Bring it on

Yee haaa. Off to the beach tomorrow.

My trip to stock up on the barbie supplies was surprisingly quiet today straight onto an empty checkout. No booze needed due to xmas day calculations hitting the mark. Classic Kiwi Beach Essentials:
Bare feet
Novels
Avocados 5 for $2
Mussels and tuatuas (damn toxic shellfish ban is on)
Marl Sauv Blanc, HB Chardonnay and Oz reds
Greek salad with sundried tomato and olives
Snapper (or any fish caught that morning) in tinfoil
Ipod, speakers and shuffle
A dawn roll in the cold water surf (or hay), followed by hot shower and porridge
The BBQ

"Like not gesturing with all five fingers"

Yep. High marks to George for ducking and then letting the 2nd whistle by without over reacting. No stranger to acorn fights as a kid obviously.

Unlike most, I think the act was a fascinating symbolic gesture with way more class than the usual burning flag, throwing eggs or wet tea-towels and more effective than a bomb in making the point. Other clips mention the 2nd throw hits the Stars and Stripes.

Wonder if he'll be charged. Without the duck, that first throw looked on the money which would have made the offence assault had it hit big G. With the duck, is it attempted assault or nothing?

The fact this happened in Iraq changes the likely outcome. He'll be lucky not to be shot, but my money will be on a roughing up and release. The Americans will want to show this type of protest is not a big deal, that George can handle the jandal and has the push to stop the local authorities over reacting.

The Aussie comentator on the clip must be an ex Australia Zoo employee.

Santa

I feel sorry for the guy.

Wrapping a skateboard, a few books, CDs, chocs and crappy plastic stuff for a dozen kids is nothing compared to what he and those elves put up with.

Wonder if he drinks while he wraps. Must do.

Last day tomorrow before 11 days off, 5 back and another 14 off.
Phew.

Big Brother out of control?

"Union leader Matt McCarten has joined the call for an inquiry into the activities of a police spy unit....Reports of police spying on protest groups broke at the weekend"

So?

I am glad the police are keeping an eye on moderate protest groups and don't mind if they spy on me and the family when we're out watching the Santa Parade or Dave Dobbyn (guess what happened the last time I saw him before that) as long as the reason is to stop law breakers.

Loonies with an agenda are attracted to others with similar views and any group including Greenpeace, animal rights, and climate change campaigners will have a range of views from mild to moderate to more extreme. Makes perfect sense to keep an eye on the fringe. I haven't yet seen a baby born wearing an explosive vest so these people need somewhere to wind themselves up.

Matt, do you expect the cops to sit around waiting for someone to run into a hotel waving an AK screaming "Allah Akbar" or for a bomb to go off?
Problem. That's usually the last line of the action plan yet the law breaking started much earlier, when they looked plain.

"I expected to see a tough-looking combatant, not someone so plain,"

Mad eyes, dead give away, but I'm sure she's been in a Monty Python skit.

Good News For Tourists ... and Blokes

Our dollar is diving, we sleep around, and if you're a guy you're out numbered.

Could be worse.

Kylie Review

Top show.

The music was great, loads of pump tracks, awesome graphics, the outfits were inspiring and I think the two farts next to us were the only two in Vector not dancing. Very much a chicks and air stewards audience with a few 6-10 year old girls and a couple of straight guys.

I was expecting Kylie to be carrying a couple of kilos after seeing the publicity shots, most of the costumes were restrained and even with my bourbon goggles I noticed there was only one close up ass shot - in the pink cheerleader outfit.

Kylie obviously looks after herself :p

The Lowest Denominator

The BP guy and I are on the same side when it comes to petrol thieves. I favoured spikes that rise across the exits, he thought a remote control autoloading shotgun on the roof would do the job.

We agreed that pre-pay sucks.

David Beckham

I enjoyed the game, Beckham's passing and work rate were impressive. L likes this pic:

Honestly it didn't take much dodging to get a couple of photos which I'm damn sure we won't get at a game in the UK, Madrid, LA or Milan. (Not nearly as close as Zidane - see June)



" ...but the higher-priced Eastern Stand less than half-full"

Unlike some I have no problem with tickets being sold at half price to latecomers. I paid the full whack early to ensure we didn't miss out. In fact I'd rather see tickets given away to kids than empty stands.
What pisses me off is that a friend of mine, blue cap in front, to the left of the green bin brought his tickets straight away, as soon as they were available on line and I can't have been far behind yet look where we are ! Other friends of ours who got theirs at the last minute were in the main stand to my left with way better seats than us.

The minor celebs wandering around included this guy in dreads, good on ya Bill for taking the pic - ta.

What do you have to do to get into jail these days?

At the end of July, Wickliffe was committed for trial following a depositions hearing in Tauranga. He pleaded not guilty to two counts of possessing Butanediol (commonly known as party drug One-4B), two of possessing the prescription medicine Ketamine without reasonable excuse and one charge each of possessing cannabis, a pistol and an explosive.

And pistol and ammo was for....shooting cans?

The Sensible Sentencing website says :
Sentenced to life imprisonment (seven years at that time) in May 1972
Was released December 2000, recalled March 2008
Paroled under "Residential Restrictions" December 2008!

To "..to care for his dying partner, who has breast cancer."

Surreal Scene

The North Korea women's under 17 team running onto the North Harbour pitch with the US team and then winning the final.

Great to see the Star Spangled Banner and hear "..by the dawn's early light.." accompanied by cheers.