Kilbirnie Tennis Club Open Day Sunday 5th September

Let me know if you are keen for this.

Kilbirnie Tennis Club
(14 Crawford Rd, Kilbirnie)
www.kilbirnietennis.wellington.net.nz
Are you looking for interclub tennis, regular club play, social tennis?
– all these are available at Kilbirnie Tennis Club.
All welcome, from beginners to veterans. Coaching available.
All year play. 5 courts (artificial grass & hard courts). Competitive subs.

2010/11 SEASON

Opening Day (Seniors) – Sunday 5 September 1.30 pm

Senior Club Days (come along to check us out!)
Saturdays and Sundays from 1.30pm
Wednesdays from 5.30pm (summer time)

Midweek – Tuesdays & Thursdays 9.15 am
Continuous through the year, just come along any time.

Juniors – Registration/Trials
Sunday 29 Aug & 5 Sept 10.30am-12.00pm

Junior coaching:
Aged 8 & over – starts Tuesday 12 Oct 3.30pm-5pm
Peewee coaching – starts Sunday 17 Oct 9am-10am

Teenage Tennis - starts Friday 15 Oct 4.00pm

Random Acts of Kindness Day

Wednesday September 1st in Random Acts of Kindness Day.

This year marks the 6th anniversary of RAK Day and New Zealand is the only country in the world to have a Random Acts of Kindness Day!

RAK Day is all about people doing kind things for others – for no reason at all. To lift the kindness temperature in our country, step out of our comfort zone and do something randomly kind for a stranger or friend.

Over the last five years people have been RAK’d with strangers buying them coffee, paying for their parking, neighbours arriving with gift hampers, pizza being delivered to the local fire station for lunch and even huge giveaways like flights and cruises.

Let me know if anyone has done any Random Acts of Kindness for you? I think we should embrace every day like Random Acts of Kindness, especially as Christians.

FC Stjarnan Goal Celebrations Which One Is The Best and Worthy of Using at Sports Camp?

Here are some of the best goal scoring celebrations you will ever see, thanks to Icelandic side FC Stjarnan. These have given us something to try at Riverbend Sports Camp, but can we do them justice? Which celebration is the best? Giving birth? Reeling in the fish? The Human Bicycle? Diving into the pool? or The Human Toilet?

I like the Reeling in the fish the best.



Giving Birth


Reeling in the fish


Human Bicycle


Diving into the Pool


The Human Toilet

Another Amazing Celebration For Sports Camp To Emulate

Just when you thought that the amazing goal celebration exploits of Icelandic club Stjarnan were over, they have created a new one. The Human toilet is not quite as good as the Fishing and the Human Bicycle, but it still beats the man hugs and kissing that are associated with other teams. It is a four person celebration which I think is probably the easiest to replicate.

So what do you think? Riverbend Sports Camp won't know what has hit it?

Tab's Predicament

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/basketball/4078431/Tab-Baldwin-won-t-forget-hes-a-Kiwi-against-Tall-Blacks
Tab Baldwin has a predicament tomorrow when New Zealand play Lebanon in a must win basketball game at the FIBA World Championships. The kiwi with an american accent now coaches the opposition. He is no longer the Tall Blacks coach and has a strained relationship with New Zealand basketball. It will be a funny situation though. It is usual for this sort of thing to happen with rugby coaches overseas, but the significance of this match for both struggling teams adds spice to this match up.

I actually knew Tab once when he started www.fantasyrugby.com and I won the first ever competition. He got in contact and I was trying to get job opportunities through him. He seemed fine. It did take a while for my trip to be organised via Dillon Boucher, but eventually they let me write for www.testrugby.com after they found out I was studying journalism. If I was based in Auckland I could've got a job watching games and keeping statistics.

Tab's final comment from the article I got this from.

"I'll have my hand on my heart when God Defend New Zealand is played and I won't forget that I'm a Kiwi but on that day I'm the coach of the Lebanon Cedars and that's the most important thing."

Sofia Vergara Will Streak If Her Show Wins Emmy, Do People Actually Back Up Their Claims?

Gorgeous actress Sofia Vergara earlier promised she would streak down Sunset Boulevard if the show she is in, Modern Family won an Emmy Award. What a great way to secure votes and publicity for the awards. Unfortunately there is a disclaimer which suggests that a co-star (probably Ed O'Neill/ Al Bundy) will take her place. This is surely one of the most potentially disappointing publicity stunts in the world. The thing is that it actually did win an Emmy Award which begs the question; Do these celebrities go through with these dares?

She isn't the first famous person to put a naked bet on things.

ENRIQUE IGLESIAS went naked water skiing after he dared that his beloved Spain would win the FIFA World Cup. He did the deed at night so he wouldn't get in trouble with the authorities. This was a far more preferable option than if Argentina won the Jules Rimet and coach Diego Maradona was forced to stick to his word and go for a run down the main street of Buenos Aires.

So in sticking with this theme if Southland wins the ITM Cup there will undoubtedly be some form of naked dash and swim in Wellington by certain members of the Stags supporters community of Mount Victoria. It will be worth it! If you are Wellington based and keen to put your clothes where your heart is then let me know. Safety in numbers! We already have two signed up members of my flat.


http://www.yourtv.com.au/blog.aspx?blogentryid=676274&showcomments=true

Doco maker dips toes into the world of gaming - Nightline - Video - 3 News

Doco maker dips toes into the world of gaming - Nightline - Video - 3 News

Check out my friend Mark Van Rij and his company who have become famous for their Facebook video game, Flutter. It is created by the Natural History people who have become famous for their documentaries. Flutter is to do with butterflies. It is funny how Facebook and iPad/iPhone games mean there is still a chance for simple cartoon style games which you no longer get on the really powerful consoles anymore. This is a throw back to the days of the Master System except they are more interactive and don't come built in with Alex the Kidd!

Check it out here http://apps.facebook.com/fluttergame/


There is also an article here

http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/122641/flutter-buys-games-facebook
See if you can get a high score. Tell your buddies!

Match-fixing hits Pak cricket again, 7 players questioned

Check out this video, it shows the bowlers overstepping by a considerable margin. I always thought the Pakistan defeat to Australia at the SCG was bad, but this takes the cake now. That is the thing with cricket, individuals have so many opportunities to affect the outcome.

Here are block quotes from two publications.

The two Pakistanis who bowled no-balls allegedly on directions from Majeed were Asif and Aamir. Both bowlers delivered three no-balls on Thursday and Friday.

Match-fixing hits Pak cricket again, 7 players questioned

Mazhar Majeed, a London player-agent, was arrested by Scotland Yard officers yesterday after he was filmed accepting £150,000 to arrange for Aamer and Asif to bowl no-balls at specific periods within the match. His predictions of exactly when three no-balls would be bowled transpired as promised.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/4074640/Alleged-Pakistan-match-fixer-boasts-about-SCG-test

It leaves you wondering how many other results in world cricket have been rigged? It also is scary to think of how good Pakistan could be if they played to their potential. They are a good enough side whilst throwing games, but you wonder how they would go if they didn't throw matches?

Odds Out On Mayoralty Races - Shadbolt Set To Stay

The predicted results for local body elections are out with Len Brown the narrow favourite in Auckland and more importantly Tim Shadbolt a favourite in Invers. While Brown is only 53% chance of winning, while Tim Shadbolt is at 73% according to iPredict. iPredict is an online future predictors market which offers contracts and people place money on outcomes.

Other amazing findings are that current Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker is only 14% chance at retaining his status with Jim Anderton a hot favourite. How does Peter Chin continue to be loved by the Dunedin public? I think he lacks charisma but the people of Dunedin obviously disagree.

Tim Shadbolt is more highly fancied than country singer Suzanne Prentice in the celebrity square off in Invers. Tim has 73% support.

It works by "contracts" that pay $1 if an event comes true – nothing otherwise – and the price these contracts trade for is the prediction. For example, you could have a contract that pays $1 if Bugs Bunny becomes the next prime minister, and pays nothing otherwise. If that contract trades for 60 cents, then the market's prediction is a 60 per cent probability that Bugs Bunny will be prime minister.

It is only an indicator though, but usually it is an accurate one. Suggested winners are as follows.

Auckland Len Brown 53%
Wellington Kerry Prendergast 93%
Christchurch Jim Anderton 85%
Dunedin Peter Chin 71%
Invercargill Tim Shadbolt 73%

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/4073670/Market-gives-odds-on-likely-mayors

Snapper Card Refunds

http://www.snapper.co.nz/refunds
You know how you sometimes get paranoid that the bus you are on has overcharged you and you get that all to familiar "please check your balance" phrase as you snap on or off the bus? You may not be imagining things. 145 buses have been overcharging an estimated 5000 Wellington commuters between August 10th and 20th due to software error.

You can check the above link to see if you are entitled to a refund.

Celebrity Doppelganger (Look-alike) Costume Party

In keeping with my philosophy of embracing birthdays, come and help me celebrate another birthday in style, by dressing as your doppelganger celebrity or character you look like and if you can't think of one then come dressed like a celebrity/character anyway. Prizes for best costumes and anyone that comes dressed as David Bain or any WWF wrestler.

They can be a famous actor, singer, sports person, character (fiction or non fiction), anything, use your imagination if you have to.

Come and hang with celebrities like Rhys Darby, Jet Li, Mr Incredible and Lady Gaga.

BYO alcohol and snacks if you want them. There will be music and dancing, then if people are keen we can hit up town after Christian o'clock.

This is inspired by Doppelganger week on Facebook several months ago and my recent encounters with Rhys Darby fans. I have been called Rhys Darby or at least his twin every weekend for the past three weeks. I think it is because he is becoming more famous and has got rid of his beard in the recent Two Degrees ads.

Doppelganger - In fiction, folklore, and popular culture, a doppelgänger ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a tangible double of a living person that typically represents evil. In the vernacular, the word doppelgänger has come to refer (as in German) to any double or look-alike of a person. The word is also used to describe the sensation of having glimpsed oneself in peripheral vision, in a position where there is no chance that it could have been a reflection. Doppelgängers are often perceived as a sinister form of bilocation and generally regarded as harbingers of bad luck.

If you are looking for ideas there is help available, either ask me or hit the following websites.

www.findyourdoppelganger.com
www.findmydoppelganger.com
http://celebrity.myheritage.com/FP/Company/download-celebrity-toolbar.php

Feel free to invite other friends as it is always a great chance to meet new people! I have gatecrashed enough parties in the past, so it doesn't matter if they know me or not.

Let me know if you are keen and I will flick you event details.

Predicament - The Movie and Which Event To Attend If You Are Double Booked?

Yesterday I had a predicament of sorts. I hate when there are two events on at the same time and you want to attend both but know that you can't. How do you decide between to fantastic options? I would also like to add that if you have more than two events to attend then you are best to forget about one of them as you can easily stretch yourself too thin and miss out on enjoying these great social events.

Here are some factors that come into it,
1) When were you invited to each one?
2) Who else is going to each one? This has become a big one these days. It is quite funny how I once ridiculed those who took this into account.
3) What activity and price to attend each one?
4) At which event will your attendance be valued or missed?
5) Who would be more offended if you don't show up?
6) Where will the most fun take place? This is where the FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) factor comes in.
7) Which activity is more conveniently located?
8) How well do you know the hosts of each event?
9) There is also sometimes when an event can snowball into other activities?
10) WWJD?

What factors do you take into account if you have several events on?

Some people also went to Predicament the movie. All I knew about this was that Jemaine Clement from Flight of the Conchords was in it. It is a dark New Zealand almost gothic style murder/slice of life in provincial New Zealand comedy/drama. I always put New Zealand movies into their own category. They are different to Hollywood epics and they are often dark with dry humour. This was no exception and it kept me entertained. It wasn't everyone's cup of tea, but at the same time most people thought it wasn't too bad. I would give it 3/5 stars. It only had Jemaine Clement in a major/strange role as Spook as someone I had heard of. The only other exception was Crowded House star Tim Finn as the nutty father of the main character. It was based in the past in Taranaki. There was definitely a predicament or two in the movie as the name suggests, and I must say that the main character in the film did remind me of a young David Bain.

Why Does No One Take The Last Piece?

This is an update to my previous post. I made chocolate, white chocolate and raspberry brownie and brought it to work for my birthday shout. No one wants the responsibility of finishing off this tasty treat. Instead, people keep cutting the last piece in half, now it is merely a morcel. The annoying thing is that I have had a piece and have plenty at home, but I need my plastic container to take home. It appears that once again, people are too ashamed to handle the responsibility of someone else missing out because they ate the final crumb. Read the full blog post below.




Why is it that no one takes the last piece of cake, dessert, pie? or whatever it is? I don't really understand what the big infatuation with avoiding the last piece is? In a work environment if there is a shout for someone's birthday or an event, people often go out of their way to avoid finishing something off for fear of appearing greedy and rude. It seems fine to take two pieces of something as long as you aren't seen to be taking the last piece. I think people have this underlying fear that there could be someone else not present who may want the last piece and you would be depriving them of the last morsel of cake.

We often get the situation where like the game in the picture above people are too afraid to knock the lollie over that people start cutting the last piece of a cake bit by bit until it is a tiny waste of time piece of cake (with or without a piece of candy on it).

What about the phrases "He takes the cake" or "Having your cake and eating it too"? or am I going off on a tangent?

So why do we not want to take the last piece of cake?

Fear of looking greedy? Not wanting to be the person who is responsible for someone else missing out?

Backwards Running Championships see competitors put their best foot backwards | Metro.co.uk

Backwards Running Champrionships see competitors put their best foot backwards | Metro.co.uk
Check out these people who have made an artform out of running backwards. It is an actual sport. The 100m world record is nearly 14 seconds for the record. This event was the first UK Backward Running Championships in Manchester where they ran a mile.

Funny Horse Racing Commentary About A Wife Who Knows Everything!

This is an hilarious horse racing commentary by announcer Larry Collmus. You wonder what the chances of getting two horses with contradictory names are? It makes for amusing listening though. It makes him sound like a pathetic man who's wife wears the pants in his relationship when in actual fact that probably isn't the case!

A pair of duelling horses left an announcer at a New Jersey racetrack sounding more like a confused husband.

Larry Collmus had noticed "Mywifenosevrything" and "Thewifedoesntknow" on the card for Sunday's seventh race at Monmouth Park in Oceanport but he says he didn't envision the outcome.

But when the horses were both in the hunt near the end, Collmus says he had a sense of what was coming.

Collmus kept up the call as the two dueled down the stretch, deftly flicking between the tongue-twisting names. His only thought: "Don't mess it up."

At the finish he exclaimed: "Mywifenosevrything more than Thewifedoesntknow. Whew!"

Flowers or Chocolates? Chocolates By A Morsel

The age old debate on the way to a woman's heart has been solved. Whilst women love flowers, it seems that an informal Facebook status update poll with high margin of error has shown, they prefer to receive chocolates. The consensus was that chocolates are easier to carry around (portable) and there is less chance of making a bad selection of type. Flowers have certain meaning and you don't want to be purchasing white roses or the wrong colour carnation if they carry bad meaning or look wrong. Chocolates are cheaper than flowers too, unless you help yourself to the neighbours garden. They can also be shared with the girls flatmates to win them over too.

With the status update I gave no other information, but peopel assumed I was referring to something a guy gives a girl. I am not saying that women don't like flowers, because a quarter of voters went flowers and a quarter also went for both. The sample size was too small to make any groundbreaking discoveries, although I often wonder if most of the studies and revelations on display in the news these days don't have enough people polled to make it a decent sample size anyway.

There were both male and female voters.

Results are below
Chocolates or flowers?
Chocolates 5
Flowers 3
Both 3
Neither 1

Sample size 12.

People could only have one vote each.

3D Avatar Special Edition Released

Reading Cinemas are now showing Avatar 3D Sepcial Edition in case anyone missed it. I thought people had about six months worth of opportunities to go and see the movie when it was first released. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but I don't think it is worth going and seeing it again just to get the extra 9 minutes of film which hasn't been shown before. In fact I would argue that the original movie was long enough as it was and this takes it over the three hour mark. It will be interesting to see how many people attend. Remember that 3D movies cost $18.80 at Reading. I am actually keen to see the movie Piranha 3D because in my opinion action films where animals or monsters jump out at you are where 3D actually makes a difference. I want to jump out of my seat in fear of being eaten alive thanks to 3D technology rather than seeing pretty things like most of the 3D movies go for.

Will you be attending?

People's Choice Net Guide Web Awards Winners

http://www.techday.co.nz/netguide/news/peoples-choice-netguide-web-awards-winners-re/17409/1/

The winners have been announced for the Net Guide most popular websites in New Zealand. The public placed 200,000 votes in a range of categories, but there were plenty of obvious winners, but I am surprised that Seek got beaten by TradeMe for employment websites. Stuff did well winning the overall prize ahead of TradeMe.

What do you think about these winners?

OVERALL WINNER - SITE OF THE YEAR (sponsored by NetGuide), was: Stuff.co.nz
The first runner-up was Trademe.co.nz


BEST BLOG (sponsored by Warehouse Stationery)
Winner: Stuff.co.nz
First runner-up: Blogger Bites Back


BEST COMMUNITY SITE (sponsored Adobe)
Winner: plunket.org.nz
First runner-up: grownups.co.nz


BEST EDUCATION SITE (sponsored by Epson)
Winner: studyit.org.nz
First runner-up: mathletics.co.nz


BEST EMPLOYMENT SITE (sponsored by The University of Auckland)
Winner: trademe.co.nz/jobs
First runner-up: seek.co.nz


BEST ENTERTAINMENT SITE (sponsored by Ticketmaster)
Winner: youtube.com
First runner-up: ticketmaster.co.nz


BEST FAMILY SITE (sponsored by TelstraClear)
Winner: kidspot.co.nz
First runner-up: familyfirst.org.nz


BEST FINANCIAL SERVICES SITE (sponsored by Acquire.co.nz)
Winner: kiwibank.co.nz
First runner-up: sorted.org.nz


BEST GAME RELATED SITE (sponsored by Verbatim)
Winner: mightyape.co.nz
First runner-up: gameplanet.co.nz


BEST GOVERNMENT SITE (sponsored by Toshiba)
Winner: ird.govt.nz
First runner-up: companies.govt.nz


BEST HOMEPAGE (sponsored by Air New Zealand)
Winner: google.co.nz
First runner-up: stuff.co.nz


BEST ISP (sponsored by Playtech)
Winner: TelstraClear
First runner-up: Orcon


BEST LIFESTYLE SITE (sponsored by Honda)
Winner: beingdiabetic.co.nz
First runner-up: healthyfood.co.nz


BEST MEDIA SITE (sponsored by Edifier)
Winner: tvnz.co.nz
First runner-up: stuff.co.nz


BEST MOBI SITE (sponsored by Vodafone)
Winner: airnz.mobi
First runner-up: m.trademe.co.nz


BEST NEW LAUNCH RELAUNCH OR INNOVATION (sponsored by The Warehouse)
Winner: thewarehouse.co.nz
First runner-up: mightyape.co.nz


BEST ONLINE SHOPPING SITE (sponsored by House of Travel)
Winner: thewarehouse.co.nz
First runner-up: mightyape.co.nz


BEST REAL ESTATE (sponsored by Resene)
Winner: trademe.co.nz/trade-me-property
First runner-up: realestate.co.nz


BEST SPORTS AND RECREATION SITE (sponsored by viewnewzealand.co.nz)
Winner: allblacks.com
First runner-up: stuff.co.nz


BEST TRADING SITE (sponsored by ESET)
Winner: trademe.co.nz
First runner-up: sella.co.nz


BEST TRAVEL SITE (sponsored by nzherald.co.nz)
Winner: houseoftravel.co.nz/mixandmatch.co.nz
First runner-up: airnewzealand.co.nz/grabaseat.co.nz


BEST WEB AD CAMPAIGN (sponsored by YAHOO!Xtra)
Winner: Air NZ Sign Language
First runner-up: yellowchocolate.co.nz


BEST YOUTH SITE (sponsored by TVNZ6)
Winner: whatnow.tv
First runner-up: radiochick.co.nz


NZ'S FAVOURITE SEARCH ENGINE (sponsored by NZDating.com)
Winner: google.co.nz
First runner-up: yahoo.co.nz


NZ'S FAV' SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE (sponsored by NZCity.co.nz)
Winner: facebook.com
First runner-up: nzdating.com

You Wouldn't Buy A Pie From This Guy, But Will You Vote For Him?

Naked Pie Man Leighton Haar is in the race for the Palmerston North mayoralty. Will you vote for him? After his shop was infamously awarded a terrible health and safety standard by the council, this guy who is usually seen cooking pies without a shirt on is running for mayor. You wouldn't buy a pie from him, but will you vote for him?

Should The Pharmacy Owner Be Charged?

This case is an interesting one where a guy breaks into an Auckland pharmacy, when the owner arrives at 4:30am after hearing an alarm he gets involved in a tussle and the intruder goes into cardiac arrest and can't be revived. Should the owner of the store now be charged? Someone has died. If this happened elsewhere not in the store he would more likely be charged. But at the same time, the guy was trespassing and breaking the law by being there. I wonder if he was homeless and just looking for shelter or if he was just desperate to get some drugs? We will never know what happened. Much like the Bain case, it is difficult when there is only one witness and he could be charged.

What do you think?

I would suggest the owner of the store should not be charged at all. Since when should offenders be given protection?

Bruce Allan Jones, 43, unemployed, died after a scuffle with Grant Gillard at his Mt Albert pharmacy early yesterday morning.

Auckland City police western area commander Inspector Jim Wilson said Mr Gillard was alerted at 4.30am by a security company that the property's alarm had been activated.

A security guard then confirmed by telephone that there had been a break-in and waited outside the back of the property for the owner to arrive.

They both then searched the pharmacy together but didn't find anything untoward and the security guard left, Mr Wilson said.

"Shortly after that the owner has been confronted by a intruder and a struggle ensued during which time he has called his wife and asked her to call police," Mr Wilson said

Police arrived five minutes later and found the intruder collapsed on the floor. He was given CPR but was pronounced dead shortly after 6am.

A post mortem is being carried out today but The New Zealand Herald said it understood the intruder went into cardiac arrest while being detained by Mr Gillard and was unable to be revived.

http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-stories/7819435/pharmacy-intruder-named-as-investigation-continues/

Christians in Sport - Brad Thorn

The Rugby World Cup 2011 has several Christians involved including the inspirational Brad Thorn who is in the engine room of the All Blacks forward pack. Sunday night will be his last match of rugby for the All Blacks before he heads to cause some havoc on the rugby fields in Japan. He has had such an amazing career in both rugby league and rugby and is a committed Christian.

Thorn hits the gym hard these days and does heaps of stretching daily in order to avoid injuries. He is an inspiration to someone who is also a Christian in sport, but also keeps performing well into his 30s. When I typed Thorn's name into Google I realised how much information there is about Brad Thorn's faith. He is a Christian and it is always inspiring to hear the story of top level athletes. It is also brilliant to hear that his conversion can from questioning why in the seedy world of top level rugby league with all the money, girls, alcohol that come with stardom, team mate and Christian Jason Stevens remained humble. Brad Thorn noticed this and after a few discussions gave his life to the Lord. That should be inspiration there for Christians in Sport to behave in a way befitting of your Christian faith and values because you never know who notices.

This is from an article from 2008.

Then, on a tour to Great Britain in 1997-98 and with the help of Jason Stevens, a fellow Kangaroos front-row forward, he saw the light. “Jason stood out from the rest of the team,” Thorn said. “On tour we would cut loose and he didn't. I talked to him quite a bit. When you are in a group, everyone says you are weak to not go on the beers, weak if you haven't slept with a woman. It's the opposite. Character is involved.

“I do feel now I have purpose, believe there is a God that loves me. I want be a good father and husband and in a footy context give my best.”

He draws inspiration, too, from the God-fearing Polynesians in the squad. “What's great about the Islanders is they haven't forgotten about God while Western society has. Before I play I say a simple prayer, honouring God through the way I play, 100 per cent aggression and physicality but showing respect to your opponent afterwards whether I win or lose,” Thorn, who went six years without a drink but now has the occasional beer, said. “I am very clear that I am not perfect and I never will be.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/rugby_union/article5209360.ece

Who Is The World's Highest Paid Female Athlete?

It is a case of sex sells when it comes to the highest paid female athletes in the world. While the Williams sisters dominate on the court these days, it is off the court where Maria Sharapova earned nearly $25 million US over the past year. Only $1 million of that is in match winnings. The Williams sisters are two and three and the rest of the list is dominated by golfers. Check it out on the link below.
It is hardly surprising that endorsements and appearance fees make up such a large part of the market. Sharapova has just signed a $70 million deal with Nike. People love to be associated with a glamourous looking star and will pay through the nose for that priviledge. It is the way the world works unfortunately. I would much rather people earn through ability, but the world doesn't work like that.
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/worlds-highest-paid-female-athletes/story?id=11447513

The Week That Was - Unsocial Christian Dancing On Friday Night

There are always things happening at this time of the year as people celebrate birthdays and there is a touch of spring in the air which make people forget about the winter blues.
RAVE
Tasker's flat hosted a Rave on Friday night. There were a good amount of people there, although I think a Saturday night function gets more as people are better rested. There were lots of bright paints which got on my clothes and UV lights. Guns and Lim did their usual shirts off.

There was also plenty of unsocial Christian dancing (besides Lim and Sowerby's shirtless exploits). Don't get me wrong, there weren't people pashing on the dancefloor or too much grinding or guys chest bumping and even Lim cut back on his trademark moves. I am used to bad Christian dance moves, we specialise in these and there was actually a good standard of moves on Friday night. I will probably spark some controversy here.

Christians usually dance in "Christian circles at parties and on the town". It is safe from being intruded by adoring random drunks and means that no one is excluded. I don't even mind if there are some sub groups not necessarily in a circle but with a good mix of people. At Tasker's party there were several occasions where people breached the protocol. There would be a Christian circle of sorts and new girls would come in and only want to dance with their close girl friends and of course don't want to dance within a metre of a guy in case they catch something (not necessarily me either). This would then block out the rest of the people dancing there and no straight guys feel comfortable just dancing with the other guys. Girls don't mind it, but it is a social taboo for guys. Hence why Flight of the Conchords sung about it "Too many dicks on the dancefloor". I have bad memories from one in year at the Gore Ball being stood up by a girl I was dancing with while she went and danced with another girl. That was over 10 years ago and it still hurts.

Life Group Bake Off
There were more eaters than bakers, but just as well given the large amounts rich food on offer. Amy cleaned up with her Mini Burgers and Borat cakes. Amy is an amazing cook and creative to boot. She also has more spare time than most at the moment and was hosting so it was going to be an uphill battle for us other contestants. My white chocolate and raspberry brownie gateau tasted amazing if I say so myself, but I was left weak at the knees at the delicate precision of Amy's craftmanship.

Birthdays
There were a couple of birthdays over the weekend. I went over to Sue's house in a classy white 1980s jersey and her party was like that of a five year old. There was plenty of fun, sugary drinks, fairy bread, cheerios and lollie cake had by all. We played "freeze dancing" which was brilliant, sardines and hide and seek among other games.

Another friend, Amy had bowling on Sunday. It was a chance to get revenge for being cleaned up at the Bake Off. I have never seen a ball go so quickly down the lane when Calum flung a 7 pound ball down without using finger holes. The speedometer stopped working after that. Some guys didn't get to the pride saving ton, no girls did, while some of us were fortunate enough to find a nice pink ball that did the trick and got us easily over three figures. Bowling is definitely one of those sometime activities. I hate that icky feeling after wearing those shoes.

Pub Quiz
We hit the final hurdle in sports and games and finished third getting us a $20 bar tab. We had a few useful ringins who hopefully will be wanting to work together with us rather than against us in the future. We only got six in sports and games getting some really tough questions in our usual strong round.



My sporty afternoon
I played football for the first time in five weeks and against physio orders and it showed. I was so unfit in the warm Wellington sun, but got through 90 minutes not too badly. I definitely need to stretch more these days before and after matches. We drew 2-2, but dominated. I did more good stuff than bad and even had some glancing opportunities to score my first goal in two seasons, but it wasn't to be and I am left with a graze at the top of my nose. We have one more friendly left.

My flatties came to watch and then we went to the driving range. There was a real contrast in ability, with Macca's hockey and natural ability better than me with distances, but we played a game where you add you total distances. I hadn't played in a few seasons, but connected more than Lim who in turn was less dangerous than the guy the other side of me who may have been on something, but he was a danger and loved the concept of me having a discoloured ball I told Macca was my "magic" ball. He loved it.

Here are some photos from the Bake Off (thanks Amy) and Sue's Birthday (thanks Ollie). Life here is a rollercoaster you have just got to ride it!

Things You Find When You Google Your Name!

http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/4042437/Cameron-Diaz-tops-crims-lure-list

Cameron Diaz is the most dangerous person to search for using Google according to McAfee the computer security software company. Jessica Biel and Julia Roberts are also up there with heaps of search results leading you up the garden path to getting a computer virus. Hopefully I am down the list further.

Courtesy All WOW videos

It is funny what you stumble upon when you Google your name. After seeing a news item about how much information is out there about everyone, people have to be on guard. I was amazed at what I found. I posted an extremely low budget review of two tennis racquets I had been demoing two years ago and posted onto You Tube thinking no one would watch it. I never realised that several thousand people would actually view it with heaps of comments on it and it would appear on the website below with heaps of other tennis reviews. If I had realised how popular it would be, I would've done a better job and spent more time on it! I also got plenty of hassle for it, but loved the publicity so left it on YouTube. You have to love YouTube comments.

http://wow-video.ru/index.php?key=wilson+racquet

I also found the cartoon image of Scott Donaldson. I thought it was cool!

www.scottdonaldson.net

Four Tough Sports Trivia Questions

We finished 3rd tonight at The Realm Hataitai pub quiz after bombing out in our usually strong Sports and Games section. We only got six out of 10 in this round which was our bonus (double points) and we would've won if we got eight out of 10. Here are the four Sports and Games questions we got wrong. If you get at least two of these correct without any help then you should come to The Realm Hataitai quiz with us next Thursday, although we only get $20 to spend.

1) In what sport in New Zealand is the National Provincial title for women called the Nunneley Casket?

2) What is a horse race restricted to three year olds called?

3) How many people on the field for each team in Gaelic football?

4) In what sport did Prince Albert of Monaco compete in the 2002 Winter Olympics?


What are your answers? I will tell you tomorrow!

Bugsy The Octopus Picks Australian Election Result

Like his fellow octopus Paul picked World Cup football results, Bugsy The Octopus has picked the Australian election result. Bugsy has supposedly developed a reputation for picking winners and has picked Julia Gillard to beat Tony Abbot. Tony Abbot may not have won the support of Bugsy, but it didn't stop him stripping down to his Speedos in a mall.

So who will win the election? Do you think Bugsy is correct?

Is This Serve By Roger Federer Real or Fake?

Roger Federer works as an ambassador for Gilette. This is part of a commercial being shot and people are wondering if it is real or fake? As a tennis player of some repute myself I can actually hit the ball close to where I want it to go, so have no doubt that it is possible. It would be harder without being on a tennis court to judge distance etc. Apparently this was done in one take. It could be a stunt though given how easy the can was falling off the guys head before hand it wouldn't take much to knock it off? Maybe it wasn't really the first take?

Is this real or fake? I say real. I might also add that Fed is just so cool doing this all while dressed up, without raising a sweat!

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/tennis/4040683/Real-or-fake-Roger-Federers-impossible-shot

BBC Weatherman Gives The Finger On Live Television

I love this because the BBC is usually so prim and proper. It shows that they are people like everyone else having some office banter.

http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/world/7781857/weatherman-apologises-for-giving-the-finger/

The BBC has apologised to viewers after a weatherman was caught giving the finger live on air.

Tomasz Schafermaker made the gesture at two other presenters when they said his forecast would be "100 per cent accurate and provide all the detail you could possibly want".

When the flustered weather presenter realised he had been caught on camera, he tried to cover up what he was doing by scratching his chin.

A BBC spokesman said: "Tomasz was not aware that he was on air, and whilst the gesture was only shown for a second, it was not acceptable.
"The News Channel presenter live in the studio acknowledged a mistake had been made, and we apologise for any offence caused."

Should Sehwag Have Been Awarded A Century?

Virender Sehwag scored 99 in India's win over Sri Lanka last night, but ended in controversy when with Sehwag on 99 with the scores tied Sri Lankan spinner Suraj Randiv intentionally bowled a no ball which Sehwag hit for six. Sehwag thought he had raised a well earned century, but because the no ball added one to the scoreboard before the six was hit, then the six didn't count. If the scores weren't tied at that stage then the six would've counted as well as the no ball. Do you think the laws should be changed? Do you think it was cheap of Randiv to deny his opponent the glory? Should Sehwag have been awarded a century?

http://www.cricinfo.com/sl-tri2010/content/story/472752.html

The New Zealand Breakers Victorious In China

A largely developmental National Basketball League New Zealand Breakers team has defied the odds to win the Lu An Invitational Basketball tournament in China. After winning their semi final over ACB Unicaja 75-73, they defeated the American All Stars 69-67 in the final. Hopefully this bodes well for players attempting to launch their way into the Breakers for the upcoming season. Guys like Calum MacLeod loved their time in China, despite in one match being attacked on the outdoor court by a swarm of insects and being a big man in a small man's country. MacLeod also wishes that Pizza Hutt New Zealand do desserts like Pizza Hutt in China.




http://www.nbl.com.au/breakers-home/news/article/2010/august/breakers-stun-with-victory-in-lu-an-invitational-tournament/

The Helmet Lady's Son Dies!

Aaron Oaten, the tetraplegic son of "The Helmet Lady" (Sarah Oaten)has died aged 37. He was injured badly in a bicycle accident in 1986, prompting his mother to tour the country promoting the wearing of bicycle helmets until it became law. She told stories in New Zealand schools in such detail that it even made teenage bullies feel uncomfortable. She told the story of her son and it was a reality check for everyone (me included) in the early 1990s. I hadn't heard much about the Oatens until today, but feel I should write this post just because I can still remember the day "The Helmet Lady" spoke at Lithgow Intermediate.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4031829/Aarons-tragedy-spurred-Helmet-Ladys-crusade

My Celebrity Doppelganger (Look-alike) Costume Party

In keeping with my philosophy of embracing birthdays (Roller Disco and Pirates vs Robots), come and help me celebrate another birthday in style, by dressing as a celebrity or character you look like and if you can't think of one then come dressed like a celebrity/character anyway. Prizes for best costumes. It is on September 4th from 8pm, details on Facebook.

They can be a famous actor, singer, sports person, character, anything, use your imagination if you have to.

Come and hang with celebrities like Rhys Darby, Jet Li, Mr Incredible and Lady Gaga.

BYO alcohol and snacks if you want them. Music and dancing provided.

If people are keen we can hit up town after Christian o'clock.

This is inspired by Doppelganger week on Facebook several months ago and my recent encounters with Rhys Darby fans.

Doppelganger - In fiction, folklore, and popular culture, a doppelgänger ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a tangible double of a living person that typically represents evil. In the vernacular, the word doppelgänger has come to refer (as in German) to any double or look-alike of a person. The word is also used to describe the sensation of having glimpsed oneself in peripheral vision, in a position where there is no chance that it could have been a reflection. Doppelgängers are often perceived as a sinister form of bilocation and generally regarded as harbingers of bad luck.

If you are looking for ideas there is help available, either ask me or hit the following websites.

www.findyourdoppelganger.com
www.findmydoppelganger.com

Feel free to invite other friends as it is always a great chance to meet new people! I have gatecrashed enough parties in the past, so it doesn't matter if they know me or not.

Bert Sutcliffe's Ashes Lost At Carisbrook - Another Dunedin Botch Up

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/4016069/Bert-Sutcliffes-ashes-lost
New Zealand cricket legend Bert Sutcliffe's urn of ashes has been lost under Carisbrook somewhere after they were place there after his death in 2001 aged 77. Sutcliffe was a stalwart of New Zealand cricket both internationally and domestically and made double figures when we were famously bowled out for 26 by England. The urn of ashes was supposed to be moved to the University Oval since Carisbrook will no longer be the sporting home of Otago sport. This is another botch up, not dissimilar to the amateur handling of evidence in the David Bain case. Conveniently they both took place in Dunedin. You would think the University of Otago award Anthropology and Archaeology departments must be very disappointed.

Presenteeism - People Should Take Days Off!

In recent days I have had a bad cold, but as I showed up to work today, I realised that half of the people in the building were coughing and sneezing and it made me wonder what actually happens to the productivity levels when people come to work under the weather? Here is an interesting article on stuff which raises the issue. I think this is a serious problem especially with National wanting to give employers the opportunity to be able to get their workers to have to go through the effort of getting a medical certificate from a doctor for taking a solitary day off. I think some people are actually scared to take a day off. You get sick leave for a reason, but some people get to engrossed in their work to realise that they will make everyone else sick if they show up and spread the love, rather than make others jobs easier. Check out this article on Stuff.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion/3933519/Presenteeism-a-bigger-problem-than-absenteeism

According to Stuff

Presenteeism - It’s when employees are on site but mentally absent. In defiance of their coughs and colds, they turn up to work thinking they’re doing the right thing. But they’re not.

There are three main causes spreading the plague of presenteeism. The first is a fear employees will lose a bit of cash or even their job. The second is a distressing worry the work will pile up while they’re off sick. And the third is an overwhelming guilt that workmates will be left to carry the load. What they really end up carrying is the newly introduced office bug.

Other side effects include asinine mistakes when a mind is too cluttered by illness to think clearly, as well as reduced productivity when employees can’t work to their ordinary capacity despite receiving their ordinary wages.

Depression, anxiety and stress depress performance by 13 per cent. Headaches and migraines slash it by 41 per cent. Lack of sleep erodes efficiency by up to a third. Neck and back pain crush productivity by one fifth. And obesity drags output down by around 14 per cent.

Man About The House - Tame These Days!

I was sick home from work two days ago and flicking through SKY Television and found Man About The House on UKTV. I used to watch re-runs growing up, but I never realised how borderline controversial it would've been when it was released in 1973. These types of shows are often mentioned in pub quizzes so it is worth taking note of. The beauty of this show is that it also spawned into two other shows Robin's Nest and George and Mildred along with becoming an American show much like they did with shows like Dear John and The Office, where it became known as Three's Company starring the late John Ritter.

Who would've thought that a guy living with two girls would be considered so daring at the time? In the opening episodes, they tell their landlord George Roper from George and Mildred who live upstairs, that Robin Tripp is actually gay, so he doesn't think it is controversial for having a guy living with two girls.

I actually love this show and the outfits, hair styles and stupid situations that Robin gets himself into. You can relate to him. It is tame by standards these days, but still kind of crude enough to be funny with inneundo. Mind you, I like that kind of Austin Powers humour.

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

Man About the House was a British sitcom starring Richard O'Sullivan, Paula Wilcox and Sally Thomsett that was broadcast for six seasons on ITV from 1973 to 1976. It was created and written by Johnnie Mortimer and Brian Cooke. The series was considered daring at the time due to its subject matter of a man sharing a flat with two single girls. It was made by Thames Television, and two spin-offs were later made: George and Mildred and Robin's Nest. In 2004, it came 69th in Britain's Best Sitcom. The series was remade in the United States as Three's Company in 1977. A film version of Man About the House was released in 1974.

Breakers Win In China - Get An Appreciation For Local Insect Community

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/basketball/4017055/Breakers-development-side-wins-in-China
The Burger King New Zealand Breakers Developmental side got an appreciation for the local insect population before recording a 97-87 win over Liaoning from China last night. The game was played outdoors in front of 5,000 people but got the attention of local locusts, dragonflies and crickets before winning in overtime after scores were locked at 80 all at full time. Big Calum McLeod managed six points on debut. The Breakers have now made the top four play off matches in the tournament which is being used to develop new players for the side.

Top Celebrity Earners - Charlie Sheen Gets Too Much!

A list has been released of how much Hollywood actors get paid. It is amazing given how average some of the shows are. Charlie Sheen gets $US1.25 million per half hour episode of Two and Half Men which is funny but crude, but that works out to $2.5 million per hour which is about 100,000 times more than what most of us get. His co-star Jon Cryer also gets heaps. How much money can one sitcom generate?

I am thinking Rhys Darby would be doing well if he gets Steve Carrell's role on The Office!

Sure Oprah gets over $300 million per year, but surely she has to do more for her money than Sheen.

Drama actors (per episode):
Hugh Laurie (House) - $400,000+
Christopher Meloni & Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: SVU) - $395,000 (each)
David Caruso (CSI: Miami) - $375,000
Marg Helgenberger (CSI) - $375,000
Laurence Fishburne (CSI) - $350,000
Jeffrey Donovan (Burn Notice) - $200,000
Nathan Fillion (Castle) - $100,000
Jon Hamm (Mad Men) - $100,000
Alex O'Loughlin (Hawaii Five-0) - $100,000

Talk show hosts (per year):
Oprah Winfrey - $315 million
Judge Judy Sheindlin - $45 million
David Letterman (The Late Show) - $28 million
Jay Leno (The Tonight Show) - $25 million
Conan O'Brien (The Conan O'Brien Show) - $10 million

Reality TV (per year):
Ryan Seacrest (American Idol) - $15 million
Joel McHale (The Soup) - $2 million
Piers Morgan (America's Got Talent) - $2 million
Kate Gosselin (Kate Plus Eight) - $250,000 per episode
Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi (Jersey Shore) - $30,000 per episode

Comedy actors (per episode):
Charlie Sheen (Two and a Half Men) - $1.25 million
Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men) - $550,000
Dan Castellaneta and Julie Kavner (The Simpsons) - $400,000
Tina Fey (30 Rock) - $350,000
Jeremy Piven (Entourage) - $350,000
Steve Carell (The Office) - $297,000
Ed O'Neill (Modern Family) - $100,000
Betty White (Hot in Cleveland) - $75,000

http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv/4016917/Check-out-TVs-top-earners

Qantas Auctions Lost Property To Staff?

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10664663
This article sparked some controversy on Monday when it announced that lost property from Qantas flights is often auctioned off to staff. I guess there are heaps of people with very limited contact details going to all corners of the globe who may actually claim insurance for their goods that they lose anyway. It may actually take a ridiculous amount of effort to track these people down. I guess the other problem is that it may take a while before something lost is actually discovered and the item may only show up once the plane has gone to a completely different country. So the logistics of tracking people down could be a big issue.

In summary, be extra careful not to leave items on the plane when flying with any airline because most airlines probably have a similar policy to Qantas but aren't as up front about it! Also label things with contact details so no one else will mistake them for yours.

Does Romantic Chivalry Still Exist?

This guy sprang to international fame for his lack of romantic chivalry as he let the woman he was sitting with get a baseball to the elbow. The worst part of it was that he actually got out of the way of the oncoming ball at the last minute. The Astros fan probably doesn't realise that some people in this world do catch balls without wearing a glove, but I don't think his friend appreciated it judging by her reaction.

Bet On Your Grades!

http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/4011837/Websites-let-students-bet-on-grades
You can bet on your grades in the USA now and I see it as only increasing the odds of more problem gamblers being trapped into the seedy world of gambling. While if you play in sports matches or races that are involved in betting you can't put money on yourself failing unless you are called Hansie Cronje or the other shady characters involved with Indian bookmakers, as a student you will be able to shape your success. I used to constantly shoot B- grades at University, I could've made a killing with my predictions. But where will it end? I can see this locking people into the gambling habit even more than is currently the case. Ironically I don't mind the odd bet, but when you are a student, you are desperate for money and may end up relying heavily on picking your grades to survive.

Another Amazing Goal Celebration

The Icelandic club Stjaman who made headlines with their awesome goal scoring celebration of catching the fish is at it again with the 'human bicycle'. It is also awesome, but is it better than catching the fish? I would say it isn't quite as good, but it required more awkward man on man contact. They are both inspirational for Sports Camp in October!

Pictures To Help Guys Understand Women and Relationships

Here are some diagrams to help guys the world over try and understand women and relationships. They were sent to me at a time when I (like most guys) was struggling to understand women. It helps simplify things to an extent. Everyone knows someone who fits in these diagrams, hence why they are helpful. Who said using Venn Diagrams was something only useful in third form mathematics? Of course, they are a little bit in gest, but amusingly relatable. You may need to enlarge the zoom on your web browser settings to read them properly. I have also added the boy paradox for a bit of light relief for the female readers.

What do you think?

Wellington Gets All Whites vs Paraguay Match - October 12th

Westpac Stadium in Wellington will host the All Whites vs Paraguay on October 12th. The All Whites will also play a friendly against Honduras on October 9th in a yet to be determined venue which won't be Wellington. I think Wellington deserves the Paraguay match which will be well attended by the football fraternity there, but it is also ideal to grow the game in other parts of the country, so another match somewhere else is ideal. I hope both teams are somewhere near full strength for the matches. I wonder how much it will cost and if there will be as much hype over a friendly rather than a competitive match? Will you be keen to go on October 12th?

http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/index.php?id=11&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=667&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=10&cHash=b532a8b3a7

Top Bowler Appeals 10 Year Ban - That Is A Massive Ban Usually Associated wth Far Worse Crimes.

http://nz.sports.yahoo.com/news/article/-/7733757/lawn-bowler-appeals-10-yr-ban
In rugby you can be banned for a year to 18 months for eye gouging, or several months for punching or stomping, but one of New Zealand's best lawn bowlers has been banned for ten years. Not surprisingly, David File was handed the ban for exposing himself to his team mates. Admittedly in a sport like bowls where you don't have many team mates this is an odd thing to do, but apparently he was making a point or joke. In rugby changing rooms this has probably happened in the changing sheds and showers without penalty, but 10 years is a massive ban for this.

I thought violence like biting, punching, eye gouging, strangling, grabbing and stomping are terrible but you wouldn't get a 10 year ban. What about match fixing? How does exposing one's self to your team mates sit? Does he have a case to answer? He is appealing, do you think he will be successful?

I Am Back From Sunny Southland - It's Good To Be Back!

I am back after a week in Invers and while it was good to relax for a week away, it is good to be back! I always find my time in Invers is full of reminiscing about the times when I was growing up in Southland. There are still some of the same characters around the traps and there is something similar to "The Vicar of Dibley" about my parents' lives at the local church.

Impressions from Invercargill this time are that the weather was actually really good for August and I found myself sweating it up in my winter woollies. People always talk about the weather down there as the locals are defensive about it. I also ate too much good food which is bad for me. Three Bean Cafe is a favourite, while in the battle of the fish and chip shops I trialled, Herbert Street edged out Ascot Park. The Workingmen's Club gives cheap feeds too.

The shopping in Invers is pretty amazing really. There are so many good deals going down with Closing Down Sales and various clearance sales reducing goods by 50%. The brilliant thing is with stores like Rebel Sports that the stores are quite big because there is spare flat land, but there aren't the other people to pick over the bargains. So I got two pairs of shoes and other clothing for cheap. It is hard to know if their prices are in line with the rest of the country!

It was brilliant catching up with family in one hit on the Saturday at Big Guy's birthday and then seeing close family most days of the week. When you are in town for only a week it is great because people make an effort to see you. The novelty of not knowing many people outside of family would wear off if I was there longer.

There is more community feeling in Invers like my brother would go around town and know people all over the place, like a big fish in a small pond. I guess the business sector is small and although Invers is really spread out (CBD would rival many big cities in land size), there aren't the same number of people around. Hence why I kept bumping into my mother around town even though I didn't mean to. My family also dominated the local church Girls Brigaide Quiz Night scooping heaps of prizes. There are benefits of being the big fish. As I found out earlier in the year making the Southland Times isn't necessarily that tough.

I must say that Invercargill has a can do attitude. With the help of the Invercargill Licensing Trust (ILT) that sees no supermarkets allowed to sell booze, Southland has some of the best facilities like the velodrome, Stadium Southland and Rugby Park in the country, the Tour of Southland and the Burt Munro Museum. The people get behind events and their teams more than any other city in the country. It is partly because there is not always much else to do, but also this whole underdogs punching above their weight. You also see lots of people from Southland making their mark nationally either once leaving the province (like me) from the province.

Finally but most importantly because I was brought up in Invers supporting the Stags and being at Rugby Park with about 18,000 others as the Stags just won 16-12 over Otago was amazing. I loved the atmosphere and the passion. The Ranfurly Shield has really galvanised the province.

I would also say that there is a massive difference between people in Invercargill than Wellington. For starters, the population is less diverse in Invercargill. There is a large layer of white middle class heterosexual people, unlike Wellington. Heaps of people drive their four wheel drives along the flat wide streets of Invercargill. There is also a difference in the alcohol consumption. In Southland guys drink Speights or nothing. There are few cocktail bars or wineries. Christians are usually tea totalling wowsers unlike the Wellington variety who often meet for drinks in town.

While I keep a close eye on Invers, it is good to be back! Invers is probably a better place to go to settle down. So there are plenty of families and older empty nesters, but not necessarily a huge group of 20 something professionals. There are less jobs in the media down there. It is more the nurses, builders, plumbers, accountants, lawyers, shop assistants type specialist jobs. They also don't get all the shows, events and sporting matches that we get in Wellington, but because there are fewer events, people make their own fun in the outdoors, tramping, hunting, fishing or when there is an event on, people get into it and everyone goes.

Marist AFC Women Take On Three Kings United in Semi Final

If you are at a loose end on Sunday afternoon you could go to Kilbirnie Park in your green and white to support Marist AFC women play Three Kings United from Auckland in the National Knockout Cup Semi Final at 1pm. To fundraise the women from my club (Marist) partook in the age old classic of Jelly Wrestling. I didn't attend, but it sounded like a successful evening. I never knew this kind of venture takes place!

Good luck Marist, do the club proud. Some of these girls are really good footballers. I know some people don't respect females playing football, but I went along to a club game here in Invers and while they weren't that fast or big, some of them had some good ball skills. I would imagine the Marist girls would thump the Queens Park or Old Boys sides, but it is great that women are getting into one of my favourite sports more than they used to. Football is taking off and you just have to play it!

Invers Ready For Shield Challenge

People don't mind if there are 18,000 people at the Cake Tin or Eden Park for a rugby match, but not since the British and Irish Lions toured the country has Invercargill been ready for this many fans to hit the cauldron of Rugby Park. There are about 13,000 tickets sold so far, but there is standing room only left for those last minute punters, but that is usually how Southlanders roll. There will be about 40 buses come south for the match to see their underdog Otago side attempt to breathe new life into both their season and their province which has been starved of success in recent years. Join Tim Shadbolt and the parade from Wachner place in town to the stadium (about one kilometre) which will help build some atmosphere similar to the walk along the concourse at the Cake Tin for that All Whites vs Bahrain game. The Stags are favourites for a change paying $1.20 for a win, but surely Otago can't be as ordinary as they were against Counties last weekend when they lost heavily? This match will even have cheerleaders, which will be interesting given that it is a 4:30pm kick off and the weather is supposed to be cold and a chance of sleet with a maximum of nine degrees. They breed them tough down here!

Jack Bauer Makes Commonwealth Games Team

Well done to my old flatmate Jack Bauer for making the Commonwealth Games cycling team to race in New Delhi later this year. I was reminded of Bauer when I came down to Invers and his claim on Radio Sport that "you can take the velodrome out of Invercargill and you have nothing". Bauer wasn't too far off the mark, but the other sporting facilities are also top notch and Southland as I have discovered is about the friendly people and wide open spaces that create a laid back lifestyle. Go well Bauer! Hopefully the Delhi Belly doesn't hit during the road race and you can get tuna over there!


http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/3993942/NZ-Commonwealth-Games-cyclists-named

Life In Invers (Invercargill to those outsiders!)

I survived the two hour flight from Wellington to Invercargill despite suffering from major painful ear blockage on the descent to New Zealand’s southern most city. It is always a reality check for me returning to the place of my birth and upbringing as we land on the tarmac in the middle of green pastures and sheep. The local community is rugby mad and as I hopped off the same flight as Dancing with the Stars former Tall Black Brendon Pongia I realised that Invers is small in size but big in passion for the community.

It is a tight knit community down south where people actually care (some of us too much) for the local rugby team the Southland Stags and the Invercargill Licensing Trust has helped to get major world class facilities and events like the velodrome, Stadium Southland and the Tour of Southland. Of course, the man with the biggest grin in New Zealand, Tim Shadbolt is an enthusiastic ambassador, but he sums up the can do attitude of the locals.

It was “Big Guy” my father’s 70th birthday weekend and after I arrived on Friday night I realised my parents’ lives which revolve around one of the local traditional churches, reminds me of The Vicar of Dibley and ironically this programme was on television on Friday night after Coronation Street. My parents are at that stage where they snooze off watching these television shows (I think I have inherited this trait!). Of course, to them the only television channels are TV ONE, Prime and Cue (the local channel).

We had mainly family arrive from out of town and we went to a local café for lunch. It was noisy and warm as not only were there heaps of people (mainly close to Big Guy’s age) with their deafness (it is another family trait I am not looking forward to), but the Invers sunshine treated us to unseasonably warm conditions. Southerners talk about the weather first and then about the footy. It seems to be engrained in us from a young age, to be defensive about the weather and not wanting Southland to be portrayed in a negative light. I wonder what people talk about in Queensland where it is hot and sunny every other day.

It was a trip down memory lane seeing family and family friends for the first time in years. There are still the same jokes like charging the food to the Donaldson account. There were also two songs written for Big Guy and a continuing slideshow of some absolute classic photos from yesteryear.

We continued out to my brother Craig’s house for more food and drinks. Luckily he has Sky (unlike my folks) and we got to watch the All Blacks trounce the Wallabies. It was a tiring day chatting to extended family and family friends going over the same topics like the weather, Wellington and work as I think I have basically bust my gut by Friday knowing I was going to finally have a week off from the hustle and bustle of the big smoke to relax. I barely know anyone in Invers so it will be a chance to spend me time assessing life in a peaceful setting where according to my old flatmate Jack Bauer “you can take the velodrome out of Invercargill and you have nothing”.

Sunday has been restful in the warm Invers sun. I went out and watched my sister play football in the sunshine and on the firm and sandy grounds (unlike Wellington, very jealous!). There is a certain buzz around knowing that our teams the Southland Stags and All Blacks both won well yesterday and that the hot spring sun today showed the country we can mix it with whatever the folk up north can dish us up. I have been overindulged by southern hospitality and am still to sample cheese rolls and Jimmy's Pies again. I have run out of non woollen socks to wear. I came prepared for the worst and so far have been pleasantly surprised!

What lies ahead this week is hitting the bargains in Invers. People laugh at me saying the shopping in Invers is actually good. It is almost like some stores have no sense of what the rest of the country is charging for a certain product. I also have time to make the most of such deals. There is the game next Saturday afternoon to look forward to. I will be one of about 20,000 people who go to watch the mighty Southland Stags hopefully defend the Ranfurly Shield against our oldest and nearest neighbour, Otago. It is massive because of the geography and historical links but also it is our first top flight defence and it would be their first time winning the Shield since 1957. It is going to be funny to see what the crowd is like? I have been to some epic matches in recent times, but traditionally rugby crowds are reserved and conservative compared to the football crowds that Wellington Stadium can dish up!