Wellington Blows.

Nothing like a trip to Wellington to make one appreciate Christchurch. How did this place ever become the capital? The road network was designed by bored crack addicts with no regard to either the permanent torrential rain or the frequent landslides, the street lights seem to be powered by cheap batteries and give off a weak, useless pink glow that does nothing to penetrate the gloom. Everything seems kind of fungal and mouldy and the whole city smells like it has athlete's foot.

Parking is double the price in Christchurch and what little there is of it has been contracted out to a deranged scalper named "Wilson".

The vaunted Wellington dining experience is the same generic Asian crap, pub grub, and American fast-food that you can get in Bluff or Eketahuna.

Theairport was apparently designed to channel the roaring 40s wind straight across the runway.

South Island independence anybody?

Why the NYT and not the WSJ?

My frequent correspondent B. Shuai asks why we lambaste the poor NYT but not the "right-wing" Wall Street Journal. Actually we don't particularly care for the WSJ's chamber of commerce brand of conservatism either, but that's another story. The answer to Brother Shuai's question is

here.

Te Papa

Te Papa? I'm sorry, but this is NOT a museum, it's an arcade. All the worthwhile exhibitions cost extra--a lot extra-- and there's only enough parking for about a tenth of the suckers, I mean patrons, who are trapped there by the crappy weather.