Scotty Donaldson

The Graham Norton Show - Jesus Depiction As Dog Funny? Yeah Right

2013-06-17T18:17:00.000-07:00

The Broadcasting Standards Authority has deemed The Graham Norton Show's depiction of Jesus as a dog in adverts acceptable. I like to think that I have a sense of humour, but the fact that Jesus is depicted as a dog is offensive to Christians, while I find it offensive, I also don't think it is funny.

I usually consider the sign of a good comedian to be if they can make me laugh without offending people. You get dime a dozen comedians who try to get laughs by offending different groups based on gender, religion, sexuality or ethnicity, but for me a great comedian makes people laugh without using bad language and without offending people. Just my ten cents worth. I am not really a fan of The Graham Norton Show anyway!

What do you think about the Broadcasting Standards Authority decision not to ban the Graham Norton Show adverts? I think they may have in the more conservative past when New Zealand had more Christians, but I am not surprised by their decision. It is difficult to ban an advert for a television show on that channel.

The depiction of Jesus as a dog in adverts for The Graham Norton Show has been deemed appropriate by the Broadcasting Standards Authority.
The TV advertisement, which aired in December, included a photograph of a couple dressed as Mary and Joseph holding a dog in swaddling clothes.
In the week leading up to Christmas, TV3 broadcast the promo at 7.45pm during the United States' version of The X Factor.
A member of the public complained the depiction of Jesus as a dog was highly offensive and denigrated Christians.
The complainant said ''western'' media were cautious when stating things regarding Islam and the prophet Muhammad, but applied an ''anything goes'' attitude when it came to offending Christian beliefs.
The authority acknowledged some Christians would find the image of a dog dressed as Jesus offensive, but said it was a light-hearted attempt at humour in keeping with the general tenor of the programme.
It took into account the advert being on air during a PGR-rated programme and the show's audience expectations that it was intended to be humorous.
The authority said it was also satisfied the content did not encourage the denigration of, or discrimination against, Christians as a section of the community.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv/8806680/Dog-Jesus-OK-ed-by-Broadcasting-Standards

Joseph Parker Beats Francois Botha In 2nd Round

2013-06-13T04:24:00.002-07:00

Joseph Parker has beaten Francois Botha in 2nd Round after a TKO. Joseph Parker did better than Sonny Bill Williams did against Botha. For the record, this fight had less ill blood between the fighters than the Sonny Bill Williams vs Botha fight. For full results and video highlights replay of these other fights go to the TV3 website.

Joseph Parker and Francois Botha impressed me with their humble nature.

Main event:

FIGHT SEVEN: Joseph Parker (NZ) vs Francois Botha (South Africa) - 8 x 3 minute rounds.

Premier undercard:

FIGHT SIX: Matthew Wood vs Colin Lane - 3 x 2 minute rounds.

Undercard:

FIGHT FIVE: Jordan Tuigamala vs Jody Allen - 4 x 3 minute rounds.

FIGHT FOUR: Nickson Clark vs Bryce Casey - 3 x 2 minute rounds.

FIGHT THREE: Daniella Smith vs Arlene Blencowe - 10 x 2 minute rounds.

WIBA Women's Light Welterweight World Title and WBF Womens Welterweight Title Fight.

FIGHT TWO: Sam Rapira vs Viliami Taofi - 4 x 3 minute rounds.

FIGHT ONE: Jeremy Sebastian vs Marcel Botha - 4 x 3 minute rounds.

Head Nap Pillow - Would You Buy One?

2013-06-12T22:23:00.001-07:00

I just saw this Head Nap Pillow on http://www.crazysales.co.nz/i/head_nap_pillow.html
The Head Nap Pillow looks ridiculous, but would probably be comfortable in the office or the airport when you need to sleep. It is hard to know if they would let you on airplanes with one of these as they cover the head so much. These would be warm, but would you buy one?

The Phantom Of The Opera Wellington - A Great Show!

2013-06-12T20:40:00.003-07:00

I went to the preview dress rehearsal of The Phantom of the Opera in Wellington. Without giving too much away, it was great. It was hard to know if it was the company of doing what the show advertisements were suggesting and going with the one you love or the fact that we were in the front row after paying only $25, but it was enjoyable.

There was the odd issue with microphones/sound which is to be expected with the dress rehearsal, but it was still awesome. I barely knew the story and despite it sometimes being difficult to understand the words, it was enjoyable.

I have never sat in the front row of the stalls for something like this. It was rather funny because people that booked before us thought they were in the front row near the orchestra, but they got moved to the dress circle. I thought we were in the third row, but we were on the edge of the front row. This was good and bad as I could hear some things really loudly, but other things weren’t so clear because of the speakers / microphones and I also felt like I couldn’t talk, rummage into my bag to find my bag of cashew nuts or drink water from my glass bottle (which is a no-no). This made things tough given it was a 6:30pm show and I didn’t have time for dinner first.

It was great seeing everyone dressed up for the event. I never realised I had so many cultured friends.

The costumes and storyline were eye catching, mind you I am literally a fair weather theatre goer, rather than a purist. I never realised there was so much talent in Wellington and I even knew the odd cast member. I also found the character of the Phantom interesting. I was left wondering what he actually looked like in real life, given what his character looked like? It ends up he goes through two hours of makeup before the show to look as bad as he does! I guess it is handy living in a city which has given us so many Hobbit characters!

He did well to have a love interest during this movie, he obviously had a strong personality!

Photo courtesy of

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/culture/performance/8786951/Wellington-man-transformed-for-Phantom

I haven’t seen The Phantom of the Opera before, but I had heard some of the songs and so there was a level of interest which made it easier to sit through than all of the Italian operas I have been to! It goes for about three weeks, so buy your tickets at www.ticketek.co.nz

The Phantom of the Opera in Wellington also features Lloyd Scott.

It is supposed to be similar to the Westend musical, so that is huge boots to fill!

Are you going to or have you been to The Phantom of the Opera? What did you think?

The Captain Cook Tavern Is Closing - What Memories Do You Have?

2013-06-12T04:59:00.000-07:00

Another one of Dunedin's iconic student pubs is closing down this Friday when the Captain Cook Tavern or the Cook to locals closes the door for the last time. It has been around for over 100 years. It joins the Bowler and Gardies on the scrapheap as once iconic rundown student bars aren't financially viable. It seems that students are buying alcohol cheaply in bulk from supermarkets and drinking at home in their flats.

My memories of the Cook was that most sports loving guys from Studholme Hall placed their first sports bets on at the TAB downstairs. I remember hearing stories of my other friends dancing on table tops while under the influence of alcohol, but they could just be tall stories. Plenty of people threw up at the Cook. I remember everyone made a big deal about how amazing the Cook was, but it was even rundown in the 1990s. I was disappointed!

They always had great deals to the rugby where you could get a bus, rugby ticket and two free jugs really cheap was it $10 or $20? What are your memories of the The Captain Cook Tavern?

While it is a shame to see it close down, it is probably better to knock these old pubs down and build something else. These pubs are in prime locations and could provide additional university facilities that could further learning (more than the Cook did).

It is hard to know if students getting drunk in their flats is better or worse than getting drunk out on the town at a pub like the Cook.

This television interview video below about the Cook doesn't really make much of a case for keeping it, but despite being iconic, it is rundown and obviously no longer profitable to run with the poor students the main customers.

http://www.3news.co.nz/Dunedin-students-lose-another-beloved-pub/tabid/309/articleID/301156/Default.aspx

The Hobbit : The Desolation of Smaug Trailer - Will You Watch It?

2013-06-11T22:04:00.002-07:00

The trailer has been released for the second instalment of The Hobbit with The Hobbit : The Desolation of Smaug trailer recently released. It was funny when the first Hobbit came out, most kiwis were really excited until they sat through a very long slow moving movie. The only reason I will go and watch this is for a sense of patriotism to New Zealand. Will you go and watch The Hobbit : The Desolation of Smaug when it is released in December 2013? Do you think Sir Peter Jackson has butchered the popular book by splitting it into three long movies?

Ian Ziering aka Steve Sanders From Beverly Hills 90210 Joins The Chippendales

2013-06-10T21:26:00.000-07:00

Steve Sanders in Beverly Hills 90210

Ian Ziering who played Steve Sanders in the hit tv show Beverly Hills 90210 in the 1990s is having a midlife crisis and at the ripe old age of 49 years old has joined the Chippendales who put on shows in Las Vegas. Some people grow a mullet, others buy a Harley Davidson, but Ziering has hit the gym and is probably in better shape now than he was 30 years ago when on Beverly Hills 90210. Sure, he was too old to be at high school in the television show, but I didn't realise he was 49 years old now, he definitely doesn't look it!

Ian Ziering is inspirational! Or sad! I don't know which. I hope he doesn't hang out at the Peach Pit with the rest of the gang!

P.S. It ends up that Steve Sanders has always worked out. The video above is testament to this.

Bryan Bednarek Breaks The World Record For Clapping - How Many Claps Can You Do In One Minute?

2013-06-09T20:16:00.001-07:00

Bryan Bednarek shatters the world record at 802 claps in 1 min. It has to be verified by the Guinness Book of World Records. It is interesting to try it at your desk just to see how impressive Bryan's effort is. It must be difficult to count. It looks like he did it listening to music to help him get his rhythm going. How many claps can you do in one minute?

What People Read - Does The Internet Generation Still Read Books?

2013-06-05T20:35:00.002-07:00

I never realised so many people were bookworms until last weekend when going away on holiday. Reading books is hardly my idea of fun, but it seems that whilst 90 percent of people on my holiday were reading books, according to the statistics, some people still do read in this internet age. Do you read books?

Research by The Barna Group has revealed that reading isn't as dead as initially thought, although 15 percent of people reading The Hobbit or The Hunger Games is hardly earth shattering. It seems that while movies based on books like Hunger Games or The Hobbit have come out recently, these haven't necessarily meant that people have stopped reading the books, preferring to watch the movie instead, it seems that in many cases, the movie has then increased interest in the book.

Mind you, only 15 percent of American adults have read The Hobbit or The Hunger Games, while a third have watched Hunger Games and disappointingly for Sir Peter Jackson, less American adults have seen The Hobbit movie than read the book!

It is also interesting to note the gender and religion breakdown with books like The Hunger Games and 50 Shades of Grey more popular with women than men.

Even the Bible has been read by 61 percent of American Christian adults and 20 percent of all American adults surveyed. It stacks up pretty well really. Mind you, it has been around a lot longer than these other books.

Anyway, I would love to get a breakdown of these statistics by age and by education levels. I would also be interested to know how many people read all the titles mentioned in the research.

I am conducting my own research down the right hand column of this blog. Please vote!

http://www.barna.org/culture-articles/625-the-books-americans-are-readingand-what-that-reveals-about-us

Man Jailed For Sprinkling Pubic Hair On Indian Curry

2013-06-05T20:24:00.000-07:00

It seems that there is "no such thing as a free lunch", a 40 year old English man has tried to avoid paying 40 pounds for his Indian meal by claiming that he found pubic hair on his curry. Unfortunately he was caught on CCTV footage putting his own hair on the curry. It also didn't help that everyone working at the restaurant had black hair and his brown hair matched the hairs in question. It ends up that he does have a history of not paying his bills at the restaurant and so has now been thrown in jail! I wonder if there is an easier way to avoid paying your bill at a restaurant?

A fraudster who tried to get a free meal in a curry house by putting pubic hair on the remains of his lamb bhuna has been given a prison sentence.
Lee Tyers, 40, was caught on CCTV putting his hands down the front of his trousers as he sat in the Jamal Indian restaurant in Middlesbrough town centre.
He then told waiting staff that he had found the hair in his food, in an attempt to get out of paying the £39.55 bill.
Restaurant owner Jamal Chowdhury told the court he had known Tyers, of Mount Leven Road, Yarm, as a customer for around 18 years, but that he was owed £110 for unpaid previous meals.
He said he told Tyers when he entered the restaurant on November 10 that he would serve him as long as he paid for that night's meal.
Tyers told Mr Chowdhury that he had the cash to pay, before he and a friend ordered two lamb bhunas along with pilau rice, naan bread, drinks, a chapati and a shish kebab.
The pair ate their meal, before Tyers complained to a waiter about the hair in his food.
After a discussion, the pair left the restaurant without paying.
Mr Chowdhury said: "I told him all the staff have black hair and this is brown - it’s not our hair."
Tyers denied a charge of fraud by false representation but was found guilty by magistrates at Teesside Magistrates' Court.
Prosecutor David Ward said Mr Chowdhury was a "nice man" whose good nature had been taken advantage of.
Tyers was jailed for two weeks after magistrates said they had found Mr Chowdhury to be "consistent and credible in giving his evidence".
Tyers was also ordered to pay £39.55 compensation.

http://news.sky.com/story/1099845/man-jailed-for-sprinkling-pubic-hair-on-curry

Baptism Service - Which Service Do You Attend at The Street City Church?

2013-06-04T20:51:00.000-07:00

I am getting baptised at The Street City Church on Sunday June 16th 2013. I have been a Christian for 22 years, but am deciding to make a public display of affection for my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

I was baptised as an infant and have grappled with the dilemma of if I should take the plunge as an adult of my own accord. It has been something I have been grappling with for a while, because you start wondering if it makes any difference given that I asked Jesus Christ into my heart in my younger days.

There have been a few things over the past weeks which have got me thinking.

1) One of the pastors Simon Gill said something along the lines of that he got baptised and it radically changed his life.

2) Whilst I have been a Christian for ages, I am wondering if I am missing out on something (spritually) that those who have been baptised have.

3) It is time to publicly announce my faith rather than relying on riding on the coat-tales of my parents.

Here is some scripture about getting baptised which also helped me to decide.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, English Standard Version, Matthew 28:19

And Peter said to them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38

Anyway, I am just trying to decide which service to get baptised at. Someone suggested getting baptised at the service that my friends go to. I have a finger in both the 11am and 6pm service pies, so please vote down the right hand column as to which service you attend please!

The Writers Guild of America Top 101 TV Series Of All Time!

2013-06-03T20:49:00.001-07:00

The Writers Guild of America has rated the top 101 best written US TV Series of all time. I guess this in some ways is different to simply the best tv series of all time, but is a fair indication. It is funny how there are some overseas series on this list, but they are rated so badly. I am a bit surprised that Blackadder didn't make the list, but I am not surprised at the lack of New Zealand shows on here. It is difficult to compare shows with time given how styles and standards have changed over the years. For example, something from the 1980s may be considered lame by today's standards.

I don't watch heaps of this top 101 list, although I do enjoy Arrested Development and Seinfeld. The Sopranos is an impressive show, but not necessarily my thing, but I can see why it got top. With a list this long you start wondering if it is a great achievement to be towards the bottom of this list?

What do you think of the Writers Guild of America's list of 101 Best Written US TV Series of all time?

The Top 101
1. The Sopranos
2. Seinfeld
3. The Twilight Zone
4. All in the Family
5. M*A*S*H
6. The Mary Tyler Moore Show
7. Mad Men
8. Cheers
9. The Wire
10. The West Wing
11. The Simpsons
12. I Love Lucy
13. Breaking Bad
14. The Dick Van Dyke Show
15. Hill Street Blues
16. Arrested Development
17. The Daily Show
18. Six Feet Under
19. Taxi
20. The Larry Sanders Show
21. 30 Rock
22. Friday Night Lights
23. Frasier
24. Friends
25. Saturday Night Live
26. The X-Files
27. Lost
28. ER
29. The Cosby Show
30. Curb Your Enthusiasm
31. The Honeymooners
32. Deadwood
33. Star Trek
34. Modern Family
35. Twin Peaks
36. NYPD Blue
37. The Carol Burnett Show
38. Battlestar Galactica
39. Sex and the City
40. Game of Thrones
41. The Bob Newhart Show
42. Your Show of Shows
43. Downton Abbey
44. Law & Order
45. Thirtysomething
46. St. Elsewhere
47. Homicide: Life on the Street
48. Homeland
49. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
50. The Good Wife

51. The Colbert Report
52. The Office (British version)
53. Northern Exposure
54. The Wonder Years
55. L.A. Law
56. Sesame Street
57. Columbo
58. The Rockford Files
59. Fawlty Towers
60. Moonlighting
61. Freaks and Geeks
62. Roots
63. Everybody Loves Raymond
64. South Park
65. Playhouse 90
66. The Office (U.S. version)
67. Dexter
68. My So-Called Life
69. Golden Girls
70. The Andy Griffith Show
71. The Shield
72. Roseanne
73. 24
74. Murphy Brown
75. House
76. Barney Miller
77. I, Claudius
78. The Odd Couple
79. Star Trek: The Next Generation
80. Alfred Hitchcock Presents
81. Upstairs Downstairs
82. Monty Python's Flying Circus
83. Get Smart
84. Gunsmoke
85. The Defenders
86. Sergeant Bilko
87. Justified
88. Band of Brothers
89. Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
90. The Prisoner
91. The Muppet Show
92. Absolutely Fabulous
93. Boardwalk Empire
94. Will and Grace
95. Family Ties
96. Lonesome Dove
97. Soap
98. The Fugitive
99. Louie
100. Late Night With David Letterman
101. Oz

http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv/8752447/Sopranos-named-best-written-US-TV-series

The Harlem Globetrotters Hit New Zealand - Who Are Their Opponents?

2013-05-26T17:27:00.000-07:00

The Harlem Globetrotters are in New Zealand for a seven city tour and tonight they are playing in Wellington. It is an expensive show, but I thought they usually play an actual opposition, making them look like chumps as this team of multi-talented basketballers run rings around them. Who are their opponents? Or does New Zealand not have any teams good enough to play against them? They used to have a world record for the most consecutive wins as they would play local teams on these tours, but nothing has been mentioned about the opposition. It would be a thankless task playing against them as you would probably lose, be made to look a fool and the crowd would be cheering and laughing because they want your opponents, the Harlem Globetrotters to win. It could just be an exhibition, but does anyone know who the Harlem Globetrotters' opponents are in New Zealand.

Tickets cost up to about $100 and are available at Ticketek.

While I think it would be cool, I can't be bothered paying when there is no opposition and it is just trick shots. The Americans do provide plenty of entertainment and so there will probably be some giveaways.

Are you going to see the Harlem Globetrotters?

Should Dwarfs Fight In Joseph Parker vs Francois Botha Boxing Bout

2013-05-26T05:22:00.000-07:00

Two dwarfs are preparing to box next month in an undercard fight to the Joseph Parker vs Francois Botha fight. This event in many ways sums up boxing's reputation for becoming nothing more than a circus, but at the same time, if people are willing to pay to watch the circus, then maybe the promoters are onto something.

Last year it was ladies boxing which pulled the punters, but this year I was more intrigued by Joseph Parker fighting the man who almost beat Sonny Bill Williams in Francois Botha.

Is watching dwarfs box demeaning? Well I consider not allowing them to box to be unfair. It would then be a case of you not being able to have one dwarf box without another given that there would be a severe reach and height disadvantage for them.

So, it seems that boxing is enhancing its reputation as an entertainment circus rather than a sport. Now bring on the pre fight smack talk media conferences for further theatrics. Is boxing the new WWF wrestling? I think this proves it!

Checkout this article with further details

Dwarfs will battle in the ring before a major heavyweight bout in Auckland next month.

The bout is expected to attract indignance but fight promoters are adamant the two little men, both about 1.3m, will put up a serious fight on June 13.

Matthew Wood is a former bodybuilder whose quest for love was turned into a TV show. League legend Monty Betham is his trainer.

His rival Colin Lane is a night-shift worker at SkyCity, who recently cut back smoking and has virtually no sporting experience. Lane's trainer is Mark Bedford, who once trained Mark "Horse" Bourneville.

Betham conceded he took on Wood to train before knowing he was a dwarf.

''I've never trained a dwarf. I've trained a Beast and models though, so why discriminate?" Betham is in Dubai this weekend, training Brian Lima, the former Samoan rugby player known as The Chiropractor for his hard tackling style. Lima is fighting former Irish rugby hooker Shane Byrne in a North v South boxing event.

Wood recently passed his early childhood teaching qualification and had been a champion body builder. "He wants to lose a bit of weight. His tummy is the muscle that seems to be bigger than anything else right now." Betham wasn't worried people might call the midget fight a freak show. ''My role is to train fighters. I take it seriously." Betham said.

Meanwhile, Bedford said Lane slashed his cigarette intake and was making progress with weights, a punching bag and sparring. "He's told me he's given up the beer while he's in training." Lane started training as early as 6.30am, every second day. He worked night shifts cleaning at SkyCity. "We're starting from scratch with him. Last week especially, he surprised himself with how well he'd done." Bedford said the two dwarfs knew each other. "Talking to Colin about it the other day, they know each other but I don't particularly think they're friends..."

Bedford said Lane was about 40 and Wood was in his mid-thirties. Both men were robust, said to be in good shape, and expected to weigh in at about 70 to 75kg.

Duco Events, which last year staged the Jamie Ridge-Rosanna Arkle fight, is staging the event.

The big bout at Trusts Arena, pitting Joseph Parker against Francois "White Buffalo" Botha, had already raised the ire of boxing purists. Duco director Dean Lonergan expected some fresh indignance about the dwarf battle but said sceptics would be silenced when it came to fight night. "If there's a lot of public interest and the guys want to do it, we're keen to put it on," Lonergan added. "I expect them to get in there and take it very very seriously - and there might even be a bit of bad blood between the two of them."

The June 13 event will be televised from the arena where punters pay up to $10,000 for 10-seater ringside tables.

A national society representing Little People declined to wade into any debate about the bout. "They're old enough to speak for themselves. They're old enough to know what they're doing." Little People of NZ spokeswoman Loren Corbett said. Corbett said New Zealand was generally becoming a more inclusive society and attitudes towards little people had improved. - Herald on Sunday

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10886144

Sailing Away - All Of Us - Who Sang The First Line?

2013-05-23T16:50:00.002-07:00

A question from the Dominion Post five minute quiz asked who sang the first line in the New Zealand classic song Sailing Away by All Of Us. Did you get it right?

I was disappointed because I can remember the music video, but only remembered that Billy T James sang the second line. I was a bit upset when I realised who sang the first line. For the answer, go down to the bottom of this post.

This song was sang for the 1987 America's Cup challenge KZ7 which brought New Zealand together and the song included great kiwis including Suzanne Prentice, Precious McKenzie, Barry Crump and Jeremy Coney.

It is funny how back then we thought that the America's Cup was all about bringing a nation together, this is ironic given the nature of America's Cup yachting these days which is a sport for the rich and elite rather than the people.

There was a phase in the 1980s of coming up with songs sang by groups of celebrities for great causes, like Band Aid, USA 4 Africa and United Artists Against Apartheid. I don't think people would get behind a new America's Cup song given how most people don't care about it anymore. I used to love this song!

Dave Dobbyn sang the first line - "Here we come and we are sailing".

Cleveland Rescuer Charles Ramsey Gets Free Hamburgers For Life

2013-05-23T15:27:00.002-07:00

Charles Ramsey who famously put down his Big Mac to rescue three women held captive in a Cleveland house for a decade has been offered free hamburgers for life from 15 restaurants in Cleveland. He has plenty of personality and after giving McDonalds a free plug, Ramsey is set to live the dream for the rest of his life!

He has become an internet sensation!

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/8712543/Rescuer-gets-free-hamburgers-for-life

The NRL Footy Show In Trouble - Get Over It!

2013-05-19T16:57:00.003-07:00

The NRL Footy Show which I consider to be the best variety type show in Australia and New Zealand is in trouble for featuring the photo of a baby in their "Look-alikes" segment. This is ridiculous given that the point of that segment is to make fun of the hosts or former hosts of the show Paul "Fatty" Vautin and The Big Marn are the main targets because of their hair colour or weight. The photo in question was of a babe who has a resemblance to former host Peter "Sterlo" Sterling. The photo was supplied by a family friend of the baby and they put it up on the show. Now the parents of the baby are upset.

I think whoever sent it in should have asked for permission from the parents first, rather than it being the Footy Show's fault. I don't think the NRL Footy Show did anything wrong.

This is off the NRL Footy Show's Facebook page

Regarding recent articles in News Ltd papers, the Look-A-Likes photo was sent into The Footy Show by a friend of the family and not taken off Facebook. We chose not to make a statement to News Ltd yesterday but we did not refuse to apologise to the family and we did speak to the family on Friday and will do so again today to reassure them we never intended to cause hurt to them or their child and of course apologise if it did.

Do you think this family deserve to be upset? Should the NRL Footy Show have to apologise?

Latest Tui Billboard - Arise, Prince Byron Kelleher - Yeah Right

2013-05-16T16:03:00.001-07:00

Here is the latest Tui Billboard - Arise, Prince Byron Kelleher - Yeah Right. This is based on the latest rumours that the former All Blacks rugby halfback is romantically involved with Princess Charlene of Monaco. She is the wife of Prince Albert 2 of Monaco.

Viktor Troicki's Italian Open Tennis Tantrum Against Ernsts Gulbis - Poor Sport, Psychology or Comedy?

2013-05-16T06:05:00.001-07:00

The exaggerated tennis tantrum by Serbian Vikto Troicki in the Italian Open is psychology, even though it comes across as poor sportsmanship or a lame attempt at comedy. I can't believe by the end of John McEnroe's career that fans would find his tantrums funny, but I just find it lame comedy and believe that since Troicki was a set and a potential break down against his opponent Ernsts Gulbis that this ploy was a ridiculous attempt at breaking the match open through psychology. He couldn't buy a trick, so he may as well try to break his opponent's rhythm. It didn't work as Gulbis won 6-1 6-1 and Troicki was left with egg on his face in my opinion.

Scotty Presents : Spring Ball 2013 - A Good Idea?

2013-05-08T18:57:00.002-07:00

Scotty Presents : Spring Ball 2012 was a great success as a Christian friendly ball in Wellington with about 170 people dressing up and having a great night. Organising such an event starts early and I am wondering if people would be keen for a repeat dose of ball magic with Scotty Presents : Spring Ball 2013? Let me know by voting anonymously down the side of this website.

Georgie Pie To Return To New Zealand - Will It Be As Good As We Remember?

2013-05-08T03:36:00.000-07:00

McDonalds will announce the return of Georgie Pie tomorrow, will it be as cheap and as good as we remember? I think like 1980s movies and other products like Joy Bars, Mello Yello and now Georgie Pie, it was good for its time, but our expectations and standards are higher these days. Some things are better left in the memory bank. Georgie Pie, pies used to be only $1. Expect an announcement tomorrow!

Charles Ramsey interview, rescuer of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight in Cleveland - This Guy Has Personality!

2013-05-07T18:55:00.002-07:00

Charles Ramsey the neighbour who helped Amanda Berry escape has got some real personality, watch this interview! This won't be the last time you see this guy.

After going missing more than 10 years ago, Amanda Berry shouted to a man from a Seymour Avenue house on Monday. Charles Ramsey and Angel Cordero broke down the door and freed Berry, who was 16 when she disappeared in 2003. Cordero told NewsChannel5's Stephanie Ramirez that he recognized Berry from posters and that she was with a 4 or 5-year-old child. Other victims Michelle Knight and Gina DeJesus.

http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/cleveland_metro/cleveland-man-who-found-missing-woman-amanda-berry-i-thought-that-girl-was-dead#ixzz2ScUmj9qm

Is Wellington A Dying City?

2013-05-07T02:44:00.000-07:00

New Zealand Prime Minister has come under attack for suggesting that Wellington is a "dying city". Do you agree?
Here is an interesting video.

http://tvnz.co.nz/seven-sharp/wellington-really-dying-video-5431013

I think that Wellington is an amazing city with so many things to see and do like Te Papa, Cable Car museum, Pencarrow, the Basin Reserve, Zelandia, Mt Kaukau, Macra Beach, Oriental Bay, the cafes, the amazing movie theatres, restaurants, waterfront bars and of course it is the capital of Middle Earth. Wellington also get plenty of the big acts that bigger cities get, but I don't think this is what John Key is getting at.

In John Key's defence, there are plenty of old buildings which since the Christchurch earthquakes are now earthquake zones and therefore unable to be used to their potential. There are heaps of old damp houses which some would say add character, but people used to more modern cities feel these buildings seem old. I am from Invercargill, but in Invercargill most people I know have warm and modern homes compared with Wellington.

The History of Joaquin Phoenix and His Family

2013-05-06T01:21:00.002-07:00

During the weekend I was looking up information on whatever happened to some movie stars. I was actually looking up information on River Phoenix who died in 1993 and was intrigued to find that Joaquin Phoenix is his brother and found him outside The Viper Room which is a bar half owned by Johnny Depp and called an ambulance for help, but to no avail. It ends up they were in a big family who were part of the Children of God cult and hence why Joaquin Phoenix was once called "Leaf" and born in Puerto Rico.

Anyway, the details are below. River Phoenix was the oldest brother.

Phoenix was born Joaquín Rafael Bottom in Río Piedras, a sector of the city of San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he lived until he was six. He is the third of five children, including River (1970–1993), Rain (1972), Liberty (1976), and Summer (1978). He also has a half-sister named Jodean (1964) from a previous relationship of his father's.^[2]
His father, John Lee Bottom, was a lapsed Catholic^[3] from Fontana, California.^[4] His mother, Arlyn (née Dunetz), was born in The Bronx, New York, to Jewish parents whose families emigrated from Russia and Hungary.^[3] In 1968, Arlyn left her family and moved to California, later meeting Phoenix's father while hitchhiking. They married in 1969, then later joined the religious cult the Children of God and began travelling throughout South America.^[4]
His parents eventually became disenchanted with the Children of God; they made the decision to leave the cult and returned to the U.S. in 1978. They changed their last name to "Phoenix" to symbolize a new beginning. This was also around the time Joaquin had begun calling himself "Leaf", desiring to have a nature-related name like his siblings and inspired by spending time outdoors raking leaves with his father. (In a Jay Leno interview, Joaquin said he had originally called himself Antleaf as a child; it is unclear if he was being serious).^[5] Leaf became the name he would use as a child actor; at fifteen, he changed it back to Joaquin.^[6]
In order to provide food and financial support for the family, the children performed on the streets and at various talent contests, singing and playing instruments.^{[citation needed]} In Los Angeles his mother started working as a secretary for NBC, and his father worked as a landscaper. Phoenix and his siblings were eventually discovered by one of Hollywood's leading children's agents, Iris Burton, who got the five children acting work, mainly doing commercials and television show appearances.^[7] Joaquin went on to establish himself as a child actor before deciding to withdraw from acting for a while and travel to Mexico and South America with his father.^{[citation needed]}
Phoenix came back into public view under tragic circumstances: on October 31, 1993, his brother, River Phoenix, suffered a drug overdose and died, outside the Hollywood nightclub The Viper Room, which was co-owned by Johnny Depp at the time. Joaquin's call to 911 to save his brother was recorded and repeatedly played over the airwaves and on television.^[8] The sudden media intrusion into his life proved to be overwhelming; once again, he retreated from the public eye. A year later, at the insistence of his friends, Phoenix reluctantly re-entered the world of acting.

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

Heavy Rain Floods Wellington - Tell Me Your Stories Please!

2013-05-05T16:55:00.000-07:00

There was heavy rain in Wellington today causing flooding. I haven't seen rain like I saw on my way to work today and this photo taken by Transit Media sums up the situation. The rain hit between 8am and 9am.

Drains were overflowing throughout town as the rain bucketed down and the water level was up to the door entrances of shops around town. It was impossible to avoid arriving at town in wet jeans and socks, although thankfully it wasn't too cold or windy which means I could use my umbrella! That is a rare thing in Wellington. We have hardly had any rain in the last six months, so that makes this deluge so impressive.

There were also impressive thunder and lightning strikes last night.

It makes for an entertaining trip to work. I should have warn some gumboots! I realise this is minor compared with life threatening floods overseas, but it definitely made for an interesting Monday morning trip to work! Wellington buses had to be diverted from the Basin Reserve roundabout as traffic stalled nearby and the water level rose.

Tell me your stories of how you found your trip to work this morning.

https://twitter.com/TransmitMedia/status/331162534700781570