My World

Te Mata Peak tiles

A 5x-weekly photograph from around Hawke's Bay ☺

duncan brown photography

Tomorrow Today

by Lynette Love

"Standing before the Lord

"I look at the Lord Jesus on His throne. He stands up and points behind me. I turn to look and see a wall of His blood. Behind the blood of Jesus all is total blackness - complete darkness is all I can see, but in front of Jesus' blood - beautiful light.

Encounters of Heaven

I see people coming through the blood of Jesus, totally new. White robes of righteousness are now on them. They are pure with completely new bodies.

"How come I don't see people people before they come through Your blood, my Lord?"

"I have forgiven them of their sin. I do not see their sin any more.

"Once people come through My blood, that's the only way I see them.

"I have no memory of how the person was before.""

Tomorrow Today is a series of excerpts from books by Lynette Love, who regularly encounters heaven - and Jesus - and Holy Spirit - and Father - now, in this life, today. 

My prayer is that you also might experience Him, and that in your own daily walk you might hear His voice, and see His face, and know His love - now, in this life, today.

Lynette's books and e-books are all available on Amazon.com

© Lynette Love, used by permission.

My World

Wonder where it goes.... 
A 5x-weekly photograph from around Hawke's Bay ☺

duncan brown photography

Quips & Quotes

Nelson Mandela: The greatest glory in living lies, not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

Living the Dream

"Job Hunting With God: 

A guy with a computer science degree moved to a small town in northern Minnesota, where tech jobs are nearly non-existent, to do ministry. Unfortunately, the venture he set out to do didn't turn out as expected. Instead, he worked for a local home improvement store for a few months. He began to feel a burn to work with computers again, so he prayed.

One day, he woke up, and felt a strong impression from the Lord to get his resume together. He did, and went to one local tech business and absolutely bumbled his way with the employees there.

Unwilling to give up, he drove around for a short while and stumbled upon another business. Feeling a little unsure, he drove around the block three times before going into the store, questioning if he was hearing God correctly. Upon going in and talking to the owner, he discovered it was a technician's last day, and that the owner and his wife prayed the night before, asking the Lord to give them direction to fill their vacancy.

After a short, formal interview, he got the job within 48 hours and made relatively double what he was making at the home improvement store!

Two years (and 7 days) later, that company (only 3-4 employees) was sold and his job transferred to a company employing 750 and making $150m a year in revenue, not to mention voted one of the best workplaces in the state! Talk about increase! Justin D, Minnesota (March, 2014)"

Living the Dream, a series of true and verified stories of real people who have encountered God for themselves and have learnt to apply His principles in their normal everyday world, sourced from Heaven in Business

My World

Misty green

A 5x-weekly photograph from around Hawke's Bay ☺

duncan brown photography

My World

Purple swamphen

aka Pukeko, aka Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus, aka nuisance

A 5x-weekly photograph from around Hawke's Bay ☺

duncan brown photography

My World

Eye in the Sky (I count two)

A 5x-weekly photograph from around Hawke's Bay ☺

duncan brown photography

Citizenship Ceremony at Hastings District Council

Deputy-mayor Cynthia Bowers presents New Zealand Citizenship to Jeriel Sajan, from Hastings.

Photos from the latest Citizenship Ceremony at Hastings District Council (including one of my very good friends :-) ) at Hastings District Council, on 22 July, 2015.

See the full set, with order form at Duncan Brown Photography, and feel free to tag yourself or your friends on Facebook.

Tomorrow Today

by Lynette Love

"Our Lives as Movies

"I am on Papa God's knee. Jesus is with us.

Encounters of Heaven

He is watching the full sequence of people's lives, as movies rolling before him. He picks out one movie full of light - the life of a person who knows Him well. Jesus stands up, walks through the movie of this person's life and turns to face us.

He puts His hand underneath that person's day. Looking at us with a smile, he says, "See, I have this one in the palm of my hand!"

"When does the life of this person start and end?" I ask Papa God. He takes me to the beginning of creation. "I thought of this one then," He says.

He shows me the end of this person's life continuing into eternity. The Lord shows me that when this person was in the womb, He - from heaven - declared over her life what she would be. It was written in her heart.

He asked of the angels which of them would choose to be assigned to her. Many stood forward; all eager to respond, but He pointed to one and said, "You will do this."

Tomorrow Today is a series of excerpts from books by Lynette Love, who regularly encounters heaven - and Jesus - and Holy Spirit - and Father - now, in this life, today. 

My prayer is that you also might experience Him, and that in your own daily walk you might hear His voice, and see His face, and know His love - now, in this life, today.

Lynette's books and e-books are all available on Amazon.com

© Lynette Love, used by permission.

My World

Early morning sunrays

A 5x-weekly photograph from around Hawke's Bay ☺

duncan brown photography

My World

Beach sculpture on Marine Parade, Napier

A 5x-weekly photograph from around Hawke's Bay ☺

duncan brown photography

Spice of Life

My choice from a week's work at Hawke's Bay Today ☺ 

(including at times, photos for the Napier Courier, the Hastings Leader
the Havelock North Village Press and/or The Link)

Run Patch. See Patch run
Monique Hermansen, with Patch, running with the slow walkers - Norsewood to Takapau FUN Challenge.

So close, yet so far
In the goalmouth, three Napier Marist defenders just manage to thwart Kate St Louis, striker with Port Hill - women's soccer at Park Island, Napier, Port Hill won 5-4.

Happy holidays
Millie Skidmore, 5, Havelock North, school holiday fun at Hawke's Bay BMX Club, Romanes Park, Romanes Drive, Havelock North.

Gorgeous general manager
Sally Jackson, general manager, Art Deco Trust, story about the Winter Art Deco, pictured in Hastings.

Waiting in the wings
Dance Express dancers - Hawke's Bay Magpies, rugby vs Horowhenua Kapiti, Ranfurly Shield challenge at McLean Park, Napier.

Coming through
With ball: Mason Emerson, Hawke's Bay Magpies, rugby vs Horowhenua Kapiti, Ranfurly Shield challenge at McLean Park, Napier.

Reach for it
With ball: Sanaila Waqa, Hawke's Bay Magpies, rugby vs Horowhenua Kapiti, Ranfurly Shield challenge at McLean Park, Napier.

"But the light was green, officer..."
Police, Napier City Council Animal Control, local residents and businesspeople helped chase and catch a little black pig which caused at least two vehicle accidents on Taradale Rd between Austin St and Carnegie Rd, Napier. The pig was eventually caught by Trent Puhara, a local resident, and removed by Animal Control.

Gottim!
Animal control and Trent Puhara who caught the pig - Police, Napier City Council Animal Control, local residents and businesspeople helped chase and catch a little black pig which caused at least two vehicle accidents on Taradale Rd between Austin St and Carnegie Rd, Napier. The pig was eventually caught by Trent Puhara, a local resident, and removed by Animal Control.

Bundles of energy
L-R: Luke Carter, 8, Taradale, Niah Malloy, 7, Taradale, racing on the Rotary Pathway, enjoying the warm sunny weather in Ahuriri, Napier.

Deco drinks
L-R: Eve Vernik-Taaffe, events assistant from the Art Deco Trust, serving drinks to Shelley Verran and Bill Hayes from Tauranga, at the Grand Anniversary Ball, the weekend opener of the Winter Art Deco celebrations, at the Napier War Memorial Conference Centre, Napier.

Hawke's Bay Today Photo Sales

Quips & Quotes

Albert Einstein: The value of a man should be seen in what he gives and not in what he is able to receive.

Moving Pictures

My choice of video from a week's work at Hawke's Bay Today ☺

L-R: Duncan Harding, Phillip Tidswell, as the slow runners set off

They build 'em tough in CHB

Walkers, runners and cyclists in the Norsewood to Takapau FUN Challenge on the rural roads of Central Hawke's Bay.

(Video autostarts after the break, may take a little time to load)

Living the Dream

"Presence of God Blessing a Business: 

Two retired kingdom marketplace men meet weekly at a coffee shop to pray and brainstorm about partnering with Heaven and the Presence of God. They felt bad about the amount of time they were occupying a table and asked the owner of the coffee shop if it was a problem for him.

He says, "No, take all the time you want. The days you are here our business is double compared to the days you are not. Keep on coming and take as much time as you want."

So the owner of a business who doesn't have a relationship with Jesus gets introduced to the the presence of God blessing his business through two men who want to bless and honor him. via Blake Schellenberg, Portland, OR (June, 2014)"

Living the Dream, a series of true and verified stories of real people who have encountered God for themselves and have learnt to apply His principles in their normal everyday world, sourced from Dream Culture: Bringing your Dreams to Life

My World

Idyllic Cornwall Park, Hastings

A 5x-weekly photograph from around Hawke's Bay ☺

duncan brown photography

My World

Winter feed

A 5x-weekly photograph from around Hawke's Bay ☺

duncan brown photography

Tomorrow Today

by Lynette Love

"The Universe

"I am standing in outer space being shown the wonders of the created universe - looking out at stars, and spinning planets; aware of the Father speaking to me.

Encounters of Heaven

"Do you hear the sound?" Whizzing, whooshing, clonking, banging is all I hear. But He says, "They are praising Me!"

Now I notice the glorious colours of the planets and stars - His whole creation, His universe. Indescribably magnificent.

"The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands." Psalm 19:1

He takes me to the end of the universe. It is total blackness. Sudedenly He brings more stars into being. It's like a fireworks display. On every side, stars and planets are being born and the sky is alight.

The Father stands back and says, "Mmm, that is good."

Tomorrow Today is a series of excerpts from books by Lynette Love, who regularly encounters heaven - and Jesus - and Holy Spirit - and Father - now, in this life, today. 

My prayer is that you also might experience Him, and that in your own daily walk you might hear His voice, and see His face, and know His love - now, in this life, today.

Lynette's books and e-books are all available on Amazon.com

© Lynette Love, used by permission.

Love Hawke's Bay

Here's a cool video promoting Hawke's Bay (not by me)
created by Indelible for Hawke's Bay Tourism

I moved here 30 years ago, and I love it!

Vindictive Prentice breaks the rules

I'd be surprised if anyone in New Zealand was unaware of the Auckland housing situation, and probably most would have heard of Phil Twyford's announcement of Labour's new policies. Policies which were based on what I consider to be some pretty dodgy leaked statistics from an as-yet un-named Auckland real estate company, based on their customers' "Chinese-sounding" surnames.

While there has of course been some divided and diverse comment in the media and in the blogosphere, and the veracity of the statistics has been challenged, there has also been some fun – and some serious spite.

Earlier this week, Ben Guerin, a Young Nat and a Parliamentary Services staffer, launched an anonymous site, http://howkiwiareyou.nz (which has now been taken down) which measured how Chinese your name sounded and whether or not not you might be a fair-dinkum Kiwi. It was obviously satire, a parody, a spoof. For example, it threw up several different answers when you punched in the same name.

I found it funny, but not everyone agreed. Lynn Prentice from The Standard, who writes and comments as ‘lprent’, wrote a post entitled Ben Guerin: a dirty politics fuckwit. Here are some of my thoughts on that:

Prentice may well have the right to call Guerin a fuckwit, though my personal opinion of Prentice has just taken another dive.

He also has a right – he sees it as a responsibility – to out a National Party staffer using Labour logos without permission (apparently in his own time), even though to me the website was obviously satire and a quick-witted response to Phil Twyford’s ‘expose’ on the effect of Chinese on the Auckland housing market.

It clearly irked Prentice that Guerin didn’t identify himself on the site itself and he happily informed us how he caught him out. That much was interesting to non-techies like me, whom Prentice appears to hold in such low regard.

But this is where Prentice crossed a line himself and broke the rules, though I suspect he won’t care, will argue that he hasn’t, and anyway, the “sanctions” are lighter than the proverbial wet bus-ticket.

There’s a footnote at the bottom of every domain search result on the Domain Name Commission’s site which is where Prentice got Geurin’s contact details. It reads (my emphasis in bold):

“Users are advised that the following activities are strictly forbidden .... Using any information contained in the WHOIS query output to attempt a targeted contact campaign with any person, or any organisation, using any medium.”

And there’s the issue: despite knowing the toxicity of so many commenters on The Standard, Prentice published Guerin’s cellphone number, postal address and email address. He could just as easily have made his point and identified Guerin, and even told us how and where he got the information, without publishing those contact details. 

Then, when commenters announced that they’d sent Guerin abusive messages, Prentice defended them rather than taking down the offending material.

Ataiawa said:

"I just sent him a text letting him know what a shit head he is. Can’t see much harm in anyone else telling him the same.”

Izzy responded with a balanced and reasonable comment which includes (my emphasis in bold):

" …. I think it’s disappointing that you saw fit to publish his contact information, which apparently commentators here have now used to send him abusive messages

…. he doesn’t deserve the level of vitriol in this post, and he doesn’t deserve texts and emails telling him he’s a piece of shit. Being a Nat doesn’t make him immune to being hurt by this kind of thing. Be kind.”

Prentice defended his position and the actions of some of his commenters (my emphasis in bold):

" …. The “voitrol” (sic) was because he didn’t provide any information on the site to identify who was responsible for it.

…. Since he’d neglected to provide that information, I feel that he should wear the consequences like any responsible adult

…. Suffice it to say that the next site that I spot of this non-transparent dirty politics ilk will at least redouble that level of vitriol if I can trace it back. So you should suggest to your wellington “team” that they’d better learn to be responsible before I make them.”

The next day, Guerin ventured into the lion’s den and announced on The Standard that he’d taken down the parody site (my emphasis in bold):

" …. As the registrar of the domain my details were publicly available. Perhaps this was a mistake, but I am a supporter of transparency, and made no secret of my involvement. The fact that the site was made by Young Nats was publicly acknowledged by myself personally and on the Young Nats social media pages.

Unfortunately, after my personal details including phone number, postal address and email address were published on an article on The Standard, I receive a significant amount of hatred-filled vitriol directly at me personally via txt message, phone calls, emails and messages sent to my personal Facebook and Twitter accounts.”

Prentice responded:

“Welcome to my world. In the last 7 years I have amassed a very large collection myself.

…. The contact details are there for people to contact you. Sometimes that contact may be unpleasant. From your whinging, personal responsibility appears to be something you are uncomfortable with. Perhaps you should not put up websites until you are better able to bear the burden.”

It's interesting to note that in Prentice's mind, taking personal responsibility equals happily accepting personal abuse, and therefore he chose to publish Guerin’s personal details, knowing that it would most likely result in Guerin being targeted by The Standard's commenters.  

Unethical? Yes. Breaking the rules? Yes. And that one step further said more about the vindictive Lynn Prentice than it did about his subject.

Re my contention that Prentice broke the DNC’s rules, I suspect that it’s water off a duck’s back, and all part and parcel of Dirty Politics. As mentioned above, he could always deny his intent, “It was the commenters, Your Honour” and anyway, the consequences are minimal.

The DNC footnote continues:

"A breach of these conditions will be treated as a breach of the .nz Policies and Procedures. Sanctions in line with those specified in the policies and procedures at www.dnc.org.nz may result from any breach.”

Policy 6.WHOIS data protection defines the “sanctions”:

"6.3 …. In the event that NZRS (.nz Registry Services) discovers or suspects abuse of the service, they may take appropriate steps to restrict access to the service including (but not limited to) removing or limiting access to any IP address.

and 6.7 The steps the DNC may take include, but are not limited to, the following:

6.7.1 removing or limiting any party's access to the WHOIS service on a permanent or temporary basis

i.e. if a complaint were made – and upheld – Prentice’s access to the DNC WHOIS service would be cancelled – Crikey, that should stop 'em! <Insert Tui Ad>

My World

Autumn beauty

A 5x-weekly photograph from around Hawke's Bay ☺

duncan brown photography

Spice of Life

My choice from a week's work at Hawke's Bay Today ☺ 

(including at times, photos for the Napier Courier, the Hastings Leader
the Havelock North Village Press and/or The Link)

Local heroes

The Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter was called to Waimarama Road today after a woman tipped her vehicle off the road, crashed through a fence and rolled 20 metres down a bank. Police, fire service and St John Ambulance attended.

One tree hill
Cabbage tree in the snow near Glenross Rd, Waiwhare, off the Napier-Taihape Rd.

Serious questions
About 200 farmers and interested parties crammed into the Havelock North Club, Havelock North, for "By Farmers for Farmers", a meeting of farmers feeling over-regulated by WorkSafe health and safety regulations, discussing the Health and Safety Reform Bill.

Hope it lasts
Zac Flanders, 3, Havelock North, collected up some snow from Te Mata Peak, Havelock North, to take to his daycare.

Ice baby
Little snowman on Te Mata Peak, Havelock North.

Rare sight
The trig station at the top of Te Mata Peak, Havelock North.

Helping hands
L-R: Sherida Bland, service user, Peter Hargroves, cheesemaker, turning cheese in The Cheesery at Hohepa Hawke's Bay, Clive.

Buskers delight
Part of the crowd at Busk Off, a busking competition in Market St, Napier, part of Napier in the City, Napier is your Playground.

Ripped as
Harrison Walmsley-Bartlett competing in the teenage men section of the 10th annual NABBA NZ Hawke's Bay Bodybuilding Championships at Taradale High School, Napier.

Back view
L-R:Bradly Cook, teenage men;  Paul Antonia, junior men, competing in the 10th annual NABBA NZ Hawke's Bay Bodybuilding Championships at Taradale High School, Napier.

Novice shape, apparently
Women compete in the 10th annual NABBA NZ Hawke's Bay Bodybuilding Championships at Taradale High School, Napier.

Great crowd support
With ball: Tom Iosefo, captain, MAC - NOBM Napier Old Boys Marist won 36-21 vs MAC - premier rugby at Flaxmere Park, Flaxmere, Hastings.

Hawke's Bay Today Photo Sales

Quips & Quotes

Phyllis Diller: Housework can't kill you, but why take a chance?

Moving Pictures

My choice of video from a week's work at Hawke's Bay Today ☺

This week has been a big week for video (I shot and uploaded eight) so it was a tough choice, but my favourite was:

Out of Darkness comes Hope
Kevin and Kiri Swannell share part of their story at a charity dinner and auction at The Thirsty Whale, Napier, raising funds for the Limitless Hope Emergency Shelter Appeal.

(Video autostarts after the break, may take a little time to load)

Living the Dream

"Redemption of Bad Business Partner: 

American businessman with rapidly growing highly successful business in Indonesia finds out his partner is doing unethical practices with one arm of the business. Partner is a very wealthy, unsaved man from anther nation. He confronts his partner who in turn goes to government connections and gets US man kicked out of country with nothing to his name. Bitter, disappointed, feeling like devil won.

Ten years later US businessman visits Indonesia. He is met at airport by a local who embraces him and says “Thank you for what you have done for our nation.” “I haven’t done anything,” replies US man.

Local takes him to a state-of-the-art orphanage and elementary school that is teaching Jesus (muslim nation). It has US businessman’s name over the entry. Turns out the wife of his crooked ex-partner scolded her husband for what he had done, took US businessmans share of the money and built a Christian orphanage and school with it. via Dan Morrow, Redding, CA (pers. comm, 2012)"

Living the Dream, a series of true and verified stories of real people who have encountered God for themselves and have learnt to apply His principles in their normal everyday world, sourced from Heaven in Business

My World

The origins of basketweave

A 5x-weekly photograph from around Hawke's Bay ☺

duncan brown photography

My World

Sharing the sky
Topdresser over Tukituki

A 5x-weekly photograph from around Hawke's Bay ☺

duncan brown photography

My World

Nature's patterns

A 5x-weekly photograph from around Hawke's Bay ☺

duncan brown photography

Tomorrow Today

by Lynette Love

"In Heaven

"As Jesus and I walk along in Heaven, I sense that He is in a hurry. He is walking faster than usual. I ask Him why He is hurrying.

Encounters of Heaven

He stops and looks at me. His voice is urgent. "Time is short. Time is running out before my return. I want My children to be ready. I love my children, I died for them. I want to take them by the hand.

They need to live in My word, and learn of Me, and to enjoy fellowship with Me; to come to Me first to be loved, and then go and meet the needs of others and bring in the harvest.""


Tomorrow Today is a series of excerpts from books by Lynette Love, who regularly encounters heaven - and Jesus - and Holy Spirit - and Father - now, in this life, today. 

My prayer is that you also might experience Him, and that in your own daily walk you might hear His voice, and see His face, and know His love - now, in this life, today.

Lynette's books and e-books are all available on Amazon.com

© Lynette Love, used by permission.

My World

Ducks at dawn

A 5x-weekly photograph from around Hawke's Bay ☺

duncan brown photography

Spice of Life

My choice from a week's work at Hawke's Bay Today ☺ 

(including at times, photos for the Napier Courier, the Hastings Leader
the Havelock North Village Press and/or The Link)

Agitator?

Anela Pritchard, Clive, was stood down from Napier Girls' High School, Napier, for a speech that included being critical of teachers.

Ten days of headaches
Tiaan Jarman, 15, Havelock North, year 11 Hastings Boys' High School student, was assaulted with a bottle to the head when walking to school after missing his bus, pictured on Karanema Drive, Havelock North, where the assault took place.

No stopping zone
With ball: Gus Andrews, Havelock North Intermediate - annual Cunningham Cup rugby match between Havelock North Intermediate, Havelock North (green), and Heretaunga Intermediate, Hastings (blue). HNI won 45-25.

Just hanging around
L-R: Annabelle Williams, Ella Roberts, Millie Simmons, students at Havelock North Intermediate, Havelock North, Red Socks Day, one of 13 New Zealand schools promoting the Sir Peter Blake Trust.

Girls CAN do anything
Janice Grant, female forestry worker, skid worker, trained at Te Wananga o Aotearoa, Napier.

Chippy contributes
Mike Marinus, builder, Marcons Renovations Ltd, pictured on the job in Napier, will donate time to the Swannell appeal.

Council crest
Crests on the doors of the council chambers at Napier City Council, Hastings St, Napier.

Veteran still at it
Second right: Luke Ottley will play his 150th game for the Havelock North premier rugby team on Saturday.

Wasted
Apples still on trees in an orchard on Karamu Rd, Waipatu, Hastings, a widespread practice this year due to a shortage of pickers.

Little bit off the top?
Bayden Jackson, aka Jacko, owner, barber at Ladz 'n' Dadz, Havelock North.

Who'd be a cop?
The scene of an assault, corner Grays Rd and Lane St, Hastings.

Enjoy it while you can
A cyclist rides along the Rotary Pathway along Marine Parade, Awatoto, Napier, in warm sunny weather, sunshine, sun, before a week of forecast rain.

Hawke's Bay Today Photo Sales