Australia Robbed

A national disaster of epic proportions unfolded today as some no-name Italian low-life snuck into the Australian penalty box and stole a 95th minute penalty, robbing Australia of a place in the quarter finals of the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

Now, I am definitely not Australian, in fact, I have frequently been heard to say that Australia would be a great place to live if there weren't so many bloody Australians there, but that is of course in trans-Tasman jest and rivalry, but if I was, today I would be in mourning for their tragic exit to the competition. Truth be known, there is not a team I would have liked more to progress in this world cup. Australia for me have played the most enjoyable football of all the teams in the tournament, and have proved to the world they are a force to be reckoned with in international football. And who would have thought! Australia were all over the Italians, having about 60% of the possession, and numerous attempts on goal, but they just couldn't put it away, but the writing was on the wall for the Italians! Had the Aussies managed to hold out for about another 5 seconds, the game would have gone into extra time. Aussie still had 2 new subs, and Italy only had 10 men, so in extra time these pressures would have come into force, and I believe Italy would have come out second best (they were second best for the first 94 minutes anyway!) To add insult to injury, I reckon it wasn't a fould anyway - the bloody eyeteye took a dive, and was rewarded for it by the referee. THIS is exactly the kind of thing that spoils the game of football for me. Not only have you got a cheat being rewarded for his bad sportsmanship, we now have a team going into the next round who DO NOT DESERVE to be there. Bring in the video ref I reckon, and start laying some heavy penalties upon the INDIVIDUALS who twist the final outcome of a game of skill into a game of deception, cheating and bad sportsmanship. What made all this worse for me was to see the Italians celebrating the Australians loss - They were not celebrating THEIR WIN because they did nothing to deserve it. The next round of the world cup will now suffer because of this. The Italians take with them a boring yawn-fest, whereas the Australians would have taken the FEAR FACTOR. They would be a new opponent to many of the teams going through to the next round with a new style, new tactics, whereas the Italians are just more of the same old same old - a bunch of greasy pompous drama queens trading on the achievements of their predecessors - YAWN. SPORT is the loser, but AUSTRALIA is the winner - I don't hold any hopes for my own country to make it there anytime in the near future, so I look forward to seeing Aussie there again in 4 years time.

What were they THINKING!

There have been some crazy things invented and marketed to the masses for recreational purposes over the years, but this pair of Rainbow Spring Boots has got to be one of the most insane.
I guess they made them in such bright and fun colours, so you would feel happy and cheerful about yourself as you simultaneously snapped both ankles!
I purchased a pair identical to those in the photo above for $1 at a garage sale lately .

Toll Road takes its Toll on Ratepayers

There is a little saying I have learnt in my years of experience in the advertising business - it is: "If you don't advertise, something terrible happens! - NOTHING!"

Why have I brought that up?

Well, every day on my way to work I travel on a toll Road called Route K.
I call it "K Road" after the famous Auckland Red Light district because in a submission I made to the local council when they were trying to prevent prostitutes from working from home by designating certain areas they would be allowed to work from, I pointed out that as they were intent on creating Tauranga's first RED LIGHT district, they should make it down on K Road (the toll road) because NOBODY GOES THERE!

Sometimes I am the only car on this big new highway. It is like being on the movie set of an old mining town in the wild west - you expect to see the tumbleweeds blowing down the road - get the picture.

This road was built at great expense to the Tauranga ratepayers by the Tauranga Council. Why was it built? I am not too sure! It doesn't appear to solve any major traffic congestion problem. It may have been to divert trucks from going through a residential area, but no trucking companies use it because the toll is too expensive, and it did not save either fuel costs or time or distance as opposed to the original route, so the trucking companies avoid it like the plague.

This did not impress the planners and consultants at the council as it blew their projected takings for the toll road out the window. Consequently it is costing the ratepayers a fortune in loan interest payments every month as it runs at a huge loss.

This brings me to the point of the story!

If this road was privately owned (and of course it wouldn't be, because no developer would have been stupid enough to risk their money building a road nobody needed to use!) But lets for arguments sake say they DID, then by this time, they would be desperately looking for ways to increase the patronage or use of this road!

They would be advertising all its benefits - ie it's quicker to get to certain places, its a faster, straighter, more open road than the alternative, there is less traffic, no traffic hold-ups, no traffic lights or crossings or pedestrians. It is less stressful or any other number if things.
They would be giving away free passes to trucking companies or potential frequent users.
They might have a weekly or monthly draw - open to all pre-paid card holders, with a prize of lets say 10 free trips on the road!
Maybe every Friday the tenth car goes through FREE!
Maybe there could be a frequent user BONUS - for every 100 trips you get a FREE PASS for 10 trips
What about White cars are FREE on Monday!
Or lets say the 500th car through for that day or week gets a FREE PASS for 10 trips.
Cars with more than one person in are half price.

They would be selling advertising space, or holding car washes in the layby.

They could rent it out on off-peak times (probably about 20 hours a day at present!) for car club events, races, shows, drags, time trials etc

There are hundreds of things that could be done to attract more patronage on this road, but even though the council are losing money hand over fist on this tarmac white elephant guess what they are doing? - that's right - NOTHING - not a bloody sausage!

Will they do anything about it, or try to make it more cost effective or work better?

NO!

Why?

Because there is no accountability, no personal responsibility. There was nothing at stake for the twits that planned it (they were spending other peoples money). There was nothing at stake (as there would be if it was privately owned) to get the projected figures corrrect other than - oooops, that didn't work did it! Never mind! Oh well - the ratepayers will cover it - a 16% rates increase should do the trick. They might squeal a little bit, but they will just roll over in the end, and if we don't mention it for a while, they will forget all about it in no time. - I know, lets start work on an art gallery and a museum to take their minds off it!

Advance Australia Fair

Listen carefully because I am going to say this only once!
When it comes to sports, us Kiwis are pretty passionate, outspoken and one-eyed (never mind that the country is going to hell in a socialist-powered handbasket!) and when it comes to a contest against our friends across the Tasman we are at our most passionate and vociferous. There is NOBODY we LOVE to HATE more than the Aussies, so you will understand it is with great difficulty I find myself in the position of having to say AWESOME AUSSIES!! Did you see their game against Brazil in the World Cup? Were the Aussies bloody brilliant or WHAT! They looked amazing - I thought they would look like a second rate amateur team playing against the big boys - like a mouse being toyed with by a big tom cat, but that was not the case at all! More like the Brazilians picking a fight with a mouse only to discover it was a POSSUM The Aussies had some GREAT moments, and some brilliant shots on goal (especially the scissors kick from inside the penalty box by the little bald guy! In fact I think they had more shots on goal than the Brazilians did! - WICKED It was a very entertaining game, and I cant wait to see them play Croatia now - I will even get up at 3am in the morning to watch that one. (Now this is the bit that REALLY hurts) - "Aussie Aussie Aussie!"

Citizen Band

I took this photograph of the Chunn brothers - Citizen Band at the second Nambassa festival held in New Zealand in the late 70s

Cool Things

Just a few cool pics I found on the net. that I thought I would share.
Don't know if I actually agree with the wording on the Olympics picture! Looks like our Labour government must have been the creative department for that one!

Look at the wings on that 58 Cadillac - orgasmic.

A beautiful example of some early streamilined design in the childs scooter.

I also love what I think they call "googie" architecture! - Imagine what a break from tradition that TWA building would have been at the time - a real Howard Roarke style design!

The 70s house looks like its made of fibreglass! - I am not sure even what it is called, but it's pretty cool all the same.

Stoneage Cure for the Common Cold

My head is throbbing, my nose is running, I feel like I have been run over by a bus, and I'm as grumpy as hell!
Yes, that's right folks I have got my first cold of the year and I feel like sh_t!

On top of all that some snotty-nosed, pimply faced teenager at the pharmacy refuses to sell me some night and day tablets without taking my fingerprints and checking my drivers licence despite the fact my eyes are red, my nose is running, and im sneezing and coughing up lumps of lung all over the counter !
What makes the situation worse is that in this day and age of technology, innovation and medical discovery, we are unable to purchase the best possible drugs to treat the common cold because most pharmacies and chemists shops in the country refuse to stock pseudoephedrine-based cures because they are targeted by criminals and druggies who break in and steal them to manufacture "P"
Why do they steal them? Because they are expensive! Why are they expensive? Because they are illegal
Why do they have to manufacture P? Because the government has made nearly all recreational drugs illegal!
Bloody typical - I get penalised because somebody else wants to take recreational drugs! How does that worK?

Let me tell you!

Because Nanny state has taken responsibility for your health and wellbeing by providing a government run health system, she has the right (supposedly) to tell you, and ENFORCE what you CAN AND CANNOT DO with YOUR OWN BODY.

People should be entitled to do with their own body whatever they wish, so long as they prove no threat or use no force on others, and that they are responsible for the consequences of those actions. That includes taking drugs.

Despite the progress of modern technology and modern medicine, we are being forced to put up with stoneage remedies by stoneage thinking by a bunch of neanderthals in the beehive.

Bring on the Varroa mite I say!

Groceries and a Brain Transplant

Recently I read this editorial in the Weekend Herald concerning the competition between Groceries and supermarket stores, and how a new competitor in the chain is going to create a win win situation for the consumers. As we all know, grocery stores are privately owned companies, with little (apart from GST) or no interference from government.
At present they are presenting the public with better quality produce, greater variety and better service than we have EVER had before! Even the editor at the NZ Herald admits it! If this is so damn obvious, then please somebody explain to me how this business differs from lets say the HEALTH SYSTEM or the EDUCATION SYSTEM! I believe if the system works so well for GROCERIES, which are also a necessity of life, then it would work equally as well to the Health system. Below is a brief exerpt from the Herald editorial. The full version can be read here.

On the face of it, the grocery supermarket business in New Zealand would seem to have about six thriving competitors. In fact, we have had two: the Foodtown, Woolworths and Countdown chains are owned by Woolworths Australia while New World, Pak'N Save and Four Square stores belong to the New Zealand co-operative Foodstuffs. It takes only two to wage a keen competition, even when the contest is between an Australasian Goliath with annual revenues around $32 billion and a domestic David with a turnover of $6 billion. Foodstuffs still claims 57 per cent of the local market. Nevertheless, the entry of a third player, The Warehouse, which opens its first "hypermarket" in the new Sylvia Park shopping centre, will be welcomed by consumers. The Warehouse's move into groceries has already shaken up the existing players, as evidenced by Foodstuffs' announcement yesterday of a bid for 10 per cent of The Warehouse shares. The remorseless globalisation of the grocery business is being felt by all supermarket suppliers and all other retailers of consumer goods. The plight of suppliers was highlighted in this country last week with Woolworths' demand for double the discount (to at least 10 per cent) it has been getting from suppliers. The company appears to be bringing New Zealand trading terms into line with its Australian rates. Customers will share the benefit, though, if Woolworths passes on some of the extra discount. The bulk buying power of supermarkets has been an undeniable boon to general living standards even if it threatens the livelihoods of other retailers. Pharmacies, liquor stores and petrol stations have felt it, yet the humble suburban wine shop has shown that all need not be lost to economies of scale. Good wine shops have survived successive waves of price competition, first from deregulated liquor outlets and more recently from supermarket wine sales. Good wine shops can compete on service, which in their case means being able to recommend a genuinely good, reasonably priced wine of the kind the customer is seeking. More areas of retailing may be forced to improve customer servicing if they are to compete with supermarket prices. If they do, the consumer stands to win both ways.

Whatever where they THINKING?

The Football World Cup

Picture caption:Why Brazil beat Turkey

One of the most memorable occasions in my life was when England won the World Cup in 1966. (however, another was when they lost it in 1970, but I have had therapy for that, and I'm almost over it!) The football World Cup kicks off in Germany on June 10th, and although I look forward to watching a bit of the game that played such a large part of my earlier days. At the same time I have become extremely frustrated at some of the more annoying aspects of the game that have got gradually worse and worse over the years.

My biggest disappointment and frustration is the diving and play-acting drama, or pretending to get or be fouled in order to get a free Kick, and the most annoying is the appealing to the ref for a decision, when they know damn well the decision should go the other way. All this crap slows the game down so much and makes it almost pathetic, and a parody of itself, when there is so much genuine skill and excitement just waiting to be seen I would really really like to see a time-out brought in to the game. For example. The petty fouling. FIRST OFFENCE a yellow card, or warning. SECOND OFFENCE a GREEN CARD, which would mean going to the sin-bin for 10 minutes. This means that team is down to 10 men for 10 minutes. This means 3 things. ONE: The other team has an extra player, so there is a good chance they can score (which is what the game is all about right!) TWO: The team with only 10 men cannot afford to make any petty fouls, as they could lose another man, and that would REALLY give the other team a chance to score. SO What it does is STOPS the amount of petty fouls, AND diving and play-acting (all green card offences), and ALSO opens the game up to MORE GOALS, which ALSO means LESS draws of 0-0 etc. THREE: a large reduction in the amount of professional fouls and niggly, stupid on-going, petty stuff that really slows down and detracts from this amazingly skillful, exciting game. THIRD OFFENCE: Red Card - permanent sending off. There is nothing more pathetic than seeing somebody writhing on the ground in agony, clutching their ankle after being pushed over, or on some occasions, not even touched.

Cool Design Stuff (#1)

The COOLEST TV on the Planet

The coolest TV on the planet was designed over 37 years ago, and here it is.

The Keraclonic Sphere TV, Made in England believe it or not in 1970, by Group Systems (Keracolor.) Available in Black, White as shown above, or Woodgrain, and as a 20', 22" or 26"
Available not only on a stand as shown above, but also as a hanging model, supplied with a heavy silver chrome chain.

I do not posess one of these, but would part with my left testicle to get my hands on one!

What I DO have, and which proved to be a lot less costly, is my PYE Vidmatic 22" Nautilus Colour Television, manufactured by the PYE factory in Waihi, New Zealand in the late 1970s.
There appears to be very little information on these available even on the net, so if anybody reading this knows anything about them, drop me a line.

Rodneys next Dance?

FOR SALE: Box of Socialist brains (Unused)

It does not compute with the socialists that to give something back, take LESS in the first place, or actually encourage people to do the right thing rather than PENALISE and DISCOURAGE them could actually be the solution to any particular problem. The FIRST thing that jumps into their head is ALWAYS to TAKE something away from its rightful owner or producer, as opposed to actually taking less, or giving something back.

This can be perfectly illustrated in the current government idea to place health warnings on muesli bars and fatty foods etc. What a bloody mindless exercise that is!
Where these people born in a box? - A square box - a box that denies them access to ideas or god help us THOUGHT from OUTSIDE of its structure?
It is obvious most were taught by a government run education system that produces mindless sheeple clones incapable of an original thought or coming to an innovative solution that doesnt involve the use of FORCE or THREATS, and discourages thinking outside of that box.
How on earth are they expected to come up with innovative solutions to problems such as obesity.
Here is something to think about!
How many years have there been health warning messages on packets of cigarettes?
Have they ever deterred a smoker from purchasing a pack of cigarettes? - I seriously doubt it!
What makes the mindless ones think it will work on muesli bars?
I realise they have have more time to dumb-down the population in that time, but do they seriously think it will be any incentive to eat healthier foods?
Especially with the increasing cost of meat and milk and fruit and vegetables lately
How about THIS for a clever idea! Why not take the GST (Government Slavery Tax) off all HEALTHY or un-processed foods instead - instantly making them 12.5% CHEAPER!
OOoooohhh no, can't have that!
Mindless bastards the lot of them

DOPE Virus Rampant in NZ

There is a highly contagious disease affecting the people of this country! It is called the DOPE virus!
The DOPE virus - "Desiring Other Peoples Earnings" - makes otherwise intelligent and lucid people delirious to the point of making up wild and inventive stories with little regard to actual facts and reality.

The symptoms of this affliction are that it makes people covetouse of the private property of others! It gives the sufferers a false sense of ownership of things that do not actually belong to them. They know this as a fact, and although visibly they appear to look quite normal, their thoughts and actions are what give them away asl they feel the need to dictate what the rightful owners of the property should or should not do with it. It is a terrible disease with severe symptoms of resentment, jealousy, disregard of individual rights and property which in all cases leads to the theft of cash and private property of otherwise innocent, self-respecting people.
In many cases these people do not actually realise they are suffering from this disease, as it has been indoctrinated into their lives from birth, introduced by socialist, altruist governments in the late 1940s as a helping hand to the unfortunate, but developing into an out of control, all-consuming monster seeking to take responsibility, and do the thinking for everybody in the country because
1. They get paid handsomely to do so, and
2. They know better than you how to spend your money.

It has taken the responsibility from parents for educating their children, making sure they are not taught to think or be responsible for themselves or to strive to achieve excellence in the politically correct environment they have engineered when to just participate and be average is more acceptable.

They have taken away parents responsibility for the health and wellbeing of themselves and their children by promising to fix them up should they ever get sick, no matter what the cause! What you didn't read in the fine print is "when they get around to it! - 3-5 year waiting lists are not uncommon, and just lately they have even taken to throwing people OFF the waiting list in an effort to make the statistics look good!"
(By the way, did you know that we are being deprived of the best medical care available because we are being forced to fund the government run system? If they didn't forcibly take our money from us, we would be able to afford top private medical insurance - FACT!)

It's ok to be obese and feed yourselves and your children only junk food because the government will fix you up if you get sick.

It's OK to smoke and get lung cancer because the government run health system is there to fix you up, even though you KNOW you are doing yourself harm!

It is ok to participate in extreme sports without a second thought of what will happen if you get injured or stranded up a mountain somewhere!

It's OK to have illegitimate children because the government will pay you for being irresponsible, and the more illegitimate children you have, the more your need, so they pay you even more!

It is also OK if you don't want to work because they will pay you an unemployment benefit, or, what has become preferable these days a sickness benefit (it makes the unemployed benefit list look smaller, you get more, and you can get it for longer)

Sufferers of DOPE are frequently heard to demand "what is the government going to do about it," or demand more "government intervention or funding" ( I have SO come to hate the sound of that word - it has come to mean money stolen from people who have actually earnt it, and given to people who believe they have a greater NEED of it), either oblivious of where the government actually gets this money from, or who do not give a damn it has been stolen from others and then given to them because they have been taught that they have a RIGHT to it! (which to be truthfull is more the case).

There is no known quick-fix vaccination for this terrible affliction, but those found suffering from it can be helped with a healthy non-government run education, where large doses of thinking for oneself, and rewards for achievement and excellence are prescribed.

Unfortunately there are 3 entire generations alive with this disease, and not until they understand that it is wrong and immoral to accept stolen goods from the government, and being responsible for themselves and their family are admirable traits, and should be a right, as opposed to a gift from the Government, and that private property is just that.

In the meantime, the rest of us not suffering from this affliction must pay the price.
That of high premiums for a failing health system.
An education system handing out phd's in stupidity, with hordes of underachievers barely able to complete the most basic reading writing and arithmetic.
Entire generations of a family living on handouts.

There is one alternative I guess! - To have the half of your brain removed that has discovered, learnt, and understood these things, and to become just another one of the SHEEPLE!

Just think! (sorry, that would be against the rules wouldn't it!) you would be able to vote LABOUR or JIM ANDERTON FIRST or GREENS, and have no idea that what you are doing is actually the CAUSE of all the problems you want to FIX!
Aaaaaahhhh - ignorance is BLISS

Meaning of the word "Rights"

I would like to try and clear up the misinterpretation that some people have about the true meaning of the word "Rights."

A "right" is; something that you do not have to ask anybodys permission for.

It is something that is not exclusive to one group of people, but not to
another, young, old, homosexual, black or white.

A right, is not something that is "given" to you by somebody else.
for example, a right to somebody elses time, money (ie tax) or property.

If you want any of these, you must either earn them, or pay for them by arrangement with their owner.

If anybody insists on taking or insisting on any of the above by force, then this is an infringement on your rights.

Most importantly though, a "right" is not gained at somebody elses expense.

Socialists declare that you have a "right" to an education, to housing, to health care, to special treatment if you are a minority group.

Socialism has changed the meaning of the word "right" to mean its opposite: "something that you are 'given' at the 'expense' of somebody else,"

The true meaning of the word "right" used to be a declaration of your independence (ie something you dont have to ask anybody elses permission for.) Now a right has become others declaration of dependence on you.

How are young people in particular ever to learn the true meaning of these words if they are to be so continuously twisted to suit the interpretation of the state.

That's WHY they play rugby

These really are priceless, and must be shared

"Nobody in Rugby should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein." -
Jono Gibbs - Chiefs

"I'm going to graduate on time, no matter how long it takes." -
Rodney So'ialo - Hurricanes - on University


"You guys line up alphabetically by height." and "You guys pair up in groups of three, then line up in a circle." -
Colin Cooper - Hurricanes head coach


Chris Masoe (Hurricanes) on whether he had visited the Pyramids during his visit to Egypt: "I can't really remember the names of the clubs that we went to."


"He's a guy who gets up at six o'clock in the morning regardless of what time it is." - Colin Cooper on Paul Tito


Kevin Senio (Auckland), on Night Rugby vs Day Games "It's basically the same, just darker."


David Nosafora (Auckland) talking about Troy Flavell "I told him, 'Son, what is it with you. Is it ignorance or apathy?' He said, 'David, I don't know and I don't care.'


David Holwell (Hurricanes) when asked about the upcoming season: "I want to reach for 150 or 200 points this season, whichever comes first."


"Andy Ellis - the 21 year old, who turned 22 a few weeks ago"
(Murray Mexted)


"Colin has done a bit of mental arithmetic with a calculator."
(Ma Nonu)


"He scored that try after only 22 seconds - totally against the run of play."
(Murray Mexted)


"We actually got the winning try three minutes from the end but then they scored."
(Phil Waugh Warratah)


"I've never had major knee surgery on any other part of my body."
(Jerry Collins)


"That kick was absolutely unique, except for the one before it which was identical."
(Tony Brown)


"I owe a lot to my parents, especially my mother and father."
(Tana Umaga)


"Sure there have been injuries and deaths in rugby - but none of them serious."
(Doc Mayhew)


"If history repeats itself, I should think we can expect the same thing again."
(Anton Oliver)


"I would not say he (Rico Gear) is the best left winger in the Super 14, but there are none better." (Murray Mexted)


"I never comment on referees and I'm not going to break the habit of a lifetime for that prat." (Ewan McKenzie)


Murray Deaker: "Have you ever thought of writing your autobiography?"
Tana Umaga: "On what ?"


"Well, either side could win it, or it could be a draw."
(Murray Mexted)


"Strangely, in slow motion replay, the ball seemed to hang in the air for even longer."
(Murray Mexted)

Not by the Hair on my Chinny Chin Chin!

The Millau viaduct is part of the new E11 expressway connecting Paris and Barcelona and features the highest bridge piers ever constructed.
The tallest is 240 meters high and the overall height will be an impressive 336 meters, making this the highest bridge in the world.
All I can say is that they are lucky they don't have Taniwha's or the RMA over there!
A single taniwha would have put an end to this in no time flat, and besides that, it would still be waiting for resource consent. Here in Godzone we would be destined to take "the long way round" for many years to come!