Blogging is huge – there’s an endless array of stats out there about how many there are, how many are being created every day, how many people are reading them, how the traditional media outlets should be crapping themselves, etc etc etc.

A lot of blogs posts it seems are about, well, blogging. I didn’t want to get into that, but I’m kind of at the stage where I’ve been posting fairly regularly for a month or two, and nothing’s happening. The New Zealand blogoshpere with one or two honorable exceptions are obsessed with shitfights or measuring dicks.

I didn’t want to get involved in that scene. I’m not a politcal guy, and it’s been years since I was at high school, so cliques and sucking up are out too. I want Charterd Trips to be a little site about what interests me on the hope that others might find it interesting too. There’s got to be more to life than New Zealand’s politics, and made up stories about what you did on the piss last night. Hmmmm…

This is class. I didn’t like The Life Aquatic, but I’m a fan of Anderson’s films generally, esp. The Royal Tenenbaums and Bottle Rocket. He’s got his own style alright (geeky obsession with detail and using the same actors all the time) and this ad is like a WA film in miniature.

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Napier06 042
Originally uploaded by richirvine73.

Napier (short) report:
– Craggy Range vineyard is a spectacular place to have lunch
– Te Mata peak could do with some rails on the road to the top
– Hastings gets a really raw deal being next to picturesque Napier – no wonder they hate each other
– Kim Crawford winery is a really chilled out and had a guitarist playing on the front lawn when we were there. Lovely
– How the hell do you get around to Cape Kidnappers?
– Don’t take your jandals off on the beach – the stones will hurt your feet
– They’re PERFECT for skipping stones though

There’s more photos on my Flickr page

Having leapt the 30 hurdle (ahem) a couple of years ago, I was interested to read this article, 59 things a man should never do after 30. I don’t agree with all of it (I quite like hacky sack and air drumming, and what’s wrong with fireworks?), but they’re basically on the right track. Let’s add a few more.

Things Men shouldn’t do after 30, numbers 60 – 72.
60. Drink alocopops (actually, men shouldn’t do this at all)
61. Switch which sports team you support – this goes for Rugby, Football, whatever. Moving cities or countries is simply NOT an excuse for this
62. Know what the number one song is at the moment
63. Go in a mosh pit under any circumstance, except losing a contact lens
64. Wear jewelry
65. Rollerblade
66. Get anything waxed
67. (Hey, this easier than I thought!) Goatees = bad
68. Same goes for pony tails, hippy
69. And piercings
70. Canvas belts are out, too
71. Use a ring tone from a (s)hit song on your mobile
72. Spend more than $25 on a haircut

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Here’s a feeble attempt to do some Kottke style linkage.

– I’ve started hankering after electric guitars again, which is a dangerous, slippery slope. Large parts of my yoof were spent loitering in and near Hamilton’s music shops looking for mythical bargains – but in this age of TradeMe, the ol’ bargains just aren’t around anymore. Anyway, Telecasters are winning right now, so here’s Ten Terrific Telecaster Guitars.

– Big fuck off buildings are cool.

– Argentina looks like my kind of place.

Grand Theft Auto : San Andreas is a pretty sweet game. I don’t have the commitment (or the time) to really charge through it, but at the moment I’m in an ‘interesting bit’, so I’m playing a little more. You get to run around (and create mayhem) in amazing replicas of Los Angeles (which I’ve FINALLY done), San Francisco (where I’m up to now), and Las Vegas (looking forward to it).

This article looks at the similarities between GTA SA and real life buildings. In a very cool move, there’s even a replica of John Lautner’s Chemosphere (left) – my dream house.

Actually, in the spirit of journalistic disclosure, I should point out the most fun to be had is finding large groups of people to wipe out, as messily as possible, and taking photos of the carnage with the camera that’s so thoughtfully provided. Should I be worried?

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I love Aphex Twin – and here’s a taste of his new compilation kindly provided by MP3 blog music for robots. It’s a typical ‘Twin track, with all kinds of electronic squiggles and weird voices – then just when you think ‘what gives? This thing’s not going anywhere’ it all comes together nicely with strings and that. Then it does something completely different. Three or four times.

Here’s the MP3 link – get in quick.

I’m not sure of the ideal time to listen to Aphex Twin – it’s bloody impossible to dance to (I’ve never really tried), and your mum is going to hate it. I tend to go for listening to when working – the headphones are ideal for picking up all the hidden intricacies (and there are a LOT of hidden intricacies), and he inevitably takes you off somewhere else – just the thing for concentrating.

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An ongoing series in which the blogger shares his budget orientated music and / or movie purchases, revealing something of both his refined taste and an unwillingness to shell out any decent cash for it.

What The Covers Record by Cat Power
Eh? Cat Power is Chan Marshall, who makes quiet records with mainly just her voice, a Guitar and Piano (although her new one, The Greatest employs Al Green’s band). She’s got a bad-ass-powerful mournful voice, and while female singer songwriters aren’t usually my cup of tea, I’m willing to make an exception in this case. This record is all cover versions, and is highly recommended. She’s one of those artists that makes you want to go out and buy all their records on the way home from work.
Best bit It’s a toss up – her slowed down, sinister version of the Stones ‘Satisfaction’ is sexy as all hell, but I’m going to go with ‘I found a reason’ by Velvet Underground.
Damage $17
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