Anyone catch the final of the Stanley Cup this?

Lolz. Fixed now, thanks.

I am yet to see it, but do have architect friends who have begrudingly admitted it's actually pretty damn good after loathing the initial concepts (tainted via the surrounding political and planning mess I suspect)

Four of us ventured in on scooters, and somehow got a table outside Jack Tar. The drinks took a while, but only because someone stole ours, and I would have to say the?

I've been thinking of starting some sort of illegal betting?

Your suburban loyalty is touching

It's not a "suburb", it's a way of life thinly disguised as overpriced real estate.

I?ve been thinking of starting some sort of illegal betting syndicate in Devonport based on the Kea being in or out of service. I?d clean up, even without a few?

I think a key difference between the Vancouver and Auckland downtown celebrations is that the former attracted basically locals (~99.8% Canucks fans in attendance), whereas in Auckland come the knock-out phase there?

Down at the end nearest the two cement towers, there are lots of shiny shiny interesting things really close to the edge of the wharf. I had a look over the edge, and there's around a 6-7m drop, into?

Indeed, although that was hardly what I'd call a safe playground. A raised area surrounded by jagged uneven rocks, and concrete stairways. Sand on the ground, not a forgiving surface, really, and the equipment was?

They even kicked the Prime Minister and his wife out of their seats for us (I guess it's?

I hope you didn't deprive his protection officers of their donut course. You'll be a marked man if you did that...

I?d say exactly the same thing about the Auckland City Art Gallery 2.0 ? much as it makes my inner fiscal dry get all Gollum-y, with minor reservations I?d have to say it?s been a shit?

And it's worth noting that the fashionable thing to?

You can understand that at the time, a few years back, given the lack of waterfront progress and desire for an anchor venue. Probably helped make the Viaduct Events Centre worthwhile in the meantime.

True, but a fair amount of the development was happening regardless. It's that lag in any major infrstructure projects that sees strange things like road-meister Steven Joyce's name recorded opening Auckland's rail stations.

Yeah, but this is a bunch of stuff landing in quite a short time period,. I'm not so bothered about when various projects started. In the last two weeks, a major new theatre (Q) and a major extension of?

no disagreement. maloeleilei

Also maximum respect to the entire Tongan community for turning out at the airport to meet their team and turning airport-area traffic to gridlock for hours afterwards. Lolz.

Yeah, and if I wanted to be bitchy about it Len Brown's been basking in the opening day glow of Q and ACAG that were well advanced before?

Quite. He does bask well, though.

I like the revamped Wynyard Quarter. I'm looking forward to a lot of the events down on Queen's Wharf.

There. You made me say it. You realise I'll shrivel up like a salted slug now, right? Happy now??

I think he'd require a desalination plant to catch any carp. But he might catch a red herring.

Who's being bitchy? It'd be like Len Brown presiding over a whole lot of slum clearance projects to build new office parks.

And I think you'll find the impetus behind many of the big projects coming to fruition now originated from Hubbard's?

It really is a suburban booze barn. Can just imagine McCully in his beige chinos leaning in a corner.

Me, basically – since I'm not exactly Len's biggest fan. Since the whole world doesn't sync up with electoral cycles it's part of the job that you may just find yourself doing all of the following:

1) Cutting the ribbon on shit in government you were lukewarm?

It helps to know where that is. And how the governance and operational cycles relate.

There were multiple opportunities for both the Q Theatre and ACAG renovations to be half-arsed, down-graded, under-funded or simply shuffled into the too?

Absolutely – Hubbard took a lot of flak for the Queen St upgrade, which I believe is now viewed quite favourably by many.

At the Q Theatre opening last Friday I remember being delightfully surprised when Len Brown proudly announced "...and we're bring back the St James." So the wheels are in motion?

I can't help but wonder just how many drunks are going to end up in the drink all around that area, and just how damned hard it would be to get out of the water if you fell?

Just a frayed knot. Been waiting 25 years to make that joke.

Seriously if you fall in there, you better be a good swimmer. I'm sure a boat could be?

Carp- er, diems?
Car per diems?
Carp eh? Dem.

I'm struggling to pick a favourite. You choose.

Life in the Phrygia exists...
Sounds like the council are treating public safety on the waterfront as a Gordian Knot, you need some Smart Alex to cut through the convoluted red tape up there...

Not meaning to be snarky, but if you can find a statistic for drownings off fisherman's wharf in San Francisco Bay I'd be interested. I couldn't.

Personally I'd be more worried by the shared spaces behind?

The fireworks were great ? the rest of it was poorly conceived and executed and I am not talking about the AB selection and second half lack of performance.

Isn't that particular body of water famous for swallowing its victims without trace, though? That could mean a whole lot of random drunken drownings?

Can't find anything about that, rumour or cover up conspiracy?
Seriously though. I have a great deal more faith in peoples ability to do stupid things and?

Well, actually, six people?

In the CBD and Eden Park maybe but to closing off main thoroughfares was always going to put an unnecessary extra burden on Public Transport. Sometimes you just have to trust?

Which we really don?t have here, but you knew that. Recently I experienced what this looks like, sort of, in Singapore with 200,000 attending a waterfront event, also with fireworks. It was only the dress rehearsal for their?

But, it was . It was just long especially for kids. As my other half said he noticed children and their antics close to the edge of Princes Wharf.He was concerned. One really should think "will any one else look out for my kid?

To be fair, Singapore may be a lot of things, some pretty restrictive and depressing, but it's not really a totalitarian state or close.

I'd reckon too, that given how well behaved and?

Of course you're right, and I was being a bit glib for no particularly reason. The locals in particular, but then the majority of expats also,?

This has been my biggest take out beef with recent BDOs. Get a whole lot of excited inebriants (not a word?) and close them in a confined space?

More downtown?

But?

I think part of Quay St should be turned into a plaza sooner rather than later.

Yep, I think they needed to spread the action further along Quay street towards Vector.

The placement of that faulty double sided screen at the bottom of Albert street was a mistake. Several screens?

Yep, that screen was causing problems by 3pm when I was down there. When it didn?t actually work, that just made it worse.?

That's why there are professional event planners. What caused the gap between actual crowd numbers on the day and whatever number they were catering for?

The powers that be were aware that on opening night more than 150,000 would be attending "Party Central" downtown water front thang – however – the decision was made not to provide the resources or organise "wider opening events" that would have enabled all of Auckland to?

Anything that prevents a repeat visit from Limp Bizkit is Ok in my book. ;-)

Anyone else going to the [[http://www.biglittlecity.co.nz/event/going-global-music-summit-showcase|free concert in?

"If your going to Going Global Music Summit & Showcase" ...

...then don't forget to take some grammar lessons before you go!

A Nickelback booking?

Isn't hindsight wonderful.

Just clarifying – I'm not just shrugging my shoulders there. I'd like to know what went wrong too. I reckon there might have been just too many fingers in the pie and no-one singularly responsible ?

Arrrghhh!

This article from the herald provdies a summary:
http://msn.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10751133

reckon.

If they were selling decent beer it would infuse the wood and create a patina, also killing any microbes through alcoholic content. Mixture of H*******n and H*******n vomit, not so much.

This has been a problem all along. Central government came up with Queen?s Wharf?

Though transport is not the main point, as I've said on the thread where we've been discussing this.

Focusing on transport operations without considering what drove un-catered demand is not going to help, though the various political 'leaders' involved may welcome a?

Prime Minister John Key says the blame for for Friday's Rugby World Cup transport debacle lies firmly with Auckland Transport and rail company, Veolia.
...

Auckland Mayor Len?

A Creed/Nickleback double header!

And why wouldn't they: To be perfectly cynical, a weekend of "OMFG, train-fail ruined our big night" headlines are a big, easy target. No politician has ever lost?

Nickelback Warning.

In response to being trapped in trains people pushed emergency buttons and tried to?

Did someone just drop the F(ormulaic)-bomb

I guess we should just be thankful that nobody was injured, or killed, because their "determination" took the form of a basic rail safety fail.

All around it is a massive fail?

I'd see the shit out of some Barry Manilow for free, if it came to that.

In unrelated news, Shihad

I know this is sacrilege round these parts, but I'm not sure how 'unrelated' to Creedleback that statement is. :) #hashtagwhichexpressesgeneralmehnessaboutalltheirworkafterKilljoy

that sort of length has to be cheating

Visiting hours are between 8.30am and 4.30pm. I'll be in the ward marked 'Shihad Recovery Unit – Do Not Regurgitate'.