Scotty Donaldson

The Hobbit Official Extras Auditions 28th January 2012

2012-01-28T02:57:00.000-08:00

This is a video from my mate Cam.

Went along to Belmont in Lower Hutt and didn't even get a chance to audition 'cos the crowd was so huge, but don't worry I made a video of some people I met.

Have you ever wondered what it is like going to audition as an extra for a movie? Did you consider going, but decide that there would be too many people there searching for their shot at glory? If so, then you were correct.

Watch the video above of all the people hoping to become extras for The Hobbit in Lower Hutt today. There were so many people that they had to turn people away. It is of little consolation for those who thought that it was their big break and once in a lifetime opportunity to be famous.

There seemed to be some real characters there, that guy with the headphones on who was the self appointed "crowd control" sums it up really. Good work there Big Rudy!

Where Have All The Christian Single Men Gone?

2012-01-27T02:18:00.000-08:00

Here is an interesting article which a friend of mine posted. It looks at how the church has screened out males before they reach adulthood, and that the only single guys left come into five categories: Bible geek, musical, asexual, predators and social misfits. Which category do you or I fall into? This guy makes some interesting insights.

Ladies, I feel your pain.

The dating scene in the church is grim. Christian colleges are becoming convents. Churches all over the world report a shortage of men in the pews – and it seems to be getting worse.

What about the singles' group at church? One woman put it this way: "Well, about two thirds of the singles [at my church] are women, and the men who come are kinda wimpy. Or creepy. There's a reason they're single."

So I'll ask the question you've probably asked a thousand times: Where are all the dynamic, single godly men?

Simple. We screened them out of the church as boys. Picked 'em off one by one.

The way we raised boys in the faith 20 years ago eliminated the very kinds of men some women would love to be dating today.

What Happened?

There are only two possible explanations for the lack of men in church – either A) men are more sinful than women, or B) there's something about the church that's driving men away. The more I study men and church, the more I'm convinced “B” is the more likely cause.

Metaphor time: you're standing in an asphalt plant. The operator loads pebbles of every size into a hopper. The pebbles are shaken through a series of screens that remove every stone that's either too large or too small. The resulting gravel mix is perfectly suited to road surfacing.

Now, let's apply that metaphor to the local church. Children of every kind come into the hopper. They are screened through children's ministry and youth ministry. These programs remove the ones who are poorly suited to church culture. The final mix of adult churchgoers is heavily female and very short on high-testosterone men. But it's perfect for perpetuating the church culture we presently know.

Screen 1: Sunday School

Little boys love going to church. There's no shortage of lads in nurseries, Vacation Bible School and the lower grades of Sunday school. But around the fourth or fifth grade, boys start disappearing, because that's the age when males begin losing in church.

Losing in church? You didn't realize church was a competition, did you? Well, with boys everything is a competition. And it's a contest most boys can't win. The rules of Sunday school are stacked against them: sit still, read aloud, memorize, find passages in the Bible and receive instruction from a female teacher. With rules like these, who's more likely to win? Girls or boys?

By age 12, many boys have been losing in church every Sunday for years. Females possess superior verbal skills, reading skills and finger dexterity (for finding Bible passages). They can sit still longer and instinctively know how to express themselves in small groups. The average girl is made for Sunday school, whereas the average boy is made for the soccer field.

And that's where increasing numbers of young men can be found on Sundays – kicking a ball, doing something they're good at. Many of the dropouts are the wiggly, high-testosterone boys who grow up to become leaders, athletes and alpha males. The kind of men many women would love to be dating right now – if only there were more of them following Jesus.

Of course some boys do make it through Sunday school, where they encounter the next screen: youth group.

Screen 2: Youth Group

When I was an adolescent, youth group was fun. It was based on the three Gs: Games, Goofiness and God. We sang simple songs. We played nutty games. The teaching time was brief but meaningful to teens. I loved it. And it attracted a lot of guys. Church services were sometimes boring, but youth group was always a kick. Youth leaders of the 1970s were almost always men – that big brother role model the boys craved and the girls looked up to (and had secret crushes on).

Fun and games are still a part of youth group, but there's been pressure to make it more "spiritual" by increasing the amount of time devoted to teaching. Singing time has also increased. And today many youth groups are led by young women. These three trends are screening boys out. Let's take them in reverse order:

Female youth leaders. Here's the politically incorrect truth about teenage boys: Most young men will not follow a woman's leadership. There is no example in Scripture of a woman discipling a young man. And women bring a different style to youth group – more emotive, more introspective and more focused on feelings. I'm not saying it's impossible for a woman to minister to teenage boys, but she's at a disadvantage.

Lengthy worship sets. Praise and worship arrived in youth group during the early 1990s. The goofy songs disappeared. Singing time expanded to 30 minutes or more. The whole feeling changed from a fun group activity to an intimate personal time with God.

The youth meeting is quickly evolving into a music-centric experience. Teens stand in a darkened room and sing love songs to Jesus, led by a praise band of their peers. Girls thrive in this emotional hothouse, but boys melt and evaporate. Many guys stand in the crowd with their hands in their pockets thinking, This is lame. Or, I'm supposed to like this, but I don't. What's wrong with me? Before you know it, you've got 19 girls and five guys at youth group. And there's not a jock among the guys.

Teaching. Youth leaders have come under intense pressure to focus most of their teaching on sexual purity and relationships — often at the expense of other topics. The pressure is coming from frightened parents who see it as the youth leader's duty to get their children through high school without a pregnancy or an STD.

This focus on sexual purity has morphed into a number of peculiar teachings that alter the dating habits of young Christians – and drive young men out of the church.

The anti-dating movement. Inspired by the bestselling book by Joshua Harris, many young believers have decided to kiss dating goodbye. Instead, they plan to someday enter into formal courtship arrangements with potential mates, preferably under parental supervision, with an eye toward marriage.

I'm not speaking against this practice, but you can see how it might feel like a straightjacket to a young man. A nice fellow may be seen as a wolf simply for asking a girl on a date.

The super-virginity movement. I know a number of Christian couples who not only refused to have sex before marriage, they have shunned all physical contact. No kissing. No hugging. Some even declined to hold hands before their nuptials. The goal was to have their first kiss at the altar, as they are pronounced man and wife.

Once again, I'm not condemning the practice. But supervirginity requires the marrying man to take an enormous risk.

During courtship, the supervirgin couple explores their spiritual, mental and emotional compatibility, but may not know if there's a spark of physical passion between them. The supervirgin woman enters marriage knowing exactly how her husband will respond mentally and emotionally (her primary needs), but the supervirgin man has no idea how she will respond physically (his primary need). Kissing, hugging and handholding are good indicators of physical chemistry; take these away and a guy has no clue whether he's marrying a red-hot tiger or a cold fish.

Of course, these things shouldn't really matter, because of a third peculiar teaching that's rampant in the church today: God has prepared one special person for you to marry. That's right: Jesus is our heavenly matchmaker. You don't need to actively search for a mate; simply pray and God will plop that perfect person down in front of you one day.

This crazy teaching has its genesis in Genesis — the only two occasions in Scripture where God provided a specific wife for a specific man. God gave Eve to Adam and provided Rebekah for Isaac. Both were special cases: Eve was the mother of the human race, and Rebekah was the mother of the Hebrew nation. Through the remaining 65 books of the Bible, God never arranges another marriage. Nonetheless, youth leaders the world over point to these two ancestral couples as proof that God preordains a special mate for each of us.

This bad snippet of theology causes all kinds of dysfunction among young Christians. They fall in love and then pray intently: "God, is this the one You have prepared for me?" God is silent. Hearing nothing, they have two choices: walk away from a perfectly acceptable mate or marry under a cloud of fear, terrified that they're outside of God's will.

A man can choose a Christian girlfriend with all her fantasies and prohibitions, or he can choose a regular girlfriend who will pucker up. Increasingly, even Christian men are choosing to date outside the church. It may not be right; it's just easier.

Who's Left

The single men who survive the screening process generally fit one of the following profiles:

1. The Bible geeks. Quiet, studious men who love to study theological tomes. Or verbal guys who love to teach.

2. The musical. They play in the band. Or they stand on the front row raising their hands during the music.

3. The asexual. Guys who are OK with kissing dating (and kissing) goodbye.

4. The predators. Guys who know there are plenty of desperate young women in church and enjoy trying to get them in bed.

5. The social misfits. Strange men who come to church because it's the only place women will smile at them.

If you're into these kinds of guys, then the church dating scene isn't so bad. If not, then you'll have to fight over the most rare (and for some, the most desirable) category of single churchgoing men: the late converts. These are men who came to Christ in their teens or 20s, bypassing much of the screening process. Many were saved out of terrible sin. They have been forgiven much and love God much. (These guys get snapped up quickly by the best-looking women.)

Where Does That Leave Us?

By their senior year, girls are 14 percent more likely to have participated in a youth group than boys. And they are 21 percent more likely to have stayed involved in youth group all four years of high school. Congratulations. The stage is set for the female-dominated church of the future.

So what's the answer? We need a revolution in how we raise boys in the faith. Sunday school and youth group are screening out men years before they reach adulthood. Christians must have the courage to change these institutions so regular, red-blooded boys are more likely to grow up in church. I'm not saying we should pander to men, but would it be too much to accommodate them?

http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0002510.cfm

Watch Free Live Streaming Big Bash League Final T20 Cricket Perth Scorchers vs Sydney Sixers

2012-01-27T02:01:00.000-08:00

Watch Free Live Streaming Big Bash League Final T20 Cricket Perth Scorchers vs Sydney Sixers.

http://www.oleoletv.com/cat/crihttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifcket/

Wellington Phoenix vs Melbourne Heart Football This Sunday - What Is The Surprise For Fans?

2012-01-26T17:58:00.000-08:00

The Wellington Phoenix host the Melbourne Heart in Hyundai A League football action on Sunday at 4:30pm. Fans have been told to dress in black to create a Black Out atmosphere, but I am wondering what the unique once only event is at this game? My guess is as well as prizes for best costumes, I think the Phoenix who usually play in yellow and gold will be sporting a black strip for the match as a marketing stunt and an attempt to sell more shirts. I own the original mainly black Phoenix shirt and love it. Other options could be a special crowd photo, a recording for an upcoming movie being made like The Hobbit at halftime, a football demonstration, the announcement of a new player, or something free for everyone attending. It could also be something not so cool, but something used as an attempt to get people along. They need to do more exciting promotions like this to attract the "theatre going fans". I have been to about 5 matches this season and never paid more than $10 yet because there are so many free tickets in circulation. This makes it disappointing that there aren't usually bigger crowds.

The Wellington Phoenix are trying to increase crowd sizes from the small 6000 usual fans they get. There will be a guest seat where whoever is sitting in a specific seat gets to be a guest of Gareth Morgan's at a function and get to decide if they want $1000 or $800 and to give $500 to Unicef (you would be a fool to not give the greatest amount of money away even at your own expense!).

The next Wellington Phoenix home match is against Melbourne Heart on Sunday 29 January at Westpac Stadium, kick off 4.30pm.

Wear black and help Black Out The Heart on Sunday.

The 2011/12 Hyundai a-League is now well over half way and the charge to the finals is on! The Wellington Phoenix need your support at the next home game against the high flying Melbourne Heart more than ever before.

To darken the spirits of the high flyers we want you to come all dressed in black. Let’s make Westpac Stadium even more daunting than it usually is.

Phoenix fans are renown throughout the A-League as some of the loudest, most creative and passionate in the A-League. So us how creative you can be with black and be into win in some fantastic (black) Sony prizes including tablets, e-readers and signed mini Phoenix balls.

We’re also planning a unique, once-only-ever event at the game. If you are a hard core fan, or just want to be there for something that will never happen again, then you will want to be a part of this. Exactly what ‘it’ is remains a secret and will only be revealed on game day so you will not want to miss this one!

Gareth's Guest

The Wellington Phoenix will launch "Gareth's Guest" at half time of the Phoenix's home game against Melbourne Heart on Sunday.

In an initiative that is designed to benefit both Wellington Phoenix supporters and UNICEF NZ, a global organisation dedicated to saving and protecting children, Wellington Phoenix owner Gareth Morgan will put up a cash prize at each of the remaining four home games in season 2011/12.

At half time one lucky seat number will be drawn. If there is a fan sitting in that seat at the time then they will have the choice of ether winning $1000 cash or taking $800 themselves and donating $500 to UNICEF NZ. The winner will also get an invite to be 'Gareth's Guest' in the Chairman's Lounge for the next home game.

If the seat is not occupied then the cash will jackpot through to the next home game.

Morgan says that the initiative is a way to bring two of his passions together.

"I have been a UNICEF NZ Ambassador for many years now and am very passionate about the difference they make in the lives of children all over the world. The Phoenix is a new passion of mine and this idea is a way for me to bring these two great organisations together," he said.

Wellington Phoenix 2011-2012 Season

The Wellington Phoenix are playing in their fifth season competing to secure their slice of glory in the action-packed Hyundai A-League competition.

It has started later this year, and the already electrifying atmosphere at Westpac Stadium will be given the boost of sunshine with more summer games this season.

With new players, a new strip and the most exciting atmosphere in New Zealand sport - this season promises to be the Phoenix's best!

It is the hottest ticket in town – a Wellington Phoenix match at Wellington's Westpac Stadium during the Hyundai A-League season.

As the Phoenix take on Australia’s best football clubs in an expanded competition, the football action will be hotter and more intense than ever.

After the exceptional 2009/10 season which saw sold out crowds at Westpac Stadium, last season saw a run of home wins and good crowds, but a team slightly off the pace in the championship.

The Hyundai A-League is the premier Australasian domestic football (soccer) competition. The league is contested by 10 teams covering Australia’s major cities and regional centres, as well as one team based in Wellington, New Zealand.

http://wotzon.com/eventlisting.html?event_id=5015293

Australian Open Tennis Ball Boy Takes Brilliant Catch

2012-01-26T15:26:00.000-08:00

An Australian Open tennis ball boy has taken a brilliant catch during the Men's Singles Semi Final between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Catching tennis balls is a fine art because they bounce out of your hand, so the key is to use soft hands (cushioning the ball on impact by moving hands in the direction the ball is moving, opposite to a follow through) so the ball doesn't bounce out. There are calls for this boy to be included in the Australian cricket team, but with fielding like that, I wonder if he has any New Zealand blood in him? He probably plays tennis rather than cricket, hence how he got the job.

Teapot Tape Has Been Leaked Online

2012-01-25T16:21:00.000-08:00

The largely infamous teapot tape of a conversation between Prime Minister John Key and now ACT MP John Banks has been released to the media. It is amazing how before elections there is so much mud being slung. Imagine if there was this much publicity whenever I met up with a colleague or friend over coffee!

The infamous teapot tape has been leaked online on a file-sharing site, with an invitation to download the file and share it so that it "can't be taken back!".

The teapot tape is the recording of a conversation between Prime Minister John Key and Epsom MP John Banks made when they invited media to their meeting at Urban Cafe in Newmarket on November 11.

It was recorded by freelance cameraman Bradley Ambrose, who claimed it was accidental.

The tape dominated coverage in the final weeks of the election campaign and threatened to derail the campaigns of the major parties and the Act Party, as Mr Key tried to drive a wedge between the media and the public.

The tape also helped New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, who leaked what he alleged were the general contents of the conversation, gain important media coverage in the final two weeks before the election.

Today media and politicians, including those in the Labour Party, were notified that the recording had been uploaded onto a website.

The timing of the leak means that the teapot tape is likely to become a focus when parliament sits for the first time this year on February 7.

A URL on the webpage is accompanied with an invitation to download the tape "so that it can't be taken back".

After the cafe meeting, Mr Ambrose passed a copy of the recording to the Herald on Sunday, which asked Mr Key's permission to publish it.

He declined and laid a complaint with police, calling the recording deliberate and a tactic in the style of now-defunct UK tabloidNew of the World.

Mr Ambrose responded, saying his professional reputation had been tarnished and he took a case to the High Court seeking a declaration about whether the conversation was public or private.

If the court had ruled it a public conversation, it could not have been illegally recorded.

But the court declined to rule on the conversation's status, saying it would undermine the police investigation.

Police then descended on four media outlets to seize material relating to the investigation.

Mr Peters claimed at the time that Mr Key and Mr Banks had made derogatory comments about the pensioners that usually support New Zealand First.

He also claimed that they had undermined then-Act leader Don Brash while praising Catherine Isaac, who was number two on the Act party list.

A police spokesman said that investigation - dubbed Operation Carlton - was still continuing.

It is being lead by two officers based in Glen Innes, who are currently seeking interviews with those who were at the cafe at the time.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10781324

If you are looking for it try searching for 2Johns2Cups on You Tube. It is up to you to figure out if it is worth the hassle or not. You also have to wonder about the quality and the editing. Is it real?

Watch Free Live Streaming Football Barcelona vs Real Madrid and Liverpool vs Manchester City

2012-01-25T02:29:00.000-08:00

Watch Free Live Streaming Football Barcelona vs Real Madrid and Liverpool vs Manchester City

http://www.oleoletv.com/sports/football/

http://www.vipbox.tv/sporhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifts/football.html

Watch Free Live Streaming WWE Royal Rumble 2012

2012-01-25T02:21:00.000-08:00

Watch Free Live Streaming WWE Royal Rumble 2012.

http://www.vipbox.tv/sports/wwe.html

Marriage Cheaters More Likely To Be Christian National Supporters

2012-01-24T20:28:00.000-08:00

Cheaters More Likely To Be Christian National Supporters!

Another highly unreputable study has been conducted which shows that those likely to have affairs are more likely to be Christians and National voters. Firstly, the website this survey is from isn't the most reputable. Secondly, I wonder if the Christians involved are actually have an active relationship with God and attend church at least twice a month. I also wonder if this is affairs outside of marriage or just outside of an existing relationship? Because I would suggest that Christians are over-represented in marriage statistics because heaps of non-Christians don't get married. Christians on the other hand often save themselves for marriage and this could skew the statistics. I also think that heaps of Christians are National supporters too, so that probably assists with these statistics.

Read into these what you may, but as former Indian cricketer and commentator NS Sidhu says "statistics are like mini-skirts, what they reveal is enticing, what they conceal is vital".

People who embark in an extra-marital affair are more likely to support the National party and be a Christian.

And the chances are pretty good they'll come from Christchurch, smoke and have a tattoo.

Infamous infidelity site AshleyMadison.com has profiled 54,000 of its members across New Zealand to identify cheating hotspots.

Christchurch came out on top with the most cheaters-by-capita in the country.

It found 1.26 percent of the population in Christchurch are cheaters, followed by 1.23 percent in Auckland and Hamilton.

The site found that nearly 60 percent of cheaters are Christian and a third support the National Party.

Cheaters are also three-times more likely than the national average to have a tattoo, or twice as likely to smoke.

http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-stories/12719404/cheaters-more-likely-to-be-christian-and-support-national/

Optical Illusion Stare At Beautiful Woman

2012-01-24T02:51:00.000-08:00

Here is an awesome optical illusion I saw on Facebook today. Here are the instructions below, this really works!

1. Stare at the red dot on the girl’s nose for 30 seconds
2. Turn your eyes towards the wall/roof or somewhere else on a plain surface
3. Keep blinking your eyes quickly!
4. What can you see?

How Can Professional Sports Teams Succeed In New Zealand - Cut The Television Deals!

2012-01-23T23:10:00.000-08:00

The Wellington Phoenix are struggling to break even as a viable professional sports team with around 6,000 the usual for games in Wellington, I think the best way of getting more money for professional sports team in New Zealand is to not televise the games live in the host cities. It is so much easier to sit and watch at home on Sky Television that actually attend a game on a rough night. Super Rugby's main sponsor is Sky Television, I would suggest they either get a different sponsor, or just slightly limit the match coverage in the host cities. Australia used to do this at the cricket and it would only broadcast the games live to locals if the match was sold out.

Another solution could be to move to a smaller venue like the Basin Reserve or Newtown Park with less spare seats.

I think charging this amout of money demands greater entertainment like the Americans do at their sports. Sure there are cheerleaders, but people go to events to be entertained these days. We need more competitions and entertainment like at the Wellington Sevens.

Why do people not show up?
The problem is that it is expensive to pay for a family to pay $70 to attend, while the over-supply of alternative activities to do and spend your money on is also a problem. There are also too many matches to attend which make each match less meaningful and there are also other sports to go to at the stadium like the Hurricanes, ITM Cup, Sevens, All Blacks, cricket and anything else on.

The funny thing is that I haven't paid full price to attend a Wellington Phoenix match this season with so many free tickets or people selling their tickets at the gate for $10 preferable to full price.

Unfortunately the novelty factor which saw the Wellington Phoenix draw on large crowds for their opening season when they finished last, has worn off. They are a top half of the table team these days, yet struggle to get 7,000 fans to their games. Moving the matches to other parts of the country is only a short term fix with the big crowds unlikely to show up if it is overdone. About four home matches in other New Zealand cities is probably the best balance.

I also think that the poor quality of the A-League compared with the top overseas leagues doesn't help the Wellington Phoenix. If they had a top level player like David Beckham playing for them, this could help draw the crowds!

OPINION: Gareth Morgan's plea - or warning - to Wellington sports fans is passionate and understandable, but it's hard to see it getting punters through the gate to watch the Phoenix.

The A-League club's co-owner yesterday turned to Twitter and today The Dominion Post to urge fickle fans to show up to Westpac Stadium in support of the Phoenix, or they'll have to take home games away from Wellington.

Well, Gareth, start booking the venues and flights because Wellington simply isn't going to average crowds of more than 10,000 (break-even point) for home matches in the near future, without changes.

The Phoenix are doing the business on the field - they have never been as high as third this deep into a season - yet the crowd average of 7792 remains well below par. They deserve more support.

The old adage about a winning team being the best form of marketing remains true, and attendances should increase in coming weeks, but barring regular home playoff matches to boost figures the Phoenix simply aren't going to get the sort of the crowds they need to survive year after year.

The novelty factor resulted in an average of 11,683 in season one (ironically, the Phoenix finished last), but in following seasons dropped to 7193, 11,575 (skewed by two home playoffs with crowds of 25,000 and 32,000), 8017 and 7792. The Phoenix have had a superb home record in recent years but it hasn't been enough to get the turnstiles into overdrive.

There are several reasons.

The economic climate is right at the top of the list and, contrary to Morgan's view, the ticket prices are too high to attract enough non-core fans. Morgan reckons $29 for an adult and $70 for a family of four is the cheapest in the A-League, but that's simply not true.

You can buy a family ticket to watch the league's best team, Central Coast, play the league's most attractive team, Brisbane, at Bluetongue Stadium in Gosford in next Saturday for A$60 including booking fees. An adult can get into the Perth-Gold Coast two days later in Perth for A$25 - with both options relatively cheaper than Wellington given the earning power of the average Aussie.

Competition for the entertainment dollar is high in what are still tough times financially and the Phoenix, to be brutally honest, are overpriced for the casual fan.

You can't fault the team's performances this season but apart from Paul Ifill they lack the sort of star power that pulls casual punters through the gates. They're a hard-working team and one capable of producing good football and regaulr home wins, but not one which has 'name' players.

Poor weather, midweek matches, parking prices and average food are all minor factors, but they shouldn't be deal-breakers.

So what's the solution?

Keep winning, drop ticket prices, do special deals, market the club more, get a widely known star, and hope.

But adding another 3000-4000 core fans is going to be a huge task.

The best thing they could do is carry out Morgan's threat. It's been said on these pages before but the Phoenix need to take up to four matches a season outside Wellington, to the other four big centres, leaving Westpac with eight or nine home matches.
Ad Feedback

Supporters club Yellow Fever reckon moving more games away from Wellington would run the risk of driving away the club's core fans, who had stuck by the team during the tough times.

But less is more in this case and if core supporters become alienated by the club's ambition to survive financially, then they're not true fans, are they?

There is, of course, the home advantage factor. The Phoenix travel enough as it is and probably wouldn't want more than one 'away' home match a season. But it's more important the club thrives financially, otherwise there may not be a team to play for at all, and the players are smart enough to realise that.

Given the success of previous matches in Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin, surely it's worth testing the waters next season.

Because if a team such as the lowly Newcastle Jets, which has a smaller population base than Wellington, can get 11,500 people to watch their often hard-to-watch home matches, and a winning Phoenix team attracts almost half that figure, something has to change in the Kiwi capital.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/opinion/6304470/Phoenix-crowd-plea-will-fall-on-deaf-ears

Should Professional Tennis Change Their Ranking System?

2012-01-23T21:43:00.000-08:00

Caroline Wozniacki is the world number one, but has never won a Grand Slam tennis tournament.

She may be hot, but Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki's defeat at the hands of Kim Clijsters in the Australian Open Quarter Finals has raised concerns about why how a world number one can be so average. She has done well in plenty of tournaments, but never won a Grand Slam and was exposed by the experienced Clijsters.

Former great Martina Navratilova has raised concerns over the ranking system. The problem is that some of the great players base their years around Wimbledon, Australian, French and US Open. The Williams sisters for example are greats of the game, but don't play in many tournaments outside the big tournaments and so don't get the ranking points.

Martina Navratilova questioned Caroline Wozniacki’s status as the No. 1 women’s tennis player, criticizing the system that put her there for placing too much emphasis on the quantity of wins rather than the quality.

Navratilova, who won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, said that Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova should already have dislodged Wozniacki atop the Women’s Tennis Association rankings because she had a better 2011 season overall.

“Clearly nobody feels that Wozniacki is a true No. 1,” Navratilova said yesterday at a news conference at the Australian Open in Melbourne. “If we still had the same ranking system we were using six years ago, when they were giving bonus points for beating players, Kvitova would have ended up No. 1 because she had beaten more top players than Wozniacki.”

No. 2-ranked Kvitova of the Czech Republic and Wozniacki captured a WTA-leading six titles in 2011, though Kvitova claimed her first major at Wimbledon and also won the season- ending WTA Championships. Wozniacki of Denmark is yet to win one of the sport’s four most-prestigious tournaments and is spending her 66th and 67th weeks atop the rankings at Melbourne Park.

Kvitova, Wozniacki, Maria Sharapova of Russia and Belarusian Victoria Azarenka can all clinch the No. 1 ranking at the end of the tournament. Kvitova and Sharapova advanced to the quarterfinals yesterday, while Wozniacki takes on defending champion Kim Clijsters for a semifinal spot today and Azarenka faces Agnieszka Radwanska, the No. 8 seed from Poland.

Wozniacki has held the No. 1 ranking since Oct. 11, 2010, and has stayed there with the exception of just one week last year, when Clijsters of Belgium returned to No. 1 for the first time in nearly five years.
2006 Change

Although Wozniacki deserved to be No. 1 in 2010 based on her record and was evenly-matched with Kvitova last year, she no longer merits the status, Navratilova http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifsaid.

“Caroline doesn’t need to explain why she was No. 1, it’s the WTA that needs to explain that,” Navratilova said.

The WTA simplified its rankings system in 2006 to make it easier for fans and media to understand them, spokeswoman Amy Binder said. One of the changes involved the abolition of so- called quality points, which took into account the ranking of beaten opponents.

“I would just like for it to be weighted,” Navratilova said. “I don’t think that’s a true reflection of how a player is playing right now.”

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-23/navratilova-criticizes-tennis-ranking-that-has-wozniacki-at-world-no-1.html

The Hobbit Official Extras Casting Call 2012

2012-01-23T21:21:00.000-08:00

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=441281338
Have you ever wanted to be involved in an amazing movie? They need more people for The Hobbit movies. If you fit the following criteria (most people do) then you could be in luck. It is hard to know if it is worth taking annual leave from your regular job just to appear in The Hobbit, but it would be cool to add this to your "bucket list". This would be ideal for students or unemployed people. I wonder what "character" faces are? Who is keen?

Location: Wellington, Wellington
Listed: Thu, 19 Jan
Type: Part time, Contract/Temp
The journey continues for 2012 and we are once again seeking EXTRAS

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Currently live in Wellington area
• 17 years & over
• Able to work in NZ
• Have flexible availability

We are looking for MEN & WOMEN for a VARIETY of characters

• MEN – under 5’4” (163cm)
• WOMEN – under 5” (155cm)
• BIG MEN – with character faces – 5’9 and over (175cm+)
• MEN with LARGE biceps any height.
• WOMEN with character faces and long hair
• MEN & WOMEN – ELVES slim, athletic, 5’5” – 6’4” (165 – 203cm)

We will be holding the Casting Call
SATURDAY 28th JANUARY from 1pm – 4pm
THE BELMONT HALL – HUTT CITY(next to The Belmont Primary School, 709 Western Hutt Road)

Applicants for this position should have NZ residency or a valid NZ work permit.

Sports Guru Competition 2012 - Enter Here!

2012-01-22T21:45:00.000-08:00

<<2012 Sports Guru Tipping Comp.xlsx>>
Do you rate yourself as a sports punter of some repute? If so, put money where your mouth is and join the Sports Guru Competition 2012. I am a participant, but if you are interested then message me your email address and I can send you further details related to picking 79 sports result in the upcoming year. It costs $20 but gives you entertainment for the entire year. It would be great to have some more familiar punters.

Welcome to the 2012 Sports Guru Tipping Comp.

After a highly competitive inaugural season, 2012 is now upon us and with it comes a bevy of new sporting events. The inclusion of the Olympics, Euro 2012 and the Ryder Cup should make this a very memorable sporting year.

I have taken everyone’s ideas on board in regards to both the rules and events, and have come up with a few changes. The rules are outlined below, as well as a list of the key changes from 2011. I have also upped the total events this year from 51 to 78, and included a number of the suggestions that got thrown around towards the end of last year.

If you know of anyone who might be remotely interested in doing this, please forward them this email and encourage them to get involved.

Rules

1. The aim is to nominate the winner of the sporting events listed on the enclosed spreadsheet. There are 79 events in total in 2012.

2. The selections you make now will be fixed and must be submitted to me by email on the enclosed spreadsheet by 5pm Tuesday, 31 January.

3. All selections are locked in for the full year (other than your three allowed changes – see ‘Notable Rule Changes’ below)

4. The entry fee is $20 - 1st place takes 50% of the prize pool, 2nd place 20%, 3rd place takes 15%, 4th place takes 10% and 5th place takes 5%.

5. A winning selection is awarded three (3) points and one (1) point is allocated for a runner up or beaten finalist. One point is not awarded in certain events where there are limited entries (shown on the spreadsheet). Please note you only need to nominate a winner for every event.

6. Double points will be awarded if a participant successfully tips a result that no one else chooses (red). Participants will also nominate 4 events (yellow) for double points which will apply for winning or runner up results. A maximum of 12 points could be available per ‘regular’ events should both the above occur in a particular event.

7. Eight ‘Super Events’ have also been nominated whereby points will be awarded according to the Centrebet Fixed Odds as at 5pm Tuesday 31 January. Points will be rounded to the nearest whole dollar. If your selection is the runner up, you will receive ¼ of the ‘win odds’, rounded to the nearest whole dollar. Note: this could be zero! Neither the ‘yellow’ or ‘red’ bonus points will be eligible for these super events. Also, I have provided a list of odds in the second tab in the spreadsheet for your reference.

8. Please feel free to pass this invitation on to others as the more entries the bigger the prize pool.

9. Regular updates on scoring will be provided (monthly) and in the event of any grievances my decision will be final. The reference for disputed decisions will be Centrebet rules and conditions.

Notable Rule Changes from 2011

· There are now 8 odds-based events instead of 6. These are clearly highlighted in green on the attached spreadsheet.

· A number of new events have been included (Superbowl, Olympics, Euro 2012, as well as a number of new fields for existing events)

· In June, you may change three of your tips (for events that have not yet started). These can be emailed to me anytime you like, but must relate to events in the second half of the year.

· There are three horse races included this year (Cox Plate, Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup). Rather than take stupid stabs in the dark in January, you can now submit your tips for these events right up until the day before the race. I will send out a reminder as each of these races approaches.

· As I hope to get more people involved this year, there will be a payout to the Top 5 (split 50:20:15:10:5) of the total prize pool.

Feel free to pass the email onto others (in fact please do – the bigger prize pool the better). We had 22 people involved last year, but it would be good to hit the 50 mark this year and get that prize pool up above a grand.

Scotland News Broadcast Shows Naked Woman Having Sex in Background

2012-01-22T19:31:00.000-08:00

A Scottish broadcaster has been forced to apologise after erotic scenes from a TV show flashed on to a screen during a political debate.

A naked blonde woman appeared on a studio TV screen during a Scotland Tonight debate on Britain's Labour Party leadership.

The raunchy clip - which appeared on STV - is thought to have been from an episode of Channel 4 drama Shameless, the Daily Mail newspaper reported.

The image appeared on screen for only a few seconds, but sparked a complaint from a viewer.

An insider told the Daily Record that no one in the newsroom realised the blunder until later.

"It’s unfortunate but in a busy newsroom we have monitors showing the various TV channels," the insider said.

"You can only see the scene for a few seconds and the vast majority of viewers probably won’t even have spotted it."
A spokesman for STV said: "We hope viewers weren't too distracted by the unexpected and incidental content on the show."

http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/world/12689999/tv-red-faces-over-naked-woman/

Twitter Is Down As New England Patriots Beat Baltimore Ravens

2012-01-22T14:48:00.000-08:00

Twitter went down with the millions of users engrossed by the New England Patrhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifiots defeat of the Baltimore Ravens 23-20. The Ravens had some chances at the end, but just couldn't quite take their chances. This is a massive relief for the New England Patriot fans, but I wonder how many millions of people were watching this unfold on Twitter?

I assumed this because Tim Tebow got the most ever tweets per second for his play in American Football for the Denver Broncos about two weeks ago (9420 tweets per second).

http://marketingland.com/tebow-mania-hits-twitter-2877

I tried to get onto Twitter during the New England Patriots vs Baltimore Ravens massive final playoff game which was really close at the time 23-20 and assumed since Twitter was down and so many Americans follow these business end games (the games before SuperBowl 46) that this was the reason.

It is also annoying for those people who don't care about NFL or are trying to find the score on Twitter.

Watch Free Live Streaming American Football Baltimore Ravens vs New England Patriots, New York Giants vs San Francisco 49ers

2012-01-22T01:24:00.000-08:00

Watch Free Live Streaming American Football Baltimore Ravens vs New England Patriots, New York Giants vs San Francisco 49ers.

http://www.oleoletv.com/sports/american-football/

Bernard Tomic's Girlfriend Donay Meijer Becomes Latest To Overshadow Tennis Star - For Love or Money?

2012-01-22T00:38:00.001-08:00

Rising Australian tennis star Bernard Tomic's girlfriend Donay Meijer has become the latest partner to overshadow her tennis great love interest. She has appeared in heaps of newspapers and on websites. Nineteen year old Tomic is a rising star and the further he goes in the tournament, the more the world gets to see his stunning girlfriend.

The question remains are these gorgeous women who are either going out with or married to these average looking but highly wealthy professional mens tennis players in it for love or money? The exposure associated with being shown on television supporting your husband or other half in front of a massive worldwide television audience must be an effective way to boost their profile. I think the money is an important part given that the top players are multi-millionaires.

Plenty of these women have become well known enough and their careers have continued to advance thanks to the media exposure associated with their partner's success, while others were already famous and met through exclusive celebrity circles.

It is funny some dorky and skinny professional players marrying some stunning women, but they can offer them a rock star type like lifestyle travelling the world, staying in hotels, with financial stability and a fit and active professional sportsman.

Do you think these women are in it for the money? Or have these rich tennis guys, much like Shane Warne who has managed to seduce megababe Liz Hurley with not only money, but charm and confidence associated with a must win professional attitude because of their career choice? Most sports people have a competitive attitude and plenty of famous people are confident and good at getting what they want.

It is a shame that amateur tennis players don't have the same pulling power, otherwise I would be set!

BLONDE bombshell Donay Meijer has shelved her own lucrative career dreams to support her man.

The Gold Coast stunner has revealed she is happy to take a back seat to beau Bernard Tomic while he pursues his Australian Open dream.

The 21-year-old who has put her promising modelling career on hold while she completes her pharmacy degree, said she would stay in the background to help Tomic concentrate on his grand slam campaign.

"I'm happy to just support Bernard in any way I can," she told the Herald Sun.

"I am happy for the focus to be on his tennis."

Tall, tanned and willowy, Donay has turned heads whenever she has appeared on Tomic's arm or close by when he is on court.

The pair, who started dating about six months ago after meeting through friends, have made a glamour couple at the 2012 Open.

Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.
Donay Meijer

End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.

Donay starred on the red carpet when she stepped out with Tomic at the IMG Players' Party at Crown on Sunday night.

Talented and articulate, she is also a keen tennis player who was highly sought as a catwalk and photographic model before stepping away from the cameras to concentrate instead on becoming a pharmacist.

Mum Dorothy Meijer, a Gold Coast real estate agent, said she was proud of her talented daughter and happy with her high-profile romance with Tomic.

"They are a lovely couple and I am happy for them, but I don't want to get in trouble by talking about it," Mrs Meijer said.

"She's very academic and she was getting a lot of modelling work before she decided to return to study."

Mrs Meijer described Tomic as a "lovely young man".

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/tennis/bernard-tomics-girlfriend-donay-meijer-has-beauty-and-brains/story-fn791xvz-1226248781191

Some other amazing WAGs (Wives and girlfriends) include

Rafael Nadal and Maria Perello

Camille and Marcos Baghdatis

Andy Roddick and swimsuit model Brooklyn Decker

Novak Djokovic's girlfriend Jelena Ridic

Rebecca Cartwright (formerly on Home and Away) with Lleyton Hewitt.

Recent Great Movies I Have Seen

2012-01-20T01:09:00.000-08:00

I have seen heaps of great movies recently as they have been released in time for the big awards like the Golden Globes and the Oscars. It is also in time for the Christmas Holiday Season and especially for winter in the Northern Hemisphere when most people go to the movies.

Here are some scenes from movies I have seen recently.

Tower Heist

Tower Heist has plenty of big name actors in it. It is a great situation where average guys get into crime to steal money from the annoying boss who has sacked them. It is the first of two movies I have seen over summer where cars are made out of gold and painted. It is the best way of smuggling gold! It was the first time I have seen Eddie Murphy in a movie in ages. The above video is one of my favourite scenes from the movie.

7/10

The Adventures of Tintin

The Adventures of Tintin 3D was probably one of the best 3D movies I have seen. Maybe I am interested in Tintin because he is a ginger and a reporter, but I thought this was cool. It has plenty of action scenes for an animated movie. It was great hearing Daniel Craig and Simon Pegg among others. Another good job by Peter Jackson and Weta representing Welllington.

9/10

Players

Do you want to hear the good news or the bad news? The bad news is that this is a Bollywood film that goes for nearly three hours. If you can put up with the long film and the randomness of Bollywood song and dance then you will love this. It is a bit cheesy, but is cool with plenty of action as the re-live The Italian Job classic. Even cooler is that they shoot heaps of this movie right here, in Wellington. It is cool seeing them driving minis through the streets of Wellington and even through the Railway Station and onto the train tracks. It makes you look at Wellington differently. It is cool seeing New Zealand in a global movie. By the way, there are plenty of stunning Indian women in this movie.

7/10

The Muppets

This is a bit cheesy, but once you get over the fact that Jason Segel is in his thirties but still shares a room where him and his three foot tall puppet brother Walter sleep in their flannel pyjamas and talks about going on a romantic trip with his girl friend of ten years, you know this can't be true. There are plenty of Broadway style cheesy songs, but once the Muppets get involved in this movie, it is cool. It is a great reminder of the good old days. I forgot how the Muppets are so entertaining for adults. I love Statler and Waldorf, while Kermit and Miss Piggy singing Rainbow Connection got the crowd swaying.

8/10

Mission Impossible 4

Mission Impossible 4 is up there with the original Mission Impossible 4 as far as action and entertainment goes. Tom Cruise loves being the hero in this series of movies despite not getting any younger and managing to achieve all sorts of unrealistic stunts. I love the scene where he is climbing this really tall glass building. It obviously pushes the boundaries of reality.

8/10

There are some other great movies out there with Sherlock Holmes 2, Hugo, Sione's 2, and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy all on my list of movies to see.

Marcos Baghdatis Smashes Four Tennis Racquets at Australian Open

2012-01-20T00:50:00.000-08:00

Watch this video which shows coverage of Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis smashing four tennis racquets at the Australian Open. He got fined US$800 for this tantrum which ironically is probably about what the racquets were worth before they got smashed. It shows that even the good guys can get frustrated (which is reassuring). I think his opponent should take it as a compliment.

FIERY Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis set a bizarre new record in tennis when he smashed four rackets in under 30 seconds while he sat fuming on his seat after losing a key game in his Australian Open second-round defeat to Stanislas Wawrinka.

Baghdatis, who made it to the final of the Australian Open in 2006, has always been a crowd favourite in Melbourne, and fans in the Margaret Court Arena responded with loud encouragement after his tantrum, which came after he had been broken in the third set after losing the first two sets.

The 26-year-old sat in his chair briefly before smashing his racket in a fit of pique, then took another from his bag and did the same. With anger still to burn, Baghdatis then repeated the exercise with another two rackets, which were still in their "protective" wrapping.

With fans willing him on to turn the match around amid a rowdy atmosphere, his explosion of temper briefly seemed to work, as he broke back twice to take the third set 7-5.

But Wawrinka, who had taken the first two sets 7-6 (7-3), 6-4, closed out the match with a 6-1 triumph in the final set to set up a third-round tie with Nicolas Almagro.

Strip Club Pays Over $12,000 For Trade Me Backside Tattoo Auction

2012-01-20T00:13:00.001-08:00

It makes sense but strip club Calendar Girls will pay $12,450 to place a 9cm by 9cm tattoo on the backside of Lower Hutt woman Tina Beznec after winning the auction on Trade Me. Given that they encourage bare backsides and seem to have plenty of spare money, it makes sense for a strip club to win the bidding on Trade Me. Some of the money will go to charity while the rest will go to the Lower Hutt woman who has appeared on the New Zealand Fire Service advertisements for "Don't drink and fry". She can buy plenty of chips with the money!

It is smart marketing for the strip club because surely they can use the publicity that the auction creates anyway, and there will surely be space to use the naked backside of a woman in advertising.

A strip club will pay $12,450 to tattoo an image on a Lower Hutt woman's backside after putting in the highest bid in an internet auction.

Tina Beznec was auctioning a 9cm by 9cm space of her skin on Trade Me.

The auction closed at 5pm on Friday and the winning bid was placed by the Calendar Girls strip club, which has venues in Auckland and Christchurch and is opening in Wellington.

Ms Beznec said the tattoo would be done on Saturday.

Calendar Girls director Jacqui LeProu told NZ Newswire details of the planned tattoo won't be revealed until Monday.

She was adamant publicity was not the reason for bidding, but instead it was raising money for an undisclosed charity.

A condition of Ms Beznec's auction was the winner give 20 per cent to a charity of their choice.

Ms LeProu said she had been speaking with Ms Beznec since the bidding began and said she was sure she would be happy with the image they had in mind.

Calendar Girls was recently under fire for its "Win Silicones" competition, which offers free surgery for the winners who first must strip in front of judges and patrons.

Despite the criticism at least 500 women have entered.
Ms Beznec's bottom auction sparked a number of copycat auctions.

http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-stories/12671013/strip-club-wins-backside-tattoo-auction/

Top Five Most Claimed Sports Injuries in New Zealand

2012-01-19T01:16:00.000-08:00

The numbers are out for 2011 and rugby has the highest value of claims out of New Zealand sports according to ACC. I have helped to contribute to the football money.

Groin injuries like the one that knocked Dan Carter out of the Rugby World Cup are contributing to costly injury payouts.

Figures released under the Official Information Act show that ACC paid out $56 million for rugby-related claims in the past financial year, making it the costliest sport for injuries.

The Wellington region generated $5m worth of rugby injuries.

The total cost to ACC for sport-related claims in the 2010-11 financial year was $333,995,252, of which $29,356,295 was paid out for injuries in Wellington.

Gayle Snyders of Wellington's Willis St Physio said it was no surprise that rugby injuries cost ACC the most. In contact sports players could not predict the actions and movements of the opposition and it was those "unplanned forces" that often resulted in injury, she said.

"It's the unpredictability, which makes it fun to play and watch and more prone to injury."

She treated a lot of rugby players with knee and hamstring injuries.

"If your foot is planted and someone tackles you something has to give."

Groin injuries were also common in kickers. She advised patients to work on their fitness to avoid injury.

ACC spokesman Peter Wood said high injury rates in rugby did not mean rugby was more dangerous than other sports.

"It may be that there are simply more people playing rugby."

A large number of claims for rugby injuries needed no more than one or two visits to the doctor or physio, he said.

The number of serious spinal and brain injuries has reduced from more than 10 a year to less than three a year since ACC's RugbySmart programme was introduced in 2001.

The second most costly sport is football, with $23m being paid out in claims from July 2010 to June 2011. Despite being deemed a dangerous pursuit, bungy jumping cost ACC the least in sport-related claims, paying out just $38,514.

Sports injuries are a big cost to ACC but the biggest generator of claims is injuries in the home, which lead to about 600,000 claims each year.

PRICE OF PAIN
Top five sports that cost ACC the most in sport-related claims between July 2010 and June 2011:

1. Rugby union $56,188,339

2. Football $23,020698

3. Netball $19,046,440

4. Cycling $17,516,801

5. Rugby league $14,918,982

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/6272149/Rough-rugby-tops-ACCs-sports-injury-list

Colbert Report - Yahweh or No Way - Online Christian Dating and Seven Days of Sex

2012-01-18T17:29:00.000-08:00

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

Colbert Report - Yahweh or No Way - Online Christian Dating and Seven Days of Sex

Here is a funny video from the Colbert Report section called Yahweh or No Way. It is always amusing seeing the media's view on Christian issues like online Christian dating and the seven days of sex philosophy. I guess it is free advertising for www.christianmingle.com

Costa Concordia Cruise Ship Tragedy No Laughing Matter!

2012-01-18T16:07:00.000-08:00

There's even a Tui billboard for Costa Concordia Cruise captain Francesco Schettino.

Cruise captain Francesco Schettino now claims he 'tripped' and fell into lifeboat

The captain of the Costa Concordia involved in a cruise ship tragedy has now responded to calls by the Italian media that he is a coward, by claiming he tripped and fell into a lifeboat. These latest claims do nothing for the captain's credibility. This saga is sad because 11 people have died and 23 are injured after the boat hit rocks. The problem is that the boat hit rocks when the captain was trying to get in close to allow the head waiter to talk to his friends on the island of Giglio from the deck. This meant it went off the usual path and unfortunately he misjudged it and it hit rocks. Unfortunately it seems that the captain is destined to spend 12 years in prison for abandoning the ship, although judging by the raft of tall stories that are being told, it is hard to know whether he is doing his cause any favours. It was a sad miscalculated incident which has ended up having horrific consequences. It is unknown if the captain was under the influence of anything or was just trying to do the waiter and the locals a favour?
I wonder how often this goes on where boats go off course to say "hi" to the locals, but this time a slight lack of judgment could leave up to 34 people dead and a man in prison on manslaughter charges. It is hard to take this captain seriously after everything that has taken place!

A new twist has emerged in the Costa Concordia tragedy with the vilified captain now claiming he did not abandon the ship - he slipped and fell overboard into a waiting lifeboat.

The stricken cruise-liner's captain Francesco Schettino is being lambasted in the Italian media as a coward who fled for dry land as others perished in the shipwreck.

The death toll now stands at 11, with 23 still missing.

Schettino has been quoted by the La Repubblica newspaper as telling investigators he did not intend to vacate the ship.

"The passengers were pouring onto the decks, taking the lifeboats by assault," the newspaper quotes him as saying.

"I didn't even have a life jacket because I had given it to one of the passengers. I was trying to get people to get into the boats in an orderly fashion. Suddenly, since the ship was at a 60 to 70 degree angle, I tripped and I ended up in one of the boats. That's how I found myself there."

Further claims of innocence came from Schettino when he appeared before a judge in Grosseto yesterday and was questioned for three hours.

His lawyer, Bruno Leporatti, gave Schettino's version of the tragedy.

Schettino says he prevented the loss of many lives by his actions immediately after the cruise-liner struck rocks.

He insists that after the ship hit rocks, he acted quickly to steer the vessel closer to shore and that this "saved hundreds, if not thousands, of lives".

Schettino, 52, faces 12 years in prison for a charge of abandoning the ship following last Friday's incident.

It is believed he sailed the ship fatally close to land to salute certain residents of the Island of Giglio - this involved manoeuvring from the ship's programmed course.

The captain is being held under house arrest and, according to Leporatti, has now returned to his family home near Naples.

Urine and hair samples were taken from Schettino to test whether he had consumed alcohol or drugs prior to the accident.

Search suspended

The search for survivors from the cruise ship disaster has been suspended after the ship shifted position, the BBC reported.

The hope of finding further survivors is fading, as officials fear the ship could move off its position balanced on rocks and slip into deeper water.

"Instruments indicated the ship had moved. We are in the process of evaluating if it has found a new resting point to allow us to resume," a fire department spokesperson said.

Officials hope to begin the salvage process, including pumping the more than 2300 tonnes of fuel in the ship's tanks.

http://tvnz.co.nz/world-news/cruise-captain-claims-he-tripped-and-fell-into-lifeboat-4692699

Wikipedia Is Offline For 24 Hours Bad Luck Pub Quiz Cheat Guy

2012-01-18T00:42:00.000-08:00

Wikipedia is down for 24 hours to raise awareness of what the Internet would be like without it if United States legislative changes are made. Sometimes you do have to question the accuracy of Wikipedia, as you are unsure of the credibility of the person who submits the information, but it is generally a really useful tool. Our friend the Realm Hataitai Pub Quiz cheat guy who is a masters student supposedly spends all day on Wikipedia to account for his wide knowledge base.

Imagine a World
Without Free Knowledge

For over a decade, we have spent millions of hours building the largest encyclopedia in human history. Right now, the U.S. Congress is considering legislation that could fatally damage the free and open Internet. For 24 hours, to raise awareness, we are blacking out Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page