever undertaken in NZ.
Highlights include someone singing to Janis Joplin until almost passing out, CHCH artist James Oram generating electricity by bike to power his own ME sign….it’s all pretty entertaining/shocking/thought-provoking stuff.
EXHIBITION DETAILS
The Artists Film Festival
11 April – 17 May 2008
LIVE PERFORMANCE, Thursday 17 April, 7pm
The Twilight Drone by Johannes Contag (of Cloudboy fame) Tickets $8/6.
Contag explores the notion of the ambient film with live accompaniment to this film work shot in a snow-covered Austria…
Stock Market Goes Haywire!
Is it just me, or is the NZX animated display much more aesthetically pleasing when it goes berserk?
Mighty Mighty – Facebook update in time for us all to act
Mighty Mighty Bar has released their Facebook “what’s on” earlier than previous ones – on ’em!
This may be the final chance you get to catch Delaney Davidson and his Ghost Orchestra before he goes back Europe way! IT IS A MUST SEE SHOW !
Also here is this weeks gigaroos! see you here, or you are square 😉
Captain Richardo and the Mighty Musketeers
WED 9th – 8:30pm ROSIE TIN TEA CADDIE + ACHILES BOTES. Sweet folk.Lapping in the sea of tranquilitea come s these nicey nice hand holding acts.
THUR 10th – 9pm – The WRONGDOINGS,DELANEYDAVIDSON and his 8piece GHOST ORCHESTRA(last NZ gig),SLIM CHANTS,Say goodbye to the drummer about town,Jelly and the last time in a year to hear his numerous and great bands.Dirty country.
FRI 11th – 10pm THE SHADES E.P Release + THE AVIATORS. AK`s finest soul outfit. Hip hop beats funk and soul,a smokey session indeed!
SAT 12th – HI ACES ALBUM RELEASE ,with The BLACKBELLES finally a recording from these local country favourites.Fill your jugs and raise `em high!