18 June 2007

A news breaker becomes a news maker, and he doesn't like it one little bit - 18/06/2007

LOCAL NEWS

In a sad, yet strangely ironic, case of the news reader becoming the news - Paul Holmes's daughter, Millie Holmes, was arrested on drugs charges on Sunday night. I wonder if he is going to agree to interviews? He offered no comment last night. Funny really, these double standards. Happy to interview police about dodgy videos at parties, happy to interview barely literate underdogs when they get a hard time from the big guy, happy to sell his story about his secret pain to the highest bidder, but won't comment when it's a little bit close to Holmes.

Funnily enough, the drug arrest did not make the headlines on Newstalk ZB, the station he does breakfast on.

The Reserve Bank Governor intervened on Monday to push the exchange rate down, it's been very high because of higher interest rates. There is a rumour he did it again this morning.

The Government wants schools to sell healthier food. It makes perfect sense to eliminate certain really bad foods but dairies will do nicely out of it.

A 72 year old Auckland woman has shown up in Moscow as a body after disappearing following a holiday and not returning when expected.

We've had lots of debate following the deaths of two teens at a level crossing. The popular theory is the train company needs to put in barriers and so forth. As far as I am concerned if a local that knows the area isn't smart enough to look for trains when in a car load of people (so they could have spotters both sides) then it is simple Darwinian evolution. It's not that much different from crossing the road, is it?

It is the "traditional" Maori New Year tomorrow. I say it in inverted commas because I don't think we started hearing about this tradition until a couple of years ago, after we started getting some fuss about Chinese New Year. We now have three, doesn't that seem two too many?

Sad story this week when an autistic boy died in a house fire, despite his mother's attempts to rescue him.

WORLD NEWS

I heard something about Salman Rushdie being knighted. The ceremony will take place in a nuclear fallout shelter 500m below sea level in the Rocky Mountains.

Fiji is doing nothing for tourism by expelling a journalist and an New Zealand diplomat. They seems that despite this apparently inexplicable behaviour, we should still want to go there for a holiday. I don't think so, Frank. He needs a reality check or he won't be able to cash a cheque.

THIS JUST IN - Brett says there's been a shooting in Flinders Lane in Melbourne, four people down, one fatality. Me and Paul wandered around there quite a lot on our travels. Nasty. He says it seems random.

REAL SPORT

No water polo for Hannah this week, her team had a bye in an attempt to defuse tensions at the pool.

In soccer, we were at Cox's Bay, an idyllic spot, right on the coast, looking across to the north shore on a cold but sunny day. I thought we should win pretty easily against Metro, but we just couldn't score, it was 0-0 at the end of the first half. Going up hill in the second half we scored a goal early, and that seemed to tip the balance. Despite needing to defend pretty desperately a few times, most of the action was at the far end and we won 4-0.

SPORT

All Blacks beat Canada, not exactly a surprise, 64-13.

Boks beat Australia 22-19 in Capetown in first Tri-Nations game.

Warriors beat Cronulla at home for first time since 2003. That was a surprise. This ended a six game losing streak.

Big game in domestic netball on Sunday night when Southern Sting beat the Magic by two goals to make the final.


MY SAD LIFE

Hannah's call-back is now today. She's been practicing, a lot, although not so much in last two days.

Rory went to see his school show, Dracula, with Priya and friends. Not sure the show was his thing. Priya's little brother also attended in a parental master stroke. For the cost of a $10 ticket they had a chaperone and a baby sitter sorted.

Rory reckons he won't go see Hannah in her show, interesting debate going on there with Diana.

The fallout from the polo game Friday before last resulted in emails flying between Principals, then a letter, a meeting with the Ponsonby Principal and the polo teacher, and a reply to the letter. Now I am having a meeting with a high maintenance parent from the other team on Tuesday night. I am not in the mood to take any more bullshit on this. It has gone beyond a joke.

The Goodins spent the week at Mystery Creek, selling their jumpers in an environment ideally suited to motivate purchases. It is always damn cold there.

Charles has finished sorting his Mum's house and headed back to Melbourne last night. We saw him briefly yesterday.

It is Diana's birthday this coming Saturday. Feel free to send her birthday wishes (her address is in this email at the top). Meanwhile, I would happily take constructive suggestions for gifts for her.

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