Are Lexus Engineers All Wankers?

Push comes to shove I'd go for function in a car over form, actual acceleration over sensation of acceleration.

"The acoustic team studied the noise made by a Formula One car at maximum revs, then applied design features to create an exhaust note for the LFA that Lexus claims is unlike any other car on the road, enhancing the sensation of speed and acceleration."

Normally I'd be the first to defend Toyota but these people have got it all wrong thinking artificial sound is important to anyone except a tosser.

Who will suffer?

How he got away with limiting the pre-nup to 55 mill I'll never know. Thats a mere drop in his $1 billion earnings.

A press conference scheduled by Uchitel was cancelled by her high-profile lawyer Gloria Allred hours before it was to take place.
Wonder if Elin knows the $$$ attached to the cancellation.

JFK and Bill Clinton didn't suffer and I don't think Tiger will suffer either in the long run in terms of popularity with the public.
I just cannot see most people heckling him on the golf course, nor his scores being affected. Does his famed mental toughness vanish now that we all know he is a cheater? He has been doing this for some time apparently yet consistently performed his golfing miracles. Certainly he could retire, but is he going to quit over this? I doubt it.

Where it will hurt is the change in response he gets from Elin and his children Sam and Charlie's reaction to him - especially if they split.

Tigers life must have been (we can all change - Tui ad) one continuous Victoria's Secret show.



All the more reason for him to listen to Pete and Dud "Get out of here ya hussy!"

Duets

More Sinead O'Connor - with Shane MacGowan
Give it time, takes 13 seconds to start. Exquisite harmonies from Sinead.



Jesus and Mary Chain & Hope Sandoval
For Tiger and Elin but looks like Elin gets more animated than Hope does in this song. If she is on something it doesn't hurt the performance but you've got to wonder about the dynamics and body language going on. Whats with the turn towards William at the end?
Correct ! (refer Wiki)

Poor Tiger

Tiger Woods is so rich that he owns lots of expensive cars. Now he has a hole in one.

What's the difference between a car and a golf ball? Tiger can drive a ball 400 yards.

Tiger Woods wasn't seriously injured in the crash, but he's still below par.

What were Tiger Woods and his wife doing out at 2.30 in the morning? They went clubbing

Tiger Woods crashed into a fire hydrant and a tree. He couldn’t decide between a wood and an iron.

Hat tip Theo Spark

Racism, war and feeding the world

Unlike Hone Harawera I'm with the camp that says racism is not something that only victimises minorities.

Mr Harawira said his decision to visit the city was justified because "white motherf***rs" had been "raping" New Zealand for years and he was not beholden to white puritanical "bulls***". and then called Phil Goff a "bastard" and reckoned he should be lined up and shot with the rest of the Labour Party for passage of the Foreshore and Seabed law.

He shows no appreciation or concern for Maori who don't share his views or for the cost to Maori of his outburst. Anyone who doesn't see that this is harmful to Maori is plain stupid.

A couple of links that help with perspective - the last one being more relevant to the Hone saga.

The song "used to stop racism in New Zealand" FOTC's "Albie The Racist Dragon'.



and Sarah Silverman on solving world hunger whilst getting all the .....



And the stunning .... Bob Marley's War adapted slightly by Sinead O'Connor. I can't believe I've only just seen this.

Who wants a pair for Christmas?

Try saying "Those shorts look really cool. I want a pair for Christmas".


I'll bet Rebel Sport are always running out of stock. Not !

Who the @#$% would design shorts that look like someones wearing their undies on the outside.

Legal Aid Review

Dame Margaret Bazley has set the cat among the pigeons with her report saying unverified sources believed up to 80 per cent of lawyers practising in Manukau District Court could be gaming the system
Unverified sources huh?
No prizes for guessing who told her about:
"lawyers who demanded or accepted top up payments from clients who do not understand legal aid" or
"widespread abuse of the preferred lawyer policy by duty solicitors, including taking backhanders for recommending particular lawyers to applicants".
No names though. Wonder how many cases have resulted in disciplinary action, or any kind of investigation what so ever.

View the report - which makes 86 recommendations - at:
http://www.justice.govt.nz/publications/global-publications/t/transforming-the-legal-aid-system/transforming-the-legal-aid-system/?searchterm=Legal%20Aid%20Review%20report

Contains gems like:
#1 "Evolution of the legal aid .....from private to public management". That should set Cactus Kate off ! (not to mention # 50 "...in accordance with public sector best practice")
I'd question the logic of the justification "Because the legal aid system is essential to the operation of the justice system...." which leads on to more of the same in #5 .
But I'd totally agree with # 44 "The legal aid system needs to encourage lawyers to affiliate themselves with other lawyers, to ensure they get training, supervision, mentoring, support, and feedback on their performance in providing legal aid services."
...easy to put in one sentence!
# 45 "All lawyers should have premises from which they operate."
This is the electronic age. Why shouldn't lawyers work from a car boot or restaurant with a laptop and mobile?
#86 "As a matter of urgency, the government should clarify funding streams for Treaty of Waitangi Claims and modify them to ensure there is no possibility of double-dipping or triple-dipping by claimants or lawyers."
Ya think?
More to come.

About Time !

Our biggest mortgage has finally rolled out of fixed at 8.7 to floating 5.75, with the next biggest due to roll over in Feb next year.
I wouldn't go quite as far as to say:
Two-salary family struggles to pay bills
but this is a very welcome relief. Tony Alexander's weekly comment says 'don't fix for the next 5 years'. If he's right yippee. Otherwise I won't be retiring for a few years yet.

More middle class bleating.
When we asked the bank last week "What can we borrow?"
"$800k"
Jesus! Aren't funds supposed to be harder to get?
No way could we make those repayments.
Looks like they are covering risk by lending only 70% on investment propery and 80% for owner occupied unlike the 100% and 95% deals of 2 years ago.
May have to keep the beach section a while longer though seeing as
Fire-sale sections trigger dramatic slump in seaside values.
Could be worse.

Mike Pero & the Erebus Charter

I can't see this being anything other than Mike seeing a demand and knowing it could be catered to.
A little naive of him not to see the ANZ reaction coming.
Was it over the top? No question.

White Out !

The guy on the left had just finished gesturing and shaking his head repeatedly at the guy dressed like him further down with the Tui stubbie.
"He's not one of us!"
The first 3 minutes had me thinking this was going to be a hiding. 2 corners to Bahrain in 2 minutes with nothing going right for us. But by half time the better chances had certainly been ours, a flip flop from the away leg in Bahrain. Once again we didn't get replays of the contentious stuff and the tackle that led to the penalty looked OK to me but replays clearly show it was deserved with Lockhead beaten.

We were 5 seats along from the Bahrain supporters - who kept up a continual din of drums and bloody trumpet things doing snake-charmer/belly-dance music drowned out or silent only when we scored and the penalty missed.
The missed penalty really rocked them badly - serious faced, they stared at the Whited Out fans at the fence when this happened. Some of whom were giving vigorous fingers toward them.
I could have been back at Waikato Stadium!

Started filming this a few seconds before full-time - feel the change in atmosphere.

I've never seen so many beer throwing shirtless fans at full time.
Just fantastic for the kids to be there and see history made.


Nice to see Jim Bolger can still look after his own bag. Bahrain team Airbus A340 is in the rear of shot and flew out just before we took off back to the 'Tron.

How do the Teleban cope with this stuff?

Suzanne Vega and Vanessa Paradis version of 'Blowing In The Wind'. Interesting.

And the very good original with Joan Baez helping the man.

Not that I give a toss how the Teleban will cope, it is the women and children who will suffer more when we leave. Maybe I don't get the song and it really means we should just walk away from our neighbours and leave them to it.

Well done U17 footballers.

Amazing to think we are through to the top 16 when Brazil and the Netherlands are out.

No bets on the Nigeria game this Friday though. Give it everything guys!

Great timing for the build up to Wellington on Saturday 14 November when we'll find out if the All Whites are good enough to earn their place in history as well.

Got the tickets and flights organised, accommodation to go.

Why I hadn't taken my kids shooting.

Almost entirely the result of watching this documentary The Killing Of America in 1982 (that and seeing what a .308 did to a carcass at the Burnham range).

27 years on the doco is still very sobering and disturbing. The IMD review says it's expoitive, and to a limited extent I agree - but people who get kicks watching this stuff already have major problems. Depends on whether you think the ugly side or reality of the truth should be hidden or is better exposed and known about. Most people will go "That is really f'n scary" and give some serious thought to violence and guns.

Has quotes like "More people have been murdered in the US since 1900 than have died in all the countries wars during this time". Just checking on Wikipedia a homicide rate of 5.5 per 100,ooo for a population of 293,655,404 = 16,151 per year in 2004! "..at its lowest level since 1965" !

Contrast this to the media coverage the 'war on terror', the Iraq and Afghanistan casuality figures get.

Sympathy

H "What game are you going to play with that?"

N "Well, K and S run at me with the rope and I jump it"

H "Do you think that's a good idea? You know who ends up crying."

10 minutes later from outside

N "Waaaaaaa".

H "No. I don't want to know. Mr Sympathy, me".

L "You don't know how to be sympathetic to anyone"

After helping her Dad and now mine die of cancer, I disagree. (It was 'months' to live. Exactly 2 months and 6 days since he found out)

Not much chance getting pepper-sprayed with you as my Dad. Thanks.

Sick Skiing

These guys must spend a lot of time staring at hospital walls !

Starts off slow but rips from 1.47 and the timing of the impact at 2.37 with the music is worth putting up with the 'guy' stuff.

Oh My Lord !

L is off to the front row tomorrow. She refuses to take any photos for me so I'll have to make do with the Little Black Dress . Forget garnishing it with fur...

Inspirational.

And while we're on insurance ...

...figures released ..... yesterday by the Ministry of Health showing Maori women have the highest smoking prevalence (49.3 per cent) followed by Maori men (41.5 per cent).

Hone Harawira thinks "This is a war against people who kill New Zealanders ......"
Eighty per cent of smokers wanted to quit, Mr Harawira said "And 80 per cent of the other 20 per cent want to quit too ... they just don't want to admit it."

Reducing the stats is as simple as making sure the health related costs of this shocking statistic are paid by those who choose to smoke not the rest of us.

How to reduce ACC costs, road deaths, tax and my insurance premiums

I'm damn sure its been said before by Cactus Kate - that insurance companies have the risk expertise, so let them manage the financial costs of road accidents via insurance premiums.

Why not take it a step further and let them also cover the costs of vehicular injury and death. Split this component off from ACC cover and put it into the hands of private insurance companies. Obviously third party would need to be compulsory.
To be affordable for a 20 year old driver with a lowered Silvia, the policy would end up with conditions like ....

May only drive vehicle:

• from 1 hour after sunrise to 1 hour before sunset
• with nil blood alcohol
• with passengers who have their own 'passenger in a car driven by and under 25' insurance
• governed to less than 55 kmph
• like their Nana !

And my tax and insurance bill could drop to where it ought to be.

Scary

You have to wonder how they can make this stuff, package it and send it all the way to NZ and still sell it for less than the 'Made in New Zealand' varieties.

Imagine the cost of the raw materials for in the country of origin.

Imagine the buyer spending days sourcing and negotiating with the growers and farmers.

Guess where Countdown gets these from.....

Peaches from .......South Africa !

Had some tonight. Bloody great. Even tasted like peaches.

Strawberry Jam from.....Poland.

Not sure how much strawberry but tastes OK

The Saturday Herald had a choc caramel desert that called for....

Now I'm a bigger trade fan than Mike Moore but I draw the line at milk products from.....

Singapore.

WTF ?

Mate, they have bloody great flocks of Jerseys and Friesians running around. They graze on the traffic islands and the paddocks - like at Cornwall Park.

Yeah, right ! Not many if any.

Sports Days

Friday: 9 - 0 I think in the hockey. My 9 yo shreds 5 of them.


Saturday, both at 9 am, unusually at the same ground, my 9 y old's 9th grade team won the Waikato knock out competition, and the 12 y old's Open Grade team lost 1 - 0 to their Nemisis Ham North after failing to beat them all year. Our best player out with 4 stitches the night before - wah wah wah - but they know it !

Then it was off to watch the ABs.


Yet another boorish Waikato and AB fan says "Well done John Smit"

Today. Sunday.Luckily the Waikato U13's beat EBOP 3-0 then WBOP A 3 - 2 in the Regional Final in Taupo to make me feel better. Well done guys.
Look at the height compared with coach Webby on the right !

Another Day At Snapper Rock

Old Friends has it's uses.

A girl I haven't seen since primary school emailed me to say that a mutual friend Andrew Lowe had 'passed away' .

After confirming with the Herald website deaths. Yes, it was the guy I grew up with in Tirau, less than a month younger than me, he taught me to fish for Rainbows with spinners in the Waihau and Oraka streams. He and his Dad taught me to shoot rabbits with 22 and shotgun - he could spot rabbits a mile off.
Every Guy Fawkes was like Apocalypse Now on our street. Forget Roman Candles at Mission Bay, this was the days of cracker fights with thunder bangers and rockets fired from lamp stands. Acorn fights had 1 tennis racquet per side.
He loved rugby, later playing London Kiwis as a winger, back at primary we played in All Black, thought we were bloody cool. We won the inter-school soccer against the Putaruru schools in our last year at Tirau before High School. And generally had great fun growing up in the country.
How's this for an obit:

Andrew Kevin. Daddy, I still can't believe that you are gone. I'll miss you watching me play netball. I'll play my hardest for you. I will always love you with all my heart. I love you daddy. Monica xoxo

Eagle flew overhead and hundreds were in tears.

No cause of death mentioned at the service, closed casket, Pink's "Please Don't Leave Me" lead to an obvious conclusion.

I wish we shared a few more beers together mate.

Progress

My 9 yo on the Rockgarden the day after saying "I hate skiing I can't do it."

The 12 yo was able to drag me off on skis while I snowboarded. Racing him from the top of Knoll Ridge - priceless.

Tip - at least wear a long sleeved shirt when you're a bunny snowboarder.

Bad News

I was half way up the chairlift when I got the news.

Dad went to hospital for tests while on holiday in Perth, has the big C and likely has months to live.

Page 3 Material

Boring maybe but way more important than anything else I've read since the election. Compared to the some of the 'slow news day' crap that makes the front page I'd have thought Prof Gluckmans announcement that "..there is a remote possibility that if nothing is done the temperature will not rise to unacceptable levels" would rate better placement than buried in a single column article on page 3 of the Herald.

Aids and Rapa Nui are given as comparison examples of stupidity in the face of evidence and environmental self destruction. I doubt more than 1% of Kiwi's know the Rapa Nui story or bothered to read Gluckman's full article which should be compulsory reading.

John Key has been taking some stick for being both too conservative and too ambitious in his emissions reduction target which will be why there has been no comment on the PMs top scientist releasing the article. That and consulting in advance probably helped.

If the snow is all gone this week I'll be bloody pissed off !

The award for 'Best use of a Pit Bull Terrier' goes to ...

Paea Taufa ... found cooking his pitbull terrier-cross in an umu pit at his Mangere home...

"I didn't know I couldn't cook the dog," he said. "In Tonga, any time there I cook the dog and it is okay. Dog is good food.""

Well done chap.

Much more useful than walking the mutt anywhere near me.

Who me? Nah.

...stricter E-class endorsement did involve more stringent checks in which police were looking for the "Rambo-type attitude"

I'm one of the nutters with an MSSA.
I go along with each and every law change.
Got a safe when that came in, got an E endorsement when that came in, and registered mine.
Paid for the new license when that came along.
Reported my address changes and was there everytime the arms officer called around. Never had a conviction, never punched or assaulted anyone.
Haven't gone into other peoples houses with a baseball bat either.

It isn't the people who get the licenses and pay the fees who go postal or sell them to gang members or unlicensed persons.
It never will be.

I do need to ask "Where are the other 4,700 of them?"
Same article : In 1992 it was estimated there were between 12,000 and 15,000 military-style semi-automatic rifles in the country. Last year there were about 7300 registered.

Probably being carried by the others I've referred to who can't be fucked filling in paperwork, paying up for endless licenses and safes - and a few like Jan Molinaar.

Violence

Has it's place. Afghanistan for example.

Al Queda and the Taleban won't be spending nearly as much time plotting their next adventure out here in the world because we are in his backyard spreading good news. I say his because I doubt the women of A are happy.

There is unlikely to be peace with either AQ/T or Karzai running the show and the SAS won't be there to charm the sheilas. I'd be much happier about the whole damn place if that was one of the reasons were were going there - to stay until there is a significant improvement.

If this - Kiwi and Western involvement - isn't long term, after we take casualties and bail it will end up being another Vietnam quagmire that yet another Robert McNamara will be saying was wrong, not to mention Phil Goff who is sounding sadder by the day.


Good luck guys.

BRMC

Another band to put on the list.

Shuffle your feet - Ain't no easy way - Open invitation



and Mercy

What island was evacuated to NZ because the sea level rose?

Finally got around to seeing An Inconvenient Truth.
Outstanding is Melissa Etheridge singing the song of the title

The joke about a science teacher, who thought that Africa and South America were never joined now being a Scientific Advisor for the current administration is much funnier in 2009 with Obama in.

A couple of questions:
If todays CO2 levels are the highest they've been in 600,000 years where was it all hiding?
And what was the world like before it was tied up in our fossil fuels?
The reason it's in our fossil fuels is photosynthesis:
2n CO2 + 2n H2O + photons → 2(CH2O)n + 2n O2

Surely the 'greenhouse gasses' must have been in the atmosphere in much higher concentrations back when Adam was a cowboy.

I guess the point is - do we want to go back to pre 600,000 CO2 levels and the uncertainty high CO2 will bring. Exponentially rising graphs never end well.

Can't wait to read Gareth Morgan on the subject:
Poles Apart: Beyond the shouting, who’s right about climate change? has been out for a couple of months now.

Greenpeace quotes him :
"NZ is an absolute joke, the home of double standards. New Zealand’s record on this is terrible. We’re a joke. If it’s anything like economics, you really need people to have their heads banged against the wall before they wake up and say; shivers, this is for real."

Nearly missed out on Green Day

Darn. No luck on Ticketmaster.co.nz.
Last week none of the 6 seating options accepted my attempt at 2 tickets - then another Green Day ad for the concert came on TV last night so I tried again. Nada.
Phoned up and "Yes there are still seats on the 18th. You can get them through Ticketmaster.co.nz or through me". Done deal.

Looking at some of their live stuff on Utube they will be awesome concerts.

Good Riddance - Time of your life
Billie Joe Armstrong in an interview in Guitar Legends magazine, May 2005:
“ "At the time I wrote Good Riddance, I was breaking up with a girl that was moving to Ecuador, and I was trying to be as understanding about it as I could. I wrote the song as kind of a bon voyage. I was trying not to be bitter, but I think it came out a little bit bitter anyway... I thought that calling the song "Time of Your Life" was just a little too level-headed for me, so I had to come up with something different"

L $ her sis and niece are going to BEP's and I'm not sure I want to see ACDC again, although they were bloody good in 1992.
Decisions, decisions.

Fancy spending a year paddling around Oz?

Photo: Paul Caffyn
German kayaker Freya Hoffmeyer is over half way around and blogging daily.
Having just finished "Keep Australia To Your Left" I was stunned to see another person trying to emulate Kiwi sea kayaking legend Paul Caffyn's unmatched epic paddle. Eric Stiller's account of his and Tony Brown's multi- night Gulf of Carpenteria crossing is nightmarish, yet Freya has done that crossing alone.

Outstanding feat.

Take a look at the scenery. Stunning.


But her schedule and some of the wildlife encounters would make it difficult to enjoy.

"Big hole from the shark bite on the top of the stern beside the “.” of the “com”, a dozen smaller holes on the side on the ACR sticker, and a shark tooth was stuck over the “m” in the toggle gap. Quite some jaw size..."

How could you not know she was Australian?

What is going on in this photo? Taken at the Hofbrau Haus, Munchen.
Going commando recommended. I understood big J's shame.

The Little Guy Isn't Always Right

Last Friday saw a $1.92 million verdict against a Minnesota woman — and so far only — music file -sharing defendant to go to trial....accused of sharing 24 songs over the Internet...The jury decided on $80,000 per song.

I'm with the Record Companies and the US Constitution on this. Anyone with an entrepreneurial bone in their body ought to be pleased that property rights are being protected - whether the abuser be a large electricity company or an illegal music file share-er.

The United States Constitution provides explicitly for the protection of private property in the Fifth Amendment and Fourteenth Amendment:
The Fifth Amendment states:
Nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation
The Fourteenth Amendment states:
No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.

Deserves a Medal

A Wairarapa real estate agent Kelly McIsaac.

"He was on top with his arms around my throat, I couldn't breathe...I thought I was going to die. When he first grabbed me he smacked my head against the tiles two or three times. I think he was trying to knock me out....Using duct tape, Whakarau taped Ms McIsaac's hands behind her back, taped her mouth, and left the house to move his vehicle closer...He grabbed her and pulled her outside, dragging her by her clothes towards his vehicle and threatening her with a knife....he began pushing her head-first into the boot, she saw a screwdriver and ....stabbed him several times and, when he let go of her, she ran to the house and locked herself inside...called the police."

This oxygen thief's history ? From Garth McVicar's site:
Had been released eight months earlier from a lengthy jail term for the home invasion and kidnapping of Kaponga businessman Roy King in April 1996.
Also invaded an elderly Wanganui couple's home carrying knives in 1988.
Current Location: Prison
Parole/Release Dates: To be sentenced ... may get preventive detention.

You think?

Served 10 years 7 months of his previous sentence. The parole board wisely kept him in prison beyond his Final Release Date ... because he was guaranteed to reoffend in a serious violent way.

Well Done Revenue Gatherers !

Black Adder would have been impressed with this cunning plan.

Well done to the Immigration and Police for their collaborative approach to identifying overstayers whilst covering costs via the confiscation of the proceeds of crime.
The dead give away is the fact brainiac of the week Gerard Otimi had 40k in cash sitting at home along with certificates with peoples' names on them.

I'm damn sure someone at Immigration or the police mustr have put him up to it.

O for awesome.

Under Their Skin

Q of the day : How much is Pac Blue paying for landing rights at Hamilton Airport?

Jetstar and Pac Blue aren't finding the going smooth in NZ.
Us Kiwis are so used to turning up with 10 minutes before take off that when an airline actually sticks to the 30 minute cut-off prior to blocks out, up to 50 passengers missed their flight.
To all the bleaters:
STFU or start your own airline and see how easy it is!

Torres !

Awesome.
Not surprising when we're doing airshots in front of the net. Damn shame after pushing Italy hard.

Getting out there..

Even with full wetsuit and booties, fishing in winter is not that comfortable when Hamilton has just had 3 x -4 degree nights in a row. Still a great weekend with plenty of kahawai and snapper. Love to know what keeps snapping my line.

And nowhere near as cold at Mr Fiennes Antarctic manhaul.
All he wore under his cotton parker and cotton army pants in -80 degrees for 12 hour days were thin longjohns !

.....unqualified.....

...Broadcasting Standards Authority has upheld a complaint about the unbalanced airing of "the reactionary views of an unqualified right wing individual..."

and .... Shock ! Horror !

... the presenters expressed sympathy for Mr McVicar's views ...

which ....

criticised the leniency of a 21-month prison sentence given to a gun collector convicted of illegally selling a large gun collection, saying the judge had "got it wrong".

...after selling his gun collection, including military-style weapons, to criminals....

Mabey is still fighting the claim in the courts but has pleaded guilty to selling off 31 of his most lethal weapons - an estimated return to him of $200,000.

This expectation that media demonstrate '..balance by providing only one viewpoint when discussing a controversial issue of public importance.' rather than allow opinion explains why blogs are such great value.

No wading through bullshit lame excuses for balance.

"..unqualified..."

and "A sex act gone wrong could have been behind the strangulation.."

I've a view on that to.

Not and Hot

Not - Williams stopping Gurr in 1 minute 22 seconds. Geez I could have done better.



Hot - Irish Music.

The Pogues ....



and the Chieftains with the Corrs

Driving

Is so much more a pleasure when the road has good overtaking areas and slow people pull over.
My work day 30 minute drive to and from Cambridge is such a contrast to the road I used to take to and from Cameron Rd Tauranga out past Te Puke which has only the one long strait past the black stump and far more frustrated drivers. Today coming home in the darkening gloom I was twice able to pass more than 2 vehicles who were doing about 85ks thanks to visibility way past the next bend. Unless the other drivers knew that they would have thought I was just another psycho in a Corolla.

Compulsory viewing

Heidi Klum as the obnoxious local pizza chick. "I get that a lot. They're already in there"

And the 2009 World Pole Dance Champion Felix Cane. Try this at home !



Hat tip TheoSpark

Refreshing

1) Tony Veitch for abandoning the injunction instead of insisting he's the victim. Transparency rather than denial. Give Kiwis some credit for knowing there are always two sides to a story, and for having a sense of justice without you needing to be on TV, radio, in print or here.

2) Lady Gaga "I write about things I know about ... sex"

Conversation with 12yo SOH1 last Saturday:
"Good concert on tonight in Auckland. Lady Gaga (pronounced it Gag-a, but no reaction) and the Pussycat Dolls at Vector. Don't cha want to go?"

"Nah, She'd be shit live."

Decided now was not the time for the 'nymphos aren't all bad' speech - maybe in a few years.
Wonder if she'd consider covering "Why does love..." with Fergie :p

Handy

Wonder what the latest version of these can do. The bad guys watch CSI, but maybe don't play Rainbow 6 where a version of these have been used by gamers for at least 5 years.


Jan. 3, 2006. Troops conducting urban operations soon will have the capabilities ....to sense through 12 inches of concrete to determine if someone is inside a building

Another utube essential. Finley Quaye & William Orbit : Dice

What to do with oxygen thieves .....

Did Helen Ever Write About Trade?

Brian Edwards book about Helen has a photo of part of an essay she wrote at school about communism and the Soviet Union. You can sense the sycophantic dribble on her chin - I'm struggling for an appropriate adjective. A million miles from reality ...

Poland's equality minister, Elzbieta Radziszewska, wants to expand a Polish law prohibiting the production of fascist and totalitarian propaganda ...The proposal, which could see the faces of some of the leading lights of communist history such as Lenin and Trotsky removed from t-shirts and flags, reflects a Polish view on communism far different from the rose-tinted and romantic images often found in the West.
After experiencing 40 hard years of communism, as well as the horrors of Nazi occupation, few Poles have qualms equating under law the inequities of Nazism and communism.

"Communism was a terrible, murderous system that claimed millions of lives," said Professor Wojciech Roszkowski, a leading Polish historian and member of the European parliament.
"It was very similar to National Socialism, and there is no reason to treat those two systems, and their symbols, differently. Their glorification should be prohibited."

Poles should know.

I'm also sure none of Helen's writings at school mention trade.

Do any Labour or Green voters get 'Trade'?

Simply by allowing nations to concentrate on producing those things that their geographic, climatic, and intellectual endowments best enable them to do, and to exchange those goods for what is best produced elsewhere, trade has directly propelled our global prosperity. (A Splendid Exchange. W Bernstein. 2008)

Apart from Mike Moore.

Mike ! Did you vote for Helen?

DB F#$ks Up

My loyalty usually sits with DB but they need to get off the grass over their position on Radler.

Names that define regions and styles should be protected but not monopolised and trademarked by anyone.

Good Luck to James & Wells Intellectual Property who have offered the services of their specialist intellectual property litigation group on a pro-bono basis to invalidate DB Breweries’ trade mark registration for RADLER.

Go Green Man Brewery !

Put the masks away

Are we at code white or red?

Swine flu may yet turn nasty, but 7 deaths rates way below our 11 road deaths last weekend, and for Mexicans, compared with their 7,000 drug related murders in 2008 doesn't justify the mania.

Lack of trust in institutions such as police (only 2% of Mexico's criminal cases are ever solved) will be contributing to inaccurate and chaotic appearance of their outbreak. Why would you report to authorities under these circumstances?

Yes a repeat of something similar or more deadly than the 1918 version will shade these stats, and justifies the close scrutiny.

The local media have really come into their own updating and providing perspective. Reporters interviewing positive quarantined travellers by phone while filming through windows is inspiring and reassuring. Great work people.

Give that man a...

"I got the gun and pointed it at him and said 'Don't move'. I fired the gun on the ground and he still tried to get the gun. I fired again. He said 'Ow'."

As you do.
Smaller than a .45 but ....

"the .22 LR is mainly used to kill small animals such as rats and squirrels.....It has been successfully used on large creatures such as coyotes, but range should be limited to no farther than 65 yards (59 m); head and chest shots are mandatory with the most powerful .22 cartridge the hunter can use accurately." (Wiki on .22s)

Apparently very handy for tagging the average "29-year-old man" trying to rob your Tokoroa takeaway.

Bogan Capital of NZ

Murph misses another corner, the kids get free entry but very quickly bored with the cars, speed, noise and...
don't notice promo girls.
No one buys their crap cars so no surprises they need to discount the gear. Yeah I know, 1,2 (and a 3) but only because they banned Volvo's and real cars from wiping them off the floor.

Best on the track? The Nissan GTR pace car.

"We're selling our spa pool. $300 will do."

Spa pools have a certain appeal as the temperatures drop and the nights get longer. I spent weeks freezing in the Waiouru tussock dreaming of the day I'd have another (different lover then :) and enjoyed many a dip since, but its taken till last week to own one.

"Get out of there and get to bed!"

29.4.09 Update. Got the electrician's bill today. $520 to hook it up! Must away and use the thing.

Is 14 years enough?

Not looking good for Mr Bullshit.

Wonder what price he paid for saying that.

The recent painting in the news will have reopened a wound for Mr and Mrs B.



Gaffe-prone Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi 72, landed in hot water two years ago when he reportedly told Mara Carfagna, Italy's 33-year-old minister for equal opportunities "If I weren't married, I would marry you immediately."


Understandable as was the reaction of Mrs B who publicly demanded an apology.

Interesting body language in the next pic, Mara's inner wrist exposed but not towards Mr B. Definitely a turn on though.
Looking away must help him focus on the content.


"Exposed wrists: If a woman is interested she will expose the smooth, soft skin on the inside of her wrists. She will also show the palms of her hand whilst talking."

W w w winter's here

This morning was the first of many where there was ice on the windscreen. I've worn a jacket for the 2nd time this year and there isn't any daylight after dinnertime.
Dogs, uneven kerbs and potholes are a pain during night runs so my new toy is f'n brilliant. I should have bought one years ago. The hinge allows setting the beam at different angles which is great when there is street light ahead but not close in front and spotlight mode is great for upsetting hoodie wearers in Te Koutu Park, all easily changed one handed on the run.
Bloody bright too.
I've even taken to wearing a fluoro vest - what a nana - but the fitness is getting there. I wonder how many people don't realise the human body is just perfect for a 10k run.

Pirates and Kidnappers

Well done to the US Navy.

Here is a Columbian example and response, again from The Cocaine Wars 1988

In 1981 , Columbian M19 nationalist guerrillas kidnapped Martha Ochoa, one of the three daughters of Don Fabio Ochoa of the Medellin Cartel.
The Ochoas did not pay. Their response was to call the first ever meeting (in Cali which was one of M19’s main bases) of all of Columbia’s most influential traffickers, all of whom, because of their vast fortunes, were now potential kidnap targets. Hundreds of fliers were distribute throughout Columbia, handed out at intersections and dropped from helicopters into soccer stadiums. Contents included:
“3..the 223 mafia bosses…agreed to finance…$4.4 million …to fight the practice of kidnapping, these resources will be used to pay for rewards, execution of perpetrators, and equipment…
4..we agreed to create a group called “Death to Kidnappers”…
5 Each boss has registered 10 of his best men and, therefore a total of 2,230 individuals will be involved in initial operations…
6..from this date, these individuals…will be carrying out the executions of all those associated with the practice of kidnapping…
7 Kidnappers will be executed in public…
9 directly with information on kidnappings…
11 Those kidnappers arrested by police will be executed in prison, if their whereabouts cannot be established, our people will act on their colleagues or the nearest relatives.
Please do not destroy this communique; exhibit it in public place”The manhunt was exceptionally brutal, even by Columbia’s standards. 3 months after her abduction Martha was relesed unharmed…“ reached an accomodation …whereby M19... performed chores for the traffickers.”

More recently, here is the situation in Mexico. Maybe I won't be in any hurry to go back to Tijuana or do the Baja 1000 - a fading dream.

More light reading….

From The Cocaine Wars 1988.

In 1979 DEA Intel Analyst Miguel Walsh estimated Columbia’s annual production of cocaine hydrochloride at 13,800 kilos, with a maximum base ingredient cost of US$625 per kilo becoming $9550 once processed. In transit to the US : $24000 and once inside the US $37000, cut 1:1 to 50% pure giving 2 kilos at $37k each for the ‘wholesaler’ to the ‘distributor‘ who cuts another 50% to 4 kilos which the ‘retailer’ then cuts into 8 kilos sold for $70 per gram. The $625 of cocoa leaves could fetch $560,000 on the streets of America and the 13,800 kilos produced per year estimated at $7,784,000,000 in potential revenues from a raw cost of $8 million …the most valuable commodity in the world.
In 1982 the purity on the streets averaged 12.5% cut 8 times (and cost $47 to $60k per kilo for any purity), in 1987 the average in Miami was 33% meaning cut 3 times (and now cost between $9 and $14k per kilo).

And…

“In early 1979 Bahamas Assistant Commissioner of Police Lawrence Major made a surprise visit to the island of Great Exuma 150 miles from the Bahaman capital Nassau and decided on impulse to search the light plane that had landed immediately before his plane. On board he found 247 pounds worth $2 billion at street value, the biggest seizure ever made at that time. Shortly after Major went to Black Rock, a deserted outcrop off the island of Grand Bahama where he discovered a cache of marijuana so enormous he had to pace it out to estimate its measurements: it was six feet high and more than two miles long.”