26 May 2008

Scott Dixon wins Indy 500, lots of verdicts, Hannah scores in soccer and PODs all round - 26/05/2008

LOCAL NEWS

The Muliaga inquest began this week, about the woman who died when the power was cut off in her home and she stopped receiving oxygen. Remembering that she was on oxygen because she was overweight (described now as morbidly obese), the statement from her husband "she died for the want of $34" is bollocks if you consider she could have eaten $34 less of cheeseburgers and solved the problem in two ways. Some of the salient facts included the fact that they had been cut off before, they had been sent some 70 letters about their payment issues, and a number of other facts that show the family had plenty of notice.

We had the final budget of the current labour government. There were finally tax cuts but sod all. One can't help but consider that cutting spending on a bloating public service or even redirecting the money from bureaucrats to teachers and doctors wouldn't be a good thing.

News this week that smart kids do the same in streamed classes or not but the weaker kids do worse when streamed.

Concerns were raised about women becoming worse offenders in drunk driving. Again.

One of life's winners was in court this week for buying chips and M&Ms. He got the munchies, popped into a gas station, while in the (always too long) queue he ate some of the M&Ms. He got to the front of the queue, realised he had no money, but because he had started eating them he had to pay, so tried to pay with his tinny of cannabis, the policeman standing behind him in the queue arrested him.

Some evolutionary wonder woke up in a mini-skip in South Auckland while it was being emptied into a truck. He managed to make enough noise to prevent being munched. Apparently he couldn't get in to a nuclear reactor or incinerator to sleep.

The courts seemed quite productive this week with verdicts in a number of cases. A man was not-guilty of killing his niece (sounds like maybe she died of complications from AIDS), another man was guilty of killing his mother.

The Kahui trial summation took two days and the jury took less than a day to decide it wasn't him. Police say they charged the right person and nobody else will be charged. It's not pretty, at all. Two boys are dead and nobody did it. Meanwhile, Macsyna King, the mother, has been in every sodding paper telling us everything we don't know about her (and we really don't want to know anything).

A well known jockey fell off a bluff while hunting and got himself some serious head injuries.

Meanwhile another man managed to successfully hide under 3.5 tonnes of granite slabs. He is believed to have been trying to emulate the miracle rescues in China. He was described as being critically ill, but newly able to slide under closed doors.

The moron charged with killing two girls when he drove into a crowd of people was finally found guilty, the jury took full advantage of the court's hospitality before delivering their verdict.

A couple of guys went for a joy ride in a micro-light aircraft in the middle of the night in a rainstorm but it ended in a sad crash (a fatal sad crash). Funny, micro-lights used to be tiny a-frames with an engine strapped on and a hang glider style wing but I've seen two in the news that look like baby cessnas.

It is celiac awareness day today, I hope you are all aware of it. It is also "hoody" week. We are supposed to wear a hoody to show we are in touch with youth.

Meanwhile some people are too much in touch with smacking continuing despite the laws prohibiting it.

WORLD NEWS

After stamping to create the earthquake, China stood still on Monday to remember the dead. A steady stream of people continued to be arrested for covering themselves in crap and crawling into wrecked buildings hoping to be the last one found alive.

REAL SPORT

Rory's senior boys won their game on Friday 5-1 or something against a team they have drawn with a couple of times. Rory then took his Ponsonby team and they beat a Glen Eden B team 21-0 (they shouldn't bother playing A against B it is pointless).

Hannah's soccer team had their final grading game, playing the team just below them on the table who had drawn with a team that Hannah's team lost to a couple of weeks ago. On paper, I thought they should have won, and they certainly did. Again, they were 5-0 up at half time. Hannah scored her first goal of the season from half way, a shot that bounced in front of the goalie and went over and in. They also got a nice goal from a corner of Hannah's and a through ball from her also got them a goal. The floodgates closed at half time but they managed to get one more, to make it 6-0. Now, if you read this every week, you will think I am fibbing but they have won four games out of seven and scored six goals every time they win. This was their first away win, and their first win on a small pitch, so that was two hoodoos that have been broken. Oh, and Hannah got player of the day (so did Thomas AND Katie so was a good day all round).

On Sunday night, Rory's team lost 3-5 in the playoff for 5th and 6th. Rory got one goal, missed another he really should have scored.

SPORT

Jacob Oram scored a quick ton to help New Zealand survive in the first test, the Poms didn't even get to start their second innings before the end of the drawn match.

In the second test, New Zealand batted first and actually were in a pretty good position at the end of the second day, with 381 and England at 152/4. At the end of day three it was quite bizarre, 16 wickets fell, New Zealand all out for 114 in their second innings and now England still have a job to win. No chance of a draw with two days left and only nine wickets remaining.

Man Utd beat Chelsea in a penalty shootout after 1-1 draw in the Champs League final. Ronaldo missed one, John Terry missed one too.

Crusaders and Waratahs won their semi-finals and meet next weekend in Super 14 final.

New Zealander Scott Dixon started at pole position for the Indianapolis 500, and although was not in the lead the whole race stayed near the front and was comfortably in front at the right time (the end).

MY SAD LIFE

Sarah popped in with the twins on Monday, they are starting to look like non-newborns now. They are rolling over now, and are 14 weeks old tomorrow I think.

Robyn's funeral was on Thursday, quite well attended with St Mathews in the City packed. The service was over two hours, which does seem a little long. A few people got their cars clamped in a pre-pay carpark (what a crock, you don't get a credit for leaving early and if you take longer that you pre-pay for they clamp you in three minutes and charge you $140 extra).

We went to a school quiz night on Friday with the Bambis and others. It was lame, the questions were very obscure (and had things like multiple choices questions where the answer was none of the options). Then at the end they decided they needed to give stuff away so it dragged out forever.

Rory stayed home sick on Wednesday, and I made him watch (sort of made him) The Hidden Fortress, a 1958 black and white Japanese movie by Akira Kurosawa. He really enjoyed it.

Before Hannah's soccer game I popped in to say hello to Heidi, Pam, and Sjaan up the hill from the soccer ground, it was my walk for the day.

In the local paper there was a photo on the front page about some boys at Pasadena Intermediate taking up knitting. The boy at the front was Tom Hartill, son of a guy I grew up with. The only thing missing on the article was flashing red words saying "please beat us up".

Rory and I did some gardening to fill the bin on Sunday. I noticed two camellias had blossomed, the first of the winter, so I killed them (well put them in a vase).

We saw the Goodins, and Charles, yesterday. Charles is off to work in Singapore for the next 12 months (plus or minus three years). Hannah made a carrot cake and the icing was the best, there wasn't much left to bring home for Rory (who was tired so didn't go).

On the 1st of June, this week, it will be 12 years since we moved in to this house.

I read something about the "great vowel shift" in English which happened between 1200 to 1600. Because I can't read those horrible pronunciation things I can't really tell what happened but it does sound intriguing. They also reckon that the Spanish lisp (like in Barthelona) came from some highly regarded person having a lisp.

The following is an unpaid contribution from my daughter who hijacked my laptop. I take no responsibility for anything contained therein:

HANNAH'S SAD LIFE

Hannah is awesome,
She's cool too,
Everyone loves Hannah,
AND SO SHOULD YOU!!!!!!

I had a French test on Friday, it seemed pretty easy but I don't have my results back yet. Anyone who has spare time might like to go see the chick flick What Happens in Vegas, I saw it Friday night and thought it was quite decent, there were a few good laughs in it but you could easily see them coming. Bags not triple gun padlock pink bunnies, white elephants!!!!! I hope you have enjoyed Hannah's section this week (and just to let you know my life is not sad unlike my fathers!). HANNAH'S ROCK (or maybe just this one) DON'T FORGET TO RECYCLE, TURN OFF LIGHTS WHEN EXITING A ROOM AND DON'T EAT TUNA, WHITEBAIT OR SCALLOPS THEY ARE ENDANGERED!!!!!!!!! Peace out. Can I have some money please????!!!!!

(I sincerely apologise for that bit) Yes, Hannah has turned into a conservation nazi this week and turns off appliances all around the house. It's nice that it isn't just me, but Hannah is considerably worse than me (which is quite a change given that she was the biggest offender until recently). It is beginning to bug everyone, I think.

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