Remind you of anyone? Lotawa and Rokocoko are cousins.

I want to see this again tomorrow!

Hoani is a bolter for the end of year tour. Having played against him in touch a few times he is quick for a big man! Played bball for Southland.
What is this guy thinking?
Pictures

Just to lighten the mood here are some pictures!

Touch
The level of opposition in touch has really stepped up a notch, however the Chosen Ones have fought adversity to grab a win and a draw in play this week. Playing a side called "Chodes" with 1 girl only and about 8 fast guys we look to have drawn the short straw. The truth of the matter is that we had no guy subs and 3 girls one of which hadn't played much. We took them down through playing mistake free touch and they with all their flare and venim were largely benign in nature. Phil Dawson and Sammy scored tries from inside balls that I delivered whilst Dawson also did some great running to score before halftime. He had to leave at halftime, lucky big bossman was on the sideline watching, so he played the second half. Jeremy France and myself had a head clash with my chin and his eye making contact with two minutes to go. We held on for a 3-1 win.

On Friday we played Castle Street Boys/ Girls and they had a couple of really great players, and a female who kept calling some dubious touches, but what can you do. We threw some disgraceful passes and made some horrific botched catches, also due to some good defence from them. It was actually a nailbiter with Jeremy France scoring with his trademark across the field down the touchline special Cullen styles and Roh with his rock star appearance and speediest jeans scored in the first half to go with a try by yours truly dumming my way past a girl! No one was chasing me, it would have been a great opportunity for a female double point try but our girls weren't chasing either! The opposition worked our defence well on attack and a couple of times our defence got found wanting by their changing of the angle of attack. Usually reliable Phil Dawson missed a touch, picked himself up and started chasing this guy in the opposition who he couldn't really gain on. That was the speed of the man!

The excitement began when the ref called next mistake and it is over. We were down 4-3. We were toiling away. Picture the situation I receive the ball with Roh and Alice outside me, both were marked. The person on the inside was coming across realising this I started angling my run slightly keeping the guy that should've been on Roh guessing I kept him on his toes and the split second he came on me I threw a nice flat ball to Roh who showed a clean pair of heels in his fast jeans and shaggy hair to score the try in the corner. We secured the draw! Face saving at it's best!

Do you think that girl tries should be worth two? It cost us the game against Mana, but I think it is a great initiative to get girls involved in the play. It also makes the standard of your females so important. I think though that girls need to realise that they can provide such an advantage and be prepared to follow up, should the need arise! Stuff the gender equity debate!



Stags

The mighty men in maroon take on the Taniwha on Sunday and will be looking to get five points and finish the season strongly. It will be hard playing at the opposite end of the country, but hopefully they can repeat last week's success and get four tries with it!

At this stage at work I feel as ineffective as this poor chap!
Work
I am a working class man these days. There was a song about that I think. Anyhow I am mainly working behind the scenes doing Property Searches for people that come along looking for Resource Consents etc. I am the only male staff member amongst about 6 females who are all over 35. It is a strange situation, but I still have my old friends from when I was last there to hang with at smoko. There are about 40 plumbing and drainage inspectors who work further behind the scenes. Most of these guys are between 30 and 65 years old. Alot of skirt cracks because I am an Admin Officer amongst ladies. For someone so used to hanging with the boys it is a real eye opener. The job mainly involves duplicating plans on microfiche at this stage. Not very intellectually stimulating. The Council pays well and has great hours for it's jobs. Office work is really repetitive. I get free uniform once they are made including dress pants, shirts, vest and jersey, with the DCC embroidery. I think due to the nature of the job, that I might stick it out over summer and take it from there.

Flat
I need to find a flat for next year. My prerequisites are SKY and close to work. It seems strange living in Dunedin with and around students when you are earning! I am going overseas next year and that is definite, so I want a place that I can easily fill when I leave.

Oh Lord, it's God's idols 25 September 2005 - Stuff Website
They have the Lord at their side and congregations on their knees.
The religious fervour that helped Australian Guy Sebastian and New Zealand's Ben Lummis reach idol status is again showing its power as church voting helps propel Christian singers into the finals of NZ Idol.
Four of NZ Idol's five finalists have God on their side.
Steve Broad is a Christian from Invercargill's evangelical Cornerstone New Life church, Jesse O'Brien is a youth pastor from Hamilton's Elim Christian Centre and Rosita Vai is a member of the Samoan St Johns Methodist Parish in Auckland. Teresa Bergman was raised a Catholic. She is no longer a regular churchgoer but visits Wellington's St Martin de Porres at Christmas.
The prayer has flowed their way and so has the cash. Vai's church gave her $500 this month to support her aspirations and has a billboard on Ponsonby Rd wishing her luck.
Broad was blessed by a circle of senior pastors when he entered the competition and was again imbued with the Lord's power when he attended his church last Sunday.
Church leaders say they have not organised bloc voting, but God is frequently called on to bless their representatives. It worked last season, when Lummis and runner up Michael Murphy thanked the Lord for their talents.
This season God is again being invoked but Nik Carlson, the show's only non-believer, was last week installed as Centrebet's favourite.

Now that I have your attention.

I stole this article from www.nzoom.com

Bloggers told how to avoid censors

Sep 23, 2005
A Paris-based media watchdog released a handbook on Thursday to help cyber-dissidents and bloggers avoid political censorship in countries as far apart as China, Iran, Vietnam and Cuba. The guide, published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) with the backing of the French government, identifies bloggers as the "new heralds of free expression" and offers advice on how to set up a blog and run it anonymously. "Bloggers are often the only real journalists in countries where the mainstream media is censored or under pressure," wrote Julien Pain, head of RSF's Internet Freedom Desk. "Only they provide independent news, at the risk of displeasing the government and sometimes courting arrest." Blogs are personal Web sites that are easy to set up and are often written in the form of an online diary. The name is a shortened form of personal "Web log". The "Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents" can be downloaded from the RSF website, and the media organisation says it is available in English, French, Chinese, Arabic and Farsi. The guide is based on technical advice from experienced bloggers and experts, and provides personal accounts by bloggers such as Arash Sigarchi, who received a 14-year-jail sentence in Iran last February but is free pending an appeal. "Internet journalism could advance freedom of expression and wider view points," wrote Sigarchi, who faced charges ranging from spying to insulting the country's leaders.
"Although I have been convicted by Iranian courts, I have not lost hope and I am sure that in coming years the rulers of my country will have to respect the flow of information and freedom of expression." "Tools of freedom of expression" "Blogs get people excited. Or else they disturb and worry them. Some people distrust them. Others see them as the vanguard of a new information revolution," RSF said on its Web site. "Because they allow and encourage ordinary people to speak up, they're tremendous tools of freedom of expression." The handbook offers advice on how to establish credibility by observing basic ethical and journalistic principles. One chapter offers advice on technical ways to get around censorship. Others feature bloggers' experiences from such countries as Nepal, Iran, Bahrain and Hong Kong. Publication of the handbook follows moves in some countries to crack down on Internet use. RSF said countries which were trying to control what their citizens read and do online included China, Vietnam, Iran, Cuba, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan.
Source: Reuters

Being a Christian in a Modern Sexual World

Society is becoming increasingly sexually orientated. The media has plenty to answer for as it is largely acceptable to be seen around town in attire previously reserved for the beach or the privacy of ones own home. The wandering eye of the Christian male especially is often caught with the sight of females wearing revealing outfits last seen on a saucy music video. Warm weather often brings this eye candy into the public domain, changing a casual stroll down Castle Street into a sifty journey through the skanky underbelly of Dunedin. It seems that over the years standards and fashions have changed, for the worse or the better (it's hard to say), causing many awkward situations. Maintaining eye contact is the key to any of these situations, however this is often misinterpreted as being lustful or sifty. On the other hand avoiding any sort of eye contact is exceptionally rude and construded as a lack of confidence, low self esteem and just too obvious.

What does one do when in such a situation? Think of something disgusting and carry on whilst repeating the word over and over, warm fish milkshake, bucket of puke and rubbing Grandma's feet? What should we do as Christians? Ask to cover up? Enjoy the view? Take them to Church? Cut off ones eyes?
Just something I have noticed!

Leave your comments

Google Ads

I have placed some Google Ads on this site, so if you are feeling frisky click on them and earn me a dime. The disturbing factor is the Google Ads Content actually produce ads on your site relevant to the content on the site. Today I am disturbed at the Google Ad for "Gay Dating in New Zealand". Has my site turned a little quirky off the straight and narrow? Am I preaching to the "Ben Cooks from Nature Bee Potentiated Bee Pollens of this world?" I hope not, but the irony in mentioning this point is that the more times I right the term "Gay Dating" the more times the phrase on the topic of say "Gay Dating" will come out, I mean onto my "Gay Dating website" with advertisements for "Gay Dating in New Zealand".

P.S. It would not be funny sign me up for the Gay Dating Website. However knowing so many other people who may be considered sex symbols in the Queer Community, it would be fun to sign them up!

Sifty Samstock

If you are at a loose end over the weekend, head along to Samstock at the Showgrounds in Mosgiel. I think I might head along and get roped into security or something, although the novelty has worn off a little over the years. The day tends to drift for hours, it picks up on the Saturday night, but until then there is plenty of down time. Lets be frank it is mainly for school kids, but if the right amount of twenty somethings head along it is fine. For more details go to www.samstock.org.nz

Sammy used to sift around in his younger days when he had long greasy hair wearing a frayed hat and the orange tracksuit. It would be great because he would just sit in the corner of the cafe place and listen. It resembled a royal concert being put on just for this sifty looking guy in the corner. Other times that Sammy has shown his siftiness was at our flat in 2002 we had a Saturday Night Fever Party. He sat around in his boxer shorts and fat albert shirt with his shoulder length greasy hair (which the water would just slide off), whilst heaps of people were dancing etc. Steve Chernishov and Sammy lit a fire in the backyard and were jumping over it when the fire engines arrived! He has come a long way from those days which by his own admission were a low point in his life. He grew threw those backyard cricket defeats with the Swingking into the man he is today. Samstock has also grown into the biggest Christian music festival in the South Island. Wow!

One of the only times Southland looked dangerous all night!
NPC

With only three rounds left, the semi finalists are up in the air. Using the Donaldson Method for formulating results I have deduced the following final table for the Round Robin.

Canterbury
Auckland
North Harbour
Wellington
Otago
Waikato
Southland
Taranaki
BOP
Northland

The top eight sides can all make it. It all depends on other results as many of the top sides must play each other. The Stags are still in there on 11 points with 3 winnable games although the way they were tortured by Wellington it seems a long way off. The dare from my previous post looks increasingly likely that it won't happen, although I really want it to. Otago on the other hand are well placed but have some tough games ahead including Waikato and Canterbury. North Harbour make formulating results difficult, but have a very good shot at the title.

Life has picked up with the arrival on the scene of this Administration Officer Position at the DCC. I start on the second level of payment which is $35000 P.A. A tough call to make with the whole Korean saga. It is a real female environment with me and about 5 other women. I am going to be hen pecked. After sitting a personality test on Thursday I didn't know what to expect. The only cloud of doubt is what about this Information Officer Position on the 4th Floor, more like what I was doing last time at the Council. It is funny how old sayings come in handy in your time of need. A Job in the Hand is worth two in the bush. That is my philosophy. I will ring up my old Boss to tell her although she probably already knows. See what she says, although I will get a uniform with this one but it is more customer service, although that may make it more exciting. I still hold hopes of going overseas next year, so this will be a great way of earning the dosh and experience to do it.

The Sanctuary of Spading

Attending Student Soul over the last few weeks have reopened my eyes to the wonderful world of spading in church. It is a long standing practice which I have become accustomed to since my time in Dunedin. Church is an ideal place to get the humble spade out and do a little groundwork with the crops ripe and plentiful. Be wary of overusing the spade which I was but I had my resharpened. Also be wary of not hitting a rock with your spade as this can be damaging. The beauty of Soul is not only the ladies being easy on the eye, if not a little young and art conscious, but with Community Time being a widely accepted/ expected custom where guys meet gals in an above the board manner, it is a great way of broadening your contacts. Myself and the Lobster (One of the heavy users) went to a "party" after church last night. We were the only others to turn up so it improved the ratios in a flat of mainly gals.
The sooner these gals realise that they outnumber us, the sooner my sharp spade starts reaping some harvest. The only trouble is that at times my technique is a little questionable which means that the pickings tend to not so forthcoming.

What can I do to help this?
Take my spade to fields with better yields, improve my technique (I could do myself an injury otherwise), get a new spade or use the spade on older crops?


Leave your comments.

Here is an interesting article!!!!


Keith Locke To Run Down Epsom Main Street Naked Sunday, 18 September 2005, 2:16 pmPress Release: Newmarket Business Association Media Release
Newmarket Business Association
18 September 2005
Keith Locke to run down Epsom main street naked
The Newmarket Business Association is paving the way to make it very easy for Green MP Keith Locke to deliver on his promise to run naked through the streets of Epsom if ACT MP Rodney Hide was victorious in Epsom on election night.
"We don't want our electorate to be the home of the first broken campaign promise. Hence the local business association is prepared to make it very easy for Mr Locke to deliver his promised goods," said Cameron Brewer, General Manager of the Newmarket Business Association.
Mr Brewer said Newmarket is the 'capital' of Epsom and Broadway is a straight and wide strip, ideal for such exposure.
"When Mr Locke is ready, the Newmarket Business Association will warn the faint-hearted, clear the footpath on Broadway from Two Double Seven to Khyber Pass Road, ensure there are the necessary officials, and provide a much-needed loincloth.
"Newmarket is home to the country's best shopping. We don't want Mr Locke's organics to frighten away any of our customers so we will provide some cover, albeit skimpy.
"It is important for their own credibility that politicians deliver on their promises. We are looking forward to Mr Locke taking a break from hefty coalition discussions this week and coming to Newmarket for some fresh air," Mr Brewer.

Touch- The Chosen Ones
After suffering the torment of not being allocated a field for touch on Wednesday. (Maybe they thought Field 13 shouldn't exist for superstitious reasons). I am looking forward to playing someone a little more challenging than Rock On. They didn't really know how to play, and it begs the question of Unipol to maybe have two grades. We showed up before the organisers and spent until 525 finding our field when a new one was finally allocated. It saved face for the opposition who would have struggled to beat Alcohol Fuelled. They obviously were a social team but quite frankly it got embarrassing scoring well into the double figures in only around 20 minutes. We have Mana today and that will renew the rivalry as a State of Origin type match. Mate on mate, state on state etc. Hopefully our superior team cohesion gets us over the line. They really only have Moss that can creat anything.

The Election
I still haven't decided which party to vote for. The major parties do nothing for me. Don Brash has about as much personality as a wet fish, while Helen is the superior leader but runs such a liberal ship. The student loan interest write off is attracting me, but they have stuffed around with all these Civil Unions and Prostitution Bills are shocking. Maybe I should stick to the United Future Party and their Christian/ Family values.

It must be the thing to do when you start getting older, you take a greater interest in Politics. With the exception of the Radio One/ Critic/ Pols students with zits, berets and regular members at the Role Playing Society. The stereotypical Prick off the Young Ones (the P is silent). I found it amusing hearing these students trying to rip off every single Politician who came to Campus. Get a life people!

Supporting Auckland and Canterbury

The oddity of the Stags position leaves me cheering for two of the most despised teams in New Zealand rugby. The unbeaten Canterbury and Auckland can do the Stags a huge favour by continuing to win their matches and hopefully knock Waikato, Wellington, Otago and North Harbour down a notch. Actually North Harbour have played both. It is amazing how well Harbour continues to play after losing so many great players like the Gear brothers, Evans, Newby and Wulf. So go the mighty Aucks and Canterbury! I feel sick after saying that!

The Council
I have been given a call back by the Council for this position as an Administration Officer/ Office Wench position. The annoying thing is that there is a different position which I would be better at, but it only just was advertised. I have to go in for an Occupational Test on the computer to assess where I am at. I wonder just how honest to be. I am not really that happy with Customer Service which this other job wouldn't have much of, but the one I went for does. I desperately want to go overseas but am wanting to wait until summer stops before heading to the golden climes of Europe. This position would give me the opportunity to earn money and gain experience for such an adventure. I am also worried about the current crop of elligible young ladies roaming this fair city at the moment. The barren landscape in the easygoing mid 20s is in a state of rapid decline whilst maybe a fresh location would offer fresh opportunities and greener more nourished pastures. I guess I struck this problem in the interview yesterday when asked of long term goals which left me thinking, what are my future goals? A rich uncle needing someone to help dun his sports marketing/ writing business would be the biggest dream. The strangeness of the situation is that I have studied such a variety of subjects, but not really mastered any. My studies in human geography and marketing at University and Journalism at Polytech. My summer holiday jobs have also varied from working for the Invercargill City Council and at the University to cleaning hotel rooms. I also wasted last year as a Night Porter at a hotel and it still leaves me searching for an entry level position all this time, despite finishing studies in 2003.

Should I take this test and tell lies like that I will be at the Council in 30 years and that I love Customer Service? Avoid answering those questions? Or just lie?

Interviews

I have become increasingly intrigued by the whole interview process. I just had one for a job at the DCC. The extremely funny situation has arisen with my past interviews there and this one is no exception, I had already had an interview with this person. As I entered today the lady mentioned, pretend that we haven't met before. It seemed like a sordid love affair had taken place, or something of that exciting nature, when infact it hadn't.

This causes several problems as it is difficult to keep repeating the same stories and you can't remember what you told them last time and or whether they remember what you told them! They have avoided asking me the unenviable question which I often get is name a weakness you have and how you get over it. It is a matter of telling the truth but also not having a weakness which would affect your ability to get the job. Several ideal answers spring to mind. Myself and friend Aaron Crampton decided on the answer "chocolate" which then requires the candidate to reach into your pocket and pull out a choclate bar and start eating it. More serious answers include I overwork or am a perfectionist. These however are totally cheesy and inappropriate for someone harbouring my work ethic.

Today I found myself cranking out cliches, which potentially have lost their meaning, but seem to make you sound more intellectual than one actually is and if used in a one off situation is fine but if they have heard it all before then it defeats the purpose. I also find myself rephrasing the job requirements like must be able to prioritise tasks, team player and communication skills. This time it was more situational questions like "What would you do when blah, blah," I would then pull out the cliched "Prioritise tasks""The customer is always right" and my personal favourite "a great team is one that helps each other out. We all have different strengths and weaknesses so it is important to help someone in a weak area if you are strong in that area. They in turn will repeat the favour should the need arise. This way we can work together to achieve our common goal."

What a cop out. You end up thinking of interview as "Being an interview of two halves".

Anyway I hear back next week!

My Perspective
An interesting article written by Marc Hinton. Having spoken to Manawatu Chief Executive Officer myself in 2003, I still support them moving up into the Premier Division. I think that the NZRU need to lower the salary cap to accommodate the smaller teams. Otherwise the bigger sides won't have to let their players go. I do believe that despite huge losses for Manawatu they need this to improve. They have in the past lost some decent players most recently Mark Ranby, Chresten Davis, Christian Cullen and Lifeime Mafi who was the unluckiest man to miss out on the Super 12. They were also stung by the Central Vikings debacle. They have a population base bigger than Southland/ Taranaki and Northland, a Rugby Academy (which is obviously not doing too well) and a University which naturally brings in young males to the province. They also have a place in the Arena Manawatu that is up there with all other provinces. The question mark remains how have they done so badly? But if they can draw players from overseas and the Hurricanes region they may make a competitive side eventually. The frustrating thing is that the development teams of some of the best unions have Super 12 players or quality enough players that could add something to the NPC. Look at Auckland Development team with Gavin Williams who was awesome for the Stags but this year is playing for the Development team. I think there are enough of these type of guys to go to these smaller provinces and become successful. Just look at the way that fringe NPC players for Super 12 provincial unions like Te Whare (Waikato), Smith, Kawau and Boys (Otago) and Thompson (Wellington) have done for the Stags. It will make the transfer list exciting over summer!

Only other issue with me is the All Blacks involvement in the NPC. If they are going to continue playing so many games maybe it is better to leave them out of it completely and stick to a 10 team First Division. Anyway, leave your comments!

NPC Risks Becoming A Bad Joke


XtraMSN
12/09/2005
Only drastic action from the New Zealand Rugby Union can surely now stop the NPC becoming a joke competition when it undergoes a revamp next year. And, sorry, but there's more chance of Helen Clark joining the Exclusive Brethren than that taking place. For starters the decision to grant Manawatu one of the absurdly high 14 places in next year's "Premier" Division of the National Provincial Championship is bordering on a national disgrace. Someone in Wellington needs to look up the word "premier" in the dictionary. At this rate the NZRU could face a trip to the courts under the Consumer Guarantees Act. At the moment Manawatu would struggle to knock over the local boy scouts, let alone the Aucklands and Canterburys of this world, and to grant them a place in next year's top division is absurd and disgraceful. I call on the NZRU to review that decision based on current form alone. Surely, for goodness sake, criteria are not being fulfilled here. At the weekend Manawatu lost to Poverty Bay for its fourth defeat in five second division outings this season. With all due respect to the boys from Gizzie, that's a result that should have all at HQ clambering over the fine print of next year's NPC. And it wasn't as if this was an aberration result for the spluttering green machine. They were also walloped by 20 points by North Otago - another side who deservedly didn't make, nor seek to, the cut for professional rugby - and were well beaten by Nelson Bays and Hawke's Bay. Sure, they will retool for next year, and pick up a quality player or two. Frankly they need 15, at the least, and they're not going to get that. Sadly, in this day of legal threats and provincial power, there's almost zero chance of the NZRU reviewing its decision to allow Manawatu, as well as Hawke's Bay, Nelson Bays-Marlborough and Counties Manukau to join the existing 10 first division sides in next year's "premier" competition. And as someone who's been against this absurd expansion (a gutless call from the NZRU who backed right off making the hard decisions) from the outset, I find it all quite sad. The way it's heading NPC will stand for Not a Proper Competition. For starters it's already going to be split into a confusing, two-stage season with all sorts of meaningless, one-sided matches. The public, once they realise the ridiculous competition they're being handed, will be aghast. Gee, the NPC is struggling to put bums on seats this year with a fairly reasonable 10-team competition where all except Northland are fairly competitive. Next year our rugby stadiums could resemble mausoleums as Joe Public will assuredly vote with his feet. New Zealand rugby people are being sold a lemon by the NZRU and it is not going to take them long to realise the new competition sucks. What is more the last chance that it had of even remotely working appears to have been removed with the still-to-be-confirmed decision to allow a $2 million (or thereabouts) salary cap for the "Premier" league. Effectively that removes the need for leading players to be dispersed with the major unions able to comfortably retain their existing talent. How these second-tier unions soon to be thrust among the big boys are going to be able to come up with anything remotely competitive is baffling in the extreme. Clearly there is only just enough talent around now to fuel a 10-team league. And a fairly average one at that, if the fare over the last month or so is closely examined. Expanding it by four sides is just going to dilute a competition which for nearly three decades has been the foundation rock of New Zealand rugby. Sadly that is no longer the case. With top All Blacks now appearing about as often as Halley's Comet and next year's fun and games looming, the NPC appears to be heading for lean times. And that to me that isn't just sad, but a major worry.

This is another photo from Cramps Stag party earlier in the year. The same one that caused the boxer run photo further down on this page! They say sex sells! Notice the definition on those drops!
N.B. It is included to stimulate meaningful conversation on the forum!

PARTY!

I trust you enjoyed yourselves at the party. If you have any photos of me get smacked by paintballs give me a yell.

The touch season is upon us and The Chosen Ones trial went well on Friday with a great turnout. The best news is that all the existing members are in.

I played some touch on Sunday and if you thought the run around on Friday was socially fun, Sunday was a joke. More dropped balls than the current Aussie cricket team!

It is great that summer has arrived and it is amazing how life seems to pick up.

I went to the Student Soul last night and wondered why I haven't been more often. I know more young people there than are at DCBC. It may be because of the increasing numbers of Southlanders or something, but it is the bomb night services. I have never heard someone swear in a sermon before, shock horror! Wait until the conservatives hear about this! The guys are mates, the chicks are great and they have some great food and relaxed styles. It is me in a nutshell baby, and almost finished for the year!

P.S. Click on the google ads each time you log on. I have clocked up an entire 65 cents US for 12 clicks to the ads on the right and bottom of the page!

STAGS STEAL ANOTHER WIN

The Stags are showing what can be done using teamwork and good old fashioned guts with a victory over Taranaki 33-28. The truth of the matter is that the Naki deserved to win, but like Waikato proved to the Stags in Round Two you only have to win on the scoreboard!

It was the Stags first away win in two years and the fourth nailbiting match this NPC season.

The Watisoni Lotawa intercept from 70 metres out has now been etched onto the Annals of South Rugby following that charge down from Pehi Te Whare last weekend.

The key this season for the Stags is that they seem to have learnt from the narrow losses to Waikato and Auckland.

Also they have a relatively settled lineup with more depth than ever before.

The academy system is working as can be seen by the impressive performances from the Development Side who have only lost one game.

This is the healthiest state that I have seen Southland in and it comes back to the experience of the pack with Miller, MacDonald, Dermody, Quate and Rutledge providing a solid platform at scrum time and combining with youngsters like Boys, Thompson and Murch around the park.

The lineout is working a treat, whilst the halves combination of Apanui and Cowan has been together for several seasons now.

The introduction of some decent backs like Lotawa, Smith, Kawau and Te Whare are forming an excellent defensive unit.

The attack is still rough, especially in the backs but we are still scoring tries.

The kicking game is great too with several options like Cowan, Apanui and Wilson.

These guys are getting some real distance with their kicks.

Finally onwards and upwards.

Bring on the capital!

Southland is a bogey side for Wellington I remember 1998, 2001, 2002.

DARE- AS AT 3:57PM NZ TIME

I, Scotty Donaldson hereby declare that....

If the Stags finish in the top four and qualify for the semis I will run around between the painted doubles lines on the tennis courts adjacent to my house butt naked at night time just before dusk, with a bucket on my head and safety glasses on whilst either Paul Copland or Ritchie Winter take 27 shots at me from my balcony using their paintball gun.

What other Southland supporters are willing to show their enthusiasm for such a cause should this happen? Who will join me? Do it for the Stags!

I was just thinking of greating sporting names off the top of my head. Maybe a team of great sporting names. Here are some beauties. The sub continent cricket players leave themselves open to parody from the likes of 12th man.

Sivaramachrishana- leg spinner for India in the 1980s.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul- I still love this guy as my favourite West Indian despite his self defence killing of someone.
Kapila Wijegunawardene- 1990s Sri Lankan bowler. Never really did much. But great name.
It's a well known fact that the Sri Lankans have huge names and lots of them. Just look at former Sri Lankan spinner and cricket umpire Asoka de Silva- Ellawalakankanamge Asoka Ranjit De Silva.
Recognise this fellow?

Warnakulasuriya Patabendige Ushantha Joseph Chaminda Vaas- Chaminda Vaas for short.
I had to check my spelling on those previous few.

Pakistani former opening batsman Wajatalla Wasti.

Some rugby guys include
Severo Koruduadua- Fijian fullback at 1987 World Cup.
Rupeni Caucaunibicau- Ex Fijian winger who has gone bonkers.
Jean Condom- 1987 French forward
Imanol Harinodoquay- French Number Eight- My favourite current French player.
Didier Camberabero- French goalkicker at the 1987 World Cup.
Tyronne Mandrusiak- Queensland first five in the mid nineties.

It is funny how a players name from another team makes a difference as to whether you like them or not?

One of the two guys at the top of the page has a great sporting name and had this photo taken after a stag party the other has been known to get dodgy rub downs by male masseuses!

The Chosen Ones are having their Touch Trials on today at 4pm at DNI. It probably won't necessarily be trials per se, but it will be chance to get a gauge on up and coming talent. With the increasing regularity of injuries to the likes of myself and Claire it raises the issue of who will come into the squad should another injury scare arise. We have a well balanced team at the moment and it is a matter of selecting someone who doesn't destroy this balance. It is like the Biodome. I still have the annoying skinned toes from a diving incident which makes shoes a tad uncomfortable!

I got a call from the Dunedin City Council wanting me for a bimbo Administration Officer role interview, which they actually rang me up and told me was coming up. There is actually another better job coming up in 2 weeks, which raises all sorts of ethical issues. I have the interview on Tuesday at 1:30pm so will try my best to be assertive and show a bit of leg. I still want to go travelling however, but have decided that this would get me some $17 an hour and from there I can save more money have an even better experience than Korea, say in UK. It would suck going from winter here to winter there.

Anyway if on the off chance I luck out with both of these jobs I can go to Korea. These Koreans won't leave me alone, especially from these schools with very few foreign teachers that's the problem as I wanted to go to a school with heaps of foreigners, especially hot North American teachers.

In reaching my 27th birthday I have decided that Dunedin is a place for 18-24 year old students. DCBC is a place for nerdy science students who laugh at everything and nothing and that 27 is still the mid twenties. The irony of it all is that at the DCC I am in the lower quartile age wise (bunch of squares). Having said this they are friendly people.

My flatties went out to Tull last night. The guy that works their has a lack of business sense and knowledge. After Jon Harris pulling out and Hayds pulling out then in then out, we got Sammy and Rach to come and Roh showed up too which was cool. Here is the funny part, we booked for six only and he would refuse to let us have seven, so poor Roh had to leave. The paradoxical nature of the situation was the fully booked nature of the restaurant, well that's what he claimed and the fact that we received our meals before anyone else was in the restaurant. Then two couples of two arrived but we had finished dessert with only 4 other people in the place. What a strange man! We tried to reason with him, because it would have been cool if Rohan was their but he kept telling us that full house means just that, blah,blah,blah...

A great meal in the end, but what a weirdo!

Go the Stags!

Who are your top five All Blacks of all time?
This doesn't necessarily have to relate to statistics, it could be their character, attitude etc.

1) Colin Meads- This guy had amazing ability around the paddock and off the paddock. An agile lock he also had the stamina to have such a long career and he has the aura which makes him feared and respected. He can't act for peanuts however!

2) Fred Allen- Respected rugby player, captain and coach. The Needle had the ability to step in as coach of the beleagured 1949 All Blacks when the usual coach was ill on the tour of South Africa.

3) Brian Lochore- A man of few words yet he captained the ABs ahead of more experienced players. He also coached the ABs to the 1987 World Cup victory and was manager of the unfortunate 1995 World Cup side.

4) Michael Jones- He lets his actions speak for themselves and the respect that Michael Jones was given throughout his career despite not playing on Sundays is testimony to the stature of this guy.

5) Wayne Shelford- The word Mana springs to mind with Buck. He is famous for losing a testicle against France. The amount of respect he had even when dropped was evident by the Bring Back Buck campaign.


These guys are mainly forwards except for the Needle. But they all commanded respect and let the way they play and act define who they are. I was tempted to go for the likes of Jeff Wilson who in my opinion is the best all round back to play the game or Andrew Mehrtens, but these guys don't have that same appeal off the field. Tana Umaga is the only current player with that aura at the moment.


What do you think? Place your comments!

Heroes
I'm thinking about who are my heroes. I lost alot of respect for many sporting celebrities after working at Leisure Lodge and seeing what the rugby guys get up to after the games. The recent bust up of Mark Ellis and Brent Todd also makes me wonder if it worth even suggesting that these people are role models, because they are shocking role models in general. I heard on radiosport yesterday an alarming statistics is that elite sportsmen binge drink more than non sportsmen. Also the amount of binge drinking of sportswomen is similar to that of sportsmen. Scary stuff!

I developed respect for the current All Black captain with his off the field behaviour and gentile demeanour which make him a hero in my books. I actually encountered Umaga a few times last year and he was always friendly and got up for the dawn parade. He has an aura about him that most of his teammates lack.

Another hero is Jeremy The Chosen One Winders. He is a character and was electric in his playing days for the Stags. He is similar to Ben Herring but was taller, not as fast either. He made the initial break that lead to Pita Alatini's try in the win over Otago in 1997 the First win in the First Division since 1986. He had a habit of getting that turnover or intercept when no one else could. Yet he wasn't the most agile or necessarily good player. He was an enigma! He is a really nice chap. I interviewed him a couple of years back. He is funny and makes some crack up calls for SKY Sport when he is the sideline eye. The one on Saturday was awesome. I will set the scene, twenty minutes into the most intense game of the season at Rugby Park. Ginge Henderson commented on the way that the game has flown by and that it was a great match and Jerry's response was "It's the most exciting and satisfying experience you can have in twenty minutes without having to cuddle afterwards!" There was a stunned silence while Tom Conroy tried to subdue Ginge Henderson. He also sings before Stags and Sting games as lead singer Fergus McSlattery from band, The Swede Eaters.

The Stags as a team are my heroes. They are always the underdogs and never play attractive footy but they always try hard! This year they are doing better than usual. I admire them more for the values that the provincial teams especially Southland stand for in this professional age of the game!


Outside of sport I really admire the Mayor of Invercargill the Honourable Tim Shadbolt. The entire country mocked Invers for voting this nutter into house where he lasted a term. Sure he had some pie in the sky ideas, but when this conservative old guy David Harrington replaced him, we didn't know what a great job Shadbolt had done. Shadbolt was re-elected and has been the Mayor ever since. Invers has improved and actually become a modern provincial centre. No other Mayors appear on comedy shows, movies and of course out of their league on Dancing with the Stars (he was 30 years older than the other celebrity dancers). He makes a real fist of life and is a real character. Testimony to this is his record since. Noone else competed against him in the last election! They didn't stand a show!

Party!

The Stags have defied all odds to win against Otago on Saturday. What a great result, which was the perfect curtain raiser to the Tri Nations final match which we also won.

I also got back on the touch field on Sunday and played some board games at Jon's place. All in all a great weekend.

I am throwing a party so come along to Flat 3- 63 Opoho Road for good times. My flat is the one down the driveway back and is the bottom house on the left.

Action starts at 8pm, it will be a great catch up time and time to celebrate another year. A little wiser a little older. Anyway see you then!

Hey troops play your part by leaving comments on my blog!