Last weekend's Sunday Star Times Sunday magazine had a fun essay by Leah McFall lamenting how hard it is to meet-cute in Wellington - that is, have one of those lovely romantic-comedy style accidental meetings with the fellow of your dreams, usually involving something quirky like bagels or poodles. It's impossible here because, as we all know, in Wellington everyone knows everyone.

The essay isn't online (boo, Sunday magazine!) but I thought it was worth sharing this bit, where Leah comes up with a magnificent metaphor for Wellington's dating scene:

It's like when you step onto a 16-seat propellor plane. There's the guy at the top of the steps who rips your ticket, stows your laptop and passes round the Minties. Then he puts down the lollies, tugs on an earpiece, strides to the cockpit and starts the ignition. That's what you're dealing with, in Wellington: the man who is everywhere. How can you meet-cute with that? You've met him before.

Being a recent arrival to these parts, there are still many social dots I'm yet to connect, but I'm already finding strange connections in places I'd least expect it.

But perhaps there's an advantage to this small-village scene? After all, if everyone knows everyone, you're soon going to hear what your pilot's crash rate is like.

If, like many of us, you're furious about the way many media outlets treat women, you need to start reading the American magazine Bust. It's fiercely feminist, but also riffs on craft, culture and fashion - in a good way (they use 'real' people for models, of all shapes, sizes and sexualities etc) In fact, their new issue is the perfect place to start, because it features our Wellingtonians of the Year, the all-conquering Flight of the Conchords on one side of its flip cover, along with the Wellington landmark-defiling Elijah Wood.

I recommend subscribing, because this magazine is really so very very awesome, but if you just want to give it a go, you can buy it at Vic Books, Magazzino, and probably Unity Books.

Brilliant. Some generous soul has started transcribing Ronald Smythe and H. Westfolds' "letters to the editor" to a blog.

Between them, Westfold and Smythe have cornered the market on curmudgeonly grumpiness, making their output, naturally, some of the best comedy writing to be found coming out of our fair city. Says Smythe...

What has happened to the youth of today. It is a rare occasion indeed when I am shown politeness and respect by the younger age groups. Good manners have flown out the window, along with dress sense and decency.

I presume today’s public schools are partly to blame, although parents are no doubt shirking their responsibilities also.

...and H. Westfold, channeling, it would seem, Grandpa Simpson...

Your March 15 item about that lovely 1963 Studebaker and its manufacturer evoked memories of my adolescence in the late 1940s. You see, it was Studebaker which pioneered the "New Look" analogous to that of women’s fashions just then. It was in late 1947 or early 1948 that just a few of the latest Studebaker model appeared on our Taranaki roads, one of those cars being owned by a farmer near my hometown, Inglewood. For a short while, their profile made heads turn – a car’s front and rear ends both looked like front ends as we’d known cars for many years!

...and so on.

Read more at the aptly named I am of the Opinion.

[Hat-tip to Alan for actually un-earthing this.]

Santa isn't the person coming to town in the near future. But this one is almost as exciting for sports fans.

Former New Zealand Māori coach Matt Te Pou will be signing copies of his new book Against the Odds on Monday the 20th at 12pm in Whitcoulls on Lambton Quay. "Legendary" is a word used sparingly in rugby circles but there is no doubt the Matt Te Pou is legendary. And, as is often the case with true legends, a very nice guy.

Expect the book to contain plenty of scathing criticisms of the NZRU and former All Black coaches like this:

Every time a new All Blacks coach comes into office, the goal posts seem to move. The decision to put the Junior All Blacks into the Pacific Five Nations ahead of the New Zealand Maori, which was no doubt influenced by the preference of the All Black selectors, only replicated what John Hart had attempted in 1999 when he wanted to give the New Zealand A side selection preference over us.

Wellington Library has gone and got itself a blog!

And it's a good'un too. From latest releases and staff picks, and the occasional look at what's popular amongst the patrons, such as the latest post: Evidence of Good Taste among Wellingtonians.

Wellingtonians, apparently, are a fairly literate and intelligent buch of readers, with Alain De Botton's 'Architecture of Happiness', Irene Nemirovsky's 'Suite Francaise' and 'Hard way' by Lee Child being the most sought-after items of the moment.

And remember, if you haven't already, sign up to the Library Elf service to get library reminders sent to you via a personalised RSS feed.

[photo courtesy of Taniwha]