The Champion Gets Buried

I can't believe Nadal has been bundled out of the French Open in the Fourth Round. He has never lost at the French Open and has won it four times. The defending ladies' single winner from last year was also knocked out. The stunning Ana Ivanovic is out too, bringing the interest and the sex appeal of the tournament down a bit. I hope Fed gets his elusive title and that way he can look at retiring soon. Andy Murray is in major contention too.

In other news.
The last survivor from the Titanic has passed away. She was 97, although only 2 months old when she was on the Titanic once described as unsinkable on that fateful day in 1912.

/>http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/2462398/Last-Titanic-survivor-dies

When the weather is cold, I find myself going from meal to meal. I also find that unless I make plans before hand for holiday weekends, I end up wasting them. On Friday night I went over to Andy and Greer's house and watched the Seven Pounds with Will Smith. It was hard to follow initially, but then really good. They have a small house so we can snuggle on their only couch. They feed me and give me drinks so I am happy.

On Saturday, I went around to Bec's house for some nourishing soup and bread with a few others. Following this I went and watched my football team lose without me. It is gutting to watch your team lose and I am annoyed that I had to watch because of my "whiplash" type injury.

At night time we double dated going to Angels and Demons. I thought it was good for what it was. I missed the Da Vinci Code. Tom Hanks was the hero. We then hit up Fidels.

Sunday was again quiet as the weather kept people in and I realised how few people I know at morning service. I hit up the Loveshack again for lunch and good times as there were a few of us. Night church was good as usual and we went back to the free Goatshed Sunday roast. I guess because it was a holiday weekend, it was all pretty quiet.

Today I hit up Te Papa with a friend and we had lunch. There is so much to Te Papa, but I am sure I mustn't have seen it all! Anyway, I can go back when the olds roll into town in July.

My neck is still a bit sore, but I have three physio appointments this week to take me through to the weekend. My "whiplash" type injury will be better hopefully by next week.

My Neck Injury

It started last weekend when I copped a gale force propelled football on the top of my head and wrenched my neck. At the time I soldiered on in the terrible weather since we had ran out of fit subs. After the game I cooled down and could hardly move it. In fact for about three days I couldn't move my neck suddenly at all or it would hurt and become numb.

Since then I managed to survive those sleepless uncomfortable nights of sleep and went to the physio. He gave me a good working out. It was funny him telling me I had tight ribs and staring through the hole in the table. The pressure was being applied and my body was obviously still sore and compressed because it was adjusting to my sore neck. I now have three more appointments at physio, but thanks to the physio I can move it more easily almost completely, but not quite.

It raised an issue today when my football team was struggling for numbers. I wasn't sure if we had enough players, so I headed along, but luckily we had enough players and although the team lost, I didn't have to further injure myself. It was painful watching the ball bounce around on the uneven Cobham Park, especially since it seemed really even, yet we lost 3-1.

This injury is my second of the season and leaves me wondering how much longer my body can take playing competitive sport? Some people in my team are into their 40s, so I still have a few years left. There is a trade off because my team doesn't practice so we get plenty of time to recover, but we aren't match hardened. Maybe I need to partake in leisure sports. Football is my main winter fitness and I just recovered from a foot injury and now a neck injury. Since I have football for so many years I am unsure I have always played it on Saturdays and it is a big part of my life. It is the same with summer and touch and tennis. There aren't that many older people playing touch so I wonder how many more years I have left in this. Tennis could be my best ticket for longevity. There are plenty of older people playing it. Maybe I should get into golf or bowls or something. I will give it another five years though! Sport is a big part of my life and has been for years. I wonder if there is life after sport?

Some Great Song / Memories

Here are some great songs. They are catchy, slightly dubious, but fun songs which hold a place of significance with certain memories associated with when these songs were big. Sit back and enjoy!

The Emotion of Football

You will notice that I love playing football, but it is the emotion of sports like tennis and football that really attract me to these sports. 90 emotions they say, but it is so true. New Zealanders don't really know how to be proper fans when you compare them to the chants and the passion shown by the vocal British football fans. Above compare and contrast the fans. Sorry Stevo and any other Newcastle supporters out there!

What to ask Speed Dating- Better Late Than Never!

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/entertainment/blogs/greer-2-0/2435922/What-to-ask-at-speed-dating
Those who are attending the Christian Singles Ball in Auckland should take note of these tips and questions before taking part in the Speed Dating. There are some interesting questions, but it seems that in the article the key is about making an impression and sending out the vibe that you enjoy life.

From my extensive experience the main things asked were

1) What you do for a living and how do you find that?

2) What do you do for fun?

I didn't delve into the job interview questions like where do you see yourself in five years? It sounds too formal.

I got a phone call from Jo from the Wellington Christian Singles Ball and they are desperately short of desperate guys. They are trying to give guys from Wellington a free van ride and accommodation to the Auckland Christian Singles Ball. I guess if you hit it off with someone then one of you could move! I would be keen to go for fun, but I don't know anyone else going and I would rather fly. It is a long time squished up in a van. I did travel from Wellington to Gore for the 2007 Pressie Ball, but I think I will try and hunt down an old style ball in Wellington to attend.

What do you think are great speed dating questions?

Wild Weekend

This weekend was wild by nature. It was crazily bad weather and this literally put a dampener of proceedings as people were more inclined to stay indoors and keep warm rather than venture out into the elements. Friday night involved meeting up with some of The Street guys at the Southern Cross. Following this we ventured to the Ebay Flats where we watched the Super 14 semi final loss and talked about the singles ball and any progress that was or wasn't made following the previous weekend. It was interesting!


Saturday was wet and wild and football was still on. After the match my team were wondering why we did show up as we went down 4-0 to Naenae. It is funny in lower grades how players ref and while the better team won and put their chances away, there were some interesting decisions which stopped us getting closer. The gale force wind made conditions difficult and playing into the wind I strained my neck after misjudging a header which hit me on the top of the head rather than the forehead. I also played a part in the controversy after I deflected my team mates shot into the goal yet was judged to be offside. It is crazy how player refs only listen to their own team and Saturday was no exception. Without line's men some people feel comfortable making decisions which suit their team, yet there was a similar opportunity falling to one of the opposition and he allowed it and strangely asked his own team mate if he was offside. Of course he said no! Don't get me started on the several times we were dubiously slid tackled in the opposition box. Now I know how Didier Drogba felt recently although we weren't quite as mad.

I caught up with friends for the rest of the weekend, watching DVDs and went to my flatmate's 30th. I find conversing second nature these days and it is a great way to solve the world's problems. It was funny not knowing many people at a party or gathering, it is hard sometimes but a good change.

Sunday was about visiting people like the Jamiesons and heading to Brooklyn Bakery for lunch. It was quite low key, but in the trash weather it was ideal. I also did Connections at Night Church which also involved manning the desk. Big responsibilities!

I am in two minds about seeing a physio about my neck which is slowly getting better. I have an appointment to see a physio about my foot and am wondering if it is worth getting another appointment for before then?

Ballroom Dancing - The World Is Going Crazy!

Now that this American boy with 43 snails on his face has your attention I can move on.

A group of eight of us attended ballroom dancing lessons at The Studio on Taranaki Street. It was a bit intense, but funny. We did a foxtrot, cha cha and some other kind of dance. The thing is that now I know bits of heaps of dances rather than heaps of few dances! On arrival we spotted heaps of die hard dancers moving their backsides like Stefano off Dancing with the Stars. Our class was obviously beginner, but was more intense than other beginner dancing that I had done. I have done ballroom (olde time Southern Styles) dancing heaps before at the mighty Gore Pressie ball which I frequented for nine long years. This was not lost on the teacher George who noticed that I must've done dancing before. I guess I am just a natural mover!

I learned that you hold the women on the left shoulder blade and they squeeze your right bicep and hold tight so that there is actually more distance between you than I am used to. It looks stiff and upright, but it means you are protected in a crowded room. If you used this style in Gore you would be labelled a try hard. I am used to going more for the "cradling" where you are more close and slightly side on. I figure the girl needs to be lead by a strong man!

It is hard to know how many times we will go. There were some real characters there with a mixture of ability. Afterwards there was a guy with something similar to a blue long sausage floatation device from a swimming pool. Except it was keeping his posture in the tight ballroom hold as he danced on his own. Anyway, it was $12 of entertainment.

There have been such crazy things happening in this world that have grabbed my attention.

1) The guy above wanted to get into the Guinness Book of World Records so he got 43 snails put on his face. Surely there must be a less creepy record than that! 36 was the old benchmark.

2) Former England All Rounder Chris Lewis was done for importing drugs and will be in jail for a while. I used to like his style as a cricketer and he had a nice Gray - Nicholls bat that I liked.

3) Staying with cricket, controversial fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar who has double jointed elbows (I remember watching him opening the doors at North Dunedin KFC he looked like a spider) is injured. It sucks to be famous though because he is out with genital warts for a few weeks. Who would want the world to know that?

4) Police are searching for a 252kg 14 year old boy and his Mum in the USA. How ridiculous? They are concerned about his health. You could say they are at large!

5) Finally, I was saddened that Counties Manakau rugby team have been forced to hit up Trade Me in an attempt to gain sponsorship. If Southland were doing the same and I had money I would pay up to get my logo on their shirts. Bidding starts at $100K but it must be embarrassing for the NZRU to see this take place. It is a great idea though!

My Speed Dating Matches and Photos

www.phpoutsourcing.co.nz/ball-gallery/
Here are some photos which from the ball. I must admit one of them isn't very flattering for me!

I received the results from Saturday's Christian Singles Ball speed dating and I was not overly surprised. My cause wasn't helped by speed dating older women than me in the first round as one of the babies of the mature men group and in the second round there were some cool girls who I either already knew as friends or were far to young to consider anything else. There were also females who were searching for someone older and more mature.

I got plenty of bites, but at the end of the day have decided not to bother pursuing. The funny thing is that you received results even if you had mutually given each other a 3 for "Alright as friends". This seemed a bit stupid, but probably gave more people confidence than what would've otherwise occurred. There were no mid 20s girls to woo in the speed dating, but it was character building, especially with some of the older women who I knew I was at a different stage of life to.

I know enough females anyway at The Street and have so many great social times anyway, so it is no big loss. It was a great night of entertainment and the speed dating was a brilliant social experience and experiment.

Dance of the Desperates - Christian Singles Ball

I love eye catching headlines and while there were some desperates and some dancing it was a great night of fun for everyday Christian 20 somethings! It is hard to know how much I really want to give away about this night. It was held at Wellington College and despite the long wait to get into the building, I thought it was well run by some committed volunteers.

On arriving I saw some awkward older people standing on their own, but this event was always going to get this type of people with the name of it. Slip the name single into any event with Christian and it takes on a certain stigma of a particular stereotype and there were some of the people you would expect, but hopefully these people found each other in the speed dating or as part of the evening and are getting to know each other more as we speak!

I came with a bunch of lads from The Street and we were probably the biggest single group from any church. I also realised that us guys have it good with top notch gals at The Street. We didn't really see many people from the massive Arise. Since there was a scarcity of guys then the fact that our group had about 10 in it mean't that quarter of the guys arrived at once. We were given the details of someone of the opposite sex who we then had to find and this was an ideal way of getting people to chat with potentials. It was enormously contrived with swooping welcome and the norm was to strum up conversations with the background intent of finding the person whos details you had. The food was top notch and there were plenty of refreshments available.

Other features of the evening.

Speed Dating

The concept of speed dating is brilliant, but there are only so many people you can meet and make small talk with in one evening. There were two groups running at a time and each group was selected based on age. My main complaint was that it was done on age for the first one and as a 30 year old male I was in the older group first up meaning that most of the females were older than me or my age. I am so used to socialising with women at least a few years younger than me that it got a bit awkward when speed dating people at least five years older.

Speed dating requires filling out a form with the number of the person and circle if a number from one to five (without them seeing) like one for No Way and five for Awesome. You hand them in at the end of the round. They are analysed and if there was mutual admiration then contact details are given. There were a range of personalities.

The second lot had a mixture of ages. Some would've been in their 30s and others in their late teens. I wondered if I found the 20 year olds young then as the baby of the guys, the 40 something year old guys must've been cringing! The second round was more profitable, but I don't know how I did until details arrived. I wondered why the younger ones weren't with the younger group and we could've got some mid 20s females? I guess it is hard to arrange given that guys tend to go for younger women. There were also some cards to flip over with conversation starters. This was a fun variation from small talk. It was actually quite taxing meeting so many women in the one evening and this included 16 women in speed dating.

Scenarios that may or may not of eventuated

1) What rating to give to people you know as friends? I came across a few people I already know and this made it difficult to know what to give them. I guess if you secretly fancy them it could be a cheap way of finding out for sure.

2) You have already been shot down by someone who you end up coming across speed dating. Do you retest the waters? Or not bother?

3) You don't come across the person you had been getting to know well and this is the time for you to find out for sure if they like you or just get their details, but they are in a different group so you don't get the chance.

Salsa

I learned salsa a few years back and unfortunately I didn't get a chance to do any salsa lessons as I was speed dating when it was being taught. It would've given me a chance to brush up. As it was I danced briefly when asked but only had a few moves. I need to get back into it or another type of dance!

Jonny and the Dreamboats

The band played rock n roll and contemporary music. Jonny is a mate from The Street and they did well. It was good to see most people getting into it. I wondered if they would! There was one crunch moment when they said "Grab someone near you" and they played a really painful slow song. At that point I hit the seats as I love dancing with a partner, but when it was so cheesily contrived I was left cringing. The rest of the night was great.

In summary, while they could've got more people by not calling it a singles ball, I had a great time and there were enough people to have atmosphere. It was hard to know if having any more people would improve it, I was disappointed to hear that potential paying females were stuck on the waiting list because they wanted such even ratios of guys and girls. Sure there were some desperate and dateless, it was a great chance to meet new people and get some contacts. I would've loved to have come across more females in their mid 20s in speed dating, but once I got used to the contrived situation I embraced it. It was a fun night with the mates and who knows what will happen when the results roll in? Either way I have it pretty good at The Street with top notch gals.

Photos to follow hopefully!

My Busy Weekend

The busy weekend started on Friday when I went to Andy and Greer's place with a few others (literally) to make and eat pizzas. It is great having these guys in the neighbourhood and we played some of Greer's favourite game, Boggle. We then hit up the mighty Porirua just after midnight. I am not really sure what inspired the trip or what we were actually going out there to buy, but we arrived out there to find some food caravans selling cheap hot food and Tim Noble bought us some banana bancakes. FYI bancakes are fried donut balls but only cost $1 for 5. The fruit and vege market doesn't start until early morning so it was a bit of a waste of time for us. There were several groups of people. We were the only white people there. There were some local youths and the Asian fruit merchants setting up their stalls from the big trucks. What a lifestyle sleeping in your trucks and travelling around the country to sell your produce.

On Saturday I played my first game of football in a few weeks. We were supposed to have plenty of players but ended up with 12, so rotated referee and goalie. The wind was gale force and we played into it in the first half. It took a while to get off the mark and I had a big part in the first goal by tackling their winger and carrying the ball before for some reason thinking I could run around their last defender, so I put a ball past him and chased. I was nowhere near retrieving it but our striker following up tackled their goalie who was getting to it and dribbled it into and open goal. We then scored three more goals within about 10 minutes. One was a long range shot and the other two were from great through ball. The wind was creating havoc.

The wind moved slightly to the side, so we were up against it in the second half. But we dug in and despite conceeding two goals we won 4-2. I was satisfied with my performance and glad I had played. It was probably great for my foot to stretch it out.

Today I went to Ruth McLennan's birthday pot luck lunch, afternoon tea with Greer and Andy and around to The Loveshack for pikelets tonight to discuss the dynamics of the Christian Singles Ball from last night. Check out the post mortem!

One Long Speed Dating Session -My 800th Post

To celebrate my 800th post I am not talking about the upcoming ball (not immediately anyway) I am attending tomorrow, but I read on the Stuff website that Air New Zealand is flying over single Americans to New Zealand to meet single kiwis. I assume if they find someone of interest during the flight, then that is fine, but there is also a ball in Auckland. This takes it to a whole new level. They should let people change seats after every 3 minutes of flying so that people are no longer at risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and they have a chance of striking up a friendship and maybe more. You have to check you are not on the special flights to the Sydney Mardi Gras though because that would be uncomfortable.

It reminds me of the Monday night at a supermarket in Queenstown which has a singles night and the only way you can tell if someone is single (available) and not an unfortunate shopper caught among flirtation in the frozen food section is the way you put the bananas into your trolley. Upwards bananas say available, downwards means not.

30 hours until kick off at my ball. While I have my costume and attitude, this whole concept of what to expect at the speed dating is a mystery. I am thinking some people will rely on dutch courage to get them through!

My final comment here is I am allowed to play soccer tomorrow, but I don't want to play if it is gale force winds like today! I will be unfit and more sluggish than usual, but hopefully my solid experience will get me through and my plantar fasciitis will be kept in check!


See the link to the Air NZ article below.



http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/2414952/Air-NZ-branches-into-matchmaking

The Answer To Life's Questions

There has been plenty of controversy in the world, but I am looking to answer three of the biggies.

1) What happens if you do something which wasn't considered illegal seven years ago and all of a sudden the person involves speaks out and you lose your job and reputation? Ask Matthew Johns. It is an interesting dilemma. I hate when people (often stars) have their name dragged through the mud and then are acquitted, yet their reputation is in tatters. Mind you who is to say that he doesn't deserve it? I say he should apologise to the girl and then the shame of doing that to a messed up women will help him get on with life which should be on television with the Footy Show as Reg Reagan and Trent. Look at what happened to Tony Veitch. Tony who? He had so much talent and it seems to have gone to waste.

2) Should the All Whites play in black? They will lose their identity if they change colour, but I actually think the black strip looks better. Maybe they can still be known as the All Whites (second most recognisable after All Blacks), but play in their away black strip most of the time.

3) What sort of people attend the opera? Not too many cool young singles, but I did. It was fun, but most people there were the middle to upper class who enjoyed a good wine and viewing of artwork in the interval. For 2 hours and 40 minutes my Life Group were posh!

4) Who is my favourite All Black? Many people would probably think I would say a Southland player like Jimmy Cowan or Jamie "Whoppa" MacKintosh. While I like these two guys (especially Whoppa's sense of humour) I must say that Mils Muliaina is my favourite. It could be that he was two years behind me at primary school and that he used to drop kick the ball out of his hands as a soccer goalie when everyone else punted. Mils is one of the best players in the All Blacks and he brings such a calmness but edge to the All Black backline. I wish he didn't have to leave Southland to make it big, but I am pleased that he made it big! He is the modern John Timu, but more of a kicking game. He is strong, has an eye for the gap and often throws assists by drawing the last man.

Another Bargain Priced Website

There are plenty of bargains available on the Internet. Another one of these websites is Planet Bid. This website has plenty of bargains available including cheap technology products like Microsoft XBox, PS3, iPhones and GPS units. There are also appliances like espresso machines. There are also introductory offers when you sign up so you get discounts and free bids rather than paying the credits which you are required to do to bid. It is something slightly different to both 1-day and Trade Me.

The best part of it is that this website is available specifically in New Zealand.

www.planetbid.co.nz

and Australia. Check out the links below.

auction bargin ipod xbox cheap PS3

So if you are a bargain hunter seeking some cheap new toys from who knows what source then check this out as soon as possible!

A Night At The Opera

As I write this I am looking down my nose. I am used to this after an evening at the opera. My lifegroup and me are Opera buffs and joined the mainly middle aged sophisticated types at the St James Theatre to watch The Italian Girl in Algiers. It was a hoity toity affair with plenty of people drinking wine at halftime and viewing the art in the foyer.

It was my first time at the St James theatre. It seats 1552 and once we moved from our allocated seats halfway through the first scene so we could read the words on the background screen then it was easier to understand. We tried not to make a noise but when you have dressed up women in heels on hard floors it was very difficult to subtley move several rows forward. We were in the Grand Circle (the top level)

Did I mention it was in Italian? It was good having the words to read on the screen although there seemed to be heaps more words sung than lyrics appearing. The other highlight were the background scenes on the screen. Some cool scenes took place and my mate Matt Landreth sometimes splashed out instead of carrying furniture or being a background male chorus member, he donned a green suit to blend in with the background and create special effects on the background screen. It was much like when the weather presenters wear light blue and appear as ghosts.

This was mainly a comedy and had plenty of colour. Some random scenes were the beach babes who bounced on moonballs ( a tad obscure). There was a great scene where two guys sang a duet while water skiing.

We were in the cheap seats, but the six of us (mixed crew) seemed to enjoy the experience. Thanks go to the entertainment book for 25% off.

On the way home I bumped into old Dunners chum Matt Emerson. He is in town for a few days working. Matt has a heart of gold and was on his way to Burger Fuel. A week ago I bumped into another guy Craig Ashby on the Burger Fuel corner which seems to be really popular and the chances of bumping into these guys who aren't in town long are slim.

Wretched Plantar Fasciitis

A similar injury which wrecked half of my tennis and touch seasons in 2007 is back. I hope since I now use the orthotics which saw me overcome this injury in 2008 it may not be as bad. Last time I had a sore tendon down the middle of my foot, this time it is down the inside which was cause when I strained the part of the foot at the base of the big toe. Anyway, I am hoping it doesn't cause achilles insertion problems like last time.

See below for information
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantar_fasciitis

It is now strapped up, but could still put me out for several weeks and the annoyance is that it never really leaves for months. Some physios (like mine) recommend using a golf or tennis ball on the floor to massage it, but my podiatrist recommends a cold soft drink which helps to ice it. Some other stretches like heel raises on steps, raising your toe up against the wall and gecko feet stretches where you raise your sole without lifting your toes are popular. Time will tell, but I hope it doesn't make me miss the rest of the season. It costs just over $200 to play football for a season at over $10 a game, so it will be an expensive waste of money and not help my fitness!

The Most Popular Name of my Facebook Female Friends

Last month I counted my Facebook male friends and despite my hypothesis that the most popular name of my male friends would be Andrew, Matthew or Dave was quashed and Tim won with 14. Now it is the turn of the females. What are the candidate names? I would suggest Anna, Rebecca maybe Sarah.

Anyway, here goes

Anna 9
Rebecca 5
Sarah 8
Rachel 5


Some controversy arises as you wonder if Sara should be included with Sarah and if Ann should count toward Anna. Either way Anna wins as I figure the same rule could apply for both.

So, Anna is my most popular female friends name!

Weekend of Birthdays and Entertainment Book

This weekend will go down in history as one of the most interesting on record. The torrential rain hit on Friday and I braved the elements to attend Andy Jamieson's 35th at Planet Spice in Newtown. There were eight of us there and I was reminded of my lack of spice tolerance and required a couple of mango lassies. We then returned to "The Shoe Box" which is in Newtown. It is Andy and Greer's small home. There was only seating for seven so Andy sat on his bicycle. Greer continues to impress me with her hospitality. Each time I visit her she offers me a new form of refreshment. In the past it has been freshly hand squeezed juice, iced chocolates and this time it was Eskimo ice cream. While she is Andy's sugar mama as he studies and she brings home the bacon, to an extent she is also my sugar mama!

Saturday dawned fine and still, so it was ironic given that my football was cancelled. I went and purchased tickets for some upcoming shows. For some reason I find myself intrigued by the concept of going to the opera or musicals as something classy. Unlike Dunners or Invers, Wellington has so many concerts to go to. The Wellington Entertainment Book came in handy with 25% off The Italian Girl in Algiers, which my life group are attending on Tuesday. We will be somewhere up in the Gods, but according to Matt Landreth who is in the chorus, we should still get a feel for it. It is all in Italian and there are things to watch for, like him in a green lycra suit and some beach babes on Moonballs. It sounds intriguing and should be intriguing on Tuesday. My folks are coming to the big smoke in July and I am shouting them to Starlight Express the musical. They have to make the most of their time in town.

Saturday night was Natalia's birthday. There were heaps of us at One Red Dog. The Entertainment Book has 25% off. There would've been about 30 of us. I gave up watching the rugby on the box for T Money, but it was worth it! It dawned on me there that apart from Cleland, there weren't many other sprightly elligible bachelors among the 10ish that were there. It is a sign of the times I guess! Bring on the ball!

We then attended Laser Force, but my green team lost. We could've been more strategic to be more competitive, but instead, we ended up just having fun. I was pleased with my performance as Punisher taking out the top in my team but about 3rd or 4th overall. I had the highest shooting percentage overall though! The Entertainment book again came to the fore with a two for one deal.

An elite few of us, Jenny, Tali, Tali's mum, Miriam and me then went back to Wallace Street flat and watched Wimbledon the movie. Ironically being such a big tennis player and fan, I was the only one who hadn't seen it. I love seeing how unrealistic the match play is in movies. As a tennis fan I liked it, but if I wasn't I may have not. I realised that I wear similar clothes with regards to tennis. The sporty track top and the soft pants! There was a lack of sweatbands and headbands which was disappointing as heaps of people in Wellington tennis wear sweat bands!

Strawberry Blonde or Ginger?

Friday was Hug a Ginger Day and I didn't receive any hugs on Friday because of my hair colour on Friday and this means that I am strawberry blonde as I claim and not a ginga. There are a few other people who I wonder if they are gingers or strawberry blondes.

Above see my photo sporting the David Bain jerseys between Doddsey and Matty. Am I strawberry blonde or ginga?

Other candidates who are borderline are Rhys Darby off Flight of the Conchords, Yes Man and The Boat That Rocked. I wonder if his ginger beard makes him seem more ginga? On the odd occasion I haven't shaved, I do get ginger beard but since Rhys Darby has a permanent beard then he may seem more ginger than usual.

Simon Pegg from Hot Fuzz, Run Fat Boy Run and How to Lose Friends and Alienate People is another borderline. I wonder if his facial hair sways the vote?

My three brothers and sister are all gingas. My brother and sister said it was long day as high school teachers yesterday!

I think it used to be Kick a Ginga Day, so I guess this is a slight improvement!

What do you think? Are these candid characters strawberry blondes or gingas?

Saints Dominate

I went to my third ever top level basketball game last night and watch the Wellington Saints dominate the rudderless Dynamo Taranaki 107-59. It was lop sided, and such a step down from the NBA on television. The crowd was small and quiet to the extent when the keyboard went, very few people shouted "Defence". It is strange when you can yell something and everyone else hears you. Despite the lack of intensity, it was a friendly atmosphere with the young teenage dance team, gorilla and mop kids, the entertainment. Callum McLeod who goes to The Street dominated in the air. He is 7 foot 1 inch and while I look up to him by a foot, the players in the opposition struggled with his height too. For all you statisticians he got 18 points, nine rebounds and a few blocks. It was refreshing that I am not the only one who realises how tall this guy is at between 2.13 m and 2.16 metres. Anyway he got us free tickets and it seems that most people who attended against the bottom side Taranaki were there with freebies. It shows what a sombre state basketball is in domestically compared with the glory days of the Rhenick basketball league in the late 1980s early 1990s. It was great for a change, but nowhere near the NBA! Mind you it was a good crew who went along.

For a match review see below.

http://www.saints.co.nz/page/news.aspx?news=378

What To Look Out For In The First Three Minutes of Meeting Someone - Take Note Speed Daters!

I got this gem from http://nz.lifestyle.yahoo.com/b/womenshealthnz/436/should-he-stay-or-should-he-go/

It gives a female perspective on meeting someone for the first time and shows why speed dating is a great way of new people. Guys who are yet to sign up for the Christian Singles Ball had better sign up asap. There are no door sales and they are wanting similar ratios of guys to girls. Tickets stop selling over the next day and I think they are considering postponing it.

Rush to www.christiansinglesball.com

The below article is a gem and I am definitely taking notes! The key is confidence!

One hundred and eighty seconds. That's all you need to determine how a relationship will progress, according to a recent study by University of Minnesota Duluth, US. Chemistry kicks in even before you speak with someone, which should help you distinguish the decent guy from the dodgy one across a crowded bar, gym or fruit and veg shop. And when two people click, the interaction escalates rapidly because both parties offer more personal information and ask more questions. Here, experts fine-tune your man-dar so you'll know almost immediately if you should proceed, or lose him.


Listen to his body talk.
"Even unattractive men who present themselves as confident can be sexy and appealing," says Dr Ann Demarais, co-author of First Impressions: What You Don't Know About How Others See You ($25.99, Bantam Books). Green lights: his hips are directed towards you, he's leaning in slightly, his arms are uncrossed, and he's relaxed.


Go with your gut.
"Jump in, then take a break and reflect," suggests psychologist Dr Frank Bernieri. But don't overthink it: if you walk away from your encounter in a better mood, you've clicked. (Hopefully you exchanged numbers.)


Beware of wolves.
If he claims to feel an instant connection, take a giant step back, warns Sandra Brown, author of How to Spot a Dangerous Man Before You Get Involved ($35, Hunter House). This bloke probably wants intimacy - the one that involves KY, not D&Ms.


Avoid lecturers.
If he pontificates or talks only about himself, that may be all he wants to talk about. "He thinks he's smart and interesting, but he's actually tedious and self-absorbed," says Dr Demarais.


Like the one who likes you.
The guy who can deliver a genuine compliment is worth a follow-up. How to tell it's not from a repertoire of pick-up lines? He'll praise a specific feature, which shows he took the time to notice your contagious laugh or stand-out cheekbones.

A Home Truth About Women

This article from Stuff really disappoints me. There are so many awesome gals out there and it is sad to think that they have unnecessarily low self esteem. I guess it explains why women usually dress up more than guys. And to think that it is probably heaps of us guys who should be worried about this, but strut our stuff in inappropriate short shorts or mesh singlets for dress ups!

Nine out of 10 women have regular "fat days" and most are miserable about their bodies, a survey has found.

The survey, conducted by two Melbourne universities, paints a bleak picture of women who don't like seeing their reflection in the mirror.

More than two-thirds of women feel uncomfortable looking at themselves naked in the shower.

Almost half feel fat every single day and spend each day desperately wanting to lose weight.

About a third of women surveyed were trapped in a "vicious cycle" of repeatedly checking their tummy, thighs and bottom to see how much they could allow themselves to eat.

This made them feel anxious and distressed, according to the survey's principal investigator Adrian Schembri.

Only one woman in 10 was not at all dissatisfied with their weight.

"Australian women have high levels of dissatisfaction with their body shape and weight," Mr Schembri concluded.

He warned that a disturbing number of women were at risk of an eating disorder.

The online survey is being conducted by RMIT and La Trobe University and is still open.

More than 400 women have taken part so far.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/2386727/Fat-days-plague-most-women

More Christian Blokes Needed The Inside Word Sales Close This Sunday!

It may sound ironic, but I actually want more guys to come to the Christian Singles Ball on May 16. Because the organisers are going for matching people up at tables then they require a similar amount of each gender. This means there are heaps of gorgeous available women stuck on the waiting list and I can't come across them in speed dating unless more guys sign up! It is purely selfish, but I also have a heart for singles and love that Jade and the team have put themselves out there and organised it. If you are keen guys then you have to sign up before hand at

www.christiansinglesball.com

I got the following information via a comment from Jade after a previous post in March.

Jade said

Ha, hilarious.

As the founder of christiansinglesball.com, let me clarify a few things for you and your readers:

Those photos aren't from the ball last year? where did they come from? check out the photos at http://phpoutsourcing.co.nz/ball-gallery

The questions about your interests don't have much to do with where you're seated but rather some of the other surprise activities we've got in store for you. The jocks and cheerleaders will be shared out equally.

As for the ages the average age last year in Auckland was 30 and we had 198 delegates. The most common year to be born in by a long shot was 1984 (24 years)

As for the type of people that go, you'd think that it would attract the desperate and dateless (it does) but I was genuinely surprised by the amount of good-looking, smart, onto-it people that turned up last year.

Get your mates to come, it'll be good.

I Have Got To Get Back Into Radio!

I went to The Boat That Rocked last night with the ladies who have now over run movie club which has changed night since our life group changed. This movie starred New Zealand's own Rhys Darby off Flight of the Conchords and the more I saw the movie, the more he reminded me and others of myself. The movie appealed to me because I have a soft spot for radio after training as a radio journalist and these Pirate Radio people tended to attract groupies (it was from the 1960s) and I am tempted to dip the toes back into the radio pool. Although, it what capacity, who knows?


The movie itself was funny and included several well known actors. Love him or hate him Philip Seymour Hoffman or Hoffman Seymour was in it along with the guy from Hot Fuzz. There was also the actor who played Spike the character from Notting Hill. The movie flew by given that it went for 145 minutes. It typified the passion and love for Pirate Radio that these people have and there were also plenty of nice looking women (groupies).

Anyway, I recommend The Boat That Rocks with the interesting storyline of such a popular radio station and their battle with the conservative government. It appealed to me as both a Rhys Darby look alike/ fan and a radio fan.

The two Nics (two lasses I know) went and one suggested it was a 6.5 out of 10. They probably didn't appreciate the mainly male DJs who at times were vulgar/ a bit rough around the edges.

8 stars.

No Bronze Seats?

After hearing for weeks of people in the walk up crowd trying to buy the cheapest seats at the Stadium, only to be told there are no bronze seats, has left me wondering. It seems crazy given the hundreds of empty bronze seats both tonight and last week. Surely there aren't that many pre purchased seats that aren't being used? I would suggest that the Stadium has heaps of poor silver seats which would otherwise not sell and flogs them off to unsuspecting walk up crowd/novice spectators for about $10 more. It is a bit on the nose really, but I believe it is in their best interest to keep the theatre goers coming back, and this won't happen if people have to spend $42 to go to the game!

Last night I went to the Monet and Impressionists New Zealand Symphony Orchestra recital. There were some interesting characters there, mainly old style spectacled music lovers. There was a talk/ question time before hand and it was then that I realised how far out of my league I was. They were talking about the Monet period and how the flute and harp which portrayed Monet through his life actually took a while to be accepted by people as popular. It went on.

Once the music started it got more interesting and I actually recognised part of a piece from Life Is Beautiful it is played on the grammophone to everyone in the concentration camp. Anyway, the last piece went for 30 minutes and I started falling asleep until the volume picked up (very sneaky).

It left me making some thoughts.

Were these musicians (one who looks like Kenny Rogers while conductor looks like Robert Downey Junior) professional? Is this their main crust?

Were these people and the audience the usual suspects who hid in the school music room to avoid being bullied? They seem like obvious candidates.

What have I been doing with sport? The life span of music is so much greater. I would be an up and comer at music as opposed to over the hill on the touch and football fields.

It is all part of creating a more well rounded me!