More news than you could ever use - 06/09/04

It's been a huge week, all over the planet.

LOCAL NEWS

The Herald continues to overtly support mayoral candidate Dick Hubbard, another candidate has pulled out in favour of Hubbard, while Banks is still just a dick.

The family of a Dad who went missing and is very probably dead were in the news before Fathers Day. The son had written a letter to him, which his wife read out on the telly. Sad story, but he wasn't going to show for Fathers Day.

A boy was badly burned when his pyjamas caught fire as he sat near a heater. His parents say it was the pajamas, the Warehouse say they are tested as safe. No mention was made of the fact that the kid was too close to the damned heater, or whether the heater was dangerous. I just wish I know which spelling for pjs is correct because it looks stupid with a Y and one article used both in it.

An interview show on Maori TV hosted by the man with the expensive public-funded underpants (Tuku Morgan) has been pulled because the producers of "The Kumars at No 42" think it is copying their show. Only about four people in New Zealand watch the station so it shouldn't be much of a concern.

Prisoners have been given compensation for being treated unfairly. However, the families of their victims aren't happy. They want to get the compensation money, rather than the prisoners. It does seem unfair that someone kills a person and is then awarded $100,000 for an abuse of human rights (putting them in solitary because they behave badly) and yet the murder victim got nothing for their human rights being removed completely. I don't think anyone agrees with them being compensated and getting to keep the money.


WORLD NEWS

I wouldn't send my children to school in Russia at the moment. After the two planes going down, the hostage taking at the school has got to make Russia the bottom of places to live. I fail to see how anyone could think they would help their cause by hurting kids.

Hurricane Frances has been playing in Florida.

REAL SPORT

Rory had two hours of water polo training on Tuesday night, then played two games on Friday night. He is training with the Western All Stars development squad until we go away. He was picked as a potential player for a tournament that happens while we are away (there are lots of things happening while we are away).

On Friday night he scored a hat-trick of goals in the first game for his team, and they won 9-2. He was playing the best I have ever seen him play. Given that he hasn't played for a couple of weeks, I was surprised. I know I am biased, but he just looked so good. He was flicking the ball over his shoulder to a player behind him (did it three or four times) and it look awesome. He played three quarters and set up more goals than he scored. Then, we waited for an hour and he played for Team 3, who were short of players. Three others from his team helped as well, and when Rory, David, and Sam were out there they took the opposition apart. Rory played two quarters and scored four goals as the team beat Bruce McLaren 2 17-0 (it was awful in the last quarter, even with Rory, David, and Finn off and Sam in goal the other team weren't doing well). Miss Hooper (the teacher) is sooo competitive, she didn't want to take the foot of their throat at all. She does a great job with them all, her approach to the teams is very similar to how I feel about the kids I coach at soccer (although I am less competitive).

Had parents versus team soccer game for Rory's team on Saturday. Parents sometimes broke into a walk but some were higher energy. I had my moments, my best being when Hannah and Rory were converging on me (with ball), I chipped the ball between them, it deflected off Hannah, I jumped between them, over their legs, got the ball and scored. The crowd in my head went wild. Very tired afterward and sore ever since.

SPORT

Canterbury won the shield when they beat BOP 33-26 on Sunday. It's a shame, really, because it is more interesting when the smaller provinces have it. Auckland lost to North Harbour 32-34 and really suck at the moment. Wellington beat Waikato 33-17 (Waikato were up 17-0 at one stage then lost a key player to injury). Otago beat Southland 27-10. Taranaki are still unbeaten, beating Northland 62-11. The bottom three teams all end in "land" (auck, south, north).

No premiership games because England drew with Austria after being ahead 2-0 in a World Cup qualifier.

I don't have to mention the Warriors any more (they didn't win). Somehow the Rabbitohs came last, but on points difference.

MY SAD LIFE

It was a very big week this way in many ways, some small, some quite big.

I decided to stop writing for PC World this week. My column has become more of a battle to do, I've been struggling to stay interested, and the editor has now decided that the column has done it's dash. I don't have any ideas for an alternative, and although he is happy for me to continue with some other things I do, I don't think I want to. They didn't want me to write for a digital photography magazine, which really annoyed me recently. I nearly pulled the plug then, but wimped out because of the (paltry) regular income. The only way I could contribute to the first issue was grant permission for them to use extracts from my book in it (which I think may have annoyed PC World). But now it looks like I will write about digital photography anyway, the editor of Dphoto is keen. It is published by a company called Parkside Media, the evil nemesis of IDG (who publish PC World), so I guess you could say I am going over to the parkside (couldn't resist that, have said it about fifty times). I have written at least one article in every issue of PC World for fifteen years running (165 issues), that is a long time. I am ready to move on, but it does feel pretty weird.

Rory seems to do no wrong at school. He thought he had cocked up an assignment he handed in on Monday (not sure why, but the girls all did way more work). He came home Tuesday with the news that he got 5/5. I think his teacher sees hidden depths that aren't really there (the Emperors New Clothes syndrome).

I bought a new office chair, when I was actually looking for shelving. It doesn't have arms, and although it is easy clean leatherette, it doesn't seem to cold when I sit on it in my boxers (sorry about the mental picture that conjures up, try to think about puppies or bunnies or something).

My iPaq died on Friday, it was a crisis. I had to go do some work without it and it was scary not having my little notes with me. It did finally recharge and is fine now, but I thought it was done for.

Gavin applied to join the fire service this week, about 1 in 20 get in, but I think he has a good shot at it. Interestingly, many fire stations don't have fireman's poles in them. Gavin was far less disappointed in this than I was. He is working hard.

Diana went to listen to a lady that wrote a hilarious book about punctuation. She really needs to get out more.

Went to Devonport and North Head on Thursday night with the kids and Paul while Diana was off hearing humourous anecdotes about the inappropriate use of semi-colons. We had fish and chips down at the water after wandering around the old naval defence base, pretty typical of a trip there.

Radio show on Sunday went really, really, well. I didn't nearly die on air or anything.

I heard from Charles, but not Koos. I did talk to his parents who should be landing in Amsterdam any time around now to see Heidi before they go visit Guernsey and then Koos (Guernsey is a channel island, not a person, where Koos was born). I did tell Pam she shouldn't mention Puffins.

Rory and I went to a geek swap meet thing on Saturday. Lots of people I know were there. Rory got given lots of bits from a guy I know. It was fun.

It is Matt Tucker's first birthday today (nephew #2).

We went to see Allan & Jackie Chambers for lunch. All three kids were away (Hamilton, Dunedin, Ruapehu). Allan has been travelling a lot for work, off to Melbourne in a week, then Ohio mid-October.

We think the Goodins still exist. They are currently being used as field triallists for a drug that eliminates the need for sleep.

We saw Alien Versus Predator (AVP) this week, and Jersey Girl. Quite different movies, but both good. Jersey Girl is by a guy called Kevin Smith, I have seen all his movies, although some are pretty marginal.

A lady who has been a client of mine for about 11 years went into hospital on Monday morning. She received five pints of blood, and improved markedly (that's a lot of blood). However, another problem has since flared up and I think she is struggling. I have spent a lot of time with her over the years and got quite attached to her. I am not sure that she is going to be able to keep working. I am heading off there now to cover for her. This is going to be a tough week.