iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 18/10/2026

First outing for our season tickets at a double header game: Wellington Phoenix women vs Melbourne City and men vs Melbourne Victory. There's a certain refreshing honesty that The Exponents' Why Does Love Always Do This To Me seems to be something of an anthem.

Pitch, just before kick-off for Wellington Phoenix women (left) vs Melbourne City (right).

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 17/10/2026

Given it's Spring Into Tawa time again, rainfall is surprisingly light.

Crowd on High Street with lots of stands.

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 08/10/2026

Office ceiling seems to be progressing well: Ceiling tiles and Hues fitted.

Wood hexagon tiles on ceiling, with round white ceiling lights separated by white beam.

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 05/10/2026

Home office refit underway. Trying to decide whether to use the ceiling hexagon tiles for wargames or Traveller subsector maps.

White room ceiling partially covered in panels of wooden hexagon tiles.

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 04/10/2026

Worst Duke of Wellington statue ever.

Pōhutukawa tree with an orange traffic cone in cleft.

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 04/10/2026

I think KMart has formed an opinion on the prospects of Manchester City's appeal succeeding.

Close-up of badge and price tag on a Manchester City sweatshirt. Price tag show price reduced from $45 to $25.

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 03/10/2026

We now possess the Dishwasher of Omega (sadly, Rassilon model not available). Soon, we will be Master of Time and Space (Saving)!

Big brown cardboard box with Omega name and label and white dishwasher label, on flatbed trolley in car park.

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 03/10/2026

Choctoberfest plan already requires rework due to things being out of stock but my first entry is the Caribbean White Bliss Scone from the Get Fixed Bicycle Café.

Scone with couple of squares on melting white chocolate in cardboard tray.

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 27/09/2026

And thus do we mark the passing of the seasons.

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 27/09/2026

From a few days ago - when we got home, @smitty spotted a thrush enthusiastically whacking a snail against the pavement.

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 26/09/2026

From Twitter: Dublin Airport - "Good news for Man City fans in Ireland: we offer direct flights to Luton, Birmingham, Bristol, Bradford and Cardiff"

Screengrab of Dublin Airport Twitter post saying "Good news for Man City fans in Ireland: we offer direct flights to Luton, Birmingham, Bristol, Bradford and Cardiff" with photo of gate 115.

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 26/09/2026

Because I just don't have enough pain and despair in my life...

Wellington Phoenix season pass and lanyard on top of 20th season/member 2026/27 scarf.

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 13/09/2026

Went to the Wellington Brick Show at Te Rauparaha Arena yesterday.

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 12/09/2026

Did the glow worm tour at the Botanic Gardens last night. Needless to say, they don't photograph terribly well but we did notice that a Bee In The City entry ahead of it starting on Monday. Must find out where the one my employer sponsored will be!

Giant black and yellow bee statue on a yellow rock on a plinth in the botanic gardens.

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 12/09/2026

Swung by the shop (Ghuznee Street Shoe & Bag Repairs - they also do dry cleaning and key cutting!) again last night and took a photo of the other helmets.

Row of science fiction helmets on shelf at back of a store, including Imperial stormtrooper, Mandalorian, Clone trooper and Mega City 1 Judge helmets. Rows of key blanks and lightsabers below.

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 09/09/2026

Saw this helmet at the back of a closed shop last night. Anyone recognize where it's from? It was in the company of Mandalorian and Clone Trooper helmets, if that helps...

Futuristic yellow full head helmet with red eyes and black filter with circles on either side, mounted on a pole.

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 05/09/2026

Back in Paraparaumu today because the person I bought the wargames from had a stack of copies of Strategy & Tactics which he offered me first refusal on. Needless to say, I did not refuse. Hell, I'd have driven up just for the unpunched copies of Fifth Corps and BAOR!

Several stacks of Strategy & Tactics wargame magazines on dark grey carpet.

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 21/08/2026

Un-Xpected item in the post yesterday: card and sticker from Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men as thanks for supporting the podcast. You're welcome: it's been a wild ride and all the best, still missing you!

X-Men-inspired card and Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men sticker on black table.

Card interior, with thanks signed by Jay and Miles.

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 19/08/2026

Second time virtually attending the Adelaide Critical Mass fan meeting via Zoom.

Screengrab from Zoom, showing attendees, including those at the in-person meeting location.

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 15/08/2026

Was booking tickets for Spider-man: Brand New Day and noticed the taken seats are marked with Spidey-heads!

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 13/08/2026

Just spotted Una Chin-Riley's karaoke play list! Love the inclusion, unmodified, of Let It Go!

Close up from screengrab of list on a board of Una's name against, in both Klingon and English of Yellow Battlecruiser, Romulan Rhapsody, Let It Go, Honor Or Cowardice, Smells Like Bad Bloodwine and Aim For The Second Heart.

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 08/08/2026

Voted in the Hugos for the first time ever :-)

Starship Troopers "I'm doing my part" meme

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 03/08/2026

Not saying it was a little damp this morning but these guys were on our front lawn when we left. They approached us, suspect they were hoping to be fed...

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 29/07/2026

At My Fried Chicken Britomart (sans Facebook check-in) for dinner. I may have made a mistake sizing my order based on price. Ah well, we do what we must because we can...

Rather large serving of boneless Korean fried chicken with fries and a beer on a table.

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 25/07/2026

@smitty briefly mistook this Roxette album cover on YouTube for Morpheus and Desire from the TV version of Sandman. I can see where she's coming from...

Morpheus from TV version of Sandman side on, looking down at Desire.

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 17/07/2026

Interesting way to describe the current US cyclospora outbreak...

Screengrab of a YouTube thumbnail for video for The Daily Show, saying "Butthole Covid Sweeps U.S.", label says "America gets diarrhoea, CDC has no money to help"

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 11/07/2026

At The Borough with @smitty earlier than I'd like for a Sunday morning for Eng-er-land vs Norway. Please don't suck...

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 10/07/2026

From this morning. Looks like Tiger has finally come to accept Ollie's presence. Ollie is definitely the bolder of the two but, while bold enough to come up to the deck door, not bold enough to stick around when we opened it! #cats

Ollie sitting on deck, Tiger standing, both looking at us.

Ollie at deck door, Tiger sitting and watching in background.

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 09/07/2026

Call me a pedant but doesn't a ceasefire require the parties to, well, cease firing?

Screengrab of BBC video thumbnail on YouTube showing a damaged tower building, captioned "US and Iran ramp up strikes - US and Iran ramp up strikes as shaky ceasefire hangs in the balance | BBC News"

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 09/07/2026

Just seen on BBC website. That has to be some S Tier ad buying!

Screengrab from BBC website showing photo of Trump at podium at NATO summit and ad for a dementia test underneath.

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 08/07/2026

Ventured briefly back onto Twitter just to screengrab this.

Screengrab of Belgian FA tweet after Belgium-USA World Cup match saying "Overturn this" with photos of Belgian players.

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 05/07/2026

I'm guessing the driver's American (or possibly the person who lives near the Tawa-Porirua road who seems to be flying a different and seldom-repeated flag each time we drive past). Wonder what a flag that size does to fuel consumption?

Dark grey pick up truck from right hand side with US flag hanging from pole at rear, in a car park.

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 22/06/2026

A chap clicks on *one* Routledge book link for games AI and it starts taking a rather scattergun approach for the books it advertises to me!

Routledge Books eee X
Gunshot Wounds - Practical Aspects of Firearms, Ballistics,and Forensic Techniques

Ad for Handbook of Cannabis Production in Controlled Environments

Ad for Report Writing for Crime Scene Investigators.

Ad for 50 Landmark Papers Every Colorectal Surgeon Should Know.

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 21/06/2026

Some photos from the Night Crossing on Friday night. AIUI, it's about marking the Winter solstice, encountering the Grandmother of Birds and crowning her but more than happy to be corrected? In any case, definitely made for an interesting Friday evening!

Guide, dancers and crowd down at the waterfront.

The Grandmother of Birds being crowned from the Wellington Diving Board.

The Grandmother of Birds arriving, down near Shed 6.

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 13/06/2026

Interesting auto-caption rendition of "James Corden" too!

Screengrab from video clip with caption rendering what should be "James Corden" as "jizz sodom"!

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 13/06/2026

Just seen a video which mentioned that Andrew Tate had been seen doing a PR piece at a Russian training area and the Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces response on social media to requests they drone strike him:

Ok, fellas, we see all your tags and we get it.

But.
Being a shitty person doesn't make someone a legitimate military target under international law. Climbing on a tank for internet clout isn't enough to become a combatant.

Do something that actually qualifies — then we can talk. Until then, we'll keep our drones for real military targets 😉

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 07/06/2026

Interesting YouTube video on World Cup prices. Especially liked this chart on price of Category 1 (top tier) tickets over time. www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlkgv-rYE4o

Bar chart of World Cup Category 1 tickets from 1998 to 2026 showing a massive jump from 2022 to 2026.

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 04/06/2026

Spent most of our last full day at King's Park/Botanic Gardens. May have got our guide interested in the idea of Worldcon in Brisbane in 2028! Next up: post-Swancon dinner - one last chance to talk to Perth SMOFs :-)

Us on glass bridge with river and city in background.

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 03/06/2026

At the Gage Street Brewery in Fremantle with @smitty - Weather's a damned sight more pleasant here than it was yesterday on the way to Rottnest Island!

Pints of beer and sparkling water on bench top facing Swan River.

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 03/06/2026

Brekkie burger here looks great apart from being too tall to eat as a burger...

Stacked brekkie burger on plate, top of bun leaning against it.

Man in black t-shirt holding up cardboard sign saying "Make burgers wider, not taller"

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 03/06/2026

And, on our way back to the ferry, we spotted a quokka that seemed to be sipping from a can of beer!

Quokka drinking from top of blue can of beer upright on ground.

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 03/06/2026

More proof from yesterday that humans are required to keep their distance from quokkas but they do not have any such obligation!

Smitty sitting on a low wall with a quokka investigating her feet.

Entrance to general store at Geordie Bay, with twin low transparent barriers with no quokka symbols on them.

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 02/06/2026

Also lot of foraging crows, gulls and pelicans round here. To us, Australian crows sound weird compared with UK and Malaysian ones. Closest comparison we thought of was the adults in the Charlie Brown cartoons!

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 02/06/2026

First quokka sightings. We have instructions to keep our distance from them. They do not appear to have similar instructions to keep their distance from humans.

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MonkeyKing @monkeyking.mastodon.nz.ap.brid.gy · 30/05/2026

At the Crown Casino Perth with @smitty for the Champions League final. Man, there's a lot of Arsenal fans here!

Giant screens with match coverage, big crowd below.

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