LOCAL NEWS
Winston Peters found another dodgy Iraqi. He has struck gold, this will get him through the election and could even elevate him to a kingmaker role.
The local news service went wild on Tuesday when a threat was made to release foot and mouth disease on Waiheke Island. When it was released (the news), theoretically the disease had been released but there was a high chance it was a hoax. Given that it cost the country $1 million per day for some poor vets to spend their days poking thermometers into the nasty end of sheep and cows (and plenty more besides) I have to say suggestions of amnesty for the perpetrator to come forward and admit it was a hoax are quite disagreeable. Such a person should be found and punished to the full extent of the law. Holding the country to ransom (this could eliminate some $10 billion worth of exports per year for more than one year if true) is not funny. By the end of the weekend it was looking more likely to be a hoax.
There was a really cheap-shot article about how the Nelson Chronic Fatigue support group were too tired to do anything for International Chronic Fatigue Awareness Day. It's a bit like nobody showing up to the Apathy Sufferer's AGM.
A couple were convicted of stealing a plant pot that contained the remains of a foetus. They were upset that they had stolen such a thing, and claimed that they thought the house was unoccupied and the pot had been abandoned.
Lesley Martin, the euthanasia campaigner who was jailed for euthanasing her mother (at a time that appeared to be prematurely, without agreement of anyone else in her family) was ironically consulted by her family (ironic, isn't it) about her brother who was brain damaged in an accident a couple of weeks ago and they had to turn the machine off.
Some local person made news by listening to the voice mail of prominent people's cellphones (when they had used the standard access pin numbers). It wasn't very exciting, really.
Latest polls give Winston Peters a shot at becoming PM, if we aren't thoroughly careful.
Some Auckland guy stood on a railing, then fell 20m into a hole. He called rescue services on his mobile and told them when their siren sounded loudest so they could find him. Amazing how you sober up fast when you are suffering multiple contusions and a dislocated elbow.
True story - the residents of West Coast town Blackball were dismayed to hear a paroled paedophile was coming to live in their small community. There was a massive uproar, they were on the telly and I think the whole town pretty quickly figured out who it was (the police wouldn't tell them). He has now left. I think it is fair to say he was blackballed.
WORLD NEWS
Koos pointed out that the mystery of the exploding toads in Germany was explained when someone discovered crows were pecking out their livers and when the toads eventually realised they were under threat they would deliberately blow themselves up and without their liver and a hole in their skin they would over-inflate their lungs and burst. That's evolution for you.
I think the Uzi must have been named after Uzbekistan, where 500 protestors have been inhumed by riot police. Wonder when the US will step in. It's very confusing when the President is called Islam and he blames Islamists. Are they followers of Islam the religion or the person?
REAL SPORT
No water polo, it starts next week. What a rotten trick to play on us.
The girls struggled a bit on Saturday, against a pretty handy team, but we conceded a goal in the first half and were down 0-1 at half time (first time we've been down at half time this season). Hannah played really hard and at one point touched the ball about five times in a row clearing the ball from the penalty area and working it all the way to half way without anyone else doing a thing. It was like there were nine spectators on the field in green and white hoops. In the second half I had to put her in goal, we needed a solid goalie and our B goalie isn't really solid. Hannah let one in but it went over her head but I am not sure I would have reached it, but she did some good clearance kicks and just thumped one away very convincingly. Final score was 0-2, Hannah got player of the day and really deserved it.
Rory's team were without Rory and playing a team that hadn't had a win, so they needed to play well. They were playing with a new approach to defence which made me a bit nervous but it was better to try it against a weaker team than a tough one. We scored twice in the first half, and although they had to defend a bit there wasn't too much pressure. In the second half the opposition were going uphill, and really struggled to get out of their half. We scored twice again in the second half to finish with a 4-0 win, which makes them now three wins from six games and pretty certain to stay in Div 1.
SPORT
You know, I haven't really got a clue what's happened in the sporting world. I think the Super 12 semi-finalists are Waratahs playing Bulls and Crusaders playing Hurricanes.
Man Utd scored three goals to give them a 2-1 win over Southampton. Arsenal lost 1-2 to Birmingham. Nobody cares, Chelsea won the premiership. Southampton is relegated, as is Crystal Palace and Norwich. I think Sunderland are coming up, West Ham doesn't look like they will.
Tiger missed the cut for the first time in 146 matches.
MY SAD LIFE
Diana had a really evil idea last week. Hannah has been complaining about too much dancing, although we suspected it was more of an attention-seeking device than a real issue. Finally, Diana told her to make up her own mind and decide for herself (which was effectively what Hannah seemed to want). However, that really threw Hannah and she took a couple of days to think about it, and finally decided to give up hip-hop dancing, a very responsible decision but not what she had asked to give up previously. I suspect this may become a bit of a regular approach for us, and actually give the kids a bit more control (within reason) of some of the decisions that need to be made. The bonus is that they can't complain afterward when they chose in the first place.
Hannah has been working hard on her speech, and delivered it to the class with positive results mid-week. She came home on Friday with news that she was going on the final that is today, where they speak to the whole assembly. She spent yesterday in bed, sick, which is a concern but she seems better and should be okay to do the speech.
Rory won a story writing competition with his story of the trip to Glinks Gully the year before last. He won $150 and it was read out on a radio station by John Campbell (TV3 person). I was woken up by voices and wondered what was going on at about ten to seven and then realised they were getting ready to listen to the show. We all sat in the lounge with the radio going and had to wait about forty minutes for it to come up, even had to listen to Abba's "Dancing Queen" (sometimes the price you pay is just too high). Finally it came on, and although I had read it quite a while ago it seemed different. I think Rory was happier about the dollars than the fact that his story was read on the radio.
Rory went off to inter-school wrestling and hurt his knee. I am pretty annoyed because he has been doing lots of inter-school things just to get out of spending time at school. However, getting injured doing something you don't really care about kind of mucks things up when you want to play the sport you do care about. It seems to be getting better but he has a school soccer trial today.
Star Wars Episode III opens this week. (Sorry, Brett, but that is kind of newsworthy.) A saga that began in 1978 (for us in New Zealand) will now be complete. For Episode I, I took Rory to a special screening where we got given an ice cream in our seats, Rory wanted to see if he could ask for another one (he was six). For Episode II, Rory got the day off when it opened and we went to see it at 10am, the day Diana and I flew out for a trip to Melbourne and Sydney, Rory was nine. I vividly remember that on the way home from the movie we talked about how old he would be when Episode III came out and him saying "Wow, nearly thirteen, that's a long way away." We are going to the charity premiere tonight, a few days before the official opening. It will include a few New Zealanders who have minor parts in the film who will say a few words (Jay Lagaia, Keisha Castle-Hughes, and Bodie Taylor - Temuera Morrison is overseas). The 501st Legion are doing lots of stuff wandering around in Stormtrooper outfits, etc, in conjunction with 20th Century Fox, my friends Chris and Matt have been very busy with interviews and things. Fox have flown troopers from all over the country for tonight, there will be 23 people in costume. It should be a lot of fun.
Paul is off to Kiev, might be there by now. He was meeting Ian and Maureen somewhere, Paris I think.
May the force be with you, always.
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