What Is Your Most Common Male Facebook Friend's Name?

There are plenty of popular christian names for people in New Zealand. Overseas I am pretty sure Mohammed takes the prize, but in New Zealand I reckon one of Andrew (Andy), David (Dave), John (or Jon, Jonathon) or Matthew (Matt or Matty) will take the prize for most popular. It is funny how we often hear of the most popular name for newborns like Jack, Josh and Sam for example, but it is rare to get a study done of adults.

I want everyone on Facebook to give me their top names and how many of their friends have that name.

The best way is to go to your Friends page and search by name.

My official count is

Andrew 12
David 12
John 6
Matthew 11
Chris 11
Tim 14
Steve 7
Sam 4
James 7

The winner is Tim! A bit of an upset really!

Sense Prevails and the Dunedin Stadium Will Be Built!

Knowing there are plenty of people from Dunners who read this blog, I am intrigued as to how they see the hiking of their rates to build a new stadium for Dunedin. From my viewpoint the city needs a new stadium as Carisbrook will no longer get any tests and the revenue brought into the place when big test matches are played will be sorely missed by the city.

I also think that Dunedin needs this stadium because it is closer to the University, the students, the other sporting facilities and will be far more comfortable to go to on those winter nights when night rugby is played. It can also be used for other functions and will have a roof.

Is this a desperate move by the Otago Rugby Union try and stem the flow of lack of patronage at rugby matches? Just because you have a new stadium, doesn't mean the team will start winning more often. Just because it is built near the University doesn't mean the students will come in their droves like they did when I attended. What will become of the white elephant Carisbrook?

Read the article below and decide for yourself if ratepayers should have to pay more to fund part of the $180 million stadium. I think it is an expensive gamble, but the Otago Rugby Union are desperate to get more games and people attending those games and this will help, I hope! People of Dunedin have to attend the games though when it is built, please! I also think the timing with the recession hasn't helped, but I hope the jobs created by the stadium and money that extra games held because of the stadium will outweigh the negative impacts in the long term.

http://tvnz.co.nz/rugby-news/new-stadium-triumph-dunedin-2682142

Some Classic Songs From My Childhood

I have been listening to Classic Hits and sometimes they crank out some classic songs which remind me of life growing up in Invers. These songs helped make me who I am. I thought I would throw in some Kylie and Jason for Chris Dodds who is a huge Jason Donovan fan. I couldn't find a clip of Prince singing Raspberry Beret and decided to limit myself to mainly Oceanian songs anyway. I could also put in some classic Crowded House, Herbs, Dave Dobbyn, Split Enz or The Mockers. I am useless at music, but appreciate this classic kiwi gold.

The Culture Club

With the advent of Tuesday night Life Group surpassing the popularity for Tuesday night Movie Club, may I present to you Culture Club. Named after Boy George's flamboyant 1980s pop group, the Culture Club will be open for business starting this Thursday night. For some reason I am becoming quite cultured in my old age and some people from The Street are going to Te Papa on Thursday for the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra concert.
http://www.tepapa.govt.nz/TePapa/English/WhatsOn/Events/Calendar/200904April/musicalimpressions.htm

My folks are coming to the big smoke from the metropolis of Invers and we will go to Starlight Express as that will be on in the first week of July at TSB Arena I think. It is an actual musical, but it would be more fun with others. Tickets start at $55, but there are group discounts available if I can rally the troops!

For further details go to the Ticketek website.

www.ticketek.co.nz

Redemption FC Sunk

90 minutes is a long time when you are playing South Canterbury's finest, so when Redemption FC went down 9-0 it was hardly surprising. The Chatham Cup lets teams live the dream and this dream was short lived as they went down. I sweated blood and tears for the Redemption FC side in other Chatham Cup games and by the sounds of it, this opposition was a pretty good side to come up against first up. Mind you, it is great to see Andy Robinson get his photo in the Timaru Herald and enjoy the spotlight that Soccer Otago Div 4 sides rarely get. For a write up, go to the link below
http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/sport/2364982/Boeri-stars-in-West-End-romp

For the record, that is the second biggest loss for Redemption in the Chatham Cup, but I wonder if it is worse to concede 10 and score 1 like the 2006 defeat to Invercargill club Waihopai or lose 9-0?

Better luck next year guys and for the rest of the season!

My Weekend - Chris Dodds Looks Awkward For the First Time Ever

What a weekend!

Another one flies by and it all started on Friday night with David Lim's birthday dinner. It was a different crowd at the Southern Cross for the enigmatic Lim who is the biggest sports fan I know. Small in stature Lim has now gone into folklore for earning the Righteous Brothers a penalty try when he was high tackled heading for the corner. Lim is small in stature, but enthusiasm helps keep him in the game. If any player taller than the 5 foot 5 inch Lim was heading for the corner, it would've been a try saving tackle, but because he is so short, it was high and earned his team a penalty try. After dinner, some of us like Landreth, Joe Fung (Lim's twin) and me went back to his to hang with Macca his flatmate and watch the Highlanders lose. This was all recorded on My Sky from earlier, but it was a painful game which saw my boys go down unexpectantly.

Fast forward a day and I was playing soccer for the Marist Skins at Crawford Green. The ground was hard and really uneven, making simple passing difficult. The match was even, with us having more chances in the first half, but we got denied by some great goalkeeping. Their dangerously fast forward nabbed one goal from beside the goal, an absolute screamer, but apart from that one piece of brilliance, the game was ugly.

I got invited on Saturday to go to the Hurricanes game with Jenny and Tali. I never look an invite from a woman or two to attend the game and a few other tag alongs went to the Cake Tin. It was crazy seeing big bunches of uniformed people, being ANZAC day. They were mainly your usual blokey blokes and it was humbling with the minute of silence among about 20,000 people. The Hurricanes won and it was refreshing to be supporting a team with so many players with X Factor. For the record the Hurricanes beat the Brumbies by 54-7.

After the game some of us went to the Molly Malone bar on Courtenay Place. Initially the band, The Noodles with Mitch from church on bass hadn't started playing. It was quite full, so we got a spot, but unfortunately it was near one of the speakers. There were so many awkward characters. Initially there were as Flight of the Conchords sang about, Too Many Dicks on the Dancefloor. I make it a rule only to let down my guard when this isn't the case. Eventually some more Street chicks arrived and this is when things got interesting.

There were some creepy guys there who were on who knows what that were getting a bit touchy with the females, but some guys stepped in and made sure nothing more happened. This middle aged woman with a soft spot for Rock and Roll then outstayed her welcome. She started with Matt Landreth who after being her toyboy was then held in an embrace. He left for some fresh air. Then that moment happened a while later.

That is right, I saw Chris Dodds look uncomfortable. He is usually such a cool dude who seems phased by very little. I saw him Rock'n'Rolling with the same woman who had an earlier soft spot for Landreth. It ended up that Doddsey's tight buns had become a talking point/object of desire for these women who had been pinching them. Then the main woman was trying to set her German friend up with the Doddswa. Seeing this conversation (I couldn't hear it because it was so loud), was priceless. It was the only 30 seconds that the shameless master was feeling like a cat on a hot tin roof.

Today I woke up and my worst fears were realised. No, there was no sight of this Rock'n'Roll woman in her late 30s. I still had loud ringing in my ear and my injuries from soccer the day before like my slightly dead thigh and my strained plantar fascia were more painful than before. It looks like I will hit up the physio and get some manipulation. It may pay to find one in Thorndon since my old physio is a good 20 minute bus ride from work.

Today the weather was wet and sticky, as were my jeans by the time I arrived at church for our Connections meeting. It was actually quite painless and gave us plenty of information for being on Connections. Then some of us went out for coffee (as a group) before doing connections at night church. There really are some interesting characters who go to churches and plenty of others that you have never met even though you have both been going to the same church for years.

Chris Dodds was over his awkwardness and spoke well. He couldn't help himself using the fact that people if they lose their job have to prepare themselves and if people are struggling with singledom, they need to man up and ask a girl for coffee. While not wanting to harp on about it, he did a little, but it was gold. He also mentioned that females if they are fine upstanding Christian women, will respect a man for putting himself out there. It is funny how Christianity is a haven for relationship awkwardness which the rest of the world past by when they were at high school, yet the innocence of Christianity sees these issues arise with people in their 20s and 30s. Hence why it is important for people to see some more awkwardness at the Christian Singles Ball on May 16th. The event name smells of awkwardness, but that is why it will be fun. I do wonder who Doddswa is thinking of asking for coffee soon though?

www.christiansinglesball.com

My Football Opposition Tomorrow

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/entertainment/blogs/the-lost-boys/2353939/I-am-a-footballing-god
It is rare that you get insight and a preview in Capital Div 9, but one of the opposition for tomorrow's game against Wellington United Salmon must work for the Dom Post and has written all about his team and the name of the story behind the Salmon.

We beat them twice last season, but in this grade so much depends on who is available from week to week.

The Wellington Phoenix New Striker

New signings are always met with a certain sceptism, but there are few signs that the Phoenix new signing Chris Greenacre is a proven goal scorer. He has a top 10 on Youtube and these are great goals. Greenacre is 31, but has heaps of experience and should be fine for the two years the Phoenix has signed him for. He isn't a long term solution though.

After starting his career at Manchester City, Greenacre went on to play football for the likes of Cardiff City, Mansfield Town and Stoke City, before joining League One club Tranmere Rovers on a free transfer in the summer of 2005. He scored over 140 goals for Tranmere Rovers and is used to playing in a battling side. He is also on Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Greenacre

For me I would rather the Phoenix went with someone younger, but I guess they couldn't afford a player the calibre of Greenacre without waiting until he was slightly past his best. Time will tell as to how well he will go in place of Smeltz. He may not get the service from the 'Nix midfield that he is used to getting. I think they will get another striker to partner him. Lets face it, Smeltz is a brilliant striker and has left huge boots to fill, but Greenacre could potentially do it. It is a shame there aren't many other kiwi strikers putting their hands up which would've been better.

Dating Tips

I got this using my extensive research into different aspects of life. Below are some pointers to dating in New Zealand culture and they suggest that playing hard to get doesn't work that well in New Zealand culture. Check out the TV3 article.

http://www.3news.co.nz/News/HealthNews/Dating-tips/tabid/420/articleID/99529/cat/58/Default.aspx


1st rule - Forget all those American dating books – Kiwi men and women are so different!

What men are looking for:
The majority of men on our books are looking for someone who has time for a relationship, someone who’s not high maintenance, takes pride in their appearance, has a career and goals, and has a great down to earth attitude.

What women are looking for:
Women are looking for honesty and respect, someone with his own life and friends, success, confidence not arrogance, someone who is articulate with a great sense of humour, a decision maker, and has a good work and life balance.

Do not play hard to get!
Your date will think you don’t like them and move on.
I think one of the worst pieces of advice you can get from a friend is to not phone someone you are interested in and to ‘play hard to get’. I am sorry but this does not work on Kiwi men and women. It has the opposite affect and they just think, “Well, they’re just not that into me”

Dress to impress – always.
Men don’t be afraid to dress it up more.
Women you should try to look more feminine.
Men want to see women as women – It makes them feel more masculine.
Women want to see men as men – it makes them feel more feminine.

Have more than 2 dates.
This is truly the best piece of advice I can give and I apologise in advance because I will repeat this one over and over and . . . . I spend hours every week discussing this with clients. You don’t need to make a decision after one date. The common response after a first date is, “I’m just not sure there’s anything there for me”. Well of course not, it’s just a first date. You don’t even know the person. And before you say, “Well I know myself”, I have four married couples now who told me exactly that. They weren’t going to go on a second date and I had to talk them into it. And they’re just the ones that are now married! You don’t know anything about a person after just one date. Enjoy your self and have another date. You have nothing to lose.

Focus on the now.
Do not talk about your ex or other dates you’ve been on. This is a frequent issue when dating within an agency as it’s a common link – but find another one! It is not appropriate to talk about other dates when dating under any circumstances.

Redemption FC

The club I created are playing in the Chatham Cup this weekend in Timaru. It is an away game and will be a struggle for the Dunedin based Div 4 team which lacks the firepower that it did about three years ago when I was there. It is the New Zealand equivalent of the FA Cup. In 2006 we went down to Invers and won our first up game and the trip with the guys and the result was one of the best days of my life. You get the officials and the media attention in Chatham Cup which is priceless.

I played on Saturday and we won 3-0. Man it was hot in Wellington on Saturday and the grounds were hard and fast. I must say that my ability to handle cold weather is diminishing as I am becoming acclimatised to the Wellington weather.

Friday night saw the return of Friday Night Drinks. It was a great evening with great people. My brother was in town and was welcomed with open arms. It was a great bunch of people. The only problem was the Southern Cross had no SKY television. Anyway, we left and went to JJs and then Satay Kingdom. It gets your weekend off to a sociable time.

I had better hit the sack and dream of Chatham Cup First Round victory for the boys in red from Redemption FC.

A Ladies Man??

I have found myself through pure coincidence hanging out with plenty of females over the last few days. It is far from a bad thing and if anything has proved to be very informative.

Sunday was good times after church hanging with the Manners Street girls for the first time in ages. They have a great location and we went to the shops and then played some games. Even without Greer their hospitality is great.

Monday night saw my sister arrive in town and she gave me a very early birthday present of the Wellington Entertainment Book. This book goes with me everywhere. It is full of coupons with mammoth savings. It shouldn't be like a Bible in my bag everyday, yet I don't take my Bible with me wherever I go. We went to the Flying Burrito Brothers and got two mains for the price of one. There are some great deals if you know where you can use them. Landreth's opera is discounted to 25% off, while there are buy one get one free mains at the Realm Hataitai where I frequent on Thursday nights. The brownie at Sports Cafe Courtenay Place wasn't in the book, but was great.

Tonight I bit the bullett since most of movie club as usual piked, except Jenny who invited Sacha and Bridgie to the movie 17 Again. It has some well known actors including the teenage heart-throb from the High School High Musicals (Zac Efron), Matthew Perry (Chandler from Friends) and the chick off Big Daddy who is Adam Sandler's ex. There is also the guy from Reno 911 who wears inappropriate shorts in Reno. He is again inappropriate. There were plenty of cringe moments with the idea of incest and underage/age gap romance, but it was quite funny too. The audience was 95% female and about 60% teenage. They even all clapped at the end they thought it was so good. I smuggled in a dirty (low) Quality Kebab. The teenagers in the crowd were so interactive talking to the screen and clapping during the movie.

6 stars out of 10.

My Life Group has stopped now that Andy and Greer have got married. Andy was our leader and so we are going to join with Greer's group which she was the leader of. We met up tonight at Fidels, but I was the only representative from our mainly guys small (real small) group. The girls group had five gals. It is funny how you can go to the same church as these qualitt girls for ages, but not meet them until you are sitting in Fidels on a Tuesday night. We can share the load and they are keen to have parties and fun, so it sounds like a good mix. We will have to move to Tuesday nights which means movie club may take a back seat, or less regular timeframe. We can always go on another night.

So, there you have it folks. I have been the only guy hanging with girls over the last few days. It is role a I am unfamiliar with being one guy among four boys in my family, but it is so educational and I don't say that I mind it.

In other news, despite some naughty photos taken with my sunglasses and added on Facebook, I can safely say that my glasses are safely tucked away in my bedroom after being left in Matty's car. Hopefully with counselling, they will be right in a few days!

The Answers To Many Questions

http://www.stuff.co.nz/oddstuff/2339017/Tree-grows-inside-mans-lung
A 5cm fir tree was found inside a 28 year old russian man who complained of pain in his lungs. A few theories spring to mind on how it got there or if this is some believe it or not case. One of these is that he somehow accidentially swallowed seeds through his nasal passages or mouth and that it slowly grew in his system living off blood and other stuff there. What do you think? Fact or fiction?

I love useless trivia and last night at pub quiz our team of four managed 3rd place which was a great effort against about 14 teams. My favourite question is
1) What is the maximum number of silver coins (dollar value) that retailers must accept from you in New Zealand? It is a brilliant question which we got wrong, but that is when you learn the best.

Another question was

2) The song lyric "Pain in the ass" was banned in Australia from what 1988 song?
I managed to get this one, which gave us a well deserved 5 out of 10 in music our weak section.

3) What is the highest single card value in a game of Baccarat?


For answers see below.

1) $5 New Zealand. We felt sorry for kids with piggybanks and said $20. I wonder if retailers enforce this rule if people buy items with silver coins only?

2) Blondie sang a song called "Heart of glass" and I guess it does rhyme with "Pain in the ass". We got that right and it gave me a chance to sing to my non musical group in a high voice.

3) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baccarat

9 is the answer. Since no one had played it we thought it might be a random number, because you would expect 10 or something to be the answer. We actually went 24 for no real reason and got it wrong.

Rugby Players Come Out Fighting

Good on Josh Kronfeld for sticking it to Paul Henry calling him a "dickhead". From what I have discovered in the media, there are some journalists like Brendan Telfer, Doug Golightly and Paul Henry who cause controversy and often play the devil's advocate to boost ratings. So despite knowing that Josh Kronfeld was the worst dancer out of the semi finalists in Dancing with the Stars and voted off, I think good on him for hassling Paul Henry. Henry is probably bitter that despite New Zealand's lack of celebrities, he still hasn't been called up!
http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv/dancing-with-the-stars/2336135/Josh-Kronfeld-slams-Paul-Henry

In other news, check out the Romanian Club rugby players fighting. If only they put more effort into playing the game instead of fighting!

My Easter Break

The weekend started on Friday with Cam, Nyree, Doddsey and myself hitting the road around 9am and having a nice trip up to Tauranga. For some reason there was a traffic jam on our departure and arrival near Otaki. The one returning was worse, but I will continue. I haven't been on a road trip of this length in ages. It is interesting what happened onboard going up. We sang Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan songs among others and talked about the usual love, life and solving the world's problems. It raised an interesting dilemma as we called into places like Bulls and Palmy for breaks. I had grown up in provincial New Zealand and always despised big city slickers who would roll into town with their big city ideas and all of a sudden I have become everything I never wanted to become. I guess it was more embedded in the Southland psyche about staying true to down eath values of provincial New Zealand.

We finally arrived in Tauranga about 6pm and found Emma Trail's house in Tauranga. It was handy that Cam had GPS on his phone and once we got used to using it, it was a lifesaver. We played pool on the Trails' pool table and the enlarged group of about 12 of us were feed curry. Emma's family are amazingly hospitable and also have some pretty mean baking and selection of teas. The four of us from the car went to our bach (crib for anyone south of the Waitaki) and enjoyed some late night discussion before bed. It was a tidy place we stayed in too! This typified Tauranga. It seemed modern and so unlike Dunedin or Newtown in Wellington where I have spent my most recent times.

Saturday dawned sunny and warm. This weather in the 20s is a far cry from my memories of the last two years Easter in Southland where the puffer jacket and beanie are required. We went into town and got brunch and a few essentials. It was busy with people in town for the jazz festival. Without knowing how busy Tauranga usually is, I would say that it is a safe assumption that plenty of people go there for holidays. Then we made it to the wedding in Te Puke with 15 minutes to spare. This was pushing given that I was one of the ushers. Lisa and me then got to handing out programs, but this time I received the ultimate in promotions. I stayed at my usher post unlike any of the four other times of done this role. I saw the bride and bridesmaids had a bit of conversation and then we opened the doors to let them in.

The wedding ceremony was pretty normal apart from giving the crowd permission to use the order of service as a paper plane as the bride and groom leave. Andy was his usual monotonic self. He had to blow his nose several times but assurred me after the ceremony that he wasn't crying and since I didn't see him wipe his eyes, I have no reason to doubt.

We all hung around at the same venue afterwards. We had a great discussion of handshakes and hugs where we unleashed them all. The side arm, monkey grip, wet fish, stationary Muzza Jones special and my personal favourite the mind the wart. It was brilliant conversing with heaps of peeps who had made the trip. There was ice cream, easter egg hunt and sports and games. I was supposed to be organising sports and games, but because it was so hot, I just played some games and most people were playing foosball, air hockey, table tennis and pool. There was an outdoor beach volleyball set up outside which would've been cool, but everyone was in their glad rags in the heat. People then left who weren't invited to the reception.

The evening started with our table of mainly young singles had some fun. We thought we would call each other by their middle names. It kept the ladies at my table entertained and that was the main thing. Some of the dipping sauces were so hot and I was left wondering after my second curry on consecutive nights, how Andy who is usually sensitive to such issues was coping on his big night. We then heard typical speeches, with the Jamieson's succinct and to the point while the Ritchie's were more bubby and the usual length. This mean't that dessert came along on time which is quicker than usual. My funny moment of the speeches was when a six year old boy in front of me kept putting his finger into his butt and then putting it in his mouth. After three times doing this I was struggling to not laugh, and he walked out and went to the toilet. Now that is entertainment.

The jockularity (if there is such a word) continued at our table with the middle name gag continuing, while the small but very rich desserts were often swapped and shared between parties. They looked so nice, but were so rich. There was even the odd jaffa thrown into drinks. It was an intriguing science experiment, eventually it made my drink orange.

We then did some Gay Gordons and old school dancing. IT is funny how many variations of the most sociable of all dances the Gay Gordon. Being from Southland, it is in the blood to do these old dances, but took a while to get back into it. It was no Gore Ball with no band of geriatrics or piano accordian. It was new territory for most, but the beauty of this type of dancing is that you get to change partners and meet new people and circulate who you want to dance future dances with. That is why it is usually held at the start and it is relatively simple. While I was in my element, plenty of others weren't and so at about 930pm Andy and Greer left. I had met a guy from my table (Roger) before in Dunners, but I re-met him at my table. We talked a bit at the table and when we sent them off with a guard of honour, it was me and Roger Dodger forming an arch. Good times!

Weddings often finish relatively soon after the bride and groom leave and this wedding was no exception. Andy and Greer left and by about 15 minutes later, the party was over. We went back to Emma's and had about 15 people playing Cranium. There was always controversy (even in reading the rules) and it was even the game that I can remember as having the fewest number of dice rolls required. The best part of it was that some of the trivia was so useful over the course of the weekend. Factoids like true or false the colour of chickens' ear lobes determines the colour of their eggs. It was true and so ideal around easter egg time. The size of the average human bladder is also around 575 mls (a pint). This was useful when the guy at Mosaic church in Mt Maunganui kept pulling out stats about drinking water.

Sunday was great. Emma had an easter egg hunt and about 15 fully grown adults found hollow and marshmellow eggs around the property. Landreth found the rubber chicken and got an egg from each other person. We played some more pool and the Trails gave us some great lunch and then I decided to stay in Tauranga for the extra night rather than go fishing and stay with Cam's family in Taupo. The word "controversial" springs to mind, but I am glad I made the call. About 8 of us went to the Bethlehem easter display, then about six of us went to night church and trip to the Mount to have pizza and a trip to the really busy salt water hot pools. It was amazingly busy and I realised that heaps of people in Tauranga are the typical beach bums still tanned and blonde. It is a mini Queensland!

The road trip home was in J's car with Becs, Landreth and Brendon. We discussed the usual love, life and solving the worlds problems, who we liked on the trip and a post mortem of the wedding and did the usual singing in high voices. There are so many more people in the North Island towns like Taupo, Tauranga and Rotorua and all of their accommodation and hotels. The South Island is so remote looking back, but it makes it more relaxed (just ask the disgruntled motorists waiting for about an hour at Manakau near Otaki). We were there!

On my return I played indoor soccer. It gave me a great chance to work off the Easter Eggs and baking provided by the Trails. The only blip on their radar was that they had Vegemite and not Marmite. Their teas looked so good that I even indulged in two. I have never drunken tea before in my life!

Thanks to all those involved. The photos above are from Emmas and Tim's wedding photo. Emma owns those 1990s jerseys she got in Japan. They are gold. Tim took a photo of Andy and Greer at their wedding. It looks so typical of them. Andy staunch and Greer happy.

Monsters vs Aliens 3D

We ripped off the system. I believe that you should never have to pay full price at the movies. Usually you can use the free Movie Maxx catalogue available free at Reading Cinemas to get two people into the movies for $10 each if you buy a combo costing around $7. But 3D movies are a beast and most discounts don't count for 3D movies. It was cheap night $10 movies and we were about to be charged $17 each ($15 for the movie and $2 for the glasses hire). Instead I was going to use a free voucher for a movie when I realised that my free ticket actually included the glasses hire. Still needing to buy five more tickets for the others I decided to buy a 10 book for $120. This means that everyone got into the movie and glasses hire for $12. Vouchers for movies get you the works including glasses. Remember this when you next go to a 3D movie.

The movie itself saw us wearing the glasses above. It was a cute and funny film. The 3D effects were hardly amazing and I wonder if I would've gone to it if it wasn't 3D. The strangest thing with this movie was the lady sitting in the backrow with the worst canned laughter ever. She laughed loudly and high pitched. It was full bellied and I even heard people sitting in the front part of the theatre talking about it on the way out.

This movie was good for a cartoon. I liked B.O.B. the best. The voice was Seth Rogen. Reese Witherspoon was the main voice. It would actually be awesome being a voice in a cartoon.

There was plenty of quirky humour and I did my usual fall asleep about 15 minutes in. It actually gets quite tiring watching 3D movies.

It was school holidays and I felt like I was a school kid again going along in the hols with my folks. I guess I feel like I have outgrown cartoons and so while it was mildly amusing, I rarely found it laugh out loud funny like the woman in the back row!

I give it 6.5 stars out of 10.

What Else Can You Expect From Aussie?

This Aussie is growing an ear in his arm in an attempt to create some sort of art. The dude wants to get a microphone placed into the ear which will let him use it instead of a phone and also get a speaker implanted into his mouth. An interesting chap my all accounts.

Read about it here!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-487039/Artist-implants-ear-arm.html

Me and Rhys Darby Twins?

It is official. According the Dolf and many others I am the twin of Rhys Darby the funny man from Flight of the Conchords and Yes Man. The photo above shows Darby in his latest movie The Boat That Rocked, in his 1970s attire and me in my Facebook profile photo 1970s attire we look identical.

I have been compared with him in nature, voice and now appearance. It is uncanny and I guess it is something to be proud of!

Compare and Contrast Easter Weekends

In previous years I have gone down south for Easter, but this year I went to the wedding in Tauranga. It was quality times, but these two cities are like chalk and cheese.

Not only was the wedding on in Tauranga, but the weather was hot and there was a Jazz Festival which attracted the punters from all over the country. It was busy and there was a really good vibe. It was also brilliant knowing so many people up there for the wedding.

Travel about 1000KM south and Invers hosted two events. There was a Gypsey Convention which saw local rednecks and bogans give Invers the tag of the worst city in New Zealand as bottles were hurled at the transient gypseys on tour.

The Highlanders also played a Super 14 game in Invers and it was great to see the crowd of over 6000 show up on Easter weekend when most people leave town. It was wet and cold for it, but at least the boys sporting the maroon away strip did well. You would've thought they should've played in the blue strip so the Reds could play in their usual colours.

I will make it to Invers again one of these days, but the main attraction will probably be the family! Not the weather or transient types!


http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/2332040/Gypsies-angry-at-abuse-in-Invercargill

Who Wants To Get 3D Glasses?

Technology is becoming more modern with 3D television and movies upon us right now. Everytime you hire glasses from Reading Cinemas it costs $2-$3, so I reckon that assuming you can wear a pair of plastic 3D glasses from Ebay for $10 and get the full 3D impact then this will be a more ideal long term investment. The more I buy, the less I have to pay in postage per pair. Which pair of glasses do you think would be best and look best. Does anyone know if you can wear any 3D glasses to all 3D movies and television?

One pair looks more sophisticated and would be my top pick. The yellow frames are the most tacky and would be my second pick as the stereotypical pair.

Movie club would be able to save money by pulling them out when asked about paying more to hire glasses. The only other annoying thing is that on Cheap Tuesday, 3D movies are the full normal weekend price. That sucks. The next 3D movie is out and Monster vs Alien should be funny. There are usually about 5 movies per year in 3D, so they would be paid off in a year.

So which pair do you like the best? Do some research on Ebay.com and place your votes. It would be great to get pairs for heaps of us to be the ultimate in movie nerds!

It Could've Been Me

I read the following on http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-stories/5483662/quick-resolution-thief-targets-super-14-team/ this reminded me of working at the Leisure Lodge in Dunedin as the night porter. I was often left sole charge while high profile Super 12, NPC and All Blacks stayed. The hotel was nothing special and this was evident when I had to wash and dry all of the Chiefs uniforms before they went to South Africa after playing the Highlanders. They were leaving the next day, but I couldn't believe that it was up to me to put these really high tech rugby gears through everyday washing machine and a dryer. If I had a digital camera back then I would've taken some photos wearing the gear. The thing is that when top level players stayed there were always sponsors wanting to be associated with them so they would never have to pay for things. Items like Powerade, Kia Ora phone cards, Adidas boots and Steinlager were always in abundance and would've been so easy to steal since I usually worked alone. But because I am a fine upstanding young man I didn't give into temptation despite being paid $10.50 an hour to work sole charge overnight. Anyway, here is the article.

A Hamilton hotel staff member has been arrested after visiting South African Super 14 rugby players had their rooms raided and possessions stolen.

The Lions had lost their match against the local Chiefs team on Saturday and returned to their hotel to find some of the players' rooms had been looted, police said.

However, Detective Sergeant Dave Grace said fast work by police "saw the final whistle blown on the thief".

Mr Grace said within an hour of being notified of the break-in police were at the suspect's home with a search warrant.

"A hotel staff member was identified as the person responsible for the theft and a search of his home resulted in the majority of items being recovered," he said.

Mr Grace praised hotel management for their cooperation in the matter.

"We were able to effect a quick arrest in this case owing to the hotel's existing security procedures and the management's relationship with police."

Mr Grace said when the Lions players heard about the arrest they had moved on to Auckland to prepare for their next match.

He said they were pleased to hear the news and impressed with the quick police response.

"We will return the team's possessions over the next couple of days and we hope the prompt arrest of the thief goes some way to allaying any concerns they may have about Hamilton as a place to visit."

A 23-year-old Hamilton student was bailed on a charge of burglary and further charges were likely.


I am also so sad to see Brumbies lock Shaun McKay passed away. It is such a shame when like Sonny Fai players depart while in their prime. I was once in a car which nearly hit Lote Tuqiri in Dunedin the day before the Waratahs played the Highlanders and I guess there is always a chance that something bad will happen to these players. These guys aren't super human and this reinforces it! This could've been anyone hit by a car, but unfortunately it was a top level player.

This also leaves the Brumbies in strife as fellow lock Mark Chisholm is out for the rest of the season, leaving the Brumbies second row depth tested.

The Wrestler - Based on a True Story?

The million dollar question asked after watching The Wrestler is was this a true story? It seems from research that it was based loosely on typical wrestlers rather than necessarily a particular wrestler. A few names spring to mind with Jake the Snake Roberts and Nature Boy Rick Flair the obvious candidates.

This movie was a bit different but interesting. There was plenty of wrestling and it was amazing what these guys put their bodies through. They pre choreograph the moves, but heaps of the actual blows tend to still draw blood. There is one scene where he pulls part of a razor blade from his strapped wrist and cuts himself in the forehead and then gets his head belted into the turn buckle and of course he is bleeding. It was funny seeing a behind the scenes look at wrestling and the barbaric nature of it all.

He wasn't the most sophisticated guy, with drug problems, a broken family and a stripper girlfriend. He also lived in a van. But wrestling was this guy's passion and even though he had some health issues, he still continued wrestling for the love of it rather than working in the deli.

It was funny seeing the credits and the thanks going out to some great names of yesteryear for obviously providing insight. Brutus the Barber Beefcake was the biggest name there, but it was funny how they even used Jim Powers who was only slightly better than Barry Horowitz as a resource.

I would give this movie 7.5 stars out of 10.

I felt a bit sorry for the only female in movie club. There was some female nudity and plenty of blood especially in this crazy fight when they use any weapons they want and get so bloody, it is ridiculous.

How to get more Facebook friends

People often take extreme measures to get more Facebook friends. Sometimes they hassle famous people or go back to their school days and send Add a friend requests to everyone no matter if they got on at school or not.

Young Manchester United player Federico Macheda scored a stunning goal to give his team a vital win over Liverpool in a Premiership match. Here is the rest of the article thanks to the Times Online.

Most people have pictures of the office party on their Facebook page, but Federico Macheda is a bit different. The 17-year-old Manchester United phenomenon had only 640 friends on the social networking site before his Old Trafford wonder strike against Aston Villa on Sunday, but he went to bed last night with about 20,000 new virtual friends.

His new fans were poking around his site looking at pictures of the tyro hanging out with Cristiano Ronaldo and the rest of the Manchester United squad, as well as videos of some of the goals that he has scored for the United reserve team since he moved to England in September 2007.

The picture that appeared to be getting the most attention was a snap of the boy wonder, looking every inch the Italian stallion in a red silk shirt and medallion, relaxing in the company of four comely blondes and a sultry brunette. Sir Alex Ferguson is not on Facebook but if the picture comes to the United manager's attention, Macheda's nightclubbing days may be over. Ferguson likes his players to be tucked up in bed with a cup of cocoa by 11pm and his idea of a good night out is an early-evening trip to the local multiplex with a packet of sweets.

Not all of Macheda's new virtual friends were interested in his Roman good looks. Some of them wanted to thank him personally for making Liverpool fans suffer, while others were so inspired by his debut goal that they took a long hard look at themselves.

“I'm 17 and envy is a cruel emotion,” Muratcan wrote. “I wish I could turn back the clock and slap my 10-year-old self in the face, tell him to get off the PlayStation and stop watching cartoons and instead train and play football as much as possible.”

Macheda is not the only Premier League player on Facebook. Peter Crouch and Aaron Lennon also get a kick out of poking and blogging, and Michael Chopra, the Sunderland forward, who is on loan at Cardiff City, was recently reported to have been dumped by his wife on Facebook.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_united/article6047909.ece

The end of the silly season

It is officially the end of the silly season for blogger extraordinaire Scotty Donaldson. I find myself nursing some sore joints after playing tennis five days out of the last week.

The club champs are over and while I didn't exceed expectation, I wasn't too disappointed. I was knocked out of the singles in the quarter finals on Thursday. I lost 9-6, but feel that I could've done better. It is strange playing to 9 and I feel that my more power based game was less suited to the slow Kilbirnie astro turf courts. We are both ranked similarly nationally and so it was a tad disappointing to go down. It did free me up to concentrate on my soccer on Saturday though!

The Marist Skins team I manage started the season with a 5-0 win on Saturday. I ended up lasting the 90 minutes and went for a few inspired runs from the back. I was left regretting those runs by the end of the match, but luckily they were few and far between. The hard grounds and decent size wind kept me guessing at times, but we definitely deserved the win and I didn't play too badly despite some skewed clearances.

Today I woke for my last day of tennis. We were in the mens semi final doubles and on paper should've been slight favourites (based on Top Dog rankings) but unfortunately we were undone by two guys that play together on Saturdays. I think it takes a while to build combinations. The crazy thing is that I have played with both the guys I played against as part of my Monday night team at one stage or other. We lost 9-6. I am hanging up my racquet for a few months to give my forearms time to rest, now it will be sore legs from the beautiful game.

Commuting Moments

Life in the big city is far different to the slow pace of life that I grew up with in Invers. Our rush hour was three cars in a row and the wideness of the streets means that Invers avoided any congestion. I take the bus to work and it takes me about an hour a day return (around 30 mins each way). Over the space of a week I would spend about five or six hours on the bus so you become proficient at it and notice when others are not.

Buses are havens for social awkwardness and a range of intriguing situations. I guess the fact that I catch a bus to Newtown where there are heaps of characters is one thing, but there is never a dull moment on the buses.

I have got down to a fine art the seats with the most leg room. It is usually opposite the rear door or the seats in the row behind the back door.

Some newer buses have a front seat which is a large single seat rather than a double seat like the rest of the bus. I have seen so many people trying to snuggle up to an absolute stranger not realising this. It is a great way to get to know new people I guess.

Today I saw it a couple of times. People step onto a full bus and the main seats available are near the front facing each other. The number of people who sit in these seats, but get stuck because they enter between the pole and seat from the aisle is surprisingly high. They end up having to sit sideways with their legs in the aisle like some kind of contortionist. The only way to sit there is to enter via the front. Still, that would be boring.

Muzza Jones told me of how he hopped on the bus and had both his Snapper card and his Wellington Rugby Membership card (I also have one) which doubles as a Snapper card. In a hurry Muzza tried holding his wallet up, but instead of the usual "Don't forget to tag off" it actually said "Too many cards to read" or something along those lines. It is interesting the concept of using a different card to everyone else. Imagine being the coolest person on the bus by using your Wellington Rugby Membership card as a Snapper. The only trouble is that it only lasts for a year.

I also notice that people select where to sit often based on looks/ethnicity. I probably do this without thinking, but often like to sit next to petite females, and if they happen to be attractive then it is a bonus. There was a skin head guy with sunnies on wearing leathers and people would rather stand in the aisles than sit next to him.

Heaps of the Pacific Islanders sit towards the back of the bus and I also notice more males sit near the back the females. If you are a Pacific Island male then you probably sit towards the back.

I had the trans sexual woman bus driver the other day. The funny thing is that I didn't see the bus driver when I jumped on board. About half way home there was a car parked on the bus stop and the driver was shouting in a very deep voice and giving hand gestures to the car. I then saw a female behind the bus wheel and was a little surprised.

Another fact on buses is that I love people who are chasing a bus. We have all done it, but it is almost like the thrill of the chase in trying to predict if someone will make it to the bus or not before it leaves. Some people get so agonisingly close but just miss out. I always hope they make it of course, but some people are forced to run in business suits or carrying large items.

I have been on buses that break down or make an absolute din. I went to get off a bus once outside the Renouf Tennis Centre on Brooklyn Hill and the doors wouldn't open. It was a little awkward waiting 30 seconds while the driver tried to open the doors.

The first reaction when you hop onto a full bus is to find the nearest empty seat. It is amazing how many top mates have walked right past just because there mind is on finding the sanctuary of a spare seat.

I usually thank the driver if there aren't many people on board, but the other day there were people getting off thanking the driver which is fine, but unless the driver bought a "Whispersonic ear that can hear a pin drop at 50feet" like I once tried to buy, there is no way the driver would hear them.

There are always characters on the bus sitting amongst us who do life tough, but I usually sit there with my MP3 player on ignoring people. Does this make me a bad person?

Jamieson's Last Stand

This photo is a montage made by Tim Noble, I have used it because I like it and it took Noble a bit to get any picks with the lights.

It's official, good guy Andy Jamieson has one week left before taking the plunge at Easter. His flatmate Tim Noble decided that we would have a look around town to see future areas for ministry. This started at the Malthouse where a guy on a stag party was showing off his fake testicles on his stag party. This provided awkwardness for the Christian females around, but it was the best entertainment there.

We then went to Boogie Wonderland. This is a 1970s/1980s Saturday Night Fever style club. There was a real mixture of people and ages there. The irony of going there was that Andy Jam didn't really hit the dance floor even though the evening was supposedly in his honour. It did give the rest of a us a chance to shine. Noble had recruited a good mix of guys and gals which made it less awkward than it is when there are heaps of guys and no girls (too many dicks on the dancefloor).

The dance floor is a funny place and there were three guys dancing together (it pays not to ask). They had some good moves, but the one and only Mason Ward was up for the challenge. By the end of the evening they had copied a move or two of the great Ward. They were always trying to show him up, but his interpretive dance left them in his dust. Another great moment was when we found an anchor earring (we assume it was from someone's ear). Mason loved putting it on his ear around the time when great songs like Dancing Queen and It's Raining Men were being played. It was priceless.

Another interesting situation is when you see girls you know and they are on a hen's night before a wedding. Is it customary to disrupt them and enjoy the attention of a group of all girls? I stayed away, but it was funny seeing them there. In fact, it was a pretty good group of people there. I am still amazed at how people go to town in Wellington. It was always trackpants and swandris around Invers, but it is a bit flash up here!

There was also a Conga-line which did the rounds. I jumped onto the back of it and someone else jumped on the back of me. We did a circuit and then the group split up and the people in front of me then danced together. They obviously knew each other and wondered why some random guy had jumped on the end. It brought back memories of a dream I once had involving a great mate of mine wearing inappropriately skimpy and ripped clothes wanting me to join the back of the Conga-line at the Gore Ball. I think this was around the time of a Gore Ball, but there is definitely no Conga-lines at the traditional Gore Ball. I must've been eating cheese before bed! It is known as a colourful dance shall we say!

On the topic of dubious, there were some massive Pacific Island guys/gals (I didn't ask questions), but they made me and Doddsey look like school boys.

Andy found a quiet bar out the back and was sitting there while a middle aged couple were sitting across from him. The woman admired his freshly clipped head. Saying that it is tidy for guys who are folically challenged. She then went on about how she didn't like his shirt. Remember this was a random female. Andy didn't care as he has impressed his fiancee, but is left wondering how many of his clothes get the chop once he moves to a small house and has to share a wardrobe. His collection of dome checked shirts a legendary after several brilliant public moments when they have been ripped open (not by me).

It was great hanging with the Loveshack/Goatshed crew and extras. The beauty of it is that Andy and Greer are moving to the neighbourhood so there will be plenty of good times ahead.

Greer is a top gal and I have known Jamieson since I flatted with him in 1999. He was the older landlord who lived in the backroom. He was the man propositioned by guys in several continents. Jamieson took me under his wing when I first arrived in Wellington after a chance encounter at The Street City Church. He introduced me to his friends and the rest is history.

April Fools Day?

TV3 Nightline last night had a segment in 3D supposedly, but I am still unsure if it was a piss take for April Fools Day? Sure it was after midday, but the story was rather convincing. The advent of so many 3D movies at the moment like Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Beowulf and My Bloody Valentine and the advancing technology of televisions makes you wonder if it is legitimate. It was painful watching without special glasses. No matter if it was on the level or not, I am still keen to get my hand on some 3D glasses which would save me hiring them at the movies. There are some cheap pairs on eBay. I assume one pair is fine for both movies, television and print. Is anyone else keen to get some? We can bring them back as a fashion item like they were in the 1960s.


Since I was playing tennis rather than going to pub quiz or the Cunning Little Vixen opera I ended up experiencing thursday night on the box. It seems to be a trashy night with 20 20 featuring my old classmate Sonya Wilson as a reporter and some interesting people. But the best bit of interesting television is Go Girls. It stars so many Shortland Streeters and a few former Neighbours actors with New Zealand roots. I notice that the ditsy flatmate used to go to The Street. She went out with a stunt dude who appeared on random commercials including KFC Hot and Spicy. This chick even went to the Goatshed sunday night roasts and must've been breaking into the acting scene as she was asking Jamieson about having to potentially appear naked in some shows. She was remarkably open about it and given that Andy didn't really know her, dear I say it would've been awkward. There are plenty of Shortland Streeters, but tonight former Southland and Canterbury second five eighth Joe Naufahu starred. He is on some commercials with his brother Rene Naufahu. He plays a rugby player on the show, so it is not unrealistic. Speaking of which. In the movie being made about the 1995 Rugby World Cup they are not getting Jonah Lomu to star as himself. Instead they are getting former blockbusting Wellington Number Eight Isaac Feaunati.

It is official, I have been eliminated from the singles at the Kilbirnie Tennis Champs. While it was disappointing to lose on the slow astro turf (which needs an upgrade) to a slicer, it probably was for the best. I have football starting on Saturday and it would've been tough for me to finish off my matches this weekend. There were probably about 24 people in the singles, so two wins later I ended up in the quarter finals. This was like making the quarter finals in the Air NZ Cup rugby. It is not a bad effort, but I could've won if I took more chances and lost 9-6. It was 7-6. My opponent will team up with me in the doubles where we are the 3rd seeds. We can play our matches on Sunday. Hopefully the final is best of three sets if we make it! It is great improving at tennis. My team dropping a grade has helped my ranking and confidence, but it is hard to know if it is worth going up a grade. I love playing good people, but my team would struggle up there in their current state.

Since I have both football and tennis on the weekend, I will struggle to make it to the Basin Reserve to see the 3rd test. It is tough because we want to win, yet we want to see Sachin Tendulkar and co in full flight. The Indians are passionate supporters and will be there in their hundreds. The Basin is idyllic and it is funny having cricket on so late in the year.