The family decided to pay a visit to the Royal New Zealand Navy open day at Devonport yesterday.

Plenty of photos - Laura and I got to walk through on HMNZS Te Kaha (frigate) and HMNZS Canterbury (Landing Ship).

Check out the photos - and then there was this video of a damage control demonstration while we waited to board....

MSNBC has the photos and some interestingly poorly informed comments on the part of some!

Glad the Pilot punched out ok.
STUNNING photos.

Possibly the most ambitious Cadet Expedition ever?

Great to see, and especially interested in the involvement of Amateur Radio as well. Hats-off to TS Talisman!

So... wow.. where to begin?

- Flew to Auckland for a follow-up interview at a new job. They liked me, and made me an offer - which i've accepted. So yes, you heard right... we're moving back to Auckland! We've spent several days just coming to grips with the scope of this decision (I have infact been deliberating over it for days, and didn't sleep too well the first few nights) because despite the job being an awesome opportunity, and despite Auckland being home... the disruption to our family is not insignificant, and i'm having to wear that as a part of the 'cost'. Thus far the plan is for me to head up on my own once my notice period at my current job is finished, and for the rest of the family to stay in Upper Hutt until the term finishes, to give our daughter a chance to finish up Kindergarten gracefully and to have a big do with all her friends (who she's going to miss terribly).

- Finally got some resolution (too little, too late) from my current employer regarding a dispute i've had with them for several months. Infact, it's not really a resolution at all, but a 'wangle' that's gotten me part of the way toward the end state I wanted, but really, isn't anywhere close. Yet to see the actual outputs to this 'resolution' and still evaluating where-to-from-here, especially in light of my resignation now pending.

- One Tantrum to Rule Them All. Or actually, two. Laura is impressive at full steam...

- Left the keys in my car overnight - with the stereo running. Dead battery this morning. Talk about feel stupid. Fortunately our friendly neighbours gave me a jump start...

- Anzac Day, with its usual significance. Skipped the dawn parade this morning (we need every drop of sleep we can get).

TVNZ's coverage of the Not Guilty virdict over the vandalism at Waihopai was among those published tonight.

Firstly my personal viewpoint is that it was private property, invaded, and vandalised, plain and simple. No 'Higher Power' and no immediate danger to others, should be usable as an excuse for this sort of behavior (yet it was, and successfully too). Utterly dissapointed, I am.

But TVNZ, seriously. Last I checked Satellites were the things that fly around the earth in orbit. Not the Sattelite DISHES pointed at them.

Eyeroll...

[Edit: Kiwiblog has an interesting take on the situation, and indeed, the ramifications of this decision - notwithstanding the comments I saw on 3 News last night where the Jury were specifically instructed to disregard any precedent the crime might set!]

NASA's One Man Stealth Plane

This is cooooool stuff. Just imagine the possibilities...

The NZSAS situation in Afghanistan is all over the news and I probably should exercise a little care commenting on it.

However the long standing military buff and generally helpful sort in me (!) viewed this latest article questioning our PM's credibility had me ask a question that i'm not sure the article does: Should our soldiers have stood by as events unfolded? Seriously?

Do we not give credit, all the time, to folks who pitch in and do what needs to be done in the face of trauma?

Tamahere anyone?

My condolances to the family and friends of Squadron Leader Nick Cree, Royal New Zealand Air Force.

Turns out my wife knows his wife through an Internet forum. The world is too small, and a good officer like this one should not have been taken from us in this tragic manner.

RIP.

[Edit: In related news, a local Helicopter Pilot used a remarkable amount of forethought in assisting this way. Good man!!]

Exercise Restrictions with the USA may well be about to dissapear. There'd still be some ship-visit restrictions, of course, but this is a definate positive move.

Folks need to take into account that fundamentally, we share similar visions and a similar mission in the War on Terror and on the general need to protect the freedom of our respective citizens. The "5 Eyes Community" (Australia Canada UK US NZ) have an awful lot in common, and (it is my humble opinion that) the restrictions havn't exactly helped us in our common goals.

So yay for positive moves in a forward direction!