Posts
A 21 year-old kid thinks of a way to get complete strangers to give him $1 million. Well okay he's only got $500,000 so far - in return for basically nothing...
The Million Dollar Homepage
[Courtesy of Tibby]
26 October 2005
22 October 2005
TV Cream's Top 100 Toys
What life could possibly be complete without a joyous trawl through the wonders of all the 'wonderful' toys we used to play with as little bleeders? Includes the obvious ones, like the Rubik's Cube, but also oft-forgotten gems like Mastermind, Guess Who?, Downfall, spud-guns, Terrahawks, and plenty of naff stuff that only smelly girls played with.
TV Cream's Top 100 Toys
[Courtesy of Alpen]
TV Cream's Top 100 Toys
[Courtesy of Alpen]
Take a left turn at Timaru, and beware the Martian death-ray
Craters on Mars named after New Zealand locations
Bluff
Cave
Kumara
Lowbury
Timaru
(Source)
Craters on Venus named after New Zealanders
Batten (after Jean Batten, aviatrix)
Marsh (after Dame Ngaio Marsh, writer)
(Source)
Bluff
Cave
Kumara
Lowbury
Timaru
(Source)
Craters on Venus named after New Zealanders
Batten (after Jean Batten, aviatrix)
Marsh (after Dame Ngaio Marsh, writer)
(Source)
20 October 2005
Very Friday website hootenanny
T-shirts galore
You know you desperately want that Fraggle Rock, Ferris Bueller or Danger Mouse t-shirt! Find all your bad 80s nostalgia attire here...
Truffleshuffle.co.uk
Teemarto.com
Kittenwar
Like Hotornot, but for kittens. Two pictures of kittens, and you click on the one you think is cuter. Then you find out the way other visitors to the site have voted. Surprisingly addictive. And if you type 'Wicket' into the search box you'll find one that looks just like an Ewok.
http://kittenwar.com
Futurama MP3s
From Matt Groening's animated sci-fi comedy. Includes Bender the robot's immortal line: 'Ok, but I don't want anyone thinking we're robosexuals. So if anyone asks, you're my debugger'.
And the quote from the politics episode (season 2, episode 3): 'He struck a chord with the voters when he promised not to go on a killing spree'. Amen to that.
http://homepage.mac.com/brendankirk/brendankirk.com/futs1e1.htm
Triangular Sheep
It's all the rage down Southland way, you know - well, actually it's more like a pyramid than a triangle, but then YOU try going for four years without a haircut and see how tidy you look...
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3450116a4560,00.html
You know you desperately want that Fraggle Rock, Ferris Bueller or Danger Mouse t-shirt! Find all your bad 80s nostalgia attire here...
Truffleshuffle.co.uk
Teemarto.com
Kittenwar
Like Hotornot, but for kittens. Two pictures of kittens, and you click on the one you think is cuter. Then you find out the way other visitors to the site have voted. Surprisingly addictive. And if you type 'Wicket' into the search box you'll find one that looks just like an Ewok.
http://kittenwar.com
Futurama MP3s
From Matt Groening's animated sci-fi comedy. Includes Bender the robot's immortal line: 'Ok, but I don't want anyone thinking we're robosexuals. So if anyone asks, you're my debugger'.
And the quote from the politics episode (season 2, episode 3): 'He struck a chord with the voters when he promised not to go on a killing spree'. Amen to that.
http://homepage.mac.com/brendankirk/brendankirk.com/futs1e1.htm
Triangular Sheep
It's all the rage down Southland way, you know - well, actually it's more like a pyramid than a triangle, but then YOU try going for four years without a haircut and see how tidy you look...
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3450116a4560,00.html
Terrorists obviously can't afford a ten-speed these days
Two wheels: good. Two legs: terrorist suspect
By David Lister, Scotland Correspondent
WITH her year-round tan, long blonde hair and designer clothes, Sally Cameron does not look like a threat to national security. But the 34-year-old property developer has joined the ranks of Britain's most unlikely terrorist suspects after being held for hours for trespassing on a cycle path. She was arrested under the Terrorism Act for walking along a cycle path in the harbour area of Dundee.
She was walking from her office in Dundee to her home in the suburb of Broughty Ferry when she was arrested under new anti-terrorist legislation and held for four hours.
She said: "I've been walking to work every morning for months and months to keep fit. One day, I was told by a guard on the gate that I couldn't use the route any more because it was solely a cycle path and he said, if I was caught doing it again, I'd be arrested.
"The next thing I knew, the harbour master had driven up behind me with a megaphone, saying, 'You're trespassing, please turn back'. It was totally ridiculous. I started laughing and kept on walking. Cyclists going past were also laughing.
"But then two police cars roared up beside me and cut me off, like a scene from Starsky and Hutch, and officers told me I was being arrested under the Terrorism Act. The harbour master was waffling on and (saying that), because of September 11, I would be arrested and charged."
Ms Cameron, who said that at one stage one of the officers asked her to stop laughing, described the incident as "like a scene from the movie Erin Brockovich, with all the dock workers cheering me and telling me to give them hell". She said: "I was told that the cycle path was for cyclists only, as if walkers and not cyclists were the only ones likely to plant bombs. There are no signs anywhere saying there are to be no pedestrians.
"They took me to the police station and held me for several hours before charging me and releasing me."
She said that she was particularly galled by the letter from the procurator fiscal's office, which said that she would not be prosecuted even though "the evidence is sufficient to justify bringing you before the court on this criminal charge".
A spokesman for Forth Ports said: "We will robustly prosecute anyone who breaches these new security measures because they have been introduced by the Government and we are obliged to enforce them."
The Times, 17 October 2005
By David Lister, Scotland Correspondent
WITH her year-round tan, long blonde hair and designer clothes, Sally Cameron does not look like a threat to national security. But the 34-year-old property developer has joined the ranks of Britain's most unlikely terrorist suspects after being held for hours for trespassing on a cycle path. She was arrested under the Terrorism Act for walking along a cycle path in the harbour area of Dundee.
She was walking from her office in Dundee to her home in the suburb of Broughty Ferry when she was arrested under new anti-terrorist legislation and held for four hours.
She said: "I've been walking to work every morning for months and months to keep fit. One day, I was told by a guard on the gate that I couldn't use the route any more because it was solely a cycle path and he said, if I was caught doing it again, I'd be arrested.
"The next thing I knew, the harbour master had driven up behind me with a megaphone, saying, 'You're trespassing, please turn back'. It was totally ridiculous. I started laughing and kept on walking. Cyclists going past were also laughing.
"But then two police cars roared up beside me and cut me off, like a scene from Starsky and Hutch, and officers told me I was being arrested under the Terrorism Act. The harbour master was waffling on and (saying that), because of September 11, I would be arrested and charged."
Ms Cameron, who said that at one stage one of the officers asked her to stop laughing, described the incident as "like a scene from the movie Erin Brockovich, with all the dock workers cheering me and telling me to give them hell". She said: "I was told that the cycle path was for cyclists only, as if walkers and not cyclists were the only ones likely to plant bombs. There are no signs anywhere saying there are to be no pedestrians.
"They took me to the police station and held me for several hours before charging me and releasing me."
She said that she was particularly galled by the letter from the procurator fiscal's office, which said that she would not be prosecuted even though "the evidence is sufficient to justify bringing you before the court on this criminal charge".
A spokesman for Forth Ports said: "We will robustly prosecute anyone who breaches these new security measures because they have been introduced by the Government and we are obliged to enforce them."
The Times, 17 October 2005
Carries a large axe, has a long beard, passionate hatred of orcs
Convicted Arsonist At Large
NewsRoom.co.nz Agency Story at 11:38 AM, 11 Oct 2005
Police in Cambridge are searching for a convicted arsonist who escaped from a secure unit this morning.
Shane Reid, 28, was serving a two-and-a-half year sentence following arson attacks on two schools last year.
Police believe Reid is on his way from Cambridge towards Hamilton.
He is described as a dwarf and police say he should be easily recognisable.
ENDS
[Later reports noted that he was captured that afternoon - see the excellently-titled 'Police nab arsonist dwarf after taxi bid for freedom']
NewsRoom.co.nz Agency Story at 11:38 AM, 11 Oct 2005
Police in Cambridge are searching for a convicted arsonist who escaped from a secure unit this morning.
Shane Reid, 28, was serving a two-and-a-half year sentence following arson attacks on two schools last year.
Police believe Reid is on his way from Cambridge towards Hamilton.
He is described as a dwarf and police say he should be easily recognisable.
ENDS
[Later reports noted that he was captured that afternoon - see the excellently-titled 'Police nab arsonist dwarf after taxi bid for freedom']
"Bitter? No, not bitter at all"
Marc Alexander: A Government at Last! Yeah Right
Wednesday, 19 October 2005, 4:33 pm
Labour clearly had the numbers to take a first stab at forming a government. But the resultant mishmash of important portfolios with Foreign Affairs and Revenue sitting outside the Executive bereft of the discipline of collective responsibility, is the ultimate in a cynical display of perk-grabbing hedonism. Clark, like a bulimic at the fridge of power, has been expediency personified. She hasn't let one principle interrupt her gorging at the footstool of history. She is a canny woman and there can be little doubt that she sees her time is nearly up. She has done everything and anything to stitch up a government with enough longevity to assure her immortality in Labour's Hall of Fame. In all probability, she will - in about a year - decide to stand aside knowing full well that her government which closely resembles the Edsel, will have as much future as the Hindenberg. She will then trot on to the next phase of her life leaving behind a Phil Goff/Steve Maharey bun fight over who will captain the ship out to the epicentre of the Bermuda Trangle.
Winston Peters, the taciturn political "vaudevillian"who turned a 10,362 majority into a 730 vote deficit, whose Party shed nearly half its MPs, and who tried to make a virtue out of a claim to stay on the cross-benches, has finally done what we all knew he would: he has accepted the baubles of Ministerial office. Could anybody be surprised? He hasn't just reluctantly accepted the post; he has stuck both hands out for the perks of power and filled his pockets with all the tokens, trinkets, the knives, forks and spoons of office. I can see him at the tailor’s being kitted in the sartorial splendour of deeper pockets lined with a waterproof fabric just to steal soup from the kitchens at Bellamy's!
The only surprise is that Winston is to be given the one Ministerial position that he has clearly demonstrated a decidedly negative aptitude for. When it comes to the substantive aspects on an issue he has the attention span of a meercat on a double espresso. Perhaps someone should tell him that being Foreign Affairs Minister isn't a licence to indulge in fleshly pleasures away from the spotlight of the domestic press corps, but it is an important role showcasing our country and all we stand for. No matter how you look at it, Winston will never project the image of competence that Phil Goff has demonstrated in that role. Asian nations in particular are likely to interpret Winston’s appointment as Foreign Minister as a sign of approval for his perceived anti-Asian views. It will make dealing with them seem like brain surgery performed with a chainsaw.
Peter Dunne’s ego will be sorely bruised by the 5,000 vote slash in his majority in Ohariu-Belmont; by the loss of two-thirds of support for his Party; and by the loss of five MPs. But most of all he will miffed that it is Winston, and not he, who is the leader of a centre party with the power to determine the shape of this government. Nevertheless, Dunne will be in his element as Minister of Revenue - he will relish the opportunity to have the media listen to him for a change. In a sense this will be a practice run for his next term as the new Jim Anderton, unencumbered as he will be from his two useless appendages. He will then be in a caucus of one liberated from endless soliloquies about the perils of the great moral outrages of the day. Freed from the expectations of a pretend party he will go on being an exceptional electorate MP and contribute much to future governments (be they Labour or National) as his political expediency and flexibility will allow.
[Courtesy of Louise and T. The full article is here. The 'two useless appendages' he refers to are Judy Turner and Gordon Copeland, obviously]
Wednesday, 19 October 2005, 4:33 pm
Labour clearly had the numbers to take a first stab at forming a government. But the resultant mishmash of important portfolios with Foreign Affairs and Revenue sitting outside the Executive bereft of the discipline of collective responsibility, is the ultimate in a cynical display of perk-grabbing hedonism. Clark, like a bulimic at the fridge of power, has been expediency personified. She hasn't let one principle interrupt her gorging at the footstool of history. She is a canny woman and there can be little doubt that she sees her time is nearly up. She has done everything and anything to stitch up a government with enough longevity to assure her immortality in Labour's Hall of Fame. In all probability, she will - in about a year - decide to stand aside knowing full well that her government which closely resembles the Edsel, will have as much future as the Hindenberg. She will then trot on to the next phase of her life leaving behind a Phil Goff/Steve Maharey bun fight over who will captain the ship out to the epicentre of the Bermuda Trangle.
Winston Peters, the taciturn political "vaudevillian"who turned a 10,362 majority into a 730 vote deficit, whose Party shed nearly half its MPs, and who tried to make a virtue out of a claim to stay on the cross-benches, has finally done what we all knew he would: he has accepted the baubles of Ministerial office. Could anybody be surprised? He hasn't just reluctantly accepted the post; he has stuck both hands out for the perks of power and filled his pockets with all the tokens, trinkets, the knives, forks and spoons of office. I can see him at the tailor’s being kitted in the sartorial splendour of deeper pockets lined with a waterproof fabric just to steal soup from the kitchens at Bellamy's!
The only surprise is that Winston is to be given the one Ministerial position that he has clearly demonstrated a decidedly negative aptitude for. When it comes to the substantive aspects on an issue he has the attention span of a meercat on a double espresso. Perhaps someone should tell him that being Foreign Affairs Minister isn't a licence to indulge in fleshly pleasures away from the spotlight of the domestic press corps, but it is an important role showcasing our country and all we stand for. No matter how you look at it, Winston will never project the image of competence that Phil Goff has demonstrated in that role. Asian nations in particular are likely to interpret Winston’s appointment as Foreign Minister as a sign of approval for his perceived anti-Asian views. It will make dealing with them seem like brain surgery performed with a chainsaw.
Peter Dunne’s ego will be sorely bruised by the 5,000 vote slash in his majority in Ohariu-Belmont; by the loss of two-thirds of support for his Party; and by the loss of five MPs. But most of all he will miffed that it is Winston, and not he, who is the leader of a centre party with the power to determine the shape of this government. Nevertheless, Dunne will be in his element as Minister of Revenue - he will relish the opportunity to have the media listen to him for a change. In a sense this will be a practice run for his next term as the new Jim Anderton, unencumbered as he will be from his two useless appendages. He will then be in a caucus of one liberated from endless soliloquies about the perils of the great moral outrages of the day. Freed from the expectations of a pretend party he will go on being an exceptional electorate MP and contribute much to future governments (be they Labour or National) as his political expediency and flexibility will allow.
[Courtesy of Louise and T. The full article is here. The 'two useless appendages' he refers to are Judy Turner and Gordon Copeland, obviously]
So in their 30s it's STDs, and in their 40s it's gambling? Great!
Media Monitoring
Henry Drive LIV - Louise Wallace
19 Oct 05 - 15:00 Item# LIVH3785653 Duration: 6.0 mins
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - INT
New problem gamblers, Auckland crime hotspots, Man steals wine.
Int Cameron McMillan Web Editor Stuff. Single women over 40 are the new at risk group for STDs. Sounds like a Shortland St story.
Professor Max Abbott found that women account for more than half of all NZers with gambling problems compared to 20% a decade ago.
Lonely women in their 30s go to bars looking for company but end up playing pokies and becoming addicted. Between two and three percent of NZers are pathological gamblers.
Newmarket Police have trawled through five years of crimes statistics and identified peak hours for crime. Many vehicles are stolen from Foodtown Greenlane carpark Monday to Wednesday during peak trading hours. Criminal activity peaks in Newmarket during Friday lunchtime. Mt Eden is a car crime hotspot. Most offending occurs between 8.00am and midnight.
Burglars aren't deterred by alarms and deadlocks. Four in ten Penrose businesses were broken into last year. Most dwelling burglaries happen in Epsom. New Plymouth man allegedly stole a cask of wine from Pak 'N Save yesterday and jumped into a stream thinking no one would follow him. He was wrong, an officer waited for him at the end of the stream and arrested him.
[Courtesy of Louise. Presumably a solution to the Auckland crime problem must be to evacuate Newmarket every Friday lunchtime]
Henry Drive LIV - Louise Wallace
19 Oct 05 - 15:00 Item# LIVH3785653 Duration: 6.0 mins
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - INT
New problem gamblers, Auckland crime hotspots, Man steals wine.
Int Cameron McMillan Web Editor Stuff. Single women over 40 are the new at risk group for STDs. Sounds like a Shortland St story.
Professor Max Abbott found that women account for more than half of all NZers with gambling problems compared to 20% a decade ago.
Lonely women in their 30s go to bars looking for company but end up playing pokies and becoming addicted. Between two and three percent of NZers are pathological gamblers.
Newmarket Police have trawled through five years of crimes statistics and identified peak hours for crime. Many vehicles are stolen from Foodtown Greenlane carpark Monday to Wednesday during peak trading hours. Criminal activity peaks in Newmarket during Friday lunchtime. Mt Eden is a car crime hotspot. Most offending occurs between 8.00am and midnight.
Burglars aren't deterred by alarms and deadlocks. Four in ten Penrose businesses were broken into last year. Most dwelling burglaries happen in Epsom. New Plymouth man allegedly stole a cask of wine from Pak 'N Save yesterday and jumped into a stream thinking no one would follow him. He was wrong, an officer waited for him at the end of the stream and arrested him.
[Courtesy of Louise. Presumably a solution to the Auckland crime problem must be to evacuate Newmarket every Friday lunchtime]
They make it sound so appealing!
Drowning Season About To Begin!
Press Release by Water Safety New Zealand at 1:48 PM, 20 Oct 2005
The up coming Labour Weekend well see large numbers of boaties, fishers plus other water recreational users head back to the water with the intent of enjoying themselves. Labour Weekend typically heralds the return of summer activities, but unfortunately it inevitably coincides with an increase in drownings. Water Safety New Zealand (WSNZ) predicts that over the next three months up to 45 people can be expected to drown!
WSNZ, Executive Director, Alan Muir states, "with most people not having been in or out on the water over the winter, Labour Weekend tends to be the first opportunity for some time to indulge in their favourite water related pastime and blow out the cobwebs. Unfortunately they tend to forget about the basic safety rules and therefore do not consider their own safety or the responsibilities they have for those in their care. Enjoy the activity but do not drop your guard!"
To the end of September this year 77 drownings had occurred, 31 of those in recreation activities and 46 non-recreation related. These figures reflect the positive drop witnessed in drownings over the past decade and more. Muir said that, "It was particularly pleasing to see the drop in recreation drownings during the first nine months of the year, 12 less than the average for the past five years. Non recreational drownings are average for the same period."
ENDS
[Courtesy of Louwrens. Recreational drowning is one of my favourite pastimes]
Press Release by Water Safety New Zealand at 1:48 PM, 20 Oct 2005
The up coming Labour Weekend well see large numbers of boaties, fishers plus other water recreational users head back to the water with the intent of enjoying themselves. Labour Weekend typically heralds the return of summer activities, but unfortunately it inevitably coincides with an increase in drownings. Water Safety New Zealand (WSNZ) predicts that over the next three months up to 45 people can be expected to drown!
WSNZ, Executive Director, Alan Muir states, "with most people not having been in or out on the water over the winter, Labour Weekend tends to be the first opportunity for some time to indulge in their favourite water related pastime and blow out the cobwebs. Unfortunately they tend to forget about the basic safety rules and therefore do not consider their own safety or the responsibilities they have for those in their care. Enjoy the activity but do not drop your guard!"
To the end of September this year 77 drownings had occurred, 31 of those in recreation activities and 46 non-recreation related. These figures reflect the positive drop witnessed in drownings over the past decade and more. Muir said that, "It was particularly pleasing to see the drop in recreation drownings during the first nine months of the year, 12 less than the average for the past five years. Non recreational drownings are average for the same period."
ENDS
[Courtesy of Louwrens. Recreational drowning is one of my favourite pastimes]
17 October 2005
In other news, he also left the oven on
Roy chose wrong box on celebrant form
By PHIL MCCARTHY
He ticked the wrong box on the marriage celebrant form but Eric Roy assured people he didn't also vote for Labour by accident.
In the leadup to the general election, the Invercargill National MP claimed he had been struck off the register of marriage celebrants and slammed Internal Affairs for saying he had removed himself.
Internal Affairs denied this was the case and maintained Mr Roy had asked to be taken off the register.
The Southland Times requested the document in question from Internal Affairs. It shows Mr Roy ticked a box saying he did not want to remain a marriage celebrant.
Mr Roy admitted his error but said he also had to go to lengths to recover the form to find out.
"I have ticked the wrong box ... why I did I don't know."
When asked if he might have done the same thing at the election, Mr Roy laughed and said: "Anything's possible but I don't think so. I checked it three times."
- Southland Times, 17 October 2005
By PHIL MCCARTHY
He ticked the wrong box on the marriage celebrant form but Eric Roy assured people he didn't also vote for Labour by accident.
In the leadup to the general election, the Invercargill National MP claimed he had been struck off the register of marriage celebrants and slammed Internal Affairs for saying he had removed himself.
Internal Affairs denied this was the case and maintained Mr Roy had asked to be taken off the register.
The Southland Times requested the document in question from Internal Affairs. It shows Mr Roy ticked a box saying he did not want to remain a marriage celebrant.
Mr Roy admitted his error but said he also had to go to lengths to recover the form to find out.
"I have ticked the wrong box ... why I did I don't know."
When asked if he might have done the same thing at the election, Mr Roy laughed and said: "Anything's possible but I don't think so. I checked it three times."
- Southland Times, 17 October 2005
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