roarprawn

Another clever Kiwi

2012-02-15T13:09:00.001+13:00

Maori Council Negotiation Training Video

2012-02-08T09:00:00.000+13:00

NOT DEAD

2012-02-07T06:54:00.001+13:00

We have been a little busy lately, but as they say reports of our early demise are greatly exaggerated.

For the record we think;

Waitangi Day at Waitangi has become the shame of ngapuhi. its a woeful piece of violent thuggish theatre.

That anyone should be able to buy a slice of our pavalova paradise. As long as they are good stewards of the land.

Its time that journalists took at look at oil and mineral exploration in the south. Iwi and the communities there are on board. Why? Ask some questions

How the fuck can anyone say they are poor and need a food parcel when i can wander down the road and pick some excellent free roadside fruit.

Christchurch has some of the most funkiest bars in the country. Im thinkin a bar tour company could make a killing.

If David Bain gets any compo there will be no justice in nz.

The idiots who bowed to the pressure from the breast feeding nazis over the Peri Weepu feeding his kid with a bottle need to be drowned in a vat of sour milk.

Unfortunate number plate #27

2012-02-05T17:57:00.001+13:00

Why I joined Occupy Auckland #3

2012-01-25T20:23:00.000+13:00

Reason # 3 : I live in Hamilton

"A McDonalds worker behind the Occupy Hamilton protest planned for Garden Place on Saturday says he, and half a dozen others, are now gearing up to camp there for a week." - Waikato Times

"Asked if Hamilton was too boring for refugees and those moving here would likely want to leave as quickly as they arrived, Ms De Lisle said ..." NZ Herald

Why I joined Occupy Auckland #2

2012-01-23T18:35:00.000+13:00

Reason 2 : I get to use socialist slogans

Stuff video @ 51 seconds in Occupy Auckland protestor Malcom France calls Maori security guard a "class traitor". Is that because the security guard is a worker ? or a Maori ?

Why I joined Occupy Auckland

2012-01-15T11:33:00.002+13:00

Reason 1 : daddy didn't buy me a pony.

HAYESY HAY DAY

2011-12-28T21:26:00.001+13:00

Today we baled and stacked 300 bales of hay. It was a bit of a family affair, Mum always at the ready with a cuppa and a scone, Dad,76 with one kidney and some dodgy pipe work happy to get on an ancient Fergy tractor and haul it around the paddock that has some tight corners. We started the job yesterday in 29 degrees - today was aslightly cooler but sticky 27 degrees uncomfortable.

And then there is the Rock who has a passion for doing things the old way which means using old stuff. Some of it 30 - 50 years old. We had our moments - the Holland Baler busted its boiler a couple of times but the Rock , as he almost always does , fixed it. And the Hay conveyor chewed bales for a while till we worked out a bulging guiding rod was the culprit it was fixed in a paddock moment with the most intricate of tools - a sledgehammer. Two bangs and dang if it didn't slide the bales up like butter.

Son Matthew joined us for the last round of the paddock so there were three generations of Campbells outstanding in their field. It also meant the oldest skited to the youngest by ripping round the paddock only to be sworn at to slow down. Dad might want to do a lot of things at his age but apparently driving a 62 bedford truck scooping up hay sedately is not one of them.

The bales were neatly stacked in our shed - almost all of them - a mate took about 60 straight from the paddock for her stock.

As I sit here typing this , Im still feeling the scratch of a lonely grass wand on my slightly less ample arse but no one stirs.

Asleep they are - dreaming of big bales and noisy machines, dust and a very tidy stack, a cleansing shower and the smell of Mums fresh scones and my strawberry preserves from the house and a cold beer.

Don't die - multiply

2011-12-25T08:49:00.000+13:00

"However, as with other cities that have faced eviction; Occupy Auckland did not die - we multiplied. Thus, our members have committed to (and already begun) independently establishing several new simultaneous occupations throughout Auckland, that will continue to grow organically and under their own governance." - https://www.facebook.com/OccupyAuck?sk=wall

Translation : we went home ( or back to our cardboard box under Grafton Bridge.)

"Occupy Auckland ‎#OANZMedia URGENT NEEDS...... We need Tsticks for Mobile Internet x5 We need an upgrade to our Ustream channel www.ustream.tv/channel/occupy9z Currently we have a basic channel Its 90USD to upgrade to a Professional channel." - https://www.facebook.com/OccupyAuck?sk=wall

Translation : we need access to those 'corporate news' channels and multi-national capitalist, telecommunications channels we disparage.

"chris - we're still in Aotea Square. we need to go somewhere. let's go to vic pk.

awatea - vic pk! that's where tangata whenua are going.

areta - twh needs to stick together against you, the british subject, the settler

alison - i acknowledge that i'm a guest on this land. I was raised by maori, i was the first to speak up for tangata whenua on the occupation. insulted by being called a racist." - http://occupyauckland.org/ga-minutes-23-dec-2011-1800

Translation: Maori have more rights to protest than non-Maori.

BEAT UP OF THE YEAR

2011-12-22T20:04:00.002+13:00

What a complete load of tosh. This is another example of speculative journalism. Take a pinch of facts chuck in some fame seeking expert. Look at the worst case scenario and report it.

Mind you if the birds glow in the dark they will be easier to catch.

However we are pretty confident that the titi's biggest threat is a hungry Rakiura Maori chap or chapess.

Auckland Council reconnects water supply to Occupy Auckland protest site

2011-12-22T09:41:00.001+13:00

FINE WINE AND LODGINGS

2011-12-18T19:12:00.000+13:00

Today was a great day. We woke up early at Spring Creek motorcamp and I shot down to the creek to feed the eels. They fought with the ducks and trout for a few crumbs of bread.

Then we decided on a trip up the Wairau Valley. Our first stop was a small pub at Wairau Valley township where we had a toasted sandwich and I had a half of Matsons lager.. It was a nice light drop.

Then we went to one of a myriad spots that motorvan owners (mo'vanners) like ma and pa know about. Todays visual treat was Lake Argyle which is a small canal lake that is diverted from the Branch and Leatham Rivers to create a bit of power.. It holds a few fish - so ma and I went for a stroll to the big rivers while dad had a couple of casts in Argyle. While he claims he got a few nibbles there were no fish in his bag on our return.

On the way back to Picton and our final night in the South, we stopped to get some cherries for lambcut and some good white wines . I wanted some nice aromatics to go with the crayfish dishes I have planned for Boxing Day.

So I purchased a six pack of Gewurztraminer, Toru and Pinot Gris from Te Whare Ra wines.

I have a few recipes to try out and will blog about the matches after Xmas.

I am no true believer in biodynamic practices but I am a believer in loving the land and nurturing it and whatever the Flowerdays are doing it is good for the grape. Their wines are probably some of the most complex and interesting aromatics in the country.

And I cant wait to pair them up with a range of crayfish, whitebait, and smoked eel dishes.

Today was a brilliant day.. some great sights, fantastic people and good food and wine.. It doesn't get much better..

A GOOD BED AND A TANIWHA

2011-12-17T21:18:00.000+13:00

Tonight we are in the Spring Creek motor camp. Its a lovely wee place and we are again in a cabin for $80. So what did i get for $80? A really nice bed clean as , a bright and clean duvet a clean toilet and shower.

Its old and built of concrete block but perfectly adequate.

Its light years away from this hell hole in Kaikoura.

And this holiday park is set up for kids and has a delightful spring fed creek thats home to some huge trout and eels.

Its the quintessential new zealand holiday park.

KACK IN KAIKOURA

2011-12-17T07:46:00.001+13:00

We are on the first stay of a three day trip from Christchurch to Wellington. So far it has been fabulous to spend some time with mum and dad in their faithful steel steed - their motorhome known as Bugsys Burrow. We stopped at Waipara Springs winery for a stellar coffee and bought a couple of bottles of wine and then stopped in Cheviot and had a noisy in a fabulous antique shop. Then we looked into a lovely gallery and struck up a conversation to find in ten seconds flat that we found an acquaintance we had in common. This seems to be a national sport for Kiwis. Work out with a stranger someone you both know in the shortest time possible. With well travelled parents and a chirpy and inquiring old man - its a daily occurrence. Now we are not too precious about where we stay on out trips and it makes it easier if its a camping ground with a power site for ma and pa and a cabin for me - that way we can stay together. Their motor home is cosy for 2 but cramped for 3. So our first night park up is in a place called the A1 Motel in Kaikoura. Its a place probably built in the 70's and its bloody tired. Now we dont really mind tired but we dont abide grubby and this one is grubby. It was $30 for the power site for ma and pa and $70 for my room.
We have with us some precious cargo - a mate who owns a lobster exporting company gave us over a dozen cray tails for xmas. so a fridge is good. I unpacked them and put them in the fridges freezer and as i closed the door it fell off. Landed on my toe.. it hurt. but i could not help laughing. the sheets are clean but the toilet would be a great centrepiece in a horror movie of the genesis of some alien life form.
So we wont be back. But like all good holidays the bad experiences are all part of the trip. This morning we are off to cruise around Blenheim. A mate has offered us a cuppa tea and some fresh xmas baking. And then Sunday sees us in Picton for the big crossing on BlueBridge.

Pushing the envelope

2011-12-15T07:10:00.000+13:00

A HUNTING WE WILL GO

2011-12-12T18:41:00.001+13:00

Hunting is in my blood - not sure if its the Maori, Portuguese or Scottish genes but the reality is I am happy to kill to eat.

I harvest muttonbirds - its not hunting as you know where they are and for a few weeks they dont move and despite very sharp beaks and feet its not a fair competition - hence the distinction.

We harvest for food or food for barter. Our right to harvest muttonbirds is enshrined in legislation the preserve of the descendants of a few families canny enough to strike a deal with the govt over 100 years ago.

Our father - indeed most of our family have hunted for generations for food to feed their families. The aim is always to do the least damage to the meat to ensure the greatest amount of food for the family.

Head shots make heroes of hunters.

Duck Hunters dont hunt - they harvest - a defined bird population and an unequal competition . This "sport" is not hunting. It is not about food. Otherwise the rules and gun type would be different to reflect the desire to do the least damage to the meat.

Instead shotguns are used. Its about killing the most ducks the quickest way possible. Old and young are slaughtered - again no practices to support the maximum return of meat.

And bush assassins like this dork - who gloats about the size of the hole the bullet has made in a deer are not hunters.

For them its about the killing. Not the hunt and not the food they talk about the kill, the guns and the bullets.

Its not a sport as the deer has no comeback. Those who worship the gun have no respect for the animal they kill.

And as all girls know gun nuts make lousy lovers.

Dunne has made it his mission to ban heli hunting.

Ground hunters hate them - seeing them as the soulless air assassins who have no love of the hunt - that mythical quest to pit man against beast in an "even contest"

Deer, tahr chamois are all considered pests so plans to manage their numbers is critically important.

Everyone wants to see humane kills and thirdly the recovery of meat and skins for food and because of their value is important.

Heli Hunting has been carried out all over New Zealand and was largely responsible for the huge reduction in numbers of deer in places like Fiordland.

We have heli hunted heaps in Te Anau . Its quick clean and requires the skill of pilots and shooters and done well its superbly efficient.

However the ground hunting lobby has managed to secure the political support of Peter Dunne who is making it his mission to get rid of commercial heli hunters.

The problem is the argument is plain silly.

Heli hunting brings in big spenders from the States and Europe. Older men , usually who are not physically fit enough to hunt on the ground.

They will pay huge money for trophy heads. A good pilot will ensure even the worst shot will down his quarry.

So what do they do right?

The animals are killed - reducing the impact on the bush and mountain tundra. More often than not they are killed quickly and cleanly.

And thirdly they bring in a class of tourist who spend up big while they are here.

Thirdly there is no pretense of it being "sport " or an "even contest."

The shooters just want to go home and say they killed a cool animal. And they will pay extraordinary money to do it.

Ground hunters claim the moral high ground. However its a very low sandy bump in a desert of hypocrisy. Ground hunters cannot guarantee to kill an animal quickly and cleanly. And many just kill for the trophies showing no interest in the venison making them no different than helihunters.

They claim that helicopters are noisy and destroy the back country experience.

Funny - its the same noise that a rescue helicopter makes.

They claim that heli hunters " haze " or herd the animals. Maybe they do and if that was such a welfare issue then this heli hunting ban should also include the wild venison recovery industry.

So the argument on "welfare grounds " is invalidated - it should be all or nothing.

I know that if I wanted some venison and I could afford it I would take the chopper any day.

The reality is that this is an issue of envy.

Its about those who cannot afford to charter a chopper to seek out their prey.

I can hear the roar of the jealous from here.

Anyone got a 308?

No, not the productive Ardern I meant the other one ...

2011-12-11T10:07:00.001+13:00

Sir Loin was standing at the K Road / Pitt Street intersection a few weeks back. The pavements were infested with jiggling young Labour groupies waving their trite slogans. They waved at the weary commuters on the way home from their over-taxed underpaid jobs. A product of the stuttering economy Clark , Cullen , Cunliffe and all the other wannabe Commies gifted to New Zealand with their tax and spend during the boom years of the two triple zero's.

In the middle of the squealing farrow was a tallish young woman dressed in a sensible dark skirt and jacket. Inexplicably, though entirely appropriate to the location, she was wearing what appeared to be 'hooker boots'. She turned and smiled directly at Sir Loin. Sir Loin recoiled as if he had been gazed upon by Medusa , it was the Labour candidate for Auckland Central. Sir Loin rapidly retreated into the shadows cast by the ex Naval & Family bar hoping that he would not be turned to stone.

Apparently the unsuccessful electorate candidate for Auckland Central but highly placed list MP is seen as a potential Labour Party leader and possibly Prime Minister. So what qualifies her to decide how much tax will be screwed out of us and how that tax will be spent / squandered ?

Jacinda Ardern was born in Hamilton in 1980, went to primary and secondary school in Morrinsville and then headed to Waikato University in 1999 where she earned her Bachelor in Communication Studies.

She also spent a few years of her childhood in the Bay of Plenty town of Murupara, where her dad was stationed as a police officer.

Like many New Zealanders, she headed overseas in her 20s, for a taste of freedom and to widen her work experience - including spending time in London working for three years as a senior policy advisor.

She has been heavily involved in campaigning for grassroots Labour, serving as vice president of Young Labour in 2003-2004, before being elected president of the International Union of Socialist Youth in early 2008.

As president of the International Union, Jacinda spent time in Mumbai, Lebanon, the West Bank, and Algeria, before deciding to focus on making a difference back home in New Zealand.

It appears like all her current cohorts and past Clarkian mentors she is highly qualified to be a Labour MP and Prime minister. She has a decade of experience taking / spending other peoples money and then telling them how to live their lives.

Camp Brown

2011-12-10T11:31:00.001+13:00

A look at the list of "Like"s for Occupy Aucklands Facebook page makes sense of why Camp Mother Len Brown is taking so long to boot the whingers off ratepayer funded property. Len Brown likes them.

CORRECTION Oh dear Sir Loin made a mistake, Occupy Auckland like Brown. The good news is that Keeping Stock has dug deeper and found Len Brown also likes Occupy Auckland.

I'm thinking that Occupy Auckland liking Len Brown is far far worse: if he was doing his job they would hate him.

HORSESHIT AND BIODYNAMICS

2011-12-05T18:31:00.001+13:00

A few weeks ago when the International Big Oil was in town a few media politeratti and cliteratti gathered for a bit of a catch up.

There was good wine to be had. Lots of it - we were buying and sharing our favourites with others .

A well known media personality presented us with a new wine.

It was cloudy and sorry boys - but it was the colour of a mucky period..

A diseased ruby color.

We all sniffed inquisitively and as I cast my eyes around the table it was clear that this was not an ephiphanistic drop.

We sipped but our palates were in obvious agreement - it was not a great wine.

The purchaser of this bemusing wine was aghast - "Its bio dynamic! " he exclaimed

Moments like these are always dangerous for us sheilas of advancing years and bladder valves worn by too many evenings on the hops as a young un.

We were characteristically blunt. "Its crap."

Others murmured in agreement . To be fair some thought it was okay - drinkable at a pinch - " A quaffer " someone proffered.

Then the buyee of the bottle thundered "Its $245.. "

About $10 bucks worth shot out the left side on my mouth.

A mate lost control of her muscles and spilt a $20 bucks on the table as she jerked in reaction to the revelation.

Then we proceeded to take the piss out of the plonk. It was universally declared ordinary.

Bio dynamics is a wonderful marketing ploy by the organic lobby. Medieval mysticism gone moderne.

Now I grow a few veges and we have cows and sheep a horse and chooks and as everyone knows manure is good for you. I use it extensively and the results are glorious. Use lots of manure and you get robust, lush fecund fauna.

However playing in shit filling up horns cos they are the seemingly magical "fertile" bit of the bovine and burying them to mature the said crap is just frikking daft.

Doing it in time with the moon and sun indicates that the believers have been exposed to too many solar flares.

Now in this video up on the Seresin Wine Site (which I think has some of the finest wine in the world) is an example of how this pseudo science is being peddled.

Some cute guy playing with poo somehow seems romantic when the dreamy scenes are linked to lush vineyards.

He looks like some agrarian Merlin piling the poop into horns for it to mature in the earth to wait a while for it to turn into plant superfood.

The simple fact is - if you line up a biodynamic vineyard and one that uses natural fertilisers like manure broken down in the old fashioned way, the results would be the same.

Its not the moon or the sun or the "fertile horn" or even the steadfast belief of the cute guy that's creating good wine. Its a modern myth.

Its simply that shit is the biz when it comes to making things grow.

And its time that this weird wine wankery was unmasked for what it is - bollocks.

Some biodynamic wine will be good in spite of the all the jiggery pokery . Because shit is good for the soil. But all the biodynamic ritual adds no value

The shit is where its at.

So to all you good wine makers out there - stop taking the piss - us good wine drinkers deserve more respect .

Their is truth in the vine - tell it.

ADORABULL

2011-11-11T19:22:00.001+13:00

We have two heifers of an age where calfhood is calling. One is a big rangy freisian called Missy - the other is a wee Angus called The Angus.

Now we also have a steer known as Bullocky who is destined for the freezer before Xmas.

Now we know that the heifers are keen for a calf as they have been indulging in a bit of lesbian tribbing and the steer seems to be keen to dry hump the girls - so its fair to say that all involved are happy campers..

So we have the lend of a bull. He maybe a dependabull, hopefully loveabull and definitely we need him to be rootabull.

However there is a small problem... He is a bit on the short side - so he has been wandering around the paddock looking a little forlorn despite the best come hither advances of the two heifer hussys. He is going to have to step up and in a flat paddock he has a bit of a handicap.

So only time will tell if Harry the Hereford X will be up to quite a tall order..

Auckland Council opens up new campsites

2011-10-20T22:19:00.001+13:00

There has been a lot of concern in recent years about the loss of public camping grounds due to the soaring price of coastal property. It is therefore great to see that Mayor Len Brown is taking matters in hand and has established a new public camping ground in the heart of Auckland City.

The generous Auckland ratepayers are providing this at no charge. Car parking , movie theaters , cafes and drug dealers are all on site. Onsite activities include : how to make and test petrol bombs while avoiding prosecution, how to sink your protest ship and blame it on the Japanese , how to attempt murder by dropping large bags of flour onto rugby fields during a test , and our foreign language class where we explore the correct way to pronounce "w*i*e mother f*ck*r".

A "meaningless double talk" seminar is particularly popular:

"Carson: This is not about grandstanding, it is not about anything other than trying to strive for a real democracy. Because right now 99 per cent of the population do not have a voice in our parliament. We have to . . . scream and yell just to get heard . . . If I was a mining company, all I’d have to do is hire a giant lobby group and use my extraordinary wealth to bend the ears of politicians. Corporate greed exists, which means our democracy is not equitable.

Doyle: No, Nick, that’s just silly. We live in a model Western democracy.

Faine: Nick, if you’re going to be there until the excesses of capitalism are reined in you’re going to be there for a very, very long time . . .

Doyle: Their point is they want to stay there forever and that’s not going to happen.

Carson: We’re not trying to state what our point is. Because we don’t have a point." - Herald Sun

For the artistically inclined there is a self directed program of art classes with a copious selection of walls to tag. Aerosol paints can be purchased at Placemakers Cook St and for those seeking chemical inspiration, plastic bags are available from the Star Mart.

If you need extra holiday cash there is a WINZ office just up the road or a five minute walk provides access to casual holiday work in a range of brothels or strip clubs.

If you need a break from the family, catch the free Inner Link up to the 24 / 7 bar where you can get intoxicated anytime day or night and enjoy the scintillating conversation with your fellow travelers smoking out the front.

Here is the council customer service line. Operators are standing by for your bookings :

"Call Us

If you want to speak directly to one of our people to answer your question, provide feedback, solve your problem, or direct you to the right place, call us on:

(09) 301 0101

We are ready to help with your enquiries 7 days a week, 24 hours a day."

GIVE A PENGY A CHANCE

2011-10-17T21:14:00.000+13:00

Our mates in the VRWC have been joshing with us all day. There have been about 1200 birds killed by the RENA oil slick. Our mates argue that while it seems a lot its not big in the scheme of things. Maybe they are right - they normally are. However we do think that DOC needs a big thumbs up for co-ordinating the effort to save the pandas of NZ bird world - The Dotterel. Its a sisyphean task that requires passion and dogged determination in the face of insurmountable odds.

They are funny wee birds that hide on the shore line and put their nests in the silliest of places. The go for bloody miles to find a feed and when the chips are down they will abandon their chicks and its not like they have a big brood - nope they only have a couple or three at best.

In essence they wiggled their fluffy arses just enough to make a wee indent in the sand and squeeze out a couple or three bumnuts. But just above the high tide zone is the equivalent of gang riven Farmers Crescent. Its hell out there. All manner of predators lurk there from skua, stoats and the heavy feet of hairy legged trampers. So what happens if the eggs or chicks get killed? Well the dotterels are persistent - they go and wiggle there wee botties and do it all over again.

So they are as succesful as parents as Sonny Bill Williams would be at trying to maintain a hard on in a locked room with only Helen Clark for company.

We reckon Dotterel are winged Pandas because despite the fact that they are deliriously cute, these little feathered moths that flit almost undetectable on the sandy shore line - need human support to exist. So New Zealand, is in essence, providing state support for the useless dotterel parents. What do NZ'ers get in return? bugger all as you cant see the wee buggers as they only thing they are much good at is camouflage. However they would stick out like the balls on a St Bernard against the oil stained sand.

You see our mates reckon that we have had a far greater impact on the country's bird population - killing over 40,000 muttonbirds singletoothedly over our lifetime. That is very true. We are of course very old so its taken nearly half a century to reach that figure. So while we have dispatched a lot of oily birds to eat - the RENA's oily slick hasn't really eaten a lot of birds.

However, we think that what is really worth saving is the little blue penguin.. The wee pengys never fail to raise a smile either on land or at sea. Gentle wee buggers - efficient hunters and good mums and dads. And they apparently taste like crap.

We like that in a bird.

and what is our favourite Seabird? This one of course-

The Mollymawk

There is nothing that comes close to the grace of these birds and their amazing faces.

They are welcome to come steal my fish anytime.

THE BITTERNESS OF GALLS

2011-10-17T07:16:00.001+13:00

As we were watching the big game last night between NZ and Australia we mused to our Aussie partner, the Rock, that despite the vilification of Quade Cooper, there were many signs that NZ and Australia were finally understanding that we had more in common than not.

The mere fact that a kiwi born boy like Quade called Australia home, as do hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders, is a case in point. He is well aware and proud of his kiwi heritage but for him Aussie is home and he wears the Aussie jersey proudly.

We think that Cooper is an outstanding athlete - he is Sean Maitland's cousin so his sporting lineage goes back aways.

So despite the loss to the kiwis last night one of the big names in Australia sports writing is calling on his country to get behind the kiwis in their quest for the cup.

We agree. The All Blacks French final should see the All Blacks trump the Frogs. And while the world knows the strength of our rivalry with Australia the world may not realise that we have never got over the Gallic bastards coming over here to blow up a boat in our waters.

RAINBOW WARRIOR REFEREE

2011-10-16T09:32:00.009+13:00

Referee Alain Rolland single-handedly sunk the honour of the Rugby World Cup last night. Rolland showed Welsh skipper Sam Warburton a red card following a spear tackle on French wing Vincent Clerc in the 18th minute of the game. The tackle itself did not appear to be carried out with malicious intent. It did not result in any injury to Clerc. And, it was not at the high end of such infringements where a player would be deliberately driven into the ground. Rolland, for a second time in the tournament showed himself to be an officious spoiler with a prejudice in favour of France. The French winger’s reaction was to grovel on the ground, milking the moment with an Oscar winning performance. The act of a cheat. In the France - All Black pool game, Rolland distracted the All Blacks with a little chat on rule interpretation allowing the French to skulk over the try line unopposed. He, clearly, does not understand the spirit of Rugby or any other sport. Rolland’s father is French and he speaks the language fluently. This apparently, made him a good choice of “neutral” ref for the French games. IRB logic defeats me, Wales and belief itself. I don’t recall seeing anything so contemptible since the French Secret Service came here to bomb a peace ship. If any glory can be salvaged from such a display it all goes to Wales who played on valiantly without their young skipper. Of shame there is plenty, for Alain Rolland and his French friends.

Update: There is a Ban Alain Rolland from officiating Rugby ever again!!! facebook page with more than 1500 members already.

STEVE JOBS - CELEBRATING CRAZY

2011-10-06T20:57:00.000+13:00

We so totally get this..

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo.
You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward.
And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do...
Steve Jobs

The world just got a little darker