The Hills Have Eyes

I won movie tickets a couple of months back for the DCC Staffzone Magazine Caption competition. It ends up they expired on 31 May. So with the last movie of the last night in May, myself, Boss, Dom and Jon went to The Hills Have Eyes. Their were some really interesting looking characters, but they had all seen Mission Impossible 3 and Da Vinci Code.

It shows how seldom I go to the movies these days!

Here is a right up.

Running time: 108 minsRating: R18Director: Alexandre AjaCast: Aaron Stanford, Ted Levine, Kathleen Quinlan, Vinessa Shaw, Emilie De RavinA family road trip goes terrifyingly awry when the travellers become stranded in a government atomic zone. Miles from nowhere, the Carters soon realize the seemingly uninhabited wasteland is actually the breeding ground of a blood-thirsty mutant family...and they are the prey.

The Hills Have Eyes

I won movie tickets a couple of months back for the DCC Staffzone Magazine Caption competition. It ends up they expired on 31 May. So with the last movie of the last night in May, myself, Boss, Dom and Jon went to The Hills Have Eyes. Their were some really interesting looking characters, but they had all seen Mission Impossible 3 and Da Vinci Code.

It shows how seldom I go to the movies these days!

Here is a right up.

Running time: 108 minsRating: R18Director: Alexandre AjaCast: Aaron Stanford, Ted Levine, Kathleen Quinlan, Vinessa Shaw, Emilie De RavinA family road trip goes terrifyingly awry when the travellers become stranded in a government atomic zone. Miles from nowhere, the Carters soon realize the seemingly uninhabited wasteland is actually the breeding ground of a blood-thirsty mutant family...and they are the prey.

The NZ Maori Team

What a joke the selection of the New Zealand Maori side is. A few years ago Christian Cullen was put in the team to fast track him into the All Blacks after injury. He was subsequently withdrawn when it was discovered that he had no affiliation to Maori at all. Despite sporting some fair headed members over the years (Tony Brown and Paul Tito) it seems that most people's suspicions are true. Despite the heritage and distinction of playing for a traditional side known for flair and passion, it is a crock. There is no elligibility on these players, or anything. Chris Smylie was talking to my flatmate who goes to his lifegroup and my flatmate questioned his heritage, then Smylie's response was that all he knew was that he had Niuean relatives! The guy isn't even Maori (well not to his knowledge). This begs the question, how many other players in the side struggle to be of Maori descent.

I am a creature of habit, so my diet is very limited. Call me a Southland male, but meat and three veg is just the ticket. Here is a list of my favourite top 10 foods. This varies throughout the year, depending on availability and situation.

1. Charlie's mandarins (so good)
2. Bananas (So versatile) Smoothies, cakes, sandwiches, muffins,milkshakes, ice cream,grilled,coconut, fondue, medicine, battered, on toast, stuffed with chocolate, on pizza, my personal favourite buried treasure chopped up under cereal or yoghurt.
3. Kebabs- Turkish
4. Pods (Mars)
5. Wedges
6. White Chocolate Cookietime cookie.
7. Curious George Pizza from Filadelphios.
8. Strawberries and ice cream
9. Cookies and Creme Ice Cream.
10. Oven warmed Jimmy's Pie on a cold day.


I got this from the www.nzoom.com website. As a social scientist at heart I love this sort of thing.

The number of people in New Zealand on Census night was 7.8% greater than the previous survey conducted in 2001.
The first data from the 2006 census has been issued, outlining the country's provisional population and dwelling count.
On Census night, March 7, 2006, there were 4,116,900 people living in New Zealand.
Figures from Statistics New Zealand show 75% of the population was in the North Island on the night, where the population has risen by 8.1%.
In the South Island, the population exceeded 1,000,000 for the first time, which is an increase of 6.8% on 2001.
The city showing the greatest population growth was Auckland, with a rise of 12.4%, but there was a 29.2% increase in the Queenstown-Lakes District.
Mayor of the Queenstown Lakes District Clive Geddes says he is not surprised by the population growth in his area. Geddes says the council estimates the distict's population could double by 2016. He says most of the growth in population in the Queenstown Lakes district is residential.
The final population count will be released in November.

I have received my working VISA for the UK and have booked a flight from the UK to Sweden on the 6th June. My World Cup dream is in tatters but getting a one pence flight to Sweden should be fun. It will be fun seeing how the Swedes live and staying with my brother before I head down to Switzerland! (Taxes turn it into a 12 pound flight)

It is a load off my mind getting a Working Visa. It is quite a long application process which takes a while and relies on proof of funds. Obviously I have enough at my disposal! It now means there is no turning back. The adventure begins 3rd July!

Redemption drew 1 all with a team two places below us. We scored in the final act of the game. The main concern was the inability of the strikers to put away any of the large number of chances they had. It is a confidence thing and we really need to score early to not lose ours. The frustration mounted and we were trying to score from outwide which is useless as it is easy to stop. Never mind, at least we got a point.

What is it with Brazillian strikers and bad teeth?

Redemption Allstars

Imagine that Brazil were coming to Dunedin and they wanted a match against anyone who has played for Redemption. With our last game highlighting an inherent lack of depth and bringing to an all time high the numbers of players used over the past 4 seasons, I thought it would be fun to make a Redemption Allstar Team for you to vote for. We have had some real pros fill in for us and some absolute bunnies! Minimum qualification is one game and you can place your bets. Also list anyone else that may have donned the mighty Redemption strip at any stage. I want to count the numbers. Here are some to get you started, I will add to the list incase I forgot some.

Scotty Donaldson, Matt Dalman, Luke Arkapaw,Hayden Luke, Josh??, Ritchie Winter, Cam Grindlay,Justin Latif, Ryan Lobb, Stevo Downey, Caleb Archer, Aaron Maher, Aaron Crampton, Tim Dalman, Justus Frank, Phil Dawson, Jeremy France, Atish, Matt Coyle, Mark Van Rij, Si Van Rij, John Dunne, Tony George, Sam Callander, Stew McDonald, James Murray, James Miller, Matt Schofield, Dan Schofield, Vince Frank, Aaron Thomson, Andy Robinson, Matt Landreth, Jiang, Gavyn Jones, Phil Yates, Hayden Youens, Alvin Setiawan, Matt Emerson, Mike Beck, Roh Callander, Laurie (Scotsman), Ben from F and P, Gerrardo, Christian Sweeney, (Cam's mate), Conlin Locke, Dan Jo, Al"The Body" McPherson, Dave O'Byrne, Dave Speden, American guy two years ago, Dominic the African, Ali Simpson, Doug, Andrew Callander, Simon Walker, Simon from Apos, Matt (right back), Tim Aitken, Dave "Crouch" Marsh.

Anyone else? Some real stars have donned the Redemption colours.

So far starting goalie Stevo Downey. He plays for Grants Braes Premieres this year as a goalie and was only rarely seen there for Redemption. Phil Fawcett and Alvin Setiawan are the back ups.

The starting forwards spots surely go to Tim Dalman one of the top goalscorers in the top league until injury ended his season.

Atish would probably grab the other striking position with his strong ability on the ball. This means that James Miller and Gavyn Jones the top two current strikers just miss out.

The speed and guile of James Murray and Matt Schofield would see them starting on my wings, with both of these guys playing 2nd division football these days. These guys just edge out the solid Aaron Maher, Jeremy France, Matty Dalman, Ryan Lobb and Aaron Thomson.

Caleb Archer with his ability to dominate possession would start in the central midfield. His company in this position would be Mark Van Rij.Van Rij would just dislodge the current crop of talent like Aaron Crampton, Tony George and Sam Callander. Also Dan Schofield and Si Van Rij miss out too!

The wide defenders would be Jon Dunne fresh from the Grants Braes prems and Justin Latif from his stint with Fiji Under 24s.

The central defenders would be Phil Dawson all the way from the states, but he is quick and has played a few years for the Northern 1sts. He played for us as central defender when I was away. I would be the other centre back based on the fact that it is my blog and my team selections. So you other defenders like Luke Arkapaw, Cam Grindlay, Matt Coyle and Andy Robinson, tough bikkies.

One thing this shows is that at some stage Redemption has hosted some damn fine players in our ranks. We struggle to maintain them as they get snapped up by other clubs, or decide that they have more opportunities elsewhere. This team would be awesome! Most of our current team would be challenging these guys, but will warm the bench for this ficticious encounter.

So far we have used 61 players in just under 3.5 seasons!
Has anyone been left off the list?

Chatham Cup - Waihopai 10 Redemption 1

So they thrashed us! We did as well as any team where a majority of people place a higher emphasis on other things than football, would do. Below is a match report. We received some kudos by getting an article about us in Saturday's ODT although it paints Matt Dalman as the jack of all trades when in actual fact he deals with the administrators, because I get too frustrated with them! I organise the players for the games! Just to set this straight! Unfortunately the Page 49 article doesn't reflect this. Also a tip for all you budding journos out there, get names correct. My name isn't Scott McDonald!

We really struggled to get enough players for another trip to Invers. In actual fact it was a very stressful time just trying to get a team. I have become disillusioned with the difference in priority in life of football. I see Saturday's as football days. The comradery, fitness and getting outdoors with other guys in male bonding. Some of these other pikers do not share my enthusiasm. Regular updates on Newstalk ZB and Southland Times articles have got to be good for the team. It is amazing how I thought as a defender that myself and my brother Craig who played well for the first time in 18 years did really well, yet we still conceeded 10 goals!


Redemption Dream Over

The Chatham Cup dream is over in the First Round for football minnows Redemption FC as they were slammed 10 -1 by Southland heavyweight Waihopai in Invercargill. Facing an uphill battle as a Fourth Division side against a Second Division league team, this game was always going to be like climbing Mount Cook. But given the unavailability of several Redemption players for the trip south and the appearance of a sprinkling of Spirit players for the Southlanders, this match gained Mount Everest proportions for the visitors.

It took plenty of time for Waihopai to hit their straps as they looked to maintain possession and use the full width of the lush Surrey Park Number 1 ground. These tactics met stubborn resistance initially from the dogged Redemption midfield of Aaron Crampton, Sam Callander and Tony George. The mighty Reds managed to counter and made some opportunities of their own with some near misses from corners by defender Scotty Donaldson. Inevitably the relentless Waihopai pressure told, with two well taken first half goals representing a solid first half effort from both teams.

The second half started well for Waihopai and it did not take long for them to extend the lead to 4-0 with two more clinical goals. Redemption’s time in the sun occurred midway through the Second Half with diminutive speedster Gavyn Jones receiving reward for his efforts lobbing Waihopai keeper Shane Harpur from an acute angle. This goal was not the revival hoped for by the visitors, as Waihopai went on the counter attack and extended their lead to 5-1 immediately. The superior stamina of the higher grade side started to reap rewards, as the once industrious Redemption team could not handle the counter attack and passing game of the hosts. Waihopai striker Chris Jones scored four goals in the 10-1 romp.


http://www.southlandsoccer.org.nz/allreviews.htm

We are preparing for our biggest ever game. Redemption FC has made the official 1st Round of the Chatham Cup, New Zealand's biggest Knockout Competition. We travel to Invers with several injuries, but we have the passion and the man upstairs for support. The only trouble is we only have eight players, as obviously my team don't place the same emphasis on this game as I do!

I went out for dessert with some of the Christian Professionals group that Ritchie Winter started up. Si Pearce's sisters were there along with some American lassie who seemed to know the Royston Street boys well. They were cool! Ring any bells boys? This North American gal thought I talk like Kyle Paton. It is a dubious honour to be bestowed on these shoulders!

Copouts!!!

I have in recent years seen numbers of highly desriable Christian girls been swept off their feet by guys who they claim to have converted to the Christian way. This is such a copout as in 90% of the cases of have seen, they split up and the guy is never seen at church again. Is this a sign of desperation by naive Christian girls, or trickery on the part of the guys? It is amazing how the the male mind works and holds this acceptable, yet these lasses fall for it, hook, line and sinker!


I went to the Octagon and saw the bands Mephemology and Somebody's Cousin Play. They drew a large crowd and it was a who's who of the Christian scene watching. The Thursday night Soul Sessions is spreading!

Soul Sessions Rock

Last night was the best ever Soul Session. There so many cool guys and hot gals to talk to, despite the average age being 20. My mate Aaron Crampton and myself were talking during one of the songs when we got told to be quiet by some highly strung girl who displayed characteristics of a grumpy old woman four times her age. I could have made a fuss and told her to "Piss Off!", but I thought this is a nice Christian event held in a cafe/bar, and this would be something said in my homeland of Southland to start a bar room brawl. There were several others talking!

I heard a joke today and thought that this should be noted for it's inspiration.

Don't be afraid to get out there and try new things. Don't forget amateurs built the ark, professionals built the Titanic!

I have reached the realisation that my quest for a World Cup ticket is coming to an unsuccessful end. This begs the question what to do after July 4th when I arrive and before Darren's wedding. I have a few options.

Go to the Switzerland/Germany area to enjoy the World Cup festivities, without a ticket?

Go to Sweden and stay with my brother for a week (until the dust settles on the World Cup) or so and then go to Switzerland?

Either option would be fun!

Office Rumours Spreading Like Wildfire!

I first noticed this when I remarked to one of my colleagues that I saw our Boss talking to a part time staff member after an interview, so she must have got the job. Five minutes later I head out the back to the main desks and one of the ladies was laughing because she had gone to offer her condolenses to the unsuccessful candidates, but they hadn't been told that they weren't unsuccessful.

After this event I talked to my boss about the my probable shift away to search for opportunities on the other side of the world. I told her I had purchased a ticket and would hand in my notice by the end of the week. On that Thursday, the day before I handed it in, one of the top building honchos came out to help a customer and said that I was leaving, to the customer. I hadn't even handed in my notice!

I subsequently handed it in and announced it to the people on floor as I left for morning tea. I arrived at morning tea to find a person from a different floor asking me where I was off to. It defied the laws of physics!

It seems that in an organisation like Council, plenty is discussed between floors. I still have 6 weeks left, but everyone seems more friendly now and there is less pressure on me to perform. It makes you wonder if they are really that sad that I am going?

Interesting Sunday

Sunday was a real corker. My mate Boss was back in town to help out with the Habitat for Humanities project house in Dunedin and it was great catching up with him. DCBC morning service was more fun with the Bossman and his lieutenant close at hand.

After Church we went to a going away lunch for Darren (Dagsey) before he goes over to get married in Switzerland, which I am attending. It was a real old school type reunion with heaps of us having fun. It was great seeing the mid 20s club which has been quiet since several marriages have taken place.

The fun continued with Gav and Christine's house warming. Several of the same people also attended this. They are doing well for themselves, it is a nice house. It was the social exposure I have been lacking, with the likes of Matty Dalman and Aaron Crampton getting back together. It resembled one of those tacky Neighbours or Home and Away reunion shows. It also gave us a chance to divulge what went wrong on the Saturday when we lost to the bottom team in our grade. They were hungrier than us and we had no subs and some embattled bodies from the start. It was a really hot Dunedin day.

Around 6pm I was walking down Castle Street when some drunken females were walking around wearing old sun dresse. You expect to be out of the drunken hours at that time, but one of them kept flashing herself to every guy around. Fortunately or unfortunately as the case was I was behind her and only saw her underpants and the reaction of one guy in particular was priceless. "Gee I love this!".

Went to Church at Apos and saw some familiar pretty faces and the same old withered beasts who have been regularly donning the aisles there.

The final straw happened today when not only did I tell everyone I am leaving, but I received an interesting phonecall. It ends up one of my name sakes is working at the Vineyard I worked on a year ago and his pay was placed into my account because I must still be on the system! Imagine if I had changed my cellphone or already gone overseas, the $300 would've been mine. I wonder if it is the same dirty old Scotty Donaldson that went to Hargest 3 years behind me?

World Cup Ticket

Man I want a ticket to the World Cup! If only I had planned earlier and decided to arrive in Europe ages before Darren's wedding I could have got an Iran/ Angola ticket or Saudi Arabia/Tunisia. With my limited options because I arrive in Europe on the 4th July I am limited to trying to get over priced semi final or final tickets or the 3rd / 4th playoff which is my best shot. They are into their 6th phase of sales and I am hoping that they get hold of me. The only way would be through Justin who put us in for the 3rd 4th playoff when we entered the second hance draw and missed out in November. They now have a similar second chance draw which we have to hope to get. The only trouble is not being able to make definite plans because of it! Anyway fingers crossed that we will somehow get tickets! It seems a shame to be in the area at the time and not realise a dream by going to a game.

Just something I found on the Net!

What (Most) Christian Girls Wish Guys Knew
As we’ve just seen—and probably already knew—there are some huge differences between
how guys and girls think and act. Lots of times, guys just don’t get girls. They don’t know
how they’re supposed to act or what girls want them to do. Today, we’re going to look at
this issue from a Christian perspective and learn some things that most Christian girls wish
guys knew. And we’re not just talking about romantic relationships here, but also about
simple friendships and family relationships.
1. Listening is better than fixing.
Girls tend to be relational and feelings oriented. They see something that’s not working or is
causing trouble and they want to talk about it with someone. They want to explore how it
makes them feel a little bit. Guys, however, tend to be problem solvers. They will see something
that’s not working or is causing trouble for the girl and start looking for solutions.
They will want to fix it (and stop her crying!).
For a lot of girls, this difference in approaching problems is frustrating. When a girl feels
emotional or has a problem and turns to a guy
friend to talk about it, she may not be ready to fix
it. She just wants to talk about it and feel like the
guy understands.
Offering a listening ear is a good habit to build in
all our relationships, not just between guys and
girls. The Bible tells us to be available to share
other people’s emotions as a way of showing that
we care about them. [Ask someone to read
Romans 12:15 out loud: “Rejoice with those who
rejoice; weep with those who weep” (HCSB).]
What Girls Think
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For guys, it takes some courage and self control to be able to listen and not try to fix. It
takes even more of those things to share a little emotion back to a female they care about,
including a good friend, sister or mom.
2. Friendship really matters.
We all need good friends, and building friendships with the opposite sex is a healthy way
to prepare for romantic relationships. It’s also just good, period. Some girls get frustrated
because lots of guys don’t seem to be interested in friendship if there’s not a shot at something
more.
Some guys just don’t feel comfortable building close, nonromantic relationships with girls.
If they can’t have a dating relationship, they move on. But that’s an immature way of looking
at guy/girl relationships. Guys who can’t be friends with girls are missing out on some
great relationships.
Of course, being friends requires being available sometimes, being able to have good conversations
and being interested in the other person’s life. Girls like guys who know how to
talk a little bit. Solomon wrote that “a man takes joy in giving an answer; and a timely
word—how good that is!” (Proverbs 15:23, HCSB).
3. Real Christian men respect women.
For some lousy reasons, Christian guys sometimes get the idea that it’s okay to talk badly
about girls when they’re not around—to make comments about their bodies, to mock them
for their moods, to treat them unkindly simply because they’re women. That is always,
always wrong.
If we took the time to read the last chapter of Romans, you’d hear Paul send his respect and
greetings to at least a dozen women who were his friends and co-workers in ministry. Paul
clearly respected women as important people in the church. He told Timothy to treat older
women as mothers and younger women as sisters. Of course, if a guy doesn’t treat his mom
or his sisters very well, some Christian girls get a clue that he won’t treat them well in the
long run, either.
Jesus broke the rules of His culture in the way He
treated women with respect. He took time to
teach them the truth about Himself, to build
friendships with several key women in His life,
and after His resurrection He appeared first to a
woman—a high honor!
If a Christian guy hopes to point people to Jesus,
he better be treating women as Jesus did, with
respect, kindness and honor.
What Girls Think
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4. Looks do matter, but not as much as what’s
inside.
This is one thing guys really don’t get about girls.
That’s because looks make a huge difference to
guys—especially teenage guys. Guys do care about
more than just outward appearance, but they definitely
care about looks a lot more than girls do.
Still, looks matter to girls. As we saw in the video, it’s what they notice first. A guy who
wants to attract a girl might need to put a little effort into not looking like a total slob. But
he better be spending some serious effort on the things girls care about even more—
character.
Here’s a list of things that make guys really attractive to lots of Christian girls: love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness and self-control. Recognize that list?
It’s from Galatians 5:22-23, and it’s a list of qualities that come out in the lives of Christians
who are walking closely enough with God to be under the constant influence of the Holy
Spirit.
Yes, it’s true that some girls go through phases where they’re more attracted to “bad boys.”
But that attraction fades. Eventually, girls want to be with men they can respect for their
strength, integrity and commitment.
5. “Put me second.”
Okay, this one might only apply to more mature Christian girls. They’re the ones that understand
they don’t want a guy who is going to make them the center of his universe. They’re
looking for a guy who has made God number one in his life above everything, including
them.
These girls wish Christian guys understood that they care more about a man’s spiritual
commitment to Christ than anything else. As the girl in the video said, they’d like a guy
to challenge them spiritually and take the lead in spiritual issues.
Paul said something to a pastor named Timothy about leadership—and it’s a great example
of how some growing Christian girls wish Christian guys would act: “You should be an
example . . . in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12, HCSB).
These girls wish the Christian guys they might go out with would be the ones to put the
limits on unhealthy physical intimacy, to sometimes lead conversations toward spiritual
issues and to express concerns about leading friends and family members to Christ.
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