Peter Petterson's blog

The world's craziest horse laws - even New Zealand gets a mention...

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:30:13 -0800

"The world's craziest horse laws - even NZ gets a mention"...

Want to keep horses under control? It's easy. Just pass a law. Neil Clarkson looks at some of the world's silliest horse laws.
Horses tend to be law-abiding creatures. Very few end up in jail or being fined.

The same, however, cannot be said for their human counterparts. Humans, in fact, do some monumentally stupid things - and just occasionally they involve horses.

In fact, one unfortunate American woman even made the finals of the 2000 Darwin Awards for her dealings with a horse. The famous awards are given posthumously to people whose passing might, uncharitably, be considered to be improving the world's gene pool.

Erebus crash families received only $100,000 and sworn to secrecy for thirty years...

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:33:08 -0800

Erebus crash families received only $100,000 compensation and sworn to secrecy for 30 yrs...

The families of those who died when Air New Zealand Flight 901 plunged into Mt Erebus, in Antarctica, received an average pay-out of only $100,000 - and they have been sworn to secrecy all these years.

The same year, an Auckland woman who was badly burned in a Pan American crash was awarded much more by a US court.

Compensation for the 200 New Zealand passengers on the doomed 1979 Antarctic flight totalled about $21 million, according to calculations based on new disclosures.

About a third of the compensation ($6.9m) was paid by the Government after Civil Aviation was named in a class action brought by a passenger consortium. That amount showed up in the 1982 Budget.

The Guardian article attack on New Zealand's green image totally unfair...

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:44:00 -0800

The Guardian article attack on New Zealand's green image totally unfair...

The article in the British newspaper, The Guardian, claiming that New Zealand's clean, green image is not up to its emission and environmental image has been attacked as being unfair and wrong because it failed to mention other important factors.

Writer Fred Pearce claimed NZ and othe countries "greenwashed" their images. When you make such extravagant statements as Mr Pearce, you need to do your homework carefully. While condemning other countries, Fred Pearce saved his vitriol for New Zealand. Quote: "My prize for the most shameless two fingers to the global community goes to New Zealand, a country that sells itself round the world as clean and green".

I was hit with a deep, almost melancholic sadness the other evening - the memory of brother Bob...

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:31:55 -0800

I was hit with a deep, almost melancholic sadness the other evening - the memory of brother Bob...

I was hit with a deep almost melancholic sense of sadness half an hour ago. My second from eldest brother died of an illness in Bangkok late last year. He married a Thai woman many years ago and was still with her when he finally succumbed to his illness, most likely pneumonia. He had been busy out in the tropical heat and went to sleep in his hotel room, cooled down and caught a chill.

He had been out of work for some time, a former oil-rig driller and sixty eight years old. No social welfare in Thailand or any asian country; you rely on your family when times get tough. He had worked as a supervisor building roads in the Bangkok area for some time, but lost his job. Even Europeans come to the end of their working life some time, even a popular Kiwi. He had then had to rely on help and assistance from his brother-in-law. Pride sent him looking for work again, but when they realised he was actually ill, he wasn't wanted.

A massive iceberg heading for New Zealand...

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:04:56 -0800

A massive iceberg is heading for New Zealand...

The massive iceberg spotted southwest of New Zealand could be moving closer.

The iceberg was seen by Australian scientists working on Macquarie Island, who estimated it to be 500m wide and 50m high.

NIWA oceanographer Mike Williams said it was unusual to see icebergs in that part of the Southern Ocean.

"The only precedent for icebergs being seen that far north is the one that came through in November 2006," he said.

The 2006 iceberg, which broke off the Ronne Ice Shelf, came within 90km of the Otago coast. Sightseeing flights were arranged to view the iceberg.

Dinosaur prints found in New Zealand for the first time...

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:04:00 -0800

Dinosaur prints found in NZ for first time...

Seventy-million-year-old dinosaur footprints found near Whanganui inlet in NW Nelson; probably made by sauropods

Scientists have found 70-million-year-old dinosaur footprints in northwest Nelson.

They are the first dinosaur footprints to be recognised in New Zealand and the first evidence of dinosaurs in the South Island.

Geologist Greg Browne of GNS Science, found the prints while investigating rock and sediment formations near the Whanganui inlet. They are at six locations over an area of about 10 kilometres. At one location there are up to 20 footprints.

An award for a rising sportsman

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:59:30 -0800

An award for a rising sportsman...

First published at Qondio: Awards writing challenge

I read this mornings Dominion Post newspaper here in Lower Hutt, Wellington.

There was a pull-out supplement for local regional secondary school elite sports achievers in the various summer and winter code categories.

I was sitting in the waiting room at the local tyre shop waiting for a replacement tyre to be put on our car to get a new warrant of fitness. I was thumbing through the paper at the shop when I came to the athletics section and surprisingly saw one of my grandsons nominated for the awards.

Two Kiwi men ordered to pay $150,000 for sending spam emails...

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:46:53 -0800

Two Christchurch, NZ, men have been ordered to pay $150,000 between them after sending two million spam emails

Two Christchurch men must pay substantial fines after admitting being part of a major international spamming operation.

A High Court judge has ordered Shane Atkinson pay $100,000 and Ronald Smits $50,000.

The men were part of a Christchurch business which sent over two million unsolicited emails over four months in 2007, to New Zealand addresses marketing Herbal King branded pharmaceuticals manufactured in India.

Internal Affairs says the New Zealanders were part of the largest pharmaceutical spamming operation in the history of the internet.

New age Destiny Church in NZ is facing further criticism...

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:31:00 -0700

The new age Destiny Church is facing further criticism, after hundreds of men pledged to honour its leader - self-appointed Bishop Brian Tamaki and his church.

At the church's annual conference in Auckland at Labour weekend, about 700 men swore a "covenant oath" of loyalty and obedience to Bishop Tamaki.

But some say the oath goes too far, stifling freedom of speech, with church members ordered to speak of Mr Tamaki in a favourable light.

However, Destiny Church spokesman and oath author Richard Lewis says that is not the case.

"We can't make people do anything, the members of Destiny Church are here because they want to be - there is no obligation for them to stay," he says.

Lest I forget - coincidence, happenstance, and a blinking miracle...

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:35:54 -0700

Lest I forget - coincidence, happenstance and a blinking miracle...

I recalled my grandson's disappearance and reappearance on another site this afternoon.

My grandson’s disappearance on Sunday, May 19 2009, and reappearance this morning suggests too many coincidences.

There is absolutely no comparison to how I felt at 6 am and 7-15 am this morning.

At 6 am I felt deeply concerned and beginning to think of the worst possible scenario in relation to my grandson’s disappearance. I’m not a deeply religious person, but I don’t discount the power of prayer either. I believe a number of prayers were made across the Pacific Ocean to seek a higher power to bring Kellie home to us.

New Zealand anti-boy-racing legislation passed - cracking down on the hoons....

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:11:43 -0700

Anti-boy-racer laws passed into law last night, banning cruising along some roads; car crushing legislation voted on today; cracking down on the hoon drivers!

A major crackdown on hoon boy racers comes into force in December, which will prohibit them from 'cruising' along some roads.

The anti-boy-racer legislation passed last night .

The Land Transport (Enforcement Powers) Amendment Act is one of six major law and order bills being pushed through Parliament under urgency over the next two weeks.

Transport Minister Steven Joyce says the new legislation will give greater powers for police to impound vehicles involved in street racing.

Out of every tragedy comes sunlight...

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 20:06:28 -0700

Out of every tragedy comes sunlight...

Out of every tragedy comes sunlight. A little hero emerges from the shambles of disaster.

A ten year old New Zealand girl on holiday in Samoa when the deadly tsunami struck the southern coast beach a few weeks back, received a special award in NZ last week.

Remembering her primary school teacher's lesson on tsunamis, she recognised the characteristics of the tsunami. When she saw the water receding rapidly, she ran up and down the beach screaming, "tsunami', and undoubtably saved many, many lives.

What a clever and resourceful young girl. And she didn't go to school just to eat her lunch either!

Hundreds of mourners attend Aisling Symes' funeral - "little cutie" laid to rest...

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:19:07 -0700

Hundreds of mourners attend Aisling Symes' funeral - "little cutie" laid to rest...

Hundreds of mourners at Aisling Symes' funeral today heard she was a "cutie" with a "loving heart" who loved food, funny noises and raspberries being blown on her stomach.

A large crowd gathered outside Ranui Baptist Church, in west Auckland, as Aisling's close-knit family made their final farewells.

Alan and Angela Symes took Aisling's's flag-draped casket from the church to the waiting white hearse as the hymn Amazing Grace was played on a whistle.

The parents of the two year-old clung to each other as a Kuia farewelled their daughter with a karakia.

Child's body in drain confirmed as Aisling Symes...

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:32:41 -0700

Child's body in drain confirmed as Aisling Symes...

Auck police describe thorough search of drain where Aisling Symes' body found; "deeply saddened"; famly request privacy

West Auckland police say they did everything they could to find Aisling Symes on the night the toddler went missing and are deeply saddened about the discovery of her body.

Inquiry head Inspector Gary Davey has confirmed the body found in a drain on a property just a few metres away from the Henderson home where Aisling went missing is that of the two-year-old.

Police removed the body early this morning and a post mortem examination is being carried out.

The global rise in breast cancer due to 'western lifestyles'...

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:58:47 -0700

The global rise in breast cancer due to 'Western lifestyles'...

Of all the exports from our modern world, breast cancer ranks as among the most dubious. Once thought to be a disease of the rich, it is now a global epidemic.

The rise of the cancer in Europe and America – cases have jumped 80 per cent in the UK since the 1970s – is being mirrored across the world. And scientists say increasing prosperity and the "Westernisation" of traditional lifestyles is to blame.

A richer diet, smaller families, delayed childbearing and reduced breast-feeding have driven the increase in the West, together with rising obesity and increased alcohol consumption, specialists say. Now these trends are being seen everywhere – with a growing burden of malignant disease in their wake.